There is some rumblings that DMR (MotoTRBO) or TDMA FXE emission is illegal on the ham bands. I operate a 440MHz MotoTRBO repeater as well as many others operate around the world.
Anyone have some clarification on legality of FXE emissions on HAM bands? It is an open digital standard based on ETSI.
It is legal. It is a published standard, you can google and find much more in depth detail, which I'd suggest doing so that you know what you're doing is legal as far as FCC Part 97 is concerned and just why it is and how to show someone that it is ok; it's always better than getting legal advice from an internet forum. No, you may not enable encryption to obscure the meaning, but using digital or uncommon modes is not encryption.
Encryption may be used on the ham bands, if you do anything with HSMM in the 2.4ghz range that is shared with a plethora of part 15 non HAM users you'll understand the need for such uses to prevent otherwise unknowing nonHAMs from triggering unlicensed communication using HAM equipment (some do modify routers for high power speed networks but the part15 cert would be gone and they'd be HAM only transmissions with limits as to what can be transmitted at that point). The
intent of the encryption is what it boils down to.
Yet even then, MotoTRBO is not a type of encryption but just a digital mode. FM wasn't illegal when all folks had was AM, SSB wasn't illegal when it was new and most were still using AM, DSTAR, P25, PSK, AX.25 and at least a dozen other digital modes are not encryption, they're just new modes. And when it comes to new modes, one must also remember that the HAM bands are for more than just rag chewing, but also a place for radio amateurs who have proven themselves to have a technical understanding to experiment with new types and applications for radios. So not only is experimenting with new modes something we
can do, but it also something we
should be doing, collectively it's not like I'm saying everyone has to go get (this is RR and I'm sure someone would jump on me for not specifying), and taking radios from other services and employing them for HAM use is just a small part of that.
If your scanner doesn't receive the signal, that doesn't mean that it's encrypted, while I'm sure that's a page out of the motorola sales book to push the P25 to all these agencies, I remember when I had officers telling me that being trunked meant they were encrypted. Most scanners don't pick up 80meters or 10ghz though or show the ID of a 440 ATV signal or catch a spread spectrum transmission, does that mean it's encrypted? Heck no. There's a lot more to the amateur bands and radio than most scanners will handle.
Digital when FM is dead, well I live in an area where I could be one of 5 if not the only ham operating above 50mhz aside from a weekly net, having linked FM repeaters and digital modes that are interconnecting repeaters are making regular communications possible; while I may have an extra class license I'm in an apartment situation (strict lease and new managers moved in next door limiting any balcony solution with no attic) where HF antennas are extremely difficult and cost prohibitive while still being sub par, so in the meantime learning using and experimenting with digital modes is offering me the chance to stay active with a large audience of HAMs from around the world, rather than just going blue in the face calling CQ on 2m. There's no magic mode but everybody has their niche, and I'm all for someone finding that.
