Btech GMRS Pro illegal?

[WRKG321]

I noticed that the FCC regulations for GMRS under Digital Transitions state that "The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit."

Since the Btech GMRS Pro is capable of location signaling and short messages and has a detachable antenna. Doesn't this make them illegal? I hope I am reading this wrong because these are popular radios. 

 

 

[OffRoaderX]

• "illegal"? No..
• Not complaint with FCCs regulations? Maybe.. But, the FCCs certified the radio sooooo..
• Does the FCCs care? According to the FCCs' lack of enforcement, No
• Do any normal people care? No

[back4more70]

I know a guy that can get me lots of these, for the right buyer.  Unless you're a narc.

[808Beachbum]

I had to look through several sites, most say nothing at all about the antenna or optional antennas, but found this directly on the Baofengtech site:

• Q: Is the antenna removable?
• A: Certification requires the stock antenna to be an integral part of the radio. The GMRS-PRO antenna is permanently glued in place and tampering with the antenna will void the radio’s warranty.

 

What made you think it WAS removable? I have no plans to purchase one, so no first hand experience with that model...

[OffRoaderX]

12 minutes ago, 808Beachbum said:

What made you think it WAS removable?

Probably watched someone on Youtube remove one..Thusly voiding the warranty.

[WQAI363]

With most non-bubble pack radios, I did not really think too much about the FCC's R&Rs in regards to the non-remove able antenna claws. However, I do think that the FCC could change that rule, providing the power restrictions stay in place.

Then again, I  can't say that I don't know why FCC placed that restriction on FRS/GMRS bubble pack radios and a few single radios, because obvious the FCC doesn't want the average user to experiment and hook up to UHF FM amplifiers, Especially on FRS channels 08 through 14.

 With the advancing technologies, I'm sure manufactures, such as ALINCO, BTECH KENWOOD, MIDLAND and other radio manufactures could apply for certification to include the full 22 simplex channels and keep channels 08 through 14 into mobile radios while keeping the current output of 1/2 watt.

[mlk32170]

Remember, your antenna will not be tuned for GMRS.

[SvenMarbles]

So you have to defeat a little bit of glue.. I see what they did there

 

The whole nod to the customers' desire to do more than what the FCC allows is nothing new.

Mars Mods are often, "hey just snip this jumper wire that for some arbitrary reason is just readily accessible to snip".... Since the CB radio times..

[WRXB215]

15 hours ago, Adamdaj said:

the non-remove able antenna claws

Love the spelling. 

[jwilkers]

• "illegal"? No..
• Not complaint with FCCs regulations? Maybe.. But, the FCCs certified the radio sooooo..
• Does the FCCs care? According to the FCCs' lack of enforcement, No
• Do any normal people care? No

The FCC doesn't assign the FCC ID and certify the radio. The testing labs do. The test report goes on file with the FCC.

The FCC has later gone and pulled certification on some radios that were later found to be illegal.

Sent from my SM-S911U1 using Tapatalk

[OffRoaderX]

18 hours ago, jwilkers said:

The FCC doesn't assign the FCC ID and certify the radio. The testing labs do. The test report goes on file with the FCC.

I'm not sure what your overly-pedantic point is?  are you saying that the FCC IDs and certifications are meaningless and do not matter? Please clarify so we all can understand if we should ignore the FCC IDs and certifications or not.

[mlk32170]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:30 AM, OffRoaderX said:

• "illegal"? No..
• Not complaint with FCCs regulations? Maybe.. But, the FCCs certified the radio sooooo..
• Does the FCCs care? According to the FCCs' lack of enforcement, No
• Do any normal people care? No

There are several GMRS radios with removable antennas. Check out the Midland radios.

[Socalgmrs]

But do they send data.  The removable parts is about sending data not being a gmrs radio.   It’s still a dumb rule that no one will do anything about if you do break the glue and swap your antenna. 

[OffRoaderX]

36 minutes ago, mlk32170 said:

There are several GMRS radios with removable antennas. Check out the Midland radios.

Not that transmit data.. C'mon, keep up man.

[Hoppyjr]

One must keep in mind that government regulations are created by people who desire control, so the actual regulation doesn’t need to make sense in practical terms.

You know, just like how the firearms laws do such a great job of reducing crime in Chicago, DC, and Oakland…..

[WQAI363]

I just reviewed the post that I written on May 2nd. Where's my head?

The topic is about BTECH GMRS PROs and the little slip, I'll call it that BTECH made. Then again, I don't know. BTECH may not have made an error in regard to having. a removeable antenna. I assume that since BTECH GMRS PRO follows FCC Part 95 E, it can have a removeable antenna, unlike regular 22 channel FRS radios.  AAMAF, I look that since I'm not sure.

