We had a MURS outbreak when I was in the Army. It took out the whole company for a few weeks. If you're going to be around MURS, wear Crocks in the showers.
Thanks for that comprehensive overview! Quick "sad ham" note - there is no restriction against using commercial (Part 90) radios on amateur frequencies, as you suggested, because there is no type acceptance or certification required under Part 97. You can use a radio that was designed for another service, even if you need to modify it to do so. The general stipulation under Part 97 is "No amateur operator shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference to any radio communication or signal. " The amateur radio service is intended for tinkering and experimenting, people even build their own radios.
As a total admitted and unremorseful radio 'pirate' on All bands, I love your videos and especially your humor. You are both extremely informative and entertaining.
2:14 Best part in the entire video. Sad hams commenting in 3, 2, 1... "Some People" "Experts Online" This is why I love this channel. :) I didn't know much about LMR, I specifically enjoyed that part of the video. Thanks so much!
I bought my maintenance guys MURS radios on our 4-acre campground and it worked fairly well except when they would use the radio with the antenna down. I added a 1/4~ antenna to the office radio with RG-58 coax going up into the attic, this also allowed me to chat with the office when next door at Walmart or Murphy's gas when I was running errands. We used DCS codes so we did not have to listen to local Fast Food traffic in the background that was blocks away and not clearly heard consistently anyway.
This is one of the best videos comparing the different radio services I have seen. I'm glad you hit the updated rules relating to data on GMRS. It's a shame they made you cut out that important part at the end. Glad I saw it the first time.
I think MURS is a good option for community groups because the frequencies are less common which provides a bit of security, but also means in emergencies you're not going to have a lot of random people using all the FRS channels at once. The ability to remove antennas will also obviously help you get a dB increase. I find MURS to have more clarity of the voice than FRS when I tested them side by side.
The main thing to be careful of is that with so many radios that can listen to murs, if most people are using the other services and one group is using MURS, then the murs group is going to be much easier to identify and locate because they're the only one using it, having an opposite affect than intended. It depends on several things so ultimately it may not be an issue, but it's something to consider. Same thing with a lot of the digital radios that send a bunch of information about themselves and the user and the location and stuff; people who know what they're doing and have a little bit of simple gear can end up getting much more information about the users than just the spoken conversation. Sometimes security through obscurity is cool and sometimes hiding in plain sight and running in the middle of the pack is the answer. Having all the options and capabilities and knowing what works best for whatever task is I guess the big goal, but it's a lot of effort and money and time to amass all the crap and aquire all the knowledge and set up a plan and a network etc... I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it.
@@vitogriffin8902 I think most nefarious folks don't know or care about radio so much in the US. I could be wrong, maybe the wolves are getting their ham licenses and GROL+R licenses just so they can go after people.
@@troy3456789 I agree, most don't, but if there comes a time where simple family or group communication security becomes a real issue then there will be an element of compromised or changed people for various reasons. Nobody thinks they're the bad guy and desperate times call for desperate measures.
@@vitogriffin8902 Not all emergencies mean end of the world, now we are in a rolling battle kind of thing. Much more likely to be a natural disaster, which we have plenty of every year.
Slight correction, Randy. You certainly *can* legally use an LMR gear on ham frequencies, and hams have been doing so since Xenu was a toddler. Hams can pretty much use anything they want within the ham bands, including home-built transmitters, so long as it transmits cleanly. And while you mentioned power levels for the other services, what may intrigue some is the 1500 Watt maximum power permissible on amateur gear. Not that I would recommend running your Boo-fwang into legal limit amp :)
Videos are awesome. You're introducing a large group of individuals to the airwaves. I saw your live chat with HRCC. I fully support you getting your ham license as a fundraiser and would even donate myself. I think you could document The experience via RU-vid and make some very entertaining content on the matter.
After spending so many hours over the past month researching 2way radio comms in the US, I have come to the conclusion that the FCC has no interest in enforcement and only sees licensing as a revenue stream. There is an entire segment of the industry dedicated to "10 meter" radios that do not operate on 10 meters. Yes, these "10 meter" radios with clicky 40 position dials and 100 watt output somewhere between 10 & 12 meters.....and no one cares. I think it's hilarious, actually. Oh.....the FCC doesn't have to worry about HAM band enforcement, they have the sad hams to handle it. Thanks for the videos, they are very informative and way more entertaining than I had hoped for. Again, thank you.
I originally only ended up with GMRS because buying a business frequency was so complicated and expensive, and I was told they would only give me one if I built a tower for the main base station. I'm pretty happy with GMRS now, though. It checks all the boxes I need.
Probably you could just commercially licence a couple handhelds. That's what I did but I am in Canada. It was pretty simple. IIRC I just had to list the IC certified equipment I was using, the emmisions type, station type (base/mobile/handheld), where my station is (my home) and that it was to be used for short range truck to truck comms. Think it was $80 per year. You could request a frequency but I just let them assign one
I love it when businesses use FRS. I can sit in my car and mess with them. Them: Hey Jake where are you? We need some help unloading the truck. Me: Jake is out back smoking a fat blunt, So stop being lazy and unload the truck yourself." Them: WHO IS THIS?
I like your jeep videos but awhile back I saw the videos on the boafeng and since then I’m hooked on it so thanks for that dude now I gotta teach my wife thanks for your videos they are helpful in case you were wondering
I still remember when I illegally pushed transmit button on uv5r for 1 sec then was lookin out the window the rest of the day waiting for FCC to show up.
