captdan

Morse, while being the "first digital transmissions" is not prohibited as long as the signal sent by the radio is still FM.

So many reasons
 
I started using FRS/GMRS bubble pack radios so long ago I forget when I started, maybe late 70's or early 80's we all had CB radios in our 4x4 vehicles that we took on the beach at the Jersi Shore and the woods. CB gave us more range, but the CB radios were so big and bulky and required a huge antenna when most of the the time we were within line of sight, but just out or range to yell at each other especially on the beach, those bubble pack radios worked great, no problem with a mile or little more, line of sight on the beach, no obstructions.

Fast forward to post 911, cell phones were down, lived in a close neighborhood, everyone dug out their kids bubble pack radios and were able to communicate and relay messages back and forth.

Few years later at a rustic community in the Pocono Mountains of PA, the community office monitored one frequency in case anyone needed to contact the community management office. Everyone else monitored a different frequency as a "calling" frequency.  If someone needed something they would just call out on the "calling" frequency like, anyone want to go trail riding this afternoon, anyone around that can give me a hand doing whatever for a few minutes and one of my all time favorites bon fire and adult beverages at the Jones, 7:30 tonight. Ya all get the picture.

Currently we use GMRS & MURS around our farm. All of the equipment have a radio installed on them, additionally everyone takes a walkie-talkie with them when they go out. We are 8 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico about an hour north of Tampa, hard to believe dirt - sugar sand roads - very poor cell service when we have it, lucky to get DSL internet service at 1.5 gigs. So we initially used radios on our farm. As we met and got to know neighbors, they bought radios and now the neighborhood has our own network, our "family" channel has become the "calling" channel which is fine with us, we don't miss much going on in the neighborhood then. So much easier asking once on the radio if anyone has a certain tool or part for our tractors, atv's etc or something for the horses than making 15 to 25 individual calls.

It works great, all the kids take a walkie-talkie with them when they are out on their dirt bikes or ATV's, they can switch to a channel and talk among themselves, they can call out on the calling channel if they need something. Pretty much everyone knows everyone, we all know who is trustworthy etc.

Of course, again one of my favorite parts, as they say "pop up" parties .....The announcements comes over the radio Everyone welcome at the Dog House, grills on, fire is lit  !

 

So many reasons
 
I started using FRS/GMRS bubble pack radios so long ago I forget when I started, maybe late 70's or early 80's we all had CB radios in our 4x4 vehicles that we took on the beach at the Jersi Shore and the woods. CB gave us more range, but the CB radios were so big and bulky and required a huge antenna when most of the the time we were within line of sight, but just out or range to yell at each other especially on the beach, those bubble pack radios worked great, no problem with a mile or little more, line of sight on the beach, no obstructions.

Fast forward to post 911, cell phones were down, lived in a close neighborhood, everyone dug out their kids bubble pack radios and were able to communicate and relay messages back and forth.

Few years later at a rustic community in the Pocono Mountains of PA, the community office monitored one frequency in case anyone needed to contact the community management office. Everyone else monitored a different frequency as a "calling" frequency.  If someone needed something they would just call out on the "calling" frequency like, anyone want to go trail riding this afternoon, anyone around that can give me a hand doing whatever for a few minutes and one of my all time favorites bon fire and adult beverages at the Jones, 7:30 tonight. Ya all get the picture.

Currently we use GMRS & MURS around our farm. All of the equipment have a radio installed on them, additionally everyone takes a walkie-talkie with them when they go out. We are 8 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico about an hour north of Tampa, hard to believe dirt - sugar sand roads - very poor cell service when we have it, lucky to get DSL internet service at 1.5 gigs. So we initially used radios on our farm. As we met and got to know neighbors, they bought radios and now the neighborhood has our own network, our "family" channel has become the "calling" channel which is fine with us, we don't miss much going on in the neighborhood then. So much easier asking once on the radio if anyone has a certain tool or part for our tractors, atv's etc or something for the horses than making 15 to 25 individual calls.

It works great, all the kids take a walkie-talkie with them when they are out on their dirt bikes or ATV's, they can switch to a channel and talk among themselves, they can call out on the calling channel if they need something. Pretty much everyone knows everyone, we all know who is trustworthy etc.

Of course, again one of my favorite parts, as they say "pop up" parties .....The announcements comes over the radio Everyone welcome at the Dog House, grills on, fire is lit  !

