Look folks, if you haven't already added GMRS radios to your prepper equipment, do so ASAP. This at least could provide some local area comms - which it could be valuable to have that as an option.
You can go to the FCC website and apply for the license online (no test is required). Cost is $70, is good for 10 years, and extends to household family members. The turn-around on approval is same day to next day. So you can get this done fast.
The thing that's valuable about GMRS over, say, CB radio, is it is capable of using repeaters and there are lots of GMRS repeaters around the 48 states.
These repeaters can greatly extend the reach of ability to converse with others in the radius of the repeater. Even if you have a lowly 2 watt hand-held GMRS radio, if you are able to reach the repeater with it, you'll be able to converse with anyone else that can reach the repeater. I'm within ten miles line of sight to a repeater and use a hand-held radio to reach it. I can converse with people that are like 40 miles out from the repeater where they're using 40 to 50 watt radios and automotive or house mounted antennas. My transmissions on that repeater are very clear, high quality for the recipients.
Can get a BTech GMRS-v1 hand-held for about $55 and they make another GMRS unit, BTECH GMRS-50X1, that is 50 watt and is around $200. Kenwood and other companies have products in GMRS space too (check YouTube for reviews and product comparisons).
When you get one, find a repeater, and get online, start inquiring if there is anyone else that are very recently new to GMRS - chances are they might have arrived for similar reasons (given what is transpiring). Get to know them (carefully) - never get into political talk over radio transmissions. Just use it to do useful comms. People yak about all kinds of things over GMRS (it's basic orientation, though, is a mission of civic emergency use so if anyone needs to break in with an emergency situation, everyone needs to get off to allow for that use - and be ready to assist if can in some way).
Here are the pertinent links on FCC and getting GMRS license:
FCC Info - General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
BTW, there are nation-wide GMRS groups that have networked comms sessions (about once a week at an appointed time - checkout mygmrs.com). There is also an entrepreneur company that makes a device (about $155) that establishes a repeater in the home via an Internet access point. It adds your mini, local repeater device to a network of such repeaters across the Internet. Those in this Internet-extended network can then do radio comms with each other (as though they were all on one grand terrestrial repeater). Naturally this network of comms goes a way if the Internet access goes away, but while the Internet is available, then GMRS users can try to establish a nation-wide community: The new age low cost Coast to Coast GMRS repeater
What would happen if you used one without a license?
Most repeaters are by permission only and you have to supply your call sign.
Okay, thanks for the info.
If you start using a repeater without identifying your call sign, well, you can get slapped with a fine and is not that tough to track your signal down.
CB radio allows unlicensed use, but alas there are no repeaters for that and the repeaters make all the difference in the world as to the utility of radio-based comms.
(Look for another comment I've left on this thread for the idea of where am ultimately trying to take this.)
that's fine then - there are licensed operators I hear talking of equipment they would bring on line in the event of a SHTF scenario, disregarding laws and regulations
If things go to crap, you can just use a linear amplifier to get plenty of range. CBers used them back in the 70s. I know someone who was talking to other states on his CB.
Doesn’t have to be household family members. Siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles.... can’t find the whole list but I believe my brothers in law used it when we were on vacation too.
As will be noticed, the FCC web site page on GMRS says that since 2017 text messaging and GPS location info transmission is allowable. However, there doesn't seem to be anyone in GMRS community that is actually doing that yet. (Text messaging for, say, 140 char msgs, opens the door to async comms capability and can be SMS gateway connected to cell phone text messaging.)
Now in the HAM radio world they have had packet radio for many decades and it supports a multi-layered data stack that enables TCP/IP kinds of applications (but at very slow bandwidth - like 1200 baud dial-up modems from back in the day). None, the less that can easily support things like text messaging and GPS location info.
