Multi-Use Radio Service
History: The FCC authorized these channels from the business band to be a short-distance two-way communications. These were previously in the business/industrial radio band so you may hear businesses using them. There are some consumer and commercial equipment that uses data transfer on these frequencies. Example: Dakota Driveway Alarms
Availability: Not as common as FRS radios and more expensive. Available at local/online radio shops and at Amazon/Ebay.
License Needed: No
Use: Personal or Business
Range: Will vary by obstructions like buildings, trees, or hills. Typically less than 2-3 miles for a handheld, but could be 10+ miles for a antenna that is placed high up. Repeaters are not allowed.
Equipment needed: Any Make or Model of MURS radio that is certified by the FCC under Part 95. You can check a radio’s certification by looking in the FCC online database.
Antenna: Attached or Detached. Detached antenna height is limited to 20 feet above a structure or 60 feet above ground, whichever is the greater.
Output: 2 Watts
Modulation: Frequency Modulation (FM), Narrowband Frequency Modulation (FMN), and Data
Channels: 5 channels. Walmart on their licensed VHF business radios includes MURS 4 and MURS 5. These are shared channels, but they have a historical business license for these frequencies. Do not interfere with them or you may find a FCC notice in your mailbox.
Emergency Channel: No official channel, but consider using channels 1 and 3
| Channel | Frequency (MHz) | Modulation | Bandwidth (kHz) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 151.820 | FMN | 11.25 | |
| 2 | 151.880 | FMN | 11.25 | |
| 3 | 151.940 | FMN | 11.25 | Unofficial Emergency Channel |
| 4 | 154.570 | FMN / FM | 11.25 / 20 | Grandfathered business channel, also known as Blue Dot |
| 5 | 154.600 | FMN / FM | 11.25 / 20 | Grandfathered business channel, also known as Green Dot |