Time to start reporting to FCC...

[quarterwave]

I have a rental yard that has some Kenwoods they bought from a legit dealer....but they are on GMRS so they don't have to pay for a license. Well, sorry boys, time to report you.

The even better one is the medical offices (in a large group of medical buildings, so I don't know which one yet) that is using GMRS 1, PL 1 and oblivious to it. They call out Dr. names, patient names, and info all the time. Given the range they are running at least 2 watts if not 4. I informed them on the air that they were illegally using GMRS radio frequencies that are not for business use, and that they need to read their manual or see FCC.GOV on GMRS. They said "get off my headset". I said "ok, the next person you hear will probably be a government employee with the FCC and, did I mention this is recorded and you gave out patient info which is also a violation of HIPPA". They said..."everyobody check your headsets, mine is making a noise". LOL.

I actually would like to just mess with them rather than report them right away....just to be devious. Think I will set up my Echo Station simplexor and let it repeat their audio back to them all day, and make a licensing announcement 4 times an hour. That would be obnoxious.....but who do these people think they are?

I know what the proper ways to do things are, I have been in radio for years, but in GMRS, it's either ignorant hillbillies using without license or a business that should know better, but doesnt care.

Just about tired of it. I can turn on PL and ignore it, but it just irks me. Anyone have any real success with reporting illegal ops?

 

[ecollins11]

The local Casino here in town using GMRS channel 20 an they had a DPL of 023 I sent a email to the FCC an they had a visit with them in person an they are no longer on GMRS they are now on 452.0500 an they had a license for that freq.. Took a little over a week..

 

[gewecke]

Try calling them on the phone and advising them nicely first? Many times if they realize that outsiders are listening to their traffic, that may be enough to discourage them, if not then maybe let them know the alternative if they continue?

73,
n9zas

 

[SCPD]

Try calling them on the phone and advising them nicely first? Many times if they realize that outsiders are listening to their traffic, that may be enough to discourage them, if not then maybe let them know the alternative if they continue?

73,
n9zas

Quit trying to be nice...LOL

 

[FFPM571]

So you decide to harass them .. They turn you into the FCC. You say they are operating illegally.. They can always throw the dealer under the bus.. You take the hit for harassment. Nice move.. Call the FCC and stop playing radio police..

 

[62Truck]

Some times calling them and giving a little scare like "I've already contacted the FCC" I did this once after I found a cross band link on Frs channel 7 that was tied into a VHF trbo system at the hospital. The cross link was set up at the radio shops location within a week they took it down.

 

[quarterwave]

So you decide to harass them .. They turn you into the FCC. You say they are operating illegally.. They can always throw the dealer under the bus.. You take the hit for harassment. Nice move.. Call the FCC and stop playing radio police..

Passing on factual information is not harassment. Besides, I think someone using a frequency illegally, is pretty much subject to whatever happens and has no ground to stand on. There is a repeater here, so I am surprised they haven't changed channels due to getting walked on.

In deals like this, someone buys radios, puts them on a channel and a PL and has no clue about monitoring, nor do they care to read the manual. I doubt the medical office bought them from a dealer...sounds like near-toy radios with ear pieces.

They won't like the simplexer, and it will be 100% legal.

 

[gewecke]

So you decide to harass them .. They turn you into the FCC. You say they are operating illegally.. They can always throw the dealer under the bus.. You take the hit for harassment. Nice move.. Call the FCC and stop playing radio police..

What harassment charge? There's no need to identify yourself, other than someone concerned for the rights of others?
The FCC gets a lot of their enforcement data from people who self-police their bands, after contact has been made with no results. I've made two local contacts with offending businesses and now they're in compliance simply by explaining the spectrum.

73,
n9zas

 

[FFPM571]

"I actually would like to just mess with them rather than report them right away....just to be devious. Think I will set up my Echo Station simplexor and let it repeat their audio back to them all day, and make a licensing announcement 4 times an hour. That would be obnoxious.....but who do these people think they are?" Hmmm that sound like harassment...

 

[KD0TAZ]

Sorry but if you are using a frequency illegally, you can't cry harassment.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using some Tappity Talkity thing.

 

[Arizona_Scanner]

Good luck....

