|
|
|
|
Please Support Our Advertisers FRS - Family Radio Service - What is it? Over the past few months we've been hearing more and more about the FRS radios. I know that over the past few weeks (June 1999) I've seen a marked increase in their usage in Ocean City, MD. Mind you, I wasn't listening (which isn't illegal yet) but I was seeing them being used. In one weekend I witnessed 6 or more different people actually talking on one of these little radios. Then I started looking what was hanging out of people pockets and there were MORE! I bet over the course of the weekend I had seen more than a dozen of these. Ok, I must admit I really haven't been paying attention to the talk about FRS until actually seeing these in use. Sorry to say that over the weekend I didn't know the frequency of these so I couldn't listen in. But guess what, I found them! Below you'll find a table which includes the freqs. FRS - Family Radio Service Frequencies
In 1995 the FCC (another worthless Big Brother agency) amended Part 95 of its Rules to establish a new personal radio service. This service is known as the Family Radio Service (FRS). This service was created to provide the public with an "affordable" and convenient means of communications over a short distance. And best of all, no licensing or fees will be required. And no monthly CELL phone fees! The FRS radios are limited to 1/2 watt output and have an average range of between 1 and 2 miles depending on manufacture. There are 14 channels, however, most FRS radios have CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) which means your FRS radios squelch will remain silent until it receives the correct digital code (38 different codes per channel) Some manufactures offer the ability to scan all 14 channels allowing you to easily listen in on other's conversations. I'm glad for this as then most people will get the idea these are RADIOS and not private TELEPHONES! I just hope there isn't a large FRS lobby group lining the pockets of congress in an effort to ban scanners which can receive FRS frequencies. I don't think this will happen, but in todays day an age who knows.... What I see happening is the FRS will become the CB radio of the 90's. This could be good in that it will get radio "newbies" into the hobby and get them wanting more. Just then they might get into Shortwave, Scanners, and Ham Radio (ok I'm dreaming). The more the public knows about the radio hobby the less fearful they'll be of it. If you want something different to listen to, put the FRS frequencies in your scanner and see what sounds come from your speaker.....
|
