Working as a radio tech in Antarctica, I would be tasked with finding RF interference. In my cases it was typically one science group interfering with another or station operations. The common cause was a cable not properly terminated and radiating off the coax shield. I can totally understand making sure you have the right person before knocking. Some of the PHDs (Poofy HairDo) would get down right indignant that they were not generating interference. Then I would find the source and show it to them. No fines, just fixed the issue and be on my way. Fortunately, I never had any truly malicious interference to deal with.
…. I want to hear more of your stories. I can only imagine what it would be like supporting efforts in Antarctica. You following this “final experiment” business with the flat earthers? 😅
@@BruceForster-k9n These were the collage variety. One was an uncoupled BNC that was pushed on (not far enough) radiating 5MHz. Another was a group that brought down non approved radio equipment and was messing with station operations.
Back in the days of cable TV, I transmitted on 6M. Just so happened the Disney Channel was on 6M freq as secondary. So when I transmitted, every home in a few block radius would lose that channel. Only one knew and asked if my system would do that (50ft tower in the city was a dead give away), offered to help as his system had to "accept" interference from mine. He was fine, as I generally used 6M at 10PM and by that time he was tired of the Disney Channel and ready for news :) But I am sure it was his system not properly shielded either.
@@magnum164 Had a similar issue in reverse in Eureka, MT. I was picking up cable TV signals up in the 2 meter range. I called the cable company and they sent a tech out. I showed him the source of the leak with a 6 element yagi and my HT. He found a loose connection and corrected the issue. He said those were few and far between. That was when I bursted his bubble. I said "Are you kidding? These leaks are all over town." I showed him the next closest one about a hundred yards down the road. I told him I did a drive around randomly picking up CMT. They had leaks averaging about 1-2 per city block.
Does the recent SCOTUS rulings effect the FCC's ability to do these things? Without a law clearly established stating they have this authority, SCOTUS has repeatedly made clear they have no such authority and the DOJ can't follow through. Any idea what the law actually permits the FCC to do?
PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
My additional concern, is people bringing up false complaints to the FCC just to get ragchewers off the air. This whole thing just seems like sad hams just want to find petty things and turn it to a huge thing splitting hairs.
Speaking about "confronting" an offender, I read in a forum some years ago where a ham experiencing significant broadband interference. He tracked where the RFI was coming from, it was a house where appears to not be occupied (doors and windows always closed), and concluded the RFI was caused by several glow lights. He figured not a good idea to knock on a door of pot growers.
I did RTVI for a major utility in California. Grow lights are a major source of RTVI. Luckily we had a corporate security department staffed with retired LEO's for that end of things.
Happened to my buddy. He had 40 x 1000 watt HPS lights on those digital ballasts. 20khz on the bulb side with the cords extended without proper shielding. The tech has gravitated towards ballasts being attached to bulbs. Arc tubes most abandoned the 20khz and went back to 60hz. Lots of LED now, which if the ballast and bulb have a cord that someone has modified where it lacks shielding, then a similar effect is likely to occur from the switching power supply. Some growers cause this with a system called a flop. To save money, you could run 20 lights on 10 ballasts. The 10 just stay on 24 hr, vs 20 ballasts that stay on for 12 hours a day. The relay panel that switches the ballasting to the other light array are often not sheilded
@misham6547 when I was a kid our television cable was apparently making spurious transmissions that were affecting overhead airplane radio communication. They put some weird thing on on TV that had this big box that had a really stout switch that I had to switch from A to B when I played Nintendo. I was only like 5 so i don't know exactly what it was but will always remember that.
@@misham6547 Older digital growlights (specifically the 'Ballast'. Traditionally analog ones contain a high voltage transformer) were not properly shielded and sent out frequencies that interfered with people's TV, WiFI, etc. There were quite a few busts because of interference being traced. Lots of panic filled posts on grow forums in the late 2000s too, because the FCC or the Comcast guy had knocked on their door.
I have a few GMRS repeaters in the area and they are usually good at identifying. I did listen on a ham repeater convo last week that didn’t for 35 minutes until the end of the conversations. I think it really depends on who is talking and who they think is listening.
