Markinsac
Member
GMRS is also a "public" band - encryption is not likely to be approved as well.
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Digital voice on GMRS
- Thread starter Scott73
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n1das
Member
It's probably best to not go there when applying for an experimental license.
I'm watching this thread with interest. I would LOVE to be able to use DMR and P25 (Phase 1) digital modes legally on GMRS if digital were allowed. I already have the radios and a UHF DMR repeater, currently in analog only mode. Sadly digital probably won't happen anytime soon.
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KD8DVR
Member
Being as the FCC just got done with major work on Part 95, I seriously doubt they will revisit this for some time. Of course, anyone is allowed to make a Petittion for rulemaking.
I wish aviation band would go digital. @12dbsinad but that's only from my entirely professional angle.
Tho, I've heard some D transmissions on GMRS around the country, I think this service should STAY....FM!!!!! We've got a lot of digital on the Ham bands as it is. Lets enjoy THAT. As for aviation going digital, you MUST like 5 figure air fares!!!!!!
12dbsinad
Member
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With the fast talking and 10 different convo's going on at the same time at busy airports I don't think digital would be well suited. There is a reason it's still AM.
durango5550
Booger D.
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that's basically saying " lets play around with it " in not so many words
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
that's basically saying " lets play around with it " in not so many words
Yep.
And properly worded and justified, the FCC went along with it.
I don't think the FCC is "out to get us". I think they are just doing their best to maintain some level of control over the mess. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of digital on GMRS at some time in the future.
I think the big issue is that they are unlikely to pick one digital standard and require everyone to use that. And making it a digital mode free for all would be an ungodly mess that most real GMRS users would not enjoy.
I know DMR has it's fan boi's, but I'm not sure it's the best solution. ITU is looking at digital for Marine VHF, and so far what they have posted isn't DMR, it's something that looks a lot like 6.25KHz NXDN/FDMA. I know that would piss off the DMR fans, but there's some good reasons for it.
Personally, I can see the FCC going the dPMR route at some point, with DMR as the standard. /\/\ just has too much pull here in the US (including their bubble pack FRS/GMRS radios) for the FCC to go to any other standard. I could see it consisting of going narrowband on the current FRS/GMRS channels and sticking the digital stuff in the new bandwidth.
Going to happen anytime soon? Probably not. It is something that will have to be driven by the radio manufacturers, because the FCC likely doesn't care.
Going to happen anytime soon? Probably not. It is something that will have to be driven by the radio manufacturers, because the FCC likely doesn't care.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
dPMR is very close to NXDN. It's FDMA.
DMR would be TDMA and would be problematic for lots of simplex users trying to share the same channel.
I'm not even referring to TDMA vs. FDMA. I'm just talking about the digital side having their own distinct frequencies vs. the analog side. That alleviates the two users from mixing their signals and being annoyed. That I can see happening after narrowbanding the service. You go down to 12.5 KHz channel spacing and now you double the practical frequencies for the service. Perhaps the newly-created frequencies would be used for digital.
At generally low power, is it really that problematic? Interference is built into the service. You have GMRS users blasting 50w simplex on repeater outputs. You use different color codes, different talkgroups, etc. It's still a mess, but I don't know if it's any more a mess than what currently exists.
At the end of the day, I see /\/\otorola lobbying to go with what they know, and that's DMR. I personally can't see them going to anything but that on potential bubble pack radios. FDMA makes the most sense though, by far. Maybe they even go similar to the TETRA route, and leave the current bandplan in place? Who knows?
NC1
Member
I think you would have to move mountains to make a viable argument that they would even look at. Having them actually discuss it and border on the fringe of debate would be another monumental task. This was brought up during the last rule changes by thousands of people and it was promptly rejected without one bit of discussion, they don't even want to hear about making GMRS anything but analog.
So that leaves me with 2 questions:
1) if you want to do digital so bad, why don't you just use the digital repeaters on the Amateur bands? It's already there, equipment, repeaters, tons of people already using it, and experimenting is precisely one of the big reasons Amateur radio exists.
2) how about getting a pair of business band frequencies? You can use digital on those and don't need to reinvent the wheel.
It amazes me that people want to make GMRS a digital format when it is already available on the ham bands. What's the point? What's the purpose? Where is the pressing need? Why is Amateur radio not acceptable if you want to use digital?
In my opinion, GMRS is for the GENERAL population, that's kind of important and is probably why it's the very first word. If you want to be a techno-geek (which I am close to being), then get your amateur radio license. Simple.
Going digital (or whatever) on GMRS is going to do nothing but confound 90% of the population that wants to turn on the radio and be able to use it. Having to start programming these things, getting code plugs, synchronizing, etc is going to be a deterrent and will drop the sales of GMRS radios considerably - like off a cliff, which will now make them more expensive because now their current sales will be 5% of what they used to be.
Go to Amateur radio - experimenting is why it's there, and I think the FCC feels that way as well.
So that leaves me with 2 questions:
1) if you want to do digital so bad, why don't you just use the digital repeaters on the Amateur bands? It's already there, equipment, repeaters, tons of people already using it, and experimenting is precisely one of the big reasons Amateur radio exists.
2) how about getting a pair of business band frequencies? You can use digital on those and don't need to reinvent the wheel.
It amazes me that people want to make GMRS a digital format when it is already available on the ham bands. What's the point? What's the purpose? Where is the pressing need? Why is Amateur radio not acceptable if you want to use digital?
In my opinion, GMRS is for the GENERAL population, that's kind of important and is probably why it's the very first word. If you want to be a techno-geek (which I am close to being), then get your amateur radio license. Simple.
Going digital (or whatever) on GMRS is going to do nothing but confound 90% of the population that wants to turn on the radio and be able to use it. Having to start programming these things, getting code plugs, synchronizing, etc is going to be a deterrent and will drop the sales of GMRS radios considerably - like off a cliff, which will now make them more expensive because now their current sales will be 5% of what they used to be.
Go to Amateur radio - experimenting is why it's there, and I think the FCC feels that way as well.
Because not everyone is a ham, and not everyone wants to get their ham license.
That isn't what business band frequencies are for. That's the very reason personal radio services exist, i.e. GMRS.
Who said anything about codeplugs, programming, or synchronizing? I think you're confounding yourself with how digital radios actually work. There are bubble pack dPMR radios in other countries, for example, that work no differently than any other radio. You turn the radio on and you use it. It's no different than analog PMR, except that you get all the great features digital has to offer.
mmckenna
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You are missing the point about what GMRS is intended for.
Amateur radio isn't the answer to everything. Hams have their place. So does GMRS.
As to what happens in the future, it's anyones guess. As stated, it was brought up in the last rule change, and never acted on. I doubt the FCC has any current interest in making major changes to GMRS for the foreseeable future.
But, eventually things change. We can make lots of guesses about what will happen, and that's all it is, guesses.
So, dPMR.....IS THE STANDARD NOW?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
nd5y
Member
mmckenna
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mmckenna
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