Got my GMRS License

[Guest Greg]

This is really not a question per say more like a greeting type of a post and to say hi to all the GMSR users.

I applied for my GMRS license late last night and just got granted my call sign which is WRNP596 only took 11 hours to get that email. I ordered my GMRS radio last night as well and should be getting here on friday unless the FedEx OR UPS ends up running slow.   Will be my first time using anything more advanced then a old CB radio. 

 

 

[mbrun]

Welcome to the forum. Lots to learn hear and a lot of folks at various experience levels are here to help.

Enjoy.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[Droopy]

On 8/4/2021 at 8:33 AM, Guest Greg said:

This is really not a question per say more like a greeting type of a post and to say hi to all the GMSR users.

I applied for my GMRS license late last night and just got granted my call sign which is WRNP596 only took 11 hours to get that email. I ordered my GMRS radio last night as well and should be getting here on friday unless the FedEx OR UPS ends up running slow.   Will be my first time using anything more advanced then a old CB radio. 

 

 

Howdy Neighbor. I am in the same boat as you are. Wanting to get a good radio for my GMRS as well. Been using a CB all my life and now a retired truck driver of 38 years. Was just issued my number yesterday. Been using the ole CB back when they issued a license for a Class D Radio many moons ago. Call sign WRNP631 now. You must of just received your number before mine. I go by Droopy. Any suggestions on a good radio?. Thanks and 73's your way.

 

[WRNP596]

For me I'm limited to either a handset OR mobile device for car cause I don't own the house I rent. I decided to get the Baofeng UV-5X for my first GMRS device which comes with the updated firmware which fixes couple issues with it.

Bought the GMRS handset for couple reasons. First one being it will let me try it out to see if GMRS is for me which could end up being. Another one being I like to go fishing at a lake not too far from me. Owning a GMRS handset will give me the option to carry it with me when I go fishing and waiting for the catfish to bite.

Besides that I can all ways get a good antenna for my car to help get little more range for car use.

Since I'm new to the GMRS scene I'm not up on all the good GMRS mobile's and handsets. But I seen people talk about the Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS Base/Mobile Two Way Radio. I'm not sure what kind of money you are looking to spend and if your looking for a base/mobile OR a portable handset.

Side note our call signs close to each other you must have got yours just shorty after I did.

 

[WyoJoe]

3 hours ago, WRNP596 said:

Since I'm new to the GMRS scene I'm not up on all the good GMRS mobile's and handsets. But I seen people talk about the Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS Base/Mobile Two Way Radio. I'm not sure what kind of money you are looking to spend and if your looking for a base/mobile OR a portable handset.

 

For new mobile radios, the KG-1000G seems to be about the best thing available at this time. It's a bit spendy at well over $300 currently, but it also offers features not found elsewhere. There are some other less expensive (new) mobile radios out there, as well as re-purposed business radios and other used equipment.

For about 1/3 the price of the 1000G, you can pick up an Anytone AT-779UV. While not as feature rich as the 1000G, and only 20W instead of 50W, it still does most of the things you would want a mobile radio to do.

There are also some other mobile radio offerings from B-Tech and Midland that are priced between the two models mentioned above.

For used mobile radios, buying Kenwood, Motorola, or Vertex commercial radios and getting them reprogrammed for GMRS seems to be the hot ticket. There are a lot of posts in the forum about these radios.

 

For new handheld radios, you also have several options. For new dedicated GMRS radios, you can get a "CCR," otherwise known as a cheap Chinese radio. These are the typical Baofeng type radios, the virtues of which have been greatly debated on these forums. For use across the GMRS spectrum, including repeater usage, this is, in my opinion, the minimum you'll want to get. Be aware that many of these radios are ham radios and are not type accepted for GMRS, and as such, are not legal for GMRS use. In my opinion, the better type accepted radios in this group would be the Radioddity GM-30, Tidradio TD-H5, or the Pofung (Baofeng) P15UV. I believe all three are basically the same radio, just branded differently, although I have yet to get my hands on the Pofung version. There are also some Retevis branded radios that seem to be comparable, though I have no experience with them.

