The history behind 462.675 MHz and the travel tone

[K7MFC]

I came across the North Shore Emergency Association's website recently and found their club history page interesting:

nsea.com/nseainfo.htm

This link briefly discusses how the "travel tone" of 141.3 Hz and the national calling/emergency frequency of 462.675 MHz came to be. NSEA was one of the very first adopters of GMRS in the early 1970s, then the Class "A" Citizens Band. Here's a quick snippet from the link:

NSEA members were instrumental in bringing UHF technology to other public service groups in CB, especially R.E.A.C.T. (Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Teams). Beginning in 1976 key NSEA members spent extensive time meeting with REACT teams in more than a dozen-and-a-half different states, bringing a portable repeater, together with a number of mobile and portable units for field demonstrations...As a result, over 200 personal use repeater systems (all on the same frequency [462.675 MHz]) were set up throughout the United States. In recognition of this trend of explosive growth the Federal Communications Commission formally recognized our frequency [462.675 MHz] as the national emergency and traveler's assistance channel in the Part 95A Rules and Regulations.

Pretty cool slice of radio history!

 

[Blink962]

Hi Matt
Am i to assume the frequency and travel tone is for emergency traffic use only?
The reason i ask i do use 675 repeater here in California but on a different pl tone does it matter what pl tone you use are we allowed to converse on the frequency itself?

 

[N4GIX]

Anyone may use the frequency, but should respect any emergency situations where the frequency may already be in use, or an emergency is declared during one's use.

As a proud member of the NSEA, I thank the OP for posting some of the history of our organization!

 

[K7MFC]

The national simplex channel and tone is really more of a convention; it is not a rule that 462.675 MHz and 141.3 Hz must be paired together and/or that it must be used for travel/emergency use only. Ultimately, it is up the GMRS repeater owner/operator to select that frequency and tone they would like to use. The travel tone is simply an agreed channel and tone that can be used for travel assistance and emergencies. Other people will typically monitor this on their radios and should you be traveling the highways, you may have more success calling on the national travel simplex or repeater channel than other GMRS channels. You would also yield to emergency traffic on this channel and tone.

Glad to post it, N4GIX, it really is an interesting little history of how UHF citizens band in the US came to be. NSEA sounds like a great organization.

 

[N4GIX]

Glad to post it, N4GIX, it really is an interesting little history of how UHF citizens band in the US came to be. NSEA sounds like a great organization.

NSEA has been providing communications for the Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks in Evanston, IL for four decades now. This is from this years program booklet:

Our core lakefront crew is augmented by volunteer staff from the North Shore Emergency Association, our radio communications group. They help coordinate with our sound center and assist in the operation of our transmitters and equipment in the command center. They also help with crowd reports for the police, general safety alerts and contact with the many boats offshore.

Here we are setting up for the 4th of July Parade: