The things about GMRS is that call signs you get are even more in-pronounceable than HAM call signs. My GMRS call is WQZC486. Try getting THAT right LOL!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, I have a GMRS license as well now, WRCX566. That is a lot longer and harder to say than my N1JPA ham call sign.
Up until a few minutes ago I thought that while you were issued a call sign for GMRS, you didn't actually need to transmit it periodically like you do with amateur radio, you only needed to be able to provide it if someone asked for it. Now after a short sprint on Google I discover that I am wrong, and that you do need to transmit your GMRS call sign at least once and every 15 minutes... That is a stupid a$$ requirement in my opinion, especially considering how long the call signs are, and the fact that one call sign is usable by your entire family, so now my kids would need to know it as well if they want to use the GMRS channels.
I'm all for following the rules, but come on, that is just dumb and was probably done to appease some whiny hams that don't even use GMRS themselves. I will be honest and say that I would really like to just use GMRS without transmitting my call sign and if someone complains I'll give it then. I'm really wondering why I bothered paying the $70 for something that right now only covers the ability to use more than a couple watts, which in most cases is plenty, and the ability to have a remotely mounted antenna. Maybe some day they'll drop the requirement to transmit your call sign like they did with CB. I just want a decent radio system I can use without all the formalities of amateur radio with my family and friends. CB isn't that, and there are no mobile's for FRS since you cannot have a removable antenna (I bet the only reason for that is so that you can't hook it to an amplifier easily, because it's so hard to remove the antenna and solder in a connector...).