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Author Topic: VANISHING BAND ?  (Read 641 times)

K1QQQ

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VANISHING BAND ?
« on: February 21, 2023, 11:45:25 AM »

900 MHZ ? I guess nobody uses it. (?) I'd guess not enough  amateurs to cover all bands. (?)

If I wanted to transmit on 900 mhz any suggestion of a radio ? used ? cheap ? A rumor said some Motorola is programmable for 900 mhz. Don't know. (I do possess an Alinco HT that covers 220/900 mhz. (forgot about that but 2 way needs 2 ..?)

Motorola ?https://www.ebay.com/contact/sendmsg?item_id=403617946799&recipient=kylind16&message_type_id=14

????
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W1VT

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2023, 11:52:43 AM »

Personal Radio Service in Japan
https://www.rigpix.com/900mhz/icom_gt3.htm

https://ve3ips.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/japanese-cb-radio/
158 channels from 903 to 904 MHz.
I've heard that two radios will link up on a calling channel and jump to a clear frequency as normal operation.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2023, 11:57:04 AM by W1VT »
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W3PX

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2023, 12:45:35 PM »

Vanishing band? Maybe someday, but plenty of VHF/UHF weak signal operators still use 902/903 MHz.

There is a good bit of activity outside the FM band segment.
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"So, we just went ahead and fixed the glitch" - Bob Slydell

"I’d say in any given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work" - Peter Gibbons

K0XM

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2023, 01:46:56 PM »

Yes there is activity on FM, DMR and P-25 in various parts of the country.
Besides the Alinco you have, a good beginner radio is the Motorola GTX.
The Motorolas can be put in the ham band, but it is not for the squemish. Kenwood Mobiles  and HT's also. TK481 and 981's
To move a commercial radio to the ham band they have to essentially be "hacked" with modified software. Commercial users have a 45MHz split and we have a 25MHz split.

https://w6aer.com/getting-started-with-900mhz-ham-band/

https://www.qsl.net/kb9mwr/projects/900mhz/plan.html


Chuck K0XM
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K4JJL

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2023, 06:47:07 AM »

There are a couple dozen guys in S FL who use 900 P25 pretty regular.  We're all running Motorola XTLs and XTSs.  Repeater is a Quantar.  The "hacking" was minimal.  Just change a couple of numbers using a hex editor (procedure is widely documented on several websites).

BTW, that's an 800 MHz radio in the ebay listing you posted. 

This is more along the lines of something that will work...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134227045831
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K5LXP

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2023, 07:23:20 AM »

Better buy two of whatever you get, that way you can give one to another ham and have someone to talk to.  Otherwise, 900MHz (and 220, 1.2GHz) is a lonely place most everywhere you go.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

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G4AON

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2023, 03:17:55 AM »

The band of more serious concern is 23cms, the European Galileo (GPS) satellite people are making representations to the 2023 world radio conference (WRC-23) to bump radio amateurs off the band, or at least severely us.

Some details: https://rsgb.org/main/news/special-focus/wrc-23/

73 Dave
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K1QQQ

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2023, 06:42:08 AM »

YES. Spectrum is valuable. Use or lose. Can sell it !!!! Without snooping I hear nothing of 900 mhz operation for amateur radio. I picked up that Alinco HT a few years ago and just went into my box of possessions. Recent I told myself I have nothing for 1.2 ghz so got an Alinco G7 that covers 1.2 at 1 watt.Some new ICOM stuff has 1.2.



220 ? Much Chinese stuff to cover 220 now. An Alinco DR-MD520  at 5 watts.    http://www.alinco.com/Products/ham/mbl/DR-MD520/DR-MD520TE.pdf       I  do not know if Alinco went all Chinese but their new stuff just says Alinco JAPAN on them. Their USA outlet says their major problem is parts as the old manufacturers just do not want to make things as unimportant as amateur radio.

Some Yaesu HT's cover 220 but low power.


900  hmmm where o where  I am not sure of the investment or time trying to figure out. A cheap used radio. A new economical one.  Programming !!  I do have 1 radio but #2 for any communication.

I will study the links and info posted in this thread.


Somebody talking on 900 but no ability ? Digital Modes are what is happening but old fashioned analog is nice.



Motorola XTL2500 P25 900 MHz Mobile Radio   ok..research !!!



https://www.rigpix.com/900mhz/900mhz.htm   



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« Last Edit: February 23, 2023, 06:57:13 AM by K1QQQ »
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SOFAR

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2023, 09:19:19 AM »

I've read about medical equipment being on 900 mHz. Not sure if that's still accurate.

"Basically the 902MHz to 928 MHz range has been allocated to hams on the secondary basis meaning, we have to accept interference from other sources as we are not the primary users of the band."

https://w6aer.com/getting-started-with-900mhz-ham-band/
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WA3SKN

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2023, 09:35:48 AM »

OK there are several repeaters in the Baltimore area. Check TMARC for locations in their area.  But there is not enough money for most of the popular radio companies.  The new IC905 should be of help here, but if you really want this band I would suggest contacting Q5signal.com.  They will build a radio or transverter for you.  Or you could build your own!

-Mike.
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W3PX

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2023, 09:46:07 AM »

OK there are several repeaters in the Baltimore area. Check TMARC for locations in their area.  But there is not enough money for most of the popular radio companies.  The new IC905 should be of help here, but if you really want this band I would suggest contacting Q5signal.com.  They will build a radio or transverter for you.  Or you could build your own!

-Mike.

The IC-905 Doesn't Support 902/903 MHz.
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"So, we just went ahead and fixed the glitch" - Bob Slydell

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K4JJL

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2023, 01:33:28 PM »

Somebody talking on 900 but no ability ? Digital Modes are what is happening but old fashioned analog is nice.

Analog on 900 sounds terrible.  Believe me, I tried.  I ran old analog Spectras on 900 years ago.  There's so much garbage interference out there.  Crashes, pops, garbling, muffled audio, etc.  Motorola's solution was called HearClear.  It didn't live up to its name.

I think there's some DMR out there on 900, as well.  That's even cheaper.  You can get a used XPR6580 for under $100.

Digital filters all that out.
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WA3SKN

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2023, 04:10:57 PM »

I don't have much 900 MHz noise here... must be "location".
And we "share" all bands above 400 MHz as secondary users here in the USA, so it would be easy to lose them... we are not "primary" users.  There is now a "commercial demand" now that it is economical to use the bandwidth.

-Mike.
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K1QQQ

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2023, 06:12:35 AM »

Probably more 'noise' in urban areas. I just hate to loose a band. NO notice of band loss yet but no-use-loose
     
That transverter link       http://q5signal.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=68



Always wondered why that site cost so much.  OK..not many options but feel somebody is making money. (sensible)
I know I have seen HT's covering 900 mhz but flea-power assumed/

Enough....



There is/was a transverter place in Ukraine that sold them for common bands but do not know how good such are. Acouple years ago I bought a couple but yet to try out.  50-28 mhz  220-28 mhz

Transverters do not seem as popular as they were once. If you have a HF rig not covering 6/2/220/440 (vhf-uhf)  play with a transverter. Again,,thanks for info and links...
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W1VT

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Re: VANISHING BAND ?
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2023, 06:21:33 AM »

High quality transverters are expensive because of the difficulty involved in preserving "tone quality 9" CW signals for weak signal DXing.
Oscillator standards can be relaxed for FM voice.  Key down an inexpensive FM radio and listen to the carrier on an SSB/CW rig to hear the quality of the oscillator.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2023, 06:27:39 AM by W1VT »
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