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Post by jimhenry2000 on Sept 3, 2017 21:19:22 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 22:59:16 GMT
The Personal Radio Service Bands
This post from Jim Henry opens a lot of low power questions. What do we know about these Personal Radio Service Bands?
There's been plenty of talk about Citizens Band but in several years I don't recall a word on these forums about GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service), FRS (Family Radio Service), or MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service).
Many questions come to mind, such as "how can these services be used in the activities of low power broadcasters"?
Do some of our members, in addition to Jim Henry who we know is already familiar with these bands, also utilize the Personal Radio Services?
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Sept 5, 2017 2:00:09 GMT
Well I think I can speak to a little bit of this. Compared to Class D Citizens Band, GMRS is similar to the original purpose of Class D but more civilized. I got my first Class D CB license in 1963, under my father's name as I was not yet 18. Our intention was to use it as the rules stated, for "necessary business and personal communications. We owned a summer cottage right on the Delaware Bay in a remote area of S. Jersey. There was no electricity, natural gas, or telephones in the town and only one hand pump well in the town, so CB was both necessary and useful. Based on the rules at the time, if you were at home and had a working telephone, and I was at home and had a working telephone, there was no legal justification for us to communicate via CB. However in the 70s things went crazy on CB and the FCC gave up most enforcement, licensing individuals and instead licensed the service. That's pretty much when I gave it up. On GMRS it seems to me a service more under control so I got my GMRS license. We had experience some violent storms and power outages when I first moved to this rural area, where power and even cell service was down for several days at a time. After I got my GMRS ticket, which allows any member of my immediate or extended family to operate under my license, I had several friends tell me "Get your Ham license and you'll never use GMRS again!" So I did. My knowledge and experience of power, and RF, plus common sense allowed me to breeze through the Technician exam with no prep. However, I then found myself what I was going to do with it! I have little desire to talk to people I don't know and to the extent I do, I can do on the Internet, as like here. Plus no other member of my family can use my Ham license and no way will they want to take the Technician exam, and I only wanted 2 way radio to talk to them. So after several years I have yet to have my first Ham QSO. Jim WQRR751 KC3BFN The Personal Radio Service BandsThis post from Jim Henry opens a lot of low power questions. What do we know about these Personal Radio Service Bands? There's been plenty of talk about Citizens Band but in several years I don't recall a word on these forums about GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service), FRS (Family Radio Service), or MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service). Many questions come to mind, such as "how can these services be used in the activities of low power broadcasters"? Do some of our members, in addition to Jim Henry who we know is already familiar with these bands, also utilize the Personal Radio Services? |
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Post by thelegacy on Sept 5, 2017 4:25:40 GMT
I'm wondering if 2 Watts on FR-S would get you like 2 to 3 miles?
What does a 5-watt gmrs signal get?
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Sept 5, 2017 5:54:53 GMT
Honestly I don't know as I haven't done extensive testing. My HT's are programmable and I have set them to 5 watts. My mobile unit is set to 40 watts. Seems to do what I ned. I'm wondering if 2 Watts on FR-S would get you like 2 to 3 miles? What does a 5-watt gmrs signal get? |
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Post by thelegacy on Sept 5, 2017 15:23:13 GMT
Wow 40 Watt on GMRS Mobiles I'm sure that should hit 15 miles or so. I know those bus Radio's in the school buses when talking simplex were about 25 Watts and you could hear the drivers from Lansing to Grand Ledge Michigan and that was well around 30 miles or so. Fence posting however was a big issue in simplex.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Sept 7, 2017 0:06:53 GMT
Wow 40 Watt on GMRS Mobiles I'm sure that should hit 15 miles or so. I know those bus Radio's in the school buses when talking simplex were about 25 Watts and you could hear the drivers from Lansing to Grand Ledge Michigan and that was well around 30 miles or so. Fence posting however was a big issue in simplex. Plus there are repeaters everywhere and most will let you use them if you just ask permission. See www.mygmrs.com |
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Sept 7, 2017 0:15:40 GMT
I should add, beware of the cheapo "blister pack" FRS and GMRS radios sold at places like K-Mart, Walmart, etc. Most of them are not programmable or repeater capable, and the range claims listed are for PERFECT conditions, meaning you are on a mountain top and the person you are communicating with is on a mountain top, with perfect line of sight, and even then I doubt the claims. That said they are just fine for low challenge short range communications of a mile or so. Wow 40 Watt on GMRS Mobiles I'm sure that should hit 15 miles or so. I know those bus Radio's in the school buses when talking simplex were about 25 Watts and you could hear the drivers from Lansing to Grand Ledge Michigan and that was well around 30 miles or so. Fence posting however was a big issue in simplex. Plus there are repeaters everywhere and most will let you use them if you just ask permission. See www.mygmrs.com |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 1:43:30 GMT
Following This Topic
These personal 2-way radio systems are definite low power subjects and this thread should stay active for a long time.
There will be ways these systems can figure in to our personal, business, and radio hobby activities.
We will be exploring these uses and welcome all input.
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