VHF Radio Channels end 2007

[paulears]

Looks as if people still using the PMSE channels between 209 and 217MHZ will have to get rid of them with the announcement that Ofcom has told JFMG to withdraw the licences from the end of next year - January being the cut-off point for renewing. The frequencyband is being released to digital audio broadcasting from 2008.

 

As far as I can tell, there aren't any new channels being talked about yet to replace them.

[dosxuk]

Sadly, I doubt there will be any frequencies made available to replace them, as OFCOM only seem to care about flogging off as many frequencies as possible for the most cash, without a regard for the current users (especially PMSE) of those frequencies [my opinion]. Our industry doesn't seem to have a big enough voice to keep OFCOMs interest (not JFMGs fault - they do a great job in difficult circumstances) and OFCOM just don't seem to realise how important it is that the current range frequencies are not reduced any further.

 

In my work for TV, we've been told to move up to 3.5GHz, as the 2.4GHz range is imminently (been telling us this for about 4 years now - it became serious when OFCOM was formed) going to be auctioned off, but we've then been told the 3.5GHz range is only for a short time, as they're intending to give that to someone else as well. We might end up on 5GHz for a while, but there are some ideas on how that bit of spectrum can make money too. All the time, kit is becoming old, and needing to be replaced, but with no definitive answer as to which frequency range will be used over the next 5 years, it's difficult to justify the expenditure.

[Tomo]

60GHz will stay licence-free for the forseeable future - mostly because it's oxygen-absorbed and so has a practical range of ~10m.

 

Other than that, I doubt much will remain to the industry in the end, until OFCOM suddenly realise that nobody can make television programmes or theatrical productions anymore.

[Bobbsy]

...or we move to the American system where radio mic users (outside broadcasting) have no legal status at all and every production (even big ones on Broadway) technically operation illegally, wedging frequencies in wherever they can find a bit of quiet(ish) spectrum. There was recently a long thread on the Theatre Sound mailing list about how the experts there grab the odd megahertz here and there in the guard bands between active TV channels.

 

No thanks! ....but I see that day coming here.

 

Bob

[mr_towers]

Are there still plans to turn off the analogue TV signal? Is it possible then that that will free up more space?

[paulears]

Are there still plans? Not even plans - it is happening! There is a nice map here that shows you the region dates. Here in Suffolk, I'm ok for a while, but some regions start in 2008 - but by 2012 we are all digital. As for the frequencies being reallocated to radio mics, I doubt it - not enough revenue in it. Selling off big blocks to new mass technology makes better economic sense to the goverenment.

[Bobbsy]

Indeed. Unless there are some changes to policy, radio mic users are likely to lose even the limited space we have now since we can't compete money-wise in the spectrum auction they have planned. Remember the silly money spent for the 3G spectrum?

 

Bob

[GUSTie]

In st andrews ambulance corps we have been told that end of 2007 we are loosing our frequenses to TV so all of the hundreds of radios we have and the specialist repeter network and stuff is all useless at that time. its ******* expencive to turn a couple of thousend sets spread over scotland to another frequensey and OFCOM are telling us to swich to digital systems but not helping out with the cost.

 

at work we are are having to change over to new frequences and its cousing us no end of problems.

[paulears]

In fairness, most pmr users have known for years that the PMR VHF band was on the way out. The Radio Authority, then later Ofcom always suggested UHF was the way to go. St Johns radio usage in some areas of the country really took off, with them spending large amounts on equipment that had to fit the old spec to achieve conformity with adjacent regions. Few groups went UHF, following pretty old 'rules'. Many divisions use quite old equipment, others use brand new. Those that invested heavily should have realised their investment was short term - but because they don't hold the actual licence themselves, they don't get the licencee info that keeps shouting - the end is nigh. VHF kit is worth very little now - buying new at £2-300 per unit has been pretty silly for about 4 or 5 years. Anyway - there are plenty of ways of getting cheap radio comms now, so just buy a batch of ex home office UHF and use them for a few years till the next band change arrives?

[GUSTie]

sorry I should have said but its the UHF frequenses we are loosing, and probabley VHF as well but we swiched from those years ago so we dont care. It just seems that anybody not paying £100,000 using raidios of any form is a thought that OFCOM can not stand.

[dbuckley]

I have a theory - you'll get some of the amateur radio spectrum. probably somewhere between 430-440MHz. 431-432MHz is generally in the amateur radio bands (albeit as secondary users, if my memory serves) but cant be used by amateurs within 100KM radius of Charring Cross station, which I've always assumed (but I may be wrong) was for the west end theatre's radio mics...

[paulears]

If memory serves, the odd 100k circle around charring cross was linked with cold war radio service requirements - Mould, was designed to be in that band and rumours around the time suggested the then empty Centre Point building at the end of Tottenham Court road would be the hub of the system. All that kit has now gone (shame ebay wasn't around then) so I too suspect amateur bands may well become a target for frequency stealing, but the snag is that the entire 10m they have at UHF isn't much use really - not too many mic channels that are propblem free. With their secondary status, there is nothing wrong with them squirting huge amounts of RF up the spout - I'm not sure if they have a limit on output power, but with a decent gain antenna, the EIRP output could be quite high. As a secondary user, they'd be expected not to cause undue interference to primary services, but low power wideband rf isn't likely to be detectable to them, but they'd make a mess of any receivers in the area.