5 ms·

Probably because it’s illegal to use one without a license.

by iasay 4y ago

logopop 4y ago
... and it's also crap.
- samatman 4y ago
  Can you elaborate? I'm interested in having an emergency radio which can listen to (and send on) frequencies I'm not allowed on, I have no intention of transmitting on the prohibited channels, and I have a Baofeng. Is there some obviously better radio I should have instead, and why?
  - iasay 4y ago
    Honestly the Baofeng is mostly fine. Just use it. 90% of it is elitism. The harmonic suppression of the transmitter is crap which is the issue but the radiated power is constrained by the antenna so not usually a problem unless you’re testing it in a lab. Most of the problem is just sinophobia. If you want something actually with decent capability then the Yaesu FT818 is a good bet. It does all amateur bands, UHF, VHF, airband, FM broadcast all modes. But it costs money. I’m not an active ham anymore but I keep an 818 around. As for why I’m not a ham anymore, spend some time with some hams and you will get the idea.
    - linsomniac 4y ago
      I'm also an ex-ham, I sometimes wish I had renewed my license because it would be nice to have access to a good radio sometimes, but not so nice that I'm willing to go through the exam process again. So I have 4 GMRS radios that I just have to have one license for the whole family to use.
    - zanethomas 4y ago
      "sinophobia" That translates to "fear of china" which is almost always incorrectly applied. Were there a single word for "boycotting china" that would be more appropriate.
      - iasay 4y ago
        It’s definitely fear based on the crap I’ve heard. “Why would I buy a radio from communists. It’s probably bugged” I facepalmed so hard I nearly imploded my skull on that.
    - AlbertCory 4y ago
      > spend some time with some hams and you will get the idea Also a former ham (age 14!). Nearly all conversations: "We read you loud and clear here. What kind of equipment are you using? Mine is blah blah blah. How do I sound? Ok, over and out."
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - bityard 4y ago
    I wrote a longer comment about this elsewhere in these comments but the short version is: a Baofeng is a terrible scanner and can't be used to transmit on ANYTHING without a license of some kind. If you can't transmit, then you can't practice, and if you can't practice, you aren't prepared for an emergency. If you just want to listen, a handheld scanner would be a far better option than a Baofeng (but of course cost a bit more).
    - nibbleshifter 4y ago
      > implying anyone actually cares about the "radio laws" besides HAM's.
      - bityard 4y ago
        The FCC cares a lot, to the tune of $25k: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-fines-ca-amateur-radio-operator-25k-malicious-interference https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-fines-ca-amateur-radio-oper... Anyone who makes a habit of transmitting on a frequency they are not authorized on WILL be caught eventually, especially if they are interfering with police, emergency services, business users, and broadcasters. And all of these are very easy to do if you own a Boafeng and don't know how to use it.
gorgoiler 4y ago
This is not technically true. These radios can — and most commonly do — use the unlicensed UHF bands (PMR446 in the EU, FRS 462Mhz in the US.)
- iasay 4y ago
  Can vs will. Usually idiots turn up on 2m with them.
- harg 4y ago
  Even if used on the unlicensed bands it’s still illegal to transmit in those frequencies without a license as the UV5R doesn’t comply with the restrictions of license free radios. I.e it exceeds the max allowed power and has a detachable antenna. However, there’s nothing illegal about using the uv5r to receive. And in reality if you only use it on the pmr446 frequencies you’re very unlikely to get busted.
  - aosmith 4y ago
    Nobody cares about the ism band, I doubt anyone has ever been "busted" using under a watt.
    - eternityforest 4y ago
      You're probably not going to be busted, but FRS is very much not ISM band
  - gorgoiler 4y ago
    I am licensed up to 10W but this is still good to know!
aosmith 4y ago
Nobody cares in an emergency...
- iasay 4y ago
  Other than the legit licensed responders who now have to traffic manage a pile of morons with no operating experience.
  - aosmith 4y ago
    That's fair especially now.
  - runnerup 4y ago
    You’re allowed to use any frequency in an actual emergency.
    - iasay 4y ago
      No you can’t. You can only frequencies within the allocated spectrum for amateur radio. And it must be for the specific purpose of emergency comms. And that’s not universally true everywhere.
    - aosmith 4y ago
      My point wasn't a legal question, if it's life or death you do what you whatever you can to survive.

