So who here uses GMRS properly?

[FishinGary]

3 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

That’s available to anyone at the fcc website. 

Yup, but it takes (a little) extra effort. The ULS site is interesting though. Didn't expect to find as many active amateur and GMRS licenses in my town and nearby towns as I did!

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, FishinGary said:

Yup, but it takes (a little) extra effort. The ULS site is interesting though. Didn't expect to find as many active amateur and GMRS licenses in my town and nearby towns as I did!

QRZ.com is also available, but you have to sign up.

[FishinGary]

3 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

QRZ.com is also available, but you have to sign up.

This is another website I need to start exploring more. More time on the internet, less time on the radio... but knowledge is power!

[nokones]

2 hours ago, ULTRA2 said:

To some of us that are not into Amateur Radios (HAM) these are our hobby you ham operators have your hobby and us GMRS operators have our own hobbies why is so hard for you HAMS to realize that?? It gets me so upset to hear them talking down on GMRS all the time.

 

YOU HAVE YOUR HOBBIES (HAM BAND) WE HAVE OURS (GMRS) 

They're just "Sad Hams".

[nokones]

2 hours ago, WSHH887 said:

Okay, thanks for the info.  I'm in SoCal so I'm looking for a local "club".  Anyway to find out how you have set up your ESG?

If you go to www.azgmrs.org and click on "AESG" there is limited information available to the public regarding the Emergency Services Group that might help you.

[WSHH887]

5 minutes ago, nokones said:

If you go to www.azgmrs.org and click on "AESG" there is limited information available to the public regarding the Emergency Services Group that might help you.

Thanks

[H8SPVMT]

On 3/7/2025 at 12:27 PM, OffRoaderX said:

Those are both mis-uses of GMRS.. If you want to meet and chat with anonymous men, try H.A.M.s radios or the Grindr app on your phone.

AND WE users of the GMRS.Com site do the same thing, right here!

[HHD1]

18 hours ago, ULTRA2 said:

The only issue I have is since the FCC paired the FRS with the GMRS service together I'm hearing them on the output side of the GMRS band and causes unwanted interference.

If you and your party set your tones, then goodbye unwanted interference.

[amaff]

1 minute ago, HHD1 said:

If you and your party set your tones, then goodbye unwanted interference.

It's not quite that simple. You can still get stepped on with tones. And you could end up interfering with other communication that you can't hear.

[LeoG]

Yep, that's the only problem with RX tones is you might interfere with someone else's conversation and not even know it.  Most radios will light up when receiving even if the tone is blocking the squelch.  That way you can go to monitor and wait your turn.

[HHD1]

13 minutes ago, amaff said:

It's not quite that simple. You can still get stepped on with tones. And you could end up interfering with other communication that you can't hear.

Good point.  I guess I was thinking they were more concerned about not hearing the chatter.  I guess in that case, your party could set up a few channels ahead of time, assign them names, and announce that you're switching to channel a, b, c ect.

[WRTC928]

18 hours ago, ULTRA2 said:

To some of us that are not into Amateur Radios (HAM) these are our hobby you ham operators have your hobby and us GMRS operators have our own hobbies why is so hard for you HAMS to realize that?? It gets me so upset to hear them talking down on GMRS all the time.

 

YOU HAVE YOUR HOBBIES (HAM BAND) WE HAVE OURS (GMRS) 

A lot of amateur radio operators think of GMRS as a pseudo-ham service for people who are too lazy or too dumb to pass the test for an amateur radio license. As such, they feel superior. I had a GMRS license for 3 years before I tested for (and passed) Technician, so I came to it with a somewhat different attitude. And to be fair, a lot of the hams in my local club have GMRS licenses and use it alongside ham for various purposes. 

Amateur radio tends to be dominated by people for whom the excitement is all about making or obtaining different types of equipment and seeing how much they can get out of it. A bit like if shooting sports were dominated by the people whose interest in firearms is chasing that elusive one-hole 600 meter group. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, except that in both cases, it tends to attract people who consider themselves "purists" and thus superior to "ordinary" folk. There are a lot of hams who don't even like to talk to people; they just make a contact, log it, and move on. By no means does this apply to all hams, however. Some of the most helpful people on this forum are also amateur radio licensees. 

I've toyed with the idea of amateur radio for decades, but Hurricane Helene was the deciding factor. Radio is the only means of communication which doesn't rely upon any other infrastructure. At present, I have a Technician license which doesn't encompass most of the really long-range modalities, but I will go for a General license in the near future. Then I'll practice the long-range stuff to become adept at it, but I probably will never develop a strong interest in making 30 second contacts with people in Sao Paulo. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but to me a radio is a communication device. Whether that's for staying in touch while offroading or passing along the recipe for a Black Russian (which I just now heard on GMRS 19), you're using the radio "properly" IMO.

[HHD1]

8 minutes ago, LeoG said:

Yep, that's the only problem with RX tones is you might interfere with someone else's conversation and not even know it.  Most radios will light up when receiving even if the tone is blocking the squelch.  That way you can go to monitor and wait your turn.

