The Driveway
Alarm Multi-Use Radio Service
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What
is the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS?)
2. Where did MURS come from?
3. Are personal and family communications permitted?
4. Is MURS "VHF CB"?
5. What are the MURS channels?
6. Do I need a license to operate
an MURS unit?
7. Is my MURS radio an unlicensed Part 15 "intentional radiator"?
8. Must I identify my MURS station or transmissions?
9. May I communicate from my MURS radio to a Business Radio licensed station
on the same frequency?
10. May I set my MURS radios up as a repeater station?
11. May I connect an external antenna or power amplifier to my MURS radio?
12. May I connect my MURS radio to the telephone?
13. May I broadcast music over my MURS radio?
14. May I use my MURS radio to transmit one-way paging messages?
15. May I use my MURS radio to transmit data communications?
16. May I operate my MURS radio anywhere?
17. May I transmit continuously over my MURS
radio?
18. Do I need to listen to the MURS channel before
I transmit?
19. Doesn't my radio monitor the channel before transmitting?
20. What kind of range can I get from a MURS radio?
21. How does MURS compare with other radio services?
22. How much does a MURS radio cost?
23. When and where can I get MURS radios?
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1. What is the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)? MURS is
a private, two-way, short-distance voice or data communications
service for personal or business activities of the general public.
It is not available for the transmission of images. [95.401(e)]
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2. Where did MURS come from? The MURS
frequencies were formerly available exclusively to licensees in
the Business Radio Service. The FCC created MURS as an unlicensed,
Part 95 service in order
- to drop the licensing
requirement (so long the technical conditions are met), and
- to permit personal
communications as well as business communications.
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3. Are personal and family communications
permitted? Yes. Even
though the five MURS frequencies were formerly available only for business communications (authorized under 90.31 of the FCC
Rules), the FCC's creation of the MURS makes those frequencies
also available for personal and family communications. Business
communications are also still permitted. No one type has any preference
or any other type, except that all communications must yield to any emergency communication on the same channel.
[95.1301]
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4. Is
MURS "VHF CB"? Yes. MURS
is the only "VHF Citizens Band" in the United States available
for general two-way voice and data communications. MURS is
one of five Citizens Band Radio Services. (See 95.401.) The others
are the (original) Citizens Band Radio Service at 27 MHz, the
Low Power Radio Service (LPRS) at 216-217 MHz, the Medical Implant
Communications Service (MICS), the Family Radio Service (FRS)
at 460 MHz, and the Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS). The General
Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) at 460 MHz is sometimes (if incorrectly)
described as "the old UHF CB." That description has no legal or
historical basis in fact. GMRS is the former Class A of the Citizens
Radio Service, but was never "Citizens Band" as such. LPRS,
though legally a form of CB, allows only certain limited uses
including theft tracking, auditory and health care assistance
devices and control stations in automated maritime radio networks.
No two-way voice communications are permitted in LPRS. MICS and
WMTS, though also legally a form of CB, allow only certain limited
medical telemetry transmissions, usually in a hospital or health-care
setting. The FCC
is currently considering an additional CB service. "Personal Locator
Beacons" (PLBs) would be alerting devices that persons would be
able to use in remote areas to summon assistance in emergencies. MURS,
CB, GMRS, FRS, WMTS and LPRS are all members of the Personal Radio
Services as designated by the FCC. The Personal Radio Services
should not be confused with the Personal Communications Services
(PCS) in the 900 and 1900 MHz bands.
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5. What are the MURS channels? Channel
(MHz) [95.632] 151.820
MHz
151.880 MHz
151.940 MHz
154.570 MHz
154.600 MHz
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6. Do I need a license to operate a MURS
unit? No license
will be issued, and none is required. [95.1301] You are allowed
to operate a MURS unit if you are not a representative of a foreign
government, and if you cooperate in the selection and use of channels
in order to reduce interference to others. [95.1309]
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7. Is my MURS radio an unlicensed Part 15
"intentional radiator" like a cordless phone? No. It
is a radio station in the Citizens Band Radio Service, "authorized
by rule" (rather than by license) under the Communications Act. Unlike
Part 15 intentional radiators, MURS users are subject to
operator rules. MURS radios
must be manufactured to meet, and must be operated to comply with,
the technical standards found in Part 95. MURS radios must be
certificated (FCC approved) in accordance with 95.603 of the FCC
Rules. Radios that were certificated for MURS use under the Business
Radio Service rules (90.203) prior to the date of implementation
of the new MURS rules (November 12, 2002) may also be used, even
if they were manufactured or first used after that date.
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8.
