Updated May 27, 2005

PopularWireless GMRS News

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Broadcast Lobbyist to Receive Award from NOAA

PopularWireless Magazine 5/27/05: NOAA presented broadcast lobbyist, Tom Fahy, with its Mark Trail Award on May 26th for support of the agency’s NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards program, Storm Ready and for advocacy on emergency warning systems.

The Mark Trail Awards are named for the nationally syndicated comic strip character that serves as the campaign symbol for the NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards program. Since 1995, Jack Elrod, writer and illustrator of Mark Trail, and King Features Syndicate have been strong advocates for publicizing severe weather safety through the use of the radios. In recent years, the strip's education message has included the fact that anyone listening to NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards has instant access to the same lifesaving weather reports and all-hazards information provided to meteorologists, emergency personnel and broadcasters.

NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information direct from a nearby National Weather Service office. NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards broadcasts official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other civil emergency information 24 hours a day. NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards includes more than 800 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories.

Maritime Use of GMRS Repeater Inputs Still a Serious Issue for Licensees

PopularWireless Magazine 3/11/05: PopularWireless Magazine has sent four reports of international maritime radio traffic heard on GMRS repeater inputs 467.575 and 467.550 in the Southern Maryland section of the Chesapeake Bay. Operation by foreign vessels is common and does create interference on GMRS repeater inputs. "Licensees generally notice that access to their own repeaters is spotty with no apparent explanation. Unless they listen to the repeater inputs along inland waterways they may miss the intruders desensing their repeater receivers," said Doug Smith, Editor.

Vessels heard in Southern Maryland can carry on traffic for multiple days causing interference to repeater KAE4617 in Leonardtown, MD. "There is no local 462.550 repeater but there may be closer to Baltimore," Smith said. Foreign vessels have been heard in the Annapolis and Baltimore areas. Verified reports have come in from other American port cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Benicia, and New York. "The FCC has acted on many of these complaints but the ships just keep on coming," said Smith. "What is needed here is an effort by our government to insist that foreign vessels observe international treaty (ITU regulations) while in US waters. The FCC is not going to have the time or the manpower to tackle every foreign vessel complaint that comes to their attention," he said. Smith noted that this problem requires a solution and he hopes the FCC's Enforcement Bureau will lead the charge.

FCC ULS Requires
JAVA Applet Update

FCC Public Notice 3/4/05: The FCC today has asked that persons interested in using ULS upgrade the JAVA Plug In (Ed. from Sun) to version 1.4.2_05 or later by March 18, 2005. Click here for more information.

NorCal GMRS User Group and Popular Wireless Magazines File Comments on Garmin FRS Proposal

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 2/16/02: The NorCal GMRS User Group and Popular Wireless Magazines together filed comments on a petition by the Garmin company to allow a GPS data enhancement to the Family Radio Service. NorCal is primarily concerned with the ever growing level of interference to GMRS repeater operations by users of the Family Radio Service particularly on FRS channels 8 through 14.

Interested persons can download a copy of the NorCal comments by visiting the following link:

Complete text of the NorCal comments.

GMRS Pirates in Hawaii

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 1/25/02: GMRS Piracy is alive and well in the islands. Popular Wireless Magazines Editor Doug Smith visited Hawaii in January 2002. He found Maui had several unlicensed commercial users. Prior to going he and many other GMRS Web readers learned of a very unusual Hawaiian GMRS pirate. The US Navy persists in operating on GMRS channels despite contact with the FCC. The United States Navy ship Yukon operating out of Oahu is using GMRS repeater inputs despite having thousands of official U.S. Government channels available to them. The FCC contacted the Yukon but did not receive immediate cooperation. At last report the Commission is still working with the Navy to resolve the issue. GMRS Web is following this situation closely and is in contact with FCC officials.

On the Island of Maui, GMRS piracy is as serious as it is on the mainland. A major rental car agency operates a pirate system at the Kahalui (Maui) airport on 462.600. A resort security team uses 462.550. Their operation includes a simplex telephone interconnect so resort guests can talk to a guard by radio after business hours. A gold course is using bubble pack radios on 462.600 and at least one other retail business is using 462.650.

Smith reported that no GMRS activity was heard on Maui but that FRS is alive and well at the resorts. Families are using FRS everywhere on the island.

Unlicensed Operation on GMRS Gets Tree Company a Notice of Violation

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/19/01: The Federal Communications Commission issued Valley Crest Tree Company, of Sunol, CA a Notice of Violation on March 3, 2001. The Notice was issued under 47 C.F.R. Part 1 – Practice and Procedure for 47 C.F.R. § 1.903 – Authorization Required (Unlicensed operation) and 47 C.F.R. § 90.425 (Station Identification). The Notice was issued by the San Francisco, CA District Office. (Source FCC website List of Enforcement Bureau Actions Taken)

NorCal GMRS Licensees brought the unlicensed operation to the attention of the FCC. Using Doppler radio direction finding technology, NorCal located Valley Crest Tree Company employees using portable radios and a base station on 462.575 MHz with DCS 32 tone at their Sunol, CA facility. NorCal wrote letters to Valley Crest on two occasions but each letter was ignored. Telephone calls went unreturned and employees refused to speak with GMRS licensees on the air. "We really did try the warm and fuzzy approach first," a NorCal spokesman told GMRS Web Magazine. "The Valley Crest operation interfered severely with the KAF9309 repeater on Mt. Diablo. It is too bad this company just didn't fix the problem when it was brought to their attention almost one year earlier," the NorCal spokesman said.

Unlicensed Operation of Budget Bubble Pack GMRS Radios a growing Problem

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 5/3/01:

Consumers everywhere have found the low priced bubble pack GMRS radios a real temptation. In major retail chains across America consumers are buying GMRS radios and failing to license with the FCC. GMRS system owners on the West Coast are reporting new interference from these family bubble pack pirates every day according to a spokesman for NorCal GMRS Licensees, an ad-hoc group of Northern California GMRS licensees concerned about GMRS and GMRS bubble-pack piracy. 'There does not seem to be an easy solution to this one," a spokesman said. "There is the potential for there to be far more American family pirates than commercial pirates. When we contact these folks politely on the air we get back anything from complete silence to abusive and profane remarks. The retail stores are not telling customer that GMRS radios require an easy to obtain GMRS license and the marketing messages on the boxes and bubble packs seem unusually vague, misleading, or non-existent.

On two occasions, readers of GMRS magazine have even contacted two widely syndicated radio talk show hosts that reviewed the Audiovox GMRS 1525 GMRS radio. In both cases no information was broadcast about the necessity for an FCC license which costs the consumer an additional; eight-five dollars for five years and covers all of the immediate members of the licensee's family. "There is real concern about the new and very cheap repeater capable radios now coming on the market," said the spokesman. "We expect unlicensed users to show up using GMRS repeaters any day now expecting such use to be an automatic benefit of their radio purchase." GMRS repeaters are privately owned and historically new users have always asked permission before using a repeater in their area. Repeater owners can charge monthly maintenance fees to recover costs. "Using a repeater without permission is just like walking up to your neighbor's phone line and plugging in your telephone to make a long distance call."

Users of the Audiovox, Cobra, and Midland radios need to understand that GMRS is a disciplined service where many families have made a considerable investment in their two-way radio system. We are not looking forward to GMRS becoming as undisciplined as CB or the Family radio Service," the spokesman said.

G.M.R.S. ON-LINE REPEATER DIRECTORY ESTABLISHED

Bob Leef (Press Release) (c) 5/2/01:

In April a new website was established to show GMRS repeaters across the U.S. When fully developed, the GMRS On-Line Repeater Directory should quickly and conveniently serve a dual need. Newly licensed GMRS users wanting to extend the range of their radios could locate owner/operators and make arrangements for use of their repeater. Also, licensees who travel out of their normal area may be able to make contact for safety or convenience.

The decision to start this directory comes after reading Internet comments about there being no other source for a large information base that is free and current. Wayne Barringer and Bob Leef of California have established www.G-M-R-S.org as a public service, and are soliciting repeater owner/operators to fill out the form found at the website. With the known potential of hundreds of repeaters across the country, there could be a very extensive listing in a short time with enough participation.

Leef typically receives a half dozen inquiries per week in his business from new owners of GMRS radios across the country who are looking to find a repeater. These potential users might join a club and/or be paying subscribers. "It's an opportunity for user and owner/operator - a real two-way connection" says Leef with a wink.

Barringer has designed the information form with only a few required fields of information to be filled in for the repeater. Other optional fields such as detail on tone, etc. may be omitted if the owner/operator is concerned about unauthorized use.

Second International GMRS Intruder Identified

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 11/19/00: A NorCal GMRS Licensee heard foreign language radio traffic (Russian) on a GMRS repeater input, 467.575, the morning of Sunday 11/19 in the vicinity of Pleasant Hill, CA. That morning at 11:00 AM the search began for a possible ship near the Port of Benicia. The suspect vessel was located on the Concord side of the Carquinez Straight off loading crude oil from Ecuador. The vessel was the Greek ship Protank Oronocco.

NorCal GMRS licensee Doug Smith was able to locate the local agent for the ship. The agent, based in Walnut Creek, was able to contact the Captain and advise him that 467.575 was not a maritime frequency in US. Ports. The FCC was advised of this incident. however was not needed for enforcement. The Captain of the ship complied with our laws almost immediately.

GMRS Amateur Radio Intruder Enforcement

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/2000, Concord, CA: Riley Hollingsworth, Special Counsel FCC Enforcement Bureau, met briefly with NorCal GMRS licensees at Pacificon in October. Mr. Hollingsworth wants to know when Amateur Radio operators are the responsible parties in GMRS rule violations, in particular unlicensed operation and GMRS piracy. The FCC's concern is that a person abusing one radio service may not be qualified to hold an FCC license in another radio service. NorCal GMRS licensees heard this as very good news. NorCal has found that GMRS pirates in Northern California and elsewhere are often put on the air by radio technicians that are also ham radio operators. The number of GMRS complaints of unlicensed use and even jamming by rogue amateurs is growing.

GMRS Web acknowledges Mr. Hollingsworth's comments about GMRS enforcement as reported by Popular Communications magazine in the November 2000 issue on page 12. Pop Com reported that Hollingsworth made it quite clear that abuses on the GMRS frequencies will not be tolerated. Hollingsworth asked that the GMRS community report unlicensed use of GMRS to the FCC.

First International GMRS Intruder Identified

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/20/00: A NorCal GMRS Licensee heard activity on 467.550 the morning of Friday 10/20 in the vicinity of Pleasant Hill, CA.. That evening between 5:30 and 6:30 the search began for a vessel near the Port of Benicia, just a few short miles North. The suspect vessel was located by radio direction finding using Doppler and three element yagi. The vessel to hold the distinction of being the first identified GMRS pirate was the United Sunrise sailing under the Norwegian flag.

The portable radios on board ship were using CTCSS, however the ship answered on open squelch. They answered a direct call identifying as the United Sunrise. The operator said he would stop using the channel immediately. The ship radio operator then moved to 467.575, also a US GMRS repeater input frequency! A similar radio call was made and the ship left the air for a very brief period and then resumed their normal traffic.

The vessel was an oil tanker docked at the Valero Refining Co. Valero provided the name and origin of the vessel so a complaint with the FCC could be made. Photos of the ship can be seen in the GMRS Intruder Forum.

Complaints of GMRS Repeaters
Brought up by FRS Radios Growing

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/12/00: Wherever you go and listen to GMRS channels you are bound to hear a GMRS repeater brought on the air by an FRS radio using one of the repeater's input tones. Many GMRS repeater owners have done something about the interference but many have not. The result has been that many high-level GMRS repeaters interfere with other repeaters or simplex traffic all-day everyday. NorCal GMRS Licensees report there are three high-level systems on 462.600, 462.700, and 462.575 that are brought up more frequently by FRS than by actual repeater users. The licensees of these systems are either oblivious to the problem or don't care.

NorCal has spoken to the FCC on this issue and has asked the FCC to consider that repeaters broadcasting FRS traffic like this are improperly operating transmitters. These improperly operating repeaters interfere with other licensed operations. It is NorCal's hope that the Commission will take steps to order the licensees causing the interference to fix their systems. The FRS radio is not at fault. The GMRS repeater receiver is the culprit..

The Commission argued, when FRS was created, that interference to GMRS repeaters would not be a problem. The were very wrong. Once FRS had become very prolific so had the problems for GMRS repeaters. Most repeater owners have had to replace old receivers, disable automatic frequency control or AFC, or even eliminate the use of CTCSS tones, opting instead for DCS (digital coded squelch.) It has not been fun or easy for any GMRS repeater owner to make changes caused by the creation of the Family Radio Service. The changes must however be made.

Some licensees have told the magazine that for starters, repeater owners can avoid using default CTCSS codes used in popular FRS radios. Some of the most popular tones are 67 Hz and 88.5 Hz. If you own one of these rogue repeaters. People have noticed. It needs to be fixed.

Beacon Repeater Identifiers in
GMRS a Growing Concern

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/12/00: Readers of GMRS Web are discussing a growing type of interference in GMRS. The interference is from voice or CW repeater identifiers that come up on a preset schedule without regard to other stations or repeaters using the frequency. The result can be a cacophony of interfering signals. This practice seems to have its roots in Amateur Radio where repeaters often identify as beacons to let visiting hams know a repeater is on a certain frequency. GMRS is not ham radio. There are numerous low level repeaters on the same frequency pairs in some areas. Automatic identification of a repeater should only occur as the repeater is used and never as an unattended beacon. Automatic identification serves no useful purpose in GMRS and should be considered as poor operating practice.

Budget Rent-A-Car on GMRS

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/12/00: Budget Rent-A-Car of Salt Lake City is currently pirating on GMRS channel 462.575 (simplex) at the Salt Lake City Airport. This operation was reported to the Federal Communications Commission in January 2000. GMRS licensees traveling from California through or to Salt Lake City since October of 1999 have heard Budget's radios using this frequency. The operation is big, powerful and busy.

A representative of NorCal GMRS Licensees visited with the manager at this Budget facility the week of August 4, 2000 and advised the manager there of the problem. The manager was particularly concerned about the potential for an FCC fine. GMRS licensees are finding that they can often meet with commercial pirates, like Budget, in their communities, before the FCC must get involved. Since the Commission had not yet acted on this complaint contact was made. Budget now has an opportunity to vacate the GMRS channel before the government gets involved in the complaint.

To GMRS Web's knowledge, there may be other commercial pirates in the Salt Lake City area. While on a recent business trip, GMRS Web Editor, Doug Smith, heard a towing company on a 462.725 repeater and probable commercial traffic on other GMRS channels. GMRS licensees in Utah should listen and identify other pirates and attempt contact. When success is not achieved, notify the FCC.

Bubble-Pack Piracy Still a Huge Problem for GMRS

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/12/00: Persons buying radios in retail stores are showing up more often on GMRS channels. These bubble-pack pirates as they were called by GMRS Web Magazine, are often retail stores, schools, construction companies, security companies, warehouse operations, hotels, you name it. The users of these GMRS radios are obtaining the radios from mail order companies, unscrupulous radio vendors, and quite often at the local electronics or construction supply retailer. Even large high-tech retailers are selling two-way radios now with very little FCC licensing information or slim to no product differentiation. GMRS radios can often be found right next to the business radios with no explanation of the differences. Consumer confusion is only increased when retailers display sell sheets that suggest GMRS radios are good for the construction site.

NorCal GMRS Licensees, an ad-hoc group of GMRS system owners and users formed to combat the GMRS piracy problem in Northern California, have found that bubble-pack pirates are often the most stubborn and least cooperative of the GMRS pirates. A typical bubble-pack pirate may not even realize an FCC license is required or that business use by other than immediate family members in a family business is prohibited by Federal Communications Commission rules.

NorCal GMRS Licensees, are currently working to remove a major national clothing retailer from 462.625 in Walnut Creek, CA from GMRS. There is an elementary school in Union City, as well as yet to be identified construction companies, parking companies, and other low level users throughout the Bay Area. NorCal has even found that many area business users are buying business radios and failing to license. A survey of 151.955 in Central Contra Costa County, CA found a retirement home, a major national hardware retailer, and several unidentified users. The only licensed and coordinated users were a local hospital and a school district.

How can GMRS licensees solve the problem? Contact retailers that sell these radios to contractors and business users and explain what GMRS is and isn't. Suggest that retailers offer radios on the new MURS channels or sell radios on other business channels. Retailers are in a position to provide good advice to their customers which will proactively work to reduce or eliminate bubble-pack piracy.

Tandy Offers Table-Top FRS Radio/Intercom

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/12/00: Tandy Corporation, also known as Radio Shack has introduced the second known table-top FRS radio. This particular product has stirred up interest in the GMRS and FRS community because Tandy is suggesting on the book and in the ads that this device is suitable for, "listening in on baby." GMRS and FRS users worry that prolific use of this device or any FRS radio as baby-monitors could end FRS as we know it. GMRS Web will soon have a review of the new radio. Some information is already available from readers who have purchased the new product. Visit the GMRS Web FRS Forum for this late breaking information.

Until now, most FRS radios were hand-held walkie-talkies. A table-top radio allows a family to leave an FRS radio plugged in anywhere in the home where everyone can get to it to call another family member around the house or in the neighborhood. According to Radio Shack the unit has the full legal power. You can expect about the same coverage as a hand-held radio sitting on the table at the same location. The actual distance covered can be improved by placement of the radio at a higher location in the home, near a window, and away from obstructions.

GMRS Users in U.S. Port Cities Face Interference
from International Maritime Users

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 8/12//00, Port of Benicia, CA: In the week of August 4, 2000, the NorCal GMRS licensees, an ad-hoc group of GMRS users in Northern California identified the probable source of periodic repeater input interference on 467.575. The San Francisco Bay Area has two high level 462.575/467.575 community repeaters, both of which over look major Bay Area port facilities. (One from Mt. Diablo and another in the mountains above the Santa Clara Valley. While the exact ship or shipping company has not been identified, the substance of monitored radio traffic and preliminary RDF results suggest a vessel from another country is using 467.575 for on-board communications while visiting Bay Area and Sacramento Ports. NorCal GMRS Licensees indicate this interference has come and gone for well over a year. In the England and in Europe 467.575 is allocated for International maritime use for on-board ship activities. NorCal GMRS Licensees have heard more frequent activity in the last six months near the Ports of Oakland, Benicia, and San Francisco.

The following is taken from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Office of Spectrum Management, International Table of Frequency Allocations Footnotes, Footnote Number 669-- "In the maritime mobile service, the frequencies 457.525 MHz, 457.550 MHz, 457.575 MHz, 467.525 MHz, 467.550 MHz and 467.575 MHz may be used by on-board communication stations. The use of these frequencies in territorial waters may be subject to the national regulations of the administration concerned. The characteristics of the equipment used shall conform to those specified in Appendix 20." Clearly, some international vessels visiting California are not obeying U.S frequency allocations. GMRS licensees operating repeaters on 462.550/467.550 and 462.575/467.575 in U.S. port cities suddenly experiencing repeater input interference should focus RDF attention at local docking and ship refueling facilities. A representative of the The Federal Communications Commission suggested to GMRS Web that GMRS licensees contact their local FCC office and not attempt to contact or board a foreign flagged vessel. Such activities are tricky and are best handled by Federal authorities. If your user group has identified a foreign vessel operating on 467.550 or 467.575 in U.S. territorial waters, contact your local FCC Enforcement Bureau with the ship's name and current location.

Industry Canada Confirms Family Radio Service Radios
Purchased in the U.S. are Legal to use in Canada!

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 7/1/00 A source at Industry Canada has confirmed with GMRS Web Magazine that FRS radios sold or purchased in the U.S. are legal for use in Canada. This is very good news for tourists bringing these radios from the U.S. FRS is now formally legal in two countries. Persons taking their radios into Canada should understand that these same frequencies are also used by Canadian businesses. Please observe polite radio operating practices. Listen before transmitting and avoid interfering with other stations.

Industry Canada Approves a Family Radio Service in Canada!

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 4/19/00, Contributed by Brad Kane, Canada: On April 3, 2000, Industry Canada approved a Family Radio Service for Canada using the same 14 channels available in the United States. Current land mobile users will share these channels with family users while Industry Canada evaluates the impact the new service has on licensed operations. The press release said, "FRS units provide consumers with a low-cost means of short-range (one-kilometer radius) communication ideal for families and groups needing to keep in touch with each other during recreational activities like camping, hiking and shopping. Unlike cellular phones, FRS units do not require licensing fees or service charges. " As in the United States, the new Canadian Service is license free. This link at Industry Canada can provide more information about this new service.

GMRS Web Issues Press Release on GMRS Piracy

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 1/3/00: On January 3, 2000, GMRS Web Magazine issued a press release entitled GMRS Web Magazine finds wide spread abuse of GMRS frequencies by unlicensed commercial users. The release was sent to the major two-way radio industry publications as well as selected radio hobby publications. A copy of the press release in Word 97 format is available in this ZIP archive. Right click on this link and save the file on your computer. Unzip the archive. Press Release Regarding GMRS Piracy

In the press release GMRS Web promotes awareness of GMRS Piracy and the magazines Dealer Code of Conduct program.

FCC Creates New Enforcement Bureau

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 12/12/99: GMRS Web magazine has learned that the FCC established a new Enforcement Bureau effective October 26, 1999. What this means to GMRS is unclear. We do know that in Northern California this last November the FCC stepped up enforcement in the General Mobile radio Service. The FCC closed down several high profile pirate commercial repeater operations and inspected mountain top sites where suspect repeaters operated. Please see the FCC news release on the matter for more information. http://www.fcc.gov/eb/News_Releases/reorg.html

ADI Sets New Release Date for PR-460

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/16/99: GMRS Web magazine has learned that the new Pryme PR-460 Clear Connect UHF radio for GMRS will be released for sale on November 15, 1999.

FCC Is Asked about GMRS Enforcement at Pacificon

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/16/99: GMRS Web Magazine attended the ARRL Pacific Division Convention called Pacificon on Saturday, October 16, 1999. The keynote speaker was FCC legal advisor Riley Hollingsworth. Mr. Hollingsworth has lead the recent FCC enforcement efforts in the Amateur Radio Service. In the keynote address Hollingsworth acknowledged that the American Radio Relay League was instrumental in reminding the Commission of their enforcement duty. He said that the FCC had ignored Amateur enforcement for about ten years. This period represented the time during which the country and the FCC experienced huge growth and sweeping change in radio infrastructure and technologies. Hollingsworth told a crowd of at least three hundred Amateurs that the FCC was establishing a new enforcement bureau within the month that would focus on problems in the Amateur Service. GMRS Web Magazine Editor Doug Smith asked Mr. Hollingsworth if this new enforcement effort would also include GMRS. GMRS is experiencing a serious Intruder problem that in many cases is being caused by unscrupulous radio shop owners that are also Amateur Radio operators. Smith said that complaints to the Hayward FCC office or the FCC National Call Center have not been acknowledged or investigated.

Mr. Hollingsworth said that, no, GMRS is not included in the new enforcement push. He suggested that the squeaky wheel does get the grease so GMRS users need to complain about GMRS Intruders. Numerous complaints gets noticed. He said the Commission is aware that GMRS is a widely abused radio service that has had little enforcement action. This isn't good news for GMRS licensees that pay a much higher license fee than radio amateurs. That fee was recently raised.

Smith told the group that GMRS licensees are taking the problems they encounter seriously. Individuals and groups of GMRS licenses have collected a great deal of information on illegal stations including addresses and identities of individual GMRS pirates and pirate repeater owners. In some cases, that information has languished for over a year on the desks of the FCC. While Mr. Hollingsworth didn't have good news, Mr. Thomas N. Van Stavern, District Director of the Hayward Compliance & Information Bureau told Smith that the complaints are on his desk and will be assigned soon. The Hayward office has been involved in several high profile investigations in other radio services that have taken priority. Hollingsworth also said GMRS has a very low priority with the FCC, given their current work load.

GMRS Magazine notes that in other areas of the country the Field Offices seem to be responding to complaints. Whether the FCC acts or not seems to to depend on how busy a particular office is. Complaints about interference to public safety, business radio systems, and broadcasting compliance get priority.

Users of Pirate 462.700 Repeater Ignore Authority

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/16/99: Three commercial users of a pirate 462.700 repeater identified by by CW ID KAED427 located in Pine Grove, CA continue to operate illegally despite having received letters advising them of their ineligibility to use this radio frequency. GMRS licensee Doug Smith sent letters in July of 1999 to the customers that were identified by radio direction finding. In an interview with one Intruder, Action ASAP Delivery Service of Stockton, CA., GMRS Web Magazine learned the repeater is owned by NorCal Communications of Lodi. CA. A letter was also sent to the address of the owner of NorCal Communications in September. No responses to these letters have been received. Copies were sent to the Federal Communications Commission enforcement office in Hayward. Action ASAP Delivery Service and Rotert's Air Conditioning and Appliance Repair continue to use the high level repeater for dispatching delivery and service personnel in the Stockton, Lodi, and Modesto area. Their frequent voice operations can be heard over a wide area from as far West as Marin County and throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. There is interference to 462.700 repeaters in Sonoma, Marin, and Contra Costa County. GMRS licensees anxiously await action against the users of this pirate repeater. The repeater is now attracting family users using fake self-assigned call signs. There is even one person paying NorCal twenty dollars a month to use the pirate repeater as a GMRS repeater. The letters were sent to inform the companies and to hopefully eliminate the need to get the FCC involved. GMRS Web Magazine is certainly surprised that the companies did not call the FCC Hayward office or the FCC National Call Center to verify the contents of their letters. The letter contained a description of the General Mobile Radio Service and the phone numbers of the FCC offices the recipients could call to discuss the matter.

Owners of 462.700 repeaters in the San Francisco Bay Area, and California's Central Valley are encouraged to write letters of complaint to the FCC regarding this Pirate repeater.

BIG Agricultural Intruder Leaves the Air

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/16/99: GMRS Licensees in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the High Sierra, can now use their 462.625 GMRS repeaters with a whole lot less interference. A major grape grower in Yolo County California is now off the air thanks to a few weekends of radio direction finding. The business was very cooperative. They said it would take two weeks to abandon the use of 462.625/467.625, and it did!

GMRS licensees Greg Forrest and Doug Smith made personal contact with the company one sunny September Sunday. They explained the problem and the company officer was very concerned and receptive. The company had originally leased time on the repeater from a communications shop in Woodland, CA. They later bought the repeater from that shop without discussing licensing. It is possible, but it has not been confirmed, that the company might have had a license to use the channel prior to 1989. That license may have expired. The grower had been using this repeater pair since the late 70's. The radio shop that sold the repeater to them had oddly licensed it as a GMRS repeater in 1993. That license expired in August of 1999.

Agricultural activities of this high level repeater located on Bald Mountain in Yolo County had interfered with 462.625 repeaters for years. One repeater group in the Sierra had given up trying to use their community repeater because of the non-stop radio traffic predominantly in the Spanish language. The twenty-four hour operation of this company became excessively annoying so GMRS licensees took it upon themselves to locate, identify, and contact the Intruder. Complaints to the Hayward FCC office regarding GMRS Intruders have gone unacknowledged for over a year so these licensees took action expecting to locate the Intruder and call the FCC. Contact was made because the company was obviously quite large and well respected.

During the search for this Intruder an additional pirate repeater using 462.650/467.650 was located on Bald Mountain. This repeater is used by rice farmers North of Sacramento. Action is expected soon on this illegal system after the identity of the owner is confirmed.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Has Your Frequency

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 10/16//99: In September 1999, GMRS licensees in Contra Costa County identified through radio direction finding that Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Walnut Creek, CA was using a base station and portable radios on a GMRS repeater input used by at least least three Bay Area GMRS radio repeaters. A complaint was filed on behalf of users of GMRS repeater KAF8333 though users of a repeater in the Oakland Hills and in Hayward are also certainly affected. The channel is 467.650 MHz. Enterprise Rent A Car, based in St. Louis, MO, is the world's largest car rental agency.

Enterprise uses the simplex system to communicate between two stores just one city block apart. The base station interferes with other GMRS repeaters like KAF8333 in Livermore, CA because the illegal base station is located at a high location in Walnut Creek. The station has been heard simplex as far away as Benicia.

Despite letters sent to the CEO of Enterprise, the local Enterprise office, as well as telephone contact with the new radio vendor, the company has continued to operate. A GMRS licensee made a personal visit to the illegal radio station in the first week of October and advised the on-duty manager of the apparent problem. Despite this, no action has been taken by Enterprise to cease illegal operations.

A reliable source revealed that during conversations with the radio vendor, that the company has similar illegal GMRS operations at Oakland Airport and possibly Santa Rosa, CA. The radio vendor seemed particularly annoyed at all the letter writing about the problem. The current vendor had taken over maintenance of these systems from a company they acquired. The FCC National Call Center was advised of the situation and it is expected that they will take action if the company isn't moved soon from the GMRS repeater input. Everyday they wait is another day the FCC can visit and issue a citation.

It is interesting to note that the business has been on this channel for two years. About two years ago the licensee of KAF8333 noticed coverage related problems. His users had to be a lot closer to the repeater to use it effectively. That problem was intermittent and didn't exist before. The illegal radio transmitter at Enterprise can be heard by the repeater receiver at 2500 feet but not by the mobile units using the repeater in the San Joaquin Valley on the other side of Contra Costa County's Mt. Diablo. One repeater owner in the Oakland hills has set the CTCSS tone used by the Intruder to send a busy tone on their repeater output. It is assumed that that repeater owner has been bothered by interference by persons using that CTCSS tone of 94.8 HZ.

FCC to Reconsider 675 Debacle on June 10

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 6/5/99:Corwin Moore of the Personal Radio Steering Group shared with the GMRS community today information that the Federal Communications Commission will meet to discuss and hopefully act on restoring 675 to the GMRS community on June 10:

"PRSG volunteers were told several weeks ago that an FCC response to the various petitions for reconsideration and stay in the ULS docket, especially as pertain to GMRS, would likely be a topic for a Commission meeting on June 10. "

Watch those Sell Sheets

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 6/5/99: One major two way radio manufacturer makes reference to GMRS portable radios as perfect for the "job site." A strong impression is left in the mind of the reader that the gentlemen looking over building plans at a construction site have GMRS portables on their belts. Sell sheets for their product appear on the Internet where these products are sold. GMRS radios are NOT business band radios. Only individuals can license in GMRS. The sell sheet was probably produced in error and GMRS Web Magazine has notified the manufacturer of the inconsistency with FCC rules. What the GMRS community does not want to see are thousands of businesses showing up on GMRS channels, including the Interstitials all because of an innocent error on a marketing sell sheet. The company has agreed to discuss the sell sheet internally to determine a course of action.

East Bay Police Department Shows up on GMRS

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 6/5/99: The weekend of June 1 saw a rather odd situation occur in Contra Costa County, California. GMRS licensees using 462.55 MHz suddenly heard the sounds of a security squad at a public event. A short investigation discovered the intruders were placed there by a police department. The police department asked their radio shop to reprogram police portable radios (HT600s) on channels for the security team. A technician for a very well known nationwide radio firm reprogrammed the radios on the 'family channels" assuring the police it was no big deal. The police department in question shut down operations when a representative of GMRS Web magazine contacted them. The police assured the GMRS community it would not happen again.

