GMRS for RV community?

[Guest Bryan]

Hi -- I do not have a license (yet), I just have a couple FRS radios at the moment, but am thinking about something with a longer reach. So I would like to ask a question about GMRS while on the road.  I just got a RV trailer last Summer and wondered if there is a use for a GMRS radio while traveling and camping.  Is there a community of RVers that regularly connect on the radio?  Do they seek each other out while traveling?  Is it possible to get traffic/weather reports while driving from a GMRS radio?

 

Thanks!
Bryan

[GuySagi]

I'll issue a pre-emptive welcome to GMRS. It's a great community, especially here. Hopefully you'll get your license soon. I have a 27-foot Forest River Wildwood and always use my handheld GMRS units for several reasons when camping, but not for the reasons you stated (or at least I haven't done so yet). My wife lets me know I'm screwing up when backing into a site with the radio. A few feet makes a huge difference as you know and by the time I hear her shouting or she dials a phone a tree could be in the trailer living room. I also take a lot of photos in some remote regions after nightfall and before dawn. A two-way is the ideal solution if an emergency arises, assuming I haven't ventured too far. When we caravan with the son-in-law radio beats even bluetoothed phones in the trucks because it's faster if you need to alert the person behind or in front of you. There's something of an official GMRS channel for roadside emergencies, I think Ch. 20, but I'm confident someone here will clarify or confirm. I also contact owners of repeaters near where we are camping to secure permission to use their repeater in an emergency. As you know, cell phone service stinks at some campsites, but if someone has a repeater on a mountain nearby you can punch a signal out to summon help. That's critical in my case because my daughter is a quadriplegic and the first trip with our trailer the state park locked the gate at 8 p.m. and there was no cell service. We were instructed to drive to the check in station in an emergency and use an outside landline to call 911 in an emergency....when sometimes it's not prudent to abandon the victim, even temporarily. 

 

I think your idea is great, though and I'd sure be game to help start a trend (although I have my doubts with Smartphone addiction today). The traffic/weather report idea, though, is sort of like truckers with CBs. There's some propagation differences that shorten most transmissions, but there's also none of the trash talking on GMRS...well, exponentially less anyway. 

 

So have you posed your question on any RV/trailer groups? If not I'll post it on the Forest River groups I belong to. Not sure if the admins will delete it, but I'm sure interested.

[SteveC7010]

We use GMRS when headed out for camping. I have a 25 watt mobile in the truck pulling the 36’ fifth wheeler. The wife has an HT with a roof top external antenna in her Grand Cherokee towing our boat. We get excellent range in the Adirondack mountains.

 

Once in camp I carry an HT and she’s always got one close at hand. A few other campers have them but since we camp exclusively in parks with no hookups, we don’t see a lot of radio use. Ham radio is much the same way where we go.

 

I am hoping to add a solar powered repeater this year. That may encourage other GMRS folks to join in.

[MacJack]

You guys have confirmed we are good with GMRS as a camping and Jeeping venue.  I have many post on doing a repeater in my RV... I think GMRS is great for us family wanting something for us and add repeater for more distance as needed.  

 

Welcome to GMRS  Read the following to get your license...  

 

Yes get a GMRS radio mobile or handheld. I have two of these https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-805g.html and we love them. Yes they are Chinese... 

 

I have a handheld CB for years in my Jeep and MH and have not used it in years... it is in storage box in the Jeep. I have used FRS over CB while Jeeping and camping with family and friends. Now GMRS radios are better and also GMRS certified radios do FRS as well so you can use can I still use the campground FRS radio that cost $20-30.

 

Go get your license for GMRS (no test, just be legal) the fee today at $70 for 10 years will go down to $35 for 10 years... I guess this will happen in 30 to 60 days as rule change was approved and awaiting public comment to make it happen and FCC to change the website. 

