Trombone player busted by FCC

[KK4JUG]

Some things slip by. If you tell them what they want to hear, you can get by.

Look at me. I worked for one police department for over 30 years.

 

[bharvey2]

Well I think in his case is wasn't just a slip. It seems like a full on ball gown!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The fact that he was an Extra, or even a ham at all, is irrelevant since the illegal operation did not occurred on amateur frequencies.

I really don't see how you can seperate the two. He was an Amateur Extra. He should be well versed in the FCC rules unlike some random EMT making noises on his work radio. He had a chance to stop once the FCC first notified him, but he kept doing it and so he is no longer worthy of his amateur extra license. We have a word for that.

 

[zz0468]

In terms of attention, I suspect the FCC considers GMRS only a step or two above CB.

That much?

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

You've got that right. I've heard the same guy get on one of the local GMRS repeaters and go on a drunken tirade for hours. I turn on a CB about once every 5 years for about 15 minutes and I've heard the same guy. He can't be too hard to find.

I would have fun and have some way to change the input tone on the fly, so when he starts up, just change it to an alternative tone and be done with him.

 

[bharvey2]

I would have fun and have some way to change the input tone on the fly, so when he starts up, just change it to an alternative tone and be done with him.

I don't own or operate any repeaters so it's out of my control unfortunately. To be honest, I'm not sure it would matter. A local repeater linked to a large system routinely gets jammed. One of the network controllers will effectively shut down the repeater for a while. (I don't think it's as simple as changing the input tone because repeater no longer transmits linked transmissions either. The jammer will be back the next day when the repeater goes live again. Apparently stupidity and tenacity are often related.

 

[needairtime]

Seems like the guy is "disappointed" with someone else, specifically the public safety. So, he judged them by interfering with them. If you don't like hearing what they're doing, just turn off your radio!

Chain of events:

May 31, 2018 - initial complaint. Interviews of possible suspects start taking place.
[2 months]
July 24, 2018 - Letter of Inquiry to trombone player.
August 20, 2018 - Complainant reports cessation of interference
October 3, 2018 - Response to Letter of Inquiry
October 17, 2018 - Resumption of interference
[5 months]
March 29, 2019 - FCC brought agents to do RDF. They actually had agents do covert monitoring - they followed the trombone player around and caught him in act. He was playing back the sad trombone sound into the microphone of a radio in a car... how much more primitive could that be...
[ 2 weeks]
April 10, 2019 - FCC had agents to do RDF again and found/followed trombone player around again and caught him in act again.
June 18, 2019 - This letter.

Seems like they had a suspect within 2 months not due to RDF but to interviews. I wonder how long it would take to find the interferer if there were no suspects and it were some random unrelated person. So far all these interference cases tended to be a grudge holder that people knew.

And then if it were on part 95/97 frequencies. Perhaps it's not because of 95/97 that cases are not solved, the only reason why this (and any other) one got solved is because they had a suspect early on.

 

[DeepBlue]

The fact that he was an Extra, or even a ham at all, is irrelevant since the illegal operation did not occurred on amateur frequencies.

I disagree. He should have known and was taught better when working his way through the Amateur Radio ranks. Now, if we start down this road, there's always 7.200 and those repeaters in Cali to talk about, and they all know better too. What happened to professionalism, courtesy and common sense? People, the world would be better off without them. (That's a joke, sort of)

S.
KB8JNE

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

When did being a d**khead become in vogue?

2016

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[mmckenna]

I disagree. He should have known and was taught better when working his way through the Amateur Radio ranks.

Should have known, yes.
Taught better, I doubt it. I bet most amateurs have never read through the entire Part 97 rules, never mind the other applicable rule sections (2, 15, etc). These violations happened under Part 90, and while the "don't be a @*%$" rules apply everywhere, this guy obviously didn't get the message.
You would think a guy with an Extra license would know better, but they often do not.

Glad to see they took his license away, he's not worthy.

 

[Joe_Blough]

-------------------------------
If his trombone has been out of tune he might have had a second violation for being off frequency.

