How Do you Get Permission

[WSJK595]

How do you get permission to use a repeater

[Northcutt114]

I think it largely depends upon the repeater. Most are maintained by an individual or group. Ascertain from the owners what the their terms of usage are. If it is a repeater listed here, contact information can be found by clicking on the repeater.

The more, I suppose, unpopular answer is that you really don't need permission. Certainly civil behavior might imply that you should obtain it, but there's an equally salient argument that "mUh fReE aiRwAvEs" or something.

 

[GreggInFL]

Airwaves are free but repeaters are not. Someone spent resources putting that system together.

[WRXB215]

@Northcutt114 I love your avatar.

[Northcutt114]

On 8/8/2025 at 4:38 PM, WRXB215 said:

@Northcutt114 I love your avatar.

It seemed...I don't know? Appropriate? 

[Northcutt114]

On 8/8/2025 at 4:27 PM, GreggInFL said:

Airwaves are free but repeaters are not. Someone spent resources putting that system together.

Agreed, but, they did so knowing that the "airwaves are free." There's a very large group in my area that is currently charging to use their repeaters. I'm wrestling with it because I understand that someone spent significant time and expense to put the repeaters up, but I also realized that GMRS, by definition, is a public service. It seems counterintuitive to me.

 

[SteveShannon]

GMRS is not a “public service”.

It is a Personal Radio Service. 

You’re right that people shouldn’t be making a profit from charging to use their repeaters. The regulations allow recovering expenses only. 

[OffRoaderX]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

Agreed, but, they did so knowing that the "airwaves are free." There's a very large group in my area that is currently charging to use their repeaters. I'm wrestling with it because I understand that someone spent significant time and expense to put the repeaters up, but I also realized that GMRS, by definition, is a public service. It seems counterintuitive to me.

You should teach them a lesson by putting up your own repeater and letting everyone use it.

[SteveShannon]

3 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

You should teach them a lesson by putting up your own repeater and letting everyone use it.

That’l learn ‘em!

[Northcutt114]

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

GMRS is not a “public service”.

It is a Personal Radio Service. 

You’re right that people shouldn’t be making a profit from charging to use their repeaters. The regulations allow recovering expenses only. 

Forgive me, I misspoke. You are, as I presume is usually the case, correct.

To the last part of your post, I think the issue that most of the people local to this group have is that the group doesn't publish any data regarding their intake and expenses. I'm too green to know if that's a requirement or not, but they hold Thursday night nets and do them live on YouTube and their production studio looks like it would put an NFL TV trailer to shame. People wonder where all that money is coming from. Not to mention one of their senior member started an online radio sales company and advertises for it over the net every week. It's...odd, to say the least.

 

[Northcutt114]

55 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

You should teach them a lesson by putting up your own repeater and letting everyone use it.

I'm currently looking into it, actually. A few of us, actually. And we're looking at the Retevis RT97L to do the job. The problem is that they have the high ground; literally on top of a mountain on a tower.

I've been around long enough to know that you're being sarcastic, but explain it to me like I'm five years old. What are the costs associated with maintaining a repeater? I know you did it for awhile. Am I naive? $600 for the RT97L, another grand, say, for a good antenna and some coax. Mount 'er on a pole and voila? Fix stuff as it breaks? I assume, for some, there might be a lease or rental for the space on a tower? That wouldn't be the case for me as a member in our group has space for it on his property and is willing to host it. Tell me, Queen of GMRS, what am I missing?

 

[OffRoaderX]

9 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I'm currently looking into it, actually. A few of us, actually. And we're looking at the Retevis RT97L to do the job. The problem is that they have the high ground; literally on top of a mountain on a tower.

I've been around long enough to know that you're being sarcastic, but explain it to me like I'm five years old. What are the costs associated with maintaining a repeater? I know you did it for awhile. Am I naive? $600 for the RT97L, another grand, say, for a good antenna and some coax. Mount 'er on a pole and voila? Fix stuff as it breaks? I assume, for some, there might be a lease or rental for the space on a tower? That wouldn't be the case for me as a member in our group has space for it on his property and is willing to host it. Tell me, Queen of GMRS, what am I missing?

