Lscott

I think you articulated the problem. By having several repeaters in an area linked each one requires it's own pair of frequencies. Sticking to the usual standard of a 5MHz offset that leaves just 8 pairs. So, by linking several repeaters together when any one of them goes active all are now on the air. This effectively ties up several valuable repeater pair frequencies whereas one might have been sufficient. The argument for this practice is now a much wider area is covered. However one forgets that another user may wish to setup their own repeater, and has NO desire to share it with anyone outside their family or group. The multiple linked repeaters now consumes the limited repeater frequency pairs, and possibility leaving none available for somebody to use on a limited basis. For example here in the metro Detroit area we have, I think, three linked repeaters, and one wide area standalone repeater. Since we are past the FCC's "Line A" two of the official repeater frequency pairs are not available. With four of the remaining pairs consumed by the linked system that leaves just 2 frequency pairs open for somebody else to use.

Many years ago people laughed when the Japanese were getting into the US auto market and GM had about 50 percent of the US market share. Now you see Asian auto's everywhere and GM's market share is down around 25 percent or so. I wouldn't laugh about the Chinese radios.

All depends on how it's done and presented to the FCC. For years they said no to FM on 11M CB. Then one day, POOF, they said OK. While there is a crowd who don't like the idea that may become moot. In some areas digital voice modes are already in use, very much in violation of FCC regulations. If it becomes further widely practiced, like the mess with combo FRS/GMRS radios and people ignoring the license requirements, they will just throw in the towel, again, and make it legal. Saves them time, man power and money so they don't have to deal with the enforcement issues. That's basically what they did with the FRS/GMRS rule revisions in 2017. Just made what people were doing legal, then ignored the service.

Would that also include a friendly door knock, unofficially, by an FCC field engineer letting you know they noticed what you're doing and giving you the opportunity to quit?

We discourage doing something like this in a public forum and using them out of band. It just confuses new comers giving them advise that might get them into trouble. What people do privately is their business, I'm not a radio cop. If somebody wants information along these lines the best advise is to go with a private message to the other party.

Really?

If you want to dispute an FCC fine you have to go before an "Administrative Law Judge". Lots of the bureaucratic government agencies have these.

There is nothing stopping, for example Walmart, from using GMRS EXCEPT users must each have their own license. The FCC will not issue GMRS licenses to business, only individual users. If a business was licensed before the rule changes in 2017, and maintained it active, they are grandfathered in and can continue to use GMRS for business operations. If they let it expire they're screwed. The FCC will NOT issue a GMRS license in the name of the business in that case. As an example the local mall by me was licensed to use GMRS for their house keeping staff. However they let the license expire, A LONG TIME AGO. They never renewed it. They continue to use their radios and the limited range repeater. So far it seems the FCC isn't interested in taking any action. I'm absolutely sure what is going on since I've been to the mall many times with my HT to walk around for exorcise. They are using channel 16. They are setup for a repeater because I have my radio programed that way, which means they must be operating under GMRS rules to access the repeater input frequencies. If people choose to hijack the repeater they have realistically no choice except to ignore it rather than complain, otherwise the FCC might be way more interested in their long unlicensed operation history. ULS_License_-_General_Mobile_Radio__GMRS__License_-_KAB1523_-_LA-job_178.pdf

Most of my Ham radios have the "MARS/CAP" mod done for out of band operation. Is it legal to operate like that, no, but as you said when it's your life, or somebody else, who cares about a FCC fine. I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Some Hams have a major problem with people modifying their radios for out of band operation, and will refuse to use one. They forget you don't have to use it out of band. In fact not too long ago most radios had analog VFO's and could very easily go out of band. It 's the operator's responsibility to know the band limits and stay within them. Hams have gotten lazy and depend on the radio's firmware to keep operations within the band limits now days. Now on the practical side of using modified Ham gear out of band. The radios will very likely have filters on the output designed for the "official" frequency range for Ham. That's to comply with the FCC's emission requirements. Once you try running outside of the filter range the power can drop off very rapidly. It all depends on how tight the filters are. In some cases it just isn't really worth it. For example the Icom IC706MKIIG the power output at 462MHz is already low. When you get to 467MHz it's basically useless, you get as much from an HT or more. Other radios models when modified might do better. IC-706MKIIG Freqequency Mod Power Output.pdf

I remember the old TV's with the "instant on" feature. The tube filaments were powered at reduced voltage when the TV was "OFF" then the full filament voltage was applied when it was turned on. Since the filaments were already near operating temperature it didn't take long for the TV to be ready. This also increased tube life due to the reduced thermal and mechanical shock between cold and hot filaments.

It's likely a dead tree.

Also comes with a monthly bill.

Simple. GMRS was not intended to be private. You need to use a call sign basically the same logic why you’re required to have a license plate on your car, registration number on boats, airplanes etc. Don’t want to use call signs there is always FRS.

Kenwood did a really good job keeping the size down. They aren't that heavy either. The prices are reasonable depending on where you look. Most of the NX1200/1300's are the cheaper non-display type. OK for business use where one tends to stay on one to a few channels. More than that you really need the display versions. Trying to remember a couple of hundred channels is rather tough to do otherwise. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/302-nx-1300duk5-rssi-display/ Apparently they do front panel programming. It has to be the display model with at least the limited keypad. See attached file. There is no additional entitlement license to get this feature from what I can see in the available options. For Ham use this is a perk. NX-1200_1300 Front Panel Programming.pdf

Somebody is buying those Ham only Icom and Yeasu $10K plus HF rigs just for contesting.

That's why I have three of them, NX-1300DUK5's effectively. Just for completeness I wouldn't mind picking up a NX-1200 for VHF DMR. Although there isn't much VHF DMR activity by me. I have my eye on an auction for a TK-D200GE radio out of the UK. If the bids don't get to crazy I'll throw in a bid on it. That would give me two, I have one now, to go along with the two UHF model TK-D300E's I have However the D74A and D75A will do digital on 1.25M. The only other radio I have that will do digital on that band it is the D578. The D578 does DMR at least, not D-Star.

I'm not shelling out the price I see being quoted of $750 to $770 each. The D75A is a nice radio but it doesn't seem to offer enough in major functionality to justify spending the money. If nothing else I wanted to see AT LEAST split band programming. Also a DMR version would have been the deal maker. At best it's just a slight update/refresh of the D74A. Oh, the battery life on the D74 sucks.

You buy what works for you. GMRS isn't the solution in all cases.

I got a super good deal on the TH-79A at a swap. Couldn't pass it up. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/253-th-79ajpg/?context=new

Yeah, now you have to look for some NOS, new old stock, tubes to keep it going. Likely cost you more for those than what you paid for the radio.

I was at a local Ham swap a couple of years ago. One of those radios was on a table. I picked it up to look at it. The guy said I could have it. Didn't even want any money for it. Just take it away. I did have to spend a few bucks to get a charger base for it since the one in the box was missing. I programmed it up. It seemed to work OK and that's about the end of my experience with it. It's packed away on a shelf along with a bunch of other radios. I have the documentation for it, brochures, FCC Grant, user manual and service manual with schematics. KG-UVD1P.zip

A vendor wouldn't have to do it deliberately. The battery packs are likely sourced from an outside vendor and they just slap their label on it. Unless they do some in-house quality control check they might notice notice until the complaints roll in.

My radios are used mostly for scanning the local Ham, GMRS and business frequencies. Occasionally I'll get motivated and talk to somebody. When I'm not at the gym working out I head for the local mall to go walking for some low intensity exorcise. In the later case I take my UHF HT with a D-Ring ear hanger for something to monitor. You would be surprised what some store employees talk about over an open channel. Shame on them, R-Rate material. I keep the radio under the coat, or when it's warm outside under an oversized shirt on the belt so it doesn't show. Route the ear piece wire up through the shirt. I don't need people staring at me thinking I'm some kind of under cover cop or mall security dude. Yes, I've had that happen when leaving the men's restroom at the mall one Christmas season. I had the radio pulled out of the coat to make some setting adjustment. Some guy saw me and the look I got was pure surprise from him. I also don't need some paranoid person thinking I'm a terrorist and get mall security involved, maybe even asked to leave.

I get it. The wife goes shopping. Sees an item that costs $2 but it's on sale for $1. So she buys it. You go shopping. See the same item on sale. But you decide you don't need it. Later you both can legitimately claim you "saved" a $1. The difference is you still have yours.

The FCC generally gives preference to the licensed service. After all they paid money to use the spectrum. I generally never use RX tones. I want to hear all the traffic on the frequency.