my family and my gmrs

[Guest Tom,WQXC952]

I am wondering  about the family rules  on gmrs, does  this mean I can talk to my brother under  my license  and how would you ID that.

 

Thanks, Tom,WQXC952

[PastorGary]

Hello, Tom... The 'immediate family' provisions can be found in 47CFR95.179 and reads in part:

 

 "Individuals who may be station operators.

(a) An individual GMRS system licensee may permit immediate family members to be station operators in his or her GMRS system. Immediate family members are the:

(sub one)   Licensee;

(sub two)    Licensee's spouse;

(sub three) Licensee's children, grandchildren, stepchildren;

(sub four)   Licensee's parents, grandparents, stepparents;

(sub five)    Licensee's brothers, sisters;

(sub six)      Licensee's aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews; and

(sub seven) Licensee's in-laws."

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

If you permit family members to operate under your license, it may be wise to assign everyone a "unit number".  You would be unit 1, your wife unit 2, your brother unit 3 and so on.   As long as you are chatting with persons operating under your license, call them this way for instance: " WQXC952 Unit 1 to Unit 3..."  Your brother would then say something like " WQXC952 Unit 3 to unit 1 - go ahead".  Then have your conversation. At the end of the conversation  - the last person would say something like "WQXC952 system clear."   If your conversation lasts more than 15 uninterrupted minutes, the call sign must be mentioned every 15 minutes.

 

When chatting with OTHER licensed GMRS operators, each licensee must ID at the beginning and end of the conversation OR every 15 minutes if the conversation lasts that long.

 

You can also read up on ID in the rules at 47CFR95.119 -

 

"Station identification.

(a)  Except as provided in paragraph (e), every GMRS station must transmit a station identification:

(sub one)  Following the transmission of communications or a series of communications; and

(sub two)   Every 15 minutes during a long transmission.

(sub three)The station identification is the call sign assigned to the GMRS station or system.

(c )   A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification.

(d)   The station identification must be transmitted in:

(sub one)   Voice in the English language; or

(sub two)   International Morse code telegraphy."

 

[Guest Ed_in_Miami]

Excellent post!

Got my license, giving it 24 hrs to sign up.

 

[satzmichael]

It is amazing to me the depth of information on this site for the newly licensed user! Awesome job guys! 

 

Michael S

[Edward725]

My family recently purchased a pair of Midland GXT1050 walkie-talkies and a Midland MXT115 mobile radio which we're using as a base station.  I then got a GMRS license and signed up for this forum.

 

The post above from PastorGary has been extremely helpful as an example of how to use a callsign together with unit numbers.  My son and I are now following these examples to stay in touch during little excursions around the neighborhood.  We are using the suggested formulas of "<callsign>, Unit 1 to Unit 2" to initiate communications, and "<callsign>, system clear" when we're finished.  Thanks, PastorGary!

 

In our neighborhood, there is little activity on the GMRS-only channels 15 through 22.  We are using channel 15 (462.550) and there is very little interference.  Channel 16 (462.575) has something in morse code a couple times a day, which sounds like some kind of automated station identification or something.  We may try to decode it someday, if we learn morse code well enough .

 

In the meantime, we are staying away from the GMRS-FRS shared channels 1 through 7.  I think someone in the neighborhood got new walkie-talkies for Christmas, and was trying them out on GMRS-FRS shared channel 1 (462.5625).  My son (who has now gotten very interested in GMRS and is trying to learn morse code) has gotten concerned that the FCC might come after these neighbors (whoever they are) because they apparently are unlicensed and don't have a callsign, and probably they don't know what GMRS is .

 

I'm telling my son not to worry about FCC consequences for our (unknown) neighbors.  Especially since they are using a shared FRS-GMRS channel, it seems ambiguous as to whether it is OK to use it without a license.  But just for the sake of discussion, is there any point to intervene in conversations among apparently unlicensed users (e.g., to question them about their not using a callsign), and if so, how does that differ between the shared FRS-GMRS and GMRS-only channels?

[Jones]

As long as your neighbors are running type-accepted low-powered FRS radios with non-removable antennas, they can use channels 1-14 without a license.

 

You may use the shared channels also, (1-7) but having a GMRS license allows you to use higher power levels, and wider bandwidth.

 

Channels 8-14 are FRS only, which means no license is required, but you can use them only on FRS type accepted narrow-band radios with a non-removable antenna.  Your Midland base station for instance, will not be allowed to transmit on 8-14.

 

Note, this is a VERY simplified explanation, but should answer your son's question... your neighbors are not doing anything wrong on channel 1.

 

By the way, it sounds as if someone in your area has a local repeater set up on channel 16R.  The repeater's ID is the Morse code you are hearing.

 

Here is a good free resource for your son to learn code: http://w5nor.org/morse/

[Logan5]

If you can record or get the morse code into your computer, there are decoders online. I am glad to hear your kid is interested in radio, get him a Ham study book, he sounds sharp, no doubt he will excel.

[Guest Snow Walker]

Being that I am a Canadian living in Canada, (where a license is not required to broadcast on a GMRS radio) can I still become a registered user on  this forum?

 

My CB and GMRS call sign handle is Snow Walker.  I would like to join the forum for the valuable information I get out of many of the discussions.