Scrambling is Not A Guarantee of Privacy!

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 5/22/99: Don't let the marketer fool you. This claim, made about the Kenwood Freetalk^(TM) and extracted from an Internet web site is misleading: "With the unique PrivacyTalk feature, you can talk anywhere - Out in the countryside or in a crowded mall - without fear of eavesdropping." What the ad doesn't tell you is that ANY OTHER Kenwood radio or even a Vertex VX-10 GMRS transceiver can decode your transmissions without difficulty. There may even be scanners with voice inversion decoders listening to you right now. There is a degree of privacy that exists ONLY if no one in your immediate vicinity is also using a radio receiving device or Kenwood FRS radio that receives digital voice inversion scrambling. There is no way to guarantee that descrambling equipment is not within range of your transmissions. Scrambling does ad an extra measure of privacy and given the short distance that FRS transmits you can hope for additional privacy but it is not guaranteed.

2-WayTalk.COM Says Cherokee High Power GMRS Portables Coming Soon!

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 5/22/99: 2-WayTalk.COM, an reseller of Wireless Marketing Corporation's Cherokee line of FRS and GMRS radios has said they will have the new Cherokee 2 watt portable radios in by mid-July. The few radios being received have already been sold. Shortly after that date we can expect to see a five watt base station!

Unauthorized Use of GMRS Frequencies Growing

GMRS Web Magazine (c) 5/22/99: Unlicensed users on the General Mobile Radio Service frequencies are popping up everywhere. The problem is apparently nothing new according to Corwin Moore of the Personal Radio Steering Group, a long-time spokesgroup for GMRS licensees. The problem is now almost everyone licensed to use GMRS is beginning to notice. In the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the San Joaquin Valley you can hear a security company, seasonal farm workers, and a school. In Southern California, an airport maintenance crew had over eighty radios operating without license authority. The Souther California REACT organization that found the airport crew also located a major hotel chain using one of the eight GMRS frequency pairs. Apparently some of the people or organizations found using the radios are to some degree as victimized as the GMRS licensees who count on the service. Unscrupulous radio shops are selling radios and in some cases repeater subscription services to the unsuspecting, unknowing, or uncaring. To make matters even worse the FCC apparently has no particular interest in the problem. Does that sound familiar? Remember when they washed their hands of CB Radio when enforcement became impossible because the scofflaws out numbered the radio police?

Community repeater groups and GMRS public service organizations have had reasonably good success encouraging unlicensed intruders to move to other radio services where they can get licensed and carry on their communication. In some cases politely educating the intruder has had an immediate effect. In another case near Livermore, CA a security company dispatcher continues to jam GMRS users on the same frequency, at the orders of her supervisor, because the security company claims exclusive rights to the radio channel. This situation has lasted over one year. The GMRS repeater is owned by a radio shop that sells the repeater time to the security company.

GMRS licensees have a few options when they hear unlicensed users on GMRS frequencies. Ultimately most involved in these situations agree that the nice approach is the best approach. Identify and educate the scofflaw. If that doesn't work, contact the FCC and cross your fingers. (Everyone should be using their FCC assigned call signs so licensees don't end up locating other licensees.) Another excellent idea is to refuse to patronize dealers that encourage illegal scams.

R.L. Drake's New FRS Radio

5/3/99: Factory direct you can purchase the new R.L. Drake Family radio transceiver. Drake has manufactured radio equipment for Amateur and commercial markets for fifty-five years. Drake bills it as one of the world's smallest! It is. See the FRS110. Seeing is believing.When you're done there read the specs.The price of the radio and accessories is going to frustrate some manufacturers trying to make a killing in accessories. The battery charger option barely sneaks the price of the FRS110 over $100! But wait, what does this statement from their page mean: "Our flexible antenna is removable and replaceable in the unlikely event it would become damaged." Antennas in the FRS must be an integral part of the radio and cannot be removable. In an email interview with Michael Brubaker, Vice President of marketing for R.L. Drake, Mr. Brubaker said, "Perhaps the term "removable" is not quite as accurate as "replaceable" but we thought it would be better understood by the average user. The "rubber ducky" antenna screws down into the body of the transceiver and when it bottoms out it makes its electrical connection. As a result, the antenna is removable but no antenna connector exists, per se. The unit was FCC type accepted with this arrangement." Interestingly enough what appears to be the identical radio is being sold by Audiovox as the Vox Box radio.

GMRS Licensees Write Congressmen

4/26/99: REACT licensees last week sent letters to Kennard and Hollingsworth at the FCC about the problems with the two parts of docket 98-20 that are jeopardizing REACT operations on 462.675. Today letters were also sent to Feinstein, Boxer, and Representative Ron Packard as well as Representative Billy Tauzin who is Chair of the Communications Subcommittee for the House Commerce Committee. Thus far the FCC has not moved toward revisiting the new restrictions placed on licensees of repeaters on 462.675. (Thank you Bob Leef, REACT.)

FCC Implements Electronic GMRS Licensing

4/2/99: The FCC has now implemented electronic licensing for GMRS. Persons may now apply for a new, renewal or modified GMRS license from their home computers. People may also continue to file conventional paper-based applications. The FCC announcement also includes instructions on the licensing procedures. A copy of this FCC announcement may be viewed at:

http://www.provide.net/~prsg/license.htm - Corwin Moore (PRSG)

More information also available at the FCC website:

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
445 12th STREET, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20554
News Media Information: (202) 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand: (202) 418-2830
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov DA 99-653

REACT Objects to G.M.R.S. Changes

3/9/1999: As the premier volunteer service organization promoting public access for emergency communications REACT (Radio Emergency Associated Communications teams) responded en force to the FCC Docket (98-20) with individual filings from numerous teams. See the entire contents of the REACT March 9, 1999 Press Release.

Hurry up and wait.

Monday, 3/15/99: The ULS Petitions for Reconsideration and the Petition for Stay for GMRS rules are not on the agenda for the Commission meeting on Thursday (3/18/99). It is still uncertain when exactly the Commission may act on these Petitions. The WTB staff is actively working on these items and the goal is to get them resolved as expediently as possible. (Thank you Clint Bradford)

Look Who's Into Family Radio!

3/13/99: The outdoor folks at Coleman have branded three models of FRS radios, one of which looks like our old favorite the Cherokee 465 from Wireless Marketing. What does this mean? The Family Radio Service as envisioned by Radio Shack is out of the radio stores and in the sporting goods shops and shopping malls. Americans at the grass roots level are ready to buy and use efficient two way radios for family communication. Check out the Coleman FRS Radios at 2-WayTalk.Com. Thanks to our friends at 2-WayTalk.COM for this interesting bit of news.

Kenwood Website: Is this a GMRS Radio
or a Family Radio?

Many GMRS licensees are NOT pleased with Kenwood USA marketing managers. If you look at their website you can understand. Kenwood's new GMRS radio the "FreeTalk" is cleverly or mistakenly misrepresented or associated with/as a "Family Radio." No where in their website do you find the words "FCC GMRS License Required." The FreeTalk is associated very prominently with their FRS radio the UBZ-LF14. The FRS Radio mentions the legal name of the radio service but GMRS is NOT present in the FreeTalk ad. We're not sure if this misrepresentation is intentional or purely a gross error. It's been up on the web for some time though. We hope that Kenwood gets it's act together and correctly mentions in all ads what radio service their equipment is licensed in. As the manufacturer of Amateur Radio products they ought to know better. Persons purchasing this radio based on the Kenwood marketing hype are going to be very surprised at the store. If these radios are sold to unsuspecting consumers GMRS could be littered with unlicensed users. What we have noticed however, is that the major Internet retailers do INDEED advertise the radio as a GMRS radio.

GMRS Licensees Await Word on
98-20 Petition for Reconsideration

3/12/99: GMRS Licensees all over the US are waiting for the FCC's decision on the Personal Radio Steering Group's petition for Reconsideration relating to the changes the FCC made to the GMRS FCC Rules. A few of these changes had a major impact on the service and at least two are of grave concern. The 675 channel (462.675) was essentially declared as off limits by the Commission except to grandfathered commercial users. It is now an emergency only and traveler's aid channel. The FCC also removed provisions that licensees had to ask repeater owners for permission to user their repeater stations. Crest REACT, GMRS Web, and many other companies and REACT or public service groups filed comments with the Commission in support of the PRSG Petition.

The FCC never reacted to the Stay filed by PRSG regarding the use of 675. Compliance with the new rules is spotty at best. Violations can be heard in most major cities. The word just hasn't gotten out. What GMRS licensees hope is that the FCC will see the light and not try to continue fixing something that was never broken.

Wireless Marketing Corporation Announces New GMRS Hand Held & Mobile Radio

See their Press Release 2/26/99: Wireless Marketing makes the successful Cherokee line of Family Radio Service hand held radios selling in the $99- $129 range. The Cherokee 465 and newer Cherokee 460 hit the market with reasonably good customer acceptance. The nerdier families (editor's included) appreciate the feature-rich Cherokee FRS units. Now Wireless Marketing is filling a void left by the ancient Radio Shack PRS-101 by announcing new two watt simplex-only GMRS radio, the GM-715 that looks very much like their Cherokee FRS ancestors. The new hand held is compatible with Cherokee 465 accessories so prior Cherokee customers have a logical upgrade choice. The new five watt mobile unit is the GM-755. No pictures of this unit appear on the Wireless Marketing website. I suspect this radio will be a big hit with trailer caravans, travel groups and vacationers.

These new radios offer higher power and external antennas for users of the first seven Family Radio Service and GMRS Interstitial channels and the 462 MHz GMRS channels. It is too early to tell if new or veteran GMRS users will invest in simplex-only radios. Given that the first thing many new GMRS users want to do is extend their family's communication range through community repeaters a simplex-only radio could be a tough sell.. These radios, however, could dramatically improve a family's neighborhood communication since external antennas can be used with these units - mobile and base. Since a decent antenna at acceptable height is often more important than power these units could greatly benefit families who travel, camp, or go on extended outings where staying in touch is a necessity.

We have not seen one of these units and don't know the retail price yet, but given how much fun the Cherokee 465 has been I can't wait to see this new radio hit the shelf in my local radio store.

"Radio for the Family Minded Communicator"^(TM)