In the last post we explored the benefits of GMRS radio for overlanding. These long-range radios are great to have onboard your overland or camping vehicle, but once you have one installed, how do you use GMRS? There’s a bit more to using your powerful new mobile radio than simply keying the mic and talking.
First Step: Get Your GMRS License
Some may think GMRS is like old-school CB radio, where anything goes. That’s simply not the case. Unlike 4 watt CB’s, GMRS can use 50 watts of power. One reason it requires a license is that GMRS channels occupy a very valuable slice of the radio spectrum, with military, police, fire, business and even satellite communications all close by. Misuse of a radio could adversely affect those users, hence more regulation. It’s not difficult to get a license though, and no test is required. A GMRS license costs $35 and covers an entire family for 10 years.
To get a GMRS license, start by going to the FCC registration page (their site is horrible to navigate and looks like it was made in 1985). Sign up for a FRN (user number), then apply for a GMRS license here: FCC License Manager.
Next Step: Get A Couple GMRS Radios
Next you’ll want to get yourself a couple of GMRS radios. For overland vehicles, a fixed-mount mobile, such as the Midland MicroMobile radios, is a great choice. Once you’ve set up camp, one or two handheld GMRS radios can be useful for communicating with family members over an area of a few square miles. You’ll typically get the best range “mobile to mobile” or “mobile to handheld”, with the shortest range being that between two handheld units.
We use a Midland MXT575 in our Jeep, a Btech GMRS-50X1, and a couple of Baofeng UV-5X handhelds, and find this system works quite well. We like the handheld Baofengs, because they have 5 watts of power, are fairly rugged and cost only about $30 each when bought as a pair. – We may receive a small commission from affiliate links on this site).
You’ve Got Your License, Now What?
Before you start using your new radio, listen in on the conversations of other GMRS users. Don’t set up tone-squelch codes, or PL (private line) codes, which prevent you from hearing other users – at least not yet – so you can hear how other people in your area use GMRS.
You can start by talking to a family member – since they’re allowed – under your license, to operate your GMRS radios. You’ll want to assign a “unit number” to each family member. Your son may be unit 3 for example, and mom or dad might be unit 1 or 2, depending on who wears the pants in the family. 😉
A typical conversation might sound something like this: “WABC123 Unit 3 to Unit 1”. “WABC123 Unit 1, go ahead unit 3.” … “Dad, do you know where the truck keys are?, over.” “I’ve got them with me. I’ll be back at camp in a few minutes.” “Copy that, thanks.” The last person to talk would again use the callsign, with something like “WABC123 – system clear or WABC123 – all stations clear.”
You must identify with your family’s shared call sign at the beginning and end of a conversation, and every 15 minutes if it’s an extended one.
Who Can I Call With My GMRS Radio?
You may only want to use your GMRS radio to talk to other family members, and that’s OK. If you do set up tone-squelch or “privacy codes” on all the channels you’ll be using, you may be missing out on hearing valuable info from other users in the vicinity, like: “Hey Bob, is that forest fire coming towards us?”
It’s your choice though, there are no rules saying you can’t mute your squelch using one of the 38 CTCSS or 83 DCS “privacy” codes. On some radios you can even use a combo of the two if you really don’t want to hear anyone else, but communications might suffer under marginal conditions since this adds more for your radio to decode.
A fun aspect of GMRS is being able to talk to other radio users as well as to get signal reports to see how your system is operating. This is especially true when using the high-power channels (15-22), which can reach out over a wide area.
Assuming you don’t have any privacy codes set, you can ask for a signal report by saying something like this: “WABC123, looking for a report” or “WABC123, signal report please” (or “repeater check” if using one).
To call another station, you would use their call sign, followed by yours. “WBCD345 this is WABC123″ or simply WBCD345, WABC123” By using their GMRS call sign first, that person and everyone listening knows right off who’s being called.
There’s no exact, prescribed language you must use, just be sure to use both call signs when calling someone else. (You’re only required to identify your own station, but using the other’s call sign when calling helps avoid confusion).
