Illegal cb and amplifier enforcement action in Illinois

[reedeb]

And yet the local smokey won't even catch the illegal immigrants flooding the country. BUT according to someone They will grab someone and his radio and rig? I think the smoke is blowing here. Since radios are FEDERAL and Local Yokels don't know a CB from a microwave they have NO evidence of a crime. They would not even know WHO to grab let alone for WHAT. The ONLY way they can do this is IF an FCC agent is with them and they can catch the guy on the radio. Just driving into a truckstop is not the reason for arrest. Too many Civil Rights violations for that

 

[freqs]

The FCC can not do anything to your CDL at all .And I never heard anyone looseing thier job over a FCC fine now it may if they go by a arrest record .Its not just truck drivers useing illegal rigs in my area its all over the place hi powerd radios in homes cars trucks everywhere.I still use CB from time to time for work related but it is a joke and a waste land at best

 

[rexgame]

Needless to say the State Police and the local police in the State of Pennsylvania has the authority to enforce all part 95 laws when it comes to illegal activities.

I highly doubt it troops H,J,K, or T, would do that. Though someone in every state tells the same story......Anyway, "a**rammingdonkey**k" seems to be standard greeting on SEPA ham repeaters. And that kat in DELCO has had that huge antenna and amp running for like 30 years right by the barracks on rt 1 in Media. It'll knock your FM right out in the car if he's operating. So I highly doubt swearing is bringing the "wrath" of the feds or stateys.

 

[kb2vxa]

I see you guys are still ignorant concerning the powers of the FCC and law enforcement that backs it up since they have no enforcement powers of their own but I won't bother to explain again since you never listen anyway. As stated early on in this thread rumors abound and I find them hysterically funny like the one about blowing a fuse. Now pray tell how a customer can blow a 600A high voltage primary fuse under ANY conditions? It's there to protect the line should the pole pig short out and try to take the sub with it... just FYI. Light blinking is believable though considering how they try to run kilowatt amps off 115V and horribly unbalance the mains, hams are smart enough to run separate 230V lines. (;->)

Just to clarify one point though since somebody said state and local LEOs have jurisdiction, they do. It is the sworn duty of every officer from the local beat cop on up to enforce every law up to and including federal statutes. Don't confuse that with FCC rules and regulations, although they can they seldom do because they have no need to know them and wouldn't recognize a violation if it stared them in the face. Don't put it past them though, one just might be a ham and many are. I have personally witnessed various NJ departments and the NYPD bring down the hammer of Thor!

"I still use CB from time to time for work related but it is a joke and a waste land at best."
I can't blame you since the intent specified in the rules is for short range business and personal use and it became mired in a swamp of abuse.

Just so you know; while the FCC still does regular inspections of radio and TV broadcasters (the worst offenders BTW) they haven't monitored the bands in many years. Notwithstanding, should they get an interference complaint they jump like Jack over the candlestick or like him their hindquarters would get excessively warm. If you want to see what's going on in the world the FCC has the place for you to visit:
EB - Field Issued Citations, Notices of Apparent Liability (NAL) and Notices of Violation (NOV)
When it comes to ham and CB the ARRL often is on the inside track ahead of the official government listing:
American Radio Relay League | ARRL - The national association for AMATEUR RADIO

 

[Token]

There was a trucker that was swearing over the cb radio and the other truckers told on him and when he got off the interstate the police were there at the Truckstops of America and nabbed him.
Gave him a free ride to jail, took his radio, amp, antenna the works.
Confiscated the whole truck.

Do you have one single, small, sliver of evidence or documentation to support this wild claim? And that any such potential confiscation was related to illegal CB activity vs some other charge, such as assault or threats of violence?

Have you actually ever listened to long haul truckers on CB? If violently swearing over the CB while running an amplifier was all it took to get arrested, or even reported by anyone, the number of over-the-road drivers would be much smaller than it is.

Needless to say the State Police and the local police in the State of Pennsylvania has the authority to enforce all part 95 laws when it comes to illegal activities.

Even if this is true, each regulation defined has a specific maximum penalty. For the State Police to enforce a Federal regulation they would have to enforce it to the extent allowed by law. Show me in writing (other than your own rambling) were they can confiscate a radio, amplifier, antenna, and truck, for unlicensed operation.

Thats what I would want to do - loose my job and my truck and my license over something as stupid as the CB radio.

Again, show me the authority of the FCC or local police to confiscate your vehicle for talking over the CB. Since that is almost possible under the most extreme imaginable scenario please show me were any violation of Part 95 regulations can be tied to a CDL. Don’t guess at it, don’t make it up, if it is allowed or if it has ever been done 5 minutes or less of research will show it.

I was under the impression that you were a young person who knew a very few things about radio, maybe starting to get going in the radio hobby. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, as it were. Many such individuals believe they know more than they actually do, and spout off with incorrect information or rumor as if it is gospel. However, I am starting to arrive at the same conclusion as several others on the forums here, it begins to look like intentional trolling or disinformation.

T!

 

[com501]

Only a Federal Agent, with a duly sworn warrant (the FCC field agent has John Doe's) can seize Federally licensed equipment. The local police would not have the authority to do so, without the approval of the FCC or for some other reason, such as the equipment being stolen.

This is a ludicrous post (but funny). Having been on the serving end of several radio seizures while working with the local FCC agent, I can tell you that they CAN seize equipment, but only items pertaining to the violations they are enforcing.

 

[Ohio_359]

hams are smart enough to run separate 230V lines. (;->)

I'm a CB'er and I have 2 dedicated 220v lines. Why do you guys always have to be so condescending towards CB'ers?

I belong to a number of forums, and I read a lot of silly stuff written by CB'ers, but most of that can be chalked up to ignorance. I also read a lot of silly stuff written by HAMs, and they took a test for heaven sake!! You guys would be better served to suppress your jealousy of the CB crowd, and drop the condescending attitude.

 

[62Truck]

Depending on the LEO's in that area, it's possible he could be at least stopped and investigated? I'm sure he'd be pretty miffed by LEO's running the serial #'s of all the equipment in that van plus a check on lic,insurance etc.
I seem to remember some legislation allowing local or maybe state authorities to confiscate this crap if deemed unlawful according to the FCC. I don't know the particulars of this ruling tho....


73,
n9zas

I just spoke to my friend today and we talked about it he mentioned that he saw a white van driving around with gov't plates and those circular like antennas on the roof and also saw the mentioned van with the illegal amps driving around also minus the antenna's so maybe the got this guy.

 

[com501]

I just spoke to my friend today and we talked about it he mentioned that he saw a white van driving around with gov't plates and those circular like antennas on the roof and also saw the mentioned van with the illegal amps driving around also minus the antenna's so maybe the got this guy.

The FCC enforcement engineer drives an unmarked vehicle, with standard plates and NO antennas. They operate just like DEA does, with a stack of different state plates in the back that they can swap, so they look like a 'local'.

 

[com501]

I'm a CB'er and I have 2 dedicated 220v lines. Why do you guys always have to be so condescending towards CB'ers?

I belong to a number of forums, and I read a lot of silly stuff written by CB'ers, but most of that can be chalked up to ignorance. I also read a lot of silly stuff written by HAMs, and they took a test for heaven sake!! You guys would be better served to suppress your jealousy of the CB crowd, and drop the condescending attitude.

Good for you on your power consumption, it helps my stock value.

Taking a test that you crammed to learn the answers to isn't really proof of anything except you can memorize questions for a short period of time.

There are just as many uninformed questions in these forums from supposed 'hams' as there are from 'CBers'. At least SOME in both services are knowledgeable.

 

[reedeb]

I'm a CB'er and I have 2 dedicated 220v lines.

WOW I got THREE [Stove,Dryer, AC]

Lemme guese you don't have a dryer?

 

[com501]

I have 3-phase 480v at my house, it runs the barn and welding shop. Of course, I have plenty for my Henrys.

I'm into SMALL installations now. How little power does it take to work someone on another continent?

 

[nd5y]

How little power does it take to work someone on another continent?

If you have a good antenna system and use CW or some of the low speed low bandwidth digital modes you can work around the world with less than 1/2 watt. Hams do it all the time.

I don't know what the distance record is with the lowest power. If the band is open good it doesn't make much difference how much power you run.

Back when I had a house in the Fort Worth area I only had a crappy random wire antenna in the attic and still worked Europe, Japan, NZ and Australia lots times using PSK31 and MFSK16 modes on the 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter bands at 10 watts or less.

google QRP

 

[Token]

I don't know what the distance record is with the lowest power. If the band is open good it doesn't make much difference how much power you run.

Yeah, not sure if there is really going to be a record like that. There might be a claimed record, or one that is called "official" for a specific band, but I rather doubt if that is the actual lowest power used for a contact. I would bet for almost any official record there are dozens of contacts that have been made at lower power.

A good example of QRP would be the pirate beacons scattered around the HF spectrum. Some of them are as little as 10 mW or less and have been reported around the World. I know of one from California that is running 100 mW or less at the antenna that has been reported from Hawaii and Japan.

T!

