TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 14.06 DATE: February 9, 2014
SUBJECT: WHAT IS GMRS
GMRS is the term used for General Mobile Radio Service. GMRS is a licensed radio service under Part 95 of the FCC Rules and Regulations. FCC Rules and Regulation Part 95 is Citizens Radio licensing. At one time GMRS was called Citizens Radio Class A, and was under FCC Rules and Regulations Part 19. The GMRS radio service operates in the frequencies ranges of 462 MHz and 467 MHz. The other radios services under Part 19 of the FCC Rules and Regulations was Class B, which operated on the same frequencies as Class A, but were restricted to 5 Watts, while Class A could operate at 60 Watts. Class C licenses operated on six of the 23 channels assigned to Class D (Citizens Band) except that Class C licenses were used for Remote Control of model planes, boats, and other hobby and remote devices.
When the FCC restructured the Citizens Radio service, and created Part 95, they changed the name of Citizens Radio Class A to GMRS. Part 95 of the FCC Rules and Regulations also has CB (Citizens Band) radio, FRS (Family Radio Service), MURS (Multi- Use Radio Service, R/C Service (Radio Control), and other licensed and non-licensed radios services.
GMRS systems can operate 50 Watts on any of the 16 frequencies including the use of repeaters with the input in the frequency range of 467 MHz, and output of 462 MHz. The FRS system operates on frequencies between the GMRS. Even though a lot of the little blister pack FRS radio has GMRS frequencies, they are not supposed to operate on them without a GMRS license.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV