GMRS/FRS

[taco6513]

I am new to the GMRS area. I have set up and operated a RCC interconnect in the past on UHF.

So all of the simplex channels for GMRS are also shared with FRS.

FRS doesn't require a license and can be used for business use.

GMRS does require a license and can't be used for business use.

 

So here is the question. How do you know who is who?

Should I care?

I made my first contact Saturday evening. The party I was talking to was operating 40 watts 

on channel 22 with no license.

Just seems rather confusing.

Do GMRS users have any more authority to use these channels than FRS users?

 

Thanks WRCW870

 

Not sure if this should be posted here or in General.

[quarterwave]

1. You don't. But, GMRS licensees should ID without question. Nothing we can do even if we do care, except follow the rules ourselves and encourage others to also. With FRS being able to use the mains now at 2w and the low side splinters at 2w (where they used to be .5w, even though not a lot of radios out there yet to do it...still much Chinese junk people can hap hazardly program with little to no understanding of rules) there will be times that FRS is on a channel and there will be no ID and no way to know. Personally....I share, but if I can tell they are unlicensed, I'll go ahead and use it anyway especially my repeater channel. I am licensed for 25 years, and own a repeater. I share with GMRS users, not FRS people with $18 radios. 

 

2. No license on 462.725 with 40 watts - Illegal. 

 

3. More authority? Not technically sure that exists, but if I follow the rules and I don't *hear* that FRS user on the channel because he is low power anyway....I talk right over them. They seem to change channels after that. 

 

FRS can be used for "Business", but its a poor choice. Toy equipment, essentially, and there is no protection, or exclusivity. An automotive supplier near me learned that, and bought real radios a few years ago. People were interfering with their "operations" by listening for names, etc. and then mimmicking people, causing confusion and chaos. Nothing that they could do about it. Of course it helped that they were so smart that they used FRS Channel 1 and NO squelch code (open squelch). I listened to some of it night after night on the scanner...it got funny, frankly. 

 

Here's a channel guide, it if helps any. http://www.nat-com.org/frs-gmrs.html

[Ian]

https://amzn.to/2Hlpmpg

 

Doesn't stop people from selling FRS radios as "license free" "business radios".

[drollhauser]

Yes, you as a licensed user have more authority to operate within the limits of your license under Part 95E than the unlicensed user does to operate outside the scope of Part 95B because they have ZERO authorization to do so.

[WRAF213]

FRS is licensed by rule, they also have authority to operate. See 95.359, it's up to both parties to resolve interference issues. This also means that GMRS users cannot jam FRS users in an effort to clear the channel. There's no ownership of channels and they are shared between the services. If the other party is operating outside their authorizations, they lose these protections.