[aprssig] Global FRS radio like AVRS

[Curt, WE7U]

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006, Mark Saurman wrote:

> On 2/26/06, scott at opentrac.org <scott at opentrac.org> wrote:
> > Anyone know what the FCC's take on these is?  FRS was meant to be a
> > short-range service.  As far as I can tell these things don't violate the
> > letter of Part 95, but I can see where the FCC might get upset if they
> > become widespread.  I wouldn't buy one just because the whole 'no external
> > antenna' rule really limits how useful a base station installation can be.
>
> You just got to think outside of the box.  Sure, you can't have a
> detatchable antenna.  However, there's nothing in the rules that stop
> you from constructing the radio into the base of an antenna in a
> waterproof enclosure and then running the control wires, speaker, mic
> and power any length of distance from it.  Radio Shack did just that
> with a mobile FRS radio by building the radio into a quarter wave mag
> mount.

You can also run the low-end RINO up on a tall pole, connected via a
long serial cable down to a box running Xastir.  Xastir can poll the
RINO periodically and transmit APRS objects for each RINO position
that is heard.  That way SAR teams with RINO's will appear on the
GPS displays of SAR teams running TH-D7A's....  Unfortunately it
doesn't go the other way, but you can't have everything!

This might be useful for public service events also, where you have
both hams and non-hams helping.

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
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