IntercomsOnline.com is now offering gooseneck and other pedestal mounting poles from Pedestal CEO. PedestalCEO is the nation’s leading brand of pedestal mounts for security and access control systems. These poles are normally used for mounting keypads, card readers, intercoms and other security and access control entry devices for gates and accompanying gate openers. IntercomsOnline.com uses them to mount their wireless callbox units where ever our customers need them.

Here are available pedestal sizes and their uses:

42” pedestals are the most common for pedestrian, car, and Pad Mount handicap (ADA) compliant specifications.

64” pedestals are made for small trucks.

72” pedestals are made for large (semi) trucks, buses, etc.

IntercomsOnline is offering both pad-mount and ground-mount gooseneck poles in various lengths. You can view available pedestal mounts here: Pedestal CEO Mounts for Security and Access Control Systems

On May 23, 2002, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in the United States updated their rules regarding five Industrial/Business Pool VHF frequencies known as the VHF “color dot” frequencies. These frequencies were moved from Part 90 to Part 95 and became a new Citizens Band Radio Service (CB) named the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS).

The Commission defines MURS as a private, two-way, short-distance voice or data communications service for personal or business activities of the general public.  The FCC defines short distance this way: “The usual range of communications between MURS devices is less than a few miles; connecting the unit to an external antenna can extend the range to ten miles or more.”  The range you actually achieve could be far less depending on your surroundings and height of receiving and transmitting antennas.

The most common use of MURS spectrum is for two-way communications using small, portable hand-held devices that function similar to walkie-talkies. See the section titled MURS Products for a description of available devices.

No License Required

Channel	Frequency	Bandwidth
1	151.820 MHz	11.25 KHz
2	151.880 MHz	11.25 KHz
3	151.940 MHz	11.25 KHz
4	154.570 MHz	20.00 KHz
5	154.600 MHz	20.00 KHz

The Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is “licensed by rule”. This means an individual license is not required to operate a MURS device. You can operate a MURS device regardless of your age and for personal or business use so long as you are not a foreign government, representative of a foreign government, and you operate it according to the rules.

The channels authorized to MURS systems are available on a shared basis only and will not be assigned for the exclusive use of any entity. Those using MURS transmitters must cooperate in the selection and use of channels in order to reduce interference and make the most effective use of authorized facilities. Channels must be selected in an effort to avoid interference to other MURS transmissions. All communications on MURS must yield to any emergency communication on the same channel.

The frequencies available in the Multi-Use Radio Service are shown in the table.

Authorized Locations

MURS operation is authorized:

• Within or over any area of the world where radio services are regulated by the FCC. Those areas are within the territorial limits of:
  1. The fifty United States
  2. The District of Columbia
     Caribbean Insular areas:
  3. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (see rules below if near the Arecibo Observatory)
  4. Navassa Island
  5. United States Virgin Islands (50 islets and cays)
     Pacific Insular areas:
  6. American Samoa (seven islands)
  7. Baker Island
  8. Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
  9. Guam Island
  10. Howland Island
  11. Jarvis Island
  12. Johnston Island (Islets East, Johnston, North and Sand)
  13. Kingman Reef
  14. Midway Island (Islets Eastern and Sand)
  15. Palmyra Island (more than 50 islets)
  16. Wake Island
• Any other area of the world, except within the territorial limits of areas where radio services are regulated by:
  1. An agency of the United States other than the FCC (You are subject to its rules.)
  2. Any foreign government (You are subject to its rules.)
• Aboard any vessel of the United States, with the permission of the captain, while the vessel is traveling either domestically or in international waters.
• MURS operation is NOT authorized aboard aircraft in flight.

Operating MURS Near Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

Anyone intending to operate a MURS unit on the islands of Puerto Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, and Culebra in a manner that could pose an interference threat to the Arecibo Observatory shall notify the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612, in writing or electronically, of the location of the unit. Operators may wish to consult interference guidelines, which will be provided by Cornell University. Operators who choose to transmit information electronically should e-mail to: prcz@naic.edu.