A step up from the CCRs are the Wouxon handheld radios: KG-805G, KG-905G, and KG-UV9G. While still made in China, as are almost all current GMRS offerings, these radios offer better tuners and better features than the class of radios mentioned above. They are also about two to four times the price of the "CCR" class.

There are also a number of "bubble pack" or "blister pack" radios, typically sold in big box stores, that are GMRS type accepted, but do not allow you to use them to access GMRS repeaters. I would only recommend these for people that want short range radio to radio communication, with no intent of ever using a repeater.

Finally, there are also used handheld radio options to consider. As with the mobile radios, you can purchase used commercial radios and get them reprogrammed for GMRS. Typically, the same brands seem to be preferred (Kenwood, Motorola, and Vertex). There is also a lot of information on these forums about this.

 

For the used radios, whether mobile or handheld, you'll want to do your homework to find out about type acceptance for use on GMRS. Again, there is a lot of information on this topic within these forums.

 

[WRNP596]

20 minutes ago, WyoJoe said:

For new mobile radios, the KG-1000G seems to be about the best thing available at this time. It's a bit spendy at well over $300 currently, but it also offers features not found elsewhere. There are some other less expensive (new) mobile radios out there, as well as re-purposed business radios and other used equipment.

For about 1/3 the price of the 1000G, you can pick up an Anytone AT-779UV. While not as feature rich as the 1000G, and only 20W instead of 50W, it still does most of the things you would want a mobile radio to do.

There are also some other mobile radio offerings from B-Tech and Midland that are priced between the two models mentioned above.

For used mobile radios, buying Kenwood, Motorola, or Vertex commercial radios and getting them reprogrammed for GMRS seems to be the hot ticket. There are a lot of posts in the forum about these radios.

 

For new handheld radios, you also have several options. For new dedicated GMRS radios, you can get a "CCR," otherwise known as a cheap Chinese radio. These are the typical Baofeng type radios, the virtues of which have been greatly debated on these forums. For use across the GMRS spectrum, including repeater usage, this is, in my opinion, the minimum you'll want to get. Be aware that many of these radios are ham radios and are not type accepted for GMRS, and as such, are not legal for GMRS use. In my opinion, the better type accepted radios in this group would be the Radioddity GM-30, Tidradio TD-H5, or the Pofung (Baofeng) P15UV. I believe all three are basically the same radio, just branded differently, although I have yet to get my hands on the Pofung version. There are also some Retevis branded radios that seem to be comparable, though I have no experience with them.

A step up from the CCRs are the Wouxon handheld radios: KG-805G, KG-905G, and KG-UV9G. While still made in China, as are almost all current GMRS offerings, these radios offer better tuners and better features than the class of radios mentioned above. They are also about two to four times the price of the "CCR" class.

There are also a number of "bubble pack" or "blister pack" radios, typically sold in big box stores, that are GMRS type accepted, but do not allow you to use them to access GMRS repeaters. I would only recommend these for people that want short range radio to radio communication, with no intent of ever using a repeater.

Finally, there are also used handheld radio options to consider. As with the mobile radios, you can purchase used commercial radios and get them reprogrammed for GMRS. Typically, the same brands seem to be preferred (Kenwood, Motorola, and Vertex). There is also a lot of information on these forums about this.

 

For the used radios, whether mobile or handheld, you'll want to do your homework to find out about type acceptance for use on GMRS. Again, there is a lot of information on this topic within these forums.

 

Yea, I bought a Baofeng UV-5X for my first GMRS radio which now comes with the updated firmware which fixed the code issue and narrowband/wideband issue as well. My GMRS radio I bought is on the UPS truck right now and will be in my hands in today.

I wanted something cheap that's portable and where I could take with me when I go fishing. Least that way if something happens to it I'm not out of a lot of money after all it's only a Baofeng.

Maybe at later date I'll get something better something like the Wouxun KG-UV9G which looks like a nice GMRS radio to me.