[WQAI363]

I just tried to look the FCC's Rules and Regulations pertaining to GMRS antennas. I only see the requirements for a Base Station or Repeater Antennas. I'm not seeing any requirements for Portable / HT antennas. I may not be looking in the right section in FCC Part 95 E R&Rs

I sure I did under if the radio has the ability to digital short text messaging, the antenna must be permanent Maybe I misunderstood the changes to the rules and regulations, but I thought that was a requirement for both Part 95 B and 95 E

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, Adamdaj said:

I just tried to look the FCC's Rules and Regulations pertaining to GMRS antennas. I only see the requirements for a Base Station or Repeater Antennas. I'm not seeing any requirements for Portable / HT antennas. I may not be looking in the right section in FCC Part 95 E R&Rs

I sure I did under if the radio has the ability to digital short text messaging, the antenna must be permanent Maybe I misunderstood the changes to the rules and regulations, but I thought that was a requirement for both Part 95 B and 95 E

Under § 95.1787 GMRS additional requirements. 
It’s requirement a(4): 

(a) Digital data transmissions. GMRS hand-held portable units that have the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements.

(1) Digital data transmissions may contain location information, or requesting location information from one or more other GMRS or FRS units, or containing a brief text message to another specific GMRS or FRS unit. Digital data transmissions may be initiated by a manual action of the operator or on an automatic or periodic basis, and a GMRS unit receiving an interrogation request may automatically respond with its location.

(2) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration.

(3) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period, except that a GMRS unit may automatically respond to more than one interrogation request received within a thirty-second period.

(4) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit.

(5) GMRS units must not be capable of transmitting digital data on the 467 MHz main channels.

 

[WRUU653]

42 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Under § 95.1787 GMRS additional requirements. 
It’s requirement a(4): 

(a) Digital data transmissions. GMRS hand-held portable units that have the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements.

(1) Digital data transmissions may contain location information, or requesting location information from one or more other GMRS or FRS units, or containing a brief text message to another specific GMRS or FRS unit. Digital data transmissions may be initiated by a manual action of the operator or on an automatic or periodic basis, and a GMRS unit receiving an interrogation request may automatically respond with its location.

(2) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration.

(3) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period, except that a GMRS unit may automatically respond to more than one interrogation request received within a thirty-second period.

(4) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit.

(5) GMRS units must not be capable of transmitting digital data on the 467 MHz main channels.

 

Reading through the rules again I am wondering whatever happend to Midlands request for a waver to use digital on GMRS mobile radios and increase power for such transmissions? I'm guessing it's part of the slow moving FCC approval process. 

[WQAI363]

1 hour ago, SteveShannon said:

Under § 95.1787 GMRS additional requirements. 
It’s requirement a(4): 

(a) Digital data transmissions. GMRS hand-held portable units that have the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements.

(1) Digital data transmissions may contain location information, or requesting location information from one or more other GMRS or FRS units, or containing a brief text message to another specific GMRS or FRS unit. Digital data transmissions may be initiated by a manual action of the operator or on an automatic or periodic basis, and a GMRS unit receiving an interrogation request may automatically respond with its location.

(2) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration.

(3) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period, except that a GMRS unit may automatically respond to more than one interrogation request received within a thirty-second period.

(4) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit.

(5) GMRS units must not be capable of transmitting digital data on the 467 MHz main channels.

 

Thank you for help with locating the section the discusses non-removable antennas on GMRS portables. Up till now, I was assuming those radios with non-removable antennas were just under Part 95 B, Now, I did find the section you were referring to in Part 95 E.

 I 've recently reviewed a few of my previous posts from a few forums, and I wonder why I wasn't black ball from posting anything on any forum. Some of those posts, I know that I strayed off topic or I really didn't read the entire original post. Oh, I won't put myself down, but I must admit when I'm wrong. And about 80% of the time, I'm not making sense, or my mind is on a Coffee Break.

I know that I shouldn't apologize, but I do feel as if I've wasted everyone's time with reading something of mine that may not be relevant to the original topic.  I 'll do my best to read the entire original post research and reply with an intelligible comment about that particular topic.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Adamdaj said:

Thank you for help with locating the section the discusses non-removable antennas on GMRS portables. Up till now, I was assuming those radios with non-removable antennas were just under Part 95 B, Now, I did find the section you were referring to in Part 95 E.

 I 've recently reviewed a few of my previous posts from a few forums, and I wonder why I wasn't black ball from posting anything on any forum. Some of those posts, I know that I strayed off topic or I really didn't read the entire original post. Oh, I won't put myself down, but I must admit when I'm wrong. And about 80% of the time, I'm not making sense, or my mind is on a Coffee Break.

I know that I shouldn't apologize, but I do feel as if I've wasted everyone's time with reading something of mine that may not be relevant to the original topic.  I 'll do my best to read the entire original post research and reply with an intelligible comment about that particular topic.

Adam,

We all make mistakes. Don’t be so hard on yourself. 

[WRUU653]

2 hours ago, Adamdaj said:

but I must admit when I'm wrong

Honestly one of the best qualities a person can have. Like @SteveShannon says don't be hard on yourself. None of us will ever be as smart as we once thought we were now that we know we weren't. I include myself in that.

or something to that effect.