Obtaining an IG Business Itinerant License

Cowley639 · May 24, 2016

Hello All,

I am wanting to obtain a Itinerant License for business use. My company operates in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri for special event use. We have been given an opportunity to purchase 4 portable UHF repeaters, and a set of 25 UHF handheld radios for our crew. Our hope is that we will be able to use the repeaters (in a temporary set-up) when we go on location in the above states.

After doing some research, I found four UHF frequencies (for Itinerant use only) I would like to use:
451.8000 / 456.8000
451.8125 / 456.8125
464.5000 / 469.5000
464.5500 / 469.5500

All four frequencies would be repeater pairs for the four UHF repeaters we will have. I do realize that the frequencies are limited to 35 watts.

I have heard that it is possible to get a Itinerant License (without having to use a coordinator) by simply filing a 601 form on the FCC website? Does anyone know the fee for doing this? I had heard from a buddy that It was approximately $165.00 for a 10 year license.

I have a GMRS (ZA) License already, so I already have a FRN# and have a log-in on the FCC site.

Thoughts? Advise? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

DaveNF2G · May 24, 2016

Radio Reference does not issue licenses. The FCC does. Why don't you ask them?

sfd119 · May 24, 2016

DaveNF2G said:
Radio Reference does not issue licenses. The FCC does. Why don't you ask them?

No where did OP ask Radio Reference to give him a license. We're in Industry Discussion and he's asking some questions. If you're not going to be useful, why even reply?

16b · May 24, 2016

I went through the same thing a while back. Yes, you can do it all yourself online through the FCC. All it takes is some patience and a few hours of your time. The most frustrating part is being patient with the FCC's Java applet that you have to use to fill out the form. It is extremely slow. Yes, you can pay a company to do it all for you, but I'm the type of person who would rather save a couple hundred bucks (at least) and do it myself, even if it takes a bit of my time.

I never found any official documentation or guide from the FCC about how to do this, but I did come up with some useful resources:

This webpage has some good information, and is what gave me the inspiration to go ahead and try it myself:
https://sites.google.com/a/mst.edu/robert_ruark/radio/licensing-a-business-band-frequency

Also, I used several existing itinerant licenses as a guide and basically copied what other people did. Here is a good one that I referred to a lot (I am not associated with this person in any way): ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - WQXE668 - Finnegan, Kenneth W

Some of my tips:
1) Make sure that when you enter the station class, it is FB2I for the repeater transmitter and MOI for the mobiles. The "I" on the end indicates itinerant. Repeater output frequencies should be listed twice--once with FB2I and again with MOI. That way you can do simplex on the repeater output. Inputs should only be MOI.
2) You can license as many emission designators as you want (as far as I know). So, even if you only have analog radios now, you may want to include some others like DMR/TRBO and/or NXDN in case you ever want to upgrade your radios. A list of all possible emission designators is on the RR Wiki. The example license I showed above is licensed only for narrowband analog (11K2F3E).
3) My understanding is that itinerant licenses used to be limited to 35 watts or so, but that this restriction was lifted (or at least raised) recently.
4) You can license as many itinerant frequencies as you want, although I think the ones you listed are the only UHF ones available. See the example I linked above for VHF freqs.

ecps92 · May 24, 2016

FCC Useful information about form 605

https://transition.fcc.gov/Forms/Form605/605.html

FCC Usefull information about form 601

https://transition.fcc.gov/Forms/Form601/601.html

16b said:
I went through the same thing a while back. Yes, you can do it all yourself online through the FCC. All it takes is some patience and a few hours of your time. The most frustrating part is being patient with the FCC's Java applet that you have to use to fill out the form. It is extremely slow. Yes, you can pay a company to do it all for you, but I'm the type of person who would rather save a couple hundred bucks (at least) and do it myself, even if it takes a bit of my time.

I never found any official documentation or guide from the FCC about how to do this, but I did come up with some useful resources:

This webpage has some good information, and is what gave me the inspiration to go ahead and try it myself:
https://sites.google.com/a/mst.edu/robert_ruark/radio/licensing-a-business-band-frequency

Also, I used several existing itinerant licenses as a guide and basically copied what other people did. Here is a good one that I referred to a lot (I am not associated with this person in any way): ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - WQXE668 - Finnegan, Kenneth W

Some of my tips:
1) Make sure that when you enter the station class, it is FB2I for the repeater transmitter and MOI for the mobiles. The "I" on the end indicates itinerant. Repeater output frequencies should be listed twice--once with FB2I and again with MOI. That way you can do simplex on the repeater output. Inputs should only be MOI.
2) You can license as many emission designators as you want (as far as I know). So, even if you only have analog radios now, you may want to include some others like DMR/TRBO and/or NXDN in case you ever want to upgrade your radios. A list of all possible emission designators is on the RR Wiki. The example license I showed above is licensed only for narrowband analog (11K2F3E).
3) My understanding is that itinerant licenses used to be limited to 35 watts or so, but that this restriction was lifted (or at least raised) recently.
4) You can license as many itinerant frequencies as you want, although I think the ones you listed are the only UHF ones available. See the example I linked above for VHF freqs.

baltimorecs · May 24, 2016

I did the form 601 online as well and I also use it when we need to use other Part 90 freqs via an STA. The app can be fairly frustrating for the first time user so please be patient with it.

