Northern Indiana REACT C-100

GMRS stands for 'General Mobile Radio Service.' It has been around for quite some time. It is a licensed radio service consisting of 16 channels. Two of these have been designed NATIONAL EMERGENCY CHANNELS. The frequencies are: 462.675 Mhz (main output and GMRS Emergency and assistance channel) and 467.675 (repeater input).

Since 1984, Northern Indiana REACT C-100 has had a designed Emergency Repeater in South Bend with the following uses:

1. Emergency Disaster Communications for REACT members, Memorial Hospital (where the repeater is located), St. Joseph County Emergency Management, and others if necessary.

2. Emergency Assistance by licensed GMRS users

3. Motorist/Public Assistance by licensed GMRS users.

4. Communications for REACT members only.

However, for the last several years, people of various ages, who own FRS (Family Radio Service 14 channel / FRS-GMRS Hybrid 22 channel radios have been knowingly or unknowningly interferring with the areas emergency repeater that transmits and receives on the National Emergency Channels for GMRS.

FRS (Family Radio Service) is an unlicensed radio service consisting of 14 channels with only 1/2 watt of power. They use frequences in 462.5625 - 462.7125 Mhz. and 467.5625-467.7125 Mhz FRS/GMRS Hybrid Radios have 22 channels (14 Legal unlicensed FRS plus 8 licensed GMRS channels and run extra power, which requires a FCC license for GMRS.

How is the repeater being interferred with and how can this STOP?

As you read before, 467.675 is the input to the repeater and 462.675 is the transmit from the repeater. Those who are transmitting within 1/2 to possibly as far out as 1 mile from the repeater at Memorial Hospital in downtown South Bend on channel 13 (467.6875 Mhz.) and channel 14 (467.7125 Mhz). are causing bleadover, which 467.675 is picking up. It is a natural issue with the design of FRS/FRS-GMRS hybrid radios. Please note that when the radios were designed, frequencies such as the repeater input freqency of 467.675 Mhz. were not programmed into the store bought radios.

So Northern Indiana REACT and Heart of Michiana REACT are asking you to please avoid these two channels. We also ask that if you are doing the following:

1. Broadcasting using the HIGH POWER SETTING on your radio.

2. Broadcasting above Channel 14

and you do not have a license, that you need to go online to http://www.fcc.gov and get your GMRS license. The license costs $85.00 and is good for 5 years. GMRS users are required to identity themselves using a callsign that is given by the FCC. Failure to get your GMRS license and getting caught by the FCC or area law enforcement talking illegally means a stiff fine, your radio being taken away, and possibly you going to jail/prison. SO PLAY IT SAFE.

Now you are wondering, well doesn't this sound like we don't want you to broadcast on FRS / GMRS Channel 20 (462.675 Mhz.). The answer is only if you have an emergency, need assistance, or are a member of REACT. If you meet these requirements, there will be someone monitoring that will be glad to help. IF YOU ARE NOT HOWEVER a REACT member, have an emergency, or need assistance, we request that you go to a channel lower than 14 (or 12 if you are within 1/2 to almost a mile from Memorial Hospital.

Thank you for your time!

NIR C-100