Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 3, 1994 TAG: 9501030027
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BUTLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Two-way radios play an important role in the day-to-day operation of many businesses and public agencies. However, most people don't realize there's a similar service available for recreational users - and I'm not talking about citizen band! The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is group of frequencies licensed to private individuals and their immediate families.
Unlike citizen band, GMRS is intended for functional use, not chit-chat. Communication is usually between members of a group, although one frequency may be used to request travel assistance. Because GMRS frequencies are much higher than CB (462 MHz vs. 27 MHz), static and interference are much less of a problem. Higher frequencies are also less crowded.
GMRS is ideal for any activity where members of a group are separated for long intervals: camping, hunting, sailing, cycling and skiing. You could even use GMRS radios at an amusement park or flea market. Being able to maintain contact with others in your group can greatly simplify logistics, making your outings more pleasurable. Range typically extends from one-half mile up to two miles, depending on the antenna.
Let's say you're hiking in the mountains and you discover a large waterfall. Three members of your family decide to split off and climb to the top while you and the others wimp out and take a swim. After an hour, you're ready to move on. Without a two-way radio, you'd have to wait until the others return.
The safety benefits of two-way radios are obvious. With incidents involving lost campers and hikers on the rise, any parent who takes children into a wilderness area can't help but to worry about this possibility. After learning a few simple rules, even a pre-teen can operate a GMRS radio.
Hand-held GMRS radios are both compact and lightweight with most models weighing in at well under a pound. By using the handy belt clip, you can keep your hands free for other things. A variety of accessories are available including charging stations, earphones and tiny lapel microphones. You can even get headsets with a built-in microphone.
In the tradition of amateur radio, local user groups have flourished in cities around the country. GMRS user groups often organize in order to set up a co-op repeater station. A repeater can extend the range of GMRS to cover an entire city! By pooling resources, the cost per member to operate a repeater is usually much less than the cost of accessing a commercially operated repeater.
The Personal Radio Steering Group of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is an excellent source of information on GMRS. It promotes proper use of the service through its newsletter and electronic bulletin board. I recommend that you contact the PRSG prior to purchasing a radio or applying for an FCC license. One of the group's most sought-after publications explains how to fill out the license application (no test is required).
To receive a list of manufacturers and mail-order suppliers of GMRS two-way radios, please send $1.50 and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-441, Department TWN, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278-7927. The list includes toll-free phone numbers and a summary of each company's products. You'll also receive a copy of "What is GMRS?", an informative booklet published by the Personal Radio Steering Group.
Techtalk: General Mobile Radio Service, formerly known as Class A of the Citizens Radio Service, includes 23 UHF frequencies: eight pairs of "regular" frequencies in the 462/467 MHz band and seven individual "split" frequencies in the 462 MHz band. Regular frequency pairs are separated by 5 MHz (upper frequencies are for transmitting through a repeater). Up to two regular frequency pairs may be licensed. Licensees may use any of the split frequencies.
by CNB