FCC grants waiver to Garmin for digital data on GMRS

[KevinC]

38 MHz!

 

[mmckenna]

True. In the US, 440-450 MHz is heavily populated with repeaters, so repeater owners and users might be upset if that part of the band went away.

I wonder if they'd notice, though. 446-446.1 is pretty quiet around here, other than Morse ID's screaming into the ether. Haven't heard anyone on 70cm calling in decades.

But, seriously, leave FRS where it's at.

38 MHz!

Of course! How could we have forgotten! A perfect solution.

 

[K6GBW]

I wonder if they'd notice, though. 446-446.1 is pretty quiet around here, other than Morse ID's screaming into the ether. Haven't heard anyone on 70cm calling in decades.

But, seriously, leave FRS where it's at.



Of course! How could we have forgotten! A perfect solution.

Here in the Los Angeles area 446.000. 446.500 and 446.520 are busy. There are simplex conversations and even disaster nets that go on every day of the week.

 

[W8UU]

There is no putting this particular genie back in the bottle with just an administrative change to the labels, frequencies, & emissions.

Sure there is. We did it with the 49 MHz walkie-talkies, cordless phones, and baby monitors.

• Create a slot of 220 MHz frequencies for a new and combined FRS/MURS.
• Require all new equipment to operate in that band.
• Prohibit the sale of new equipment on the current MURS and FRS channels.
• Let the existing stuff die a natural death.

The template to make this happen is there and has been done before.

I'm a ham and almost no one uses 220. You could cut out a small area for low power portables and digital devices to work and still leave enough 220 ham stuff there for the diehards. TV doesn't get (or need) 83 channels anymore, and they never did.

 

[JASII]

...Garmin seeks relief from section 95.1787(a)(3) so that it may obtain equipment certification for handheld General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) devices that will transmit digital data communications every five seconds as compared to a maximum of one digital transmission for every 30-second period permitted under the rules. Id. at 1, 5...

I wonder if this means that Garmin is planning a new line of Garmin Rino radios?

Or would this be accomplished by a firmware upgrade on existing Rino radios?

As an amateur radio operator, GMRS licensee, and outdoor enthusiast, I can see the need for devices like this.

I thing the bantering back and forth here is about where in the spectrum such devices should go.

The outdoor hobbies that enjoy that could make use of these are ATV/UTVing and e-biking.

The above hobbies do take my wife and I off "off the grid" so to speak. (ATV/UTVing more than e-biking.)

During group ATV/UTV rides it would be nice to have the ability to alert the group that someone needs to stop.

Showing riders a map that depicts the location of other rides would be a great feature.

Since cellular coverage is sometimes spotty and other times non-existent, that hasn't always been an option in the past.

I will suggest that since T-Mobile and others are working on Direct-To-Cell solutions, many ATV/UTVers will go that route.

It will take time, though.

The T-Mobile Starlink option will be texting only to start.

As that system matures and data is added, Android/Apple apps like Polaris Ride Command will have expanded capability.

From my personal perspective, the current Garmin Rino radios are very expensive.

That will likely limit sales.

For the people that already have cell phones, they are probably more likely to add the satellite feature than they are to buy another device.

I am predicting that at the end of the day, this will be a big "nothing burger."

And, unless I missed it, no changes in the power level limits, right?

Hiking GPS | Handheld GPS for Hikers | Garmin

Go farther than ever before when finding adventure with hiking and handheld GPS devices from Garmin.

www.garmin.com

 

[AK9R]

TV doesn't get (or need) 83 channels anymore, and they never did.

Broadcast TV lost channels 70-83 in 1983. That became the 800 MHz band used by public safety, cell phones, etc.

They lost channels 52-69 in 2010. That became the 700 MHz band used by public safety and wireless broadband.

And, they lost channels 38-51 in 2017.

I'm a ham and almost no one uses 220.

Amateur radio may not be using 222-225 MHz in your area, but I don't think you can speak for the whole country.

And, as I mentioned above 220-222 MHz has already been reallocated for the railroads.

 

[W8UU]

Broadcast TV lost channels ... <snip>... 220-222 MHz has already been reallocated for the railroads.

I know all of that.

Since we're splitting hairs, let me clarify. The 222-225 MHz band is what I'm suggesting.

The "220 MHz band" for Amateur Radio. As opposed to 6 meters, 2 meters, 440, or 900.

 

[alcahuete]

38 MHz!

Stop.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Way back in my 2 way career I remember the shop I worked for (Gifford engineering) sold a 220 AM ACSB, amplitude compandered side band system to the Signal companies in La Jolla. I don't remember if it was a repeater or base I installed at their HQ on Torrey Pines road but do remember seeing a task list in the underground parking garage showing a list of executives vehicles to be washed or worked on.

 

[speedway_navigator]

38 MHz!

made this for my GCT-1 class, I think it's based on 42.42 Mhz, which AK9R will probably remember.

 

[rf_patriot200]

Sure there is. We did it with the 49 MHz walkie-talkies, cordless phones, and baby monitors.

• Create a slot of 220 MHz frequencies for a new and combined FRS/MURS.
• Require all new equipment to operate in that band.
• Prohibit the sale of new equipment on the current MURS and FRS channels.
• Let the existing stuff die a natural death.

The template to make this happen is there and has been done before.

I'm a ham and almost no one uses 220. You could cut out a small area for low power portables and digital devices to work and still leave enough 220 ham stuff there for the diehards. TV doesn't get (or need) 83 channels anymore, and they never did.

As long as they stuff it Below 222 mhz.

 

[rf_patriot200]

I know all of that.

Since we're splitting hairs, let me clarify. The 222-225 MHz band is what I'm suggesting.

The "220 MHz band" for Amateur Radio. As opposed to 6 meters, 2 meters, 440, or 900.

Screw That !! Putting that crap on a Quiet, perfectly content Amateur radio band that we DO Use would be a Poor decision!