Church Broadcasting on Ch19

skodacbradio

Can someone tell me is it legal for churches to broadcast on CB radio, as there is a Church in Waterford on Saturday's and Sunday's which does out Ballygunner way I think.

watty

Depends if you mean UK or Irish Ch19

If they are not using a WPAS channel (next post) or don't have a €100 p.a. WPAS licence contact:
Mr. Derek C. O’Reilly at (01) 804 9769 in Comreg, as recommended on Comreg's Web Site.

WPAS = Wireless Public Address Systems
http://www.comreg.ie/industry/default.asp?TV4=DDD&S=4&id=&q=&sTV4=KDW&TV4Exp=Y

Suppliers
http://www.comreg.ie/industry/default.asp?STV4=TPP&TV4Exp=y&navid=259&s=4
(Though I beleive anyone can supply the CBs as long as they are correct Spec)

WPAS FAQ
http://www.comreg.ie/industry/default.asp?STV4=RXU&TV4Exp=y&navid=258&s=4

Application guidance
http://www.comreg.ie/publications/guidelines_for_applicants___wireless_public_address_system_wpas.5.102375.view.html

Application Form
http://www.comreg.ie/publications/application_form___wireless_public_address_system_wpas.5.102376.view.html

Information Briefing
http://www.comreg.ie/publications/wireless_public_address_systems_wpas_licensing___information_briefing.5.102395.view.html


Interesting, as usually modifications to CBs are not allowed:
Q: We are currently using the CB system. Do we need to modify anything to be part of WPAS?

Yes, Some religious and community groups currently transmit on the CB bands and such users would need to change operating channel to one within the WPAS band. Licence-exempt Citizen Band radios may be operated in the frequency band 26.96MHz to 27.41 MHz – just below the WPAS band at 27.6 to 27.99 MHz. While most equipment can be easily re-tuned, some equipment (transmitter and/or receivers) may not be capable of being adjusted to the WPAS band. In such cases replacement equipment may be required.

Summary
CE marked gear, AM or FM, 5/8th aerial recommended for base
The following maximum effective Radiated Power (ERP) limits will apply to WPAS systems:
• Base Station equipment using Amplitude Modulation (AM): 1 watt (0dBW)
• Base Station equipment using Frequency Modulation (FM): 4 watts (6dBW)
No ancillary RF equipment can be connected to the transmitter, such as linear power amplifiers.

watty

List of WPAS channels

BANK LW       BANK UW
Ch   Freq     Ch   Freq
LW01 27.60125 UW01 27.60500
LW02 27.61125 UW02 27.61500
LW03 27.62125 UW03 27.62500
LW04 27.63125 UW04 27.63500
LW05 27.64125 UW05 27.64500
LW06 27.65125 UW06 27.65500
LW07 27.66125 UW07 27.66500
LW08 27.67125 UW08 27.67500
LW09 27.68125 UW09 27.68500
LW10 27.69125 UW10 27.69500
LW11 27.70125 UW11 27.70500
LW12 27.71125 UW12 27.71500
LW13 27.72125 UW13 27.72500
LW14 27.73125 UW14 27.73500
LW15 27.74125 UW15 27.74500
LW16 27.75125 UW16 27.75500
LW17 27.76125 UW17 27.76500
LW18 27.77125 UW18 27.77500
LW19 27.78125 UW19 27.78500
LW20 27.79125 UW20 27.79500
LW21 27.80125 UW21 27.80500
LW22 27.81125 UW22 27.81500
LW23 27.82125 UW23 27.82500
LW24 27.83125 UW24 27.83500
LW25 27.84125 UW25 27.84500
LW26 27.85125 UW26 27.85500
LW27 27.86125 UW27 27.86500
LW28 27.87125 UW28 27.87500
LW29 27.88125 UW29 27.88500
LW30 27.89125 UW30 27.89500
LW31 27.90125 UW31 27.90500
LW32 27.91125 UW32 27.91500
LW33 27.92125 UW33 27.92500
LW34 27.93125 UW34 27.93500
LW35 27.94125 UW35 27.94500
LW36 27.95125 UW36 27.95500
LW37 27.96125 UW37 27.96500
LW38 27.97125 UW38 27.97500
LW39 27.98125 UW39 27.98500
LW40 27.99125 UW40 27.99500

watty

Irish CB according to Comreg:

26.96MHz to 27.41Mhz


Comreg

Regulations:
http://www.comreg.ie/about_us/regulations_issued_1998.2.129.html

Exemptions and Application forms:
http://www.comreg.ie/sector/exemptions.4.139.html


CB Radio exempt from needing Licence 1998
http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/SI436of1998.pdf
(Only since 2006 in UK!)