Getting their repeater up on the tower was probably a few thousand monies to get it installed and probably several hundred to $1k - $2k per month, every month, depending on the location. That's why they charge for people to use the "free public service" which is neither free nor a public service.

When I put up MY repeater, open for everyone to use for free, the cost was around $1k .. $500 for the repeater (used Vertex 7000), the coax, mast/hardware, etc and paying a professional to climb on my dangerously sloped 3-story castle-roof to install it all.. (I got the antenna for free!).. But my advantage is that I live atop a golden hillside overlooking the slums below which is almost as good of a location as the very expensive towers very near me.. not quite, but close enough, so i have decent coverage.

Sticking your pole in the ground with your RT97L would work, but would not have near the reach as their tower on the mountain.. unless you are like me and have a castle atop a golden hillside.

[Northcutt114]

25 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

Getting their repeater up on the tower was probably a few thousand monies to get it installed and probably several hundred to $1k - $2k per month, every month, depending on the location. That's why they charge for people to use the "free public service" which is neither free nor a public service.

When I put up MY repeater, open for everyone to use for free, the cost was around $1k .. $500 for the repeater (used Vertex 7000), the coax, mast/hardware, etc and paying a professional to climb on my dangerously sloped 3-story castle-roof to install it all.. (I got the antenna for free!).. But my advantage is that I live atop a golden hillside overlooking the slums below which is almost as good of a location as the very expensive towers very near me.. not quite, but close enough, so i have decent coverage.

Sticking your pole in the ground with your RT97L would work, but would not have near the reach as their tower on the mountain.. unless you are like me and have a castle atop a golden hillside.

I, unfortunately or otherwise, do not have a castle atop a golden hillside. It's a split level in a depression, surrounded by foothills. I can hit their repeater to get over the hills but within the bowl, my friends and I are trying to put something up to link us all without having to simplex around the bowl, relaying messages. We wouldn't and couldn't compete with this other local group. Our thought is, though, if we can take our traffic off the mountaintop and keep it in the bowl, it's a win-win for everyone. We don't have to pay and they have more bandwidth to talk about smoking meat, going to Wally World, eating at Sonics, and talking about the good old days of CB and sending postcards. Or whatever it is they talk about.

But your point is well made about the rent/lease of a repeater. I had no idea it could be that expensive. Dues, at that point, make sense. Like I said before, go easy on me. I'm new.

 

 

[LeoG]

Being inside a bowl is no place for a repeater.  My house is near the river so I'm pretty low down.  My shop is in one of the higher parts of the town which believe me isn't high at all.  About 100' higher than my house.  And the coverage is nothing to talk about.  Keeps me in touch with the wife within town mostly.  It will be going higher, but still it's not 500+ feet up which is what you need to start getting decent coverage in my area.  To many hills and valleys along with loads of trees full of leaves to suck up the signal.

[Northcutt114]

16 hours ago, LeoG said:

Being inside a bowl is no place for a repeater.  My house is near the river so I'm pretty low down.  My shop is in one of the higher parts of the town which believe me isn't high at all.  About 100' higher than my house.  And the coverage is nothing to talk about.  Keeps me in touch with the wife within town mostly.  It will be going higher, but still it's not 500+ feet up which is what you need to start getting decent coverage in my area.  To many hills and valleys along with loads of trees full of leaves to suck up the signal.

I understand your position. But in our case, it makes sense. We can currently sort of daisy chain comms as Steve lives about 3 miles south of Bob who wants to talk to Billy who lives 3 miles south of Steve. Bob calls out for Steve who relays it on to Billy. But if Steve would just put up a repeater, Bob could get Billy without bothering Steve. The spot we have to put up a repeater is above the line of sight of all trees and buildings in the area so while it won't get us to the moon, we feel confident it will link us all up.