As a lic Ham I have to consent to any searches of my equipment. But the FCC "theory" you mention that the FCC can go into any home for inspection without a warrant has never been tested that I am aware of, and would not pass the constitutional test. When I got my lic, like most consented to the anytime/anyday inspections just like a FLL does for firearms. But to go into anybody's home they need a warrant, just like the guy the ATF shot/killed a few months back. They had to get a warrant to go inspect his home/guns. Now, in cases where a signal is impacting local communications, exigent circumstances could be used as they can show the signal originating there. Currently I believe consent has been given for non-lic inspections so far.
I think you’re putting words in mouth. The FCC “can ask” to inspect what they have determined is an errant transmitter in any home. If you deny them, they will get the law if that transmitter isi for example interfering with aircraft, first responders, etc. for other interference the process is different.
@@horseathalt7308 Well, the bands are self policing if your read your lic requirements and took the test. So we were all empowered to police the band with out lic. Otherwise it becomes the failed non-lic CB band
YUP Preach it!!!...this vid....PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
K6DPZ Hal Guretsky, was a well known owner of a radio repair service. Toward the end of his life he developed dementia. Because of his antics the FCC finally fined him $17,000. At that time he was in hospice and didn't have any money left. His very large collection of radios were sold for pennies on the dollar.
"They have remote systems they can deploy". The FCC has *many* remote, unmanned and permanent listening stations all over the lower 48, even in somewhat unpopulated areas.
B.S. read the reply from Gracful .....the FCC lies as part of their deterrent process. They probably paid a few bucks for this dog and pony show. HAM is Dead...FCC knows it...thats why they dont care
imo, fm radio should relax for pirate radio. Often pirates are fined, for nothing. They do not disturb, while often even on same frequency. just keep out of eachother's range. My 5 cents
Do they go into detail on simple issues such as unlicensed users? Ones that are not causing any issues, just using HAM and/or GMRS without a license. It seems, that with all the trouble it is to deal with people causing an active and ongoing issue, that unlicensed users who are not causing any interference issues, or being jerks and clogging the airwaves or acting stupid on air, are probably very low on their priority list. The squeaky wheel gets the grease as they say.
I was a Radio Specialist for a large utility, we held around 3000 FCC licenses, so yes we had a fair amount of interaction with the FCC. On the commercial enforcement side the FCC really wanted to see that you worked everything possible out including talking to the other party if possible. There were times we were blind sided by getting a letter from FCC without knowing we had a problem. We immediately dealt with the offending equipment and delivered a remediation plan back to the FCC. They would then sign off and we would be good to go.
@@TqSNv9R0iG5Ckxew For the ones that are the responsibility of the utility company they are usually the result of loose hardware, nuts, bolts, etc. You get a very small gap and you can have micro arc's that create wide band noise.
I was fortunate enough to do broadcast radio in high school and college. In high school I took a radio broadcast and production class and was at KTCV 88.1 and in college I was at KZUU 90.7. It was a lot of fun being a college radio DJ.
I got curious so did some digging on the restaurant haha From 21 Group's Jan 2024 minutes: "The FCC will be hosting a presentation at the Hibachi Grill and Buffet (5080 Jon- estown Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17112) at start- ing at 1200L."
I was an auditor in a major Fortune 500 company for many years and I can state that this process has all the earmarks of a best-of-breed process. First stop is to understand, validate and document the issue, next you contact the individual, in person if possible, inform them of the situation, try to determine if it is an unintentional infraction or deliberate. If unintentional, work with the individual to rectify the situation. If intentional, ensure the "person" comprehends the severity of the infraction. From there the route to conclusion will mostly be handled theough established processes and unknowingly driven by the offender themself. Good process and the fact that these folks are so well versed and articulate about the process virtually ensures there will be no misteps, total fairness and no prejudice,
It doesn't apply. There is no ambiuity in the scope of the FCC's delegated authority, which is when a Chevron issue would arise. The Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) contains very clear and specific delegations of authority and the scope thereof. The authority of the Commission has been challeneged multiple times and unsuccessfully.
@@stevevarholy2011 The Commission's authority has been deeply eroded by chevron deference, so it is a new ball game for them no matter how many times they were successful in litigation before Chevron. I would say any law passed by Congress is still in effect, but any rule by FCC is up for grabs. Actually I am concerned that a weaker FCC will hurt the HAM community some what, with the greed for bandwidth by numerous groups. But for most part the right thing for many alphabet agencies.
