So you are in Argentina? There's no TURF file for you. **** you.

Gastonet

Asked for a TURF file for Argentina (where I leave), offered to help on create one using local regulations and I get this answer for the "Customer Experience Manager"

Steve W6SDM

There are FCC regulations that regulate what frequency range A radio can be made to transmit on. Radios that are outside these specifications cannot be sold in the United States. All manufactures follow the same FCC guidelines. Your issue isn't with Flex, it's with the FCC.

Gastonet

Can you explain then why there are TURF files for other countries?

YV5WZ

Hola Gastón!!!

Hey Steve!!

Como están?

Is not IARU 2 Band Plan same in Argentina and USA....as well is in Venezuela.....I guess it's not different

http://www.iaru.org/region-2.html

Am I right?  

I know there are local restrictions, but .....all in same IARU Band Plan....cause all our countries had signed commitment

Agree?  

Once I made same question to Tim and he explained very well about this issue.
I think Flex has wonderful and excellent customer service ( I guess you had not the chance to deal with other brands :-) )

I know it's a "pin in the ****" to start SmartSDR and watch other country name in Region box, but that's is not more than 1% of time you spend with your flex.

Remember Flex has dealer in other countries....I guess Brazil is gonna be first at South America, I'm sure Flex will edit TURF file for them cause they'll be authorized dealer...

meanwhile......Argentina or Venezuela wouldn't have an authorized dealer, we probably won't see our countries name in Region box.

A decir verdad con lo "rayado"del mío, eso no me quita el sueño  (creo que me entiendes)


Saludos


George, YV5WZ / PY3ZZZ

K5CG

Hmmm. TURF file. I have no idea what that is and the only results from searching for it are Flex-3000/5000. Maybe this is a PowerSDR feature. Yet this post is tagged for SmartSDR, Flex Signature Series, Maestro. Enlighten me please.

KY6LA_Howard

A TURF file is a firmware file that controls the ability of a transmitter to transmit on bands specific to an individual country's regulations.

Oxford English

All the 6xxx Flex Radios use a Turf file. It is not dependent on the software used to drive the radio. I think that all the other models, past and present also use some form of TX inhibiting files.

I am sure that someone on this board has worked out how to change/edit the turf file to suit local operating allowed frequencies.

Flex are reluctant to publish details of the Turf file as people could then use it to transmit outside amateur bands.

As a company Flex, as someone else has pointed out, must operate with the FCC regs in the USA. In order to sell in other countries they have different Turf files for the 'main' regions in which the radios are sold.

I can understand why Flex need to do this and that in causes some people to become frustrated with Flex. Other manufacturers allow their radios to be 'wide banded' but I suspect that the FCC isn't very happy about it.

Tim

KY6LA_Howard

Unlike the Ricebox manufacturers Flex is a USA company so they must be extra specially compliant with onerous US FCC regulations.

K5CG

"Ricebox"? We all know what you mean, but isn't that a little lacking in decorum for an international forum?

Gastonet

Nevermind George, el problema es que el Customer Experience Manager dijo: use it "as is". Eso es lo mas molesto de todo.

YV5WZ

Tranquilo Gastón.....recuerda que en idiomas la traducción literal no existe.  Y en el fondo no existe diferencia por lo que le comentaba de la reglamentación y el acuerdo de bandas de IARU. Yo he tenido la oportunidad de hablar con el directamente vía telefónica y es un gran gerente, muy amable y gentil. 

No te enojes por lo escrito, porque realmente es la diferencia de los idiomas y de la cultura a la cual pertenecemos....

Un abrazo,


George


PD: Por cierto cual es tu indicativo y que equipo compraste? yo tengo el 6300

Gastonet

LU5AGQ, un 6500 con un Maestro. Abrazo.

Ria

A manufacturer can manufacture radio equipment for export that does not comply with FCC regs. For example, Ameritron sells export only versions of amplifiers with 10 metres enabled.  Even Flex sells radios that can transmit on 4 metres. 

Gastonet

Thanks Ria, finally someone understands my point. 

Ria

Can you show me somewhere where the Argentine frequency regulations are? 

I cannot generate a TURF for you (I do not work for Flex) but I want to see if there are any "problematic" frequencies they may have issue, and any that are different from US allocations.

BTW I will be in Buenos Aires in February. Maybe I can get in a bit of operating while there.

K5CG

As George previously pointed out, North and South America are both in IARU region 2 and have the same band plan, at least at the band edges. What could be the difference?

