"Corwin, Prince of Amber" wrote in message
...
New user. I know I may (hopefully not) get 9 angry replies and 1 who
understands my ignorance and will provide an articulate reponse, but
I'll take my chances.

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed. Does
anyone *really* care? Is 'big brother' really going to bust through
my front door with a SWAT team? Of the 1+ million HAM operators, how
many are actually fined each year for doing what I'm considering?

If I stick with it instead of packing the radio up and putting it next
to my photography equipment, I will get licensed, I promise.

Also, even if I *really do* need a license to transmit, I don't need a
license to turn the radio on and listen, do I?

Rick Bryan
New York, NY



You do not need a license to listen.
As far as transmitting, all I can say is that I have been running a
station for 25 years with no license and no one has figured it out yet.
I don't mean to sound rude here but the fact is that hams are a socially
challenged lot with no real social skills. Regardless of what
they tell you on this NG, they are so deprived of people to talk to that
they don't
care if you're licensed or not.
Just be sure to obay the rules and don't be an asshole on the airways.
If you can do those things, you will never be turned in.
As I said, I have been doing it for a very long time and have had no
problems.
Just enjoy yourself and learn.

coustanis wrote:

"Corwin, Prince of Amber" wrote in message
...

New user. I know I may (hopefully not) get 9 angry replies and 1 who
understands my ignorance and will provide an articulate reponse, but
I'll take my chances.

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed. Does
anyone *really* care? Is 'big brother' really going to bust through
my front door with a SWAT team? Of the 1+ million HAM operators, how
many are actually fined each year for doing what I'm considering?

If I stick with it instead of packing the radio up and putting it next
to my photography equipment, I will get licensed, I promise.

Also, even if I *really do* need a license to transmit, I don't need a
license to turn the radio on and listen, do I?

Rick Bryan
New York, NY




You do not need a license to listen.
As far as transmitting, all I can say is that I have been running a
station for 25 years with no license and no one has figured it out yet.
I don't mean to sound rude here but the fact is that hams are a socially
challenged lot with no real social skills. Regardless of what
they tell you on this NG, they are so deprived of people to talk to that
they don't
care if you're licensed or not.
Just be sure to obay the rules and don't be an asshole on the airways.
If you can do those things, you will never be turned in.
As I said, I have been doing it for a very long time and have had no
problems.
Just enjoy yourself and learn.


Yea well if you want to listen to this guy go ahead, but you may want to
pay attention to this first.

ENFORCEMENT: NO LICENSE - DON’T OPERATE

The town of Reseda, California, is only about 10 miles from the Newsline
studio. It’s
also the place where the FCC alleges that someone has been operating a ham
radio transmitter
without the benefit of being a licensed ham.

In a letter to a resident identified as Joseph A. Mosbergen, the FCC
says that
he or someone
in his residence has been operating radio-transmitting equipment on
several Los
Angeles area
Two Meter Amateur Radio repeaters. The agency warns Mosbergen that this
is a
violation of
it rules and will subject him or whoever is proven to be operating to
punitive
action.
This could include a fine or imprisonment, as well as seizure of any
non-certified radio
transmitting equipment. It also tells Mosbergern that this is the last
warning
that he
will receive.

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed.

In a letter to a resident identified as Joseph A. Mosbergen, the FCC
says that
he or someone
in his residence has been operating radio-transmitting equipment on
several Los
Angeles area
Two Meter Amateur Radio repeaters.

What I can't quite figure out is why he doesn't just go ahead and get his
ticket. To get onto 2 meters is like the easiest license class to get. Spend an
hour looking at a Now You're Talking book or even studying online fer cryin'
out loud, then take ten minutes to do the exam. No code needed, no headaches.
I'd understand (for the sake of the discussion) why someone *might* not want to
take the time to get a real license if they wanted to transmit on HF or on
Extra class bands, etc. Not that I condone that either, but at least that
requires code elements in the exam process. But 2 meter VHF and above? No
sweat.
That's like forging an I.D. just so you can vote. Just register and save the
headache of making the damn thing, and the prospect of getting caught and
fined.
Not that I'm a ham (no interest in talking back) but I love monitoring SW.
Just my useless 2 cents. I know it's been covered before.
Linus

"Corwin, Prince of Amber" wrote in message . ..
New user. I know I may (hopefully not) get 9 angry replies and 1 who
understands my ignorance and will provide an articulate reponse, but
I'll take my chances.