The notification to the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory shall be made 45 days prior to commencing operation of the unit. The notification shall state the geographical coordinates of the unit.

After receipt of such notifications, the Commission will allow the Arecibo Observatory a period of 20 days for comments or objections. The operator will be required to make reasonable efforts in order to resolve or mitigate any potential interference problem with the Arecibo Observatory. If the Commission determines that an operator has satisfied its responsibility to make reasonable efforts to protect the Observatory from interference, the unit may be allowed to operate.

MURS in Canada

In Canada, many commercial/industrial mobile and public safety licensees are authorized on the five MURS frequencies. A large number of these frequencies are licensed on a private/commercial basis. The remaining users are made up of government (i.e. municipal, provincial or federal government) and public safety (i.e. police, fire and ambulance). It is expected that the operation of MURS devices will cause, in certain situations, harmful interference to land mobile use. Also, operation of MURS devices could, in certain situations cause interference to users on adjacent land mobile frequencies, as set out in the suballocation channelling plan in Standard Radio System Plan 500, Technical Requirements for Land Mobile and Fixed Radio Services Operating in the Bands 138–144 MHz and 148–174 MHz (SRSP-500).

Industry Canada (IC) established a long transition period for licensed incumbents before permitting the sale and distribution of MURS devices for consumers. In accordance with Spectrum Utilization Policy Gen, General Information Related to Spectrum Utilization and Radio Systems Policies (SP-Gen), a five-year transition period from the issuance of the spectrum policy was proposed. Notification has been provided to licensed incumbents at the start of the transition period (Year 0) and will again two years before the end of the transition period (starting at Year 4).

This plan will permit the use of MURS in Canada starting June 2014. IC has not yet published rules for MURS, other than frequency limits.

MURS Rules

• You can operate a MURS device in any place where the FCC regulates radio communications.
• FCC Rules require that you transmit on a MURS frequency only with a radio model certificated for MURS.
• You do not need to identify your MURS station by any particular callsign or other designation.
• A MURS device must be certified by the FCC. A certified MURS device has an identifying label placed on it by the manufacturer.
• None of the MURS channels are assigned for the exclusive use of any system. You must cooperate in the selection and use of the channels in order to make the most effective use of them and to reduce the possibility of interference.
• No MURS unit, under any condition of modulation, shall exceed 2 Watts transmitter power output. No power boosters are allowed, but there is no limit on antenna gain.
• A MURS station is not required to transmit a station identification announcement.
• MURS stations may transmit voice or data signals as follows: A MURS transmitter must transmit only emission types A1D, A2B, A2D, A3E, F2B, F1D, F2D, F3E, G3E. Emission types A3E, F3E and G3E include selective calling or tone-operated squelch tones to establish or continue voice communications. (Info on emission types: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_radio_emissions )
• ALL A3E emissions are limited to 8 kHz.
• Bandwidth transmissions of a maximum of 11.25 KHz per channel bandwidth, with +/- 2.5 KHz deviation are permissible on all five MURS channels. The older +/- 5 KHz deviation signals (with a maximum 20 KHz channel bandwidth) are also permitted (but not required) on the two upper channels (in the 154 MHz band).
• Emissions other than A3E on frequencies 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, and 151.940 MHz are limited to 11.25 kHz.
• Emissions other than A3E on frequencies 154.570 and 154.600 MHz are limited to 20.0 kHz.
• Data communications in MURS can only occur on radios certificated for data communications, or of those transmissions otherwise comply with the rules and those transmissions can be imposed on a conventional voice emission. You may not make any internal modifications or additions to a MURS radio to transmit data communications.
• MURS frequencies may be used for remote control and telemetering functions.
• The FCC prohibits image, video, and radio-facsimile transmissions on MURS.
• The FCC rules do not address transmission of music over MURS.
• MURS transmitters may not be operated in the continuous carrier transmit mode. (The FCC has not yet defined what “continuous” means or yet set specific transmitter time limits)
• MURS users shall take reasonable precautions to avoid causing harmful interference. This includes monitoring the transmitting frequency for communications in progress and such other measures as may be necessary to minimize the potential for causing interference.
• Antenna height is limited to 20 feet above a structure or 60 feet above ground, whichever is the greater.
• MURS stations are prohibited from operating as a repeater station or as a signal booster. This prohibition includes store-and-forward packet operation.
• MURS stations are prohibited from interconnection with the public switched network. Interconnection Defined: Connection through automatic or manual means of  MURS stations with the facilities of the public switched telephone network to permit the transmission of messages or signals between points in the wireline or radio network of a public telephone company and persons served by MURS stations. Not considered to be interconnection: Wireline or radio circuits or links furnished by common carriers, which are used by licensees or other authorized persons for transmitter control (including dial-up transmitter control circuits) or as an integral part of an authorized, private, internal system of communication or as an integral part of dispatch point circuits in a MURS station.

