Long Range Cordless Phones

In an recent article "Aircraft Interference Sparks FCC Crackdown" (May 2002) explains the usage of MARS/CAP frequencies just above & below Amateur Radio (VHF & UHF) bands for long range cordless (mobile) telephone equipment:

http://www.conformity.com/cnf0205.html#aircraft

It's apparent the FCC is aware of, at least, one merchant in Miami Florida selling these devises as an alternative for cell phones.

The complete FCC's order for this particular case can be read here:

http://www.conformity-update.com/fcc-fines-020301.pdf

I did some quick research on the web and stumbled across the following site which sells the same type of "long range" wireless telephones:

http://www.no-air-time.com

http://www.no-air-time.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

Most amateur VHF/UHF Amateur radio transceivers, including HT's have the ability to receive/monitor the frequencies of which these cordless telephones operate.

Perhaps fellow HAM's can keep an eye on these frequencies and forward any incriminating evidence (recordings, date / time, RF-fingerprints, directional finding coordinates) to your local FCC office and put these "pirates" out of business.

Your comments appreciated.

AG4RC

 

these phones are intended for use in south and central america. they are popular with farm owners and so forth because cell service is very expensive in these countries. most local merchants wont sell them without you presenting proof that it being shipped out (bill of laden). they do turn up at hamfests from time to time and the amps also surface. i have a pair of the amps (base and mobile) that i bought at a local fest to tune for 6m. they come tuned to the 47mhz band and have so-239 conectors on them. i dont understand how these units would interfere with aircraft freqs if they were put to use here in the u.s. as it would take a third harmonic to get into the air band if someone where to use (illegally of course) put them to use. finding an antenna tuned for those freqs is near impossible (you'd have to roll your own) and theres soo many 47mhz cheapo phones out there that its range would still be cut short. i havent seen any in the 150mhz range yet. theres plenty of noisy paging transmitters in that band though.. maybe they crack down on those!

i dont see its benefits in an urban area. maybe in a rural area it may be worthwhile but then again a 2.4ghz cordless has amazing range when sitting in a 2 or third story window. i just cant see this as being such a common problem.

robert
ke4mcl
miami

 

This is a real problem.  There have already been a number of documented cases of these long range cordless phones interfering with air traffic control safety-of-flight communications, and also to amateur communications.

Also, several vendors have been shown to sell to anyone who walks in their door, or calls them, and is willing to pay the price, without any verification as to where the item is going to be used.

The aeronautical frequencies are protected throughout most of the world by international treaties, yet these items are being produced, exported/imported and marketed by unscrupulous outfits.

For more info, see http://www.aerorfi.org


Mark

 

Not to get too technical here, but it's called a

BILL OF LADING

The individual that the US wants, dead or alive is:

OSAMA BIN LADEN

It is NOT a

BILL OF LADEN.

Just a clarification...

 

According to most of the complaints I see on aviation-related web sites, the interference is seen largely in the 133.875 - 134.650 MHz range. One of these boxes, operating at 47MHz, would have its third harmonic at 141 MHz. Doesn't make sense, unless the phones are really operating at 44.625 - 44.883 MHz or their signals are somehow getting mixed with some sort of 3.375 MHz signal. (3.58 I could believe, but it doesn't work out.)

This is all academic, of course, the things are illegal and we need to see they're eliminated from the picture, but one wonders if the aviation interference isn't something else we're not seeing.

Scott KD4DCY (a ham AND a pilot)

 

These Phones are being used in Brazil and Argentina. What is legal in some countries is not legal in others and there is nothing you can do about it. That being said, I'm off to Holland for some hookers and rollies. Hey, it's legal there!

 

quick search on e-bay results in:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1368615474

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1368086974

One of these is selling from the UK. Neither list the freqs.

 

There are, of course, other possibilities for getting a 47 MHz signal to appear in the aircraft band.  A heterodyne with a radio station at the bottom of the FM broadcast band or with TV channels 5 (sum) or 8 (difference) would bring it into the right frequency range.  

 

Hey, it is not just 47 mhz that causes the problem. I ran across a website (gone now) that was advertising high power wireless phones in the aircraft bands. The adds even listed frequencies.

Some in the 144.5 to 148 mhz region too! But site said to put these on alternate frequencies provided lest the "Ham Gestapo", their words, cause a lot of trouble.

Let's help get them or else we will get the blame.

 

I hope more folks don't find out how easy it is to violate. There is very little enforcement on most bands. I feel the FCC should crack down on all bands and make a few examples, including CB and FRS. The word "Family" should be replaced by another "F" word to more accurately describe the communications on those frequencies.

Also I really like the following quote
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">BILL OF LADING

The individual that the US wants, dead or alive is:

OSAMA BIN LADEN

It is NOT a

BILL OF LADEN.

Just a clarification... [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ag4rc @ July 15 2002,12:12)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">http://www.no-air-time.com[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
How cute; they're also offering several ham rigs with no mention of the license required, or even that they're amateur rigs.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (danaluke @ July 23 2002,17:29)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">One man's opinion...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
You ARE legally entitled to own a "no charge per call/minute" cordless telephone.  You can purchace FCC approved cordless phones that operates within the personal communication frequencies at a reasonable power and range.  You can identify these by an FCC sticker attached to the phone.

You can save a "few dollars" by not purchasing a $500+ import telephone and possibly subject yourself to fines similar to those that started this thread.  I would recommend spending at least $100 for a quality consumer-approved telephone.  A phone of reasonable quality should not exceed $200.

You can extend the range of this phone by properly installing it.  Optimal mounting locations would include hanging it on a kitchen-style wall mounting jack or placing the phone on a bookshelf.  Such installation would yeild 1 to 2 miles in an unobstructed rural area.  Or, in a rural city, expect 500 to 1,000 feet.  (one or two blocks)  This is more than enough range to use your personal telephone inside the house or outside in the yard.  You will receive slightly better results outside if you stand.  (the same as with cellular telephones)

I do not agree with your suspicion that telephones that intefere with aircraft frequences are illegial for a "few dollars out of the pockets of big cell phone companies".  The reasons are more along the lines of regulation and public safety.

If you fell "ripped off" by your "big company", it is common sense to find a cheaper telecommunications provider that offers service to meet your demanding needs.  In the past, cellular communication was a business (and luxury) tool costing several dollars per minute air-time in addition to seperate long distance toll charges.  So, a little over a decade ago, you would have had nothing to complain about because for average consumers, the service didn't exist.

I studied, am licensed for use of the amateur radio service, and abide by the service regulations set forth by the Federal Communications Commission.  You have a legal means to protest such regulations when you feel necessary through LEGAL means as we (amateurs) do as well as other citizens.  Contact a legal advisor and check the FCC for more information on such procedure.

For the record here, there are legal means to provide "around-town" commuication to and from your house.  You can obtain (purchase) a GMRS (general mobile radio service) license that will authorize (to make legal) you and your household family use of such equipment.  You can contact a radio dealer or your local radio shack to purchase such equipment.  Tell them you are interested in a GMRS mobile/portable and a base radio and necessary equipment to install it.  Included with the equipment are instructions for sending the yearly registration fee to the FCC.  I reccomend reading the GMRS page on the FCC site for the current fee and any current regulations as they usually change since time of printing.  The papers included with the radio should also state this.

73,
KD5RFTurkey

P.S.  A ham's opinion...

 

There really does exist a need for this type of phone here in the U.S. The problem
is- these particular phones are on the "wrong" frequencies. The FCC should set
aside some spectrum for this type of use. The cellular phone companies are
finally getting cheap enough, but they still have a ways to go before they are
"reasonable" enough that everyone can own and use one. I can see a legitimate
use for a long range cordless phone service- small business owners who have a
storefront a couple of miles or so from home who don't want to pay the call
forwarding fees to the phone company, or maybe it's just convenient to have
a long-range phone for that morning jog around the neighborhood so you don't
miss that important phone call. I say regulate them, don't ban them...but then,
you have the problem of a 10 watt handheld talkie next to some guy's head
giving him cancer....can this even win? Less power and everyone will have to
have a tower in their backyard! Oh well- something to think about.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (danaluke @ July 23 2002,18:29)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The bottom line is that our corrupt central government and the FCC is preventing us from having access to equipment and capabilities that we want to have so that big companies can rip us off and make huge profits.  Increasingly, people are starting to realize this and just go ahead and do what they please.  Don't get me wrong... chaos is a bad thing, and I don't support it... but it's what we're going to get if our goverment doesen't get more responsive to the wants and needs of the general population.

One man's opinion...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
While I agree with your sentiments (to some degree) about our "American Government" over-regulating our nation and losing touch with the modern populace, there are two ways that I know of that you can go about changing this:
1) The voting booth.  I would bet my bottom dollar you do not vote.  Or vote infrequently.  Just an educated guess...
2) A rifle.  To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, "A little revolution is good for the people now and then."
While Number Two can be extremely dangerous, I suggest you resort to Number One, unless you have enough firepower to overcome the National Guard and declare your independence.   Otherwise, the use of these phones could cause a severe accident or worse in the skies, as these frequencies are relegated to the aircraft industry.  You would not want to be held accountable for something like that, would you?

 

I read somewhere a while back that these VHF phones were Chinese in origin, for what it's worth.

And I wonder why the FCC, which is not above swooping down on a seller of illegal 11M linear amplifiers, can't do something similar to the outfit on 36th St. in NYC, for example, which is selling the illegal "long range" VHF and UHF phone systems.  Word travels fast in an industry where the law is being flouted and it would probably take only one or two examples to force these radios off of the public market.  eBay sure ain't gonna do it, based on their past performance, and they probably shouldn't have to be the ones to do it anyway.

Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.