wrci350

Your question was answered in the Guest forum, where you first posted it: https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/3926-can-a-gmrs-station-talk-to-a-frs/#comment-39147

Good summary except for this. There is no prohibition against a removable antenna for operating on channels 8-14. The only requirement is that the radio must be an HT. So a GMRS-certified HT can have a removable antenna and still transmit on those channels as long as the rest of the rules are followed (narrow bandwidth, low power). (d) 467 MHz interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable units may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 467.5625, 467.5875, 467.6125, 467.6375, 467.6625, 467.6875, and 467.7125 MHz. OP, you can read the regulations for FRS and GMRS here: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-95?toc=1

It is almost impossible to accurately measure SWR on an HT antenna. An HT antenna is designed to work while attached to the HT, which is being held in your hand. The radio and your body form the ground plane for the antenna. If you detach the antenna and use jumpers to connect a meter and set the radio on the desk, you won't get accurate SWR readings. So feel free to test out your meter to get familiar with it, but don't be shocked if you get really high readings. Like @OffRoaderX said, SWR readings should NOT vary with power. If they do, then your meter isn't very good.

Sorry, but I fail to see the point you are trying to make. That's not an FRS radio, it's a GMRS radio. Yes, someone can buy it and install it and use it without a license. That's true of any GMRS radio.

My name is not "Allen", but if you would like to call me "Mr. Allen" that would be fine. And which part of your post did I miss?

That's a GMRS radio, not FRS. The only difference is that if someone uses it without a GMRS license then they are in violation of FCC regulations.

No one is going to "do that", since it's not allowed by the FRS rules. So step one would be "petition the FCC to change the rules".

Yes, I said that in an earlier post. ? But with so few channels, I have no idea how widely that happens in the GMRS world.

Those aren't fixed stations. "Base station. A station at a fixed location that communicates directly with mobile stations and other base stations." So two base stations talking to each other are ... base stations. Honestly I cannot think of where a "fixed station" would be used in GMRS. The key difference is that a fixed station talks ONLY to other fixed stations.

§ 95.1767 GMRS transmitting power limits. This section contains transmitting power limits for GMRS stations. The maximum transmitting power depends on which channels are being used and the type of station. (a) 462/467 MHz main channels. The limits in this paragraph apply to stations transmitting on any of the 462 MHz main channels or any of the 467 MHz main channels. Each GMRS transmitter type must be capable of operating within the allowable power range. GMRS licensees are responsible for ensuring that their GMRS stations operate in compliance with these limits. (1) The transmitter output power of mobile, repeater and base stations must not exceed 50 Watts. (2) The transmitter output power of fixed stations must not exceed 15 Watts. A "fixed station" and a "base station" are not the same. You have to dig around to find the definitions, which are here: 47 CFR § 95.303 - Definitions. Base station. A station at a fixed location that communicates directly with mobile stations and other base stations. Fixed station. A station at a fixed location that directly communicates with other fixed stations only. If you have a GMRS mobile connected to a power supply and an external antenna on top of your house, that's a base station. A point-to-point RF link between two repeaters would be an example of fixed stations.

You won't find a dedicated 2M SSB radio either, unless you look for something used (and fairly old).

The rules state otherwise.

That is not correct. The rules for both services clearly allow interoperability with users of the other service. Nowhere does it say, "If you are using a GMRS radio to talk to an FRS radio, then you are an FRS user". Part 90 radios are not type-accepted for either service, although the FCC has stated that they are not going to track people down for using one on GMRS unless they are causing other issues. (The exception would be an older model that had dual 90/95 certification back when that was permitted.) § 95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses. The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities. § 95.531 Permissible FRS uses. FRS units are primarily used for short-distance two-way voice communications between individuals. (c) GMRS stations. FRS units normally communicate with other FRS units, but may also be used to communicate with General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) stations.

Subpart B - Family Radio Service (FRS) § 95.501 Scope. This subpart contains rules that apply only to the Family Radio Service (FRS). § 95.503 Definitions, FRS. Family Radio Service (FRS). A short-distance two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, between low power hand-held radios, for facilitating individual, family, group, recreational and business activities. FRS unit. A transceiver for use in the FRS. FRS radios are by definition hand-held, with fixed antennas.

