GMRS Transitioning to Hobbyist-Type Service?

[Hoppyjr]

Folks illegally linking repeaters…..

Anytime someone cites “The Law” it makes me want to send them a Junior Trooper badge. Their next assigned mission is to get over to the left lane and drive 3-8 mph under the posted speed limit. Never, under any circumstance, should the they exceed the posted limit or move to the right.

[marcspaz]

I was thinking about a good response to the original post, but I don't know that there is one. Radio is so diverse in it's use that I think any answer would be anecdotal at best. For example, it seems very much like a hobby where I live, but in other areas I travel to, it is very much utilitarian in nature. Which one represents the majority trend? No idea.

 

When I look at the purpose of the service, at its core, it is "for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family", whatever that may be. If it seems to trend in one direction or another, I don't know that it really matters. That fact that it is a somewhat basic service that doesn't require a vast knowledge of radio is really not a factor. There are plenty of other services that have been established for us to use that don't require any more skill than what is required of GMRS. So I don't believe that is relevant. 

 

Bottom line, if some people make a hobby of it, then it's fulfilling the need of the licensee. If it's a utility for others, same thing, it's fulfilling the need of the licensee.  As the service grows, use patterns will change, but ultimately it doesn't matter what is happening around the country. The only thing that matters is if it does what you need it to do.

[WRUE951]

36 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

Still waiting to find out what your source is for these "stacks of complaints" or what, exactly the FCCs actions of "waking up" to it are, and what that source is.  Because otherwise, you're just telling fairy tales whilst everyone laughs ...

If you want a source,  pick the phone up and call one of your FCC contacts,  it’s that simple Randy.   Now I can’t promise they would spend their time with you,  but you can try.  

[WRUE951]

29 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Folks! Step right up to yet another illegal linking thread take over. I was wondering how long before this thread also became a topic on linking.

Is no thread safe? Perhaps FRS or MURS? Stay tuned.

By far not a ‘new’ topic.  And bye the way,  believe it or not,  there are even idiots putting up FRS Repeaters.   TheCircus is just getting started.  

[WRUU653]

5 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

By far not a ‘new’ topic

You got that right.

[WRHS218]

8 hours ago, marcspaz said:

I was thinking about a good response to the original post, but I don't know that there is one. Radio is so diverse in it's use that I think any answer would be anecdotal at best. For example, it seems very much like a hobby where I live, but in other areas I travel to, it is very much utilitarian in nature. Which one represents the majority trend? No idea.

 

When I look at the purpose of the service, at its core, it is "for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family", whatever that may be. If it seems to trend in one direction or another, I don't know that it really matters. That fact that it is a somewhat basic service that doesn't require a vast knowledge of radio is really not a factor. There are plenty of other services that have been established for us to use that don't require any more skill than what is required of GMRS. So I don't believe that is relevant. 

 

Bottom line, if some people make a hobby of it, then it's fulfilling the need of the licensee. If it's a utility for others, same thing, it's fulfilling the need of the licensee.  As the service grows, use patterns will change, but ultimately it doesn't matter what is happening around the country. The only thing that matters is if it does what you need it to do.

WARNING! SAD ATTEMPT AT HUMOR:

Why do you want to bring logic into the conversation?

I NOW RETURN YOU TO THE REPEATER LINKING THREAD.

[WRXB215]

8 hours ago, marcspaz said:

Which one represents the majority trend? No idea.

Well said. It's hard to tell how much it's actually being use via repeaters much less simplex. I suspect there is a lot more simplex traffic than we realize. How would the rest of us know if some family or other small group was using GMRS unless we were very close to them and on the same channel.

[Lscott]

8 hours ago, marcspaz said:

There are plenty of other services that have been established for us to use that don't require any more skill than what is required of GMRS.

Like 11m CB radio, FRS and MURS. Big difference is none of the later requires an FCC license, limited to 4 watts or less, unlike GMRS.

[Davichko5650]

10 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Still waiting to find out what your source is for these "stacks of complaints"

As they (FCC Enforcement and Legal) folks pointed out in the "Chinese Buffet" video (sorry can't recall the actual title on YooToob) - complaints are not part of the official records; so other than having an inside source at the Overlords, we would not know the number or nature of the complaints they receive. They did say they get scads of "Jim and I were talking and Bob interrupted us" kinda things very often...

