[NLRS] Suggested FM Simplex Freqs For Radio Contesting

[Richard Clem]

Yes, the FRS radios are not allowed to have an external antenna, and I'm
guessing the inductive antenna would be a violation.  But 7 of the channels
are shared with GMRS, and GMRS is allowed outside antennas, and it's
specifically permitted to contact FRS stations.  So with someone running a
GMRS rig at a good location, it could be quite impressive, and they would be
able to work cheap FRS radios at a distance that most owners wouldn't believe
possible.

Unfortunately, it's hard to find decent GMRS radios at a decent price.  At
some point, the marketing folks decided that "22 channel" radios would sell
better than 15 channel ones.  They did this by including the other 7 FRS
channels, which means that the radios are not allowed external antennas, the
one feature that would make them much more useful than they are.

It would take some work to get it organized, but it might be something that
would generate interest in ham radio:  Offer some kind of award for making a
"DX" contact, and follow that up with information on getting a ham license.

73,
Rick W0IS

------ Original Message ------
Received: Sun, 16 Dec 2012 05:39:00 PM CST
From: "S. Earl Jarosh" <earl at jarosh.org>
To: "'Richard Clem'" <clem.law at usa.net>,	<nlrs at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: RE: [NLRS] Suggested FM Simplex Freqs For Radio Contesting

> 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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