WRTT642

Short of interference with medical or law enforcement, why does it matter if individuals are on a channel talking without a license? I understand that there are rules in place to have a license to use system, but at the same time if businesses or individuals are using the system then who cares? I personally don’t agree that we should even have to obtain a license to use this system, kind of a racket if you ask me, but whatever I’ll play along and I’ll even help people get one if they so choose, yet I have read a bit of all these forums and everybody says the same thing, all they hear are crickets in most places. If the FCC isn’t too interested in policing the system then why should it be upon us to do so? Im sorry but I do not have the time nor patience to try and track down individuals or to go to businesses to inform them that they need to have a license to use system. Personally I don’t think any of us should be doing that in any way and putting ourselves in a possible dangerous situation just to inform somebody that they shouldn’t use a radio or how to use one. And to be honest I would much rather have my taxes spent on something more important than to have some government official spending their time trying to track down some kid telling poop jokes or cussing over radio. 

I absolutely think we need more repeaters.  I'd have put my own up already, but for the fact that once I got out the topo maps and found the best place within thirty mile,  I discovered that a) the whole hilltop is owned by the water company, b) it has a large water tower on it that's already covered with ham repeaters, c) a local ham group convinced the water company to let them manage all antenna placement, and d) the ham group won't even discuss details like access/rent/maintenance/etc. unless you're a licenced ham who's joined their group.
Instead, I'm trying to convince my wife to let me cut a hole in the tower ceiling of our victorian and place one up there.  It'll likely get a quarter the range, but no one gets to tell me how things are going to work!

As for the "don't be stupid, that's what ham is for" brigade, I'm ignoring them.  My group wants to build reliable emergency comms for our region that *doesn't* require gatekeeper hams to use it.  You'll never get churches, schools, and community centers to fund/maintain personnel to get and stay trained so they've always got a ham on staff, but a $35 license and a $100 HT is completely feasible.  And that's not to mention being able to interoperate with actual community members for the price of $15 walkies from Walmart!  A school or community member can keep a whole box of those things in the basement and just hand them out with ten minutes' instruction in an emergency, and they can even just listen in to repeater outputs to keep track of what's going on locally.

Forgot to mention..Thanks for reminding me...  Always beware of the "some people" that try their best overcomplicate everything.

Radio received and exactly as described. Pleasure doing business. 

Hello all. I received my GMRS license last week and three (3) Wouxun KG-935G radios this week. I was informed about this website by the person that sold me the radios. I am in Belleview, FL. I am new to radios and I have a lot to learn so please forgive me ahead of time if and when I ask dumb questions. I did a lot of reading and watching videos before I purchased anything but after all that effort I am still unsure about a lot of things. Time and effort on my part will help.
A little background, if you are interested. I spent 10.5 years in the Air Force working with fuels in CE and in RED HORSE. My wife retired from the Air Force after 25 years. I am an Engineer and design fire trucks, try not to hold the Engineer thing against me. Haha. Thanks and I'm happy to be here.

Hi all.  I'm new here.  Posted the other day in some of the forums, but figured I'd make it official here.  I thought HTs would be good for keeping in touch with family that live near me.  One household is 5000 feet away in the next neighborhood and the other is 2 miles the opposite direction (both straight-line distances).  Looks like we're all going to have to upgrade to mobile/base stations with an elevated antenna. 
 
I receive on a repeater, but no idea if I could transmit through it (definitely not on the HTs unless there's an unmarked one very close).  The maps/DB here don't show any in a decent range.
 
I also thought I'd stop at GMRS, but will be taking the amateur tech license test in January.  I think I caught "the bug."  
 
I keep the money tree watered and fertilized, but no fruit yet.

To be fair, I don't experience the Sad ham behavior that often and I know there are worse things going on especially on busy repeaters in big cities. It just happens enough to discourage some folks that are new to radio. The internet experts are not limited to radio. Any forum or video comment section has them and that is fine. I have even seen "some people" behavior on a couple of cancer forums I am a member of. Air wave anonymity was a thing long before there was an "on-line". Everyone needs a hobby I guess. I don't always play well with others and I can be a lukewarm pile of sarcasm at times. I just try not to be a jack wagon to people that have genuine questions, people that make mistakes in etiquette, or kids playing on FRS radios. We are all Flawed Dogs.

@Lscott , I'm an internet certified armchair lawyer specializing in Bird Law, so I can say with authority that intentionally interfering with public safety communications has zero to do with spectrum allocations and everything to do with creating an imminent threat to the public at large. IMHO such a case wouldn't get dismissed and the argument could be made that local criminal court is the only appropriate venue in this instance. The only question this raises in my mind, is can the fcc go after a person for improperly using radio equipment in violation of the terms of their license, while at the same time locals prosecute the separate crime of interfering with public safety without creating a double jeopardy situation? If not, despite the federal supremacy clause - the stricter penalty for the criminal act, state law would reign supreme and negate FCC's jurisdiction anyway, no? 

This is ideology is a result of the constant barrage of ham radio operators acting like snobs, idiots, and whatever (take your pick) in online forums every day seemingly doing their best to chase away newcomers to the hobby.  And yes, GMRS users also do this, but strangely, many of them also have ham callsigns listed on their forum signatures.