 

Thank you both
 
This is one of the great things about this forum - techinical question from simple mind (me)  -  simple answer from brilliant minds !  (you)
 
 
Thank you !

I think the idea of a GMRS/FRS radio "system" is great.  Even if you double down and have both a repeater for a GMRS "channel" and a simplex FRS "Channel". 

Then a sign posted on the entrance road notifying people entering the camp that a certain "channel" should be avoid and only used to contact the office, recommend a second "channel" every one use for calling and contacting each other while around the camp.
 
GMRS repeater capable radios would be great for any administrative type people, coordinators, group leaders etc that could communicate across the entire camp with a repeater if necessary. A camp that size could only benefit from a good communications system

I use the Jacksonville repeater while traveling North.  We have never heard anyone else on, and in case the repeater owner records transmissions, we always say a Thank You on the air, to the repeater owner for allowing us to use it for our hour passing thru. 

That's an area of heavy traffic and congestion, and while everyone has a cell phone, the radios just make life so much easier, no dialing a number, everyone gets the message with one broadcast.  The repeater makes life so much easier, it works well, even the vehicles with hand held units can communicate with everyone if the convoy gets separated in the traffic. 

Anyway - in response to your original question, no I've never found another repeater in that area. When we travel, I use one radio for communication and a second scanning in case there is a new repeater.

Hi Dan,
I have not received the e-mails for the last few weeks.   I just went to the main site and under preferences, I selected to receive the updates.  I will let you know if they start again.

Everything has it's place.
 
We have several FRS only radios and several FRS/GMRS bubble pack radios. 
 
In an area outside of New Jersey where we have a large tract of land we use the FRS/GMRS radios frequently while working about the property to communicate.  We use the FRS because we do not want to broadcast what we are doing. 
 
There is actually a "prepper" group in that area that advocates a communications system to it's members and they recommend:
 
     *  the use of FRS only radios for use around one's individual property, for communicating among people watching - working - or protecting your individual property
 
     *  the use of a FRS/GMRS bubble pack radio by one person - they recommend the person in charge at each property - to communicate from your individual property to a neighborhood coordinator
 
     *  the use of a MURS or GMRS radio - handheld - mobile - base as needed to effectively communicate from the neighborhood coordinator to a group "headquarters"
 
     *  their "headquarters" apparently has almost every kind of radio available
 
 
The point of my post is that there is a legitimate need and use for FRS radios and I support using the least amount of power necessary in order to communicate effectively.

West coast of Florida the Wal Mart's use MURS # 4  154.570.  It's used in their stores and the Wal Mart trucks apparently have the radios also as I hear store personnel calling on the air for the truck drivers to back into a particular loading ramp to be unloaded. 

MURS # 1 151.820 is used by automated alarms in this area also.  I have no positively identified the users but sounds like some of the horse farms in the area.  Frequently the automated message - "Alarm in area 1"  and 2, 3, and area 4.  Best I can tell so far is they are attached to farm gates, when a gate is open it is announced on MURS. 
 
Just recently I read some prepper groups are encouraging the use of MURS #1 as a universal prepper channel. 
 
Prepper Net Every Tuesday night at 8:30PM CST on 151.8200 Mzh Some folks have come together and chosen a frequency or channel that all preppers can use. They assume that you probably have a Baofeng or Wouxun type radio, or other radio capable of transmitting in the MURS band. We picked this frequency because you do not need a license. You do not need to be a ham radio operator. Just program 151.820 into your radio and label it as PREP. It is our intention to have as many members of our community as possible to use this frequency. Every Tuesday night at 9:30pm est just monitor that channel. At some point, after we get enough people, you may begin to actually have contacts on that channel. Perhaps you are going to travel and you may find preppers on that channel
 
For what it's worth.

West coast of Florida the Wal Mart's use MURS # 4  154.570.  It's used in their stores and the Wal Mart trucks apparently have the radios also as I hear store personnel calling on the air for the truck drivers to back into a particular loading ramp to be unloaded. 

MURS # 1 151.820 is used by automated alarms in this area also.  I have no positively identified the users but sounds like some of the horse farms in the area.  Frequently the automated message - "Alarm in area 1"  and 2, 3, and area 4.  Best I can tell so far is they are attached to farm gates, when a gate is open it is announced on MURS. 
 
Just recently I read some prepper groups are encouraging the use of MURS #1 as a universal prepper channel. 
 
