I can no longer afford the time and expense to maintain PopularWireless.com. Long illness, unemployment, under-employment, and ad revenue far below what it costs to maintain this site makes it impossible to continue. The site will vanish into history effective July 15, 2011.

Since 1995, and thousands of dollars later, the site championed GMRS. When the PRA failed to achieve desired results and interest waned so did the advertising market.  Google revenue is less than that required to maintain the site and in fact what I did receive went to pay for expensive medical costs.

I will download a final site back up at some point and then shut down the bulletin board.  The software needs upgrading but there are no funds to stay ahead of the curve. My time is also involved in other activities.

It was fun.

Many GMRS repeater owners predicted this would happen. Amateur Radio operators were moved off the 440 repeater band in many areas. This was done because Ham radio was the secondary user ina  government spectrum. The Hams were causing interference to government operations so the FCC (Riley Hollingsworth at the time) worked with Hams to mitigate the issue.

Sadly some of these “ham clubs” have retuned Amateur Radio repeaters from 440 to the commercial spectrum and have brought with them poor operating practices, non type accepted equipment, and perhaps even unlicensed operation.

There are reports from California of Hams using call signs they were “told to use” by friends, of Ham type operation including tone CW operation (QSO’s) over GMRS repeaters, and interference to licensed GMRS repeaters.

Hams may not realize it but their childish behaviors may be helping the FCC bring GMRS repeater operation to an untimely end. Ham clubs that have moved their 440 repeaters to GMRS ought to think twice.  American families use GMRS to stay in touch. Hams have THOUSANDS of radio frequencies and many different bands to accomplish their activities. Hams do NOT need to be bringing Ham activity to GMRS.

I for one question whether Amateur Radio is still setting an example. My family has used GMRS since 1995 and since that time Hams we have encountered have been the source of most of the unlicensed operation, interference, and poor operating behaviors. Since the Hams lost 440 it seems to be getting much worse.

Hams, get your Ham gear off GMRS. If you want to put your families on GMRS read the rules and do it the right way. Need a club repeater? Use your own frequencies.

We knew this was coming the day the FCC told former members of the PRA, “Don’t call us we’ll call you.”

The arrogance of a progressive government bureaucracy and the greed of foreign bubblepack manufacturers has finally caught up with GMRS.

The NORCAL GMRS User Group brought this latest FCC rule making notice to our attention. It appears concerned licensees have until July 7 to file comments.  SO if you have an interest now is the time to start writing your comments.

The day the FCC allowed license free and licensed channels in the same radio is the day that the FCC declared license by rule without a rule making. This latest action is just a sham to make it real.

GMRS as we know it just may be done.

GMRS walkie-talkies are cheap, but there’s a catch | Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Richmond TImes-Dispatch business columnist “Staff Reports” (sic) wrote this article on GMRS licensing on Tuesday March 16, 2010.  This is typical of the kind of deleterious press that contributes to the unlicensed clutter in the GMRS.

The columnist, whomever he/she is, could have done some research to discover the history of the GMRS bubble-pack radios, but no, they have to say this:

You have to register for a frequency license with the FCC (http://www.fcc.gov). It gets worse. You have to pay $85 to do so. I know — now I tell you. You could’ve stopped reading a while back. But there is good news.

Most of these radios from Cobra (http://www.cobra.com), Motorola (http://popularwireless.com/blog1/VY), Midland (http://www.midlandradio.com) and others also transmit on the Family Radio Service band. This FRS band does not require a license, but it uses less transmission power. That probably means a range of about a mile or so.

Now, in practice, it’s obvious that most of the folks who buy these things don’t register them but use the GMRS band anyway. I am clearly not suggesting you should break the law, just letting you know why these things are flying off the shelves.

I’m sorry but the suggestion is in fact clearly made.

The other thing the author may have learned is that the bubble packs are notoriously advertised with fictional range specifications and generally have worse performance and a shorter life than, what we call the REAL GMRS radio for which you might pay over $200. The author also missed the utility and benefit a licensed system has. We’ll leave it up to the author to discover it on his/her own.

There is nothing businesslike about the article.  You can sure see who does their homework who doesn’t in today’s newspapers.

I sat down this month and really looked over my VerizonWireless bill. It has climbed steadily since we subscribed many years ago. We have a family plan with two phones. Basic Service is $59.99 but our bill is OVER $100.

