CB radio - or Ham?

david despain

Adventurer
For those os us that are HAM outside the US and have not read the particular FCC rules...

Is it illegal to modify and transmit on the CB bands from HAM equipment because CB's are limited to 4w and HAM equipment can transmit higher than that??? (a technical reason) or are there other reasons??? Please understand that most hams outside the US have not have had to read the FCC rules.

in the US amatuer radio operators are not granted any radio privelages in "CB band". they have no authority to operate there in any mode as granted by the FCC. that is why its illeagal.

antena and equipment requirements are why it's impractical

david.(no license, no radio...yet)
 

DarioCarrera

Adventurer
in the US amatuer radio operators are not granted any radio privelages in "CB band". they have no authority to operate there in any mode as granted by the FCC. that is why its illeagal.

antena and equipment requirements are why it's impractical

david.(no license, no radio...yet)

Thank you for the explanation!
 

craig333

Expedition Leader
Not wanting to argue, but cb no longer has any licensing requirements so, as long as you meet the power and emission requirements how would it be illegal?
 

gary in ohio

Explorer
Not wanting to argue, but cb no longer has any licensing requirements so, as long as you meet the power and emission requirements how would it be illegal?

Contrary to popular believe, CB radio is a licensed radio service, You just dont need to apply for a license to use the CB. In Addition to users license there are many rules on the manufacture of the radio. A radio for use on the CB bands MUST only be used for CB and must pass a number of technical rules to be a CB.

NO ham gear can be used outside the ham bands. Ham radio are not certified to use outside the ham bands.
 

rusty_tlc

Explorer
in the US amatuer radio operators are not granted any radio privelages in "CB band". they have no authority to operate there in any mode as granted by the FCC. that is why its illeagal.

antena and equipment requirements are why it's impractical

david.(no license, no radio...yet)

Just to clarify, HAM operators cannot operate amateur radio equipment in the CB bands. They have the same privileges as anyone else to buy and use CB equipment, that is to say being a HAM does not prevent you from owning and operating a legal CB radio.
 

rusty_tlc

Explorer
Contrary to popular believe, CB radio is a licensed radio service, You just dont need to apply for a license to use the CB. In Addition to users license there are many rules on the manufacture of the radio. A radio for use on the CB bands MUST only be used for CB and must pass a number of technical rules to be a CB.

NO ham gear can be used outside the ham bands. Ham radio are not certified to use outside the ham bands.

Not according to the FCC or am I missing something?

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=cb

Licensing
License documents are neither needed nor issued and there are no age or citizenship requirements. As long as you use only an unmodified FCC certificated CB unit, you are provided authority to operate a CB unit in places where the FCC regulates radio communications.
 

BigAl

Expedition Leader
When this topic comes up, I always here about the "rules" surrounding HAM. Are these enforced by anyone? Self policing?

I read the pamplet with my last CB, and there were all kinds of rules. You cannot broadcast for more than 15 minutes and I forget what all else. Kind of made me smile. There is no way to enforce the CB rules. How does it work with HAM. Not trying to start uprising, just curious if the the rules have any weight?
 

rusty_tlc

Explorer
When this topic comes up, I always here about the "rules" surrounding HAM. Are these enforced by anyone? Self policing?

I read the pamplet with my last CB, and there were all kinds of rules. You cannot broadcast for more than 15 minutes and I forget what all else. Kind of made me smile. There is no way to enforce the CB rules. How does it work with HAM. Not trying to start uprising, just curious if the the rules have any weight?
Since the regulations are largely self policed enforcement probably varies widely depending on location. Around here local clubs can and do track down violators then contact the FCC.
 

7wt

Expedition Leader
The guys that are into foxhunting enjoy sniffing out someone breaking the rules. This is the kind of stuff certain people in the hobby stay awake at night dreaming of.
 

xtatik

Explorer
Since the regulations are largely self policed enforcement probably varies widely depending on location. Around here local clubs can and do track down violators then contact the FCC.
It goes on here in So Cal as well. There is a club here in So. Orange county that is dedicated to tracking down pirate operators. As already mentioned here, they keep their skills honed by doing monthly T-hunts(foxhunting). When they actually have to go headhunting, they're very effective.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Ham radio has always been a mostly self policed activity with the veiled threat of criminal prosecution hanging over the heads of the participants.
The primary enforcement is financial, as in equipment confiscation, fines and loss of license. Thing is someone who is willing to ignore the rules probably won't care about losing his amateur license, but the fines can be pretty stiff. It's unlikely anyone is going to prison for violations unless it's with the intention of disrupting public service or something. We're pretty proactive about self policing those who violate the rules, since that puts all of our privileges in jeopardy and we have enough problem dealing with commercial and public users convincing the FCC to reallocate spectrum or allow interference (BPL) that black eyes and rogues don't help.
 

xtatik

Explorer
The primary enforcement is financial, as in equipment confiscation, fines and loss of license. Thing is someone who is willing to ignore the rules probably won't care about losing his amateur license, but the fines can be pretty stiff.
What some people don't realize is that the loss of license privileges are for lifetime. Some who are licensed and offend think they may be able to get licensed again after a period of time.....not so, they're done, it's a one-shot deal. Offenders who are unlicensed at the time will lose their opportunity at ever having a license in the future...banned...don't even bother tryin'.
I guess the FCC assumes that the tests are easy enough (and, they are) that there is no excuse for operating out of bounds with the law. Makes sense.
 

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