Probably because it’s illegal to use one without a license.

by iasay 4y ago

Probably because it’s illegal to use one without a license.

logopop 4y ago

... and it's also crap.

samatman 4y ago
Can you elaborate? I'm interested in having an emergency radio which can listen to (and send on) frequencies I'm not allowed on, I have no intention of transmitting on the prohibited channels, and I have a Baofeng. Is there some obviously better radio I should have instead, and why?
- iasay 4y ago
  Honestly the Baofeng is mostly fine. Just use it. 90% of it is elitism. The harmonic suppression of the transmitter is crap which is the issue but the radiated power is constrained by the antenna so not usually a problem unless you’re testing it in a lab. Most of the problem is just sinophobia. If you want something actually with decent capability then the Yaesu FT818 is a good bet. It does all amateur bands, UHF, VHF, airband, FM broadcast all modes. But it costs money. I’m not an active ham anymore but I keep an 818 around. As for why I’m not a ham anymore, spend some time with some hams and you will get the idea.
  - linsomniac 4y ago
    I'm also an ex-ham, I sometimes wish I had renewed my license because it would be nice to have access to a good radio sometimes, but not so nice that I'm willing to go through the exam process again. So I have 4 GMRS radios that I just have to have one license for the whole family to use.
  - zanethomas 4y ago
    "sinophobia" That translates to "fear of china" which is almost always incorrectly applied. Were there a single word for "boycotting china" that would be more appropriate.
    - iasay 4y ago
      It’s definitely fear based on the crap I’ve heard. “Why would I buy a radio from communists. It’s probably bugged” I facepalmed so hard I nearly imploded my skull on that.
  - AlbertCory 4y ago
    > spend some time with some hams and you will get the idea Also a former ham (age 14!). Nearly all conversations: "We read you loud and clear here. What kind of equipment are you using? Mine is blah blah blah. How do I sound? Ok, over and out."
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- bityard 4y ago
  I wrote a longer comment about this elsewhere in these comments but the short version is: a Baofeng is a terrible scanner and can't be used to transmit on ANYTHING without a license of some kind. If you can't transmit, then you can't practice, and if you can't practice, you aren't prepared for an emergency. If you just want to listen, a handheld scanner would be a far better option than a Baofeng (but of course cost a bit more).
  - nibbleshifter 4y ago
    > implying anyone actually cares about the "radio laws" besides HAM's.
    - bityard 4y ago
      The FCC cares a lot, to the tune of $25k: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-fines-ca-amateur-radio-operator-25k-malicious-interference https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-fines-ca-amateur-radio-oper... Anyone who makes a habit of transmitting on a frequency they are not authorized on WILL be caught eventually, especially if they are interfering with police, emergency services, business users, and broadcasters. And all of these are very easy to do if you own a Boafeng and don't know how to use it.

gorgoiler 4y ago

This is not technically true. These radios can — and most commonly do — use the unlicensed UHF bands (PMR446 in the EU, FRS 462Mhz in the US.)

iasay 4y ago
Can vs will. Usually idiots turn up on 2m with them.
harg 4y ago
Even if used on the unlicensed bands it’s still illegal to transmit in those frequencies without a license as the UV5R doesn’t comply with the restrictions of license free radios. I.e it exceeds the max allowed power and has a detachable antenna. However, there’s nothing illegal about using the uv5r to receive. And in reality if you only use it on the pmr446 frequencies you’re very unlikely to get busted.
- aosmith 4y ago
  Nobody cares about the ism band, I doubt anyone has ever been "busted" using under a watt.
  - eternityforest 4y ago
    You're probably not going to be busted, but FRS is very much not ISM band
- gorgoiler 4y ago
  I am licensed up to 10W but this is still good to know!

aosmith 4y ago

Nobody cares in an emergency...

iasay 4y ago
Other than the legit licensed responders who now have to traffic manage a pile of morons with no operating experience.
- aosmith 4y ago
  That's fair especially now.
- runnerup 4y ago
  You’re allowed to use any frequency in an actual emergency.
  - iasay 4y ago
    No you can’t. You can only frequencies within the allocated spectrum for amateur radio. And it must be for the specific purpose of emergency comms. And that’s not universally true everywhere.
  - aosmith 4y ago
    My point wasn't a legal question, if it's life or death you do what you whatever you can to survive.