Looking for active communities

[WSAT734]

I’m new to GMRS and radio in general.  I’ve been trying to connect to repeaters to listen to community chatter, but I’m not hearing anything anywhere.  All I’ve been able to hear is one group on tuesdays, but that’s it.  Nothing else seems active? Am I missing something? 

[Socalgmrs]

Have you searched here for local repeaters near you?    What part of the country are you in?   Can you break into the conversations you have heard and ask?   There are also other web sites that may have different listings than this one?   

[gortex2]

What makes you think all repeaters have activity. If you listen to mine they are quiet 99% of the time. Unless the wife or parent want me it sits idle. Not all repeaters are put in for chatter. They are a tool. 

[WRWE456]

What you may be missing is the purpose of GMRS. It is intended for family and groups to stay in touch. That's why your license covers your immediate family. It's not really about making random social contacts although some use it for that on repeaters. Could be there is just no one around that wants to talk to strangers. Ham radio is better if that is you goal.  

[WRQC527]

13 hours ago, WSAT734 said:

I’m new to GMRS and radio in general.  I’ve been trying to connect to repeaters to listen to community chatter, but I’m not hearing anything anywhere.  All I’ve been able to hear is one group on tuesdays, but that’s it.  Nothing else seems active? Am I missing something? 

If you have the capability, listen to the various amateur radio repeaters in the Scottsdale area. You may find that there's more activity on amateur radio than on GMRS, due to the "purpose", if you will, of GMRS, which tends to be short-range communications within groups of like-minded folks like hikers, off-road groups, that kind of thing, while they're out doing their thing. It's more of a communications tool than a socializing tool. 

[WSAG780]

I have had the same results. Thanks for this advice!

[WRQI583]

Although it does happen where random people chat with each other such as on CB radio or Ham Radio, GMRS generally doesn't have that type of thing. I am not saying it cant. I mean, what is wrong with a community keeping in touch with each other on a regular basis? or what is wrong with a neighborhood watch group or emergency comm group keeping in regular contact? I think GMRS should incorporate more of this seeing as how in many areas it no longer is found on Ham Radio. 

In general, most people keep in contact over Facebook groups and texting on their cell phones unfortunately. That activity you are looking for is mainly on Ham Radio and even then, like I said, in many places that local radio chatter is almost totally dead. I would still monitor though. I have two local GMRS repeaters near me and they are completely dead. Since they have been put up, I have heard several conversations in the beginning as they were testing it and then on the other repeater a couple of conversations including the few times my wife and I have used it and other than that, both repeaters are so dead you probably wouldn't notice if they went off the air. I still keep both in scan on my radio 24/7