Must I identify my MURS station or transmissions? You do
not need to identify your MURS station by any particular call sign
or other designation. [95.1305]
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9. May I communicate from my MURS radio to
a Business Radio Service-licensed station
on the same frequency? Yes, you
may communicate with former BRS licensees of these frequencies. In implementing
the new MURS Rules, the FCC removed these frequencies from the
Business Radio Service (BRS). Persons who believe that they are
operating in MURS under an existing FCC license may not have learned
yet that these frequencies are no longer part of the BRS. These
former licensees must comply with all of the new MURS rules except
those where the previous BRS rules granted some additional or
less restrictive operation. A "grandfathered" former BRS-licensed
user may also continue to operate under the condition of any special
waiver authorized on his/her/its former BRS license. [95.1317]
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10. May I set my MURS radios up as a repeater
station? The FCC
prohibits using any MURS frequency as the input or the output
of a conventional repeater (a station that retransmits a signal
nearly simultaneously on a different frequency), unless that station
was specifically licensed for such operation under Part 90. The
FCC also prohibits "store-and-forward" packet stations (which
retransmits the digital signal after a time delay, often [but
not necessarily] on the same frequency). [95.1311]
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11. May I connect an external antenna or
power amplifier to my MURS radio? The FCC
Rules permit connecting an external antenna to your MURS radio.
However, the Rules limit the height of your antenna to a maximum
of 20 feet over the mounting structure (exclusive of the tower,
mast or pole on which it is mounted), or to 60 feet above ground,
whichever is greater. (These are the same limits that apply to
the original Citizens Band Radio Service at 27 MHz.) [95.1315] The FCC
Rules [95.1311] prohibit connecting your MURS radio to a "booster"
or to a power amplifier. The Rules limit you to a maximum of 2
watts transmitter power output (TPO). [95.639(h)]
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12. May I connect my MURS radio to the telephone? The MURS
Rules prohibit connecting a MURS station to the public switched
telephone network. [95.1313] The only
exception will be for stations authorized under a Part 90 (Business
Radio Service) license as of November 13, 2000, if that BRS license
specifically authorized interconnection with the public switched
telephone network on that frequency.
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13. May I broadcast music over my MURS radio? The MURS
Rules [95.1307(a)] permit the transmission of voice or data signals.
The Rules do not address the issue of transmitting music or other
sounds.
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14. May I use my MURS radio to transmit one-way
paging messages? The MURS
Rules do not prohibit tone or voice paging.
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15. May I use my MURS radio to transmit data
communications? Yes, so
long as the emissions are authorized in 95.633 of the FCC Rules.
The maximum authorized bandwidth is 11.25 KHz on the three 151
MHz frequencies (151.820 MHz, 151.800 MHz and 151.940 MHz). The
maximum authorized bandwidth is 20.0 KHz on the two 154 MHz frequencies
(154.570 MHz and 154.600 MHz). [95.631(j)] FCC Rules
require that you transmit on a MURS frequency only with
a radio model certificated for MURS. You may transmit data communications
in MURS only if the radio is certificated for data communications,
or of those transmissions otherwise comply with the rules and those transmissions can be imposed on a conventional voice emission.
You may not make any internal modifications or additions
to a MURS radio to transmit data communications. However,
the FCC Rules prohibit the retransmission of data signals,
for instance in a store-and-forward packet network. [95.1311]
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16. May I operate my MURS radio anywhere? You may
operate your MURS radio anywhere the FCC Rules permit CB operation.
[95.1303] If you
want to use MURS aboard a vessel owned or operated by a U.S. citizen
or company, you will need permission from the captain. [95.1303(a)(2)] You must not operate your MURS radio aboard any aircraft in flight.
[95.1303(b)] There
are additional requirements with which you must comply if you
wish to operate a MURS radio in Puerto Rico or certain other Caribbean
Islands, in order to avoid interference to the Arecibo Observatory.
[95.1303(c)]
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17. May I transmit continuously over my MURS
radio? No, with
one exception: A station authorized under a Part 90 (Business
Radio Service) license as of November 13, 2000, may continue to
make such continuous transmissions under the conditions and on
the specific frequencies authorized on that former license. [95.631(j)]
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18. Must I listen to the MURS channel before
I transmit? You must
share the channel with other users [95.1309(a)], and you must
monitor before transmitting. [95.1307(d)] The FCC considers these
requirements to be essential in a shared-use service. Also,
you must at all times and on all MURS channels, give priority
to emergency messages.
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19. Doesn't my radio monitor the channel
before transmitting? The FCC
does not require that radios do this by themselves. If your MURS
radio has some form of "selective calling" or "receiver muting,"
you must first disable this function and monitor "open frequency"
before you transmit.
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20. What kind of range can I get from a MURS
radio? At the
150 MHz frequencies of MURS, communications range is dependent
on antenna height relative to the surrounding environment. Range
between two handheld MURS radios will vary, but should be between a half mile to perhaps several miles (in open terrain with
no obstacles). If you are using the radios inside a vehicle, the
range will be somewhat less. An advantage
of MURS is that you may connect an external antenna to your radio.
