POPULARITY OF GMRS

[nokones]

I just got done with my monthly GMRS repeater updates for California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah for coverage along all the major routes in the aforementioned states. Almost two years ago, I only had somewhere between 200-300 channel personalities in approx 20 zone banks for those mentioned states.

Today, I must be approaching 800 channel personalities and 42 zone banks per radio. 

Just with my XTL radios, I have nine different codeplug files, and with my XTS5000 radios, I have eleven different codeplug files that get updated every month. This is inaddition to various vintage model radios I have which is approximately  16 codeplug files comprising of both CPS and RSS.

Also, I noticed the growth of the new GMRS licenses within the last year or so. I am seeing a lot of request for use of my repeater and most the requests are by licensees that just got their GMRS license.

I am really amazed at the growth of the GMRS hobby in the last couple of years, especially within the last year or so.

I have to wonder if the Amateur Radio Service has seen the same growth within the last couple of years as GMRS has.

I'm hearing a lot more traffic on the GMRS repeaters along with simplex traffic in my travels. It's hard to say if the simplex traffic is GMRS or FRS. I suspect that the majority of the traffic on the 462 MHz Interstitial channels (1-7) are FRS users.

Anyone have any thoughts on the difference of the growth between the two radio services?

[WRXP381]

Gmrs is super cheap to get into I mean a $20 ht will get many people by once you get out of the city or big mountains.  It’s $35 for a whole family for 10years.  Other than the stupid fcc web site it’s super easy to get into.   Many people see things on the wall and in our future and want some emergency comms.  This fits the bill nicely.   I do talk to many people that are taken in by ads promising 500mile ranges and what not so they buy the radio only to have to clue how to use it.  From what I see ham is growing also just not as fast.  For some gmrs is a gateway drug but others are very happy with gmrs especially with all the repeaters and groups and clubs.  

[WRQC527]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

Anyone have any thoughts on the difference of the growth between the two radio services?

Anyone with $35 for a license and maybe $150 for a good handheld (or halfway-decent mobile radio and antenna) gets all the functionality of analog amateur radio UHF equipment (radios, repeaters, etc) without the drama of testing. It stands to reason that GMRS is growing fast. Hard licensing numbers are tough to come by, but it does appear that GMRS is getting more popular, especially after the FCC cut the price of admission in half.

[GreggInFL]

GMRS is the sweet spot for many who want to get into radio.  I've been surrounded by radio most of my life.  Dad and I were both in comms in the military. I have family, friends and neighbors with mega ham licenses and have always enjoyed watching them work the airwaves.  I'm a PE with a masters degree, so the tech is not intimidating.  Folks who don't know assume I have an amateur license, which I don't.

FRS works but is very limited while amateur is fantastic but requires jumping through hoops.  GMRS is a good compromise.

 

[Sshannon]

Ham radio is aimed at people who are interested in the science and technology of radio communications.  People who just want to communicate have to jump through some hoops to become a ham.

GMRS is easier, covers your entire extended family, and doesn’t require jumping through hoops. Just pay your $35. 

[OffRoaderX]

8 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

GMRS is easier.... and doesn’t require jumping through hoops

Haven't dealt with that website lately, have ya?!

[Sshannon]

Just now, OffRoaderX said:

Haven't dealt with that website lately, have ya?!

It’s the same for both ham and GMRS so it cancels out.

[WRDJ205]

1 hour ago, WRXP381 said:

 For some gmrs is a gateway drug but others are very happy with gmrs 

This…

I have to say that I’m pretty happy with the ability to have the whole family able to access the airwaves. 

[Lscott]

4 hours ago, WRDJ205 said:

I have to say that I’m pretty happy with the ability to have the whole family able to access the airwaves. 

That was the primary purpose the FCC had for GMRS. Simple communication for the general public.

[GP62]

Never cheap.......L  e  s  s    E  x  p  e  n  s  i  v  e

[CALO50]

14 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Haven't dealt with that website lately, have ya?!

I tell people the test is actually trying to navigate the FCC website and application process.

[WRUE951]

16 hours ago, Sshannon said:

Ham radio is aimed at people who are interested in the science and technology of radio communications.  People who just want to communicate have to jump through some hoops to become a ham.

GMRS is easier, covers your entire extended family, and doesn’t require jumping through hoops. Just pay your $35. 

I dont know about being easy.. some folks have a hard time signing up..  I must have helped a dozen people last year navigating the web site(s) to get their license.. Hell, passing the technician test is almost as easy.    - Just saying   

[Sshannon]

9 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

I dont know about being easy.. some folks have a hard time signing up..  I must have helped a dozen people last year navigating the web site(s) to get their license.. Hell, passing the technician test is almost as easy.    - Just saying   

I didn’t say it was easy. That’s an absolute modifier. I was making a comparison. 
I said it was easier than getting a license for ham radio. 
 

Navigate FCC site + $35 = GMRS 

Navigate FCC site + $35 + Test = Ham

 

[WRKC935]

There is something else that I believe contributes to the GMRS interest exceeding the interest in Ham radio.

That's the persona of HAM.  Ham radio in at least some instances has been portrayed as nerdy.  It's connected to big towers in the yard with big antenna's on top of them.

Have you ever even seen GMRS portrayed in a TV show or film?  If it's radio related, it's always ham.  It's some desk full of radios typically with the operator being some level of eccentric, or otherwise odd socially.  Since GMRS isn't put on display in any fashion, people don't understand it, and therefore don't believe it's going to make other people think they are some mad scientist if they get involved with it.

 

[WRXB215]

@WRKC935 Yep, Hollywood tends to only portray a small extreme example of group.