LoL.
On the first generation of Saturday Night Live many many years ago, Dan Akroid and Jane Curtain were having a debate, if I recall correctly it was on the Weekend Update skit. Akroid opened his argument by saying to Curtain "Jane you ignorant sl*t. You jump from one bed to the next like the frequency of a cheap ham radio". Although I thought it was hilarious, I always wondered how many people actually got that joke and why they would use a joke very few people would undertand. Heck, how many would get it today with the elimination of the morse code requirment? I remember the waving CW tones from cheap ham radios.

 

[Joe_Blough]

Note that the interference was to a public safety frequency though! Those they do investigate and expend resources to bring to justice.

Amateur frequencies? Not so much as a peep most of the time.

I think their main priority is the 27 Mhz citizen band, no?

 

[bill4long]

I think their main priority is the 27 Mhz citizen band, no?

The FCC is complaint driven agency. They are not out there scouring the streets and the airways for rules violations. In terms of priority, military, public safety, and commercial broadcast get a clear priority in terms of acting on complaints.

 

[Joe_Blough]

-Proof that having an Extra license doesn't prove any level of intelligence, knowledge or character. Being an amateur only means someone passed the multiple choice test with enough correct answers to not fail.

When I got licensed as a teenager back in the 70's I didn't know anyone to give me the novice exam so I went to an FCC administrated exam for Technician class and passed (either had to take the novice exam first or they had a combined novice and tech exam). Then the next time I went I took the 13 wpm morse code for General Class and the Advanced class written exam at te same time and passed. Then took the Extra written test and 20 wpm morse code and passed. Also took 2nd and later the 1st Class Commercial with Radar endorsement and passed while still in my teens.

A few years later out came the Bash books (I think the author's name was David Bash) which were the exact questions and answers to all the Amateur radio exams. People started calling ham radio licenses give away licenses. Most hams agreed.

Eventally I lost interest in ham radio so let my license expire. Then a few years later I was applying for a job where I thought it would be good to have it as a hobby back on my resume.

By then all the questions and answers were on the internet. I went to the exam and took all three tests (I think at that time they only had Tech, Advanced, and Extra and a 5 wpm morse code requirment) and although they won't tell you your score, I know I aced all of them with 100%. The three vounteer examiners were stunned said they never had anyone do that and asked if I wanted to be a volunteer examiner. I was actually dumbfounded at their surprise and told them that all the questions and answers are on the internet, which of course they knew.

The point is, I don't know when he got his ham license but if he got it after all the questions and answers were published, you are 100% correct.

 

[DeepBlue]

Glad to see they took his license away, he's not worthy.

Sadly, as we all know, you don't need a license to TX so lets hope he gets the hint he isn't wanted on the airwaves.

S

 

[speedway_navigator]

and make stupid "fart noises"

Must be a Monty Python fan.

A band was playing The Liberty Bell during the D day ceremonies on CPAN's coverage.
I've never heard it all the way through, kept waiting for the foot of God to stomp on the band.

 

[zz0468]

2016

=) !!!

 

[KK4JUG]

Having an amateur radio license has nothing to do with this. He knew he what he did was wrong. The little old lady down the street knows it wrong. His only justification for doing it is that he's an idiot.

 

[mmckenna]

Having an amateur radio license has nothing to do with this. He knew he what he did was wrong. The little old lady down the street knows it wrong. His only justification for doing it is that he's an idiot.

I'm sure said "idiot" will be back in 3 years with a shiny new amateur license. Anyone want to take odds that he'll start this up again? I doubt this guy is going to get smarter in the meantime. I'm sure he'll weasel his way out of paying the fines. I'll bet we haven't heard the last of this jackwagon.

 

[KK4JUG]

I'm sure said "idiot" will be back in 3 years with a shiny new amateur license. Anyone want to take odds that he'll start this up again? I doubt this guy is going to get smarter in the meantime. I'm sure he'll weasel his way out of paying the fines. I'll bet we haven't heard the last of this jackwagon.

You might be right but he doesn't need a license of any kind to pull this kind of stunt. I would say put a big monetary penalty on him but that's meaningless because the government seldom collects them.