Re: Driveway Alert Sensors

[ddl@danlan.*com (Dan Lanciani)]

In article <0fl7k1513huc342h2ijnv7cjkdmg5filci@xxxxxxx>, nospam@xxxxxxxxxxx (L. M. Rappaport) writes:
| On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 22:26:33 -0500, "Todd F"
| <toddrick3_14159@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote (with possible editing):
|
| ...snip
|
| >the Long Range System also looks interesting, uses vhf frequencies in the
| >151-154MHz range with 2 watts of power.  Should be good for at least a mile
| >or better depending on terrain/obstructions.  The  WMA-3000 also looks good
| >for longer range.
|
| Todd, anything in this range at this power requires an FCC-issued
| commercial license, at least in the United States.

It looks like they are using MURS, a VHF service which allows up to 2 watts
and requires no license.  You may recall that MURS was supposed to be a CB
service that offered some of the technical abilities of ham radio (including
in particular data transmission) without the commercial use restrictions and
license requirements (but with channelized frequencies).  At first it appeared
that this would come to pass, and under the initial rules it would have been
permissible for an end user to combine an off-the-shelf MURS radio and a TAC
for simple data communications.

Unfortunately, certain groups lobbied the FCC to prohibit repeater operation
and to make vague restrictions on packet switching.  The result appears to be
that manufacturers got a new license-free range in which they can build high-
power products while end users are pretty much constrained to voice unless
they buy such products.

Getting back to the product in question, it wasn't obvious that it provides
any kind of signal output other than the voice prompt.  That could be a
problem.

				Dan Lanciani
				ddl@danlan.*com