Posted on 07/03/2019 3:26:48 PM PDT by ransomnote
Video at link. Here's the text that Mr. Casler provided to describe his video:
The FCC has issued a Public Notice called an "FCC Enforcement Advisory," Number DA 18-980, dated 24 Sept 2018. It essentially makes worthless nearly all Chinese-made UHF/VHF ham radio handhelds imported into the country over nearly a decade that can also transmit outside the ham bands (which is nearly all of them). Watch this video for details and an interim update.
Contact Nellie Ohr for more details
73s
https://survivalblog.com/transceiver-import-ban-hytera/
gives Amazon links to Baofeng and hytera. chinese, but reasonably priced. If you can use a couple or more, get them now.
Maybe those are legal? It’s the Chinese ones that broadcast outside amateur bands that are illegal to use. :)
“The FCC IS cracking down on equipment that has not passed the FCC certification process. In this video, I show you how to know of your radio is legal”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6YsjAl7KVo
different guy trying to clarify
FCC type acceptance regulations for radios capable of being used in the public safety and other bands have been in effect for half a century, the Chinese just scoffed at them and exported anyway. A simple software change would have allowed them to offer service-specific product that would have bypassed this whole issue.
The clarification from the FCC after this came out last fall made it clear that these radios (Baofeng UV-5R and other inexpensive Chinese-made radios) can be sold and used by licensed hams on amateur radio frequencies. Unless and until they are certified under Part 95 they cannot legally be used on the FRS/GMRS frequencies in the US.
Searching the above model number will confirm these radios are still widely available, and can still be used on the FRS/GMRS frequencies even though from a legal perspective they are not allowed to be used there.
Here is a link to the FCC:
https://www.fcc.gov/document/enforcement-bureau-issues-advisory-two-way-vhfuhf-radios
I don’t see the word China in the advisory— so it applies to all imported radios.. Basically the FCC is cracking down on radios that can be easily modified to transmit outside of the normal amateur frequencies... which is a lot of radios that may be technically illegal to market and/or sell.
Modifying handhelds from major Japanese outfits to transmit out of band has been around for decades. They are not sold that way though.
The F8+ has nonexistant filtering on the output. The first harmonic sideband is way up there. That is a fail that the FCC has not mentioned.
Not just handhelds. I've had to modify radios from Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, etc for use at MARS stations I have set up at a few commands.
The amazon links are to the ones which will be banned soon, supposedly patent infringement stuff on the hytera ones.
Get a 5 pack of the baofeng ones for $120.
baofeng:
“On September 30, 2019, it will become illegal to sell or “offer for sale” (advertise) radios like the popular Baofeng UV-5R that can operate in the FRS radio band (462.5625 – 462.7250 MHz) and any other licensed band in a single device. Manufacturers will have to either quit selling them or block out the FRS bands–like they already do for the current cellular bands.”
Preppers may be interested.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E4FO2TW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00E4FO2TW&linkCode=as2&tag=survivalcom-20&linkId=6adaa1e680799799b0465b6b03f9c5ae
Is that really a problem, overall, in terms of spying?
Most radio signals only easily transmissible for a few hundred miles, and China probably couldn’t pick up most of those signals from America.
It just sounds like to me that China simply didn’t block off the transmitters for the signals it uses domestically and it’s not about spying.
I guess they could be used illegally if you don’t have the license, but unless you behave foolishly, I doubt you will be turned in. Might as well get the license.
We bought 4 of those Baofeng 8 watt models. Put a better antenna on them and you can get out there pretty good. I’m working on my Technician license now. But we got the them for SHTF comms.
Most likely won’t be worried about the FCC under those circumstances.
L
I have my General License have in the last couple of weeks bought two UV-5R Baofengs, in fact I’m listening to one as I make this post...got it tuned to a local repeater...
For $20/each I might buy a few more to use if I’m ever in a SHTF situation around my neighborhood....
Two years ago during one of the hurricanes I could have used another radio or two..
Yeah the antennas are an issue, I guess, but pretty minor if the quality is good for chinese stuff.
Much ado about nothing. These radios are, and have always been, illegal to use on fms/gmrs frequencies. Licensed amateur radio operators don’t do that.
Many radios are capable of transmitting on frequencies that are not legal for use.
This is politics, not radio
I got two red ones last year for points—-they were $35 for a pair. Nice to eep handy if we need them. Kind of a pain in the ass to program though.
I’ve looked at them over the years and considered them on price alone even though I have no ham license.
These are the real thing though, and if you hit that “Transmit” button it can cost you a lot of money when the federales track you down.
It’s not spying. Its radio interference. They go further than a CB, but they are not going get to China on 5 watts.
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