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HotZiggity

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I'm a Hot Air Balloon Pilot and was wondering how to go about getting my own radio freq so when I'm flying I don't have all of the extra chatter from other balloon pilots? I am getting ready to start studying for my Ham radio license so I can use a repeater. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Craig Campbell
 

CommJunkie

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I'm a Hot Air Balloon Pilot and was wondering how to go about getting my own radio freq so when I'm flying I don't have all of the extra chatter from other balloon pilots? I am getting ready to start studying for my Ham radio license so I can use a repeater. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Craig Campbell

You cannot have your own frequency on ham bands. You can have a repeater coordinated through your local coordinating council which will give you a frequency pair to put your repeater on, but you do not have exclusive privileges to that frequency.
 

QDP2012

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I'm a Hot Air Balloon Pilot and was wondering how to go about getting my own radio freq so when I'm flying I don't have all of the extra chatter from other balloon pilots? I am getting ready to start studying for my Ham radio license so I can use a repeater. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If your pilot duties are part of a business, then you cannot use Amateur Radio for those business purposes. In that case you might consider applying for a license to use business frequencies, and/or subscribing/contracting with a communications-provider for use of their radio system, etc.

I'm not familiar with what the FAA requires of balloon pilots regarding radios. The FAA might have some regulations that apply. If so, I'm guessing you already know what they are.


Hope this helps,
 

gewecke

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I'm a Hot Air Balloon Pilot and was wondering how to go about getting my own radio freq so when I'm flying I don't have all of the extra chatter from other balloon pilots? I am getting ready to start studying for my Ham radio license so I can use a repeater. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Craig Campbell
. Craig for the time being, until you obtain your ham license you could use one of the five nationwide MURS channels with a PL tone In your receiver, You wouldn't hear any chatter unless someone close to you had the same tone programmed on transmit. ;). 73, n9zas
 

mirrorshades

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I'm a Hot Air Balloon Pilot and was wondering how to go about getting my own radio freq so when I'm flying I don't have all of the extra chatter from other balloon pilots?

I think the main question is -- who do you want/need to talk to while in flight, and for what purpose?

Knowing that would help narrow your options down a bit.
 

gewecke

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According to 95.1303 you can't legally use MURS on aircraft in flight.
Maybe so, but its been a common practice among ballonists and even Ultralights. for several years now and doesn't seem to cause any problems. :wink: 73, n9zas
 

K4EET

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Maybe so, but its been a common practice among ballonists and even Ultralights. for several years now and doesn't seem to cause any problems. :wink: 73, n9zas

Just because it may be common practice does not make it legal. Part 95.1303(b) is pretty clear about MURS use aboard aircraft in flight. It is illegal and punishable to the full extent of the law if caught. FCC fines can be quite hefty like upwards of $10,000 to $25,000 depending on the charge(s). If you want to mock the law go ahead. Sooner or later you will probably get caught. I've seen such cases first-hand...

§ 95.1303 Authorized locations.
(a) MURS operation is authorized:
(1) Anywhere CB station operation is permitted under § 95.405; and
(2) Aboard any vessel of the United States, with the permission of the captain, while the vessel is travelling either domestically or in international waters.
(b) MURS operation is not authorized aboard aircraft in flight.
<snip>

73, Dave K4EET
 

gewecke

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Just because it may be common practice does not make it legal. Part 95.1303(b) is pretty clear about MURS use aboard aircraft in flight. It is illegal and punishable to the full extent of the law if caught. FCC fines can be quite hefty like upwards of $10,000 to $25,000 depending on the charge(s). If you want to mock the law go ahead. Sooner or later you will probably get caught. I've seen such cases first-hand...

§ 95.1303 Authorized locations.
(a) MURS operation is authorized:
(1) Anywhere CB station operation is permitted under § 95.405; and
(2) Aboard any vessel of the United States, with the permission of the captain, while the vessel is travelling either domestically or in international waters.
(b) MURS operation is not authorized aboard aircraft in flight.
<snip>

73, Dave K4EET
Well I guess its up to the Op, however I would still use Murs nonetheless. Murs might not be authorized, but it would get the job done. 73, n9zas. :)
 

Hans13

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According to 95.1303 you can't legally use MURS on aircraft in flight.

I guess that might depend on how aircraft is defined. Is an unpowered, lighter than air vehicle considered aircraft? I did a quick search for definitions but didn't find much except the FAA not defining them as such (FAR)?
 

rivardj

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The main reason I suggest the Motorola DTR650 is less chance of channel congestion due to Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) with 50 non-overlapping groups.
 

gewecke

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The main reason I suggest the Motorola DTR650 is less chance of channel congestion due to Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) with 50 non-overlapping groups.
According to owners of those, the FHSS feature doesn't function like you would think. Low power simplex at 900 mhz. Is going to have a very short range too. 73, n9zas
 

AK9R

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A couple of points.

1. It sounds like the OP's intended use may not be compatible with amateur radio, so I've moved this thread out of the amateur radio forums.

2. The OP hasn't been back to the forums since he started this thread.
 

K4EET

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I guess that might depend on how aircraft is defined. Is an unpowered, lighter than air vehicle considered aircraft? I did a quick search for definitions but didn't find much except the FAA not defining them as such (FAR)?

I found a definition of Aircraft in the following FAA document:

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/pcg.pdf

On Page PCG A&#8722;6:

"AIRCRAFT&#8722; Device(s) that are used or intended to be used for flight in the air, and when used in air traffic control terminology, may include the flight crew."

That is a pretty broad definition...

73, Dave K4EET
 

KB5ILY

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I haven't looked at part 87, but would one of the many aviation frequencies not be the most appropriate choice for the OP's type of operations ?
 

Project25_MASTR

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According to owners of those, the FHSS feature doesn't function like you would think. Low power simplex at 900 mhz. Is going to have a very short range too. 73, n9zas

Each channel is roughly 100 mW (10, 100 mW channels being transmitted on simultaneously, gives you 1W output) if memory serves correctly. So that's 20 dBm&#8230;usable path loss should be around 100 dB so that would give a "usable" range of ~26 km or ~16 miles. Considering the vantage point and relative few amount of obstructions&#8230;that just may work. Now of course ground to ground, one wouldn't see those results but air-to-ground it would be pretty close assuming several hundred feet of altitude.
 

gewecke

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Each channel is roughly 100 mW (10, 100 mW channels being transmitted on simultaneously, gives you 1W output) if memory serves correctly. So that's 20 dBm&#8230;usable path loss should be around 100 dB so that would give a "usable" range of ~26 km or ~16 miles. Considering the vantage point and relative few amount of obstructions&#8230;that just may work. Now of course ground to ground, one wouldn't see those results but air-to-ground it would be pretty close assuming several hundred feet of altitude.
. Line of sight comms at 1 watt using 900 mhz? Its been tried and ditched, have fun with that ok. :D. 73, n9zas
 
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