As I write this, we are in the midst of one of the most mile winters that I can remember. Our snow cover in northern Wisconsin is only inches deep and in fact I have quite a few bare spots on my lawn. With temperatures soaring into the 40′s (in January, no less) the snow really doesn’t have a chance.

Although the warm temps and mild weather is putting a damper on the outdoor snow activities, you can take advantage of the warm temps and beautiful sunny days to inspect and upgrade your antenna systems. Instead of climbing the tower when its unbearably hot, use this time to put up a new 2 meter J-Pole antenna. Or replace an aging antenna with something newer and better performing.

Did you get a new scanner or amateur radio transceiver for Christmas? Get it on the air with a base station antenna. Our J-Pole antennas make great scanner antennas, especially for the VHF public safety spectrum. My MURS J-Pole antenna is an ideal public safety antenna and will also perform double duty transmitting on the MURS radio band. Same story with the Marine Band J-Pole antenna. This antenna is tuned for the VHF marine band, but has enough bandwidth to cover the VHF public safety spectrum.

As the weather stays mild and the skies clear, use this time to enhance and upgrade your antenna system.

MURS or the Multi Use Radio Service is a license free radio service designated by the FCC for short range business and family communications. MURS has five channels in the 151 – 154 VHF MHz range that can be used. MURS has some distinct features that makes it very useful for a wide variety of communications:

• No license is needed for MURS communications
• Voice or data can be transmitted on the MURS frequencies
• 2 watt transmitter power limit for base and handheld communications, but no limit to antenna gain
• You can attach external antennas to a MURS radio, like the MURS J-Pole antenna.
• Antennas must have a max height of 20 feet.
• There are a wide variety of MURS radios available, like the popular Motorola RDM2020 handheld unit.

The best thing about MURS is that it is license free, so you can hand just about anyone a MURS programmed radio and not worry about the user having a FCC license.

What types of activities or groups are using MURS radios? MURS is great for search and rescue operations, coordinating volunteers at parades and community events, business operations and facilities, and personal communications. The radios are inexpensive and the MURS band is relatively uncongested, so it makes a great choice when other radio services may be loaded with communications.

Since MURS radios can use external antennas, but the antennas are limited to a 20 foot height, you’ll want to select a high performance antenna to maximize your signal range. The MURS J-Pole antenna is a great choice as it is lightweight, affordable, and very sensitive. The antenna’s wide bandwidth covers the entire MURS frequency range and the low noise floor will easily pick out a weak signal from a distant MURS station. Mounted at the 20 foot height, you can ideally expect a 5-10 mile range with your MURS radios, although surrounding buildings and terrain may affect performance.

Need more information about the Multi Use Radio Service to determine if its a right choice for your needs? Check out this MURS resource.