CB, FRS, GMRS, MURs And More!

Regular readers of Pop’Comm know that this column has been undergoing some changes in recent months. “On-The-Go Radio” had been for years, the popular “CB Scene.” Without a doubt, the single most obvious change has been the column’s name. And our change in name reflects our broadened change in scope. Personal radio services, as defined by the FCC, have become so much more than our familiar 27 MHz CB radio. For example, the General Mobile Radio Service or GMRS, is growing at a breathtaking rate. GMRS has been around longer, in one form or another, than 11-meter CB. But certain less-restrictive rule changes in the last three years or so combined with a new generation of consumer-grade transceivers, has raised public interest in this licensed personal radio service. The newer Family Radio Service (FRS), introduced in the latter half of the 1990’s has become highly popular. Here again, this has been due to very simple operational rules and a multitude of inexpensive consumer-grade equipment.