Un-official GMRS travel channel?

[DownEastNC]

14 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Someone finally got tired of the endless circular arguments to see who has the biggest antenna and actually DID something...

It's now officially channel 19 .. Argue, complain, whine, list your credentials all you want, whats done is done.

Proclaiming something on a YouTube channel is adoring. If you were truly interested in the travel channel initiative then you would form a nationwide commission and reach out to the thousands of GMRS operators for a consensus. That's a lot of work and effort. Are you willing to do that? I'm afraid that no one has heard you outside of your YouTube fiefdom. So crow about it all you want. It accomplishes nothing. Oh by the way, take a minute to use your favorite web browser to look up the term "GMRS Travel Channel". Outside this discussion, the preponderance of results will point you towards this --->

Quote

Channel 20(462.675MHz) with a PL of 141.3Hz is generally considered the 'travel/calling' frequency on GMRS

Ignore it all you want, I'm sure you will.

[DanW]

On 1/6/2022 at 7:17 PM, OffRoaderX said:

Someone finally got tired of the endless circular arguments to see who has the biggest antenna and actually DID something...

It's now officially channel 19 .. Argue, complain, whine, list your credentials all you want, whats done is done.

Bravo! It makes perfect sense, in my humble opinion.  

[DanW]

10 hours ago, DownEastNC said:

Proclaiming something on a YouTube channel is adoring. If you were truly interested in the travel channel initiative then you would form a nationwide commission and reach out to the thousands of GMRS operators for a consensus. That's a lot of work and effort. Are you willing to do that? I'm afraid that no one has heard you outside of your YouTube fiefdom. So crow about it all you want. It accomplishes nothing. Oh by the way, take a minute to use your favorite web browser to look up the term "GMRS Travel Channel". Outside this discussion, the preponderance of results will point you towards this --->

Ignore it all you want, I'm sure you will.

What hams, or "ham lights" that dabble in GMRS don't understand is that there are groups all over the country that represent the fastest growing segment of GMRS use.  And it ain't preppers.  It is the off-road community.  And they travel the highway, many times cross-country, traveling to their destinations.  And most of them use simplex channels and don't care about what frequency it is on.  You are going to have a hard fight to resurrect 462.6750 from the 6 foot deep hole it just fell into.

Like it or not, there will be convoys of 4wd's heading down highways chatting away on channel 19 before switching over to 16 when they hit the dirt, and driving some of you absolutely bat excrement crazy as they enjoy themselves, blissfully ignorant of what fequency they are on.

[OffRoaderX]

23 minutes ago, DanW said:

....What hams, or "ham lights" that dabble in GMRS don't understand is...

"some people".. have trouble comprehending anything outside of their own experience and will often demean it in an attempt to compensate for their own social deficiencies.

[Ian]

When I'm driving, I set 20(22) -- channel 20, 141.3 Hz CTCSS.

 

2022 is the year of the travel channel, friends!

[WROZ437]

10 hours ago, DanW said:

What hams, or "ham lights" that dabble in GMRS don't understand is that there are groups all over the country that represent the fastest growing segment of GMRS use.  And it ain't preppers.  It is the off-road community.  And they travel the highway, many times cross-country, traveling to their destinations.  And most of them use simplex channels and don't care about what frequency it is on.  You are going to have a hard fight to resurrect 462.6750 from the 6 foot deep hole it just fell into.

Like it or not, there will be convoys of 4wd's heading down highways chatting away on channel 19 before switching over to 16 when they hit the dirt, and driving some of you absolutely bat excrement crazy as they enjoy themselves, blissfully ignorant of what fequency they are on.

This is 100% correct. I am brand new to GMRS, just got my license a couple days ago. The primary interest for me is communicating while offroad and beach driving. I am not a radio nerd (I don’t mean that in an offensive way). I am naive to HAM/amateur radio culture but I do have mild familiarity with CB. I am the noob just searching for answers.

A quick search for “GMRS road channel” yields notarubicon dot com as the top result. The reality is that YouTube is a pretty powerful platform. It’s going to be hard to compete with that video simply because it is the only thing out there that’s definitive and makes complete sense to a noob or “regular guy/gal” that just wants a “plug and play” radio solution but doesn’t care about radio theory.

