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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/01/22 in all areas
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Licensee communication
WRTT642 and 4 others reacted to OffRoaderX for a topic
"some people" have nothing else to do in their life, so they make their hobby extra-serious. All that talk of fines and federal agents coming to your house is (99.99% of the time) BS, usually spread by sad, little people.. The normal people here just want to talk to their friends.. and have better things to do with their time than spreading fairy-tales..5 points -
GMRS Enforcement
gearjunkie and 3 others reacted to OffRoaderX for a topic
If you look close, 99% of them are actually sad-hams, disguised as GMRS operators.4 points -
KG-935G menu item 53 SIM-RX ?
pcradio and one other reacted to SteveShannon for a question
Is it used to turn on or off simultaneously receiving? One of the features of the 935 is its ability to receive two channels at once. Maybe this turns that off.2 points -
Me personally, I won't publicly condone rule violations. That's just stupid, for an unfathomable amount of reasons. Also, if someone asks about the rules, I'll genuinely try to provide a good/correct answer. Beyond that... I really don't care who does what. I just like to argue on the interwebz when I'm bored.2 points
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GMRS Enforcement
Sab02r and one other reacted to OffRoaderX for a topic
It doesnt matter, and only the hall-monitors care - as you can see very clearly in this and other online forums..2 points -
KG-935G menu item 53 SIM-RX ?
SteveShannon reacted to aa7jc for a question
YES! (Just tested). Thanks!1 point -
Ok, will send you when I'm back home in the evening.1 point
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New Toys. More On The Way
SteveShannon reacted to marcspaz for a topic
I'm just going to adjust against my known good commercially calibrated equipment. Honestly, it's not even important for this stuff to be precise. I just need it close enough to know if stuff is working or not. If it's close enough, I'm not going to mess with them. The frequency counter, for instance, is only going to be used to pull/confirm tones. The Tiny SA is going to be used to see if any harmonics are being transmitted from a device at a significant level or is a neighboring device is causing RFI, etc. Like I mentioned, cheap gear for GMRS radio installs.1 point -
User Name
wayoverthere reacted to kirk5056 for a topic
I would like to see more usernames and fewer call signs. For continuity I can not remember who wrote what when it is call signs (not my memory type).1 point -
I think the reason people care is because they paid and someone else didn't. It's just a matter of them feeling that if they are keeping the rules, why is nobody else? Yes, hall monitor mentality. I've thought about it. I paid my $35. I hear no call signs being uttered except for when there is a net in operation, or people working a repeater. And I do mean none. Nobody. Never. I never hear another person using a call sign on the GMRS / FRS frequencies except in formal nets or repeater use. Even some nets aren't identifying with call signs. There's nothing that can be accomplished by being grumpy about it. There are tens of thousands of GMRS or FRS radios that have been sold in the past few years within a 25 mile radius of me... of any of us. Maybe more than tens of thousands. One or two grumps are not going to stem the tide. Not even a few hundred. Remember the Internet around 1993-1994? It was well behaved (or at least conformed to a consensus standard). Spam was almost unheard of. Then ever fall a new set of students would get their school-issued accounts, and Usenet would blow up with stupidity for awhile until they were flamed into submission or departure from the medium. And then everything changed: The Internet became popular. AOL started sending out hundreds of million of CDs. There were news stories on the Internet. Books. Magazines. Globally the world was racing to get online. And these newcomers had no idea about, or no interest in stodgy convention. The net-police could flame all they wanted, but there was no stemming the tide of dumbing-down of the Net. All was not lost. It turns out that the Internet became a whole lot more useful when there were droves of people using it. It expanded into use-cases none of the old guard could have dreamed of. And of the unwashed masses? They're fine, it turns out. The real issue is the fraudsters, scammers, and hackers. So enforcement focuses in those areas. All this to say, there's really no point for an end user trying to enforce a policy that not even those who made the policy have any interest in enforcing. Let the FCC spend its time dealing with truly awful abuses, and leave the blister-pack kiddies and hard working businesses alone unless they're really, really causing harm.1 point
