Date:         Wed, 13 Jun 2001 12:13:41 -0400
Reply-To:     Noel Wamer <nwamer@JACKSONVILLE.NET>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Noel Wamer <nwamer@JACKSONVILLE.NET>
Subject:      FRS Radio Usage Frequencies, etc
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Georgians,

I am currently working with an informal discussion group organized by the
American Birding Association, whose objective is to develop some regional
and national recommendations for the use of the Family Radio Service (FRS)
system by birders.

A brief digression for those who are not familiar with Family Radio
Service... FRS is wireless radio service that uses small transceivers about
the size of small cell phones.  No license or fees are required to use the
radios.  The practical range of the radios is two miles or less.  While
this limited range may seem insignificant, you might consider that this
transmission radius would probably provide good coverage for many of our
state's more popular hot spots (i.e., Kenesaw Mtn., etc.).  There is
obviously some use for this system to locally communicate birding information.

A problem with making the FRS system useful for general birding purposes is
that the system has 14 channels and 34 sub-channels for each of the 14
channels.  Breaking out the calculator, this comes to out be 448
channel/sub-channel combinations!

If you are using FRS radios in Georgia I would like some input from you and
how you're using them and what channel and code you use.  Thanks and please
respond off-list.

Later...

Noel Wamer
Jacksonville, FL, US
The Virtual 'Hood: http://www.badbirdz.com/dripperCam.htm
Check the latest garden pix: http://www.badbirdz.com/garden04262001.htm
"Even in its most primitive form, naming is a kind of judgment."
                                                        (Walker Percy)