Reliable Walkie Talkie?

MikeDupont wrote:
MURS completely legal on the Baofeng 2m/70cm and knockoffs so long as you stay on the low power setting. Last time I looked anyway.
Mainly use them responsibly and no one will bother you.

I dont know how Midland and Cobra (who make fine products) can sleep at night with some of the absurd range claims they put on their FRS radio packaging.

Unless the radio has FCC Part 95(j) acceptance, it's not legal for MURS. If it's capable of transmitting more than 2W on the MURS band (even if you can switch it to 2W manually), then it can't be type accepted for MURS.

But like you say, use them responsibly and it's unlikely that anyone will bother you. You're not 100% guaranteed to get away with it, I know some GMRS repeater operators in particular are protective of the GMRS bands and will track down unlicensed operators. You'd have more to fear if you were an Amateur radio operator since the FCC could yank your license *and* use your license status to prove that you should have known better and hit you with a large fine. As a HAM operator myself, I wouldn't risk it -- my FRS radios are type accepted, and since they are FRS/GMRS radios I'm licensed for GMRS use.


Here's the relevant FCC code sectioncode section for type certification:

95.2761 MURS transmitter certification.

(a) Each MURS transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended to operate in MURS) must be certified in accordance with this subpart and part 2 of this chapter.

(b) A grant of equipment certification will not be issued for any MURS transmitter type that fails to comply with all of the applicable rules in this subpart.

(c) A grant of equipment certification will not be issued for MURS transmitters capable of operating under both this subpart (MURS) and under any other subparts of this chapter (except part 15).