2-way radios' license questions

[RayfromAK]

I just bought a pair of Midland GTX600 2-way radio set (a two-radio package), and upon radios the instructions I I realized that I would have to have a FCC license in order to take advantage of the 5-watt transmission feature. So I visited the FCC's GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) online licensing section, and was surprised to learn that such a license costs $80.00.

What do you know relating to the license?

I plan to use the radios in case of an emergency while hunting, and when I am dip-netting at Chitina, or for a period of perhaps two weeks, two times per day.

Would my hunting partner have to buy another license, or can I share the same ID number?

[bushrat]

GMRS licensing

Ray,

The way I understand the GMRS radio licensing, if you use the radio with your immediate family members ("including a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and in-laws") then you only need to buy the one license for all. If your hunting partner is not an immediate family member (a "blood relative"), then he or she also needs to buy a license to take advantage of the GMRS frequencies and power output.

The license is good for five years. So look at it as $16 per year. Anything farther than a half mile, and you'll likely want to use more than the 1/2 watt power under the FRS regs. Meaning...to be legal, if you use the GMRS frequencies and power output levels, then you should buy the GMRS license. You can do the whole thing online by first getting an FCC Registration Number:
https://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do

I think if you do it online, then pay the fee, they grant the license (or temporary one) immediately, but don't hold me to that. In the past, it took about six weeks to receive the license in the mail. Here's a good site for more info:
http://eebie38.tripod.com/gmrs/licensing.html

Good luck and happy transmitting,
Mark

[RayfromAK]

Thank you, Bushrat. I went ahead and applied for it online, and got an ID authorization. I am supposed to receive an e-mail confirmation by tomorrow. I imagine that I will have to get a call sign or something like that.

I will have to ask my hunting partner to get a license, since we also placer mine and need to make a call every now and then from different locations.

[bushrat]

Ray,

No problem. Not sure what kind of call signs they are issuing these days, but they will issue you one, and you'll have to memorize it <grin>. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions on the rigs. I've set up repeaters and built antennas and there are a few options to extend your range on the GMRS band if you want to. Not sure if that midland has a removable antenna or not; I didn't look closely at it. I run a ham repeater on the 70cm band (same band as that midland) and use handie-talkies as well. A telescoping antenna on the handheld will increase your range quite considerably, compared to the manufacturer antenna. That's one of the great things about GMRS licenses...you can run more power and use different antennas.

Allbest, Mark

[RayfromAK]

Bushrat,

It seems that the Midland GTX600's antenna is fixed. They do put out 5 watts on 22 GMRS channels, and low power (1/2 watt?) on the FRS channels. It's advertised as an 18-mile 2-way radio set, and has more features that I would have imagined:

-Key lock (like a cell phone)
-121 privacy codes
-VOX (hands free transmission)
-Selectable call alert
-NOAA weather bands
-Vibrate alert
-Channel scan
-Monitor (to tell you how high the volume of transmit or receive)
-Roger beep off/on
-Silent operation mode
-Power settings from low to high
-Speaker and microphone jacks

It will take awhile to learn all the controls, but my son and I will be testing the radio-set about a week from now.

[Shortwave]

M.u.r.s

Guess I'm a bit late with my.02 but... Look into MURS as it has less limitations than GMRS.

[RayfromAK]

Guess I'm a bit late with my.02 but... Look into MURS as it has less limitations than GMRS.

Yes. I already got the GRMS license.