 

Start here:

https://apps.fcc.gov/coresWeb/regEn...JJ4XWDLLZnxFyv1y211XQQXL!773356295!-597742934

 

You will want to pick a GMRS license this is what to look for: Radio Service Code: ZA

 

After you get your call sign... it will take 2-3 days for that FCC info is loaded up in my GMRS so you can become a member as myGMRS check to see if you have a license...

 

As I said look at some of the great advise I got from the folks on this forum for doing repeater on my RV...  These guys are Hams willing to help us non Hams out hoping we become Hams to keep their group alive and growing... 

 

Hope this helps you and others... 

Jack

[Guest Bryan]

I'll issue a pre-emptive welcome to GMRS. It's a great community, especially here. Hopefully you'll get your license soon. I have a 27-foot Forest River Wildwood and always use my handheld GMRS units for several reasons when camping, but not for the reasons you stated (or at least I haven't done so yet). My wife lets me know I'm screwing up when backing into a site with the radio. A few feet makes a huge difference as you know and by the time I hear her shouting or she dials a phone a tree could be in the trailer living room. I also take a lot of photos in some remote regions after nightfall and before dawn. A two-way is the ideal solution if an emergency arises, assuming I haven't ventured too far. When we caravan with the son-in-law radio beats even bluetoothed phones in the trucks because it's faster if you need to alert the person behind or in front of you. There's something of an official GMRS channel for roadside emergencies, I think Ch. 20, but I'm confident someone here will clarify or confirm. I also contact owners of repeaters near where we are camping to secure permission to use their repeater in an emergency. As you know, cell phone service stinks at some campsites, but if someone has a repeater on a mountain nearby you can punch a signal out to summon help. That's critical in my case because my daughter is a quadriplegic and the first trip with our trailer the state park locked the gate at 8 p.m. and there was no cell service. We were instructed to drive to the check in station in an emergency and use an outside landline to call 911 in an emergency....when sometimes it's not prudent to abandon the victim, even temporarily. 

 

I think your idea is great, though and I'd sure be game to help start a trend (although I have my doubts with Smartphone addiction today). The traffic/weather report idea, though, is sort of like truckers with CBs. There's some propagation differences that shorten most transmissions, but there's also none of the trash talking on GMRS...well, exponentially less anyway. 

 

So have you posed your question on any RV/trailer groups? If not I'll post it on the Forest River groups I belong to. Not sure if the admins will delete it, but I'm sure interested.

 

Thank you, all.  I have a Grand Design 27' trailer  and have posted on MyGrandRV.com about it, initially about CB radios.  There were several responses, but most were discouraging, saying that CBs and handheld GMRS only reach a few miles and not many RVers use them other than for emergencies.  I brought up the 40w mobile ones, but they didn't know a lot about them.  Frankly, my main concern is just communication when cell service is spotty or non existent.  That could be just terrain issues or weather, but also larger problems like solar flares and EMPs (yes, I've been reading a prepper book  ;-).  

 

My only experience with mobile radios is having a used, 23 channel CB back in the mid-70s.  It was fun to play with, but not very practical.  It seems it would be more practical though with long trips and places with no other way to communicate.

 

I'll look into the license, although I figured I might as well wait for the price to be cut in half to apply.  Do you have to actually have a radio to get a license?

 

Thanks!

[FranktheTank]

Just got my License not long ago and picked up a pair of 805G for the wife and I to use when camping. I pull the camper and she pulls the boat and cellphone reception can be spotty or she likes to be on the Bluetooth chatting with her mom on some of the longer trips. The radio will give me a quicker way to communicate lane changes  and short messages without waiting for a phone to dial and connect. 

 

I've been taking one of the radios with me on a couple 200+ mile trips up to the in-laws and monitor the so called "travel" channel 462.675 MHz aka channel 20 using PL141.3 as well as scanning with no PL. Haven't heard anyone yet but maybe as the off roaders move away from CBs the GMRS radio traffic will pick up.

[Mikeam]

Also most GMRS radios will let you add the NOA weather frequencies so you can also check local weather conditions the same as you might have done with the CB.

