Radio Communications
Introduction
Thinking about joining Morgan Hill CERT? One of the easiest ways we stay connected with each other is by radio.
Morgan Hill and Gilroy CERTs use GMRS radios so neighbors can talk across town and with nearby communities when phones or the internet are down. We practice regularly on our CERT GMRS repeater. That way, when something real happens, we’re already used to the system. A few of us also use Amateur radios also known as Ham radio for other specialized communications.
GMRS is simply the set of frequencies used by many common handheld “walkie-talkies.” You need a license to transmit, but there is no test. You apply online with the FCC. It costs $35 and a single license is good for 10 years for you and your immediate family.
Our CERT members use GMRS radios that can reach the repeater. See below for the GMRS radio models we recommend.
About Repeaters
A repeater is a radio on high ground that hears you on one frequency and immediately says the same thing on another frequency, usually with more power.
That’s why two handhelds that can’t hear each other can still talk: both only need to reach the repeater.
If you can reach the repeater, you can talk to anyone else who can reach it too.
GMRS Licensing
To talk on a GMRS radio, you need a license from the FCC. There is no test. It is not like a ham radio license. The license costs $35, lasts 10 years, and covers you and your immediate family. The easiest way is to apply online through the FCC’s license system (ULS).
Here’s the simple online process for a GMRS license. It usually takes about ten to fifteen minutes.
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Go to the FCC’s free registration page at apps.fcc.gov/cores/publicHome.do.
Create an account with your name, address, email, and Social Security number.
You will get a ten-digit FCC Registration Number, called an FRN. Write it down. -
Go to the FCC’s license system at https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp.
Log in with your FRN and the password you just made. -
On the left side of the screen, click “Apply for a New License.”
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In the drop-down list, choose “ZA – General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).”
Click Continue. -
Check that your name and address are correct.
Answer the short questions, including whether you have any felony convictions. -
Type your name in the signature boxes to sign the form.
Click Submit. -
Pay the thirty-five dollar fee with a credit or debit card.
The system will show you the amount. -
Wait a few business days.
You will get an email with your license and a call sign.
Print a copy and keep it with your radio.
That’s it. No test, no paper forms needed.
GMRS Net Protocol & Script
Our South Santa Clara County CERT (Morgan Hill and Gilroy CERTs) hold a GMRS Net every Monday at 6:30pm. For more information download our current GMRS Net Protocol & Script.
A GMRS net is just a scheduled radio check-in. Think of it as practice talking on the phone, except the “phone” is your radio.
Each time you join, you do the real steps you would need in an emergency:
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Turn the radio on
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Find the right channel
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Listen first
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Press the button, say your first name and your call sign, let go of the button
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Hear someone answer you
That sounds small. It is not. Most people freeze the first time they have to talk on a radio. A weekly net takes the freeze out of it.
You also learn your own radio: which knob is volume, which is channel, how loud you need to speak, how long to wait after you press the button, and what it sounds like when the repeater is working. You find dead batteries and wrong settings at home on a Monday night, not during a power outage or other emergency.
And you hear other CERT neighbors. You learn who is on the air, how they sound, and that it is normal to stumble a little. By the time something real happens, the radio already feels familiar—and so does using your voice on it.
Recommended GMRS Hand Held Radios
If you want a hand held GMRS radio that is simple, solid, and legal to use, we recommend the Wouxun KG-805G. It is a handheld radio made for GMRS. It is FCC certified. It costs about $80. You can buy it here. We have also tested the following Wouxun models and found them to be just as solid: KG-905G, SG88, and the KG-935.
A budget friendly GMRS radio that we have tested and costs around $33 is the TidRadio H3. You can buy it here.
