MURS legal in Kentucky?

[wwhitby]

I'm going to be traveling to Louisville in caravan next weekend. We were planning on using my MURS HTs to keep in touch, but when I read the Kentucky anti-scanner law, it mentions prohibiting radios "capable of either receiving or transmitting radio or other messages or signals within the wave length or channel now or which may hereafter allocated by the FCC, or its successor, for the purpose of police radios"

It sounds like that would be broad enough to prohibit MURS radios, since they can be used in the VHF band that the police use.

Has anyone had any experience with MURS use in Kentucky?

Thanks,

Warren

 

[Josh]

Yes you can use MURS in Kentucky, it's absurd, absolutely ABSURD to think otherwise, and I think you may be the first to ever bring it up.

Why would it be illegal? HAM radio can be on VHF, so does that make using ham radio illegal too? Or how about all the thousands of McDonalds using 154.57 and 154.6 for communications... or the countless stores like Wal*Mart doing the same.

 

[wwhitby]

I don't think its absurd to ask the question. IMHO, the law is absurd, not the question. Its a perfect example of a law that needs to be dropped or changed.

I'm not a lawyer, but the law appears to be vague enough that it could apply to the Motorola HTs that I use for MURS. After all, they are capbable of being programmed to receive police radio signals.

From what i've read on the web today, until Kentucky specifically exempted amateur radio operators in their statute, their ham radios were liable for confiscation. After all, they could be programmed for police frequencies - even if they couldn't, they could be operated in the VHF band.

While searching the web, I read a story about a truck driver that deliberately went through the border-area scales in Kentucky at 1 minute after midnight on the day that the changes to the Kentucky anti-scanner law exempting ham radio operators(he parked just outside of the border until that time) went into effect. The "scale cop", as he put it, tried to confiscate his ham gear since he was in violation of the anti-scanner law. He told them about the new law, a phone call was placed, and the "scale cop" had to drop the issue. He did want to inspect his radio gear, though.

There was also a story about a ham having his ham radio confiscated by the police for violation of the law back in 1995-96, even though it couldn't receive signals outside of the 144-148 Mhz. I think it was an old HTX-202.

Warren

 

[Josh]

If the frequencies in the radios you use can't be easily (aka front keypad) changed, then there should be no issue since the radios cannot be programmed by you at the time, and don't (or at least shouldn't) have the police frequencies used in the area programmed in.

Of course, if you use a moto as a police scanner, well, then that would more-or-less fall into their law. Amateur radios usually have wide-band receivers and are almost always FPP, so programming repeaters is easy, likewise programming police frequencies is just as easy.

-Josh

 

[searchrescueff]

Why would it be illegal? ........ Or how about all the thousands of McDonalds using 154.57 and 154.6 for communications... or the countless stores like Wal*Mart doing the same.

Just a note..... Wal-Mart actually uses the business band channels for their store communications, and since they use 2 watt Motorola XTS Series radios, why bring them into it?? I work for Wal-Mart and every store I have gone to has used a business band channel. Out of 5 stores in my area, 3 use the same frequency. And about McD's, you'd be good to hear them a mile away. I should know, I live just over a mile from one. And unless I am mistaken, a business using a BBC doesn't actually require a license unless you are using a radio that exceeds 2 watts. (and I could be wrong to, so don't quote me.)

 

[mastr]

Even 2 watts requires a license on 150-174 or 450-470 mhz, except for MURS and specific temporary law enforcement uses. Having said that, there are probably thousands of users who choose to ignore the requirement for same. It can lead to "interesting" conversations at times.

 

[z96cobra]

Just a note..... Wal-Mart actually uses the business band channels for their store communications, and since they use 2 watt Motorola XTS Series radios, why bring them into it?? I work for Wal-Mart and every store I have gone to has used a business band channel. Out of 5 stores in my area, 3 use the same frequency. And about McD's, you'd be good to hear them a mile away. I should know, I live just over a mile from one. And unless I am mistaken, a business using a BBC doesn't actually require a license unless you are using a radio that exceeds 2 watts. (and I could be wrong to, so don't quote me.)

Business Band radios and MURS have some common frequencies... So I imagine that is why he "brought" Wal-Mart into the post.

Roger