Midland PMR G7 X-TRATALK Radios

[M1PFS]

I was looking through a catalogue and I came across these radios.
Not only do the operate on the PMR446, but also on the LPD Band.
Found out a day later that the LPD band is from 433.075 - 434.775MHz with a max power limit of 10mW and 25KHz Channel spacing.

I wounder if anyone has had a go at these?

They would be a very cheap alternative to a 70cm handheld at £80 for a pair including rechargeable batteries and a nice destop charger.

[WA9SVD]

I was looking through a catalogue and I came across these radios.
Not only do the operate on the PMR446, but also on the LPD Band.
Found out a day later that the LPD band is from 433.075 - 434.775MHz with a max power limit of 10mW and 25KHz Channel spacing.

I wounder if anyone has had a go at these?

They would be a very cheap alternative to a 70cm handheld at £80 for a pair including rechargeable batteries and a nice destop charger.

I doubt we'll see them on this side of the pond...:rolleyes: (legally or illegally.) The PROBLEM is thay they might not even be legal in your part of the world. Not sure what the "LPD" band is, but IIRC, it's in the satellite allocation for 70 CM, and you won't make many friends using them there.

[M1PFS]

Luckly enough it covers most simplex FM and some repeater outputs and inputs in the UK.

It does make you wonder if this is legal for non amateurs to use this. On the other hand it's only 10mW which would not travel that far unless you are line of sight.

On the other hand we are a secondary users on the 70cm band here. So you are bound to find devices somewhere or another that use our band.

I know as a fact that some garage door openers work somewhere on 70cm.

[WA9SVD]

Luckly enough it covers most simplex FM and some repeater outputs and inputs in the UK.

It does make you wonder if this is legal for non amateurs to use this. On the other hand it's only 10mW which would not travel that far unless you are line of sight.

On the other hand we are a secondary users on the 70cm band here. So you are bound to find devices somewhere or another that use our band.

I know as a fact that some garage door openers work somewhere on 70cm.

In the U.S., similar devices DO exist; they are governed by our FCC's "§Part 15," which covers unlicensed devices. They have VERY limited range, (not just limited power) (often 100 meters/300 feet or so) and severe limitations on antenna length, etc. They include garage door openers, wireless weather stations, and such. And we are also secondary users of 70 cm after out government (read:MILITARY) with shipboard RADAR, and in at least one area, IIRC on the East Coast, possibly Florida, Naval use of the band was causing garage door openers to "function" [I]en masse,[I]
But on this side of the pond, the military is the primary user, and as such we (as ALL secondary usaers, not just Amateurs) must not cause interference to the primary user, and we must accept interference from their use. This has caused tremendous problems on both Coasts with the military PavePAWS radar systems and local 70 cm repeaters. Many have had to either relocate, reduce to 5 Watts EIRP, or just shutdown if that wasn't a viable alternative. (BUMMER!)

[M3JZT]

Luckly enough it covers most simplex FM and some repeater outputs and inputs in the UK.

It does make you wonder if this is legal for non amateurs to use this. On the other hand it's only 10mW which would not travel that far unless you are line of sight.

On the other hand we are a secondary users on the 70cm band here. So you are bound to find devices somewhere or another that use our band.

I know as a fact that some garage door openers work somewhere on 70cm.


These radios are being sold in the UK with a sticker saying it is illegal to use ??
But the story goes is that this band is going to be a free for all,on the now part section of the UK 70cm...so you may find you will make contact with the local security officer or your neighbour's children etc. etc.,...these people will have no Idea that they will be transmitting on the UK 70cm amateur band...that is until Ofcom says now it is a licence free ....FREE for all....this is what happens when a band does not get used..!!

[M3JZT]

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.


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?...0PMR%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.

[M1PFS]

That where I saw them. Lets hope that the ariel on the handheld is non-detachable like most of the PMR446s.
Looking at ofcoms website they have to have a non-detachable antenna: http://legacyreports.spectrumaudit.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/business_radio/information/ofw57/

[M3JZT]

Looks like maps have taken them off there store site as the link that I posted took you straight to the radios..? yup the antenna was fixed...

[XU7ADQ]

I was looking through a catalogue and I came across these radios.
Not only do the operate on the PMR446, but also on the LPD Band.
Found out a day later that the LPD band is from 433.075 - 434.775MHz with a max power limit of 10mW and 25KHz Channel spacing.

I wounder if anyone has had a go at these?

They would be a very cheap alternative to a 70cm handheld at £80 for a pair including rechargeable batteries and a nice destop charger.

Hi Peter,
I was looking at this very subject yesterday, and found this on a well known CB/PMR 446 MHz site.
Enjoy!

http://www.transmission1.co.uk/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=5150