Cowley639 · May 24, 2016

Anyone know the cost to do this? (File the correct forms for the license?)

DonnieDog · May 24, 2016

Thanks to those of you with helpful replies. I've had similar questions as the OP recently.

Cowley639 · May 24, 2016

DonnieDog said:
Thanks to those of you with helpful replies. I've had similar questions as the OP recently.

Agreed... Thank you very much!

baltimorecs · May 24, 2016

It is $165

Cowley639 · May 24, 2016

Finished the 601 form a few hours ago, paid the $165.

Any idea how long the application process will take?

DaveNF2G · May 25, 2016

sfd119 said:
No where did OP ask Radio Reference to give him a license. We're in Industry Discussion and he's asking some questions. If you're not going to be useful, why even reply?

A hobbyist bulletin board is not an appropriate place to seek information about licensing if one actually intends to use the information to deal with the FCC. If someone can type in

Code:

www.radioreference.com

, then they can certainly manage fcc.gov (no www. required).

N4GIX · May 25, 2016

DaveNF2G said:
A hobbyist bulletin board is not an appropriate place to seek information about licensing if one actually intends to use the information to deal with the FCC.

FCC.gov does not have a "discussion forum". Radio Reference does. Presumably the question was asked here since it is highly likely that there exist others who have been through the process themselves, and would be both able and willing to act as a mentor and provide useful feedback.

ecps92 · May 25, 2016

Depending on where (population) and time (hours) you likely want to skip those Pairs or license them and add other mobile/portable Only pairs, to keep away from the Congestion that occurs on them. ie: Everyone and their brother/cousin/aunt/uncle use them :roll:

And as probably suggested in the other forums, work with a local radio shop.
They can:
a. Assist with the FCC mess
b. Recommend/assist with a Coordinator
c. Sell / Repair / Program and Re-program the radios

Cowley639 said:
Hello All,

I am wanting to obtain a Itinerant License for business use. My company operates in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri for special event use. We have been given an opportunity to purchase 4 portable UHF repeaters, and a set of 25 UHF handheld radios for our crew. Our hope is that we will be able to use the repeaters (in a temporary set-up) when we go on location in the above states.

After doing some research, I found four UHF frequencies (for Itinerant use only) I would like to use:
451.8000 / 456.8000
451.8125 / 456.8125
464.5000 / 469.5000
464.5500 / 469.5500

All four frequencies would be repeater pairs for the four UHF repeaters we will have. I do realize that the frequencies are limited to 35 watts.

I have heard that it is possible to get a Itinerant License (without having to use a coordinator) by simply filing a 601 form on the FCC website? Does anyone know the fee for doing this? I had heard from a buddy that It was approximately $165.00 for a 10 year license.

I have a GMRS (ZA) License already, so I already have a FRN# and have a log-in on the FCC site.

Thoughts? Advise? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

Cowley639 · May 31, 2016

Hey everyone, The license was granted this morning and I was given the call sign WQXS761.

Thanks everyone for your input and help in the process.

Hans13 · May 31, 2016

Cowley639 said:
Hey everyone, The license was granted this morning and I was given the call sign WQXS761.

Thanks everyone for your input and help in the process.

Outstanding. Enjoy!

kb2crk · Nov 2, 2018

Great information. Still usefull. Setting one of these up myself and FCC.gov was useless when it came to information on it. It was as if they wanted your to have to pay an extra 3 to 400 bucks to a coordinator.

ko6jw_2 · Nov 2, 2018

I just licensed four itinerant frequencies for nationwide use. It took about 30 days. The cost was $170.

The Java situation has been fixed and got through the basics easily. Frequency coordination is not required for itinerant channels. The main delay was for "engineering review." The license is restricted near the Canadian border (they all are). Used the same FRN as I have for my ham and GMRS licenses.

The process is greatly streamlined thanks mainly to fixing the applet. My only other issue was specifying the emission type (DMR). Found it in the owners manual for the radios. Some of the questions about control points and antenna heights are not relevant for HT only itinerant use.

Obtaining an IG Business Itinerant License

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