PowerHouse CB & Scanner ...
^ The radios cannot be used as FRS because they are
^ _capable_ of being operated at a higher power setting,
^ which is a clear violation of the rules set out for FRS.

I don't recall seeing that particular rule. Can you cite it?

The FCC must approve the owner's manual for a radio before that model radio
can be sold. GMRS/FRS radios are being sold with owner's manuals that state
that a license is not required under certain usage conditions. Below is from
the BellSouth GMRS/FRS Model 2290 Owner's Manual Installation and Operating
Instructions:

The GMRS/FRS COMMUNICATOR operates on licensed
GMRS/FRS channels 1 - 7, and GMRS channels 15 - 22
(see below regarding licensing information), and
in a license-free band on the FRS channels 8 - 14
(no FCC license is needed for its operation).
[(C)2002 BellSouth Corporation]

FCC Licensing Information
Channels 1 thru 7 transmit on GMRS/FRS frequencies.
Channels 8 thru 14 transmit on FRS frequencies.
Channels 15 thru 22 transmit on GMRS frequencies.
Operation on GMRS/FRS and GMRS frequencies require
a license from the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
[(C)2002 BellSouth Corporation]


Frank:
^ The FCC should not have permitted the two bands
^ combined in one radio.

^ See, that's where everyone is confused. They bands are
^ NOT combined.

The simplex frequencies for both the GMRS and FRS bands are combined into my
GMRS/FRS radio. The two bands are combined in one radio as I said above.

^ The radios only have a _portion_ of the FRS band, not
^ the whole thing.

That may be true for some radios but the one I have has ALL the FRS
frequencies. It also has ALL the GMRS frequencies except the repeater input
frequencies. It also has all the newly allocated GMRS frequencies. I think
the preceding in this paragraph is also true for most new GMRS/FRS radios.

^ The ONLY reason they have a portion is because the two
^ bands happen to overlap each other, as set forth by the
^ FCC rules.

I think you must be looking at older radios. GMRS and FRS each have a unique
set of frequencies. They both also have a set that is common to each other.
The quoted manual text above shows this.

^ Like I said above, the radios can not be used without
^ a license because they do not comply with the rules set
^ forth for FRS radios which are license free.

I just checked the rules for GMRS and for FRS and I can't see where you're
getting that prohibition.


Frank