"Fixing GMRS" - an Editorial (AKA everyone's GMRS ideas go here)

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Yep, reminds me of many years ago where some guy was attempting to abolish the FCC and pretty much make everything "white space". His idea was that everyone would just have a radio that would negotiate for available spectrum. After all, in his musings, police officers were not transmitting -all- the time, and that space could be reused.

Obviously he didn't get it, and didn't get his wish.

Can't remember if he wanted more space for unlicensed 2 way radio, or more space for wireless internet access.

Back in about 1980, while working at /\/\, one of the engineers presented an open technical forum hypothesizing exactly that. Software defined radios that negotiated spectrum. He also predicted that the FCC would be irrelevant. This was way before the internet.

 

[W8UU]

Midland needs fixing, not GMRS. Keep GMRS analog and wideband.

I think GMRS will be analog and wideband for the foreseeable future. As the older commercial equipment starts to hit the landfills and junk bins, GMRS will need to adopt to narrowband or DMR technology, or be restricted to wideband analog equipment choices from the Midlands and B-TECHS of the world.

I'm totally on board for Midland to make their radios better and improve on their marketing angle to GMRS users.

 

[Hans13]

Midland needs fixing, not GMRS. Keep GMRS analog and wideband.

Amen.

 

[russbrill]

Amen.

Or maybe Midland helped save GMRS with their Micro-mobile product line???

 

[Hans13]

Or maybe Midland helped save GMRS with their Micro-mobile product line???

Midland would have to fix its label over, crippled firmware CCR equipment first. ROTFLMAO

 

[bill4long]

If you care about the future of GMRS, the FCC *not caring* is an issue.

Hans13 was quoting me, and I was referring to using Part 90 radios on GMRS, nothing else. The FCC has never gone after anyone using Part 90 radios on GMRS. I consider that a good thing, but I would like to see an R&O making it official policy.

 

[bill4long]

Or maybe Midland helped save GMRS with their Micro-mobile product line???

More likely CCRs did that. I suspect the offroaders and preppers have been the major energy boost to GMRS, and from what I can tell, by and large they know about, and use, CCRs.

 

[russbrill]

I said 39, not 38.

Hey, the 38 MHz thing would have worked except for one wrinkle. There was a little company called the Federal Government using the spectrum

 

[russbrill]

More likely CCRs did that. I suspect the offroaders and preppers have been the major energy boost to GMRS, and from what I can tell, by and large they know about, and use, CCRs.

CCR's ??? Cheap Chinese Radios???

 

[russbrill]

I do believe an excellent point was raised about type acceptance. Why couldn't the FCC specify in Part 95 that any radio that meets type acceptance under Part 90 and is capable of being programmed for wide band emissions on GMRS frequencies automatically meets type acceptance requirements for GMRS under Part 95?

There is absolutely no question that commercial grade Motorola, Vertex, Kenwood, GE/MaCom/Harris is as good (actually MUCH better, in my opinion) as the Chinese junk that barely passes Part 95 type acceptance and is only designed for GMRS and FRS.

This ought to be a very simple rule change that would have zero negative effect on the GMRS service. It would also stop the senseless hand-wringing of radio nerds that lose sleep over licensees using commercial equipment that isn't Part 95 type accepted.

I believe Part-90 equipment meets the part-95E requirement, because Part-90 equipment programmed to 95E specs cannot be easily modified by the typical end user... I've never seen a Part-90 radio with a VFO, and if one existed it would NOT meet Part-95E requirements.

 

[BaoFeng_Blogger]

RFI-EMI-GUY said in part...

The $70 is for a 10 year license that is good for you and many of your relatives. It is less than 2 cents per day. By god are you that cheap? If so get into... 'HAM' radio."

From the above statement about ham radio it seems to me that rfi-emi-guy knows nothing about the high cost when it comes to ham/amateur radio equipment. A ICOM IC 7851 will set you back somewhere in the area of $12,000. So much for ham radio being cheap!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

RFI-EMI-GUY said in part...

From the above statement about ham radio it seems to me that rfi-emi-guy knows nothing about the high cost when it comes to ham/amateur radio equipment. A ICOM IC 7851 will set you back somewhere in the area of $12,000. So much for ham radio being cheap!

Chill out Mr. CCR BFB dude. I am a ham and have tens of thousands invested. The comment was because 90% of the responses about getting a GMRS license say they can get a ham license for free. Besides hams tend to be a cheap bunch overall. That's why they love BaoFengs.

 

[bill4long]

I'll tell ya, this has been a very interesting and fun thread. I love you all!

 

[Kaleier1]

I believe Part-90 equipment meets the part-95E requirement, because Part-90 equipment programmed to 95E specs cannot be easily modified by the typical end user... I've never seen a Part-90 radio with a VFO, and if one existed it would NOT meet Part-95E requirements.

I think most of the Part 90 radios used by hams have VFOs. My Part 90 Alinco DJ-MD5T has a VFO mode as well as channel mode.

 

[russbrill]

RFI-EMI-GUY said in part...



From the above statement about ham radio it seems to me that rfi-emi-guy knows nothing about the high cost when it comes to ham/amateur radio equipment. A ICOM IC 7851 will set you back somewhere in the area of $12,000. So much for ham radio being cheap!

Not true, you can purchase an IC-7300 HF Transceiver for about $1000.00... And you can get a new 2 meter radio for about $130.00

 

[russbrill]

I'll tell ya, this has been a very interesting and fun thread. I love you all!

Hugs back at ya...

 

[russbrill]

Chill out Mr. CCR BFB dude. I am a ham and have tens of thousands invested. The comment was because 90% of the responses about getting a GMRS license say they can get a ham license for free. Besides hams tend to be a cheap bunch overall. That's why they love BaoFengs.

I think they're Chinese agents plotting to take over Ham Radio

 

[russbrill]

More likely CCRs did that. I suspect the offroaders and preppers have been the major energy boost to GMRS, and from what I can tell, by and large they know about, and use, CCRs.

I don't know about that... I know Midland has been promoting the hell out of their GMRS product line since 2013, or maybe before, but I know they have been pushing them hard to Jeepers and Campers...

 

[russbrill]

I'll tell ya, this has been a very interesting and fun thread. I love you all!

You ain't seen nothing yet, wait until I give 6 meters away to the CBer's with my latest proposal

 

[bill4long]

I don't know about that... I know Midland has been promoting the hell out of their GMRS product line since 2013, or maybe before, but I know they have been pushing them hard to Jeepers and Campers...

Talk to the preppers and off-roaders. Maybe you'll have a different experience.