Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

With the coming of US FCC Part 90 narrow banding will you will changing your tactical (field) radio systems?

While our service area is mostly 800MHz systems we use the 150 MHz fire radio licenses in the field for various reasons,

both technical and economic.  These licenses are being abandoned by our home county.

 

There are 5 no license required for mobile use, full power 150 MHz channels; 4 pairs of UHF (450 MHz), and 5 pairs of 800 available.

In analog mode the CTCSS is specified as 156.7 and in digital the NAC is $061F

 

These channels are available to all Part 90 eligible users without a license or coordination fees for mobile and portable use.

Fixed installations of bases, repeaters, and control stations do require licenses.  Unlike the similar 150 MHz Part 95 channels in the MUIR

Service these are not limited to 2 watts and less than a watt on FRS UHF.  It is suggested that FRS channel 9 (467.5875 MHz) with tone 1 (67.0 Hz)

be installed in units that are set up for the UHF pairs due to the availability of this equipment to citizens.. 

 

Use of these narrow band channels nationally by NGO SAR groups would have several advantages:

1.       Everybody could be on one set of channels, and 5 would seem adequate for most searches

2.       These are Part 90 channels so no individual station licenses or operator licenses are required

3.       These are Part 90  channels so if a licensed station is built it can be licensed to the organization, unlike GMRS which is an individual only service

4.       The equipment should be cheap on the used market

5.       You would be able to interoperate with other Part 90 users, such as public safety agencies, in the same band

 

Those SAR groups that provided communications by a public safety agency would add these frequencies to their equipment where feasible.

 

I propose that we publish a communications plan built around these channels as follows:

The mission base camp will monitor the designated calling channel (xCall as designated in the frequency tables) and that tasks will operate

on channels TAC1-4.  The PL will be 156.7 for analog.  I also propose that the system be analog for now for economic reasons. If the agencies you

normally operate with on the 150 or 450 band are digital most of the P25 radios will operate in the analog mode and can be programmed to

do so on these channels.   Most 800 MHz systems are digital due to the discontinuance of analog equipment production by major system providers.

 

If there is sufficient agreement on this frequency plan I would propose it to the ASTM for adoption as a voluntary consensus standard.  This will enable us

to talk to each other during multi-agency operations.  Continued use of 155.160 will require narrow banding and relicensing as well as coordination if any changes

are made to the license such as power levels, number of units, fixed transmitter location changes other than adding the digital or narrow band analog designator.

 

Frequencies: 151.1375, 154.4525, 155.7525 (call), 158.7375, 159.4725

UHF: + 5 MHz offset pairs all 453/458,  .2125(call), .4625, .7125, 8625

800: 851/806.0125, 851/806.5125, 852/807.0125, 852/807.5125, 853/808.0125

 

 

Irv Lichtenstein

SE PA SAR