Using an antenna mounted on the vehicle's roof, and communicating
with another similar unit, you should expect to get at least a couple of miles (except in the most harsh conditions), and possibly up to ten miles or more. Using
a base station-type antenna, you should be able to communicate
with a vehicular-type MURS unit described in the previous paragraph
over a range of three to perhaps ten or fifteen miles.
From that same base station, you might get two to six miles communicating
with a MURS handheld radio. Base-to-base
station communications should be possible over at least several
miles, perhaps up to twenty miles or more on a clear channel.
However, this kind of operation is not consistent with the traditional
use of these frequencies for short-range base-to-mobile and mobile-to-mobile
communications. There
are other factors that affect communications range. An especially
important consideration is channel occupancy. In most urban
areas, some MURS frequencies (especially the two MURS 154 MHz
frequencies) are already heavily populated with handheld and mobile
operations, and (on some channels) base stations as well.
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21. How does MURS compare with other unlicensed
and personal radio services? Compared
with FRS (Family Radio Service) at 460 MHz:
-
MURS
(at 150 MHz) permits four times more power (2 Watts TPO instead
the 0.500 Watts ERP limit for FRS).
At
MURS frequencies, signals bend over hills better, but FRS
signals are better at bouncing off of surfaces and penetrating
into/escaping out of buildings.
-
You
may connect a MURS radio to an external or exterior antenna.
FRS radios must employ a non-detachable antenna. For vehicle-to-vehicle
operation with external (roof-mount) antennas, MURS should
provide three to ten (or more) times the range possible
with FRS radios.
Compared
with GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) at 460 MHz:
-
GMRS
handheld radios have typically two to five watts transmitter
power. GMRS vehicular units transmit typically with ten to
50 watts. There is no limit on the ERP of GMRS stations operating
on the primary channels. GMRS stations may transmit
with no more the 5 Watts ERP on the seven "interstitial" frequencies
(those shared with the FRS).
GMRS
operation requires an FCC license.
At
MURS frequencies, signals bend over hills better, but GMRS
signals are better at bouncing off of surfaces and penetrating
into/escaping out of buildings.
For
vehicle-to-vehicle operation with external (roof-mount) antennas,
MURS should provide one-and-a-half to four times the range
possible with GMRS handheld radios also connected to roof-mount
antennas. Depending on the surrounding terrain, MURS units
connected to roof-mounted antennas might even outperform full-power
(50 watt) GMRS mobile units, although the GMRS units should
have a greater range in open terrain.
-
Many
GMRS radios can communicate through repeater stations for
extended range (typically up to twenty miles or more, sometimes much more). The new FCC Rules will prohibit repeaters
in MURS.
Compared
with CB (Citizens Band Radio) at 27 MHz:
- CB radios may
transmit with more power than MURS units may, but communications
range is highly dependent on channel congestion and atmospheric
conditions. CB communications can also be significantly degraded
by noise from vehicle ignition systems and from other man-made
sources. CB signals bend
over hills and around obstacles much better than MURS (at
150 MHz) or FRS/GMRS (at 460 MHz) signals. Vehicle-to-vehicle
MURS communications will probably be comparable and possibly
quite superior to that available in the CB service.
- MURS communications
will not suffer from the kind of long-range "skip" interference
frequently encountered on CB radio at 27 MHz.
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22. How much does a MURS radio cost? The typical
price for equipment currently available is $100 to $500.
We expect prices to drop if equipment manufacturers go into mass
production of MURS-certificated radio models.
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23. When and where can I get MURS radios? Radios
suitable and permissible for use in MURS are available now from many mail-order and on-line radio dealers and retailers.
More models are expected in the near future. However,
a problem that you may encounter is that some of these current
and older models may still be labeled as requiring an FCC license.
Some models also include an operating capability on nearby but
non-MURS frequencies. (Authority to operate on those non-MURS
frequencies does require an FCC license!) To determine
if a particular radio is permissible to use as a MURS station,
you will need to verify
- that it is certificated specifically and exclusively for MURS use under
the new FCC Rules;
or
- that it is currently
certificated (type-approved) for Part 90 operation, and was
certificated for this use prior to November 12, 2002;
-
that
the frequency(ies) on which it will operate are authorized
in the MURS;
that
its transmitter power output (TPO) does not exceed a maximum
2 Watts, and that the radio has no provision for increasing
its TPO above that limit [95.649];
-
that
the maximum deviation is not greater than +/- 2.5 KHz (or
+/- 5.0 KHz and it transmits only on the two MURS 154 MHz
frequencies); and
-
that
the transmitter maximum bandwidth does not exceed 11.25 KHz
on the three 151 MHz MURS frequencies, or 20.0 KHz on the
two 154 MHz MURS frequencies. Also see Question 15 above.
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