Foundations of Amateur Radio - Episode 87

Funny, but even before I got involved, I would hear the mantra, "When all else fails, there is still ham radio," (very unlikely today imho) and all the other self serving exaggerations hams use to "justify" what is essentially a hobby. Yeah, I expect to get flamed for that, but oh well.

Now here, where there might actually BE an emergency need of some sort, we are admonished that "transmitting out of band is illegal " and are admonished that it is "forbidden" to do so, and that even the means should be denied in case one day we should irresponsibly decide to.

Well, it is generally illegal and considered bad form to shoot people too, but in limited cases where life or limb are in danger it is legally condoned. And yes there are those who seek to completely deny this ability too, but in general the equipment is still available.. subject to the requisite self control and proper use.

Back to radio, it is legal to modify and to possess a modified radio. Illegal to transmit out of band though. I like VE6DED'S view... better to have it and not need it than the other way around. And from experience and observation that scenario is much more likely to happen than some of the far fetched "emergency" justifications that hams all like to quote. For example, if I were out of repeater and cell range (been there) but there were a bunch of log trucks around using MURS, (been there too) I wouldn't feel the least bit bad about using channel 1 thru 5 to get help on the way if really necessary. And if someone from FCC wants to knock on my door at 3AM, then so be it.

But my main point is that the whole "emergency" thing seems to be a bit of a double standard...

 

True those radios are as cheap as dirt and i can just see the air waves being invaded by mom and her 4 kids all using them to keep in touch at Disneyland or guys out hunting or what not . Now I'm not against these types of radios its just that some regulation needs to be in place to limit there use or distribution .

 

"its just that some regulation needs to be in place to limit there use or distribution."

Sounds like a call for gun.... err.... radio control to me.. same sort of rationale.

Get those dangerous "assault radios" off the streets before someone breaks a law. Heavens! Mercy!

 

Once again I must answer one of your news items. As you are the holder of an "F" call licence here in Australia you seem to now have an interest of reading, studying and informing the public of how we can modify radios outside the Amateur band plan. Yes this has been going on for years and I would guess that most of the radios purchased over the net are modified to operate outside the allocations and legally should have the modifications removed etc. I'm happy so many of these radios are purchased by licensed hams and are back in the safe hands of a responsible operator even if still modified or repaired.

I am aware through following your podcasts that you are highly experienced in Amateur radio having had an intimate relation with computers for 45 years and clearly understand the problems of the WIA, bully's ,morons, old moaners and whingers like me etc. You are putting up a great deal of podcasts that are not only controversial but show the real lack of understanding of how things really should be done to keep the hobby in one piece. You can now put a few stars by my call on your Bully list so you can name and shame me if you think it will improve your standing and knowledge of Amateur radio. (Cannot recall computers in any home 45 years ago but I might have Alzheimer's. Someone please help me on this I'm worried)

Now you're telling us to look for modifications in a roundabout way through your Podcasts. I receive many emails showing modified or illegal stations run by "F calls" or others showing old valve equipment, modern transmitters, linear amplifiers etc all sitting proudly in their shacks turned on so they can operate as they wish with no regard to what their licence really entitles them to do.

We all know what illegal modifications do, C'bers took over a legally held amateur band and recently we had some idiot taking over the radio communications here in Australia that endangered the public by transmitting to passenger aircraft attempting to land or take off at a busy airport in Melbourne. Keep telling them Onno where to find the data on the internet so they can bring down a passenger flight with one of these easily obtained radios or modifications.

As an "F call" I will remind you of a few things. You must not modify, have in your possession any transmitting device that can be plugged in and used that does not confirm with your licence grade or ACMA regulations. If you want to experiment please update your call so you can legally get the soldering iron out and change the ability of the equipment to do other things. Oh I'm sorry you have told us you can't update your licence until you have worked DXCC as an "F call" but I have the solution to that too. Get an upgrade and do what the norm is nowadays and have multiple call signs like so many others are doing. I wonder how many operators we actually have left in Australia if we stopped counting multiple call signs. Please check that out for me as it has to be news worthy. Problems solved. VK6NO

 

I'm going to tell you an unrelated story that is so related it's scary.

