Who Owns The GMRS Channels? How To Find An Unused GMRS Repeater Channel For A New Repeater 

JUST heard people on my local repeater talking about this video. Cool.

Grown ups!!, good thing your not talking to the "HAMS" haha. I can say that I'm a happy ham. Keep those videos coming, I have learned more on this channel than I have from anyone else!!!

Or you could ask them if they would like to join you on your repeater. The new users adding in money to keep it up could be a help. If that could be worked out it could be a Plus for both!

Thank you, Randy. I started the process this evening and am already down to two quiet ones. Made a matrix and will be tracking for a week Thank you for explaining the interference potential, even with different CTCSS/DCS tones ... which every really "smart" person knows are not "private!"

That's an interesting repeater issue. In your instance, would it not make sense for the weaker repeater to just use your repeater? They would achieve better range. Or, they could switch their repeater channel. In the 70s-80s-90s when cb was the thing, there was always a more powerful station near you that splashed across numbers channels that you were monitoring. We just changed channels. Eventually theyd go away. After all, they weren't transmitting 24/7. It was just a fact of operating a radio. You may not have liked it, but you learned to live with it.

You’re a life saver Mr. Randy! Thanks

The new "Delta" repeater is sounding great! Loud and clear. Great work!

Have to say.... This man has brought many gmrs users to ham. He's got a good place in this world.

My local radio club just set up a NEW GMRS repeater, open to all.

Well thank you, I am also in the process of doing the same, installing a repeater, just got my license and waiting for my kg935 radio you recommended ordered it yesterday. I will be doing the monitoring thing such as you said, I was going to anyways just because it just make sense. However I believe I am in a pretty good area with very little competitions when it comes to this repeater thing. I live in Maine, northern Maine. I did check the repeater site and there were none listed close, a few in the southern part of the state, and the nearest one is about 60 miles away. Now because of where I live I may only have 6 channels to use, because Canada uses two of the repeater channels we have and the FCC says we cannot use them if we are within a certain area. So I am just going to ignore those two channels right from the get go. I will also be doing more then one repeater as time goes on, Randy you have made me return to my earlier days when I use to do this with CB's not repeaters but the radio thing. Thankfully I have some experience with radios and repeaters I have setup and installed a few Municipal repeaters and repeaters for a company I use to work for, I am so looking forward to this. It's funny I didn't know how easy this could be and didn't know much about GMRS until coming across you videos, I have watched quite a few so far, all of the repeater ones anyways. Thanks for your help....

I am taking a moment while frying chicken wings to tell you how much I enjoy your channel! Bought a beofang from Amazon as many people do and made a conscious decision not to read the manual but watch a series of entertaining videos instead! Just for the record I live south of the border and asked a friend of mine ( who has installed/maintained repeaters for the local government and also owned a radio service/sales center )what is needed in Mexico for a ham radio license and he laughed so hard he may have pissed himself! Obviously the u.s. licensed operators take themselves a little to serious. Have only met one local with a license and he was a very strange individual. Guess some things don't change! Lol

Very informative presentation, thank you very much.

Where I reside on the North California coast there are no GMRS repeaters, only 2M band. Just took the Technician test and missed one of the 35 "dummy" multiple choice. I'll soon be licensed, so I can use them. This is what I see as the real advantage to being licensed, because a valid call sign is necessary to enter for repeater use. Thanks for being a pillar in your location. WRUK573

An old saying from the CB days. The strong survive, and the weak step aside.

I don’t think the FCC expected the increased popularity of GMRS repeaters and thought it would be more simplex. At some point they’ll need to allocate more frequencies. WRNT247 in CT.

"harmony" with fluttering fingers...love it!

Thanks great topic I learned something I’m done for the day

Once again, factual information. With good advise!!

If you wire your audio-out from a scanner into a computer, you can set Audacity to "record when there is sound" which makes monitoring a frequency "continuously" easier. Set it up, let it record, come back in a day or so, look to see if anything broke the squelch.

thanks for the video. about gmrs repeater

Randy, Progenitor of that BRE (Big Repeater Energy), great vid!

Yeah, in the ham world we are located near the boundary two repeater jurisdiction coordinators. So there is effectively no coordination because the two jurisdictions are autonomous. Oh, these coordinators are volunteers. The FCC doesn't get involved.

We have some coordination in the Washington DC area but it's still up for grabs if you want to put up a repeater. There used to be one big boy repeater years ago but it's gone now so it's not the same.

"Perfect", Explanation on how to resolve this issue. We here in Michigan, were dealing with interference from a neighboring repeater in Ohio, that was dominating enough, at times for several hours, to knockout our repeater all together. There was even a moment where 🤜🤛 it could've became ugly... The two administrators, realized it only occurred during certain atmospheric conditions, and made it known to both memberships to be mindful of operators on neighboring sites, that this type of interference may occur, and be courteous with the process. 🤞🤞, So far, So good... "Thanks", Randy! 👏👌👍

Thank You!!

