[geeks] RE: [SunRescue] Suburban Wireless?

[Chris Byrne]

Ken Hansen Sent:

>The wording means, (IANAL) as I understand it, that a Part 15 classified
>equipent user (your 7 year old son and his friend, for instance, using
their
>"Space Commander" Walkie-talkies on CB Channel 14) can not petiton the FCC
>for assistance if another transmitter is interfering with their use.
>
>Taken another way (IANAL), no one is lower, legally, than a user of part 15
>certified equipment.

Oh I realize what it means, I'm just saying that the wordnign is far too
vague. THe reg is pretty much exactly as James wrote, and it is really up to
the interpretation or the local field inspector as to how to interpret it.

That reminds me, does anyone else get REALLY irritated when they see FRS
radios used by businesses?

I finally got so pissed that I carried a copy of the regs applying (I cant
remember them at this point and I've lost the paper) to FRS around in my
organizer. Every time I was in a store or restaraunt or whateve (Frys was a
particualrly bad violator) I would find the manager, show them the regs, and
ask that they stop using the radios. While the language of the regs creating
FRS doesn't explicitly prohibit the use of these radios for business
purposes it does STRONGLY suggest that they only be used for family and
personal use. Other sections of the same regs clearly spell out what purpose
each portion of the pectrum is for and that using any other portion of the
spectrum for a purpose not assigned it is a violation

(Yes I could find the regs again. I did it before and it was a real pain so
I'm not going to bother this time)

The FCC has made several rulings since the introduction of FRS to the effect
that

"There is already a significant portion of spectrum reserved for business
use. Regulations clearly reserve the LMRS and GPMRS for business use.
Businesses using FRS are clearly violating the spirit of the rules in order
to avoid paying for their use of the spectrum."

Those are the words of a local frequency coordinator I happened to know back
in New England who was preparing a violation report about a construction
comapny who had terminated the lease on all their business radios. The
report was favorably acted upon and the equipment in question (50 some
motorola "Talkabout" FRS radios) were seized. IIRC the company was fined
$5,000 per violating use of the radios but appealed the fine.


Anyway this thread has moved into geeks territory so I'm posting it there as
well

Chris Byrne