<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 12/14/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Roping The Wind</b> <<a href="mailto:arizcowboy@hotmail.com">arizcowboy@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<br><br>Thanks for that article Shadowace! I have seen APRS in use before and it is<br>awsome. The only drawback to HAM radio, it cannot be used for commercial<br>operations (perhaps GMRS cannot either? I dont know). <br>
<br>Scott<br>Team Ropingthewind<br></blockquote></div><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service</a><br><h2><span class="mw-headline">
History</span></h2>
<p>GMRS, General Mobile Radio Service, was originally named <b>Class A Citizens Radio Service</b>
when it was rolled out in the 1960s. Tube type transceivers were used
and output power was limited to 60 watts plate input power to the final
amplifier tube. The original service ran wideband FM with ±15 kHz
transmitter deviation and 50 kHz channel spacing. At the time, this was
the norm for all U.S. land mobile services. There was also a Class B
Citizens Radio Service which used a different set of 461 MHz channels
and was limited to 5 watts output. Business users were permitted to
license in this radio service. Radios were built by consumer
electronics firms and commercial two-way radio vendors.</p>
<p>In the 1960s, the UHF 450-470 MHz band was ordered reallocated to 25
kHz channels. This meant transmitter deviation was reduced to ±5 kHz.
This doubled the number of channels available across the entire 450-470
MHz band. Class B Citizens Radio Service channels were re-allocated to
other radio services.</p>
<p>In the 1970s, allowed power was again changed to 50 watts across the
output terminals of the transmitter. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">In the 1980s, licensing of
business users was discontinued and businesses were allowed to continue
operating until their licenses expired. </span>There was congestion on all
channels in larger <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_area" title="Metropolitan statistical area">metropolitan statistical areas</a>
and moving businesses to Business Radio Service channels would provide
some relief. The radio service was changed to its present name.
Repeaters began to proliferate in the 1980s after the prevalence of
unlicenced operations in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens%27_band_radio" title="Citizens' band radio">Class D Citizens Band</a> made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HF" title="HF">HF</a> CB radios unusable in many applications.
</p><p><br>----------</p><p><a href="http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile">http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile</a></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a land-mobile radio service available for short-distance two-way communications to facilitate the activities of </span>an adult individual and his or her immediate family members, including a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and in-laws (47 CFR
95.179)<span style="font-style: italic;">. Normally, as a GMRS system licensee, you and your family members would communicate among yourselves over the general area of your residence or during recreational group outings, such as camping or hiking.
</span></p><p> Your ground crew is made up of all family memebers, yes?</p><p>According to the FCC license page:</p><p>General Mobile Radio Service<br>Available to an individual (one man or one woman) for two-way voice communication service to facilitate the activities of the individual's intermediate family members
</p> I would say using the GMRS channels for a business would be taking a risk I am not sure is worth it since the Licensed GMRS users are becoming organized like HAM users. I have read reports of people using triangulation to pinpoint and report illegal broadcasts. While an individual is rarely chased down or apprehended, business users are not so able to hide.
<br><br> This could be pinned in the same topic as software piracy. Most companies will not go after the end user, they go after the company selling it.<br> <br> not saying dont get one, I just felt as you said about HAM, you might want to research the GMRS.
<br>