A frequency and radio question

[Chicken83]

Ok here's the deal I have a small paintball, airsoft store and field i need a radio that I can use for the store and field now the question is what's a good frequency bank to use? We travel to some large games and at those games the teams use GMRS and FRS and I don't want to have my stuff on those congested frequencies. Are there any 400 MHZ frequencies not in that pool. I know I can go to the MURS frequencies but the radios are quite a bit more expensive so any help would be great

 

[NC1]

As far as not needing a license, FRS, MURS, and CB are your only options. You need to be licensed for GMRS if you are going to use that service.

Those 3 are going to be your cheapest options by far. There is some license free 900 MHz spectrum out there but the radios are probably going to be much more than you care to spend.

 

[SteveC0625]

Ok here's the deal I have a small paintball, airsoft store and field i need a radio that I can use for the store and field now the question is what's a good frequency bank to use? We travel to some large games and at those games the teams use GMRS and FRS and I don't want to have my stuff on those congested frequencies. Are there any 400 MHZ frequencies not in that pool. I know I can go to the MURS frequencies but the radios are quite a bit more expensive so any help would be great

FRS has at least 22 channels available to you now. Are you really suggesting that all of these channels are congested at the same time? If you own the shop and field, it would seem to me that you could take the lead here and establish some rules for channel use by your patrons and staff, reserving one or more channels for staff use.

 

[jaspence]

Frequency need

Even if you could set rules for your property, anyone outside can still do what they want. Check the forums and see how many times questions are asked about using frequencies that require a license and you will see that even FCC rules backed with hefty fines don't stop people from using illegal frequencies.

 

[mmckenna]

Ok here's the deal I have a small paintball, airsoft store and field i need a radio that I can use for the store and field now the question is what's a good frequency bank to use? We travel to some large games and at those games the teams use GMRS and FRS and I don't want to have my stuff on those congested frequencies. Are there any 400 MHZ frequencies not in that pool. I know I can go to the MURS frequencies but the radios are quite a bit more expensive so any help would be great

Tell us what your budget or "comfort zone" is. Kind of hard to make a proper recommendation without knowing that.

If MURS radios are too expensive, you are likely going to find that any suitable radio is going to be way outside your price range.

When it comes to licensing, you only have 3 options:
1. FCC License By Rule, these are the CB, FRS, MURS type frequencies. Often people will call them "license free" which is incorrect. FCC says you can use these radio service without a paper license only if you follow the FCC rules. That's easy to do, but it does limit your options.
2. FCC License required. This cover amateur radio, GMRS and all of the business frequencies. At minimum, a license is required to use these.
3. Use someone else's license, as in rent radios and let the shop take care of the details, or, use cellular and then you are covered under those rules.

Amateur radio is not a suitable solution for this, so you can cross that one off.
GMRS would be an option, but the license only covers a family. So unless all your employees are members of your family, this would be out, unless everyone else gets their GMRS license, too.
Rent radios, this can get expensive and is probably outside the scope of your needs. One other option is to use Push To Talk cellular type services. There are many to chose from, maybe ones that will work with your existing phone. There are even companies that make specific radio like phones for this service.

For business use, as in being used for your shop, you will need to get an FCC license. For your sort of use you won't need to go through the headaches and expense of frequency coordination, as your use falls into the 'itinerant use" type area. Still, that's going to require some assistance in filling out the license applications. It's not something that a person without some background in the technical side of 2 way radio is going to be capable of.

A couple of lower tier business radios might be a good solution. Kenwood, Icom, Motorola, etc. are all good brands. Avoid the low end Chinese models that you might see in use. Most of these do not have the FCC type certifications to be used on business channels, GMRS and similar services. Avoid the temptation of low cost solutions.

With all this, you are still looking at a fair amount of money. The required FCC license, the radios, etc. will all add up.

By taking FRS/GMRS and MURS out of the equation, you've really raised the cost of this. Finding a way to make one of those work would save you a lot of money.

 

[DaveNF2G]

As a business user, your store would not fall under the "license by rule" for FRS because commercial businesses are not permitted to use those channels under the rules.

(Not that they don't, but if legality concerns you, then avoid FRS.)

EDIT: The same holds for licensed GMRS use. The businesses that still use GMRS were grandfathered in when the rules were changed.

 

[WA0CBW]

You may want to check the rules again as the FCC does allow business to use FRS radios.
BB

 

[ecps92]

FRS is licensed by rule. This means an individual license is not required to operate an FRS radio provide you comply with the rules. You may operate an FRS radio regardless of your age, and for personal or for business use if you are not a representative of a foreign government.

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/family-radio-service-frs
Click on the LICENSING tab

As a business user, your store would not fall under the "license by rule" for FRS because commercial businesses are not permitted to use those channels under the rules.

(Not that they don't, but if legality concerns you, then avoid FRS.)

EDIT: The same holds for licensed GMRS use. The businesses that still use GMRS were grandfathered in when the rules were changed.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Evidently the rules have been relaxed again. The whole point of throwing businesses out of Part 95 was to make it a truly personal radio service.

 

[Chicken83]

Ok thanks everyone for the input. The cost of the murs radios is not a big issue I was just looking at the cheaper radios. I can get a bundle of 6 instead of 3 through one of my suppliers. I have sent them an email to see who makes them I don't want a cheap cheap Chinese radio. As far as the other frequencies it's not congested at my field but the last big game we went to had 1300 players with over a hundred teams using blister pack radios it gets hard to talk to my sponsored teams. But it looks like murs is the best way to go I would like to have my own frequency but it is so expensive then having to buy the radios. Thanks for all the help!

 

[W8RMH]

Another Option, MOTOROLA DTR410 DIGITAL 900MHZ, FCC LICENSE FREE TWO WAY RADIO

https://www.hq98.com/motorola-dtr41...MIs4_Hptn01AIVSCOBCh0FEwCYEAQYAyABEgKRgfD_BwE

 

[mmckenna]

Ok thanks everyone for the input. The cost of the murs radios is not a big issue I was just looking at the cheaper radios. I can get a bundle of 6 instead of 3 through one of my suppliers. I have sent them an email to see who makes them I don't want a cheap cheap Chinese radio. As far as the other frequencies it's not congested at my field but the last big game we went to had 1300 players with over a hundred teams using blister pack radios it gets hard to talk to my sponsored teams. But it looks like murs is the best way to go I would like to have my own frequency but it is so expensive then having to buy the radios. Thanks for all the help!

Take a look at the Ritron PT-150M.
Portable Radio - Ritron Inc.
Suitable MURS radio, probably one of the better ones built. Reasonably priced as decent commercial radios go. Ready to go out of the box.
My brother in law just bought a bunch of these for his tower crews. I was playing with one over the 4th, and I liked it.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Another Option, MOTOROLA DTR410 DIGITAL 900MHZ, FCC LICENSE FREE TWO WAY RADIO

https://www.hq98.com/motorola-dtr41...MIs4_Hptn01AIVSCOBCh0FEwCYEAQYAyABEgKRgfD_BwE

I'd honestly go with the 900 MHz DTR's as well. About the same price but no scanner can currently monitor them and they perform quite well.