GMRS Base Radio Questions

[Edwonbass]

If SHTF, I thinks folks will be well past worrying about rules if the need shall arise to communicate for survival. What harm is there in getting a HAM radio setup of some sort if even just to listen? Then down the road when the wheels fall off, you at least have a way to communicate even if the FCC gets mad. At that point, who cares.

 

[BeoBill]

If SHTF, I thinks folks will be well past worrying about rules if the need shall arise to communicate for survival. What harm is there in getting a HAM radio setup of some sort if even just to listen? Then down the road when the wheels fall off, you at least have a way to communicate even if the FCC gets mad. At that point, who cares.

Concur. An SHTF situation is by definition an "Emergency", during which unlicensed citizens can transmit on ham (and I would imagine GMRS) frequencies as required. See obtuse Regulatory wording for specifics.

As an aside, I've been lurking on the PG GMRS Repeater channel for a year or so. I've heard linked conversations from as far away as Fredrerick, as 462.625 MHz seems to cover the Central Maryland region rather well.

BTW, I'm WRMN480.

 

[E.Shell]

If SHTF, I thinks folks will be well past worrying about rules if the need shall arise to communicate for survival. What harm is there in getting a HAM radio setup of some sort if even just to listen?

No harm "just to listen", because just listening doesn't disrupt potential emergency commo by skilled operators.

Then down the road when the wheels fall off, you at least have a way to communicate even if the FCC gets mad. At that point, who cares.

It is good to have a backup plan. The problem with this specific approach is that people who will be legitimately trying to communicate using accepted procedures will be interfered with by those people possessing zero skills and a radio.

The FCC won't be mad, it will be the people trying to perform vital services that are being disrupted by nimrods, or maybe the people who couldn't get help because of interference on the frequency.

No different than someone with zero firearm skills or training coming to a range near you with their ARs and pistols and insisting they know all they need to know for effective use during emergencies. I suspect you would agree they need more than just the equipment. Like buying a car without getting licensed or learning to drive, but with the idea of having it handy for an emergency.

There are protocols in place to help people in distress and to ensure smooth commo, just like there are protocols in place to ensure safe shooting or driving. By having some knowledge, getting licensed and participating, one has the opportunity to learn effective use and build skills. That way, one can be an asset during true emergencies, vs being an impediment.

Concur. An SHTF situation is by definition an "Emergency", during which unlicensed citizens can transmit on ham (and I would imagine GMRS) frequencies as required. See obtuse Regulatory wording for specifics.

The rules are pretty specific and it really does have to be a life and death situation to use frequencies one is not licensed for, 'public service' frequencies, for example. The commercial and amateur services are certainly not quite as tightly regulated, but the exact same rules apply.

It's really not the rules themselves that are the concern in emergency anyway, the FCC barely enforces most rules as it is, it is the inadvertent or unintentional interference with legit users. There are so many nuances to this, such as the fact that one can easily interfere with a station they cannot even hear.

 

[gamer_jim]

If SHTF, I thinks folks will be well past worrying about rules if the need shall arise to communicate for survival. What harm is there in getting a HAM radio setup of some sort if even just to listen? Then down the road when the wheels fall off, you at least have a way to communicate even if the FCC gets mad. At that point, who cares.

I argue with my "prepper" friends who also hold to this idea. Here is my retort:

Just like owning a firearm you need to be well practiced in whatever you do, including radio, if you expect to do it during SHTF. Do you have the muscle memory to clear a jam from your gun or can you draw and aim without thinking--The same goes for radio. If you want effective communications at any time you need to learn and practice. Especially when the SHTF you won't have the internet to google a problem. You need to know what frequencies are best at certain times of day. What antenna is best for a particular application. Grounding and safety so you don't harm yourself or others.

Amateur radio operators practice for SHTF, often. We go battery operated and try to contact different hams from around the world. We learn the best way to talk to someone down the street or across the pond

The best part about this is it's not terribly expensive and it's kinda fun, especially if your older like me, to learn something new. I never really understood radio theory or electronics but now I know enough I could at least explain it to an 8 year old if I had to. There's wonderful books published by the ARRL and many hams who love to teach this stuff that can help you learn.

