Proposal to FCC for VHF Low Band Channels on GMRS and FRS

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The future for Nationwide is LTE/PTT/POC not two-way radio

I agree, all non essential "ham radio" hobby frequencies need to be turned over to The Phone Company (TPC) at once.

 

[kc2asb]

The future is digital radio not VHF low. Due to skip the bands are pretty much unusable. A nationwide DMR system for personal use would be the best use of 460 MHz and 151 MHz GMRS/FRS. The users would pay a subscription fee. YMMV. IMHO.

Subscription fee? No thanks. I'll just use a phone.

 

[K9KLC]

I agree, all non essential "ham radio" hobby frequencies need to be turned over to The Phone Company (TPC) at once.

That's great!!

 

[ecps92]

Subscription fee? No thanks. I'll just use a phone.

Hmmm, aka Subscription fee

 

[kc2asb]

Hmmm, aka Subscription fee

Yes, exactly my point. I pay a subscription fee for a cell and a landline. I will not pay another one for something that imitates a radio.

 

[K9KLC]

Yes, exactly my point. I pay a subscription fee for a cell and a landline. I will not pay another one for something that imitates a radio.

Exactly...Why in the world would I pay to talk on a radio using "insert digital mode here". I'm willing to pay for a lot of things in life. At one time paid for commercial radios for my business but that stopped about the time everyone had cellphones. We still use short range stuff for actually on the job but I bought those radios used at a fair price and it's one time and done. If I need do contact them further phones work.

 

[kc2asb]

Exactly...Why in the world would I pay to talk on a radio using "insert digital mode here". I'm willing to pay for a lot of things in life. At one time paid for commercial radios for my business but that stopped about the time everyone had cellphones. We still use short range stuff for actually on the job but I bought those radios used at a fair price and it's one time and done. If I need do contact them further phones work.

Makes perfect sense. Cell phones fill the need for most people. Turning GMRS into a subscription based digital service will not attract more people to use it. They will see it as duplicative. Also, the telecommunications companies have grabbed enough off the plate.

I doubt the low band GMRS proposal will go anywhere. It's probably not needed, but I won't be disappointed if the FCC does approve it.

 

[K9KLC]

I doubt the low band GMRS proposal will go anywhere. It's probably not needed, but I won't be disappointed if the FCC does approve it.

I won't be disappointed but, I won't celebrate either. Would I ever play there? Sure, probably cause you know that's what we do!

 

[nokones]

Paradise already has an Open GMRS Repeater on the air that covers the area very well. If my old people memory serves me right, I believe North Valley GMRS Commumications may have been instrumental in making that happen for the community. The repeater was in service prior to the Camp Fire and survived the fire. The repeater does have emergency backup power.

 

[DeoVindice]

The future is digital radio not VHF low. Due to skip the bands are pretty much unusable. A nationwide DMR system for personal use would be the best use of 460 MHz and 151 MHz GMRS/FRS. The users would pay a subscription fee. YMMV. IMHO.

Why? We should be working towards decreasing centralization and corporate control over personal communications, not strengthening it.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I don't see any licenses for them on any lowband frequency.

Montgomery County, Missouri (MO) FCC Licenses

FCC Licenses in Montgomery County, Missouri (MO)

www.radioreference.com

There are no public safety licenses for 42 MHz in MO except the HP.

Interlocal agreements?

 

[nokones]

Interlocal agreements?

Except for 42.96 MHz & 42.98 MHz, 42 MHz freqs will only be licensed to State Law Enforcement Agencies. 39 MHz, 44 MHz, and 45. MHz are usually licensed to local (non-state) government entities.

 

[nd5y]

Interlocal agreements?

Then there should be low band antennas everywhere in MO.

 

[kc2asb]

The segments they want for low band GMRS are the following:

• 43.71 - 44.49 - transportation?
• 46.60 - 46.98 - old cordless phone band
• 48.75 - 49.51 - ???
• 49.66 - 50.00 - low power walkie talkies, old cordless phone handsets

It will not infringe on MO HP on 42MHz, and does not appear to impact any other frequencies allocated to public safety. The military does have exclusive allocations in 46.60 - 47.00 and 49.60 - 50.00 MHz.

 

[nd5y]

46.6-47.0 and 49.6-50.0 are federal government. They won't get those.
The rest are Industrial/Business Pool and Public Safety Pool.

 

[rescuecomm]

Wiki shows under personal radio services that other countries have VHF-LOW frequency allocations intended for outdoor recreation use. The allowed transmit power is pretty low.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Then there should be low band antennas everywhere in MO.

NMO40 antennas are really not that obvious.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Except for 42.96 MHz & 42.98 MHz, 42 MHz freqs will only be licensed to State Law Enforcement Agencies. 39 MHz, 44 MHz, and 45. MHz are usually licensed to local (non-state) government entities.

If the State patrol is primary user, they certainly can have agreements for mutual aid with local agencies.

That said, staying on topic, I think you have established that these frequencies are not the ones being sought. The proposal looked at unused frequencies in the band and went after them. I see elsewhere that the proposer is staunchly anti linking of UHF GMRS, so that is sort of coloring my enthusiasm.

 

[nd5y]

NMO40 antennas are really not that obvious.

Base antennas are.

 

[nokones]

If the State patrol is primary user, they certainly can have agreements for mutual aid with local agencies.

The State has to be the primary user or it will never pass the APCO frequency coordination committee.

As with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) being the primary user, the CHP did grant permission to a gazillion Federal, State Corrections, County, and various Cities Prisoner Transportation Units for Statewide communications and only on the Statewide Blue Frequency. CalTrans (State Highways) and a few County Communications Command Vehicles had permission on the various local Primary & Statewide Blue Frequency.

Also, there were a few County Sheriff Departments/Offices that were secondary control points for after-hours dispatching services in rural areas and they had their own Radio Station Authorizations for the respective remote sites on the 42 MHz freqs.