frs/murs cross band link? legal? - Page 2

mformby · #21 (**permalink**) 07-28-2012, 10:45 PM

You are stepping out of bounds for FRS radios. You can't make a race car out of a Model-T. If you want several people to talk to each other get a business license, a repeater and the necessary number of portable radios.

quarterwave · #22 (**permalink**) 08-22-2012, 2:45 PM

LOL. Murstech needs a Ham license.

The great thing about radio is you can do all kinds of neat things...in the shop with a dummy load and no power, if you must just see that it works.

Extend my scanner using a vox FRS radio? Sure. Not legal, but what part of the FRS license says you can't rebroadcast that, or accidently leave your FRS on Vox in the room or car with the scanner? Right...there is no FRS License.

Keep it legal and don't stretch the rules. I created all kind of links and patches when I worked in radio, and some were necessary for law and fire, on a temporary basis...and we got FCC approval for it.

One was for connecting 2 UHF high profile repeaters with 2 watt in-band links....it is licensed and still on the air today.

So maybe I will go fire up a 100 Watt MSF5000 on FRS with a 50 MURS simulcast, linked to a remote GMRS repeater that is linked to a 850Mhz control base...and talk on it from my portable. LOL.

NDRADIONUT · #23 (**permalink**) 09-08-2012, 11:40 PM

I would think a yaesu ft 8800 would do the job rather well....

gewecke · #24 (**permalink**) 09-09-2012, 1:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDRADIONUT

I would think a yaesu ft 8800 would do the job rather well....

Sure, except that's a ham rig and not accepted for FRS.

73,
n9zas

grem467 · #25 (**permalink**) 09-09-2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WQFM513

why not? both bands are license free, and you wouldn't be transmitting over the legal wattage for the band your radio is in.

This is where the confusion sets in... MURS/FRS/CB are not "license free" they are "licensed by rule". The fundamental difference is that as long as you comply with the rules (Part 95) then you are licensed to operate. If you do not, the FCC considers it unlicensed operation and can impose sanctions.

elk2370bruce · #26 (**permalink**) 09-09-2012, 2:08 PM

Knowingly illegal operations = stupid and usually ends badly for the bank account.

MeddleMan · #27 (**permalink**) 09-20-2012, 5:46 AM

...this thread is more than a year old, I wonder if this project was done?

We hams in our area, tried this on 2m and 70cm, yet it seemed to be somewhat unpopular. Sure, it worked well. Sometimes it still is employed. I don't know anyone that still does it regularly.

Handie-talkie to car, to repeater for use through-out the area, and back was fun to think about and use. So was the repeater controlled auto patch, and the simplex repeater. Ideas were discussed as to how useful such things are in an emergency. Now of course there are cell phones and the use of the patch is gone, at least here it is.

I don't know of many radios these days are produced for cross-band capability. Seems to be a feature not so much desired by the buying public. Maybe those days are over.

Actually, it has become difficult to get anyone new interested in the hobby. Gonna have to start there.

MTS2000des · #28 (**permalink**) 09-20-2012, 7:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murstech

No its not legal but.. Guess what Im building?
Its a 25 watt uniden marine radio I have modified to use on MURS. I am using a small FRS walkie talkie to connect to it and making a control board that will act just like the mobile extenders the California Police use.

So.. Right now I get about 8-12 miles on MURS between base and mobile both running 25 watts. What Im going to be able to do is flip a switch in my car to activate the extender. Then when Im in the grocery store I can use a small FRS walkie talkie to talk back to home base!

Since all of this is basically illegal I might as well add a connector to the FRS radio in the car to extend the range. In fact this is all going to be mounted inside a project box and Im going to use a homemade remote control box mounted to my dash.

What I don't get about people like this...
you spend all the money on bootleg radios, why not just get a HAM license and do this on HAM? It's 100 percent legal, done everyday, and so long as you're not running a business with it, you're free to use it for any non-commercial activity.

It's like the guys who go out and drop thousands to get a "look alike" police car, then get popped for impersonating.

why not just go legit and have fun the RIGHT way?

krokus · #29 (**permalink**) 09-20-2012, 7:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeddleMan

I don't know of many radios these days are produced for cross-band capability. Seems to be a feature not so much desired by the buying public. Maybe those days are over.

