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of how convoluted these processes are. Maybe others keep up with all their stuff on ham...I don't, because I don't really use ham gear much and only off-road so my veiw may be a little warped, I need to get a GMRS license since it seems a lot of people are using that off-road too.
Yeah, their website sucks. I was trying to figure out how to get the GMRS registration because it seems be the choice of organized events. I hardly ever use my HAM radio because I don't go out with the club very often. I have a CB too but we all know how much they suck. In the process of refreshing my FCC account, looking up my FRN, I discovered that my HAM license had expired more than 2 years ago. It's not like I carry my registration card with me everywhere I go and pay attention to the expiration date. And I've moved 2 times since I got it originally so even if the FCC sent me an expiration/renewal notice, it has been years since I lived at the address of record they have for me. There is no way it ever would have been forwarded to me. So now I think I'm just screwed.yes I had to re-new mine....which expired, I don't recall how much time it was...but likely was a matter of months (the expired time). It worked and was painful.
I've yet to understand the logic of the FCC web site, its in my words "mind numbing"..... From my memory I think the process was very similar to the initial application...its been some time since I did this though.
I too wanted to get a GMRS license the other day and was looking around and the painful memories (resurfaced)
Well at least my misery can be a lesson to someone.
Yeah
I just ordered a Midland MXT275 with extended range 6dB whip antenna. It's a 15W unit where the head unit gets stashed into a console or glove box and the controls are on the mic. Hopefully it works a lot better than the CB and equally as well as my Yaesu VX-7R HT.
midlandusa.com
Do you mind sharing the link for the licenses?
Do you mind sharing the link for the licenses?
forum.ih8mud.com
Got that same GMRS radio. Very good and small.
I think I started here and then found myself get lost in a rabbit hole. Then several hours later I started to figure out where I was and crawled out of the hole. Eventually, I figured it out. But the first big hurdle is to make sure you have an FCC Registration Number (FRN). It seems to be the secret decoder that all other activities require to do anything. I had an FRN because of my past Ham license but I didn't know what it was. So then I searched for it and wrote it down when I found it. Then, I had to set up and online account with the FCC. Then, I had to link my FRN to my FCC account. Once that was all completed, things got a little easier (not easy, just easier). Oh, and if you decide you need to buy a GMRS license, the license type is at the very bottom of the list of licenses: known as a Radio Service "ZA". Oh, and you can't just apply for your license and then pay for it all at the same time. You have to submit your license application first. Then you can look up your payment status on a separate website, I think it was called CORES, and it will tell you if you owe money. Once you pay, you don't get any confirmation that you paid, it just dumps you back out at the starting page. You have to then log into that system again because there aren't any useful links on that homepage to see if you still owe money. Lastly, you might get an email in 24-48 hours telling you that you have been granted a license. It's mind-numbingly complicated. It's like I went back 25 years in history and am trying to navigate webpages designed in the last millenium.Do you mind sharing the link for the licenses?
midlandusa.com
Marc,
Now to program them….
it's easy to program them using the free CHIRP software. It's been a while since I did this so I need to refresh my memory. I see that Baofeng now ships a CD with their radios and i'm curious what that's all about.Now to program them….
Good to know, thanks!
