Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Thanks --

Alex

"Alex" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit

In a word NO ... They would not be Type accepted for those frequencies.

We however CAN modify commercial equipment to run on Amateur Radio
Frequencies as
long as they conform to requirements.


Scotty W7PSK

"Alex" ) writes:
Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Amateur radio is almost unique, in that the rules are intended for
experimentation and thus pretty open. Pretty much all the other radio
services have quite limiting rules, and yes, one of those is about
the radios matching very specific standards.

Hence, no one cannot used modified equipment in another service. Indeed,
modifying a piece of commercial equipment for another service is likely
to make it no longer useful for that service.

What seems like an obvious exception, using ham gear for MARS (and CAP
if that still happens) is misleading. Because both services allow for
amateur equipment to be used on those frequencies, the whole point being
to make use of the existing pool of ham operators. Certainly MARS,
and I think CAP, used frequencies adjacent to the ham bands so it
was easy to use the same equipment. Decades ago, hams often had
receivers that had a bit of extra tuning range that would take
in those adjacent frequencies, and the transmitter could be shifted
simply by changing crystals. This has changed as ham equipment
has changed, so an actual modification is often required to take
in those MARS frequencies. But that is just an opening up of the
coverage.

Of course, modifying the other way works fine. Plenty of CB radios
have been put to use on the ham bands after modification. But noteworthy
is that once that equipment is modified, it's no longer suitable for
its original use, and I believe the rules are such that even putting
things back to normal is not good enough.

Michael VE2BVW

In article .com,
"Alex" wrote:

Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Thanks --

Alex


Modifying an "ham radio" to operate on a "Commercial Frequency"
with the intent to transmit on that "Commercial Frequency" would
illadvised. Commercial Radio Services like Marine, Aviation, Land
Mobile, Public Safety, ect, REQUIRE that the equipment be
"Type Accepted" by the FCC to be used in the US. Type Acceptance
is designed to make sure the radio in question, meets ALL the
Hardware and Emission Requirements, of the 48CFR Rules for that
Radio Service, which may or may not be different for each Service.
Some Radios may be Type Accepted for multiple Radio Services,
but not in others, depending on requirements of each Service Rules.


Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:32:50 GMT, Bruce in Alaska
wrote:

In article .com,
"Alex" wrote:

Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Thanks --

Alex


Modifying an "ham radio" to operate on a "Commercial Frequency"
with the intent to transmit on that "Commercial Frequency" would
illadvised. Commercial Radio Services like Marine, Aviation, Land
Mobile, Public Safety, ect, REQUIRE that the equipment be
"Type Accepted" by the FCC to be used in the US. Type Acceptance
is designed to make sure the radio in question, meets ALL the
Hardware and Emission Requirements, of the 48CFR Rules for that
Radio Service, which may or may not be different for each Service.
Some Radios may be Type Accepted for multiple Radio Services,
but not in others, depending on requirements of each Service Rules.


Bruce in alaska

A couple of minor points here. The term, "Type Acceptance" has not
been used by the FCC for several years. It is now called,
"Certification."

And make that CFR47, not CRF48 http://wireless.fcc.gov/rules.html

Other than those two points, you are right on target.

Dick - W6CCD

Alex wrote:
Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Thanks --

Alex

An interesting question.

I'm sure it's OK to modify commercial radios to transmit in the ham
bands. I do not think the reverse is true.

A good example is a ham modifying a 10 meter amplifier to use on
CB...this is certainly NOT legal.

An email to ARRL should verify this. I recently got a very concise
answer to a question regarding antenna height and airports.

John
AB8WH

In article .com,
(known to some as Alex) scribed...

Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

snippety

Actually, that latter part is NOT accurate. I speak as one who has
been in the land/mobile radio service field for 10 years, and an active
hamateur for 27.

In order to be 'legal' to transmit on commercial frequencies (those
governed by FCC Part 90 regs), the rig involved must be 'type accepted'
by the FCC. This means that its overall design is reviewed by the
commission's engineers, and is certified to operate correctly under Part
90.

Among the other requirements of this part, it specifies that the
radio involved cannot be easily reprogrammable by the user. This means
that frequency programming via front panel keypad, for example, is a big
no-no.

The one exemption I know of is that of modification to transmit on
MARS or CAP frequencies. Since the requirements for the former are
dictated by the military, and the latter by the CAP themselves, the FCC
does not get directly involved.

So, in summary: Operation of a non-type accepted (read: amateur)
transceiver on commercial frequencies is indeed illegal. However,
operation of a commercial radio on amateur frequencies is perfectly
legal, as long as one holds an appropriate amateur license.

Operation of an amateur radio on MARS or CAP frequencies is
probably OK as long as you're authorized for such (as in being a MARS or
CAP member), and your radio meets the technical standards of MARS or
CAP. Someone from one of those organizations would be a better one to
ask.

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Of course. The section that you want is 90.203. Here's a link.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...TLE=47&PART=90
&SECTION=203&YEAR=1998&TYPE=TEXT

Or, if that one screws up due to its length...

http://makeashorterlink.com/?P1425178D

Happy researching.


--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
http://www.bluefeathertech.com -- kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t calm
"Salvadore Dali's computer has surreal ports..."

Alex wrote:
Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Thanks --

Alex

It's likely legal to modify the radio. It's pushing the transmit
button that would be illegal.
mike

In article ,
Dick wrote:

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:32:50 GMT, Bruce in Alaska
wrote:

In article .com,
"Alex" wrote:

Hello,

I'm new to amateur radio, and there's a debate amoung some of my
friends on whether it's legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on
commercial and CB frequencies. I thought any radio that does transmit
on these non-ham frequencies needs to have some type of FCC
cerification, so modifying a ham radio to transmit on such non-ham
frequencies would be illegal. However, some friends have told me it is
legal to modify a ham radio to transmit on non-ham frequencies as long
as you are authorized to use them and you transmit on those specific
frequencies and on the allowed power.

At my work we have been allocated to use specific frequencies which are
commercial and not within the ham frequency range, and I thought it
would be illegal to modify a handheld ham radio to transmit on these
frequencies. Am I correct?

If so, can someone point me to a website, whether on the FCC's site or
ARRL's site or someplace else that shows this? Again, I assumed it was
not legal to use a modified ham radio on such non-ham frequencies, but
I've heard from others that it is. Just wanted to clear the air.

Thanks --

Alex


Modifying an "ham radio" to operate on a "Commercial Frequency"
with the intent to transmit on that "Commercial Frequency" would
illadvised. Commercial Radio Services like Marine, Aviation, Land
Mobile, Public Safety, ect, REQUIRE that the equipment be
"Type Accepted" by the FCC to be used in the US. Type Acceptance
is designed to make sure the radio in question, meets ALL the
Hardware and Emission Requirements, of the 48CFR Rules for that
Radio Service, which may or may not be different for each Service.
Some Radios may be Type Accepted for multiple Radio Services,
but not in others, depending on requirements of each Service Rules.


Bruce in alaska

A couple of minor points here. The term, "Type Acceptance" has not
been used by the FCC for several years. It is now called,
"Certification."

And make that CFR47, not CRF48 http://wireless.fcc.gov/rules.html

Other than those two points, you are right on target.

Dick - W6CCD

Well, I guess my age is showing...... your right of course it is CFR47
and when I left the Commission it was Type Acceptance and Type
Approved...

Bruce in alaska semantics gets you every time.......
--
add a 2 before @