A few years back, a man defended himself with deadly force in NYC. The court ruled that he was justified in using deadly force, but he received a 15 year prison sentence because carry of deadly force, in this case, a firearm for which he had a permit, but the "Gliberal" government in NYC had outlawed carry, concealed or open, and the man who defended himself JUSTLY, went to prison for the device he used in his defense.

Ham Radio: You agreed to follow, uphold, AND POLICE, your ham radio. That means whether or not you intend to use the illegally modified radio, it's still illegal and you are subject to revocation, without appeal, of your license. That revocation goes into an international database and no country will issue you a license under CEPT, IARC or and other reciprocal treaty. '

It's quite simple. You agreed not to break the law. You state that you have done so. Do the right thing. Turn in your license, sell your illegally modified gear after you return it to the manufacturer and pay to have it restored to legal specs, and stay off of the Ham Bands that I have agreed to police. I'm not yet an official observer, but it's people like you that make me want to become one.

Get it straight. Do it right or not at all.

 

Actually no, I wish they did have other frequencies available, including Ham. If the proverbial stuff does hit the fan, I would hope that they would have every means available to assist citizens, and if that means communication using amateur radio frequencies I would be all for it. I'd even help them program their radios with the correct splits/tones for local repeaters in it. You say without getting their ham license like that takes an act of Congress, go get your EMT, paramedic, firefighter 1, or for us here in California it's called a LEO post certificate. Hell of a lot harder than a ham ticket. Trust me I got a few.

 

I agree with this old Whinger and i want my name put on the bully register with stars and sprinkles.

 

I modified my Icom IC-735 and IC-736 so I could use 60 meters. I had a few successful contacts there. I think this is a legit reason.

 

Blah, blah, blah...Troll thread.

 

QRZ where people come to argue when they are bored.

 

Commercial radios new and old are allowed to be used in the amateur radio service. Always have been OM.
The majority of amateur radio repeaters and link systems are commercial radios. Some modified, some tweaked, some bought right off the shelf.

It is the modification of amateur radios that are not type accepted for the service some are being used in, that is the focus.
Again it is amateur radio equipment being illegally used, not commercial gear that is allowed to be used.

 

"As far as the original topic, I've never modded any of my radios. I did have one modded out for me, when I was issued my temporary MARS callsign. But, I never followed through on joining MARS, and never used the capability. But, I have owned several radios which were modified, before I got them. Am I morally responsible for returning them to the manufacturer's specs, as produced for FCC type acceptance?" W3RXO

Also on this statement...... No you have to do nothing, un-modify nothing, read the rules... As long as you do not transmit on non-amateur radio spectrum that your license grants. Nothing ever said about if you own a modified amateur radio.

And just because the cheap Chinese radios are so easy to put out of band, does not imply any right to do so under FCC rules.
It is your license, let your concise be your guide.

 

Huh? Our EOC here has ham equipment. We have ham equipment (2m fm) out at the National Weather Service at the airport. The sheriff department dispatch here has a two meter rig (on and monitoring) and we have a 2m fm repeater that is used just for emergency purposes (monitored at the sheriff department dispatch but no chatting at all). We also have ham radio MotoTRBO repeaters with channels dedicated to local emergency use (like search and rescue) that also have radios in all the local hospitals. Well, ya know what? We have NEVER had any of them used illegally by a person at one of those locations just deciding to get on and gab. The reverse spin you suggest has not happened here.

 

And also let you conscience (scruples, moral compass, etc.) be a guide too.

As for modded radios, all of mine are capable of out-of-ham-band operation. I was in the Navy MARS program. That closed on September 30, 2015. I transferred to Air Force MARS, so I am capable of using the whole HF spectrum and a goodly portion of the vhf and uhf too. I do not intrude on the police channels on vhf-uhf. We have specific frequencies on the hf bands for our use assigned by the NTIA for our MARS use (and occasional cross use with Canadian and other country versions of MARS).

Believe it or not, MARS even has its own "how many contacts can you make" type of contests. We have one coming up that will have various units using 20 watt SSB field radios to score contest points by making national and international contacts with our MARS stations, US military units, CFARS, British and other allied countries. Scoring will be done with a spreadsheet type log. Sounds like the kind of fun I can get into and it is all outside the ham bands.