The Kids AREN'T Alright

[WRAQ431]

Hello all, Mat here, normally a C.B. Junkie who's been into GMRS since 2018, first post on this Forum. Honestly I don't know if it's just my particular area or what, but all I ever seem to hear on my Rig is kids with Walkie-Talkies, usually very young, jibbering away on them, and what I call 'beeping off', trying to all talk at the same time...apart from maybe 4 individuals who actually talk Simplex. And then come to find out, in my immediate vicinity I'm the ONLY ONE who's licensed (WRAQ431). I have to guess the beepers aren't licensed, Mom & Dad got the kids Walkie Talkies for Christmas or something, and the 'talkers' maybe got them for camping/outdoor stuff, as these GMRS radios are readily available at our local WalMart. Does anyone else put up with this kind of thing, or is it just me? Not so much 'putting up' with the people that actually hold a discussion, but those danged kids...ok, rant over...

[kidphc]

No license necessary for frs. lot of the kid toy walkie talkies are on low frs channels.

 

Daughter's old pickachu walkie talkies was on channel 5.

 

Around here it is a bunch of business using them, kids or Spanish people (seams landscaping companies love them).

 

Ignore and hit scan

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Blackmar401]

Aren't all the channels no license required under 2w or .5w? I thought I read they changed it recently

[wayoverthere]

Hello all, Mat here, normally a C.B. Junkie who's been into GMRS since 2018, first post on this Forum. Honestly I don't know if it's just my particular area or what, but all I ever seem to hear on my Rig is kids with Walkie-Talkies, usually very young, jibbering away on them, and what I call 'beeping off', trying to all talk at the same time...apart from maybe 4 individuals who actually talk Simplex. And then come to find out, in my immediate vicinity I'm the ONLY ONE who's licensed (WRAQ431). I have to guess the beepers aren't licensed, Mom & Dad got the kids Walkie Talkies for Christmas or something, and the 'talkers' maybe got them for camping/outdoor stuff, as these GMRS radios are readily available at our local WalMart. Does anyone else put up with this kind of thing, or is it just me? Not so much 'putting up' with the people that actually hold a discussion, but those danged kids...ok, rant over...

 

The incessant use of the call button? I have a couple channels set with a random ctcss code on my mobile, because there's group in my area on those channels regularly, rarely talking, just call button symphony...

[mbrun]

Aren't all the channels no license required under 2w or .5w? I thought I read they changed it recently

No. It has everything to do with the equipment you are using. If the equipment you are using is certified for FRS then you do not need to apply for a license. If you are using equipment certified for GMRS, you must have a license.

 

Previously the rules were interpreted like you describe by many users. In 2017 the FCC eliminated that ambiguity. They now make it clear that to use FRS and GMRS frequencies you must use type certified equipment to be legal. That also translates to also mean that if you are using GMRS equipment, you must have a license. As part of their ruling, pre-existing equipment with power less than 2 watts were legally reclassified as FRS. Anything with more was reclassified as GMRS. There are no longer any more legal “hybrid” FRS and GMRS radios. They are either one or the other, not both.

 

Yes, max power for FRS is 2 watt on channels 1-7 and 15-22. Channels 8-15 are 1/2 watt for both FRS and GRMS.

 

Regards,

 

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

[gf66]

enjoy the chatter of kids while it lasts, someday you may wish to hear kids chatter instead of suffering through a horrific time. When the kids are silent start to worry...any parent will tell you that 

 

Yes, I hear them.  

[enidpd804]

I almost posted this a while back.  I think I'm just being crotchety because I don't mind them using FRS, but when they use GMRS, it annoys me.  gf66 is probably right, though.  

[wayoverthere]

enjoy the chatter of kids while it lasts, someday you may wish to hear kids chatter instead of suffering through a horrific time. When the kids are silent start to worry...any parent will tell you that

 

Yes, I hear them.

Personally, I don't mind the chatter....that may be the seeds of the radio hobby taking root to bloom later on. Its just the endless call tones that get old.

[Lscott]

What gets old is when the kids in the nearby local neighborhood take up residence on your favorite repeater’s output frequency causing interference just when you want to use it. While FRS radios can’t access repeater input frequencies they all have the output frequencies in them.

[Woodsman]

I don't mind hearing kids on the air. Maybe a few years down the road, they too will pick up the hobby.

[Citizen]

What gets old is when the kids in the nearby local neighborhood take up residence on your favorite repeater’s output frequency causing interference just when you want to use it.

 

In my neighborhood, the most annoying thing by kids using Christmas present, bubble pack radios, given to them by their not-in-the-know parents, is the roger beep.  The kids can't seem to hold down the PTT.  So a single sentence (or sub-sentence) typically has 3-5 roger beeps. And this can go on for an hour.

 

But fortunately, just as the children don't know how to turn off the beep, they also don't seem to know how to change the channel, and thus ALL the children in my neighborhood are on channel 1, which is the factory default it seems. The few businesses I've picked up are on channels 2,3 and 7, all with PLs.  They probably moved off Ch-1 just for this reason.

 

My solution?  I almost always avoid channel 1.  Just my 2 cents.

 

...

[WRAQ431]

I dunno, maybe I am just being crotchedy, but I usually have mine on 462.675 (Ch.20), as there's a repeater out on Long Island I can hear from my location in S.W. Rhode Island. I seldom if ever hear anyone on the FRS frequencies, my GMRS doesn't get them (Midland MXT90), so those are programmed into my scanner. I used to use an Anytone AT778UV for ALL those frequencies until I learned it wasn't Part 95 compliant, so back in the box it went until such time as I can obtain my Technician Ticket, which with any luck will be soon. The coverage on that Anytone is remarkable, to say the least. And despite what people say about range, with a converted Mobile Antenna and Ground Plane kit up on a repurposed flagpole I can hear a repeater in Madison Ct. (2 meter) from  my location, and the distance as the crow flies has got to be around 70-75 miles away, and to my knowledge it's not linked with any repeaters that are closer, and the GMRS repeater out on L.I. is probably 40 miles away A.T.C.F. in Islip I believe. I am situated in a pretty good spot for East/West propagation, but North/South is a challenge, but despite that some days I'll get +10db on that Madison Ct. rig, a little less on Islip. According to the Directory here there's a GMRS Repeater pretty close to me in New London Ct. that I requested access to, have yet to hear back from the owner though. So when I decide on either a Btech, Wouxun (sp?) or the bigger Midland, I'll be able to access at least two GMRS repeaters close by...we shall see...

[kidphc]

I dunno, maybe I am just being crotchedy, but I usually have mine on 462.675 (Ch.20), as there's a repeater out on Long Island I can hear from my location in S.W. Rhode Island. I seldom if ever hear anyone on the FRS frequencies, my GMRS doesn't get them (Midland MXT90), so those are programmed into my scanner. I used to use an Anytone AT778UV for ALL those frequencies until I learned it wasn't Part 95 compliant, so back in the box it went until such time as I can obtain my Technician Ticket, which with any luck will be soon. The coverage on that Anytone is remarkable, to say the least. And despite what people say about range, with a converted Mobile Antenna and Ground Plane kit up on a repurposed flagpole I can hear a repeater in Madison Ct. (2 meter) from my location, and the distance as the crow flies has got to be around 70-75 miles away, and to my knowledge it's not linked with any repeaters that are closer, and the GMRS repeater out on L.I. is probably 40 miles away A.T.C.F. in Islip I believe. I am situated in a pretty good spot for East/West propagation, but North/South is a challenge, but despite that some days I'll get +10db on that Madison Ct. rig, a little less on Islip. According to the Directory here there's a GMRS Repeater pretty close to me in New London Ct. that I requested access to, have yet to hear back from the owner though. So when I decide on either a Btech, Wouxun (sp?) or the bigger Midland, I'll be able to access at least two GMRS repeaters close by...we shall see...

Get your tech. Far more contacts with just the repeaters.

 

Most of my GMRS stuff is now for standby and family usage when out and about.

 

So much so, just to get usage out of it, I hand a radio to my oldest who sits in back of the truck. More to keep her up on how to use it.

 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Lscott]

In my neighborhood, the most annoying thing by kids using Christmas present, bubble pack radios, given to them by their not-in-the-know parents, is the roger beep.  The kids can't seem to hold down the PTT.  So a single sentence (or sub-sentence) typically has 3-5 roger beeps. And this can go on for an hour.

 

But fortunately, just as the children don't know how to turn off the beep, they also don't seem to know how to change the channel, and thus ALL the children in my neighborhood are on channel 1, which is the factory default it seems. The few businesses I've picked up are on channels 2,3 and 7, all with PLs.  They probably moved off Ch-1 just for this reason.

 

My solution?  I almost always avoid channel 1.  Just my 2 cents.

 

...

If you wait a week or two after XMAS most of those toy FRS radios go silent. The kids loose interest and or the batteries go dead.