I would think a bigger hurdle than convincing a few off-road enthusiasts is getting truckers on board. I know there are many reasons why even CB use is dwindling with truckers but they were the lifeblood of CB channel 19.

Anyway, GMRS channel 19 is where my radio will be set when I’m on the blacktop.

[AdmiralCochrane]

I guess my search engine use is deficient. 

 

Another info source these days is Reddit.  Some of (maybe close to half) of my younger friends that are in the age group most likely to be off road fans ignore Google, Youtube and Facebook and instead rely on searches and discussion on the Reddit platform that is not always found by search engines.  I have not looked into what the prevailing opinion on Reddit is for this question. 

[H8SPVMT]

13 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

"some people".. have trouble comprehending anything outside of their own experience and will often demean it in an attempt to compensate for their own social deficiencies.

Damned right!  I am just doing that this morning while try to determine why the bottom button hole in my new shirt is horizontal and sewed in red thread.  It was never that way all my life of 70 years!  But I see on the internet now that all bottom button holes are done this way, so now I'm confused.  Well, I just saw it on the internet so, IT MUST BE TRUE, right?

After checking all my shirts and button down coats, It's Hogwash I tell ya and that is my experience!  If you're not a Jeeper, your mileage might vary, IJS... stuck on channel 16 (actually I use the SCAN button on my Midland MXT 400 and get all the conversations along with all the PTT pushers).

 

 

 

[DownEastNC]

11 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

"some people".. have trouble comprehending anything outside of their own experience and will often demean it in an attempt to compensate for their own social deficiencies.

"Some people".. recognize that when "one person" attempts to shut down a conversation, that it transcends into arrogance, just like those sad hams that you constantly lament about. Better take a close look at yourself before accusing others of social deficiencies. You don't appear to be able to handle differing opinions very well. You're no longer in your YouTube safe space where you can delete what you don't want to hear. Demeaning others by innuendo only shows shallowness and accomplishes nothing.

If you and your following want to suggest a GMRS travel channel then that's great, I'm all for the conversation. However, if your approach to resolving the issue is by edicts, proclamations, and the shutting down of different opinions then that's where I start having problems. No, the conversation is not over because you say so.

Getting back to my original response, lets see some REAL activism on adopting some channel, whether it be 19, 20, or whatever, as the travel channel and by that I mean something other than an edict. Let's see some outreach to all the GMRS communities. Let's see some consensus and agreement. Build an organization if your have to. Are you willing to do that? If not, then this will go nowhere. Who wants to be the leader?

 

[Sshannon]

On 1/7/2022 at 7:49 AM, DownEastNC said:

Proclaiming something on a YouTube channel is adoring. If you were truly interested in the travel channel initiative then you would form a nationwide commission and reach out to the thousands of GMRS operators for a consensus. That's a lot of work and effort. Are you willing to do that? I'm afraid that no one has heard you outside of your YouTube fiefdom. So crow about it all you want. It accomplishes nothing. Oh by the way, take a minute to use your favorite web browser to look up the term "GMRS Travel Channel". Outside this discussion, the preponderance of results will point you towards this --->

Ignore it all you want, I'm sure you will.

In theory consensus is great, but takes a long time and frequently results in frustration.  Having someone simply say out-loud something that makes sense to a lot of people is just fine.

Personally, I would have preferred channel 20.  It’s next in order, denoting an incremental progression over CB’s channel 19; it’s unaffected by Line A (some of us do travel along the high line, where that’s a concern); and it reflects the notion the GMRS is CB 2.0.

But the simple fact is that a lot of people already think of channel 19 as “The Travel Channel”.  It just works.

Sometimes it just takes one person to make a decision instead of a bunch of people milling around expecting someone else to do something. I can live with it.

[WROZ437]

2 hours ago, AdmiralCochrane said:

I guess my search engine use is deficient. 

Eh, I am a bit of an oddball and use duck duck go as my search engine.

Google serves notarubicon’s video as the top video result and this forum as the top web result.

Reddit is a mixed bag, just like this thread.

