• 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.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

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

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    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).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Is there an emergency channel on GMRS/FRS?

Status
Not open for further replies.

kc0bus

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2015
Messages
86
Greetings,
I was just wondering if anyone might happen to know if there is any kind of agreed-upon official or semi-official emergency channel in the GMRS/FRS service, and if so, what is it?
Thank you
 

firecatohio

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
240
Location
Logan, oh
ch#20
462.675 tx
467.675 rx
PL 141.3
Nationwide emergency and road info calling.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

robertmac

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,290
ch#20
462.675 tx
467.675 rx
PL 141.3
Nationwide emergency and road info calling.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

For those readers that are in Canada, note that there are no repeater use on GMRS. As someone replied to the similar post in the Budget and Entry Level Transceivers Post, within Canada GMRS/FRS has such low power and thus low range, one could wave to others in an emergency. Since most GMRS/FRS in Canada are used by kids and everyone uses different PLs, really meaningless for GMRS/FRS emergency frequency. I believe on another thread somewhere there was mention of 462.5625 as a talking frequency. But with the range so limited, a megaphone might be better.
 
Last edited:
D

DaveNF2G

Guest
A designated emergency channel only works if someone is designated to monitor it. CB Channel 9 is monitored by REACT, where there is a REACT club. In the other services, most users only want to hear their own traffic. CTCSS blocks out everything else, including emergency calls. There aren't that many licensed entities in GMRS (with the possible exception of REACT) or in the "business" services like MURS that are going to spend time monitoring a frequency when they don't need to be using it.
 

03msc

RF is RF
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Messages
3,962
Location
The Natural State
Seems quite odd to me that an emergency channel would be a pair of frequencies, with a tone, to access a repeater. So there are repeaters nationwide to cover all areas someone might be in when in an emergency situation? OK, that was a sarcastically asked question and I don't mean it to be taken as rudely as some might but think about that - it doesn't make sense. If there is such, it should be a simplex frequency CSQ so there is better chance that you are heard.

If that is the official "national emergency channel" it seems to have been ill-thought...but maybe that's just me and how I see it? :confused:
 

mmckenna

I ♥ Ø
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
23,617
Location
Hiding in a coffee shop.
Yeah, good point. I think REACT had some plans to monitor 675, but that obviously never happened.
Somewhere I have a copy of the old GMRS guide book that was put out many years ago. I remember there were actually quite a few 675/141.3 repeaters out there, but coverage "nationwide" was never even close. I did find in many areas that there were active repeaters on this pair with the right tone, but getting someone to answer was never a reality.

Obviously never a good idea to suggest there is any sort of emergency response available on a consumer grade radio service. There was a guy back in the early 2000's that was trying to get FRS Channel 1 set up as a default "emergency" channel. Again, never happened.

I don't think anyone really believes it's a reality, and I haven't heard anyone bring it up in many years.
 

KB7MIB

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
4,194
Location
Peoria, AZ.
There have been suggestions that where repeaters exist on the 675 pair, or if a new repeater is installed, that they have the 141.3 Hz tone available for travelers assistance/emergency use, but it was never mandated. Base station and mobile station units were also encouraged to monitor 675/141.3 when not otherwise actively communicating with another station on another channel/tone.

There have been suggestions that FRS users monitor ch 1 with a 67.0 Hz tone (channel 1 - tone 1) when not actively communicating with someone else for the same, but again, it was never mandated. (Use ch 1/tone 1, or better yet, ch 1/CSQ, as a "calling channel", then switch to a "working channel" to complete your communications, then switch back to ch 1 again.)

In the areas that you find them monitored, it is entirely voluntary. This may be a club/group, or just civic minded individuals.

Although I am licensed, I don't currently have a working GMRS radio. However, when I take a random roadtrip out of the Phoenix area, one of my scanners is typically scanning all of the MURS/FRS/GMRS channels in CSQ, as well as the five 49 MHz Part 15 frequencies, and the Amateur FM simplex calling channels (and an AM calling channel or two.)

If the capability doesn't currently exist in your area, why not start monitoring yourself? You don't have to be a member of REACT, or any other club/group to listen to the channels. (You can't claim REACT, et al, membership if you're not a member, but you don't have to be a member to monitor.) Even if your station only covers a few square miles simplex, that's a few square miles that would be covered, when before they weren't.

John
WPXJ598
Peoria, AZ
 
D

DaveNF2G

Guest
Most FRS users have no clue about radio services, rules, recommendations for emergency use, or anything else. A very large percentage of them are children who use the radios as toys.
 

n1das

Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2003
Messages
1,601
Location
Nashua, NH
675 being officially designated for emergency and traveler assistance went away on 2/16/1999 when the FCC went to all-channel licensing for GMRS.