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I believe there ARE studies on converting/adding digital modes to the Marine Service. Won't happen for Air Service -- Air craft use AM as it allows other calls to be heard through an active communication... Emergency calls, etc. aren't blocked by FM's capture effect.1 point
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LOL. One time I was just finishing working on my SBR when who knocks on the door but a JW. The look on their face was priceless. Sent from my SM-T860 using Tapatalk1 point
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Licensee communication
WRTT642 reacted to back4more70 for a topic
I'm waiting for a group of overly serious GMRS team members to show up at my door to tell me I didn't properly use my radio for a few minutes four months ago. I can't wait to answer my door wearing nothing but underwear and an AR-15 hahahaha1 point -
Fox Hunt! You will need a black SUV to do it properly though. (That's in the rules somewhere, I believe.) ?1 point
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As was said it's not that bad. Sad GMRS operators try to make it more than it is to pump up their importance. I just, out of curiosity, checked the number of GMRS licenses in my county, 37!! Yes 37 whopping people, wanna guess we have more lawless heathens than that using GMRS? OMG what should we do? [emoji33] Sent from my SM-T860 using Tapatalk1 point
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Problem with P25, is you can only get very narrow equivalency if you go trunking (Phase II), where as DMR does it 100% of the time, and NXDN can run two separate repeaters side by side in the same bandwidth as a single P25 or DMR repeater.1 point
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Hello! Is anyone out there in North Dallas (McKinney/Frisco)?
NitroNarco reacted to fe2o3 for a topic
'Fitz, Most any UHF-capable ham radio is capable of listening to GMRS or anything else up to ~ 470-MHz. Getting them to transmit is another story entirely. Your KG1000 will let you listen to more than you thought existed. If you and Nitro wanna get together sometime and talk radios, by all means, just lemme know. I'm available most any time. -Rusty-1 point -
GMRS Enforcement
WRUE951 reacted to neosmith20 for a topic
And how do you know they were using GMRS freq.s when FRS is literally the same freq... Many businesses just go out and buy a couple of bubble pack radios for their employees and off they go. What proof is there that GMRS was actually being used? Did you test the wattage coming out of their radios? Where they using a repeater freq.? Where they using radios with detachable antennas? If you can't prove they were using something beyond a bubble pack radio, then you have no case and was a complete waste of their time. "Although they are two separate radio services, the FRS and GMRS co-exist within 462-467MHz frequency range of the UHF band. Both services share the same 22 simplex channels and frequencies. These channel and frequency assignments are standard across the industry. This means that channel 1 on a Midland FRS or GMRS radio is the same as channel 1 on a Motorola Talkabout, or a Cobra MicroTALK, or a DeWALT, Uniden, or Wouxun KG-805F and 805G. Channel 2 is the same, channel 3 is the same, and so on. For this reason, someone with an FRS radio can converse directly with someone who has a GMRS radio and vice-versa." https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2021/10/the-difference-between-frs-and-gmrs-radios.html1 point -
Digital Voice Mode on GMRS - Possible Rules?
DeoVindice reacted to marcspaz for a topic
Man... that drives me nuts. Mandate what they like and ban what they don't. People need to learn that diversity of thought is critical and their opinions really don't matter. That why I say down with DMR. Long live P25!1 point -
DMR will only increase the channels if used in TDMA. Rarely that happens. And why should P25 or NXDN be pushed aside for DMR ? That's the issue. Only so many channels for repeaters. And why should an analog user who has had a repeater on the air for 20+ years be interfered with because someone bought a license and put up a DMR repeater in the same area. I know this can happen in Analog also. Still doesn't make it right. Linking should not be part of the digital standard. Again I get baffled by trying to make GMRS another ham band. Its one service that has some basic rules that anyone can spend the money on and get a license and use. As said earlier there are many places you can go use DMR, Fusion, P25, and NXDN outside of the GMRS service.1 point
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Hello! Is anyone out there in North Dallas (McKinney/Frisco)?
