if you don't have a liscense but you are a part of the public safety emergancy personnel, can you talk on a ham freq. without getting in trouble? During bad weather even if you aren't liscensed or a part of emergency personnel, can you report bad weather to NOAA on the ham freq.(in my area it would be the Saltgrass net(Houston, Texas)).
Talking on ham frequencies
- Thread starter scanfan03
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N_Jay
Guest
scanfan03 said:
In a word; NO!
Well there are a few exceptions.
1) If there is an imeadiate threat to life or property and no other communications. (True Emergency)
2) If the ham station is under direct control of a licensed operator.
Being involved with "Public Safety" gives you no special rights on the Amature bands.
N_Jay said:
During any weather alert, there is a direct operator from the NOAA weather radio station on the freq. So that means if you wanted to give weather conditions, it would be okay without a liscense as long as there is a NOAA weather radio operator directly controling the freq?
I am not actually going to do this (I don't own a ham radio) i was just curious.
iceman47
Member
To the last!
Does the operator on the NOAA have a ham license?
Is he on a ham frequency?
If he is on a ham frequency, are you sitting next to him?
If the answer to these questions is no, then the answer to your question is,
NO!!!!!!
Does the operator on the NOAA have a ham license?
Is he on a ham frequency?
If he is on a ham frequency, are you sitting next to him?
If the answer to these questions is no, then the answer to your question is,
NO!!!!!!
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N_Jay
Guest
scanfan03 said:
NO!
If there was a ham in the car with you, he could allow you to transmit.
It is not a matter of control over the frequency, it is control over the TRANSMITTER.
And don't go stretching the definition of EMERGENCY to fit your scenario.
The FCC allows any person to transmit on any ferquency in an emergency.
So it is not just any thing you can call an emergency.
cellblock776
Member
No. Use your public safety emergancy radio to call your dispatcher and give them the info to pass on. Even better- Keep a cell phone in your car with the NWS office phone number in the speed dial list. If you have attended any official SKYWARN training you will have been given the proper phone number to call to report weather emergencys. Use the ham radio or a scanner to monitor trained SKYWARN storm spotters on HAM, GMRS, CB or business band freqs.scanfan03 said:
By the way, I often monitor the Saltgrass net through a IRLP linked repeater here in Baton Rouge.
pmoore4321
Member
I can tell you this. I am in the "public safety" field and I am a ham operator. If there is an emergency I am going to talk on any frequency I deem necessary to save lives. If a jurisdiction decides later to prosecute me for my actions then so be it. There is not a jury in the country that is going to convict someone for saving lives by talking on a ham radio.
Years ago a ham radio operator contacted an agency on the public safety frequency to report a DWI driver. Does this constitute an emergency? If he was driving slowly and weaving in his lane? How about driving the wrong way on the freeway (at freeway speed I might add) such as in this case?
The bottom line is use common sense.
Years ago a ham radio operator contacted an agency on the public safety frequency to report a DWI driver. Does this constitute an emergency? If he was driving slowly and weaving in his lane? How about driving the wrong way on the freeway (at freeway speed I might add) such as in this case?
The bottom line is use common sense.
That's not what scanfan is asking...
Just yesterday the constables reported a tornado, but the storm spotters didn't ever report it, so does that give me the right to report it on that freq.? I don't want to start a big argument, all i want is a yes or no. Once again, I'm really not going to do this, I am just curious.
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nmfire10
Guest
NO!
This is how it works. There are no other ways around it. This is it.
1. The only time you are authorized to transmit on a ham radio frequency is when you are using another ham's radio while he/she is standing there with you. You are operating under the ham radio operator's call sign. I say again, THE PERSON WITH THE HAM LICENSE MUST BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU IN THE ROOM OR IN THE CAR.
2. Anyone may use any frequency to call for help in a situation that is an IMMIDIATE LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY. None of what you or anyone else here is describing here fits that criteria. DO NOT DO IT If you manage to find a situation that does fit, you better be ready to defend your actions and defend why you had a radio that could transmit on that frequency to begin with. Unless you just saved a bus load of nuns, you will be thanked and then questioned on it and they might just take the radio too.
This is how it works. There are no other ways around it. This is it.
1. The only time you are authorized to transmit on a ham radio frequency is when you are using another ham's radio while he/she is standing there with you. You are operating under the ham radio operator's call sign. I say again, THE PERSON WITH THE HAM LICENSE MUST BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU IN THE ROOM OR IN THE CAR.