Military use of MURS Radios

In some military applications, two-way radios normally require a frequency clearance via a DD 1494, APPLICATION FOR EQUIPMENT FREQUENCY ALLOCATION before they can be used. However, if a DD 1494 is submitted using radios on MURS frequencies, the it will be rejected because the MURS frequencies are not allocated for federal usage.

Even though the MURS frequencies are not allocated for federal usage, regardless they can be and are still used by government and military agencies.

The five MURS frequencies are “licensed-by-rule,” which means they do not require the user to obtain a license. Therefore even government agencies do not need a frequency clearance for MURS devices.

For military applications, there may still be a need to evaluate MURS radios for Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) Impacts for each facility due to the types of ordinances stored there.

MURS Products

MURS devices are not limited to just handheld two-way radios. There are a variety of devices available as detailed below:

Handheld Radios: There are a few handheld two-way radios that have MURS capability. These operate like any two-way radio, but specifically use the MURS frequencies.

Base Station Intercoms: a base station intercom is essentially a handheld two way radio in a desktop form. Instead of holding it in your hand it sits on a horizontal surface, or in some cases it can be wall-mounted.

Wireless Call Boxes: A wireless call box uses two-way radio technology in a water resistant housing that can be used outdoors. Vandal proof versions are available as well.

Wireless Public Address: A wireless public address system uses receive only two-way radio technology. You can use a base station intercom or two-way radio to make announcements from long distances.

Wireless Switch Control: A wireless switch control device is used for any ideal for any application where a contact closure is needed to remotely control a light, turn on/off a pump, activate a siren, or other application.

Voice Notification Wireless Monitor: A voice notification wireless monitor is a wireless radio transmitter that reports changes in the status of switches by transmitting user-recorded voice messages to handheld two-way radios or base station intercoms. It transmits a recorded voice message when the switch change occurs, and at intervals you select.

Wireless Customer Service Intercoms: A customer service intercom provides a fast, and easy wireless method for customers to summon a sales associate to a specific department or store location. When a customer presses the button on the intercom, it transmits user-recordable voice messages to two-way radios, wireless intercoms, or a wireless PA system.

Motion Sensor Devices: A motion sensor device can detect people, vehicles, or large animals, and then send an alert message to the MURS base station or handheld.

Staffing a guard booth, guard shack, or gate house with security personnel can be very costly. Even if you only pay minimum wage, every hour that goes by with a person sitting in the gate house costs you $7.25. Since that person has to remain in the guard shack, they can’t be productively doing anything else either. Also, when they take mandatory breaks, then the gate is left unmanned, which causes frustration to anyone who arrives at the gate during those periods.

The solution is to close down the guard booth and replace it with a long-range wireless outdoor intercom. With it, you do not need dedicated personnel to sit at the gate. You can use handheld two-way radios or base station intercoms placed in one or several locations. With the handheld radio, monitoring personnel can be mobile so they can still be productive at doing something else while attending to visitors.

