ham Radio

[raggie33]

i hate them they scrwed up my smile

 

[Alaric Darconville]

There are several reasons for that law. First is the temptation to go to the scene of a crime while it's still happening.

Amateur radio operators might do this, too.

You don't want civilians getting in the middle of a high speed chase.

Amateur radio operators can be civilians. Maybe this law cuts down on the number of civilians being aware the car chase is going on.

Then there is the ability for a scanner to be used in a crime to facilitate the escape after, for instance, a robbery. By declaring it illegal to have in the car, it gives the police a legal reason to search the car that is suspicious.

Amateur radio operators can also do crimes.

This doesn't appear to be a defensible law.

I'm a relatively new HAM.

*ham
It's capitalized only at the start of a sentence, and even then it's "Ham".

So far my club has provided support for a couple of foot races and a long distance bicycle race. We provide communications in areas where the cell towers don't reach, calling for medical assistance and such.

One of the things that got me interested in it was SSTV.

 

[DRW]

I've read the laws and while 843.167 is fine, 843.16 is not (having the equipment is no evidence of a crime, and a ham licensee is no less or more likely to use the equipment to violate the law). I doubt it would hold up in a competent court in light of the Communications Act.

I completely agree, unlikely that it's been challenged in any meaningful way. There are some AG opinions out there and those affect how the law is prosecuted. I suspect, very few prosecutions for mere possession of a scanner. Especially, if it's a handheld, battery operated. How is that considered installed? It isn't.

I do think the history of Amateur Radio Operators assisting in emergencies is why they are specifically mentioned in the law.

 

[DRW]

... Then there is the ability for a scanner to be used in a crime to facilitate the escape after, for instance, a robbery. By declaring it illegal to have in the car, it gives the police a legal reason to search the car that is suspicious....

There is plenty of case law on vehicle searches. Seeing a scanner in a car can't be used to search the car. Once the scanner is identified and possibly seized, that part of the crime is over. Seeing the scanner through a window (plain view), is not technically a search. The Officer does not have a fishing license to search everything based on that alone.

For the most part, vehicles searches are generally allowed because of the transportable nature of a vehicle and potential loss of evidence. An Officer still has to have probable cause to search the vehicle.

I haven't studied search and seizure case law in a long time, so I could be totally wrong.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Hi guys anybody else davel in the art of amateur radio ? I just got a cheap radio from amazon . I never thought people used these. I gonne get the GMRS license then work my way up. Radipos are kool. quite bit readio traffic in my large city. Anybody try out radios and getting a ham license ?

I hve a HAM license also, although I honestly don't use it much.

 

[Laser_Project]

I have let my license lapse, so I have to see about getting it renewed. I had a General Class license, from back when you still had to pass the Morse Code test, never bothered to upgrade to Extra.

I have a Kenwood TM-D700AG VHF/UHF for my truck, and I used to have a Garmin GPS hooked up to it for APRS, but the GPS unit died, and I have yet to replace it. My truck's had a busted brake line since August, so I pulled all the radio gear out of it, anyway.

I also have a Yaesu FT-100 for home use, and I used to have a Yaesu FT-817D for portable, but I sold it. Nice radio, but so strange that they left WX band recv out of a field radio. I also have an Icom IC-W32A VHF/UHF handheld, but I spilled coffee all over it, and I think it only partially works.

None of my amateur band radios have even been hooked up in a long time, not even for listening to NOAA Weather Radio, since I can't transmit legally until I get my license renewed, and I already have two separate WX band radios, anyway.

73, DE KL7FB. Only way to keep anyone from listening to radio comms is encryption. Motorola sells encryption boards for their radios.

 

[Bob2650]

I am another extra class amateur radio operator.
In the US we are not allowed to encrypt but we can use digital modulation methods that are effectively the same thing to anyone who does not have the right equipment or program to use the modulation method. These modulation methods are not intended to encrypt but to facilitate better communication. The Police and Military can and often do use true encryption. Motorola has some very popular professional grade secure systems.

 

[pilo7448]

Very interested in getting my Ham here in the States.. Has anyone else looked into or taken the "ham radio prep" course.. Is it even worth the $99 or is it bs?

 

[Laser_Project]

Don't know what that course is, but I was able to find a ham radio operator who lived in my same area to give me a hand when I was in high school to get my first license. Moved up from a novice license to general, advanced and then extra class over a period of years. Then went to work for the FCC at one of their monitoring stations for a few years, but that kind of job didn't pay 1/4th of what I could earn as a technician doing SATCOM for AT&T, so moved on. If you want to study for an exam, look for Gordon West's exam Q&A, makes it easy.

 

[JAS]

ARRL Ham Radio License Manual Spiral 4th Edition

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual will guide you as you get started in the hobby–as you select your equipment, set-up your first station, and make your first contact. Use this book to study for the 35-question Technician Class license exam. Includes the entire question pool with answer key, for...

home.arrl.org

 

[DRW]

I used the ARRL License Manuals for all 3 exams; Technician, General, and Extra.

Not sure if this link will work: https://arrl770tstebiz.personifycloud.com/PersonifyEbusiness/Shop/Products#filter={"Facet":null,"SubFacet":null,"Category":null,"SubCategory":null}&searchTerm=license+manual&searchItemNameTerm=&searchDescriptionTerm=&productClass=

 

[Laser_Project]

The license manual takes real study, a good thing.

 

[fuyume]

Very interested in getting my Ham here in the States.. Has anyone else looked into or taken the "ham radio prep" course.. Is it even worth the $99 or is it bs?

There's no official "prep course", so I would ask people at a radio club in your area. Most people self-study for the exams, but it can't hurt to have the guidance of an experienced operator.

 

[scout24]

Very interested in getting my Ham here in the States.. Has anyone else looked into or taken the "ham radio prep" course.. Is it even worth the $99 or is it bs?

I used their course to study for my Technician, and passed with 100%. I liked the explainations for wrong answers, and their general format. I'll probably use them again when I have time to study for my General, which is as far as I'd go, I have no interest in getting my Extra ticket.

 

[pilo7448]

I used their course to study for my Technician, and passed with 100%. I liked the explainations for wrong answers, and their general format. I'll probably use them again when I have time to study for my General, which is as far as I'd go, I have no interest in getting my Extra ticket.

Cool, thank you for the feedback sir.

 

[pilo7448]

There's no official "prep course", so I would ask people at a radio club in your area. Most people self-study for the exams, but it can't hurt to have the guidance of an experienced operator.

Yes there is, it's actually called "ham radio prep".. I think it's new.

 

[DRW]

Yes there is, it's actually called "ham radio prep".. I think it's new.

That's just another site offering prep courses. It's another version of all the other study guides already out there.

 

[Laser_Project]

There are people making exam prep courses for any certification or license you can think of. If you really want to get into this stuff deep, aside from a test guide buy a ARRL Ham Radio Handbook and use that as a reference. http://www.arrl.org/news/view/the-2022-arrl-handbook-for-radio-communications-is-now-available

I had one of those in high school and read it cover to cover, one of the reasons I am an RF Engineer in my job now (by trade, only AAS degree. Real engineers have a EE BS, but I can still do the job just as well after decades in RF).

 

[MrMom]

If you thought flashlights were expensive, wait till you dive deep into amateur radio. 73 de K2LED

 

[Rickajho]

If you thought flashlights were expensive, wait till you dive deep into amateur radio. 73 de K2LED

Not really. So many people are getting out of amateur radio that quality used equipment can be had very cheap.