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West Union, Illinois | This is where you really need to make friends with a radio tech. There are a lot of changes that have been made / are coming.
First an answer to Ron. You are right .. and wrong. At one time the FCC allowed VHF repeater, then the didn't, and now the sort of do. Clear as mud? The government was involved.
Before we forget Robert's initial question, let me respond this way. Robert, you need to talk with a dealer who understands what is coming. Because the new FCC rules (actually they have been around a while but nobody has thought too much about it) are going to make most older 2-way radios obsolete. You have (if things go as planned) until 2013 (edit: I originally said 2018, but that is for public service. Business has until 2013 to comply. I bold faced and underlined the relevant text below) to remove all the old stuff. But there is a catch. The new stuff has to be narrow band and any changes in your license may require you to be narrow band.
For me that means all my old Standard rock bound radios, my newer GE/Ericsson radios, and some of my Kenwoods are going to be paper weights.
Why?
The buzzword for today is refarming Any time the word farm and the government service is involved it's kind of like a bull servicing a cow. Guess which one you will be?
Following is a long quote. Here is a sentence near the end you don't want to miss:
any new system, or an existing system that expands it's service area or relocates a base station may be required to move the entire system to narrowband - a costly proposition.
I don't know Motorola. Hopefully your stuff is all narrow band compliant. My experience with Kenwood has taught me to watch all the little letters and numbers in a model number very closely. For instance a TK-270 handheld is not Narrow Band equipped. But a TK-270g is. Unless you look closely they look like the same exact radio.
Here is a link to an FCC page about it:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=operations&id=private_land_radio It's OK, but it was written by a government agency. Other places make it a bit easier to understand
Here is a quote from a Fire Service page that helps explain it. Just remember they are looking at this from a Fire Service viewpoint. From http://www.mabasradio.org/Sub_Main_Pages/Narrowband.htm
All two-way radios use a radio channel that has a particular size, called bandwidth. In the past, all radio channels were 25 kHz wide. Any older radio, designed to work on a 25 kHz channel, will now be referred to as "wideband".
As far back as 1992, FCC began a process known as "refarming". One of the goals of refarming was to create more radio channels to meet the needs of two-way radio users. In short, the FCC decided to create "new" radio channels that were one half the size of the older ones. Changing the channel size effectively makes twice as many radio channels. So, the new two-way radio channels will now be 12.5 kHz in size and known as "narrowband".
Quite often, in an effort to explain refarming in layman's terms, it was stated that "It's like taking a four-lane superhighway and narrowing each lane to get eight lanes total." This sounds good - doubling the available lanes, or in this case, radio channels. Except that if you fail to also narrow the cars and trucks, the vehicles will be sideswiping each other, or at the very least, smacking mirrors - a layman's explanation of "interference"! If some vehicles are narrow, and some wide, the highway will be chaotic - just as the radio interference will be chaotic if the change is not coordinated.
As the process of "refarming" moved along, the FCC created mandates for the two-way radio equipment manufacturers. In 1997, all new two-way radio models had to be capable of operation on the "new 12.5 kHz narrowband" channels. This is often called "dual-mode" equipment since the radio can accommodate both narrow- and wide-band channels. The idea was to begin to move gently toward narrowband channel operation over time. At that time, the FCC did not create any mandates to remove older wideband radio units from service or require you to use a new narrowband channel.
FCC Actions, narrowband mandates:
On February 25, 2003 the FCC released updated "narrowband" mandates. These actions are designed to phase in narrowband (12.5 kHz) and phase out older wideband (25 kHz) channels over the next 10 years. The process consists of 4 main mandates. A final set of rules were posted in the Federal Register on July 17th, 2003. FCC Rule in PDF format.
Mandate 1)
All existing wideband (older) radios may continue to operate until January 1, 2013. Public Safety has until January 1, 2018. After that date, two-way radios must operate completely on the new "narrowband" (12.5 kHz) channels.
Mandate 2)
Two-way radio manufacturers cannot manufacture, import or sell any models of wideband (25 kHz) equipment after January 1, 2008.
Mandate 3)
Manufacturers who submit any new two-way radio models for FCC certification after January 1, 2005 may not offer new radios that contain the ability to operate on older wideband (25 kHz) channels. This means no more "dual-mode" radios - they will ONLY work in narrow-band mode and NOT be compatible with existing wide-band systems.
Mandate 4)
After January 17, 2004, FCC license applications for new radio systems will not be accepted for older wideband (25 kHz) channels. This portion of the Rule, despite the Petitions for Reconsideration, HAS BEEN STAYED as of December 3, 2003. In addition, limitations will be placed upon modifications (changes) to any existing wideband FCC licenses. This may be up to interpretation by a frequency coordinator, but any new system, or an existing system that expands it's service area or relocates a base station may be required to move the entire system to narrowband - a costly proposition.
Summary of the Mandates
Starting January 17, 2004, you may not license any new two-way radio systems in the older wideband mode. You will be limited in making any changes to your existing wideband license. In fact, the coordinators will likely ask that applications be submitted October-November of 2003 is order to process the license. After 2005, the radio manufacturers must begin to eliminate older wideband mode from any new models of two-way radio. After 2008, you will not be able to purchase any new two-way radio equipment that will operate in the wideband mode. In 2018 you will have to take all older wideband equipment out of service.
Edited by Mike SE IL 1/13/2008 08:53
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Motorola Radius compare?
