FRS in Commercial Service

[W2MR]

I thought that the first application of FRS radios was for use by family groups and no use by commercial operarors, like stores, was allowed. When did this change? Is it legal in commercial applications?

[nd5y]

FRS has been like that from day 1. Nothing has changed since its creation.

[quarterwave]

It's just a cheap way for businesses to avoid paying for a real license and a real radio like they should. Then they just don't understand how people can hear them, "interfere" with them, and why the radios last about a month before they break in commercial service.

[W2MR]

And it seems that everyone uses Channel One right out of the box!

[W2NJS]

I see this all the time with road crews who are controlling single-lane road repair work. Need radios? Go to Wal-Mart and buy a double blister pack for $24.95 and just ignore the rules. What a country!

[rapidcharger]

FRS can be used for business and personal. There used to be a some business oriented frs radios by the big 3 radio makers aimed at retail stores, small warehouses etc.

In addition, some of the FRS frequencies ARE currently assigned to LMR business pool licensees. Do a search on the ULS and you'll see. So you may be hearing that.

[rapidcharger]

Originally Posted by W2NJS

I see this all the time with road crews who are controlling single-lane road repair work. Need radios? Go to Wal-Mart and buy a double blister pack for $24.95 and just ignore the rules. What a country!

Again, this is not against the rules.
Read this...
Family Radio Service (FRS) | FCC.gov
under "licensing"

Don't get your panties in a bunch.

[W2MR]

This proves my point. From the 1996 report and order.

A. Need for the FRS
3. Proposal. Our goal in proposing to establish the FRS was to provide families,
friends and associates the capability to communicate with one another over a very short range,
typically a few city blocks. We envisioned the FRS as facilitating activities around the home,
throughout the neighborhood, at group outings and at activities where group members become
separated, either planned or inadvertently. The FRS also would be useful to hunters, campers,
hikers, bicyclists and other outdoor activity enthusiasts who need to communicate with other
members of their party who are out of speaking range or sight but still in the same general area.
Further, we believed the FRS would create new jobs as well as provide more choices for
consumers.

[gewecke]

On the other hand... WAY too many businesses are infringing on the licensed users of GMRS as they repeatedly use the output channels for their business and have no clue what the rules are! Some here will argue that they are "grandfathered" from their previous license, but the truth is most of those grandfathered licenses have expired, so business use privilege use has also expired!

The CIRA or Central Ill. Regional Airport authority has refueling trucks that use 462.625/ 167.9 every day with no license at all, and seem to have no idea that they are not on a business allocation, while CIRA also has a licensed repeater on the air as well.
This is probably one of many that others here have heard as well using GMRS, licensed or not.

73,
n9zas

[rapidcharger]

Originally Posted by W2MR

This proves my point. From the 1996 report and order <snip>.

Your point? What point was that again?

[robertmac]

And the point is most commercial users thing it is their own "frequency" and they swear at any young kids that happen to be talking on it. Or they use their own filthy language that scares young kids away or teaches them new filthy slang! AKA CB.

[W2MR]

My point was that the original idea was to provide families and such cheap short-range communications.

I understand that it's legal for commercial operators to use. They do a good job for small distances

[gewecke]

Occasionally I hear a local restaurant trying to chase kids off the frs channels, so kindly reminding the business(es) what frs means and technically they are the outsiders not the kids or families is needed.

73,
n9zas

[rapidcharger]

Yeah I don't know why any business around here would turn on an FRS radio, listen to all the children noises, singing, cops and robbers games etc and say "this sounds like a good place to set up operations" because that's mostly what you hear. I do often hear some tower climbers using FRS on nearby towers but I take it they have set their expectations accordingly. There's also a lot of construction workers and they never speak english.

At the same time, if you're a parent concerned that someone is going to cuss out your 5 year old for using "their channel" then you also need to remember that it's a shared radio service and it wasn't intended to be a toy either. They still make 49 mhz G.I. Joe Walkie Talkies and 900 mhz spread spectrum walkie talkies if you want a toy for the ankle biters to play with.

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

i think the problem is, that unless you're a radio hobbyist, or take the time to investigate it, all people see is a walkie-talkie. They probably don't even know that there are rules at all.

[quarterwave]

Originally Posted by KB7MIB

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

i think the problem is, that unless you're a radio hobbyist, or take the time to investigate it, all people see is a walkie-talkie. They probably don't even know that there are rules at all.

That has always been my realization, but it's like saying you didn't know there was a speed limit, because there was no sign in the last 3 miles you traveled.

The combo GMRS/FRS units, which are mostly what are sold these days, has something in the manual an/or on the package that talks about GMRS being a licensed service. But who reads that? Same people who don't know what a YIELD sign is on an exit ramp.

[gewecke]

Originally Posted by quarterwave

That has always been my realization, but it's like saying you didn't know there was a speed limit, because there was no sign in the last 3 miles you traveled.

The combo GMRS/FRS units, which are mostly what are sold these days, has something in the manual an/or on the package that talks about GMRS being a licensed service. But who reads that? Same people who don't know what a YIELD sign is on an exit ramp.

Good analogy!

73,
n9zas

[MeddleMan]

Just hit the adults with a fifty watt radio and say "Who's on my channel?" and see how many respond with "Sorry!" Works just about every time. I can play the Radio Pirate, too!

[RIVERSMVP09]

or drive near a store with the frs radios and say CODE BLUE IN ELECTRONI CS!

[quarterwave]

I am hearing a business on GMRS 1 PL 67.0....so today they will contend with my 50 watt Repeater that is about a mile from them....and has a Zetron panel, which I just happened to turn on that PL on last night.