I didn't want to derail the GMRS Enforcement thread, but after reading it I did a little research on the FCC website. I searched my zip code and found 83 active ham licenses and 13 active GMRS licenses. 7 people on those lists have both active ham and GMRS licenses. I don't know the Sad/Happy ratio on either list, and don't care. I'm not sure I ever cared but am sure I haven't cared in the last 20 years or so. I am amused by the Sadness that has always infected ham radio and is now spreading on GMRS but I don't get involved in the Sadness pandemic. The FCC licensed Sadducees and Pharisees live on via the internet and occasionally the air waves. No Virginia, apparently, we can't all just get along.
William Romeo Hotel Sam 218

I purchased the KG-1000G a while back, but never got around to setting it up or installing it. I didn't feel comfortable running the wires and whatnot. So I found a place that will do it for me in the next few days. And no, it wasn't cheap. But I don't care. This will be my first mobile radio, so I'm excited.
I'm currently using two of the KG-935Gs and I like them a lot. They're able to hit my local repeater about 30 miles away, which is pretty awesome, but I can't reach any other repeaters. Hopefully this new mobile unit will help out.
That's all I have to share. I didn't really have anyone else to share it with. This stuff is super neat to me for some reason, so I spend money on it without any real world use for it and without any people I know IRL that's also into it. I suppose I need to start making friends through the repeater soon.

I'm glad you found someone to help get the radio installed! Sounds like you are having a great time and adding a mobile to the toolbox will just expand the fun.  We have a good group around here (Northern VA).  It's fun to get on the radio and chat with friends, coordinate get-togethers, and have someone to talk to when driving.
 
You are creating the real-world use case for it by simply wanting to enjoy it.  That's all that matter... so,  enjoy!

This probably helped.
 
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter22/section15.2-2293.1/
 
Ken

Wow, my HOA approved my plan to put up not just one but TWO j-pole antennas!
 
I’ll be mounting a tuned GMRS and a ham antenna shortly.
 
This, in northern Virginia, no less.
 
Cheers,
 
Ken

Does anyone have an approved and official list of the equipment that can be used to commit or facilitaed criminal acts? I want to do things correctly.
Asking for a friend

https://mygmrs.com/help/about-gmrs
 
 

According to the FCC, if you are using a GMRS radio, thou must use your callsign on all channels, regardless of the power-output you have set.
The question is, will they care if you dont.. and according to the FCC's enforcement database, they don't.

I am not intent on proving my point: I only am intent on operating consistent with how I interpret the FCC Rules as they apply to the FCC certification of the Anytone AT-779UV.
Everyone else seems intent on proving me wrong: feel free to consult with the FCC, if that is your desire.  It is not mine.
PS: You didn’t answer my question?!

If you talk to me on-the air knowing that I am using my Anytone on GMRS/Ham, are you an accessory after the fact??

Let me review with regard to some of the other posts on this and other threads to me:
I purchased a radio that has FCC Part 95 certification: the Anytone AT-779UV.
Using the software supplied by the manufacturer (and presumably supplied by Anytone during the certification process), I did the following:
1) Programmed additional GMRS repeaters on the same frequencies but using different CTCSS/DTS codes.
2) Programmed the "power up" screen to say my callsign and phone number
3) Added "DIY" GMRS Repeater channels, so that I could easily change the CTCSS/DTS tone (using the onboard keys) when confronting a new GMRS repeater while mobile.
4) Changed the Frequencies selection from one of the 10 presets available to another one.
5) Added channels for 2 meters and 70 cm local repeater pairs and simplex frequencies.
Now at all times, I made these changes using the supplied Anytone software with their easy to use selections; the same software supplied to the FCC.
"Aggrieved" operators all aghast at my posts, have bombarded me with unsolicited posts about the FCC Part 95 Rules and THEIR interpretation of the rules!
Certainly one would have to agree that if I changed the software to only transmit on 2 meters and 70 cm and not on GMRS would not violate FCC Rules.
And, one would have to agree that if I changed the software back to default to transmit on GMRS only, it would not violate the FCC Rules.
So the only point in dispute is my ability (using the selections available to me with the Anytone supplied software) to transmit on either GMRS or Ham radio during the same "power up" session; BUT obviously I cannot transmit on both at the same time.  
While the receiver can monitor two receiver frequencies, it cannot transmit on two frequencies at the same time.
I maintain that how I operate my Anytone is consistent with how Anytone presented the AT-779UV to the FCC and hence how the FCC interprets Part 95 with regard to THIS radio, and until I hear from the FCC to the contrary, that continues to be my operating position.
YMMV: If others disagree; they do not have to purchase the AT-779UV and allow it to transmit on both GMRS and Ham frequencies during the same power up session.

I sincerely believe that you feel that an analogy where people's lives are put in danger on our highways is the same "danger" as a licensed Ham using a Part 95 GMRS transceiver on the Ham radio bands!
That being said, I will now ignore these types of comments from you in the future, as they add nothing of value to our discourse!

Thank you for that well-designed chart!

Another badge-carrying member of the Part 95 Police! ?

Just because YOU believe you can't do it, doesn't make it wrong!

"some people" have nothing else to do in their life, so they make their hobby extra-serious.  All that talk of fines and federal agents coming to your house is (99.99% of the time) BS, usually spread by sad, little people..
The normal people here just want to talk to their friends.. and have better things to do with their time than spreading fairy-tales..