Official Colorado HAM and cheese thread

Anyone in the Durango/Cortez/Ignacio area? I've been living in Durango for a couple years and can count on one hand how many times I have heard some of the local repeaters active. I mainly just monitor the New Mexico Megalink system now since it seems to be the only active repeater link that I can RX/TX

 

As others here have stated, yes the Baofeng is technically able to transmit and receive in the FRS band.
There is however no "legal" way to operate the Baofeng radios within the FRS band.

I personally don't care what y'all do, and I think the level of harm is pretty low. However I also think it's important for y'all to go in with the whole picture. Here's a little light reading. https://lnoldan.com/fcc-law-vhf-radios/

I'll quote the important bit here though...

 

+1 on understanding consequences. That being said I've heard of people using them in far remote areas wheeling/dirt biking/hunting) with no problems; but those people don't use them near cities or towns where it's much more likely a transmission will clobber someone else's and be reported.

 

Some more info from that source:

If you are going to skirt the rules, you could possibly limit your liability by getting licensed for those channels. Get a GMRS license from here: http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home or fill out forms 159 and 605 from here: https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/forms $70 licensing fee.
Then you meet the legal licensing requirement. On the radio, program FRS channels to use 1W, and GMRS channels to use 4W. This will keep everything in the legal ranges. However, your equipment is still not certified for those channels so if someone sees you transmitting, there may be issues. Now if you've got the GMRS license perhaps there's a chance you'll skate on the grounds that you've made a reasonable attempt to comply, but then again this is the government you're talking about here so who knows what mood the auditor will be in when they get to your case.

I personally like that Baofengs have the capability to use FRS and GMRS channels, and my radios are programmed to do so for emergency situations. Between the 2m/70cm HT, CB, and availability of FRS And GMRS channels, I cover pretty much all the frequencies someone might be able to hear if I need help in the back woods. And at that point, please come arrest/fine me for breaking the law. As long as you show up

 

GMRS on 8 watts or whatever the Baeofeng outputs when set to 8 watts with a 16" Nagoya? antenna gets about 6-10 miles across wooded and hilly areas from what I've been told. With the stock stubby it's 5-6 ish. That's not to say it could go farther but that's not too bad of a circle, when out in the middle of nowhere.

 

Is something wrong with the thousands of non GMRS frequencies we can use on a Baeofung?

 

How many people have their radios programmed according to the TWCOHAM file? Is this going to be the expected setup in groups moving forward?

 

I don't... Can't find my cable.

 

I have a cable arriving at my place today along with a battery eliminator, mag mount antenna, and adapters.

If you want to head down the mountain some evening let me know and you can use the cable once I get my use of it.

 

I started with that and then modified it for my own amusement. The idea behind the file was so we could do simple stuff like goto channel 3 since everyone would have the same channel map, instead of having to say go to 147.42.

So really, if you just print a copy of the channel map so you know if anyone calls out a channel number where they're actually going, then you can map however you see fit.

 

Thanks, Will. I'll likely program it according the the spreadsheet to familiarize myself with the process, then change as needed.

 

If you're using the ham bands, without a ham radio license, you're likely to get in trouble.
If you're using the police bands with your Beofeng (which it can totally do.) you're likely to get in trouble.
If you're on the fire, forest service, red cross, national guard, etc, etc, etc. you're likely to get in trouble.

Those radios come from China, where the rules are different. Hams are allowed to use any equipment that meets specific requirements to operate within the ham bands, because the license to use those bands is on the operator, not the equipment. Virtually every other radio frequency in the United States is licensed to specific equipment, and possibly also a service/group/individual. (Commercial television stations are licensed for their frequency, AND their transmitter is licensed. for example.) Police radios are the same way, the department is licensed for the frequencies they use, AND their equipment is licensed for that use.

This is where the quote I shared above comes in. Attempting to skirt the rules, if caught, can carry significant consequences. Easiest path forward is, get a ham radio license. The test is easy and cheap. And once you're licensed it's trivial to find open space on the bands to communicate with your group, legally.

 

I'm sorry, I'm such a buzz kill

 

I should of been more clear with response, I just couldn't understand why they only seemed to want to use the GMRS Freq's

 

Buzzkill or not... I appreciate your clarification of the rules Lars.

People have used the baofeng radios to communicate with the newb who came on a trail run without a CB or a ham radio and just had a Walmart FRS radio.

This is technically illegal on the part of the baofeng operator as that radio is too powerful and not type certified to be used on those bands.

Whether or not this is done, everyone involved should be aware of the legality or illegality of it.

 

Not really a buzzkill. Half the enjoyment of this hobby is learning. Even if the learning is what not to do.

 

Other big learning curve is mounting antenna for best results.

 

Listening to a fellow in the U.K. using something called echolink.

 

Star-lord. Who dis?

 

Echolink is Web based....

As far as gmrs and frs use on a baofeng, it's best to know you are breaking the law when you do it...if everyone had a ham license though.....

I have not updated my baofeng with the tw file but if that became the trend I would. In the meantime there is a setting where A show's the frequency and b shows the call. I suggest setting them up that way so you can see both.