marcspaz

What do you mean I'm funny? What do you mean, the way I talk? What? Funny how? I mean, what's funny about it? Funny how? I'm funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to amuse you?

That doesn't surprise me. It's a government agency. LoL

@UncleYoda You don't think it's a little tiny bit silly to think that the FCC would make it against the rules to use a repeater from a radio at your house?

@UncleYoda @Lscott @SteveShannon So, a friend of mine helped me understand this a bit better. Evidently, using "base station" as a laymen term verse the technical term are not the same. My buddy pointed out that a base station (in laymen terms) that communicates with a repeater is classified as a "control station" by rule definition. So, in laymen terms, a base station can 100% communicate with repeaters, but they are classified as "control stations" while communicating through a repeater, for the sake of FCC rules. From the § 95.303 definitions... Control station. A station at a fixed location that communicates with mobile stations and other control stations through repeater stations, and may also be used to control the operation of repeater stations.

Unfortunately it's not an option for me.

The website is acting goofy on my phone. It posted duplicates several times. Also. the default sort on 'questions' is by vote count. You can change it to chronological order with a selection under the question...

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It's funny how people lose focus on the government exercising the will of the people, not the other way around. Also, you can't challenge a law or rule in court unless you have standing. The only to ways to have standing is to violate the rule or law and dispute allegations by an enforcement agency, or you have to go to court and tell the judge you either have or intend to violate the rule/law.

The reality is that this is another great example of how the rules are contradictory and therefore can't be followed. The rules specifically exclude using a base station to transmit on repeater frequencies. But the definition of a base station is defined by how it's used. So if I use a radio at a fixed location to talk to handhelds and repeaters, by definition it's no longer a base station. So how can the circular logic work? The short answer is, it can't.

Hmmm I wonder how they would classify a radio installed in a vehicle, but connected to an antenna mounted on a building, but then, because it's all still on the same property, I use a hot-spot in the vehicle to remotely control the mobile radio from my computer to operate the radio from inside the building. Man, make my head hurt just thinking about it.

I was thinking about a good response to the original post, but I don't know that there is one. Radio is so diverse in it's use that I think any answer would be anecdotal at best. For example, it seems very much like a hobby where I live, but in other areas I travel to, it is very much utilitarian in nature. Which one represents the majority trend? No idea. When I look at the purpose of the service, at its core, it is "for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family", whatever that may be. If it seems to trend in one direction or another, I don't know that it really matters. That fact that it is a somewhat basic service that doesn't require a vast knowledge of radio is really not a factor. There are plenty of other services that have been established for us to use that don't require any more skill than what is required of GMRS. So I don't believe that is relevant. Bottom line, if some people make a hobby of it, then it's fulfilling the need of the licensee. If it's a utility for others, same thing, it's fulfilling the need of the licensee. As the service grows, use patterns will change, but ultimately it doesn't matter what is happening around the country. The only thing that matters is if it does what you need it to do.

The PL tone (or DCS) is a squelch tool. It limits what opens your squelch, but doesn't give you another channel. For example, let's say someone is talking on a specific frequency/channel you are monitoring and you can't hear them due to having a tone set. If someone transmits on that frequency with the tone you have programmed, you will hear every station that is transmitting, because the conditions to open the squelch have been met.

There is lots of overlap around the DC metro area and it works out fairly well. Just use a different tone and you should be fine, regardless of your coverage area.

As others have mentioned, it's a Line of Sight (LOS) service. The signal will only penetrate buildings and trees for very short distances. The radio LOS is about 15% further than your visual LOS, as a quick reference. From the ground, I can talk on Amateur Radio satellite repeaters in orbit 240+ miles above Earth. However, my house is at the bottom of a hill and I can't talk more than a few blocks with 5 watts while in my yard. Just the way it works. What if I leave my FCC type approved wrist band at home? How close to said panties could I possibly get? Does antenna size matter?

Contact Us by Phone Business hours for all non-emergency calls: 8:00am - 5:00pm, ET Toll-Free Voice: 1-888-CALL FCC (225-5322) My call got answered. It rang, was answered and the automated system asked me to pick a language. From there, I got menu options.

Good video. I always like his content. The problem he touches on is, the conflicting and contradictory rules combined with poor definitions and poor word choices. Until FCC updates the rules with very clear and specific language or a case makes it to the SCOTUS, there won't be a good answer.

Can you share the link to the page? I'll test it. There are a bunch of different numbers depending on what the call is in reference to. There may be another number you can use.

Not sure what to say. I just use the radio. Every HF radio I have every owned, ranging in age from manufactured in the late 80's to still being made today, all have FM on every band from 160MHz to 30MHz. It has not been possible to make any adjustments to it... it just is what it is. In my entire life, I have never ever heard of anyone get a no-no letter from the FCC or even complaints from other operators. I looked at my logs a few minutes ago. I personally have made over 1,000 contacts in the last 20+ years between 14 MHz and 3.8 MHz, all around the US in in over 30 countries. It's being done and it works. No fiddling is even possible.

With limited exception, there are almost no rules on bandwidth on HF. The bandwidth limitations are typically defined by the modulation type authorized. Most of the HF radios that I've seen that transmit FM only occupy 1.8 kilohertz of bandwidth. Which is well below the common bandwidth of 3 kilohertz used for single sideband, and it works great. I personally have used FM as low as 3.85 MHz and spoke to people as far as 300 miles away without issue.

Actually, FM is allow almost everywhere phone/voice is allowed on the HF bands. The only modulation restrictions I have ever found in the rules are on 60m where you must us USB for phone, and on 10m tech segment (28.3-28.5) and only if you have a tech license. Then, you have to use AM or sideband. The only other restrictions I found specifically for HF voice is that the total bandwidth of a sideband emission with a B designation or a multiplexed image and phone emission cannot exceed the communications quality A3E emission. Which is kinda of stupid, but whatever.

Did someone say FCC Rules???

When I had my FT-891 and IC-7300 MARS modded, it opened up transmit on the CB frequencies, too. Even though I have a legit CB, it's nice to know I have options if needed.

I mean, they didn't do it until 4 decades after the rest of the nations with CB equivalent services did it. If the FCC kept with the times, GMRS as we know it might not exist. Now that I think about it, 27 MHz FM with 50w and repeaters doesn't sound like a terrible idea from a technology standpoint, but it hasn't been very popular on 29 MHz. So, we may have ended up with modern GMRS regardless.

I hear a lot of people from Dominican Republic.