GMRS Primer
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 199
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From: Los Angeles
GMRS Primer
I wanted to do a short GMRS radio primer so that people will understand what it is and what it can do for them. I've been into radio since I was about seven years old. I've worked with CB, HAM, GMRS, HF..you name it, I've used it.
The General Mobile Radio Service is basically a newer CB radio service that uses UHF frequencies similar to those used by Police or Fire departments. The radios are also similar. Radios can vary in price from the cheap little bubble pack radios bought at Walmart to the very best Motorola radios. The choice of what radio to use is yours.
The GMRS radio service allows repeaters to retransmit signals at higher power. But most people use the radios in what is called "Simplex" mode. This is basically radio to radio just like a CB.
If the GMRS radio service you may use mobile radios with antennas mounted on the outside of your vehicle. These antennas are much smaller and easier to work with than CB antennas. They can be anywhere from 6" tall to three feet tall and generally do not require tuning.
GMRS radios can use up to 50 watts of power and are FM instead of AM. This means they do no suffer from the strange squaking noises that AM radio produces and they do not have to deal with "skip."
A UHF radio on simplex at four watts (typical for a handheld) will generally talk the same distance or greater than a CB radio on the open road. Occasionally the CB may work at longer distances but this is very dicey. UHF is much more predicable then HF.
The cost factor..CB's are cheap. GMRS is a bit more expensive, but not that much more expensive for a basic radio! An Icom IC-21GM or similar radio is about $140.00 and add another $30.00 for a battery eliminator. That's it. The handheld with a battery eliminator takes about ten seconds to install and can be moved from vehicle to vehicle.
Yes, you do need a license but they are easy to get. You just fill out a form online.
I encourage you to look more closely at this radio service. You may find it is just what you've been looking for for your off road club or to chat with your buddies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General..._Radio_Service
If anyone has any questions please ask away. I'm a big believer in promoting GMRS and would like to see it someday completely replace the old 27Mhz CB.
Brian
The General Mobile Radio Service is basically a newer CB radio service that uses UHF frequencies similar to those used by Police or Fire departments. The radios are also similar. Radios can vary in price from the cheap little bubble pack radios bought at Walmart to the very best Motorola radios. The choice of what radio to use is yours.
The GMRS radio service allows repeaters to retransmit signals at higher power. But most people use the radios in what is called "Simplex" mode. This is basically radio to radio just like a CB.
If the GMRS radio service you may use mobile radios with antennas mounted on the outside of your vehicle. These antennas are much smaller and easier to work with than CB antennas. They can be anywhere from 6" tall to three feet tall and generally do not require tuning.
GMRS radios can use up to 50 watts of power and are FM instead of AM. This means they do no suffer from the strange squaking noises that AM radio produces and they do not have to deal with "skip."
A UHF radio on simplex at four watts (typical for a handheld) will generally talk the same distance or greater than a CB radio on the open road. Occasionally the CB may work at longer distances but this is very dicey. UHF is much more predicable then HF.
The cost factor..CB's are cheap. GMRS is a bit more expensive, but not that much more expensive for a basic radio! An Icom IC-21GM or similar radio is about $140.00 and add another $30.00 for a battery eliminator. That's it. The handheld with a battery eliminator takes about ten seconds to install and can be moved from vehicle to vehicle.
Yes, you do need a license but they are easy to get. You just fill out a form online.
I encourage you to look more closely at this radio service. You may find it is just what you've been looking for for your off road club or to chat with your buddies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General..._Radio_Service
If anyone has any questions please ask away. I'm a big believer in promoting GMRS and would like to see it someday completely replace the old 27Mhz CB.
Brian
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
Radio resource
If anyone is interested this is a great place to see the radios I'm talking about.
http://www.reddogradios.com/index.ph...ategory_id=188
http://www.reddogradios.com/index.ph...ategory_id=188
JK Jedi
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,012
Likes: 0
From: Lawton, OK
Good info JKGuy... I do have a GMRS license, and yes - it was a simple form to fill out and a subscription fee of $85.00 or thereabouts for a 5-year license.
However, I wasn't aware of the fact that GMRS could use repeaters; we've always used it for short range communication when hiking or at campgrounds.
However, I wasn't aware of the fact that GMRS could use repeaters; we've always used it for short range communication when hiking or at campgrounds.
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
Glad you liked it.
I think a lot of jeepers shy away from GMRS because they just don't know about it. In Australia they use a UHF CB and no license is needed. It is much more functional than the 27 Mhz CB radio we have here.
The GMRS, in my opinion, is slowly moving toward becoming a UHF CB similar to what they have in Australia. I expect that sooner or later the license requirement will be dropped. If more people used it then it probably would be.
When CB was created the 27Mhz frequencies were all they had. It was the best they could do at the time. But now, we have the ability to use radios that really do what they were meant to do in the first place, provide reliable short range communications.
Besides, you'd be surprised just how far you can talk on a five watt radio with a decent high gain antenna. You can get three to five miles easy and sometimes much more. And the audio quality is much much better.
The GMRS, in my opinion, is slowly moving toward becoming a UHF CB similar to what they have in Australia. I expect that sooner or later the license requirement will be dropped. If more people used it then it probably would be.
When CB was created the 27Mhz frequencies were all they had. It was the best they could do at the time. But now, we have the ability to use radios that really do what they were meant to do in the first place, provide reliable short range communications.
Besides, you'd be surprised just how far you can talk on a five watt radio with a decent high gain antenna. You can get three to five miles easy and sometimes much more. And the audio quality is much much better.
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
Many Options
The radios are UHF mobiles. There are many makes and models including some with remote mounted control heads, so yes, there are. You can find all kinds of used UHF radios on Ebay for good prices, or you can buy a new one from companies like BK Relm, Midland, Maxon, Tait, Motorola and many others.
You can also use a portable radio as a mobile. I used a small mobile mount on the dash to hold my portable radio and put a speaker mike on it and voila! Instant mobile radio. I like this option because you can move it to other cars and remove it from the car when it is parked.
The antennas for UHF are very small compaired to CB. You can even use a small magnetic mount antenna on the cowling.
You can also use a portable radio as a mobile. I used a small mobile mount on the dash to hold my portable radio and put a speaker mike on it and voila! Instant mobile radio. I like this option because you can move it to other cars and remove it from the car when it is parked.
The antennas for UHF are very small compaired to CB. You can even use a small magnetic mount antenna on the cowling.