Prepper Net Every Tuesday night at 8:30PM CST on 151.8200 Mzh Some folks have come together and chosen a frequency or channel that all preppers can use. They assume that you probably have a Baofeng or Wouxun type radio, or other radio capable of transmitting in the MURS band. We picked this frequency because you do not need a license. You do not need to be a ham radio operator. Just program 151.820 into your radio and label it as PREP. It is our intention to have as many members of our community as possible to use this frequency. Every Tuesday night at 9:30pm est just monitor that channel. At some point, after we get enough people, you may begin to actually have contacts on that channel. Perhaps you are going to travel and you may find preppers on that channel
 
For what it's worth.

Logan - so sorry to hear of your blight - I keep reading and learning from your experience and will be reaching out to you as a resource when I am ready to put a tower & repeater up.  I should not have neighbor problems as I will be somewhat isolated.
 
Good luck and keep us posted !
 
 
Dan 

On Saturday 6/28/14 I was just south of Seaside Park New Jersey at the entrance to Island Beach State Park and was bored and had the one radio scan when I received some units as if they were 1/2 a block away.  After listenoing and realizing they wer enot close at all - polietly inserted myself into the conversation and aske dthem where they were and where their repeater was located. An individual responded - very nicely and poilety - that it was a private repeater located in Nassau County Long Island and said it belonged to www.SHTFLI.com

I just wanted to say that is some powerful repeater and amazing coverage.  I chatted with Kevin for a few minutes and it was like he was next to me.
 
When I got home I checked google earth and it appears to be a little over 60 miles - mostly over the ocean - between where I was south of Seaside Park NJ and Nassau County NY.
 
I was impressed - thats all folks

On Saturday 6/28/14 I was just south of Seaside Park New Jersey at the entrance to Island Beach State Park and was bored and had the one radio scan when I received some units as if they were 1/2 a block away.  After listenoing and realizing they wer enot close at all - polietly inserted myself into the conversation and aske dthem where they were and where their repeater was located. An individual responded - very nicely and poilety - that it was a private repeater located in Nassau County Long Island and said it belonged to www.SHTFLI.com

I just wanted to say that is some powerful repeater and amazing coverage.  I chatted with Kevin for a few minutes and it was like he was next to me.
 
When I got home I checked google earth and it appears to be a little over 60 miles - mostly over the ocean - between where I was south of Seaside Park NJ and Nassau County NY.
 
I was impressed - thats all folks

Here in south Florida, we have a retailer USsolar, they sell high quality 255 watt solar panels for about $230 bucks each. They also sell Trojan battery's and charge controllers. I do go to harbor Freight, but I would never consider their plastic mono solar panels. They are basic "Junk" I am aware of solar panels being used effectively as far north as Alaska. with necessary high inclination of panels at such latitude, snow accumulation on panels would be minimized. I love Solar power and here in Florida it's a "no brainer" I remember the last time I was in New Jersey the local utility had placed solar panels on top of each utility pole. not very attractive looking but it works. Our new house is just 3 weeks from Finnish and includes 6800 watt's of solar panels on our southern exposure. 

Glad to hear that ....more coverage is always a great thingto hear !
 
 
Dan

Thank you both
 
This is one of the great things about this forum - techinical question from simple mind (me)  -  simple answer from brilliant minds !  (you)
 
 
Thank you !

w/reference to this. I was racking some new equipment today at the 650 site and had my machine in monitor to see what it was hearing as I worked.
around 12:30 I heard what was described above. hooked up my decoder and waited to see what came up.....532 DPL. these 2 guys talked for a few minutes no call signs or ID they were however using MDC. about an hr later I hear what sounded like some one testing a radio w/same DPL, mostly keying and blowing into the mic. I then heard one of the persons that was previously talking say "502  theta" and then asking for 522.  a short while after that I heard a 1Kc tone, like a test tone that was around 14:30 or so.
now for the more interesting part............
it sounds like a link repeater, meaning it set up reverse of what it is suppose to be. now I have looked at all the listed machines in NY & NJ and saw nothing listed as theta. also I forgot to mention that I had my portable w/me also in open channel. now at 900+ feet even on an HT I should have heard something on the low side.
I'm just sorry that I didn't have my service monitor up there w/me today, at least I could have seen the signal levels and done a split freq search. ah maybe neat time. I did however get a partial call if it was them but I was preoccupied w/other things at the time. I did make some notes will post up later.

