->  Sidebar:  Motorola, GE, RCA manufacture radios for (about)
->  130Mhz to 150Mhz (military frequencies used for on-base
->  law enforcement, military fire departments, etc), and those
->  companies also manufacture radios in the 150Mhz to 174Mhz
->  range (civilian forestry/police/fire/taxi/railroads, etc).
->  Even with that smaller frequency difference, a radio in
->  one band cannot be tuned to frequencies in the other band.
->  The "front ends" of each are totally different.

 Not quite true Joe. Hams modify VHF Hi commercial units for the 2 meter
Ham band all the time. And also they modify the 400 Mhz commercial, like
the old Sheriffs stuff, Motorola and GE units for the Ham 440 band.   
In fact as I recall several of the Palomar Ham Club repeaters up on Mt
Palomar are Modified units. 
 It is not a casual conversion though. But concidering the quality of
the Commercial units it apparently is worth the effort.
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