Baofeng UV-5R, Ham Radio, What can I listen in on in OKC?

[golddigger14s]

From WAGUNS.ORG
"
Yes, us hams tend to crap on CB and GMRS, but the truth is, for most people who don't give a #%(& about expanding their skill set, and want a radio for communicating more than the couple miles that CB or MURS will get you, GMRS is a valid option.

What is GMRS?

It's a set of 22 (30 if you count repeaters) frequencies in the UHF band, that, similar to ham radio, allows use of repeaters to extend your signal. It predates the FRS service by quite a bit, but FRS is basically GMRS-lite with significantly lower power, fewer frequencies, and no repeater access.

Unlike ham radio, no test is required, only a $35 fee which covers your entire family for 10 years.

GMRS is great for local area communication between friends/family members.

GMRS does not cover multiple bands. Getting interference? Want bigger coverage? You're pretty much SOL. You're not gonna be talking around the world like you can with ham radio.

Yes, the $25 Baofeng and Quansheng radios will work on GMRS.

Yes, you can buy similarly inexpensive mobile radios that work on GMRS to greatly extend your range.

GMRS, being on the UHF band, is better suited for urban environments and thick vegetation compared to VHF - but again, unlike ham, which allows you choose which band to operate on, GMRS doesn't give you that option.

Encryption is technically illegal on GMRS, but many radios support encryption when programmed on those frequencies. I'll leave it at that.

So, if you're looking for a legal, above-board communications method, that is pretty turnkey, and really hard to mess up, GMRS may be an option for you.


https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-div ... rvice-gmrs



Pro:

• No test to take
• One $35 license covers your entire family
• UHF frequencies = smaller antennas = easier to hide
• Higher gain antennas are much smaller compared to VHF
• Inexpensive radios
• Simple operation
• Can use repeaters for extended range
• Better range than MURS and FRS

Con:

• Limited channel capacity
• Easy to intercept communications
• limited range compared to ham
• Does not legally allow encryption or digital modes like P25"

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

From WAGUNS.ORG
"
Yes, us hams tend to crap on CB and GMRS, but the truth is, for most people who don't give a #%(& about expanding their skill set, and want a radio for communicating more than the couple miles that CB or MURS will get you, GMRS is a valid option.

What is GMRS?

It's a set of 22 (30 if you count repeaters) frequencies in the UHF band, that, similar to ham radio, allows use of repeaters to extend your signal. It predates the FRS service by quite a bit, but FRS is basically GMRS-lite with significantly lower power, fewer frequencies, and no repeater access.

Unlike ham radio, no test is required, only a $35 fee which covers your entire family for 10 years.

GMRS is great for local area communication between friends/family members.

GMRS does not cover multiple bands. Getting interference? Want bigger coverage? You're pretty much SOL. You're not gonna be talking around the world like you can with ham radio.

Yes, the $25 Baofeng and Quansheng radios will work on GMRS.

Yes, you can buy similarly inexpensive mobile radios that work on GMRS to greatly extend your range.

GMRS, being on the UHF band, is better suited for urban environments and thick vegetation compared to VHF - but again, unlike ham, which allows you choose which band to operate on, GMRS doesn't give you that option.

Encryption is technically illegal on GMRS, but many radios support encryption when programmed on those frequencies. I'll leave it at that.

So, if you're looking for a legal, above-board communications method, that is pretty turnkey, and really hard to mess up, GMRS may be an option for you.


https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-div ... rvice-gmrs



Pro:

• No test to take
• One $35 license covers your entire family
• UHF frequencies = smaller antennas = easier to hide
• Higher gain antennas are much smaller compared to VHF
• Inexpensive radios
• Simple operation
• Can use repeaters for extended range
• Better range than MURS and FRS

Con:

• Limited channel capacity
• Easy to intercept communications
• limited range compared to ham
• Does not legally allow encryption or digital modes like P25"

Well said!

All the other boomers on here cry when I ask why even take the test or pay money?

they literally won’t fine you.
When someone turns you in they don’t won’t even contact you.
I guess it’s just a”do as we say type thing”
Where the boomers try to keep control

 

[dlbleak]

Well said!

All the other boomers on here cry when I ask why even take the test or pay money?

they literally won’t fine you.
When someone turns you in they don’t won’t even contact you.
I guess it’s just a”do as we say type thing”
Where the boomers try to keep control

It’s a simple respect thing. We try to follow the rules of laws, and yes, unwritten rules.
It’s the difference between todays generation and earlier generations.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

It’s a simple respect thing. We try to follow the rules of laws, and yes, unwritten rules.
It’s the difference between todays generation and earlier generations.

Well said.

I was just reading about the B 5uv 5r-
The article was saying that it’s actually not FCC compliant?
Is this true?

 

[dlbleak]

Well said.

I was just reading about the B 5uv 5r-
The article was saying that it’s actually not FCC compliant?
Is this true?

