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R.I.P. MSA Safety and Medical Frequency 86.4375Mhz (AM)
Saturday 31st May 2003 was the last day that the MSA Safety and Medical Frequency (aka '86') in it's then form was used. From Sunday 1st June, all events have been using a new frequency 81.5750Mhz (FM). This means that 86.4375Mhz AM is redundant as far as Motorsport is concerned. "I confirm that from 1st June 2003 the only permitted frequency for MSA Safety and Medical radios will be 81.5750 FM", Tony Newsum MSA Rallies anf Trial Executive, Sporting and Technical Services 02/12/2002
(Yes 86.3750Mhz (AM) aka RED is still licensed by a number of people and may continue, but the MSA have stated that it shouldn't be used in connection with a Motorsport event from 31st May 2003.) Please note that it is not possible to convert an 86.4375Mhz AM set to the new 81.5750Mhz FM specification. This will mean clubs/ people had to buy new sets of course. The cost was about £210 + vat, the MSA Club Devolvement fund at the time offered up to £50 a set to help with this cost, with clubs/people needing to get an application in early if you wanted to take advantage of that offer - now ceased. Some details pertinent to 81.5750Mhz FM :- 1) Open Channel. The system will work in exactly the same way that 86 did. Everyone on the same channel will be able to hear everyone else on that channel. The CTCSS tones which will be issued by the MSA will probably be only two. Channel 1 will have a single tone and channel two will have a different tone. This will enable us to have two events running at the same time without interference. The frequency on the two channels will be the same - only the tones will be different. CTCSS can be likened to a key - only radios with the same 'key' can work together. 2) Selcall (Selective calling). The MSA will issue the Selcall Tone for your radio. Each set / user will have its own tone. For those of you who understand or have worked with Selcall this does not mean that everyone will communicate initially by Selcall. The System will work in exactly the same way as 86 did with the Controller making the normal voice calls. Selcall will help in two ways. a) If a Controller is unable to raise a radio with a voice call he will be able, if he wishes, to 'page' it with Selcall and leave a visual indication that the radio has been called. b) At a certain point in a conversation each set will transmit its identity which will be displayed at the Controllers Radio. This will help tremendously in identifying stuck mics and difficult calls. ONLY Controllers will be able to 'page' other mobiles. Selcall does not have any bearing on the ability of one set to receive another. 3) Specification confusion. Some dealers have been telling people that they need to upgrade to a higher spec set in order to have the facilities required - in most cases this is NOT correct. For instance the Tait 2010 can have a facility for Selcall BUT you must specify this when the set is ordered. 4) Mounting. There will almost certainly be NO requirement for the set to be permanently mounted. 5) Aerial. If you have a good and efficient magnetic aerial base or permanent mount you DO NOT need to replace it. You will only need to replace the whip which will be a bit longer than for 86. 6) Costs. For a basic radio should not exceed about £200 to £210 plus VAT. Some erroneous info has been given by a number of dealers who have NOT read the specification correctly. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to ensure that your Dealer reads the specification fully and properly including the notes at the bottom. To assist you with this below are a few ADOBE documents :
If you would like to know more about the control of Radio Frequencies within the UK, please visit
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