WRQC527

In my humble opinion, I tune my mobile antennas closer to 467, since I primarily use repeaters and I'd like to have maximum efficiency on the transmit end. If you only work simplex, tune it closer to the 462 end. But like they say about instruction manuals, that's just how one guy did it.

FYI, there is an "Ignore User" feature on this site. It comes in handy for filtering out responses from folks you don't want to read responses from.

Because last week they heard "Reading-Impaired Al from the FCC" say it in front of a few folks at an ARRL luncheon in a Chinese restaurant in Pennsylvania, and they're taking it as The Word Of God. Maybe what Al said means enforcement is imminent, maybe it's yet another empty threat by the FCC to enforce their rules. But the risk of getting fined by the FCC is there, no matter how tiny that risk is.

Yep. And I would add and enforce the regulations.

"Any other networks" is not part of 95.1749 as it is currently written. Or any other network is found in a separate paragraph under the Operations tab of a different section of the FCC website and as has been pointed out, has been there for years. Al, the reading-impaired gentleman in the video claiming to be from the FCC, could not even bring himself to read the complete text of 95.1749. What 95.1749 and that separate paragraph say, and what they have said unchanged for several years, is this: "§ 95.1749 GMRS network connection. Operation of a GMRS station with a telephone connection is prohibited, as in § 95.349. GMRS repeater, base and fixed stations, however, may be connected to the public switched network or other networks for the sole purpose of operation by remote control pursuant to § 95.1745." The paragraph in the Operations tab, the "addendum", if you will, reads as follows: "You can expect a communications range of one to twenty-five miles depending on station class, terrain and repeater use. You cannot directly interconnect a GMRS station with the telephone network or any other network for the purpose of carrying GMRS communications, but these networks can be used for remote control of repeater stations." This rule, and the "addendum", if you will, under the Operations tab, seem to prohibit linking of GMRS repeaters, but there is nothing new added to the rules. In the video, Reading-Impaired Al from the FCC appears to be trying to intimidate the audience, but not with any new rules.

I'm curious who is going to take the bait. Guesses? Anyone?

That definitely sounds like an emergency situation!

Seems reasonable.

There's 8 standard repeater channels. They are standard "frequency pairs", meaning there's an input frequency and an output frequency for each of the 8 repeaters. If you know the output frequency of the repeater you want to use, you would select the corresponding channel number on your radio. But to access the repeaters, you need to know what the CTCSS tones are. These tones are transmitted when you key your radio, which tells the repeater to activate. You need to set these tones in your radio for the repeater you want to use. These tones are sometimes available on this website under the Repeaters section, but sometimes they are not published and you would need the repeater owner's permission to use the repeater, then they would give you the CTCSS tones.

A recent thread made me think... Has anyone here used GMRS or amateur radio for actual emergency situations? I've listened in while someone tried to locate and help someone who was lost at night on a dark mountain road out of cell range, but I'm curious how many others have done anything similar. How did it go?

Well then in the words of my favorite hit man, Jules Winnfield, "Oh well allow me to retort". In grossly-oversimplified terms, the frequencies nested between GMRS frequencies are allocated to commercial and other uses, not Personal Radio Services. So transmitting on them would disrupt those users. The FCC is tasked with allocating the entire spectrum so we can all play together nicely.

That's true. I'm mostly aiming at the newbie audience that just got a license and a basic GMRS radio off Scamazon or Fleabay. There are some here who go straight for the commercial gear and bypass off-the-shelf dedicated GMRS radios altogether, or go the outlaw route and use unlocked Baofengs and other CCRs. (wink wink)

Two thumbs way, way up.

Som amateur radio clubs require you to be a licensed amateur to join, but should be more than happy to help you get your license. Many of them host study and test sessions for just that reason. Yes, check them out. The ARRL website should have listings of clubs in your area.

Receive.

Antenna theory is very complex. Instead of getting a bunch of confusing answers here, I suggest researching antennas, gain, antenna types, ground planes, and other antenna-related subjects separately. This is not to put you off, but lots of folks here will inundate you with information.

He's messing with you. Unfortunately.

This is a tough question because there is no one antenna that's "best". It depends on your circumstances. For me, a little 1/2-wave works best because I use one or two local repeaters. For some, an even shorter 1/4-wave would work, but some people use much longer antennas with higher gain because it suits their situation. Lots of people will make recommendations based on what works for them. Personally, for my use, my Rugged Radios 1/2-wave Point5 does the job.

Mine did too until recently. I still use a phone line to control my 1200Mhz repeater. I also still have my father-n-law's 1980s-vintage Yaesu FT-207R 2-meter HT that he used to call his mother through a phone patch from his plane when he flew into South Dakota so she would know to meet him at the airport.

Generally speaking, one of the bigger mistakes made here on the MyGMRS forums is roasting newbies. It's demeaning and it discourages them from further participation. Also, in order to be certified for use on GMRS frequencies, GMRS radios cannot have the ability to transmit on any frequencies other than the frequencies and power levels that are designated by the FCC. So if you are using a radio that is specifically an FCC certified GMRS radio, there would be no way you could transmit on any other frequencies.

Not necessarily. As long as you use direct-bury coax, it's not an issue. But make sure that's what you use. Not all coax can withstand being buried because of moisture, temperature changes, that kind of thing.

Here's the website for the Santiago Peak repeater. It's a private repeater and I'm sure they would frown on me posting the tones here. https://www.crestcommunications.org/

So I listened for about an hour between 4 and 5 PM and I did hear some chatter on 462.675. No call signs were heard, and the conversations were not really family-friendly. I also heard roger beeps, but because I could sometimes only hear one side of the conversation, it wasn't a repeater. To be fair, 462.675 is shared with FRS so it's not unusual to hear simplex activity with no call signs. I hear the Covid shot clinic a half mile away from my house, and I'm forever hearing preschools and restaurants on FRS as I drive down the freeway.

It's hard to be sure based on your post if your radios have CTCSS, but from the Amazon product description for at least one listing: "2. Privacy- Our walkie talkies for kids are equipped with 22 channels, reinforced by 99 CTCSS sub-codes so that you can minimize the likelihood of other people being able to communicate with your children by using the same frequency."

Are sure it's a repeater and not some fools doing simplex on 462.675? Also there's a couple of other repeaters in Orange County and one in Chino on that frequency pair. I'll listen to it on my way home today and see if I hear anything. I work in Lake Forest, but I live in Fullerton. Also, I think if it's the repeater I'm assuming it is, Santiago Peak has a tone on the output so you could set it on your radio as well.