Not only can staff talk to visitors, they can also press a button on their radio to unlock the gate remotely to let visitors in. There is no need for a trip to the gate.

With these intercoms, a range of a couple of miles can be achieved in some conditions so they should work for most applications.

For security and access control dealers there are times when sales are lost simply because a customer doesn’t have the budget to pay for the costly installation required to implement a wired system. Or the customer may not even be able to run wires in buildings with historical significance, or across paved areas outdoors.

For pre-existing construction the installation of security and access control devices at building and property entry points can be a challenge. Trenching for outside cabling and routing cable through walls and ceilings of buildings is both messy and expensive.

The use of long-range wireless access control and security devices make installation much easier and therefore much less expensive to install. Using these wireless devices, access problems can be quickly solved in as little as a single day. Installation consists of locating the proper location for a device, mounting it on a pole or wall, and providing power either via an electrical outlet, batteries, or solar power.

These devices consist of wireless base station intercoms and handheld two way radios, wireless call boxes with remote gate opening and keypad capability, long distance motion and vehicle proximity sensors, and there are even wireless public address and remote switch monitoring devices that can work with this system. All devices can communicate at ranges of up to a mile or more with use of external antennas. No FCC license is required, however many devices can also be programmed to work with existing licensed two-way radios.

One of the best benefits of these products is that they not only eliminate the expensive wiring, but they give mobility to monitoring personnel. Personnel no longer have to be tied to a desk to receive calls and alert notices. That means they can be more productive.

You can find out more by watching the video below.

Increasing Profits for Security and Access Control Dealers

Many businesses and residences want some sort of two-way radio functionality, but they don’t want to get an FCC license to have it.  A MURS radio is the solution. The Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is a private, two-way, short-distance voice or data communications service for personal or business activities of the general public.

The FCC defines short distance this way: “The usual range of communications between MURS devices is less than a few miles; connecting the unit to an external antenna can extend the range to ten miles or more.”  The range you actually achieve could be far less depending on your surroundings and height of receiving and transmitting antennas.

A detailed report on MURS is available by clicking here: MURS Radio

On a golf course property the restaurant and bar at the club house are usually significant sources of revenue. The more golfers can be moved through, the more money can be made. One way to do that is to install an intercom system on the 9th hole that communicates back to the kitchen or bar. When golfers reach the 9th hole they simply press the button to speak with someone who can take their order.  When they get to the clubhouse, their order is waiting for them

The problem with this solution has been the huge expense and mess created by trenching to run the wire. Also, the length of the wire needed is often prohibitive since most intercom systems have a maximum wire length of around 1500 feet.

The most attractive solution is to install a wireless callbox.  A wireless callbox is essentially a two-way radio in a vandal and weather resistant housing. It can communicate with multiple base station intercoms or handheld two way radios back in the kitchen, bar, or wherever you have personnel who can take orders. One of the additional benefits of wireless is that order takers can be completely mobile so they don’t have to be tied to one location.

This system also encourages players to move faster through the final 9 holes since they know they have food waiting for them. That enables you to make more revenue from green fees as well. Also since many golfers are higher income earners who consider their time to be extremely valuable, providing faster service to them means they are more likely to take advantage of this new time-saving service.

To increase revenue even more, you could add callboxes in different locations around the course to take drink orders that you then deliver to the golfers during play.  You could set callboxes on different channels so you know which one is calling in. Each channel represents a different location on the course. Since you want the golfers to keep moving, you ask them the shirt colors of everyone in their party so you can track them down, and you also tell them watch for the drink cart so they can flag it down.

Another advantage of the system is that it is capable of receiving NOAA weather alerts so you’ll automatically know when severe weather is approaching.  Since these callboxes are part of a complete long-range communication system, you could also use your handheld radio or base station intercoms to broadcast emergency messages to a Wireless PA system so you can warn golfers to take cover. You can use these callboxes for other emergency use as well.  Placing them in strategic locations around the course as a defibrillator deployment system could save someone’s life.

