chaszur

I ran into the guys from Rugged Radio at an event. I inquired about frequencies that they have programmed into radios they sell and the need for a license. They initially made it sound like anyone can use them without a license, but when I pushed a little more they said they sell radios to race teams with itinerant licenses and those radios they sell to the public they assume are being used to eavesdrop on race teams and that buyers should not transmit unless they have a license. It sounded like they were trying to cover their butt when I pressed them on licensing requirements.

Navy-Jeepster

Do you have a link for where you found this information.
The database at the FCC site for the above mentioned frequency did not match up with what you showed above.

Thanks, and trying to do more research on these radios.
We don't want to interfere with someone doing business.

I am going to look into a 4x4 club that is a 501.c.3, if they an get a business license to use 1 or 2 frequencies.

Todd

jchappies

It's a paid site, i believe you need a FCC call sign to sign up.
The site gets updated daily

jchappies

That may be a good idea if you can find a club to pay the fees and regulate the radios to be sure they are Part 90 compliant. I don't think all baofeng radios are part 90 compliant.
Applications requiring frequency coordination in accordance with § 90.175 must first be submitted to the proper frequency coordination committee,
which will subsequently forward them to the FCC electronically. Access the WTB internet website at http://wireless.fcc.gov under Wireless Services
for frequency coordination committees and their mailing addresses or you may call the FCC at (877) 480-3201 (TTY 717-338-2824). Applications
and notifications of certain radio services are required to file electronically within Part 90 Land Mobile Radio Service. See § 1.913 on mandatory
electronic filing. NOTE: Applicants may apply to operate at different permanent locations, provided that the different locations are an integral part of a
single system, when licensed under a single call sign. Each group of six permanent locations constitutes a station to which a separate application fee
will be required. The instructions that follow are for filing applications. Select the purpose of filing and follow the instructions below:
Frequencies below 470 MHz (except 220 MHz), 902 – 928 MHz & Radiolocation and 3650 – 3700 MHz Band (PMRS)
New, Renewal or Renewal/Modification,Intelligent Transportation Service
 FCC 601
 FCC 159
 Application Payment/Fee Type Code: PALM - $70.00 Fee AND
Regulatory Payment/Fee Type Code: PALR – $100.00 Fee (Per Call Sign)


cheaper for you to just study for your ham and pay the 15.00 for the test.

NevadaZielmeister

This is by far the best post in this thread. Very good summary if someone is looking to what direction they want go.

I have been using CB radio for about 2 years now and find that I can communicate with most anyone on a run. And then some people (without a license it seems) uses some VHF radios from Yuasa, mostly handhelds. I guess really it is a group decision and the frustration is not knowing what the group wants to go with ahead of time since some of the runs, I meet new people. Once I get a good group, I can see the benefit of a better VHF or GMRS system, but until then, seems CB is a good compromised choice. Unless anyone has any other suggestions?

Mark Doiron

You make it sound as if all you have to do is find an unused frequency and squat on it. That isn't how frequency management works. As the post you quote intimates, frequency management is a living thing. Frequency allocations change constantly depending on a lot of specialty activities--for instance a race, military exercises, etc. There is a VERY limited set of bands that are usable by those without licenses. And I expect you're fully aware of what those are. You may as well accept that all other frequencies are managed, and transmitting on them is restricted (sometimes so is even monitoring them). Stop searching for that "unused frequency" and get a license, then stick to the terms of it!

w squared

Sorry, but on this you are glossing over two very important points.

First is that unless the end users understand antenna theory they are unlikely to have their antennas correctly tuned and this will have awful performance from their CB's. They may not be able to hear others in the group. They may sound like Charlie Brown's teacher when transmitting.

Second is that a VHF or UHF radio will be operating using frequency modulation as opposed to a CB's amplitude modulation. This makes a HUGE difference in the real-world utility of the units. Think about the difference in sound between AM and FM bands on your radio....


Please, please don't confuse the issue by bringing skip into the conversation. Within the context of communications for a group of people that are wheeling, skip is only relevant if you are suffering harmful interference from it.

Yes. You can get a Baofeng handheld unit for about the same price as a wal-mart FRS these days....and even running it at the legal half watt output for operation on the FRS bands, it'll run circles around FRS and CB for the sort of communication that we're discussing here.

You can communciate with the people on a run with CB's only if they are quite close or if both of you have a correctly tuned and installed CB. Unfortunately all to many people don't have a clue what they are doing and their CB's are nothing more than expensive noisemakers. The advantage of VHF or UHF comms (regardless of which specific solution you employ) is that the shorter wavelength and FM (versus AM or SSB on CB freqs) is that antenna tuning is not something the end user needs to spend a lot of time thinking about....and the overall intelligibilty of the transmissions is much, much better.