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Back to Home 		  900 MHz Frequencies to Avoid When You Set Up Your New Repeater
Compiled by Mike Morris WA6ILQ from several sources 		  Print this Page


900 MHz is a "new band" for a lot of folks, and many are unaware that amateur radio is a secondary allocation in that spectrum. This secondary status requires hams to put up with interference from both licensed and unlicensed users... from equipment designed by engineers that care about their product, and from those that are out to get the very last penny of profit... The systems you will find include wireless data networks, point-to-point links, automatic vehicle locator systems, RFID-based theft prevention systems and cordless telephones just to mention a few. The data network info we have is towards the bottom of this page, however cordless phones are more prevalent. The cordless phone frequencies that are known are listed below... if anyone has any more, please let us know so this list can be updated.

Since many cordless phone models are based on the same RF synthesizer chip design you will find that other models in the same manufacturers product line may share the same channel frequencies as the ones listed below. And many "manufacturers" are just re-labelers and buy their circuit boards from the original manufacturer, and put their own plastic box and name on them. So that new cordless phone you bought at Wal-Mart, Circuit City, Best Buy or mail order may actually use the same synthesizer chipset (and therefore the same frequency list) as a GE, Panasonic or V-Tech.

The Motorola GTX radios (both handheld and mobile) and the MCS2000 mobiles are very popular "starter" radios for 900 MHz repeater users. Unfortunately the GTX has a design flaw that precludes the reverse burst function of the PL encoder from ever working properly, and since it's in the radios CPU firmware (which is a masked programmed chip, therefore not upgradeable) it's not fixable... see the GTX page for more info on this. Due to the popularity of the GTX (it goes on amateur 900 MHz with no hardware mods, and is relatively inexpensive) and the existence of this unfixable tone squelch design flaw many systems run DPL on the repeater input exclusively. DPL code 411 or 100 Hz PL / CTCSS tone seems to be the "open repeater" access in several areas. The MCS2000 mobiles do not have that DPL firmware flaw.

Using DPL on 900 is not a negative since almost all user radios on 900 MHz are ex-commercial radios (GTX, MCS2000, Spectra, Johnson 8640 and 8655, Kenwood 431, 481, 931, 941, and 981 are the most popular). Every single radio has every tone and DPL in it from the factory, so having a DPL system input does not exclude anyone.
For more info on the GTX and the ultra-simple "mod", see the Motorola page. For more info on the Johnson and Kenwood 900 MHz radios see those pages.

And when you program your 900 MHz mobile or handheld, here are a few additional frequencies to include:

Frequency Usage
927.5000 National Simplex Freqency
927.6000 Recognized Secondary Simplex Freqency
927.7000 Recognized Secondary Simplex Freqency (see note 2)
927.8000 Recognized Secondary Simplex Freqency

Note 1: In many areas the grunge on 900 MHz has made subaudible tone almost a requirement to maintain sanity... there are very, very few carrier squelch systems. Due to the grunge, 900 MHz is unusual in that many areas have a "default" tone, even on simplex. 100Hz and 151.4Hz are common, but check with your local coordinator to see what tone you should encode on your local simplex channels. And if your coordinator is not 900 MHz "savvy" he may not know that the locals are running a tone on simplex... Personally, I'd have 927.5 MHz in my mobile twice, one with 100.0 and one with 151.4, and put both in the scan list.

Note 2: In Southern California (and in some other areas) the 902.700 / 927.700 pair is the 900 MHz "Test Pair", or Shared Non-Protected frequency. Nationally, the SNP frequency / frequencies (in any band) are utilized to minimize the "paper repeater" problem - those repeaters that exist nowhere except on paper in the coordinators file cabinet. In areas that have adopted this technique all new repeater owners are expected to build their systems on an SNP frequency. Once the coordinator (or his agent) can "kerchunk" your box he knows that you are for real, that you really have an operational repeater and then he allocates a "real" repeater pair. Since most of the 900 MHz repeaters are synthesized there is next to no cost involved in moving from the test pair to the final pair (other than retuning the duplexer, and many "garage repeaters" use two antennas).