Yes, I said that. ? You cannot even install RT Systems software without their cable plugged in.

The RT Systems software will only work with the RT Systems cable. If you bought the Wouxun cable, then you'll need to use the Wouxun software. https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-935g.html Click the "Downloads" tab.

GMRS permits detachable antennas, so if you want to connect to a different HT antenna or to an external antenna that's perfectly OK.

I would say "yes". If what you hear back is morse code then that is the repeater identifying itself. If it's just a "bee-boop" then that's the courtesy tone.

@WRKC935, did you read my post from March 10th? Or maybe you are ignoring my posts? Either way, that statement is incorrect. MURS, like FRS, is licensed by rule. No call signs. Is a Baofeng type-accepted for MURS? No, but that's a different issue, and not much of one IMHO. It's also quite possible that the council has a Part 90 license, which also does not require individuals to identify with a callsign (since they do not have one). The fact that my 5 minute search for a license associated with that council name didn't find one doesn't mean they don't have one. They could be operating on a "rent-a-radio" system, for all we know. So FRS is not the only 'legal' option. What we DO know is that there is no amateur radio license that would cover all the volunteers at any event (Scouting or otherwise), so whoever told the OP either misspoke or was misinformed.

@PartsManOK in an earlier post, you stated that you were scanning GMRS/FRS and "never heard them". So did you hear them talking (and not using a call sign) or did you not hear them at all? Were you ever told the call sign of this alleged license?

If you are transmitting something like, "<mycallsign> testing" and you don't get any response, there are several possibiilities: - You cannot hit the repeater due to distance or terrain - The repeater is not actually on the air. - The tone(s) in your radio don't match what's actually needed to use that repeater. - There is no one listening, or anyone who is listening isn't interested in responding. As was stated above, you are better of not setting the receive tone, at least initially. Many repeaters have a courtesy tone or a squelch tail that you can hear after opening up the repeater. Some will also send their ID information if they haven't transmitted in a while. If you hear any of those then you are hitting the repeater; if you don't, see above.

Won't disagree one bit. Probably the reason that is (AFAIK) the only type-accepted MURS base/mobile on the market. I'm sure there aren't ANY people out there using Part 90 mobile radios on MURS.

Nope. Limited to 2W, but Part 95J includes maximum height limits, which wouldn't apply to HTs only. § 95.2741 MURS antenna height limit. The highest point of any MURS station antenna must not be more than 18.3 meters (60 feet) above the ground or 6.10 meters (20 feet) above the highest point of the structure on which it is mounted. MURS station antennas must also meet the requirements in § 95.317 regarding menaces to air navigation. See 47 CFR 95.317 and consult part 17 of the FCC's Rules for more information (47 CFR part 17). Also this: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-1000m.html

Whoever told you that was either misinformed or misspoke. As others have stated, it is possible for a club to get a call sign that can be used for contests, field days, or even things like attending a camporee and letting Scouts try out ham radio but all operation must be done under the direct supervision of someone who holds their own amateur radio license. It's not a "hand every volunteer a radio and away you go" situation at all. If you were scanning the GMRS/FRS channels (with no squelch tone set) and never heard them, that tells us they were not using FRS. As has been suggested, they could have been using a MURS channel (no license required) although a Baofeng isn't a type-accepted radio for MURS. There are also many Scout councils that have Part 90 licenses for operations at their camps and other large events, and it *would* be legal to use a Baofeng "Part 90" radio for that, although I for one wouldn't recommend it. I did a quick search of the FCC database and didn't see anything associated with the council name but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't have a license.

There are no "FRS" channels; they are all shared between FRS and GMRS (other than the repeater inputs, which are GMRS only). If you are talking about the interstitial channels (the low power FRS/GMRS channels) then you are correct that a base station would not be allowed to transmit on them, but that's because of this: 47 CFR 95.1763(d) 467 MHz interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable units may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 467.5625, 467.5875, 467.6125, 467.6375, 467.6625, 467.6875, and 467.7125 MHz. GMRS mobiles will either pretend those channels don't exist or allow receive-only on them. Nothing to do with antenna ... a GMRS HT *can* transmit on those (at low power) even though it has a removable antenna.