Official 2015 Georgia Rally Radio Communications Thread

[scottgs]

I'm starting this thread early in an effort to try and lock in the first post so we have a definitive listing of radio frequencies and channels which will be used at the 2015 rally.

This will be a living page and will be updated as the rally nears.

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2-meter band 146.500 MHz No Tone
FM wideband (5KHz deviation), Carrier Squelch (no tone, no CTCSS)
This frequency may be used by an appropriately licensed ham and it is a standard simplex frequency in the ARRL band plan and may be used by most any 2m ham radio.

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6-meter band 51.000 MHz 150 Hz Tone
FM wideband (5-7 KHz deviation), 150Hz Squelch set to 1KHz deviation if possible. Can use 151.4 in a pinch.
This is an HF-Pack frequency and may be used by an appropriately licensed ham with most VHF Military tactical radios such as PRC 25/77/351, VRC 12, RT-1523 SINCGARS, MBITR, some low-band VHF Motorola radios and most 6m ham radios.

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20-meter band 14.3425 MHz USB
40-meter band 7.296 MHz USB
These are HF ham Military HF-Pack frequencies and may be used by an appropriately licensed ham in most any Military or Ham HF radio.
In general this would be used for long-range comms, but may be used local too. Other HF-Pack freqs may be used too.

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CB Band Channel 4 27.005 MHz AM
This is the national standard off-road channel and is useable by both 23 and 40 channel CB radio sets.

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FRS/GMRS Channel 4 462.6375 MHz, No Tone.
This is Carrier Squelch, no CTCSS, Tone or Privacy code.
This is a shared FRS and GMRS frequency so will work with either. Same channel number as CB, so easy to remember.

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Please contact me with corrections, questions, or for unusual radios, antennas etc. We have a lot of radio communications experience at our disposal here on the forum and we should make the most of it if we can.

I hope we can all work together to have the best commo of any Military vehicle rally ever!

Garret
W8BUG

 

[Chief_919]

If folks want, I have a complete 100w GMRS repeater I can bring. 462.700

 

[swbradley1]

Thank you Garret.

Staff will most likely use a different GMRS frequency and the one we used this year worked perfectly, as did the 2-meter.

I will assume you are volunteering a little early for next year's comm sgt?

 

[Whiterabbit]

Definitely bringing my AN/GRC160 and PRC77 again next yr. Now I just need to convince the wife she needs a RT524 mounted in the M151A2.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Might I suggest that the CB channel be closer to the middle of the band? Most people that tune their antennas tune for best swr in the middle of the band and running as low as channel 4 may have a detrimental effect. Perhaps channel 15, 17?

 

[ke5eua]

Official 2015 SS Georgia Rally Radio Communications Thread

What about cross linking all the family radio services together?

Cb, frs, murs

 

[ke5eua]

Starting my list and box early just in case it has to ride with some else.

Give me a list of items that would like to be there.

Also planning on getting some cheap 2 meter hand helds for my go kit. Thinking I'll get probably 5-10.

Let me know, the box will go to ssgr15 with or without me that's for sure. Preferably with me.

 

[ke5eua]

Official 2015 SS Georgia Rally Radio Communications Thread

Edit:

Scratch that, don't need to buy the entire 2 MHz spectrum.

I'm looking at either 900 or 136 range.

900 appeals to me as I already have portables and mobiles but has bad reception in dense foliage.

It's up in the air as I have to convince the wife of the $460 business expense since the business isn't bringing in any income at the moment.


Original:

Also, what about 220 MHz?

Since I'm looking at getting a lmr license for my business I was looking at 220 MHz nationwide.

 

[scottgs]

swbradley1 - Volunteering, yes. I'm from Tennessee, so it's a natural. Fighting Mexicans, radio comms, whatever... We will make it happen.
The GMRS I post here will be linked to CB channel 4. Admin may use a different channel if you wish, but this is what I will support with our linked GMRS base-station

Jeepsinker - I understand your thought, and I'm sure it would make some difference, unfortunately I don't believe it's enough to matter in a practical sense. However, the fact that every off-road rally in the country uses channel 4, and most four-wheeling CB'ers know that, means I believe we should stick to the standard, which is channel 4. That's "4" for 4x4 or 4-wheel drive. Easy to remember.

Ke5eua - Yes, we will link the 6m and 2m ham freqs, maybe HF also (but has to be manned to meet rules). Also will link GMRS and CB. That's probably all, as I think that will catch 99 percent. Will have all of these setup as a base station at the CP too.

Regarding the 2m frequency, for the sake of discussion, 146.500 is probably not the perfect option, but it's good enough for now. 145.500 offers the possibility of setting up a repeater, allowing both simplex and duplex use, if it is not already in use in the area. Also, 144.300 is the standard US Military ham 2m freq and could be considered too. I would have suggested that, but it's really not likely anyone will have Military 2m handhelds there, as they are few and far between. Also, I don't currently have a 2m repeater available, so figure it's not likely to happen. Therefore I believe we should just stick with 146.500, as was used this year (2014). If a repeater materializes, then we will consider changing as needed. However, this needs to be set early on so people can get their Baofengs and Motorolas programmed in time. We will be there to program Baofengs and some Motorola's, if needed.

I may sound rather inflexible here, but that is not my intent. It's just that we need to choose and stick with it, unless there is a truly compelling reason to change. Just because we "like" a certain channel or frequency is not a good enough reason. We have a whole lot of collective professional radio experience with the members here, and I believe these choices are well thought-out. If they are not, then they will be by the time the rally arrives!

Thank you all for the comments and thoughts.

Garret
W8BUG

 

[ke5eua]

I will pack all my cables, and software. Chirp pretty much covers most ham rigs, and I have a ribless cables for gtx, and cdm series mobiles and mt series portable radios and software. Also have several ham cables by rt systems. Id-880, ftm-350, ft-8x7 series. Have kenwood tk monile series cable also.

I setting up my portable digi and I will pack my dv hotspot and setup if the internet is good.

 

[AvrgJoe]

Does anyone know what the rally dates will be in 2015? As a new deuce owner I would love to head to GA this fall.

Thanks in advance,
Joe

 

[Recovry4x4]

21-25 Oct 2015

 

[ke5eua]

I'm making the rally next year. Who's the head of comms? Thinking about using the 750 trailer is the comms trailer.

 

[Recovry4x4]

The organizational chart is yet to be finalized. As the committee meets ands discusses needs, we will post for openings.

 

[microjeep]

7-11 Oct 2015

i think rons already there?

 

[SCSG-G4]

I know I have no trouble hitting the Columbia Amateur Radio Club repeater from my house (8-9 miles) using the standard HH antenna on my Baofeng UV-B5, and using the mag mount sitting on a 18" x 36" piece of steel my signal is as strong as the 40 watt GE MVS radio (147.330 repeater +.6, tone, etc.). With a ground plane 10-15 feet in the air we should have no problem reaching out everywhere on the trails except in the deepest gullies. I've been able to receive in Sumter with the mag mount on my Corolla (about 40 miles) and the UV-B5 but my output signal is too weak for reliable communications (there are some hills in the way).

 

[swbradley1]

Bringing this up to the forefront.

Since it is about bad weather wise as it can get might I suggest that now is a good time to study for the Amateur Technician Exam. If you have ever wanted to be licensed and get on the air with others at the rally then take the test.

See (or talk) to you there.

 

[ke5eua]

How about doing a ve session at the rally?

 

[bchauvette]

I used "Ham Test Online". Proves you can teach an old dawg new tricks. The software adjust to your learning needs. In my case if it ran any slower it would have stopped

 

[swbradley1]

How about doing a ve session at the rally?

That might be doable but by the time they get their sign the rally would be over. But it helps for when they come to next and the rest of the time in between.

Use SS Member VEs or contact locals? My former boss at Miami is the one who coaxed me into getting a license about a year ago and then he wanted me to become a VE as well.

Not yet but I have given it some thought.


Side bar, how many SS members are going to THE Hamvention?