MURS Radio

[matt131]

Hi Everyone,

Is anyone using MURS? IF so I was curious as to what you are using for equipment. I would like to use MURS but am unsure what to use for radios.

Thank you for your help.

[siren134]

For handheld I use ht1250
For mobile I use kenwoods

[avguy]

I have all Motorola:
XTN series XV1100, XV2100, XV2600
Mag One BPR-40
Radius P10

[rescuecomm]

I have an Icom F30GS and an older Icom F30LT 16 channel. One of the guys I occasionally hunt with also has one of the F30LT's and a newer Motorola CP200 4 channel radio. The VHF MURS has noticeably better range versus the UHF GMRS W/T's in the woods.

Bob

[n2nov]

Originally Posted by rescuecomm

I have an Icom F30GS and an older Icom F30LT 16 channel. One of the guys I occasionally hunt with also has one of the F30LT's and a newer Motorola CP200 4 channel radio. The VHF MURS has noticeably better range versus the UHF GMRS W/T's in the woods.

Bob

UHF wavelength is short enough vs VHF to be attenuated by the foliage.

Rule of thumb with comms:
- UHF in cities for signal reflection capability and to get out of or into a building via windows, elevator shafts, etc
- VHF in suburban/rural areas to combat attenuation by foliage

Also, maximum power output of the radio is 2 watts. Anything more (check the programming of your commercial radios guys) is against the law [FCC Part 95.639(h)].

[avguy]

See here for the complete scoop.
FCC: Wireless Services: Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS): MURS Home

[rescuecomm]

The Icoms are set at the L1 power level. I can't vouch for the Motorola since I didn't set it up. At least we are complying as best as possible. Other hunters that I have encountered in the woods are using the GMRS/FRS with no licenses or Marine VHF HT's. From what I heard from someone, party dog running bear hunters seem to found of the VHF HTs. These users are obviously well outside the law, but I am not arguing with a group of people with rifles?

Bob

[Ray_Air]

Originally Posted by matt131

Hi Everyone,

Is anyone using MURS? IF so I was curious as to what you are using for equipment. I would like to use MURS but am unsure what to use for radios.

Thank you for your help.

Vertex VX-500 and VX-510 portables. I have my own programming software.

[matt131]

Well, If I got a pair of Motorola CP200 VHF portables and had them set to low power (2 watts) and I had no way of increasing the power would they be legal to use for MURS?

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by matt131

Well, If I got a pair of Motorola CP200 VHF portables and had them set to low power (2 watts) and I had no way of increasing the power would they be legal to use for MURS?

I would think not.
adios that are not type accepted for a particular service can not be brought into compliance with adjustments.

[Ray_Air]

What is with all the radio police busting people on "type acceptance"?

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by Ray_Air

What is with all the radio police busting people on "type acceptance"?

RANT ON:
What is it people who jump on the (incredibly stupid) "Radio Police" bandwagon, even when the post is directly answering a question asked about legality.

You would think said (incredibly stupid) person has a chip on his shoulder, (or a stick up his a. . . )
RANT OFF:

[matt131]

As I think about the MURS service I started thinking if there are any legal MURS radios available and I really don't think there are. There are plenty of commercial portable radios that are part 90 certified that can be programmed not to exceed 2 watts and will do the correct bandwith for MURS. There aren't any portable radios to my knowledge that are VHF and are part 95 certified. Any ideas or thoughts to this statement?

[N_Jay]

I thought there were some bubble pack MURS radios, bu Motorola, but I could be wrong.

Found this little tidbit that could be helpful.