[smalpierre]

NOAA weather is super cool, I've been using it for about 30 years from when I started sailing and was on a marine VHF. I haven't tried inland much, but everywhere I've been pretty much has a NOAA station broadcasting on one or more of the 7 channels. Where I'm at I can pick up like 4 of them, one in spanish

For the RV, Im not sure what your goals are - but if you can avoid a repeater, you'll have a lot less headaches. There isn't really a good "plug and play" option. You can get close though! Get something like one of those 1225's people use so much, turn the power down so you don't burn out the finals, buy it already tuned and programmed for a repeater pair with PL tones and the duplexer tuned - and make SURE you keep in mind that even REALLY good cable isn't necessarily suitable for repeater use. The "good stuff" as far as coax has silver plated conductor / shield, and you want to use silver plated connectors. Getting the programming cables / software, and the gear to tune a duplexer is expensive, and there is a fairly steep learning curve.

If possible, I'd opt for a nice mobile rig, and use simplex, but if the range isn't enough, it might be repeater time. If its a fiberglass RV the antenna will need some kind of ground plane. If it's a truck towing a trailer, you can mag mount an antenna to the truck. A repeater you're probably not going to be using while in motion (I can't think of a reason to), and a mobile rig will get you a little further than a walkie in the cab. If you do opt for a repeater setup when you set up camp, think about a setup with like a pushup pole or something to get that antenna as far up as you can. Height = range more or less.

[enidpd804]

We motorhome.  I've switched to GMRS from FRS recently and do not regret it at all.  We started using them for backing in to a site or the storage unit and hiking in case we got separated.  Occasionally, one of us will take the dog while the other stays in the motorhome and that's a little peace of mind.  When we fish (poorly), we sometimes separate a ways to try different areas.  In the last few months, I've built a GMRS base here at home, a Micromobile in the TOAD Jeep and soon in the motorhome.  I don't know of any RV groups that exclusively use GMRS but Jeep Jamboree is going that way this year.  

[MacJack]

Welcome Jeeper and RVer's... GMRS is for you and your family with grand kids.  I'm having so much fun showing the grand kids that GMRS is two steps up from FRS and CB, which is fun as a kid.  But my preteen like to talk via repeater to BFF.  Yes they have to do the right things and call signs.  They have so much respect for the license of GMRS...  Yes I beat it into them... So I purchased a Motorola GR1225 repeater for home and will use it for RVing and Jeeping.  It is not installed yet maybe by March as it is cold outside.  I'm connected with a private repeater owner who has the best location and 30 mile range.  He has taught me and G daughter so much...  We donated to his repeater cost and offer to help him short of tower climbing.   We are planing on a GMRS fest for the 50 or so who are authorized on his repeater.  So read between the lines and if you have any question PM me and I will go into details...  You are in the right place, welcome to GMRS.  It is a family fun thing short of being a Ham which is for one person license.  Let me know if this helps you.

Jack

 

P.S.  I use an app on my iPhone for real time weather... Hearing NOAA over the air does not do it for me... I'm more visual and like to see radar and all the other data.

[smalpierre]

 

P.S.  I use an app on my iPhone for real time weather... Hearing NOAA over the air does not do it for me... I'm more visual and like to see radar and all the other data.

Yeah, I use an app on mobile or a computer the vast majority of the time, but it doesn't help out of range of internet - which sometimes I am. Not often, but it's good to have something. There's also other data that's kind of hard to get online - I know where to get it now - but NOAA was my go-to for wave data / predictions for a LONG time. 12 foot waves on 7 second intervals? I don't think I'll be going out that day!

 

I'm working on a repeater project too - I'd like to know if you have any feedline issues. I was thinking about getting some rg-214 but its super expensive - maybe I can find some used hardline somewhere, mine isn't going to be mobile. I got LMR-400 and I now hear its not the thing for duplex - intermod, noise, desense ... something like that? Excellent for a base, supposedly not so much for repeaters.

[MacJack]

smalpierre, I would sail from SW FL to Cuba and the area... I had a satellite antenna and receiver connected to my computer to capture real time weather.  It was not as good as preplanning the trip and weather coming.  I later became a weatherman to figure this all out.  So now no sailing and I use app called Weather Underground and it is 70% correct and about 5 hours late on forecasting.  I just can't trust NOAA view of the weather being 70% correct and 5 hours late...  Just listening/reading someone view just does not cut it for me after taking the weatherman course years ago.

 

You are well ahead of me on the repeater project.  I purchase a GR1225 and the seller whom I a trust is a ham and is setting tuning it for me... We talked about antennas and he suggested a DB404...$350 which is same price for repeater but have been told it all in the antenna and location.  What are you going to use...  cable, cable ends etc...  My guy said use Heliax cable... I'm not smart enough to know why so will learn via this and other post.  So what are you using as a repeater hardware... Other folks are looking at us to answers.  Thanks for helping me compare notes.. so other can learn.

Jack

 

Yeah, I use an app on mobile or a computer the vast majority of the time, but it doesn't help out of range of internet - which sometimes I am. Not often, but it's good to have something. There's also other data that's kind of hard to get online - I know where to get it now - but NOAA was my go-to for wave data / predictions for a LONG time. 12 foot waves on 7 second intervals? I don't think I'll be going out that day!

I'm working on a repeater project too - I'd like to know if you have any feedline issues. I was thinking about getting some rg-214 but its super expensive - maybe I can find some used hardline somewhere, mine isn't going to be mobile. I got LMR-400 and I now hear its not the thing for duplex - intermod, noise, desense ... something like that? Excellent for a base, supposedly not so much for repeaters.

[GuySagi]

I just have to say awesome, awesome comments and thread to all of you. Very informative, sharing info I didn't think of and so friendly, Once again I had to double check I was really reading an Internet forum.  And unless I'm mistaken (which I've been many times before and likely a lot in the future) Jeep Jamboree was ditching CB for GMRS in 2020, not 2021. 

 

Boy I wish every place on the web breathed life and pleasure into a subject, like what's happening here, instead of choking it to death with hostility. 

 

And Guest_Bryan you can get your GMRS license without owning a radio, to answer your question. 

[gortex2]

Jeep Jamboree played with GMRS last year. On the JJUWarie event hardly any of the guide had GMRS. Its was still mostly CB. Supposedly this year its all GMRS. I think it will depend on location still 

[GuySagi]

Where was the JJUWarie event? Uhwarrie by chance?

[gortex2]

Where was the JJUWarie event? Uhwarrie by chance?

 

Yes, in October. My phone doesn't like to spell early am...

[n4gix]

My guy said use Heliax cable... I'm not smart enough to know why so will learn via this and other post. 

 

For a repeater you really should use at a minimum 1/2" heliax. The reason being that you want the lowest possible loss in your signal, particularly on receive. I'll try to keep this as simple as possible...

 

You will see the term decibel mentioned frequently. For purposes of this explanation, the only thing to understand is that a 3db "loss" represents losing 50% of your signal. So if your repeater is putting out 50 watts into a cable to the antenna, the antenna would only get ~25 watts. Also, every connector and adapter you have to use adds their own small losses since the db loss is cumulative. Let's just assume for simplicity that these connectors and adapters will add around 0.5db additional loss to the entire system.

 

Using the charts at this link will provide you the losses for most every type of antenna cable available:

http://rfcec.com/RFCEC/Section-3%20-%20Fundamentals%20of%20RF%20Communication-Electronics/11%20-%20EQUIPMENT%20COMPARISON%20CHARTS/Comparison%20Chart%20-%20Coaxial%20Cable%20Types%20&%20Specifications%20(By%20Larry%20E.%20Gugle%20K4RFE).pdf

 

For a total run of <100' I recommend LDF4-50A, which is a 1/2' OD flex, which allows tighter bends than anything larger. It specs out to have 1.447 dB loss per 100', so around 22% power loss. That is certainly better than 50% total loss!

