What do you use your radio for?

[nokones]

Both on-road and off-road travels, working and driving at car racing events, radio club events involved with community and emergency events, and with anything else that a radio could be a benefit and useful tool. It's been almost 20 years since I retired from using a radio professionally.

[WRWE456]

Not for socializing. Keeping in touch with family and friends locally and as back up comms. Travel between cars, camping etc.

[WRZZ473]

I use GMRS as another radio service to talk with many in local area and am also a ham.

Gping forward many of the people on tbe GMRS repeater are also hams, but thjs is just one more resource.

 

[WRZZ473]

I use GMRS as another radio service to talk with many in local area and am also a ham.

Gping forward many of the people on tbe GMRS repeater are also hams, but thjs is just one more resource.

 

[WRZZ473]

I use GMRS as another radio service to talk with many in local area and am also a ham.

Gping forward many of the people on tbe GMRS repeater are also hams, but thjs is just one more resource.

 

[WRXB215]

Can you say that one more time? I didn't quite catch that. 

[dosw]

• Skiing
  • Keeping the family loosely together.
  • Finding a kid who may not have realized we've reached the end of the ski day.
  • Not always necessary - cell service usually works. This is just one more option, and sometimes more convenient with gloves.
• Camping
  • One in the car, one in the trailer, and then a few handhelds.
  • Coordinate drop-offs and pick-ups at the nearby trailheads, call people to dinner, etc.
  • People can engage in various activities yet still coordinate as needed.
  • My son can guide me as I'm backing up to the trailer.
  • Safety - With an antenna atop the trailer we get decent range; good enough to call to the trailer or vehicle for help from a handheld while out hiking, within reason. Last summer some hikers in our group got into bad weather. It was very reassuring being able to reach each other six miles apart.
• Group traveling
  • I volunteer with a youth group, and sometimes we are on road trips with more than one or two vehicles. This helps us coordinate lunch and gas stops, even out of cell range. Plus it's safer than texting while driving.
• Kayaking or Sailing
  • VHF is good for "ship to ship", and calling out to the harbormaster if needed. But for casual conversation and coordination, often "ship to shore", GMRS is great.
• "Before they had cell phones"
  • Before my kids had cell phones we used GMRS to keep in touch as they moved about our neighborhood playing with friends or visiting the park.

[Brewsky88]

Didn't know anything about it until a cross country motorcycle trip that I participate with decided to go GMRS this year instead of CB like previous years. Added bonus is that my handheld can also interface with the FRS headphones at work when I want/need to be on channel but am not near machinery to need the noise muffling inherent of them

[WSAH999]

Not going to lie, I personally just like listening to most people. I figured if I wanted to chit chat, GMRS was right there and a bit easier to get than HAM at the current moment. (Planning to get full HAM eventually)

 

Also I like to listen to satellites, especially NOAA ones so I sort of require a radio that can at least rx 136-138mhz

[WSAA635]

Currently to listen to DPS/Highway Patrol traffic. Future use will include communication while dove hunting and truck to truck comms while shooting in the desert.

[WRZD727]

I use mine for hunting and fishing trips, traveling and emergency comms in the Florida Keys during hurricane season.

[WSAN780]

Being prepared, camping, hunting, etc.

[Lscott]

My radios are used mostly for scanning the local Ham, GMRS and business frequencies. Occasionally I'll get motivated and talk to somebody. When I'm not at the gym working out I head for the local mall to go walking for some low intensity exorcise. In the later case I take my UHF HT with a D-Ring ear hanger for something to monitor. You would be surprised what some store employees talk about over an open channel. Shame on them, R-Rate material.

I keep the radio under the coat, or when it's warm outside under an oversized shirt on the belt so it doesn't show. Route the ear piece wire up through the shirt. I don't need people staring at me thinking I'm some kind of under cover cop or mall security dude. Yes, I've had that happen when leaving the men's restroom at the mall one Christmas season. I had the radio pulled out of the coat to make some setting adjustment. Some guy saw me and the look I got was pure surprise from him. I also don't need some paranoid person thinking I'm a terrorist and get mall security involved, maybe even asked to leave.

[WRHS218]

We just used ours. My wife had one in the house and I took one with me when I went to the barn to get the snow plow hooked up to our SxS. She kept tabs on me while I was plowing our driveway, a neighbors driveway and part of the road leading to our drive. We also listened to the county sheriff's talking about road closures and all the cars stuck in the area. 

[WSAG780]

On 1/16/2024 at 10:07 PM, WSAD223 said:

I am curios, does anyone have there GMRS radio for social reason's? and by that i mean using it like a ham making contacts or talking to friends or making new friends. i always here people talking about having them for off-roading and backpacking but not much when it comes to the social side of things.

I use mine for keeping up with family and friends as well as for making social contacts.