CB vs. GMRS/FRS

[WRUU653]

13 minutes ago, WRQI583 said:

That's one of the reasons I dont get involved with people in the radio community.

Since this is a radio community…  what do you consider involved? Just curious.

 

19 minutes ago, WRQI583 said:

Ham Radio is going down the tubes

Please tell me this is a pun.

[WRUU653]

8 minutes ago, WRXD372 said:

 If you use IR radiation for the toast, you should be good. In case you use RF, like your microware, the question might be more complicated     

I was thinking large heat sink.

[Lscott]

42 minutes ago, WRQI583 said:

Personally, I dont care if the radio goes out of band,

I don’t understand why some Hams get so hung up on this. Not that long ago radios used analog VFO’s for TX and RX. It was the sole responsibility of the operator to know the band edges and to ensure his radio’s dial was calibrated. In fact a popular beginners project at that time was building a crystal calibrator for that purpose. It was very easy to go outside of the band if one wasn’t careful.

Today Hams have gotten lazy by depending on the radio’s firmware to limit the digital PLL programming to keep within the band limits. Most Hams don’t realize they can’t operate too close to the band edges since the occupied signal bandwidth would extend past the edge even if the center frequency is within the band. When the FCC says you have to stay within the band limits that INCLUDES the signal’s occupied bandwidth too. Oops.

[WRQI583]

10 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

Since this is a radio community…  what do you consider involved? Just curious.

 

Please tell me this is a pun.

I dont get involved as far as clubs and what not. I used to when I first got into it all and it was fun back then. I have a lot of good memories, but like all good things, it comes to an end.

Lol I wish it was a pun, and thanks for pointing that out, that gave me a good laugh. I would have to say Ham Radio is not what it used to be. In many areas it has gone down the tubes (literally, to HF) but from when I got into it I would have to say there is mostly contesting and much less experimenting and moving forward in the world of radio technology, and where it does move forward, it seems more like its moving forward begrudgingly. Some Hams are embracing it while many are sitting there complaining about the new technology ruining Ham Radio. At least from what I have experienced, its politically a divided community, hence, the reason for the first question you asked. Thankfully, if ever Hams decided to not be so divided over technologies and modes of operation and FCC rules and actually started using Ham Radio for what it is, there is a lot of awesome things you can do with it, and it all still sits there waiting to be used.

[tweiss3]

10 hours ago, Lscott said:

Today Hams have gotten lazy by depending on the radio’s firmware to limit the digital PLL programming to keep within the band limits. Most Hams don’t realize they can’t operate too close to the band edges since the occupied signal bandwidth would extend past the edge even if the center frequency is within the band. When the FCC says you have to stay within the band limits that INCLUDES the signal’s occupied bandwidth too. Oops.

This is part of SSB operation 101.

[WRQI583]

9 hours ago, Lscott said:

I don’t understand why some Hams get so hung up on this. Not that long ago radios used analog VFO’s for TX and RX. It was the sole responsibility of the operator to know the band edges and to ensure his radio’s dial was calibrated. In fact a popular beginners project at that time was building a crystal calibrator for that purpose. It was very easy to go outside of the band if one wasn’t careful.

Today Hams have gotten lazy by depending on the radio’s firmware to limit the digital PLL programming to keep within the band limits. Most Hams don’t realize they can’t operate too close to the band edges since the occupied signal bandwidth would extend past the edge even if the center frequency is within the band. When the FCC says you have to stay within the band limits that INCLUDES the signal’s occupied bandwidth too. Oops.

I have had the argument with a lot of Hams when it comes to cheap Chinese radios of all sorts (basically which is any radio that doesn't cost the price of a couple of human organs and that has a brand name "Ham radio" name) and they sit there quoting the FCC rules and all sorts of technical data that some college or expert collected on their transmissions and finally, funny enough, after I shut many of them down on their theories, the argument ends with, "Well, they transmit out of band". 

I own several radios that transmit out of band. The wonderful thing about them is that I have the ability to transmit and receive on anything I want. The other wonderful thing that each radio has is a transmit inhibit function. During programming I just check that box on whatever I am not allowed to talk on and my radio is legal only for my licenses but allows me to listen also. Out of the bands I operate on, I make sure to learn them before I use them and know their band edges. Ha ha I know I mention in other posts some Hams not liking new technology...... I guess I am guilty of that myself in a way...... I hate new technology that turns us lazy. Some is good, but not all of it is needed.

[Lscott]

41 minutes ago, tweiss3 said:

This is part of SSB operation 101.

How many think about this when operating FM? When the deviation is 5KHz the typical bandwidth is 16KHz. If the center frequency is 5 KHz below the upper edge the signal will extend past the band limit technically. The occupied bandwidth extends 8 KHz above and below the center frequency.

[Lscott]

54 minutes ago, WRQI583 said:

I own several radios that transmit out of band.

I think if Hams were honest many would admit to owning one or more radios like this. Some are specifically modified while others are opened up out of the box. The later isn’t just the cheap Chinese radios either. The Part 90 radios are one huge category as an example. I have a huge collection of those.

I have several buddies new to GMRS and Ham back a few years with such radios.  I had to do my due diligence and advise them of the rules and potential FCC enforcement actions if they operated outside of their licensed bands. They’re big boys and make their own decisions and that’s where I leave it. If they do at least they do so informed. Then we have fun conversations about radio etc.