I don't think that anything like the packet radio stack would really be allowed on GMRS, so what I would propose doing instead is using computerized encoding/decoding of text messages and GPS location info into analog Morse Code, which then gets transmitted over GMRS. It would be even much less bandwidth for info transmission than the HAM packet radio stuff but would still be sufficient to do text messaging. The hardware device this HAM radio enthusiast made using a Raspberry Pi Zero SBC, audio hat, and a wee bit of custom circuitry is the hardware solution (though I'd use the new Raspberry Pi 400 which is a Pi integrated inside a keyboard but still with the GPIO header exposed): Packet Radio Raspberry Pi build and demo
A computer server could be equipped with this hardware device and GMRS radio and setup to monitor and filter any Morse Code text messages off of a repeater. It would run a service that would be something like a poor man's Twitter for posting messages to. And this computer would have an Internet connection and SMS gateway - so that a text message that is incoming over GMRS radio could be relayed to a recipient's cell phone. The GMRS radio coupled to this device would need to poll the server to check for messages - kind of like polling POP3 to check for email (indeed, an email server software could be suitably wrapped to provide the text messaging service).
Now imagine a world where patriot DNS have been banned from all the typical DNS servers out there, then these GMRS-based text messaging servers could be repositories for DNS info, and anyone's computer could be suitably hooked up to refresh their DNS info from it (as no doubt IPs associated to DNS will be in constant flux and need to be frequently updated).
Don't think it would be too much of a technical challenge to get this kind of infrastructure up and running. The way to sell this, though, to the broader GMRS community is just as an async text messaging feature enhancement.
GMRS sucks.... If your'e wanting something that works go 2 meter...144MHz-148MHz... Ham radio. FRS (Family Radio Service) is a cheap alternative that most people are aware of... walkie talkies you can buy at Wal-mart. They suck too but you can mostly talk a mile or two provided its line of sight. 2 meter is an enormous network connecting cities together with repeaters for a much wider range. My opinion.
anything that can't use a repeater is basically useless except for maybe out hunting where are within a mile or two distance
the CB and FSR stuff is pretty much a waste of time for that reason
whereas on GMRS, well lots of HAM folks are on there too - helping the newbies along
You can talk for miles on CB. And if you hook up a linear amplifier, you can talk to other states.
The test is harder. It requires that you do some studying.
Yeah, you have to take a test and get a callsign to TALK on the system except in an emergency but you can monitor (listen) and scan local repeaters all day long to pick up information. The test for 2 meter is very easy and doesn't require much study. If things go to shit, I don't care about government permissions or privileges to do what I need to do. Food for thought. GMRS or FRS (which is the same thing just a narrower frequency band for FRS) is a toy that has very limited practical application unless your'e trying to communicate with your neighbor across the street.
the FCC issues a call sign with GMRS licensing too, and FCC requires identifying at around 15 minute intervals while using the GMRS channels
Yeah... so if you want a license and get a callsign... just get a HAM license and be done with it. GMRS is a TOY.
the repeater capability of GMRS is what makes it vastly more worthwhile than CB or FRS
by getting onto a repeater I'm conversing with folks that are within about a 50 mile radius of said repeater (naturally a lot of them have much better gear than I do - am using a lowly hand-held but my comms with everyone else on the repeater are very clear, high quality)
I understand this stuff (HAM radio General license)... As far as repeaters for GMRS... There are very very few compared to the thousands already in place in almost every singe town, village and city in this country already operating every day right now. Its a well established network ten thousand times larger than GMRS. I can talk to people 300 or more miles away using repeaters and a hand held radio... and I live in the bottom of a canyon in the rocky mountains. 2 meter is vastly superior and a mature and well developed system. But if GMRS is your thing...thats great.
it's something anyone can basically get in about a day or two - and they can get radios for their family members to start using
have had HAM users say that get a GMRS for their household because they can never get their family members to take the tech test
for that reason it makes perfect sense for lots of folk
but agree, graduating to being able to use 2 meter is the thing to head toward - as you say, vastly more repeaters
Yes.. for your description of use (family, close friends and short distance) GMRS makes sense... It beats two tin cans and some string for sure. If you haven't already, consider picking up an inexpensive 2 meter handheld and start playing with it... you seem to be the sort of person that would probably enjoy it and be able to help others understanding radio communications if the world falls apart. Cheers patriot.