GMRS for RV community?

[gortex2]

.  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.  

 

Well I doubt you'll see a huge increase for the fact most of the JJ community doesn't think they need a license. On my last JJ ride I asked multiple guides who had GMRS radios and all told me they didn't need a license. I tried to educate and also sent emails to JJ and midland that never were replied to. The general feeling was JJ had a license and guides didn't need them. We all know this is wrong but that's not what they feel. I also talked to multiple jeep folks who had mobiles. Not one had a GMRS license. 

[Lscott]

Well I doubt you'll see a huge increase for the fact most of the JJ community doesn't think they need a license. On my last JJ ride I asked multiple guides who had GMRS radios and all told me they didn't need a license. I tried to educate and also sent emails to JJ and midland that never were replied to. The general feeling was JJ had a license and guides didn't need them. We all know this is wrong but that's not what they feel. I also talked to multiple jeep folks who had mobiles. Not one had a GMRS license. 

Yup, the same attitude that permeated CB back in the 70's. FCC required a license but most users said screw it, or if they had one didn't ID as required. After a huge increase in the number of CB radio users the FCC gave up enforcing the license use and ID requirements, then changed the rules to make the illegal behavior legal. That way they washed their hands of having to deal with it. Hopefully GMRS doesn't follow the same path.

[WanabeFree]

I also doubt JJ/Midland will have a huge impact on increasing licensed GMRS use. Part of the problem is the fact that FRS shares the same frequencies and a lot of folks don't see the difference and feel like no one is going to know the difference anyways. FRS should be set aside from GMRS or just make it all GMRS and license by Type acceptance like MURS. Heck the FCC would get a lot more money if they just taxed every radio purchased an extra $5 . I am not advocating  this but its one way to eliminate the confusion.

Also Ham radio operators who will soon have to pay a $35 fee should automatically or for a small fee like $5 0r $10 be able to add the GMRS license to there Ham Ticket and be allowed to use there Ham radios for GMRS. This would make Ham more appealing and allow for one radio to be used instead of carrying a dumb ed down radio for GMRS. Most brand name Ham radios are far better than any cheap GMRS Radio and the good GMRS Radios are just firmware neutered to comply with GMRS rules. A ham operator is supposed to know how to legally use there radios where as  GMRS user because its just a paper license for the most part doesn't care and just wants a simple to use radio.

[gortex2]

Also Ham radio operators who will soon have to pay a $35 fee should automatically or for a small fee like $5 0r $10 be able to add the GMRS license to there Ham Ticket and be allowed to use there Ham radios for GMRS. This would make Ham more appealing and allow for one radio to be used instead of carrying a dumb ed down radio for GMRS. Most brand name Ham radios are far better than any cheap GMRS Radio and the good GMRS Radios are just firmware neutered to comply with GMRS rules. A ham operator is supposed to know how to legally use there radios where as  GMRS user because its just a paper license for the most part doesn't care and just wants a simple to use radio.

 

I don't now where you heard this but this is not the case at all. Ham will pay a license fee as does GMRS users but they wont get any discount or addition for GMRS. Each service has its own rules and regulations. Amateur Radio is just that. GMRS is another service and should never be the same as Amateur Radio. Amateur's Radio has hundreds of UHF frequencies to use. That's where they should be. I don't understand the fascination hams have to GMRS to be honest and the thought they should get something cheaper or free because they are hams. 

[WanabeFree]

I don't now where you heard this but this is not the case at all. Ham will pay a license fee as does GMRS users but they wont get any discount or addition for GMRS. Each service has its own rules and regulations. Amateur Radio is just that. GMRS is another service and should never be the same as Amateur Radio. Amateur's Radio has hundreds of UHF frequencies to use. That's where they should be. I don't understand the fascination hams have to GMRS to be honest and the thought they should get something cheaper or free because they are hams. 

I did not hear this anywhere, I just suggested that it would be nice if Hams who have to take tests and study to be radio operators should be allowed to use the GMRS bands since they are Trained Radio Operators. The Whole GMRS radio service is just a carve out for general use by those that just want to pay a fee and talk, no training or tests required.

Ham Radio for years has been FREE and will soon be required to pay a $35 fee, One fee for both would be good because Ham radio is a Public Service and a provides vital communications in times of need. That is not to say that GMRS is not capable of the same but since it only has a few limited channel frequencies its much more limited.

At least for me the fascination as a Ham for GMRS is that its another means of communication between friends and family who for what ever reason don't want to get a Ham license. I think of GMRS as Ham LIte its just a subset of frequencies that are no different from Ham or even Business for that matter. I also use Business Radio but that is Private/Business use only.

Ham radio use of UHF frequencies is dead in my area accept for Digital/DMR and you don't even need a repeater for that since a $100 hot spot will connect your through the internet so the band is at least in area going to waist. I would have no problem opening up a few channels in the UHF ham band to expand GMRS. This probably would not sit well with many others in the Ham world but would be a good thing in my opinion. At the same time I think FRS (Unlicensed) should not be a a subset of GMRS frequencies. This would eliminate a lot of interference in areas that are busy on GMRS repeaters .

