WSAN654 Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 30 day Test called out for contacts in need of help on GMRS in busy areas.... out of 50 call outs 6 people got back HAM in busy areas... out of 50 call outs 32 got back SAD Hams are not that SAD they was available maybe carry both radios on a road trip it would be different in different areas I'm sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRXP381 Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 That just means there are more hams and more hams listening. It’s a fact that there are waay more hams the gmrs stations. RayP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayP Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 25 minutes ago, WSAN654 said: 30 day Test called out for contacts in need of help on GMRS in busy areas.... out of 50 call outs 6 people got back HAM in busy areas... out of 50 call outs 32 got back SAD Hams are not that SAD they was available maybe carry both radios on a road trip it would be different in different areas I'm sure If only GMRS ops would adopt trendier-looking traffic vests and hard hats, they would get a bigger response WSAN654, WRPG745 and gortex2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRHS218 Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 I have both permission slips. If S.H.T.F. I would use GMRS to stay in touch with local family (non-hams) and I would use amateur radio to find out what's going on. If your S.H.T.F. scenario includes power outages a lot of repeaters on both services will be inoperable. For extended power outages even the battery backed up repeaters my be down after a few days. WRXB215, WRWE456, Sigma and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lscott Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 11 minutes ago, WRHS218 said: For extended power outages even the battery backed up repeaters my be down after a few days. Prime example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003 WRXB215 and RayP 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gortex2 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 GMRS wasn't intended for what you are looking for. If I heard a call I'd change channel or not answer. jwilkers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2017JK Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 So if I understand your experiment correctly, you were calling for help when you didn't actually need help? Just to see if anyone would answer your call? Got it. gortex2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lscott Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 People want to know why bother with a two way radio when the cell phone is so convenient in a STHF case? Here's one reason today. https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/02/22/major-cell-phone-outage-nationwide-at-and-t-t-mobile-verizon-some-911-down-n2170453 WRXB215, WRYZ926, WRQC527 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRXB215 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 6 minutes ago, Lscott said: Here's one reason today. Yep. No hurricane, tornado, earthquake, war, etc. Yet it still happened. We are more vulnerable than most people think. WRQC527, Lscott and RayP 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRYZ926 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 39 minutes ago, Lscott said: People want to know why bother with a two way radio when the cell phone is so convenient in a STHF case? Here's one reason today. https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/02/22/major-cell-phone-outage-nationwide-at-and-t-t-mobile-verizon-some-911-down-n2170453 Having radios was the only means of communication this morning. My cell service finally came back around 11:00 this morning. Even WIFI calling was spotty. RayP, WRHS218 and WRXB215 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SvenMarbles Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 You yelled for help on the radio to see what you'd get back? lol Alright then.. I guess every area of the country might not resemble the rest, but I can tell you for sure that GMRS far more active where I am. There's still plenty of 440 and 2meter stuff, but all of those guys are just also on GMRS. Not sure why so many hams do that, but it seems to be a thing.. The GMRS repeaters out here get way more traffic than the club ham repeaters.. But as for what's a better SHTF radio. Technically anything that works to reach your intended party is a good one. I will say this though. GMRS is SUPPOSED to be more for the family units to be able to carry on with more "familiar talk" with husband/wife/kids etc. Somehow though I think if it got used that way hams on the channel might actually accuse you of being in the wrong place, and that you're interrupting the "rag chew".. The irony.. Ham radio on the other hand is explicitly hobby radio. You're not supposed to use it for practical or "familiar comms". You're just supposed to go on there and talk to other radio guys about radio stuff. But I digress.. If i'm choosing the most appropriate line-of-sight band for what my idea of SHTF backup comms is, I'm choosing the one I get to have all of my people setup with, and not the one that is only supposed to be for hobby purposes.. Colostomy bag Larry ain't showing up with food and blankets for you.. RayP and WashingtonMatt 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lscott Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 On 2/22/2024 at 1:19 PM, WRXB215 said: Yep. No hurricane, tornado, earthquake, war, etc. Yet it still happened. We are more vulnerable than most people think. Just think about what if the government wanted to pull the plug on purpose? WRXB215 and WRWE456 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcspaz Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 5 hours ago, WSAK691 said: You yelled for help on the radio to see what you'd get back? lol Alright then.. I could be misreading the post, but I think OP called out to see if anyone needed help, not that OP needed help... I think. /shrug Sshannon and 2017JK 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SvenMarbles Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 4 hours ago, marcspaz said: I could be misreading the post, but I think OP called out to see if anyone needed help, not that OP needed help... I think. /shrug So it was like,.. “Hey, anyone out there need any help?”,.. And 34 people responded on ham radio saying “Yes, I need some help over here!”.. 2017JK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRXB215 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 9 hours ago, Lscott said: Just think about what if the government wanted to pull the plug on purpose? Every day I become more and more convinced that is the most likely scenario we will face. WRWE456 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lscott Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 1 minute ago, WRXB215 said: Every day I become more and more convinced that is the most likely scenario we will face. I'm not a conspiracy believer, but either the government has a secret "kill switch" or an understanding with the cell phone companies to turn off the service when asked/ordered to do so. If nothing else the FCC has the authority to license and control transmitters, which of course includes cell phone towers, and force the shut down. People forget that Ham radio was shut down during WWI and WWII by the FCC. It took a lot of lobbying to allow Ham radio to resume in a fashion like it was doing before the war. Not likely today, but that could change. https://bw.billl.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Radio-History-03-Amateur-Radio-Before-and-During-WWII-By-Dan-Davis-W8LUX.pdf Then there is the question what happens to the Part 95 services? Is it also possible they too might be ordered to cease operations? WRXB215 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2017JK Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 2 hours ago, WSAK691 said: So it was like,.. “Hey, anyone out there need any help?”,.. And 34 people responded on ham radio saying “Yes, I need some help over here!”.. OP said that more hams were available (to help I assume), so my understanding is that he got on the repeater asking for help as an experiment. I could be wrong. Either way, I'm just shaking my head. Reminds me of a story involving a boy and a wolf... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back4more70 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Which is why I carry One Radio to Rule Them All WashingtonMatt and marcspaz 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcspaz Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 58 minutes ago, back4more70 said: Which is why I carry One Radio to Rule Them All shush! it's supposed to be a secret. WRYZ926 and back4more70 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lscott Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 1 hour ago, back4more70 said: Which is why I carry One Radio to Rule Them All Manufactured by Gollum Radios I'm guessing. back4more70 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRYZ926 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 3 minutes ago, marcspaz said: shush! it's supposed to be a secret. I know nothing, nothing marcspaz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lscott Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 1 minute ago, WRYZ926 said: I know nothing, nothing Sargent Schultz, I see nothing. marcspaz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRYZ926 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 If I buy a new HT anytime soon it will most likely be the Wouxun KG-10H since it works on 4 bands out of the box and can be opened up too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sshannon Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 On 2/21/2024 at 9:20 AM, WSAN654 said: called out for contacts in need of help on GMRS in busy areas I agree, the wording doesn’t make it sound like he was frantically hollering for help. He appears to have been asking if anyone needed help, or asking if anyone needed help with GMRS. The wording makes it unclear. If he was falsely calling for help I suspect that would be a violation of the regulations prohibiting transmitting a false or deceptive message that appear both generally for all private radio services in 95.333(f) and specifically for GMRS in 95.1733(a)(2).. WRXB215 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back4more70 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 54 minutes ago, marcspaz said: shush! it's supposed to be a secret. my precious marcspaz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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