SteveShannon

What crap. First there was a design in the USA that was open source. The some other people in the USA improved that design. Then a guy in Japan improved that design. Then a guy in China took that design and created a commercial product but he also made the software and hardware open source. However they tried to claim both proprietary design while taking advantage of improvements made by users. Other companies have taken that design and modified it, sometimes for the better and sometimes not, but to claim that everyone else is somehow violating their original design is an exaggeration. Casting aspersions by speculating that the “clones” could be constructed of lower quality components is simply innuendo.

Correct Well, FCC doesn't number GMRS channels, but they do number FRS channels (Subpart B - FRS - paragraph 95.563). Obviously manufacturers have chosen numbers for the GMRS channels. Wikipedia identifies them as well, but nothing I have found in FCC regs identify GMRS channels by any numbers other than those used for FRS. FRS Channels 1-7 are the 462 MHz GMRS Interstitial channels. Of GMRS stations, only mobile, hand-held portable, and base stations may transmit on these channels and only at 5 watts or less ERP. FRS channels 8-14 are the 467 MHz GMRS Interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable GMRS stations may transmit on these seven channels and at no more than 0.5 watts ERP. FRS channels 15-22 are the 462 MHz GMRS main channels. Of GMRS stations, only mobile, hand-held portable, repeater, base and fixed stations may transmit on these channels. Fixed stations must not exceed 15 watts on any channels where they are allowed to transmit. Mobile, repeater, and base stations are allowed up to 50 watts. The only numbers that are left are 23-30, so those might be the right numbers to use for the 467 MHz main channels, but I don't want to assume. Only mobile, hand-held portable, control, and fixed stations may transmit on these eight channels, but for different purposes: Mobile, hand-held portable, and control stations may use these channels to communicate through a repeater or for brief test transmissions. Fixed stations may only use these channels to directly transmit to other fixed stations. I confess this fascinates me because it certainly makes it technically feasible to construct a full duplex communications network with one fixed station transmitting on a 462 main channel and the other transmitting on a 467 main channel. I apologize if I am making this more complex than it should be. I have no idea why FCC has defined these different types of stations.

That response for the Comet is impressive.

If my Rino antenna ever breaks, I’ll remember this! I appreciate the background.

Mostly that’s a convenient way to view it, but there are some fine details that differ. Base stations may communicate with both base stations or mobile stations. Base stations may not communicate on the any of the 467 frequencies, whereas fixed stations may communicate with each other on the 467 main channels.

No reason to apologize. These regulations could have been written more clearly. That’s the reason I put the definition and all of the regulations in Part 95 that mention Fixed Stations into a single document. I’ve considered making a matrix but I could get messy.

This is where the FCC rules are mum. A station is just a radio. The definitions describe specific uses, but the only license is for the user. There’s no license for the station that limits it to a particular use, so there’s nothing that prevents a radio from being used as a base station and then switching to a fixed station. That’s the confusing part of the regulations.

Technically you can, but the definition limits it only to communicating with other fixed stations.

First, I don’t know, but are you using this software: https://www.ameradio.com/product/13182/description.html

Really, you shouldn’t allow anything that KAF6045 or I said to cause doubts. Hang the antenna like you first thought. Listen to HF on it while you learn. Before you start transmitting you might want to look over the exposure calculations, but I suspect many people never do. We’re supposed to look at that for GMRS as well, but almost nobody does. What radio are you going to use for HF? What’s the output power? As a reference point, there are a lot of HOA hams with antennas in their attics who don’t have RF exposure issues. A dipole on your roof is extremely unlikely to fail the calculation unless you’re running a linear amplifier. Hams sometimes get way too caught up in minutiae, for whatever reasons. Antennas are fascinating and as you study for your license you’ll pick up a lot. Off-grid power systems are fascinating also. The path towards self reliance has many interesting subjects and amateur radio fits in with them. I found that HamStudy.org worked great for me to learn, but everyone learns a little differently.

I don’t have experience with the RT97, but I do have experience figuring out poorly written manuals. If you list all of the options they give you as answers, that usually makes it easier to understand what the question means.

