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Attention!
All Two-Way Radio Users And Potential Users
Be Aware! Guard your licensed frequency! Guard your potential—you may need a frequency! By Bill Brauer Two-way radio communication is a very important tool for park and recreation agencies. The frequencies allocated and available to these agencies are not too plentiful, particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area (compared to the number of users and potential users). Frequency Availability: The Forestry/Conservation spectrum allocation in the "High Band" (151 & 159 MHz) and the "Low Band" (30 to 50 MHz) are the only ones made available to our park and recreation agencies. There are 40 different frequencies in the most popular high band spectrum, but we should be aware that 21 of those are dominated by state agencies in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Although a few of these 21 are "shared" with some park agencies, the remaining 19 are all that are left for 48 agency users and 146 agency nonusers in the Chicago metropolitan area, to share. Frequency Sharing: Frequency sharing means there must be an agreement between users, on any one frequency, within a 50 mile radius, whereby present licensees agree to allow another agency to use the same frequency. It is important for the sharing process to include a complete and thorough coordination and engineering activity to insure an effective and nondisruptive communications experience. Exclusive Frequecy: The day of the exclusive frequency for any one park agency in the Chicago metropolitan area is gone. Frequency Study: A study of the Forestry/Conservation allocation and licensees in the 151 and 159 MHz spectrum which I have done, has revealed some facts which should be of interest to all park agencies. The study was limited to these two frequency groups at this time, but it would be of additional value if other groups/users and nonusers were also studied. Those groups yet to be identified are Low Band, 450 MHz, 800 MHz, Citizen Band, and those agencies sharing a frequency with their city, village, township, county, etc. Survey Results: Within the five county northeastern Illinois, Chicago metropolitan area there are:
194 - Total Districts/Departments.
A map showing the location of user and nonuser agencies has been made available to the IAPD and IPRA offices for their memberships' reference. Maps were also sent to the APCO and the FCCA coordinators for their use. The map reveals the proximity and physical inter-relationship of like and unlike frequencies and does provide an excellent base for coordinators to use to more judiciously assign frequencies. Non-Aligned Users: The study further revealed that there are at least nine users who would be considered nonaligned or at least fall outside of the Park and Recreation - Forestry/Conservation discipline:
2 - City
There are obviously nonaligned agencies securing license allocations which create additional pressures and lend further problems to a rapidly filling, some nearly saturated, frequency spectrum. What Should Park Agencies Do About the Above Situation? Helpful Advice: All two-way radio frequency users should be alerted to these frequency pressures and should implement procedures and actions which will help to insure continued satisfactory use. Among others, the following should be considered. DON'T 1. DON'T ALLOW YOUR FREQUENCY LICENSE TO EXPIRE. Set up an early warning system to get that renewal application into the mail months before it expires. If your license expired, your application must go through coordination again before it goes to the F.C.C. You might lose your frequency or it might be changed to another one. Look for it. It should be placed near the base transmitter. 2. DONT BE TOO WILLING TO SHARE YOUR FREQUENCY. Wait until you have explored what influence the new proposed system might have on yours, and explore all the other alternatives. 3. DON'T BE WILLING AT ALL TO SHARE YOUR FREQUENCY with non-aligned, non-Forestry/Conservation discipline applicants. As pointed out previously, there are others looking to the Forestry/Conservation spectrum. DO 1. DO PRACTICE GOOD TWO-WAY RADIO PROCEDURES. A) Identify your base and mobile using your call letters. 1) This should be done after each major transmission. 2) It is generally acceptable to do this on a less frequent basis, if done consistently. 3) Another acceptable means is to identify your base by "name" - a location or a park - "name". 2. DO USE THE INTERNATIONAL CALLING PROCEDURES. Use the internationally accepted call procedure - unit/personff/location being called first, followed by the unit/personff/location calling (i.e., "33 this is 31 or North Park this is Central Park"). 3. DO USE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS, NOT NAMES OF PEOPLE. Identify each user in some manner other than names. Vehicle identification is not as important as identifying the user. 4. DO MONITOR THE FREQUENCY (Continued on p. 46) Illinois Parks and Recreation 36 May/June 1984 (Cont. from p. 36) BEFORE YOU TRANSMIT. Pause before transmitting to be certain the frequency is not in use. 5. DO IDENTIFY AND GET TOGETHER WITH OTHER AGENCIES. Get together with others with whom you share the frequency - discuss and resolve your possible conflicts, work out compatible call identification, adjust your power output if necessary to cause less interference. 6. DO HAVE YOUR RADIO UNITS TESTED. Have each unit tested at least once a year for F.C.C. compliance. If you have any specific questions in this regard, please write to me at the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. I will try to be of assistance in supplying answers to any technical questions. LIFE. BE IN IT. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bill Brauer has been Superintendent of the Physical Plant (Maintenance) with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County in Illinois since 1964. He has been charged with two-way radio procurement and management since 1959 with a city, state agency and the Forest Preserve District. He is Vice Chairman of the "IREACH" (Illinois Radio Emergency Assistance Channel) Control Board. CLASSIFIED ADS
30c per word, $10.00 minimun
POSITION AVAILABLE Executive Director. Send resume, including salary expectations, to Vermilion County Conservation District, Rural Route 1, Box 215, Danville, IL 61832 by July 1, 1984. Illinois Parks and Recreation 46 May/June 1984 |
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