Unauthorized Transmissions

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

We had something similar pop up in Florida. In one specific case it was an unlicensed base station installed at a golf course that communicated with terminals on golf carts that have GPS and a bunch of buttons to order drinks and call 911 etc. It was a pain to find because it was located very low in some rolling hills. When I contacted the vendor they were unapologetic about their unlicensed crap interfering with UHF FL turnpike receivers.

It also could be a GPS reference station. The vendors of these are equally clueless.

 

[mmckenna]

It also could be a GPS reference station. The vendors of these are equally clueless.

I doubt it. It's telemetry alright, but it's on a schedule. It'll go out and poll the stations at the same time every day. I can hear the remotes answering back with a much weaker signal. What I've got going for me is that it's on the same schedule -every- day, like clockwork.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I doubt it. It's telemetry alright, but it's on a schedule. It'll go out and poll the stations at the same time every day. I can hear the remotes answering back with a much weaker signal. What I've got going for me is that it's on the same schedule -every- day, like clockwork.

That will make finding it a bit easier.

 

[Bob1955]

The availability of low cost analog field programmable radios marketed on consumer sites, along with programming data and instructional material from other sites, makes it too easy for domestic terrorists and insurgents to penetrate such venerable systems. I feel for these agencies who's employees are literally fighting for their lives in the streets, have to battle a sea of intentional interference, fake calls, and profanity while trying to work the air.

Why is Amazon.Com allowed/permitted to sell these transceivers? They aren't even FCC certified. I read that all of them were illegal to sell and purchase as of last September 2019.

 

[mmckenna]

Why is Amazon.Com allowed/permitted to sell these transceivers? They aren't even FCC certified. I read that all of them were illegal to sell and purchase as of last September 2019.

It's pretty complex:

Amateur radio TRANSMITTERS do not require type certification. Even mass produced ones.
Receivers require Part 15 certification.
Radios used in other radio services (LMR, Marine, Aircraft, etc) do require type certification on the transmitters.

The CCR manufacturers get around this a couple of different ways:
Radios are shipped set to only allow amateur radio frequencies, but can be opened up to access others.
Some CCR manufacturers have falsified the test results/labels, pretty much anything they want.
Some just don't care and do whatever they want, Amazon, E-Bay, etc, they don't care, they are just looking to make a buck.

Meanwhile, the FCC has allowed this to happen. The notice sent out last year was the first time they really did anything about it, and even then it was pretty weak.

The other issue we have is unknowing consumers, hobbyists, amateurs, even some commercial users, know absolutely nothing about type certification or just don't care. They see an inexpensive radio that will do what they want and they buy it.

 

[Bob1955]

It's pretty complex:

Amateur radio TRANSMITTERS do not require type certification. Even mass produced ones.
Receivers require Part 15 certification.
Radios used in other radio services (LMR, Marine, Aircraft, etc) do require type certification on the transmitters.

The CCR manufacturers get around this a couple of different ways:
Radios are shipped set to only allow amateur radio frequencies, but can be opened up to access others.
Some CCR manufacturers have falsified the test results/labels, pretty much anything they want.
Some just don't care and do whatever they want, Amazon, E-Bay, etc, they don't care, they are just looking to make a buck.

Meanwhile, the FCC has allowed this to happen. The notice sent out last year was the first time they really did anything about it, and even then it was pretty weak.

The other issue we have is unknowing consumers, hobbyists, amateurs, even some commercial users, know absolutely nothing about type certification or just don't care. They see an inexpensive radio that will do what they want and they buy it.

mmckenna-Very well written. They just came out with a new one called a Baofeng UV-5RE Plus with (2) antennas, a 2,800Mah battery and better earphones for $48.98 less $5.00 and is called "professional" series. It is on Amazon.Com. UNBELIVEABLE!
I own a Bearcat BCD-996P2 and just sold a Baofeng UV-5RA that was basically new and barely used. I'm good at selling as I was in the furniture industry for most of my life as a sales rep in the wholesale end of the industry. I also do scanner programming in this area mainly for fire departments. I have a ham license too.
Stay safe.

 

[mmckenna]

I had the opportunity to put 2 UV-5R's on my service monitor a month or so ago.
One was 550Hz off frequency. That's pretty bad. Usually commercial radios are aligned to be less than 300Hz, but most of the time it's easy to get them within 50Hz or so. Trouble with the Baofengs and similar cheap radios is there is no adjustments.
The other one was over deviating. Well outside what was legal.

Unfortunately (or fortunate for me) they were not mine. One of our sites bought them because they were cheap. I've had them replace all of them with Kenwoods. System performance improved greatly by using proper radios that work within spec.

 

[alcahuete]

In the FCC's defense, there's nothing they can do about it. Sure, they can say that no more of these CCRs can enter the country.....just like we do drugs and everything else. But guess what, they make it in anyway. In a global market, it's easy to order something from another country, and the odds of it being caught in customs are damn near zero. They have their hands full with drugs and human trafficking. And with FCC's enforcement bureau being basically completely dismantled (aside from pirate radio stuff), nothing will be done.

 

[nd5y]

Trouble with the Baofengs and similar cheap radios is there is no adjustments.

Unless they changed the design the UV-5R type radios had a trimmer to adjust the reference oscillator frequency. You can even access it without disassembling the radio by peeling back the smaller bottom label on the back.

 

[mmckenna]

Unless they changed the design the UV-5R type radios had a trimmer to adjust the reference oscillator frequency. You can even access it without disassembling the radio by peeling back the smaller bottom label on the back.

That's good to know. If I ever want to waste some time, I'll give that a try.

Now, how to adjust deviation?

 

[nd5y]

Now, how to adjust deviation?

You can only do that with factory alignment software.
The only other trimmer is for output power.

The FCC OET web site with all the certification documentation had a "tune up procedure" for the UV-82. It had screen shots of the software. One tab was "MOD/VOL/FILTE". As far as I know that software has never escaped from the lab.

 

[mmckenna]

As far as I know that software has never escaped from the lab.

Good enough. Not worth my time to try and mess with them. Not suitable for the application anyway.

 

[pb_lonny]

Sadly this is an issue everywhere, even down here in good old Tasmania we still have a illegal transmissions at times.