[NLRS] Suggested FM Simplex Freqs For Radio Contesting

Mon Dec 17 02:09:04 EST 2012

I believe a license is required for the GMRS higher power stuff....    like 
ZA service..
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Clem" <clem.law at usa.net>
To: "S. Earl Jarosh" <earl at jarosh.org>; "'Richard Clem'" <clem.law at usa.net>; 
<nlrs at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 6:07 PM
Subject: Re: [NLRS] Suggested FM Simplex Freqs For Radio Contesting


>
>
> 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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>
>
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