repeaters

[Mabeusar]

why is it that the gmrs repeater owners can be hotheaded and mute someone that is new to the service and just want to be able to have someone to talk to but then when you try to program your radio the moderators feel like you are annoying and mute you so you dont know if your radio is programmed right or not 

this is supposed to be a service that anyone can use 

i paid for my license to be able to use it and am being bullied for trying this is so not right 

maybe if i keep getting treated like this ill just start reporting abuse to the fcc 

[wayoverthere]

No offense, but no one is stopping you from using the service you paid to use, all 22 channels of it. They absolutely do have the option of deciding who uses their equipment (repeaters) though, for whatever valid or silly reason they may have.

 

It was a harsh realization for me too, but gmrs isn't a hobbyist oriented service, it's primarily aimed at families and groups having comms within their groups with minimal technical knowledge needed, and outside this bubble we have here, it's pretty much how most people use it, as a utility among their group, and stick to their group....which means they'll generally have their tones set not to hear outsiders.

 

I've had a total of one contact so far, as there's basically almost no hobbyist traffic here either. Also recently got booted from a gmrs group on Facebook, because one of their "instant ban" rules is no mention of other radio services (ham, cb, Murs, etc); guess I slipped and forgot which group I was replying to and supplied some info about online testing availability for ham tickets (in addition to that one, I'm in a couple gmrs groups and few ham groups as well).

[WRAK968]

why is it that the gmrs repeater owners can be hotheaded and mute someone that is new to the service and just want to be able to have someone to talk to but then when you try to program your radio the moderators feel like you are annoying and mute you so you dont know if your radio is programmed right or not 

this is supposed to be a service that anyone can use 

i paid for my license to be able to use it and am being bullied for trying this is so not right 

maybe if i keep getting treated like this ill just start reporting abuse to the fcc 

 

First, I'm sorry if this comes off as cross, however the way you had typed and worded this message promotes the air of "I want it therefore it should be given to me" type of attitude, which to many repeater owners, translates to abuse of equipment they paid for and maintain. Everyone has a gripe, its discussion of the concern or issue in an adult manor that brings some form of resolution or at very least a little more respect for you as a person.

 

Now second, if you have read the FCC rules that you agreed to, you will find the following:

 

47 CFR 95.1705 (D) Individual Licensee Duties, The holder of an individual license:

(2) May allow any person to use (i.e., benefit from the operation of) its GMRS repeater, or alternatively, may limit the use of its GMRS repeater to specific persons;

(3) May disallow the use of its GMRS repeater by specific persons as may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this section.

 

Another words, as a repeater owner, I have the authority to refuse access to users who fail to follow FCC rules, or fail to follow rules I have set for the use of the repeater (Including collection of any club fees associated with maintaining said repeater/repeaters) or if you conduct yourself in a way that may be harmful or interfering of any communications through said repeater. I have banned people for prolonged "key up" times where they were intentionally jamming the repeater in hopes of damaging the unit. I also banned a user who tried to tell me I had to pay him for the use of the repeater I had bought and set up.

 

This means that when you contact the FCC, they will likely ignore you, or if you do get a response, it'll likely be "The system owner has legal authority to restrict the systems use to specific individuals."

[berkinet]

Two meta points. This is the wrong forum for this discussion. Since your topic is specific to GMRS it is very much on-topic and you should post it in the General forum.

 

Then, if you look in that forum, you will find there is already long running discussion on this very subject.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/2085-whats-with-repeater-users-needing-permission-on-gmrs/

[gman1971]

wayoverthere and WRAK968 pretty much nailed it. Shame RAS cannot be used on FM sometimes...

[n4gix]

wayoverthere and WRAK968 pretty much nailed it. Shame RAS cannot be used on FM sometimes...

 

There is a repeater near me that requires MDC to use his repeater. It's his way of maintaining controlled access.

[wayoverthere]

Coming back for a second look, I start to wonder about details of the underlying situations.

 

Is it a case of incorrect programming on the part of the op, that's being interpreted as a directed action? Someone that was trying to have a convo and activated tones to filter out the op? Some inexperienced user actions that annoyed someone? (Roger beeps? 'kerchunking' the repeater?)

 

It doesn't change the tone of the original post, or that the op's only other post concerned using a ham radio for gmrs, but trying to see both sides and possible resolutions.

[whoray]

It sounds to me that there a lot of people that do not understand, if you own a repeater and pay to maintain it and, also post Members only or by invitation it is not open to anyone.

If you pay for it, then yes, they should give you a reason for not letting you use it or suspending you all should be stated in there by laws, they shall not give you the cold treatment, someone should get back to you.

As far as miss programing your Radio it does happen, check with someone and make sure it is not on your end of the transmission.

It's been fun trying to help:  WRKW761

[oldtech]

I think perhaps there is another way of looking at this, which could be illuminating to people who may be confused about the situation.

I paid my fee and I now have a GMRS license... so I have the privilege to use GMRS frequencies. But I do not have a GMRS radio. At a park, I see someone talking on a walkie talkie, and I ask him what kind of radio it is. When he answers 'GMRS', I just take the radio from him without asking permission and start talking. After all, I have a license, and therefore the right... RIGHT? 

Your license gives you a PRIVILEGE, not a right, to use the airwaves. To maintain your privilege you must follow certain rules. In the case of using a repeater, you must follow the FCC rules, and also the owners rules. And you must remember that the owner has the right to terminate your permission at any time for any reason.

Another analogy is the drivers license, which allows you the PRIVILEGE, not the right, to use the roadways. To maintain your privilege you must follow certain rules. Obviously, your drivers license does not give you permission to 'borrow' some else's car without their permission... and the cars owner may withdraw that permission at any time for any reason.

 

[WROZ250]

On 9/6/2022 at 2:43 PM, oldtech said:

I think perhaps there is another way of looking at this, which could be illuminating to people who may be confused about the situation.

I paid my fee and I now have a GMRS license... so I have the privilege to use GMRS frequencies. But I do not have a GMRS radio. At a park, I see someone talking on a walkie talkie, and I ask him what kind of radio it is. When he answers 'GMRS', I just take the radio from him without asking permission and start talking. After all, I have a license, and therefore the right... RIGHT? 

Your license gives you a PRIVILEGE, not a right, to use the airwaves. To maintain your privilege you must follow certain rules. In the case of using a repeater, you must follow the FCC rules, and also the owners rules. And you must remember that the owner has the right to terminate your permission at any time for any reason.

Another analogy is the drivers license, which allows you the PRIVILEGE, not the right, to use the roadways. To maintain your privilege you must follow certain rules. Obviously, your drivers license does not give you permission to 'borrow' some else's car without their permission... and the cars owner may withdraw that permission at any time for any reason.

 

Let also not forget the expense repeater operators go through to construct and maintain a repeater! 

I'm not talking about a couple KG-1000 mobiles with an amazon duplexer, rather a full blown commercial grade, wide area, repeater at a tower site that may or may not have rental fees.  It's not cheap by any stretch, and if a repeater operator wants to ban someone, they have every moral and legal right to do so.  Be thankful most of us simply do it for free and only ban troublemakers.