Bike-to-bike comms: As a visitor from Oz, what can I use in UK/Europe?

[hurricane]

Hi!
I'm considering taking my 2012 GTR over to Europe/UK in 2016 or 2017 for an extended trip. And hopefully catching up with Ulysses Club members there while I'm riding. My bike has Starcom Digital fitted with a UHF set (5 Watt GME TX6150, 80 channel, 476.425-477.4125MHz). Is this a useable (legal) band, and if not - what would I need and how readily are they available - don't want to be wasting too much time off the bike when I arrive! Anybody that has any info, much appreciated! Not just the radio, but what cable will I need to fit to the Starcom. Thinking just a handheld, fitted to the existing ram mount.

[Lonewolf]

I'd personally send an email or call these guys.....


http://autocom.co.uk/


I believe Autocom and Starcom are one and the same, correct me though if I am wrong.

[PaulB]

Hi!
I'm considering taking my 2012 GTR over to Europe/UK in 2016 or 2017 for an extended trip. And hopefully catching up with Ulysses Club members there while I'm riding. My bike has Starcom Digital fitted with a UHF set (5 Watt GME TX6150, 80 channel, 476.425-477.4125MHz). Is this a useable (legal) band, and if not - what would I need and how readily are they available - don't want to be wasting too much time off the bike when I arrive! Anybody that has any info, much appreciated! Not just the radio, but what cable will I need to fit to the Starcom. Thinking just a handheld, fitted to the existing ram mount.

A quick bit of research tells me that frequency band is "Australian personal CB" frequencies. Given that it's 5W output, and probably allocated to something else over here (UK) I'd suspect using your kit here would be illegal.

I'm not sure what the best rider to rider solution is (I only bother with rider to pillion comms) but I'm guessing it will take the form of PMR446 radios. These are legal everywhere in Europe. Personal Mobile Radios use the 446MHz band, are digital, and any model should be able to "talk" to any other model.

Like "I am not a lawyer", I am not an RF band expert. I do however work for a utility company where 95% of our comms to remote sites is done by licensed radio kit (458MHz, 5W max, in case you were wondering). I'm the poor sod who has to go and find out why comms has failed to remote sites... I might add "imported bike comms kit" to list of possible reasons we get interference

Check out this bad boy! http://www.motorcycle-tourer.co.uk/midland-g8-bt-bluetooth-pmr446-two-way-radio/

Cheers

PaulB

[Boomer]

Definately do not bring any equipment capable of transmitting in the 476/477Mhz range to the UK as it may be confiscated and destroyed. Here that is in the TV broadcast band so very illegal.
Like PaulB says yer best bet is PMR446 unless yer a licenced Ham in which case I'd recommend 2m (430-440Mhz).