Love the vid, thanx!🇺🇸

Your sarcasm Cracks me up.

In my area I noticed many restraunts and stores use GMRS in my area a nation wide chicken restraunt uses channel 16

That's why I sent the FCC an extra $50 and told them I wanted a private channel. That way I don't have to worry about people interfering with me or me interfering with them. The only problem is, the channel they assigned me is so private, none of my radios nor my repeater will work on it. Nobody is there to hear me or talk to me, either. 😮

We have a different problem here in San Diego. A pirate repeater has started in Tijuana talking trash about people north of the border. Mexico does not have GMRS and repeaters are illegal without a permit. Some local people have taken to jamming the repeater and it seems to be working but they start talking shit about the jammers.

Go information. Thanks!

I actually own all of the GMRS channels. But because I'm in a good mood, ya'll can use them anytime you want.

Thanks for all the info, I got my license due to your videos. quick question, is it worth making/buying a repeater so that when someone is outside of range of already set up repeaters they can have a temp. repeater in the area ( overlanding adventures for example ) and retrieve it after it is done being used? also you have so many radios in the back, I could see you making a Christmas tree of radios.

Tried to setup a repeater here in Austin, TX. Unfortunately no companies want to work with me so abandoned the project and we have no good local GMRS repeaters unfortunately. Wish u were here :)

LOVE the finger language description!! reminds me of the gf explaining things. YOU! its yer fault i got my GMRS license! passed the test n everthin

well said ! start out being the good neighbor goes a long way. I had my own frequency many years back for farm use. would never use 31Mhz today . now buy me that part of VHF low is empty ! no one wants it. GMRS is great just play nice !

I read in a thread, two people talking on GMRS when a voice came over and said This channel is a private repeater channel. You can be on it without permission. If course there were many pages of arguments.

We don't have poop in the Cookeville TN area. Woot!

You are breathing my air. I was breathing it first 🥲

L.A. Ca . I listened to the heated arguments of this issue this past week and the interference on my Rugged Radio. Channel 22 , Repeater 22.

Another great video! Maybe you should have used some Spanish subtitles for the Amigos

We need more Repeaters down here on the coast in Texas.

Magically ‼this 💝😋

Great explanation, Randy. Well done, sir. WRDN460

Crazy idea here but... If the other guys put up their repeater because they needed it, not just to have a repeater to play around with, and your newer more powerful repeater now covers their area... Why don't they just shut down their more limited system, switch to your tones, and go on about their business? Or they could keep theirs up, but still switch their radios to your tones. That way they would normally hit your repeater. If yours goes down, they could switch their tones easily, and fall back to using their repeater. Yes, they were there first but when something bigger/badder/better comes along...

Seems like the fcc needs to add more gmrs repeaters pairs

👍👍👍 Thanks. ...Alan in 🇨🇱

Is it possible to make the repeaters work in unison to extend coverage for both tones? What model repeaters are mentioned here?

Quick question, would I be able “allowed” to build a duplex repeater on channel 15-22?

we had that problum here in minnesota the owner left are state so we took his repeter added three more repeters same pl tone working grate that's how you salve a problum on gmrs. wrxn 824 minneapolis

I'm just new and just bought recently my new WOUXUN 905G. I'd like to ask if there's a way that 2-repeaters can work together like in a string connection so they can expand more coverage in the area? Thank you sir.

Saw your repeater show up on the weekly update yesterday. Congrats! Still happy with it?

Hi friend . I have an odd question for you . When I use chirp to program my radio for repeaters , what makes the software and the radio automatically know the frequency offset . Is it because everything else including the tone helps it determine the offset number . Love your channel , keep it up . Don .

Such a great informative video I been looking into setting up a repeater at my house to help cover another 100 miles since I live in tiny 1 mile town and are surrounded by 100s of miles of farm land and closest repeater is 98 miles away. thanks for info Randy 5:06 @NotaRubicon Productions

Lee Lockwood owns most of ours in Houston.

I love the posters on the wall but I cant tell if they are composite in the video or you print a poster on every video also I like the start up music

Thanks Dad

I live on the east coast, is or if I get my licence and have a repeater I'm sure it won't effect yours. Hopefully we can all get along. LOL

I WISH there were local gmrs repeaters!

So, the “Tough Taco” rule is in effect when it comes to repeater conflicts? Sounds good to me.

I got the Retevis RT97; what can I do to increase the coverage range or power?

The first rule of Knife Fighting. There are no rules. Thanks for the Vid. I wondered what the rules were. and a Question: Why didn't you and you group be nice and change frequencies ?

I'm new to GMRS and I got my self a Wouxun KG-935g, and I dialed in on the busy Channel 16. Is it possible that someone can have a repeater on Channel 16?

Do I have to get a separate GMRS license for the repeater and call sign?

what if the smaller repeater got a directional antenna and dialed in on the same tones as the bigger repeater. Oh the confusion this may cause. but would it work.

RPT 1-9 use GMRS 15-22 channels for TX ?

hey Randy, I am not sure how to connect to the repeater. I went on my local are GMRS found one notice that one here in SO CAL Input tone is 271DPL and OUTPUT IS 073DPL. Was trying to find it on the boofwang radio. Is there a difference between MHZ and DPL. I am sure Ill get a pin comment. lol Military guy here but was never COMMO just a door kicker

In my world, the repeter owners would sit down over a coffee & hammer out the details of which tones and other issues that may come up & interfere with each other..But like I said that is just in my little world..BTW we have no repeters here where I live at in Mo, by the Mississippi River Lock & Dam #25. But this is good info anyway. Thanks for posting it up.

Yep, 50 watts and a high gain antenna LMR400 and 50 more feet up should take care of it. lol

Is the repeater in your area a mosque.

❤

Just a solution I am a ham and also a GMRSer if that's a name for that lol we use channel 16 or the first repeater channel for emergency communications and we have a very big coverage area we did start to have issues with other repeaters in NJ and NY so what we did is join up and when they go over the air we let them go and we go over when needed so they can use ours and we use there's. But we take priority when any emergency communications is needed so it works out for us maybe that can be a way for other new owners. WRBQ216

I bet sad hams fingers get really itchy wanting to spam gmrs topic videos, but they know better around here. Very interesting video, and educational for me. Thanks 🙏🏼

I can repeaters be chain-linked frequency wise so that everybody wins?

👍👍

Thank you so much Randy , i had a person tell me i could not use this one channel .he doesnt even have a repeater .i do i just bought it .i put alot of $ out for it .i want yo share it too . But this person doesnt like veterans so he was being a sad ham .your videis are so helpful .thanks

What would happen if you just broadcasted on a frequency that isnt an official channel? Im turbo new to the radio world. It it against regulation? Would it even transmit?

The FCC does not want to hear or be bothered with GMRS / FRS craploa ! So keeping that in mind do like Randy says and get along with your other users or just rent a boxing ring and duke it out until you have a winner.

What is this repeater I hear that makes an announcement like every 5-10 minutes saying, "The LA Echo One Repeater System"? The time it uses is 3 hours, 8 minutes behind PDT. When it's 12:18 PM in Los Angeles, it would say the time is 9:10 AM, but that's Hawaii time. Btw, it's on Channel 30, 462.7250.

C4 fixes all repeater conflicts.

I'm not up to speed on how repeaters work. Could the weaker repeater that you interfered with have changed their tone and joined your network? I get that it's a hassle for them to notify their users, but if they joined your network they could leverage your extended range right? The downside being that now they are on a more crowded network I guess? How do repeaters on the same channel work when their ranges overlap?

What about the people requiring a fee to use there repeater, do they have more of a right to that frequency then someone who doesn’t pay?

@8:10...lolololol

Shoot, once again I am expected to play nice.

The FCC should allow fights to the death over which person owns the GMRS channel.

Could you repeat that.. ser5er

So ham radio has repeater coordination and can share spectrum like adults and GMRS hasn't learned how to do this yet? If GMRS gets too popular, without coordination, it will start to sound like CB in the 1970s. Well not really, there's the capture effect of FM. That would still make it less useful. Maybe it won't get there any time too soon.

Is it true that FCC would step in and resolve the conflict?

👍👍👍😎🇺🇸

I get confised when he said there are only 8 channels we can use in gsmr, and yet there are tons of frequencies. Can anyone clear this up for me? Im obviously just starting but i have looked and haven't figured it put yet.

your radio collection growing since first gmrs vid. more than my 11 handheld collection lol. soon you will run out of room. you will be buried under alot of radios. soon a radio notarunicon convention lol. tickets selling soon for that favorite viewer.

Do you have all those radios behind you on a 15 amp circuit? lol I think a breaker tripping while you're recording would be funny and get you more downloads...

I'm trying. To remember my friend Peter. He passed in 2004. I can't remember his last name ..

So if I win the lottery and put it ALL into buying the biggest, baddest, bestest repeaters and put them all over an area, I can take over those airwaves??? 🤩🤩

I thought we only sharted on the sad hams.

It would be nice if the FCC would allow the other 7 repeater pairs to be used, instead of as 14 simplex channels for frs.

I own them.

Gmrs is becoming like cb people running hundreds of watts now LOL

Potential thumbtack question here: Why have you gone to visible mike since you identified as Princess NotaRubicon Sparkle Pony awhile back? It's what the other YTers eventually do; you know, the ones who solicit likes, subscribes, bells, joins and waste our valuable time; unlike THIS channel. I suppose they do it to look more professional? The audio was excellent before dude, in a Dan Patrick sort of way. Just bought my GMRS and earned my HAM, so I can be happy and sad at the same time. There's a pill for that I think. Cheers!

What is a "Private" repeater? Why do you have to get permission to use a repeater?