These are just my opinions and I doubt that any of it will actually happen any time soon so take it for what it is.

Dave

[Guest Random name]

I don't know why it is so difficult for HAMs to realize that GMRS has a different purpose from their stuffy radio hobby. It's like they just can't stand that they don't own the market on playing radio anymore and so they want to impose their stuffy crap on a system that is specifically for a different purpose. If you're a HAM and your rules and way of playing radio is so much better then GO USE HAM FREQUENCIES and leave us Neanderthals to our 22 channels! Oh but you can't, can you? Because all those frequencies are dead air and y'all can't stand to see a good party across the street without showing up and bringing in your rules. You want to come to the party then you play by our rules, you don't like our rules go have your own party in your own bigger house with more rooms. 

[SteveShannon]

11 hours ago, Guest Random name said:

I don't know why it is so difficult for HAMs to realize that GMRS has a different purpose from their stuffy radio hobby. It's like they just can't stand that they don't own the market on playing radio anymore and so they want to impose their stuffy crap on a system that is specifically for a different purpose. If you're a HAM and your rules and way of playing radio is so much better then GO USE HAM FREQUENCIES and leave us Neanderthals to our 22 channels! Oh but you can't, can you? Because all those frequencies are dead air and y'all can't stand to see a good party across the street without showing up and bringing in your rules. You want to come to the party then you play by our rules, you don't like our rules go have your own party in your own bigger house with more rooms. 

Welcome! You’re pretty fired up over a two year old post. You’ll fit right in here.

[WRUU653]

22 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

Welcome! You’re pretty fired up over a two year old post. You’ll fit right in here.

Good morning mygmrs.com! 

 

[gortex2]

I wish threads would lock over time to be honest.

[WRQC527]

25 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

I wish threads would lock over time to be honest.

This could be fun though. Sometimes people just wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but this guy seems a lot more firmly-rooted in his beliefs.

[Lscott]

12 hours ago, Guest Random name said:

I don't know why it is so difficult for HAMs to realize that GMRS has a different purpose from their stuffy radio hobby. It's like they just can't stand that they don't own the market on playing radio anymore and so they want to impose their stuffy crap on a system that is specifically for a different purpose. If you're a HAM and your rules and way of playing radio is so much better then GO USE HAM FREQUENCIES and leave us Neanderthals to our 22 channels! Oh but you can't, can you? Because all those frequencies are dead air and y'all can't stand to see a good party across the street without showing up and bringing in your rules. You want to come to the party then you play by our rules, you don't like our rules go have your own party in your own bigger house with more rooms. 

You're going to find a lot of Hams on this forum too. There is nowhere for you to hide.

[WRUE951]

we do a lot of camping and never leave without our GMRS radios behind.  They are useful for many things, We use them for navigating our 37' 5th wheel into camping spots, kayaking out in the lakes and streams, fishing reports from other boaters on the lakes, hiking & bicycling the trails, very very handing in areas without cell service and every once in a while enjoy conversations with other RVer's on the road. the later doesn't happen too often but it does.  I also map our journey routes out on a KML layer on Google Earth which tells me where available open repeaters are and access info..  

[FlatTop]

14 hours ago, Guest Random name said:

I don't know why it is so difficult for HAMs to realize that GMRS has a different purpose from their stuffy radio hobby. It's like they just can't stand that they don't own the market on playing radio anymore and so they want to impose their stuffy crap on a system that is specifically for a different purpose. If you're a HAM and your rules and way of playing radio is so much better then GO USE HAM FREQUENCIES and leave us Neanderthals to our 22 channels! Oh but you can't, can you? Because all those frequencies are dead air and y'all can't stand to see a good party across the street without showing up and bringing in your rules. You want to come to the party then you play by our rules, you don't like our rules go have your own party in your own bigger house with more rooms. 

Long time ham here, GMRS newby.  You are painting with a broad brush.  I hope one day you can get over it.  A lot of hams are GMRS licensees, and they see the value in both radio services.  The only rules any of us have to play by are the FCC part 95 rules pertaining to the GMRS.  Cheer up.  

[WRUU653]

14 hours ago, Guest Random name said:

I don't know why it is so difficult for HAMs to realize that GMRS has a different purpose from their stuffy radio hobby. It's like they just can't stand that they don't own the market on playing radio anymore and so they want to impose their stuffy crap on a system that is specifically for a different purpose. If you're a HAM and your rules and way of playing radio is so much better then GO USE HAM FREQUENCIES and leave us Neanderthals to our 22 channels! Oh but you can't, can you? Because all those frequencies are dead air and y'all can't stand to see a good party across the street without showing up and bringing in your rules. You want to come to the party then you play by our rules, you don't like our rules go have your own party in your own bigger house with more rooms.