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Hey MTM, tell me more.

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I taste copper.
Comments, views, opinions - and trails of destruction - are my own.

While both GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) and FRS (Family Radio Service) units transmit a FM signal (F3E) the bandwidth is 20 Khz for GMRS and only 12.5 Khz for FRS. Also GMRS has a lot more power. FRS is but a faction of the ERP (Effective Radiated Power) that GMRS has. --- I have never used FRS -- because I have lots of full powered radios. However, I was one of 65 persons that endorsed and responded to the FCC -- in the rulemaking to create the FRS. They both use FM -- but the bandwidth is different. Not the modulation. I correct myself -- . Mea Culpa. My bad.

Ahh. That explains some problems I've experienced.

I haven't been able to get all my friends to get their HAM licenses so on occasion I'm forced to use a FRS radio.

_________________
I taste copper.
Comments, views, opinions - and trails of destruction - are my own.

I will have to locate the Proposed Rulemaking. If my memory is correct --The Tandy Corp. and / or others proposed a different modulation form -- other than F3E --. I proposed that the FRS use new splintter frequencys --- meeting the new FCC requirements -- of 6.25 Khz. This would give the FRS twice as many channels -- and they would NOT be the same as the existing GMRS channels. The 462.55 - 462.725 Mhz band is the ONLY band that is exempt from the new FCC channel spacing of 6.25 khz. At that time -- about 90 % of the 65 responces to the proposal -- opposed the idea of a FRS. All were existing GMRS users that feared interference from the new FRS units.

Has FRS evolved as you would have hoped?

_________________
I taste copper.
Comments, views, opinions - and trails of destruction - are my own.

To be honest, I have always thought that the Radio Shack / Tandy Group only had one thing in mind -- to sell a cheap two-way "walkie-talkie" and make some fast cash. However -- because FRS radios have been sold so cheap -- lots of Americans -- and families have made it a real service. I still think that -- within a few years "RS" will also propose to move FRS over to 6.25 khz channels -- so that -- LIKE HDTV -- they can sell more radios. The GMRS users will have had to back down -- because RS will be moving FRS off of the GMRS frequencies. Give the voters what they want -- A good cheap cigar -- or a FRS radio under 30 bucks. -- Now if we could only find a good resting spot for all of those fast food drive ins -- everyone could once again use the radio channels. MTM

When you program your HT1550XLS to FRS set the spacing to 12.5 that will drop your transmit deviation to 2.5k and your reciever with change and you will notice that frs sound normal after that.

Which none of us would do, of course, as FRS rules prohibit use of this type of radio in the FRS service. :wink:

Also, MTM notes that FRS channels use narrow band FM. However many (not all) GMRS products are also being sold using narrow band FM for the 12.KHz channels.

73'
Nick
N7QOR