"Dee D. Flint" wrote in
:

It would be better to return the GMRS radios and get FRS radios
instead. No license is required for the latter.

It doesn't make sense to risk a $10,000 fine. The FCC usually issues
the max fine allowed not the min. And yes they do go after people for
violating the regs even for consumer goods.

For GMRS, the license is merely a money raising scheme for the
government. It has nothing to do with technical expertise. But then
since one is not allowed to modify the radios in anyway or connect them
to other products, no technical expertise is required.


"Dolemite" wrote in message
om...
Thanks alot for everyone's responses. I just had the handsets
delivered yesterday. Am I missing something here? Why would someone
complain about me using a hand held radio on occassion for brief
periods of time? Its not like I'm broadcasting a pirate radio station
or purposly messing with other communications. Are there accounts of
the FCC going after private users for consumer products? My
intension is to use the radios while out camping or playing paintball,
maybe if I get lost in the mall so my girlfriend can guide me through
it.

I was on the FCC website already (was going to swallow the $80) and
realized all I had to do was send a check for the license. There's
not testing or training involved. Again, it doesn't make sense for
paying for an $80 license for a $20 product. Will having the license
teach me anything new about how to use the product? It seems more
like an added tax on a purchased product than ensuring users know how
to properly use the product.

Again, thank you for everyone's responses.

Tom Randy wrote in message
...
On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 10:06:13 -0800, Dolemite wrote:

I just bought two Uniden GMRS 2-way radios for $20. I plan to use
them while shopping in the mall and while out playing paintball.
Do I really need to get an $80 5-year license from the FCC? What
does the license protect against?


A $7 to $10,000 fine. Just get the license.



GMRS and FRS rules are something of a mess, IMHO.

You have to understand that the GMRS licence actually allows you to use a
higher powered mobile transceiver, but only on two channels that you
designate. There are actually repeaters on a lot of these channels, but
unlike in the amateur service, they are 'closed' and you have to pay to use
them (in ham radio in the US a repeater can either be 'closed' to outside
users or can raise money by membership of an association, but never both,
whereas in GMRS it is invariably both).

GMRS was later expanded so that the licence included the use of lower power
handhelds on 'interstitial' channels, i.e. channels that are half way
inbetween each of the repeater channels.

Then FRS was introduced at still a lower level of power on the GMRS
interstitial channels.

What has happened since is that stores are selling GMRS handhelds alonside
the FRS ones. This is either because they are lacking in scruples, or
because they are ignorant. Since a GMRS handheld works on all the FRS
channels but at higher power, the temptation to get one instead is rather
high.

The licence for GMRS is not just for the handhelds, but also for the
mobiles which run more power and can use repeaters, albeit at further cost.
AFAIK, the mobiles and the handhelds in GMRS can't even communicate with
oneanother as they don't use the same channels, which apears to be totally
SNAFU to me.

I am not a GMRS user, and there may be some errors in what I said above,
but I think that is substantially how it is. BTW, GMRS was originally part
of CB!