non ham needs a little help for radio mod

[irvy76]

I am a Police Officer that works for a dept that due to budget cuts no longer provide portable radios. so I have just purchased a Wouxun kg-uv2d for the 136-174 and 420-520 and i have been told that because I am a PO i am FCC part 90 compliant and downloaded the program i was instructed to download to "expand the frequencies" because the radio I ordered a ham only radio that requires this modification. my question is WHAT FREQUENCY RANGE DO I USE how do I "expand the frequencies" i see a span of frequencies on the low and high rx and tx frequencies (136-174 low power) (400-470 high power) the transmit and receive frequencies i need to operate (on both vhf and uhf thats why I got this radio) fall in that range so what do I have to do to get my radio to accept the police/fire frequencies. I am not a radio guy so please for anybody kind enough to answer 1st don't laugh too hard and 2 - please try to explain to me how to do this like I am 5 years old I not a real tech type but yet do not want to run to a radio guy with every little problem I would like to be able to work on my own stuff. thanks in advanced

 

[kb2vxa]

First of all anything not FCC certified for Part 90 operation is illegal if used for that purpose and can get you AND the department in serious trouble. I have personal knowledge of just such an incident, won't go into details to preserve their honor so just take my word for it and don't do it.

"...i have been told that because I am a PO i am FCC part 90 compliant..."

Nobody is FCC compliant, only radios may be certified. Somebody confused you, you're covered under your department's license but only while conducting official police business. There's a bit of wiggle room here, it all depends on the latitude given you by the department.

 

[n5ims]

First of all anything not FCC certified for Part 90 operation is illegal if used for that purpose and can get you AND the department in serious trouble. I have personal knowledge of just such an incident, won't go into details to preserve their honor so just take my word for it and don't do it.

"...i have been told that because I am a PO i am FCC part 90 compliant..."

Nobody is FCC compliant, only radios may be certified. Somebody confused you, you're covered under your department's license but only while conducting official police business. There's a bit of wiggle room here, it all depends on the latitude given you by the department.

You may want to check out FCC Identifier WVTWOUXUN04 (https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/tcb...ode=&application_id=877723&fcc_id=WVTWOUXUN04) which indicates that the Wouxun is certified under FCC Rule Part 90 for use within the frequency range 136.0 - 174.0 and 406.1 - 470.0 MHz.

I recommend that the OP take their Wouxun to their department's radio person to make sure it is programmed correctly (and legally) for use under their department's license. Insist that they provide authorization for use on that system in writing as well, to cover yourself if any issues arrise. The license covers a specific number and type of radios and the FCC isn't shy about asking for large fines if the license terms are violated. While they may not find out, you don't want to be the fall guy when the department gets a $250,000 fine from the FCC for use of improperly configured or excessive radios.

 

[mancow]

From what I've read it sounds like there is a special software package that reflashes it.

 

[n5ims]

From what I've read it sounds like there is a special software package that reflashes it.

This perhaps? Downloads

 

[rfradioconsult]

Signup for the wouxun group at yahoogropups,com. In the files section you will find the unlock program and the latest ver. 2 programming software.

 

[LtDoc]

Second!
The Wouxun HTs are Part-90 compliant so can be use as you want. (I use one that way.) Sorry, I don't remember where I got the 'unlocking' program, but I thnk you can find it on the Wouxun Yahoo group site.
I'd be careful about the programming after you unlock the thing, you need to know the frequencies and other parameters in use. I'd also recommend getting the programming cable and program! It makes things much easier.
- 'Doc

 

[KB0VWG]

Mine came from Japan

I ordered mine off of ebay and came already opened no mode\s needed.
Michael
kb0vwg

 

[Sporkupine]

I ordered mine off of ebay and came already opened no mode\s needed.
Michael
kb0vwg

From what I've seen, it depends on who sells them...there appears to be a couple of different versions snorkeling around. That being said, if the radio did come limited to the amateur bands, the unlock is trivial with the software linked to above.

It's a great radio at a good price, and the Part 90 cert. makes it a real jack-of-all-trades.

 

[kc9ljt]

"I am a Police Officer that works for a dept that due to budget cuts no longer provide portable radios."
Sounds a little strange but i could be wrong i find it hard to believe that even in these difficult economic times that a Dept. would cut one of the most important pieces of safety equipment that an officer has!

