Commercial businesses using FRS/GMRS? Chick-fil-A, I'm looking at you.

[oldradioguy2010]

That frequency is channel 4 FRS. So I will be monitoring that one.
My Drs office is near CFA in Venture Ca. But I live near the Oxnard chicken coop.
Scanner is in hand and ready.



DW
So.Cal.

 

[wizzardproduction]

Hi, I'm new here. Just getting that out of the way.

I'm pretty sure the Chick-fil-a restaurant 2 miles away from my house is using HTs on GMRS to relay orders etc. Isn't this improper commercial use of the band?

They seem to send one worker out to wrangle the drive-thru lines using an iPad and what looks like a cheap/Baofeng HT. They use the HT to relay large/unusual orders ("I need 6 regular sandwiches and 3 vanilla shakes", etc), and when they key up, it sounds like they're standing right behind my chair. They're probably not even using them in reduced power mode (they only need to TX like 40 feet to the kitchen) as they really blow my hair back when they transmit.

They seem to be using them simplex on 462.6375

It's not a horrible inconvenience but what would you do?

Mike
WRFW327

i see alot of questions concerning business use for business well long story short ...yes a business can be grandfathered in if they had a license before they stopped issueing to business and only then can they operate with same restrictions because there only allowed to renew NOT modify there license and if not the owner has to have a GMRS license and each emplyee has to have there GMRS license aswell for that Buisness... its an easy read on FCC website and also remember fcc states a radio operator on GMRS is suppose to give a call sign every 10 minates of radio usage so theres alot going on maybe go in and ask the manager what there GMRS License is ? couldnt hurt probly wont help but maybe if its something the local store is doing they will probly stop ...

 

[Hans13]

i see alot of questions concerning business use for business well long story short ...yes a business can be grandfathered in if they had a license before they stopped issueing to business and only then can they operate with same restrictions because there only allowed to renew NOT modify there license and if not the owner has to have a GMRS license and each emplyee has to have there GMRS license aswell for that Buisness... its an easy read on FCC website and also remember fcc states a radio operator on GMRS is suppose to give a call sign every 10 minates of radio usage so theres alot going on maybe go in and ask the manager what there GMRS License is ? couldnt hurt probly wont help but maybe if its something the local store is doing they will probly stop ...

It's also an easy read in Part 95 to see that FRS, using approved equipment and practices, is license by rule and acceptable for business use. No specific license needed to use proper FRS radios for a business. Asking the manager for their GMRS call sign would be pointless as they could be operating under FRS license by rule.

 

[n1das]

It's also an easy read in Part 95 to see that FRS, using approved equipment and practices, is license by rule and acceptable for business use. No specific license needed to use proper FRS radios for a business. Asking the manager for their GMRS call sign would be pointless as they could be operating under FRS license by rule.

What Hans13 said. FRS is 100% legal for business use. I doubt the manager would even have a clue what a GMRS license is in the first place.

The CFA near me really has their (expletive) together. They always get the order right at the drive-thru. No complaints. They have 2 drive-thru lanes with people wearing proper PPE to take your order on a tablet PC while you remain in the car. You don't have to talk to someone through an intercom box at the menu sign like you would at McD's or anywhere else. They take your first name for the order and note what car you're driving. The next person a couple of cars ahead of you has your order on a tablet PC and is ready to handle cash if paying by cash instead of by card. Order pickup is at the window and they have employees there who bring the order to your car when you get to the window. Every employee wears an order window / intercom headset to talk to each other. CFA has their (expletive) together because they take full advantage of the technology available to them. I also liked the WalkingPod rain gear they wear to stay dry during wet weather. I went online and ordered a pair of WalkingPod Pro rain gear for my wife and I to use when we are at ham flea markets and other times when out an about in wet weather. WalkingPod

I am curious to know more about the headsets they are using. I think they are all digital and may be operating on 900MHz or 2.4GHz, in which case they likely would be frequency hoppers and won't be monitorable on any consumer grade receiver (scanner).

 

[Hans13]

also remember fcc states a radio operator on GMRS is suppose to give a call sign every 10 minates of radio usage

Check again and I believe you will find that to be 15 minutes for GMRS. 10 minutes is for amateur radio.

 

[Hans13]

That WalkingPod is interesting. I've never noticed them before.

 

[n1das]

That WalkingPod is interesting. I've never noticed them before.

They caught my attention when my wife and I were at the CFA drive-thru on a rainy day. I had never seen them before and kept thinking what a great idea. It keeps you dry while keeping you and your hands free to move about. That prompted me to go online and order the WalkingPod Pro for my wife and I for rainy days. WalkingPod Pro

This same CFA for a while was using Baofeng BF-888S handhelds on 469.950 PL192.8 in addition to the headsets. I haven't seen the CCRs in use for a while. Just everybody wearing an order window headset is all I see now for radios. They may not have had enough headsets for everybody back when I spotted the CCRs in use. I'm curious to know more about the headsets.

A shortage of headsets might be why the OP's CFA was (legally) using FRS.

 

[Einsteiger]

My first outing with the MTX-275 brought in more business / warehouse / junk traffic than anything else. Got to be FRS hand held units. Some woman tied up ch 1 for over half an hour singing some ridiculous song. Using auto-scan can yield some....interesting....chatter.

 

[n1das]

My wife and I were at the CFA drive thru today. CCRs were in use instead of headsets. I got a good look at a CCR being used. It is a BF-888S clone with Greaval for a name on it. Channel 13 was in use, 463.525 D465I. D465I corresponds to D331N and that's how it showed up in my BC396xt handheld scanner. I have heard channel 16 in use in the past, 469.95MHz w/CTCSS 203.5Hz.

From the CCR default frequencies in the RR Wiki:

CCR Default Frequencies - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Baofeng/Pofung BF-888S and clones #1
Includes:

• Amcrest ATR-22
• Arcshell AR-5
• Olywiz HTD-825
• Retevis RT22

Ch Frequency Tone Notes
1 462.1250 69.3
2 462.2250
3 462.3250
4 462.4250 103.5
5 462.5250 114.8
6 462.6250 127.3
7 462.7250 136.5
8 462.8250 162.2
9 462.9250 D025
10 463.0250 D051
11 463.1250 D125
12 463.2250 D155I
13 463.5250 D465I
14 450.2250 D023
15 460.3250
16 469.9500 203.5

 

[2154]

Just wait till you find out Wal-Mart is using MURS!

 

[Hans13]

Just wait till you find out Wal-Mart is using MURS!

The horror!

 

[phillydjdan]

The Walmart near me HATES it when "a customer grabs one of thier radios" and keys up music every so often lmao

 

[jaspence]

All FRS frequencies are simplex in the 46X MHz band, and newer radios force them to use the correct power level, while some older models do have switchable high power. The MURS frequencies on VHF used by Sam's Club and Wal Mart are similar and are available to anyone needing short distance communications. Since these are FCC regulated frequencies, you can be fined for intentional interference. While it rarely happens, the fines leveled by the FCC are often 4 figures and don't start with a 1.

 

[W4KRR]

Interesting; a local car wash is using 450.225 with a DPL of 023, which happens to be ch. 14 in the list in post number 29 above. That frequency is broadcast band remote pickup use in the US.

The Chic-Fil-A down the road uses 462.650.

 

[KK4JUG]

The Walmart near me HATES it when "a customer grabs one of thier radios" and keys up music every so often lmao

I would hate it if someone interfered with my business, too.

 

[phillydjdan]

You can hate it all you want, but if you don't have exclusive licencing in that frequency there isn't much you can do *shrug*

 

[KK4JUG]

I don't to get into a battle of morals but I believe the FCC says it's illegal.

 

[n1das]

Just wait till you find out Wal-Mart is using MURS!

VERY OLD news actually. Walmart* (previously WAL*MART and WAL-MART before that) has been using 154.57 and 154.6 long before these two frequencies were MURSified. I've been listening to Walmart* for the past 20+ years on those freqs whenever I shop there.

 

[n1das]

Interesting; a local car wash is using 450.225 with a DPL of 023, which happens to be ch. 14 in the list in post number 29 above. That frequency is broadcast band remote pickup use in the US.

The Chic-Fil-A down the road uses 462.650.

I think I'll program the CCR defaults in a system in my BC396xt with individual groups in the system devoted to each CCR. It will make it easy to quickly check the known CCR defaults whenever I spot CCRs in use.

 

[2154]

VERY OLD news actually. Walmart* (previously WAL*MART and WAL-MART before that) has been using 154.57 and 154.6 long before these two frequencies were MURSified. I've been listening to Walmart* for the past 20+ years on those freqs whenever I shop there.

Apparently you missed the sarcasm in my post. I'm well aware Walmart & Sam's (as well as some other retailers) use primarily MURS 4 & 5 (blue dot & green dot) for their communications. Funny as it is, it's my understanding that at one time Motorola had a radio that was exclusive to Wal-Mart.