There is the $34.07 Surcharges and Fees, Verizon Wireless Surcharges – “Includes charges to recover or help defray costs of taxes and of governmental charges and fees imposed on us by the government. Other Charges and Credits – includes charges for products and services, and credits owing.”

There is the $6.11 government surcharge and tax.

There is the “Voice” charge of $7.45 “The “Voice” section of your bill Includes charges for voice calls, including calls that exceed your Plan’s minute allowances, 411 Search, Long Distance and other calls.” They claimed seven minutes of share time used and 77 minutes total out of our 400 minutes authorized but we still have an inadequately explained $7.45 minute charge. It doesn’t appear we did anything to deserve this, ah except maybe 411 charges. Yes that’s it.. We don’t even use 100 minutes of a 400 minute allowance during the month. It’s not like we are a challengingly abusive customer that taxes the system! We are taxed to death like everyone else earning much less than $250K per year. Excuse me politicians are you reading this? Hello! But I digress.

There is a data charge of .40 cents but we use no data.

Had we used text messages each one would have cost .20 cents each sent and received. We don’t text.

There is the State of Maryland 911 surcharge of 25 cents and the Calvert County surcharge of 75 cents. Oh and this will really get you thinking. Because cellular service in and around my home has always been poor any calls that do connect go to towers across the Chesapeake Bay and we are connected with 911 centers outside of our area who must transfer our calls to Calvert County 911. Needless to say, we have learned not to count on our telephones for 911 service.

So the real price of a two cellular family plan is $109 and some cents. It may be time to re-evaluate our service. Have you looked at your cellular bill recently? What are the mystery fees and surcharges like with your cellular carrier?

(via DIGG.COM) Congressman Pete Stark represents California, but where is he paying taxes?

Congress loves to tax us but when it comes to paying taxes themselves, well that’s another matter…

See also this information at Bloomberg.com.

(Ed Note: This is usually a tech blog but since I used to live in California and now live in Maryland this egregious silliness really yanked my chain. Thanks to The 912 Project website for alerting us to this. Maryland tax authorities are looking into Stark’s “primary residence” and I hope they consider criminal charges.

Californians, your esteemed Congressman claims he lives in Maryland full time? What is this politician doing representing you eh? If you really want Stark take him home please!)

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I was always curious why cellular sales climbed from 2001 to 2003 and into 2004 and then over night seemed to cease almost immediately. Granted I was working for a retailer that switched carriers but if you listened to all of the sales hype the carrier should have made no difference to sales.

The blame always fell on the poor sales clerk. You can’t sell cell phones, you’re a zero, you’re not working enough. This even though sales had tanked nationwide and cellular carriers were busy taking obvious cost cutting measures.

The business tanked for a myriad of reasons. Here are a few I have thought of:

1. As cellular handsets grew in number and popularity so did the number of used handsets. This created an obvious market for used handsets. The big advantage to the used handset was that you could purchase one at a huge cost savings and activate it on your current plan often with no fee and not have to renew your contact for another year or more. This was and still is a very attracive option. Cellular companies knew this was a new competitive market as evidenced by the fees they began charging for activating a used handset when many had charged nothing before. Even with the fee customers still preferred a used handset to avoid having to renew a contract.

In my discussions with cell phone reps that visited stores I found that the cell phone industry reported its progress not in cell phone activations but in activations with NEW or RENEWED contracts. The preference of stock holders and boards of directors was always new or contract renewal business with the sale of a new handset.  Keeping customers on a month to month was not considered progress oddly enough. That kind of squared with the level opf service I have come to expect from my own cellular carrier or ones that I was selling. When sales of celluar service tanked so did customer service. Aggressive sales techniques increased but once they had you were often frustrated just trying to speak to your carrier.

2. Cellular companies did a horrible job with customer service. They grew so quickly they never learned how to treat a customer fairly and with respect. The company’s entire effort was sales and marketing based. Once you had your phone you learned you couldn’t depend on the carrier for help. Sooner or later the carriers were all transferring customer service to scripted representatives in Asia and Latin America.  Business that is sales and marketing based with no service or element of customer care included angers customers and eventually makes the marketplace and ugly place for customers. A place they would just as soon stay away from. I think this poor service, moreso than price, is what drove customers to the used cellular handset market.

3. The many local retailers and cellular kiosks that were once successful also lost business when the major carriers moved stores in next door or down the street.

4.  It was suggested to me that because cellular technology is old by moder standards and 4G isn’t widely available people are not interested in new phones.  In my view this wouldn’t bring in much new business just draw in more renewal business of current customers at the high end of the technology consumer pyramid. The vast majority of cellular customers were not, in my opinion, high tech Internet users.