————-

Seems like notarubicon gets scoffed a little around here. I guess I can see why as a lot of what he says “calls out” radio enthusiasts. I just want to point out that I am exactly the metaphorical “regular guy” that he alludes to in his videos. Everything he says makes logical sense to me. My guess is there are lot more people like me out there than there are HAM lights (did I get that right?). 

Consider this: When vetting search results one of the first things I check is the date of a publication, especially with emerging tech, which I would include GMRS in (I know it’s been around for decades). Notarubicon has not only the most definitive answer, but he also has the most current stance on the issue. Posts on reddit are a year or more old. Most of the post on this website regarding the issue are a year, or several years old. See where I’m going with this?

[Sshannon]

9 minutes ago, WROZ437 said:

Eh, I am a bit of an oddball and use duck duck go as my search engine.

Google serves notarubicon’s video as the top video result and this forum as the top web result.

Reddit is a mixed bag, just like this thread.

————-

Seems like notarubicon gets scoffed a little around here. I guess I can see why as a lot of what he says “calls out” radio enthusiasts. I just want to point out that I am exactly the metaphorical “regular guy” that he alludes to in his videos. Everything he says makes logical sense to me. My guess is there are lot more people like me out there than there are HAM lights (did I get that right?). 

Consider this: When vetting search results one of the first things I check is the date of a publication, especially with emerging tech, which I would include GMRS in (I know it’s been around for decades). Notarubicon has not only the most definitive answer, but he also has the most current stance on the issue. Posts on reddit are a year or more old. Most of the post on this website regarding the issue are a year, or several years old. See where I’m going with this?

Well said.  Plus, nobody should take notarubicon so seriously that they become upset.  I might prefer channel 20, but I love his deadpan.  People need to take life a little less seriously. 

Also, I cannot hear the turn signal as it is; it’s doubtful I’ll ever listen to GMRS while driving.

[DanW]

45 minutes ago, DownEastNC said:

"Some people".. recognize that when "one person" attempts to shut down a conversation, that it transcends into arrogance, just like those sad hams that you constantly lament about. Better take a close look at yourself before accusing others of social deficiencies. You don't appear to be able to handle differing opinions very well. You're no longer in your YouTube safe space where you can delete what you don't want to hear. Demeaning others by innuendo only shows shallowness and accomplishes nothing.

If you and your following want to suggest a GMRS travel channel then that's great, I'm all for the conversation. However, if your approach to resolving the issue is by edicts, proclamations, and the shutting down of different opinions then that's where I start having problems. No, the conversation is not over because you say so.

Getting back to my original response, lets see some REAL activism on adopting some channel, whether it be 19, 20, or whatever, as the travel channel and by that I mean something other than an edict. Let's see some outreach to all the GMRS communities. Let's see some consensus and agreement. Build an organization if your have to. Are you willing to do that? If not, then this will go nowhere. Who wants to be the leader?

 

Lighten up, Francis.  Watch the video.

[DownEastNC]

35 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

In theory consensus is great, but takes a long time and frequently results in frustration.  Having someone simply say out-loud something that makes sense to a lot of people is just fine.

Personally, I would have preferred channel 20.  It’s next in order, denoting an incremental progression over CB’s channel 19; it’s unaffected by Line A (some of us do travel along the high line, where that’s a concern); and it reflects the notion the GMRS is CB 2.0.

But the simple fact is that a lot of people already think of channel 19 as “The Travel Channel”.  It just works.

Sometimes it just takes one person to make a decision instead of a bunch of people milling around expecting someone else to do something. I can live with it.

I hear you loud and clear and appreciate your perspective. My concern is that outside of this forum and a YouTube channel, no one else will have the foggiest idea that there is a travel channel much less which one it is. That's why I'm suggesting some sort of outreach. Yes, it will be hard work and frustrating, no doubt. And I can imagine some would take exception to an outsider coming in and even making the suggestion. Even here in this forum there are some that believe GMRS is only for talking to family.

I don't know the history of how channel 19 on the CB became the truckers channel but I would wager a guess that it propagated from the truck stops and informal agreements that would be the channel they would hang out on. That was their social network of that period. For us, we have the internet to get the word out.

