Trouble In Amateur Radio Paradise

[vagrant]

It was just before noon when I heard two people talking simplex on the output frequency of a local repeater. It is a repeater I helped to coordinate and install for a local club. The conversation they were having, as well as the cursing, made it clear they were not licensed amateurs. My scanner displayed the PL tone they were using. Still, I listened for a bit to see if I could discern further details about their location, and to see if it would stop just as quickly as it started. It got worse.

It was a male and female arguing and it was clear they knew each other. At this point I stepped in and asked them for a name and call sign. After not receiving an answer I advised that an amateur radio license was needed to talk on the particular frequency. No reply. I then advised that they may want to change frequencies to FRS Family Radio Service where it is licensed by rule. No reply. I signed off with my call.

About five minutes later the male got on and asked me my name. I told him my name and callsign. I asked him if he had an amateur radio license, or if someone with him there had one and what their name and callsign were. No reply. I then re-stated the point that they could instead use the FRS frequencies, but the frequency he was using is for licensed amateur radio operators. He then replied and apologized for using the frequency. I then said no problem and told him to have fun.

You see, the male was probably around six years of age. The girl was more than likely his younger sister around 4. I surely did not want to ruin their radio fun. I also wanted to prevent some jerky curmudgeon being a poor amateur radio ambassador to them.

 

[mmckenna]

You see, the male was probably around six years of age. The girl was more than likely his younger sister around 4. I surely did not want to ruin their radio fun. I also wanted to prevent some jerky curmudgeon being a poor amateur radio ambassador to them.

And this is how it's done. Anyone can be an A.H. Takes some skill and thinking to handle it like an adult.
As a fellow ham, thanks for doing the right thing.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Two weeks ago, I went on an errand and brought my radio with me to monitor the Florida SARNET (statewide). As I stepped out of the store a guy comes on the air yelling and cursing at someone very loudly. So one of the control operators came on and talked to the guy who then apologized. I though perhaps he was on wrong channel, meant to scream at his wife on GMRS or something. So the guy comes on 5 minutes later and randomly raises someone and apologizes etc, and gives a name, callsign and city. I look this guy up later and it seems he was giving a phony callsign. I blame the Chinese radio industry...

 

[popnokick]

They're certainly not "fool" proof, but the Amateur Radio digital voice modes (all of them) make these incidents more difficult and less productive for those with malicious intent, and less likely for incidental wide-area impact for the non-malicious.

 

[chrismol1]

They're certainly not "fool" proof, but the Amateur Radio digital voice modes (all of them) make these incidents more difficult and less productive for those with malicious intent, and less likely for incidental wide-area impact for the non-malicious.

Ha digital malicious intent. Every so often I'll hear a ham yell at a wide area repeater complaining of jamming & interference while they yell at nobody but the digital Fusion side that's been in operation for more than a decade and they refuse to use PL(PL is dirty encryption meant to restrict don't ya know). It was amazing, a few years ago another needed a PL from a better antenna put up increased coverage and subsequently received another repeater. The complaints on the air over the "great PL debacle" were very entertaining. Plenty of old farts ready to have a stroke. Some members had to donate newer than 1970s radios that could do PL. Ahhh ham radio and keeping up with technology and experimentation!

 

[MTS2000des]

I so appreciate RAS aka retard avoidance system. It keeps unauthorized users away like a good roach repellent spray, and puts an end to kerchunkerbators (kerchunking masturbating), cat calls, no calls, etc. Thank you, Motorola Solutions, for adding such a handy feature that ensures those who spent thousands of dollars and dozens of hours building out their repeater systems that they pay dearly for able to enjoy them without being overtaken by Baoturd pirate 6 year olds with radios mom and dad bought off Amazon.
And before you shout "you can't use RAS on part 97"...it's NOT encryption. All voice packets are 100 percent clear voice and one can listen all day long on their scanner/Baoturd digital radio. They just aren't able to freeload or abuse someone else' stuff.

 

[K5MPH]

Maybe with them being so young that some one in there family might be a ham and got ahold of a ham radio......

 

[KK4JUG]

....and maybe the world is flat. Did the youngster get a hold of two ham portables? I'm inclined to think mommy or daddy blessed the kid with a matched set of CCRs.

 

[drdispatch]

I'm still wrapping my brain around a 6 year old cursing.... 😔🤔

 

[KK4JUG]

I'm still wrapping my brain around a 6 year old cursing.... 😔🤔

I'm sure they picked it up at home.....which probably explains a lot of things.

 

[vagrant]

Yeah, the boy kept repeating M.F. really fast in a hushed tone. That hastened my stepping in. The young girl did not seem bothered by it.

Again they were simplex on the output frequency of the repeater, so Moto RAS would not help. My transceivers use a tone as that repeater is a Quantar and running in mixed mode. My scanner is what I heard them on, and why I saw the PL tone which was 71.9 and not the 67.0 often used as a default.

Whether digital or analog, part 97 approved or no approval CCR, it is the person using the radio that needs education and not a knee jerk reaction/response. I have done the same with unlicensed adults on 146.520 during an ARRL VHF contest weekend. Talk about bad timing. No one acknowledged them at first and I listened for a bit to see if they were just driving through town; they weren’t. By now they had called for each other by name. I then addressed them by name and explained basically what I did with the children in my initial post. They got the hint and I have not heard them since. Still, I did tell the adults that if they obtained their license they would be welcome to use the frequency.

I will admit I have grabbed the wrong mic, or TX on the wrong frequency and was embarrassed by the error. Still, by not cursing like a sailor I saved myself to some degree. Ultimately, we all make mistakes. I know I definitely prefer a kind correction over a poorly worded one. Respecting one’s self makes it easy to respect others.

 

[chrismol1]

Yea interesting it was on the repeater output and not default tone. I wouldn't it past the kid that he searched online and found the repeater listing, which of course would be listing the output.

This isn't the first time I've heard a kid on the radio, happens once in while. Last time was last year a child certainly under aged 10 popped up on the sheriffs repeater asking "is this the police? "is this the police" "I'm in my driveway" repeated a few times. Dispatch ignored him and he went away. The kid without a doubt, came to this site and clicked the drop down menu show input frequencies and the tone listed there. I was doing the same thing his age on this site except with my radioshack scanner when I was 12. $20 baofeng, no problem these days

But sounds like a good mission to stick in 136.0250 on the scan list, the default CCR UV5R. Maybe theres a whole new world out there nobody knows about on 136.025

CCR Default Frequencies - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[Firekite]

Yeah, the boy kept repeating M.F. really fast in a hushed tone. That hastened my stepping in. The young girl did not seem bothered by it.

They’re not magic words. Unless someone told her to, there’s no reason she’d know she was supposed to be bothered by it. Clearly the boy knew he was being naughty by saying them. I can only imagine him freezing with wide eyes when some adult responded directly to him 🤣

 

[vagrant]

I can only imagine him freezing with wide eyes when some adult responded directly to him 🤣

Based on his delayed reply and the girl also no longer transmitting, I have a feeling wide eyes is what happened. I'd wager many adults perceive their conversations are "private" when they use a privacy tone.

 

[rescuecomm]

I knew this was coming when the CCR'S were locked into the ham bands. Already had to deal with hunters on a two meter repeater input several years ago. Ain't it wonderful.

 

[bharvey2]

Since the kids were showing up on a ham repeater output, I'd guess that there was an adult involved who programmed the radios. Had they been on a GMRS repeater output, I'd be less surprised that the kids got their hands on some blister pack radios.
I probably spend as much time monitoring GMRS as I do ham bands and it is fairly common for kids and adults who didn't read the fine print regarding licensing information that came with the radios to pop up. I rarely talk to kids unless they're interfering with other communications. However on the rare times I have, a quick explanation of what's proper and what isn't solves the problem. Adults tend to be more stubborn. I've mentioned it here in the past but it took me a couple of attempts with the local hospital whose staff were transmitting sensitive patient information during drive through COVID tests on blister pack GMRS/FRS radios. Friendly and informative demeanor on my part worked. Most of the time the problem is a lack of understanding. No sense being a !@#$%&.

 

[KD8DVR]

I knew this was coming when the CCR'S were locked into the ham bands. Already had to deal with hunters on a two meter repeater input several years ago. Ain't it wonderful.

YES.... Baofengs are now being produced that are locked to the amateur bands and this trend will likely continue until millions of Amateur-only radios are in the hands of the general public. I've noticed kids playing on the UHF-FM call frequency of 446.000. I was nearly out of range of them and didn't know how to do a pl tone scan on an ft-7250.

 

[paulears]

Hmmm 446 is where the UK free to use, no licence required - maybe some intended for the UK got to america instead?

 

[KD8DVR]

Hmmm 446 is where the UK free to use, no licence required - maybe some intended for the UK got to america instead?

I considered that, too. But I was unsure if 446.000 was one of the pmr-446 frequencies or not.

 

[paulears]

They start offset - so the first channel is 446.00625, which is often not available on radios not meant for the band - most folk go down to 446.0000MHz and as they're all wider than they really should be - they chat with the dedicated radios and nobody notices!