In this Order—
"AM citizens' band (CB) radio equipment" means double sideband and/or single sideband
amplitude modulated radio equipment which complies with ETS 300 433;
"Citizens' band (CB) radios" means AM citizens' band (CB) radio equipment and PR 27 radio
equipment;
"ETS 300 135" means the European Telecommunication Standard entitled "Radio Equipment and
Systems; Angle-modulated Citizens' Band radio equipment (CEPT PR 27 Radio Equipment);
Technical characteristics and methods of measurement" prepared by an Experts' Group of the
Radio Equipment and Systems (RES) Technical Committee of the European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI), as amended;
"ETS 300 433" means the European Telecommunication Standard entitled "Radio Equipment and
Systems (RES); Double Side Band (DSB) and/or Single Side Band (SSB) amplitude modulated
Citizens' Band (CB) radio equipment; Technical characteristics and methods of measurement"
produced by the Radio Equipment and Systems (RES) Technical Committee of the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), as amended;
"PR 27 radio equipment" means angle-modulated radio equipment which complies with ETS 300
135;
"radio equipment" means apparatus for wireless telegraphy that is capable of being used for
transmitting and receiving messages by means of radiated electro-magnetic waves.

Seems to allow AM, FM and SSB. No SSB on the WPAS

Frequencies and power are not listed for CB on Comreg other than in WPAS, but might be listed in EU/ETSI/CEPT,
ETS 300 433 (AM and SSB Radio)
ETS 300 135 (FM Radio)
CEPT PR 27

No linears allowed. AM power is likely to be 1/4 of FM power and SSB power similar to FM, but Comreg in CB exemption from Licence does not list it.

UK CB regulation since 2006: Recommended Reading
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/citizen/information/cbinfosheet.pdf
UK allows 4W RF carrier, this is based on CEPT, so is likely to be similar here.

Interpretation
This is 4W on FM, but in EU OUTSIDE UK could allow 6W to 8W PEP on SSB as it is the RMS power that counts.
A 4W P.A. has to be set to 1W no Audio carrier level on AM. With higher setting the speech will distort badly, 1/4 of max carrier Power gives maxium possible output on AM.

Unlike Ireland the UK only allows FM. This is because a misaligned AM (pilot carrier set more than 1/4 max power) generates huge amount of harmonics interfering with Mobile, FM radio and TV.

Channel Allocation in UK Only

Ch UK Only  EU (UK & Ireland)
 1 27.60125    26.965
 2 27.61125    26.975
 3 27.62125    26.985
 4 27.63125    27.005
 5 27.64125    27.015
 6 27.65125    27.025
 7 27.66125    27.035
 8 27.67125    27.055
 9 27.68125    27.065
10 27.69125    27.075
11 27.70125    27.085
12 27.71125    27.105
13 27.72125    27.115
14 27.73125    27.125
15 27.74125    27.135
16 27.75125    27.155
17 27.76125    27.165
18 27.77125    27.175
19 27.78125    27.185
20 27.79125    27.205
21 27.80125    27.215
22 27.81125    27.225
23 27.82125    27.255
24 27.83125    27.235
25 27.84125    27.245
26 27.85125    27.265
27 27.86125    27.275
28 27.87125    27.285
29 27.88125    27.295
30 27.89125    27.305
31 27.90125    27.315
32 27.91125    27.325
33 27.92125    27.335
34 27.93125    27.345
35 27.94125    27.355
36 27.95125    27.365
37 27.96125    27.375
38 27.97125    27.385
39 27.98125    27.395
40 27.99125    27.405

As a rule of thumb on CB, any Linear, Non-CE marked radio, Radio claiming more than 10W or Beam aerial (Yagi, log periodic, Quad or loop etc) is likely to be illegal. The UK is stricter than Ireland and also has more proactive enforcement.

Under strict interpretation of regulations a Licenced Wireless Experimenter can modify a CB for 10m, but afterwards can only use it to listen on 11m, as it would no longer meet Comreg requirements as a licence free CB radio. However the WPAS regulations allow for modification of Irish 11m CB to cover the WPAS band (basically the UK Band + extra)!

If you have a mysterious 120ch, 240ch or even 360ch "CB", I'd recommend you have a table of channels and a frequency counter!

humaxf1

CB radio has been in existence for 30 odd years(maybe more). How come ALL OF A SUDDEN, is it interfering with air band? 30 years is a long time to realise it is causing interference. To that extent, does amateur radio on 28MHz cause interference? Especially non-commercially produced equipment such as home-brew radios! Just because you are licenced, doesnt mean your equipment is within spec!

As regards the WPAS, its just another name for UKFM looking at the frequency table...the "change the name and charge you more" syndrome! To follow this logic, where is the official stamp for this, eh, radio?

watty

Nope. it is badly adjusted illegal BandII (87MHz to 108MHz) that are alleged to interfere with Air Band (110MHz to 137MHz), not CBs (though of course technically possible).

Yes the WPAS is a curious invention. However, arguabley better than having the Churches illegally on Band II or clogging up the pan European CB band.

I'd have thought though the lower 40 channels would have been enough. It's very generous.

Amateur Radio CAN cause interference on from 28MHz. Especially running 400W RMS Linear (1KW PEP). If badly filtered or aligned, indeed can cause havok. As indeed even 100W on 3.6MHz can. A bird pecked through a feed cable to an aerial (at least that's what the damage looked like). I tuned up on low power on 3.72MHz and thought the tuner settings seemed odd. When I called CQ all the burglar alarms in neighbourhood went off. After cable replacement it was fine. I guess the 100W of RF (from perfectly aligned radio) was feeding the local earth wiring!

Pesky Rooks (probably)