So why would you want to use GMRS? That depends on your circumstances. There are many application variations that are legally compliant with the FCC Rules, but the majority of GMRS radios are used by small business operators without a license because their supplier told them a license wasn't necessary. One supplier makes a decent living selling GMRS radios to hospital emergency room operations. They apparently don't know the difference and he doesn't care. One day, they may get a surprise visit by the guys in the black Fords, but that's another story.
There are a lot of things that GMRS is and a lot of things it is not. Let's deal with the "not's" first. It is not to replace your cell phone unless the other cell phone is no more than several miles away and it is not for business or governmental use. GMRS is only for personal and family use and although there are a number of channels available, it is not a souped up UHF Citizens Band radio service. GMRS can not be used without a license, unless you want to run the risk of running afoul with the enforcement folks at the FCC who can make your life miserable and the license is only for a single frequency or frequency pair as applicable. An FCC license does not give you the right to use all GMRS channels - only the one you are licensed for unless another licensed user grants you WRITTEN permission to use their system in accord with the provisions of the applicable FCC Rules.
The real question is why should YOU use GMRS,and in particular what manufacturer, product, and supplier should you choose? As to the supplier, we think that should be us. As to the manufacturer, we specifically recommend either one of three - HeadLine, Ritron, or TEKK. We offer other brands, but these are the three that we have found to offer a good combination of quality, performance, reliability, and affordability. Additional information on the HeadLine radio is available at www.tecnetradios.com in the Our Products section. Additional information on Ritron is available at www.info4u.us/slxgmrs.pdf. This is an excellent site for background information. For more information on TEKK radios fo to www.falcondirect.com/tekk. Lastly, if price is important and you still demand features, performance and reliability, please visit www.falcondirect.com/70-440bp for more information on the very affordable Midland 70-440bp. This is an outstanding value!
Before you make your final decision, you may want to review the available information on the MURS system by clicking on the tab at the top of the page or the FHSS system by clicking here.
