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Posted

FCC rules for FRS and MURS specify that a radio on either service can't be capable of transmitting on any other service. What's the reason for that? Does the logic make sense? I can get why they wouldn't (officially) allow FRS/MURS radios to transmit on amateur or business frequencies, but from a technical standpoint, obviously many radios can transmit on both services. It seems to me that by simply changing the wording of the regulation to say a radio certified for FRS or MURS can't transmit on any licensed frequency, they would open the door to a dual-band radio for the unlicensed services. Making the radio would be simple because both services are limited to 2 watts (0.5 on some FRS channels) and a little tweaking would put the frequencies into the current bubble-pack Walmart radios. 

Before you tell me that radio is called a UV-5r, I already know it will do it, but FRS radios are typically marketed to people who don't know squat about programming a radio. They want to just press the PTT and talk to their friends. It seems to me such a radio would sell well. I'm just curious about why the FCC won't allow it.

Posted
1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

FCC rules for FRS and MURS specify that a radio on either service can't be capable of transmitting on any other service. What's the reason for that? Does the logic make sense? I can get why they wouldn't (officially) allow FRS/MURS radios to transmit on amateur or business frequencies, but from a technical standpoint, obviously many radios can transmit on both services. It seems to me that by simply changing the wording of the regulation to say a radio certified for FRS or MURS can't transmit on any licensed frequency, they would open the door to a dual-band radio for the unlicensed services. Making the radio would be simple because both services are limited to 2 watts (0.5 on some FRS channels) and a little tweaking would put the frequencies into the current bubble-pack Walmart radios. 

Before you tell me that radio is called a UV-5r, I already know it will do it, but FRS radios are typically marketed to people who don't know squat about programming a radio. They want to just press the PTT and talk to their friends. It seems to me such a radio would sell well. I'm just curious about why the FCC won't allow it.

I don’t know why the FCC chose to disallow radios that transmit on multiple services. I agree that it doesn’t seem to make sense. Since they’re asking how to simplify the regulations this is one way. 

Posted

You can throw Marine VHF in there as well.

Others here know much more about this, but my guess is that it's a holdover from an apparent philosophy that the only way to ensure proper usage is by controlling the hardware, and they are not fine tuning that for unlicensed services which, as you point out, makes little sense.

The other approach (my personal favorite) is to trust the operator to ensure that what come out the antenna conforms to the subject service's specs. If you can get your nuclear-powered toaster to transmit narrow band at 0.5W on FRS, go for it. But I see the appeal of a hardware-based approach from a regulatory perspective. Too bad that all the unlicensed services can't be found on a single radio.

Posted
32 minutes ago, MarkInTampa said:

There kinda is, just GMRS instead of FRS... The TERA TR-505 GMRS/FRS radio claims to do optional MURS as well. You have to purchase a programming cable and get the free "MURS programming file". It's on their website so it has to be legit, right?

https://powerwerx.com/tera-tr505-gmrs-recreational-handheld-radio

But now we're back to operating in violation of FCC regulations. You may as well buy a $15 UV-5r.

Posted
51 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

You can throw Marine VHF in there as well.

True, but marine VHF is a bit of a niche application, and I doubt including it would make the radio sell better.

51 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

Others here know much more about this, but my guess is that it's a holdover from an apparent philosophy that the only way to ensure proper usage is by controlling the hardware, and they are not fine tuning that for unlicensed services which, as you point out, makes little sense.

Yep. I get that there has been some effort to make sure the various radios are only used by "authorized" people, but in this case, authorized users are literally everybody.

52 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

The other approach (my personal favorite) is to trust the operator to ensure that what come out the antenna conforms to the subject service's specs. If you can get your nuclear-powered toaster to transmit narrow band at 0.5W on FRS, go for it. But I see the appeal of a hardware-based approach from a regulatory perspective. Too bad that all the unlicensed services can't be found on a single radio.

That's certainly the libertarian approach, but I can't see it gaining any traction with any agency of any government anywhere.

Posted
2 hours ago, GreggInFL said:

You can throw Marine VHF in there as well

The problem I see with this is suddenly you will have people not in knowledge of the rules for marine use then using it on land and inappropriately. Not a good use as it could cause issues for safety on the water. Marine VHF is a non licensed service to make it easy for everyone on the water to have it and thus make it safer out there. 

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