A field notebook for GMRS.
A General Mobile Radio Service notebook: FCC licensing, the Part 95E operating rules, channels and power limits, repeaters and tones, handheld and mobile radios, antennas, and field operating practice. Reference guides that cite the rules, alongside a log of time on the air.
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History of GMRS Call Signs: Class A, ULS Migration, & W-Series Blocks
A historical guide tracking GMRS call signs from 1949 Class A origins, 1980s WT temporary permits, 1988 corporate grandfathering, and the April 1999 ULS migration.
History of the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS): From 1949 Class A to ULS
A historical guide tracking GMRS from post-war 1949 Class A Citizens Radio origins, 1976 redesignation, 1988 corporate grandfathering, and 2017 Part 95 Reform.
Baofeng UV-5G Mini menu items translated to plain English (ELI5)
A plain-English guide decoding cryptic Baofeng menu abbreviations, what each setting does, and which ones beginners can safely ignore.
Eligibility, who one license covers, the application steps, the $35 fee, and the ten-year term and renewal, each with the rule it comes from.
Station identification, permitted and prohibited uses, equipment certification, power limits, repeaters, and emergency communications.
GMRS, FRS, CTCSS and DCS tones, repeater offsets, ERP, kerchunking, and the other shorthand heard on the air.
Travel tones, Channel 20 calling, repeater courtesy and timing, NOAA weather channels, emergency calls, and desert and field operating.
Handhelds, mobiles, repeaters, and antennas: what separates the radio classes, and the FCC certification check to run before buying.
GMRS Channels at a Glance
Every GMRS radio sold in the US numbers the first 22 channels the same way. The power limit changes with the block: channels 8 to 14 are capped at 0.5 W ERP, and only handheld radios may transmit on them.
Full frequency chart| Channels | Frequencies | Power |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 7 | 462.5625 – 462.7125 | 5 W |
| 8 – 14 | 467.5625 – 467.7125 | 0.5 W ERP, handhelds only |
| 15 – 22 | 462.5500 – 462.7250 | 50 W |
| Repeater inputs | 467.5500 – 467.7250 | 50 W |