WSNY332 Glossary

The FCC account system where you create or manage the username tied to your FRN.

The identifying number the FCC uses for you or your account when you file for a license.

A licensed personal radio service in the UHF band. It is common for family, trail, vehicle, neighborhood, and repeater use.

The unlicensed personal radio service that shares the familiar 22-channel numbering with GMRS but has tighter equipment and power limits.

Immediate family members may operate under an individual GMRS license. A unit number can be added after the call sign to separate family radios.

A license-by-rule personal radio service operating on 40 channels in the 27 MHz HF band (AM, SSB, and FM). Popular for highway travel, truckers, and off-roading.

A license-by-rule personal radio service operating on 5 dedicated VHF channels (151–154 MHz) with up to 2 watts ERP. No individual license or fee is required.

An FCC regulatory model (used for FRS, CB, and MURS) where operators do not need to apply for an individual station license or call sign, as long as they operate certified equipment according to service rules.

The legal certification process required for transceivers sold in the United States. An FCC ID consists of a 3 or 5 character Grantee Code identifying the manufacturer plus an equipment product code.

The actual power radiated into the air by an antenna system, accounting for transmitter power, coaxial cable loss, and antenna gain. FCC Part 95 power limits are specified in ERP or TPO depending on the service.

The raw RF power measured directly at the transmitter output connector before cable losses or antenna gain.

The section of FCC rules that covers personal radio services. GMRS rules live in Part 95 Subpart E.

The FCC system where you apply for, renew, and look up wireless licenses such as GMRS.

Direct radio-to-radio communication operating on a single shared frequency. Only one station can transmit at a time, and a radio cannot receive incoming signals while its mic is keyed.

A radio system utilizing two distinct frequencies—one to transmit and another to receive. In personal radio, duplex operation enables communicating through repeaters using a frequency offset.

Transmitting and receiving on two separate frequencies, but only in one direction at a time. Standard GMRS handheld and mobile radios operate in half-duplex when using repeaters: pressing push-to-talk (PTT) transmits on the repeater input frequency and temporarily disables your local receiver.

Transmitting and receiving at the exact same time without muting either path (similar to a standard telephone call). Repeaters operate in full-duplex so they can rebroadcast incoming audio on their output frequency simultaneously while listening on their input frequency.

A specialized RF filtering device (often heavy, tuned cavity cans) that allows a repeater transmitter and receiver to share a single high-gain antenna simultaneously without the high-power transmitter desensing or damaging the sensitive receiver.

A station that listens on one frequency and retransmits on another, usually from a better antenna site.

The frequency a repeater listens on. Your radio transmits to the repeater input.

The frequency a repeater transmits on. Your radio receives the repeater output.

The difference between transmit and receive frequency. GMRS repeater pairs use a 5 MHz split.

A CTCSS or DCS access signal used to open a repeater or keep a receiver quiet. It is not encryption, and other stations can still hear the channel.

An analog tone sent with your transmission. Many radios label this as tone, PL, or tone squelch.

A digital squelch code used like CTCSS. Radios may call it DCS, DPL, or digital code.

VFO mode allows typing in raw frequencies manually; MR mode locks tuning to saved, numbered channel slots.

A subtle tone burst sent right before releasing PTT that signals receiving radios to mute their speaker immediately, silencing the static pop at the end of a transmission.

The audio bandwidth of an FM transmission. FRS is locked to narrowband (12.5 kHz). GMRS main channels and repeaters allow wideband (25 kHz), providing louder, higher-fidelity voice audio.

Using different CTCSS or DCS tones for transmit and receive on the same channel, common on repeaters that require an access tone on input but transmit carrier squelch or a different tone on output.

The station identifier assigned with a license. On GMRS you identify at the end of an exchange and at least every 15 minutes during a longer one.

A received FM signal that is strong enough to remove most background noise.

Press the push-to-talk button and begin transmitting.

A brief transmission made just to bring up a repeater, usually without identifying or saying anything useful.

Check that the channel is clear before pressing push-to-talk so you do not talk over an active conversation.

Listen on a channel without necessarily transmitting.

Shorthand for your current physical location. “My 20” is common CB-style slang; QTH is borrowed radio shorthand.

An organized on-air meeting with a control station, check-ins, and a specific purpose or schedule.

Standing by on the current channel or waiting to jump back into a conversation.

Borrowed radio shorthand for “I acknowledge” or “I received your message.”

Slang some groups use to mean someone arrived safely at their destination.

Numeric brevity codes popularized on CB and commercial radio (e.g. 10-4 for "acknowledged", 10-20 for "location"). Plain English is preferred on GMRS.

Designated assistance channels. CB Channel 9 (27.065 MHz) is reserved by FCC rule for emergency communications. GMRS Channel 20 (462.675 MHz) is the traditional national traveler and emergency assistance frequency.

Radio signals that bounce off the ionosphere to travel hundreds or thousands of miles. Common on 27 MHz CB during high solar activity; FCC rules prohibit intentional long-distance skip communications on CB.

