FCC Narrowbanding Question

I recently received a what I considered junk mail regarding the issue from a company called "Federal Licensing, Inc" located in Gettysburg, PA. They correctly identified all the frequencies my PacCrest radio & Trimble gear is capable of, but nothing about my robot.

For $124 they will do all the paperwork to get me back to "according to Hoyle" and in full compliance with new regulations. Supposedly....:-/

I kept it just because. No real reason and I won't do business with junk mail people, but I found it odd that they found a little guy like me and have the correct numbers. But they didn't spell my name correctly, so that is red flag #1.

With as little work as I have, I ain't spending shyte on more gobment fees for nothing I don't need. Not going TDD here, but enough is enough.

> For $124 they will do all the paperwork to get me back to "according to Hoyle" and in full compliance with new regulations.

I got a notice from Federal Licensing, Inc. a couple of days ago, too. They show my licensed frequency, but all they're offering me (for $119.00) is a copy of the FCC rule book and 5 years of updates thereto. It's all stuff that I can download from the FCC, so they won't be getting any money from me.

From what I've heard, I don't remember where or when, so take this with a salt mine not a grain, but if you use a high data rate you meet the requirements of narrow banding.

We use a PacCrest pdl, and supposedly if we use a higher than 9600 baud transfer rate, we will satisfy the requirements. I have not checked this information yet, but will be doing so shortly.

Remember take this with a mine of salt, or at least one of those 1 lb containers

For your SSR radios you're fine.

The UHF radios 410-470, they MUST be 12.5 KHz channel width, and NOT 25 KHz channel width.

Satel will reband the radios for about $300-400. If you own a PDL radio you ARE OUT OF LUCK! I’ve tried, and they WILL NOT upgrade existing radios you must buy your own. Satel will give you a $400 trade in, and I’ve see other companies, a local one www.field2finish.net who will give $500 in trade towards a new radio system.

Ok...now on the high baud rate issue, this is like one of those possible tax code loop holes, nobody knows if for sure, and I guess we will only find out if we get caught... but I don’t think this applies to our radios as not a single manufacture is shipping new radios in 25 kHz, only 12.5 (or 6.25), so i think we are out of luck on that "high baud" statement.

Helpful Links... FCC Narrowbanding Question

Here are some helpful links from Mark Silver at Igage.

Pacific Crest Product Bulletin - Narrowbanding Update

FCC Narowband FAQs

Configuiring radios for narrowbanding

Applying for a 25 kHz FCC license

I was told 4 years ago when we first got RTK that the narrowband doesn't apply to us since ours was set up for 19,200. Since that came from a salesman I am still gonna get a second opinion but from what I read on those links, he was right.

*James

I have been told that at least with Pacific Crest radios it isn't possible to push data at 19,200, the data strings for RTK are too long and collide with each other, this information is from both Leica AND the local Leica dealer who have tested this.

If you can successfully push RTK data at 19,200 bps, then your old PDL or other radios DO MEET the FCC narrow band requirements even though they aren't 12.5 kHz radios, so far I don't know that anyone has proved up on this, so for now it is just theoretical.

Even if you can meet the rule by going to 19,200, you still need a narrow band compliant FCC license as indicated by your license emissions designator.

This is going to cost every RTK radio user in the UHF band some money, it varies from just a license mod to replacing all your radio equipment too. The cost of compliance is small compared to a FCC fine if they decide to go after you.

SHG

What I know about this whole mess echos what Shelby has said.

There is *some* sort of allowance for transmitting at 19200bps at the 25khz bandwidth, but it requires some sort of special dispensation from the FCC....

And...the HPB/PDL radios don't support this.

Trimble Trimmark 3's are not big deal. They can be reprogrammed and will broadcast at 9600bps.

The Pacific Crest radios that we did manage to get reprogrammed, only work at TT450s at 4800bps...at least for Trimble Receivers...

I have also seen those *offers* of helping you with the narrowbanding.... smoke and mirrors designed to take your money....

Reading the specs on my sokkia gsr2700isx I find the radio link to read;

"UHF 12.5 kHz channel spacing" Am I all good then?

And how do I go about checking my handheld motorola sp50's?

This is my opinion only, so RANT MODE ON:

I think Pacific Crest has alienated their customers big time. Every radio approved by the FCC since 1997 was to be 12.5 kHz compliant, the PDL I have has a menu for this selection BUT it is grayed out. In other words the radio looks to be partial ready for this eventuality.

On 15-Sep-2010 I received this from Pacific Crest:

We can change your board in your radio to 12.5khz spacing for $350.00.
For know if you change your link rate to 4800 that will be at 12.5khz.
You will need to get your board changed eventually.

On 19-Oct-2011 I received this from Pacific Crest:

On PDL radios we can't convert from 25k to 12.5k. You will need to purchase a new ADL Pro 35w radio.

The new radio sells for $2,195.00. It is FCC compliant and is also water proof. You can review it on our website.

Both e-mail's from the same person at Pacific Crest.

OK, the ADL probably does have some nice improvements, BUT NOT the way to treat customers in my opinion. This is especially true IF the PDL radio was approved by the FCC AFTER 1997, BUT is now not going to meet the 12.5 kHz rules, I don't actually remember when they came out, mine from 2001 is non compliant and non upgradable though.

I have been using Pacific Crest RTK radios since 1996 AND whatever I buy before year end WILL NOT be a Pacific Crest radio if I can find some other solution that works, I don't like supporting vendors that don't support their customers. I suppose in defense of Pacific Crest, they probably never expected a radio purchased in 2001 to still be functioning in 2012.

RANT MODE OFF