Josh the lady mentioned if they find out your buying radios after enforcement action I actually see a problem with that there is no law saying you have to have a license to purchase a radio ownership is not something the fcc regulates transmitting is unless there is something I have missed in the Gordon west study books or watching your tech and general courses if I’m wrong please correct me and explain where I was incorrect
The judges they refer to, aren't real judges. They are agency administrative judges. They've been violating the constitutional rights of Americans since the 1984 Chevron case. The Supreme Court (week before last), shut down administrative judges in federal agencies, by reversing the Chevron Doctrine being used against Americans. These fake judges now have no teeth.
everything they say is a lie...7 officers with more than one state to manage each...nothing is true. Any bust they have is a photo op. There is NO enforcement
I love this channel learn a lot. Thank you. This FCC/ARRL lunch thing got me all fired up. BTW, I did listen to the 2 hour fear fest. 12:35 Wait, this sounds like extortion. 18:03 remember I don't have to let anyone in my home or place of business. 4th amendment. They gotta get a warrant. Besides, they report to Congress (legislative) not DOJ (executive). They can levy anything they want but they need to hand it over tot the DOJ. Admitted here: 12:58 23:50 Thank you Laura. 24:23 It IS petty. Let's keep in mind, the FCC is there to "protect" the airwaves for sake of national security, not ed and joe being interrupted because they are simply making a cool QSO to the guy down the street (I'm using hyperbole here) I get it, Joe should not go and teardown Ed's aerial because Ed is keying up over that cool QSO, but really folks, we are spending a lot of taxpayers money to have to protect or even apease Joe. Simply go up or down a few freqs and resume your talk about your new Yeasu. Let's let the FCC go after the guys that are jamming and playing games with the public safety spectrum or the military frequencies. BTW, I always use my callsign on GMRS with my Baofeng. Don't hate me.
As a licensee, you agreed to allow an inspection. You can waive your 4th Amendment rights and in the case of radio licensure, you did. Don't like it? Don't be a licensee. Use of the spectrum is a privilege, not a right.
As they mentioned, the FCC is not a law enforcement agency. An FCC inspector looking at your amateur radio station equipment is not a search of your home.
@@stevevarholy2011 97.103[c] I get it, they can inspect at my station and it records upon request. I was referncing Josh's comment, "Remember you don't have to be a radio operator. You can have a wifi router that's misbehaving...." Also, as licensee, I did not waive my 4th amendment rights. The FCC is not permitted to just show up one day and want to see my wifi router or other transmitting system. There is due process.
@@N2YTA I agree with you. Not law enforcement. Also agree, 97.103[c] says they can inspect at my station and it records upon request. They key is 'request'. There is due process. Can't just come and "knock on my door want to inspect my wifi" as was commented at 18:21. Also, the 4th amendment is not limited to my home.
This is good info. Agree 100% with your comments. 'm lucky enough to be friends with a few notable criminal defense attorneys. One case they talk about all the time is Brogan v. US. This is a US Supreme Court case worth reading. Although the FCC is not law enforcement, it appears that 18 USC 1001 would still apply. Something as innocent as saying "no" to a quickly leveled accusation could get you five years in the cell. An inspection is one thing. Answering questions without counsel present is another. Anyone who answers questions at an unannounced inspection without a lawyer present is a fool.
Great video Josh. I am glad you shared this I found it very educational and entertaining, especially the part where Bill and Tom were interrupted during their conversation over the air LOL!!
I'm about to get into this world of ham radio. I know enough to get my license first, but didn't know how crazy the fines were. I will definitely be making sure to stay away from interreference issues.
Seen a ton of mobile jamming but also jamming from condos etc where access isn't possible and even if it was, trying to find the individual unit is next to impossible. Super interesting talk about low hanging fruit but jamming has and will always be a part of things, I just spin the dial. The "HI HI OM" attitudes around here basically mean the VHF and UHF bands are dead except for strict check-in nets. There is some benefit for loosening things up otherwise it's all static.
Local repeater had someone called “the driver” plague it for years. They did end up finding through good old fashioned dfing and the abuser making a mistake.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Yeah I heard about that one. Thankfully he was predictable and they were able to corner him at a regular spot. Here there's very little you can do if the person is in a condo. You may get the right building but good luck finding the unit. At least you guys have activity and general informal chats there. Here it's mostly the odd check in net with a rigid format and dead quiet the rest of the day. I have noticed people will jam the check in nets but leave the science net unbothered.
