Repeaters ( Ham) locations and coverage maps

[Paul]

No problem about your thinking from me Ned.
There isn't the need for HF repeaters because primarily there aren't the numbers to warrant it and it's too flipping technical to set up cheaply.

I've little time for some of the radio amateur brigade though.
The DX group I belong to has been recently "baconed" and a little VHF-Low repeater smashed.
Oh they've got skills OK but to use them to find and destroy a tiny solar powered 5 watt home brew repeater no where near their VHF bands takes the biscuit!
It's a big spectrum out there, there's room for everyone.
We don't drift onto ham frequencies so why the hell they come looking for us escapes me.

Historically Cb'ers always helped folk in a crisis yet "the bacon" never made a appearance once even though I've known CB'ers (me being one of them) do meal runs for pensioners when snow stopped play for even the emergency services.
CB Nets worked in the 70-80's with no problem and no fancy electronics. Just good operators.
They still operate on the fringes of CB and Freebander frequencies both of which I can't discuss as it's naughty.

Besides, I don't understand the need for distance comms and I still believe in my 10 mile radius limit in a survival situation. That's about the limit I could comfortably get to and back from in one day.
Contacting someone 100 miles away to source a can of beans is a little extreme to me.

[Skean Dhude]

Paul,

I agree with the range bit but the long range is to keep in touch with people and gather intelligence. Not to arrange shopping trips. Local comms will always be your primary comms.

[Paul]

Problem is the long distances though SD. Long distance radio comms is unreliable.
A lot of folk express unreasonable expectations in maintaining good distant comms 24/7.
It just don't happen.

There is however a little group of 8 other CBer's within 5 miles radius of me. That's potentially 8 couples who I can contact, help, and get help from.
Local problems are what worries me especially if local government and utilities are no more.
If London is burning down, Do I care????

Yes my view is "very limited" about receiving intelligence from afar yet all I need to know is what's coming my way and that's going to be via broadcast receivers or via CB relay net calls.

[Lightspeed]

[Paul]

[Lightspeed]

Paul,

Thanks for the response.

The booster regs relate to mobile phones I think.

This whole repeater thing has got me intrigued. I looked atthe UK interface requirement for CB and cannot see that a retransmitted message on the same channel / frequency as it was received is in breach of conditions.

I wrote to Ofcom a short while ago to get their advice...... lets see what comes back :-)

[Paul]

Quoted from ofcom:-
Installation or use of repeater devices (as with any radio equipment) is a criminal offence unless two conditions are satisfied:

That the equipment is CE marked, indicating that the manufacturer has declared it complies with all relevant EU regulatory requirements, including the Radio equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive;
That the use of the equipment is specifically authorised in the UK, either via a licence or by regulations made by Ofcom to exempt the use from licensing.

After a good search of the ofcom site, I couldn't find any authorization for CB repeaters. Licensed ham repeaters yes.

In the absence of authorization, I choose caution. It's too easy for them to say "we didn't authorize this" and act accordingly.

[NorthernRaider]

Paul you know I'm no expert on this stuff but is there any likelyhood on those new EU CB radio rules about harmonisation that may allow repeaters?, I would think that if another EU state has them they wont want to give em up.

[Paul]

I'm never sure what is happening regarding the harmonization.
According to the EU, they can use gear here, we're welcome to use our gear there, BUT OFCOM states:-

The use of either Frequency Modulation (FM) or Phase Modulation (PM) is permitted, but the use of Amplitude Modulation (AM) or Single Side-Band modulation (SSB) is not permitted because the use of these modulation schemes greatly increases the probability of causing interference to other radio users, to TV reception and can also result in “breakthrough” on Hi-Fi equipment."

That sort of rules out SSB gear from abroad.

It's bullsh** of course, hams use SSB round those frequencies BUT as the OFCOM committees are made up with radio amateur members, it don't look like it's going to happen.

It could lead to a test case in the European court (if you've got a few 100,000's to spare) but short of some European Trucker being taken to court and fighting for his rights, we've been baconed. (and some people wonder why I'm anti ham)

[The Local Ned]