[Asterisk-Users] Re: FRS radios on *

[Rich Adamson]

>  >>GMRS, FRS and MURS radios may not be interconnected with the PSTN (47
> > > CFR 95.141). There has been a lot of talk from lobbyists to clarify this
> > > rule, but as it stands you could conceivably connect a *private* network
> > > to GMRS or MURS radios (you can't make any plugins or modifications to
> > > an FRS radio that isn't type accepted with the radio, so connecting a
> > > phone line or * box would be out). The language is vague, see the
> > > history at http://www.provide.net/~prsg/
> 
>  > Would plugging into the headphone jack with a phone-patch-type device
>  > be considered a modification for radios with vox capability?
> 
> It seems dumb, but that's the way the rules are written. A patch would 
> be "other apparatus" wouldn't it?
> 
> Sec. 95.*194* (*FRS* Rule 4) *FRS* units.
> 
> (a) You may only use an FCC certified *FRS* unit. (You can identify an
> FCC certified *FRS* unit by the label placed on it by the manufacturer.)
> (b) You must not make, or have made, any internal modification to an
> *FRS* unit. Any internal modification cancels the FCC certification and
> voids your authority to operate the unit in the *FRS*.
> (c) You may not attach any antenna, power amplifier, or other
> apparatus to an *FRS* unit that has not been FCC certified as part of that
> *FRS* unit. There are no exceptions to this rule and attaching any such
> apparatus to a *FRS* unit cancels the FCC certification and voids
> everyone's authority to operate the unit in the *FRS*.
> (d) *FRS* units are prohibited from transmitting data in store-and-
> forward packet operation mode.
> 
> [61 FR 28768, June 6, 1996, as amended at 68 FR 9901, Mar. 3, 2003]

Guess if I read that literally, connecting * via a phone patch would be
acceptable since we've not modified the radio, and * voice (not voip)
is certainly not store-n-forward.

If the so-called phone patch accepted voip packets and had some sort
of modem implementation, it could probabaly send very slow speed voip
data through the headset jack. That obviously assumes the headset jack
passes sufficient audio bandwidth to even support some form of modem.

Probably not worth the effort.