[n4gix]

On 1/7/2022 at 7:24 AM, kb2ztx said:

...no one gets GMRS licenses...

No one? Obviously everyone on this website is licensed!

[Sshannon]

7 minutes ago, DownEastNC said:

I hear you loud and clear and appreciate your perspective. My concern is that outside of this forum and a YouTube channel, no one else will have the foggiest idea that there is a travel channel much less which one it is. That's why I'm suggesting some sort of outreach. Yes, it will be hard work and frustrating, no doubt. And I can imagine some would take exception to an outsider coming in and even making the suggestion. Even here in this forum there are some that believe GMRS is only for talking to family.

I don't know the history of how channel 19 on the CB became the truckers channel but I would wager a guess that it propagated from the truck stops and informal agreements that would be the channel they would hang out on. That was their social network of that period. For us, we have the internet to get the word out.

It’s more organic to spread the word via GMRS.

I really think that by the time any outreach and consensus process is completed (and who’s to say when it’s complete without first formally recognizing the validity of such a process?) the decision will have been made by people simply tuning to the unofficial official royally decreed travel channel.  By that time anything the formal group says or does had better simply ratify whatever has become the de facto travel channel.

[DownEastNC]

4 minutes ago, DanW said:

Lighten up, Francis.  Watch the video.

I did. The video was fine. His channel / his content. No problem. I looked at it as a parody.

I want to be 100% clear on my issue and I'm not sure why it doesn't disturb everyone else as well. I thought we were having a conversation about all this. We may disagree or have other ideas and all that is fine. That's what the conversation is for. But to have someone bust in, declare that things are going to be a certain way, and the conversation is over... well, I'm afraid not. I have problems with that. It's about civility and decorum. If you have an idea, then present it and your arguments for it. But to charge in and announce "this is the way it's going to be. everybody else shut up" Meh, that's not the way to resolve things. My opinion.

[DanW]

6 minutes ago, DownEastNC said:

I hear you loud and clear and appreciate your perspective. My concern is that outside of this forum and a YouTube channel, no one else will have the foggiest idea that there is a travel channel much less which one it is. That's why I'm suggesting some sort of outreach. Yes, it will be hard work and frustrating, no doubt. And I can imagine some would take exception to an outsider coming in and even making the suggestion. Even here in this forum there are some that believe GMRS is only for talking to family.

I don't know the history of how channel 19 on the CB became the truckers channel but I would wager a guess that it propagated from the truck stops and informal agreements that would be the channel they would hang out on. That was their social network of that period. For us, we have the internet to get the word out.

The outreach is already there, and it is grassroots.  Off-road clubs have been discussing this and picking up on it for some time now, not just due to the video.  But the video will certainly give it a strong boost.  @OffRoaderX videos are spreading wildly in the off-road clubs because they are adopting GMRS VERY quickly.  

Just 4 years ago, I put a CB in my new Jeep.  Shortly thereafter I went to GMRS because fewer and fewer in the clubs even bothered with it.  I still have it for highway communication with truckers and for the occasional old school guys in the clubs that roll their CJ/YJ/TJ out for the first time in years and still have CBs.  Most of the time, after experiencing a trip without direct comms with the main group, they go buy a GMRS when they return home.  A few still keep the CB,  but most take them out.

In the Jeep clubs I frequent, which have about 500 members in agregate, I'd say 85-90% are now equipped with GMRS.  (Mostly Baufens).  That would have been about 20% in as little as a year ago.  

So where are these off-roaders learning about their new toys?  @OffRoaderX.  So he didn't ordain himself anything, other than to be humerous.  They have flocked to him and sort of adopted, or drafted, him, as their primary source.  He's actually moving many of them beyond the Baufengs and into better radios, too.  I'm starting to see that trend.

