Re: [amsat-bb] Fwd: Allocation of 433 – 434 MHz Band for Short Range Devices in VR2
Short Range Devices (SRDs) in 433-434 are bad news.
The United Kingdom opened up 433/434 to SRDs in the 1990's. Automobile remote control key fobs used it - very short range, very low power stuff but the killer was the receivers.
The Key Fob receivers had wide-open front-ends and collapsed in the presence of nearby RF. The result was that some UK Amateur 70cm repeaters were forced to shutdown to protect the unlicensed SRD's. The UK regulator Ofcom made it mandatory that applications for UK 70cm (430-440MHz) repeater licenses had to prove that they wouldn't cause "interference" to these unlicensed devices, eg wouldn't block wide-open RF front-ends!
Following on from Automobile key fobs came a host of other low power SRD applications that were keen to use 433/434MHz. These have caused interference over a wide area, see
Thames estuary SRD Interference on 433.500MHz http://www.g4uvj.btinternet.co.uk/isleofgrain.html
SRD in 433/434MHz also impacts the Amateur Satellite Service. Manufacturers of 10 milliwatt walkie-talkies for 433/434 have cleverly run some leads through the battery compartment. If the user cuts these leads their 10mw 433/434MHz walkie talkie or base station gets converted into a 4 watt output transceiver that operates from 433.075 right up to 435.525MHz - well into our satellite allocation, see
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2009/intek_drs5070_pmr446_radio.htm
YouTube - Intek MT 5050 Export http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgk5NDRP5sQ
Industry needs a Globally allocated license exempt UHF allocation between 400 and 2400MHz - there isn't one !! - Global UHF license exempt spectrum is fragmented - Industry is currently trying to get 433-435MHz allocated as Global Unlicensed Spectrum so equipment can be sold anywhere.
Belatedly Europe is attempting to allocate 915-921MHz (in-between European cell-phone frequencies) to SRD's.
If 915-921MHz doesn't become the Global UHF SRD band then Amateurs will lose 433-435MHz for ever.
Other URL's that may be of interest:
Australia - SRD Interference causes Repeater to move http://www.southgatearc.org/news/jun2005/repeater_move.htm
New Zealand 3.6 and 433 MHz SRDs http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2010/nz_revised_gurl.htm
Short range devices in the 433 MHz band http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2008/short_range_devices_in_433mhz_ba...
73 Trevor M5AKA
Trevor wrote:
The UK regulator Ofcom made it mandatory that applications for UK 70cm (430-440MHz) repeater licenses had to prove that they wouldn't cause "interference" to these unlicensed devices, eg wouldn't block wide-open RF front-ends!
Unlicensed devices imposing restrictions to licensed users? I hope you are joking, otherwise you have a serious problem with Ofcom and your national society (RSGB?).
73!
--- On Tue, 8/3/11, Miguel A. Vallejo, EA4EOZ [email protected] wrote:
Unlicensed devices imposing restrictions to licensed users? I hope you are joking, otherwise you have a serious problem with Ofcom
No I'm not joking, when devices are sold in large numbers Governments will protect them even if they are unlicensed.
The UK now has 15 million automoblies using 433 MHz to open the doors and start the engine.
Is the UK Government going to say to 15 million voters they've got to pay a lot of money to have a decent receiver installed or are they going to shut down a few Amateur repeaters ? That's the simple choice, no prizes for guessing which they choose.
The same will hapen in any part of the world where SRD's are allowed on 433/434 MHz - it's the number of votes that count - doesn't matter what International Regs may say.
73 Trevor M5AKA
participants (2)
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Miguel A. Vallejo, EA4EOZ -
Trevor .