Can you elaborate on the restrictions? Is it just that the Baofeng allows you to transmit on some frequencies that aren’t legal or at power levels that aren’t allowed or is it not allowed in the US at all?
To use GMRS you need a license to be compliant with fcc. It’s not expensive I think $60 for 10 years and it covers your family.
You can then use GMRS. GMRS is all the same FRS channels plus several more. GMRS can also transmit at up to 50mw on some of the non-FRS channels.
To be using GMRS in compliance you have to use an FCC Part 95E certified device. These Baofeng / Btech devices are usually not GMRS certified. So you need a HAM license to use them. . . But HAM licenses doesn’t cover GMRS frequencies. So there is no technically compliant way to use these devices and check all the boxes. Even if you have both HAM and GMRS you are using a non Part 95E certified device. You’re likely fine as long as you’re not harassing people or causing interference. Generally the FCC is pretty reasonable. They send a letter saying knock it off before they knock on your door. But if you continue to harass people or use high power that causes interference then you will get a hefty fine.
At the very least get your GMRS license. But I encourage you to get your HAM license. I have found that often HAM nerds are into a lot of other stuff I like and my local club has been a welcome place to make friends and build fun stuff.
Btech markets devices that are GMRS type accepted, it's actually one of their main businesses these days to take Chinese developed radios and modify them slightly and get them GMRS approved in the US.
While true, it's important to remember that not all ham radios that can transmit on GMRS bands are legal to do so. GMRS and FRS don't have the same "anything goes" allowances that ham operators have. Radios for these bands must be purpose built for these bands. Of course no one is going to know your compliant GMRS/FRS transmissions are coming from part 97 radio. Although most quality ham radios don't allow transmission on anything but the ham bands. The increased FCC enforcement of these Chinese radios means that many now have extra filters to reduce spurious emissions outside the ham bands, meaning they shouldn't work as well on GMRS and FRS.
