Why use commercial radios on Ham bands

[KE4RWS]

The 146.625 repeater in Hobe Sound is P25 capable and I'm sure you can talk to it from there. :wink:

Just tried it from my apartment using my HT1000 at 5-watts. Can't even bring it up. This place must be shielded like the dickens - bottom floor of a two-story building.

I can easily use it from my radio in the car though.

 

[W4TF]

The APX rocks!

shut it Mark!! I'm jealous...

The APX does look like a cool radio system though, but it ain't gonna happen in this house for a LONG time - if ever.

I feel the same, but where there's a will... (hopefully...)

All of which are in "commercial" not "ham radio" product lines, so as I said our only off the self options are to use Part 90 gear and adapt it to the Ham bands if we desire those modes.

true

Just tried it from my apartment using my HT1000 at 5-watts. Can't even bring it up. This place must be shielded like the dickens - bottom floor of a two-story building.

I can easily use it from my radio in the car though.

you are very close to me..I'm in 34953 just east of Tradition's..i wonder if we could work p25 simplex. I think I have a vhf repeater that I could hit with the HT but since I don't use VHF very much I don't recall the frequency off the top of my head. I can look for it later.

 

[PeterGV]

I use commercial radios on the ham bands because: (a) they're more sensitive, (b) they're more selective, and (c) they support P25 which is used for many public safety agencies in my area. This allows me to have one radio (er, one per band) that lets me monitor local police/fire or the local repeaters. So for emcomm use, I can listen to what's happening with public safety, while communicating with ARES or CERT or whatever.

Peter
K1PGV

 

[rescuecomm]

I use Part 90 Icoms in the ham bands because I am still somewhat active as a rescue squad member. This keeps me from carrying too many radios around at a time. However, when I leave the area on vacation, my Icom V82 and U82 go with me since you can't be sure what PL and Freq's you might need. I would really like an Icom IC-92 but the price is still scary. You are right on new ham radios being hard to field program. A couple of years ago, we were going to test a wide split 2M portable repeater. The test failed because the 2.49mhz offset didn't fit the standard Yaseu split of 50khz multiples and there was no computer available to set them up.

Bob

 

[masterkeymaster]

I use commercial radios for ham gear for a couple of reasons. I like like the idea of just putting nice radios in the land fill. The audio is very nice. I use mine as a base station to call home I use them as base stations ect (did away with the cell phones and saved money). On a car that I use for local traveling and don't leave the area I would use a commercial radio long distance I would use a standard ham radio.

 

[ka4bob]

Using part 90 equipment on part 97 frequencies..

There is a lot of discussion about using part 90 certified gear on the (part 97) ham bands, and I know it's use is widespread. With the surplussing of legacy wide band only equipment it will be even more commonplace.

My question is - can anyone direct me to the FCC CFRs that allow use of part 90 certified eqmnt on part 97 frequencies? I know all the good (and bad) reasons to do it, I just can't find any allowance for it in writing.

 

[zz0468]

My question is - can anyone direct me to the FCC CFRs that allow use of part 90 certified eqmnt on part 97 frequencies? I know all the good (and bad) reasons to do it, I just can't find any allowance for it in writing.

You won't find any language specifically authorizing it, because no such language exists. What you will find instead is language within Part 97 that specifies specific technical standards that must be met within the amateur bands (97.307). There is no rule that dictates that specific equipment must be used to generate those compliant signals.

External amplifiers must be certified (97.315) but even that has an exception that specifically authorizes amateurs to build their own or modify existing amplifiers.

 

[N1XDS]

Motorola for the win!

 

[masterkeymaster]

Dedicated system(s), why should I go out a buy a ham radio if I want one channel on 144.39.
Another is to build cheep repeater(s)

Good Day-

I am working on a list of reasons why hams should use commercial radios on ham bands especially VHF and UHF. My focus is on emergency comms but also daily operations.
I have started the list but want to develop it a bit more:

More rugged
Longer battery life
Better filtering
More rugged accessories
Can be used as a Part 90 radio and on the ham bands

Any more ideas?

Thanks....
Ken - N7QQU

 

[N1XDS]

I use my Motorola XPR 6550 & Icom F4161 on the local repeaters and no complaints as of yet. I think the commercial radios have better audio sound than the ham radio manufacturers just my two cents.

 

[kc2iiz]

All sounds good to me. I'm in the process of getting some commercials re-programmed now

 

[N1XDS]

There was a change in my radio status from the XPR 6550 handheld to the new XPR 5550 403-470 mhz 25-45 watt model version and it sounds good on both FM analog & digital MotoTRBO and thats what matters to me.

I know some people frown on the use of commercial radios being use on frequencies but why though? If a radio can talk on FM (Amateur Radio) like another radio can for instance like a Icom, Kenwood, Kenwood & Motorola. I use my XPR 5550 mobile radio and no problems from other ham's accept one local made the remark with this --> '' I wish I could afford the Motorola CPS programming software cost.

