Any truckers using GMRS?

Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by volvo244t, Mar 5, 2017.

  1. volvo244t

    volvo244t Road Train Member

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    Quiet 462MHz FM. Up to 50 watts legally. Full-wave, extremely high gain antennas are a little over 2 feet.

    Midland now makes a line of extremely compact mobile radios for this band, the largest of which is 40 watts, and Walmart sells at least a couple of them.

    Licensed like CB used to be.

    Anyone?
     
    Blaskowitz Thanks this.
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  3. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    I have the radios installed in a few trucks that work a dedicated customer who uses it for their operations. It is limited in range and line of sight only. We use the customer's license which is grandfathered in, they held the license since 1985.

    Overall if I was going this route, I would just get my tech license and use 440, more action.
     
    crb Thanks this.
  4. Turbo-T

    Turbo-T Road Train Member

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    Can you use repeaters on GMRS? That'll make a huge difference.
     
  5. volvo244t

    volvo244t Road Train Member

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  6. L.B.

    L.B. Third Generation Truck Driver

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    There are gmrs repeaters but they require a radio capable of using repeaters legally (most Walmart radios aren't capable of split frequencies), repeaters require a gmrs license (license is not required for general use otherwise), and many gmrs repeaters require permission to use the repeater.
     
  7. Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

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    gmrs is not like cb radio, the repeaters are controlled by pl or dpl and they charge usakky by the number of radios you will be using. not the same as ham repeaters
     
  8. richallcorn

    richallcorn Bobtail Member

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    San Angelo, TX USA
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    I’m in! I “hate” the static noise and lack of range on the CB’s hf range. These, with 25-50watts and a good antenna, will get better, more reliably consistent range, with the more pleasant FM sound of the UHF range of GMRS.

    I’m putting one in ...

    -rich-
    Rich Allcorn
    ham radio operator: K7RLY
    GMRS call sign: WQTS270
    Handle: “greywolf”
    eMail: rich@allcorn.us
    Facebook: richallcorn

    #richallcorn #richardaallcorn #itguy #rallcorn #k7rly #dj
     
  9. richallcorn

    richallcorn Bobtail Member

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    San Angelo, TX USA
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    I like that option ...
    the General is just about as easy to get too! <rich @ K7RLY>
     
  10. richallcorn

    richallcorn Bobtail Member

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    San Angelo, TX USA
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    You don’t really need repeaters unless you’re using one of the handhelds (2watts) with more limited range. The “mobile” units get between 25-50watts, and reach a lot further.

    -rich-
    Rich Allcorn
    ham: K7RLY
    GMRS: WQTS370
     
  11. Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

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    I was a tech for Motorola National Service for about 15 years, and also a General Class Amature Radio License as well. 50 watts on a GMRS channel is not going to give you wide area coverage, Unless one of the radios has some altitude, your going to be limited to about 5 miles maybe 7 miles at best. GMRS do not make good general radios for truckers at this time, unless you and your friends decide on what channel your going to run then it may work for a small number of you. But in general watt for watt you'll get more distance from 26-27 Mhz than you will from 450 Mhz.
     
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