Determined quickly whether a radio is legal to use on MURS:


•If the radio is Part 95 certified and operates on MURS frequencies
•If the radio was Part 95 certified prior to November 12, 2002 and transmits no more than 2 watts, and has no external control to increase power above 2 watts and only operates wideband on the 154 MHz frequencies (all parts must be true)
•If the Radio was Part 90 certified prior to November 12, 2002 and transmits no more than 2 watts and has no external control to increase power above 2 watts and does not narrowband on the 151 MHz and 154 MHz frequencies or narrowband on 151 MHz and wideband on 154 MHz frequencies (all parts must be true)

[Ray_Air]

Originally Posted by matt131

As I think about the MURS service I started thinking if there are any legal MURS radios available and I really don't think there are. There are plenty of commercial portable radios that are part 90 certified that can be programmed not to exceed 2 watts and will do the correct bandwith for MURS. There aren't any portable radios to my knowledge that are VHF and are part 95 certified. Any ideas or thoughts to this statement?

I would say you would be just fine using any 1 or 2 watt portable for MURS. I have seen radios advertised as being MURS, but they have been commercial radio gear with MURS just programmed in. I have seen plenty of 5W radios on MURS. But if you want to be a Dudley Do-right, any portable 2W or less would be fine. The difference in range between a 2W portable and a 5W portable is miniscule considering the small amount of power and the negative gain antennas most portables have.

[Ray_Air]

Originally Posted by N_Jay

I thought there were some bubble pack MURS radios, bu Motorola, but I could be wrong.

Found this little tidbit that could be helpful.

Determined quickly whether a radio is legal to use on MURS:


•If the radio is Part 95 certified and operates on MURS frequencies
•If the radio was Part 95 certified prior to November 12, 2002 and transmits no more than 2 watts, and has no external control to increase power above 2 watts and only operates wideband on the 154 MHz frequencies (all parts must be true)
•If the Radio was Part 90 certified prior to November 12, 2002 and transmits no more than 2 watts and has no external control to increase power above 2 watts and does not narrowband on the 151 MHz and 154 MHz frequencies or narrowband on 151 MHz and wideband on 154 MHz frequencies (all parts must be true)

After a quick search I found these:
MURS 4-Mile Range Intercom: Hand-Held Radios
The price is pretty steep though, compared to the cost of bubble pack GMRS/FRS,etc.

[gewecke]

Radio shack marketed 2 radios dedicated specifically for murs, a vhf 2 watt single ch. the btx-128
and a 5 watt(pre-tuned to 2 watts) 2 ch. mobile. Although I forget the model of that one.
The talkie was almost the same as a motorola P10.
These can still be found on ebay for almost nothing. Popular communications mag. did a review on that mobile.
N9ZAS.

[n8emr]

Well as several people pointed out most of the radio people have mentioned for MURS use are not legal to use on murs and dont meet the rules, There are few November 2002 radio that will do wide and narrow as required to use on MURS, Kenwood 2100 comes to mind as one that can. You can use pre 2002 radio's on MURS but usually not on all 5 channels, usually that are only legal on the 2 wider bandwidth channels.. Any post 2002 radio MUST SPECIFICALLY be certified (type accepted) for MURS use. There are few out there but not many

[rescuecomm]

The limitations on the radio specs is probably from our Motorola corp. friends. They filed to stop the MURS frequencies from being released to the Part 95 section claiming that existing business users would find the channels too congested. As in my previous post about marine VHF bootlegging, that is what happens when the FCC fails to follow through on a good idea. It would be a lot better for those guys to use surplus VHF Part 90 hand helds on MURS. But there is no path to that, so here we go.

Lets see: CB licensing stopped because the FCC said it cost too much to administer and served no useful purpose because most users didn't bother to get one. Marine VHF licensing for private craft stopped for the same reason. The MURS freq stuff for the same reason ( most businesses took them out of the box and talked). GMRS will probably go the DOC Canada way (2 watts-no licensing) eventually, since millions of users are not licensing and what good would it do if they did?

But hey, it is all cool to me.

Bob

[n2nov]

So, is this the point that we stop following a law/FCC rule just because we feel like it? Are we rebellious teenagers again? I am certainly one to poke a bad law in the eye with my Libertarian viewpoints. But in the meantime, we still have to follow the law until we can legally get it changed.