To interrupt a conversation, you can use the word “break” or the less urgent “comment”. “Break, WABC1234” inserted between another parties’ transmissions, for example, lets them know you need to use the channel – either to call someone, or with important traffic for the people talking. Try not to overuse this, though.
Hold your radio’s mic a couple of inches from your mouth, and speak clearly, at a normal volume. Talking louder makes it harder, not easier for you to be understood. Keep your transmissions short, and to the point. Also, try to avoid using VOX (Voice Operated Transmit) in most situations, as loud noises may activate your transceiver accidentally.
Use The Lowest Power Necessary For Communications
Let’s say that you’re wanting to keep in touch with a party of 5 overland vehicles, over a wide area somewhere such as Canyonlands National Park. You know that some of your party will be miles away, so you choose to use one of the channels where 50 watts of power is allowed (15-22). In doing so, you’ll have better range, but also risk interfering with other users if you talk too much. (Remember, privacy tones or tone squelch doesn’t prevent others from hearing you, or stop stations from transmitting on top of each other.)
Keep your conversations short, use your call sign, and when you’re all closer together, switch to one of the lower-power channels (1-7) instead, or better yet, if you’re close enough, switch to using a pair of FRS walkie-talkies on channels 8-14 instead of GMRS.
Just Assume The Whole World Is Listening
You’re way out in the middle of nowhere, and surely there won’t be anyone else to hear your conversation, right? Just remember the potential range for GMRS communications is up to 60 miles or more (nationwide if using a linked repeater). We personally don’t use privacy tones on channels 15-22, just so we can hear what’s going on. We’ve occasionally heard some very intimate, inappropriate conversations from users who thought nobody else could possibly be listening. There are radio enthusiasts who record radio traffic for all kinds of reasons, and some repeaters are linked and broadcast conversations over the internet.
Go Ahead, Listen To Some GMRS Users Now
The site MYGMRS.com has a live audio feed of some of the linked repeaters in the US. You can listen live to GMRS radio users talking to each other around the country and gain some insight on how others use these linked repeaters.
- 💦[Extend DIY CH] UV-9G has set 31-54 CH as DIY repeater channels except for...
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- 💦[IP67 Waterproof] Compared to older models, the UV-9G has better water and...
- 💦[Long Range for Adults] No GMRS repeater is required and the range can be up...
- 💦[Programming Cable Included] UV-9G comes with a BAOFENG original programming...
FCC Rules For GMRS
The following are some of the FCC’s rules for using GMRS There have been fines in excess of $30,000 for failure to follow some of them. (From Midland USA’s website.)
• If an authorized FCC representative requests to inspect a GMRS station, the operator must make the station and any station records available
• No messages related to any activity which is against Federal, State, or local law
• No false or deceptive messages.
• No coded messages with hidden meanings. No messages for public address systems. (You can’t broadcast to an audience.)
• No music, whistling, sound effects or material to amuse or entertain
• No ads for goods and services, political candidates or political campaigns
• No international distress signals (Mayday, SOS, etc.) unless in a vehicle in immediate danger.
• No communicating with Amateur Radio Service stations, any unauthorized station, or to any foreign station. (GMRS users near the Canadian border, take note.)
• No continuous or uninterrupted transmissions (unless communications have to do with the immediate safety of life or property)• Users must identify using FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions.
Lastly, GMRS is not to be used for business purposes. Because of new FCC rule changes, a business can use lower power FRS radios on all channels shared with GMRS.
We hope you enjoy using your new radio and found this article helpful. Please contact us at [email protected], (or add a comment below), if you see information that requires correction or clarification.
Be sure to get your FCC license, learn more by reading our post How to Get a GMRS License. Also see our original article on GMRS for overland vehicles.
If you already have a GMRS radio, see “How To Tune Your GMRS Radio and Antenna” for info on how to get the best performance.
Full Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. There’s no extra charge to our readers for using these.