I tried for years to shut down GMRS pirates....BLATANT ones operating high dollar companies / organizations off of GMRS frequencies. The Arizona Cardinals ran their stadium operations off of GMRS for a while. One guy was running several hundred watts on all of the FRS and GMRS frequencies, teasing / harassing kids / adults daily. Calls and letters to the FCC did nothing. Emailing the Cardinals got them to switch to a legit system, no FCC needed. The FRS / GMRS local pirate? Still on the air, still ranting and raving and yelling at people, keying over them and saying obscene things. The FCC are a bunch of limp weaklings who only enforce the law when they have some organization pressing them to do so such as hams, or of course with violations that involve public safety radio. As far as GMRS, it is a WASTELAND, and from what I understand the government plans to eventually take the band back and sell the spectrum.

 

[quarterwave]

"I actually would like to just mess with them rather than report them right away....just to be devious. Think I will set up my Echo Station simplexor and let it repeat their audio back to them all day, and make a licensing announcement 4 times an hour. That would be obnoxious.....but who do these people think they are?" Hmmm that sound like harassment...

Perfectly legal, they don't own the PL...and again, they are ILLEGALLY using GMRS.

I understand the point you were trying to make, but I disagree. I won't reply anymore, I don't believe it will accomplish anything. But, thank you for the conversation.

 

[nonperson]

The deviant in me would like to hear some audio recordings of the simplex repeater in action.

 

[methusaleh]

I have a rental yard that has some Kenwoods they bought from a legit dealer....but they are on GMRS so they don't have to pay for a license. Well, sorry boys, time to report you.

Why don't you go back to the dealer, or not use the radios? Is it just your employees who are using them, and not part of administration?

I don't understand why you can't put a stop to it, if you are the business owner (which is what I gather).

Moreover, why not just get a license?

 

[KD0TAZ]

When he says "I have a rental yard", he means thats one of the places he's found using GMRS illegally. It's not 'his' rental yard.

 

[gewecke]

Good luck....

I tried for years to shut down GMRS pirates....BLATANT ones operating high dollar companies / organizations off of GMRS frequencies. The Arizona Cardinals ran their stadium operations off of GMRS for a while. One guy was running several hundred watts on all of the FRS and GMRS frequencies, teasing / harassing kids / adults daily. Calls and letters to the FCC did nothing. Emailing the Cardinals got them to switch to a legit system, no FCC needed. The FRS / GMRS local pirate? Still on the air, still ranting and raving and yelling at people, keying over them and saying obscene things. The FCC are a bunch of limp weaklings who only enforce the law when they have some organization pressing them to do so such as hams, or of course with violations that involve public safety radio. As far as GMRS, it is a WASTELAND, and from what I understand the government plans to eventually take the band back and sell the spectrum.

Back in the 80's there was a "channel pirate" on cb that refused to let anyone else communicate in peace ... until someone decided to locate that op and broadcast their name, address phone number, place of employment on the air at every opportunity he got!
Guess what, it stopped! No one like to be embarrassed by having their behavior blabbed to the public, not even butt tards like that one. IF those measures didn't work, then flyers and recordings of his antics were to be dropped in his friends and families mailboxes!

Extreme measures for extreme problems work.

73,
n9zas

 

[quarterwave]

Why don't you go back to the dealer, or not use the radios? Is it just your employees who are using them, and not part of administration?

I don't understand why you can't put a stop to it, if you are the business owner (which is what I gather).

Moreover, why not just get a license?

Sorry, I wrote that wrong. I know what I meant, and what I should have said was "There is this...."

By saying "I have", I meant it exists in my community. Sorry.

 

[kc8kek]

simplex repeating...

...if you're thinking about reporting them (bored?) then I would think twice about setting up your simplex repeater to jam them. You would be creating harmful interference and attempting to jam a signal. Even if you percieve a transmission to be illegal, jamming it on your part would be illegal too.

 

[KD0TAZ]

Setting up a simplex repeater hardly constitutes jamming or harmful interference - especially if the person doing it is licensed to transmit on GMRS frequencies.

 

[nonperson]

Setting up a simplex repeater hardly constitutes jamming or harmful interference - especially if the person doing it is licensed to transmit on GMRS frequencies.

I agree!

It may be annoying and may cause some confusion to the uninitiated but it is a legitimate piece of equipment and serves a legitimate purpose to the licensed users.

I still say do it, audio record them and post the results.