YOU CANT USE THOSE RADIOS ON FIRE CHANNELS

[Hamradiostuffing]

I guess we have to be careful about where an when equipment is used.
See Below
-


ENFORCEMENT: YOU CANT USE THOSE RADIOS ON FIRE CHANNELS
Back on this side of the Atlantic, the FCC has told a fire department to
stop using illegally modified ham radio gear. The FCC’s Daryl Duckworth,
NN0W, explains:

--
Duckworth: “The Enforcement Bureau has notified the Bon Secour Fire and
Rescue Department in Alabama that the Amateur equipment they were using was
contrary to Commission rules because it had been modified to operate on
Public Safety frequencies. The letter referred to several Icom IC-V8
handie talkies.”
--

The note went to Karl Bingert who is the Chief Bon Secour Fire & Rescue
Department. It told him that the use of Amateur Radio units of any kind,
modified to operate on its frequencies, is against the Commission’s rules
and would result in enforcement action by the FCC. (FCC, RAIN)

 

[loumaag]

You have to wonder if some guy there figured they could get a deal on ebay from a seller like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=40066&item=5767767685&rd=1

Notice that nowhere does it say this is Ham Radio equipment and all displays are designed to make you think these are for Public Safety band radios. :roll:

 

[N_Jay]

I guess we have to be careful about where an when equipment is used.
See Below
. . . .
The note went to Karl Bingert who is the Chief Bon Secour Fire & Rescue
Department. It told him that the use of Amateur Radio units of any kind,
modified to operate on its frequencies, is against the Commission’s rules
and would result in enforcement action by the FCC. (FCC, RAIN)

Seems there was a fairly long thread on this topic not to long ago.

Now just for fun, we could look at who was on teh "Just do it" side!

 

[qoatzecotl]

I guess we have to be careful about where an when equipment is used.
See Below
. . . .
The note went to Karl Bingert who is the Chief Bon Secour Fire & Rescue
Department. It told him that the use of Amateur Radio units of any kind,
modified to operate on its frequencies, is against the Commission’s rules
and would result in enforcement action by the FCC. (FCC, RAIN)

Seems there was a fairly long thread on this topic not to long ago.

Now just for fun, we could look at who was on teh "Just do it" side!

I'm just wondering who reported them...

 

[johnvassel]

Not to mention the V-8 is the same chassis as the Icom F11/21, which ARE commercial rigs. (It's how I buy accessories for my F21's without getting overcharged).
I work in a township that covers two counties, one uhf, one vhf. It's been VERY tempting to program the FT-50, but I havent. Dont know why, no big fear of big brother, probably a bigger fear that one of the other guys will show up with one, saying 'I told all my buddies we should use THESE!'

john

 

[N_Jay]

Not to mention the V-8 is the same chassis as the Icom F11/21, which ARE commercial rigs. (It's how I buy accessories for my F21's without getting overcharged).
I work in a township that covers two counties, one uhf, one vhf. It's been VERY tempting to program the FT-50, but I havent. Dont know why, no big fear of big brother, probably a bigger fear that one of the other guys will show up with one, saying 'I told all my buddies we should use THESE!'

john

There is much more to a radio than the "Chassis".

Thanks for resisting "The dark side"! :wink:

 

[jhooten]

[Adding more detail to make some folk happy]

The suggestion was made to save money and buy icom ham radios instead of commercial icom radios at a budget meeting of the VFD.

Follows is a the exchange that followed as best as i can rember.

Cheif said "Can't"
Member said "why not they look the same and are much cheaper, what's the difference?"
Cheif "The main difference being a Part 90 type acceptance number and the few hundred dollars it adds to the price."

At least he knew he couldn't.



"And now you know the rest of the story"

That is what I get for trying to save bandwidth.

 

[N_Jay]

The main difference being a Part 90 type acceptance number and the few hundred dollars it adds to the price.

And your information comes from where? :evil: :roll:

 

[jhooten]

The chief of the local Vol FD who was whining about that very thing at the last budget meeting. "FCC rules don't apply in an emergency." was his (the member who suggested using the ham radios that is) favorite saying.

 

[N_Jay]

Chief said "Can't"
Member said "why not they look the same and are much cheaper, what's the difference?"
Chief "The main difference being a Part 90 type acceptance number and the few hundred dollars it adds to the price."

OOoo, did not know your Chief was an expert on FCC type acceptance.

