Another New Guy

[WRQI663]

Hello, I am not new to radio but new to GMRS -- I found myself with a couple of 'bubble pack' radios for 20 bucks each

along with a 'base camp' radio. But when I read that I would need a license to operate the radio at full power on the

GMRS frequencies, I decided to get a license.

 

I have been an amateur radio op since 1967

I also have a General Radio Operator License issued in 1994

I am currently studying for the radar endorsement (I am a retired telephone service tech) for a personal achievement

challenge. I also want to get the 2nd Class Radiotelegraph License (it is nearly impossible to get a 1st class now)

I can copy code at very hight speeds.

 

I wanted the FRS/GMRS radio equipment for CERT use  and family use too,  I also have a 40 channel CB unit

though it is not attached to an antenna at this time. I found this site by a link from another site and

found the topics here interesting enough to register.

 

I look forward to posting on topics that I can be of help in

 

Lew

[PastorGary]

Welcome, Lew and thanks for the PM info.  You are among friends here at MyGMRS.... enjoy...

[Steve]

Welcome Lew. i'm building a GMRS repeater and learning a bunch of stuff along the way.  I plan to let my kids use it to communicate with me back home.  There is already a local GMRS repeater in town that works really well.  I'm still trying to figure out who actually uses GMRS around me as I have not heard anyone talking on the frequencies in a month or two,  the entire time i have been scanning and listening.   There seems to be a bunch of GMRS repeaters around, many that are not registered, but i can hear the ID and sometimes when people key up for a "kerchunck" - It seems they are private and for private use.   The one in town is owned by a fellow ham who said i could use it.  He said "the problem with GMRS around here is that there are repeaters everywhere" - but yet, i hear no traffic.   I even set up a voice recorder on VOX and let it record all day.  All i hear is a series of IDs on morse code. I guess what i really need to learn is my neighborhood's landscape of GMRS, so i'm keeping in touch wiht the local HAM guys to see what i can find out.   I have been looking at my terrain closely now, looking around for hill tops that might "make a good home for a repeater" and now that the leaves are off the trees, its easy to see where the hill tops are. 

[WRQI663]

I have heard some usage where I am, some people using CH 18 for business. Other than that, a couple of surveyers, a few builders, some kids (Can you hear me?), and several spanish speaking users - none of them use any call sign. I usually hear a "roger beep" with them which is pretty anoying to listen to.

 

I'm pretty much retired so when I have nothing going on I just leave one radio on scan just to listen. I have no outside antennas so except for the repeaters, what I hear is very local near Wash. DC.

 

Our CERT team has members who have GMRS/FRS radios. We have talked about doing some drills. We have our monthly net on 2 meters but we would like to try out how we can inter operate in case we need to. 

 

The repeater on CH 18 gets a few kerchunks other than the business use which never identifies. The other repeaters are 'react.'

I'm not sure just what 'react' does and why they would want to tie up a channel with a repeater since no one can lay claim to any frequency. I always thought it was a CB thing.