Which DNA Database to use for child parent find.

[GuitarManCan]

It is possible I could have children in there 20's in Canada and or Scandinavia.

This week I just met a 1/2 sister who found us through a DNA database. I have 6, 1/2 siblings only meeting two of them at birth. I met a brother at 14, sister at 17, brother at 21 and this new sister at age 45. I met my DNA dad at 17 but only confirmed (for him) with a paternity test at 32. I met a daughter of mine 4 years ago.

Today I've happily married raising 2 teenage kids.

I've had a lifetime of not knowing immediate relatives and don't wish this upon anyone else. I'm not looking for judgemental statements on my past, in my 20's I met a lot of women while performing in entertainment venues.

I did not realize how well DNA databanks are growing and can work with a match.

I want to put my DNA in the best (maybe largest) database so that if I happen to be the birth father of someone who is looking, they will find me. I'd want them to find and contact me and not a 1/2 aunt ( the sister who I just met) or 1st cousin (DNA match to my 1/2 sister).

My DNA Database choices with estimate #'s from the wild web:
- AncestryDNA - 3 million January 2017
- 23andMe - 2 million in April.
- Family Tree DNA - 800,000 guess
- MyHeritage - Dunno but most likely the smallest.

I'm also interested to verify my ethnic regions but my main goal is, to give a chance to a child I don't know about if they're looking, the ability to find me.

Now that I've written this post which database size research and knowledge that my 1/2 sister's DNA is in 23andme, maybe I should submit to the larger AncestryDNA...

Unless anyone here has advice otherwise.

Thanks
GuitarManCan

[mgeneas]

I would test first with ancestry, then you can download your raw data from them and upload it into My Heritage and Family Tree DNA.
I have done this - If I can then anyone can!

Good luck

[davidft]

One thing you need to keep in mind is that having your DNA in a database such as Ancestry doesn't mean it will be accessible to all, it won't. Most of these DNA testing sites require you to test with them before you can see the results of other peoples test (in the broadest sense obviously).

What I suggest you need is to put your results on as many sites as you are happy with but make sure at least one of them is free to join, for that I suggest Gedmatch.com. If you do test with any company you will find you can transfer your results to lots of other sites at little or no cost and the more widely available your results are the better for your intended purpose.

Still one word of caution genealogical DNA testing is still a very small minority activity so its hit or miss what results if any that you get.  Good luck.

[GuitarManCan]

Thanks for the replies I have understood that each database and service is different and have limitations of accessibility.

Thanks for Gedmatch.com suggestion, which I noticed in my research.

I believe it's about 1% of the population has been DNA tested or are in a public databank. Regardless of actual, the percentage it's low. For me though, this is about doing the right thing. Percentage of persons who do not know who their father is low. If a possible child of mine gets to the point where my 1/2 sister just did (zero info on birth father and becomes new parent wanting hereditary disease info) then I want to make it easy for them to find answers.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that having your DNA in a database such as Ancestry doesn't mean it will be accessible to all, it won't. Most of these DNA testing sites require you to test with them before you can see the results of other peoples test (in the broadest sense obviously).

What I suggest you need is to put your results on as many sites as you are happy with but make sure at least one of them is free to join, for that I suggest Gedmatch.com. If you do test with any company you will find you can transfer your results to lots of other sites at little or no cost and the more widely available your results are the better for your intended purpose.

Still one word of caution genealogical DNA testing is still a very small minority activity so its hit or miss what results if any that you get.  Good luck.

[sugarfizzle]

GuitarMan

Definitely submit to ancestry for the largest database, especially as your half sister has been tested with 23andMe.

As long as you both upload to other sites so that others looking can compare to you, between you you will have access to several million testers.

Gedmatch I have found is mainly of use to compare known kit numbers, rather than to find unknown more distant matches.  However, if you and your half sister, and any future closely related testers, uploaded to Gedmatch, a close match would be apparent without much work.

More distant matches require a lot of time and effort to work through, which not everyone is prepared to do.

The results from genealogy point of view are very rewarding, though I appreciate it is not your main purpose for testing. I would ask you perhaps to respond to messages from others who are interested to find out how you are connected to them, and perhaps start a family tree at Ancestry.

Margaret