I guess a lot of people got radios for Christmas

[WRTC928]

I'm hearing a lot more chatter than I usually do. Mostly it's kids, so they're probably using FRS radios, but one guy 24 miles south of me got something respectable because I can make out what he's saying. Unfortunately, he can't hear me, although I did hear him have a conversation with someone else and he said it's a new radio he's testing. It's possible he has a code set, but he didn't seem to know the guy he was talking to. It would be a remarkable coincidence if they just happened to both have the same code engaged. I'll be interested to see how long it is before the chatter tapers off. My guess is that in about a month, most of the kids will have tired of the radios or lost/broken them and we'll be back to only occasional use. I kinda wish the kids on the FRS radios would stay off 16-22 since they can only use 2 watts anyway, and it's a little annoying that they sometimes jam up the frequencies the local repeaters are on, but I'm sure they don't know any better. 

[tcp2525]

It will die down in a couple weeks. My neighborhood is with all the kids having fun with their new toys.

[Raybestos]

Ever since CB days I would give the kids with new walkies a thrill around Christmas by talking to them.  That they could reach another person a few blocks or a mile or two away was a form of DXing to young radio enthusiasts.

I recall as a child, how many of the curmudgeons would cease talking to us once we told them we were on an unlicensed walkie-talkie.  One guy who told me he couldn't talk to walkie talkies (then FCC rule about not talking with unlicensed stations), I later learned had never even had a CB license.

GMRS has so much better range than the old CB Channel 14 radios with the long antennas that always got broken off.  Plus, GMRS  and FRS can legally talk with each-other!

[CentralFloridaGMRS]

We are hearing here as well in Orlando near the theme parks.