Search & Rescue Group Adopts GMRS/FRS Channel 3

[Henrytm]

Looking at this from an Australians point of view, this FRS/GMRS thing is a mess.
Our CB radio standard is soo much better. A government designated emergency channel that is widely known.
in some cities there are even automated transmissions on said emergency channel to remind people that it is reserved for emergency use only.
There is even a $1,110,000 fine in the event of intentional misuse

 

[mmckenna]

Looking at this from an Australians point of view, this FRS/GMRS thing is a mess.
Our CB radio standard is soo much better. A government designated emergency channel that is widely known.
in some cities there are even automated transmissions on said emergency channel to remind people that it is reserved for emergency use only.
There is even a $1,110,000 fine in the event of intentional misuse

Your view from outside is not surprising.
FCC messed this all up when they combined FRS and GMRS. They had some pressure from the outside, but taking two different radio services and making such a mess out of them by trying to combine them was classic FCC screw up.

GMRS on its own was a good thing
FRS on its own was a good thing.

Sharing frequencies between the two was stupid.
"Dual certification" radios, and combining a licensed radio service with a license by rule radio service almost destroyed it.
Trying to "fix" it was a total cluster, but based on the mess they originally made it was kind of their only option.

Australia's UHF CB was well through out and made sense. USA is only now getting caught up on the purpose built GMRS mobile radios that makes the service useable.

Not to continually slam the FCC, their problem is that they take something that's pretty good and let outside commercial interests mess it up for the chance to make a quick buck. FCC doesn't always protect the public resource that is the electromagnetic spectrum for the benefit of the citizens. FCC is -exceedingly- good at letting large corporations do whatever they want to make a quick buck and screwing the public in the process.
Unfortunately the cats are out of the bag and they just attacked the ducks that were all in a row.

 

[MUTNAV]

"Unfortunately the cats are out of the bag and they just attacked the ducks that were all in a row."

Ok , that is a great mixed metaphor, well done ! !

Thanks
Joel

 

[mmckenna]

Ok , that is a great mixed metaphor, well done ! !

I worked with a guy once that said:

"We don't want to open that can of worms that is around our neck."

Everyone knew what he meant.

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

In my collection of electronic things-historic is a throw back to the early survival radios.

My grandfather, a retired Air Force colonel, once flew in B36's as the "Observer" (bombardier) during the Korean War with his finger on a 20 mega tonne "device."**
Among the survival equipment they carried were these cute little ("worthless"--my grandfather) --transceivers, -- the URC-4's




And I have one ---

My father was a MARS member back in the days of bountiful government surplus. Every week it seemed he was bring home treasures from the MARS warehouses.......... and among them was a huge box full of URC-4's . He and his MARS buddies had a blast recrystal-ling them up for 2 metre's, and canabaliz-ing them in general -until only one lone unmolested radio remained.
I took that one.

And today it is still neat- an AM two frequency transceiver for 121.5 and 243 MHz's. It was power'd by an external battery pack (mine is long gone) -- "B" and "A" batteries--- tho I have powered it with an alternate supply---- and it does work remarkably well.

"If we had to depend on those to be found" my grandfather once said, "we knew we were in real trouble"

--------------------------

Anyway, I throw this out in contrast to the really niffy inReach Garmin system.
A friend has one and I am definitely impressed.



Lauri

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

**SAC would do this- a constant steam of B36's always flying up to Soviet air space, getting pick'r up on Soviet radar-- then, so much as give them a wink --they'd turn around and fly home . All this just to remind Ivan to stay out of Korea---- or else ...... !

 

[MUTNAV]

I worked with a guy once that said:

"We don't want to open that can of worms that is around our neck."

Everyone knew what he meant.

In the Air Force the "Tongue and Quill" (the official air force writing guide), says that metaphores belong in writing like feathers on a snake.



Thanks
Joel

 

[MUTNAV]

In my collection of electronic things-historic is a throw back to the early survival radios.

My grandfather, a retired Air Force colonel, once flew in B36's as the "Observer" (bombardier) during the Korean War with his finger on a 20 mega tonne "device."**
Among the survival equipment they carried were these cute little ("worthless"--my grandfather) --transceivers, -- the URC-4's

View attachment 141644


And I have one ---

My father was a MARS member back in the days of bountiful government surplus. Every week it seemed he was bring home treasures from the MARS warehouses.......... and among them was a huge box full of URC-4's . He and his MARS buddies had a blast recrystal-ling them up for 2 metre's, and canabaliz-ing them in general -until only one lone unmolested radio remained.
I took that one.

And today it is still neat- an AM two frequency transceiver for 121.5 and 243 MHz's. It was power'd by an external battery pack (mine is long gone) -- "B" and "A" batteries--- tho I have powered it with an alternate supply---- and it does work remarkably well.

"If we had to depend on those to be found" my grandfather once said, "we knew we were in real trouble"

--------------------------

Anyway, I throw this out in contrast to the really niffy inReach Garmin system.
A friend has one and I am definitely impressed.

View attachment 141652

Lauri

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

**SAC would do this- a constant steam of B36's always flying up to Soviet air space, getting pick'r up on Soviet radar-- then, so much as give them a wink --they'd turn around and fly home . All this just to remind Ivan to stay out of Korea---- or else ...... !

I like those though ...

Thanks
Joel

 

[JeremyG760]

Audiovox had that feature in some bubble pack models, roughly 2001. I think the model series was 1500. The early one had 2W PEP and SMA removable antennae, the later ones were lower power and fixed antennae.

I actually have one of those here... GMRS-1535 (Found it in a box that's been in storage for years... the 4 AAAs in it had a best by date of 2010...)