[Asterisk-Users] FRS & *: an actual business use

[TC]

> I've noticed a growing number of stores using FRS radios. It would make
> sense to interface (via soundcard/console driver, with the nessacary
> electrical conversion) a VOX FRS radio to asterisk to allow someone in
> the office to page/talk with people on the floor or warehouse. You could
> throw that call (ie, all the radios) into a meetme conference. Then, you
> could have people in the office either dial that extension and/or have
> some of them always in that conference on a speaker phone (muted usually).
Yah I started this thread with this basic requirement &
have been trying to track down if this is feasible. So I have been
talking with local radio hams. They have brought to my attention some
limitations
with using a low end FRS/gmrs handset as the base station
1) battery , since this would be in used more than the individual handset
    but you could rig a direct power supply to it
2) talk time, these low end handset are designed to cut out after a
configured period
    apparently 30-60 secs
3) the actual radio, under continuos use most experts here believe the
radios would over heat
    and die a quick and certain death :)

BUT the best suggestion I found was to use a real uhf radio & tune it to the
gmrs/FRS frequency
and drop its power to the 2 watts like the GMFRS/FRS radios
a Motorola cm200/cm300 http://www.motorola.com/cgiss/mobiles/cm300.shtml
might work

Then I believe you can use the zapata analog telephony adapter to interface
to cm200/cm300
via the 9pin adpater and the cm200/300 mic jack and asterisk will interface
via app_rpt...

I would appreciate anybody more familiar with this technology to vet this
config
and raise any flag if they see any issues with this
...from a tech pov the legal issue has been raised & I don't really want
hear any more about that :(