amphibian
Member
It has been brought to my attention by my staff of legal experts that the linking one or more repeaters may very well be against the rules and regulation of FCC. Particularly the very description of what GMRS is per the description as outlined by FCC, to witt:
"§95.1 The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).
(a) The GMRS is a land mobile radio service available to persons for short-distance two-way communications to facilitate the activities of licensees and their immediate family members. Each licensee manages a system consisting of one or more stations."
Within the first line the words "for short-distance two-way communications" is where the legal team has issues with. Per their understanding and opinion "short distance communications" does not include communicating over a distance of more than one repeater, base station, or control station provides. In other words, one repeater generally provides a good communicating distance of an average 75 land mile radius. It is their belief that FCC intended the communicating distance for a licensee to be no more than this. By using methods of VOIP or ROIP (including methods such as Zello), for other than a control station method (like DC or Tone remotes do) it allows one or more operators of a system to communicate further than FCC originally intended causing a violation of FCC rules. Further, they feel methods such as Zello could also be considered a "cross banding" issue to boot.
Unfortunately, they can not provide where FCC has printed or listed the definition or meaning as to "short-distance communicating"....
It is their opinion that until a request for clarification and/or understanding is received back from FCC that no linking should be done so as not to violate any of the FCC current laws.
I formed the USGMRS Association to be a means to assist licensed GMRS users with proper use there of of GMRS communications, to further the opportunities for the licensed GMRS users, and to be an aid when it came to what is legal or not legal with respect to operating GMRS radio equipment... For that reason, I have not yet and will not be turning on any devices that allows for the linking of any repeater(s) until such time a response has been received on clarification of what FCC's meaning is to short-distance communications. Does this mean I/we will stop adding repeaters throughout the country....no. Just means we won't be enabling the linking of them as originally intended.... We all still need more repeaters to communicate on.... especially in areas where there are licensees and no repeaters to use....
Opinions or Comments any one?........
Thanks,
William R Howell,
GMRS License Call Sign: WQYX489
CEO, USGMRS Repeater & Users Group Association
USGMRS Repeater & Users Group Association (usgmrsgroup.club)
FB Group Page: USGMRS Repeater & Users Group
"§95.1 The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).
(a) The GMRS is a land mobile radio service available to persons for short-distance two-way communications to facilitate the activities of licensees and their immediate family members. Each licensee manages a system consisting of one or more stations."
Within the first line the words "for short-distance two-way communications" is where the legal team has issues with. Per their understanding and opinion "short distance communications" does not include communicating over a distance of more than one repeater, base station, or control station provides. In other words, one repeater generally provides a good communicating distance of an average 75 land mile radius. It is their belief that FCC intended the communicating distance for a licensee to be no more than this. By using methods of VOIP or ROIP (including methods such as Zello), for other than a control station method (like DC or Tone remotes do) it allows one or more operators of a system to communicate further than FCC originally intended causing a violation of FCC rules. Further, they feel methods such as Zello could also be considered a "cross banding" issue to boot.
Unfortunately, they can not provide where FCC has printed or listed the definition or meaning as to "short-distance communicating"....
It is their opinion that until a request for clarification and/or understanding is received back from FCC that no linking should be done so as not to violate any of the FCC current laws.
I formed the USGMRS Association to be a means to assist licensed GMRS users with proper use there of of GMRS communications, to further the opportunities for the licensed GMRS users, and to be an aid when it came to what is legal or not legal with respect to operating GMRS radio equipment... For that reason, I have not yet and will not be turning on any devices that allows for the linking of any repeater(s) until such time a response has been received on clarification of what FCC's meaning is to short-distance communications. Does this mean I/we will stop adding repeaters throughout the country....no. Just means we won't be enabling the linking of them as originally intended.... We all still need more repeaters to communicate on.... especially in areas where there are licensees and no repeaters to use....
Opinions or Comments any one?........
Thanks,
William R Howell,
GMRS License Call Sign: WQYX489
CEO, USGMRS Repeater & Users Group Association
USGMRS Repeater & Users Group Association (usgmrsgroup.club)
FB Group Page: USGMRS Repeater & Users Group
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