5. Everyone who needed or wanted a cellular telephone had one by 2004. AFter that time it was one carrier trying to take business from another.  A local rep explained this was actually one major reason for their own economic downturn.

6. Cellular service is still too expensive. Every month I get my own bill I ask myself why I need this phone I rarely use. The major reason now of course is there is no longer an option. When was the last time you saw a pay telephone? Cellular companies make pay-as-you-go phones pricey as well. Look at what some people pay to use these telephones and you will quickly ask yourself why people bother.

The cellular companies know exactly why they stopped selling as many phones as before.  The product has become a commodity available at supermarket and grocery check stands. You can’t get competent help when you need it, and contracts keep you a virtual prisoner to the shoddy service. WHy would anyone in tehir right mind want to upgrade.

It’s why my wife and I still use two-way radio when we are within ten miles of each other. Quaint huh?

I get this email. It says that I am a Network Solutions GOLD VIP Program member. I get special access to Tech Support and huge discounts on service.

Since PopularWireless.com has today been plagued with INTERNAL SERVER ERRORS, INTERMINABLE LOAD TIMES, and in general damned poor service, I decided what the heck I’ll try the special 800 number.

What I get is the PHILIPPINES. Network Solutions is based in the USA but I, a valued GOLD VIP PROGRAM MEMBER get support from a third party company in the Philippines. Nothing has changed. Service as usual. They could CARE LESS, as usual.

There is NO dedicated team to resolve the DAY LONG SITE ISSUES that any reputable company of Network Solution’s size would have detected on its own. There is no priority issue handling as claimed because everybody at Network Solutions is at HOME over the weekend. I did not notice ENHANCED on-line account tools either.

It doesn’t matter how loud you yell, or how strong the language is anymore. American companies just no longer give a damn about about service. The one I work for is of course excluded from that broad brush. Just don’t tell me you work for Network Solutions, because if you do I will HANG UP on your sorry self.

The Internal Server Errors experienced today, the LONG LOAD TIMES are all courtesy of NETWORK SOLUTIONS.

…and PNC Bank is also on my list of financial institutions that could care less about the average Joe.

Apparently when you travel to a foreign country INCLUDING CANADA VIA turns off your ATM card. My wife is currently traveling in Toronto and has NO ACCESS TO HER ACCOUNTS.

When I called my BANK, PNC Bank based in Maryland, and D.C. all they could do was tell me to call a VISA 800 number.

This has been going on for TWO DAYS and she has yet to be able to access an ATM there.

This was NEVER a problem beofre and now it apparently is a VERY BIG problem.

I am POISED to take all of my accounts out of my current bank PnC Bank for their INABILITY and UNWILLINGNESS to help my wife access her funds a few hundred miles outside of the USA.

When you travel to Canada be SURE to call VISA AND TAKE AMERICAN EXPRESS. I am calling American Express Gold Card people next!

I am SO TIRED of being treated like SCUM by so-called American businesses. Damn tired.

You idiots.

http://popularwireless.com/blog1/Km

In some years April Fools Day is better skipped. When your day is already ruined it really yanks your chain when you find a joke blue-screen-of-death program on your company-wide computer network courtesy of a brain-dead fool at a multi-billion software company. In this day and age it amounts to corporate sponsored terrorism.

MicroSoft and Sysinternals created a JOKE program that simulates the infamous blue screen of death. It was installed on a network I use until we figured out from a McAfee warning and a subsequent Google search what it really was. I solicited an employee confession so the offending program could be removed.  I don’t want to be a stick in the mud, but in this day and age this type of joke is really reaching to the bottom of a scummy pond of smelly amoebic slime.

Companies coping with this joke today ought to send MicroSoft the BILL and send McAfee a check.

Microsoft you’re getting my invoice you clueless dopes- not funny.

The license terms for the company’s Safari Web browser on Windows include a curious restriction: “The software allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time.”

(Smarmy marketing behavior 101: This ALL got started when Apple sent an install of Safari through the Itunes automatic update. Many of us didn’t really get it until it was done. I thought Safari was part of Itunes. Silly me. Safari is Apple’s browser! Itunes users everywhere were tricked into installing a new piece of software. Couldn’t Apple think of a better way to encourage others to use their browser using polite competitive marketing technique instead of trickery and deceit?

