I just bought a pair of Motorola Talkabout GMRS/FRS radios in a cheapo
bundle pack from Sam's Club, just to have on hand in case we ever need some
short range communications.

The 22 channels a

1-7: shared FRS and GMRS simplex
8-14; FRS only
15-22: GMRS only

According to bandplan charts I found online and the channel frequency table
in the manual, channels 15-22 are in fact a mix of GMRS repeater input and
output frequencies, meaning that any simplex operation with this radio on
those channels could cause interference with nearby repeater users.

So, on the "shared" channels 1-7 I'll need a license or else will be
bootleg, because the radio uses GMRS power levels and modulation.

On channels 8-14 I'll be using straight FRS and legal even without license?

Channels 15-22 are basically useless anywhere repeaters might be in use,
given the radio cannot operate split to take advantage of them, even if the
repeater operators permited it?

So, in type-accepting these radios, the FCC is bolluxing up the accepted
GMRS bandplan. Who created that bandplan, the FCC or user groups or what?
Just curious.

At present the FCC will still take my money for a license, yes? And, of
course, they have about as much manpower committed to stopping the
unlicensed and improper operation caused by these cheap radios as they did
to police CB back in the 70's?

Of course it comes down to the question of whether to license or not. It'd
be a waste of 75 bucks if next year the FCC threw up their hands at all the
problems *they* caused and stopped issuing licenses. If I only use the FRS
channels, I've got a couple of cheap 7-channel FRS radios. shrug

Most folks that buy these cheapie bundles won't go to the bother of figuring
this stuff out. So they're going to keep messing things up for the
foreseeable future. With all that, just how much is left of the GMRS
community, if there was one? Is there anyplace where GMRS folks gather
online? It'd be nice to hear what they have to say.

Thanks for your comments or answers to my questions.

Mike D.

(M. G. Devour) wrote in message om...
Leland wrote:
One machine I can get into only
using around 100 to 500 milliwatts of power from
10 miles out because the antenna is at 500 feet on
top of a tall building in downtown Detroit.

Ahh, the Edison 2m, Leland? I know that machine. grin

So assuming that two watts isn't going to cause a
problem is total nonsense. I can garantee you that
it will if you're not carefull.

I've been scanning with the Talkabout and hear some activity on the
repeater frequencies. It sounds like commercial stuff, possibly a
security service or some maintenance people, on 2 or 3 different
channels.

Being right in the "big city" I suspect they might be some of those
famous "grandfathered" commercial systems that were in place before
1987 and the creation of the GMRS.

I've told the (teenage) kids we'll just be using the 7 FRS-only
channels for now, and explained why. Since these radios are in part a
stopgap until they get their technician licenses, I expect I'll be
able to trust them.

As I read the rules, as long as we don't use any of the channels on
these radios that are shared or assigned to the GMRS we'll be legal to
use them as FRS radios. Whether we will bother to license for the sake
of using the GMRS simplex channels or not I haven't decided yet.

Be well,

Mike D.

hey mike.., lelnad hangs out on those freqs because he can't talk on
any of the others doncha know.......kind of has a problem learning the
code and is in favor of dropping that requirement.........for whatever
reason...actually he is just a ****ant.......and thinks he runs
something but all he runs is just his mouth.......he always is on
here bragging about this and that, but i have found that people that
do that are small minded twits with no grey matter.........so pay him
no mind and do what you want......but whatever you do , do not tell
him where you live or he will without a doubt try and rat you out for
whatever purpose,.........because he is that kind of a guy doncha
know......just a thought...also be advised that he does not live at
the address he told the fcc on his cb plusser license......he
lied.....it is a common trait in the scott family doncha
know....................that is all...........

hey mike.., lelnad hangs out on those freqs because he can't talk on
any of the others doncha know... [etcetera...]

Whatever. I know that nothing happens on this newsgroup that doesn't
deteriorate into a ****ing match. shrug

I still would like to know if there were ever any GMRS "communities"
as there were of CB'ers in the old days. Clubs, associations, web
boards or even neighborhoods that happened to get a critical mass of
licensees that made the service more useful. And, if so, have they
survived or fallen by the wayside?

Who runs or used to run public repeater systems and where?