[Blackmar401]

I dunno, maybe I am just being crotchedy, but I usually have mine on 462.675 (Ch.20), as there's a repeater out on Long Island I can hear from my location in S.W. Rhode Island. I seldom if ever hear anyone on the FRS frequencies, my GMRS doesn't get them (Midland MXT90), so those are programmed into my scanner. I used to use an Anytone AT778UV for ALL those frequencies until I learned it wasn't Part 95 compliant, so back in the box it went until such time as I can obtain my Technician Ticket, which with any luck will be soon. The coverage on that Anytone is remarkable, to say the least. And despite what people say about range, with a converted Mobile Antenna and Ground Plane kit up on a repurposed flagpole I can hear a repeater in Madison Ct. (2 meter) from my location, and the distance as the crow flies has got to be around 70-75 miles away, and to my knowledge it's not linked with any repeaters that are closer, and the GMRS repeater out on L.I. is probably 40 miles away A.T.C.F. in Islip I believe. I am situated in a pretty good spot for East/West propagation, but North/South is a challenge, but despite that some days I'll get +10db on that Madison Ct. rig, a little less on Islip. According to the Directory here there's a GMRS Repeater pretty close to me in New London Ct. that I requested access to, have yet to hear back from the owner though. So when I decide on either a Btech, Wouxun (sp?) or the bigger Midland, I'll be able to access at least two GMRS repeaters close by...we shall see...

have you gained access to any local repeaters? I am in E.P. and was granted access to one in Rehoboth but it has like a full page of requirements some of which my radios can't even perform.

[WRAQ431]

I've been trying to get access to one over in New London Ct. about 20 miles away. It's the only one I can 'hit' from where I'm at. All the one's here in R.I. don't have the coverage to get them from Westerly. And for the first 3 years I had my license I was also hearing one (BTG I think it was called) out on Long Island that initially sparked my interest in GMRS repeaters, but I haven't heard that one in 3 months. Last time I heard any traffic on that one someone was 'clunking' the repeater, and haven't heard anything from that one since...

[Rita67]

Yes, I agree that all children need to be monitored with walkie-talkies. There are many styles for parents to choose from for their kids. However, all radios are not toys, regardless how they innocently appear. There is a time and place for them.

I am stunned by the brazen language I hear from some kids on the CB, or radio. Radios are not toys. They are important devices. It may be kids use radios or walkies when parents aren't around, thinking they won't get caught.

I enjoy all radios, and support their use by adults. I'm a new GMRS Radio user, and share my brother's Callsign. I use my HH Midland X-TRA TALK he gave me as a gift. This little radio allows us to talk to each other and we get clearly up to 6 miles between us. I am surprised because I live in a mountainous area.

I am now hoping to get involved with Ham Radio. I wish the best for everyone and to fully enjoy their radio use. Peace and hugs to all.

[SkylinesSuck]

Sorry, I think very informal family type use is exactly what GMRS/FRS was set designed for. I'm not saying I think kids should be playing around on somebody's repeater, but if you hear a couple 6 yr olds talking about Pokemon on their Snoopy walkie talkies and can't stand it, change the channel, use a tone, or move in to ham.

[WQQQ874]

Receive PL’s are a great thing.

[Rita67]

Sorry, I think very informal family type use is exactly what GMRS/FRS was set designed for. I'm not saying I think kids should be playing around on somebody's repeater, but if you hear a couple 6 yr olds talking about Pokemon on their Snoopy walkie talkies and can't stand it, change the channel, use a tone, or move in to ham.

Yes, come to think of it, GMRS is for family use. It may be a positive influence on the kids, providing they're taught how to use it correctly. Thanks for the "heads-up".

[SkylinesSuck]

I locked my kid's treehouse radio so they can only transmit on low power on one gmrs simplex channel and monitor ATC so they can hear me at work. It gets them super excited about using the radio and I hope their enthusiasm grows. When they want to call their friends farther away, I will go up there with them and sit with them while they talk on the repeater. It's brief and they understand a lot of people can potentially hear them so they need to behave accordingly. It's still kids chat though asking if they want to come over for a sleepover or whatever.

 

When they are out in the yard/woods around the house, they play hide and go seek with the radios, talk about Pokemon, and whatever else kids so on their little 1/2 watt bubble packs. I still monitor them from inside, but generally they do what they want. The only time I have yelled at them was when one of them tried to play DJ over the walkie. His brother gave him almost as much grief as me just because he couldn't talk for so long. I think they (6 & 8 yrs old) are starting to grasp things.