question for gadfly

that brings to mind all the home brew amps out there and all the kit radios and all the other user made equipment us Ham's use. its on the most part not type accepted either or fcc approved but according to our licence we can use it and are enchouraged to experiment with things thats what the hobby is for to experament with comunications. as long as you operate with in the license class you are granted and conform to the rules of band width and modulation and power you should be able to run any type equipment you want. Now you can't sell it comercialy with out getting FCC blessing but for your personel use go for it.

 

KD5DRX is correct. Licensed amateurs are not subject to the same rules as CB operators. A ham operating a CB station must observe Part 95, US Code. He gets no special privileges, no exemption to run an amp ON CB, nor may he operate his amateur rig ON CB. According to Part 97 of US Code, licensed amateurs may use any kind of radio on their OWN frequencies so long as it meets the rules of the Service. He can use a TOASTER if he can make it transmit and it does not emit harmonics, or signals outside the amateur service. Amateur radios need not be certified for operation according to Part 97 except for certain minimum emission standards. This means that, yes, the CB-like and so-called "amateur 10 Meter" radios CAN be used by hams ON 10 and 12 Meters. Just not ON the CB band. By ANYONE! ZIP, ZILCH, NADA, NYET!
ON the ham bands? HAVE at it!!!! It's OK!!!! (Tho I personally can't see any attraction to them because they have many limitations for amateur use: they ARE, after all, CB radios when you get down to it simply wearing a "mask" to disguise its real purpose!

The problem with them is they are NOT certified for use ON CB frequencies by ANYONE! They are NOT really "ham" radios at all! Just LOOK at most of them! C'mon! Look at the chrome faces! The "roger beeps". Echo mikes! "Bands" of "channels"! All these are designed for ONE purpose. TO BE SOLD TO AND USED BY CB OPERATORS! They are merely CALLED "amateur" radios in the hope that they can skirt the rules for certification. And real amateur radios don't HAVE "channels" (except for 60 Meters where there are some specific channels for dual operation with FEMA, etc). Nobody, least of all FCC, is being fooled by these radios. They are not certified for use on CB and they never will be. So the Feds placed such CB-looking "ham" radios on a LIST of radios by NAME as being illegal to SELL or market. So a ham CAN buy one with an FCC agent LOOKING at him. He won't go after the ham, but he can cite the CB dealer for marketing it!

I hope this makes it clear as mud!!! Lots of CB ops won't think it is "fair", but it is the way it is. Honestly, I don't it would have become an issue until people just couldn't resist that "band" switch!! OH LOOKY! I've got all these "extra" channels! (NOT!!!!) And the hams complained about interlopers on their frequencies and caused FCC to act.

Gadfly

 

That explains alot!

 

Please discuss with good conduct and without flaming or provoking posts.