Texting, Bluetooth, and Wifi On FRS/GMRS

[JASII]

Now that FRS and GMRS can transmit digital data, do people here anticipate that a virtual keyboard will be on some future FRS and GMRS radios? As popular as texting is on smartphones, could it be a popular feature on new FRS and GMRS radios?

What about the part to allow the combination of Part 15 devices? Do you expect that to take off? Would it be nice to have a radio with Bluetooth and wifi? If so, what would you do with it? Would you like to pair it to you smartphone and use your smartphone keyboard to send texts through your radio?

What about wifi on radios? Would you like an Android based radio that has many/most smartphone features on it, that will also transmit?

As much as I think that the Garmin RINOs are pretty neat, I also think that they are over-priced. With a radio, that can pair via Bluetooth, to a smartphone, that has a GPS and a keyboard, it does open up some interesting possibilities.

Someone help me out here, does this also mean that mesh networking would be possible with these radios?

Could something like the Icom IP100H be built into a radio that would allow you to connect via wifi and talk to another radio anywhere in the world connected via wifi? I can actually think of some applications where that might be quite handy.

http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/landmobile/ipsolutions/ip100h/default.aspx

 

[buddrousa]

When did they open up FRS and GMRS to digital communications. I may have missed it thanks.

 

[jonwienke]

Now that FRS and GMRS can transmit digital data, do people here anticipate that a virtual keyboard will be on some future FRS and GMRS radios?

No, because the FCC did NOT approve digital on GMRS or FRS, other than brief bursts for radio ID and GPS coordinates and suchlike. Text messaging and digital modulation such as DMR are still not allowed.

 

[kc8kek]

I'll take a shot at the last point (or question?). The Icom is a cool idea, obviously it only works on the local network. Can it work worldwide? Sure, and it's been done. About ten years ago, there was a company that made a small gateway for that purpose, you plugged a dongle into the USB port of an internet-connected computer, and plugged your FRS (GMRS, MURS, whatever) into the dongle; users on the other side did the same thing. But you need a server to do this, and when the company went out of business (pretty quickly, as I recall), the servers went down with them.

Cool idea? Yes. Are thousands of people doing it right now? Yes. But is there a consumer-grade, entry level market for this yet? Apparently not. And for the sake of the congested Part 95 spectrum, that's probably for the best.

As for pairing a radio to a smartphone, this is already on the market as well. The version I'm thinking of pairs to the phone with Bluetooth and uses 900 MHz ISM spectrum to link to other similarly configured phones. The devices act like the 3G network, in a sense. IMHO, it's a neat idea, but a solution in search of a problem, and is destined to go the way of the FRS dongle. I can't possibly imagine that you would see better range than a city block or two, and that's on a good day, going down hill, with the wind at your back.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Not to mention, radios with Bluetooth and wifi built in are already available on the LMR market.


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[nd5y]

What about wifi on radios? Would you like an Android based radio that has many/most smartphone features on it, that will also transmit?

Do you mean running wifi over GMRS frequencies? It's not possible to do that on a 25 kHz wide channel.

 

[JASII]

Texting, Bluetooth, And Wifi On FRS/GMRS

When did they open up FRS and GMRS to digital communications. I may have missed it thanks.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/08/29/2017-17395/personal-radio-service-reform

The modulation will still be analog...

This is effective September 28, 2017. "...containing a brief text message to another specific FRS or GMRS unit or units..." I suppose to remain complaint, the device can be designed so that only a "brief text message" can be created. Perhaps a hard limit on the number of characters that can be created. I know with SMS on phones, there is a cap of 160 characters per text. Does anybody happen to know how many characters can be sent in one second?

One its face, it sort of looks like other manufacturers will get what Garmin has had with their RINOs, but needed a special waiver for. Just for fun, I checked the owners manual on-line for a Garmin RINO. They call this feature Notes. According to their manual: "Due to FCC regulations, you can enter a maximum of 13 characters in a note." Wow that really IS a brief message Loading site please wait...

Here I was thinking it would be more like Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications Short Message Service (texting) that limits texts to 160 characters!


§ 95.1787 GMRS additional requirements.
Each hand-held portable unit transmitter type submitted for certification under this subpart is subject to the rules in this section.

(a) Digital data transmissions. GMRS hand-held portable units that have the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements.

(1) Digital data transmissions must only be initiated by a manual action by the operator, except that GMRS units may automatically respond with location data upon receiving an interrogation request from another GMRS or FRS unit.

(2) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration.

(3) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period, except that a GMRS unit may automatically respond to more than one interrogation request received within a thirty-second period.

(4) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit.

(5) GMRS units must not be capable of transmitting digital data on the 467 MHz main channels.




§ 95.587 FRS additional requirements.
Each FRS transmitter type must be designed to meet the following additional requirements.

(a) Transmit frequency capability. FRS transmitter types must not be capable of transmitting on any frequency or channel other than those listed in § 95.563.

(b) Antenna. The antenna of each FRS transmitter type must meet the following requirements.

(1) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the FRS transmitter type.

(2) The gain of the antenna must not exceed that of a half-wave dipole antenna.

(3) The antenna must be designed such that the electric field of the emitted waves is vertically polarized when the unit is operated in the normal orientation.

(c) Digital data transmissions. FRS transmitter types having the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements.

(1) FRS units may transmit digital data containing location information, or requesting location information from one or more other FRS or GMRS units, or containing a brief text message to another specific FRS or GMRS unit or units.

(2) Digital data transmissions must be initiated by a manual action or command of the operator, except that FRS units may be designed to automatically respond with location data upon receiving an interrogation request from another FRS unit or a GMRS unit.

(3) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration.

(4) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period, except that an FRS unit may automatically respond to more than one interrogation request received within a thirty-second period.

(d) Packet mode. FRS transmitter types must not be capable of transmitting data in the store-and-forward packet operation mode.

(e) Effective September 30, 2019, no person shall manufacture or import hand-held portable radio equipment capable of operating under this subpart (FRS) and other licensed or licensed-by-rule services in this chapter (part 15 unlicensed equipment authorizations are permitted if consistent with part 15 rules).



§ 95.1787 GMRS additional requirements.
Each hand-held portable unit transmitter type submitted for certification under this subpart is subject to the rules in this section.

(a) Digital data transmissions. GMRS hand-held portable units that have the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements.

(1) Digital data transmissions must only be initiated by a manual action by the operator, except that GMRS units may automatically respond with location data upon receiving an interrogation request from another GMRS or FRS unit.

(2) Digital data transmissions must not exceed one second in duration.

(3) Digital data transmissions must not be sent more frequently than one digital data transmission within a thirty-second period, except that a GMRS unit may automatically respond to more than one interrogation request received within a thirty-second period.

(4) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit.

(5) GMRS units must not be capable of transmitting digital data on the 467 MHz main channels.

 

[JASII]

Texting, Bluetooth, And Wifi On FRS/GMRS

Do you mean running wifi over GMRS frequencies? It's not possible to do that on a 25 kHz wide channel.

No.