I have an MXT400 with the 3db antenna that came with it. With the exception of the Midland GXT walkie-talkie’s that we use with it, the GMRS channels around here in the Memphis, TN area are extremely quiet. I sometimes monitor ch 20 for any emergency traffic but GMRS Is just dead.
I was wondering if other areas of the country are just as dead?
Thanks in advance, for any comments.
Southeast Ohio is somewhat lively. Repeater and wideband traffic is rarer (pure GMRS and not just FRS on the upper channels), but I hear it now and then too. Seems like a fair amount of business traffic, and some road crews among other users. I suspect a farm nearby as well… Not like I scan around out of boredom or anything LOL 
Thanks for the reply. I’m glad to hear their is some GMRS/FRS radio traffic. Around here I feel like we have the entire band to ourselves!
Occasionally, I’ll hear some kids on FRS but not often.
Thanks again👍
I’m outside of SLC, UT and there is very little GMRS traffic here. Like you, I’ll pickup a lot of kid/FRS walkie talkie noise, maybe the occasional business conversations.
I do have access to a repeater that reaches into a couple of other counties and I try several times a week to make contacts on there but only find one or two people each month.
It depends on where you are. There is a fair amount of traffic on specific channels near the North and South Carolina border where I live, with a mix of personal and business users on FRS radios. We also have a couple of repeaters in the area that are somewhat active. Some parts of the country do not have a lot of activity on FRS/GMRS channels, but in other areas, it can be quite cluttered. I’ve taken my radios on the road and heard a lot of activity while driving on the highway. It just depends on where you are.
Thanks for the reply. GMRS is a great analog FM communication band. I’m glad the band isn’t crowded around here but I sometimes feel like it’s a bit lonely! LOL
Thanks Rick. Apparently FRS/GMRS just hasn’t caught on around here even though the service has been around for years! Your area would seem more normal to me for radio traffic. Thanks again.
Make sure, for monitoring, that you have the “privacy” squelch tones cleared or disabled. If they are set, yoy will hear only those with the same tones/codes set as your radio
You are absolutely right! Thanks for reminding me to check that👍
Extremely dead around here near Charleston, SC as well. I hear folks using these (GMRS) for business uses and very little chat. FRS usages have been slim as well.
Jeep Jamboree USA is requiring the FRS/GMRS for nest years events in an attempt to do away witht the CB radio on the trails stating these are the best way to go, we’ll see.
Bob
Thanks for the Charleston SC update. GMRS is a much better option than CB but I think it’s just a lot more familiar to people.
CB radio has always had the advantage for long distance radio communication because of it being in the 27 MHZ band. The downside is the AM noise problem that is only getting worse each year.
I appreciate your comments👍
I did finally hook into a repeater out of Bowman, SC that has been coming in every once in awhile. Think it might have been the owner I spoke with but not sure. FINALLY CONFIRMED for me that my Midland MXT was operating efficiently as they are 34 miles from where I was in Summerville.
That is outstanding❗️I’ve always thought the MXT400 was a great, solidly built radio. Were you using the standard 3db antenna or the 6db gain antenna, at the time?
I received the 6db antenna, a few days ago, but haven’t had time to do any comparison testing with the two antennas.
I only have the magnetic, 6db gain antenna that I ordered with the radio. I was in an area with three baseball & two football fields. The signal report stated there was some static in the background but that my voice was clear (in the begining). I suppose either he was moving up the freeway or signal strength wasn’t consistent as I was begining to break up the longer we spoke. My antenna is located on the left front hood very near the A frame of the windshield and the left side of the Jeep was toward the repeater location.
I could always hear the person clearly until the stactic began on my end.
Many thanks for all the details. Power lines next to roadways radiate more RF noise now than ever before thanks to switching power supplies, fluorescent and LED lights, flat screen TVs and monitors, etc, etc. AM radio is mostly destroyed because of it.
Glad your radio worked so well! Take care.
Never thought about how todays “advancements” hamper the airways!
Try listening openly to HF/VHF/UHF frequencies on a borrowed scanner sometime. Be not surprised on how often the scan stops on weird ■■■ modulated and regular pattern transmissions that are just garbage from all manner of digital equipment and cheap import electronics of highly dubious TA/compliancy markings (assuming they were ever subjected to any verifiable testing).
PLC’s (power line converters, not programmable logic computers used in industry) are some of the worse offenders in terms of how much and how widely they create harmonics that have near zero suppression for, on HF buy I’ve seen examples generate harmonics of a substantial (and totally inexcusable degree) level well into lower UHF and some even managing to hit SHF territory and be identified easily.
Don’t even get me started on what ■■■■ simple DECT and other standard cordless digital phones generate. And they are mandatory TA items ffs.
Chris, And all this “stuff” you mentioned has an “FCC Certification” that implies that it meets the FCC requirements for harmful RF emissions‼️ What a joke‼️
And then the FCC wonders why all these communications bands are so ■■■■ noisy‼️
THEY created this problem by lax testing of devices that emit harmful RF radiation AND failure to punish offending companies.
Thanks for bringing up this topic👍
I assume we’re using ‘harmful’ in the context of interfering with other services by poor control over the output spectrum, and not harmful to health, which is, some of Mr Trumps fake news.
Thanks paulears! We certainly need a little political humor here in the States❗️
On a lighter note, does the UK government regulate devices that emit harmful RF noise effectively there?
Our Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed our airwaves to become so noisy that, as an example, the AM broadcast band has become unlistenable❗️
Now the FCC is considering allowing AM broadcasters to transmit a digital signal along with the Amplitude Modulated signal. They’re wishing and hoping the new digital signal will solve the “noise” problem for AM program content which is essentially “talk radio” now. From my background, I believe this new digital signal will be plagued with data errors due to the excessive noise floor.
Thanks for your comments👍