Question about simplex repeaters which have messaging capability

[rzrbax]

Hey, folks, I am thinking strongly about using an Argent simplex repeater in our off grid hunting cabin to maintain contact over an area of about 10 square miles.  The Argent has the ability to record messages for broadcasting to a specific frequency at a specific time.  I don't know if that is what the FCC calls a page or not.  As a matter of fact I can't make heads or tails of most the FCC part 95.  However, if the simplex repeater has paging ability would it be illegal to use the repeater but not that feature?  While we are at that subject, is it OK to use a BF radio in a 2 radio duplex repeater if the BF is the RX part?

 

Sincerely,

Bill

WQYR910

KG5RGI

[commsprepper]

Bill,

 

I was thinking about this too and asked the FCC because I was not sure of the rules.  The FCC told me simplex repeaters are not permitted in the GMRS.

[SteveC7010]

Hey, folks, I am thinking strongly about using an Argent simplex repeater in our off grid hunting cabin to maintain contact over an area of about 10 square miles.  The Argent has the ability to record messages for broadcasting to a specific frequency at a specific time.  I don't know if that is what the FCC calls a page or not.  As a matter of fact I can't make heads or tails of most the FCC part 95.  However, if the simplex repeater has paging ability would it be illegal to use the repeater but not that feature?  While we are at that subject, is it OK to use a BF radio in a 2 radio duplex repeater if the BF is the RX part?

 

Sincerely,

Bill

WQYR910

KG5RGI

Besides being illegal for use in GMRS, I think you'd find the simplex repeater (store and forward) really annoying in very, very short time.

 

By "BF" I am guessing you mean Baofeng? Your abbreviations are not necessarily anyone else's. Better to use the full word. Yes, you can use a Baofeng for the receive part of a repeater, but you won't be happy. It will be desensed by the transmit side, and isn't a particularly sensitive radio for this purpose.

 

If you're serious about building a repeater, get a pair of decent mobile radios. Interconnect them properly and use a decent duplexer and antenna. If it was me, I'd use Motorola CDM's, but I already have the software, cables, and experience with them.

[axorlov]

Bill,

 

I was thinking about this too and asked the FCC because I was not sure of the rules.  The FCC told me simplex repeaters are not permitted in the GMRS.

 

I'm curious, did FCC reply cited any specific wording from Part 95A?

 

I'm using simplex repeater, the one from Argent Data, to keep communications with the family when we go on hikes in mountains. We have different abilities and often separate. Efficient antenna allows simplex repeater to hear the handhelds when handhelds can't hear each other. 40W of power from the car radio reach handhelds just fine. Or let's put it this way: I was not able to hike far enough on a day trip for the car radio not to reach me. I configured repeater to repeat the last message when DTMF * is heard. So it's not annoying when walking in close proximity.

[jmoylan69]

ARGENT DATA SYSTEMS makes a simplex repeater for 89.00 and sells the cable for the baofeng for 7 bucks. cheers folks. and im sure the FCC did NOT cite no simplex on gmrs but most likely said not a snowballs chance in (*&%^(*& on the MURS band. 

 

there is nothing that prohibits simplex in the 95a wording that i have found. in fact simplex is used only ONCE IN THE ENTIRE PART95A SECTION AND ITS HERE IN 95.29 (f) and does not represent anything exclusive or prohibitive. following the law of the "letter", it says : "FOR" not that "a GMRS station [MUST] be transmitted in duplex.  this paragraph is simply stating that for a GMRS station that will be simultaneously re-transmitting A transmittion of another, that licensee must select the frequency pairs and then points to where to find those pairs, i.e. 95.7(a)

 

(a) For a base station, fixed station,
mobile station, or repeater station (a
GMRS station that simultaneously retransmits
the transmission of another
GMRS station on a different channel or
channels), the licensee of the GMRS
system must select the transmitting
channels or channel pairs (see § 95.7(a)
of this part) for the stations in the
GMRS system from the following 462
MHz channels:
462.5500, 462.5750, 462.6000, 462.6250, 462.6500,
462.6750, 462.7000 and 462.7250.

 

( For a mobile station, control station,
or fixed station operated in the
duplex mode, the following 467 MHz
channels may be used only to transmit
communications through a repeater
station and for remotely controlling a
repeater station. The licensee of the
GMRS system must select the transmitting
channels or channel pairs (see
§ 95.7(a) of this part) for the stations
operated in the duplex mode, from the
following 467 MHz channels:
467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500,
467.6750, 467.7000 and 467.7250.

 

as shown above in red, this is an "option" not a mandate. the only requirement is that you use the chanel pairs if you're to re-transmit simultaneously or you select the chanels to use form the list. i identify this chanels to mean a multiple of choice not that you need to use a pair only, otherwise the following phrase channel pairs is now redundant and not necessary. Also, you cant transmit on more than one channel at a time anyway.

©–(e) [Reserved]

 

Here the wording is MAY use simplex for transmissions but they must be in voice, and NOT unidirectional. and cannot be any more than 5 watts on a simplex freq. there is ZERO language here that prohibits simplex repeaters.

 

(f) Except for a GMRS system licensed
to a non-individual, a mobile
station or a small base station operating
in the simplex mode may transmit
on the following 462 MHz interstitial
channels:
462.5625, 462.5875, 462.6125, 462,6375, 462.6625,
462.6875 and 462.7125.
These channels may be used only under
the following conditions:
(1) Only voice type emissions may be
transmitted;
(2) The station does not transmit
one-way pages; and
(3) The station transmits with no
more than 5 watts ERP

 

 

AS FAR AS PAGING this is the definition.

 

§ 95.27 Paging receiver description.

A paging receiver is a unit capable of
receiving the radio signals from a base
station for the bearer to hear a page
(someone’s name or other identifier
said in order to find, summon or notify
him/her) spoken by the base station operator.

 

so by this definition this should answer your question about a PAGE