Anything I can legally do with 8 MTS2000 Flashports?

[TonyG]

I have ended up with a box of 8 MTS2000 flashport radios and am curious to know if they have any legal uses. I currently keep one in my car to listen to the weather channel with, though all other channels have been cleared out of them.

They are all model number: H01KDD9PW1BN
Per the model number these would be 146-178MHz

I would love to be able to use these for work, but I have been told that I cannot legally do this, and I can't acquire a license to use them. Also, is there any legal ramifications to using these to listen to the weather channel with, when all other channels are unprogrammed. I know, a scanner or weather radio would probably be a better option, I am just curious about these radios.

[Tom in D.C.]

You've gotten valid advice. You may not transmit with these radios unless you possess a valid commercial or amateur radio license. You can use them all you want to listen to weather or anything else that's on the VHF band. The receivers in these radios are probably much better than the receiver on any so-called "weather" radio.

[TonyG]

You will have to excuse my ignorance, but what would be involved in acquiring a commercial license? My understanding is that these radios have the ability to transmit and receive directly to each other rather then having to have a repeater, so I feel they would be great for work. I work for a small company, but we travel all of the us doing on site work and normally use the radios you can find at walmart, but it would be nice to have something a little more reliable to use on jobsite. What kind of cost are associated with the commercial license and where does one even begin to apply for one? I inquired with a radio repair shop at one point in the past and they are they ones that told me I could not use the radios for anything and there was no way for me to get the needed license, and the way they were acting you would have thought I had some major contraband.

Yes, they do pick up the weather channel better than the weather radios I have tried in the past and much better than my car radio.

Thank you again for the information.

[007]

Where do you work? What do you do?

[TonyG]

Where do you work? What do you do?

I am in the theatrical special effects business, things such as laser shows, pyrotechnics, cryo effects, fog effects, etc. As such, we work in various hotels, convention centers, stadiums, theaters and similar venues around the US.

[Tom in D.C.]

The license is issued by the FCC. You could probably get what is called an "itinerant" license, good for all the USA, on VHF and the total cost would be maybe in the $400 range. OTOH, your company might already have a license that you don't yet know about, in which case the existing license might be UHF (not good for your MTS radios) or VHF (good for your MTS radios). There are several "facilitators" who will get this license for you; they charge a fee but handle everything that is involved. One is called the Licensing Assistance Office, 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA. There are others but that's the only one I've ever used.

As far as the shop that turned its nose up at your radios, find another shop ASAP. There is no good reason for this kind of behavior. You will need a Motorola shop to set up the radios for you if/when you get your license.

[N4KVE]

You could put them up for sale here if you can't use them. I'm sure there are people here such as hams, or people who already have a VHF permit & need a few more radios who would buy them. Times are tough now. Turn them into $. GARY N4KVE

[TonyG]

Thank you for all of the information and advice, it is greatly appreciated. Now if I can convince our money guy that we really need to have a decent set of radios...

If I can't convince him of the benefits, I may vary well look at posting them for sale on here, as a little extra cash is always a good thing.

Thanks again for all the info.

[Will]

You can use your MTS2000 radios on the MURS channels. These channels are licensed by FCC rules part 95, and if your radios meet these rules, you can use them under the MURS.

You are limited, under the MURS rules, to two watts and three of the channels are narrow, which the MTS2000 radio IS capable of.

Multi Use Radio Service

[MRFLASHPORT]

TonyG,

You can use your radios on murs frequencies, They don't require a radio license. Make sure you use a pl or dpl so you don't hear outside traffic and use about 4 watts of power.

151.6250
151.9550
154.5700
154.6000

You won't bother anyone because its all simplex. There are radio Nazis out here in the group that will tell you different.

The FCC does not monitor murs frequencies and does not enforce the rules. The FCC does not get involved with minor ******** such as Murs or Gmrs frequencies. Have at it Tony and enjoy.

[tvsjr]

Considering it's not that hard to follow the rules, why not just follow them?

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index. ... =multi_use
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index. ... =multi_use

Basically, two watts and limit your bandwidth - narrowband on certain channels.

[601]

If you decide to use MURS, go with the lower three 151MHz channels with the narrow banding. Those channels are usually less used, i've used the upper 2 and you get everything from wal-marts to McDonalds drive thrus. A lot of business users are ignorant and think that those are "their" frequencies and tell you to get off.... Just my little advise.

[escomm]

Well, since we're being pedantic, I don't think you can use these radios on MURS frequencies (unless you happen to have a grandfathered license, which apparently you don't)

The MTS2000 is not certified for Part 95 operations, which is what MURS falls under. Cite: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/rep ... Z489FT3768

Note there is no acceptance for FCC Rule Part 95 for the MTS2000.

In addition to the MTS2000 having no Part 95 acceptance, it would be impossible to comply with 95.649 which states that a MURS transmitter may not incorporate any method to increase transmit power above levels allowed by Part 95 (2 watts). Additionally, take a look at 95.639(h) which states that "No MURS unit, under any condition of modulation, shall exceed 2 Watts transmitter output power" (bolding mine)

[RadioSouth]

I recall seeing the itinerant license form some years back. Unless things have changed Red dot 151.625 or Purple dot 151.955 did not require frequency coordination and seemed pretty straightforward to complete the form. Don't recall the power limit but it's at least the 5 watts the radios will provide and believe good for national usage. Check these out.

[poser]

I thought the MTs2000 is old enough to be grandfathered into MURS

[escomm]

IIRC, in order to be grandfathered tx power was limited to 2 watts

[Tom in D.C.]

An itinerant license application package does NOT include coordination because coordination is not required for this type license.

[Tom in D.C.]

Itinerant license applications do NOT include coordination because coordination is not required. All itinerant channels are listed in one of the FCC sections but they're all there and plainly listed as itinerant, including channels like 464.5, 464.55, 469.5, and 469.55. There are quite a few more.

[RKG]

47 CFR sec. 90.175: "Except for applications listed in paragraph j, [coordination is required.]"

47 CFR sec. 90.175(j)(5): The following applications need not be accompanied by evidence of requency coordination: . . . (5) Applications in the Industrial/Business Pool requesting a frequency designated for itinerant operations, and applications requesing operation on 154.570 MHz, 154.600 MHz, 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, and 151.940 MHz."

[TJP249]

One more word of advice, since you are in the production business, stay clear of the audio guys with these radios. VHF radios tend to couple well into certain pieces of audio equipment in close proximity. The production industry tends to favor UHF freqs.
TP