gmrs repeater

[kb1oar]

i have a 100 foot tower on top of a buldind. if i bought a uhf repeater running like 50 watts about how far would it cover ?

 

[N1GTL]

23.5 miles exactly.

You forgot to mention antenna gain, feed line losses, the height of the building, height above average terrain (HAAT) etc.....

 

[n2mdk]

The more important question should actually be how far will it be able to hear.

 

[N_Jay]

And are you in an area where the channels are not already saturated with traffic.

 

[kb1oar]

srry the bulding and the tower are 100 feet total

 

[SkipSanders]

You can use the program at this website to get a fair idea of coverage.

http://www.cplus.org/rmw/english1.html

 

[loumaag]

I would suggest you also look at how far it will reach with 5 watts ERP and mounted on the side of the tower so the top of the antenna is no higher than 20 feet above the building.

See § 95.25 of the FCC Rules. Here is a link.

 

[LouisvilleScanMan]

I'm not sure about the antenna height rules but the max pep for GMRS repeaters is 50 watts.

 

[N_Jay]

I'm not sure about the antenna height rules but the max pep for GMRS repeaters is 50 watts.

I did not know GMRS is SSB?:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[n2mdk]

There is no height limit on a GMRS repeater system. Individual stations do have limits. http://www.provide.net/~prsg/wi-gmrs.htm

 

[loumaag]

I'm not sure about the antenna height rules but the max pep for GMRS repeaters is 50 watts.

And

There is no height limit on a GMRS repeater system. Individual stations do have limits. http://www.provide.net/~prsg/wi-gmrs.htm

Well this is interesting. Whereas I am sure that Personal Radio Steering Group (PSRG) has done some fine work, it would behoove them to read the rules in regard to the GMRS.

One assumes that a repeater would be a "land station", it certainly is not commonly thought of as a "mobile" station. Since the only two classes of transmitting stations are mobile and land and all the land stations are limited to 5 watts ERP (not PEP) I would assume that applies to repeaters also. Don't mention "Fixed" in any response as Fixed stations must transmit either in simplex mode or through a repeater (precluding them from being the repeater).

Reading the rules is always preferable to taking anyone's else's interpretation of them, certainly don't take mine, but I wouldn't (and don't) take the PSRG's either.

 

[n2mdk]

This can be very confusing in § 95.135 Maximum authorized transmitting power it says 15 W for fixed stations http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/...s.gpo.gov/cfr_2006/octqtr/pdf/47cfr95.135.pdf

I think one must read the entire rules to really get correct info as you say.

 

[loumaag]

This can be very confusing in § 95.135 Maximum authorized transmitting power it says 15 W for fixed stations http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/...s.gpo.gov/cfr_2006/octqtr/pdf/47cfr95.135.pdf

I think one must read the entire rules to really get correct info as you say.

Umm, that is what I said, you have to read the rules, I also said a fixed station is not a repeater.

§ 95.29 Channels available.
(a) For a base station, fixed station, mobile station, or repeater station ...

(b) For a mobile station, control station, or fixed station operated in the duplex mode, the following 467 MHz channels may be used only to transmit communications through a repeater station and for remotely controlling a repeater station. ...

Both a & b above precludes the "fixed" station from being the repeater, or at least that what it indicates in that section of the rules.

 

[n2mdk]

This is too much of a headache to figure out put up an Amateur UHF repeater instead.

 

[loumaag]

This is too much of a headache to figure out put up an Amateur UHF repeater instead.

I am all for that!

 

[SkipSanders]

Hint: The FCC rules for GMRS are a mix of old and new rules, badly messed up, many rules are 'left over' from the time when the FCC actually required systems to submit system designs, etc. Which they no longer do. There's not even a place to submit the info on form 605 anymore for GMRS. 'small base stations' are a leftover from systems, when a licensee couldn't add stations without redoing the license. They were allowed to add 'small base stations' without modifying the license.

Now, unless you fall under the 'line A' rules about the borders, you're just a 'base station', not a 'small base station', regardless. There still are rules about 'environmental impact' type stuff, but otherwise, everyone is 45 watts potentially. Admittedly, the rules are very unclear about this, they need a total rewrite. Badly.

The rules basically say 'if it's more than 20 feet, you have to sumit it on form 605'. Which form no longer requires, or provides any way to submit, that information, for GMRS. Clear, eh?

 

[rescuecomm]

We had to do the HAAT, ERP, etc when we put up a GMRS repeater about 20 years ago. As far as I know, you don't even have to file anything anymore. We had to switch licenses on our GMRS repeater when we moved it to the county repeater shack about 10 years ago so the "control operator" would have access to the building. My callsign went off and my friend's callsign went on the paper work. There is nothing on his license that indicates anything about it now. I really think that the GMRS band should be going narrowband like public safety, and the bubble pack radios should have been accomodated around 217 mhz. They could have had a lot more channels and maybe a 2 watt no license service like Canada has. Makes too much sense for it to have happened that way.

Bob