An interesting proposal for GMRS+

[OffRoaderX]

9 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

I assume you are referring to offering products for sale.  How about internal business operations; e.g. Walmart running its stores with GMRS (assuming the company would want to)?

Walmart could, but, every person using a radio would need their own, personal GMRS license.

EDIT: Unless the business has an old, grandfathered GMRS license as @Sshannon correctly pointed out.

[SteveShannon]

19 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

I assume you are referring to offering products for sale.  How about internal business operations; e.g. Walmart running its stores with GMRS (assuming the company would want to)?

The regulations allow it.  In fact, business GMRS licensees with grandfathered licenses are still allowed to hand a GMRS radio to their employees without additional licensing.  

Some businesses do use MURS or FRS already.  I hear the local hotel talking on one of the GMRS/FRS channels.  It’s about the only regular traffic that I hear.

[GreggInFL]

This new guy should have picked up on the licensing issue.

Good stuff, guys.  Thanks. 

(I love this bar.)

 

 

[GreggInFL]

2 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

I hear the local hotel talking on one of the GMRS/FRS channels.  It’s about the only regular traffic that I hear.

I hear the local pet boarding kennel.

[SteveShannon]

7 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

I hear the local pet boarding kennel.

Depending on local traffic, it just makes sense to buy a bunch of FRS or MURS radios and pass them out as long as you don’t need security for your communications or long range.

I checked into a hotel one time and when I pulled the covers back there was a nice little Motorola radio laying on the sheets.  It must have fallen out of the housekeeper’s pocket when she made up the bed.  

I took it to the front desk.  We stayed there frequently so she knew me.  She looked at me, sighed, and said “where did you find it?”

[Lscott]

37 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

I assume you are referring to offering products for sale.  How about internal business operations; e.g. Walmart running its stores with GMRS (assuming the company would want to)?

There is nothing stopping, for example Walmart, from using GMRS EXCEPT  users must each have their own license. The FCC will not issue GMRS licenses to business, only individual users. If a business was licensed before the rule changes in 2017, and maintained it active, they are grandfathered in and can continue to use GMRS for business operations. If they let it expire they're screwed. The FCC will NOT issue a GMRS license in the name of the business in that case.

As an example the local mall by me was licensed to use GMRS for their house keeping staff. However they let the license expire, A LONG TIME AGO. They never renewed it. They continue to use their radios and the limited range repeater. So far it seems the FCC isn't interested in taking any action.

I'm absolutely sure what is going on since I've been to the mall many times with my HT to walk around for exorcise. They are using channel 16. They are setup for a repeater because I have my radio programed that way, which means they must be operating under GMRS rules to access the repeater input frequencies. If people choose to hijack the repeater they have realistically no choice except to ignore it rather than complain, otherwise the FCC might be way more interested in their long unlicensed operation history.    

ULS_License_-_General_Mobile_Radio__GMRS__License_-_KAB1523_-_LA-job_178.pdf

[SOBX]

Do I get a "GMRS PATROL" badge with my H.A.M. call sign on it and an orange vest?

[WRQC527]

4 hours ago, LariatAdvance said:

Do I get a "GMRS PATROL" badge with my H.A.M. call sign on it and an orange vest?

Yep, and a uniform and a ticket book.

[WRQC527]

On 2/7/2024 at 7:22 AM, GreggInFL said:

I hear the local pet boarding kennel.

Back when drive-through covid tests were a thing, I heard the clinic two blocks away coordinating from the parking lot to their office.

[WRQI663]

Amateur Radio and GMRS.......They are separate services, I'd like to see it stay that way......Why usurp another radio service and ruin it?????

GMRS+ is a load of crap - It is the last sheet on a roll of TP, worthless. The whole idea is NO EXAMS to use GMRS.

Just because "we" hams can do it, doesn't mean we should on GMRS - experimental use? Aren't our amateur bands underused as it is? Policing??? "Self Policing" simply means YOU are policing YOUR OWN operation, not anyone elses.

