Feature request(s)

[G4EML]

Every country has different rules but in general the use of any transmitter requires that the equipment is approved. This applies even to the so called ‘Licence Free’ allocations. They are more correctly called ‘Licence Exempt’.

The authorities grant an exemption to requiring a licence, but this is only if the radios comply with certain rules, and these generally require the radio to be approved to a published specification. Modifying a radio such as loading unapproved firmware would negate any approval.

Of course having said this, it doesn’t stop people taking the risk and breaking the rules!

[newbie01]

MURS requires a certified radio for Part 95, the GD77 is not Part 95.

Ahh really? What caused me to look into it a little was a suggestion from a friend's father who is an active ham, so I guess he is wrong. I've got a decent pair of cobra radios with a micro usb charging port for my needs, but he seemed to think it would be fine to use MURS if longer range was needed

You gotto wonder how many out of spec radios are sold at the supermarket though, because I've seen 10 year olds running around on an easter egg hunt or such using brightly colored FRS 'barbie' radios and have detachable antennas, and that was just in the past couple years. Someone must have dropped the ball checking those imports HAHA

[kt4lh]

I've never seen MURS radio in a store; you're thinking of FRS. Those must also be Part 95.

[newbie01]

So... as a newbie I have a question then: If a person can verify that all the requirements laid out here are met for any given transceiver, could they legally use it to transmit? I haven't gotten a chance to fully read and digest every requirement here (part 95 subpart J), but if all requirements are met (tested with calibrated equipment etc.) for any given transceiver does that mean it is okay to use? Personally I haven't needed anything that VHF brings to the table over standard UHF/FRS yet, but I'd like the capability to use it without having to carry a 3rd radio out on the trials.

Since nobody has mentioned it though I'm guessing you'd either have to be a manufacturer or find/pay someone licensed to do testing of such things? I'd love to know the details.

[kt4lh]

License by rule radios are always marked and have FCC sticks on their back for part 90, 95, etc. If they are so marked, they're legal to use in their unmodified configuration.

Is there an actual question, you seem to be circling something.

[newbie01]

Is there an actual question, you seem to be circling something.

Okay, maybe I wasn't clear enough. Essentially I'm asking If an individual can take any given modified transceiver that meets or can be programmed with a channel that meets the requirements for 'license by rule' stuff and get that device certified for legal use on MURS, FRS, or whatever the equivalent of those two may be in other parts of the world. By this I'm referring to things like making sure its tested fully and proven to have reliable limits on transmit power, 'clean' transmissions on the frequencies used without interference spilling over to neighboring channel allocations, etc. etc.

If the answer is yes, then my next question would be "Is it feasible for an individual (ie not a volume manufacturer) to go through the process required to get that certification for the device, or is it specified somewhere that license free devices can't be multi-use?". This was what I was trying to get at with the following uh... musing? at the end of my last post.

I'm guessing you'd either have to be a manufacturer or find/pay someone licensed to do testing of such things? I'd love to know the details.

The reason for asking is I'd like very much like to consolidate 3 or more units into one, primarily to cut down on gear carried while retaining the ability to legally communicate with someone who only owns an off the shelf FRS radio. Does that make sense? If this can't be done 'just because FCC said so' I think its asinine and ridiculous that such a thing wouldn't be allowed, but it is my opinion. In any case I wouldn't operate outside of the law, just putting my opinion out there

[kt4lh]

No. You can not legally use a radio on 90, 95, and 97 at the same time. And 90 and 95 both very clearly say unmodified devices.

No matter how "clean" or how much they match the general specifications of the rules, violations of the rules are violations period. FRS is 2w, I can't just use any random radio that outputs 2W and call it good.

I get it; a single radio to do everything legally would be good, and my radios generally can transmit across that spectrum, but it's not something I would do unless I absolutely had to. If I'm hiking with other hikers and everyone is using FRS, I'll bring my ham radio and a FRS radio. if I'm hiking without a group on FRS and I just bring my ham radio I may still scan FRS and if I happened to hear an emergency I would not hesitate to respond.

[newbie01]

No. You can not legally use a radio on 90, 95, and 97 at the same time. And 90 and 95 both very clearly say unmodified devices.

There must be some way around that though. I'm thinking something like registering a 'modified device' as a new device (with enough changes to qualify as new) through whatever process the off-the-shelf radio manufacturers must go through? Detachable antenna? No problem with a little epoxy and so on...

Just sayin'

[VK3KYY]

There must be some way around that though. I'm thinking something like registering a 'modified device' as a new device (with enough changes to qualify as new) through whatever process the off-the-shelf radio manufacturers must go through? Detachable antenna? No problem with a little epoxy and so on...

AFIK.

Registration via the FCC or any other standards organisation, requires the equipment to be certified by an approved testing facility.

This normally costs $$$$$