Hey Jeremy 

Sure you could, but the other operator woud have to be within one or two kms from your position. With my handheld ham radio, I can work operators all over the world. Also, they aren't as much fun to use. Amateur radio has the range, agility, multi-modes, and frequency span that the FRS radios lack. You can even transmit data and images!

You can't legally put an after-market antenna or linear amplifier on an FRS unit and you cannot use them with repeaters. They are intended for short-range communications only, typically a km or so. Don't trust the claims made by the manufacturers. With just a few hundred milliwatts of output, there is no way you can achieve reliable communications over 10 to 15 kms.

Wardens on a march would not find them effective in parade management. The buildings would cause multi-path distortion, and these radios do not normally reject what is called intermodulation distortion. In the core, there are tens if not hundreds of repeaters, cell towers and pager repeaters. They will squeal and squack right on top of your signal and you will not be able to get out. My little Yeasu handheld is impervious to intermod and with a solid five watts, it will cover the city core. They also allow the user to access repeaters to extend range.  This is a dual band radio that costs around 100 bucks!

My experience of FRS has been a disappointment. These radios are pretty much deaf and dumb. During the RSF, we could barely get a signal off the grounds. We didn't buy the cheapest set we could, either.

Amateru radio uses public frequencies. if we do not defend them by using them, we will certainly see the Government of Canada auction them off to the highest bidders. These auctions net the government billions of dollars. There has already been significant frequency losses for this very reason. Communications firms are envious and covetous of our frequencies and are constantly lobbying politicians to get them away from us. THESE ARE OUR FREQUENCIES. Let's not let those imperialist corporate bastards take our frequencies away from us. (Use them or lose them.)

It is not difficult to obtain the basic qualification and to acquire a "Certificate of Proficiency in Amatuer Radio." This isn't exactly a licence: we stopped licencing ham radio around a decade ago. You do, however, need to be certified to legally use the ham bands. This is to ensure that the operators are an asset to the hobby, not a liability. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to pass the basic test. I know a developmentally challenged ham. It took him six tries to get his ticket, but he succeeded in the end!

Again, I am fully qualified to run a course and would do so, at no charge to any takers this autumn. I would arrange for a London Amateur Radio Club designated examiner at the end. I had to do my tests in front of an Industry Canada Radio Inspector. Club examiners are a lot less stressful to deal with, believe me!

Charles

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