Tell Me about Sorrenson

[Networkwiz]

I just ordered the Sorenson DNA kit.? I am already tested for 37 markers on FTDNA.com and have my markers on Ysearch.org also.? So I want to know how happy everyone is with the Sorenson site?? Since it is free, I have no room to complain, but I am really trying to get past a roadblock and it seems they have a much larger database of users.

Is it worthwhile or am I wasting my time?? My King line dead ends in PA in the 1700's.? I assume the name was changed from something else, but I have no real clue other than my haplotype of R1b.? And I am not sure if FTDNA tests further to find the subgroups below the base haplotypes.?

As you can see, I am into the detective work of tracking down where I come from and who we were.? A few years ago I did not even know my great granfathers name, and now I have a lot of information that I never knew before, because of others who research and post on the web.?

Good Hunting to all of you,

[David Sigmon]

I am very pleased with the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation and have used them as my only testing source. It is unclear from your message whether you knew that you can search their database now with the markers you already have from FTDNA; you may find more matches due to their large number of submitters. It does take a while for them to post your testing results to their database (maybe up to 18 months) and they will not send you your results, but with a little trial and error you can figure out your marker values through their search function. (You simply begin by doing a surname search with random values from the pull down menus for each unknown marker. After you perform the search, you will be taken to a results page. Click on the pedigree charts of a few matches until you find yours. You'll see checks for marker values you got right. Write those values down, then refine your search by trying new values for the remaining unknown markers until you guess them correctly.)

[LJONAS]

Everything you can do to find more matches is worthwhile.  More than 50,000 people have submitted samples to the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, and I have submitted at least 30 samples of different family members to them.  So far, the SMGF has released Y-chomosome results and allows you to search its database by surname or by genetic markers. If you think your surname changed, search by genetic markers. The SMGF plans to allow searches of mitochondrial DNA in the future, too.

I completely agree with the comments of David Sigmon.

Contributing your results will give you more markers to compare and another way to help genetic genealogy. As more and more people submit their kits, the potential is enormous for learning more about our ancestors.  The price is right--free!