I won't be surprised if it's a Raspberry pi with a software define radio you can easily remote those very simple, one good software for such an operation is SDR connects that runs on Linux, you can run it on a a Raspberry pi and use a Sdrplay RSP duo or DX STDs,
No, the Federal Marshalls no longer support the Enfarcement Boro's activities because all the other U.S. administrative agencies know the FCC is a bullshit agency, and is just trying to foist off the grunt work of non-meritorious cases onto other federal agencies. Instead, the FCC gets local law enforcement authorities to help them because the locals are really impressed by that word "federal".
NEVER WILL HAPPEN......PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
I've worked for years creating submissions to the FCC for issue advocacy, but while aware I never understood the details of the FCC enforcement process. Thanks for this informative video!
The only way this will happen is if you are interrupting government frequencies and trying to cause trouble. Other than that you will just upset nerds.
Users always ID on our local GMRS repeater in Southeast Missouri. Hell, we ID on simplex constantly. We can hit another in Northern Arkansas, and some of them can hit our repeater. They always ID. Same situation with another one in Southern Illinois.
Virginia Beach first responders operate in the 800mhz range encrypted, as well as military bases. Since hams dont operate on those channels, are the odds of malignant activity detection more likely?
The enforcement vehicles are black suburbans with deep tinted windows. So unless the EB folks show it to you, you can see it. I'd imagine they would probably give you a tour. There's a deterrrent effect in letting the word get out about their capabilities. The giveaway with the suburbans is all the discreet low profile antennas on them.
We had Ham operator in NW PA a few yrs ago do jamming. He got talked to then fined. Thought he stop? Heck no awhile later he started to do it again except worse. Let’s just say he got fined and jail time….
The local GMRS repeater doesn’t ID here at all. The folks use the last three digits, if they do callsigns. Only hams use their GMRS calls on the repeater.
They got people tracking down pirates but im waiting months to get my tech call sign put in the database? No way this is real. I cant even get them to email me back after they got my money. This 100% isnt real i havent even seen the fcc do what ive paid them to do yet. 😂
If ANY Fed agency shows up at my door claiming there are potential crimes/regulatory violations being committed, they can get a warrant. I do not have to let FCC inspect my home. They are not fed law enforcement. That's a 4th amendment issue. Why don't they investigate why I pay for 1G internet and get 100mib? Or why I pay for Verizon wireless that advertises full coverage in my area but I never get a phreaking bar of signal?
Most licensees are not afraid, they just follow the rules which are not complex, stay in the band, use clean proper power, be courteous. ID with your call.
@@HamJamming Very true in many parts of the world it is predominately older people in the hobby, regular not special people. But hams may concentrate on studying and working with radio technology, such as digital voice and data systems, or may mostly just operate. Some like learning and using the engineering stuff, ADC, DAC, mixers, RF amps, PSK, 4CFM, DMR and so on. It is a learning, and using, hobby, much better than the boob tube. And maybe, often, all people can be boors.
I have no issue with the FCC other than their misrepresentation of their jurisdiction and ability. Many rights are often violated by government agencies because people are misled into believing that the agency has the authority to do something it does not. Aside from voluntary payment, the FCC lacks a legal mechanism for collecting fines of any kind. If I disagree with their conclusion that I was acting outside of the scope of the law, I can say no, I will not pay the fine, and have my day in court before a judge. At that point, the judge, not the FCC, can decide my guilt. Just because it is the FCC does mean that the court will rule in their favor. It is also worth noting that the FCC lacks the jurisdiction to direct the US Marshalls to do anything. I can assure you that they will not enter your personal property or remove anything until a judge signs a warrant. Regardless of the department they serve, they are still subject to the constitution. Furthermore, if a warrant is secured to collect my private property, I will see the FCC in court again when this is over to collect my property. I do not have to be licensed or approved by the FCC, and they have no regulatory capacity, which gives them the ability to keep me from owning that equipment or to prevent me from selling it as I see fit. Should they "have fun" and destroy my property, I can and will sue them for replacement value. Understand that I am not a vigilante and intend to operate inside the law. I simply do not like any government organization that utilizes the threat of disciplinary action, which they are incapable of, as a fear tactic to induce conformity. This type of speech and presence is the source of people's dissatisfaction with the government, and it bears no responsibility.
@@stevevarholy2011 I don't know if you read the whole thing, but even if you did, it's obvious that you missed the part where I said, quite clearly, "I am not a vigilante and intend to operate within the law." I'm not going to "FAFO," but I'm also not going to be "F'ed" with.
If want to be consistent with FCC regulations, transmit on GMRS only with radios that are Part 95 type accepted. Ham HTs are not Part 95. In fact unless you cut the diode, they can't transmit outside Part 97 freq. Another stickler is using a Part 90 (business/public safety type radio) to transmit on GMRS, not allowed even though Part 90 most likely within spec. Of course many hams cut the diode on their Part 97 and use them on GMRS or sometimes on a Part 90 freq such as MURS. I don't think anyone will notice unless persistantly causing problems on such frequencies. I always thought FCC never does enforcement but this video shows they do, not often but those situations where there is significant problems.
In regards to your thoughts around the 14 min mark. Even if I wanted to pay the thousands of dollars to get an FM license I cannot because the FCC rarely opens for applications. I live in an area where there are two ... two whole FM stations within reach of my house. Now this is most likely a market sustainability issue and getting the funds together from the community at large through advertising and what not probably wouldn't allow for another radio station, however it is impossible to test as the application process, as far as I can tell, never opens.
Are their different names for karen’s and chads on the airwaves? 😂 I might have to watch the whole video now, sounds a lot like my old job. You can’t investigate or troubleshot without information, it’s key. Also you can’t take some hearsay word as fact, you need to capture it on your own approved equipment that will hold up in court if needed. Basically and full forensics that is indisputable in the end.
I have a GMRS license, as well as tech, no clue what my callsign is lol. We only use it on long road trips or camping. Guess I should print it out now ;)
One of my friends had 40 x 1000 watt HPS grow lights on a digital (switching)ballast. These ballasts ran at 20khz. The wiring for the bulbs was extended and unshielded. 9pm to 9am every day, a few blocks around his house everything was suppressed. Cell towers , people's wifi, tv, phone, internet, CB.
@@horseathalt7308 lol, they did.. multiple provider techs, and the feds knocked on his door and told him they detected disruptive interference coming from his house at a specific time. He contacted me, asked me what the hell was going on. I knew what it was right away. Took out the unshielded, relay panel , ez.
19:24 the guy talking at this point just seems like the type of guy who would sit in his lawn chair in his front yard with a radar gun issuing citizens warnings. 😅
A simple way to think of it is. ..Imagine people are talking. And then you start screaming so loud they cant hear each other. They find you by walking towards the sound.
The FCC could do a better job of representing itself here. What I heard a) we love destroying equipment (referred to it as a "party") b) we can charge exorbitant fines and c) we have no problem fining those on a limited income or those who disabled. Has anyone had an unfair or very negative experience in dealing with this agency?
What happens if you have a job that also uses two way radios, you go and purchase one out of your own pocket have it programed to the companies frequencies and use it just like it belonged to the company? The only difference is you own it? I have heard of work places that charge the employee 500$ per radio if it gets damaged, lost or stolen. when in fat that would seem like corruption...they should have insurance on them!
they used to be a guy I think it was around the 2020s and stuff like that, the guy used to be a jamming on GMRS, I used to listen to these guys on my radio receivers,
I always thought FCC never does enforcement but this video shows they do, not often but situations of significant problems. I think amateur radio operators should maintain consistent self regulating and self enforcement. Similar to skydivers that formed US Parachute Association, the FAA has some regulations pertaining to skydiving but the sport is mostly self regulated in terms of basic safety regulations such as minimum pull altitudes, skydiver licenses (actually certifications of experience level), instructor certification programs, PRO-ratings for demo jumps into areas needing FAA waivers, etc. FAA has bigger fish to fry so if skydivers can keep themselves clean that's OK with the FAA. USPA was created specifically to create a sense of order otherwise the sport would have been regulated out of existence. Also the hang gliders did the same with USHGA.
Do not fear my Baofeng brothers! Pressing your UV-5R without permission is ok! You are fine. In fact you can just give yourself a callsign to please all the Sad Hams out there.
there should be some frequencies that are just a free-for-all, and as long as you stay within those frequencies at certain power levels, you can trash it up as much as anyone wants Let people do their free random broadcasts on a few frequencies
I wonder how the FCC would be able to collect a fine from a non US citizen ? Maybe deport them ? Still Pirates on in NYC and Boston Mass. The only call sign I herd on GMRS is my girlfriends and armature ones. Some GMRS repeaters around me never ID . some un listed. What about 7200 KHZ ? lots of pirates. no calls given. 40 meter free for all .