2. Anyone may use any frequency to call for help in a situation that is an IMMIDIATE LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY. None of what you or anyone else here is describing here fits that criteria. DO NOT DO IT If you manage to find a situation that does fit, you better be ready to defend your actions and defend why you had a radio that could transmit on that frequency to begin with. Unless you just saved a bus load of nuns, you will be thanked and then questioned on it and they might just take the radio too.
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N_Jay
Guest
scanfan03 said:
NO
Is that clear enough!
KK5FM
Member
Anyone of reasonable intelligence with an interest in radio should be able to pass a technician class license test... :wink:
cellblock776
Member
He doesn't want to pass the test. He wants to have a radio with him for which he is not licensed and to transmit on that radio. Why he chose Ham radio is beside me. He could have just as easily gotten a GMRS radio or Marine band radio. Hey, there's an idea. Pick up a Marine radio at a outdoor shop like Academy, put it on ch 16 and when you see severe weather you can call the nearest Coast Guard monitoring station and ask them to relay the info to NOAA. Of course they may want to know why you are operating on the Marine bands while driving down a State highway. But that is beside the point. Seems to me that if you are
Good luck with your Marine radio. Say hi to the CG duty officer for me.
Steve
moderator of Scan Baton Rouge
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scanbatonrouge
whatever that means, you would have department issued commo available to use to notify the proper agency. I work and volunteer with the local FD as a firefighter and EMT. Like all active members of that department have a FD issue radio with channels to reach the Fire Station, the Police Department or SO dispatch and even neighboring departments. There's a 2 meter radio installed at our Fire Station to relay messages to SKYWARN, Red Cross or the State EOC when a ham (usually me) is present and we want to keep the FD channels clear for other purposes. But if you aren't a ham then you stay off that radio.
Good luck with your Marine radio. Say hi to the CG duty officer for me.
Steve
moderator of Scan Baton Rouge
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scanbatonrouge
D
DaveNF2G
Guest
pmoore4321 said:
That jury comment is irrelevant. If you're charged with violating the Communications Act, you probably won't get a jury trial or have the right to one. You would have a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, at which proceeding you would have the right to assistance of counsel. The ALJ will decide whether your definition of "emergency" is consistent with the regulations and whether your actions were reasonable. If he/she decides they were not, then you pay a fine.
You may, of course, appeal the ALJ's finding, but appellate courts don't have juries, either.
Thanks for the info, like i said I WASN'T GOING TO DO THIS, THIS IS FOR INFO ONLY! Can i close this, or does Lindsay have to?
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nmfire10
Guest
scanfan03 said:
Right.....
cellblock776
Member
Looks like the Volunteer forum at Firehouse isn't the only place to find whackers.nmfire10 said:
Steve, KC5SAS
moderator, Scan Baton Rouge
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scanbatonrouge
cellblock776
Member
Scanfan03,
What type of lights and siren do you have on your POV? Do you have rotators, strobes or LEDs? Lightbar on the roof or just dashlights? Do you use red or blue lights?
Cellblock
What type of lights and siren do you have on your POV? Do you have rotators, strobes or LEDs? Lightbar on the roof or just dashlights? Do you use red or blue lights?
Cellblock
pmoore4321
Member
I guess the question should be, "What constitutes a IMMEDIATE LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY?" Would people be in an immediate life threatening situation if a vehicle was traveling at highway speeds in the opposing lane of traffic?
The bottom line is use common sense and be able to justify your actions.
Jury or judge makes no difference. The point is the same.
The bottom line is use common sense and be able to justify your actions.
Jury or judge makes no difference. The point is the same.
afterimage84
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2003
- Messages
- 30
cellblock776 said:
From the whackers fourm at Firehouse.com (I HAD too look):
Of course, if I'm involved in a MVA or fire remember that in addition to the medical gear I have the Remington 12gauge shotgun and spare ammo in the trunk. There should also be a Ruger P-89 with about 45 rounds of 9mm ammo in 3 magazines in the passenger compartment and I usually wear a concealed Bersa .380cal pistol with 3 magazines on my waist. In case of wreck, get me out and have the police officer on the scene secure my stuff. In case of fire, run like heck.
Be safe,
Cellblock
a cop wannabe is waaaaaaaayyyyy worse than a whacker any day of the week. jeezus what do you think is gonna happen to you? all that ordinance "just in case" huh? you must be one hell of a lot of fun at parties....and one hell of a bad shot...
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