Is there any interest in GMRS?

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Roman
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Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:10 pm

I know, more radio stuff... and this one is a ramble

While some of us have been playing with HAM there's also some that have jumped into GMRS.

With mobile radios available from 5 watts all the way up to 50 watts they will definitely reach farther than a properly set up CB.

Also, it definitely wouldn't be a surprise to find newer people to the hobby to only have GMRS. Crazy, I know, but they're out there. Partly do you YouTube, and partly from actual performance gains. We have run into folks in the woods that were almost lost (going right direction, just didn't realize how long the trail was) that only had GMRS.

A properly functioning CB works perfect for what we do and I know not everyone wants to add more gadgets to their rig, but its something to think about. Whether its to aid in the inclusion of new members, or to find common means of communication with other user groups, it can't hurt to have a few rigs set up.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Lurch » Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:52 pm

I've got both in my bronco.
You can follow me.... but it's gonna hurt ;)

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Casey » Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:56 am

We moved to Colorado in January and now have a diesel zr2. Been wheeling a bunch and it seems that GMRS has taken over here, more people have gmrs than CB easily. So we just bought some handhelds for now and they work great.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:06 am

Casey wrote:We moved to Colorado in January and now have a diesel zr2. Been wheeling a bunch and it seems that GMRS has taken over here, more people have gmrs than CB easily. So we just bought some handhelds for now and they work great.


If you're not ready to put in a mobile radio yet, an external mag mount antenna will get out even better than the short rubber duck antenna on the hand held.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Deputy Dodge 413 » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:15 am

Gmrs in the near future, once I pick out a radio.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Casey » Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:00 am

Roman wrote:
Casey wrote:We moved to Colorado in January and now have a diesel zr2. Been wheeling a bunch and it seems that GMRS has taken over here, more people have gmrs than CB easily. So we just bought some handhelds for now and they work great.


If you're not ready to put in a mobile radio yet, an external mag mount antenna will get out even better than the short rubber duck antenna on the hand held.



Yah for now I’ve had no issue with just he handheld. Other in our groups have had some troubles though

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:16 am

Screenshot_20211014-060545_Google.jpg
Screenshot_20211014-060545_Google.jpg (292.48 KiB) Viewed 5367 times


This is the solar flare activity graph for the next few years. The higher the flares the more "skip" activity on CB. UHF GMRS isn't affected by this activity, so it will remain clear through these cycles.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby scumby » Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:44 am

Roman wrote:
Screenshot_20211014-060545_Google.jpg


This is the solar flare activity graph for the next few years. The higher the flares the more "skip" activity on CB. UHF GMRS isn't affected by this activity, so it will remain clear through these cycles.


only if it made sense. :shock:
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby iaccocca » Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:21 pm

scumby wrote:
Roman wrote:
Screenshot_20211014-060545_Google.jpg


This is the solar flare activity graph for the next few years. The higher the flares the more "skip" activity on CB. UHF GMRS isn't affected by this activity, so it will remain clear through these cycles.


only if it made sense. :shock:
The fun thing about the solar cycle for us HAMs on HF (high frequency bands that include CB) the bands 'open' up and we can work skip all across the world much more easily. Exciting stuff! For CB, we will be picking up 'skip' from across the country, even around the world when we are playing up high (altitude). You know how you pick up the gatormouth CB operator and you have to squelch them out? There is going to be a lot more of it. Jose and I have clearly picked up California and Texas from our driveways with our Jeep CBs when the band was right / wrong (depending on your point of view.) The nature of the CB band is that during the daytime the charged atmosphere will reflect / bounce more of that skip, so that local operation between CBs will be more difficult. Now, GMRS is UHF (ultra high frequency.) Unlike bumbles, it does not bounce. It is not reflected by the charged atmosphere, in pierces it and sends your message off to space.
What does this mean? GMRS will be much clearer, very low noise floor, only pretty local traffic (70 miles is tough trip even with 50 watts... though I have worked 100 miles with a large dedicated base antenna at altitude, Kennewick-Wenatchee), but Florida is not going to happen.
CB's noise floor will rise forcing you to squelch out noise to work (talk to) your local station. So what? In that squelching you are going to miss the 4.5 mile call that a Jeep is on its lid while you are trying to quiet the gatormouth.
But, on the plus side, in 2025 you might work Hawaii (they love working skip on CB) from your Jeep up high at Liberty.
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Roman
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:06 pm

Got my GMRS license!
Been waiting for the email like they did with the Ham license, but apparently with GMRS you have to just keep checking their site.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby OldGreen » Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:59 am

After seeing what Norm's would do in the hills a couple of weeks ago, I am thinking of adding one to the kit.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:10 am

Last 4th of July Lee and I were able to use HAM radio to talk from Williams Creek camp ground to Kennewick through the Naneum Ridge HAM repeater (For those of you that get cell reception in camp, this isn't that amazing :lol: ) It was handy since the Screaming Toy had some questions about the camping situation. We have also worked that repeater while both in Kennewick, 190 miles round trip while we are only 2 miles away from each other.

Now that we both are also licensed GMRS users we tested the Windy Ridge GMRS repeater thats also located on the same ridge. This time it was again Kennewick to Kennewick, handy test to check range.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Gregandlina » Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:31 am

Just as an FYI, the Jeep Jamboree USA now requires gmrs radios for all trail runs across the country. Seems CB is fading.
Last edited by Gregandlina on Wed Apr 06, 2022 6:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Gregandlina » Tue Apr 05, 2022 8:50 am

Ok ordered my radio and payed for my license!
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby SallySue » Wed Apr 20, 2022 7:18 am

So, I have been informed the rates have changed from $75.00 to $35.00…. Nice! Good for 10 years.


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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:36 pm

SallySue wrote:So, I have been informed the rates have changed from $75.00 to $35.00…. Nice! Good for 10 years.


And it covers your immediate family too

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby oddball » Tue Apr 26, 2022 9:00 pm

What radio is the radio of choice for what we need it to do and why?

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:37 pm

I haven't settled on a specific unit to recommend yet. I'm trying to get a feel for the in's and out's of different units.

Some of the units that have been on the trail with us are:

-Midland
MXT275
MXT400

-Radioddity
DB20-G

-Kenwood
TK-8180 (business radio thats not exactly turn key)

Soon to be in use:

-Midland
MXT500

-Rugged Radio
GMR25

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Roman
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:42 pm

There's a huge swing in prices, most of the higher priced models do everything that we would ever need and more, and some of the lower priced units can have some odd quarks.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Wed Apr 27, 2022 8:37 pm

Hand held for spotter/winch duty was pretty awesome on the last trip, and Jennifer has used hand helds as "hand out" radios for folks without GMRS capability. They're not as nice as a permanently mounted mobile radio, but get the job done for short range.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby scumby » Sun May 01, 2022 6:11 am

Roman wrote:Hand held for spotter/winch duty was pretty awesome on the last trip, and Jennifer has used hand helds as "hand out" radios for folks without GMRS capability. They're not as nice as a permanently mounted mobile radio, but get the job done for short range.



do the permanently mounted mobile radios need a special antenna?
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Roman » Sun May 01, 2022 9:52 am

scumby wrote:do the permanently mounted mobile radios need a special antenna?


Yes, a mobile radio has all the basic components that a CB radio would have. The radio itself, coax and GMRS specific antenna.

The required antenna itself can be MUCH shorter, but because of the small size requirements fancier/high gain antennas can be used without getting HUGE.

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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby Gregandlina » Sat May 21, 2022 2:16 pm

Got my radio installed! Much nicer look in the cabin than the cb, kinda miss the firestick though…
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Re: Is there any interest in GMRS?

Postby scumby » Thu Jun 02, 2022 5:13 am

Gregandlina wrote:Got my radio installed! Much nicer look in the cabin than the cb, kinda miss the firestick though…



pics
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