UHF/GMRS Repeater Monitoring

[n8emr]

The FCC says a new user (not grandfathered in) can not use GMRS for any business. But if all your employee's get their own individual GMRS license, it is perfectly legal. There are all kinds of gray areas, contradictions, and loop-holes! I could count on one hand how many instances I've heard about where the FCC enforces anything on FRS/GMRS.

What the FCC says is a BUSINESS may not get a new GMRS license. There is nothing that says it cant be used for business purposes. grandfathered or not. You do need to have a license for anyone using the radio's either by family status or indiviual license.

 

[n8emr]

It still doesn't address using a licensed GMRS radio on FRS frequencies. I can't find any FCC documents that say you can, or can not.

You cant use GMRS radio on FRS frequencies, You can use GMRS on GMRS freq and there are 7 shared FRS and GMRS frequencies.

 

[gatekeep]

What the FCC says is a BUSINESS may not get a new GMRS license. There is nothing that says it cant be used for business purposes. grandfathered or not. You do need to have a license for anyone using the radio's either by family status or indiviual license.

Correct, business are pointed to the BRS service for business operations. While, technically, your correct, chances are that every employee in the business would have to be individually licensed, as unless its a family business everyone is NOT related.

You cant use GMRS radio on FRS frequencies, You can use GMRS on GMRS freq and there are 7 shared FRS and GMRS frequencies.

Technically, everyone is confusing channels 1 - 7 to be FRS frequencies. When in all actuality they are GMRS interstitial frequencies (or the shared FRS/GMRS frequencies). The original FRS frequencies are 8 - 14 which are limited to 500mW of power. Part 95 stipulates that a GMRS operator can operate a maximum of 5W on the 7 GMRS interstitial frequencies and up to 50W on the GMRS repeater splits. GMRS radios are not legal on the FRS 8 - 14 frequencies, as FRS does not allow for removeable antennas, higher transmit power and the such (which most commercial GMRS radios have).

 

[iMONITOR]

So the bottom line when all the dust settles is if you have a GMRS license, you can use a 5-watt GMRS radio to talk to FRS units on channels 1~7, correct?

 

[gatekeep]

From everything I've read in Part 95 of the FCC rules. Yes.

Sec. 95.29 Channels available.

(a) For a base station, fixed station, mobile station, or repeater
station (a GMRS station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission
of another GMRS station on a different channel or channels), the
licensee of the GMRS system must select the transmitting channels or
channel pairs (see Sec. 95.7(a) of this part) for the stations in the
GMRS system from the following 462 MHz channels:

462.5500, 462.5750, 462.6000, 462.6250, 462.6500, 462.6750, 462.7000 and
462.7250.

(b) For a mobile station, control station, or fixed station operated
in the duplex mode, the following 467 MHz channels may be used only to
transmit communications through a repeater station and for remotely
controlling a repeater station. The licensee of the GMRS system must
select the transmitting channels or channel pairs (see Sec. 95.7(a) of
this part) for the stations operated in the duplex mode, from the
following 467 MHz channels:

467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500, 467.6750, 467.7000 and
467.7250.

(f) Except for a GMRS system licensed to a non-individual, a mobile
station or a small base station operating in the simplex mode may
transmit on the following 462 MHz interstitial channels:

462.5625, 462.5875, 462.6125, 462,6375, 462.6625, 462.6875 and 462.7125.

These channels may be used only under the following conditions:
(1) Only voice type emissions may be transmitted;
(2) The station does not transmit one-way pages; and
(3) The station transmits with no more than 5 watts ERP.

Sec. 95.135 Maximum authorized transmitting power.

(a) No station may transmit with more than 50 watts output power.
(b) [Reserved]
(c) A small control station at a point north of Line A or east of
Line C must transmit with no more than 5 watts ERP.
(d) A fixed station must transmit with no more than 15 watts output
power.
(e) A small base station must transmit with no more than 5 watts
ERP.

Pay particular attention to Section 95.29 (f).

 

[Don_Burke]

So the bottom line when all the dust settles is if you have a GMRS license, you can use a 5-watt GMRS radio to talk to FRS units on channels 1~7, correct?

That is correct.

 

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

The Law

As far as how exactly all this applies I would refer anyone to Popular Wireless since Doug over there has spent years of hard work clarfifying the ins and outs of the GMRS / FRS rules. Since government people can't seen to speak in plain terms and be logical, Doug is probably one of the top authorities in this area. The link may be a few years old, but that is because the law hasn't changed.

I researched all of this some years ago before getting my license, because I too was so confused after buying a bubble pack set in the beginning.

The FCC has done a horrible job by allowing this confusing mess to occur, then to add insult to injury they don't do (in my view) much as far as enforcement on these services.

Truly sad. Some conspiracy types say they are planning to let it all go to hell, then re-allocate that portion for something else.

Who knows.

 

[N2DLX]

I run myGMRS.com, a repeater directory for GMRS. To date we have 587 registered users and 170 repeaters in 30 states listed. A valid GMRS license is required to register to see the frequencies and tones of the repeaters, to prevent unlicensed users from getting on repeaters.

myGMRS is the largest GMRS repeater listing out there currently, and is entirely user submitted/edited, so it's as up-to-date as possible (I didn't go through and add repeaters from other sites which may be outdated).