GMRS national linking

[WRUL677]

I am currently on a open local repeater and would like to get a link with the info on connecting to the gmrs national network.

[gortex2]

Unless the local repeater offers that you can't. Go to the main page and look at the network for repeaters on networks.

https://network.mygmrs.com/map

[Guest Royce]

What if there is no local repeater?  Like me.  I have one "temp for now" and 1 other nearby that is not on the network. So how does that work along with the midwest club/group being closed? Or only allowing Facebook attempt to join.

Moline, IL.

 

[Fernleaf]

I’m in the same boat. I have membership to my old group soI can still participate with them through Zello. Otherwise, I’ll be putting up my own repeater and may turn it public after I test the range and quality of transmission after several months. Getting people to join up is also a challenge. Most radio operators think CB in the Midwest and never heard of GMRS.  
 

Otherwise, the groups out my way are not responsive. they don’t advertise, either or reach out to new licenses as an incentive. Almost like they don’t want new members...sad. 

[WRUL417]

On 12/9/2022 at 3:06 PM, Fernleaf said:
 

Otherwise, the groups out my way are not responsive. they don’t advertise, either or reach out to new licenses as an incentive. Almost like they don’t want new members...sad. 

I submitted a request via email to access the closest repeater to me a few weeks ago and no response. So here I sit, high on a hill in Indiana, just listening to rag chews on my Wouxon KG 916 HT. I don’t want to hassle the repeater owner but I will just continue to monitor the repeater being fairly new to GMRS so I can pick up on protocols and etiquette. Not sure if I want to set up a repeater myself so the focus will be on simplex and mastering the functions on my HT.

Glad to know that others are having the same frustrations on repeater access. 

[gortex2]

On 12/9/2022 at 3:06 PM, Fernleaf said:

I’m in the same boat. I have membership to my old group soI can still participate with them through Zello. Otherwise, I’ll be putting up my own repeater and may turn it public after I test the range and quality of transmission after several months. Getting people to join up is also a challenge. Most radio operators think CB in the Midwest and never heard of GMRS.  
 

Otherwise, the groups out my way are not responsive. they don’t advertise, either or reach out to new licenses as an incentive. Almost like they don’t want new members...sad. 

Remember not all groups want other folks on their repeaters. This isn't ham radio. Some folks install repeaters for themselves only. I actually removed all my repeaters from this site for that exact reason. If its listed as open then send the request and wait. There are folks who come here, register a repeater and never come back. Thats part of the issue. Its been an issue for years. Others just are busy. I see messages here and there asking if my stuff is still online and I try to reply when i can to say its closed but life happens and I am sure many get lost in email land

Just wanted to share a repeater owners aspect. 

[MichaelLAX]

2 hours ago, gortex2 said:

Remember not all groups want other folks on their repeaters. This isn't ham radio. Some folks install repeaters for themselves only. I actually removed all my repeaters from this site for that exact reason...

If a repeater is installed for themselves only and are all removed from this site, are they really repeaters?!? 

PS: Thank you Rich!!!  

[back4more70]

There's a couple repeaters local to me on this site, and in the description they say "open repeater, no request necessary, emails will be ignored" or something like that.

[DONE]

So here's how linking works for repeaters.

Most repeater owners are going to make a decision regarding what they are going to link to if anything at all.  They own the repeater and make that decision.  Now a good number of owners will choose to not link at all.  But the ones that do decide to link are gonna do what makes them happy.  And the end users are typically NOT going to have any input on what the repeater is linked to.

One of the things that will get you in deep crap is creating a link to a repeater without the permission of the repeater owner.  Yes, it's possible to do but I am not gonna sit here and explain how to do something that will get your NODE banned forever, get you possibly banned from this site.  SO don't ask, cuz we ain't saying.

 

To the actual design of the system.  The system is made up of node's and hubs.  The hubs are either the wide area hubs, or state wide hubs.  The wide area hubs on this system are the ones with a three digit ID number. The national hub being hub number 100.  Midwest is 169 and so on.  Anyone can connect to those hubs that has a valid node with an issued ID.  Or you can connect to state hubs (what I do) for your local state or a state that has one.  Now these hubs are privately owned.  So some level of permission MAY be required to connect to those state wide hubs.  That is for you to work out. 

If there are no local repeaters that are connected to the system, or you are wanting to connect to ta different local system than the repeater owner that is local to you is connected to you can obviously put up your own repeater and do as you like.  At least as long as the hub you are connecting to allows you to connect to it.  Again, that's for you to work out with that hub owner. 

In addition, individual repeaters can be linked together via the system.  Again, with permission.  You can set your node to connect to another node.  That node can be anywhere.  So a node in California can connect to a node in Ohio, or New York, or another node in California.  The sky's the limit for that sort of thing.  

And putting up a repeater is NOT difficult.  And there are a number of us here that can assist with that effort if you ask.  Some of us, like me, are commercial radio tech's and do this sort of work all the time.  Other's are really good with the specific configuration of the node software and are a wealth of information wihen it comes to that.

[Guest WRJJ449]

I've got a most basic question. I live near a node. I am also a ham operator. I regularly access a linked repeater network. All I need is the frequency and the PLs.

I'm not interested at the moment in setting up a repeater, but I would like to access the linked system, by radio. How do I do that? I'm a MyGMRS member.

[DONE]

Get permission from the owner.

Easiest way to do that is right here on the site.  Go to Maps, find the repeater near you and see if it requires permission.  If so click the request permission button and fill out the forum.

You will need a full  account to do this.  A guest account will not allow you to pake requests for access to repeaters I don't believe.

 

[kornbelt]

On 12/17/2022 at 9:19 AM, WRUL417 said:

I submitted a request via email to access the closest repeater to me a few weeks ago and no response. So here I sit, high on a hill in Indiana, just listening to rag chews on my Wouxon KG 916 HT. I don’t want to hassle the repeater owner but I will just continue to monitor the repeater being fairly new to GMRS so I can pick up on protocols and etiquette. Not sure if I want to set up a repeater myself so the focus will be on simplex and mastering the functions on my HT.

Glad to know that others are having the same frustrations on repeater access. 

You could put your own backyard repeater up and link it to the network.

https://www.retevis.com/rt97s-full-duplex-portable-gmrs-repeater-bundle-us

[Guest Linking / ROip ?]

I've commission a small repeater for my area in Jan. 24, and may consider linking eventually -  if I had a clue.   Aside from having a repeater - what else is required? I travel so ROip seems interesting too... are linking and ROip same same?  

 

[WRPQ991]

I'm on a linked repeater Roadkill, Ive talked coast to coast and northern Ohio from my little radio in central Texas.. A lot of fun..  If you can get on a linked repeater.  I use two others that are not linked for more local talk.