 

[RadioDaze]

This sounds more like a "social engineering" attempt to get information from our collective knowledge of radios. I too find it hard to believe that a PD is not providing radios to its officers. Last thing I want to do is visit a town that has no budget for radios, and who knows what other essential equipment, as well as has folks with no radio knowledge whatsoever trying to program their own personal equipment. Thanks to all who avoided offering assistance in modding the radio and instead pointed out the legal ramifications.

That town sounds like a good place to go get mugged, robbed raped, murdered, etc.

 

[davidgcet]

believe it or not i know a couple towns around here that basically have told officers if they want a portable they must buy it themselves. of course these towns have a police chief and MAYBE 1 other officer, and a total population of 2-300 folks.

 

[Sporkupine]

Thanks to all who avoided offering assistance in modding the radio and instead pointed out the legal ramifications.

Well, it's not like he was asking for some super top secret thing. The information is out there, and those radios are indeed Part 90 certificated, so I don't see what the harm is...

 

[krokus]

You're also assuming that the post was truthful. It might well have been, as RadioDaze pointed out, an attempt by someone to get info. Quite possibly to interfere with their local PD.

 

[twjr80]

While I know the FCC regulations, I can see a police department full of officers using modified amateur radios being a huge problem.

It's already known that this has happened before in a police department that got in trouble due to officers transmitting on unauthorized frequencies. The practice of PD's using modified amateur radio equipment should be illegal period.

 

[Sporkupine]

You're also assuming that the post was truthful. It might well have been, as RadioDaze pointed out, an attempt by someone to get info. Quite possibly to interfere with their local PD.

On the other hand, why would I assume it wasn't truthful?

Like I said, the modification, and the software to do it, is freely and publicly available, and is legal to perform. Now, the act of transmitting on those frequencies may indeed be illegal in certain cases, but like so many other things in life, equipment and ability does not equal intent and action. My main issue was that calling a request for publicly available info "social engineering" is a bit of a stretch...

Let me put it this way: if the OP had said "how do I open up this radio for wide TX?" and left it at that, would there be all this "quite possibly" assuming going on?

Just a thought...

 

[mancow]

Believe it.

There are Counties not too far from me where they have to provide their own vehicle!

This sounds more like a "social engineering" attempt to get information from our collective knowledge of radios. I too find it hard to believe that a PD is not providing radios to its officers. Last thing I want to do is visit a town that has no budget for radios, and who knows what other essential equipment, as well as has folks with no radio knowledge whatsoever trying to program their own personal equipment. Thanks to all who avoided offering assistance in modding the radio and instead pointed out the legal ramifications.

That town sounds like a good place to go get mugged, robbed raped, murdered, etc.

 

[Sporkupine]

While I know the FCC regulations, I can see a police department full of officers using modified amateur radios being a huge problem.

It's already known that this has happened before in a police department that got in trouble due to officers transmitting on unauthorized frequencies. The practice of PD's using modified amateur radio equipment should be illegal period.

It's not a modified amateur radio. It is Part 90 certificated.

Also, illegal? Really? If it was made illegal, would they arrest themselves then, or what?

Sorry, couldn't resist. But seriously. Stop calling it a modified amateur radio. It's not.

 

[mancow]

Sending guys out to the middle of nowhere and they are the only one on duty in the middle of the night should be illegal too. Sending them out with crappy antiquated equipment with weak shift rotated batteries or ancient firmware should be illegal as well.

Sometime you do what you can to make life work. If support isn't provided you generate your own.

While I know the FCC regulations, I can see a police department full of officers using modified amateur radios being a huge problem.

It's already known that this has happened before in a police department that got in trouble due to officers transmitting on unauthorized frequencies. The practice of PD's using modified amateur radio equipment should be illegal period.

 

[Sporkupine]

Sending them out with crappy antiquated equipment with weak shift rotated batteries or ancient firmware should be illegal as well.

Sometime you do what you can to make life work. If support isn't provided you generate your own.

Exactly. I can think of several situations I've been in where a properly programmed Wouxun would have been better than the old, busted-*** Motorola stuff we had to fight with.