GMRS Licensing?

[bobfriesenhahn]

"With great power comes great responsibility." Seems to be true for radios as well. The electromagnetic spectrum is a finite resource (like our public land trail system). Lots of people use it and we need to "tread lightly" on the radio spectrum just like on the land. If we all go FULL POWER we fill the airwaves with so much noise you step on each other and can't hear your group. Hence the FCC has rules.

- Note: there is a safe harbor provision in the FCC laws that allow you to transmit on non licensed frequencies if there is an emergency.

And profanity on the airwaves is probably the biggest issue that will bring the FCC down on you with fines and such.

It's not hard to triangulate and figure out where you are. It's not hard to record your voice. And most people use names and other verbal clues that will identify them. And they post on social media.

But really - it's a "tread lightly" issue. We all share the same land. We all share the same radio spectrum. If we fill either one with trash it ruins things for everyone.

There is really nothing worse than electromagnetic trash! The waves get clogged and there is nothing we can do about it!

 

[BruceyZ06]

I got the GMRS license just cause I have bad luck...

 

[Why1504]

I work in the Military communications field. I have for a very long time. I am a ham radio operator. I have a ham license and a GMRS license. Because of my career I purchased the GMRS license. I have a couple of thoughts I thought would be of value.

For me, ham radio is about safety. What happens in emergencies. No cell service and someone has a bad injury, how do we expedite help? Living in the southeast US we have tornados. Whenever there are bad storms ham operators around the region fire up their radios to support first responders. We report to a central station who passes that info to police/fire/ambulance/hospitals. For me, this has been what ham is all about. Now, in the last 8-10 years or so, ham has moved into digital messaging where we can send text messages and emails point to point via ham radio frequencies. This is the part of amateur radio I find the most interesting but it is a total geek fest.

GMRS/FRS are both for exactly what we use them for. They are perfect for small groups to communicate off the grid. If you only plan to use the radio in simplex mode ( 2 or more radios on the same frequency, not using a repeater), I would not worry about a license. If you plan to use a GMRS repeater for non emergency communications then you should at least consider getting a GMRS license.

Any time there is an emergency, you can use any radio to call for help. IMO, when you go off road where cell service may not be available, having a communications plan is important. For this reason, I carry both a GMRS handheld and my ham handheld. I also stay aware of all of the ham radio repeaters in the area where I am traveling. Most of these repeaters are constantly being monitored. These ham repeaters are much more prevelent than GMRS repeaters. GMRS radios are easy to use. Ham radios are more complex.

There are handhelds that will fulfill both functions (the most common are Baofeng), these are not great radios but they do check the box from a safety standpoint. They are not FCC approved, but are used extensively in the US. With a little work, they can be programmed to operate both on the GMRS frequencies and on your local ham radio repeaters. In an emergency being able to call for help on one of these radios can save a life And under this scenario no one would get in trouble. Even the most arrogant ham operator (and there are a ton of these, and one reason I don’t enjoy talking on ham radio) would love to help any non license operation in an emergency.

I don’t know if this is helpful or not. If you have questions I will be happy to try to answer them.

 

[jimcoffey62]

I work in the Military communications field. I have for a very long time. I am a ham radio operator. I have a ham license and a GMRS license. Because of my career I purchased the GMRS license. I have a couple of thoughts I thought would be of value.

For me, ham radio is about safety. What happens in emergencies. No cell service and someone has a bad injury, how do we expedite help? Living in the southeast US we have tornados. Whenever there are bad storms ham operators around the region fire up their radios to support first responders. We report to a central station who passes that info to police/fire/ambulance/hospitals. For me, this has been what ham is all about. Now, in the last 8-10 years or so, ham has moved into digital messaging where we can send text messages and emails point to point via ham radio frequencies. This is the part of amateur radio I find the most interesting but it is a total geek fest.

GMRS/FRS are both for exactly what we use them for. They are perfect for small groups to communicate off the grid. If you only plan to use the radio in simplex mode ( 2 or more radios on the same frequency, not using a repeater), I would not worry about a license. If you plan to use a GMRS repeater for non emergency communications then you should at least consider getting a GMRS license.

Any time there is an emergency, you can use any radio to call for help. IMO, when you go off road where cell service may not be available, having a communications plan is important. For this reason, I carry both a GMRS handheld and my ham handheld. I also stay aware of all of the ham radio repeaters in the area where I am traveling. Most of these repeaters are constantly being monitored. These ham repeaters are much more prevelent than GMRS repeaters. GMRS radios are easy to use. Ham radios are more complex.

There are handhelds that will fulfill both functions (the most common are Baofeng), these are not great radios but they do check the box from a safety standpoint. They are not FCC approved, but are used extensively in the US. With a little work, they can be programmed to operate both on the GMRS frequencies and on your local ham radio repeaters. In an emergency being able to call for help on one of these radios can save a life And under this scenario no one would get in trouble. Even the most arrogant ham operator (and there are a ton of these, and one reason I don’t enjoy talking on ham radio) would love to help any non license operation in an emergency.

I don’t know if this is helpful or not. If you have questions I will be happy to try to answer them.

well said sir. Some good info.
I would disagree on one thing. I encourage folks to get the GMRS license if you use the frequencies. It only costs $70 and lasts for 10 years I think. It's important to follow the rules so the FCC doesn't decide to take the frequencies away and sell them for corporate use. This is part of a "tread lightly" ethos. We all share the airwaves - so share politely and get licensed if the law requires.

 

[Why1504]

well said sir. Some good info.
I would disagree on one thing. I encourage folks to get the GMRS license if you use the frequencies. It only costs $70 and lasts for 10 years I think. It's important to follow the rules so the FCC doesn't decide to take the frequencies away and sell them for corporate use. This is part of a "tread lightly" ethos. We all share the airwaves - so share politely and get licensed if the law requires.

Actually the license is $35. I also believe everyone should get the license however, some people just refuse to do so. Further, just as we all take advise from other off roaders on tools and mods, I can only advise that doing the study, and getting a ham license would make you better off road in a life threatening situation. Understanding how these devices and the waveforms that they operate under is of value.

 

[Jeeper99]

I recently picked up 2 BTech GMRS Pro hand helds. I did the license thing for me and friend and just put a label on the radios with the license number. I figured if I ever got into a formal club run they might be sticklers about the license. I read about the application for Jeep Jamboree runs and thought they required it. Not that I'm itching to go on a run with 500 of my closest friends.