FCC Licensing for Simplex

[zerowatts]

2 basic questions...

1. Getting any FCC license does not mean I 'own' the frequency correct? How exactly does it work? I assume I would get coordinated to the least busy frequency set, but after that is it simply a matter of good manners to use squelch codes? Can there be an arrogant business operator that says 464.275 is licensed to me I am transmitting and receiving on that frequency without any PL's? Do we just self police?

2. As far as the frequency pair I am assigned for simplex, when we add our first repeater to the system, do we get to keep the same frequency as we upgrade? I mean the frequency number is permanent right? Or do we reprogram everything?

 

[w8jkc]

1. Correct, you do not "own" the freq., you are simply licensed to use it. All the FCC does is issue a license to use the frequencies, you need frequency coordination from a coordinator before you can get the license. It's the coordinators job to find you a unused freq. or one that will cause the least interference possible. The FCC takes their results, and once you pay up, they issue a license based on the coordinators results.

2. You may or may not keep the same freq. if you upgrade to a repeater because repeaters usually are higher power and cover a larger area than a simplex freq., requiring a whole new coordination.

Notes: PL and DPL codes are your responsibility to choose. You will have to research who (if anybody) else is on the frequency you are licensed for, find their PL or DPL codes, and choose accordingly as to not interfere with theirs. PL and DPL codes are not officially regulated by the FCC or the Coordinator. It is up to you.

Also, nobody is required to use PL or DPL on a frequency, it is basically a tool to help eliminate interference and not hear other users on that freq. So yes, you can have someone say a certain freq. is "theirs" and not be using any PL or DPL.

 

[zerowatts]

You are good! Thank you kindly, answered everything in perfect plain English.

 

[Citywide173]

Couple things to add....coordination is gonna cost you money as well as the license, and can take months, if not longer. I've followed your other threads, and, quite honestly, I'd just buy a bunch of Boost mobiles (Nextel prepaid) and issue them like portables and use the direct connect. It will cost you $31/month per unit max, as it's $1 a day, only on days it's used. the range will be considerably more as well, since it's nationwide direct connect.

If a person is running a repeater without PL/DPL, any transmission on the frequency will be repeated regardless of whether it has PL/DPL or not. If a person is stupid enough to do this, they deserve to wonder why their repeater is always busy.

 

[AlanTilles]

To be clear, as a general rule, these frequencies are shared (with some exceptions for trunked systems eligible for exclusivity). Therefore, you are required by the Commission's rules to cooperate with your co-channel users.

Alan S. Tilles

 

[fwradio]

Couple things to add....coordination is gonna cost you money as well as the license, and can take months, if not longer. I've followed your other threads, and, quite honestly, I'd just buy a bunch of Boost mobiles (Nextel prepaid) and issue them like portables and use the direct connect. It will cost you $31/month per unit max, as it's $1 a day, only on days it's used. the range will be considerably more as well, since it's nationwide direct connect.

If a person is running a repeater without PL/DPL, any transmission on the frequency will be repeated regardless of whether it has PL/DPL or not. If a person is stupid enough to do this, they deserve to wonder why their repeater is always busy.

If frequency coordinations are taking more than a week... find a new coordinator. Our customers applications are through the coordinator and accepted by the ULS server within a week of us submitting them for coordination and paying the fees.