Important note for Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming: FCC Rules restrict operation on the 900 MHz band to certain frequencies, which may require some simplex and repeater users to choose alternate or non-standard frequencies. The applicable sub-part of §97.303g has been reproduced below:

(1) In the States of Colorado and Wyoming, bounded by the area of latitude 39° N. to 42° N. and longitude 103° W. to 108° W., an amateur station may transmit in the 902 MHz to 928 MHz band only on the frequency segments 902.0-902.4, 902.6-904.3, 904.7-925.3, 925.7-927.3, and 927.7-928.0 MHz. This band is allocated on a secondary basis to the amateur service subject to not causing harmful interference to, and not receiving any interference protection from, the operation of industrial, scientific and medical devices, automatic vehicle monitoring systems, or Government stations authorized in this band.

(2) No amateur station shall transmit from those portions of the States of Texas and New Mexico bounded on the south by latitude 31° 41' N, on the north by latitude 34° 30' N, on the east by longitude 104° 11' W, and on the west by longitude 107° 30' W.

Note that almost all 900 MHz repeaters listen between 902 and 903 MHz, and transmit between 927 and 928 MHz. All the simplex channels are in the 927 area since most receivers will not go down to 902. There are point-to-point links on 900 MHz and different coordination groups have different policies on where to put them. The Southern California 900 MHz band plan is here. It was put together with the co-operation and assistance of the commercial (i.e. primary) users of that spectrum.


