Hey everyone. I have been thinking about changing our run channel from 7/21 to 22/22. The reason for this is I have been noticing that our groups are getting bigger and the sweeper cannot contact the leader, especially in dense areas. From what I know, Ch.7 is a low power channel, where as Ch.22 is a high power one and was used @ MOTD.

What do you all think? I know we have been using this channel for some time and it is unofficially the MINI channel, but I think it is time to change it, and was apparent on the previous run it needs to be changed.

 

delete me

 

Is 22 a gprs or frs channel? There are two issues there..
1. Does everyones radios work on that frequency? And,

2. What are the licensing issues for using 22?

 

It's gprs. But even GPRS radios are less than $30 a pair. You are supposed to get a license to use the higher channels, but I've never met anyone who got it...

I think this is a fine idea. There are also higher power mobile GMRS radios with magnetic antenna's that go on the roof. The Radio Shack onejust plugs in the cigarette lighter for a true 'no install' set up. They are higher wattage akin to a car CB. They might make a nice club purchase for the lead and chase vehicles on runs.

 

that's a good idea Mark....only problem I see with it is that we'd have to make sure that the "appliances" make it to each and every run.

Changing the channel may be problematic for those who've already purchased
FRS radios and may not want to purchase GPRS.

Here's another thought...exchange cell phone #s between lead and sweepers. I know, I know...coverage. But eventually, someone will have coverage.

 

Last Saturday, we couldn't contact with each other, even less than a mile using FRS channel.

No phone signal either.

 

Yup. Though Priority mail works wonders. It would add extra 'work' and might be too much of a pain. But it could be pretty helpful too.

 

As someone who enjoys being the sweeper, I wholly support the idea..... especially the thought of higher (as opposed to handhelds) power quick install units.

I think the club (read: board members) needs to NOT publically promote and activity known to be in violation of FCC regs. What actually occurs in the field, is the responsibility of the operators of those radios. Get my drift?

 

I had a signal..just not the right phone #s. There's got to be a way...
everyone put on their thinking caps...

 

I'll check out the regs on what it takes to actually get the license. I'm sure there's no test involved...

 

I think you just pay them (somewhere around $50) and they send you paperwork saying you can use the higher frequencies.

 

It's closer to $75 or 80. That's for 5 years. Interesting item below...

"The requirement for GMRS licensing in the USA is not followed by the vast majority of users of these frequencies. Estimates of the number of hybrid FRS/GMRS radios sold to date range from 20 to 50 million units or more. This is compared with approximately 80,000 active GMRS licensees (per the FCC database)."

Other than the higher wattage, the GMRS radios also may have a external antenna, FRS may not. It's also legal to own a hybrid FRS/GMRS even if you don't have a GMRS license as long a you don't transmit on the GMRS channels.

So, I wonder if the GMRS mobiles with external antennas used on a FRS channel would be a big enough improvement to let the lead and chase talk?

 

For a big group like last Saturday, Could we come up with some call sign?

We have Leader and Sweeper, can we assign a relay car in the middle of the pack and use some kind of number system?

Something like: #1 for the leader, #2 middle of the pack and #3 for the sweeper.
That way the leader will be able keep tracking, adjust the speed and keep everyone in pace. No more confusing.
Just a thought.

 

Huh? Wha? Licensing? Wrong channel? I have no idea what you're talking aboot!

 

On a run like last Saturday's the problem is not with the radios, it is with the topography and the twisties. FRS, GMRS, and CB radios are all "line-of-sight". The range of any of the radios can diminish to nothing if the radio you are trying to contact is around a corner or behind a hill. This condition is aggravated even more by not having a large antenna.

Perhaps the solution is to split the run into two or more groups (on purpose) to start with. A less "spirited" pace might also help the group stay together.

Regardless of the minor inconveniences, we had a great time. Good roads. Good cherries. Good lunch. Good shopping. Good people. Thanks Chris and Eric for a great day!

 

I have a GMRS license The problem with cell phones is coverage, like the Cherry Run where we couldn't get ahold of anyone. I like the idea of a "repeater" MINI, but I also like the antenna idea.

 

+1 ... It would be great to test a set before we had to buy, though.

 

Too bad. It seems you used to be able to get a single GMRS license for a organization, like a club. Those that exist are grandfathered in, but now you can only get them for individuals (which can be used by a family).

Now, If Krut the president would get one, and adopt ALL of us that would work! Then each outgoing president would give us up for adoption to the new president. Hmm. Tax implications?

As others pointed out even the GRMS are 'line of sight' so I don't know that they'd do any better. If so it could work. You don't need a license to listen on the GMRS channels, only to transmit.

Maybe on par with CB's? We should ask our resident DCMM HAM for input on whether there are other options that would make sense.

Anybody else got a 5 watt marine handheld UHF? For comparative testing purposes? 'Course I'd never use it on land, that ain't allowed.

You can probably get a UHF license for a club (like a business) to cover multiple members, but that would only let the lead and sweep communicate and with a 2nd radio not compatable with the FRS radios that would be in the cars in the middle.

Still thinkin...

Edit: Just found that MURS is a 2 watt no lic required VHF band, but I don't know if they'd do much better than FRS GMRS...

 

Crap my radios don't go that high...

 

Here's the Radio Shack one, link below, no longer made it turns out. It was a FRS mobile with 'external' antenna. FRS can't have external antenna so they built the radio into the base of the antenna with a remote mike/speaker to circumvent that rule.

Model 21-1850

 

Bullhorn anyone? Learn smoke signals? Sat phones?

 

I will start keeping a flare gun (Very Guns) in my Mini, for emergency only.

 

Small pocket mirrors signaling morse code?

 

Ok, here's the solution. The company I work for develops UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and one of our latest projects includes a comm. relay and a vehicle following camera payload.

So all we have to do is put the plane in the air, lock onto the leader with the camera and then use the comm relay to handle the line of site problems, we have a 4+ hour endurance so we should be able to handle the whole run, and a top speed of 100 knots, simple enough


Of course I won't tell you how much it will cost to do this but it is a solution

Right now I do not own one radio or the other, so I'm open to either.

Cheers,

Mike

 

I'm of the opinion that we should only change channels if there is a clear and obvious benefit. To achieve that will require some testing, ideally using 4 radios... 2 set to 7/21 and 2 set to 22/22. Two people take one of each, and continue to separate themselves, doing audio/signal quality testing with both channels until a clear difference is detected (if there is one).

If indeed 22/22 does prove to be more durable (and I mean noticably so), then I'm all for changing.

If it doesn't make any difference, or the difference is very slight, then I would prefer we stick to the traditional MINI convention of 7/21.