[Davichko5650]

10 hours ago, marcspaz said:

 

Bottom line, if some people make a hobby of it, then it's fulfilling the need of the licensee. If it's a utility for others, same thing, it's fulfilling the need of the licensee.  As the service grows, use patterns will change, but ultimately it doesn't matter what is happening around the country. The only thing that matters is if it does what you need it to do.

THIS! 

It's a bit cliche, but the old saying "you get out of it what you put into it" really applies here. Are you looking to explore what the service, as an adjunct to other services you may also be using or as a stand alone, can do for you in reaching out for contacts? Are you looking to keep in touch with family, friends, fellow travelers?  Are you looking to explore how the equipment works and assembling the best working station?  All this can be part of GMRS. 

I can't speak for them, but my gut feeling is the FCC won't change, or at least not in a radical sense, the Regs. for the service. The explosion is licenses being granted may reach a peak and level or fall off, but those $35 fess coming in don't hurt them in the least.

[DominoDog]

No it is too many amateur radio operators taking gmrs and equating it to being an extra band to play on. I’m honestly tired of hearing QTH and 73 on gmrs. It’s just as easy to say LOCATION as it is to say QTH.

That and the stupid additional callsigns people like to use like the “tac” numbers on certain repeaters in Georgia. I already have a unique identifier it is my fcc given callsign. Won’t be saying my city name and random numbers along with it.

Thanks for reading my stuff that sucks about gmrs rant.

[marcspaz]

1 hour ago, DominoDog said:

No it is too many amateur radio operators taking gmrs and equating it to being an extra band to play on. I’m honestly tired of hearing QTH and 73 on gmrs. It’s just as easy to say LOCATION as it is to say QTH.

 

GMRS / FRS is another band for everyone to use, including people who may also have an Amateur Radio licensees.  My best advice, if it bothers you, turn the dial or turn it off. 

Try to keep ion mind that if talented Hams and professional radio techs & engineers didn't get involved with GMRS, there would be very few repeaters in the US and I'd wild to guess that the coverage of most would be in 2 to 8 miles areas.

 

1 hour ago, DominoDog said:

That and the stupid additional callsigns people like to use like the “tac” numbers on certain repeaters in Georgia. I already have a unique identifier it is my fcc given callsign. Won’t be saying my city name and random numbers along with it.

 

I think I know what you are talking about here.  We have several repeaters around here that overlap, but none of the overlapping systems are in the same city.  For example, there is a repeater outside of Haymarket VA on 462.650MHz, and another in Alexandria on 462.650MHz. but with a different tone.  So, you may hear someone say something like "This is WRAY007 Alexandria 650", so if someone hears them, they know what repeater to respond on.

 

Many of us have our radios scanning or we may be listening to one of those two repeaters, which have different tones to open the repeater receive.  For people who don't use tone squelch on their personal radios so they can hear everything, they will hear traffic on both repeaters.  Saying the city and frequency makes it easier to reply to someone calling if you know what repeater they are on.  Especially if you are scanning while driving and you can't safely take your eyes off the road to look at the radio display.

[WRYZ926]

49 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

GMRS / FRS is another band for everyone to use, including people who may also have an Amateur Radio licensees.  My best advice, if it bothers you, turn the dial or turn it off. 

Try to keep ion mind that if talented Hams and professional radio techs & engineers didn't get involved with GMRS, there would be very few repeaters in the US and I'd wild to guess that the coverage of most would be in 2 to 8 miles areas.

I agree 100% We probably would not have any GMRS repeaters here in Missouri if it wasn't for amateur radio operators and pro radio techs putting GMRS repeaters up on existing repeater sites. In fact every repeater that is in range of me is ran by individuals with amateur licenses or amateur radio clubs.

I also agree that if a person doesn't like hearing something on the radio, no matter what service/band, then just turn the dial or shut the radio off if one is offended. Most people that use our GMRS repeater are also amateur radio operators so you are going to hear Q codes and 73 quite often. And it is really no different than someone using 10 codes.

[nokones]

On 8/7/2024 at 9:13 AM, intermod said:

This is where many groups should really start.  The organization can pay for one commercial (or public safety) license for ~$300 (for 10 years) and be assigned one callsign that everyone uses.   As opposed to every member having to figure out CORES, FRNs, and pay $35 for a GMRS license.   

GMRS may have been used originally due to the low-cost radios, but Part 90 radios are just as low cost today. 

Eventually PII (Personally Identifiable Information) will be enforced for CERT and SAR organizations, and FCC rules permit encrypted transmissions on commercial and public safety channels.    And they allow for digital for greater clarity and capacity.  And they can be linked easily and without controversy.  And have slightly greater protection from interference, particularly if the groups chooses to use public safety catagory channels.               

Downsides?

Business Radio Service (Part 90.35) application is only $205 if you apply for itinerant VHF and/or UHF freqs to avoid the cost of frequency coordination, and these freqs can be Nationwide on one license.

[DominoDog]

Yeah well no surprise my opinion is unpopular. I just get that amateur radio has a lot of its traditions based on telegraph and while I get that and can even respect it, I don't think I am wrong for not needing it on gmrs. Gmrs isn't amateur radio. We all have amateur radio for amateur radio traditions and customs. I'll keep wishing people would leave the 73s and Q codes off of it. But when have I gotten what I wanted

[WRXB215]

@DominoDog I hear lots of GMRS only people using 73 and Q codes on GMRS. It may have come from telegraph and ham but lots of non-ham people like using those codes. Don't let it get to you. Just let it go in one ear and out the other. Most of the time those people don't mean any harm or offense.

[WRQI663]

8 hours ago, DominoDog said:

I'll keep wishing people would leave the 73s and Q codes off of it. But when have I gotten what I wanted

incomplete sentence there?

Let it go.......you can't do anything about it anyway. QSL?

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, WRXB215 said:

I hear lots of GMRS only people using 73 and Q codes on GMRS.

At least people aren't using silly CB lingo, 10-codes and echo-mics yet.

[SteveShannon]

2 minutes ago, Lscott said:

At least people aren't using silly CB lingo, 10-codes and echo-mics yet.

10-4!

[WRQC527]

I'd love to stick around and watch this thread, but mercy sakes I gotta hit the super slab, put the hammer down and motor on over to my work 10-20. I'm gonna keep the shiny side up and watch out for smokeys handing out green stamps. I sure don't want to feed the bears. Catch you on the flip side. Be creful out there, we'd rather talk to ya than read about ya. WRQC527 10-10 and 10-7. We gone. Bye bye.

[WRXP381]

20 minutes ago, Lscott said:

At least people aren't using silly CB lingo, 10-codes and echo-mics yet.

I hear and use 10codes all the time on gmrs.  When you’re in an emergency evacuating people, live stock, cows horses  ect…..from an active fire and the reception is spotty at best I can relay info much more clearly and faster with 10codes.  They have their place in radio service for sure.  Just not in every day life on gmrs.  Especially when you have handed a local fire or Leo a radio so they know what’s going on and can help coordinate things.   

[Lscott]

26 minutes ago, WRXP381 said:

When you’re in an emergency evacuating people, live stock, cows horses  ect…..from an active fire and the reception is spotty at best I can relay info much more clearly and faster with 10codes.  

I don't think people in general understand this point. The 10-codes aren't that universal. PLUS when you have a bunch of volunteers I'll bet most have no idea what those codes are, unless they are specifically trained. Its far better to communicate as clearly as possible without obfuscating things with various codes. That's the general recommendations I've read from other groups. 

[marcspaz]

1 minute ago, Lscott said:

Its far better to communicate as clearly as possible without obfuscating things with various codes.

 

Agreed.  With Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), when we are doing volunteer work for Gov agencies / Red Cross / Etc., we stick to NIMS / ICS principles about not using acronyms, codes or shorthand.  Everything is spoken in clear language.  During times of difficult communications, we will use the phonetic alphabet to improve readability. 

[WRXR255]

Back when I was young I  was a Volunteer Fireman and EMT for our podunk town I grew up in.  At the time the radios we used werent the best sounding things out there.  We were pager equipped and our radio frequency was 39.500.  They called that Low Band, and on the EMT side we were on High Band, 155.175 according to the Motorola rep.

Had to carry 2 pagers, LOL

Anyway, 10 codes were much needed and used for us, but when I got to GMRS, even though 10 codes were baked in for me from that time, i never had an urge or compulson to use it here.

[WSDD519]

Amateur operator with a GMRS license and also a police dispatcher.  I have no problem keeping the lingo separate.  Ten codes are common for my agency but I do not use them anywhere else.  I do hear them on ham and GMRS from a few people around here though...mostly new licensees.  Most of the GMRS folk here also have ham licenses.