• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

What are the best uses for 800/900mhz?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Pr999

WRYF747
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2021
Messages
325
Location
Plainwell, Michigan
I want to know what are the best uses for 800/900mhz and Should I license for 800/900 or stick with VHF or UHF? My use will be for a small area.
 

mmckenna

I ♥ Ø
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
25,033
Location
United States
I want to know what are the best uses for 800/900mhz and Should I license for 800/900 or stick with VHF or UHF? My use will be for a small area.

Building penetration is where it shines, as well as where you need a number of frequency pairs for a larger system.

There are no itinerant 800MHz or 900MHz licenses. You would have to pay a frequency coordinator, and they'll likely steer you towards UHF. 800MHz and 900MHz frequencies are issued as pairs, a repeater input and a repeater output. You can use repeater outputs as simplex, but they won't issue you just one frequency. A frequency coordinator will probably try really hard to discourage you, as they should. These bands are better suited for repeater use, and trunking.

The rules for these bands are more strict than VHF and UHF. Unless you have a lot of radios, they may require you to share a channel. They also limit coverage area, so "statewide" or "nationwide" won't be an option.

Plus, it's an expensive band to play in. Equipment is more costly.

If this is just for a few radios for your own/business use, stick with UHF.
 

Cameron314

Member
Joined
May 30, 2003
Messages
265
800mhz and I think 900mhz as well have minimum loading requirements so unless you have a high number of users you won't be able to even get a license.
 

K6GBW

Member
Joined
May 29, 2016
Messages
632
Location
Montebello, CA
800 and 900 basically suck for simplex. They really are only used for repeater systems with lots of users. Casinos, Cruise ships, etc are common examples. For simplex on-site radios UHF is the way to go. VHF if in a wooded area.
 

GM

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,089
I'm not sure what the use for the 800/900 MHz would be (business, office security, personal, public safety, farm, etc.) but if it's for a small/on-site coverage area, I would highly encourage the Motorola DTR series radios. They are (VSELP) digital voice, frequency hopping radios that are secure (for the most part) and no license from the FCC is required. They operate on the 902-928 MHz frequency band, and have virtually no interference whatsoever from other devices. The audio clarity is crystal clear, and if you are out of range from another radio, you will get a warning that you are out of range from the radio.

Here is an audio sample I made with DTR radios about 10 years ago: http://www.w2sjw.com/sounds/Moto_DTR.mp3

Here is the spec sheet for the DTR radios: DTR700 Digital Two Way Radio - Motorola Solutions

The older model DTR radios would be the DTR 410, 550, 650 series radios. They work well, and you might be able to find some at a discount. The 410 model has a fixed antenna on it, while the 550 and 650 have a removable antenna in case you need that feature.
 

K6GBW

Member
Joined
May 29, 2016
Messages
632
Location
Montebello, CA
Does you're small area have WiFi coverage? If so you can use WiFi radios. No license, and very secure. Just need good WiFi coverage and install the device. Icom makes a good one.
 

PACNWDude

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
1,406
I'm not sure what the use for the 800/900 MHz would be (business, office security, personal, public safety, farm, etc.) but if it's for a small/on-site coverage area, I would highly encourage the Motorola DTR series radios. They are (VSELP) digital voice, frequency hopping radios that are secure (for the most part) and no license from the FCC is required. They operate on the 902-928 MHz frequency band, and have virtually no interference whatsoever from other devices. The audio clarity is crystal clear, and if you are out of range from another radio, you will get a warning that you are out of range from the radio.

Here is an audio sample I made with DTR radios about 10 years ago: http://www.w2sjw.com/sounds/Moto_DTR.mp3

Here is the spec sheet for the DTR radios: DTR700 Digital Two Way Radio - Motorola Solutions

The older model DTR radios would be the DTR 410, 550, 650 series radios. They work well, and you might be able to find some at a discount. The 410 model has a fixed antenna on it, while the 550 and 650 have a removable antenna in case you need that feature.
+1 on DTR DPL model Motorola for short range but clear comms in built up areas, but the ISM band is also limited to 1 watt, which may be enough for many users. I have several school districts that use this series of radio for their site personnel. One of the needs for this use case was secure comms, as many scanner enthusiast's would listen to school playground incident's of kids getting hurt, monitoring legacy analog UHF radios with cheap scanner's. (Most of my users are on fixed antenna DTR410's, as they are less likely to break that short integrated antenna). The only issue I ever had was a user who tried to plug the charger wall transformer into the charging cradle upside down. I used silver Sharpie pen to highlight the "Batwings" and told the end users "Motorola likes to advertise their products, keep this batwings up and visible"....