[PastorGary]

We'll pass your request on to the Administrator - However, we believe that a US FCC GMRS or Amateur license is required to allow the forum software to automatically approve new applications. Rich can review this situation and get back to you.  (Perhaps he has a way to create a user profile without having an active license on file).

 

[Edward725]

Thanks Jones and Logan5 for the information and encouragement! Those Morse code lessons look quite good.

[n4gix]

The post above from PastorGary has been extremely helpful as an example of how to use a callsign together with unit numbers.  My son and I are now following these examples to stay in touch during little excursions around the neighborhood.  We are using the suggested formulas of "<callsign>, Unit 1 to Unit 2" to initiate communications, and "<callsign>, system clear" when we're finished.

Thank you and your son for practicing proper radio procedures. I know just how much it might seem to make folks think they're being 'nerdy,' but the more you use it the more natural it becomes.

 

I still remain reticent to use the term 'over' however as I feel it should be obvious when I've stopped talking...

 

One of my pet peeves (thankfully mostly confined to movies and television) is when some nincompoops say "Over and Out." This is contradictory information since "over" means "I'm done talking and am awaiting a reply" whereas "Out" means "I'm done talking and do not expect a reply."

[Hans]

I think someone in the neighborhood got new walkie-talkies for Christmas, and was trying them out on GMRS-FRS shared channel 1 (462.5625).

 

Soon enough the first or second set of batteries are burned through and then the Christmas gift bubble pack radios end up in a drawer; forgotten. Every year around the holidays there is this increase in FRS traffic which tapers off in about the time it takes to deplete a set of batteries or so.

 

I have to chuckle though as I listen to a couple of future long term radio operators pop up on the scanner in our neighborhood. They are really working at proper technique with those little bubble packs. Be it at play or figuring out what they are going to do after school, they consistently play proper radio. This has been going on since July. I smile as it reminds me of when I was a small child and was fascinated by RF. They are truly dedicated to proper use.

[WRAF213]

This year, quite a few new FRS operators got on the air; AFAICT only one group is left, some children using FRS 2 around their own backyard. I responded to everyone that asked if they could be heard, and almost all of them said they didn't know walkie talkies could talk to 'other people'. Range to my GMRS handheld was typically about 4 miles.

 

At its peak, I could hear 3 or 4 separate conversations on FRS 1 at any given time. The band was pretty busy. Activity dropped to about normal after two days. I believe rechargeable batteries becoming readily available in blister-pack FRS radios is helping with their perceived usefulness, but kids lose interest and parents around here hear what is going on at the Harvard repeater.

 

Fortunately, there wasn't any increase in activity on 462.125 MHz PL69.3, channel 1 on an unprogrammed BF-888S.

[Guest Charles allen]

What is going on at the Harvard repeater?Just wondering. .

 

Edward 725, I've had a ton of fun using the repeater search on this site. So for your unknown repeater on .575, plug in your state, (or nearby ones) and the frequency and chances are one will pop up with your QTH (location) in the coverage map!

On the same page you can contact the repeater owner and ask permission to use it if it's open.

I bet this post is obsolete by now given you have a youngster involved!

 

This is my first post, hope it's ok!!lol

 

73,Charlie WQZQ773

[Shane]

FRS 1 is pretty busy around these parts (Central Maine) right now with the snowmobilers and, later on, the four wheelers. Other than that it is pretty quiet. I am thinking of getting a repeater going up here as I do have another person interested in GMRS getting his license and another one who is an FRS user getting into the idea of the extended range of GMRS.

 

All the best.

 

Shane WRAF223

[Guest Guest]

Is anybody else having problems logging into there account. Going to Vegas and wanted to talk in the radio. WQXH905

[Hans]

Is anybody else having problems logging into there account. Going to Vegas and wanted to talk in the radio. WQXH905

 

No problems for me; database login or forum login.

[PastorGary]

With many of the newest versions of Web Browsers requiring an   https   URL format for trouble free operation where passwords are used for access, make certain that your bookmark for MyGMRS is:

 

https://forums.mygmrs.com

 

otherwise some issues may be noted with your browser not recognizing this forum.

 

 

 

`

[Logan5]

Also heading to Vegas for 5 days. will do repeater checks WQQT630 and simplex 462.600

 

will only have 2 watt radio.

[WRAF213]

What is going on at the Harvard repeater?Just wondering. .

 

Edward 725, I've had a ton of fun using the repeater search on this site. So for your unknown repeater on .575, plug in your state, (or nearby ones) and the frequency and chances are one will pop up with your QTH (location) in the coverage map!

On the same page you can contact the repeater owner and ask permission to use it if it's open.

I bet this post is obsolete by now given you have a youngster involved!

 

This is my first post, hope it's ok!!lol

 

73,Charlie WQZQ773

There's quite a bit of non-compliant activity on Harvard (swearing, racism, sexism), "adult content", things kids shouldn't be hearing. The repeater is active during most of each afternoon, and is usually the only sustained FRS/GMRS activity in my area. Former FRS/GMRS combination radios have no problem pulling in the signal from Mt. Wilson over the entire Greater Los Angeles region.

[Logan5]

We had a wonderful Vegas trip. I did make contact on 600 repeater, I mostly scanned FRS/GMRS from 55th floor open balcony facing north. Amazing amount of activity on FRS and cross the band interference that could be intentional but is likely not, sounds like a neon sign that goes on an off. did not see any neon, everything LED these days. 5 days was enough for me glad to be home where the band is quieter than Vegas.