Examples of how they portray groups:

• All CB operators are good old boy truck drivers.
• All Texans wear cowboy hats and boots and say "yeeha."

And the list goes on.

PS
Yes, I know some people here are going to claim those two examples are accurate. 

[WSAV716]

On 4/16/2024 at 5:22 PM, OffRoaderX said:

Haven't dealt with that website lately, have ya?!

The FCC website is a dumpster fire!

[WRWT868]

On 4/17/2024 at 11:47 AM, Sshannon said:

Navigate FCC site + $35 = GMRS 

Navigate FCC site + $35 + Test = Ham

Some organizations W5YI, QRZ, and ARRL are places that can renew your ham license for you.  You give them $45, $35 for the license, and $10 to navigate the FCC site and they do the rest. So it balances out.

Navigate FCC site + $35 = GMRS 

 $45 + Test = Ham

However, the $35 for a family license is the best selling point for GMRS.

However, there are 20 to 30 times more ham repeaters, than GMRS repeaters which is a good selling point for ham..But in ten years the number of repeaters may equalize.. In my area, SW Alabama we went from one GMRS repeater to six in little over a year. Presently my area has 10 ham repeaters and 6 GMRS repeaters in a 25 radius of my home. All ham repeaters are open use 4 of the 6 GMRS repeaters are open use. 

 

 

[nokones]

And I bet there's a good percentage of the HAM repeater are still not used very much these days.

[WRXR255]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

And I bet there's a good percentage of the HAM repeater are still not used very much these days.

We seem to have a good ratio of GMRS to HAM repeaters around here, but my side monitoring of the HAM repeaters shows much much more chatter on the GMRS side.

 

Albeit, hearing "BR549, monitoring" 10 times in two minutes and keeps stepping on the repeaters timed ident, so it has to try again, only to not be given enough time to finish its morse ident before its stepped on again... Heaven forbid you talk to him, your going to hear the same story - whether you heard it before or not, about how hes new to GMRS and its his XXth day on it, and he was a HAM for 20 years, so - busier, but worthwhile chatter in a lot of cases, not so much.

[Sshannon]

53 minutes ago, WRXR255 said:

keeps stepping on the repeaters timed ident, so it has to try again, only to not be given enough time to finish its morse ident before its stepped on again.

On our repeater the ID has priority. If you’re talking when it has to ID it will interrupt. I’m surprised to hear that’s not standard. 

[WRQC527]

2 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

On our repeater the ID has priority. If you’re talking when it has to ID it will interrupt. I’m surprised to hear that’s not standard. 

My Quantar lets you talk over the IDer but if you interrupt it before it gets the entire ID out, it will keep trying every minute or so until it IDs completely. Once it IDs completely it won't ID again for ten minutes.

[Sshannon]

5 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

My Quantar lets you talk over the IDer but if you interrupt it before it gets the entire ID out, it will keep trying every minute or so until it IDs completely. Once it IDs completely it won't ID again for ten minutes.

Ours is a Yaesu

[Lscott]

On 4/19/2024 at 6:42 AM, WRKC935 said:

That's the persona of HAM.  Ham radio in at least some instances has been portrayed as nerdy.  It's connected to big towers in the yard with big antenna's on top of them.

And the guy sitting there with headphones on and tapping away on a telegraph key. Many people seem to think Ham radio is all about Morse code. That’s usually the first thing I get asked if somebody is interested, do they have to pass a CW test.

[JoCoBrian]

Ham radio and GMRS is the same as far as Morse Code goes....not required for either one. 

 

[WRKC935]

12 hours ago, Sshannon said:

On our repeater the ID has priority. If you’re talking when it has to ID it will interrupt. I’m surprised to hear that’s not standard. 

I am assuming that you are running a ham radio type controller on the repeater.  Commercial repeaters, at least the Motorola stuff will hold off on running the ID until the channel is clear and if someone keys during the repeater ID it will stop and allow the traffic to pass and wait.  Mind you that's the IDer that's built into the repeater and is programmed when you setup the other stuff in the repeater.

I know that ham controllers will force the ID on the air.  Some of them will ID at a lower audio level in the back ground, others will just interrupt the traffic.  Of course on HAM radio, the chances of life safety or any sort of priority traffic being interrupted are typically low.  With commercial and of course public safety traffic, it's not that way.

But the cops and firemen don't really need a repeater controller that keys up and voice ID's with time, temperature, city and state location, PL in use, or any of the other crap that hams have announced on their machines.

My machines are all Motorola branded and CW ID from the repeater.  The two that have linking controllers do talk.  The GMRS link machine will announce when it connects and disconnects.  The P25link ham repeater will announce the active talkgroup if certain talk groups it works on when it's keyed for those talk groups.  But even those CW ID with stripped PL because I just don't want to hear it.

Ham's take the IDing every 10 minutes to an extreme level in some cases.  Other hams will get on you, some will even chastise you for forgetting to ID, like it's going to effect them and their license if you get caught not doing it.  GMRS isn't that way that I have seen.  We remind people when we give them permission to access our repeaters to remember to ID properly, but no one is on there playing radio cop demanding that people ID.    Ham unfortunately is that way.  I remember getting  notices from a local OO when that was still a thing not long after I got my ham license.  He was one of those pricks that was mad at the world, the league and the FCC that a no code license had been created.  I had a no code license and he didn't like that at all.  So when he put his OO (official observer) hat, if you were a no code tech, at 10 minutes and 30 seconds, he grabbed his pen and started writing out a notice for you.  And this was to the point that we all thought (the no code license holders) he was autistic or a radio Nazi.