Channel cops?, Lets get them kids using their radios illegally --- That'l teach 'em -- we can hold their parents liable.

It's ridiculous

Get real.

[Ian]

AIGHT, first thought, without having read five pages:  Adding a secondary allocation to the 462 and 467 blocks for amateur service would be nice.  You'd still have to comply with the technical limits of GMRS, but you could use amateur gear on it without having to resort to freebanding.    

 

Second though:  Got some reading to do…

[Davichko5650]

On 4/29/2024 at 6:16 PM, SOBX said:

Do I get a "GMRS PATROL" badge with my H.A.M. call sign on it and an orange vest?

Safety gets the Orange Vest - Enforcement gets the Chromium Green Vest!

[WRQI663]

The simple minded "ham" (memorized exams, never understood the rules) might propose license classes

The G in GMRS means General so why not have

TMRS as "Tech" (low power only and no repeaters)

GMRS (full power and repeater 'privleges')

GMRS + (walk AND chew gum talking on yer Part 90 bow fung)

EMRS (extra class, self imposed importance and can use anything they want on any frequency

but YOU can't)*

 

*Quoting Foghorn Leghorn, " That's a joke, son"

Again, no ham radio lite on GMRS ----------PLEASE!

[WRQI663]

Sorry for the use of "they" in the last 'class'

[WRKC935]

yeah,, that seems like a good idea.

Ham's and their proclivity for chastising other operators for minor infractions  of the regulations and the other BS that has driven people away from ham radio.  So they (or at least this clown) wants to try to take over GMRS and bring that same crap here. 

We have enough problems with people not being able to figure out a basic round table of more than two people in a conversation, and they want to saddle us with this too. 

No, just No... GMRS is fine the way that it is.  Leave it to hell alone.  If you don't like it, turn your radio off, or back to the ham frequencies and listen to the dead quiet on the ham repeaters because of being dumb like this and driving people away. 

[Lscott]

14 hours ago, WRQI663 said:

TMRS as "Tech" (low power only and no repeaters)

A.K.A. -> FRS.

[AdmiralCochrane]

12 hours ago, WRKC935 said:

We have enough problems with people not being able to figure out a basic round table of more than two people in a conversation,

 

On GMRS or ham?

[WRKC935]

21 hours ago, AdmiralCochrane said:

On GMRS or ham?

Honestly both.  But I am of the opinion that was part of the reason the ham repeaters went quiet. 

Not being able to have a 3 or more person conversation becomes frustrating because of repeater hogs that can't seem to wait their turn, or will come in and derail a conversation.  When that happens others will sign out and turn their radio off.

The problem comes when it's consistent and the person who gets frustrated with that just doesn't turn their radio on it the morning.  They become another silent license holder that doesn't bother. 

[tweiss3]

25 minutes ago, WRKC935 said:

Honestly both.  But I am of the opinion that was part of the reason the ham repeaters went quiet. 

Not being able to have a 3 or more person conversation becomes frustrating because of repeater hogs that can't seem to wait their turn, or will come in and derail a conversation.  When that happens others will sign out and turn their radio off.

The problem comes when it's consistent and the person who gets frustrated with that just doesn't turn their radio on it the morning.  They become another silent license holder that doesn't bother. 

For this reason, echolink is the devil. It's a nice occasional alternative, but some people should be barred from it.

[WRYZ926]

2 hours ago, WRKC935 said:

The problem comes when it's consistent and the person who gets frustrated with that just doesn't turn their radio on it the morning.  They become another silent license holder that doesn't bother. 

Or you get the fast "keyer's" that don't give others a chance to talk. I have seen a few guys that barely let the repeater drop out before they start talking.

And we have one person that uses our 2m repeater that jumps into others conversations and derails things all of the time. That's when some of us will switch over to our 70cm or GMRS repeaters. That one person can't  get into those two repeaters.