 

Connectors run around $19.95 each. The drawback to heliax is that it does require a special tool to prepare the cable ends for the solderless, compression connectors. You can check with a local land mobile shop to see if they have a tool you can borrow, or perhaps prepare the cable ends for you.

[enidpd804]

I just have to say awesome, awesome comments and thread to all of you. Very informative, sharing info I didn't think of and so friendly, Once again I had to double check I was really reading an Internet forum.  And unless I'm mistaken (which I've been many times before and likely a lot in the future) Jeep Jamboree was ditching CB for GMRS in 2020, not 2021. 

 

Boy I wish every place on the web breathed life and pleasure into a subject, like what's happening here, instead of choking it to death with hostility. 

 

And Guest_Bryan you can get your GMRS license without owning a radio, to answer your question. 

 

I have to agree.  It's been a good experience here.  

[OldRadioGuy]

I do not know of any particular RV channel or network on GMRS.

Lots of outdoors people do use FRS and GMRS but I don't know how social they are outside of their circle.

 

I have taken my Ham 2M/440 rig camping and gotten very few replies on repeaters.

I decided it was kind of useless.

I got my GMRS license because my wife and fishing buddies can use FRS/GMRS.

I think it will be great to have around camp or when I go exploring on my bike.

I can call back to the wife or others in our group.  Cell phones don't work out there where we go.

 

GMRS allows external antennas which can be a big factor.

Even for an HT you can put a 14" Nagoya 771 on there and improve range further.

Smiley makes some telescoping antennas.

This can be a big factor over FRS.

 

I have heard that some truckers use Chan 7 on GMRS but have never tried listening.

Supposedly that is the highway channel.  Or did I also hear Channel 20???

 

If you go camping with friends you can always hand them an FRS radio to use.

They can take on in their truck if you travel together.

They are great on the road as long as the lead vehicle does not have a "metal building" behind it blocking the signal.

The vehicle with the rooftop antenna should stay in front.

 

Just some ideas.

 

Vince

[wqxq281]

Jeep Jamboree teaming up with Midland is going to grow GMRS tremendously. Growth in GMRS will probably spark some increased interest in amateur radio. It's all good.

[n4gix]

Jeep Jamboree teaming up with Midland is going to grow GMRS tremendously. Growth in GMRS will probably spark some increased interest in amateur radio. It's all good.

 

As of last Sunday, total GMRS licences was 98,309... 

 

In 2011 that number was 38,169. Is that enough growth? 

[gortex2]

I think the thought process is scewed anyway as the amount of folks I tell they need a license is more and more daily. With JJ and other promoting the radios they are not really promoting the license part. Sadly I see this getting worse not better.

[brasda91]

My wife and I use our phones for backing into the campsite. The advantages I see is I have my phone BT'd to my Armada. I don't have to hold the phone. It sits in a mount and both hands are free for the steering wheel. Using a radio would be more cumbersome. Thankfully our camping revolves around one campground and the same campsite 99% of the time and cellular service is never an issue. It works for us, even though I secretly like the idea of the radios...shhhh,

[FranktheTank]

We have a 30' Travel trailer and a Pontoon Boat. I pull the camper, wife pulls the boat. We both have Bluetooth connected phones but sometimes you need a quick "changing lanes" or "debris on road" conversation and phone take too long to connect. While we have cell service at our usual campgrounds, I've got the wife using the radio vs the phone and it seems to work well. Never liked the phone because sometimes there can be a 2-3 second delay in audio.  When traveling, I usually scan the GMRS channels listening for anyone else traveling. Maybe it will catch on like CB did back in the day, maybe not. 

[wqxq281]

As of last Sunday, total GMRS licences was 98,309... 

 

In 2011 that number was 38,169. Is that enough growth? 

 

No, there's never enough growth.  Midland and JJ teaming up is new.  I'd like to see a graph showing the growth year over year.  Midland marketing made a genius move by forming that partnership.