FRS and GMRS radios

[GrouseTalesParticipant]

This question is for anyone who owns GMRS/FRS radios.

I see a lot of the GMRS radios on the market advertise that several of their channels are “shared” with FRS radios. With that in mind, will the GMRS radios transmit at the full 2 watts on the FRS channels? or will they automatically be reduced to the 0.5 watts customary to FRS radios.

I’m thinking ahead to our next WGA event. It would be nice to have our repeater be able to transmit at 2 watts on the FRS channels.

A related question for any HAMS out there: are there any UHF units that can be programed with FRS channels and transmit at a higher power? Perhaps something like an Icom that would accept our repeater connections and an external antenna?

[arfferParticipant]

While I don’t personally have one, one of my employees just got the GMRS version of the Rhino, which has shared frequencies; it reduces power on the shared frequencies.

All the GMRS radios I’ve seen that share frequencies automatically reduce their power on those shared frequencies. I believe the FCC rules for those frequencies mandate the lower wattage.

[This message has been edited by CacheCows (edited 12-16-2002).]

[sbukoskyParticipant]

While we could finagle an amplifier, I believe it would gain us nothing as far as usability. A stronger voice does not make for more sensative ears. Better radio performance is gained by improving the antenna situation. I got into the repeater at Gov. Dodge while five miles away on hwy 18. That was due to line of sight improvement. For example, there the best improvement would have been to put the system on top of Turkey Hill, or whatever that rock was called across the road from base. If you really want a wiz-bang system, lets get one of those event blimps and hang the system under that. I guarantee better range!

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Steve Bukosky
Waukesha

[arfferParticipant]

At GD, the repeater was at the highest point short of Chimney Rock, which was over by the group camp site. We tried a high point over by the group camp, but it was just to far from the Enee base camp for day use. The location we used was higher than that rock pinnacle across from Enee. As the park for the 2003 geo-campout is smaller than GD, we should be able to locate a good spot for it, but I do like the idea of the blimp! Be great for advertising too!

[GrouseTalesParticipant]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbukosky:
If you really want a wiz-bang system, lets get one of those event blimps and hang the system under that.

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Believe it or not, the idea of a blimp repeater came up during the initial planning of the Governor Dodge Campout. Someone even found a link to a story about wireless phone companies sending up balloons with PCS/digital repeaters on them.

I worried about the radio breaking free or the balloon crashing and konking someone on the head

I’m not quite sure what we can do to improve the antenna situation. I think that FRS radios are intentionally made with inefficient antennas.

[MR AndersenMember]

Actually, I just received a pair of gmrs radios for christmas. The Manual states GMRS at 1 watt FRS at .5 watt and the gmrs still works at 1 watt onr the shared Frequencies.

[Author]

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