Texas size repeaters

[WRPQ991]

Not seeing too many "big" repeaters in Texas, I figured with all the oil and gas work and support there would be more. I read about the cost of setting up a good 50-70 mile repeater and its way out of my budget. A small mobile one for an event don't look to bad but really wouldn't help travelers. Or the general GMRS population.  

 

One stupid question, would a 102 inch whip work on GMRS? It's kinda the "old standard" of 11M CB. Or, am I kinda stuck with the little wimpy antennas (mobile)

[PACNWComms]

From my own experience in the oil and gas industry, many radio systems for refineries, transfer stations, and related areas are either full on P25 Motorola FDMA (and/or TDMA P25 Phase 2 now), or large scale Linked Capacity Plus Trbo systems. Even here in the Pacific Northwest, I know of no GMRS repeaters in use by the oil industry, they use an event channel on their main radio system. Some even have their own parks and recreation areas, also often used for training and family events, with those events using a specific channel for radio comms if/when needed. Repeater range costs money, and yet there is always the issue with intrinsic safety standards, so a radio network will only be as big as it needs to be. Oil and gas work is dangerous, and even the tablet computers and other electronic tools, flashlights, gas monitors, all have to be built to an intrinsically safe standard. That drives a huge part of the radio footprint in the oil and gas industry. 

As for 102" whip for GMRS, it all has to do with resonance, and that length is for old school CB in 27MHz. UHF GMRS will benefit with an antenna that is resonant between 462-467 MHz.

[BoxCar]

A 102" antenna is about 4 wavelengths at 464.5 MHz.

[WROZ250]

16 hours ago, WRPQ991 said:

Not seeing too many "big" repeaters in Texas, I figured with all the oil and gas work and support there would be more. I read about the cost of setting up a good 50-70 mile repeater and its way out of my budget. A small mobile one for an event don't look to bad but really wouldn't help travelers. Or the general GMRS population.  

 

One stupid question, would a 102 inch whip work on GMRS? It's kinda the "old standard" of 11M CB. Or, am I kinda stuck with the little wimpy antennas (mobile)

Ironically, to construct a really good repeater system, the cost of the antenna system (situation dependent) can many times be more expensive than the repeater itself.

As far as the 102" whip.  It could actually be used in theory, but you'd need a matching network which, at UHF, would be a project in itself.  Basically, it would be some sort of 'long wire' antenna, the pattern of which in this application, would be difficult to know if it would be useful.  Probably better off/easier going another route.

[quarterwave]

What exactly is a "BIG" repeater? I am curious. 

Why would Oil and Gas be using GMRS when they are obviously a business, and would benefit from more exclusive system/frequency assignments and technology modes?

You can use that CB whip... have fun. If you have never used a "wimpy" 6 inch whip (1/4 wave) UHF antenna and seen that the results are very good, not to mention they solve alot of installation problems I suggest a try. Everyone wants to run to bigger-better theory which is a bit off for radio. Gain antennae are a crutch. The standard 1/4 wave is a good antenna. That 102 is a 1/4 for CB....that's why it worked so well for it. 

[WRPQ991]

Most oil and gas workers are outside contractors, and don't have the capital or want the exclusive systems as they work for many different companies. I've worked for as many as 10 different companies in a week.  Out there where there is NO cell service, No road signs (or no roads) and No directions. Many times I've put Long/Lat in my GPS and hoped for the best.

A "BIG" repeater? maybe one that works for more than 2 miles? or one that works 10-15 miles compared to one that works for 70 miles. 

I was kinda thinking the 102 for base operations, not so much mobile. But thanks y'all for the input. I'm coming from the CB side of this, so alot of it is still fuzzy math and voodoo science.

[WRPZ296]

10 hours ago, WRPQ991 said:

Most oil and gas workers are outside contractors, and don't have the capital or want the exclusive systems as they work for many different companies. I've worked for as many as 10 different companies in a week.  Out there where there is NO cell service, No road signs (or no roads) and No directions. Many times I've put Long/Lat in my GPS and hoped for the best.

A "BIG" repeater? maybe one that works for more than 2 miles? or one that works 10-15 miles compared to one that works for 70 miles. 

I was kinda thinking the 102 for base operations, not so much mobile. But thanks y'all for the input. I'm coming from the CB side of this, so alot of it is still fuzzy math and voodoo science.

There are off the shelf VHF/UHF (ham) radios that can be configured to work with various business-only systems. I’m not sure the legality of that as I’m not really well versed in that side of the FCC but I’m aware that it’s not uncommon in the oil field world. 
 

I actually stumbled on that looking for mounting ideas for a GMRS radio in my truck. I discovered that a lot of people who worked in oil and gas or other industries had installed programmable UHF/VHF radios; sometimes actual commercial radios meant for that and sometimes just off the shelf ham radios, that they would then tune to the appropriate frequencies for whoever they happened to be working for. 
 

At any rate; GMRS is a really poor fit for businesses. It may not be legal (depending on how you read the language), and at any rate, requires every single user to be licensed. So while GMRS seems like a great idea because the equipment is so available; it’s an issue when every one of those independent contractors, employees, etc. have to get a GMRS license. 
 

There are really three solutions. FRS, MURS (which has some additional performance benefits over FRS), and of course; working with the FCC to use VHF/UHF bands (Industrial/Business pool). The FCC does stuff specifically for industries like this. 
 

There’s a ton of flexibility with the Industrial/Business pool. Including “Texas sized” repeaters and fixed stations, the ability to go well over 50 watts (a theme park near me has three 500 watt repeaters, for example). Even in the case of independent contractors; it’s easy to simply lend out handhelds. With the flexibility of powerful repeaters and tall towers; you can absolutely reach as far as you’d realistically need to with a basic Motorola or Icom HT that you’ve got 300 of lining various shelves in the security office.