Hi Jay, Thank you Jay for such a thorough response. It is very much appreciated.
My primary use of the radios is for exploring the Los Padres National Forest and keeping in touch with family back in Solvang and Santa Ynez. It sound to me like using the GMRS feature would only be worthwhile if I was able to communicate with a repeater which would then forward the communication say for example to my wife back home in Santa Ynez. Are all repeater stations private or are their public repeaters I could use? I assume I would need permission to use a private repeater station?
Is there a ham club here in the SY Valley? I'm thinking I need to sit down with someone and get this figured out.
Best regards and many thanks. Scott
-----Original Message----- From: Jay Hennigan [mailto:jay@west.net] Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 9:57 PM To: sbarc-list@lists.netlojix.com; scott.mcferran@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Sbarc-list] Re: looking for information re proper use of radio/repeaters
On 1/8/14 11:36 PM, Darryl Widman wrote:
Hi Scott,
Let me pass this along and see if someone can help you. Thanks for
writing.
Darryl Widman, KF6DI Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club
----- Original Message ----- *From:* Scott McFerran <mailto:scott.mcferran@gmail.com> *To:* sbarc@sbarc.org <mailto:sbarc@sbarc.org> Hi, My name is Scott McFerran and I live in Santa Ynez. I recently purchased 2 Motorola Talkabout 2way radios, model MS355R. The radios include a GMRS duplex channel feature which I would like to use in a proper manner. Is there a person in your club that would be willing to help me understand this feature and use it properly?
Hello, Scott.
Your radios are capable of operation as either FRS or GMRS which share several UHF frequencies. It's somewhat confusing because FRS doesn't require an FCC license but GMRS does.
In simplex mode your radios communicate directly with each other and as such have limited range, depending on terrain and interference.
As GMRS radios, with the proper license, a repeater is allowed to be used. Such a repeater is typically installed at a high elevation with an antenna on a mast or tower. This extends the range of the radios, often rather greatly to tens of miles.
"Duplex" essentially means that in that mode the radios use two frequencies. If you've experimented, you've probably discovered that the radios won't talk to each other if they're set on a duplex channel.
The reason for this is that with duplex operation a repeater is needed to complete the communications path. All of the radios in the group would transmit on one frequency, the input to the repeater. This will be one of the 467.xxx frequencies. The repeater receives on this frequency and re-transmits exactly five megahertz lower, on the 462.xxx frequency.
GMRS repeaters are technically more advanced than the Talkabout radios as well as being more expensive and somewhat challenging to set up. Individuals communicating with family typically don't need or want to justify the hassle of licensing, purchasing, and installing a repeater.
However, neighborhood associations may get together and cooperatively set up a repeater for shared use, and SBARC has assisted such groups to do so for public safety within the neighborhood.
If you are interested in the fun aspects of personal radio communication, consider becoming an amateur "Ham" operator. This will open a whole new world for you, with access to hundreds of existing repeaters, direct communications with other hams around the world, even astronauts aboard the Space Station. This requires getting a license by passing a relatively easy test regarding electricity, radio, and rules of operation. SBARC offers classes on these tests. Feel free to contact us or attend one of our club meetings. The next one is Friday January 17 in Goleta at 7:30.
Additional links:
http://www.sbarc.org/ - Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service - GMRS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service - FRS
-- Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay@impulse.net Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/ Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV