First of all, dear reader, thanks for coming to The Solid Signal Blog. I know you could get a lot of information from a site like Wikipedia. I like to think that people find this site because we offer not only information, but context. And when it comes to GMRS, context is really everything.
A quick definition of GMRS
GMRS is the General Mobile Radio Service, a set of frequencies in the 460MHz range which are designated for point-to-point mobile use. The FCC’s web site tells you a bit more about that, if you’re curious. It’s not the only service designed for this kind of use. There are several others, including FRS (the Family Radio Service) which operates on the same frequencies. The difference between FRS and GMRS is that you need a license to operate GMRS. You don’t need one to operate FRS.
In general. GMRS radios are permitted to be stronger in their broadcast power than their FRS counterparts. That’s why the need for a license. The FCC hopes, at least, that going through the licensing process will help you avoid putting yourself in a situation where you’ll cause interference to something else.
Why you might need GMRS
One of the typical uses for GMRS is vehicles communicating with a base station. This isn’t the only technology used for that, but GMRS allows a broadcast power of 50 watts which can really help you get some range. Trucks, boats, industrial equipment, anything that goes a reasonable distance from the base will tend to use GMRS.
Obviously GMRS and a lot of these radio technologies came about before cell phones became common, and today if you’re somewhere near a cell tower you probably would communicate that way. But GMRS is a point-to-point system. That means you don’t need a cell tower. You’re broadcasting directly to someone else and that means it will work anywhere even if there’s no cell tower.\
Why you should (probably) ignore GMRS
GMRS is one of those technologies where, if you need it, you probably know what it is. If you don’t know what it is, chances are you don’t need it. Chances are you’re much better off with a cell phone or an FRS radio. You don’t need a license to operate those, and you’re not likely to cause any problems by using them.
I say this because until a few years ago, it was fully legal to buy a radio that was designated as FRS/GMRS. In other words it worked for both systems. Unfortunately, these radios were sold without a requirement for a license and there was usually very little documentation to tell you about licensing. You were supposed to just know that you shouldn’t use the GMRS capability. But of course everyone used it anyway.
That sort of radio isn’t legal for sale in this country any more, but it doesn’t stop some of them from flowing in from other countries. If you are looking at your favorite online shopping site and you see a GMRS radio that doesn’t tell you that you need a license, it’s best to just keep looking.