If GMRS is supposed to be a type of "Citizens's Band" requiring
type-accepted equipment and no-test licensing, did the citizens really
use it?

Mike D.

"Leland C. Scott" wrote in message
...
|
| "MnMikew" wrote in message
| ..
| .
| I dont think your two-watt radios will be much
| interference for repeaters
| unless your right on top of one.
|
| You don't think because you don't know. I can tell
| you from experience that I have used repeaters on
| both the Ham 2m and 70cm bands from 5 to 15 miles
| out using nothing more that a few watts from a
| hand-held radio. The Ham 70cm band (430 to 450
| MHz) sits right below the frequencies used by GMRS
| (462 to 467 MHz), and thus the propagation is very
| much the same. One machine I can get into only
| using around 100 to 500 milliwatts of power from
| 10 miles out because the antenna is at 500 feet on
| top of a tall building in down town Detroit.
|
| So assuming that two watts isn't going to cause a
| problem is total nonsense. I can garantee you that
| it will if you're not carefull.
|
|
| --
| Leland C. Scott
| KC8LDO
|

My 200 mW HT would get me into the 147.195 machine in Wauseon (about 18
miles) and the 147.315 machine down by Holgate (about 15 miles) from my
bedroom in McClure with the original antenna (which was a joke). This same
radio after moving to Napoleon would get me into the 147.375 machine in
Toledo (about 40 miles) used by NWOH ARES for SKYWARN net when hooked to a
"Super J-Pole" antenna at 45 ft above ground.

73 de Keith

--
KC8TCQ
ARRL Member - ARES

"M. G. Devour" wrote in message
...
| hey mike.., lelnad hangs out on those freqs because he can't talk on
| any of the others doncha know... [etcetera...]
|
| Whatever. I know that nothing happens on this newsgroup that doesn't
| deteriorate into a ****ing match. shrug
|
| I still would like to know if there were ever any GMRS "communities"
| as there were of CB'ers in the old days. Clubs, associations, web
| boards or even neighborhoods that happened to get a critical mass of
| licensees that made the service more useful. And, if so, have they
| survived or fallen by the wayside?
|
| Who runs or used to run public repeater systems and where?
|
| If GMRS is supposed to be a type of "Citizens's Band" requiring
| type-accepted equipment and no-test licensing, did the citizens really
| use it?
|
| Mike D.

try the family radio usenet group, thats made up of FRS and GMRS users also
try I believe www.g-m-r-s.org

73 de Keith

--
KC8TCQ
ARRL Member - ARES

Jim Hampton writes:
Well, forget the FCC - your problem will come very quickly from the repeater
owners and users.

That makes me curious, Jim. Where will I find mention or listings of
these operations? If they indeed have set up repeater networks as you
imply, they must talk about them somewhere.

There's something there I should at least know about and perhaps
something to be gained from buying some better equipment later on.

Of course, if you don't have your
sub-audible tones set to open the machine, you won't open it ...

And if I don't use the upper 7 channels on my radios, right? They are
the only frequencies used by these radios that are listed in the
bandplan charts I found online for repeater operations.

My consistent range runs 20 to
40 miles with a handheld to a repeater (depending upon local terrain). Out
in the open, it runs closer to 40 to 60 miles using a 36 inch whip

As I would expect with several watts into a good antenna on UHF.

Thanks,

Mike D.

"M. G. Devour" wrote in
message

m...
Jim Hampton writes:
Well, forget the FCC - your problem will come
very quickly from the repeater
owners and users.

That makes me curious, Jim. Where will I find
mention or listings of
these operations? If they indeed have set up
repeater networks as you
imply, they must talk about them somewhere.

Try looking here for a start:

http://www.g-m-r-s.org/repeaters.htm

--
Leland C. Scott
KC8LDO

Saw this on a Tee-shirt:

"I am a
bomb
technician
if you see me
running
try to keep up "

HAHHAHAHAHA....

"M. G. Devour" wrote in
message

m...
Jim. Where will I find mention or listings of
these operations? If they indeed have set up
repeater networks as you
imply, they must talk about them somewhere.

One more source is located below as well.

http://www.provide.net/~prsg/guide.htm


--
Leland C. Scott
KC8LDO

Saw this on a Tee-shirt:

"I am a
bomb
technician
if you see me
running
try to keep up "