That is an excellent point. And one that, as a noob, I never gave thought to.  A feature like this in a radio should be a must.  I know that mine has the option to cancel transmission until the frequency is clear.  But I don't think that there's any indication on screen ahead of time.  I will have to look deeper.

[WRTC928]

2 minutes ago, HHD1 said:

That is an excellent point. And one that, as a noob, I never gave thought to.  A feature like this in a radio should be a must.  I know that mine has the option to cancel transmission until the frequency is clear.  But I don't think that there's any indication on screen ahead of time.  I will have to look deeper.

Most radios can be programmed with a "busy channel lockout" which will prevent you from transmitting when the frequency is busy. Usually, they can be set to lockout only when it's in use by someone with your tone or by anyone on the frequency, even if they don't share your tone. So far, I've never been in an environment where I felt the need to use BCL, but it certainly could happen.

[SteveShannon]

5 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

A lot of amateur radio operators think of GMRS as a pseudo-ham service for people who are too lazy or too dumb to pass the test for an amateur radio license.

Based on my experience with this forum, there is a greater number of people in GMRS who feel that ham wannabes are taking over GMRS, than hams who feel that GMRS is a pseudo-ham service. There are some people who try to enjoy GMRS by doing activities that are similar to ham radio, but I see nothing wrong with that.  I don’t attribute it to either laziness or stupidity.  I think some people are either test-shy or feel too busy to study or resent the fact that the government makes them take a test after a life spent working on radio’s.  I think some of them they’re afraid they cannot pass the test or intimidated by the math. A free tool like HamStudy.org is a simple (and free!) way to find out.  

[amaff]

27 minutes ago, HHD1 said:

Good point.  I guess I was thinking they were more concerned about not hearing the chatter.  I guess in that case, your party could set up a few channels ahead of time, assign them names, and announce that you're switching to channel a, b, c ect.

Yup, that's what we do when out and about.

[FishinGary]

53 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Based on my experience with this forum, there is a greater number of people in GMRS who feel that ham wannabes are taking over GMRS, than hams who feel that GMRS is a pseudo-ham service. There are some people who try to enjoy GMRS by doing activities that are similar to ham radio, but I see nothing wrong with that.  I don’t attribute it to either laziness or stupidity.  I think some people are either test-shy or feel too busy to study or resent the fact that the government makes them take a test after a life spent working on radio’s.  I think some of them they’re afraid they cannot pass the test or intimidated by the math. A free tool like HamStudy.org is a simple (and free!) way to find out.  

Great point with HamStudy.org. We live in a time when there are so many different learning and study tools that it's unlikely you won't find something that matches your learning preference. HamStudy is great because it not only drills you on the questions, but it also offers resources to learn why that's the answer and not something else. Rout memorization is a great skill to have, I suppose, but don't just memorize the answers!

[LeoG]

1 hour ago, SteveShannon said:

Based on my experience with this forum, there is a greater number of people in GMRS who feel that ham wannabes are taking over GMRS, than hams who feel that GMRS is a pseudo-ham service. There are some people who try to enjoy GMRS by doing activities that are similar to ham radio, but I see nothing wrong with that.  I don’t attribute it to either laziness or stupidity.  I think some people are either test-shy or feel too busy to study or resent the fact that the government makes them take a test after a life spent working on radio’s.  I think some of them they’re afraid they cannot pass the test or intimidated by the math. A free tool like HamStudy.org is a simple (and free!) way to find out.  

Or just plain old don't feel the need to go onto "bigger and better things".  I got the GMRS so I could communicate with my wife and family either during an emergency or just because.  I have no inkling to take a test so I can go out and spend thousands more to talk to people that I don't know.  Maybe when I'm retired and bored I might pursue it but for now I'm happy with only having the family license to talk with family and some other acquaintances I meet along the way.

[TDM827]

6 hours ago, LeoG said:

Maybe when I'm retired and bored I might pursue it but for now I'm happy with only having the family license to talk with family and some other acquaintances I meet along the way.

Trust me, after I retired I find myself valuing my time even more. And I am very picky when it comes to where I allocate my time. And using my time to study for a ham cert just doesn't fit into my plan, when GMRS fits meets my needs perfectly.  But for those who are interested in HAM radio I enthusiastically say go for it. 

I think most hams offer advice and opinions from a place of truly trying to help, solve problems and promote their hobby. So, I don't get too wrapped around the axle when they chime in and offer information or try to recruit new hams.

Now, there seems to be a few hams that seem bent on turning GMRS into something that it's not. To them I say, "move along, nothing to see here." 

[TDM827]

Actually, to keep it real I think there are a fair amount of GMRS users who are also interested in turning GMRS into something it is not, lol  

[WSEZ864]

1 hour ago, TDM827 said:

Actually, to keep it real I think there are a fair amount of GMRS users who are also interested in turning GMRS into something it is not, lol  

I agree. In my brief time here, I see the same thing. I've been a ham for more than 11 years, but just got my GMRS license and a couple GMRS radios last October. I think each radio service has its place, strong points and weaknesses.