On behalf of the moderation team,
 
Pastor Gary and I would like to say thank you to all of our Veterans who served in all branches of the armed forces so we may have the freedoms we have today.This day is for those who served proudly and those who gave their lives so that we have opportunity the enjoy our freedom given to us by those which made sure our freedoms were not infringed upon.
 
We can never say thank you enough for the things our veterans have done for us.No one ever knows what you had to endure during you tour of duty nor the thoughts that cross your minds,we only know what is shared with us  by the ones who have experienced those trials and tribulations themselves.
 
I am sure it would be hard to describe in words the things that have been seen through the eyes of our veterans who traveled to foreign lands and the conditions in which they were required to live in during those times,we also would like to honor our POW/MIA along with their families during this holiday also.May all of those who paid the ultimate price R.I.P. and peace be with the families of those whom have lost loved their loved ones.
 
May God Bless our troops as they carry out their sworn duties as they continue to preserve our freedom for years to come.
 
                                                                                                                                                                           William

I have just gotten off the phone with Marvin's Building Material and Home Builders about their use of GMRS.I was at one of their stores yesterday and listened to the employees use 462.675 for ordering lunch and general business activities.I notified corporate a few minutes ago and as luck had it reached the IT dept.
 
The gentleman I spoke with was unaware that they were operating illegally.I politely explain to him the rules regarding GMRS use and in turn he provided me with his email address where I sent him a copy of the FCC rules and also links from the FCC website of the latest fines issued to businesses that were caught using GMRS.
 
The IT representative in turned thanked me for the information and will be correcting the situation and I will notify every one as soon as I am updated on the situation....William

Now your talking., Way to go William. I got a new BC125at scanner a few days ago and began monitoring the rest of our GMRS channels, not a single call sign announced since I got it. Ignorance is BLISS till they get caught.

Thanks, William... Tactfulness and polite communications with the unknowing public goes much farther than yelling. Good job... !!

Everything has it's place.
 
We have several FRS only radios and several FRS/GMRS bubble pack radios. 
 
In an area outside of New Jersey where we have a large tract of land we use the FRS/GMRS radios frequently while working about the property to communicate.  We use the FRS because we do not want to broadcast what we are doing. 
 
There is actually a "prepper" group in that area that advocates a communications system to it's members and they recommend:
 
     *  the use of FRS only radios for use around one's individual property, for communicating among people watching - working - or protecting your individual property
 
     *  the use of a FRS/GMRS bubble pack radio by one person - they recommend the person in charge at each property - to communicate from your individual property to a neighborhood coordinator
 
     *  the use of a MURS or GMRS radio - handheld - mobile - base as needed to effectively communicate from the neighborhood coordinator to a group "headquarters"
 
     *  their "headquarters" apparently has almost every kind of radio available
 
 
The point of my post is that there is a legitimate need and use for FRS radios and I support using the least amount of power necessary in order to communicate effectively.

Thanks - no biggie - was just curious - generally there is no one ever and I mean ever on 725.  We use it as our home channel on all of our units while in NJ.  We had picked this frequency because we never ever heard anyone on it. 
 
Anyway - hope everyone has a great day - a happy and safe Halloween !
 
Dan

Quaterwave,
 
You pretty well summed it up...William

Lets not be too quick to condemn the parents in this case. I am hearing from some people in Lakewood - where this happened - that the parents are good people and the kids are good kids - but are just kids.  The frequencies for that volunteer ambulance squad were already programed into the radios when the parents bought the set of walkie- talkies for their 12 year old son at a local flea market.That's the reason there were no charges filed.  In my humble opinion the kids knew they were messing around with someone - just didn't know how serious it could be.  How many kids in the 50's and 60's called people on the telephone and asked if their refrigerator was running and when the person said yes told them they better go catch it before it gets away ? Sometimes kids are just kids - does not make them bad people or criminals.
 
That having been said - and as I said in a different post - I've spent 36 years with a city police department - several as the direct commander of the communications section and several more as the commander of the parent Bureau for the communications section. We had only 2 instances where unauthorized persons came onto our frequencies - both were to request emergency aid - and no enforcement action was taken against those 2 people. Bothe instances were before cell phones.
 
Times are changing - I have learned recently that illegal transmissions on government frequencies has become such a problem that  NYC PD now has personnel trained and equipped to track and identify the source of unauthorized transmissions on duty 24/7  365.  Apparently there have been some issues or concerns about this but they do not publicize it for fear of attracting attention and thereby encouraging additional people to try it just for fun.