 

[reedeb]

Ya know I sat on a small mountain in Maine one day and was chatting with myself on the radio. [I guess it means I talked around the world.] I'm kidding of course.

 

[62Truck]

The FCC enforcement engineer drives an unmarked vehicle, with standard plates and NO antennas. They operate just like DEA does, with a stack of different state plates in the back that they can swap, so they look like a 'local'.

I guess my friend was feeding me a line of crap then.....

 

[rexgame]

They operate just like DEA does, with a stack of different state plates in the back that they can swap, so they look like a 'local'.

DEA uses affiliate vehicles from local jurisdictions. If they were to illegally switch license plates, all DOJ cases in which DEA agents did this would be thrown in the garbage. This is one the the things in front of Congress about BATFE's Project Gunrunner. After incidents like killing Ashley Villarreal, DEA makes sure every detail is legal.

 

[Fast1eddie]

Ah, let me think....not once ever in my law enforcement training and service were we instructed to go after 11 meter ops. Now that's a crime that is a threat against society.....Sorry Chief, I passed on that big drug bust, felt the illegal 11 meter ops was a priority.....right, I'll get right on that. Better make sure the arresting officer's frequency counter and rf measuring equipment is calibrated whose accuracy is directly traceable to the bureau of standards......not to mention the additional training that would have to be administered to the troops for legal purposes. Governement has the funding to chase cber's???? Right.

I can imagine the defense attorney's lining up for this. It's a Federal offense, not a state or other political subdivision's issue. Only the Fed's can enforce FCC regs, not LE.

Now, let me get back to that pile up on channel 19.

 

[kb2vxa]

To begin with, that truck being "confiscated" when the correct word is impounded has two possibilities:
1) Somebody doesn't know what he's talking about.
2) A motor vehicle violation that warranted it such as "operating an unsafe vehicle".
In any case should the story be true it had nothing to do with CB other than when the draggin' wagon arrived the radio gear just went along for the ride.

Since the following was directed at me I feel it deserves an answer.

"I'm a CB'er and I have 2 dedicated 220v lines."
You're openly admitting to illegal operation OR you're operating an electric clothes dryer and rather large air conditioner.

"Why do you guys always have to be so condescending towards CB'ers?"
Because most (but not all) are ignorant or complete idiots.

"I belong to a number of forums, and I read a lot of silly stuff written by CB'ers, but most of that can be chalked up to ignorance."
The cure for ignorance is education but there just ain't no fixin' stupid.

"I also read a lot of silly stuff written by HAMs, and they took a test for heaven sake!!"
Likewise there are a lot of paper hams since testing has been "dumbed down" to the point of simply memorizing the question pool and correct answers. When acing a test, any test, you learn nothing.

"You guys would be better served to suppress your jealousy of the CB crowd, and drop the condescending attitude."

From my position of having been 45+ years heavy into CB and Amateur Radio plus a dozen other radio and electronics related things I feel qualified to talk and write from practical experience, jealously has NOTHING to do with it. As for a condescending attitude; when CB and ham dum dums alike wise up it will be dropped. On the other hand I regularly scan the skies for flying pigs.

 

[marconi949]

To begin with, that truck being "confiscated" when the correct word is impounded has two possibilities:
1) Somebody doesn't know what he's talking about.
2) A motor vehicle violation that warranted it such as "operating an unsafe vehicle".
In any case should the story be true it had nothing to do with CB other than when the draggin' wagon arrived the radio gear just went along for the ride.

Since the following was directed at me I feel it deserves an answer.

"I'm a CB'er and I have 2 dedicated 220v lines."
You're openly admitting to illegal operation OR you're operating an electric clothes dryer and rather large air conditioner.

"Why do you guys always have to be so condescending towards CB'ers?"
Because most (but not all) are ignorant or complete idiots.

"I belong to a number of forums, and I read a lot of silly stuff written by CB'ers, but most of that can be chalked up to ignorance."
The cure for ignorance is education but there just ain't no fixin' stupid.

"I also read a lot of silly stuff written by HAMs, and they took a test for heaven sake!!"
Likewise there are a lot of paper hams since testing has been "dumbed down" to the point of simply memorizing the question pool and correct answers. When acing a test, any test, you learn nothing.

"You guys would be better served to suppress your jealousy of the CB crowd, and drop the condescending attitude."

From my position of having been 45+ years heavy into CB and Amateur Radio plus a dozen other radio and electronics related things I feel qualified to talk and write from practical experience, jealously has NOTHING to do with it. As for a condescending attitude; when CB and ham dum dums alike wise up it will be dropped. On the other hand I regularly scan the skies for flying pigs.

In your opinion why did they dumbed down the Ham test, and should it have been done ?