[EricH]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

• Walkie-Talkies
  • Use bands like 27 MHz, 400-500 MHz, and 900 MHz
  • Because these bands are public, chances are such signals are flying around whether FIRST likes it or not, they're simply not coming from FIRST teams (I can't count the number of times I've seen staff from the venue using them).

Right there. That's why we can't use them.

FIRST staff and venue staff have radios, operating on various frequencies and channels. Now, some random team accidentally gets onto, say, the FTA's channel or the Pit Admin's channel, or, worse, the channel used by the production folks. Can you imagine the rumor mill that could be triggered? I don't want to. And that's assuming they don't try to talk on the radio to the aforementioned people.

Basically, they want a communication link that can be used for official business between the pits (admin, inspection), the field (FTA, Field Supervisor, queuing), FIRST staff, and the production people without people that don't need to know listening in.