fe2o3 reacted to NitroNarco for a topic
Thanks Rusty, I've requested access to both Greenville and Denton. Greenville responded back quickly saying I had approval, but I’m only in that area once a month.. Still waiting on approval for Denton. Right now Im only using HTs and really want to buy a 50 Watt for the truck, but will hold off to see how much I use these. I'm so new at this I couldn't say if I'm connecting to repeaters on not. For instance: Greenville 550 shows input and output tones of 141.3. It doesn’t show a +- offset setting. So I'm a still little confused even after reading manuals multiple times. Ive watched almost all of Notarubicons videos and Im going to self label myself as one of the so called "stupid people". I have 3 HTs: Baofeng UV-5R, BR-F8HP and a UV-9G. I also agree that another local repeater would be pretty nice. I pretty much listen to the trash pickup guys fighting in the 463 range and the occasional GMRS call out.1 point -
Lscott and gortex2 are both correct. But there is a bit of explanation that needs to be done to have a better understanding of it. First is receiver technology. Back in the day, and in the present, a standard analog FM receiver has a number of stages that the RF goes through as its stripped of it's intelligence (the voice communication) and presented to the user via the speaker. First is an RF stage, this is connected to the antenna and amplifies the signal (and ALL other signals it can hear) to be shipped up the line. These are typically fairly wide band amplifiers that will amplify much more than just the frequency range of the radio. Here's the first part of receiver degradation. That first RF stage has a design gain of X number of dB gain for the stage. So, lets say that's 10dB. If you connect said radio to a signal generator and feed it a signal level of -110dBm the output of that state SHOULD be -100dBm. An increase of the 10dB of the stage. BUT, if you feed that antenna with 2 signals from a generator that are different frequencies and also are -110dBm and look at the output of that stage, the signal level of each frequency will be -105dBm which is half as much as the single signal gain because the state can only generate 10dB of TOTAL gain. We are talking GMRS, so 462Mhz. But that RF stage exhibits gain at 140 Mhz too. To deal with out of band frequencies a GOOD receiver will have a band pass filter that will only let in 460 to 470 blocking the out of band stuff. Cheap receivers don't have expensive filters. And receiver sensitivity is measured with a SINGLE frequency in a controlled environment at the BEST measured level. Meaning they will sweep around and find where the radio performs it's very best and that's the spec. Second is shielding. Keeping the signals that are floating around in the radio out of other circuits in the radio requires shielding and isolation. Go find an old Motorola Spectra and take it apart, look at the designed isolation. Then take a part a kenwood TK860 or other radio from another manufacture of the same era. Spectra's were a BEAST for performance. Other's not so much. But you could buy 4 TK-860's for the cost of ONE Motorola Spectra. So stage two is the IF stage, a second signal is created in the radio and mixed with the RF. This mixing creates two frequencies. The sum of the two frequencies and the difference between the two frequencies, which is the one that's important here. Of course, what ever else has leaked through beyond the primary frequency of concern (what the radios actually tuned to) is also present and ends up converted as well. This is where the 10.7 IF frequency is created and passed to the IF amplifier. Stuff is cleaner now and more filtering happens. Then it's stripped of the intelligence from the IF and sent to the amplifier for presentation by the speaker. Digital processed radios. These are analog radios that operate in the digital realm. An SDR receiver if you want to think of it that way. Some of these directly take the RF into the digital processing chip and some operate at the IF frequency mentioned before. Because the RF is directly converted to a data stream it's now easily processed and can be filtered much better than even the best designed analog receiver could hope for. If it's not specific to the frequency of concern, it's simply ignored. And 'amplification' is as simple as changing the bit stream. All amplifiers can mix frequencies. so RF. IF whatever, mixing can occur. If there isn't any amplifier in the sense of a stage with an analog transistor that exhibits gain in the stage, then no mixing happens. Remember that the RF is now a digital stream of date, even in an analog radio. The SDR chip take the RF in and outputs the intelligence directly to the audio amplifier. All the A to D and D to A (analog to digital and digital to analog) happens in that chip along with all other signal processing. This allows for greater First RF stage gain, better filtering and error correction (something that CAN"T happen in an analog receiver at all) and a whole host of filtering that's done in the digital domain. And that's how we are seeing a huge increase in receiver sensitivity in these newer radios that are Digital and analog like the XPR Motorola offerings. They are barely analog at all. Doing all RF and IF processing in the digital domain while being 'analog' radios.1 point
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TDMA, specifcally DMR, slot timing errors limiting range?
MichaelLAX reacted to KAF6045 for a question
In one respect, I think that is true of all digital modes given equal ERP. Digital tends to stay "pure" until you reach the distance where bit loss starts to occur, and then just drop off. Analog at distance tends to slowly degrade (more "hiss", less fidelity, but none-the-less legible) until you are basically out of the transmitter area of coverage.1 point -
Hello is this still for sale and do you have actual pics of the radio? Thanks1 point
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What channels, if any, can I communicate on without using my call sign? KG-935G
WRTU454 reacted to OffRoaderX for a question
According to the FCC, if you are using a GMRS radio, thou must use your callsign on all channels, regardless of the power-output you have set. The question is, will they care if you dont.. and according to the FCC's enforcement database, they don't.1 point -
This appears to be a rebranded Anysecu WP-9900, which is a dual band radio 136-174/400-480 mHz. I imagine this Baofeng Tech model has different firmware in order to restrict transmit to the GMRS channels. I bought an Anysecu WP-9900 for $129. It is ok, but it does not have the front end rejection of better quality radios. What this means is that it is subject to interference as you drive around, and go by LED billboards and signs, etc. The audio from the speakermic is a bit weak when running at highway speeds. I got this for my wife’s car, which is a newer 2020 model, and it can be mounted under the seat. But if it was in my Xterra, which is running aggressive 33” tires, I imagine it would be very difficult to hear the audio from the speakermic at highway speeds, due to the interior noise from the tires. So I am not condemning this radio, but you could have full transmit capabilities for $20 less, if you are inclined to do that sort of thing.1 point
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@KAF6045 I am not sure where about you live, but Garret and I are in the same general area. With an HT, person to person, less than a mile is pretty normal range around here, depending on where both stations are. In my immediate neighborhood, my max range with a handheld to a mobile is only about 2,000 feet. HT to HT is even less. Once I leave the neighborhood, it opens up to about 2 miles.1 point
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1 point
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wouxun kg-uv9gx
WRQX740 reacted to OffRoaderX for a topic
It's a great radio with many pre-programmed frequencies to play with/listen to and it has many fars. Sometimes I just stare at mine and caress it softly.1 point -
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I hope I didn't imply that amateur radio wasn't useful at all. I only meant to convey that GMRS and FRS was the better choice for the stated purpose of emergency use, simply because the required equipment is readily available, requires no training, and most importantly cheap. Hams have an important role to play, and are written into almost all response plans. Afterall, someone has to set up the IC tent, get the food and Gatorade delivered, or raise the antenna on the GMRS repeater. My experience during activations is that the hams talk amongst themselves, relay information overheard at incident command, and do the clerical work that is essential for keeping field teams organized. Meanwhile those field teams are doing the heavy lifting using $40 radios that are perfectly capable of talking to each other and relaying requests for more shovels. It is true that hams are often the ones called upon to man the mobile command center (either city, or county Comms truck or their own RV parked next to it) and they report to the radio room at the EOC as well. None of this procedural stuff is of importance or interest to your neighbor who is trying to dig you out of a collapsed building. Hams don't activate superhero powers during emergencies. They use trained skills to perform a job. A job that many non-hams are also trained for. The claim that hams can do something other people can't is a bit of a stretch. Neither can hams. Amateur radio is neat and does cool things not relying on landlines, cell towers, or internet connections. Satellite phones have the same characteristics, but you don't see those people saying "when no one else can communicate, I can call Dominos in Lubbock, Texas". Circling back to my main point though - In a crisis, the emergency is right here, right now. Not 500 miles away. For practical use GMRS or even 'toy' FRS radios get the hard work started without waiting for a mobile ham shack to get set up.1 point