 

[WyoJoe]

4 minutes ago, WRNP596 said:

Yea, I bought a Baofeng UV-5X for my first GMRS radio which now comes with the updated firmware which fixed the code issue and narrowband/wideband issue as well. My GMRS radio I bought is on the UPS truck right now and will be in my hands in today.

I wanted something cheap that's portable and where I could take with me when I go fishing. Least that way if something happens to it I'm not out of a lot of money after all it's only a Baofeng.

Maybe at later date I'll get something better something like the Wouxun KG-UV9G which looks like a nice GMRS radio to me.

 

I have a KG-UV9G, which is a pretty nice radio, but also has a couple of issues. The most talked about issue seems to be the display, which is often difficult to see in full sun. The second issue for me is that the battery life, while decent, doesn't seem to be as long as it is for some of my other radios. The third issue for me is the price. Since it's in the $150 to $170 range, I find that I don't take it out of the house much, because I don't want to break it or lose it. What do I do in that case? I end up grabbing one of my much cheaper GM-30 radios and taking that with me instead. If I drop it and it breaks, it's not really a big deal.

[WRNP596]

1 minute ago, WyoJoe said:

I have a KG-UV9G, which is a pretty nice radio, but also has a couple of issues. The most talked about issue seems to be the display, which is often difficult to see in full sun. The second issue for me is that the battery life, while decent, doesn't seem to be as long as it is for some of my other radios. The third issue for me is the price. Since it's in the $150 to $170 range, I find that I don't take it out of the house much, because I don't want to break it or lose it. What do I do in that case? I end up grabbing one of my much cheaper GM-30 radios and taking that with me instead. If I drop it and it breaks, it's not really a big deal.

 I fully understand what you are getting at. My current smartphone costed me $300 dollars it most I ever paid for a smartphone. When I'm out and about and have it out of my pocket I handle it like very old unstable stick of TNT. Even though I do have a nice case on the thing I'm still worry I will drop it.

[Guest Stargater53]

On 8/4/2021 at 9:33 AM, Guest Greg said:

 

What did you pay? I understand the price is going to drop to $35, but no one I spoke to at the FCC knows anything as to when the license fee is going to drop. The guy I talked to gave me the clear impression that it was a question he was tired of being asked. 

I used to work at the IRS and know how slow bureaucracy works. People hate IRS and frankly, some of the most virulent anti-ISRers I know actually worked there. 

The wheels turn, but they move so slowly it's amazing anything gets done. 

 

 

[n4gix]

Several weeks ago the FCC sent out an announcement that the changeover will not take place until early 2022. They need to overhaul their system for both ham and GMRS at the same time.

[pcradio]

On 8/6/2021 at 7:46 AM, WyoJoe said:

I have a KG-UV9G ... since it's in the $150 to $170 range, I find that I don't take it out of the house much, because I don't want to break it or lose it. What do I do in that case? I end up grabbing one of my much cheaper GM-30 radios and taking that with me instead. If I drop it and it breaks, it's not really a big deal.

Yeah, I have a couple of Retevis RT76P units. $32. I do want a glass case radio, however. I'm looking at the Wouxun KG-935G.

[MacJack]

22 hours ago, pcradio said:

Yeah, I have a couple of Retevis RT76P units. $32. I do want a glass case radio, however. I'm looking at the Wouxun KG-935G.

PCRadio, I have a KG-935G for 3 days now and it is a great radio... Look for my review after my wife proofs it.  I can do so much legally with it and it all about having a great well performing radio for the right price.  

MacJack  

[MichaelLAX]

Where will you post your review?

[MacJack]

I will post here and will make sure I send you the link...  I will PM you my draft but do not share it as my proofer (wife) is sick and it may be a few day before post... so in the PM you will see where I 'm coming from...

If any others want to see the draft post, agree not to share as my wife makes me look good on long post....

MacJack

[pcradio]

4 hours ago, MacJack said:

I will post here and will make sure I send you the link...

I look forward to seeing your review.