Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 07:11:47 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Saunders_N Subject: Some more info on FRS Comments: cc: gail@mdsg.umd.edu MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Please note that the following two paragraphs have been drawn from FRS descriptive material on the Family Radio Service Information website (http://members.tripod.com/~jwilkers/frspage.html). "Many FRS radios have the capability for "selective calling". This means you can set your radios to a special code that only will allow radios set to that exact code to be able to call you. There are two methods in use, CTCSS and DCS. These methods are NOT compatible with one another. You MUST get radios with the same type of encoding. NOTE: This function does NOT make your radios "scrambled" or "secure." Any person with a scanner can hear you. All this function does is selectively open the squelch (what keeps the radio quiet between conversations). Many manufacturers misleadingly regard these as "privacy codes.". The radio is NOT private, anyone can listen in, regardless of what manufacturers say. I recommend you purchase your radios with one of these two selective calling systems. In many areas FRS is rather busy. These selective calling systems may also be marketed as "quiet tones", "quiet mode", "group mode", etc. Just make sure you get all your radios with the same type of system. You can use CTCSS with radios of different brands together. Most manufacturers number their codes differently, but all carry most of the same tone frequencies. Look in the manuals that came with the radios for the frequency of the code you want to use, then match it up with the code numbers, then input those into the radio." "Can my X-Brand radio be used with a Y-Brand radio? Yes.... for the most part. ALL radios use the same frequencies and can talk to each other fine. BUT... certain features are not cross compatible. Paging and calling signals may be incompatible. A DCS equipped radio will not work with a CTCSS equipped radio (when each respective system are activated). Also, not all radios follow the same system when numbering CTCSS tones. CTCSS tone 1 on one radio may be #10 on another and so forth. Read the manual for each radio to select the comparable tone on each unit. CTCSS tones are fairly standard, and you will find corresponding tones for each radio." Based on this information, I would recommend that the ABA modify their proposed standard for use of FRS radios by birders as follows: the proposed nationwide "channel/subchannel" should be set to 22/0. After birders have made a connection on subchannel 0, they may choose to move to another subchannel, but this only has the effect of preventing other communications on the basic channel from reaching them, not from allowing them to be heard on the basic channel. Use of subchannels does NOT reduce clutter on a basic channel. Another piece of information I discovered on the above website: "FRS may be used in Canada, but USA/Canadian models can only be used in these two nations. There are similar services in other nations, but none of them are the exact same services as FRS. Made-for-US radios can ONLY be used in the United States and Canada. You could be subject to very severe penalties if you use an FRS radio overseas. Also, The Special PMR-446 Radios designed for European use CANNOT be used in the USA." I think the ABA should point this out quite strongly to their members since birders have a tendencey to travel widely and carry a lot of equipment along with them. Further, the fact that the proposed standards from ABA are then linked directly to the ABA store where one brand of FRS radio is prominently featured, subtracts from the credibility of their recommendations. Best, Norm Saunders ===================================== Norman C. Saunders Office of Employment Projections, BLS Saunders_N@bls.gov ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================