PMR446 What's Legal? - OFFICIAL ANSWER!!!!

Further to my previous article on 29th June (LINK) we now have an OFFICIAL answer to the question.... Is it legal to use removable/external antennas on PMR446 radios?

Reply received today (04/08/2020) from OFCOM:

Firstly, please accept my apologies for the delay in your receiving a reply from Ofcom on this matter.

With regards to your query regarding use of antennas in PMR446 equipment, advice is to follow the text used in Interface Requirement 2030, we have noted your comment re the PMR446 Information Sheet and a revision will be issued to avoid confusion on this matter.

IR2030 https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/84970/ir-2030.pdf

IR2030/34 PMR446 equipment is hand portable (no base station or repeater use) and uses integral antennas only in order to maximise sharing and minimise interference. PMR 446 equipment operates in short range peer-to-peer mode and shall be used neither as a part of infrastructure network nor as a repeater.

So that's it folks, the legal position is that PMR446 radios must have integral (Non-Removable) antennas. Great news also is that they will review and amend the PMR446 Information Sheet which caused some of the confusion.

The reply from OFCOM didn't go into the situation regarding non-standard radios but the above answer does mean that any radios used must meet the PMR446 specifications. In particular, radios must have FIXED antennas and must not have a power output greater than 500mw.

 

Dave's Radio And Antenna Update

Video:YouTube/M0OGY

Dave has been busy with other things over the past few months but he's found the time to give us an update in relation to his radio and antenna activities... He's certainly got a massive erection!

Yaesu FR-450D Discontinued?

Word on the street is that the popular Yaesu FT-450D has been discontinued due to 'parts issues', the same reason given for the demise of the 817, 857 and 897 models.

So maybe Yaesu have a new budget radio in the works.... I would certainly like to see a direct replacement for the 857D, the 891 was close but with no VHF or UHF it didn't quite hit the mark....

Come on Yaesu get your finger out, people have cash waiting! 

International Space Station Contact 30/07/2020

Upcoming Space Station Contact

An ARISS school contact is planned with students of American School of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the students will be talking with the ISS from their homes over phone lines.

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS and the scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR. Contact is go for: 

Thursday 30 July 2020, 16:41 UTC / 17:41 BST.

Downlink signals will be audible over Western Europe on 145.800 MHz narrow-band FM; contact will be in English. RX only! (Credit: AMSAT.)

CB Antenna Shootout

Video:YouTube/104's Outdoors

With CB antennas, the longer the better is the the general rule, but top loading can make a difference. So here we have a straight forward shootout between a collection of small-mediuim sized antennas...

69Mhz VHF CB Radio Event (Sweden)

News from Sweden and the 69Mhz CB radio guys are planning an event on Friday 24th July between 19:00 - 20:00 Swedish time, which is 18:00 - 19:00 UK time:

Here is the Google translated text from their website which you can visit by CLICKING HERE

"Friday 24-July at 19:00-20:00.

Soon it's time for the 3rd "High Activity" evening at 69MHz.
When the other evenings were a success, we run every month until further notice.

Add July 24-July to your calendar.

Some background info:
The proposal came up in the Facebook group "69MHz Sweden" that if you could activate Sweden from high places. Radio group Tellus had a similar activity a few years ago. A lot of people took this proposal, so let's go.

There was also a suggestion that fox hunting can be run from the high

places. And you can do that if you want, it's up to the people who go out to decide.

What does it mean?

Those with the opportunity & will go up in some high place in their vicinity, bring radio & ev. antenna or transmitting from the car.

Those who don't want to go out, sit at home and talk. Hopefully many can be out & running at the same time & there will be activity on the radio & you hopefully get long distance contacts.

We'll drop it off with a special call.

A good idea is to drive with his Scandinavia SSB call, when the letter gossips which county you are in.

Remember to switch from channel 8 to prevent disturbing others.

Join and activate 69MHz this evening you too!

Before & after the 69MHz test, many will certainly run both 27MHz, 2Meter & maybe other bands.

Well met on the

air!

Spread this to your radio friends!

69MHz Sweden on Facebook.

preliminary we run the 4th activity Friday xx August"

69Mhz CB Radio Frequency List:

NEW - President Barry 2 CB Radio

President have announced an updated version of the President Barry, imaginatively titled the President Barry 2.

With the cost expected to be similar to the existing Barry.

Features:

- 40 channels AM / FM
- 12 / 24 V
- Up/down channel selector
- Volume adjustment and ON/OFF
- Manual squelch and ASC
- Multi-functions LCD display
- S-meter
- Public Address
- Talkback
- ANL filter, NB
- Compander
- F function key
- Beep Function
- Roger Beep
- VOX
- Noise Gate
- Mode switch AM / FM
- Preset channel programmable
- TOT (Time out timer)
- Front microphone plug
- External loudspeaker jack


Manual can be downloaded HERE

Icom IC-705 Teardown

Video:YouTube/CQチャンネル!!

Fancy a look inside the new Icom IC-705? Well, this video is well worth a watch!

Morecambe Bay Net Returns

The COVID-19 situation has prevented many regular radio nets from taking place so it's great to see them gradually returning to the air. In this case it's the Morecambe Bay Net in the North West of England.

You can catch the guys tonight from 8pm (UK Time) on 27.295 USB.