Becoming an FCC frequency coordinator

[knockoffham]

MURS is a good option in a lot for low power hand helds. Here in Indianapolis area, I've never heard anything on MURS channels 1 thru 3 around here. Of course, Walmart down the road can be found on channel 5 (without CTCSS or DCS.) A local uncontrolled airport uses MURS 4 for pilot services. Two dentists, a doctor, a used car lot, the YMCA and a couple of private schools use FRS around my neighbood to good effect. Surprisingly little personal FRS activity around here. Then there is the 900mhz by-rule spread spectrum, rarely used from that I can tell. For short range there are plently of "license free" (license by rule) options.



No doubt about it. I myself have a Land Mobile license for itinerant frequencies. $200 for ten years. That's just $20 a year. And I can use DMR, P25 digital, etc. For me it's the only way to fly for business.

Yeah, MURS, FRS, and 900 MHz ISM is what I would like to sell to small businesses who could use a radio system but don’t need to be up sold a licensed system (I’m in an area with few LMR users apart from public safety)

 

[xmo]

knockoffham wrote: "I’m going for the low voltage license because even if I don’t need it (I think I do though) I’d at least like to be properly certified..."

Being certified s a great idea. You should extend that concept to obtaining certifications for your chosen field.

Go to: Accredited Communications Certifications

Look at the following certifications:
Mobile Communications and Electronics Installer (MCEI)
General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GCT1)
General Communications Technician - Level 2 (GCT2)
Line and Antenna Sweep (LAS)
Practical Antenna Basics (PAB)

Each has a link to a document that lists the required 'competencies'. Measure your current knowledge against these lists. Then, create a course of study to follow to prepare for the testing and to be proficient enough to be in the business.

I guarantee that a couple youtube videos won't get you there any more than a couple videos will get you an engineering degree.

 

[iamhere300]

These are some of the best points made here. Used to be everyone and their brother had two way radio systems, the local Vet, Real Estate agents, plumbers, candlestick makers, etc. Then came cell phones. Massive industry crash. Most never came back.

Bearcom would love to buy you out. Why not? They can't beat you with level of service.

Dealing with a large shop right now that the owner wants to retire, medical issues, but his children have no desire to take over. Any competition will just pick up after he is gone.

I had a LOT of what was called community repeaters. Between the low cost to put up, on our own towers primarily, and that allowed us to offer service easily. I was the largest CR dealer in the midwest. I purchased the old Motorola repeaters they had left in AR, OK, IL, and a few other places also.

The shared repeater serice or renting space on that repeater is the same thing as Community Repeater service.

The market died. I bailed, although I still have one site remaining, maybe sometime I will remember to send them a bill. Lots of sites I just walked from, nice letter to the few remaining customers telling them the equipment was now theirs.

The market for that business is NOT sustainable. Users are now using phones or LTE radios.

But I ramble. When the service was running up until the last few years I had them in 2009 or so, it was a profitable service.

******************************
Most of the small local radio shops have suffered from the following fates:
1. Cellular phone has killed off a lot of the market for smaller users.
2. Larger nationwide radio shops have sucked up all the business and either kill off the small companies, or buy them up.
3. The owners retire with no one to take over the business.

******************************

 

[iamhere300]

And I can't hire techs.

 

[knockoffham]

knockoffham wrote: "I’m going for the low voltage license because even if I don’t need it (I think I do though) I’d at least like to be properly certified..."

Being certified s a great idea. You should extend that concept to obtaining certifications for your chosen field.

Go to: Accredited Communications Certifications

Look at the following certifications:
Mobile Communications and Electronics Installer (MCEI)
General Communications Technician - Level 1 (GCT1)
General Communications Technician - Level 2 (GCT2)
Line and Antenna Sweep (LAS)
Practical Antenna Basics (PAB)

Each has a link to a document that lists the required 'competencies'. Measure your current knowledge against these lists. Then, create a course of study to follow to prepare for the testing and to be proficient enough to be in the business.

I guarantee that a couple youtube videos won't get you there any more than a couple videos will get you an engineering degree.

Thanks! Will do.

 

[knockoffham]

These are some of the best points made here. Used to be everyone and their brother had two way radio systems, the local Vet, Real Estate agents, plumbers, candlestick makers, etc. Then came cell phones. Massive industry crash. Most never came back.

Bearcom would love to buy you out. Why not? They can't beat you with level of service.

Dealing with a large shop right now that the owner wants to retire, medical issues, but his children have no desire to take over. Any competition will just pick up after he is gone.

I had a LOT of what was called community repeaters. Between the low cost to put up, on our own towers primarily, and that allowed us to offer service easily. I was the largest CR dealer in the midwest. I purchased the old Motorola repeaters they had left in AR, OK, IL, and a few other places also.

The shared repeater serice or renting space on that repeater is the same thing as Community Repeater service.

The market died. I bailed, although I still have one site remaining, maybe sometime I will remember to send them a bill. Lots of sites I just walked from, nice letter to the few remaining customers telling them the equipment was now theirs.

The market for that business is NOT sustainable. Users are now using phones or LTE radios.

But I ramble. When the service was running up until the last few years I had them in 2009 or so, it was a profitable service.

******************************
Most of the small local radio shops have suffered from the following fates:
1. Cellular phone has killed off a lot of the market for smaller users.
2. Larger nationwide radio shops have sucked up all the business and either kill off the small companies, or buy them up.
3. The owners retire with no one to take over the business.

******************************

Yeah, I'm going to be kind of untraditional since I realize the 2 way radio industry is much less relevant than it once was- way less market. Small scale and unlicensed stuff like FRS/ISM, so there is no massive financial commitment for customers for something they may not use much. Maybe a small community repeater or 2 in high density areas, set up for low range portables only. I want to keep it small because 2 way radio is evolving and becoming less relevant. However that means that most have given up and there will be little competition. Little investment = little money lost if it is unsustainable. Basically I plan to do lots of local advertising, remain local and small, and would not like to go into debt obviously, but don't plan on relying on this as primary income. As soon as I'm licensed and certified I will go door to door, offering basic convenient radio systems with little investment and hassle, that's the current plan anyway. Thank you for the info!