 

[Northcutt114]

I know that none of you will care, but I'm listening to the paid-for repeater tonight and this guy just keyed up, ID'ed himself as new to group, gave his tac number and callsign, and then asked for a radio check and then roger beep. I should mention that the club has a "no roger beep" rule on the repeater. A couple of seconds go by and this other guy keys up and gives him the appropriate feedback and signs off. Original guy keys back up and thanks other dude and then signs off. Roger beep. About ten seconds go by and this third guy comes on, completely unsolicited, and tells the guy to turn of his roger beep, there's no roger beeps allowed. You should know that if you're a member. Turn it off.

A few seconds go by and new guy kerchunks the repeater and roger beeps again. I spit water all over my desk laughing.

Carry on...

 

[CentralFloridaGMRS]

57 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I know that none of you will care, but I'm listening to the paid-for repeater tonight and this guy just keyed up, ID'ed himself as new to group, gave his tac number and callsign, and then asked for a radio check and then roger beep. I should mention that the club has a "no roger beep" rule on the repeater. A couple of seconds go by and this other guy keys up and gives him the appropriate feedback and signs off. Original guy keys back up and thanks other dude and then signs off. Roger beep. About ten seconds go by and this third guy comes on, completely unsolicited, and tells the guy to turn of his roger beep, there's no roger beeps allowed. You should know that if you're a member. Turn it off.

A few seconds go by and new guy kerchunks the repeater and roger beeps again. I spit water all over my desk laughing.

Carry on...

 

Tac Number? I'm guessing it's the North Georgia GMRS Network?

[Northcutt114]

2 minutes ago, CentralFloridaGMRS said:

Tac Number? I'm guessing it's the North Georgia GMRS Network?

Indeedily doodily. What gave it away?

[CentralFloridaGMRS]

9 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

Indeedily doodily. What gave it away?

Tac Number. Do they still have it broadcasting on Zello? 

[Northcutt114]

7 minutes ago, CentralFloridaGMRS said:

Tac Number. Do they still have it broadcasting on Zello? 

So, I've done some research and I can't figure out what a "tac number" is. There's another metro area repeater that is not part of their network that has also asked me for a "tac number." I assumed it was something GMRS related that I was too green to understand. It is unique to them?

As to Zello, I don't think so. I heard some guy the other day saying that he missed it. I guess I'm a little late to the game as I didn't even know what Zello was until a few weeks ago. I downloaded it and put it on my phone for about 10 minutes before I deleted it. Couldn't figure out what I would use it for.

 

[LeoG]

Maybe the tac number is something they give you when you are a paid club member.

[CentralFloridaGMRS]

15 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

So, I've done some research and I can't figure out what a "tac number" is. There's another metro area repeater that is not part of their network that has also asked me for a "tac number." I assumed it was something GMRS related that I was too green to understand. It is unique to them?

As to Zello, I don't think so. I heard some guy the other day saying that he missed it. I guess I'm a little late to the game as I didn't even know what Zello was until a few weeks ago. I downloaded it and put it on my phone for about 10 minutes before I deleted it. Couldn't figure out what I would use it for.

 

The Tac Number is what they give you when you're a paid member.  I'm not longer a Member but I had one for Ocala because that was the repeater in Florida nearest my Home. Ocala 818 I think it was. The trouble is I never used it. When I go to my other home in Gatlinburg I use the other Repeaters that are free and not linked 

[Northcutt114]

16 minutes ago, LeoG said:

Maybe the tac number is something they give you when you are a paid club member.

It is. And they call it a "tactical unit number." I have no idea what is "tactical" about it. 

[Northcutt114]

3 minutes ago, CentralFloridaGMRS said:

The Tac Number is what they give you when you're a paid member.  I'm not longer a Member but I had one for Ocala because that was the repeater in Florida nearest my Home. Ocala 818 I think it was. The trouble is I never used it. When I go to my other home in Gatlinburg I use the other Repeaters that are free and not linked 

Apparently the Ocala repeater is "down for maintenance" these days.

 

[LeoG]

W.A.G. for the win.