New Citizens Band allocated within the Amateur Radio 70cm band ?

One of our eagle-eyed readers spotted this article on the junksale.co.uk forum. We will leave you to be the judge.

From: http://www.junksale.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50392

New Citizens Band allocated within the Amateur Radio 70cm band.

At first thought that may sound like the sort of News headline that could be found on the front page of the Sun Newspaper, but it’s true.

Currently located in the 70cm band 430 to 440 MHz there is a segment of the band namely 433 to 434.795 MHz that has been allocated for digital and telemetry transmissions for use by LPD’s (low power devices).

The LPD’s have a permissible maximum output power of 10mW, but as any serious operator on 70cm will freely agree, 10mW can and often does when under the right conditions have a long range.

Further more, whilst it is forbidden to connect an aerial with gain to such devices, needless to say it does happen.

So what has this to do with CB ?

Answer:

Easily available “off the shelf” from several different suppliers of radio equipment, including that of Maplin Electronics Ltd is the new Midlands G7 two way radio transceiver.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=47345&TabID=1&C=SO&U=StaticPages&
doy=search&MenuName=Midland%20G7%20X-TRATALK%20PMR%20%20Twin

As well as the standard 446.00625 to 446.09375 MHz PMR band, it also has a second frequency band allocation 433.075 to 434.795 MHz for analogue voice communication.

The import and sale of this two-way radio now allows “Joe Public” the opportunity to use all the officially allocated 70cm simplex frequencies, even more alarmingly any one of over 80 different 70cm repeaters that has an input frequency of between 433.075 to 434.800 MHz.

So, the next time you are having a QSO on a simplex frequency or perhaps just your local repeater, don’t be surprised to hear two 5-year-old children playing Batman and Robin.
Or your local Hotel / Shop security personnel talking, waiting for something of interest to happen.
Or perhaps a couple of bricklayers from the local construction / building site giving an explicit description of the night out the day before.

I can guarantee no one has actually read or heard the formal announcement to the effect of as above, because no such announcement has yet to be made.

Nicely and quietly sneaked through or yet another whopping big clanger ?

Either way, it’s another nail in the coffin for Amateur Radio.

73, Geoff, G8DZJ