PMR questions

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ai8o

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I am posting from North Carolina, so please excuse my ignorance.

I have seen ads for PMR walkie talkies.
I understand they use frequencies around 446 MHz.
In the USA, 446 an amateur band. They would be a natural for USA use.

I have several questions:

Frequencies used?

Simplex or semiduplex operation?

Are these units channelized?

Emission modes?

Are these units approved by the GB radio regulatory authority. In a manner similar to US FCC PART 90/95?
This is more a quality question on my part, becaue the FCC places the onus for proper operation on the individual amateur, rather than pre use certification of compliance to any standard.

Price?

Who is a dealer/Seller willing sell a customer in the USA?
 

Your_account

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There are also additional frequencies for dPMR446 digital modes.
446.100mhz -> 446.200mhz
0,5W
6,25khz or 12,5khz

Both with fix antenna!
 

2e0mfp

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I am posting from North Carolina, so please excuse my ignorance.

I have seen ads for PMR walkie talkies.
I understand they use frequencies around 446 MHz.
In the USA, 446 an amateur band. They would be a natural for USA use.

I have several questions:

Frequencies used?

Simplex or semiduplex operation?

Are these units channelized?

Emission modes?

Are these units approved by the GB radio regulatory authority. In a manner similar to US FCC PART 90/95?
This is more a quality question on my part, becaue the FCC places the onus for proper operation on the individual amateur, rather than pre use certification of compliance to any standard.

Price?

Who is a dealer/Seller willing sell a customer in the USA?
These are the UK's FRS equivelent, 8 channels at half a watt (500mW) and licence free if type approved here. Cost about $30 for a twin radio bubble pack, more for high end radios (as elsewhere). There's nothing to stop you using them in the US if you're licenced of course but I'm sure you could find better radios with more frequencies and power for similar money (Baofeng/TYT/Wouxon etc.) 'though I'm sure there'd be an eBay seller willing to ship if you look.
 

Minus1

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PMR446 is defined across the EU.

446.00625 NFM PMR:1
446.01875 NFM PMR:2
446.03125 NFM PMR:3
446.04375 NFM PMR:4
446.05625 NFM PMR:5
446.06875 NFM PMR:6
446.08125 NFM PMR:7
446.09375 NFM PMR:8

Changing to 16 channels next year, up to 446.19375, but allowing digital channels too. The channels for those aren't clear yet. Search for PMR446, ETSI, CEPT.

Unfortunately there's some clueless idiots in the UK using US FRS radios illegally, oblivious to the fact that some of the frequencies are used by UK Fire Depts and said idiots and their kids are being rebroadcast by Fire Dept repeaters!
Well, oblivious until they get a knock on the door…
 

Your_account

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You mean that the Digital Channel where switched to Analogue & Digital?
 

2e0mfp

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It means that all the channels will be shared by all users i.e. analogue users get an extra 8 channels 446.10625 - 446.19375Mhz (12.5khz spacing) and digital users get an extra 16 channels (6.25khz spacing) in the analogue band. Obviously you'd expect some interference between the two groups but there's been so little take up of dpmr that the analogue users stand to gain most and the short range, (advertised at 5m/8km) usually less than 1/2 mile (1km), means not many problems anyway. There are some operators using Ham kit and treat it like UHF CB, but they're in the minority and clampdowns by ofcom do happen.
 

Your_account

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the huge problem many people use baofengs for pmr and commercial radios.
On PMR not only 6,23khz is allowed 12,5 on digital to. TDMA + FDMA
i would say police dont care about what people do if the dont disturb anything.
 
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