Radios?

[LAS46]

Any FCC questions about radios can go to me, I currently hold 3 FCC licenses and I am a consultant for my countys E911 and communications center.

Dustin
MFR, NREMT-B Student
Safety Officer

FCC Licenses
N0DRC
KE5RPV
KD0GJV

 

[DV_EMT]

continuing question...

can CB's with 40 channels pick up EMS related channels. I'm not talking channel 9 here, or does it depend on the frequecy?> or?

 

[LAS46]

continuing question...

can CB's with 40 channels pick up EMS related channels. I'm not talking channel 9 here, or does it depend on the frequecy?> or?

NO CBs cannot pick up EMS related channels they are on a different frequency band.

Dustin
MFR, NREMT-B Student
FCC Licenses:
N0DRC
KE5RPV
KD0GJV

 

[mace85]

I don't know if I would spend money on equipment for a paying job. But when I volunteer I understand that there might be some stuff I need to buy. My volunteer spot provides mostly everything, however owning a personal radio would be a great asset. On one hand, it gets expensive and doesn't "benefit" me. But volunteering as a whole is a different animal.

 

[MRE]

continuing question...

can CB's with 40 channels pick up EMS related channels. I'm not talking channel 9 here, or does it depend on the frequecy?> or?

Nope, different frequency range and different modulation type.

CB is 27MHz range, either DSBLC AM or SSB

Generally, fire/ems use frequencies around 45, 155, 450 or 800MHz range FM.

 

[MRE]

Any FCC questions about radios can go to me, I currently hold 3 FCC licenses and I am a consultant for my countys E911 and communications center.

Dustin
MFR, NREMT-B Student
Safety Officer

FCC Licenses
N0DRC
KE5RPV
KD0GJV

No offense, but a tech amateur radio license and 2 amateur club licenses doesn't necessarily make you an authority on commercial FCC regulations. Not that you aren't, but the licenses don't really mean anything.

With all the emergency communications activities you do, you should get your general license. HF is not only a lot of fun, but it can be invaluble for communication over mixed terrain that VHF will not work for.

73'
W1IM

 

[MRE]

Per my last message, I am not an athority on FCC regulations, but I have researched them a fair bit. If anyone has anything to add or correct in the following post, please do.

Unless you have authorization from your agency and are added onto their license, or an FCC license of your own, you may not transmit on a licensed frequency.

Generally for a fire or ems agency, the license(s) will be issued to the organization, and a number of radios of different power levels will be listed on the license. You might see 10 mobile radios at 100W and 20 handheld radios at 5W listed, or something similar. They will also usually include a distance from a certain point, like the address of the license holder (agency station in most cases) that the radios can be used. This is for frequency coordination with other radio users. The FCC will only allow two groups to use the same frequency if they are a certain distance away from each other, so that the two systems don't interfere with each other. Thats why there are geographic restrictions on the license.

or an FCC license of your own

The FCC would not issue a second license on the same frequency and location as an existing one (freq coordination again), so this wouldn't work. To get your own commercial license, you actually have to pay the FCC to do a frequency coordination study of the licenses in your area to ensure that you don't interfere with them.

The good thing is that, in the case described above, individuals do not need to be added to the license, and new radios also do not if they meet the type and power listed on the license already. The number of each type of radio refers to the maximum number of those type of radios on the air at any given time, not the number that are sitting around the station. As long as the group does not go over that number, they are still within the license parameters.

The short answer is, check the FCC license for any special or odd conditions, if you are operating as a member of the agency with the license and are not violating the terms of the license, then there should be no problems with legality.

Oh, and modified amateur radios are illegal to use on commercial frequencies because they are not FCC type accepted for non amateur use. However you can use commercial radios on amateur frequencies if properly licensed. Go figure.

 

["Doc" Fox]

We have Nextel's. I still have my HT1000 from my Auxiliary LEO days.

 

[MRE]

We have Nextel's. I still have my HT1000 from my Auxiliary LEO days.

No cell service in my town, so radios are the way to go. The HT1000 is an excellent radio, and one of Motorola's "Jedi" series.

 

["Doc" Fox]

No cell service in my town, so radios are the way to go. The HT1000 is an excellent radio, and one of Motorola's "Jedi" series.

I'm glad I kept it. But right now it's a very heavy duty scanner, since we do not use radios at this time, but it's nicee to lisen in on what the locals (PD/FD/SD) are doing. In a college town, I'm five minutes away from NIU, we hear some pretty funny calls.

 

[eynonqrs]

Unless you have a grand and want a new Motorola, the MT or HT 1000 series are by far the best ones. The agency that I volunteer with recently bought Vertex Portables. The Vertex's are far less expensive than Motorola and the quality is excellent, and they have the same features as a Motorola. The only Motorola that I own personally is a spectra mobile which I got for a really good price. E-Bay has really good deals, you need to research what you need and the price range that you are looking for.