Wow I learned a lot . What happens if some one Makes interference but lets say they are on sail boat in international waters ? Lol Uncle Sam doesn’t have jurisdiction there ?!?!?!!?
FCC is a joke. Have had jammers in Miami for the last 4 years and now they’re on gmrs as well. Causing constant interference. You can’t even talk. We’ve filed several times with the FCC and not a single thing has been done. 2 biggest jokes in regards to ham radio are the ARRL and the FCC.
Did you see how many FCC people were at that table? There's one person handling those complaints. As they stated, the Commission may be working on it and building a case, you just won't know about it until they issue an NAL. While they talked about the various attorneys working the EB, in general there suprisingly few people working on various things. I interned at the Commission in the late 1990's in the International Bureau. If they held a field trip, you could fit all the people handling policy, regulation, and international coordination for terrrestrial, suboceanic cable and satellite on a single bus.
@@stevevarholy2011 I get it. But it’s been over 4 years and several repeater sites shut down. I’ve just resulted to talking on 146.52 and HF. When I watch videos about the FCC's efforts to crack down on interference, I can't help but feel a sense of skepticism. Despite experiencing interference issues for over four years, it seems little has been done to address these concerns. It’s frustrating to witness ongoing challenges without seeing significant action or resolution.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse - I'm not going to spend extra monies for a PO Box. The FCC should simply end the open display of our street addresses on a public database.
It was k9kao i saw him break his own window and jamm his own repeater your honor..i love how k9kao is the only person who i knowncan stright up lie in court flash a free mason hand sign and not be held in contempt in court. While i had ro tell the whole truth. Yep your honornit was k9kao hes the jammernwhos jamming himself your magastright laura smith .
Up to the operator really, it's just an unauthorized radio station. Could be political broadcast, religious, someone to whom the rules do not apply, or simply someone who wants to pretend to be Johnny Fever playing good music. Parked on a frequency transmitting or broadcasting without permit or license.
The airwaves should be managed to keep things running smoothly and have guidelines and laws and standards. These guidelines and laws however should not be made up by un-elected groups like the FCC and then should never be allowed to enforce anything without due process. The FCC cannot make law only policy. Law enforcement enforces law, not policy.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse also this was held at the monthly 21 group ham luncheon at a Chinese buffet in Harrisburg, Pa. It is salted for this meeting to happen again in the future.
![ILLSLICK - THE KING'S LANDING [Freestyle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/feIJJnNkTfk/mqdefault.jpg)
Working as a radio tech in Antarctica, I would be tasked with finding RF interference.
In my cases it was typically one science group interfering with another or station operations. The common cause was a cable not properly terminated and radiating off the coax shield. I can totally understand making sure you have the right person before knocking. Some of the PHDs (Poofy HairDo) would get down right indignant that they were not generating interference. Then I would find the source and show it to them. No fines, just fixed the issue and be on my way.
Fortunately, I never had any truly malicious interference to deal with.
…. I want to hear more of your stories. I can only imagine what it would be like supporting efforts in Antarctica. You following this “final experiment” business with the flat earthers? 😅
PHD- Paranoid Ham Dwebes!
@@BruceForster-k9n
These were the collage variety.
One was an uncoupled BNC that was pushed on (not far enough) radiating 5MHz.
Another was a group that brought down non approved radio equipment and was messing with station operations.
Back in the days of cable TV, I transmitted on 6M. Just so happened the Disney Channel was on 6M freq as secondary. So when I transmitted, every home in a few block radius would lose that channel. Only one knew and asked if my system would do that (50ft tower in the city was a dead give away), offered to help as his system had to "accept" interference from mine. He was fine, as I generally used 6M at 10PM and by that time he was tired of the Disney Channel and ready for news :) But I am sure it was his system not properly shielded either.
@@magnum164
Had a similar issue in reverse in Eureka, MT. I was picking up cable TV signals up in the 2 meter range. I called the cable company and they sent a tech out. I showed him the source of the leak with a 6 element yagi and my HT. He found a loose connection and corrected the issue. He said those were few and far between. That was when I bursted his bubble. I said "Are you kidding? These leaks are all over town." I showed him the next closest one about a hundred yards down the road. I told him I did a drive around randomly picking up CMT. They had leaks averaging about 1-2 per city block.
