Markeau ...

^ Would the FCC prosecute someone for using a ham rig
^ without a license if there were no other way to communicate
^ that ... "emergency" help was needed? Seems like a mobile ham
^ rig would be a nice backup in such cases.

A radio tuned to your local police department would get quicker help.

Frank

"North" wrote in message
...
I'll accept that. My books must be wrong. I wasn't sure about the
novice class, my study books still has it listed as a class one can
still get.

What is the title and publication date of your book. If it is out-of-date
or in error in this area, there could be other problems with the book.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Frank wrote:

Markeau ...

^ Would the FCC prosecute someone for using a ham rig
^ without a license if there were no other way to communicate
^ that ... "emergency" help was needed? Seems like a mobile ham
^ rig would be a nice backup in such cases.

A radio tuned to your local police department would get quicker help.


Come up on a cop freq?

That's not *all* you'll get.

In article om, "Dee D.
Flint" writes:


Would the FCC prosecute someone for using a ham rig without a license
if there were no other way to communicate that someone was injured or
other "emergency" help was needed? Seems like a mobile ham rig would
be a nice backup in such cases.



Like many other actions in Society today, you would have to think
" Would it hold up in court "??

- Probably once, during a power outage.. In a real emergency; no problem
Then again,
Drinking a Six Pack & Screaming .. Whatever ! !
... again & again

- Wil probably put you in orange, picking up litter on a highway...

I'll accept that. My books must be wrong. I wasn't sure about the
novice class, my study books still has it listed as a class one can
still get.

Things change over the years . I think the major change was in April of
2000. Not sure about the date, but For current info you may want to go here
for the current classes of license.

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/classes.html

Throw the books away and get a new set as they appear to be out of date.
The question pool has also changed somewhat in the last year or two.

"Markeau" wrote in message
...
"Frank Dresser" wrote in message

You need a license if you want to transmit legally.

Would the FCC prosecute someone for using a ham rig without a license
if there were no other way to communicate that someone was injured or
other "emergency" help was needed? Seems like a mobile ham rig would
be a nice backup in such cases.



In the real world? They don't often act without a complaint. Who'd
complain? Even if somebody complains, they don't seem to knock themselves
out on enforcement. But I'm not close to the situation. I'm not a ham, I'm
just watching from the sidelines.

On the other hand, if you do want to get a ham rig, I don't see any reason
not to get the license. Proficency is the bigger part of preparedness.
Practice, practice, practice. In an emergency situation, it pays to have
radio operator's and communication skills which are second nature.

Frank Dresser

It has always been "my understanding" that in a "true emergency", you can
use any form of radio communications, without a license. However, not too
long ago, an amateur radio operator, involved at the scene of a very serious
life, or death, situation, used his modified HT, to summons help from the
local police. Later, they tried to do everything short of executing him for
his actions! Go figure?

Bill Crocker


"Markeau" wrote in message
...
"Frank Dresser" wrote in message

You need a license if you want to transmit legally.

Would the FCC prosecute someone for using a ham rig without a license
if there were no other way to communicate that someone was injured or
other "emergency" help was needed? Seems like a mobile ham rig would
be a nice backup in such cases.

Most all the hand-held amateur radio equipment, is almost useless without
the aid of a repeater station. I don't know how many repeaters are backed
up by emergency power supplies. I would hope most of them, but if they're
not, don't plan on reaching anyone more than a couple miles away.

H.F. equipment, on the other hand, is usually at least 50~100 watts, and has
the ability to reach extremely long distances, without the need of a
repeater.

When you think about it, standard C.B. radio equipment should do well,
providing there is someone available on the other end.

Bill Crocker


"mad amoeba" wrote in message
. net...
I was affected by the recent blackout in North East. That got me thinking
of
how would
one communicate during such an event. Electricity including phones were
out.
Cellular phones didn't work either. So the only way of receiving
informaiton
was by radio.
My old Sony wm-gx670 did quite nicely. But what if I would need to
communicate with
my relatives or even cops to let them know of an emmergency. If
telephone/cellular/internet
are not available what are my other options? Let's say people I want to
communicate with
are more than several miles away in an urban area. That makes CB radio
useless--right? So
then as far as I understand using ham radio is my only option. With that
you
can either get in
touch with your relatives directly, provided they have ham radio as well,
or
you can call
some person in an area without blackout and tell them to call
police/ambulance etc if that's
what you need.

Not knowing much myself about scanners/shortwaves/hams myself I want to
ask
you guys
with more experience if the below piece of equipment is what I need.

As far as I understand this is an handheld ham radio which also functions
as
a scanner and
can also receive on a shortwave band. So it will allow me to communicate
with people
far away even in urban setting, it is portable and it will also allow me
to
monitor news as
well as police/firefighters etc. Am I right?

Yaesu VX-2R
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0176.html

the price is kind of steep but for all-in-one product I would be willing
to
pay it.

On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 03:03:05 GMT, "mad amoeba" wrote:

i have both cordless phone and an old type phone in my house where the
handset is connected to the base station. Neiher one was working. If I
had
to contact either cops or amublance i would have no way of doing that
except
of standing on the street and waiting for the cop car to pass by. That's
why
i asked the question of how one would keep a line of communications if
the
regular ones were out.
snip

Interesting. My phone, an old type, worked just fine. Some places I did
not get an answer and some numbers, when first tried, I got a recording that
all lines were tied up.

Only lost power for about 5 hours., took a nap for most of that.

JonquilJan

Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying

On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 04:07:28 -0400, Bob Brock
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 07:51:40 GMT, erniegalts
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 06:54:36 GMT, Hagbard Celine
wrote:

Bob Brock wrote:

General Class license still requires a Morse Code test. Morse has not
been "wiped." It has however, been lowered for the two higher class
licenses from 13 and 20 wpm to 5 wpm for both licenses. Morse is not
required for the Technician license which give full priviliges on
VHF/UHF.

So, once again ernie, you are wrong.

Not required here for some years now, at least for what you are
calling a "Technician license" which covers 2 metres and is useful for
communication in that band.

Are you going to call me wrong on this issue???

Please advise.

Which issue do you want me to call you wrong on ernie? The first
piece of inaccurate information that you posted of this metamorphisis
of it?

On your initial statement, yes you were wrong. In case you forgot
this was your initial statement...

"Not difficult to get an amateur license these days now that the code
requirement has been wiped. Anyone who knows a bit about radio should
be able to study the regs and pass an exam allowing VHF operation on 2
metres, and the "general class" [ or "full call" ] exam is not that
much harder."


Don't know the siatuation there, Brock, but the requirement has been
wiped here

Wireless Institute of Australia - WIA Victoria

Morse code watch
updated July 10 2003


Morse code requirement ends - Morse code watch closes
It is official! The ITU at the World Radiocommunications Conference
has removed Morse code as a mandatory requirement for amateur licences
below 30MHz - effective 5 July, 2003.

Radio administrations around the world that previously supported the
removal of the code requirement are now moving towards implementing
the ITU decision.

Demonstration of code proficiency is no longer an internationally
required qualification for an amateur licence though a radio
administration may still require it.

Some radio administrations are expected to take virtually no time to
end code tests, or maybe a few months, while the bureaucratic
processes elsewhere may take longer.

More at:
http://www.wiavic.org.au/mcw/

erniegalts