Digital on FRS/GMRS...? (Ottawa area)

[PriorMike]

Heading into Ottawa for my night shift, I heard the buzz on several channels. Ch 7 at Hwy 7 and the Queensway, Ch 1 while passing Downtown, Ch 17 and 4 near the Vanier Parkway.

 

[mapleradio]

It may be Carrier Tone Squelch or DCS.

 

[VA3JPX]

Yes there are a few DMR stations on FRS/GMRS. Not sure who is selling radios that do this, but I will assume its people with Motorola rigs that are doing this. Plenty of "Hams" would rather use those frequencies instead of using Ham frequencies.

 

[IdleMonitor]

Or cheap Baofeng/Hytera radios with DMR

Yes there are a few DMR stations on FRS/GMRS. Not sure who is selling radios that do this, but I will assume its people with motorola rigs that are doing this. Plenty of "hams" would rather use those frequencies instead of using ham frequencies.

 

[bill4long]

Or cheap Baofeng/Hytera radios with DMR

Yes. Or Anytone, BTech, Tytera, etc. A lot of radios can be programmed from 400 thru 470 MHz using DMR.

 

[PriorMike]

IC probably doesn't give a crap...

 

[BC_Scan]

It is true. A guy I worked with left for a job locally and I told him about the sheer boredom about sitting at a desk reviewing license applications. I was told this by a local radio shop.
The inspectors won't even come out to do mobile inspections any longer and they can't even operate a spectrum analyzer without having the actual radio tech show him.
In BC, they handed over the tower crane rigging channels required to the WCB, whom were given a pool to work with and issue out freq's as needed (UHF.) Then when job was done, reprogram radios. Basically, if you are not interfering with another station you are left alone.

 

[PriorMike]

I set up a "digital only" GMRS group in my 325P2 and briefly got digital voice on Ch 7 at the Canadian Tire Centre area while heading into work. Happened so quick I didn't get Colour Code or RAN info.