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I can't even begin to describe how ignorant and arrogant you sound. You clearly have zero practical experience in amateur radio, how the operators are integrated within local, state and federal emergency response plans, nor the overwhelming success the amateur radio community has had serving in actual national emergencies. The assumption that every operator is a decrepit, overweight, old man whom needs rescuing is laughable at best. Sorry @OffRoaderX I know that has Sad Ham written all over it... but I have to draw the line somewhere. LOL1 point
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Ham is touted as the best option for emergency communications or SHTF situations. The problem is that old fogies who run the miscellaneous clubs, and prepper groups, think that reading fox news headlines over the local repeater, or broadcasting which Costco still has pallets of toilet paper in stock during a crisis is going to be the best use of 2 way radio comms after a major emergency. The reality of course is that inexpensive radios that can be looted from the local Walmart and distributed to neighbors will be used for coordinating the digging of latrines, and clearing debris with a little bit of search and rescue thrown in for good measure. In the case of a major disaster, overweight retirees with ham licenses, will be the ones needing rescue, not providing essential communications (or any useful assistance whatsoever). FRS/GMRS fits the bill for easily accessible equipment that can be rapidly deployed where and when its needed. Amateur radio, while an excellent hobby for a 10 year old boy scout to learn about radio communications, radiation, frequency spectrums, and other nerdy stuff, it's not well suited for the stated purpose, precisely because of the specialized, complicated, and overpriced equipment required for basic functionality. Personally, I think the testing requirement for the tech(+) license has outlived its usefulness and only serves as a way to keep lonely old guys busy proctoring exams, and pontificating about the dangers of cheap Chinese radios. Removing the testing requirement (not the operating rules) would do a world of good for improving ham as a hobby, and make it more useful for emergency communications.1 point
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I would say that having to pay for shipping or a restocking fee to get a refund on a defective product would also be a reason. Even having to pay shipping to get a defective product repaired would be sufficient reason to do so. In these cases, the purchaser was not provided with the product they paid for. It should not be incumbent upon them to pay anything for the repairs or to get the repairs made. It is incumbent upon the vendor to provide the (working) product that the customer paid for, and no customer should have to pay extra to get it. If the customer is not provided with the product they were promised at the agreed upon price (without added costs), then it is the responsibility of the vendor to make it right (at no added expense to the customer). If Bridgecom is making customers pay anything extra just to get the product they were promised in the first place, they need to be reported. The BBB would be a good place to start. Perhaps the District Attorney (or a Consumer Affairs Bureau) in their jurisdiction would be another place to report them. Filing a dispute with the credit card company is another way to begin to resolve this issue. Posting unsatisfactory reviews on Yelp or Google is a way to warn others, and it may get their attention to where they reach out to resolve the matter. Finally, and especially if unable to resolve the matter in a satisfactory way, posting on forums such as this is helpful for others that may be considering doing business with that company. I'm sorry to hear that there are companies out there that would engage in such wormy business tactics, but I know they exist. Unfortunately, it's a sad reality.1 point
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FCC does not allow More repeaters?
WRYF714 reacted to OffRoaderX for a topic
If what that person said is "the FCC does not allow new GMRS repeaters", then that person lied to you or is an idiot - likely both.1 point -
ARRL Membership
WRQD721 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
I posted two QST articles that over the years I had scanned and saved to my computer. I had found them to be fundamentally helpful to me in areas that I knew would grow in complexity. Before I posted them, I considered that your response might be to ignore their content and point to their age. And sure enough, you ignored their content, pointed to their age and still called them garbage. I wondered why someone would say that and then I read: And that explained it all to me!1 point -
Friendly reminder to those who use GMRS, Ham, FRS, MURS, Unlicensed CCRs... etc...
WRUU653 reacted to RobertHode for a topic
Does anyone have an approved and official list of the equipment that can be used to commit or facilitaed criminal acts? I want to do things correctly. Asking for a friend1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
WRTT642 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
I am not intent on proving my point: I only am intent on operating consistent with how I interpret the FCC Rules as they apply to the FCC certification of the Anytone AT-779UV. Everyone else seems intent on proving me wrong: feel free to consult with the FCC, if that is your desire. It is not mine. PS: You didn’t answer my question?!1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
WRTT642 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
If you talk to me on-the air knowing that I am using my Anytone on GMRS/Ham, are you an accessory after the fact??1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
tep182 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
Let me review with regard to some of the other posts on this and other threads to me: I purchased a radio that has FCC Part 95 certification: the Anytone AT-779UV. Using the software supplied by the manufacturer (and presumably supplied by Anytone during the certification process), I did the following: 1) Programmed additional GMRS repeaters on the same frequencies but using different CTCSS/DTS codes. 2) Programmed the "power up" screen to say my callsign and phone number 3) Added "DIY" GMRS Repeater channels, so that I could easily change the CTCSS/DTS tone (using the onboard keys) when confronting a new GMRS repeater while mobile. 4) Changed the Frequencies selection from one of the 10 presets available to another one. 5) Added channels for 2 meters and 70 cm local repeater pairs and simplex frequencies. Now at all times, I made these changes using the supplied Anytone software with their easy to use selections; the same software supplied to the FCC. "Aggrieved" operators all aghast at my posts, have bombarded me with unsolicited posts about the FCC Part 95 Rules and THEIR interpretation of the rules! Certainly one would have to agree that if I changed the software to only transmit on 2 meters and 70 cm and not on GMRS would not violate FCC Rules. And, one would have to agree that if I changed the software back to default to transmit on GMRS only, it would not violate the FCC Rules. So the only point in dispute is my ability (using the selections available to me with the Anytone supplied software) to transmit on either GMRS or Ham radio during the same "power up" session; BUT obviously I cannot transmit on both at the same time. While the receiver can monitor two receiver frequencies, it cannot transmit on two frequencies at the same time. I maintain that how I operate my Anytone is consistent with how Anytone presented the AT-779UV to the FCC and hence how the FCC interprets Part 95 with regard to THIS radio, and until I hear from the FCC to the contrary, that continues to be my operating position. YMMV: If others disagree; they do not have to purchase the AT-779UV and allow it to transmit on both GMRS and Ham frequencies during the same power up session.1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
tep182 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
I sincerely believe that you feel that an analogy where people's lives are put in danger on our highways is the same "danger" as a licensed Ham using a Part 95 GMRS transceiver on the Ham radio bands! That being said, I will now ignore these types of comments from you in the future, as they add nothing of value to our discourse!1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
WRTT642 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
Thank you for that well-designed chart!1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
tep182 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
Another badge-carrying member of the Part 95 Police! ?1 point -
The never-ending Part 90/95 debate, and my discussion with the FCC
tep182 reacted to MichaelLAX for a topic
Just because YOU believe you can't do it, doesn't make it wrong!1 point -
Wow, my HOA approved my plan to put up not just one but TWO j-pole antennas! I’ll be mounting a tuned GMRS and a ham antenna shortly. This, in northern Virginia, no less. Cheers, Ken1 point
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This probably helped. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter22/section15.2-2293.1/ Ken1 point
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GMRS Enforcement
WROA675 reacted to PastorGary for a topic
Licensed operators have an unwritten responsibility to be the courteous information source for persons who may not realize what the laws are. The Commission's handling of GMRS originally was less than thoughtful and their oversight in properly separating FRS from GMRS has left the local education up to licensed GMRS operators. We are the Commission's proxy sub-contractors of education and we must deal with unlawful operators in a manner suitable for a good eventual outcome.1 point