Buy Motorola T5950 AA 5-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios (Pair)Motorola T5950 AA 5-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios (Pair) Product Description:
- 22 channels
- 5-mile range
- NOAA weather channels
- Backlit LCD screen
- VOX (hands free) capable
Product Description
5950US2AYLAA (2 pack) Yellow FRS requires AA batteries
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful.
NO FCC LICENSE REQUIRED
By FOX
FIRST, TO CLEAR UP THE FACTS ON THE LICENSE REQUIRMENT:This radio uses BOTH GMRS AND FRS frequencies. It is perfectly legal for anyone to buy and use this radio on the FRS channels only, and not require a license. Even the OWNER'S MANUAL states that the FCC requires you get a license IF you use the GMRS frequencies. And even THAT is not completely correct, because many of the channels are SHARED by BOTH FRS AND GMRS!On the shared channels, one without a license would only be able to use 1/2 watt instead of 1 watt.This unit happens to use 1 watt on the shared channels, and 1/2 watt on the FRS only channels.Thus, although it would be perfectly legal for anyone to buy and use this particular model on channels 8 - 14 without the FCC requiring you to have a license, channels 1 - 7 are also FRS, and would also be legal to use without a license, you just can not use 1 watt, which this unit does use on channels 1 - 7.However, being a licensed radio technician holding both commercial and ham radio licenses, I can ASSURE you that there is NO WAY anyone listening to you on channels 1 - 7 would EVER be able to tell that you are using 1 watt instead of 1/2 watt! That is IMPOSSIBLE and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.The ONLY way would be for someone to TAKE your radio and measure the output power directly, but if they are just listening to you talk on this, even with the most sophisticated technology and equipment, they would never be able to tell if you are using 1 watt or 1/2 watt.Also be assured that no one, including the FCC is going to be driving around the country listening to the millions of kids using these radios, tracking them down, and checking to see if they are using licensed output power or not, especially since we are only talking 1 watt here! A CB radio uses 4 watts! And you don't need a license for that either.Now using channels 15 - 22 are GMRS ONLY frequencies, which means, although no one listening can tell how many watts you are using, no one without a license is supposed to be talking on those channels without a license no matter what output power. However, no one listening can tell if you have a license or not, they don't know who you are, or where you are at, let alone if you have a license or not unless they tracked you down and asked to see it, and not even a police officer has the authority to do that, only the FCC has the authority to do that, and they don't go around doing this, they only go out if there has been a complaint, and that is usually about people running high powered 100 watt or more pirate radio stations. Even then, the first case is a slap on the wrist telling you not to do it anymore. Only repeat offenders get fined for those much bigger violations,no family using this radio, even on the licensed channels without a license, are ever going to have to worry about anything.Every store from Walmart to Sporting Stores sell these radios and millions of American families are using them on the GMRS frequencies without getting a license.In fact, at one time CB radio had a license requirement too. But in the 70s, most didn't bother to get a license for that service either, and the FCC isn't going to find and fine millions of American citizens, so instead, what did they do?They ELIMINATED the license requirment for CB radio!Now NO LICENSE is required for CB radio today, and very soon, the same will be true for GMRS frequencies, just as they recenlty became for the itinerant business band frequencies, because if millions of people don't follow the laws, then the laws change to follow the people.But although at the time of this writing, yes, technically using the GMRS frequencies or one watt power of this particular model without a license is illegal, it is perfectly legal for you to own and use this radio on the FRS channels that operate with a half watt.If you forget which ones are legal to use or not without the license, just look at the display. The channels with the light "walkie talkie" icon are legal for everyone to use, the dark colored icon displays on the channels using 1 watt, which require the license.But again, I assure you, no one listening is going to HEAR or MEASURE a difference between 1 watt and a half watt! Just as if YOU listen to others on these radios, you can't tell who is using 1 watt or a half watt, who is licensed and who is not, and nor would YOU care or go and check other people to see if they are operating legaly or not either. Nor do you have the authority to demand to see anyone's FCC license.-------------------------------NOW ON TO THE REVIEW...I have had and used this set for a few years already, and these radios are GREAT. Being a licensed ham radio operator, I have a set of 2-meter VHF "walkie talkies" that operate on 5 watts and do not have the range and reliability that these 1 watt radios do! I now only use this set, and retired the ham radios, and going to many hamfests (a flea market exclusively with ham radio equipment and computers) many other hams are doing the same thing as I see a lot of these around recently.If you want to know about features, you can download the PDF file of the owner's manual to get that info.About all I can add, is that I have found (and read other people saying the same thing on the internet) is that Motorola FRS radios tend to not pick up or hear other brand FRS radios as well as it's own, and this set even has a feature to insure that even more. I like this, as I don't want to hear other people with the cheap sets, only my friends and family. Since most people won't spend the money for a good set of Motorolas, and instead buy the $15 or $30 set at Walmart, This insures me I don't have to hear as many of those people, let them buy the inferior brands.However, They still tend to hear you, but that is their problem, not yours.Perhaps next time they will do some research BEFORE they go out and purchase something.
2 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
FCC LICENSE REQUIRED
By ltng92
Attention buyers: Use of this product within the United States REQUIRES THE PURCHASE OF AN $80 FCC LICENSE because this product operates on radio frequencies in the General Mobile Radio Service. Unauthorized use of this product WILL RESULT IN A FINE OF UP TO $10,000! For more information, visit www.gmrs.net.tc or wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/generalmobile.
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