Send out digital numeric and/or alphanumeric pages for: Automatic weather alerts for Skywarn use; LiTZ / emergency alerts when linked to repeater controllers; club (function) meeting reminders; paging your friend to get on the radio; computer status messages useful in conjunction with packet radio gateways; and so on. Carefull reading of Part 97 [sections 97.3(a)(10), 97.111(b)(2), 97.305(c), and 97.307(f)(5)] makes it clear that digital paging is allowed for VHF and UHF operations.

It can be setup so hams could send the pages a number of different ways.

An DTMF interface to repeater controllers; Where a traditional user number is assigned to everyone with a pager. First enter the user number, then the numeric message which gets passed to the paging transmitter.

A packet interface; Either a web cgi, telnet prompt, or separate email address to accept numeric and alpha numeric messages which get passed to the paging transmitter.

A phone interface; An incoming line that would first: prompt you for a numeric password for protection, then a user number and finally the traditional numeric message.

A VHF or UHF radio

• Alinco DR-1200 Data Radio
• GE Mastr Executive II, VHF and UHF
• GE Custom MVP, VHF and UHF
• Icom IC series: 25, 38, 228, 271, 290, 471
• Kenwood TM series: 211, 212, 221, 231, 431
• Kenwood TS series: 700, 770
• Motorola Mitrek, Maxar
• MFJ Model 8621 VHF Data Radio
• Standard C58, C140
• Yaesu FT series: 212, 221, 230

A Pager Encoder

Pagers

However a German company called Alphapoc sells pagers all set to go for amateur frequencies.

You can also look into having commercial pagers modified locally. If you decide to try it yourself and have access to programmers and test equipment, look for these types of pagers:

Motorola Bravo Plus, Motorola Bravo Classic, Motorola Renegade Motorola Lifestyle Plus, OI Electric Pocketbell, NEC

Your best bet is to stick with the Motorola Bravo Series. Make sure they are using the POCSAG protocol, not GOLAY or FLEX. Make sure they are 100 MHz or 400 MHz depending on which type of transmitter you are going to use. Try to get 512 baud in case your setup has trouble at faster speeds, also try to get the capcode and any programming passwords, you should be able to find these used pagers for under $40.

Motorola universal pager programming interface
Motorola pager service manual numbers
Frequency Management - carries pager crystals
International Crystal Manufacturing - carries pager crystals

Local Copy of Misc Related Files:

Tips:

• Before investing a lot of money recrystaling VHF hi-band, and UHF pagers to amateur frequencies send test pages into a dummy load on their existing frequencies.
• Use an oscilloscope to check that your square waves are clean. Check output level by monitoring the discriminator tap of a receiver.
• Try to send and decode pages that you send using PE and PD. Use 512bps speed rates to avoid any errors that will occur if your transmitter can't handle being FSK'ed that fast.

Addition reading/resources: