Do any yaesu HT do a 6.25 step narrowband

Danny37 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2013, 3:48 PM

Does anyone know if there is or "in the works" yaesu ht that does 6.25 step for the mandatory narrowband change of 2013. It's hard to believe that cheap Chinese market radios do this step but others don't, whats the deal?

WB4CS · #2 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 10:26 AM

Since the Amateur Radio bands are not affected by the narrowband mandate, I doubt many ham radio manufacturers are too worried about putting NFM or 6.25 tuning steps in their radios. There are a couple of Kenwood amateur radios that are NFM complient but only because they are basically commercial radios that have different firmware and slightly different hardware to make them ham radios (inclusion of VFO, etc.) **

If you're looking for something to use on the commercial bands that must be narrowband, you'll need to look for a real commercial radio, and not a ham radio that's been modified for out-of-band transmit. If this is for Amateur Radio use, then you should be okay without NFM or the 6.25 tuning steps.

**Edit: The 2 Kenwood radios I mention are the same basic componets under the hood as their LMR counterparts, just different look of the case and firmware. Both of these ham models are fully Narrowband complient (including 2.5 and 6.25 tuning steps, TX/RX in NFM and split PL/DCS tones) but should not be used as commercial gear (not Type accepted.)
TM-281A (Ham) ~ TK-7630 (VHF LMR)
TH-K20A (Ham) ~ TK-2312 (VHF LMR)

Danny37 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 10:34 AM

I was using this little guy as a scanner and it was the most convenient radio I ever had, now it's almost useless in its wideband rx feature. Kinda sad really. I was really hoping that a new firmware upgrade or new yaesu model with the size of vx-3r would make one with a 6.25 step.

KC2OBW · #4 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 10:37 AM

My VX8GR does the 6.25 steps. Most of the newer HT will I think my friends FT277 will do it as well.

Danny37 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 10:51 AM

Is it only the vx-8gr? Or does the vx-8r and vx-8dr do the 6.25 step?

cabletech · #6 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 11:14 AM

I guess I have to ask -- why are you worrying abut 6.25? The narrown band mandate is for 12.5 and their is no set date to due 6.25 below 800mz.

All frequencys that have been effected by the narrow banding is for the 12.5kz.

Danny37 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 11:20 AM

A couple of agencies around me decided to go 6.25 instead of 12.5. That's why.

KC2OBW · #8 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 11:45 AM

You would have to check on the 8DR but I would assume it would.

People please take the time to read the entire thread with out jumping to conclusions. The OP stated he is pretty much using his radio as a scanner.

Don't sit there and tell him what he does and doesn't need. It is obvious he is aware of what he needs.

fineshot1 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 11:45 AM

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding Narrow Band.

To set the record straight see below:

For UHF the newer narrow band frequency centers are 6.25 Khz and
for specific portions of the VHF Hi Band that is 7.5 Khz and NOT 2.5 Khz.

2.5 Khz is the deviation allowed for these new channel center boundaries and NOT the channel center boundaries themselves.

KC2OBW · #10 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabletech

I guess I have to ask -- why are you worrying abut 6.25? The narrown band mandate is for 12.5 and their is no set date to due 6.25 below 800mz.

All frequencys that have been effected by the narrow banding is for the 12.5kz.

What Fineshot said

N1SQB · #11 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 1:56 PM

It's a tough habit to abandon once you start, I know, but keeping Ham radios for Ham and public safety stuff where it belongs, like on scanners, is really the best way to go. As has already been pointed out in other forums where this question comes up, the new narroband changes will leave a lot of Hams who practice mixing Ham and PS together, with no other choice but to separate things. Some departments have lower audio after the changes. This is sometimes something as simple as changing the mode from FM to NFM, and other times, you need to have the ability to compensate for the lower audio by individually adjusting that particular agencies' audio via menus. My Uniden 396XT scanner does this very well. Ham radios are not equipped like this as they are not designed for this type of monitoring!

Manny

W2NJS · #12 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 3:53 PM

A few years back I had a pair of Vertex VX-900 portables, VHF and UHF. Truly great units, and the tuning step on the UHF radio was 1.25 kHz, believe it or not. Now this goes back probably close to ten years, so even then the manufacturer seems to have been thinking about the future requirements. Probably if you were to dig into the published of any of the commercial LMR radios today you would find the tuning steps listed/buried somewhere in the data.

cabletech · #13 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 6:55 PM

danny37 Ok, if an agency went 6.5kz channel spacing then I can seen your point.