Great series of radios.

Although, I will mention for some other posters in this forum, that there are a few legacy users of 800 MHz itinerant frequencies for testing purposes. Look into the use of 808.4875 and 853.4875 MHz. You will find some organizations allowed/licensed for 800 MHz itinerant and not trunked use.
 

kinglou0

Member
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
257
I have found that “insert your choice of commercial digital voice format” really shine in 900MHz simplex.

Too many people get hung up with talking to their Uncle Cletus two countries over.

Excellent urban performance (imho…) and no lids with a baoturd makes me a huge fan of 900. Add in the copious amounts of moderately priced surplus gear and it’s a great band to experiment with.
 

DeoVindice

P25 Underground
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
512
Location
Gadsden Purchase
I have found that “insert your choice of commercial digital voice format” really shine in 900MHz simplex.

Too many people get hung up with talking to their Uncle Cletus two countries over.

Excellent urban performance (imho…) and no lids with a baoturd makes me a huge fan of 900. Add in the copious amounts of moderately priced surplus gear and it’s a great band to experiment with.
I played around with some XPR6580s on 33cm and was quite impressed with performance in town. It's a neat band for sure.
 

DanRollman

Member
Database Admin
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
1,133
Location
Atlanta, GA
I'm not sure what the use for the 800/900 MHz would be (business, office security, personal, public safety, farm, etc.) but if it's for a small/on-site coverage area, I would highly encourage the Motorola DTR series radios. They are (VSELP) digital voice, frequency hopping radios that are secure (for the most part) and no license from the FCC is required. They operate on the 902-928 MHz frequency band, and have virtually no interference whatsoever from other devices. The audio clarity is crystal clear, and if you are out of range from another radio, you will get a warning that you are out of range from the radio.

Here is an audio sample I made with DTR radios about 10 years ago: http://www.w2sjw.com/sounds/Moto_DTR.mp3

Here is the spec sheet for the DTR radios: DTR700 Digital Two Way Radio - Motorola Solutions

The older model DTR radios would be the DTR 410, 550, 650 series radios. They work well, and you might be able to find some at a discount. The 410 model has a fixed antenna on it, while the 550 and 650 have a removable antenna in case you need that feature.

This.

Years ago we switched our "family radios" to DTR/DLR radios (we'd used analog, DMR, and even P25 previously). The DTR/DLR radios are as good as it gets on a cruise ship, for example, but the building penetration aspects of 900 MHz FHSS also comes in handy for scenarios like basement of one house to basement of another house across the neighborhood as the kids wander. License free.

I bought a set of DLR1020's specifically for use on a cruise, and it was one of the best radio investments I've made and they have become our primary radios around the neighborhood too. If you're measuring range as true line of sight, perhaps 1 watt FHSS at 900 MHz isn't your best solution. But if by "range" you mean how many building floors it can penetrate, or whether it can get out of the third sub basement, then two buildings over, then back into a sub basement in the neighboring building, 1 watt of FHSS at 900 MHz will blow any 4+ watt 150 MHz/450 MHz analog or DMR radio out of the water.

So put another way, on the cruise ship the "range" of my DLR1020 1 watt FHSS 900 MHz radio was "16 decks" while the "range" of my 4 watt and 5 watt VHF and UHF analog and DMR radios was just a few decks. So "range" totally depends on your application, and is not always best measured in miles anyway.

We've since upgraded to DTR700 radios for mom and dad, and the kids use DLR1020s. Now mom and dad can easily call specific radios, see on the screen whose calling, transmit to all radios regardless of what channel they are on, and other "trunked system like" features. All on FHSS simplex.
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
2,003
If you have any type of terrain to deal with 800/900 stinks. You deal with what they call "falling off a cliff", meaning you'll be moving along with great reception then all of a sudden out of the clear blue it's gone. That's 800 in a nut shell, besides what everyone else said. It does work good in flat areas and city's though (ie: bulding penetration). You also need to make sure all vehicle and base radios use high quality, large coax cabling to reduce loss. All that adds to the equipment cost.

UHF is a good happy medium IMO, provides good building penetration and decent on simplex.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top