Little O/T: Applying for VHF Itinerant Freqs.

[n9upc]

Greetings to all,

I am looking at getting a license for VHF Itinerant freqs for some mobiles and portables for an event that takes place a couple times of year.
I thought I remember reading at one time that you do not need to get cordination of Itinerant freqs just fill out the form and send in payment and boom you are ready to go!
However, I do not or cannot find out this information on the ever so friendly FCC website! Does anyone or has anyone ever done this filing and how did you go about it?

I was looking at getting my own repeater pair or two simplex channels but with the cost of cordination being around $175.00 for one area (and I would need two areas thus I would just file VHF Itinerant Statewide) plus filing fee by the cord company plus FCC fee's I am looking at $600 ish or so. Thus VHF itinerant for the 20+ freqs Statewide. (The other option is does anyone know of a good and affordable cordination company?)

Thanks in advance!

[Tom in D.C.]

You can get itinerant licenses without coordination. That's a fact. If you use a licensing coordinator it'll probably cost you in the area of $300/$400. Last time I did it was about four years ago. I always used LAO (Licensing Assistance Office) whose office is in Gettysburg PA (of course!). They were actually in the same building as the FCC but they went to another location a while back, which is irrelevant but you can find them on the web at http://www.dci-lao.com/ The people who handle your paperwork are very helpful and well informed and my only criticism of them is that it appears that they "batch" their work, which means that your paperwork may have to sit and wait to be sent in with a bunch of other applications. It may be that the FCC is "batching" the work, but either way it will take four to six weeks, based on past experience, to get your app through and the licenses issued. As I recall the basic fee can get you four UHF channels; last time I got 464.5 and 464.55, and 469.5 and 469.55, plus they threw in 151.625 that I asked for as well. The power limitations are usually 4 watts, but I don't see why you would not be able to run a low power repeater if you're issued two or four channels with an integral 5 mHz offset. Problem with the itinerant channels is that in metro areas they've begun to get chock full of users, many of whom are unlicensed. My company managed to get by with the four channels shown above while running the audio program for radio, TV, and front of the house at an NFL venue, but the time is coming where they're going to be forced to get a coordinated, hopefully exclusive, channel to use, which will require a new app and corrdination.

[n9upc]

Tom

Thanks for the info, I will give them a call tomorrow. However, do you know how to apply w/o cordination?

In addition what is the usual power restrictions for VHF itinerants? I would be using mobiles so I would like 50 watts?

Thanks in advance!

[W1HVN]

We are looking to use a mobile repeater at 35 or 50 watts in a command unit for use around the state. Use would be probably sporadic not to exceed maybe a ten times a year MAX. Would itinerant cert on 450 or 800 be appropriate for this use? Mobiles and portables to be used in the system moreso portables. If this is not th proper licensing for this application what type of licensing is appropriate?

Thank You

[Tom in D.C.]

I can't swear to it but I believe that itinerant operations are strictly low power. The question of coordination simply does not exist in the procedure for getting an itinerant license.

On the other question, about roaming the state with an "itinerant" mobile, I would think that the itinerant license would not apply, but you would rather apply for a license for your agency with the base location given and get permission to operate with a radius of "X" miles of the base. My other remark about the power that can be used might also apply. Far as I know there is no 800 mHz itinerant license available.

But, all those questions can answered by the company whose name I gave in my first post. They are, believe me, really helpful, and I always found that the amount they charged was more than made up in the time I saved by using them.

Regards,

[RadioSouth]

The 151.625 can be licensed for nationwide operations at I believe 50 Watts, 151.955 is another similar channel.
464.50 and 464.55 are 35 Watts and also can be licensed nationwide. Not familiar with the 469 channels- those available to license simplex or are they only repeater inputs for the 464 channels ?). I recall license applications coming in the box with those dot radios years ago. Might be worth taking a stab on your own, the PIA of coordination is not needed as Tom mentioned and you probably wouldn't need to answer the other PIA questions about the base location when going nationwide itinerant, those were the 2 tough parts. Most of the other itinerants (unless going on special industrial, etc. are 2 Watts).

[Tom in D.C.]

I completely forgot about the high-power (sort of) 151.625 that American Towers uses in Bethesda MD that everyone in the area hears but no one knows what they use it for. I'd guess it's a test beacon for setting up VHF systems. On the 469 channels for itinerant they are not repeater inputs, though I suppose they could be used for that. They come back on the license form as simplex channels and I've gone through three complete itinerant procedures over the past eighteen years getting them okayed. Again the company that you pay to help you out on this has all that information, correct and up-to-date, available. You can do it all yourself, but you have to also do the research, and if your psyche can stand rejection two or three times go ahead. I always found it much easier and less stressful to hire an expert to do the work.

[alex]

The easiest thing that I can suggest:

Go and look up the FCC grants for the type of license you wish to apply for over the past year. I'd suggest reviewing both pending and grants.

Review the reference sections and any letters or documentation the FCC has sent or that the user has attached. Read through the explanations and the reason codes for the applications. Use this information to build your own application using your FRN and filling out the Java based form 601.

You would be surprised how much you learn by spending a week or two reading up on the application process. Think of it like a test... You read up on how to pass it and concentrate on the problems you anticipate there being. Therefore you are prepared when you sit down to take it. I think you get the idea.

I've gone through and filled out several applications this way and have not gotten a single rejection.

-Alex

[smokeybehr]

I completely forgot about the high-power (sort of) 151.625 that American Towers uses in Bethesda MD that everyone in the area hears but no one knows what they use it for. I'd guess it's a test beacon for setting up VHF systems.

If they're using an itinerant channel in a fixed location, that's a no-no according to the rules. They need to get a real fixed location license.

[n9upc]

One other little question that popped up the other day and figured I would throw it out in regards to this topic:

In looking on-line and google searching I came upon all the 27 VHF freqs that are pre-programmed to be used in the 2 watt Kenwood or Motorola VHF radios. Now in checking the manual paragraph before it tells you what FCC forms to fill out. However, my questions is besides the itinerant freqs in the radio, don't the other non-IT freqs require cordination or is it because they are only 2 watts that they do not?

Thanks in advance.

[Will]

Yes they DO require coordination. And ALL of them require a FCC license. Even at one watt or less they are required to be licensed.

MURS is licensed by rule, if your radio meets all the specs, then you may use it under the blanket 'license'. Check FCC Rules Part 95.

[RadioSouth]

If low powers an option for you there's always MURS. The three 11.25 wide channels seem quite vacant and the price is right !