In My View

Editorial Opinion
by Doug Smith
KAF9830
WA6GON

GMRS: Protect it
or Lose It! (Part II)

An open letter to Northern California
GMRS Repeater Licensees.

This letter was mailed on July 17, 1999 to selected GMRS repeater licensees in Northern California. Even if you didn't receive the letter, and your GMRS operations have suffered interference from illegal operations, GMRS still needs your help.

You are receiving this letter because you are registered in the Federal Communications Commission database or the Personal Radio Steering Group database as the licensee of a General Mobile Radio Service repeater in Central California.

An ad-hoc group of GMRS repeater licensees, and repeater users have identified numerous illegal repeater systems operating on 462.600, 462.625, 462.650, and 462.700 mHz. Two of us have filed official complaints about these systems with the FCC on behalf of other licensees. We are expecting those licensees to file their own complaints as well.

We need your support. We understand that when more affected parties complain officially, the FCC tends to address the complaints sooner rather than later. We also understand that the complaints often achieve faster response if the complaints are directed to the FCC's National Call Center. It is highly probable that your repeater system has been interfered with by the numerous illegal operations on the above frequencies. I urge you to immediately contact the FCC field office and the FCC National Call Center, and file your own interference complaint.

I cannot overly stress the importance of your support. GMRS as we know it, is threatened by the intrusion of illegal commercial systems placed in service by unscrupulous radio shops and radio vendors. The number and sophistication of these systems is growing daily. The channel 462.700 is almost unusable because a two-way radio service in Lodi has placed a powerful repeater on the air in the mountains above Pine Grove. Three very busy business users occupy the channel all day long. The 462.600, 462.625, 462.650 channels are virtually unusable in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys because of illegal repeaters on Mt. Oso and other high locations. Even if your operations are not immediately affected, it is only a matter of time before you could be fighting an Intruder battle of your own. If we do not demand that the FCC act on this problem Bay Area GMRS systems are at risk of interference by unlicensed users. Support your fellow licensees!

If you need further information you may contact me by telephone or by the email address below. You may also visit the on-line magazine at my website http://www.gmrsweb.com and click on the Northern California Intruder Watch link to read more about the problem. We have identified almost all of the GMRS Intruders and have sent the information to the FCC. We need you to back us up. Please do not delay. Write the FCC today.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter. I look forward to hearing from you.