New FCC Part 95 Personal Radio Services Rules Published in The Federal Register 08/14/2018 Reorganized and updated FCC Personal Radio Services (PRS) Part 95 rules have been published in The Federal Register. Among other things, the PRS covers the Family Radio Service (FRS), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), and the Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS). The revised rules allot additional FRS channels and increase the power on certain FRS channels from 0.5 W to 2 W. FRS channels are in the 462.5625 – 462.7250 MHz range. Effective September 30, 2019, it will be illegal to manufacture or import handheld portable radio equipment capable of operating under FRS rules and under other licensed or licensed-by-rule services. The FCC no longer will certify FRS devices that incorporate capabilities of GMRS capabilities or of other services. Existing GMRS/FRS combination radios that operate at power levels of less than 2 W ERP will be reclassified as FRS devices; existing GMRS/FRS radios that operate above that power level will be reclassified as GMRS devices, requiring an individual license. Radios that can transmit on GMRS repeater input channels will continue to be licensed individually and not by rule. Once the new rules are effective, CBers will be allowed to contact stations outside of the FCC-imposed — but widely disregarded — 155.3-mile distance limit.
Mostly this is a Power Increase on certain FRS Channels to 2 Watts from .5 Watts.... New Channels for FRS... New FRS Radio will NOT Transmit on GMRS Repeater Input Frequencies.... Separation of some FRS and GMRS Channels... CB Rule that limited distance of Communications Dropped from Rules...
Oh well, my oldest ones almost made it but didn't quite get their out of jail free card. But, I'm just saving them for emergency anyway. One thing I don't understand is this a good time to go buy some more of the dual radios or will there be better ones available after the rule goes into effect? Another is, does this mean a GMRS license would be more worthwhile, or worth even less? I hope I can understand the new changes once I read the linked page because it took a decade or more for me to really understand how the old rules applied. MURS or GMRS or some non-ham alternative better than bubble pack teeny FRS has been on my list for a long time but I never really committed to one because the rules tie us up in knots. I do not want to carry five different types of radios.
Power increase is significant... as is keeping the FRS Radios out of the GRMS Repeater Inputs... One of the BIG Complaints from GMRS Repeater owners...
Bearing in mind that the station is licensed to a person (and may be used by direct family, and on more than one radio) there's no gain or loss to getting licensed due to the change. EXCEPT that care must be taken to keep away from FRS frequencies when using older equipment. Uv cuss, come TEOTWAWKI, it'll not count for a good dump.