It's been more than a few years, but as I recall, it's not illegal to modify you're radio to operate out of band, it's illegal to transmit on bands your station is not licensed for.
It's been more than a few years, but as I recall, it's not illegal to modify you're radio to operate out of band, it's illegal to transmit on bands your station is not licensed for.
We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not have been possible.
Based on what @Drang posted, and some internet searches, it looks like they’re (FCC) saying that it’s illegal to modify the radio to transmit outside its capabilities as-sold.Originally Posted by MistWolf
That’s stupid, if I’m understanding it correctly.
As mentioned, you can't mod an FM radio to operate AM, and government regs have nothing to do with that.
In the past, licensed amateurs have had a great deal of freedom as far as modifying radios, and experimenting. The hobby is largely self-policing.
That was before you could buy a radio that would operate on business and government freqs for $25 on Amazon, without a license...
A licensed amateur can mod a radio to, for example, operate on MARS/CAP bands, but cannot operate there unless licensed to do so. Most services will only do the mod for you if you are licensed. (HRO, etc., will actually sell you the radio with the mod, but you have to send them your license.)
Before the BaoFeng fiasco, I'd've said making the mod was legal, using it wasn't, but now I'm wondering if the FCC isn't getting to be more ATF-like. (Although the BaoFeng thing could be because China...)
Last edited by Drang; 11-10-2018 at 07:33 PM.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
Yeah. I get that. I stupidly assumed that since the radio in question can receive on AM, it was a software issue that prevented it from transmitting in AM.
It's OK to plug ham frequencies into your type-accepted commercial radio, just not the other way around. The type acceptance rules for ham equipment are a bit looser than for commercial bands. Commercial band radios are not allowed to be field programmable, for example.
Back in the day, in the pre trunked 800 system era, there were a lot of surplussed public safety radios that would do very well on 2m or on 70cm. An ex-fire or PD motorola was a sign of the true EmComm nerds, back in the day.
'Nobody ever called the fire department because they did something intelligent'
Some War Stories, and Amateur Radio: “I Am An Adverb!”
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
I am a ham. I am relatively unskilled, mostly line of sight and repeater ops. I dont own an HF rig yet, though I do operate them once a year on field day or the occasional special events station. I got my license during the great ammo drought and have since gotten my General and Extra. To be honest I dont ham enough to take advantage of the Extra privileges. I just did it because my club was trying to get more VEs. I got my VE less than a year ago. Since moving over the summer I have not gotten with the new town's club.
I operate a little in the car and run national simplex calling while cross country trips. This town had a pretty good weather spotter net back a while ago. I need to start monitoring more.
@misanthropist (and anyone else interested) the Comm Academy web site says registration opens on February 24th.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
Thanks!
Sent from my BND-L24 using Tapatalk
This is a thread where I built a boat I designed and which I very occasionally update with accounts of using it, which is really fun as long as I'm not driving over logs and blowing up the outboard.
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ilding-a-skiff
@misanthropist, registration is now open.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
Reply With Quote