parnass@ihu1h.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (10/29/85)
x "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order please?" That's what you'll hear if you monitor 154.600 MHz near Yorkville or Montgomery, Illinois. As my article pos- ted last April described, McDonalds restaurants in this area have been using radios to communicate with cus- tomers at the drive-up windows [see article below]. Although low power transmitters are used, I can monitor the McDonalds restaurant about 2 miles away using a Butternut SC3000 antenna at 20 feet. So far, I can hear only the waitress side of the conversation. The customer side of the conversation may be conducted over a closed circuit intercom. Articles in the November 1985 issue of "Monitoring Times" claim the McDonalds operation to be nationwide on 154.6 and on 35.02 MHz in Barberton, OH, although the latter frequency has not been confirmed here. > From postnews Sun Apr 14 11:07:26 1985 > Subject: McDonalds begins using walkie-talkies > Newsgroups: net.ham-radio > Distribution: net > > McDonalds Using Two-Way Radios > > The local McDonalds restaurant is modernizing: counter > workers are now using two-way radios to communicate > with the cooks. > > Each worker wears a lightweight headset/microphone > wired to a small, white plastic box on the front of a > belt worn on the waist. One of the two black pushbut- > tons on the box is a push-to-talk control. What > appears like a large white battery pack is fastened to > the rear of the belt. ..... ... > Anyone have more information? -- =============================================================================== Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-5414