The 675 repeater pair w/PL141.3 previously was reserved for emergency and traveler assistance use. Many REACT groups operated on 675. This was back in the days where you picked any 2 GMRS primary channels and the corresponding repeater inputs and you put those 4 frequencies on the FCC license application for GMRS. When I first applied for my GMRS license back in 1992, I had to file the old paper Form 574. The license fee was $35 back then. I licensed MO (mobiles) at the full 50W legal limit. Licensing as mobiles only and no base stations or repeaters was easier because it avoided the requirement for frequency coordination. This was back when GMRS repeaters and base stations and other transmitters in GMRS required frequency coordination like Part 90 radio services and had to be listed on the license.

My GMRS license took 2 months to get and it showed the 4 frequencies (2 repeater pairs) applied for plus a note at the bottom stating additional GMRS freqs were authorized and to refer to rule section 95.29 for the specific frequencies. 95.29 authorized the 7 GMRS intersitial ("splinter") freqs now shared with FRS and also authorized 675 for emergency and traveler assistance if it wasn't already one of the two primaries you originally picked.

Most FRS users have no clue about radio services, rules, recommendations for emergency use, or anything else. A very large percentage of them are children who use the radios as toys.

What DaveNF2G said. The problems caused by FRS didn't go unnoticed either. The FCC made some rule changes to GMRS in 1999, one of which was all-channel licensing, meaning that a GMRS licensee is not limited to using only 2 of the 8 primaries and can now use all of them. Legitimate GMRS licensees needed frequency flexibility to get away from local FRS users on the adjacent splinter freqs. The requirement for frequency coordination for fixed/base stations and repeaters and to be listed on the license went away. The rule changes also removed the designation of 675 being reserved for emergency and traveler assistance.

Some REACT groups may still be operating on 675 but any official designation of 675 being reserved for emergency and traveler assistance has been gone since 1999.
 
Last edited:

Seven-Delta-FortyOne

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
Messages
236
Location
The Emerald Triangle
Honestly, the best way to get help using a radio, is to find an active frequency, and request a break.

This goes for GMRS, Ham, CB, everything.

The only place where this doesn't hold true, is Marine Band. This is because the USCG actively monitors Channel 16, always, everywhere, along the coast. 24/7/365.

And then there are the HF Marine frequencies, that used to be monitored, but it's questionable who, if anyone, is still monitoring those. Officially, the USCG does not monitor 2182 KHZ anymore, since all ocean-going ships of a certain size and capacity are required to have DSC.


Delta
 

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
Joined
Jun 16, 2013
Messages
4,164
Location
Texas
So it's still suggested to put up a repeater as 675/141.3 if there are no interference issues with another 675 as an open repeater and then coordinate around that. It's unofficially the calling channel of GMRS these days…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

CaptDan

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
275
Location
Ocala, Florida
As many people mentioned - there is no official "emergency" channel or frequency. having live along a shore line most of my life and used various radios - several loose knit "groups" have utilized channel 16 as our unofficial "emergency" and/or "calling channel" no pl code - strictly simplex so even people with unlicensed - even if they are supposed to be licensed - hand held units could communicate if they were close enough.

Channel 16 was picked way back in the day at the jersi shore because it seemed everyone had a boat and was familiar with Marine channel 16 being an emergency or calling channel. SO back in the 50's and 60's many of us that lived at the shore year round - and there were not too many of us - kept a watch on CB channel 16 and in later years migrated over to GMRS. Before cell phones it was the perfect way to keep in touch with kids and friends on the beach and back to the house. Many a message was relayed from one radio to another.

having family still at the jersi shore - 2 way radios became their only way of communicating for a period of time after super storm sandy.

It would be so great if some organization or group would kinda made a definite decision and declare a particular channel an "emergency" or "calling channel" and then lots of people would fall in and monitor that channel
 

03msc

RF is RF
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Messages
3,962
Location
The Natural State
The National Emergency GMRS UHF frequency is
462.675 Receive
467.675 Transmit
PL tone 141.3

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGmrs

Which, as we discussed, relies on a repeater being within range of wherever you are at a given time. Kind of ridiculous to have an emergency channel require a repeater to be in range. So there is a repeater setup to cover every square mile of the US?

Again, this was hashed out in this thread already and even if that is the "official emergency channel" it sure doesn't make much sense.
 

WQWG712

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Messages
52
Location
Garland Texas
Which, as we discussed, relies on a repeater being within range of wherever you are at a given time. Kind of ridiculous to have an emergency channel require a repeater to be in range. So there is a repeater setup to cover every square mile of the US?

Again, this was hashed out in this thread already and even if that is the "official emergency channel" it sure doesn't make much sense.


what are you trying to say?

That CB radio is more reliable?
 

03msc

RF is RF
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Messages
3,962
Location
The Natural State
what are you trying to say?

That CB radio is more reliable?

If I program what you posted in a GMRS radio and key it up right here in a dire emergency nobody will hear me. If I use a simplex channel they are many times more likely to hear me. And yes, if it is CB versus using the repeater pair you suggested as the emergency channel on GMRS I would definitely get someone on CB while the GMRS remained quiet.

As I said, it was discussed - go back and read the other posts of this thread. You'll see it was agreed upon that having a repeater pair as an emergency channel is basically absurd. Maybe in on particular city or something but not as a national emergency channel...:roll:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top