Plain-language radio shorthand for “yes.”

A pause during your own message, or a request to interrupt a busy channel, often said as “break break” followed by your identifier.

A way to say you are finished with the current conversation or leaving the channel.

A sign-off that says you are done transmitting but will pause to listen in case the other station has one last reply.

Acknowledging that you heard or understood a transmission. “Good copy” means the message came through clearly.

A way to tell the other station the channel is clear and you are ready to hear their message.

Plain-language radio shorthand for “no.”

A procedure word meaning the message was received and understood.

A phrase used when initiating contact, usually before your call sign or identifier.

A phrase used to clear the channel for urgent safety-of-life or property information.

An international distress word. Do not use it casually; on GMRS it is reserved for a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle in immediate danger asking for help.

The station coordinating check-ins, message flow, and channel order during a net or organized emergency response.

Dedicated VHF radio channels (162.400–162.550 MHz) used by the National Weather Service to broadcast continuous weather forecasts and emergency hazard alert tones.

A term some groups use for important but not immediately life-threatening traffic, such as a disabled vehicle creating a road hazard.

A digital data protocol used on NOAA weather radio broadcasts to transmit localized warning codes, allowing weather radios to alert only for emergencies affecting your specific county.

A non-profit volunteer communications service organized to provide emergency radio assistance and disaster monitoring on CB, GMRS, and amateur frequencies.

How an antenna concentrates energy in some directions instead of others. More gain is not automatically better in every location.

Slang for cheap, consumer-grade two-way walkie-talkies sold hanging on retail store hooks in plastic packaging.

The cable between a radio and antenna. Lossy or damaged coax can waste power before it reaches the antenna.

Slang for inexpensive imported radios. It is often used for budget handhelds and can be dismissive depending on context.

A loss of receiver sensitivity caused by a strong nearby transmitter overloading the radio’s front-end circuitry. This commonly happens when two radios operate in close proximity (such as inside the same vehicle or trail group), temporarily deafening one radio while the other keys up, or when a repeater lacks adequate antenna separation or filtering.

A portable radio you can carry. GMRS handhelds are often limited by antenna height more than transmit power.

An international standard rating system (like IP67) defining how well a radio housing blocks dust ingress and water immersion.

A vehicle-mounted radio, or operating from inside a vehicle. Mobile radios are usually paired with an external antenna and higher output power than a handheld.

A standardized 3/4-inch threaded, weather-tight vehicle antenna mount commonly installed on vehicle roofs, trunk lids, or heavy-duty brackets.

The standard threaded coaxial connector used on handheld radios and antennas. Radios take either SMA-Male or SMA-Female threads.

A receiver setting that mutes background noise until a signal or matching tone is present.

A measurement of how well the antenna system is matched to the radio. High SWR can mean poor performance or equipment stress.

A safety feature that automatically stops transmitting if the PTT button is held down continuously past a set limit (e.g., 60 seconds), protecting the radio from overheating or jamming a channel in a pocket.

TX means sending a signal. RX means receiving one.

The radio frequency range where GMRS operates. UHF tends to work well around vehicles and buildings but does not pass through hills well.

A receiver/transmitter setting that automatically keys up the radio when it detects your voice, allowing hands-free operation without holding PTT.

The radio frequency band where MURS, 2-meter ham radio, marine radio, and NOAA weather radio operate. VHF waves curve better around rolling hills and penetrate foliage more effectively than UHF.

The shortwave radio band where 27 MHz Citizens Band (CB) operates. HF signals can travel ground-wave distances and bounce off the ionosphere (skywave/skip) under favorable solar conditions.

The standard threaded coaxial connector found on CB radios, mobile GMRS rigs, base stations, and SWR meters. PL-259 is the cable plug; SO-239 is the female chassis socket.

A quick-disconnect RF connector featuring a twist-lock bayonet mechanism, commonly used on test equipment, radio scanners, and field-swappable portable antennas.

A high-performance receiver design that mixes incoming RF down to fixed intermediate frequencies for sharp filtering. Superhet radios resist adjacent-channel interference and front-end overload much better than budget direct-conversion SDR radios.

A popular, open-source, cross-platform software tool used to program channels, names, privacy tones, and radio settings via a physical programming cable.

Vendor-supplied PC software or mobile app used to configure channel memories, custom menus, and radio parameters.

Touch-tone keypad audio signals used for selective paging, caller ID, or remote control of repeaters and patch systems.

An automated feature on modern handhelds that listens to a nearby radio transmission, decodes its exact frequency and CTCSS/DCS tone, and saves it into a channel memory slot.

The standard two-prong audio and data connector (3.5mm speaker / 2.5mm mic) found on most budget handhelds (Baofeng, Retevis, BTech, Wouxun) for programming cables and speaker-microphones.

A menu setting (usually 0–9) determining how strong a signal must be before un-muting the radio speaker. Lower values receive weaker distant signals; higher values eliminate spurious RF hash.