Heads up on radios

plumberroy

plumberroy

Joined
Jan 27, 2007
Messages
3,532
Around here the are tons of two way radios showing up a flea markets cheap . motorola's etc. expensive jobsight type radios . The reason for this is the fcc has made it illegal to use analog radios after 01/10/13 you must use digital radios (which suck by the way) We just switched over at work to digitals is how I know this .
Roy
 
On that note, lots of the older radio gear (including wireless microphone units) are in the frequency band that has been re-designated for digital TV.
Another thing to keep in mind if you are planning on using the newer digital radios, they can also broadcast a data-packet including the radios ID, great for some stuff, not great if you are running without license.
Even if they stop caring about the older radios, there may end up being so many other signals in those bands to make them useless anyway.
Best to stick with good quality GMRS units with full power output.
 
" GMRS units with full power output." Tell me more. I have a set that say 8 miles but I never get much more then 2 .
 
GMRS if I understand correctly is licensed up to 2 watt, but cheaper models have on 0.5watt transmitters like FRS. That said, most GMRS/FRS radios don't handle interference all that well, so the auto-squelch kills a lot. Plus line of sight doesn't go that far in most places. I do know that there was huge range difference between my older FRS radios and my more high end GMRS ones. In the end, its all physics.
 
Digital is very clear - or not at all. As I recall, digital eqpt is also expensive compared to analog.
 
We've been running digital radios for the past several years in the military. Biggest disadvantage has always been increased power usage, limited range (yet often better quality); where it really works is when you plug in different coded algorithms for security purposes. It also allows you to program more frequencies into an already saturate area with less interference. Again, for us as the common user, it doesn't offer much more than analog unless you plan to plug into a repeater system. I'm wondering how the FCC is going to enforce illegal use of hand-held, analog radios...I really don't think it's much concern unless you're using them around an NSA facility. I wouldn't get anything less than 2 watt output and take advantage of the analog radios on the second-hand market…

ROCK6
 
I've heard of guys having their photos taken from aircraft with DF gear, but that was in radio controlled mining and logging areas, so maybe different. (or maybe those guys were just paranoid?) No idea if enforcement would be a big thing, but when I worked oil-field, some of the guys mentioned having their radios checked out by the cops and having to show licenses. (but then your average truck full of roughnecks is not the most innocent looking bunch!)
 
They have mandated a new narrow bandwidth between channels not a conversion to all digital. We had to have our radios checked at work because some will work and some are not capable of being reprogrammed to the new narrow band requirements. I believe the new requirement is 12.5 khz and the older requirement was typically 25 khz. None of our radios are digital and we have no need to convert. The radios you see for sale are probably not capable of the new standard and have been replaced by the user.

Dave

http://www.narrowband.us/
 
This is the reason and the mandate for the 12.5 kHz spacing only applies to certain frequencies, not all. Your also seeing a lot of government surplus hitting the market, in with the new out with the old.



DaveUSAF said:
They have mandated a new narrow bandwidth between channels not a conversion to all digital. We had to have our radios checked at work because some will work and some are not capable of being reprogrammed to the new narrow band requirements. I believe the new requirement is 12.5 khz and the older requirement was typically 25 khz. None of our radios are digital and we have no need to convert. The radios you see for sale are probably not capable of the new standard and have been replaced by the user.

Dave

http://www.narrowband.us/
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