Cordless Phones
Scroll down for wireless internet

Superscript numbers reference notes at the bottom of the table.
Transmit Frequencies 1 Manufacturer
and model		 Manufacturers
Channel
Number 2
Base Handset
902.0-905.0 925.0-928.0 AT&T #9120  
902.1-903.9 926.1-927.9 Otron CP-1000  
902.100 926.100 Panasonic KX-T9000 01
902.125 926.125 GE 2-9925 01
902.130 926.130 Panasonic KX-T9000 02
902.160 926.160 Panasonic KX-T9000 03
902.185 926.185 GE 2-9925 02
902.190 926.190 Panasonic KX-T9000 04
902.220 926.220 Panasonic KX-T9000 05
902.245 926.245 GE 2-9925 03
902.250 926.250 Panasonic KX-T9000 06
902.280 926.280 Panasonic KX-T9000 07
902.305 926.305 GE 2-9925 04
902.310 926.310 Panasonic KX-T9000 08
902.340 926.340 Panasonic KX-T9000 09
902.365 926.365 GE 2-9925 05
902.370 926.370 Panasonic KX-T9000 10
902.400 926.400 Panasonic KX-T9000 11
902.425 926.425 GE 2-9925 06
902.430 926.430 Panasonic KX-T9000 12
902.460 926.460 Panasonic KX-T9000 13
902.485 926.485 GE 2-9925 07
902.490 926.490 Panasonic KX-T9000 14
902.520 926.520 Panasonic KX-T9000 15
902.545 926.545 GE 2-9925 08
902.550 926.550 Panasonic KX-T9000 16
902.580 926.580 Panasonic KX-T9000 17
902.605 926.605 GE 2-9925 09
902.610 926.610 Panasonic KX-T9000 18
902.640 926.640 Panasonic KX-T9000 19
902.665 926.665 GE 2-9925 10
902.670 926.670 Panasonic KX-T9000 20
902.700 926.700 Panasonic KX-T9000 21
902.725 926.725 GE 2-9925 11
902.730 926.730 Panasonic KX-T9000 22
902.760 926.760 Panasonic KX-T9000 23
902.785 926.785 GE 2-9925 12
902.790 926.790 Panasonic KX-T9000 24
902.820 926.820 Panasonic KX-T9000 25
902.845 926.845 GE 2-9925 13
902.850 926.850 Panasonic KX-T9000 26
902.880 926.880 Panasonic KX-T9000 27
902.905 926.905 GE 2-9925 14
902.910 926.910 Panasonic KX-T9000 28
902.940 926.940 Panasonic KX-T9000 29
902.965 926.965 GE 2-9925 15
902.970 926.970 Panasonic KX-T9000 30
903.000 927.000 Panasonic KX-T9000 31
903.000 927.000 SAMSUNG SP-R912  
903.025 927.025 GE 2-9925 16
903.030 927.030 Panasonic KX-T9000 32
903.060 927.060 Panasonic KX-T9000 33
903.085 927.085 GE 2-9925 17
903.090 927.090 Panasonic KX-T9000 34
903.120 927.120 Panasonic KX-T9000 35
903.145 927.145 GE 2-9925 18
903.150 927.150 Panasonic KX-T9000 36
903.180 927.180 Panasonic KX-T9000 37
903.205 927.205 GE 2-9925 19
903.210 927.210 Panasonic KX-T9000 38
903.240 927.240 Panasonic KX-T9000 39
903.265 927.265 GE 2-9925 20
903.270 927.270 Panasonic KX-T9000 40
903.300 927.300 Panasonic KX-T9000 41
903.325 927.325 GE 2-9925 21
903.330 927.330 Panasonic KX-T9000 42
903.360 927.360 Panasonic KX-T9000 43
903.385 927.385 GE 2-9925 22
903.390 927.390 Panasonic KX-T9000 44
903.420 927.420 Panasonic KX-T9000 45
903.445 927.445 GE 2-9925 23
903.450 927.450 Panasonic KX-T9000 46
903.480 927.480 Panasonic KX-T9000 47
903.505 927.505 GE 2-9925 24
903.510 927.510 Panasonic KX-T9000 48
903.540 927.540 Panasonic KX-T9000 49
903.565 927.565 GE 2-9925 25
903.570 927.570 Panasonic KX-T9000 50
903.600 927.600 Panasonic KX-T9000 51
903.625 927.625 GE 2-9925 26
903.630 927.630 Panasonic KX-T9000 52
903.660 927.660 Panasonic KX-T9000 53
903.685 927.685 GE 2-9925 27
903.690 927.690 Panasonic KX-T9000 54
903.720 927.720 Panasonic KX-T9000 55
903.745 927.745 GE 2-9925 28
903.750 927.750 Panasonic KX-T9000 56
903.780 927.780 Panasonic KX-T9000 57
903.805 927.805 GE 2-9925 29
903.810 927.810 Panasonic KX-T9000 58
903.840 927.840 Panasonic KX-T9000 59
903.865 927.865 GE 2-9925 30
903.870 927.870 Panasonic KX-T9000 60
903.925 927.925 GE 2-9925 31
903.985 927.985 GE 2-9925 32
905.600 925.500 V-Tech Tropez DX900 01
905.700 925.600 V-Tech Tropez DX900 02
905.800 925.700 V-Tech Tropez DX900 03
905.900 925.800 V-Tech Tropez DX900 04
906.000 925.900 V-Tech Tropez DX900 05
906.100 926.000 V-Tech Tropez DX900 06
906.200 926.100 V-Tech Tropez DX900 07
906.300 926.200 V-Tech Tropez DX900 08
906.400 926.300 V-Tech Tropez DX900 09
906.500 926.400 V-Tech Tropez DX900 10
906.600 926.500 V-Tech Tropez DX900 11
906.700 926.600 V-Tech Tropez DX900 12
906.800 926.700 V-Tech Tropez DX900 13
906.900 926.800 V-Tech Tropez DX900 14
907.000 926.900 V-Tech Tropez DX900 15
907.100 927.000 V-Tech Tropez DX900 16
907.200 927.100 V-Tech Tropez DX900 17
907.300 927.200 V-Tech Tropez DX900 18
907.400 927.300 V-Tech Tropez DX900 19
907.500 927.400 V-Tech Tropez DX900 20
923.700 925.900 GE model 26938GE1-C 01
923.800 925.950 GE model 26938GE1-C 02
923.800 926.000 GE model 26938GE1-C 03
923.850 926.050 GE model 26938GE1-C 04
923.900 926.100 GE model 26938GE1-C 05
923.950 926.150 GE model 26938GE1-C 06
924.000 926.200 GE model 26938GE1-C 07
924.050 926.250 GE model 26938GE1-C 08
924.100 926.400 GE model 26938GE1-C 09
924.150 926.350 GE model 26938GE1-C 10
924.200 926.400 GE model 26938GE1-C 11
924.250 926.450 GE model 26938GE1-C 12
924.300 926.500 GE model 26938GE1-C 13
924.350 926.550 GE model 26938GE1-C 14
924.400 926.600 GE model 26938GE1-C 15
924.450 926.650 GE model 26938GE1-C 16
924.500 926.700 GE model 26938GE1-C 17
924.550 926.750 GE model 26938GE1-C 18
924.600 926.800 GE model 26938GE1-C 19
924.650 926.850 GE model 26938GE1-C 20
924.700 926.900 GE model 26938GE1-C 21
924.750 926.950 GE model 26938GE1-C 22
924.800 927.000 GE model 26938GE1-C 23
924.850 927.050 GE model 26938GE1-C 24
924.900 927.100 GE model 26938GE1-C 25
924.950 927.150 GE model 26938GE1-C 26
925.000 927.200 GE model 26938GE1-C 27
925.050 927.250 GE model 26938GE1-C 28
925.100 927.300 GE model 26938GE1-C 29
925.150 927.350 GE model 26938GE1-C 30
925.200 927.400 GE model 26938GE1-C 31
925.250 927.450 GE model 26938GE1-C 32
925.300 927.500 GE model 26938GE1-C 33
925.350 927.550 GE model 26938GE1-C 34
925.400 927.600 GE model 26938GE1-C 35
925.450 927.650 GE model 26938GE1-C 36
925.500 927.700 GE model 26938GE1-C 37
925.550 927.750 GE model 26938GE1-C 38
925.600 927.800 GE model 26938GE1-C 39
925.650 927.850 GE model 26938GE1-C 40

Table Note 1: When a frequency range is specified (like 902.0-905.0) it's a "spread spectrum" phone. This is not true military type spread-spectrum, it's just a conventional FM radio with multi-megahertz deviation. The modulation may be analog or digital.
Table Note 2: No channel number indicates a single channel phone.

Some ADT Alarm systems use 927.1375 MHz as a sensor-to-base link.

Wireless Internet

Unlicensed 900 MHz internet traffic is among the largest 900 ham band spectrum polluters and there is very little that can be done. The user transmitters can run as high as 700mw and stay legal, and there are amplifiers (illegal ones) that can raise that to several watts. One manufacturer of these systems uses this channel plan:

Carrier
Center
Frequency		 Bandwidth
Options		 IEEE 802.11
Channel
922.0 5 or 10 MHz 3
917.0 5, 10 or 20 MHz 4
912.0 5, 10 or 20 MHz 5
907.0 5, 10 or 20 MHz 6

The Motorola "Canopy" system uses a different channel plan.
From the manual: ("AP" refers to a "Access Point")

The Canopy 900 MHz modules provide 3 non-overlapping channels within the allocated 900 MHz spectrum. Channels are 8 MHz wide, and can be set with RF Frequency Carrier (center of the channel) at 906, 907, 911, 915, 919, 923, or 924 MHz. For normal operation, it is recommended that the operator use: This suggested channel plan takes advantage of the spectrum available to provide 9 MHz between channel centers, 1 MHz greater than the minimum 8 MHz channel size, for additional channel separation.

With 8 MHz wide channels that means that the 906 MHz assignment reaches down to 902 MHz. If you have a Canopy system in your area you could request the system manager to use 907 instead of 906. The Canopy system management software allows the center frequencies to be assigned on a 1 MHz increment.

emails from others with comments on this page...

... from Greg KJ6KO, the operator of the NC9RS system in the San Francisco bay area (http://www.nc9rs.com):
The list is HUGE!

Here's some info I have dug up...

