Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

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shortymcsteve
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by shortymcsteve »

To be honest when someone gives me a load of rubbish when using 446 i simply ignore them, act like i can't hear them. This winds them right up!!
Also any time i use them with friends we have 'back up' channels in mind, so if someone comes on giving us grief then we just switch to the pre arranged alternative channel. If they switch too we just go silent for a few minutes and they are gone. Or continue TXing like we can't hear them and they soon give up.
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by radio_ryan »

Guzzy wrote:It's just the nature of PMR446 usage.

Easier to just move to another channel/CTCSS combo, or ignore them.

has i has said in another post the local college users 446, and they think they owned the channle's, which they use/used all 8 channel and some of them 2 times with diffrent ctcss. working out has 16 channels possible

they tell/told people to go away has it there channel/s, they now alos have a 449 channles but it on the same ctcss has another user about 100 to 300 yards and other around 1/2 miles.

to the point

Why can we not have a UK band plan for 446 e.g.

channel 1 to 6 any use
channle 7 DX and repeter
channle 8 is safety and calling, and walking groups

has members has TM 1 what band plan would you like to see.? and would you like to see one
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by Guzzy »

There aren't enough channels for a workable band plan.

Too many potential users, not enough channels. That's why Ofcom don't want anything to do with policing the PMR446 channels. They know damn well it turns to hell if more than eight local groups want to actively use PMR446 at the same time.

If you've ever been to a busy outdoor event, you'll appreciate just how chaotic the PM446 channels can get.
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by wind in the antenna »

Yes, that equally applies for UKG / SUK and STH. I've worked at several events and wondered why there haven't been more problems given the soup you hear on carrier squelch.

I've got to say though, I'm a little aghast at the adversarial spirit of the above comments. It's a similar mentality to how far too many drivers conduct themselves on the roads.

Don't blame the traffic, you ARE the traffic !

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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by radiosification »

wind in the antenna wrote:Yes, that equally applies for UKG / SUK and STH.
What does SUK stand for just out of interest? And what's STH?
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by smoggy07 »

bben95 wrote:
wind in the antenna wrote:Yes, that equally applies for UKG / SUK and STH.
What does SUK stand for just out of interest? And what's STH?
Simple UK Licence and Short Term Hire

SUK is the new name for the UK General licence where you can pick a freq or freqs and tones from a published list and use them anywhere in the UK

Short Term Hire is what it sounds like, its a licence on a group of freqs available for hire in the short term as apposed to long term rental or getting your own licenced freq
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by radiosification »

smoggy07 wrote: SUK is the new name for the UK General licence where you can pick a freq or freqs and tones from a published list and use them anywhere in the UK
Sorry to go off topic here, just want to know more about this.
So does the new uk gen license have different frequencies that ill need to put into my scanner? And you say there is a list of freqs, can you just choose whichever you want without telling ofcom, or do they assign you one frequency and tone? Also do you know if the price is similar?

And back on topic, I don't think you guys should move from channel 8 because not that many people use the radios as enthusiasts, and that makes it unlikely that you will ever clash with one of us, especially as the range of these things is so small.
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by wind in the antenna »

The change of name from UK General to Simple UK was introduced to unify and clarify the three common current classes of Business Radio lincence. 'Simple' as a class means that no coverage prediction is carried out and users may experience interference from co-users within that allocation. 'Technically Assigned' means that before a licence is issued, Ofcom have conducted a computer modeled ratification based on existing co-channel users and predicted impacts derived from path loss data. The third class is the wide area coverage 'Area defined' which split each NGR square of 100 km x 100km into four quadrants of 50km x 50 km, considers impacts and bills the licencee accordingly.

So nothing changed much apart from the name. Still the same 15 channels across 4 bands and still the inadequate 3 channels in UHF1 where in fact another 6 at least have for many years been required to reduce overpopulation.

With SUK, the licencee is permitted to use as few or as many of the 15 channels as needed and CTCSS or DCS is used on a self-select basis. The licence period changed from 3 years to 5 years a while before the name change.

STH licences are issued under a 'Providers Licence'. The provider then allocates given channels from the appropriate pools on a temporary (max 1 year) basis.

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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by Guzzy »

wind in the antenna wrote:I've got to say though, I'm a little aghast at the adversarial spirit of the above comments. It's a similar mentality to how far too many drivers conduct themselves on the roads.

Don't blame the traffic, you ARE the traffic !
Unfortunately, you're preaching to the choir here.

It's not radio users who actively seek out information on forums like these you have to be [too] concerned about. It's all those radio users that have absolutely no interest in understanding the process behind how their radios work. They just expect them to perform as the retailer promised them they would.

You know, "308 'private' channels, 15 mile range in built up areas". :roll:
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by handyguy2002 »

hi guys

why dont you just use the ctcss or dcs if you want to chat to mates, I dont here anyone when Im out, apart from my mates that are on the same channel and ctcss as me, unless I use the monitor button then we here whats going on lol

most of the kids and adults are still using the boring old 8 channels without the ctcss or dcs,
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by Guzzy »

handyguy2002 wrote:hi guys

why dont you just use the ctcss or dcs if you want to chat to mates, I dont here anyone when Im out, apart from my mates that are on the same channel and ctcss as me, unless I use the monitor button then we here whats going on lol

most of the kids and adults are still using the boring old 8 channels without the ctcss or dcs,
You do realise that although you can't hear other users who aren't using the same CTCSS (or DCS) as you, that they are still occupying the channel?

In a busy area, you might be sharing the same channel with half a dozen other groups and not even realise it. You might not be able to hear them, but that doesn't mean they aren't possibly transmitting at the same time as you, and therefore blocking or causing interference on your transmission.

That is what this whole thread is about. The danger of relying on PMR446 channels to provide a "safety communication" facility. The idea of anyone relying on PMR446 to provide a safety link leaves me slightly concerned. The average user just doesn't understand the underlying limitations of PMR446.
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by handyguy2002 »

I can understand what you guys are trying to say about having a channel for safety while out and about,
But if your up on the hills someone is always going to here you, There is no reason why you should have to use channel 8 just for safty as you only have 8 channels to play with,
but if the operator just scanned the channels anyway for anyone in danger im sure the person in danger would be heard shouting anyway,
although it would be a good idea to have a dedicated channel it just wont work, because there is not enough channels to have a dedicated channel for safty

I know there are kids and adults that use the pmr radios like toys and act like idiots
but I do think if there was anyone in danger they would not interfere with that channel and just listen to see whats going on
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by Guzzy »

handyguy2002 wrote:...but I do think if there was anyone in danger they would not interfere with that channel and just listen to see whats going on
...and people say I'm optimistic! :lol:
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by radio_ryan »

Guzzy wrote:
handyguy2002 wrote:...but I do think if there was anyone in danger they would not interfere with that channel and just listen to see whats going on
...and people say I'm optimistic! :lol:

i would hope is some-one needed help, that people would do there best to help them or tell someone who could help them.

has the next time it may be their self or a friend who needs call put a call for help out.

any one who tryed to block or inerfere with a channle that smeone was using to call for assistance. well i do think there are words for that.

the idear of using 446 channel 8 has a safety channel is a good one and the number of people that listen to it is good and i would back a UK wide channel 8 safety channel. and this could only help the MRT, EMS, CFR, SAR within the uk
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Re: Hill walking network Safety Channel 8 PRM

Post by Guzzy »

radio_ryan wrote:
Guzzy wrote:
handyguy2002 wrote:...but I do think if there was anyone in danger they would not interfere with that channel and just listen to see whats going on
...and people say I'm optimistic! :lol:

i would hope is some-one needed help, that people would do there best to help them or tell someone who could help them.

has the next time it may be their self or a friend who needs call put a call for help out.

any one who tryed to block or inerfere with a channle that smeone was using to call for assistance. well i do think there are words for that.

the idear of using 446 channel 8 has a safety channel is a good one and the number of people that listen to it is good and i would back a UK wide channel 8 safety channel. and this could only help the MRT, EMS, CFR, SAR within the uk
I think perhaps you're missing the point.

The people interfering may not even realise they are doing it. If they are using a different CTCSS (or DCS) they wont even hear what is going on. They wont know that their conversation/noises/music/etc... are interfering.

You could be desperately putting out an emergency call and some motorcycle school could be transmitting continuously with VOX on the same channel.

For an emergency channel to work, EVERYBODY needs to know not to transmit on it unless it's an emergency. That's never going to happen on PMR446.
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