So before you go misunderstanding him, and quite frankly, taking his humor too seriously, you need to look a little more objectively and then ask yourself what you've done that's been even .01% as impactful.  90% of what he does is educate, and he does a darned fine job of it.  10% is to tongue-in-cheek needle the folks who are actually, in reality, truly, the arrogant ones.  The Sad Hams, many of whom are very upset that their playground has been encroached by a new crowd.  But they aren't the bully's some claim.  Off-roaders are some of the nicest, most welcoming, non-judgemental, and generous people you'd ever meet.  Most off-road/Jeep clubs which I frequent do many charity rides, such as raising money for kids with cancer, familys who have lost providers, first responders who have been ill or injured, and even public projects like park equipment, and more.

Welcome them in and if they do something you don't like, it's ok.  Just as I'm ok if channel 20 winds up with a resurgence.  

And I won't beat up on the Sad Hams beyond joking.  I learn a great deal from them, when they lower the shields a bit.  There's room for many groups and opinions in the GMRS world.  I may argue passionately sometimes, but I can handle losing and still love everyone.  I'm well practiced at it.

[DanW]

4 minutes ago, DownEastNC said:

I did. The video was fine. His channel / his content. No problem. I looked at it as a parody.

I want to be 100% clear on my issue and I'm not sure why it doesn't disturb everyone else as well. I thought we were having a conversation about all this. We may disagree or have other ideas and all that is fine. That's what the conversation is for. But to have someone bust in, declare that things are going to be a certain way, and the conversation is over... well, I'm afraid not. I have problems with that. It's about civility and decorum. If you have an idea, then present it and your arguments for it. But to charge in and announce "this is the way it's going to be. everybody else shut up" Meh, that's not the way to resolve things. My opinion.

And again, you missed it.  He was being funny.  Watch the video.  Did you not see the crown?  He's a funny dude and does not take himself or the subject too seriously, except for helping others.  He works very hard at that and does a great job of it.

[n4gix]

Well, I happen to be one of the "old fossils" and have no idea what frequency "Channel 19" (Midland's scheme) is, so I have to look it up? How is that any more convenient than the obverse?

Aside from the fact that not all manufacturer's of GMRS equipment have a common channel number scheme, it remains true that the vast majority of GMRS operators are using re-purposed, non-channelized equipment, and that will likely remain true for the next decade or thereabouts. 

[DownEastNC]

1 minute ago, DanW said:

And again, you missed it.  He was being funny.  Watch the video.  Did you not see the crown?  He's a funny dude and does not take himself or the subject too seriously, except for helping others.  He works very hard at that and does a great job of it.

I didn't miss a thing. I've seen pretty much all his videos and an active subscriber and financial contributor. You're missing my point or don't want to hear it or whatever.

[DanW]

6 minutes ago, DownEastNC said:

I didn't miss a thing. I've seen pretty much all his videos and an active subscriber and financial contributor. You're missing my point or don't want to hear it or whatever.

Sorry if I misunderstood.  I could have sworn I saw butthurt in your post.  Try again.  I'm sure you can help me to better understand what you were saying.  I'm all ears. (Or eyes, as the case may be here.)

[DownEastNC]

3 minutes ago, DanW said:

Sorry if I misunderstood.  I could have sworn I saw butthurt in your post.  Try again.  I'm sure you can help me to better understand what you were saying.  I'm all ears. (Or eyes, as the case may be here.)

I've explained my position clearly. Have a good day.

[DanW]

30 minutes ago, DownEastNC said:

I've explained my position clearly. Have a good day.

Ok.  I'm still sorry if I misunderstood.  I appreciate the discussion.

You have a good one, too!

[Sshannon]

1 hour ago, n4gix said:

Well, I happen to be one of the "old fossils" and have no idea what frequency "Channel 19" (Midland's scheme) is, so I have to look it up? How is that any more convenient than the obverse?

Aside from the fact that not all manufacturer's of GMRS equipment have a common channel number scheme, it remains true that the vast majority of GMRS operators are using re-purposed, non-channelized equipment, and that will likely remain true for the next decade or thereabouts. 

I’ve seen you complain about this multiple times, but it seems silly.  Does any manufacturer of type 95e GMRS equipment assign Channel 19 to a frequency other than 462.6500 MHz? Motorola didn’t.  Garmin didn’t. Midland didn’t.  I suspect every radio that comes with pre-labeled channels follows the same list that appears in Wikipedia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service#Frequency_table