From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jay Brandt (Jason))
Subject: Re: Radio Information?
Organization: University of Oregon, Architecture
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 19:54:10 GMT

<Jason listens to Manx, then rummages in his leather satchel, and pulls out
a rather faded REACT (Radio Emergency Action Citizens Team) windbreaker.
It's covered with patches from gatherings around the Pacific Northwest, and
has the call-letters "KACQ-8558, Mobile - 1", and "The Wyzzard" embroidered
on the back. He puts it on as Manx finishes his descriptions.>

In article <1992Oct5.155936.21344@cs.yale.edu>, lower-tony@CS.YALE.EDU
(Tony Lower) writes:

> 	Kitten, the wardrobe is ... extremely appealing.  

"I have to agree with Manx, on both counts. I like it, But Pegasus would
kill me if I make too much of it. Now Thyra, on the other hand, would
probably appreciate directions to the store." - Jason

>   "_ANYWAY_... I said I had some business, and I do.  I have to get some
> information about radios, both in terms of technical specifications,
> and legal restrictions.  This is because of an innovation I want to
> introduce to the LARP gaming organization I play with..."

<Expalnation of live RPG's deleted for bandwidth>

>   "NOW, my question for people is this:  Given that I have a labor
> intensive setup, where we can get lots of skilled volunteers, but
> relatively little money, what would be the best way to get these
> radios made?  What bands can we legally broadcast on?  Are we going
> to get interference (like little kids with toy radios) and stuff
> on these bands?  How powerful do the tranceivers have to be to
> cover a 200 acre campground?
> 
>   "I have some electrical engineering knowledge, mostly purely
> practical, but I could learn enough to solder just about anything
> together.  My other possibility is to buy radios premade from
> Toys-R-Us, since I figure that those MUST be legal, and then
> to make some modifications to them.  Finally, there ARE some radios
> at Toys-R-Us that are made for Junior Spies, which have everything
> we want, except, perhaps, range.  I have to test these AT the
> campground and see what the deal is.
> 

<Jason speaks as Manx runs out of steam.>

"Well Manx, I used to be pretty active with CB Radios. You can legaly run
as many of them as you want without any sort of licence, as long as the
power of each radio is less that 100 MW. That will give you a range under
-good- conditions of about 1/4 to 1/2 mile. This is what virtually all the
"Toy" two-way radios are. 

I once tried out a set of "GI-Joe" headset radios. We were considering
using them for security at SF Cons and SCA events. We were generally
dissappointed. The range was relatively poor. Although they did have VOX
circuts that would turn on the mike whenever you spoke, you couldn't hear
when the mike was active. A stray breeze could all too often open your
mike, dump noise on the air, and cut your hearing off. 

There was no -practical- way to change the frequency they broadcast and
received on. I used to help my dad run a TV and Radio repair business, and
I changed the frequency on a lot of CB radios and walkie-talkies. But on
the really cheap ones, the frequency crystals are not designed to be
changed, and they are soldered in place in rather inaccessable places. Even
if you unsoldered the cyrstal and soldered a different one in, you probably
couldn't get the case back together again. They are not made to be
serviced. I ended up relegating my pair to use when my SO & I were bicycle
riding, so we could talk to each other while a block or two apart.

Some of the slightly more expensive models will offer two or three
channels, but most cheap ones operate on the same frequency for all radios
of that type from that maker. Usually, it's seldom used CB channels, like
4, 5, and 6.

The DAK catalog sometimes carries better quality headset two-way radios. I
never tried them, but they are designed for adults, so should be better
built. They are also more expensive.

The solution I have seen used at most SCA events that use radios for
security is a handheld, multi-channel CB, running about 5 watts of power,
with a external, hand-held mike, an earphone, and a "rubber duck" flexible
anteanna. The radio is on a shoulder strap or clipped to a belt. Depending
on where you live, such radios may require a licence. The FCC deregulated
them years ago, about the same time I quit using them. I don't know what
current licencing requirements are. Such radios are available at Radio
Shack and other electronics stores. They are much more expensive, but are
worth the money.

As a compromise, perhaps the sub-GM's could use "toy" radios, and call in
to repeater operators who would relay the messages to central HQ by the
better CB's. Use team ID codes to reduce confusion.

With any of these radios, you will have two forms of interferance. 

Other radios, including kids with their toy trancievers. This won't be much
of a problem unless you are close to a freeway and the radios are on a
frequency used by local truckers. Try a radio where you intend to use them
to gauge this type of interferance. Not much can be done about this with
standard equipment.

The other problem is sunspots. They can cause a horrendous amount of
interferance during the day. They run on a seven-year cycle, and I don't
know how bad they are right now. DM or some of the others here with eyes in
the sky can tell you that. The RF interferance (Skip and general noise) is
why I quit using CB's. We started when sunspot activity was at a record
low. By seven years later, interferance was so bad it wasn't worth it, and
the airways were becoming too crowded.

You don't want to try building one from scratch. it isn't worth the effort.

Jason