| Author |
Message |
    
Werner
| | Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2003 - 1:51 pm: | 
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Does anyone know if truckers use FRS radio at all? Could there be a common FRS channel/ctcss code used in truck stops etc? The little radios are limited, but I have had nothing but good experiences with them. Quiet, clear & not as congested as the 40 CB channels. You can also carry them with you without any installation & they sure work better than the large CB handhelds (in my experience). The ctcss is also a great feature. Any comments?
Werner
My opinions & observations only :o) |
bruce
| | Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2003 - 9:46 pm: |
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Werner Its too bad that FRS was so restricted but here is my view on it. Use of Tone squelch is standard on UHF now and will become standard on all radios except cb soon Most truckers here that i have heard run GMRS illeagaly but no one cares a few are on MURS. NOW To lissen to FRS you need a GAIN antenna like a ringo ranger fed with GOOD coax like lmr-400 The worst thing you can do is scimp on the antenna At FRS it's the kiss of death now with my 11 db gain 440 antenna i hear stations 3 miles away on FRS. The problem with FRS is the limilation on antennas for transmit sad realy sad. On the new MURS band the antenna gives 7 db of gain and i can hear stations ( on ducking ) about 90 miles away and groundwave into tampa 20 miles away the MUSR stations im hearing have simular stations...ringo rangers up 30 foot or more... moble to base range on FRS leagal power ( your stuck with the attached ant) is under 1 mile on murs we get 12 no problem and HT to HT about 3 miles again too bad FRS is so restricted. Ill lissen for truckers here in tampa bay on FRS and MURS there again an't many yet. |
de
| | Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2003 - 9:49 pm: |
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RE CTCSS.....
CTCSS is only a coded device to silence your receiver untill a preprogram tone is received. In order for a person talking to you to activate your radio he must send the required tone to release your squelch. Here is your problem. Any radio with no CTCSS can listen to your conversation. AND your conversation can be broken into just like CB. The CTCSS is only a fancy squelch.
IN ADDITION, the GMRS radios being sold require a license from the FCC to use. GMRS radios also use the FRC frequencies as well as a few extra ones outside the FRC frequencies. You can tell the difference between the two radios quite easily. If the number of Channels is 14 the the radio is a FRS, no FCC license required. If the number of channels is 22 then you have to get an FCC License.
Last time I looked the license cost somewhere around 75 dollars for a 5 year license. I know this sounds a lot but if you think of it as only 15 bucks for a year it is not that bad of a price to pay..
DE |
Werner
| | Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 12:01 am: |
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"To lissen to FRS you need a GAIN antenna like a ringo ranger fed with GOOD coax like lmr-400 The worst thing you can do is scimp on the antenna At FRS it's the kiss of death"
True...you can't put up a high antenna. The antenna must be attached to the radio. Except for the Radio Shack Mobile frs that you mount on the roof of your car. The radio is IN the mag mount. But, the frs antenna length is perfect for the UHF band. It is very efficient. It matches the transmitter perfectly. In CB, you need a VERY long antenna to perfectly match the transmitter. What is it...9 feet?? That is why the CB ant. is somehow compensated with many coils in the antenna. Even a 102 inch whip is not ideal.
"CTCSS is only a coded device to silence your receiver untill a preprogram tone is received. In order for a person talking to you to activate your radio he must send the required tone to release your squelch. Here is your problem. Any radio with no CTCSS can listen to your conversation. AND your conversation can be broken into just like CB. The CTCSS is only a fancy squelch."
Using the 14 channels with no ctcss in the city is too noisy. Electrical interference is so widespread that the squelch opens up at random & hisses. Intermod is also a big problem with traditional squelch. Yes, ctcss does not make your coms private. But...it does reduce noise & interference.
Thanks for the reply's guys. I thought that truck drivers would maybe take advantage of the no-licence, no-fee service. I guess 11 meter CB is still the favourite. I like both.
Werner
My opinions & observations only :o) |
bruce
| | Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 8:38 am: |
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The trucker's will find out about MURS and if our tests of range of 12 miles base to car and 5 miles car to car no problem are proven out it will become a popular way to comucate out there on the highway. The problem with FRS is to be usefull at 465 mhz you must have a good antenna ..... i use 460 meg every day i matain the system for a jail i know. FRS with its limits is only good for at best 1 mile .... shure someone will talk 100 but real world 1 mile. MURS ALLOWS you to go for it with antennas that produce gain capture area and allow you to get much better range than you could ever hope for with a attached rubber ducky. DE is correct the tone only kills audio to speaker if 2 stations are on at the same time they will interfere with each other but its still nice not to have to hear the other guy.
If someone wants to experement with MURS the rad-shack radios still can be fornd and the MURS25 ht are being sold on ebay right now i have 2 and they are very good! Too bad our northern friends dont have MURS maby your DOT with give you a nice xmas guift! |
707
| | Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 7:37 pm: |
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so the trick is to get Radio Shack one, mount the radio/antenna part WAYYYYYYYYYY up high, and splice in a loooooooong cable |
bruce
| | Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 8:52 pm: |
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707 he he he a 30 foot pole on top of the cab! breaker breaker FRS! ..... my kind of guy! |
Tech833
| | Posted on Monday, May 19, 2003 - 11:28 am: |
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If you obtain a GMRS license, you can operate the lower 7 FRS channels with any external antenna you like and any part 90 type accepted radio you like as long as your ERP is less than 5 watts.
I use FRS channels 1-7 almost daily from a base and mobile. I have a GMRS license. |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, May 19, 2003 - 2:13 pm: |
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Thats no fun! the idea is to get away with it ... he he he ..... how far do you get on 465 and what are you using to get that range ???? |
Tech833
| | Posted on Monday, May 19, 2003 - 10:23 pm: |
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When I am communicating from my base 750 feet ASL) to a mobile, I get a very clear 30 or 35 miles and a scratchy 50 miles.
Mobile to mobile is about 10 miles tops. |
bruce
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - 7:20 am: |
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must be nice to have 750 foot! well even at 30 foot with MURS we get a solid 12 miles to the car and out to 20 miles and about 5-7 car to car... not bad for a gift from the FCC! most distant station ive heard was gainesvile fla about 120 miles north of here on tropo.....he was running 2 stacked 11 elm cushcraft beams ...... must be nice! |
