uhf/vhf walkie talkies

Bluefoam

I'm just wondering about their legality in Ireland... they are popular here in the middle east for driving in the desert, although they are actually not legal as far as I know. They generally operate on 14 channels (UHF), but some people program a further 8. I've never seen people program the vhf channels.

They would be very useful for mountain biking in Ireland or similar activities, and I'm surprised I haven't seen more people with them...

Channel Type Frequency
1 FRS / GMRS 462.5625
2 FRS / GMRS 462.5875
3 FRS / GMRS 462.6125
4 FRS / GMRS 462.6375
5 FRS / GMRS 462.6625
6 FRS / GMRS 462.6875
7 FRS / GMRS 462.7125
8 FRS 467.5625
9 FRS 467.5875
10 FRS 467.6125
11 FRS 467.6375
12 FRS 467.6625
13 FRS 467.6875
14 FRS 467.7125
15 GMRS 462.5500
16 GMRS 462.5750
17 GMRS 462.6000
18 GMRS 462.6250
19 GMRS 462.6500
20 GMRS 462.6750
21 GMRS 462.7000
22 GMRS 462.7250

Most of the brands you can get are knock offs - Motorola, ICOM, Kenwood, but some brands are original Chinese, such as Kangda

martinedwards

Most of Europe uses PMR 446

1 446.00625
2 446.01875
3 446.03125
4 446.04375
5 446.05625
6 446.06875
7 446.08125
8 446.09375

My Daughter is too young for a mobile phone so when she's visiting her pals up and down our street she carries one and we can find her and call her home for ther tea!

Bluefoam

martinedwards wrote: »

Most of Europe uses PMR 446

1 446.00625
2 446.01875
3 446.03125
4 446.04375
5 446.05625
6 446.06875
7 446.08125
8 446.09375

My Daughter is too young for a mobile phone so when she's visiting her pals up and down our street she carries one and we can find her and call her home for ther tea!

Thanks, will I be able to get these frequencies on a UHF radio?

Xantia

Europe uses the PMR 446
North America uses the FRS

Bluefoam

It seems the radios available here will be able to use the pmr frequencies then. Thanks for he feedback.

watty

If it has a valid CE mark it's OK here. No FRS/GMRS model is legal here. Also don't import DECT phones from USA or to USA from Europe. Different bands.

The European legal CE mark UHF PMR sets vary from €30 to €200 a pair with little difference between models.

As a rule of thumb never buy ANY Electronic product intended for North American Domestic market, issues are TV tuners to incompatible standard that will do nothing, unsafe power adaptors even if they claim 220V, turntables that go 5/6ths speed, video machines that won't play European region discs at all, WiFi that won't use all the channels here and transmitters that are simply 100% illegal.

The Chinese make European compatible models too and the US don't make any of this stuff. Even iPhones are Chinese. Samsung make more stuff IN the USA than Apple.

Fuzzy Clam

watty wrote: »

If it has a valid CE mark it's OK here. No FRS/GMRS model is legal here. Also don't import DECT phones from USA or to USA from Europe. Different bands.

The European legal CE mark UHF PMR sets vary from €30 to €200 a pair with little difference between models.

As a rule of thumb never buy ANY Electronic product intended for North American Domestic market, issues are TV tuners to incompatible standard that will do nothing, unsafe power adaptors even if they claim 220V, turntables that go 5/6ths speed, video machines that won't play European region discs at all, WiFi that won't use all the channels here and transmitters that are simply 100% illegal.

The Chinese make European compatible models too and the US don't make any of this stuff. Even iPhones are Chinese. Samsung make more stuff IN the USA than Apple.

All completely off topic:rolleyes:

Francesco

Do any of the commonly available PMR 446 walkie talkies here have any sort of voice scrambling option to provide a bit more privacy ?

How private are they ?

watty

No, that would be illegal. You need a special licence for scrambled (encrypted) communications. It's also specifically forbidden to Radio Amateurs.

Xantia

Francesco wrote: »

Do any of the commonly available PMR 446 walkie talkies here have any sort of voice scrambling option to provide a bit more privacy ?

How private are they ?

They are not in any way private. Even if scrambling was available for general sets it would be just inversion and could easily be de-scrambled.

They are essentially meant for family use around home/farm, camping, outdoor pursuits. etc.

I used them when the kids were small, they complained but the sets were very helpful as we could call them and see that they were OK even if they were in a large campsite.

Francesco

Xantia wrote: »

They are not in any way private. Even if scrambling was available for general sets it would be just inversion and could easily be de-scrambled.

They are essentially meant for family use around home/farm, camping, outdoor pursuits. etc.

That's the kind of thing I'm talking about, I knew some basic family walkie talkies had that capability. I'm not talking about scrambling in such a digitally encrypt way that cannot ever be unscrambled, just a little bit more privacy from the very casual listener. It that inversion feature you talk about available ?

Xantia

Rather than go for a scrambler which would be ineffective and more expensive, You could just get an ordinary one and use the CTCSS tones on each set.
Both radios (or more than 2) would have to have the same CTCSS tone enabled in order to 'break through' and be heard.
You would not hear radios that are not using 'your' CTCSS tone.
I am unsure as to the legalities of scrambling on PMR however if you do have anything to say on a radio even with a scrambler then it is probable that you will be overheard.
More info Here also.

Francesco

What do you folks think of these :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binatone-Action-Comtech-CM-20PT-Headsets/dp/B007FDGS4M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375813871&sr=8-2&keywords=binatone+1000

watty

CTCSS tones on each set.

But there is no privacy as anyone with CTCSS based squelch turned off can hear. There is no privacy allowed on PMR in the sense scrambling or encryption provides.

CTCSS is ONLY a Selective squelch. It has NO effect at all if it's off (as would be the default case on the cheapest scanners). CTCSS is NOT a Privacy system!
This is accurate from the linked site

Non-CTCSS radios always operate on subchannel 0, aka. all filters off, and thus hearing all comunication on the main channel, regardless of the subchannel. Always remember , talking in a subchannel different than 0 is aimed to prevent you from hearing other people, and not to prevent the other groups from hearing you. So, don't think you have a totally private communication, anyone with a cheap PMR (too cheap to have CTCSS) will be hearing you, because they have no way to filter you off.

He incorrectly states it's one frequency and 8 channels, no, it's 8 frequencies, called channels in the 446MHz part of band. Each is 8.33KHz
There are NO subchannels. The CTCSS codes are just selective calling, not channels!

968 Channel combinations

A Marketing lie. It has 8 channels / Frequencies. Different Selective calling codes are NOT channels as in one place only one real channel at a time can be in use.
The Binatone are much the same as any PMR. "Long Range" is misleading as the they all have the practically same spec transmitter & aerial and any receiver difference is minuscule except on the very poorest models. In reality you need about x4 or more power to reliably double the range of a PMR, which doesn't exist on legal models.

I guess the headsets bump the price up a little.

CAtocork

Hi. I found this thread while googling the legality of using Australian UHF frequencies over here.
CH 40 for example is 477 4000.
I have monitored this channel on my mobile radio for the last few weeks and heard diddly squat on it.
On all the 446 PMR channels i get all types from shop assistants to crane operators.
What are the legalities?

martinedwards

PMR is cheap, low power and short range.

perfect for building sites and warehouses, and anyone who has ever camped or caravanned with kids.

no privacy, but then if you want privacy you'd use a mobile phone.

CAtocork

Ok, perfect. PMR 446 coupled to a 25 watt mobile radio and im good to go.