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I'm looking for grant money to upgrade a Hospital MED radio base station. I was told that all new Licenses issued after 1 January, 2006 must have all 40 channels. 2 Questions:

1. Where in the CFR does it say that?
2. Is there a 40W base station that supports 40 channels, can do a mix of narrow & wide band channels, along with a devils brew of PL & DPL codes?

I think you've been mis-informed.

I was refered to: http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.ph ... ices_Radio , hence my request for a cite from the CFR.

spareparts wrote:I was refered to: http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.ph ... ices_Radio , hence my request for a cite from the CFR.

I'd never take any wiki for gospel, especially the RR wiki


Anyway, thanks for the link. That's the first I've heard of any of those new channels. Even though NC has a statewide linked UHF-Med network, there is very little UHF medical use near me.

Look at Note 66 associated with the frequency table in 47CFR 90.20. It has several paragraphs associated with dates and licensing requirments for the MED channels.

k2hz wrote:Look at Note 66 associated with the frequency table in 47CFR 90.20. It has several paragraphs associated with dates and licensing requirments for the MED channels.

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422 ... r90.20.pdf (Page 21)
(iv) Except as provided in paragraphs (d)(66)(v) and (vi) of this section, mobile or portable stations licensed on or after January 1, 2006, must employ equipment that is both wired and equipped to transmit/receive, respectively, on each of these MED frequency pairs with transmitters operated on the 468 MHz frequencies.

That being said, it looks like I need a base station that will do 40 channels, regardless if we use the pair locally. Suggestions?

Sounds like a job for a CDM1250 with an SL15-CDM power supply

The way I read the rule, it applies to "mobile or portable stations" and a following paragraph provides some excptions for portables.

Maybe I missed something but I do not see that the all channel requirement applies to base stations. I am no expert in this area which is why I just referenced the rule section.

k2hz wrote:The way I read the rule, it applies to "mobile or portable stations" and a following paragraph provides some excptions for portables.

Maybe I missed something but I do not see that the all channel requirement applies to base stations. I am no expert in this area which is why I just referenced the rule section.

You know - you are right. It does clearly say mobilles and portables. I did not stop & re-read the CFR several times before posting, just homed in on the all channel portion.

Getting back to the orginal post, I am seeking grant funding for a new station. Someone up the food chain said we need all 40 & evidently that is not the case.

It may not be the case legally... but I'd still go ahead and buy a radio capable of all the channels. These days, getting 40 channels isn't exactly a big deal. Look at anything Astron makes a desktop power supply for (CDM1250/1550, Kenwood TK8180/8180H, etc.) or a consolette (XTL5000).

Before you invest in a new base, it may be wise to talk to the frequency coordinator and possibly your state or regional EMS planning agency. My experience many years ago in the early days of MED radio was regional plans with specific channels assigned to each hospital in an area with possibly 1 or 2 common channels. It would seem to be chaotic if every hospital could be switching around any of 40 channels with no coordiantion with others. The more channels in the radio the more chance somebody is going to accidently switch to the wrong channel and miss calls.

I am in a "Line A" area where some channels are unavailable so that added an additional complication to any frequency planning. I have had no involvement for several years so I don't know what is happening now.

I think the intent of the FCC rule is that an ambulance or medic portable has the capability for interoperability to communicate with any MED facility.

[ edited for relevancy - after reading preceeding post again - well said k2hz ] Most of our hospital ones around here are either direct wireline to dispatch center, or a microwave link. CMED does all the work, in terms of which hospitals are on which channels.

Talk to the people who control that net, they will probably be carrying the latest and greatest information for your situation.

Thanks for the guidance on this. As a little background, right now the medics are calling in to dedicated PSTN numbers via Nextel or Verizon Cellphones. (none are GETS/WPS provisioned) The PSTN lines terminate on a General Devices Console. http://www.general-devices.com/4000.htm The HEAR and HERN radios are not currently interfaced.

Aparently the UHF MED license was allowed to lapse quote a while ago & I need to start from zero to bring the MED system back up to speed. The frequency coordinator quoted $500.00 for the MED license fee.

As a side note, We have a zone dispatch agency for the EMS system. Once the paramedic is on-scene, they contact the hospital for medical control and time to arrival at the facility. In the event of a communications failure, they have standing orders.