Want to watch the full two hour talk? Check out @howIdoit th-cam.com/video/86FLGl_e5nw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=TGha8kBS6VDhE0Mk
Does the recent SCOTUS rulings effect the FCC's ability to do these things? Without a law clearly established stating they have this authority, SCOTUS has repeatedly made clear they have no such authority and the DOJ can't follow through.
Any idea what the law actually permits the FCC to do?
Look at that youthful conference full of the future of this great nation.
🤣👍
Yeah! I noticed that
Isn't youthful exuberance WONDERFUL?
Almost got a dozen eggs.
Check out the guy with the pirate shirt/hoodie at a meeting with FCC enforcement. LOL
A ride along video would be super cool
No room for a passenger in a field unit.
PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
@@321CatboxWA and there has to be a field unit to begin with...there are none so..its a fairy tale anyway
If incredibly rare...
My additional concern, is people bringing up false complaints to the FCC just to get ragchewers off the air. This whole thing just seems like sad hams just want to find petty things and turn it to a huge thing splitting hairs.
Speaking about "confronting" an offender, I read in a forum some years ago where a ham experiencing significant broadband interference. He tracked where the RFI was coming from, it was a house where appears to not be occupied (doors and windows always closed), and concluded the RFI was caused by several glow lights. He figured not a good idea to knock on a door of pot growers.
I did RTVI for a major utility in California. Grow lights are a major source of RTVI. Luckily we had a corporate security department staffed with retired LEO's for that end of things.
That's weird, why would grow lights cause emf? Bad PWM?
Happened to my buddy. He had 40 x 1000 watt HPS lights on those digital ballasts. 20khz on the bulb side with the cords extended without proper shielding.
The tech has gravitated towards ballasts being attached to bulbs. Arc tubes most abandoned the 20khz and went back to 60hz.
Lots of LED now, which if the ballast and bulb have a cord that someone has modified where it lacks shielding, then a similar effect is likely to occur from the switching power supply.
Some growers cause this with a system called a flop.
To save money, you could run 20 lights on 10 ballasts.
The 10 just stay on 24 hr, vs 20 ballasts that stay on for 12 hours a day.
The relay panel that switches the ballasting to the other light array are often not sheilded
@misham6547 when I was a kid our television cable was apparently making spurious transmissions that were affecting overhead airplane radio communication. They put some weird thing on on TV that had this big box that had a really stout switch that I had to switch from A to B when I played Nintendo. I was only like 5 so i don't know exactly what it was but will always remember that.
@@misham6547 Older digital growlights (specifically the 'Ballast'. Traditionally analog ones contain a high voltage transformer) were not properly shielded and sent out frequencies that interfered with people's TV, WiFI, etc. There were quite a few busts because of interference being traced. Lots of panic filled posts on grow forums in the late 2000s too, because the FCC or the Comcast guy had knocked on their door.
I have a few GMRS repeaters in the area and they are usually good at identifying. I did listen on a ham repeater convo last week that didn’t for 35 minutes until the end of the conversations. I think it really depends on who is talking and who they think is listening.
This is being overly kind to the general GMRS community
As a lic Ham I have to consent to any searches of my equipment. But the FCC "theory" you mention that the FCC can go into any home for inspection without a warrant has never been tested that I am aware of, and would not pass the constitutional test. When I got my lic, like most consented to the anytime/anyday inspections just like a FLL does for firearms. But to go into anybody's home they need a warrant, just like the guy the ATF shot/killed a few months back. They had to get a warrant to go inspect his home/guns. Now, in cases where a signal is impacting local communications, exigent circumstances could be used as they can show the signal originating there. Currently I believe consent has been given for non-lic inspections so far.
I think you’re putting words in mouth. The FCC “can ask” to inspect what they have determined is an errant transmitter in any home. If you deny them, they will get the law if that transmitter isi for example interfering with aircraft, first responders, etc. for other interference the process is different.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse I love it when people delete comments they do not like.
@@horseathalt7308 Well, the bands are self policing if your read your lic requirements and took the test. So we were all empowered to police the band with out lic. Otherwise it becomes the failed non-lic CB band
@@horseathalt7308 OK, I follow you.
YUP Preach it!!!...this vid....PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
K6DPZ Hal Guretsky, was a well known owner of a radio repair service. