Noob!

[MoPho]

Thanks for having me. I have my license and while I await shipment of my gear from Amazon, I wanted to get some guidance on GMRS use etiquette. I'll primarily use for boat to boat comms while kayak fishing and for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Dos and don'ts. Aside from person to person comms, how might I use my radios in the event of a disaster...the Cali fires come immediately to mind but I'm not there?

 

Thanks!

[MoPho]

I found this which is helpful https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/1081-etiquette-for-communication-using-gmrs/

[RCM]

Welcome, and congrats on getting your license! What gear do you have coming?

[Hans]

Hi there! Welcome.

 

That Zombie apocalypse is the one that gets everyone to GMRS... eventually.

[MoPho]

Welcome, and congrats on getting your license! What gear do you have coming?

I have the following inbound:

2x Midland GXT1000VP4 for kayak fishing.

2x BTECH GMRS-V1 to see what the fuss is and have a total of 4 radios for nearby family

1x Baofeng BF-F8HP for BOB and offshore emergencies

 

I'm not really a prepper but I've always had some form of a BOB that has grown more sophisticated over time. I served as a reservist for an employer's (a wireless carrier) emergency response team and I've applied to my city's CERT program to volunteer there.

 

Reading some of the training material here was educational http://www.w4ava.org/training.htm but getting some oractical everyday use will also be useful. Aside from person to person comms, how do you guys/gals suggest I start to engage with others on GMRS?

[RCM]

I would probably start by listening to your local repeaters to find one that has activity. There appear to be a handful in your area, and you might even be able to reach some of the Dallas repeaters. The Carrollton 550 is listed as an open repeater, if it's still in operation.

I would also look on the map (here on MyGMRS) and contact your nearby repeater owners.

Repeaters aren't the only way to operate on GMRS, of course. But they are the best way to find other operators.

 

Another thing you can do is just announce your presence when you're out and about. Either on a repeater that you have gained permission to use, or one that is listed as open, or just on 675 simplex with a transmitted 141.3 PL tone. Just announce your callsign, perhaps along with "monitoring" or "listening." Eventually you will get a reply. You might even get one immediately, depending on how much activity is in your area.

 

Another thing you might do is find a local ham radio club and go to a meeting. Lots of GMRS operators are also hams, so you will probably meet some there. Of course they will try to talk you into getting your ham radio license too, and that's not a bad thing. You might try this one: https://k5prk.net/

[Elkhunter521]

Hey MoPho, Welcome

 

Keith T