SteveShannon

Welcome, Rox!

It’s a good racket selling radios that don’t work completely correctly with the expectation that your customers will fix them.

What do you do if you get caught in a hail storm?

Welcome and happy new year!

There is a different thread where that’s the case:

A lot can change in two plus years.

How dare you quote me and then sort of agree with me in principle.

If you’re trying to stay legal in both countries and have NOAA channels, the only way to do it is to buy an FRS radio that is certified by FCC and IC. This looks promising: https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Solutions-T475-Extreme-Rechargeable/dp/B08KBP1RH7/ref=sr_1_17_sspa?crid=3TBAZQH0VFFXA&keywords=frs%2Bradio&qid=1704558129&sprefix=FRS%2B%2Caps%2C1536&sr=8-17-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1

This person is having an issue registering for this site, not an FCC licensing issue. I’ll report it to Rich.

Call signs are not recycled in GMRS. Could you have the wrong call sign? 4 letters followed by 3 numbers.

Consider the KG-805. It’s a relatively simple to use GMRS radio. However, Canada doesn’t permit 5 watt radios on GMRS frequencies. You’ll need to do some research to see if you can even use these radios in Canada. Their GMRS is more like our FRS.

Are there any digital voice protocols that don’t require a proprietary codec at least? (If I’m saying that right…)

Although his quote lacks context it’s obvious (at least to me) that he was agreeing with you.

Welcome! I have and like Yaesu, but Yaesu doesn’t make a radio certified for GMRS. They make great ham radios though. People will say that certification isn’t important, and as you progress you might even decide that it isn’t, but for someone trying to get started it sure makes it easier to use the radio without having to worry about violating a regulation. Others will tell you that it doesn’t matter if you violate the regulations because the FCC doesn’t enforce them anyway. Statistically there is some validity, but I still like to know where I stand with respect to regulations. Wouxun is arguably one of the best GMRS radios made and certified for that purpose. The people who have one like the KG1000G Mobile Radio. It’s a 50 watt radio. As far as I know all mobile GMRS radios have a UHF connector for an external antenna. They have to. Several of us have purchased the Radioddity db20g, which is a tiny 20 watt GMRS mobile radio. It’s small and easy to use, plugging into the cigarette lighter. Like the Wouxun it needs an external antenna. It’s about $100, unless you wait for a sale. I bought two of them directly from Radioddity for $87 each. It’s sold under a couple other names as well. Firmware might vary based on brand. These forums have lots of discussions about what radio is best. There will never be universal agreement.

Here’s how it appears. Perhaps not just a resolution issue:

Eureka!

Sure, but someone needs to report it first.

The Communications Act of 1934 establishes the authority of the FCC to regulate the airwaves, which they do through regulations that they pass using the NPRM process (even if they completely disregard our comments when they want to). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47

What do you mean when you say you couldn’t find an antenna that matched? It’s unfair to condemn a product for failing to operate well on two frequency ranges it’s prohibited from operating on, especially when the OP is asking about use on the bands it’s designed for.

@WSAB827 You’re definitely in the right place! We’re glad you found us.

The Bozeman ham club (perhaps better monied than others) has switched to tablets for in-person testing. I haven’t seen it yet but it sounds interesting.

It’s never wrong to ask questions first, but our coordinator has been very open to taking multiple tests. The people who stand the best chance of passing multiple tests don’t take much time on the first test.

Some VECs do support online testing. Usually you must provide a couple of cameras to demonstrate that your workspace is clear and that you are following the few rules. https://blog.hamstudy.org/2020/06/so-you-want-to-take-a-remote-exam/

1/10 mile should be enough

Yes, you have to take each test in order, but you are allowed to take one test, and then the next and the next as long as you pass each one. You can walk in without an Amateur license and walk out having passed the Amateur Extra test. If you use something like HamStudy to study, it’s entirely possible.