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed. Does
anyone *really* care? Is 'big brother' really going to bust through
my front door with a SWAT team? Of the 1+ million HAM operators, how
many are actually fined each year for doing what I'm considering?

If I stick with it instead of packing the radio up and putting it next
to my photography equipment, I will get licensed, I promise.

Also, even if I *really do* need a license to transmit, I don't need a
license to turn the radio on and listen, do I?

Rick Bryan
New York, NY



Please don't take offense, but you will almost certainly be found out
very soon. While the lingo is not all that hard, it is hard to sound
convincing.
At best you will be labeled a LID, at worst the local hams might
decide
to use you as the fox in a RDF hunt. Given that a normal fox hunt has
rather
low powered txs, in difficult locations and run very short bursts, to
RDF a
person engaged in normal conversation is, as the computer gurus say,
"a trivial
task". Even with no special equipment, meaning no fancy Yagis, I have
tracked down ham friends just for grins.
Given that it will cost you less then $10, and, at most a few days of
study,
why run the risk. I would worry a lot more about a local cop, who
might well be a ham, deciding to bust you for having a radio that will
receive "police comms".
While real hams are imune, you would be fair game. Big fine, plus the
chance of real jail time.
Terry

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 06:01:20 GMT, "Corwin, Prince of Amber"
wrote:

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed.

Why bother with a drivers license either?

Does anyone *really* care?

Yes. The people who actually are licensed.

Is 'big brother' really going to bust through my front door with a SWAT team?

No. Chances are you'll get a letter from the FCC with a court date and
fine listed.

Of the 1+ million HAM operators, how
many are actually fined each year for doing what I'm considering?

None. Because if they are ham operators, they are licensed.

--
To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.

yes, HAM operators need license to operate. Otherwise things will be
in bad shape in airwave, totally out of reach ... you'll never
understand what other people says ... there should be a common lingo
..... you know what I mean.

raqueeb hassan
bangladesh

In article ,
says...
New user. I know I may (hopefully not) get 9 angry replies and 1 who
understands my ignorance and will provide an articulate reponse, but
I'll take my chances.

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed. Does
anyone *really* care? Is 'big brother' really going to bust through
my front door with a SWAT team? Of the 1+ million HAM operators, how
many are actually fined each year for doing what I'm considering?

If I stick with it instead of packing the radio up and putting it next
to my photography equipment, I will get licensed, I promise.

Also, even if I *really do* need a license to transmit, I don't need a
license to turn the radio on and listen, do I?

You need no license at all to listen. But yes, you do need one to
transmit. The FCC is taking a very dim view of unlicensed operation.
Until you have passed the examination and have a callsign duly issued to
you by the FCC, any transmissions you make will be illegal and will lead
to legal action by the FCC. If you decide to do so, be sure you have a
hefty surplus of cash -- the fines are up to $10,000 PER INCIDENT.

A ham license is not very difficult to obtain these days. You don't
even need to pass a Morse Code test, if you just want to get up on VHF
and higher frequencies (including the 2m band you mentioned) and talk
locally. Pick up a copy of the book, "Now You're Talking," from the
ARRL (www.arrl.org) or through your local bookstore. It has all the
information you will need to pass the test.

For HF privileges, a five-words-per-minute Morse test is required at
this time. (Many countries are dropping the Morse requirement for HF
privileges, and it's entirely possible the US will follow suit in due
course.)

--

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email:

Corwin, Prince of Amber wrote:
New user. I know I may (hopefully not) get 9 angry replies and 1 who
understands my ignorance and will provide an articulate reponse, but
I'll take my chances.

So what if I invent my call sign, learn the lingo, and start using my
2M radio without jumping through all the hoops to get licensed. Does
anyone *really* care? Is 'big brother' really going to bust through
my front door with a SWAT team? Of the 1+ million HAM operators, how
many are actually fined each year for doing what I'm considering?

If I stick with it instead of packing the radio up and putting it next
to my photography equipment, I will get licensed, I promise.

Also, even if I *really do* need a license to transmit, I don't need a
license to turn the radio on and listen, do I?

Rick Bryan
New York, NY


================================================== =========

Sure, go ahead. Give it a try.

There are hams that make it sport to track down guys like you. Radio
direction finding is great fun. I know of unlicensed people that were
nailed while driving down the highway. But these hams get bored when
everyone behaves. They could use a little excitement.

If you want to learn how they track people down then do a little
research on APRS. Two guys triangulating can pinpoint you in about a
minute.

But why be the hunted when you can be the hunter? Get licensed.