Interestingly the smarmy marketing people FORGOT to update the product eula that said Safari could be installed on Apple products only. Ooops they were caught! They changed the eula within hours of the world noticing the discrepancy. What was noticed was the trickery. Why does a big company marketing group behave in a smarmy way? Are there smarmy universities that teach smarmy? The world would be a much better place without smarmy.)
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We’re curious what you you think so we have added a poll feature to the blog. In the next column a few inches down you will find four questions that readers are curious about. By all means let us know what you think. You can expand on the points raised by using our forums. Take our polls please!

Call me cynical I guess. The touted tax rebate is a meaningless gesture and will do nothing for the majority of property owners in Maryland. That rebate will not even cover the increase in property taxes we have seen over the last two years. Thirty percent. It will have no “spending effect” for my family. We are taxed by Maryland governments, state and local to the max with no hope in site of relief. The FIRST tax rebate was swallowed up in the same way. The tax money is simply being reallocated to the states!

The politicians are all about spend, spend, spend. When they run out of money they just come get more at the tax payer’s expense. The problem is spending discipline. There is no discipline in Annapolis and there is obviously none in Washington.

The so-called tax rebate is a joke. As one person testifying before Congress put it, it’s like pouring a glass of water in the ocean hoping it will make a difference. The tiny income made from advertising on this website does not come close to even covering the new taxes we have endured in addition to soaring energy costs and gasoline costs.

The economy is a nightmare and the politicians and the American lending businesses  are largely responsible for the problem! This rebate is nothing more than an election year ploy. Count me as one conservative that is completely unimpressed. A tax rebate my foot. Phooey.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Consumer confidence fell to an all-time low as worries about jobs, energy bills and home foreclosures darkened people’s feelings about the country’s economic health and their own financial well-being.

According to the RBC Cash Index, confidence tumbled to a mark of 56.3 in early January.

Click “read more” and visit BreitBart.com for the rest of the story.

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(PopularWireless – Huntingtown, MD) We link to content at other sites. The Internet has always been a place to do that. Niche communities like this one have a way to direct readers to other web sites when the content at those other places is cool enough to link to. Our blog roll is built on the same premise.

Our own content is also posted on these pages. Using the blog format to create content is so much easier than developing a website using the formats we all grew fond of in the 90′s. More articles have appeared here than in the past because of the switch to blogging. PopularWireless began as GMRSWEB.COM in 1997. We may look new but we are ten years old. Blogging brought our community up to date. Maybe we should call it magazine-ing?

It did not take long to discover that the new blog format attracted what lurked beneath the pond-scum of the Internet – spammers and sploggers. We have had our content swiped and linked back to us by splog sites. Over one-hundred comment and track back spams have been attempted but blocked. Thankfully, comment spam and track back spam is easier to control because of Akismet. None of it has gotten through to perplex, insult, and annoy our readers.

The whole situation has made us think whether or not linking to content not our own is even a good idea anymore. Why not just let our readers find their own interesting stuff? The site would seem a much lonelier place and finding interesting content would be dependent upon reader participation in social networking sites and using the search engines. No independent thought would go into building a list of interesting stuff for our readers.

We are looking for an honest way to remain an informative site during a time when the sleaze drive what we do and how we do it more so than perhaps our readers do. What we have done with many of our shared posts from other sources is identify the post as being from another valued source and to encourage our readers to visit the site where the original content lives. Many of our referrals come from DIGG so we bold the “read more” link and italicize our own comments beneath the shared content used to tease the reader into clicking “read more.”

We’re open to other suggestions, because as a serious site we want visitors to keep coming back and we certainly do not want to offend.

PopularWireless is a community website. We’re not not just a blog. The blog is actually new. Our users tend to gravitate more toward the bulletin board community and if you take the time to visit the Personal Wireless BBS you’ll find out why.  We are a community of regular users interested in wireless hobbies, two-way radio, gadets, consumer issues, cellular telephones, you name it. If it has no wires we talk about it here.

The blog is the place to catch up on interesting stories from around the web or to read our own content. We invite YOU to be a part of our wireless community even iof your computer is connected by  wires

(Old News) The manufacturer’s take over of GMRS began with the creation of the twenty-two channel bubble pack. In 2003 TWICE chronicled the major shift by the big guns in the consumer radio toy industry to the bubble packs from real FRS radios.It’s old news but today’s GMRS licensees should never forget. This was written almost five years ago when the manufacturers made the business decision to forget about GMRS licensing  and full speed ahead with the confusing bubble-pack.

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