I didn't get into GMRS for its 'ham lite' aspect, I did it to exploit another means of communication between family and friends who do not wish to get licensed. I put a GMRS setup with battery backup at my sister's house, giving us fail-safe commo no matter what grid conditions are like. I have friends who will use FRS gear, however neutered, due to not having to be licensed, and yet other friends who would get the GMRS license because it doesn't require specialized knowledge they don't need for anything else in life and provides enhanced performance.

For those who still wish to push GMRS past its intended usage, wishing for things like linked repeaters, clubs and nets, I'd suggest just getting your amateur radio license and do those things effectively and in earnest.

I live in a relatively populated area (between Baltimore and DC) and there are literally a dozen or more ham repeaters, sponsored by a dozen clubs, within earshot of my relatively modest setup. Most have nets at least once a week and my club has two, an ARES net and our club 'roundtable' net. Some are linked across broad coverage areas and some even provide 'EchoLink' coverage, meaning you can log into a net or repeater from a computer anywhere you have internet access. Ham repeaters have greater range and greater participation rates than GMRS. If group activities interest you, we have a "Field Day" exercise every June where a bunch of us set up portable equipment on temporary/emergency power and operate non-stop for 48 hours. Most clubs have other activities as well, like hamfests, group breakfasts, parties and radio coverage for events like marathons.

There is very little difference in equipment costs - antennas and feedlines (coax) are the same, and while one can buy "nicer" ham radios and amplifiers (you are allowed 1,500 watts on most bands) for bigger money, there is no shortage of operators successfully using the exact same brands of ChiCom equipment being used here.

I am an amateur radio "Volunteer Examiner" and help give amateur radio service licensing exams almost every month (we skip some months due to holidays). Honestly, the Technician level exam is NOT that hard and even the entry-level Technician license provides privileges that allow capability FAR beyond GMRS  We have had kids less than 10 years old passing the exams. Our last exam session had 5 candidates (two men and three women) and the worst one passed with only three wrong answers (you're allowed to miss 9 of 35 for Tech & General). Our pass rate is something like 86%, and the candidates that fail often show signs of not having studied at all. I think most people over-complicate the exams. You don't even have to be a math genius, if you ace everything else you can blow ALL of the math questions and still pass.

In my opinion, the most effective way to study is to use one of the practice exam sites. I like this one: https://hamexam.org/flash_cards/18-Technician due to the instant feedback. I realize many would prefer to know the theory vs "studying for the exam", but one really doesn't start learning until they get licensed and start using the radio.

I'm not trying to "sell" ham, the amateur radio bands are already crowded enough, but to show its not as hard as you think and to offer a viable solution to those who look to GMRS for features beyond its intent and capability.

Meantime, let GMRS be GMRS, a radio service intended to support activities and family commo.

[TerriKennedy]

11 hours ago, LeoG said:

Yep, that's the only problem with RX tones is you might interfere with someone else's conversation and not even know it.  Most radios will light up when receiving even if the tone is blocking the squelch.  That way you can go to monitor and wait your turn.

That's why my GMRS repeater IDs in the clear and I suggest to registered users that they not set an Rx tone on their radios, even though my repeater does use a tone when it repeats.

There's a lot of itinerant traffic on 462.700 on weekday afternoons - it seems to be simplex traffic between school bus drivers. So some of my registered users configure the Rx tone to filter that stuff out.

[TerriKennedy]

9 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Based on my experience with this forum, there is a greater number of people in GMRS who feel that ham wannabes are taking over GMRS, than hams who feel that GMRS is a pseudo-ham service. There are some people who try to enjoy GMRS by doing activities that are similar to ham radio, but I see nothing wrong with that.  I don’t attribute it to either laziness or stupidity.  I think some people are either test-shy or feel too busy to study or resent the fact that the government makes them take a test after a life spent working on radio’s.  I think some of them they’re afraid they cannot pass the test or intimidated by the math. A free tool like HamStudy.org is a simple (and free!) way to find out.  

My interest in GMRS started when I got involved in a mine exploring group who used those frequencies for their comms. I got my GMRS license shortly after I met that group, so I could use my new radios aboveground as well. When you're 1000' deep in a lead mine, there's no RF escaping from the mine, so nobody uses call signs down there (for those that have them). I've built some customized parrot repeaters for use in mines, where a parrot makes sense - if you hear yourself back, you know you hit the repeater. And it keeps the size down (I'm using a UV-82HP w/ extended battery and a "backpack" with the parrot logic and a K1 connector). Aboveground, parrots are a nuisance if there are other people also on the channel who don't know there's a parrot operating.

[Lscott]

14 minutes ago, TerriKennedy said:

My interest in GMRS started when I got involved in a mine exploring group

Learned something new today. Didn’t know such groups existed. Sounds interesting. 

[TerriKennedy]

46 minutes ago, Lscott said:

Learned something new today. Didn’t know such groups existed. Sounds interesting. 

https://www.undergroundexplorers.com
https://www.mojaveunderground.com