[FedCom] FRS Radios

[ken windyka]

Hey folks, I wonder if there's some confusion on the FRS radios (civilian
FRS freqs vs government FRS freqs).  As you know the government now has
those 14 frequencies in the 398-399 mhz band & the 1/2 watt radios are on
the GSA buy schedule.  I understand the radios are around $85.00 a piece,
which is still pricy.

I know that the Air Force guidance in the past seemed to allow "off the
shelf" unlicensed radio equipment to be used in non critical type functions
within the US.  Surprisingly Civil Air Patrol actually put out a policy
against the use of FRS radios by it's members.  Didn't seem to me to make
much sense since volunteers general pay for the radio equipment out of
their own funds.  So at a mission base or encampment area I would think
that these units (with CTCSS enabled) would work OK....  BUT it isn't my
"pond" to worry about.

BTW I've been monitoring the 398-399 mhz area for almost 5 months now &
have yet to hear any traffic!!!

Ken Windyka
Springfield MA Monitoring Area   


At 10:37 AM 7/4/02 -0500, you wrote:
>It IS incredible how many agencies are using FRS radios.  It makes
>perfect sense.  I work for a governmental agency.  I purchased five VHF
>radios for simplex work on a frequency licensed to my company.  The best
>price I could get was nearly a thousand bucks each!!!!!!  Of course they
>were Motorola rigs.  Another department had the same issue and they
>bought FRS radios for less than $100 a pair!  They get better service,
>range out of them than the stuff I bought.