Is a Motorola HT1000 UHF Legal on GMRS?

[mformby]

I have one and can't seem to find the type information on the FCC website.
Getting ready to list it in classified section.

Thanks,
Ron

Yes it is, assuming the user has a GMRS license. It can be detuned to .5 watts for the FRS channels.

 

[hhrj]

detuned for .5 watts

I don't remember seeing that option in the software. Either 1 watt or 5 watts, will take another look.

I should have put ths question to a poll.
Right now the outcome would have been Yes:5, No:1.
However, if I had a license I would use the HT1000 so that would add another yes vote.

Now I will read part 95 but I can't see wasting $95. I don't feel compelled to chat on any of the other "free" systems (CB, FRS, MURS, HAM) even though I have the gear. That money will pay for 2 months of gas in my F-250 (no, I don't drive it much).

Thanks to all for the replies,
Ron

 

[jhooten]

License, you don't need no stinking license! Just go for it. You'll never get caught.

 

[hhrj]

95.129 Station equipment.
Every station in a GMRS system
must use transmitters the FCC has certificated
for use in the GMRS.
Write to any FCC Field Office to find out if a
particular transmitter has been certificated
for the GMRS.
All station equipment in a GMRS system must comply
with the technical rules in part 95.

SOOOO, Has anyone here contacted the FCC for information about the HT1000?
IT MIGHT BE LEGAL IF CORRECTLY PROGRAMMED!!!

 

[b7spectra]

The SAPS have spoken! The subject should now be closed!

 

[jhooten]

Yes I have called. But since you still do not want to accept the truth get the FCC ID from the label and go here:
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm

You will find this:
Line
Entry Lower
Frequency Upper
Frequency Power
Output Tolerance Emission
Designator Microprocessor
Number Rule
Parts Grant
Notes
1 450 512 4 0.0002 % 16K0F3E 22,74,80,9 BG
2 450 512 4 0.0002 % 20K0F2D 22,74,80,9 BG
3 450 512 4 0.0002 % 20K0F1E 22,74,80,9 BG
4 450 512 4 0.0002 % 11K0F3E 22,74,80,90.21 BG

That for a 2 channel as an example. You will note it is approved for parts 22,74,80,90. Part 95 is not in the list. No GMRS for the HT1000.

 

[willgrah]

Everything I have seen, read and researched leads me to the conclusion that the FCC willingly accepts that a radio that meets Part 90 standards is OK for GMRS. However, I do not like to dwell in gray areas and spent the time and money to find radios that have Part 95 acceptance. It is honestly a stupid regulation and a pain in the you know what to comply with. A good deal of the Part 95 radios are pain to program unless you have a Commodore 64 with the original version of DOS. But most of these radios are bullet proof and great performers.

That being said the equipment that I have now works great and the GMRS system is a good system once you get past those hurdles. Let your conscience be your guide and there is a reason why a good part of people that use GMRS are using Part 90 radios. There are also those that have not taken the time and effort to understand the rules and just use anything they can get like Chinese radios that have never even seen an FCC application for acceptance. When I look out my window I don't expect to see anyone coming to my door other than an invited guest. JMHO, Bill

 

[hhrj]

This smacks of a typical government tactic to pander to manufacturers of products effected by regulations.
If the FCC would have approved part 90 radios for use on part 95 then there would have been a large quantity of surplus radios on the market. New radio manuacturers would have to compete with this used market so the FCC worked the "certified" clause in there to lock out the surplus market.

The same thing happened when the FAA came out with the Light Sport Aircraft/Pilot regulations. They limited the gross weight to 1320#....just under what a Cessna 150/152 weighs. And there's thousands of other aircraft that meet all the other specs except the gross weight. These aircraft sell for as low as $15,000, whereas a new LSA will set you back $100,000+. What's really disturbing is the FAA's statement "To make flying more affordable". REALLY? REALLY? The government has no idea what the meaning of affordable is.
With avgas prices at $6/gal who can afford to fly anyway, not me.

 

[mformby]

Yes it is. I sold two-way radios from 1977 to 2006. The HT1000 is probably the best portable radio ever made. Hang on to it as long as you can.

 

[mformby]

I'll play devil's advocate here, and I believe there are other threads that discuss this. The fact that an HT-1000 is certified for public safety use (in my opinion) supersedes GMRS and FRS certification. And the Wouxun radios are not technically certified for GMRS or FRS either. The real question is, will anyone on those channels ever know the difference (or care)? I will happily admit that I've transmitted on business band with a chinese handheld, a ham band with a public safety radio, and GMRS/FRS with both. Don't bother with lectures, radio cops, I know what I was doing...

Comparing a Wouxun to an HT1000 is like comparing a Chevy to a Cadillac. The HT1000 specs are far superior to the Wouxun across the board. Audio quality (TX & RX) are easily noticeable. Adjacent channel rejection, selectivity, sensitivity, etc. will be noticeable. Not to mention the durability. The HT1000 originally retailed for over $1000, and worth every penny.

 

[bob-the-scanner-man]

Yes it is. I sold two-way radios from 1977 to 2006. The HT1000 is probably the best portable radio ever made. Hang on to it as long as you can.

I can agree with that. I found one with a speed charger, battery, and shoulder mic in a thrift store not too long ago for $13. The radio itself was fairly beat up but I figured for $13 it was worth a shot. Turns out, it works great!

I've seen a lot of people say they've dropped their HT1000's from great distances and even had them dunked in water accidentally and they kept working. Great radio.

 

[adric22]

As a new user to GMRS, I would point out that there are not exactly a lot of purpose-built GMRS radios out there, except for the cheap junk you find in your local Wal-Mart or Best Buy. I know, I spent quite a bit of time searching online for something and came up dry. So you just about have to go with a programmable radio and set it to GMRS channels.

 

[willgrah]

As a new user to GMRS, I would point out that there are not exactly a lot of purpose-built GMRS radios out there, except for the cheap junk you find in your local Wal-Mart or Best Buy. I know, I spent quite a bit of time searching online for something and came up dry. So you just about have to go with a programmable radio and set it to GMRS channels.

Not a bunch out there but there are a few: Portable Radio - Ritron Inc. Take a look at these. I have the older SLX-400's, my buddy has this version. A few less options than the SLX but a good radio, excellent audio and computer programmable. As with most Ritron stuff they are part 95 approved. Bill

 

[hhrj]

As a new user to GMRS, I would point out that there are not exactly a lot of purpose-built GMRS radios out there, except for the cheap junk you find in your local Wal-Mart or Best Buy. I know, I spent quite a bit of time searching online for something and came up dry. So you just about have to go with a programmable radio and set it to GMRS channels.

This statement appears in the GMRS Wiki:
Estimates of the number of hybrid FRS/GMRS radios sold to date range from 20 to 50 million units or more. This is compared with approximately 80,000 active GMRS licensees (per the FCC database). Enforcement against individuals is rarely, if ever, attempted.

Is it possible that the people who ponied up the license fee are the only people that are concerned about unlicensed operators on GMRS?

I've been scanning the GMRS/FRS channels using two different scanners for a week now and have not heard a thing other than a couple of kids on FRS for about 5 minutes. I still have 4 of the 22 channel bubble pack radios that my wife and I used about 8 years ago around the campground. She likes to fish and I don't but she would call me to "Come take the fish off the hook" on a regular basis. The radios worked great as our cell phones didn't. Then when we traveled we used our phones while parking because I could put mine on speaker and not have to hold or key it while turning the wheel and shifting gears.
The radios have been in a box since 2006 and I took them out last Monday just to see if they still worked, New batteries and they all work just fine. However, it's almost time to put them back in the box along with all the other radios.

Even back then when I scanned the channels I only once heard a wrecker company operating on GMRS in a nearby town. I just don't see that the interest justifies the fee and the lack of action from the FCC indicates that it will just be another CB. My gut feeling is that this won't be the case, MURS is free, how popular is it? I've never heard anyone other than Walmart, the flea market, and a school on it. And then I heard on the scanner that Walmart called a complaint to the police about someone interfering with their radios. Probably the school which is on the same channel and less than ½ mile apart.

Even the ham frequencies are slow, occasionally a couple of guys ragchewing on the way home from work and the ever present nets in the evenings. It just doesn't turn me on anymore.

This just my opinion.
Later

 

[mformby]

Ht-1000

If a radio meets business & public safety specs, it will meet GMRS specs. The main thing they (the FCC) is concerned about is frequency stability, adjacent channel rejection, and type of emission on transmit. You can use a public safety/business radio on a ham frequency, but you can't use a ham radio on a public safety/business frequency because they don't meet the specs, which is mainly why they cost so much more than a ham radio. I sold two-way radios for 25 years and I said somewhere else in this post that the HT-1000 is the best portable Motorola ever made. Get one if you can and don't need 12.5 frequency spacing because it won't do it.

I'll play devil's advocate here, and I believe there are other threads that discuss this. The fact that an HT-1000 is certified for public safety use (in my opinion) supersedes GMRS and FRS certification. And the Wouxun radios are not technically certified for GMRS or FRS either. The real question is, will anyone on those channels ever know the difference (or care)? I will happily admit that I've transmitted on business band with a chinese handheld, a ham band with a public safety radio, and GMRS/FRS with both. Don't bother with lectures, radio cops, I know what I was doing...

 

[SCPD]

?..HT-1000 is the best portable Motorola ever made. Get one if you can and don't need 12.5 frequency spacing because it won't do it.

slightly off topic but... "DN" models of the HT1000 will, in fact, do 12.5 kHz spacing.

 

[SteveC0625]

slightly off topic but... "DN" models of the HT1000 will, in fact, do 12.5 kHz spacing.

Actually, the DN's will do the 2.5 Khz. programming steps necessary for the newer splinter channels. The charts and info that I have all show that the AN's, BN's, and CN's can do 12.5 KHz. but only on the 25 KHz. spaced frequencies.

 

[MTS2000des]

If a radio meets business & public safety specs, it will meet GMRS specs. The main thing they (the FCC) is concerned about is frequency stability, adjacent channel rejection, and type of emission on transmit. You can use a public safety/business radio on a ham frequency, but you can't use a ham radio on a public safety/business frequency because they don't meet the specs, which is mainly why they cost so much more than a ham radio. I sold two-way radios for 25 years and I said somewhere else in this post that the HT-1000 is the best portable Motorola ever made. Get one if you can and don't need 12.5 frequency spacing because it won't do it.

What someone should do is request a clarification of part 95 interpretation allowing for part 90 radios to be co-certified for part 95, in other words, if a given piece of subscriber radio or infrastructure hardware (repeater, amplifier, etc) meets or exceeds part 90 specifications for emission masks, bandwidth, stability, etc than it should be allowed for part 95 use on GMRS.

But it is going to take the FCC going ON RECORD in a clarification statement which would become an NPRM or modification to exisiting rule to officially allow it. As it stands today, if a radio isn't specifically part 95 certified it is ILLEGAL to use on GMRS, no different than say, a part 97 (ham) rig being modifed to TX OOB on GMRS.

Most commercial part 90 high power repeaters aren't part 95 certified, so all those folks running MTR2000's and Tait's are bootlegging by the letter of the law.

The letter of said law needs to be tweaked to allow it.

 

[MTS2000des]

Actually, the DN's will do the 2.5 Khz. programming steps necessary for the newer splinter channels. The charts and info that I have all show that the AN's, BN's, and CN's can do 12.5 KHz. but only on the 25 KHz. spaced frequencies.

This is true, but the older RF boards don't play nice with 12.5KHz on receive, in fact, most weren't even properly tuned at the factory for 12.5KHz squelch treshold, and need to be adjusted for 12.5. I've done a ton of BN VHF's for a friend who narrowbanded, and all of them were way off on 12.5KHz squelch. all of these were early 1996 vintage and had the later NUD7070D RF boards in them.

I will agree that the HT1000 is probably the best fairly modern series Motorola ever produced, though the early AN and BN radios had issues with bad shields that produced microphonics, and VHF boards had some issues with bad caps in the matching circuits that produced noisy front ends.

Not to mention the antenna ferrules that came loose from the chassis on the AN radios.

The DN radios got all the glitches worked out. and are probabbly good for another 20+ years of service. I've got a pair I'm hanging onto for events and spares. I've seen DN's in dozens on Ebay for under $60. Better than any bubble pack turd, and accessories are cheap and all over the place.

The Genesis series (HT600 and MT1000) were THE best built PC programmable portables ever made. Not pretty to look at, but these will be viewed as the HT220's of the 1980's shortly. And there are still many of them around in full working order 25 years later.

 

[RodStrong]

The Genesis series (HT600 and MT1000) were THE best built PC programmable portables ever made. Not pretty to look at, but these will be viewed as the HT220's of the 1980's shortly. And there are still many of them around in full working order 25 years later.

Spent many years using HT600's, P200's, MT1000's, MTX800's and MTX810's at various jobs over the years. Loved those radios.