[NLRS] Suggested FM Simplex Freqs For Radio Contesting

[S. Earl Jarosh]

Interesting concept for frs/gmrs. Might be a way to excite kids into
contesting on FRS via school, FB, or Twitter creating new excitement for Ham
radio.  Could create a FB page and then NLRS, CSVHF, and/or ? Could give out
an award(s).   This could be coordinated as Like the 10-10 system by giving
out a registered number for contact tracking.  No multipliers, no
categories, just straight contacts.

As far as antennas FRS does not allow a FRS type accepted radio with a
detachable antenna nor direct modification of the fix antenna. The FRS
radios are limited to 500 milliwatt output.  Creating an inductive coupling
device for a fixed antenna on a FRS radio to make it directional might be a
grey area. But even with a .5 watt FRS I have been in Albuquerque and talked
with someone 50 miles away full Q from the top of Mt Sandia. There are many
significant unofficial distance reports from skiers and the ski patrol
utilizing FRS radios in the Rockies.  Maybe it is time to get these official
and recorded.  Again using it as a way to lure FRS users into the ham world
and create a better understanding and new excitement in radio.

On the Amateur side there are 1000+km recorded UHF tropo contacts out there
on FM.  


S. Earl Jarosh, N0HZ
Cell:  612.868.1313
Off:   763.545.3275
Home:  763.546.7897
Fax:   763.546.7897
earl at moneycenters.com

 
-----Original Message-----
From: nlrs-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:nlrs-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Richard Clem
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 12:08 PM
To: nlrs at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [NLRS] Suggested FM Simplex Freqs For Radio Contesting



>>>But is the contest antenna big gun power and antenna legal in FRS/GMRS? 
Isn't that service limited by field strength, power, and antenna size
purposely to keep it from competing with the part 70 licensed UHF services?
Like 11m in theory?<<<<

I would need to check the rules, but I'm pretty sure that directional
antennas are legal for GMRS, and channels 1-7 are shared with FRS.  There
might be height restrictions, but I'm pretty sure that any antenna on an
existing structure is legal.  I don't think there are any limits for
radiated field strength; the limit is strictly transmitter power.  For what
I was thinking, I don't think a directional antenna would necessarily be
required.  I was thinking of someone operating from an office building,
which would have a range of several miles, even with cheap FRS radios on the
other end.  If it were well publicized, it might give a lot of people an
idea as to what is possible with small VHF/UHF radios.

For the VHF contest, I was thinking of a "big gun" optimized to work FM
stations in the Twin Cities, with a directional vertical antenna at a good
location pointed toward the Twin Cities, not necessarily what we think of as
a big gun station.  If a few FM guys were able to make "DX" contacts from
their mobile rig to St. Cloud, Eau Claire, Rochester, etc., it might open a
few eyes as to what is possible on VHF.

73,
Rick W0IS

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