Thanks for all the info.
kyle_pc_75 wrote:Oh, and Cameron got us set up for $200 including a very nice, tuned antenna. He did the programming, not sure what the software cost him.
I'm looking at the "self programmable" radios so I can use it for other than race purposes and for ham (repeater) operation as a hobby, also.
DesertGuy wrote:Getting an assigned frequency isn't all that difficult, we have an assigned primary and secondary frequency.
Is this something you do through the FCC, is there a fee involved?
Some more research...
MURS radio channels (151.820 MHz,151.880 MHz,151.940 MHz,154.570 MHz,154.600 MHz are limited to 2 watts transmission and only by FCC certified MURS radios.
It looks like 150.5Mhz - 156.2475Mhz are designated by FCC for "fixed mobile" and "fixed land mobile" applications and are regulated under FCC part 22 (public mobile), part 90 (private land mobile), and part 95 (personal radio). (reference -
http://transition.fcc.gov/oet/spectrum/ ... ctable.pdf)
Another interesting note is that both of the above radios are NOT approved for transmission in this spectrum. You must have a commercial unit instead of an amateur unit. The radio that Cameron told me about IS a commercial unit (
IC-f5021). The commerical units, among other things, are not "required to accept any interferance", as the amateur units are, and have more circuitry to refine both transmit and recieve signals.
Another note... (from
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index. ... l_business)
In 1992, the FCC began work to develop an overall strategy for using the spectrum in the Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) allocations more efficiently to meet future communications requirements. Refarming is the informal name of a notice and comment rule-making proceeding (PR Docket No. 92-235) opened to achieve this goal.
The FCC adopted the Report and Order (R&O) on refarming in 1995 to address the increasing communications requirements of the private land mobile radio (PLMR) community and to develop a strategy for encouraging more efficient use of PLMR spectrum below 800 MHz (services within the 150-174 MHz, 421-430 MHz, 450-470 MHz, and 470-512 MHz bands). This Report and Order served as a critical first step toward achieving this goal. In February of 1997, the FCC adopted the Second Report and Order on refarming which served as the next critical step toward providing a regulatory framework which promotes this goal. As a result of this Order, the Industrial Radio Services (Power, Petroleum, Forest Products, Film & Video Production, Relay Press, Special Industrial, Business, Manufacturers, and Telephone Maintenance Radio Services) and the Land Transportation Radio Services (Motor Carrier, Railroad, Taxicab, and Automobile Emergency Radio Services) were combined to form the Industrial/Business Radio Pool (the new Subpart C of Part 90, Title 47 CFR).
I also found a note discussing a lawsuit filed many years ago, that weatherman granted permission for anyone to use their channel during score events (with restrictions). This makes me believe that you would need some form of permission to use licensed channels.
I need to get into the details of the FCC rules...