Goverment Review of UHF 477 MHz channel arrangements

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Originally Posted by Bushwanderer

Hi Wayne,
As you probably know, each repeater only "repeats" one (or at most two) channels. If I read the proposed upgrade correctly, it should have NO impact on the repeaters.

Best Wishes,

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Repeaters


Yes they only repeat one or two channels, but at the wider bandwidth, and hence will not be compatible with the new radios....

Remember the repeater takes say a ch 32 (your radio tuned to duplex 2 actually transmits on 32 and then receives on 2) and re transmits it on channel 2.

The other issue is that majority of the repeaters are not Gov owned, and therefore will likely not be upgraded as a change in the rules come into effect..

Legalities

The use of the wide band equipment once the grandfathering period has passed will be illegal. The class licence does not allow for Intentional Harmful Interference, which is what will be happening when you use non compliant equipment.

Why Not Digital

Main reason is the cost of equipment to the user. The government will not impose this rule on the smaller end of the market due to the significant equipment costs. Check out the Police style Tetra or APCO 25 Radios, or the costs of other digital land mobile equipment and it will become unreachable for most users, which will be contrary to the logic behind a Class Licence.

Cheers

G

Hi Grungle,

Is this about voice congestion, or data transmission issues?

I would have thought the CTCSS function on new radios would allow users to isolate themselves from the general background chatter - as rude as that may be for those they talk over who don't have CTCSS functions.

If it's about having Data channels, then will future radios enable users to send a "UHF Email"? If so perhaps the government could sweeten the deal by setting up Data repeaters that allow users to access weather & track information (storms, fires, etc).

As I can't see the government setting up any infrastructure, who is pushing the regulator in this direction? Is it the manufacturers?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grungle

Legalities

The use of the wide band equipment once the grandfathering period has passed will be illegal. The class licence does not allow for Intentional Harmful Interference, which is what will be happening when you use non compliant equipment.

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As in the early days of AM CB, most people will ignore the law. If ACMA doesn't have the means to seek them out (as we had in Oz many years ago), then people won't worry about it. If I only use my CB off-road, how with the ACMA triangulate on it? They won't have enough radio vans.

Remember when they TV detection vans to check if you had a TV receiver licence?

For those needing to purchase a new set, what should they do?
For those like me with several sets in vechles and tractors as well as hand helds the cost to replace these will be a serious impost. We can hope that old radioes can be handed in for a cash subisidy to replace them. This would be a long shot and a fat chance but we can only hope.

Cheers
Rob

I have three mobile stations (two Landrovers and a tractor), plus a base station and a spare, and a handheld. All of them are close to fifteen years old, and I have no plans to replace them unless they develop faults and are not economical to repair. As Ron noted - I will continue to use them until they fail, regardless of the law. Same goes for my neighbours I expect.

Worth noting that during the major fire we had here two years ago, this service provided the only link available to all involved - it was fitted to all fire trucks and fire fighting aircraft, almost all houses threatened, almost all private, Council and contractor vehicles and machinery involved. Change to a different system is likely to mean lack of communication in a similar emergency during the transition period, as some people will have changed and some have not. This effort I refer to involved hundreds of units and machinery from all over the state, and even interstate, plus about a dozen aircraft, and hundreds of threatened houses on rural properties. As much of the area had no mobile phone coverage, the UHF CB was the only common link, simply because nearly everyone already had it (and where necessary, extra sets were available cheaply and off the shelf) - all that was needed was direction as to which channels to use.

John

I don't work in this area all the time but I expect that the 12.5kHz sets will be able to work into the 25kHz sets. The quality of the audio might not be as good in as far as the signal to noise (and distortion) ratios will not be as high as when matched sets are working into each other. I therefore expect that peoples concerns about loss of communication in emergencies will not be a total catastrophe but just a reduction in ranges due to the lesser quality of the audio when working into unmatched sets.

As the man said it is more about getting the regulators to have a suffciently long period of time for the transition.