Posted on 01/17/2021 3:46:04 PM PST by gwjack
WARNING: AMATEUR AND PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES LICENSEES AND OPERATORS MAY NOT USE RADIO EQUIPMENT TO COMMIT OR FACILITATE CRIMINAL ACTS
The Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission issues this Enforcement Advisory to remind licensees in the Amateur Radio Service, as well as licensees and operators in the Personal Radio Services, that the Commission prohibits the use of radios in those services to commit or facilitate criminal acts.
The Bureau has become aware of discussions on social media platforms suggesting that certain radio services regulated by the Commission may be an alternative to social media platforms for groups to communicate and coordinate future activities. The Bureau recognizes that these services can be used for a wide range of permitted purposes, including speech that is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Amateur and Personal Radio Services, however, may not be used to commit or facilitate crimes.
Specifically, the Bureau reminds amateur licensees that they are prohibited from transmitting “communications intended to facilitate a criminal act” or “messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning.”1 Likewise, individuals operating radios in the Personal Radio Services, a category that includes Citizens Band radios, Family Radio Service walkie-talkies, and General Mobile Radio Service, are prohibited from using those radios “in connection with any activity which is against Federal, State or local law.”2 Individuals using radios in the Amateur or Personal Radio Services in this manner may be subject to severe penalties, including significant fines, seizure of the offending equipment, and, in some cases, criminal prosecution.
Media inquiries should be directed to 202-418-0500 or MediaRelations@fcc.gov.
To file a complaint with the FCC, visit https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov or call 1-888-CALL- FCC. To report a crime, contact your local law enforcement office or the FBI.
(Excerpt) Read more at docs.fcc.gov ...
You left out tin cans with connecting wires.
(Gosh, am I referencing a childhood game, or old landline phones?)
I believe free speech will prevail too.
I’ll be 10-10 on the side.
re: “Baofeng UV5R will work on all kinds of frequencies, including the police freqs.”
NOT in our area. All the departments here are on 800 MHz, use P25 digital protocl, *and* most are P25 Phase 2 now as well (which renders the 1st generation 996XT scanners inop as well as the 1st generation of Motorola P25 HTs) ...
Yup. That one went right by me. I'm usually pretty good at picking up on stuff like that. I'm blaming Traitor Joe and The Ho fatigue.
re: “They weren’t even legal to sell,”
MOST all of these are certified for Part 95 land mobile use, which includes buiness band, Taxicab, and yes, police and fire. Someone got there *anties in a twist and challenged that status, but MY READ is that they are legal NOTWITHSTANDING some moaners and complainers who complained to the FCC.
The FRS frequencies at a max of 1 watt.
L
You anywhere near Albuquerque? I just sat for and passed the Technician exam this weekend. Picked up Baofeng UV-82HP. So far, I've managed to reprogram one channel and change the display color. The manual is... lacking. Gonna have to find a teenager.
“If you aren’t near a coastline or large body of water, the marine band is rarely used for anything.”
There are international marine bands. Just saying.
L
re: “ Gonna have to find a teenager. “
Order the programming cable and get a copy of the free program called CHIRP to program it ...
How could they have gotten certified when they are keypad programmable?
Again, there is no legal way to use them outside of amateur radio use. And many of them are not “clean” enough on VHF to even be legal there. (Harmonics are not adequately suppressed).
I don’t really care who uses them where. I own a few myself, because they make for decent cheap throw away radios, particularly good for general purpose monitoring. They de-sense quite easily due to unfiltered front ends so they aren’t any good near other high power transmitters or antennas.
But what do you expect for 30 bucks?
re: “The FRS frequencies at a max of 1 watt.”
Out-of-date info.
New info:
After 18 May 2017, FRS radios are limited to 2 Watts on channel 1-7 and channels 15–22.[2] Previously, FRS radios were limited to 500 milliwatts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service
True. I missed the sarcasm in the original post.
Get the plug in data cables (they hook into the earphone mike holes) and dl the program CHIRP to your computer. Plug your Baofeng into the usb through the data cable and dl the transmitters database. You can then edit it and ul the completed database into your Baofeng again. Very easy.
re: “How could they have gotten certified when they are keypad programmable?”
IF you will notice, it’s a complicated and painful experience/process to do so.
Its NOT as easy and straightrforward as on an amateur band a Kenwood, Icom or Yaesu.
There are Motorola radios that meet Part 95 in the same boat, on top of that ...
Thanks both for the CHIRP info. Have the cable on the way and already downloaded the software.
That’s the National calling frequency.
Studying for my technician license here.
L
CHIRP is great. Makes programming them a snap.
L
Thanks. Our Baofengs only have 1, 5, and 8 watt options available using CHIRP. Low, medium, and high power.
L
re: “very troublesome pirates and 14.313 lids”
7.200 lids ...
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