GMRS/FRS Frequencies

[Mike Thalman]

I use the GMRS/FRS Radios often when chasing with other people I know. I was curious if there is a designated GMRS or FRS Freq that most chaser/spotters use? Also, for GMRS Radios, like CB's you are supposed to get a license. But I thought I heard that for severe wx related communications, you don't need one. Anyone know the answers to the above?

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

I do not know the frequencies used but here is the other info you wanted.

PERTAINING TO LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/...ess.gpo.gov/cfr_2006/octqtr/pdf/47cfr95.3.pdf

PERTAINING TO EMERGENCY USE
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/...s.gpo.gov/cfr_2006/octqtr/pdf/47cfr95.143.pdf

 

[David Drummond]

Also, for GMRS Radios, like CB's you are supposed to get a license. But I thought I heard that for severe wx related communications, you don't need one. Anyone know the answers to the above?

There hasn't been a license requirement for CB radio for about 3 decades now.

 

[Mike Thalman]

Thanks for that info....I guess I'm showing my age, or ignorance on the that! On that note since most GMRS/FRS Radios have the ability to transmit on both frequencies, you would think the FCC would take the same approach on not requiring a license for GMRS.

 

[John Erwin]

Thanks for that info....I guess I'm showing my age, or ignorance on the that! On that note since most GMRS/FRS Radios have the ability to transmit on both frequencies, you would think the FCC would take the same approach on not requiring a license for GMRS.

There shouldn't be any reason for that since FRS doesn't require a license. I think they didn't want GMRS to go to the dogs like CB did.

 

[Francisco Aguirre]

frs/gmrs opinion

some time ago i was very active in Frs/gmrs , in my country this service is not regularized so you can use the power that you want , the equipment that you want (there is people using motorola radios gm300 uhf yep those radios pump 45 watts in the frs range and gp300 (i use a dualband when im bored and two radioshack six miles bubblepack radios with a external antenna jack conected to a ham radio dualband ) ,for the purpose that you want , even when this is a telemetry frequency range , the people use this as security radios , for fast food services , even in the south of chile as link between a medevac chopters and the ground personal , these bubble pack radios are a cheap alternative to short distance comms , even when im active i have a radio friend who is in Quintero 25 kilometers from valparaiso i can hear his voice cristal clear with a modified radioshack , in clear places you can make very good contacts in a area of 3 kilometers , but in the forest or in the city are just a toy because with only 0.5 watts you can penetrate concrete or wood , and do you think about how inefficient is the original antenna when is inside a car , solution (note: not legal in the U.S, it will void your warranty ) open the radio and put a BNC conector instead of the original antenna and hook up a uhf magmount over your car roof nice and efficient ,worked well for me , but is best to have a dual bander so you can have two meter ham band , 430 ham band , and of course 462/467 gmrs band . here the frs/gmrs band in the night especially ch 6 and 1 are like cb ,1 is the contact channel , six is the ragchew channel where all the people talk in rounds , even there is a lot of local hams that also transmit there just for fun , the last year we had a simplex repeater on channel 19 mounted on my shack ,also when there are severe weather alerts are rebrocasted via channel 6 at 9:00 pm . so there are infinite posibilities with this little radios an some mods , but in the highway always a CB or a 2 meter ht will be best .
73 from CD2895 from the southest country in the world

 

[Cris Schroeder]

I've read a bit about the dual FRS/GMRS radios on the ham websites. There are FCC restrictions against the capability to transmit on both licensed and unlicensed bands. That's why you can't buy a combination CB/2m ham rig. For some reason the FRS/GMRS units are sold, apparently legally (I have a pair myself). You need to have the GMRS license to transmit on those frequencies, and I have a hard time believing that the average Jim Bob out there is paying real close attention to whether he's using a FRS or GMRS channel.

If the FCC didn't want GMRS going to the dogs, they never should have allowed the dual-band units to be sold. I don't have a GMRS license and I'm careful to keep my radios on the FRS channels, although there's debate whether even that is technically illegal. I don't worry about it much because I can use hand signals over a longer range than my FRS radios.

 

[Paul Austin]

I use the GMRS/FRS Radios often when chasing with other people I know. I was curious if there is a designated GMRS or FRS Freq that most chaser/spotters use?

I don't know the answer to this question, but if you are using handheld units with the built-in antennae (non-external), I would suggest testing all frequencies with your existing video equipment. My team rather painfully ruined some of our footage from 5/5/2007 due to undetected interference. During each transmit, the video fuzzed out, and we didn't notice until next day.

 

[Mike Thalman]

Cris-
What do you mean by using "hand signals"?

 

[Cris Schroeder]

My cheap FRS radios are less than line-of-sight. I can see my wife waving from our yard farther away than I can hear her on the FRS. We tried using them between vehicles when we were moving a few years ago, and we had a hard time receiving each other when only a few carlengths apart.

I'd junk the pair, if I knew of something that worked better. They work about as good as my old Emergency! walkie-talkies from the 70's (without the cool morse code button).

 

[Mike Thalman]

Than I'm probably transmitting on GMRS. Out in the plains I would get around 6mi average, but in areas such as forested areas that number goes way down. I guess the way I look at it is, that if the FCC allows GMRS/FRS combo units to be sold. They can't possibly expect everyone out there to get a GMRS license! So I will be using the GMRS until the FCC knocks on my door! As long as it is used in a professional matter I find it hard to believe that anyone will encounter any problems.

 

[Patrick McCarthy]

In Canada, they dropped the license requirement for GMRS a couple of years ago. When I head down to the U.S. I'm wary of the GMRS requirement but it's never come up. I'm guessing the FCC will drop the requirement soon. As for Paul's interference comment, I also learned the hard way with using a cell phone nex t to my dash mounted video camera. Lines appear every time I transmitted. KEEP radio devices away from those video cameras!

Pat