programming a repeater for Personal use

[WSDX985]

Good afternoon,

So, I have a question, but I am not sure if it can be done or if its legal.

I would like to set up a repeater in my area for my family use only. am I stuck to the standard GMRS repeater freqs and offsets or can i customize the offsets to what i would like them to be? for example, instead of a +5 offset to a + or - 7 or 8.

not sure if this is legal. Any help or opinions on this would be appreciated.

[WRQC527]

27 minutes ago, WSDX985 said:

Good afternoon,

So, I have a question, but I am not sure if it can be done or if its legal.

I would like to set up a repeater in my area for my family use only. am I stuck to the standard GMRS repeater freqs and offsets or can i customize the offsets to what i would like them to be? for example, instead of a +5 offset to a + or - 7 or 8.

not sure if this is legal. Any help or opinions on this would be appreciated.

Take a look at this excerpt from the Part 95 rules governing GMRS. It tells you specifically what frequencies can be used for transmitting, based on what device is doing the transmitting.

Your repeater is limited to transmitting on one of the 8 frequencies listed under subsection A. To my knowledge, there is no rule that says the offset must be 5 Mhz. But, the biggest offset you can acheive with rules-accepted GMRS frequencies is (if my math is correct) 5.175 Mhz. Using an offset greater than that will put you out-of-band, either on your repeater's transmit frequency or its receive frequency, (or both) and therefore in violation of FCC rules.

 

§ 95.1763 GMRS channels.

The GMRS is allotted 30 channels—16 main channels and 14 interstitial channels. GMRS stations may transmit on any of the channels as indicated below.

(a) 462 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, repeater, base and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 462.5500, 462.5750, 462.6000, 462.6250, 462.6500, 462.6750, 462.7000, and 462.7250 MHz.

(b) 462 MHz interstitial channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable and base stations may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 462.5625, 462.5875, 462.6125, 462.6375, 462.6625, 462.6875, and 462.7125 MHz.

(c) 467 MHz main channels. Only mobile, hand-held portable, control and fixed stations may transmit on these 8 channels. Mobile, hand-held portable and control stations may transmit on these channels only when communicating through a repeater station or making brief test transmissions in accordance with § 95.319(c). The channel center frequencies are: 467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500, 467.6750, 467.7000, and 467.7250 MHz.

(d) 467 MHz interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable units may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 467.5625, 467.5875, 467.6125, 467.6375, 467.6625, 467.6875, and 467.7125 MHz.

[JLeikhim]

It would be very problematic if someone were to use other than 5 MHz pairing for their repeater. If for example your output is 462.550 and your input is 467.725 , you will have no way to monitor the repeater output at 462.725 MHz and potentially will interfere with or block users on the 462.725/467.725 repeater.

[WSDX985]

ok thank you for the replies. I will work stick to the standard repeater freqs.

[WRXP381]

No 

[WSDC279]

I have a better way for family use only....it's called a CELL PHONE.

[SteveShannon]

2 minutes ago, WSDC279 said:

I have a better way for family use only....it's called a CELL PHONE.

Well hell, I guess I’ll just throw away my GMRS and ham radios.

GMRS is specifically geared towards family use. 

[LeeBo]

17 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Well hell, I guess I’ll just throw away my GMRS and ham radios.

GMRS is specifically geared towards family use. 

I'd be more than happy to start my collection if you wanted to give them all new homes. 

(Just trying to keep up the assumed humor)