Couple extreme newb questions

[Guest cfiore99]

Hi all.

I am a complete newb regarding GMRS radios. I am looking into getting the KG 935 Plus radios for my family but there are a couple things I was unsure of.

Question 1, It says they have 8 GMRS Repeater Channels, we live in Western Colorado, while I have found some repeaters out here, will one of the 8 repeater channels on the radio work with the repeaters out here or are the 8 repeater channels for me to program in the repeater(s) I find around here?

Question 2, when I get a GMRS license I understand it covers my family which is great. I also understand I am given a callsign, do my family members use the same callsign? Sorry for the newb questions, just trying to learn as much as I can to make informed decisions before I spend the money.

Thanks!

[Soggybottomboy]

Yes, you have to program the repeaters in your radio.

All family members use the same callsign.

SBB

[WRXB215]

You and your family members should use the call sign plus a unit number.

[WRQC527]

6 hours ago, Guest cfiore99 said:

Question 1, It says they have 8 GMRS Repeater Channels, we live in Western Colorado, while I have found some repeaters out here, will one of the 8 repeater channels on the radio work with the repeaters out here or are the 8 repeater channels for me to program in the repeater(s) I find around here?

There's 8 standard repeater channels. They are standard "frequency pairs", meaning there's an input frequency and an output frequency for each of the 8 repeaters. If you know the output frequency of the repeater you want to use, you would select the corresponding channel number on your radio. But to access the repeaters, you need to know what the CTCSS tones are. These tones are transmitted when you key your radio, which tells the repeater to activate. You need to set these tones in your radio for the repeater you want to use. These tones are sometimes available on this website under the Repeaters section, but sometimes they are not published and you would need the repeater owner's permission to use the repeater, then they would give you the CTCSS tones.

[OffRoaderX]

1 hour ago, WRXB215 said:

You and your family members should use the call sign plus a unit number.

There is no requirement to use a unit-number or any other kind of identifier, other than your callsign. Using a unit-number is purely personal preference.

To the OP: as a n00b, be very wary of "some people" spouting opinions or plain wrong information as fact. In other words, "some people" are idiots and should be ignored.

[WRQC527]

17 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

"some people" are idiots and should be ignored.

Seems reasonable.

[WRXB215]

7 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

In other words, "some people" are idiots and should be ignored.

OK, now you've done it. You've gone and made me cry. I'm taking my toys and going home.

Seriously though, I wasn't trying to dictate any kind of requirement. Using a unit number or some other id like first name or nick name can help avoid confusion. People use to always confuse my father and I because we sounded so much alike. My mother and my sisters sounded a lot alike as well.