HR2.0 - FCC Hits Rugged Radios with Citation over Illegal Radios

Right. I imagine that is a mis-print and that Mr Keys doesn't understand what the law says.

 

If you want to know what is illegal to listen to in the USA then I would recommend reading
Title 18 USC Chapter 119 and Title 47 USC Chapter 9 Sec 605

 

I have heard of Racing Radio Retailers that buy the part 90 license and you lease the use of the license from the seller from buying the radio from them in the document you sign. They are in the SCCA magazines and other sport car rags, mostly selling MOTO TRBO, for Pit Crew Privacy.

However that blue radio does not appear to be Part 90 and appears to be selling to a cheaper market with a radio not certified for part 90. I do see some TYT part 90 radios on their site that if locked to their licensed frequencies would be legal.

Or perhaps it is and why it's higher priced? Need to see the sticker. They also didn't lock it down.

 

It has been decades since I was involved with commercial radio, however, you used to be able to buy frequencies and lease use thereof. If they are branding and pre-programming branded radios they can charge and authorize use of frequencies they have leased from the FCC on their branded radios only. These FCC leases have power restrictions as well as regional restrictions. You can't sell use of these frequencies in say Kentucky if they were sold for used in California for obvious reasons. That said, marketing these radios outside the lease area is where the problem arises.

 

If you download and read the FCC document linked at the bottom of the FCC notice you will see that the investigation was into the lack of certification and the ability for some of the radios to be keypad programmed with frequencies the radios were supposedly certified for. Apparently they were selling radios programmed to Maritime frequencies and others as they were sold. And at least one model was certified as a receiver, then the company marketed a transceiver using the same model number and the FCC ID from the receiver. In other words they knew what they were doing was not legal but they did it anyway. Just like all the GMRS radios you see advertised on Amazon as FRS radios.

 

@K8XG - Do note that Racing Radios is not the same company as Rugged Radios, the company this piece is about. I do believe that Racing Radios operates appropriately.

 

It is different for sales vs. rentals. You can't sell someone a radio and allow them to operate under the auspices of your license. Doesn't work that way.

 

Nope. They're right there with them. They're doing the exact same illegal behavior as Rugged Radios. Hopefully this will serve as a warning to them, PCI, and others who do the exact same thing.

 

I am just glad to see the FCC enforcing something, anything!

For too long there just hasn't been any enforcement action on imported radios.

 

OK maybe I'm thinking of another one...