How to legally use my Baofeng UV-5R

[KF5YDR]

Everyone operates in real life that way. You break one speed limit, roll one stop sign, cross one street against the light, light up a butt where it says NO SMOKING, and you're in that club. The fact that the law says something does not presuppose that the law sees all, or that every violation of law is a problem.

We aren't going to see eye to eye on this, and we're way OT. You value obeying the law as its own end. I value the law as a tool to keep everyone from killing each other, to be ignored when it is unjust or pointless and where disobedience of it does not infringe on the rights of others. You can make a snide parting shot about how I'll get what's coming to me, but I won't. The world doesn't work that way.

OP, I hope you find a solution that works for your needs. Use your head and make your own decision with the advice we've tried to give you. There's useful info on both sides of this argument.

 

[WB4CS]

There's no such thing as a bubble pack MURS radio, and the Baofeng is perfectly okay to use on MURS as-is, as long as you keep it under 2W.

You are wrong. No matter how you try to justify what you're saying, you're giving terrible advice to someone that is asking how to do something the right way.

KF5YDR based on your posts, you do not sound like an ideal Amateur Radio Operator nor do you sound like the best person to be giving advice to others about radios. Your complete disregard for the rules is disgusting.

 

[joeuser]

Sounds like he has given both sides of the argument. The straight & narrow do-gooder and the practical reality views.

 

[fourthhorseman]

There really is no way to operate a Baofeng legally without having a license.

So you telling me you couldn't load the same FRS freq's into a baofeng and use them the same way you would a bubble pak radio?

Ive got the FRS channels loaded in my baofengs for my kids when they are goofing off in the mountains
where we live.Cell phones have no service. HTs are the only reliable option. I also loaded them with the local PD & Fire channels. along with the NOAA freq's.

My kids are 8-9 and 11 and they listen to the pd/fd ops and could not care less about transmitting outside of the channels I told them to. I even Tagged them custom so they have no mistake which are OK.

Sorry,but I just get annoyed when I hear absurd statements. Especially ones that tell people...Nooo you cant do That...

Simply exercise responsible use of the radio and you'll be fine. If you veer into loading HAM freq's,Then you need a license. The baofengs in my opinion are far more versatile than the off the shelf cobra/uniden radios. and a better deal too.

 

[quarterwave]

I certainly hope the public safety freqs are programmed for no TX.

In all practicality...the OP has a couple of good options that actually fit what he is doing.

1. He can use GMRS....as long as all his buddies get a license.
2. They can use MURS. 2W.

Outside the UV5R which is versatile, yet cheap and not that wonderful overall....

FRS or off the shelf MURS radios would work fine.

 

[nd5y]

So you telling me you couldn't load the same FRS freq's into a baofeng and use them the same way you would a bubble pak radio?

You can do that but it would not be legal. FRS, GMRS and MURS equipment in the US is required to be FCC Part 95 certified. Baofeng and most other similar products are not Part 95 certified and can't get certification for various technical reasons.

 

[quarterwave]

There's no such thing as a bubble pack MURS radio, and the Baofeng is perfectly okay to use on MURS as-is, as long as you keep it under 2W.


What are these then:

Motorola RMM2050 | 2 Watt 5 Channel VHF two way radio with display screen | rmm2050

http://www.amazon.com/Dakota-Alert-Wireless-Handheld-M538-HT/dp/B0002XRPNA

 

[KF5YDR]

I know about the RDU and the Dakota. When I think bubblepack, I think of a radio that costs less than $50 for a pair and is sold at Walmart. The Moto RDU costs as much as a used XTS, and I've never actually seen the Dakota for sale anywhere (not to mention the cost).

I mean, preprogrammed isn't the only part of the definition, right? We don't call CB talkies or marine VHF radios bubblepacks. Cheap and available everywhere is how I think of 'em, and neither the Dakota nor the Moto are either of those. I'd love to see some MURS handies sold alongside the FRS/GMRS hybrid stuff. Who knows what kind of range claims manufacturers would make for them.

 

[fourthhorseman]

I certainly hope the public safety freqs are programmed for no TX. .

Absolutely,aside from that,My kids are the exception not the norm..
They actually know right from wrong..

 

[fourthhorseman]

You can do that but it would not be legal. FRS, GMRS and MURS equipment in the US is required to be FCC Part 95 certified. Baofeng and most other similar products are not Part 95 certified and can't get certification for various technical reasons.

I understand that,But the FCC should drop the hammer on them,I agree,But when the Gov't will not enforce the reg's. because they dont want to upset their debt holder..What should we do..Self Regulate?...The govt is quick to prohibit so much,ask all the folks who have had land seized by the EPA. But then a blind eye to FCC violations by way of illegal radios being mass imported? FCC chooses to let money and commerce override the law.

How many business are using bubblepak radios for their commercial use,WalMart the same thing. Either All play by the rules or the rules are just a suggestion rather than a standard.

I do agree with you.Dont get me wrong.

 

[N8IAA]

Thank you for the replies ok so how do we go about getting licensing? And your have to realize we play on fields that can be up to a few miles across so we need strong radios and I would be setting and locking all radios.

Since no one addressed this point......
VHF/UHF handheld radios, even those with gain antennas, are limited to line of sight. This means that even a 5 watt ham HT, or a 2 watt MURS HT will be stretched to communicate over an area of 'a few miles across'.
Larry

 

[jaspence]

Really?

So you telling me you couldn't load the same FRS freq's into a baofeng and use them the same way you would a bubble pak radio?

Ive got the FRS channels loaded in my baofengs for my kids when they are goofing off in the mountains
where we live.Cell phones have no service. HTs are the only reliable option. I also loaded them with the local PD & Fire channels. along with the NOAA freq's.





Your kids know right from wrong? Is it from lessons like you programming the FRS frequencies into an illegal radio?

 

[Citywide173]

So you telling me you couldn't load the same FRS freq's into a baofeng and use them the same way you would a bubble pak radio?

The question was about legality. The Baofeng is not type 95 accepted, and does not qualify as being eligible for FRS acceptance since it has a removable antenna. Sure, you can do it, it's just not legal.

EDIT: Didn't see this was already answered, sorry

 

[quarterwave]

I'm guessing this guy is already regretting asking...

 

[joeuser]

lol no doubt. I also see these radios being sold as scanners & they barely qualify as such. I got mine to HAM with but it turned out not to be worth pursuing. Now they just collect dust...

 

[bwilborn]

You can do that but it would not be legal. FRS, GMRS and MURS equipment in the US is required to be FCC Part 95 certified. Baofeng and most other similar products are not Part 95 certified and can't get certification for various technical reasons.

So, question here...I understand that different hardware is certified under different Part Numbers, but what really is the difference? If someone were to transmit on FRS, GMRS, etc. on a non-Part 95 radio, aside from the obvious legal definition, what is the real world difference than if the user was using a Part 90 (or even fully uncertified) radio?

-- B

 

[WA0CBW]

As mentioned above there are certain technical and mechanical differences such as a non-removable antenna for FRS and being able to be programmed with ONLY the MURS frequencies. There are some electrical differences as well if you dig deeper in to the technical standards for each service. Technically the radios can be programmed for any frequency but it is the other specifications for each service that makes them illegal to use under different parts. Even though some radios could be used in different parts the manufacturer chose not to get them certified with the FCC (probably a marketing and profit decision).
BB

 

[dmtuska]

im not regretting asking one bit

I am very happy for all the responses and surprised that I started an argument. Now from my understanding to legally use these radios we need our ham licenses. Now I do understand that I could transmit to FRS and GMRS that's why I bought it at first. And I realize I could probably. Get away with it but why risk it?

 

[WB4CS]

To build on to what WA0CBW said, there's also spectral purity. A radio is designed to work within a certain slice of radio spectrum, all of the circuits and electronics are designed to work within the frequencies a radio will be operated on.

So for example, let's take your standard amateur radio HT. Let's say a 2 Meter radio. All of the amplifiers and parts that create RF are designed to work between 144 to 148 MHz. The receiver can receive from 136 to 174 MHz, but the transmitter was designed to work only within 144-148 MHz. You can cut a wire/remove a resistor and "bam!" it will transmit between 136-174 MHz. BUT, you didn't change the electronic characteristics of the parts that generate RF. They are still tuned to 144-148 MHz.

So in this example, what happens when you transmit on that radio on, say, 158.000 MHz? The radio will put out a signal on 158.000 MHz of course. However, you're now out of the tuned specs of the electronics, and the radio could be generating spurious emissions or not suppressing harmonics. While you're transmitting on 158 MHz, the radio could also be spewing out a couple of Watts of power on 316 MHz, or 474 MHz, or on a random frequency.

With what we now know above, let's say that your local Ambulance service has a UHF repeater, and it's input is at 474 MHz. (Just using random numbers here, not indicative of actual frequency bands.) This means that while you're transmitting on 158 MHz, your radio might be putting out 1.5 Watts of power on 474 MHz, thus causing interference to the Ambulance repeater.

This is the very reason that certification is needed. A radio must be designed, and certified, to be used within a certain spread of frequencies. To be certified, a radio must show that it will put out a clean signal, with harmonics and spurious emissions suppressed to an acceptable limit.

So, while it might seem perfectly okay to use a modified ham radio, or a non-type accepted radio like a Baofang on FRS or MURS frequencies, there's a reason that it's not legal to do so.

So, as everyone can see, it's not that people like me just want to be a Debbie Downer and spoil your fun and trample all over your 'Merican rights. It's that smart people (engineers) have figured this stuff out and created rules that help keep the airwaves free of as much interference as possible.

 

[WB4CS]

I am very happy for all the responses and surprised that I started an argument. Now from my understanding to legally use these radios we need our ham licenses. Now I do understand that I could transmit to FRS and GMRS that's why I bought it at first. And I realize I could probably. Get away with it but why risk it?

Why risk it? Great answer! You're absolutely correct.

Don't worry about starting an "argument". This discussion comes up every few months on here, and the same people on both sides spew their opinions and facts.

So yes, to use the radios legally, your gang would all need to get amateur radio licenses. As long as you're somewhat technically savvy and have a little spare time to study the material, getting your Technician license is very easy. And who knows, you might find that you enjoy the amateur radio hobby once you get on the air and start talking to people.

And, I want to thank you for taking the time to ask and listen on how to be legal.