Maybe this will help. I put together a very short Word document that lists the definition and every mention of "Fixed Station" in Part 95. Here's the Readers Digest Condensed version: Subpart A - Definition Subpart C - Prohibition of RCRS causing interference to Fixed Stations. Subpart E - Rules regarding Fixed Stations in GMRS Remote Control of Fixed Stations allowed. Network Connections allowed for Fixed Stations. GMRS Channels - Fixed Stations allowed only on 462 MHz and 467 MHz main channels. GMRS Power Output - Fixed Stations limited to no more than 15 W output. That's it. There are no other references to Fixed Stations in Part 95. References to "Fixed Base Stations", etc. for other services are simply not important. I have reviewed the general rules before all the Parts. There’s nothing there that changes anything. Fixed Station.docx So, based on the rules, I believe a good example of a couple of Fixed Stations would be what I posted before. I could have a permanent radio station running at 15 watts at my cabin and another at my house. These two radios would have directional antennas pointed at each other and in fact they could use repeater hardware for full duplex communications between my cabin and house, since Fixed Stations are permitted to transmit on the 467 main or 462 main frequencies. Set up like this they could be a full duplex voice intercom system between my house and cabin.

Fixed stations aren’t allowed on the interstitial frequencies anyway. Fixed stations are allowed on the eight main 462 MHz frequencies and the eight 467 MHz frequencies. (95.1763)

I spent many years dealing with government regulations and one of the most important lessons is to not overregulate yourself. The only regulations that matter are those that are written. For GMRS that means the rules in Part 95, Subpart A, which apply to all personal radio services, and subpart E, which specifically apply to GMRS.

Which regs make it clear? This is the definition straight out of the regs: Fixed station. A station at a fixed location that directly communicates with other fixed stations only.

The Garmins are definitely GMRS, putting out five watts. For GMRS, paragraph 95.1787(a)(4) says that GMRS hand-held portables capable of sending digital data must have non-removable antennas.

Not to an individual; to everyone listening on that channel. You send a text message that anyone with that radio can receive and read. Fun Communications Commission!

You wouldn’t have to. Even though it’s high voltage, it’s at a very low current. Just don’t dangle it where a kid might touch it while you’re transmitting. RF exposure calculations might be a little tedious but I’m sure someone here would help you. Honestly I never did them for my antenna but it leads away from my house rather than directly over it. Again, it’s only an issue while you’re transmitting so while you’re in listening mode you don’t have to worry about it.

You’re welcome. Also, one thing to keep in mind is that the ends of the dipole are where the voltage is highest. You should make sure they are out of reach of anyone.

I’m absolutely certain that when phone communications were first introduced someone said exactly the same thing about Morse Code. Evolution is bound to happen. FRS, MURS, and GMRS have had data communications since long before you or I got our licenses. CB is limited to voice communications.

I don’t know, but I have a Rino if someone wants to send me the others to test.

These are usage limitations. Fixed station. A station at a fixed location that directly communicates with other fixed stations only. I have a house in town and a cabin sixteen miles away in the mountains. If I buy two radios and locate one at my house and the other at my cabin and the only thing I do is use the two to communicate to each other, I would argue those are “Fixed stations.” In this usage I am responsible for limiting my output power to 15 watts. That doesn’t mean the transmitter must not have the capability to transmit at a higher power! Base station. A station at a fixed location that communicates directly with mobile stations and other base stations. If I use a more or less permanently located radio, transmitting only on the 462 MHz main (not interstitial) frequencies to talk directly to my friends and neighbors, that is a “base station.” 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. If I use that same station to talk through a repeater on the 467 MHz frequencies, that is then a “control station.” Hand-held portable unit. A physically small mobile station that can be operated while being held in the operator's hand. If I hold a radio with a battery in my hand while I’m using it, that’s a “hand-held portable.” Mobile station. A station, intended to be used while in motion or during halts at unspecified locations, that communicates directly with base stations and other mobile stations, and with control stations and other mobile stations through repeater stations. If I mount a radio in my car, that’s a “mobile.” Finally, Repeater station. A station in a fixed location used to extend the communications range of mobile stations, hand-held portable units and control stations by receiving their signals on one channel (the input channel) and simultaneously retransmitting these signals on another channel (the output channel), typically with higher transmitting power from a favorable antenna location (typically high above the surrounding terrain).

That’s how it looks when you request access. Here’s what the actual repeater information looks like:

Ham Radio Crash Course has a couple videos about it. I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet.

DNI means the tones are inverted. Don’t use that. For the first repeater use DN073 for the TX CTCSS/DCS setting. I would recommend leaving the RX CTCSS/DCS setting at none. Once you confirm that works you can try DN073 for your RX CTCSS/DCS. For the second repeater use 250.3 Hz for TX CTCSS/DCS. Again I would recommend leaving RX CTCSS/DCS set to none until everything is working. Then if you want you can change your RX CTCSS/DCS to match the output of the repeater: 254.1 Hz. Leave SP tone at the default QT. All those others are things that have to do with dual tones. They’re used for some commercial systems, but not on our gmrs radios.