WRZC904 Posted October 23, 2023 Report Share Posted October 23, 2023 I have a pair of 2 watt handhelds that seem to talk with each other fairly well (FRS/GMRS without repeater abilities) however I hear almost no other traffic on any channels when doing a scan of all 22 channels. I am not using any tones on any of the channels that might filter out transmissions. I do occasionally hear folks inside stores, businesses, etc. when near those places. I also receive the welcome message from a local repeater (4 miles away) very clearly but no other transmissions from anyone using that repeater. I live in Cleveland, Ohio and one would think there would be more folks on GMRS here. So, is there really no one out there or should I get better stuff? I have been thinking about getting some better 5 watt handhelds for use with a repeater to communicate with my sons and daughters and their families. I will probably do that anyway but I'm still curious about why I hear nobody else. Maybe I have the whole place to myself - that would be cool. GP62 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRXB215 Posted October 23, 2023 Report Share Posted October 23, 2023 Here in the Houston area, it ebbs and flows. Sometimes the repeaters are very busy and other times they are silent. The last week or so have been very quiet during driving time to and from work which is unusual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweiss3 Posted October 23, 2023 Report Share Posted October 23, 2023 I rarely hear much when driving during the day. I do hear the brunswick and lakewood repeaters identify on schedule, but never heard another user. My repeater is down due to a broken antenna, but never reaches that far either. We really only use GMRS for family events and trips, being we can often be out of cell phone coverage, and its a ton easier to hit PTT and get their attention rather than pull the phone out and attempt a call. I know some neighborhood groups use GMRS to keep track of each other, especially during long power outages. Sshannon and GP62 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRZC904 Posted October 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2023 Thanks for the replies. It is nice to see that GMRS is not busy all the time. I actually did hear a short conversation just now coming from what seems to be the Brunswick repeater. The frequency was right and there was a sort of extra pause before the end of transmission. I will go ahead and buy a 5w handheld (probably a pair of them) and see if I can talk to my son via the Lakewood repeater. Might be a stretch on his end - about 10 miles. If that works out, a mobile unit in the Highlander might be in order. We often take trips together involving multiple cars. GMRS should be helpful. Just PTT and all cars get the message - nice. Especially true in Ohio since our new "cell phone when driving" laws went into effect. GP62 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRXB215 Posted October 23, 2023 Report Share Posted October 23, 2023 4 minutes ago, WRZC904 said: about 10 miles 10 miles can be a lot or a little depending on what is in between. There are a lot of thick trees in my neighborhood so I need a little extra oomph to penetrate them. Had to have a good ground plane for the mag mount and also had to use 8w vs 4w. Finally was able to hit a repeater 10 miles away. 7 minutes ago, WRZC904 said: We often take trips together involving multiple cars. GMRS should be helpful. Just PTT and all cars get the message - nice. Especially true in Ohio since our new "cell phone when driving" laws went into effect. Absolutely. Also, those mics you can get will help. I am using one and also a battery eliminator. External antenna, mic, battery eliminator, these all really helped me get a decent, low budget, versatile mobile radio going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRZC904 Posted October 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2023 On 10/23/2023 at 2:58 PM, WRXB215 said: 10 miles can be a lot or a little depending on what is in between. There are a lot of thick trees in my neighborhood so I need a little extra oomph to penetrate them. Had to have a good ground plane for the mag mount and also had to use 8w vs 4w. Finally was able to hit a repeater 10 miles away. Absolutely. Also, those mics you can get will help. I am using one and also a battery eliminator. External antenna, mic, battery eliminator, these all really helped me get a decent, low budget, versatile mobile radio going. Yes, the 10 mile leg has proven to be unworkable. May consider putting up a repeater at another house in the family that is about halfway. The biggest problem is getting some height on the antenna. Lot's to think about and maybe do. Fun hobby. Also, thanks for the tip on the mic, battery eliminator, and antenna. Didn't know I could do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP62 Posted April 22 Report Share Posted April 22 I'm located in Parma Heights. I check in a few times a day with a radio check when I am on the road and have found that others are starting to chime in as well. So far with the Lakewood repeater I am able to reach folks in Cleveland, Newburgh Heights, and North Royalton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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