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licensed/non licensed Frequencies

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Spartan9

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Hello,

I'm working on a project which requires me to use a frequency, 900mhz possibly. I would like to know which frequencies I don't need a license to use and which frequencies I do need a license for.
I appreciate any help.
 

nd5y

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Wichita Falls, TX
What kind of project?
what kind of equipment?
What power output?
What type of modulation will be used?
There are several bands including 902-928 MHz that don't require operator or station licenses but have technical restrictions and require FCC certified equipment to be used.
 

ecps92

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Taxachusetts
to add to the questions

Where are you ?
Please update your profile to show that info, as this is an International Forum, we can't assume FCC rules.

Commercial?
Amateur ? aka Ham
Experimental ?

What kind of project?
what kind of equipment?
What power output?
What type of modulation will be used?
There are several bands including 902-928 MHz that don't require operator or station licenses but have technical restrictions and require FCC certified equipment to be used.
 

Spartan9

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Im in the United states, California to be exact.
The project Im working on is a beacon/dog collar project.
I will be using 2 transceivers, not sure the modulation yet.
One transceiver will send a continuous signal that needs to reach 1000ft.The other receives it and I will cause it to light an LED to signal its getting the beacon once it's within the 1000 ft range. Before I figure out anything else I wanted to make sure I'm using the right frequency and I have the right license if necessary.
 

PACNWDude

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Motorola DTR series radios use the 900MHz un-licensed band. The radios cost about $250 each and feature frequency hopping at about 11 times per second.
 

popnokick

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Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 7_1_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/537.51.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0 Mobile/11D201 Safari/9537.53)

... And will fit nicely on a dog's neck.......(??)
 

mmckenna

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Hiding in a coffee shop.
You need to read up on FCC Part 15. This is the section of the FCC rules that cover this sort of unlicensed stuff (actually, it's "license by rule").

There is information regarding "home built devices". 15.23
You can use digital modulation in the 902-928MHz band. 15.247

You can purchase pre-built 900MHz radio modules pretty cheap. I'm assuming that is what you want to do, rather than building something from scratch?
 

PACNWDude

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Not sure on the dogs neck part (depends on the size of the dog), but gutting a DTR radio might work. And the "beacon" could be a push to talk polling every few seconds.
When you attempt to transmit on these radios, it polls by sending out a signal looking for another unit on the correct channel before allowing you to transmit.
I am basing this on my experience with the DTR series radios and the size of the dog being 20+ or so, typical "bird/hunting dog" or larger.
 
D

DaveNF2G

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The only "unlicensed" bands are regulated under Parts 15 and 18 of the FCC rules. Practically every radio transmitter requires a license. What causes the confusion is that there are "licensed-by-rule" services such as FRS, wherein licensed status is presumed for anyone who uses a transmitter that complies with the technical standards for the band without their having to apply for it individually.

The suggestions made above are good, as long as you remember that the legal status of your transmitter depends on its being used according to the relevant rules.
 

Spartan9

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May 21, 2014
Messages
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Location
California
I've read up on what the FCC has to say about this and it answers all my questions. I appreciate everyone's help.
Does anyone have a chip they can recommend me? I want to do this from scratch since it is a simple function I'm trying to do...
 
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