Get the ARRL's technician's study guide. Get the gear, listen and attend your nearest ham radio club's Field Day event the weekend of June 24th.

Also, even if the FCC is unable, or unwilling, to enforce rules hams will. We take this seriously and realize our free use of the airways are a privilege that's just one bad FJB decision away from being auctioned off to a communications company. We police our own and you will be contacted, one way or another, if you abuse your privileges or try operating without a license. The point of a license and orderly use of the airways is to make them as effective, safe and fair for everyone. In SHTF we will need that practiced calm more so than ever to help society re-right itself.

 

[BeoBill]

...The rules are pretty specific and it really does have to be a life and death situation to use frequencies one is not licensed for, 'public service' frequencies, for example. The commercial and amateur services are certainly not quite as tightly regulated, but the exact same rules apply.

It's really not the rules themselves that are the concern in emergency anyway, the FCC barely enforces most rules as it is, it is the inadvertent or unintentional interference with legit users. There are so many nuances to this, such as the fact that one can easily interfere with a station they cannot even hear.

Here's a clue:
If it's a choice between my life or "the Rules", the latter will lose every time.

I'd rather be chastised by 12 Sad Hams than carried by six friends at the end of any day.

 

[E.Shell]

Here's a clue:
If it's a choice between my life or "the Rules", the latter will lose every time.

You apparently misconstrue what I had said, but we can always use extra drama.

 

[traveller]

Entirely wrong.

What you can't legally do is use ham radio for business purposes and transmit music.

That item 5 is straight from the CFRs.

HAM is for educational purposes with a secondary use of emergency comms.

 

[Mark75H]

Media (books, TV, movies) give the average nonham an unrealistic expectation of how radio works. There is a big difference between a Smartcar, a Prius, a Jeep Wrangler, a Corvette and a semi truck, likewise a Vespa and a Hayabusa, a Derringer, a Glock and an M2. Same with radio. If you don't know the details of the capability of a particular radio service or band or particular transceiver and/or antenna (the antenna can make or break your radio operation) you are as lost as the guy deciding between whether the Jeep or Chevy are the best SHTF vehicle.

 

[erwos]

FWIW, this thread inspired me to do a neighborhood walk to check out how far I could hit with my Baofeng UV-5Rs with NA-24J antennas on GMRS 16. Despite living in a somewhat hilly suburban area, I was able to keep in contact from about half a mile away (which is where his school is). That's not really very impressive on the grand scale of things, but it's enough for what I need, and way better than I'd get with FRS. Mission accomplished.

 

[Edwonbass]

I appreciate what the HAM guys are saying but comparing novice shooters to novice radio operators is a bit of a stretch. I don’t think I will die if I’m in the vicinity of a fella using the wrong call sign. Of course, watch that be what finally kills me. Anyway my point is, when the world starts spinning backward, the sun dims, and the Chinamen are parachuting down, I won’t have much time for rules.

 

[Mark75H]

I'm saying you can't shoot down a drone with a Derringer

 

[E.Shell]

I appreciate what the HAM guys are saying but comparing novice shooters to novice radio operators is a bit of a stretch. I don’t think I will die if I’m in the vicinity of a fella using the wrong call sign. Of course, watch that be what finally kills me.

LOL, no, but you might die if your request for vital aid can't make it over some clueless individual playing with their radio.

Anyway my point is, when the world starts spinning backward, the sun dims, and the Chinamen are parachuting down, I won’t have much time for rules.

No one will. The rules DO allow for emergency use on normally unauthorized frequencies, but DIRE emergencies, literally life & death. No one expects anyone to hump around the rule book in their SHTF pack.

The point that I and others is trying to make is that learning how to use the radio properly as to mesh with other operations is the critical thing. The difference between solving a problem and being a problem.