Wireless power meters or "Smart Meters" are a new addition to 900 and are spread spectrum channel hopping. The meters themselves are not a big nuisance, but when you have a hilltop looking down on thousands of them, they can be. There are two major manufacturers of them and one (Silver Spring Networks) completely avoids 927-928, but has three 100 kHz wide channels between 902-903, all above 902.300. You can get a TON of info on these by simply looking at the FCCID on the front of the meter and looking it up on the FCC's web page. All manuals, specs, channels bandwidth etc is all listed there! The FCC's "new and improved" website is still a little difficult to use, but contains a wealth of information on 900 Part-15 equipment!

RFID Tag Readers are a real nuisence! They can operate anywhere in the band, but luckily, they are frequency steerable by the user and I have had success simply asking them to move if they end up on a repeater input channel.

Most of the WISP operators have a pretty good "guard band" near the band edges and we have found that 902.0125-902.200 is usually pretty clean for repeater inputs. I have a couple repeaters that coexist on the same hilltop with them with minimal to no interference. I run 902.0125 in Sacramento and with a N6CA preamp and 0.17uV sensitivity at the antenna port, I can take the machine out of PL and it will never break squelch! The exception is the Motorola Canopy! These things spew trash 2 MHz out of the band within 100' of a transmitting unit! I had to get the FCC involved with one operator that refused to move frequency and have a specan shot of the noise floor between 901-902 being raised 20 dB by a Canopy 100' away and behind it's antenna! The FCC tech that went to the site confirmed this and the matter was solved after that. They entered a few keystrokes and moved up to 915. No problems now.

There is also a ton of licensed stuff that usually ends up in the middle of the band where we are not bothered by it, unless you are running a 12MHz split. These are usually automated bridge toll machines, vehicle tracking systems etc.

There are also clear channels between 902.2 and 902.9 for inputs, but you have to hunt for them. There are gaps between the "hopping channels" on most Part-15 equipment, but without the spec sheet, it's hard to determine.

Cordless phones and baby monitors are random and usually have changeable channels, so although a nuisance, they can be dealt with.

Remember, although we are secondary to ISM (FCC Part-18) I have never actually heard a Part-18 device on 900 and no one can claim they are Part-18 if it is being used for any type of communications! An ISP tried that with me already! As for ALL Part-15 equipment, we, as licensed amateurs, have priority! Period! The FCC made that clear to me over the phone and has been helpful with me so far with those who "abuse" their Part-15 privelages. The main rule for ALL part-15 equipment states, "This device must not cause harmful interference and must accept any interference even if it results in undesireable operation". Pretty much says it all!

Hunting down an interference source can be challenging in a big city with the tons of stuff out there, but recently, I found out that the "Smart Meters" seem to be causing a lot of havoc with the other Part-15 users and many are vacating the band! My big interference generators have been RFID tag readers, usually sounds like a "buzzing" similar to a TV sync buzz, and the Motorola Canopy. All taken care of and in the case of the RFID tag readers, very cooperative and once we explained what portion of the band we use, they were happy to move to another portion of the band. I like it when solutions are easy and friendly like that!

So, basically, there are no "frequencies to avoid", but there are clear ones we as amateurs can use without interference or at least be tolerable interference.

Right now we are hunting something entirely new that is swallowing up all the 900 repeaters outputs in the San Francisco Bay Area between about 926.7 and 927.4! It is a series of timed 100ms pulses repeating every 1 sec changing in amplitude and it is way too powerful to be Part-15. There were two "experimental" licenses granted in the SF Bay in the last 4 months, so we are looking into that and I plan a DF search within the next couple weeks! Not sure what kind of priority we have over experimental license stuff if that is what it is! I guess we'll find out! Several repeaters located below 927.3 already moved to the top of the band due to the interference from this thing. We have resorted to "unusual splits" to get away from the trash. All the repeaters n the NC9RS system use 902.0125 for the input and different PL's and output frequencies. Most also have a standard 25 MHz split (Maxtrac RX in SCAN mode) for the few with radios that won't do odd splits like some Kenwoods and Johnson radios, but the interference on the standard split inputs gets very bad sometimes.

Hope this helps!

73 de Greg KJ6KO

www.nc9rs.com

Contact Information:

The author can be contacted at: his-callsign // at // repeater-builder // dot // com.



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