New to GMRS but curious why would a Ham want GMRS, unless to contact family members

[WSLH454]

I'm not new to the world of radio, I was also involved the broadcast industry for years. However to stay in touch with family in an emergency in my retirement years, I'm slowly getting into GMRS. I've listened to 2 meter stuff for many years especially the weather net etc...So if someone is into 2 meter etc... why would you want GMRS? Only reason I could think of was so family could be able to communicate more easily? SHTF etc...Maybe I'm missing something here. Someone enlighten this old guy. Maybe I'm missing other reasons. Thanks and 73's

[Lscott]

I got my GMRS license, in addition to the Ham one, just for fun. It's just another tool in the tool box. Plus there are nice people to talk to on GMRS that have no interest in getting a Ham license. 

[OffRoaderX]

I have often wondered this myself - especially after seeing/hearing all the "licensed ham operators" bash GMRS and GMRS users and preach to us how horrible GMRS is and how much better life would be if we would just "get our ticket" and use a "real radio".. Of course, when we try to point out that GMRS does exactly what we need, they respond with something along the lines of "oh, you're just too stupid to take the test"... Then we have to listen to them tell us the stories of how they got their H.A.M.s license when they were only 9 years old and didnt even have to study.

OTOH, I have also heard and read about "licensed ham operators" slumming on GMRS just so they could quote regulations, complain about spurious RF emissions, and failure to use GMRS callsigns - as if they are some kind of self appointed radio-police..

Basically, it seems that many (of course not all) are just sad, broken, sociallyretarded losers, trying their best to try and let everyone know how smart and powerful they think they are.

[dosw]

There are a lot of reasons. Some of them are family-oriented:

 

• GMRS radios are compatible with FRS, so a GMRS user can have a solution that also works with non-licensed users.
• The GMRS license also covers family members.
• The GMRS license doesn't require study/test, so others who aren't interested in radio can also obtain a license and communicate. This is a direction we see with offroading clubs, for example; club members pay their $35, get their license, good to go; they can communicate with other offroading club members at events.
• Similar to "club use", it's also convenient for other outdoors activities. I can keep in touch with anyone I'm skiing with if they either have a GMRS license, OR have an FRS radio and are within the slightly shorter FRS range.
• Experimentation. Yes, that's supposed to be the domain of Amateur radio. But some people start with GMRS, get familiar with radio communications, and *then* move on to amateur. I'm in this category, too. I started with GMRS out of need of keeping in touch with my kids while skiing, and more broadly, with the others in our ski groups. But it became interesting enough to me to work toward my Amateur Tech. ...I'd love to get my General but haven't had time. However, even with a Tech license, I still use GMRS more than anything because it's the license that applies to my family as we do family sorts of things. And it's still the license that supports non-licensed friends with an FRS radio.

I know that compatibility with FRS is, in many ways, an annoyance. But it's also part of what makes GMRS compelling.

[WRYS709]

7 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I have often wondered this myself - especially after seeing/hearing all the "licensed ham operators" bash GMRS and GMRS users and preach to us how horrible GMRS is and how much better life would be if we would just "get our ticket" and use a "real radio".. Of course, when we try to point out that GMRS does exactly what we need, they respond with something along the lines of "oh, you're just too stupid to take the test"... Then we have to listen to them tell us the stories of how they got their H.A.M.s license when they were only 9 years old and didnt even have to study.

OTOH, I have also heard and read about "licensed ham operators" slumming on GMRS just so they could quote regulations, complain about spurious RF emissions, and failure to use GMRS callsigns - as if they are some kind of self appointed radio-police..

Basically, it seems that many (of course not all) are just sad, broken, sociallyretarded losers, trying their best to try and let everyone know how smart and powerful they think they are.

Tell us how you really feel about Hams!!

[WSLH454]

40 minutes ago, Lscott said:

I got my GMRS license, in addition to the Ham one, just for fun. It's just another tool in the tool box. Plus there are nice people to talk to on GMRS that have no interest in getting a Ham license. 

Yeah I remember in the 70's and 80's we had 3rd, 2nd, 1 st class license for commercial radio. I got my 3rd and others kept pushing me to get my 1st class. Several of them were into 2 meters and other ham bands too. They kept encouraging me to get on board. I just had a lot of other hobbies that I sunk $$$ into lol, and not a lot of spare time. So I never went down the road my buddies went. I'm hoping at least a few family members will hop on board with GMRS too

[RoadApple]

For me it is simple: GMRS allows you to use the radios with family members and is compatible with unlicensed FRS service.  This is really handy for camping and organized events when the radio is a tool and not the primary focus of the activity. 

I got a ham license out of curiosity more than anything else.   Also, I wanted access to the local 2m and 70cm repeaters for emergency comms. 

[Davichko5650]

1 hour ago, WSLH454 said:

So if someone is into 2 meter etc... why would you want GMRS? Only reason I could think of was so family could be able to communicate more easily? SHTF etc...

This exactly is why I have a GMRS license in addition to the amateur one. No one else in my immediate family is interested in amateur radio or most other hobby aspects of radio. But when we're up north where cellphones don't work and we need to keep in touch out of yelling range, GMRS, especially the very simple Baofeng MP-11's make it so they can talk to me and each other cabin to boat, boat to boat and mobile to cabin.  Easy to use, I set up the channels and PL tones and they just hit the PTT and talk.  Around home it beats yelling out to the back of the large city lot we have.

[WRUE951]

personally,  i would rather use GMRS simply because the service is more informal.  In other words, on GMRS there is no one breathing down your back critiquing how you say your call sign or if you've talked to long etc..   I run into this almost every time i get on a HAM Ch,,  mostly on networked systems.  There are a few private HAM repeaters that  where you can basically use uninterrupted as long as you follow rules and even talk politics if your want but very few..  

[nokones]

The Jeep Clubs I roll with, I have never seen anyone with HAM setup in their Jeep, at least not in Arizona. The Ham repeaters are very seldom used in my area.

[AdmiralCochrane]

My local ham club is full of people who think GMRS is just fine.  From what I can tell, most of the more active members have GMRS licenses.

[WSLH454]

48 minutes ago, nokones said:

The Jeep Clubs I roll with, I have never seen anyone with HAM setup in their Jeep, at least not in Arizona. The Ham repeaters are very seldom used in my area.

 I'd imagine most off road folks would use FRS or GMRS. I'm out in the countryside but guys can still easily hit a repeater here. Another 40 miles out where most off road stuff would happen, I doubt there's any repeaters of any kind.

[WRYZ926]

For me, it's nice to have as many different means of communication available. I ended up getting my GMRS license while waiting for my amateur license. Yes my VE snail mailed everything so it took 3 weeks to get my call sign.

We had a few old timers in our club say no to putting up a GMRS repeater as they said it would be just as bad as CB. When a few of us decided that it was better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. We setup a GMRS repeater and then tested it for about a month or two before telling the club what we did. And most of the naysayers ended up getting their GMRS licenses shortly after that.

We don't do anything like Sky Warn nets on the GMRS repeater. But I have had guys with GMRS licenses only get a hold of me during our 2m Sky Warn nets so that I could pass on reports of storm damage to net control for them. Most of us with both licenses will monitor GMRS during bad weather/emergencies when we active a Sky Warn net. We also installed a GMRS radio in our EMCOM trailer to go along with the 2 dual band radios, 2 HF radios, and Public Safety radio.

There is nothing wrong with having both licenses and it could be veery useful in an actual emergency.

 

PS: There will always be sad hams and grumpy GMRS users that don't like each other. I have learned to ignore both.

[amaff]

Asked and answered!

[tcp2525]

Most hams are equipment snobs and won't publicly admit they have overpaid for a disposable radio, while us GMRS'ers proudly use our $30 disposable Chinese radios. Long live Baofeng! 

[WRYZ926]

Just now, tcp2525 said:

Most hams are equipment snobs and won't publicly admit they have overpaid for a disposable radio, while us GMRS'ers proudly use our $30 disposable Chinese radios. Long live Baofeng! 

A lot of guys in my local club like to brag about how they saved money by purchasing Baofeng hand held radios. I have one guy that likes to call cheap chines radios "Hop Sing Specials' I always give him trouble when he makes a comment on how well my radios work/sound by telling him that I'm using a Hop Sing Special. 

[amaff]

6 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

Most hams are equipment snobs and won't publicly admit they have overpaid for a disposable radio, while us GMRS'ers proudly use our $30 disposable Chinese radios. Long live Baofeng! 

$30!? Ok there high roller! $18 or bust! 

