The FCC has updated its regulations as they affect wireless devices, radio-controlled models, medical implant devices and personal locator beacons. At the same time, the agency moved to allow new digital applications for the General Mobile Radio Service, setting up intervening channels and extending licenses from 5-year terms to 10 years. The agency also gave additional channels to the FRS, allowing greater power on certain channels, up to 2 watts as well as CB radio operators being given permission to use hands-free headsets.
As a child of the 1940's, a lot of the kids toy 2 way radios today have more capacity than the state of the art military radios of that time and the average ham radio is just about as capable as the best unit our national guard unit had in 1948. Radios and encryption have come a long ways and the power required to send or receive is a fraction of what they used.
Going from analog to digital changed very thing , narrowing the band capabilities and strengthening the signal . I remember when we got radios with phased locked loupe, and side band , we thought that was cool . Ham radio is still superior ,more freedom of access and more power. I may get back into it some day,
Digital modes for GMRS? Would that be like packet or ax25 tcpip etc or the digital voice modes? I am curious
That is the way I read it, on First Glance... Have not gone in and read the Notice of Proposed Rule Making just yet, but I suspect that would be enlightening...
The FCC acted to grant a rule change proposed by Garmin, to allow GMRS units to transmit GPS (i.e., location) info, in brief bursts. FRS already allows it. See the fact sheet for the NPRM at the FCC site. William Warren
Thank you for the info, I did go and read the federal register and found that out, but thank you again for the courtesy of a reply
I do have one further question if someone can help me out please, this time about GMRS licencing, Does it cost any extra $ to pay the FCC if I want to run a repeater, up here in northern central Maine there is next to no repeater coverage except for one in the Bangor area and I believe that rptr is down for the time being. Best wishes. Shane
One GMRS License coveras ALL transmitters, of ALL Classes... (Mobile, Land, Portable, Control, and Small Land, Stations.. A Repeater is just a fancy Land Station... That License cover ALL Family Members, including EXTENDED Families... If you are NORTH of Line A, or East of Line C, then coordination with Canada is REQUIRED, and the FCC may require Modifcation to the Standard GMRS Technical Specs of your Station... There was just some MAJOR Rewriting of CFR47Part95, so it would behoove you to do some serious Research, into the requirements for your specific Location... It has been a DECADE, since I did a License Application for a GMRS Station License, for a client, so I am a little behind on the new changes to PART95..