• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

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    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

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    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

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So glad I chose MURS.

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ChetsJug

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After 3 months of off and on searching work, I bumped into this very in-depth FAQ with answers to many questions on MURS. There are rules that tell you what kind of radio you can use if you cannot find an authorizes mobile unit made with an FCC ID for the band. It has to be pre a certain date and other stuff. The thing I like about this FAQ is that there are part 95 rule numbers next to almost everything the document says. No guessing or speculating. I love it :)

MURS: Frequently Asked Questions (and yes, it'ss on Darth Vaders List in his Sticky. It's also the easiest to read and understand, so I'm repeating the link).

Then check out the hyperlinks at the bottom of the page for GMRS and other FAQ's

Next:
I was wondering if anyone here knows if there were ANY mobile units made with a MURS application in mind. I cannot find a mobile radio with an FCC ID listed. Maybe someone has a manufacturer's list? I know that there are people that have *amazing* knowledge and resources on such things :)

I have talked to a few truckers that have heard of and are interested in MURS, but it seems to be something that never got off the ground. If no mobiles were made, it would be kinda hard to sell it to the public. I read in the FCC hearings that Tandy had allot to say against MURS in the beginning and I'm sure it's never been sold in his stores. Maybe that's why it never took off... Radio shack had such an influence on C.B.'s for the poor man.

So far I have bought a couple of MURS outfits. At the house I use 2 electric eyes and a base station so the miss can hear anyone entering the front or back yards. I also have an electric eye and an HT with me in the truck. It's the cheapest way to have a "PageAlert" style alarm without having to "wire" the truck. I just set up the alarm transmitter in the sleeper, pointing at the center floor. Anyone gets into the truck is going to step to the floor as soon as they turn sideways: *Alert Zone One" hehe. I can hear someone getting into my cab from a restaurant a mile or two away if I decide to go that far. From the truck stop restaurant, I can be at the cab in 30 seconds! Even if they see the alarm box and take it apart, I have already received the instant alert. I'll be at the cab about the time they take the batteries out.

If you don't want to confront your robbers, you can warn them off with a audio yelper, the base has a hook up for wires to a siren. When it receives the alarm code, the relay will sound the alarm for a You just leave the base unit somewhere in the cab and it will receive the same radio alarm you get on your HT. It's radio, anyone on your channel within 2 miles will hear it lol.

As for a base station at the house, I have a small magnet mount VHF antenna on the swamp cooler for the moment. The metal top cooler in the center of the roof makes for a nice ground plane. I'll get a 30' tower soon. I am using the Dakota Alert for a base & I'm looking for a compatible external mic to plug in.

The above FAQ also explains all the "Data" rules. And another radio website had a ton of ideas for the data usage for remote things. They have a VHF MURS Channel Data Radio Modem for your computer???

I'm not endorsing the site okay, but here it is so you can go get ideas...

Narrow Band VHF Data Radio | MURS Channel Data Radios ... The top left box has links to
"Solutions by Industry" Smart Grid, Oil and Gas Telemetry, Remote Irrigation, Utilities Management, Weather Monitoring and a few things I've never heard of!

Think of the "green" and other possibilities. If you used some of the commercial applications around the house, you could control many things remotely with one computer.

I think MURS needs to be built up and brought back to life. It's the best comparable substitute for the CB; power and distance wise.. Id like to see mobile unit made. Of course using the HT with a magnet mount antenna will work, but what a pain in the butt. You have to zip the coax and power wires together making it kinda stiff. The MURS base radios are ridicules for a mobile application, though they are fine for your motor home out on the dry lake bed to call the troops to dinner. You can use one of those tall RV flag poles to get height and get out further. Also better to receive a distress call from someone in the ditch on his dirt bike several miles out in the desert. A big advantage over FRS HT's sitting on a picnic table.

t.t.f.n.

Chet
 

mikepdx

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Messages
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If you're a voice only user of MURS, you don't
want anyone, anywhere near you using data.

Even though the rules REQUIRE that one shares
channels and does not interfere, data radios do not
listen for voice activity on the channel and wait before transmitting.
They just start transmitting over the top of voice transmissions.