 

[kc2iiz]

They complain because they're jealous. So am I. Haha. The fact remains, most ham radios are junk compared to commercial radios. The drawback with the commercial is the initial price and the programming. I think if a ham manufacturer came out with some commercial grade equipment, it would sell, regardless of cost.

 

[LtDoc]

If a commercial radio will do what you want it to, and if it's available at a reasonable price (cheaper than ham gear), and you can do the required programming or adjusting, then why not? You can use anything on the ham bands if it meets the required spec/standards, commercial, military, whatever.
- 'Doc

 

[WB4CS]

Why I don't use commercial gear on the ham bands:

Commercial gear:
"Hey Bob, how's it going today?"
"Hey Brandon, doing great. I noticed that I can pick you up really well on reverse. How about we get off of the repeater and go to simplex? I'll meet you over on 147.550."
"Okay Bob, sounds good. I don't have a VFO on my radio and I only have the local repeaters programmed in. Give me a few minutes to pull over (I'm driving), get out my laptop, and program in that frequency."

OR

Ham Gear:
"Hey Bob, how's it going today?"
"Hey Brandon, doing great. I noticed that I can pick you up really well on reverse. How about we get off of the repeater and go to simplex? I'll meet you over on 147.550."
"Okay Bob, I'll meet you there." (Hit VFO, dial in the frequency, DONE.)

You could substitute a different repeater for the simplex frequency in this scenario. Bottom line, I want access to the whole ham radio band on the fly not only what channels I have programmed into my radio.

 

[W4TF]

^^^

Commercial radios could have "FPP" which would allow you to program on the fly from the keypad without problems/hassles

The way it was for ME (Brandon) -

"Hey Bob, how's it going today?"
"Hey Brandon, doing great. I noticed that I can pick you up really well on reverse. How about we get off of the repeater and go to simplex? I'll meet you over on 147.550."
"Okay Bob, I'll meet you there." (enter frequency via FPP dial in the frequency, DONE.)
{...after 10 min qso on the HTs...}
"Hey Brandon, I gotta go, my HT is TOOO hot to hold now, sorry to cut the qso short"
"Awe, that's too bad Bob, should have went with a Motorola.. "

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[LtDoc]

I can name one or two ham radios that I'd have the same trouble with! That's certainly one reason not to use commercial equipment though.
- 'Doc

 

[kayn1n32008]

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Why I don't use commercial gear on the ham bands:

Commercial gear:
"Hey Bob, how's it going today?"
"Hey Brandon, doing great. I noticed that I can pick you up really well on reverse. How about we get off of the repeater and go to simplex? I'll meet you over on 147.550."
"Okay Bob, sounds good. I don't have a VFO on my radio and I only have the local repeaters programmed in. Give me a few minutes to pull over (I'm driving), get out my laptop, and program in that frequency."

OR

Ham Gear:
"Hey Bob, how's it going today?"
"Hey Brandon, doing great. I noticed that I can pick you up really well on reverse. How about we get off of the repeater and go to simplex? I'll meet you over on 147.550."
"Okay Bob, I'll meet you there." (Hit VFO, dial in the frequency, DONE.)

You could substitute a different repeater for the simplex frequency in this scenario. Bottom line, I want access to the whole ham radio band on the fly not only what channels I have programmed into my radio.

Well my TK-280 has about 6 zones in it. It covers my whole province. Local, north, south, simplex, Local ARES, and work. I still have lots of channels left if I have to add anything that is not already programmed. My TK-380 has the following zones, local, north, south, simplex, ARES, and province wide linked system, both normal and reversed. Again it still has plenty of channels left for anything else I need to add.

I am slowly replacing my hammy crap radios with all commercial. Much more versatile for my situation. And the audio is much much better than my ham-crap radios.

 

[WB4CS]

"Hey Brandon, I gotta go, my HT is TOOO hot to hold now, sorry to cut the qso short"
"Awe, that's too bad Bob, should have went with a Motorola.. "

Hmm, that's odd. My Kenwood ham HT never gets too hot to hold (or even hot at all) on high power during long QSOs. I think in your hypothetical example there, that guy must have been running a cheap Chinese handheld and not a "real" ham radio handheld

 

[WB4CS]

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Well my TK-280 has about 6 zones in it. It covers my whole province. Local, north, south, simplex, Local ARES, and work. I still have lots of channels left if I have to add anything that is not already programmed. My TK-380 has the following zones, local, north, south, simplex, ARES, and province wide linked system, both normal and reversed. Again it still has plenty of channels left for anything else I need to add.

I am slowly replacing my hammy crap radios with all commercial. Much more versatile for my situation. And the audio is much much better than my ham-crap radios.

I get what you're saying, sure if there's enough memory channels you could program just about every repeater pair and simplex frequency. And, I'll also agree that the audio quality is better. I'll even agree that commercial rigs are better at rejecting intermod. To each their own and if it works for you that's great. I travel a lot so when I'm on the road I like to be able to scan the whole band and put in repeater splits/PL tones on the fly. The "ham-crap" has worked great for me for 20 years, I'll stick with it