STAYING IN TOUCH: A GUIDE TO BUSINESS BAND FREQUENCIES ====================================================== Published: March 25, 2025 (updated May 3, 2025) Author: Daniel Conderman Context: Recovered Conderman.Group two-way-radio reference Original URL: https://conderman.group/2025/03/guide-to-business-band-frequencies-color-dot-murs-more/ Archival note: Licensing rules and equipment approvals can change. This guide preserves the source as published; confirm current FCC rules before transmitting. Two-way radio is not only for hams and first responders. Business-band frequencies include Color Dot channels, MURS, GMRS/FRS, and itinerant frequencies. With suitable equipment -- and licenses where required -- they support local communication for events, work crews, stores, and hobbyists. FREQUENCY CHART --------------- Name MHz Band License / source note ---------------------- -------- ---- -------------------------------------- MURS 1 151.820 VHF No; 2 W; simplex MURS 2 151.880 VHF No; 2 W MURS 3 151.940 VHF No; 2 W Red Dot 151.625 VHF Part 90; itinerant; up to 5 W Purple Dot 151.955 VHF Part 90; itinerant Blue Dot (MURS 4) 154.570 VHF No; 2 W Green Dot (MURS 5) 154.600 VHF No; 2 W VHF itinerant 151.505 VHF Part 90; up to 5 W VHF itinerant 151.5125 VHF Part 90; narrowband VHF itinerant 151.700 VHF Part 90; up to 5 W VHF itinerant 151.760 VHF Part 90 VHF itinerant 158.400 VHF Part 90; up to 5 W VHF itinerant 158.4075 VHF Part 90; narrowband White Dot (GMRS/FRS 15) 462.575 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less Black Dot (GMRS/FRS 16) 462.625 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less Orange Dot (GMRS/FRS 17)462.675 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less GMRS/FRS 14 462.5625 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less GMRS/FRS 18 462.600 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less GMRS/FRS 19 462.650 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less GMRS/FRS 20 462.6875 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less GMRS/FRS 21 462.700 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less GMRS/FRS 22 462.725 UHF GMRS yes; FRS no at 2 W or less Brown Dot 464.500 UHF Part 90; itinerant; up to 35 W Yellow Dot 464.550 UHF Part 90; itinerant; up to 35 W J Dot 467.7625 UHF Part 90; 2 W K Dot 467.8125 UHF Part 90; 2 W Silver Star 467.850 UHF Part 90; 2 W Gold Star 467.875 UHF Part 90; 2 W Red Star 467.900 UHF Part 90; 2 W Blue Star 467.925 UHF Part 90; 2 W UHF itinerant 451.800 UHF Part 90; pair 456.800; up to 35 W UHF itinerant 456.800 UHF Part 90; pair 451.800 UHF itinerant 451.8125 UHF Part 90; pair 456.8125; narrowband UHF itinerant 456.8125 UHF Part 90; pair 451.8125 UHF itinerant 469.500 UHF Part 90; pair 464.500 UHF itinerant 469.550 UHF Part 90; pair 464.550 VHF tends to offer better range in open or rural areas. UHF tends to perform better indoors and in cities. Itinerant frequencies support temporary or roving operations without frequency coordination, but remain shared. WHAT THE NAMES MEAN ------------------- Color Dot channels got their nicknames from the colored labels manufacturers used to help people match radios without memorizing frequencies. Blue Dot and Green Dot became part of license-free MURS; other Color Dot channels require a Part 90 license. J Dot and K Dot are low-power UHF itinerant channels. The Silver, Gold, Red, and Blue Star channels are likewise low-power UHF itinerant frequencies, often found in pre-programmed business radios. These require Part 90 licenses. MURS offers five VHF frequencies for license-free use with a 2-watt limit and no repeaters. FRS and GMRS share UHF channels: FRS permits low-power use with certified radios, while GMRS requires a personal license for higher power. LICENSING AND ETIQUETTE ----------------------- * Part 90: A business or organizational FCC license is required for Color Dot, Letter Dot, Star, and other listed itinerant channels. Licenses were valid for ten years at the time of publication. * MURS: License-free with certified MURS radios, a 2-watt limit, and no repeaters. * FRS: License-free with certified radios, limited power, and fixed antennas. * GMRS: A fee-based personal FCC license, with no examination, is required for higher-power or mobile use. It is not a business-radio service. Listen before transmitting. CTCSS and DCS tones filter chatter at your radio; they do not make a shared channel private. Do not transmit sensitive material. Plan an alternate channel, and ensure vehicle antennas suit the intended band. EQUIPMENT MENTIONED IN THE ORIGINAL GUIDE ----------------------------------------- For MURS, the article suggested the Motorola RMM2050 or BTech MURS-V1. It mentioned Midland or Cobra walkie-talkies for FRS and Midland GXT or Motorola Talkabout radios for licensed GMRS use. For licensed Part 90 service it named the Motorola CP200d, Kenwood TK-3402, and Wouxun KG-805. The article called the Baofeng UV-5R a budget "grey area" and cautioned users to ensure compliance. RETAIL RADIO ------------ The article identified 467.8500, 467.8750, 467.9000, and 467.9250 MHz as frequencies commonly used by retail operations, with 467.7625 and 467.8000 MHz also reported. Actual usage varies by store and location, and some of these frequencies require licensing. Some retailers have moved to 900 MHz frequency-hopping digital radios or Wi-Fi systems such as Theatro. These offer additional features and are not received by ordinary analog scanners. Where monitoring is lawful, the article suggested scanning the 467 MHz range as a starting point.