Ria

My guess is 60 metres. Some countries have additional/different channels and some like 9Y have a full frequency allocation (5.25-5.45MHz) with 1.5kW. Also only the USA restricts phone by law to certain sub-bands. Most other countries don't have any mode restrictions. Below 7100MHz is popular for 40m phone. 

DH2ID

We Europeans have another problem: 5351.5 - 5366.5 is still not allowed in Germany, but take your Flex and drive over the border to the Netherlands or Belgium and you can transmit legally on 60m! What about the turf file, shouldn't it be installed according to your GPS position (only half joking)?

Dan -- KC4GO

Alex,
Guess you will need to spend $700 US on the GPS for your Flex  (Just joking)  

Dan -- KC4GO

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Dan -- KC4GO

There are no Mode restrictions in the Flex US TURF file you can TX/RX any mode within the band edges if your TX bandwidth extends outside the edges the TX will be inhibited. The only issue may be the 60 meter issue that Ria pointed out.

Gastonet

Ok then. Ria, please find in this URL the main resolution for amateur radio in Argentina: http://www.enacom.gob.ar/multimedia/normativas/1998/Resolucion%2050_98.pdf please have in mind that was wrote in 1998, since then there was a lot of modifications, adds, etc.I'll more than happy to assist you if you come here. Just drop me an email whenever you want: gastonet@gmail.com
And yes Ria, 60 meters band will be able to be used by 2017.

For Danny, edges are not always the same, even being in the same IARU region there are some diferences between countries.
For example, in the US the 70cm band is from 420 to 430 and here is from 430 to 440.

Last but not least here we can use 11 meters band (CB or 27mhz whatever you want to call it) for 10 bucks a year.

73.

Ria

Yeah that 11 meter band is probably why they are reluctant.

Kevin WB4AIO

In my opinion, it is NOT the responsibility of the manufacturer to restrict radios' transmit frequencies. It is the responsibility of the USER to obey the regulations. Just because it's EASIER to control a few manufacturers than it is to have a real enforcement department that can enforce the rules in the real world doesn't mean it is RIGHT to do so.

As far as I can tell, there is no FCC requirement that they do so, either. Tens of thousands of transceivers are sold without such hard-to-reverse firmware restrictions. It must be some "tacit understanding" "scratch-our-back-and-we'll-scratch yours" kind of thing, which I see as morally questionable.

These firmware restrictions cause nightmares for so many people worldwide. The other manufacturers who allow you to snip a diode or uncheck a box in software have it right.

If some people use baseball bats to break windows, those people need to be stopped and imprisoned if necessary. It would be preposterous for bat manufacturers to make their bats out of chewing gum (absent a pro ball employment contract) to "solve the problem" and save the government the "trouble" of dealing with vandals.

Steve W6SDM

OMG, I can hear it now:  "Ten four good buddy, gotcha S9 on this here Flex 6700 radidio.  We're runnin' a full gallon on the Ahpha 9500, warming up that Moonraker on the roof. I monitor channels 2, 6, 8, 12, 15, 19, 29, and 40 all at the same time!  Lord, o' Mercy, this here software defined CB radio is downright amazin'."

Steve K9ZW

IMHO FRS hasn't said "**** you" and some trite **** about transverter band edges differing, a change to 60m first happening next year, and a buy-up local band permission for a band the 6700 won't carry preselection for is a bit lame. Certainly not worth the drama. The whole conversation with FRS hasn't been shared either. On general public petulance is poor policy to lobby a manufacturer to do something special for a person. Thinking the "as is" is earned. 73 Steve K9ZW

KY6LA_Howard

So you want the Government Agency populated by the gang that can't shoot straight to spend even more of my tax money to continue their ineffectual attempts to police the bands. Instead of the simpler and much less expensive mechanism which is working well of having the manufacturers just build equipment that obeys the law. Pretty obvious which way u r voting next month.

KY6LA_Howard

Btw. TURF files are pretty common these days with SDR's as there are no diodes to clip to modify frequency ranges. Virtually ever Cell phone has a TURF file for different countries.

YV5WZ

Hello Friends!

Please!!  Invite all you to keep cool and don't overreact
we have the risk to convert this Turf  topic in "Turfonication" problem
(joking)   

George, YV5WZ / PY3ZZZ

KY6LA_Howard

Well said George

Steve W6SDM

I ran "Turfonication" through Google translate.  *blush*