The callbox can be fully solar powered so there is no need for trenching at all and a solution can be installed in a few hours. The range on these callboxes is up to a mile or even more with the use of an external antenna.

This golf course 9th-hole order system is available at www.IntercomsOnline.com

The Iowa State Gun Shoot is a gun skeet shooting organization in Iowa that has a state shooting competition twice per year. They had an old wired PA system that needed replacement, but they didn’t want to install a new wired system. The chose to go wireless instead.

They have 37 shooting stations lined up over a distance of 1000 yards and they needed a way to transmit messages so all stations could hear them. They found that one Wireless PA system installed every one hundred yards was sufficient enough to broadcast their messages over traffic and wind noise. Each wireless receiver has two horn speakers on it that are pointing in opposite directions.

This solution uses the long-distance, license-free MURS frequencies so no license was required. They use a wireless base station intercom to make the announcements.

Here is the solution that worked for them: License-free Wireless PA System

When a tall building is being built, a construction elevator intercom system is often needed so workers on individual floors can call the car operator to request a ride on the construction elevator. The environment these intercoms have to operate in is often harsh and power is not always available. A wired intercom system is usually not an option due to the complexities of running the cable. So the desire is for a wireless system, but with all the concrete and steel in the building, not just any wireless system will work.

A wireless call box is the device that our clients implement for construction elevators. The call box can communicate with other call boxes,  base station intercoms, or hand-held two way radios. These callboxes are placed on the individual floors and usually the lift operator has either a base station wireless intercom or a handheld radio depending on whether AC power is available in the car. Alternatively, another callbox can be used in the elevator, but it will need to be AC powered since it must remain on all the time so the floors can contact the lift operator. The callboxes on the floors can be battery powered since they can turn off after each use.

These callboxes are built for outdoor use so they are tough enough to survive in a construction environment. They are available in both UHF or VHF frequencies so they can be used with existing business band radios. The VHF model also has five unlicensed frequencies named MURS, which is short for Multi-Use Radio System. MURS does not require an FCC license to operate.

There are also heavy duty wireless base station and hand-held devices that are available in both UHF, VHF, and MURS. All these devices are available at www.Interco

msOnline.com.

Google recently announced a future platform called Android@Home that will enable you to interact with practically any electronic device you own using the Google search engine. Soon you will be able to control devices like home media equipment, dishwashers, cars, and lights using the new platform.

While some of these types of devices are available using proprietary technology, the main obstacle of connecting devices from multiple manufacturers has been finding a single, open standard to control everything. With a standard platform that obstacle is removed.

When the platform is released and devices are created, you will likely be able to integrate devices like the MURS Alert Base Kit Intercom to your other devices so it can turn on lights or notify you remotely on any alarm activity through long-range wireless devices. The MURS Alert motion detector sends a signal to an internal intercom, which activates a relay attached to an Android@Home device.

At IntercomsOnline.com we quite frequently get requests from marinas who want to add an intercom system to their boat docks where the boats pull up to gas pumps for fueling.  Of course a wired intercom is usually out of the question due to the complexities of running the wire to the dock, and given the harsh environment, the wires can go bad quickly. This is why we propose a weatherproof wireless call box intercom.

A wireless call box can transmit and receive voice communication over long distances. Range is usually measured in miles, not feet so distance is seldom a limitation.  You can place a fixed base station intercom in the store, or you can have someone carrying a mobile two-way radio, or both, so someone is always available to take calls from the boat dock.

When a boater pulls up to the dock, they press the button on the callbox and they can talk to you and you to them. The instructions are printed right on the callbox so the boater knows what to do. These wireless callboxes are available in non-licensed frequencies so an FCC license is not required to operate them.

A boat dock gas pump intercom system will ensure your customers don’t have to wait around for someone to show up to help them pump gas.