[WRYZ926]

Just now, amaff said:

$30!? Ok there high roller! $18 or bust! 

The last radios I bought were a pair of Baofeng UV-5R Minis for $37 during the Black Friday sales. They actually work pretty good.

[WRZK526]

3 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I have often wondered this myself - especially after seeing/hearing all the "licensed ham operators" bash GMRS and GMRS users and preach to us how horrible GMRS is and how much better life would be if we would just "get our ticket" and use a "real radio".. Of course, when we try to point out that GMRS does exactly what we need, they respond with something along the lines of "oh, you're just too stupid to take the test"... Then we have to listen to them tell us the stories of how they got their H.A.M.s license when they were only 9 years old and didnt even have to study.

OTOH, I have also heard and read about "licensed ham operators" slumming on GMRS just so they could quote regulations, complain about spurious RF emissions, and failure to use GMRS callsigns - as if they are some kind of self appointed radio-police..

Basically, it seems that many (of course not all) are just sad, broken, sociallyretarded losers, trying their best to try and let everyone know how smart and powerful they think they are.

I concur and have said the same thing several times. If you don't like GMRS don't use it, we will not miss you. The my radio is bigger than yours and can do a lot more gets old. They need to impress each other by pulling it out and showing it. 

[WRZK526]

18 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

The last radios I bought were a pair of Baofeng UV-5R Minis for $37 during the Black Friday sales. They actually work pretty good.

Got to get the radio that works for what you want it to do and hope it holds up for when you really need it. 

[SteveShannon]

3 hours ago, WSLH454 said:

I'm not new to the world of radio, I was also involved the broadcast industry for years. However to stay in touch with family in an emergency in my retirement years, I'm slowly getting into GMRS. I've listened to 2 meter stuff for many years especially the weather net etc...So if someone is into 2 meter etc... why would you want GMRS? Only reason I could think of was so family could be able to communicate more easily? SHTF etc...Maybe I'm missing something here. Someone enlighten this old guy. Maybe I'm missing other reasons. Thanks and 73's

For all the same reasons anyone else would want GMRS:  I can hand radios to my non-ham family members and I have a lot of non-ham rocketry friends who use GMRS; I can talk to them. 

[beerftw]

Why a ham user would want gmrs is simple, despite ham radios widespread use, in any given town it is still a small part of the population. Gmrs license extends to family, and is also directly compatible with frs radios that anyone can buy at any store. This gives a big possible area of people to talk to especially in emergencies or when dealing with outdoor/offroad groups.

 

  Most people will not take the time for a license for ham anyways. Now even though gmrs is more widely available, I know offroad groups do not always get that message. I ran into one jeep owner a few years ago that ran a jeep offroad club with the two other founders, all three founders had ham/ gmrs/ and cb radios because the guests on ride alongs never paid attention to the radio type they were told to use. Always chaos when not everyone is on the same radio type, atleast with gmrs there is a good chance they have a walkie talkie on frs somewhere, maybe even their kids barbie doll or paw patrol walkie talkie.

[WSIF574]

For me it’s GMRS will do everything I need. My father is a Ham and I used to sit and listen to him talk all around the world on his set up. Antenna stretching from one side of the yard to another and a 70ft tower in the back yard ,whole room of the house full of equipment. I live in a HOA so it’s not possible for me to have those things. Any thing I could set up here would give me the same fars as GMRS. And I don’t need to talk to people I know in other states.  He did to save long distance charges back when that was still a thing 

[WRYZ926]

5 minutes ago, WRZK526 said:

Got to get the radio that works for what you want it to do and hope it holds up for when you really need it. 

The Baofeng radios aren't my first choice and they are far from the best hand held radios I own. But if I need something small to stick into a pocket or I am doing something where I might damage or lose a radio then I grab one of my Baofeng radios.

[WRYZ926]

1 minute ago, WSIF574 said:

For me it’s GMRS will do everything I need. My father is a Ham and I used to sit and listen to him talk all around the world on his set up. Antenna stretching from one side of the yard to another and a 70ft tower in the back yard ,whole room of the house full of equipment. I live in a HOA so it’s not possible for me to have those things. Any thing I could set up here would give me the same fars as GMRS. And I don’t need to talk to people I know in other states.  He did to save long distance charges back when that was still a thing 

I used MARS stations a few times to call back home when deployed overseas. It was always funny as my parents would forget to say "over" after each transmission.