He causes me to have belly laughs with his sarcasm!
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What’s the purpose of using the CTCSS tone if you want to have an open channel?
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to stop the local chit chat being heard - only people using the calling channel will be heard, and not the local kids, shops or club groups who will transmit on any empty channel
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…and you’d be wrong. Many repeaters traditionally have the “travel tone” set and on “channel 20”
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As others have mentioned Ch 20 is the defacto nationwide calling frequency for GMRS… The reason Ch 19 would not work is because it’s use is prohibited within a certain proximity to the Canadian border.
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Only that its not CB its GMRS and not HAM so…I am good with 19 only that GMRS is closer to modern CB than Ham.
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From Lexington,Tn. WSBN351 or KQ4SPY–Keep’em straight there in Memphis. Thats where all my family is from. I grew up going to family reunions there. Lived there from 2009 to 2012 as a truck driver. Always liked talking on CB’s thats why i like Ham and GMRS,
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Would I put the pl tone for the travel channel on tx or rx??? Thanks in advance!
I would put the tone on TX only. That way your transmission would be heard by folks listening on that 20 with tone but you would be able to hear any traffic on 20. YMMV
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Hi Tom,
New on the forum and be GMRS radio license holder. Are there any GMRS clubs or associations in the Memphis area or West TN?
Thanks
WSFF507
Welcome to this forum👍 I’m sorry that I hadn’t responded sooner but I guess I missed the notification. I don’t think there are any “GMRS radio clubs” here in the Memphis West Tennessee area. I could be wrong however. I would be as interested in having one as you seem to be.
I have invested a LOT of money in this GMRS hobby, I guess you’d call it. Disappointment is probably an understatement. Apparently my expectations were quite different than the harsh reality. It seems to have caught on with employees of companies and contractors doing outdoor work. Other than that, the FRS channels have some children talking on them, occasionally.
I think those of us who envisioned it becoming a Citizens Band or Amateur Radio place for chit chat have become disappointed. In my particular area of North Bartlett, most channels are quiet most of the time.
I have a Midland MXT500, and 400 base stations. One upstairs and one downstairs + a 575 mobile, etc. A number of MXTA26 six db antennas.
Not bragging, just admitting that I greatly over invested in GMRS with some regret.
Hopefully you haven’t made the same mistakes that I have. Maybe we can communicate via GMRS, depending on your exact location.
Best wishes,
Tom WRQE346
Thank you Tom,
Your response is enlightening and disappointing. I am only in for a few handsets, no major expense yet. I am in the eastern area of Memphis. One goal for GMRS was for family radio communications. Lacking a GMRS repeater near by, that goal is a longshot . Given the flatter terrain in west TN, as opposed to middle and eastern TN, one might think that amateur radio, both Ham and GMRS would be more popular.