 

[jc1240]

I was thinking with radio killing someone being more along the lines of someone getting a radio, but not knowing how to use it properly and expecting someone on the other end to hear them. Even if you know a good frequency to try (146.520 for ham) there has to be someone in range on that frequency/channel at that time to hear your call for help.

A few years ago I bought a 5 pack of Baofengs for $100 not knowing they were amateur radios. Once I learned what they were I started following the amateur radio FAQ thread in the Central Maryland forum. Around that time someone (ToolAA I think, but am not 100% sure) did a zoom class for us going over what amateur radio is, what it isn't, and he covered the "if you want it to call for help in an emergency...plan better" topic.

All of this applies to GMRS as well. I see debates on what channel should be a calling channel, so it's a crapshoot on getting the "right" channel on top of the other variables.

 

[Mark75H]

Even knowing 146.520 isn't going to be that helpful if you are somewhere that other frequencies are more likely to be monitored and used. Craps are easier to play if you know that 50% of the possible combinations add up to 7. Science and knowledge beat guesswork.

 

[SkiPatrolDude]

I recently went the legal route for GMRS (WRWJ564) and have a few questions...
The main purpose of getting these radios is for SHTF and I'm also interested in having them for places without cell service. I am concerned about line of sight between two radios, especially if repeaters are not accessible. Then I started looking into making or buying my own repeater.
Question #1- I came across this base radio and am under the impression this would also function as a 40w UHF repeater. If so, logic says I could set it up at home (or elsewhere) and be able to use handheld radios 5+ miles apart.
Question #2- If it can be used as a repeater, is making it pseudo private as simple as having the offset say, +7 instead of +5? I would want it to be "my" repeater and not readily available to any random Joe.
.

Wouxun KG-UV920P-A Dual Band Base/Mobile Two Way Radio

The Wouxun KG-UV920P-A is a Dual Band UHF/VHF base/mobile two way radio with dual speakers and dual output.

www.buytwowayradios.com

I have my GMRS license but haven’t used it much. We should mess around with them. I wonder if we could make it work from my house to yours. My neighborhood is on a big hill but unfortunately I’m near the bottom (although still higher than most of surrounding area).

 

[traveller]

Unless you are tied into the ham ecosystem, know how to locate and hit repeaters and understand how it all works, just owning a baofeng is not going to do you any good in a shtf scenario. Same with GMRS. Unless you have a reliable repeater in your area, its not that much better than a FRS bubble pack radio. Who runs the repeater ? Is it on a commercial tower or in someones attic ? Does it have backup power and how long ?
The folks running ham repeaters are very conscious of those things and after the nuclear holocaust there are going to be cockroaches and ham repeaters.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I argue with my "prepper" friends who also hold to this idea. Here is my retort:

The same goes for radio. If you want effective communications at any time you need to learn and practice. Especially when the SHTF you won't have the internet to google a problem. You need to know what frequencies are best at certain times of day. What antenna is best for a particular application.

( Not just you , but you expressed it succinctly in that post )

Did you think through the Other conclusion from that advice ?

Added - I mangled the quote feature at first , and it looked wierd for about 10 minutes until I corrected . My apologies if anyone tried to read it in that time window.

 

[Mark75H]

I have my GMRS license but haven’t used it much. We should mess around with them. I wonder if we could make it work from my house to yours. My neighborhood is on a big hill but unfortunately I’m near the bottom (although still higher than most of surrounding area).

You are sitting under one of the best GMRS repeaters in the state. It is on a high tower on a hill, the coverage is amazing in most directions. I can hit it from Edgewater with any radio I have. Pikesville would be a breeze.

 

[Squaregrouper]

I have my GMRS license but haven’t used it much. We should mess around with them. I wonder if we could make it work from my house to yours. My neighborhood is on a big hill but unfortunately I’m near the bottom (although still higher than most of surrounding area).

Let's chat via the Towson repeater @ 462.600 sometime. I am WRWJ564.
Hopefully the HAM supremacists that Youtube's NotARubicon talks about won't bother us there.

 

[gamer_jim]

Did you think through the Other conclusion from that advice ?

I don't understand what you mean by the other conclusion.