Re shops using 446

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bigpeter666
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Re shops using 446

Post by bigpeter666 »

I was in lidl in wishaw the other day and noticed there was two guards in there using baofeng 888s to communicate with each other so i went to the car for the scanner and had a listen only to discover they are using them on the 446 frequecncy using the 6.5k step

446.00625

Pedro
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thelad
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by thelad »

Nothing new. They even sell them as PMR446 radios not with 0.5w output.
Uniden UBC120XLT
Uniden USC230E
Uniden UBC3500XLT
Binatone PMR MR500 x2
Magiksun TM-490 (BF-888) x3
Baofeng BF-888
TTI TSC 100R
Baofeng UVB5
Zastone D900
Icom IC-R6
sec1223
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by sec1223 »

bigpeter666 wrote: 08 Aug 2019, 13:56 I was in lidl in wishaw the other day and noticed there was two guards in there using baofeng 888s to communicate with each other so i went to the car for the scanner and had a listen only to discover they are using them on the 446 frequecncy using the 6.5k step

446.00625

Pedro
where was this ?
cant stand IGNORANT b******ds
DuncanM
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by DuncanM »

If they were using 446's on a 888, someone went to the trouble of reprogramming it. The 888's don't have a 446 in them when built

CH1 462.125 CTCSS 69.3
CH2 462.225
CH3 462.325
CH4 462.425 CTCSS 103.5
CH5 462.525 CTCSS 114.8
CH6 462.625 CTCSS 127.3
CH7 462.725 CTCSS 136.5
CH8 462.825 CTCSS 162.2
CH9 462.925 DCS 025
CH10 463.025 DCS 032
CH11 463.125 DCS 125
CH12 463.225 DCS 331
CH13 463.525 DCS 023
CH14 450.225
CH15 460.325
CH16 469.945 CTCSS 203.5
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thelad
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by thelad »

DuncanM wrote: 10 Aug 2019, 20:27 If they were using 446's on a 888, someone went to the trouble of reprogramming it. The 888's don't have a 446 in them when built

CH1 462.125 CTCSS 69.3
CH2 462.225
CH3 462.325
CH4 462.425 CTCSS 103.5
CH5 462.525 CTCSS 114.8
CH6 462.625 CTCSS 127.3
CH7 462.725 CTCSS 136.5
CH8 462.825 CTCSS 162.2
CH9 462.925 DCS 025
CH10 463.025 DCS 032
CH11 463.125 DCS 125
CH12 463.225 DCS 331
CH13 463.525 DCS 023
CH14 450.225
CH15 460.325
CH16 469.945 CTCSS 203.5
As i said above the 888s are now available in a PMR446 set up with 0.5w output, wrong step like. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3562734621
Uniden UBC120XLT
Uniden USC230E
Uniden UBC3500XLT
Binatone PMR MR500 x2
Magiksun TM-490 (BF-888) x3
Baofeng BF-888
TTI TSC 100R
Baofeng UVB5
Zastone D900
Icom IC-R6
bigpeter666
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by bigpeter666 »

hi the Lidl in wishaw was deffo using 446 frequency with the 888s
fmdx
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by fmdx »

I have always thought shops retail businesses etc should opt for a business frequency as oppose to using pmr446. theres always going to be arguments for and against on the subject however pmr446 radios are readily available and to have wee numpties having easy access to your shop channel is not something i would go for.I remember the Govan cross shopping centre many years ago used a business frequency with a repeater,then a new security/cleaning contractor took over the site and to make themselves look good with the spending etc,they ditched the professional radios which were rented and bought a one off pack of the wee pmr446 radios ,think they were the toatie doro ones.The staff then looked quite unprofessional and for long time afterwards had wee pains in the backside keying up on their channel blocking it etc and with it being licence free yes you guessed it ofcom were no interested.dont know what they use now as been several contractors since.
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Werthers
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by Werthers »

bigpeter666 wrote: 08 Aug 2019, 13:56 I was in lidl in wishaw the other day and noticed there was two guards in there using baofeng 888s to communicate with each other so i went to the car for the scanner and had a listen only to discover they are using them on the 446 frequecncy using the 6.5k step

446.00625

Pedro
I would have reported them to ofcom just because they are a corporation :lol: . I bet they pay there staff crap wages as well. With the amount of money the company has, you'd think they could afford professional radios for their security guards, no doubt standards have dropped in other areas as well.
paulears
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by paulears »

Reported them?

Do a little bit of Googling. Aldi pay above NMW, and for the staff who can cope with being busy all the time, it's quite a nice place to work, by all accounts. PMR446 is totally unprotected and OFCOM don't take action on it, having no money or time to waste on such silly pointless things. Short range radio services just don't warrant any kind of action unless there is a public safety link. Security guards generally are contracted in and not Aldi employees.

Why are the Baofengs not 'professional radios' - are they reliable? Yes. are they disposable and cheap? Yes. What is the point in a £600 radio to cover a few hundred square metres - and perhaps 30m max to the office? I don't think anyone on here has ever complained about Baofeng 888's being anything other than pretty decent radios at throw away prices.

Let's be honest - we're radio enthusiasts and we know they are not compliant with the PMR446 spec in terms of power and antennas - but it's not worth the cost of a set of batteries to report them. If your ethics and morals are that important, then report the local teenagers, and shoe shops who also use the wrong radios, but nobody will ever even think about taking action officially. A ten quid radio just isn't worth it.
timberwolf
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Re: Re shops using 446

Post by timberwolf »

Excellent point & well-made. Most kids wouldn't be seen dead with an iPhone 4, let alone a tiny walkie-talkie! The shopping security staff will save a pound or two by investing in one of Baofeng's cheaper models. Now there's a possible job opportunity : Freelance Two Way Radio Programmer ! Take a set of 2W '888 ; put in separate tx & tx frequencies so that it's semi-duplex on 446 (and choose the 'new' channels from 9 to 16). Software in some DCS and perhaps a bit of speech inversion 'encryption' and you've probably got comms that work reasonably well for the girls & boys with SECURITY emblazoned on their day-glo vests. Crap audio though. I'm still awestruck by the beautiful crystal-clear audio from my Baofeng 1810.
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