I see.
So why do so many retailers offer it? Seems that would be illegal.
Remind me not to ask any more questions.
To answer your original question, no, it will not hurt performance in the ham bands.
This is a hot button topic with some people, as you can see, and it can really get some skivvies in wad. There are a LOT of threads on it on the forums here. I personally don’t understand the anger factor with some on this. See for example this thread here
http://forums.radioreference.com/am...ut-band-transmit-illegal-stupid-question.html
By the way, using a modified ham radio on a GMRS frequency would not be a violation of a Part 97 (ham) regulation, but rather a Part 95 (GMRS) violation. Well, I guess if you used your ham callsign that might make it a Part 97 violation.
Why should vendors offering equipment that can be modified be illegal? Do I need more regulation to cover things already covered quite adequately? Part 95 clearly says I cannot use non-certified equipment on those frequencies, and most ham gear is not Part 95 certified. On the other hand, there is nothing to stop the use of a Part 90 or 95 device in ham service.
Ham operators are in one of the few services that allow the operator to maintain his/her gear. That means, I can legally fix/modify/build from scratch my own gear. It is up to ME, not the maker of my gear, for ME to know I am in compliance, even when I use a purchased, manufactured, radio. And that is part of why hams are tested for their license, and don’t just get to pay their fee and get a license. As a licensed ham a person is expected to know, among other things, his band limits.
It has only been since the advent of microprocessor controlled radios that this has become an issue. Prior to that ALL ham radios could potentially transmit outside the ham bands, and it was ALWAYS up to the ham to make sure he did not do so.
But even away from that aspect, do we really want to push the cost of ham gear up higher? Not all countries / regions have the same frequency allocations for ham bands, and so radios are often built with multiple bandplan capabilities from the get go. These bandplan options can often be accessed by the same technique that allows the “MARS/CAP” mod. To make unmodifiable country specific versions would push up cost. Not all countries have limitations on using ham gear outside the ham bands. To make a radio that will not sell well in such areas is a poor business model.
In the end it is up to the user to be in compliance. My car is capable of exceeding the maximum posted speed limit in my state, should it be illegal for such a car to be sold? Since the states can't seem to agree on a max speed limit, would there need to be state specific models, and when you cross state lines would the car have to adopt that states standards? I don’t think so, I think it is up to me to use the capability when and where it is appropriate…and to not use it when it is not.
T!
It never gets old.
