Leaderboard

I use an old radioshack scanner that has a hit counter on it. I put all pairs in and leave it for at least 30 days. When I return, its a matter of looking at the hits not just on the RX but the TX side as well. Doing this lets me choose the best pair for the area.

I use Kenwood radios, TK380 series. Program software is free and they seem much better than the baofeng units. Nice thing is the software for the 380 also works on the 880 mobile radio, so I only use 1 program for all my radios.

Taiwan CB RadioIt is illegal to use equipment designed for the Taiwan market in the United States. 14 channels, 12.5 kHz spacing, FM: 467.5125 MHz 467.5250 MHz 467.5375 MHz 467.5500 MHz – US GMRS Repeater Input 467.5625 MHz – US FRS Channel 8 467.5750 MHz – US GMRS Repeater Input 467.5875 MHz – US FRS Channel 9 467.6000 MHz – US GMRS Repeater Input 467.6125 MHz – US FRS Channel 10 467.6250 MHz – US GMRS Repeater Input 467.6375 MHz – US FRS Channel 11 467.6500 MHz – US GMRS Repeater Input 467.6625 MHz – US FRS Channel 12 467.6750 MHz – US GMRS Repeater Input

Transportable != mobile. Compliance could be achieved by, for example, powering it from an external 120v circuit via extension cord, or a double-pole double-throw switch that disconnects the battery from the vehicle and prevents vehicle operation while the repeater is in operation. Tapping the signal line to the "BRAKE (!)" light on the dash to enable the repeater controller is yet a third option. This is an engineering problem, and it is fairly tractable. I may not have the patience to hack together the fanciest options, but running the gear off an extension cord should be quite simple, and would in fact allow me to locate the whole kit 'n caboodle in a truck tool box that can be moved, removed, or carried up a freight elevator if a rooftop is available and convenient. Exactly the edge-case I have in mind. Besides that, the balloon-lofted antenna in my hobby project simply cannot be deployed in motion, or you won't have a balloon-lofted antenna - or any antenna - very long. I was planning on something to support a local festival like the Highland games, and people enjoying themselves there. (PS, really don't use that thing around power lines, and especially high-tension lines. ) I'm working on it. But mostly this stuff is already available to amateurs, and does me absolutely zero good 'cause nobody else I know has, or is willing to, get an amateur license. If they give me a justification, it's either due to not being arsed to study, too much hassle, or perceived toxicity in the culture surrounding amateur radio. "Pushing forward the state of the art" as used here is really about improving the products available to customers via retail channels. Finding new handies that are repeater-capable is an exercise in scouring eBay for new old stock. I think the only products available are the TERA TR-505 and the BTECH GMRS-V1; the former requires PC programming and won't cover all the channels in the service, the latter requires … actually the BaoFeng meets spec IMHO. I mean, if nobody makes it yet, there's always Kickstarter… Not that I'll be ready for that until I have a few more years' experience under my belt, but I still really like the idea of a combination satnav and 50 watt GMRS radio.

That's a stretch. Part of your claim might be valid if the transmitter has front-panel selectable power output and the combination of amplifier and the highest front panel selectable power setting results in output power that is over the legal limit. But, here's the thing: the amp the OP is asking about is only rated to 40 watts max, which is within the legal limit. Also my TK-805D is internally adjustable (as are many radios) to 5 watts output. Let's take that in another direction, though. Using the TK-805D as an example again, the factory output setting is 25 watts. It is no problem at all to program the 462 MHz and 467 MHz interstitial frequencies into it. The 462 interstitial freqs have a 5 watt limit. The 467 interstitial freqs have a 0.5 watt limit. So how is this radio Part 95 type classified, since it is easy to break the law with it? The answer is, it is legal as long as it is set up so inadvertent violations cannot occur via pressing the wrong buttons during operation. Now, that does mean the GMRS-V1 specifically might not be legal with the amp, since it has the interstitial freqs programmed into it. That would be exactly the same as programming those frequencies into a mobile radio, even without the addition of an amplifier. But to say that it is a violation to use an amplifier on GMRS is a gross and incorrect oversimplification.

If the addition of the amplifier does not result in a violation (e.g. by increasing the output power beyond the legal limit), it does not void type acceptance. Source: 47 CFR 95.337 95.339 likewise states:

95.1 The General Mobile Radio Serv- ice (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. GMRS is not a hobbyist service, it is not for expanding ambitions, it is not a place to push the state of the art forward. However, there is a place for that... Amateur Radio. Per the FCC, Part of the Basis and Purpose of amateur radio is the: Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art. If those are your interests, get an amateur license.

I think there are two parts to this answer. The first has to do with emcoms, "(except emergency messages)" Basically, aside from drills, if you're using ARES or RACES you are considered emergency traffic and should have priority on a particular frequency or repeater in the ham band. If an operator holds two licenses and an outside agency [For example CERT] is using GMRS that traffic may be re-transmitted between the two sides by use of mouth [no automatic relay/cross repeater.] The same rules apply in that personal information may not be transmitted, and you can not transmit information for profit. Further, if I recall, unlike RACES/ARES where they can take over a designated ham repeater for operation, CERT is NOT allowed to take over a given frequency and must allow other users to communicate on the channel. The second part of the answer I believe means you can not have automatic control of a relay system that allows users of the two separate license classes to co-mingle, or, to put in English, you cant have a radio system that allows GMRS users to TX on the ham bands, or ham users to TX on the GMRS/MURS frequencies. This is to prevent unauthorized and unlicensed transmissions on either side.