[OffRoaderX]

3 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

we have one person that uses our 2m repeater that jumps into others conversations and derails things all of the time

I'm so sorry you had to go through this. 

[WRQC527]

5 hours ago, tweiss3 said:

echolink is the devil.

I firmly believe Echolink is a solution in search of a problem. Same with Allstar. That's just me though. 

[WRKC935]

8 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Or you get the fast "keyer's" that don't give others a chance to talk. I have seen a few guys that barely let the repeater drop out before they start talking.

And we have one person that uses our 2m repeater that jumps into others conversations and derails things all of the time. That's when some of us will switch over to our 70cm or GMRS repeaters. That one person can't  get into those two repeaters.

Yeah, I call that 'short keying' but it's the same thing.

I don't think people realize that radio repeaters are a community.  It's like having a meeting room that people randomly go into just to say hello, or see what the topic of the day is.  When someone steps in the room and just begins chatting about the topic, or another topic (worse) and doesn't let others in the conversation, the people will leave the room and go on about their day.  When that person or persons that seems to force themselves into the conversation and then derail it, people will refrain from even going into the room.

 

You bring up 2 meter ham repeaters.  And this area had someone show up on that repeater and would derail any conversation being had, bring it to something he wanted to know and would camp out on the repeater all day trying to discuss that topic.  Of course this was the busiest repeater in the area with the best coverage footprint.  The problem was the kid (under 15 kid) was on the spectrum.  Now I am not trying to attack folks that are mentally challenged, but this kid had ZERO sense of what was polite, standard communication ability or a proper method of having a discussion.  Adding to that, he would come up with the wildest crap to ask for help on.  He sat one day asking everyone that got on the repeater why his home brew foot switch he made from a couple pieces of wood, a door hinge and a spring was constantly keying up his radio.  Mind you he had one wire connected to one half of the metal hinge and the other wire connected to the other half of the METAL hinge.  Of course this creates a short, the two hinge plates and electrically connected, and he was told that by EVERYONE that he ask.  That was like 10 or 15 people.  But he just kept asking the same question, thinking the answer might change or something. 

So everyone left the repeater and went to the UHF repeater since he didn't have a UHF radio.  The 2 meter repeater went silent.  The repeater owner went to the kids house to talk with his parents.  They were understanding, we thought, so they decided to get him a different radio, that was DUAL BAND.  And that was the end of ham repeaters in my area.  He finally got bored or something and stopped talking on the radio.  But the damage was done.  Turns out he would talk on the radio for hours.  His parents weren't really monitoring his conversations, and had no idea what was going on.  They just knew he wasn't hounding them, so they weren't about to be involved. 

Point is that one person can ruin a repeater for everyone. 

 

[WRKC935]

4 hours ago, WRQC527 said:

I firmly believe Echolink is a solution in search of a problem. Same with Allstar. That's just me though. 

While I don't know that I fully agree, I think the bigger issue is people with unmonitored repeaters.  Guys will put up a repeater as a right of passage in both communities.  They get a couple radios and lash them together with some sort of repeater controller and a duplexer and hang an antenna on their house.  Then they find out about linking and add a node controller.  At some point they find a decent location for it and pop the antenna up a 100 feet or so and then forget about it.  They don't monitor it, or bother with it at all.  Or they start linking it to every other repeater they can find will allow it. 

This can be good or bad.  A group of linked repeaters just becomes a larger community.  And therefore gives access to more people overall. This can be a good thing.  The repeater community, if they behave and use proper etiquette on the repeater system, all goes good.  But with the added community, you add folks that can destroy that community.  And your odds of finding that person or persons increase with every repeater you add to the group.  Then if you don't monitor the traffic on the repeater you are allowing it to go south.  

Just my personal opinion.

 

[AdmiralCochrane]

Lucky in central MD.  Good round tables on both ham and GMRS.  When a couple guys start talking about the best pizza place we can have 6 or 7 in very good order for 15 or 20 minutes sometimes.