That was really good suggestion there at the end. Everyone should keep that advice in mind at all times for their own safety and the health of others around them - however I'm getting reports that some other viewers couldn't see the video all the way to the end. Hmmmm.... It would be unfortunate if they missed being able to see all the dancing zebras.
I find the similarities and differences between Canada and the US's radio systems quite fascinating. CB and Ham are basically identical, while Canada's "GMRS" is essentially the same as the US FRS. Our VHF LMR system is kind of interesting, though, as it's almost like an amalgamation of MURS and the US LMR. There are the proprietary "business frequencies" that cost a lot to get and are specifically assigned, but there are also numerous "open" frequencies/channels that are for public use. There is a $42 annual fee to transmit on the LMR VHF radios, but this is widely ignored and not at all enforced by Industry Canada (despite the dire warnings of sad hams everywhere) and then there are also the "Resource Road Channels" for use by anyone on active logging and resource roads in BC for safety reasons. I really wish Canada would harmonize our GMRS rules with the US, because it's a fantastic radio service, like new age CB radio.
I have been a Ham for at least 120 years and i am here to tell you by my brilliant expertise, that is NOT a UV-5R but in fact a BFF8-HP! i can tell that by my pure jean yus not by the sticker at the bottom of the radio. ... but yes, undisputed best ham radio ever. #fenggang #grabFengGoInnawoods
Your video is the best because you have the coolest microphone. Everyone knows the coolest looking microphone makes the best videos. I mean if I don't like the mic or the boom I'll just find another video.
As an amateur radio expert for over 284 years, it's my duty to inform you that you overlooked the most important distinction between all of those. They are all spelled differently.
Always appreciative of your material. Bit snarky, but considering how some hams can act? I get it. Also not only can a nine year old do the tech exam? That SAME nine year old can has and DID do the Extra exam. So. Y'know. Not Rocket Scuence (though full disclosure. the extra exam does scare me.)
"now of course the most important thing to remember when using any type of radio, is that, no matter what, wherever y..." video ends. Brilliant ending, much applause.
Finally got a tech. license, and they're right, now I know more than God. Since everything you said is wrong, I don't need to break it down. Can I go to the top?
Thank you for the very informative video It's nice knowing what radio to buy when you have unlimited amounts of money like I do I elected to go with your number one choice for the best ham radio ever manufactured in the history of man kind I spent $22.50 of blood sweat and tears and purchased the uv5r with the rubber duck antenna and 48 hours later took my ham test passed it set the radio off hit the repeater talk to people around the world 48 hours and $22.50 later I have conquered the ham radio All right that was simple back to the cocaine and hookers
I am commenting, not because I have anything worthy to say, because I want to see this video and channel rise in the rankings just to piss off more "some peoples".
I'm surprised some agency, nobody ever asked for, doesn't have regulations on breathing. Code 43-A-473: Breather must purchase a breathing license ($50) before breathing. Breather must not exceed 10 breaths per minute. Deep breaths or excessive breaths are a class B license, for which a 50 question test must be taken and a fee of 100 non refundable dollars must be paid. Deep heavy breathing for a duration longer than 30 minutes will require an in person interview with the Federal Agency of Gases.
Federal Agency of Gases, I see what you did there. 😄 I was studying for my HAM license and trying to think of one for FCC, the only one appropriate for sharing I came up with was Father Clown Car.
The only advantage that MURS has over GMRS is VHF has better range in mountainous terrain (The ability to bounce off things). Tropospheric ducting & Knife edge propagation are sometimes a factor, but are phenomenons that only happen occasionally. And this is from personal experience. UHF Walkie talkies, their antennas are more efficient than VHF
This might have been mentioned before, but with the argument "Which is better, HAM, or GMRS", I'd like to make this point. Though it's true, that HAM will reach others hundreds or thousands of miles away, I suggest that will be of little value in a SHTF situation. All HAM contacts can do, is inform you of what shit is hitting THEIR fan, at a great distance from you! Wouldn't it be more valuable to know what is going on in the immediate area where you are, and having contact with some that might actually come to your aid, or give you local information? Yes, HAM can communicate at short distances too, but I suspect there might be less of them, and equipment is generally more expensive. But I get it....whatever you're into is fine with me.
Thanks Randy! Could you do a video (I recall you recommending some refurbished/surplus HTs in the past) on getting the LMR license? I run a tiny business so I qualify in that area. -Lee in Minneapolis
Love your videos, don’t worry I want like, subscribe, or need any notification bell. I'm looking at possibility of LMR (PLMR) with encryption for personal group use. My questing all mighty radio know it all. How did you get the license? Do you have to have a Business or LLC? Who can use LMR? Can you walk us through the FCC over lords site to get permission to use our free airways. Thanks. Bravo bravo in upstate SC
I know you prefaced the video with things you were discussing and those omitted, I was wondering what your thoughts are on this. What if the citizens of 'Merika rose up, joined together and created a communication system free of FCC or the ITU. It could be called citizens band. Catchy huh? Possibly an idea for a future vid?
If citizens rose up and took over the government, there would just be a different set of people making the rules and taking your money. People only want to take over to be a ruler!!
I have a special question... can you spell out the differences between the UV9G and the GMRS-9R? Seems they are much the same. Except the GMRS-9R comes in colors.
