+Alan2 Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 (edited) The FCC makes it very hard to get a license. First I downloaded over 100K of PDF files, printed out about 50 pages, decide which pages I thought I had to submit, clipped a $75 check for a 5 year license and mailed it in. About a week or two later it was all bounced back to me for some arcane infraction - although the check was OK, I didn't attach the right form that spells out the check I enclosed. No wonder few people even bother paying the fee. Even when you want to do the right thing, government beauracracy makes you walk a gauntlet. No, I haven't sent the right form back yet. I'm still ticked off. OK. I promise to operate on my 1/2 watt channels 7-14 until then. Really I will OK> So I spent another hour wading through the papers, reprinting the forms off the web and mailing out my check again. What I forgot the first time is I have to be registered with the FCC before I can request a GMRS license. Really! You have to contact the FCC either through the web or by phone, file your name, get a registration number and then file the form for the license with your registration number. Alice in Wonderland!! It's sort of like registering with the county clerk that you're a heterosexual before you can apply for a marriage license. (Off-topic and bound to cause some flaming but it's the only analogy I could come up with right now But I still think they're going to bounce it. In reading the last couple of posts, I never made up a call sign. Was I suppose to? I recall a space on the form for that but figured they would assign it. Gee. I hope I was right. Hmmm. The saga continues. The dadgum warranty will run out before I can use them things legally. Edited August 10, 2004 by Alan2 Quote Link to comment
Photogusa Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I registered for an FRN and applied for my GMRS license online. License was granted and verified 3 days later online and a hard copy license was mailed after about another week. You don't need to pick a callsign they will automatically assign one. Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 The FCC makes it very hard to get a license. First I downloaded over 100K of PDF files, printed out about 50 pages, decide which pages I thought I had to submit, clipped a $75 check for a 5 year license and mailed it in. About a week or two later it was all bounced back to me for some arcane infraction - although the check was OK, I didn't attach the right form that spells out the check I enclosed. No wonder few people even bother paying the fee. Even when you want to do the right thing, government beauracracy makes you walk a gauntlet. No, I haven't sent the right form back yet. I'm still ticked off. OK. I promise to operate on my 1/2 watt channels 7-14 until then. Really I will OK> So I spent another hour wading through the papers, reprinting the forms off the web and mailing out my check again. What I forgot the first time is I have to be registered with the FCC before I can request a GMRS license. Really! You have to contact the FCC either through the web or by phone, file your name, get a registration number and then file the form for the license with your registration number. Alice in Wonderland!! It's sort of like registering with the county clerk that you're a heterosexual before you can apply for a marriage license. (Off-topic and bound to cause some flaming but it's the only analogy I could come up with right now But I still think they're going to bounce it. In reading the last couple of posts, I never made up a call sign. Was I suppose to? I recall a space on the form for that but figured they would assign it. Gee. I hope I was right. Hmmm. The saga continues. The dadgum warranty will run out before I can use them things legally. No, it's not over yet. They returned it again. This time the 159 form was not the correct one. Can't figure that one out since I used the Feb 2003 form 159C from the web and they're asking for an earlier 159 in the papers they returned to me. Also, because of the delays, I'm $5 bucks too short. They raised the price to $80 on August 10,2004. And people want the Federal government to run national health care. What a joke! You'll have to file a form and hope it's the right one just to get your heart defribrillated. Quote Link to comment
+TotemLake Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 (edited) That's what I call SNAFU. Edited August 22, 2004 by TotemLake Quote Link to comment
+IV_Warrior Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 They raised the price to $80 on August 10,2004. They RAISED an already insanely high fee? Yeah, that'll encourage people to "stay legal" with their $20 radios......... Quote Link to comment
+leatherman Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 And people want the Federal government to run national health care. What a joke! You'll have to file a form and hope it's the right one just to get your heart defribrillated. No kidding. The Liberal freaks want to model our health care after Socialist Canada. Recently a hospital in Victoria sent a patient home with Appendicitis, because he didn't have his Social Insurance card. His appendix burst and he died at home. Liberals also want us to pay medical for illegal aliens too. Quote Link to comment
Punk_Rocker Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Wouldn't it be nice if they put repeaters on cellphone towers and you could use the same kind of radios that the police and EMS use? You could subscribe to a service say, just for geocachers and/or campers and not have to worry about channel garbage like CB radios. I dont know much about them, but my dad uses them at work at GM and I have been around CB's my whole life since we used to have a big community watch CB patrol back in the day here in Detroit. Just brainstorming out loud. Punk_Rocker CB handle: Cookie Monster lol Quote Link to comment
+W8TVI Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 As I just discovered, here in NZ the limit on transmission power without a license for PRS radios is a whopping 5w!Excuse me while I mock your puny transmission power US radios Here in the US (and most of the world) Ham Radio Ops can use up to 1500 on most Ham bands Noel Quote Link to comment
+Gekobear Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Just for the record the GMRS license is now $80 and is valid for 5 years. Which is $16 dollars a year. I don't think thats too bad to avoid a fine between $7,500 and $10,000. Quote Link to comment
+GreyingJay Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Here in Canada, GMRS was only recently approved for use, around the beginning of September. And no additional licensing fees are required! I just picked up a set of Motorola 5720's, they're nice little units. I haven't had a chance to do any serious testing to determine if the range is really that much better. Quote Link to comment
+leatherman Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 Here in Canada, GMRS was only recently approved for use, around the beginning of September. And no additional licensing fees are required! That's good. I've been using GMRS every time I'm in Canada. I just picked up a set of Motorola 5720's, they're nice little units. I haven't had a chance to do any serious testing to determine if the range is really that much better. The range isn't so much the benefit, as the power to transmit around terrain and structures. I've tested FRS and GMRS side by side across a valley. GMRS TX about 7 1/2 miles. Where FRS TX out to 5 1/4 miles. The benefit I noticed is between warehouse buildings at only 2 miles away the FRS was staticy and choppy. The GMRS was a little staticy however every word was heard. Quote Link to comment
Dukie 'n' Dad Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 So much easier to just pick up the 440 HT and bounce off a repeater. Be it the repeater on a nearby tower, or the one in my truck... Always get the looks at ski resorts when I idly chitchat with friends all over the mountain, in the town, the next mountain, the cross country trails in the valley, etc... Then they look at their fancy FRS radio with all the noisy punks breaking in and spotty reception to the base lodge and just walk away.... () The Tech license is not that hard to get. Be a HAM! Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 The FCC makes it very hard to get a license. First I downloaded over 100K of PDF files, printed out about 50 pages, decide which pages I thought I had to submit, clipped a $75 check for a 5 year license and mailed it in. About a week or two later it was all bounced back to me for some arcane infraction - although the check was OK, I didn't attach the right form that spells out the check I enclosed. No wonder few people even bother paying the fee. Even when you want to do the right thing, government beauracracy makes you walk a gauntlet. No, I haven't sent the right form back yet. I'm still ticked off. OK. I promise to operate on my 1/2 watt channels 7-14 until then. Really I will OK> So I spent another hour wading through the papers, reprinting the forms off the web and mailing out my check again. What I forgot the first time is I have to be registered with the FCC before I can request a GMRS license. Really! You have to contact the FCC either through the web or by phone, file your name, get a registration number and then file the form for the license with your registration number. Alice in Wonderland!! It's sort of like registering with the county clerk that you're a heterosexual before you can apply for a marriage license. (Off-topic and bound to cause some flaming but it's the only analogy I could come up with right now But I still think they're going to bounce it. In reading the last couple of posts, I never made up a call sign. Was I suppose to? I recall a space on the form for that but figured they would assign it. Gee. I hope I was right. Hmmm. The saga continues. The dadgum warranty will run out before I can use them things legally. No, it's not over yet. They returned it again. This time the 159 form was not the correct one. Can't figure that one out since I used the Feb 2003 form 159C from the web and they're asking for an earlier 159 in the papers they returned to me. Also, because of the delays, I'm $5 bucks too short. They raised the price to $80 on August 10,2004. And people want the Federal government to run national health care. What a joke! You'll have to file a form and hope it's the right one just to get your heart defribrillated. well, after 4 times I finally got it right and got the GMRS license. I notice they gave me a call sign. DO I have to use it? Quote Link to comment
+leatherman Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 So much easier to just pick up the 440 HT and bounce off a repeater. Be it the repeater on a nearby tower, or the one in my truck... Always get the looks at ski resorts when I idly chitchat with friends all over the mountain, in the town, the next mountain, the cross country trails in the valley, etc... Then they look at their fancy FRS radio with all the noisy punks breaking in and spotty reception to the base lodge and just walk away.... () The Tech license is not that hard to get. Be a HAM! Lets stay on TOPIC. No one needs you talking down to them for asking questions about FRS, and no one asked your opinion about HAM. Go back to the HAM forum. Quote Link to comment
+LthrWrk Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 WHEW.... tried following all those replies. OK.. so a FRS only radio has no fees. the FRS/GMRS combos have no fees if you stick with FRS channels. Lets see sooo the Fees are $75.00 to use GMRS.. that fee is good for 5 years and then is renewable.. at $75.00. All that said.. is it a good thing to have GMRS capability? I am going to add at least a FRS radio to my 'kit' once I recache my short cache dollars. Whew this is getting expensive to join you guys and gals. Charles Mt Vernon, WA Quote Link to comment
+GreyingJay Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Or, move to Canada where GMRS (and health care) are free. No, seriously now... I would say you don't strictly NEED to have GMRS, so if you don't want to pay licensing fees, don't worry about it. GMRS results in better range and/or better quality transmissions at longer ranges (i.e. you can still hear clearly at a distance where the FRS radios would be garbly or not coming through at all). In a typical situation where you're geocaching with people you need to stay in contact with, I'm imagining you're not all that far apart... Or you could be technically dishonest and not bother with GMRS licensing fees and just use it anyway. You would more than likely never be "caught". I'm not advocating that option, though. Quote Link to comment
+baloo&bd Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 (edited) You've already done more than the vast majority of GMRS users. I have never heard anyone use a GMRS callsign on the air. Ever. (nor do I expect to) I would love to see a comparison of GMRS licenses issued versus the total sales of GMRS radios. That would probably be a very interesting stastistic indeed. I'd wager it's less than 1%. By the way, what would a GMRS call sign sign like and how/when do you use it? They look like WQAA230 (mine) and you probably don't here them because the requirements are much different for IDing then most are used to with ham (n9ssg). The process for getting the call is actually quite easy and you get the call in about a week. Go to fcc.gov and click on the FCC ULS (Universal Licensing System) link. Edited September 28, 2004 by baloo&bd Quote Link to comment
+YuccaPatrol Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 Ignorance is Bliss Quote Link to comment
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