GMRS Trave Frequency?

[Northcutt114]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

Ignore him. Anything you paid less than $1,000 for isn't a "real" radio to him. The rest of us actually live in the "real" world.

I would have liked this post but apparently "I can not give any more reactions today." 

As to your advice. I plan to. Reference my avatar. 

[SteveShannon]

Just now, Northcutt114 said:

I'm familiar with the button and it is on my radio. It removes tones, too? I thought squelch and tones were different?

Matching tones (CTCSS or PL) or codes (DCS or DPL) are both ways of squelching the audio. The other way is commonly referred to as “carrier squelch” where the radio requires the signal to surpass some level before unsquelching (desquelching? I’m not sure what the verb is).

Pushing the “Mon” (short for “monitor”) opens all forms of squelch so you can hear anything that is on the frequency. 

[Northcutt114]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

I don't know what radio you have, but I have the upper (50 watt) channels duplicated with CTCSS/DTCS tones for such a contingency. It's not perfect, because when the tone opens your squelch, you still may pick up the other traffic on the frequency. It also requires that your buddy program his radio the same way. Still, it mostly works because if you're traveling with someone in another vehicle, likely you're close enough that your signal will "beat" another signal originating further away.

Gotcha. So the same with CB.

You know, all you radio dorks are about to have another member in the fold. I've been talking on CBs for almost 30 years and I never gave it a single thought. They were just channel numbers, not frequencies. Then awhile back I got the President CB in my Jeep and started noticing mHz numbers below the channel numbers. That got me thinking and then I started digging into HAM and GMRS and slowly began realizing why 4 watts was the limit on CB band because HAM techs were in that band on HF and talking across the country. So essentially the Kilowatt Klub on CB is bypassing the FCC in the same way the Pistol Brace Bois are bypassing the ATF and NFA. And then I realized that I really don't have enough contempt for federal regulation. But I digress...

 

[Northcutt114]

1 minute ago, SteveShannon said:

Matching tones (CTCSS or PL) or codes (DCS or DPL) are both ways of squelching the audio. The other way is commonly referred to as “carrier squelch” where the radio requires the signal to surpass some level before unsquelching (desquelching? I’m not sure what the verb is).

Pushing the “Mon” (short for “monitor”) opens all forms of squelch so you can hear anything that is on the frequency. 

You know, for someone who is "too good to help people [and] just want[s] to complain about them not knowing anything but, don't [sic] want to help, just start crap," you're remarkably helpful.

I was only familiar with the latter part of the definition, the "carrier squeltch" side of it. Today, I have learned a thing.  

[UncleYoda]

43 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

It removes tones, too? I thought squelch and tones were different?

It doesn't remove them from channel memory; it suppresses them while you hold the button down.

 

Squelch and tones are different ways of suppressing audio, but they do interact through that magic monitor button.  Ain't radio fun!

[Northcutt114]

Just now, UncleYoda said:

 Ain't radio fun!

More and more, every day!

 

[AdmiralCochrane]

Just traveled thru 5 states in 4 days and heard 4 conversations on 19 along the way.  One was 2 guys headed to the boat ramp, one was a traffic info request (info was abundant on CB 19)  A truckload of frozen chickens was spread across the highway about 40 miles east of Memphis.

[WRUE951]

On 8/17/2025 at 4:04 AM, WRTC928 said:

Atlanta is a big enough place that I wouldn't be at all surprised if you were in range of two or more repeaters on the same frequency with different tones.

program one of your buttons for squelch defeat..    or Monitor  

[WRUU653]

6 hours ago, AdmiralCochrane said:

Just traveled thru 5 states in 4 days and heard 4 conversations on 19 along the way.  One was 2 guys headed to the boat ramp, one was a traffic info request (info was abundant on CB 19)  A truckload of frozen chickens was spread across the highway about 40 miles east of Memphis.

Do you have an AM/FM CB and if so did you notice anyone using FM? 

[Lscott]

57 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Do you have an AM/FM CB and if so did you notice anyone using FM? 

Good question.

[Jaay]

On 8/16/2025 at 5:07 PM, WRUB205 said:

OK, Has any GMRS frequency been nailed down yet as THE Travel frequency?

