Oh this topic could get me talking for hours. The key word is propagation. Long story short VHF has better penetration and range than 800 MHZ.
I'll agree with you VHF has better range than 800 Mhz, but penetration? I don't think so. Not by a long shot.
My city used to be all rural/farm land. Over the past 30 years, we have grown into a highly developed area with two malls, two major highways, and hundreds (if not thousands) of commercial buildings and complexes. The sad thing is, we are still using the same VHF radio system that was used prior to all this. I can say without reservation that VHF is completely worthless inside any type of commercial structure. VHF is much better for 'line of sight', hence, the distance advantage and why it was used for rural areas. But it can't penetrate concrete/metal structures worth a damn. Add in the electrical wiring and flourescent lights, and you'd be better off with smoke signals. We have been begging and pleading to go with either 400 or 800 Mhz radio systems for years, but all we get are "patches", meant to appease the troops and shut them up for the time.
Think about this: If VHF had better penetration AND range, why would people have switched to 800 Mhz to begin with? What else besides penetration and range is there when you're wanting a good communication system?
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