Amateur Radio (HAM) Frequencies
Amateur Radio's origins can be traced to at least the late
1800s, but Amateur Radio, as practiced today, did not begin
until the early 1900s. The first listing of amateur radio
stations is contained in the First Annual Official
Wireless Blue Book of the Wireless Association of America
in 1909.
Citizen Band (CB) Radio Frequencies
Citizen Band, or CB Radio, has always been "radio for the
people". It traditionally has afforded anyone the ability to
communicate over short distances without the need for a
license, as opposed to the more powerful HAM (amateur) radio
which does. CB Radio has long been associated with roadway
travel and many drivers, especially truckers, still depend
on it.
Family Radio Service (FRS) Frequencies
Family Radio Service is one of the Citizens Band Radio
Services. The Family Radio Service is an
improved walkie talkie radio system authorized in the United
States since 1996. This personal radio service uses
distinct channels in the UHF band. It does not suffer
the interference effects found on CB at 27 MHz, or the 49
MHz band also used by cordless phones, toys, and baby
monitors. FRS uses frequency modulation (FM) instead of
amplitude modulation (AM). Since the UHF band has different
radio propagation characteristics, short range use of FRS
may be more reliable than license-free radios operating in
the HF CB band.
Weather Radio Frequencies
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
broadcasts weather forecasts and alerts 24 hours a day at
special frequencies most radios can't receive. There are 7 NOAA frequencies (Weather Band Radio Frequencies).
Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Frequencies
Land Mobile Radio in North America) are field radio
communications systems which use portable, mobile,
base station, and dispatch console radios and are sometimes based on such
standards as MPT-1327, TETRA and APCO 25 which are designed for dedicated use by specific
organizations. Typical examples are the radio systems used
by police forces and fire departments. Key features of land mobile radio
systems can include;
- point to multi-point communications (as opposed to
cell phones which are point to point communications)
-
Push-to-talk, release to listen - a single button
press opens communication on a radio frequency channel
- large coverage areas
- closed user groups
- use of
VHF or UHF frequency bands
Military Radio Frequencies
The US Military has been utilizing radio communications
since the Radio Act of 1912 was enacted.
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