QUOTE=fineshot1;1927427]There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding Narrow Band.

To set the record straight see below:

For UHF the newer narrow band frequency centers are 6.25 Khz and
for specific portions of the VHF Hi Band that is 7.5 Khz and NOT 2.5 Khz.

2.5 Khz is the deviation allowed for these new channel center boundaries and NOT the channel center boundaries themselves.[/QUOTE]

I truely think that you are looking at the wrong information. Narrow band mandate for below 512mhz and above 150mhz is for 12.5kz channel spacing with 2.5kz audio devation.

This mandate does not break down between VHF and UHF.

Thru out all of the FCC information I have ever seen there is no rules, regulations, or requirments to go to 6.5kz channel spacing on a whole sale bases, yes there is some for above 800mz.

KC2OBW · #14 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 7:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabletech

danny37 Ok, if an agency went 6.5kz channel spacing then I can seen your point.

QUOTE=fineshot1;1927427]There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding Narrow Band.

To set the record straight see below:

For UHF the newer narrow band frequency centers are 6.25 Khz and
for specific portions of the VHF Hi Band that is 7.5 Khz and NOT 2.5 Khz.

2.5 Khz is the deviation allowed for these new channel center boundaries and NOT the channel center boundaries themselves.

I truely think that you are looking at the wrong information. Narrow band mandate for below 512mhz and above 150mhz is for 12.5kz channel spacing with 2.5kz audio devation.

This mandate does not break down between VHF and UHF.

Thru out all of the FCC information I have ever seen there is no rules, regulations, or requirments to go to 6.5kz channel spacing on a whole sale bases, yes there is some for above 800mz.[/QUOTE]

Even though they are not mandating existing license to switch from 12.5 to 6.25 (UHF) and to 7.5 (VHF). Most freqs on new licenses I've seen have been 6.25 on UHF. My counties highway dept used to be on VHF and when they switched back to VHF years ago they had to apply for a new freq and they where issued 153.7625 (12.5) and 159.0975 (7.5).

fineshot1 · #15 (**permalink**) 03-04-2013, 7:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabletech

danny37 Ok, if an agency went 6.5kz channel spacing then I can seen your point.

QUOTE=fineshot1;1927427]There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding Narrow Band.

To set the record straight see below:

For UHF the newer narrow band frequency centers are 6.25 Khz and
for specific portions of the VHF Hi Band that is 7.5 Khz and NOT 2.5 Khz.

2.5 Khz is the deviation allowed for these new channel center boundaries and NOT the channel center boundaries themselves.

I truely think that you are looking at the wrong information. Narrow band mandate for below 512mhz and above 150mhz is for 12.5kz channel spacing with 2.5kz audio devation.

This mandate does not break down between VHF and UHF.

Thru out all of the FCC information I have ever seen there is no rules, regulations, or requirments to go to 6.5kz channel spacing on a whole sale bases, yes there is some for above 800mz.[/QUOTE]

Go here http://wirelessradio.net/pdfs/VHF-UH...ide%202012.pdf
and read bottom of page 6 and top of page 7 regarding the very difficult problems associated
with VHF Hi Band. If you were paying attention previous to the 7.5Khz channel boundaries we
had the smallest boundaries were 15 Khz and cutting that in half makes 7.5 Khz but as i stated
that is for "specific portions" of the VHF Hi Band where the 15 Khz channel boundaries existed.

DaveNF2G · #16 (**permalink**) 03-05-2013, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC2OBW

My counties highway dept used to be on VHF and when they switched back to VHF years ago they had to apply for a new freq and they where issued 153.7625 (12.5) and 159.0975 (7.5).

Both of those frequencies are spaced 7.5 kHz from adjacent channels. There is no 12.5 spacing on VHF except in the federal subbands, where 12.5 and 7.5 are overlaid depending on which service is using the band (federal, non-federal, upper marine, and railroad subbands overlap).

Just because a frequency ends in .7625 does not mean it is a "12.5 kHz channel." That is only the case on UHF and 800 MHz.

Also, the North American "high band" is also not spaced the same all the way through. There are a couple of breaks that restart the channel spacing. This is why a lot of ham rigs cannot follow 7.5 kHz spacing correctly above the 2 meter band.