Proper simplex freq for Texas DMR hotspot?

What would be the proper UHF frequency to use for a DMR hotspot in Texas? It seems they are all over the map just looking at the Brandmeister stats.

Any simplex frequency is fine I run mine on 446.175 as do several other locals so if we are in range of any of them we can use them , being we have no digital repeaters in the area we have made in ad hoc network using hotspots.

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I'm running mine on 442.000 and today I was listening on analog and realized there was a repeater on that same frequency. Not a big deal, but it sent me searching the Texas Band Plan and i couldn't find the proper "pigeon hole" for hotspots. Are the DMR radios narrowband or is the ham stuff wideband digital? I've been out of the radio game for a while and just got back in a couple of weeks ago.

Amateur radio was not required to go narrowband a few years ago when the Part 90 users were required to.

There are general band plans for the country, but, on VHF/UHF, those band plans often have local modifications. The Texas VHF-FM Society is an amateur radio repeater coordinator for Texas. You can find their suggested band plan here: Texas VHF-FM Society Band Plans. Looks like they have some simplex digital recommendations in the 440 MHz band.

Suggestion

Texas Band Plan does not really have any linking frequencies in the 439 to 440 MHz segment.

I think this area might play nicely for those wanting to experiment or have a hot spot for any of the digital nodes.

1. Pick a channel and listen
2. Try it out and make sure you have an ID capability that meets the rules if it is under automatic control and you leave it active when not at the control point.
3. Not a repeater so no coordination, but local folks could keep their own casual agreement on usage and that is Good Amateur Practice.

It is probably time to amend the Band Plan for this increasingly popular king of operation.

Craig KV5E

kv5e said:

Texas Band Plan does not really have any linking frequencies in the 439 to 440 MHz segment.

I think this area might play nicely for those wanting to experiment or have a hot spot for any of the digital nodes.

1. Pick a channel and listen
2. Try it out and make sure you have an ID capability that meets the rules if it is under automatic control and you leave it active when not at the control point.
3. Not a repeater so no coordination, but local folks could keep their own casual agreement on usage and that is Good Amateur Practice.

It is probably time to amend the Band Plan for this increasingly popular king of operation.

Craig KV5E

Click to expand...

Armadillo and Cactus interties have some stuff down in that area...

kv5e said:

Texas Band Plan does not really have any linking frequencies in the 439 to 440 MHz segment.

I think this area might play nicely for those wanting to experiment or have a hot spot for any of the digital nodes.

1. Pick a channel and listen
2. Try it out and make sure you have an ID capability that meets the rules if it is under automatic control and you leave it active when not at the control point.
3. Not a repeater so no coordination, but local folks could keep their own casual agreement on usage and that is Good Amateur Practice.

Click to expand...

I would add that you should not operate a node or hotspot in the 431-433 MHz weak signal band or 435-438 MHz satellite band.
Those are the two ranges in the 70 cm band where repeater and auxiliary operation are prohibited in Part 97.

In Texas there are some FM point-to-point links in the 423-425 and 428-430 MHz ranges. I would avoide operating there.

438-440 seems to be a good empty place. That is where I run my EchoLink node and most 440-450 antennas should work OK there.

I would avoid operating a hotspot on the common FM simplex ranges 446.0-446.1 or 441.0-441.1 (according to the Texas band pland).

The Texas VHF-FM Society needs to publish their band plan for 420-440 where they coordinate point-to-point repeater links but for some reason they don't.

My conversations with Johnny Stigler confirmed that coordinated links were not in the band just below 440, but further down below the weak satellite sub band.

That does not mean that some folks have uncoordinated links (which are permissible).

439 to 440 seems like we should propose a new bandplan there with suggested 20 khz and narrower channels for digital only.

These are just suggested, Good Amateur Practice would preclude from interference to existing users, although no one in the simplex bands has dibs on an exclusive frequency in VHF/UHF. It is ony with cooperation and a desire for the greater good that we play together nicely in the sandbox.

KV5E Zone 1 Frequency Coordinator - TX VHF FM SOCIETY


p.s. My suggestions are not official band plan but band planning with others of like mind