They ALL are, when you pick one and you're going somewhere ! 

[marcspaz]

9 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

Do you have an AM/FM CB and if so did you notice anyone using FM? 

I have an AM/FM CB. Had one for years. I've never heard a single random station on FM. I had two friends who also have one. They are the only reason I knkw the FM part of the radio work. Most of the time, we end up on SSB so we can use the 12w output, but AM is pretty much king.

 

And that is only when we are in metro areas during the work day. The rest of the time, CB is dead.

[nokones]

4 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

I have an AM/FM CB. Had one for years. I've never heard a single random station on FM. I had two friends who also have one. They are the only reason I knkw the FM part of the radio work. Most of the time, we end up on SSB so we can use the 12w output, but AM is pretty much king.

 

And that is only when we are in metro areas during the work day. The rest of the time, CB is dead.

Same here. I haven't heard anyone on FM.

[Northcutt114]

9 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

Do you have an AM/FM CB and if so did you notice anyone using FM? 

To shore up what the others are saying, I also have an AM/FM CB and no, there is no one using FM. Sometimes I leave it on FM and I can pick up AM to see if it sounds any better but it mostly just sounds muddy. I don't suspect FM is ever going to catch on in CB.

[dosw]

On 8/16/2025 at 4:07 PM, WRUB205 said:

OK, Has any GMRS frequency been nailed down yet as THE Travel frequency?

GMRS came into being in 1987.

The FCC officially recommended GMRS channel 20 (462.675 MHz) with a 141.3 Hz tone as a travel channel in 1988. This recommendation was removed in 1999.

That means that there has not been an official "the" travel channel in 26 years. Given that's the case -- that the FCC *removed* the recommendation for a travel channel 26 years ago -- "nailed down yet" seems to be wishful thinking. There isn't an official travel channel. There isn't any de facto travel channel. There is the suggestion, from some, that 19 be the travel channel. Its adoption has not reached a critical mass sufficient to make it matter what people suggest and recommend. And north of "Line A", would be irrelevant anyway. In every area I've used GMRS in, there is not much rhyme nor reason to how the channels are used. People turn on their radios, pick a channel, and go. And on almost every paved road in the US where there's any hope that one of the 300k GMRS licensees in the country will happen to be listening within range and willing/able to respond, there is much more likelihood that cell phone service could summon AAA, a tow truck, police, an ambulance, or some other quick-responder in shorter time, with less confusion, and using established and tested infrastructure (cell towers, dispatch systems).

The technological climate that existed when a designated travel channel was recommended does not exist today. The only areas lacking cell coverage today are areas with populations so sparse that it's also highly unlikely you'll find someone monitoring 19 within propagation range. If you are in a group, agree to a channel to use.

 

[Davichko5650]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

Same here. I haven't heard anyone on FM.

I've heard and talked to 3 people on FM CB. 2 were arranged with friends, the other was trying it out when the 3 of us were talking and joined in the round-robin we had going.  I'm thinking it may slowly catch on but so far not much out there. OTOH, I've worked a lot of (mostly) Stateside FM on 10m so it is a given that DX is possible, so mayhap there'll be some UK/EU users to be heard. But the lower power limits might make that that a bit less likely?

[Davichko5650]

18 minutes ago, dosw said:

 

The technological climate that existed when a designated travel channel was recommended does not exist today. The only areas lacking cell coverage today are areas with populations so sparse that it's also highly unlikely you'll find someone monitoring 19 within propagation range. If you are in a group, agree to a channel to use.

 

As is the case up north where we go. Cell Service is spotty to no-existent. We have a Landline at the Cabin. We use GMRS there for Mobile (auto and pontoon) for general chatting and contacts.("lunch is ready", "how's the fishing?", "Grab some bread and a dozen more minnows.")

Were we to need help, 911 is right there to call on the LL. And if perchance the LL is down, there's a couple of pretty good 2m repeaters I can hit with better than average chance someone is listening.  In the 8 years we've used GMRS up north, I can count on one hand the number of others using it that we've heard on the air, and definitely have never heard any traffic on 19 or 20 when travelling up there and back, or while in the area.