NEW 10 Meter Radio

"One foot in the grave and one on the gas, well there's too much traffic and I can't pass" !!!

Oops, that's right, most of the trucker crowd is "into" "Country"

 

I've never considered that giving directions to a truck driver has any "business purpose" behind it, it's simply a courtesy extended to a motorist/traveler "passing through".
FCC "Inspector": "Didn't the road/engine noise make it 'obvious' that the vehicle was a commercial truck"?
Me: "Why would that make any difference, he asked for directions, and I gave him some"!
I look at it this way, yes you're "on duty" and you're being paid to do the job, you're not being paid solely to sit in the truck and operate the radio, whether it's a "C.B."/"G.M.R.S."/"F.R.S."/"HAM"/"MARINE", or any other type, and unless you are being paid just to operate the radio, the radio operation is "incidental" to operating the truck and is not a "commercial use" of the radio. Unless you're operating the radio to try to sell your cargo, or to try to find a "return load"!!!

There are some truck drivers who pass through this area regularly, and if any of them were to ask on the 147.240 + 100.0TSQ repeater, or any of the other local repeaters, for directions to a particular place, he/she would probably not have to disguise the fact of being in a big truck, or pretend that it was for a "social purpose". I am sure that there are plenty of us [hams] out here who would gladly help and would not think of it as being "commercial activity", especially since none of us would be being paid to render "motorist assistance" without regard to the type of "vehicle" it was requested from!!!
Of course most of the commercial trucks now carry "G.P.S." gear, and don't really have to ask for directions any more, so this is mostly "moot" to begin with!!!

 

I agree, giving directions to a "car" that turns out to have a 70' trailer attached to it could be a disaster.
That said, most commercial trucks these days carry a G.P.S. receiver and the drivers are a lot less likely to be asking for directions to begin with!
Actually, the asking for/rendering of "motorist assistance" isn't considered a "commercial activity" it would be "incidental" to the operation of the big truck, and the operator rendering the assistance isn't paid for that "service" anyway, nor is the truck driver being paid for operating his transceiver, he/she is just paid to drive the truck.
I would respond to a "big rig" driver asking for directions the same way I would to the "driver" of any other "vehicle".
In response to your question: "Is it against the regs to use [Amateur] 2 meter for business purposes"? The answer to that is a "qualified" "yes, it is". There are circumstances outlined in Part 97 which allow for "business use" under certain circumstances/conditions.
"Would asking for directions while engaged in driving a truck for hire break these rules"?
It would, IF: 1: The person asking was being paid SOLELY for using his/her radio to do so! In most instances the driver is being paid ONLY for his/her driving/loading/unloading of the vehicle, and other duties DIRECTLY RELATED to the operation of the truck, not as a radio operator, the radio operation is "incidental" to the operation of the truck.
2: IF the operator responding to the request was being paid to render said assistance using his/her radio!
Almost to a man/woman, Amateur Radio Operators are paying out of their own pocket to operate their radio(s),not being paid to do so! (station equipment/accessories aside, almost all of us pay for the electricity, repairs, etc. to keep our stations "running"). Actually the few "ops" who are paid for operating a station are being paid to operate someone else's, [under their license/privileges], (ARRL's [W1AW] for instance), station for "educational purposes", there are strict limits observed/enforced.

 

Actually the FCC, DOD, and a few other agencies have "reserved" quite a few of the "free-band" 27.406-28.000 frequencies as being "critical to national defense", that determination has been in effect since a few years after the last C.B. expansion (from 23-40 channels). I believe you'd have a tough go of trying to convince the USPS, FBI, MARS, DOD, etc. of the "error of their thinking" in "reserving" those frequencies, even with all of the "free-band" activity on most (all?) of them.

 

I didn't say that there are none, just that there aren't that many. Around here it is considered "poor operating practice" to use 10 Meters, even when it's "dead" for local communications.

 

You lost me since when ?

 

WOW, just WOW

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Okay, maybe I'm mistaken, or maybe that's just the "local practice" in this area, (Idaho).

I just know that the hams in my area (mostly) consider the practice of operating in 10 Meters to be unacceptable when the band isn't "open" for contacts at less than 1,500 miles or so. Or so I've been told.
Since I do not have any HF equipment that is currently installed/operational, I can't personally confirm this, however it was how I was taught.
The only "Elmer" I had in my early days is a SK, so I can't ask him either!

 

I work from 40-2 meters open band or not .... If there is some objection I have never heard it ....

 

Where did you finds this (mis)information????