Crane Operators

[Agent 48]

Crane Operators on 446 no getting over the top of there signal blasting way out. They must be using 5 watt hand helds up there full scale signal. My mate 3 miles away also giving him a full scale signal and he couldn't even get over the top of them with his homebase setup.

They are also coming out just under 446.00625 as well as bleeding into channel 2.

[paulears]

A crane operator using PMR446 is not going to get past their first risk assessment. Banksmen using radio that is likely to be interfered with is damn dangerous. As in "I said STOP!!" Implications can be pretty serious.

The other thing here is that trying to work on a channel occupied by crane people is irresponsible. If a channel is busy, go somewhere else. As a home base is as illegal as using 5W handhelds, then this is rather pot calling the kettle black. They probably have wide band radios that should not be in 446. Nor, of course, should the other users with power and antennas.

[Agent 48]

The skip people operate on the same channel. The thing is now days people don't want to pay for PMR licenses so they use cheap 5watt hand helds programmed to 446.

[paulears]

I suspect it is more ignorance. With the cost of a replacement hydraulic ram being at least ten grand, £75 for five years is pocket money. The fine for dropping something on a persons head vs £75? The trouble is that they think a radio is a radio.

[Agent 48]

I remember once somebody telling me to get off there channel on PMR446 because it was there private emergency channel then continued talk about one of there radios going missing... Some people have no idea at all, PMR446 is not private and open too all.

Maybe if people were better educated these days there might be more people getting into radio. PMR446 is also a good resource to bring people into the Ham radio hobby who would otherwise not know that such hobbies exist. There are plenty of people out there who like to play about with PMR sets and get fascinated by what they can do on UHF.

As for crane operators and even driving instructors, machine operators, etc using PMR446 could be very dangerous but some people have no clue about how radio works.

[dc260]

Crane Operators on 446 no getting over the top of there signal blasting way out. They must be using 5 watt hand helds up there full scale signal. My mate 3 miles away also giving him a full scale signal and he couldn't even get over the top of them with his homebase setup.

They are also coming out just under 446.00625 as well as bleeding into channel 2.

Not to doubt you but it is entirely possible they are only using half a watt handhelds, line of sight can be very powerful and long-range at the heights they operate at.

[Agent 48]

Crane Operators on 446 no getting over the top of there signal blasting way out. They must be using 5 watt hand helds up there full scale signal. My mate 3 miles away also giving him a full scale signal and he couldn't even get over the top of them with his homebase setup.

They are also coming out just under 446.00625 as well as bleeding into channel 2.

Not to doubt you but it is entirely possible they are only using half a watt handhelds, line of sight can be very powerful and long-range at the heights they operate at.

possibly... although I'm seeing more and more commercial business PMR radios now being sold as PMR446 radios and also with the other cheaper 5 watt Chinese radios also on PMR446 more people are getting those now.