29 April 2017

FCC Legalises DX-Ing and Higher Powered FRS



The FCC in the US has announced rule changes affecting the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), the Family Radio Service (FRS), Citizens Band Radio, as well as other applications under the FCC’s Part 95 Personal Radio Services (PRS) rules and regulations. Part 95 devices typically are low-power units that do not require an individual user license from the FCC. 



In a nutshell the changes mean that the current rules which actually make DX-Ing illegal in the US will be abolished and the output power of the Family Radio Service (Equivalent to the EU's PMR446 service) will be increased to 2 watts(So basically a UHF CB Radio system now). 


It's amazing to think that it has always been illegal in the US for two stations to communicate if they are more than 155 miles apart so all of those American stations you have spoken to on 27.385 over the years have been breaking the law!!!! (Of course nobody cares or takes any notice of this silly rule!)


Below you can find the new GMRS and FRS channel allocations:

   (Click to enlarge)

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