Linking GMRS Repeaters

[WRKC935]

On 10/8/2024 at 5:27 PM, WRQD922 said:

You have the power to change that. Getting a ham ticket is easier now then ever. Take the plunge you’ll be happy you did. 

That ship sailed in 1994 when I got my Tech ticket.  KB8VUL

I have actively tried, and continue to try to bring old hams back and convince interested folks to become new hams.

But you have to want to get into ham for the right reasons.  If you aren't looking to expand your technical knowledge, and use ham radio as it was meant to be, then why bother.

 

[WRKC935]

On 10/7/2024 at 10:44 AM, SteveShannon said:

I agree that’s based on location.  In my area we don’t even have a GMRS repeater yet.  There are ham repeaters in almost every town bigger than 10,000 people.  Looking at repeaterbook there are 160 amateur repeaters in Montana and only 8 GMRS repeaters.  MyGMRS lists 10 repeaters for Montana, but that’s still 16 times as many amateur repeaters.  I realize wrkc935 was comparing traffic, rather than numbers of repeaters, but without repeaters, there is no traffic.

Oh no,,,, not number of ham repeaters.  Here we have a FULL dance card.  I got the LAST available 2 meter pair for my P25 repeater and lucked into a UHF pair that a friend had and was abandoning that the repeater council transferred to me because the site I have has such good coverage. 

My UHF repeater see's some use.  More than most but less than a few.  The VHF repeater, as well as all the rest of the VHF repeaters in this area are stone silent. 

The VHF repeater does see some traffic from a south eastern ham net that is P25 and other digital modes I have that repeater linked to.  But I haven't seen any local activity on that repeater at all on analog or P25.

 

[cfa]

Normally I wouldn't care what people do. But down in NYC/LI there are a few competing closed GMRS networks that have every pair tied up and because of the geography they all blast in to CT. Which means to use GMRS around here you basically have to run high power and PL, or deal with listening to the frequent jammers/trolls on their network or some multistate check in net. 

[billraley1]

Yet, the repeaters are still linked. 

[Guest]

On 10/11/2024 at 8:53 PM, cfa said:

Normally I wouldn't care what people do. But down in NYC/LI there are a few competing closed GMRS networks that have every pair tied up and because of the geography they all blast in to CT. Which means to use GMRS around here you basically have to run high power and PL, or deal with listening to the frequent jammers/trolls on their network or some multistate check in net. 

Or pick one of the other 14 available channels?   

[WRUE951]

2 hours ago, Socalgmrs said:

Or pick one of the other 14 available channels?   

Go over to the FCC Complaint page and log a complaint.. The NY guys you are talking about are doing the same thing in N.J. and Penn....  make some noise... 

[UncleYoda]

Overheard: more repeaters being linked up again.

[OffRoaderX]

2 minutes ago, UncleYoda said:

Overheard: more repeaters being linked up again.

Everyone has realized out that the FCC STILL does not care.

[WRUE951]

10 minutes ago, UncleYoda said:

Overheard: more repeaters being linked up again.

the guys active with multiple repeaters have been busy the last few months based on the weekly updates...   I think they got the fax Rumpicon sent out telling them the FCC doesn't fare  

[Raybestos]

29 minutes ago, UncleYoda said:

Overheard: more repeaters being linked up again.

Can you share any details?

[UncleYoda]

3 minutes ago, Raybestos said:

Can you share any details?

It's outside the local area, but some may be in RX range.  I don't know much but I'll send a PM. 

[WSHH887]

I'm old, and I'm slow. But what is this penchant for flaunting, actually outright violating, FCC rules.  There is the old saying, just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean you should do the thing.

Also, I've noticed when folks who do this sort of thing get caught and punished, they are the ones who scream the loudest.  The FCC may not be paying any attention now, but this is the government and you never know what will trip their trigger tomorrow.

[OffRoaderX]

6 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

There is the old saying, just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean you should do the thing.

There is also an old saying about government over-reach being out of control, and free men dont ask for permission, especially when doing nothing wrong.

[Raybestos]

3 hours ago, UncleYoda said:

It's outside the local area, but some may be in RX range.  I don't know much but I'll send a PM. 

Thank You, Sir!

[WSHH887]

7 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

There is also an old saying about government over-reach being out of control, and free men dont ask for permission, especially when doing nothing wrong.

Ahh, but there's the rub. Who's definition of wrong. Most would say violating the law is wrong 

[Jaay]

Yet, MOST Still don't seem to understand WHY linking on this band is a BAD idea !  I'll explain it AGAIN, for those who Don't understand ... it's called Bandwidth !! You don't have enough to do this without interfering with other users on the Same band !!  You have HOW many channel pairs ?? 8, EIGHT of them !!  That's it !! If you start linking More than One pair, then your preventing someone Else from using that pair, out side of your range !!  WHY the hell should anyone have to listen to the SAME conversation on More than one pair ???  GMRS is NOT and was Never intended to be Long range, more than 30 -50 miles.  IF you Want that kind of range, then WORK for it, and take the Test and get your Amateur Radio License where Linked repeaters are Legal, because there's PLENTY of Bandwidth !!

Ok, Rant mode Off ...

[WRUE951]

2 hours ago, Jaay said:

Yet, MOST Still don't seem to understand WHY linking on this band is a BAD idea !  I'll explain it AGAIN, for those who Don't understand ... 

Ok, Rant mode Off ...

It's not that people don't seem to understand,  it's simply 'they don't give a rat's A$$.. They seem to think there will be no consquences so they do what they do.  Maybe they listen to 'some people' reinforcing their thoughts.  Whatever it is,,  Linking is gong to be around for a long time..     What i think is funny though, when someone sets up a new repeater in area these linking guys operate, hogging all the bandwidth and the new guy has no choice but to use one of the frequencies the linker is using and it pisses the linker operator off..   Thats when you offer the Linker a sand box.   Ok. Carry On,,,,,  

[amaff]

6 hours ago, WSHH887 said:

Ahh, but there's the rub. Who's definition of wrong. Most would say violating the law is wrong 

Thankfully all laws (and rules) are moral and good...

 

(I actually think that not linking repeaters on GMRS is a good rule. But rules are only as good as the enforcement thereof. If no one's going to enforce it....)