This is about the best explanation I have found
https://www.jpole-antenna.com/2018/08/13/baofeng-uv-5r-radios-illegal-the-real-story/

 

[Fr Mulcahy]

Well said.

I was just reading about the B 5uv 5r-
The article was saying that it’s actually not FCC compliant?
Is this true?

Baofeng/BTech radios are internally unfiltered so badly that they bleed all over the spectrum, and thus violate FCC part 97 spectrum purity rules.

The FCC does not certify amateur radios the way that they do other types of transceivers because it is the responsibility of the amateur radio operator to make sure that their equipment is compliant.

I ran my two old BTech transceivers through a spectrum analyzer and the results were pretty horrible. I still use them, but only with frequency-specific external filters.

Yaesu, Icom, and other name brands don't have this problem.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

Baofeng/BTech radios are internally unfiltered so badly that they bleed all over the spectrum, and thus violate FCC part 97 spectrum purity rules.

The FCC does not certify amateur radios the way that they do other types of transceivers because it is the responsibility of the amateur radio operator to make sure that their equipment is compliant.

I ran my two old BTech transceivers through a spectrum analyzer and the results were pretty horrible. I still use them, but only with frequency-specific external filters.

Yaesu, Icom, and other name brands don't have this problem.

When you say unfiltered and spectrum what does that mean?

 

[Fr Mulcahy]

When you say unfiltered and spectrum what does that mean?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_spectrum

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band-pass_filter

Think of a radio transmitter as a firearm, and its signal as the ammunition.
Let's pretend that you and I are at the range, shooting next to each other.
We normally want nice, tight groups on our targets, so we're shooting 22LR rifles with the targets set at 50 yards. I hit my target, you hit your target, and everyone's happy.

But now comes a guy next to us, and he is trying to do the same thing as us. The problem is that he's using a 12 gauge shotgun with buckshot and a cylinder choke. He hits his target (maybe), but he hits my target and your target too. Now everyone's unhappy because no one likes a crossfire.

Baofengs are like shotguns in that they transmit on a wide range of frequencies at the same time. It's illegal, it's annoying, and it can be dangerous (what if I transmit over EMSA's frequencies, for instance--I could scramble their signal).
The FCC was created to make sure that interference doesn't happen, and there are rules that people follow to keep it from happening.

Ham radio operators have to pass a test (or two or three depending upon what frequencies they want to transmit on), and it is drilled into them that spurious emissions (interference) must be avoided. They also learn basic radio safety rules (to keep themselves from getting electrocuted), electric and electronic circuits, electromagnetic wave propagation theory, and a lot of other things that I think are cool.

It's not hard to pass the first test (Technician). If you want to learn more about the process, check out www.arrl.org.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_spectrum

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band-pass_filter

Think of a radio transmitter as a firearm, and its signal as the ammunition.
Let's pretend that you and I are at the range, shooting next to each other.
We normally want nice, tight groups on our targets, so we're shooting 22LR rifles with the targets set at 50 yards. I hit my target, you hit your target, and everyone's happy.

But now comes a guy next to us, and he is trying to do the same thing as us. The problem is that he's using a 12 gauge shotgun with buckshot and a cylinder choke. He hits his target (maybe), but he hits my target and your target too. Now everyone's unhappy because no one likes a crossfire.

Baofengs are like shotguns in that they transmit on a wide range of frequencies at the same time. It's illegal, it's annoying, and it can be dangerous (what if I transmit over EMSA's frequencies, for instance--I could scramble their signal).
The FCC was created to make sure that interference doesn't happen, and there are rules that people follow to keep it from happening.

Ham radio operators have to pass a test (or two or three depending upon what frequencies they want to transmit on), and it is drilled into them that spurious emissions (interference) must be avoided. They also learn basic radio safety rules (to keep themselves from getting electrocuted), electric and electronic circuits, electromagnetic wave propagation theory, and a lot of other things that I think are cool.

It's not hard to pass the first test (Technician). If you want to learn more about the process, check out www.arrl.org.

Makes complete sense. Thank you.
Thank you for drawing me a pic! I’m a millennial so my reading comprehension is not great….i had to say this, this was a play on from another threat where the boomers are trashing us for having no reading comprehension or cursive abilities.
(their kids taught us)
Also being from the Y generation I alway want to know Y.

Tbh i dont think the other operators here know this. If so they have remained silent.
Iv ask what’s the point in having a license if they don’t enforce it? Response ” its law and the respectable thing to do”
Brings me to my next question if I’m told this then why do they promote the baofeng if it’s all over the place and fcc does not really respect it? Goes against what I’m told. Boomers smh.
Just do as I say is not good enough!


Back to your analogy-
Is there a pro to having the shotgun?
What handheld is better than the shotgun or baofeng?

 

[dlbleak]

Keep in mind that if you don’t have a call sign, almost no one will talk to you.