Very basic beginner

[Guest kmonroe99]

Very basic beginner looking for info/tutorials to start.  I have my GMRS license and call sign; I have a Wouxun 905G and a Radioddity GM-30 which I'm probably going to send back.  Yes MyGMRS shows some repeaters in (kind of) the area.  So what do I start with - just scan frequencies and see what I pick up?  Try to contact a repeater?  Thanks

[MichaelLAX]

What area are you located?

[WRHS218]

I have my 905G scanning most of the time. I have local (sort of) repeaters programmed into the radio and I scan those along with the standard no tone repeater channels. I hear a lot of travelers in my area every now and then I hear a repeater that I shouldn't be able to hit. I have several radios so when I head into town I get my wife to listen for me just to see how far I reach and from where.

Just scan for a while and see what/who you hear. You can always pick a channel and ask for a radio check and see if anyone answers. Keep it scanning when you are driving just for giggles and grins. You could do a search and see if there is a GMRS radio club near you.

Good luck,

Sean 

[WyoJoe]

2 hours ago, Guest kmonroe99 said:

Very basic beginner looking for info/tutorials to start.  I have my GMRS license and call sign; I have a Wouxun 905G and a Radioddity GM-30 which I'm probably going to send back.  Yes MyGMRS shows some repeaters in (kind of) the area.  So what do I start with - just scan frequencies and see what I pick up?  Try to contact a repeater?  Thanks

I'm curious about why you might send back the GM-30, especially if you only have those two radios.

It would be helpful for us if you would tell us what you want to use GMRS for. The reason for my statement above is that GMRS is most often used among family members to communicate with one another. If you are looking for people to chat with outside of your immediate family or close friends, you may be disappointed with GMRS. Unlike ham radio, there generally aren't a lot of GMRS users just sitting by the radio waiting for someone to chat with. That's not the case everywhere, though, and in some areas there are some fairly active repeaters, so depending on where you're located, you might find someone to talk to.

Anyway, if you could give us an idea of what you'd like to use GMRS for, we could help you better.

By the way, welcome to the forum!

[DownEastNC]

22 hours ago, Guest kmonroe99 said:

 So what do I start with - just scan frequencies and see what I pick up?  Try to contact a repeater?  Thanks

As a rank newbie myself, that's exactly what I did. I've scanned the GMRS channels for hours and hit on the nearest repeater to see if I could make the trip. As WyoJoe said,

Quote

If you are looking for people to chat with outside of your immediate family or close friends, you may be disappointed with GMRS. Unlike ham radio, there generally aren't a lot of GMRS users just sitting by the radio waiting for someone to chat with.

I can attest to that as I've had nothing but dead silence on the GMRS channels. I live near a couple of RV campgrounds and I thought at least I could pick up some FRS chatter, but that hasn't been the case. Anyway, the next option for me, and perhaps you, is to get some metal in the air to see if that helps on the reception side. I'm trying to persuade a few neighbors to hop on board and maybe the word will get out and we can develop a community of GMRS users out here. In the interim I'm entertaining myself with the county sheriff and fire department dispatch  broadcasts.

Edit: BTW, this is a very popular YouTube Channel and it has helped me much with my education;

What is GMRS

Edited September 19, 2021 by DownEastNC
Added some content.

[MichaelLAX]

Here is what I did for a recent Newbie to GMRS here on this forum that lives in San Diego (120 miles from me).

I drove down to a Fast Charger for my EV in his neighborhood, was delighted to try out a local Korean chicken restaurant in that mall and then spent the next couple of hours, while my EV topped off, doing this:

GMRS has only 8 repeater channels.

I start with GMRS Repeater channel 1 (462.550) at the CTCSS tone of 67.0 and hold down my transmitter button for 1-2 seconds. When I release the PTT, I listen for a repeater "tail."

If I hear one, I jot down in my notes that CTCSS tone frequency for each GMRS Channel, and I move on to the next tone and repeat this process.

It helps to have OCD! 

Doing this for all 8 GMRS repeater channels and sending my notes to the Newbie, he was able to hit a repeater and join it too!

I call this warGMRS'ing. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardriving )