So glad I chose MURS.

[rapidcharger]

There are many IG licenses on MURS channels near me. For example have several businesses in my area licensed for 154.6. (MURS 5/Blue dot). I have always wondered why they overlap like that.

There are 77 active licenses nationwide for the green dot, 154.6 (the blue dot is actually 154.57) and it looks like they are mostly included in licenses that have other non-MURS frequencies. But not all of them. And judging by the renewal dates, I'd venture a guess that the original license was granted before the MURS was created and some unscrupulous office manager has just been paying the bills not knowing that in most, if not all of those cases, the radios that were being used on that frequency are probably long gone and the frequency isn't even being used. Especially the fast food restaurants. I think they all moved to spread spectrum. Business band renewals are only every 10 years.

 

[quarterwave]

It's not only the older, still licensed radios....it's all the unlicensed ones too...which may be the same as MURS now...but back 20 years ago, every catalog, supply house, etc had a Ritron or similar potables for cheap on 154.600 and 154.570 at 2 watts...complete with a license application that got shoved in the drawer with the manual, never to be seen again.

I know a business that had 154.570 in their MOBILES running 50 watts! When they went to narrow band that was taken out and they licensed for a couple of newer split itinerant channels. It was just basically a lack of knowledge on the subject that caused it. They didn't often use 154.570, they had to work with a contractor 20+ years ago and just left it in, and kept putting it in new mobiles...they normally used a repeater or 151.625. They are off 151.625 now also.

 

[rapidcharger]

It's not only the older, still licensed radios....it's all the unlicensed ones too...which may be the same as MURS now...but back 20 years ago, every catalog, supply house, etc had a Ritron or similar potables for cheap on 154.600 and 154.570 at 2 watts...complete with a license application that got shoved in the drawer with the manual, never to be seen again.

I know a business that had 154.570 in their MOBILES running 50 watts! When they went to narrow band that was taken out and they licensed for a couple of newer split itinerant channels. It was just basically a lack of knowledge on the subject that caused it. They didn't often use 154.570, they had to work with a contractor 20+ years ago and just left it in, and kept putting it in new mobiles...they normally used a repeater or 151.625. They are off 151.625 now also.

There wasn't a 2 watt limit on those blue and green dots back in the day. And those particular color dots weren't for itinerant use either. The Red Dot, on the other hand is an itinerant freq to this day and does still require an FCC license to be granted. It allows more power too.

 

[KF5YDR]

Does itinerant just mean "no base stations", or is there additional meaning?

 

[rapidcharger]

Does itinerant just mean "no base stations", or is there additional meaning?

Actually, it doesn't mean you can't have a base station. You can.
It just means that you will be operating in varying locations for varying and unspecified periods of time. And it also means you are sharing the channel with others who are doing the same. Since there is no frequency coordination, you may luck out or you may find all those channels in use or with some crazy noise on them already.

Back in the 90's which was the peak for the aforementioned first wave of walkie talkies that were in the catalogs and supply houses (and even showed up in a Home Depot or two), you could scan the color dot freqs and hear a lot. From my high spot, I could hear like 5 different users on each channel. Mostly construction and fast food. Some retail and hotels. But that's changed a lot. Now I don't hear anything on there. But regardless, at ground level it was still very usable, even in it's heyday.

 

[KF5YDR]

Thanks!

 

[quarterwave]

Right, Green and Blue were not Itinerant, but remember then being portable only. The 1 and 2 watt versions of ready-packed radios were common. Motorola's P10 and SP10's....Ritrons, etc.

 

[ThomasMcKean]

Wal mart has been lucky that murs has not caught on, and I wonder if they have been smart enough to be a reason for that. I don't understand a billion dollar company not getting their own licensed frequency, although murs did used to need one. I would love to see the pissing match between one of these high and mighty co managers or store managers and people legally using murs

That already happened. With me and a manager. I posted about it here somewhere and got such hell from readers. Apparently I was a naughty boy!

 

[quarterwave]

Would be funny to call out a "Code Brown in the Men's room....Code Brown!" once in a while on 154.600 outside the WalMart....

 

[jedispork]

My problem with murs and gmrs is the lack of radios manufactured for them. The dakota alerts worked ok but the base models seem more like a wireless intercom than a 2 way communication radio. The radio shack mobile unit was more practical and you could use it at home with a power supply. I'm actually getting rid of my murs stuff and updating my radios.

Me and some friends used those channels before it was called murs to get away from cb. I doubt anyone would ever bother you if you used a baofang or something with a few extra watts. However I'm trying to get into the amateur radio world and stay within legal methods. If locals are aware of my voice and call sign I don't want them finding out I'm not using a legal radio or power level. Maybe its over reacting but some of those guys can be funny about that. If you ran to much power you could cause interference with people that you cannot even hear. My Dad is probably the only one in my family that would use a radio to stay in contact with me so I'm trying to help him get a technician license as well.

CB is less crowded now and probably a better option than murs imo. Murs seems more intended for small commercial operations at short range so its not surprising that this small group of channels isn't marketed to the masses.

 

[ChetsJug]

Midland strikes again!

Radio shack 19-1210...

Thank's JH This led me to more searches...

The RS mobile and HT business bands are setup to select business band freq's thru a binary type toggle selector inside (like your garage door openers). The HT's have "blue dot" and "green dot" freqs which are channel 4 & 5. Since you can pick these one channel HT's up for $25-30 it's worth it. I bought a pair to hand to my niece n nephew when we go camping. The FRS radios seem to peter out in rough terrain that we get into in the Angeles Nat'l Forest outside of Los Angeles. We're hoping the 2 watt VHF will get out further.

I have also since found these: Midland 70-1340B. Programmable. The one I bought has hi-low power set at 2 & 40 watts. Another I passed up was 1 & 30. The description of mine failed to mention how many channels, but had a scan and a "busy" monitor light. I'm sure it has more than 2 channels with a scan, but ya never know lol. It also came with a dispatcher style desk mic.

I havent been home since I ordered it, I'll keep ya posted.

 

[ChetsJug]

Early Christmas

...I'll keep ya posted.

^^^^

Oh! THat's me hehe.

So I got home to a big box that felt like it had a die cast model Sherman Tank inside! Inside was the heaviest damn radio I've ever picked up. Of Course! It's a mobile radio shoved into the back of a base station box that holds a speaker and large power supply transformer. It's double weight with the cast metal back end of the mobile unit. Sheeesh

Now I have to get hte programming stuff like software and patch cords.

It seems to be a 5 channel. It might have more but that's all that's programmed into it. I don't know the freqs; all I see is channel numbers 1,2,17,19,20. The info said this came from a Municipality.

I ran across a fella on you tube named Mike McCoy that collects these for UHF GMRS repeaters and HAM use. He has a VHF antenna that I just have to have. It's a VHF version of the Sirio 827. He called it a Dominator.

And that's another toy that came, My Sirio 827 for the CB arrived. I'm pondering a place to put it up. My first choice is too close to power lines, so Ive been told.

Coming in a few days is my RCI 2980 (preWX model).

Anyway my MURS base will soon be up and a part of my radio hut (Radio Shack was taken lol)

 

[KF5YDR]

You need a minimum of ten feet from where the end of the antenna will be if it falls. Anything less and you're asking for trouble.

 

[ChetsJug]

Damned DWP!

You need a minimum of ten feet from where the end of the antenna will be if it falls. Anything less and you're asking for trouble.

Yeah, see, that's gonna be a compromise. In my cul-de-sac, That would be my front yard near the curb. I have lines up the back and down one side of the property, the driveway side is where the power lines are coming from the back of the property to the corner of hte house.

I'm going to have to compromise with common sense. My incoming lines are fairly new and are braided with thick insulation. If they can be wrapped around each other and not short out, I think they can stand a fall across the line with out tearing into the wires.

I have a tall fence with metal poles between the house and hte garage. I'm going to use the pole closest to the house to send up another 2 - 6' sections with couplers and guy wires to 3 points on the house and garage. It will be pretty much an equal spread. Being on an 8' base pole that will make the mount 20' up, 2-3 feet above the crown of the house; with the tip at 40-41'. Later when I can afford a tower, I'll go up another 10-15, but attach the mast down the driveway side of the house. Then if it falls, it cant get near the power lines, just crash on top of one of my cars lol.

Glad to have all the input though, I've learned loads since I came here