CB Radio in New Zealand consists of \u201cCB\u201d and a \u201cPersonal Radio Service\u201d. Similarly to Australia, these are covered by a class licence as laid out by the Radio Spectrum Management who come under the Ministry of Business Innovations and Employment. The RSM in so far as radio licencing is concerned would be the equivalent of our ACMA. The Class Licence, No 228151 to be exact, allows for operation of equipment without paying an annual licence fees and comes with the usual rules \u2013 type approved equipment, operating on correct frequencies within legal power levels and not causing interference to other users or services. Their class licence came about in July 1994 and just prior to that, around fourteen and a half thousand sets across NZ were licensed and for around the same sort of cost of what we used to pay back in the day. For further information about the RSM and CB radio licensing in New Zealand, visit the website: rsm.govt.nz<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PRS is the equivalent of our UHF-CBRS. It uses the same equipment with the same current 80 channel band plan arrangement. There are a number of PRS repeaters in NZ, most of them on the north island with maybe a couple or so on the south island. That figures and a large part of the south island is pretty rugged inaccessible country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most interesting aspect of the PRS, particularly in Dunedin is that there are plenty of outlets selling this equipment \u2013 Jaycar, Supercheap Auto and the like. Unlike Australia, finding a vehicle with a UHF antenna on it is a rare sight indeed \u2013 extremely rare and in fact the vast majority of 4WD\u2019s in this country do not have any CB radios fitted in them at all. This brings about the question \u2013 just who is buying this equipment and for what purpose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cCB\u201d band is where it gets interesting. In 2012, the RSM included in its class licence for Australian\/US bandplan 27MHz equipment operating in either AM or SSB mode. Traditionally, New Zealand has used 26MHz equipment \u2013 a \u201cKiwi\u201d special if you like. This band spans from CH1 being 26.330 MHz to Ch40 being 26.770 MHz. In comparison, the bandplan in use in Australia\/US is Ch1 being 26.965MHz and Ch40 being 27.405MHz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GME Electrophone make two versions of the TX 2720 which is a 4W AM only DIN sized radio. Externally and with regards to knobs\/button layout and LCD display the two are identical. The label at the rear with either a RCM or R-NZ mark on the label will be the only way of telling the New Zealand radio from its Australian counterpart, which will have a \u201cC\u201d tick or equivalent mark on it. Now while both 26 and 27MHz bands are authorised in New Zealand, those who choose to buy the 27MHz variant for use in that country can pretty much expect to talk to nobody but themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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