Ask the manufacturer/retailer how their data units comply
with FCC regulations regarding channel sharing and non-interference.
 
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bill4long

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Indianapolis
Id like to see mobile unit made.

You could just use a ham radio, tune it to a MURS freq and run it on a mag mount. Nobody will be the wiser. People and truckers do it around here all the time. (Cue the legal beagles. Yawn) Or better yet, get a ham license. Any imbecile can pass the "tech" test these days. I think my dog even could.
 

ChetsJug

Member
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Messages
90
Thanks Mike, I never thought of that.

Hi Bill! So yeah, the rules accounted for using *older* radios that have a FCC ID made for those freqs, before MURS was created. Then you have to have it at 2 watts and not have a switch for higher. True you can do anything you want and the FCC will probably never care as long as you don't get a complaint for interference. But the full requirements for using non murs mobiles are spelled out in the FAQ. It's amazing the FCC put this into account.

happy radioing :)
 

KF5YDR

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+1 on the 2W MaxTrac. If you can find one that's for sure the 2W model, you have an advantage cos most people don't want them.
 

jhooten

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Radio shack 19-1210 can still be found on the unnameable auction site. The prices on them have been creeping up over the years as folks have discovered they are usable on the two 154.xx channels.
 

DPD1

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Where MURS operates, really is a nice spot in the spectrum. Lots of good qualities to that portion. Unfortunately, MURS has gone the way of CB in many areas... Lots of goofballs running illegal power and creating havoc. But that's probably not something you'd worry about in less urban areas.
 

KD8DVR

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Columbus, Ohio
Where MURS operates, really is a nice spot in the spectrum. Lots of good qualities to that portion. Unfortunately, MURS has gone the way of CB in many areas... Lots of goofballs running illegal power and creating havoc. But that's probably not something you'd worry about in less urban areas.

Really? sorry to hear that. I wouldn't worry about the illegal power. VHF is so line of sight that increased power isn't going to hurt too much FM capture should let you and your local users still communicate.. plus with PL/DPL, that can help some.

It's dead in my area, with sporadic commercial traffic.
 

KB7MIB

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Location
Peoria, AZ.
I was also going to mention Radio Shack's 19-1210 mobile radio. It was programmed by dip switches for a number of business and MURS channels. However, the radio itself only had 2-3 'memory' channels, so you can't program in all 5 channels.
I don't recall if it was capable of or legal on the three 151 MHz channels.

Several years back, there used to be a handful of guys on one of the 151 MHz channels here in the Phoenix metro area. They had solid coverage across much of the northern and western section of the metro area. Whether they were operating legally, or operating illegally using modified Ham radios, I don't know. They were on the air for a few months at least, then disappeared.

If MURS is going the way of CB/'Freeband' in some areas, it's because of those using, and advocating the use of, illegal radios, excessive power, and/or over height antennas. It's the entitlement attitude so many have today, that they should be able to do what they want, when they want, the way they want, and to Hell with anybody else, or the rules.
 

jhooten

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Can't seem to find my manual. But I recall they are only wide modulation and will not do the 151.xx channels. Mine is programmed with only the two 154.xx channels because of that.
 

KF5YDR

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It's not entitlement, and I'm sick hearing that from the older generation. That's a facile argument that doesn't take any of the current situation into account, and assumes that everything stays the same forever. We aren't spoiled. It's not selfish. We just have little respect for government authority because they deserve none, and we don't believe in people "knowing their place", so we make decisions for ourselves and try to be mindful of the rights of others.

Everyone speeds, but the majority of accidents aren't caused by speed, they're caused by stupidity or intoxication. I see running 5W into a duck on MURS the same way; you aren't going to wipe anyone out with an extra 3W.

Now if you're running 100W into a colinear on a tower on MURS , that's like driving drunk, and yeah, that's not cool, and there need to be discouraging penalties.
 
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KB7MIB

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I'm a 44 year old Gen X'er, so I'm not quite the older generation, unless you're a Gen Y or a Millenial.
I was taught that if you don't like the rules, work within the system to change it. Until then, you follow the rules, you don't ignore them. And you don't make excuses for not following them.
Am I perfect? Do I follow every rule, regulation and law on the books to the letter? Probably not. I'm sure I've broken more than a few myself. Do I go around deliberately ignoring them because I disagree with them? Or advocate doing so? No, I don't.
I'd love to be able to open up my two dual-band Ham radios and use them on 2M, 70cm, MURS and GMRS as an all-in-one radio. Or at least buying some commercial grade VHF/UHF dual-bander and using it for MURS and GMRS. And there's little chance of getting caught if I did. But the regulations prohibit it, so I have not and will not. (Yes, I have a GMRS license as well.)
You don't think the goverment deserves respect? Then stand up and do something about it. Effect the change that you think it needs to become respectable once more. But do not go around ignoring rules and laws that they enact because you think they don't deserve respect. That's a pathetic excuse of the lazy, and it only reflects your poor character.
And I'm done.
 

KF5YDR

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You have no information to draw the conclusion that I'm not doing everything I can within the system. I just don't like having the 'kids these days' wand waved over me.

Anyway. It would be nice to see more manufacturers produce pre-programmed MURS units. We've got sixty-seven billion bubblepack FRS talkies, but the MURS options seem to be Dakota (which in my experience is pretty crummy) and a couple Motorola options (which cost like they say Motorola on them).
Heck, let's see some digital MURS transceivers! Just about every modulation type under the sun is legal on MURS, let's see more things like the GoTenna. Or something like the Garmin FRS radio that has the GPS built in, only on a band better suited to open terrain.
 

tj20

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Wal mart has been lucky that murs has not caught on, and I wonder if they have been smart enough to be a reason for that. I don't understand a billion dollar company not getting their own licensed frequency, although murs did used to need one. I would love to see the pissing match between one of these high and mighty co managers or store managers and people legally using murs
 

gewecke

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Wal mart has been lucky that murs has not caught on, and I wonder if they have been smart enough to be a reason for that. I don't understand a billion dollar company not getting their own licensed frequency, although murs did used to need one. I would love to see the pissing match between one of these high and mighty co managers or store managers and people legally using murs

It's already happened a few thousand times now...
There are archived RR threads on this subject if you search for them. :roll:

73,
n9zas
 

gewecke

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You have no information to draw the conclusion that I'm not doing everything I can within the system. I just don't like having the 'kids these days' wand waved over me.

Anyway. It would be nice to see more manufacturers produce pre-programmed MURS units. We've got sixty-seven billion bubblepack FRS talkies, but the MURS options seem to be Dakota (which in my experience is pretty crummy) and a couple Motorola options (which cost like they say Motorola on them).
Heck, let's see some digital MURS transceivers! Just about every modulation type under the sun is legal on MURS, let's see more things like the GoTenna. Or something like the Garmin FRS radio that has the GPS built in, only on a band better suited to open terrain.

Luckily in my area, MURS is wide open for use. Only 3 users in my area total, a family uses ch.2 walmart uses ch.4 and our court system maint. guys use ch.5 with a dpl. Very seldom do I ever hear out of the area chatter.

73,
n9zas
 

EmilyWolf

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You could just use a ham radio, tune it to a MURS freq and run it on a mag mount. Nobody will be the wiser. People and truckers do it around here all the time. (Cue the legal beagles. Yawn) Or better yet, get a ham license. Any imbecile can pass the "tech" test these days. I think my dog even could.

Haha yeah preppers even use the freqiencies for repeaters. I agree though he should just get the tech license. The MURS satisfaction will wear off soon enough.
 

ChetsJug

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how weird, I have the 5 murs channels programmed into a desktop scanner and have not heard much activity as I travel around. I will have to turn it on the next time I deliver to a wally world dist center and see if I can hear them. Maybe I can announce a few Blue Light Specials on Aisle 4 hahaha
 

baltimorecs

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There are many IG licenses on MURS channels near me. For example have several businesses in my area licensed for 154.6. (MURS 5/Blue dot). I have always wondered why they overlap like that.
 
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