The FCC established the MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) in 2000, and it remains a largely untapped two-way radio gem. No license is required. Operation is on VHF (Very High Frequency) and maximum legal transmit power is two watts.
When MURS opened, transmitters already operating legally on the frequencies, including devices that send telecommand and telemetry, were grandfathered into the new regulations. Those beeps, tones and digital signals are common in some areas.
It’s usually not a concern, except the service has only five channels—151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, 151.940 MHz, 154.570 MHz and 154.600 MHz. That limited airspace can get crowded in major metropolitan areas. Even trying to punch a signal through in a rural location near a big-box store—like Walmart, which relies on MURS to stay in touch with employees—can be frustrating.
Shines Brightly in Remote Regions
This untapped two-way radio gem shines in wilderness or remote regions. There hearing someone else on air is rare and its VHF operation is reliable, noise-free and cleaner sounding than CB. The maximum power allowed and frequency limit its theoretical transmit distance, but by maintaining line of sight (even if you can’t visually “see” the other station) the performance difference between the two is significant.
When MURS was first established the five channels were unofficially designated with different colored dots—a holdover partially used to this day. The first three frequencies (channels) are referred to as MURS one through three and are limited to narrowband operation. The latter pair are Blue Dot and Green Dot, respectively, where wideband is allowed.
Features
The use of repeaters and amplifiers on MURS is not legal. External antennas are, however. Taller, permanently installed versions vastly improve things for base-stations, although certain height limits apply. Removable antennas are allowed, granting owners of walkie-talkies the ability to install aftermarket versions to improve performance. It’s a wise choice to purchase one with a removable antenna for that reason.
The inaudible signals carried by a transmission to activate the speaker on a receiving unit—too often inaccurately described at privacy tones or subchannels by some manufacturers—are allowed. A radio with that feature remains silent until it hears that tone from a similarly programmed radio. The feature silences annoying and unwanted chatter on that channel, but there are drawbacks addressed later in this book.
Why It Remains an Untapped Two-Way Radio Gem
MURS has yet to catch on like other no-license-required radio services. The limited number of channels, relative bulk of the radios, low power and antenna length are culprits in the relative obscurity. Unlike CB, it also hasn’t been the focus of a song that topped the charts.