What's wrong with you guys??? Hams!

My 2 cents...

I can understand where Gadly comes from, in truckers not knowing any better (and maybe some that do) accidentally flip the band knob on their export radio (see...remember how I mentioned about having converted 10 meter radios with their band knob removed and hard wired for 11 meter use???) and end up on the ammeter band. Especially since the 28.085 mHz is a non voice area. I can understand how a ham operator would be upset if some trucker was keying up and talking in an area where a ham was trying to work morse code and couldn't even at least key up and tell mr trucker that he was on the wrong radio band....

But to think that all CBer's are a bunch of inbred rednecks is just flat out ignorance. To classify CB operators as stupid outlaws is also ignorance.

However as I have observed, there seems to be a war between hams and CBer's. What gets me is I've heard time and time again about hams looking down on CB operators as a whole. Funny thing is where did some hams get their start? Also I wonder how many hams know CB is a spin off of ham radio?

I've ventured on some of the ham boards and the anti CB comments are unbelievable.

The fact is, some truckers who wind up on 10 meters don't know it was illegal. Some do know and don't care, and don't think they can be caught. Not everyone who gets on 10 meters was aware.

My personal belief is if the band switch on converted 10 meter radios was permanently hard wired to 11 meter use, or if truckers were educated on how to tell if they were not on the CB band, and that the bands outside the 26.965-27.405 mHz are not for CB use, you would have less and less intrusions.

 

Im still trying to figure out how the importers keep bringing these radios into the country if the FCC says they are banned. They occasionally bust a few cb hack shops for selling them, but they dont seem to want to do anything about the importers. Places like Copper Electronics dont seem to have any problem ordering these radios. I would love to ask Laura what the deal is with that...

 

Lots of things are illegal to own but not illegal to buy. Gotta love captialism lol.. the OP is quick long winded but I agree with you. Try talking like most hams do here on there forum and you will quickly find yourself banned. I have been around both all my life. My dad is licened. As a operator and has a room in their house dedicated to ham and cb. He's been a hamer as for back as I can remember. But he also has a cb setup that will make the hair on ur body stand stright up! Both in his 4wheel truck and base station. Pumping out 1000,s of watts. So how is it he can run both illegally and legally and never cry about it while so many others sit in there chairs kicking and screaming like a 6 yr old brat?

 

EXCEPT for QRZ and they are not happy with me either what forum ?

As for your dad's shack he knows the risk and the rules ......

 

Good question....there's TONS of places online that STILL sell export radios and have been for a while. Some of them even have their actual business address posted.

My understanding is....technically, you can possess the export radio but if you are not licensed you cannot transmit on it. Just the same as you're allowed to "bird dog" the 10 meter band, but if you're not licensed you're not supposed to key up. I may be wrong but that's how I perceive it.

And if this is not so, then I can only wonder if the real reason CB shops are still selling exports because Uncle Charlie has better things to do that find out where Bubba's export radio outlet is. I mean heck Gadfly often tells the story of the Pilot truck stop that was fined a ridiculous amount of $$ for selling exports.

The only thing I can see is Pilot is a truck stop and not a CB shop, therefore I'm sure when you bought a new export at Pilot there wasn't someone there to convert it over to work on the 11 meter CB band.

The million dollar question is (since I've never bought a ham radio) is when you buy a ham radio, are you required by law to show the seller your ham ticket?

I've read somewhere that Gadfly has been banned from some of the other boards for his way of getting his point across. I cannot confirm this is true but it wouldn't surprise me.

There's another story on the internet somewhere back in 2001 where a dump truck company in North Carolina was sent a warning letter about their export radio use....said owner talked about the radios (Connex) were "real nice, lots of channels, lots of power"...."we wen't to a channel we found that was quiet"...but admitted he had no idea the radios he bought for his truck weren't FCC legal. Now if only more drivers were educated before time....

 

My understanding is....technically, you can possess the export radio but if you are not licensed you cannot transmit on it. Just the same as you're allowed to "bird dog" the 10 meter band, but if you're not licensed you're not supposed to key up. I may be wrong but that's how I perceive it.

CORRECT you must have a ham license to use it on 10 meters


The million dollar question is (since I've never bought a ham radio) is when you buy a ham radio, are you required by law to show the seller your ham ticket?

NO you are not


There's another story on the internet somewhere back in 2001 where a dump truck company in North Carolina was sent a warning letter about their export radio use....said owner talked about the radios (Connex) were "real nice, lots of channels, lots of power"...."we wen't to a channel we found that was quiet"...but admitted he had no idea the radios he bought for his truck weren't FCC legal.

THAT MAY be true one reason I try to get out facts on this forum.

Warning letter

Re: WARNING FOR UNLICENSED RADIO OPERATION

EB-10-GB-0102

Dear Mr. #######

It has come to the attention of the Federal Communications Commission that
at multiple times in the last several months, drivers for your company
have made radio transmissions in the amateur bands, for which a license is
required. Commission records indicate that you do not have an amateur
license.


link to FCC

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/Welcome.html

 

Yep I'm sure he is aware. Like I said I do understand if ppl are interferring with ur freq. But on the citizen channels its always been that way. Hell guess it just depends where u are. My dads rig was old even had old tube linear ( got shocked so bad by that thing once I truly tasted copper) lol rememer putting up that 75ft tower with a moonraker on it was scared to death up there lol. But he has both setups and always ran a 600 to 1000 watt tube linear on the cb base station

 

IF he ever goes on the ham bands look for me on 29.600FM when the bands wide open .....

 

I know Laura Smith and she said that she's not concerned with Export radios every since the Courts say that they can be sold. And that users stay off the Ham Bands.

 

Just to show that Amateur Radio (a/k/a Ham) doesn't necessarily attract the best and the brightest, check out this video. The "Field Day" they're setting up for is an annual exercise at the end of June when hams operate from other-than-commercial power, and frequently away from their base station locations. It's supposed to be a fun way to test their capabilities to operate under emergency conditions, like when power lines and cell towers are out (think Katrina or ice storms). The event is combined with a contest to see how many contacts can be made, with additional points given for low power, battery operation, numbers of operators and bands, etc.
Doesn't always go so smoothly. Here's a good reason hams have no reason to be smug about their abilities over CB folks (remember, I'm both ).
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqmQ1CMrqkY&NR=1
-- Handlebar --