Setting a 5 W radio to 0.5 W: do you still need a licence?
By Jolene Wong
Many business radios have a high and low power switch. Here is what the 0.5 W line means, and what else MCMC looks at.
A lot of business radios can switch power. The TDMR DR5, for example, is a 5 W radio with a high and low power setting. So buyers ask me: if I set it to 0.5 W, do I still need a licence?
The 0.5 W line
Above 0.5 W, a radio needs an MCMC licence. That is the line most buyers have heard of, and it is the reason low power matters.
Power is not the only thing MCMC looks at
The licence-free route is MCMC's class assignment. For handheld radios it lists certified radios on specific 446 MHz channels, at up to 0.5 W. So the frequency the radio is set to counts as well as the power.
- Power: set to 0.5 W, and set so that staff cannot switch it back to high.
- Frequency: on the channels MCMC lists for licence-free use.
- Certification: the radio itself carries the MCMC certification label.
When low power is not enough
0.5 W covers a small area. If your team needs to reach across floors or a large site, low power will not get you there. That is when a licensed radio, or a repeater, is the honest answer.
Tell me your radio model and how you use it, and I will set it up correctly or tell you if you need a licence.
Next: the full MCMC licence guide