I thought maybe you had heard it from a product manager at a radio manufacturer, or maybe a lawyer familiar with FCC filings.

But I guess Chief know more! :twisted:

 

[jhooten]

No, but he has become good friends with the owner of the radio shop and listens to the advice he is given instead of taking the cheap and easy way out.

But thanks for your concern.


And when you go to Dayton this year you may want to spend some time in the Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu/Vertex booths talking to the engineers, not the salesmen, I'm sure they can bring you up to speed on the issue.

 

[ReceiverBeaver]

Common sense be a good idea fellers

Extremism towards either end is usually going too far and gets silly.

The halo-bearing tip-toeing goodie two shoers will want to scream at you for having your 4 watt CB peaked out to 5 watts. Oooooooo you're gonna go to jail for that dood if the FCC catches you! Please

Using modified gear for other than intended purposes? Observe the reality check of local conditions where you're at.

The county where I live, certain top officials allow regular employees to use such radios in their personal vehicles by permission as they are subject to reporting to work on emergencies in their personal vehicles. Nobody gives it a second thought. It's no big deal. That's the reality of local conditions here.

So by all means, being an all-around good citizen and right thinking American is fine and dandy. But don't take these FCC regulations so life and death seriously. There are more important issues in life to expend your already overtaxed brain cells on.

Even the FCC acknowledges when it's time to look the other way and bend a rule. All radio rules ARE off in an emergency. Anyone can pick up any radio and pass traffic.

Would you NOT want a passer by to do so in an emergency when their service could act to save your life or property or the life or property of one of your friends or family members?

Use common sense. Start yesterday

 

[K2KOH]

These threads always deteriorate into a match about how things are illegal and you shouldn't do this and you shouldn't do that. This is a hobby! STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT'S LEGAL AND WHAT'S NOT!

OK, I feel better now... :twisted:

 

[N_Jay]

The county where I live, certain top officials allow regular employees to use such radios in their personal vehicles by permission as they are subject to reporting to work on emergencies in their personal vehicles. Nobody gives it a second thought. It's no big deal.

Maybe you should pass on to those "certain top officials" the first post in this thread.

I certainly would not want to be the one who knew and did not tell those in charge should teh FCC come knocking.

If your county is too poor to buy radios, how are they going to pay the $10,000 a day fine?

 

[n4voxgill]

do you illegally modify scuba diving tanks to be used as airpaks. I guess this thread is a good justification for abolishing vfd and going with real professionals.

 

[johnvassel]

I guess this thread is a good justification for abolishing vfd and going with real professionals.

Yeah, 'That's' the idea... :roll:

 

[ham612]

Talk about a post degenerating into a flame-fest…

Back to the point, we all know communication on public safety allocated frequencies with modified radios occurs, and that it is illegal.

To my knowledge, the MARS/CAP modification that amateur radios are capable of, is legal to perform. Use of the radio outside the amateur bands is also legal, provided that the radio is used for MARS/CAP services. Legal issues aside, use of modified ham radios by public service agencies is unwise because of the chances of changing a vital setting. One wrong move and your pl tone is turned off, or your offset is changed, or any one of a myriad of other possibilities. Unless you are very familiar with the radio in question you may wind up without communications in a life or death situation. Remember Murphy’s law. There may also be liability issues involved.

I am under the impression that the cost differences are not as much of a quality issue as the fact that since many (most?) public service agencies are funded by tax dollars, manufacturers can pretty much set the price where they want, and get it.

MS

 

[nd5y]

Actually most ham gear can't be used on Civil Air Patrol frequencies any
more because most don't meet the bandwidth and frequency stability specs.
The CAP web site lists all the radios that can be used on their frequencies.
http://level2.cap.gov/visitors/programs/operations/communications/radios_radio_network.cfm

I don't know if this is also true for MARS.

 

[jhooten]

MARS has claimed an exemption from the NTIA regs and we can still use "non-compliant" equipment on MARS freqs for the time being at least. And it is not just modded amateur equipment. Look at the Maxtrac series for example. The 100 and 300 series are listed as wide band compliant while the 50 series is not. MARS members can use a 50, CAP members can't.

FEMA also requires compliant equipment on their freqs. So a MARS member who also holds a SHARES station licsence must have at least one listed radio to be on the SHARES net.

 

[Hamradiostuffing]

question

what are considered compliant radios???