Kenwood, Icom and Yaesu all offer current models with cross-band repeat built-in.

quarterwave · #30 (**permalink**) 09-22-2012, 9:24 PM

I agree...I think we used to do these kinds of things back in the day at the tech school I went to...it was called Lab and we used breadboards.

I've gotten to work with lots of great radio equipment in my career, so I don't do any experiments...I know what will and won't work...and whats more...whats legal.

On the cop car thing....yeah I had a black 4wd tahoe with a M1225 Moto, and BC780 stacked on the floor, and a VHF and UHF 1/4 wave on the roof....took it to get the windows tinted and the dude said "you work for the Sheriff's Dept?. I said "No, anyone can drive a black tahoe and own radios".

Around here if you buy a red truck or SUV people think you are a fireman wannabe...good lord.

I am really thinking about going down the dodge dealer and get a new 3/4 ram 4wd crew cab in the National Fire Green/Yellow color they offer and when people ask, I am going to tell them I am the fire chief at the airport.....(we dont have an airport around here for 60 miles or so....save for a self service strip) LOL

gewecke · #31 (**permalink**) 09-23-2012, 10:51 AM

73,
n9zas

General_Johnny_Reb · #32 (**permalink**) 09-30-2012, 4:06 PM

Unless you live close to a Walmart or fast food place that uses murs, the chance of getting caught is minimal. It is unlawful to build a cross band repeater, but if you do then at least do it right. If you are using low power, then a cheap radio tone cross band repeater with cables can be obtained on eBay for less than 100 bucks. A vox repeater is dirty and not very useful. It would be best you all standardize and be legal, but if you want to pirate, at least pirate right.

Mike_G_D · #33 (**permalink**) 09-30-2012, 7:24 PM

Take a look at post #8 of this old thread where I describe this very thing (FRS-MURS crossband link): Does anyone know the COSTCO freqs?.

-Mike

WQFM513 · #34 (**permalink**) 10-01-2012, 11:58 PM

the original idea never did happen. all it was was a question about the legality of such a thing. it would have been a lot of fun to build though.

quarterwave · #35 (**permalink**) 11-07-2012, 3:06 PM

Along these same lines, I know of a guy who would just happen to leave his FRS portable which had vox laying on the console of his truck in front of his scanner....and then carry the other FRS with him while he was out of the truck. Made his own MRE! He was monitoring VHF/UHF and 800 Trunked with the scanner.

I know...not ok to do...but I never said anything about it...because if a kid can go into Walmart and buy a FRS radio and key up and say or broadcast anything he wants with no chance of any kind of consequences....they why should I worry about this. I do follow the rules myself, but when manufacturers make radios that will do this...there are even FRS intercoms out there (you can hear about anything on those and some things you don't wan to!) there is no one to blame but the FCC and maufacturers/retailers.

robertmac · #36 (**permalink**) 11-07-2012, 9:15 PM

was good in the good old days before some felt it was their right to abuse it. I wonder if this isn't the way the entire radio spectrum is headed?

Coffeemug · #37 (**permalink**) 01-26-2013, 6:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WQFM513

why not? both bands are license free, and you wouldn't be transmitting over the legal wattage for the band your radio is in.

During times of communication crisis I don't see why the FCC would object to crossbanding FRS to MURS, GMRS to MURS.

As it state any mode of communication is alway welcome during all emergency situations.

gewecke · #38 (**permalink**) 01-26-2013, 6:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeemug

During times of communication crisis I don't see why the FCC would object to crossbanding FRS to MURS, GMRS to MURS.

As it state any mode of communication is alway welcome during all emergency situations.

Emergency or not, it's still not legal as the above posts explain. It's not worth putting your license in jeapordy.

73,
n9zas

spd640 · #39 (**permalink**) 01-26-2013, 8:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeemug

During times of communication crisis I don't see why the FCC would object to crossbanding FRS to MURS, GMRS to MURS.

As it state any mode of communication is alway welcome during all emergency situations.

Why would you do this,so you could sit around and pray for an emergency? It seems like on several post of illegal nature people want to buy equipment "just in case" like using Ham radio without a license when hiking in case you have trouble,it just makes no sense.

I guess people get up in the morning and think hey I am going to a area where I might have a accident or something so lets go down to the nearest store and buy what ever radio I want to use just in case I find a need to use it illegally and think I can't be held responsible for my actions.....