wrci350

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.

A repeater will [normally] have *either* a CTCSS or DCS tone for input, and may have either the same tone or a different one on the output. If the repeater you have been given permission to use has a CTCSS tone, that's all you need.

If your radio shows receive but you don't hear anything, then the repeater is either transmitting a different tone, or no tone at all. The purpose of the Rx tone is to keep you from hearing other traffic on that same channel, which could be either a different repeater, or simplex traffic (on the repeater output channel, which is shared with simplex GMRS and FRS users). But you don't *need* to program in the Rx tone; you will hear the repeater just fine without it (as you have seen). Does that make sense?

It's not the same cable. As was stated previously, RT Systems software only works with one of their cables, which use their own drivers. For example: You won't find a "pick a com port" option in their software packages, because the software finds the cable automatically.

Couple options: 1) Is there a ham radio club in your area? If so they may offer classes, either on-line or in person. 2) I know there are some General classes on YouTube. 3) New England Sci-Tech offers on-line classes for all three licenses. I took the Technician class during the height of the great Covid-19 lock-down in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that I ended up taking the General and Extra classes too. (Yes, I passed the exams along the way.) The instructor was great, and focused on the material behind the questions, not just on the answers to the questions. For me, it was money well spent. https://nescitech.org/shop/online-license-course-general/

You mobile or HT radio transmits on the 467 frequency and receives on the 462 frequency. That means the repeater has to RECEIVE (from your HT or mobile) on 467 and TRANSMIT (back to your HT or mobile) on 462. So the high side of the duplexer goes to receive, and low side to transmit.

Well, that's the strategy, faulty or not. You can very easily use a scanner or a radio that allows tone scanning to find the output tone (if there is one) from a repeater. Unless the repeater is using split tones, you've found the input tone too. With split tones, you have to be close enough to *someone who is transmitting* to monitor the input channel in order to scan for the input tone. It's not a matter of being close to the repeater, since the repeater can 'hear' better than you can, even if you are standing next to it. Not advocating at all, just expounding.

(I'm cutting out all the subpoints that are not relevant.) § 95.1733 Prohibited GMRS uses. (a) In addition to the prohibited uses outlined in § 95.333 of this chapter, GMRS stations must not communicate: ... (9) Messages (except emergency messages) to any station in the Amateur Radio Service, to any unauthorized station, or to any foreign station; So I think the answer is, 'No, you cannot do that'.

What kind of coax are you using, and how long is it?

OK I just realized that I missed something important when I looked at that section: "and"! (1) It retransmits only communications from GMRS stations operating under authority of the individual license under which it operates; and, (2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section. Notice that it also says "under which it operates", so it's talking about the repeater, not about the stations using the repeater. So if you stand up a repeater that is only going to be used by your family, under your GMRS license, and all the users identify as required, the repeater does not have to ID. Otherwise, the repeater is required to ID every 15 minutes as described in that same section, although it is implied that this is only while the repeater is in use.

§ 95.1751 GMRS station identification. Each GMRS station must be identified by transmission of its FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. A unit number may be included after the call sign in the identification. ... (c) Any GMRS repeater station is not required to transmit station identification if: (1) It retransmits only communications from GMRS stations operating under authority of the individual license under which it operates; and, (2) The GMRS stations whose communications are retransmitted are properly identified in accordance with this section. "GMRS station" includes repeaters. But read subpart (c)(2). That seems to state that, as long as every user is operating under the license associated with that repeater, or every user on a repeater is ID'ing correctly, then the repeater itself does not have to ID.

Amazon is *not* the place to buy antennas. ? That looks very much like a knock-off of the Diamond X50A, which is a pretty good 2m/70cm ham antenna, and does fine on GMRS, at least for me. If that's the way you want to go, get a real one for $6 more: https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193_257_1107_261&products_id=4869