UncleYoda

Ham light is fine with me if they don't overdo it (or link in from distant territories). But the FRS kids and highway flagmen get on my nerves.

But... this was about ham radios, guys.

I don't, but a few years ago there was some official at FCC that claimed using a radio that could transmit out of the allowed frequency bands just by using VFO was a violation. I don't remember the guy's name. There was a lot of discussion/argument at the time and I never heard of any resolution. I also never had a problem with out of band TX.

I was reprogramming channels on my K5+ using Chirp and could not find a way to block transmit in VFO. Chirp does not allow setting frequency range limits on these radios like it does for others like UV5R. I know about setting Duplex to off for memorized channels but that leaves VFO open. Is there something I'm missing or do I have to just hope Chirp will add the frequency range settings eventually?

Maybe 2 tests, one at the radio and one with meter at antenna end of cable. Compare the two results.

I don't have a repeater so I don't know what the setup page looks like. My point was the combination presented should be logical from the user's perspective.

There are some that are listed as Open but have tones unlisted and the request button enabled. Shouldn't @rdunajewski set up the site so that combination isn't possible, i.e. should be Permission Required in that case? There is/was one, now offline, that was Permission Required and Request Access disabled - shouldn't that be Members Only Free? These options need to make sense and apparently leaving it up to the repeater owners to choose sensible options is a failed exercise.

Yep, I agree that fits - 2 base stations operating under the fixed station rules. [If you used 462 you'd be doing the same thing as a base station, but you'd potentially be fighting repeater output.] It's still not exactly clear why they felt it necessary to define a separate station type. But that's OK if we find a use for it.

yep, I understand the word, but I was saying he made that up and he can use it if he wants but I want interpretation or examples from the people in charge - why is that so hard for so many to people to understand

Except they didn't say that. And isn't data only for handheld? I can't picture what a 2-way intercom would be but I don't need to know anyway.

Has no relevance. Ham doesn't have the fixed station type and GMRS doesn't have microwave, and you can't mix services.

No. You seem to be joking / playing dumb. A car that is stopped is still mobile. One I always wondered about is my car, parked at home - is that mobile enough? Or do I have to drive up and down the driveway while transmitting?

No microwave frequencies in GMRS. And data as far as I know is limited to handheld and short duration transmissions. The official response made no mention of any special transmission modes.

DB20-G, GMRS mode, with ch. 39 programmed for simplex, ch 39 can be programmed from the mic for 467 mains with or without tone

Stationary unit is not a defined term. Station at a fixed location is the language used. Base stations traditionally fill that role for routine usage. Fixed station still does not have enough defined parameters to clearly distinguish it except who you talk to. It's a bad way to write regulations but it is all we got. For your "stationary unit" term, are you including a parked car? a person with a handheld who sits in a chair?

The most common reason I've heard is to keep the repeater use limited, as in to keep hoards of users away. But the most used repeater in my area still has lots of dead air.

Y'all are all welcome to operate under your own interpretations, just don't expect to me to follow it. Caveat emptor.

The omission of base station from the allowed types for 467 MHz main channels is not an oversight, it's policy. Not what we would like but that's how it is. The Licensing Division advises that this is not an oversight. Repeaters (or mobile relay stations) by definition extend the communication range of mobile and handheld units. And folks, that means thousands of users are breaking the rule, despite how they try to rationalize it.

The official response is not very informative. Besides again quoting the definition in the regs, this is it with only slightly different wording: Fixed Stations are any stations at a fixed location that communicate with other stations at a fixed location. As far as I can tell, that could mean base to base for normal conversation, however that limits power to 15W where a base can do up to 50. The only benefit I can see is fixed stations are allowed to use 467 MHz main channels in simplex mode. I'll address repeater use in another topic.

Official response (won't say answer) is expected tomorrow. I did not phrase the question the same as the title of this topic, but it should be good enough to settle it if they provide real answers (if they just quote the regs we'll gain nothing). Unfortunately this is not the environment for sharing real information so I do not know if or where I would share it.

I come here for real info and rational topic-focused discussion. I do not come here for all the trash talk regardless of how witty someone may think their comments are. This topic isn't even about linking, let alone all the crazy stuff brought up. I've decided not to post whatever good info I may get unless there's some place I can put it where it won't get trashed by smart-elec comments.

Related topic

Yea obviously, but how do you know a neighbor is calling from his house versus his car? (You have to respond to even ask.) All this rationalizing is useless. therefore.... (wait for it).

May have an official answer soon. (or it might be another meaningless exercise, never know with these folks)

Anybody can come up with scenarios where any use could be helpful. The issue is, is GMRS as specified in the regs, the right service for your usage scenario. If not, and you want FCC to make a change, then propose that. Just going rogue because it suits your purpose makes you a radio outlaw. Part of the the issue is just the precise meaning of what "illegal" means in this context. We should refer to violation rather than illegal since it is about regulations. But I think it is generally understood that illegal in the radio context means violating FCC regs. Linking over RF is not explicitly prohibited in the wording of the regs. But it is at least discouraged in the rule clarification where it explains any linking is bad. As far as I have ever heard or read, starting with ham, mixing radio services is prohibited by regulation. There are no other frequencies that I know of that can legally (haha) carry GMRS conversations. If you know of some, can you list the frequency and/or the service? Sounds a lot like "our country, love it or leave it". Leaving if you don't like how it is used would be fine IF EVERYONE WAS FOLLOWING THE RULES. Leaving because some people want to break the rules is just running away rather than fighting.