FRS/GMRS Frequencies and programming requirements

[WSDA306]

Few observations/questions about programming my GMRS and FRS radios.

A. May be a dumb question but, why do all the radio manufacturers put freq 462.5500  as channel 15 since its a lower freq than 462.5625 (channel 1).  Seems like it should be channel 1,  Same for every channel after that freq 16-22.

B. In programming my radios, I have 4 different brands of FRS (16 channel, essentially the same radio, Zastone X6, Retevis R22, Baofang T20) + TidRadio M11 22ch.  And also my TD-H3 which is GMRS.  The reason, these china radios all come preprogrammed with the wrong frequencies, and I want them all to be able to talk to each other.  I have programmed them all and they all now talk to each other but Im not sure exactly what this NFM/FM is.  I put all of the FRS radios as NFM like this chart shows, and my GMRS as either FM or NFM.

C. Also looking at this chart, it seems the FCC decided not to give GMRS it's own frequency space, essentially it's the same as FRS, so the only thing you get by purchasing a GMRS license is the ability to broadcast in higher power and connect to a repeater?  

D. The FCC page says that the authorized bandwidth for GMRS is either 12.5 or 20Khz.  However when I read in the data for my GMRS radio into Chirp, there is no setting for the bandwidth.  Is this set automatically?

[OffRoaderX]

You guys are funny. 

[Lscott]

4 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

 

It’s not a base station… it’s a mobile. 

What kind of antenna do you use on the truck?

[marcspaz]

52 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

You guys are funny. 

 

What do you mean I'm funny? What do you mean, the way I talk? What?  Funny how? I mean, what's funny about it? Funny how? I'm funny like a clown?  I amuse you?  I make you laugh?  I'm here to amuse you?

[UncleYoda]

13 hours ago, nokones said:

Why would you want to call the FCC when the rules are written in Part 95, subparts A & E which we must work within those restrictions rather we like them or not, and regardless who at the FCC you talked to. It doesn't matter what the guy says, we have to follow what is in writing not what the guy says because the official rules are the written rules not the verbal rules.

Easy.  The wording of the rules is ambiguous and therefore open to individual interpretation.  And we see lots of examples of how that goes off the rails.  Even if all I got was a phone call from the guy who writes the regs, it would have been meaningful to me.  (They said they would forward my questions to him but in the email reply from customer service type folks there was no indication the expert was ever involved.)

[UncleYoda]

13 hours ago, BoxCar said:

According to the communications attorney I talked to, there are NO GMRS Base Station radios. There are GMRS radios operating from fixed locations operating as either repeaters or control stations. Your home based GMRS radio is used to control a repeater or communicate directly to other mobile units. This holds true through all sections under Parts 90, 95, and 97.

Attorney, and you trust him because of that?

What about a base station talking to another base station?  That kills that whole ridiculous concept.  And if there were no base stations why would they be addressed in the regs?  Also, you say "base station radios", but you don't need a unit designed for tabletop use in order to set it up that way.  Handheld and mobile units can be setup as base stations (that's in fact all I have).

[BoxCar]

On 8/8/2024 at 11:57 AM, WSDA306 said:

Few observations/questions about programming my GMRS and FRS radios.

B. In programming my radios, I have 4 different brands of FRS (16 channel, essentially the same radio, Zastone X6, Retevis R22, Baofang T20) + TidRadio M11 22ch.  And also my TD-H3 which is GMRS.  The reason, these china radios all come preprogrammed with the wrong frequencies, and I want them all to be able to talk to each other.  I have programmed them all and they all now talk to each other but Im not sure exactly what this NFM/FM is.  I put all of the FRS radios as NFM like this chart shows, and my GMRS as either FM or NFM.

FRS radios are narrowband since 2017, therefore, they will not have a wideband (FM) option. GRMS channels are wideband (25kHz) so they have an option to operate either wide or narrow.