Are there any 14 channel FRS radios any more?

FRS / GMRS Radios
1

(quick background) I’m 38, I’m an old CB’er and I used to work in comercial radio. I have a BA in radio and tv production. I am now a high school Spanish and social studies teacher but I have tought HS AV classes.

When my wife and I first got married in the late 90’s we used 14ch FRS radois frequently at the mall, camping, and festivals. Cell phones were expensive then. I had 4 Cherokee 465’s. Then she got prgenant cell phones plans got cheaper and we used cell phoines. Haven’t used the the radios in at least 6 years.

2009: Planning a family vacation, now I have a family of 4, kids are old enough to use and need radios but not cells, all 4 of us can stay in touch with radios but not w/ cell phones. Pulled out my old frs’s and 2 had leaking battery packs had to throw them away. Went to buy 2 more frs’s (Walmart, Target, Radio shack) they are all 22 chanel hybrids. I don’t need a (so called) 20 mile range won’t be that far from my kids. And I don’t need an $85 licence.

I called the FCC, they said I can only use channels 8-14 they said they are inforcing the licence law. I asked about using the old FRS radios on channels 1-7 they said I now need a licence to use those channels even at 500mw. They said: they would even require my children to us a call sign on 1-7. I said this was crazy, the FCC said it’s the law. They insisted that I needed a licence on 1-7 even on a 14 channel FRS only radio.

7 questions:
Why did the FCC allow the manufacture, importation and sale of these blister pack 22 ch hybrid radios.

Are they trying to kill both the frs and gmrs bands?

My internet reseach detrmined the that the have sold more than 50 million 22 channel dual sevice units, yet only have 80,000 GMRS licences are on file. How can they enforce it? GMRS is bound to be the most pirated band of the entire radio spectrum.

Are there any 14 channel frs licence free units still produced and sold?

After the the FCC finishes auctioning off the former UHF tv channels 54-69, will they open up the 22 FRS/GMRS channels for licence free operation and move the current GMRS to some of the old tv freq.'s?

Do channels 1-7 require a licence now even at 500mw? Or did the woman at the FCC not know what she was talking about?

Has Uncle Charlie (that’s the FCC for you non CB’ers) lost his fool mind? After all who would pay 85 bucks to operate a 12 dollar radio?

Thanks for this forum and your resposes.

2

Ok, may be my first post was to long!
Botom line, is thatIi want to be a law abiding citizen. but the licence fee is too steep. What are the chances of FCC changing the fee, like to about 5 or 10 bucks? Or making 14 channel frs radios or murs radios available to consumers?

3

Ok, may be my first post was to long!
Botom line, is that I want to be a law abiding citizen. But the licence fee is too steep. What are the chances of FCC changing the fee, like to about 5 or 10 bucks? Or making 14 channel frs radios or murs radios as available to consumers as the hybrids are?

4

NO!

Correct!

Yup. Quite a while ago.

Them telling you they are enforcing the GMRS licensing law is like a cop telling you you will get a ticket for going 1mph over the limit.
In fact you are more likely to get that speeding ticket.

There are unlicensed commercial businesses using GMRS and FRS frequencies and have been for years. The FCC simply does not care any more.

Unless you are running a 250w repeater in a high profile area there is very little chance anyone will even hear you.

Bottom line is the FCC woman was wrong. You CAN use ch’s 1-7 at 500mW without the license. Check the GMRS Part 95 rules on this site.
If I were you though I would use ch’s 8-14. MUCH less traffic in most areas.

5

thx 4 the reply Speedypetey!

I live in a rural area on 10 acres of land, 24 miles from the nearest incorporated town. I used my old bearcat scanner this week to moniter the 22 frs/gmrs freq.s. I did this for several hours over about 4 days. and nothing, I heard nothing. (might hear more during hunting season) Also a friend loaned/gave me a pair of cobras cxt 85’s. (He and his wife upgraded to a better model and use them in an RV club that they belong to.) They work great all over the 10 acre property and for about 3/4 of a mile from inside the cab of my P/U truck to inside my house.

However, after my research this week I think I’ll go with the Trisqure eXRS’s. Since I’m planning to use them on a family vacation the FHSS technology will probably keep the kids safer or at least keep them from hearing language that they don’t hear at our home. Plus, the 900mhz feq.s will probably work better in the mall or inside other buildings like aquariums or hotels. And they’re license free so I can remain a law abiding citizen with a clear consience. B/c I won’t buy an $85 license. In my state you only pay only 13 bucks for licence to drive a car!

Has anyone had experirence w/ these Trisquare eXRS’s? I think the 100’s would be apropriate since I don’t text on cell phones. And they would be simple enough for my young kids to use.

6

See this thread: TriSquare TSX300 Review - Product Reviews - Two Way Radio Forum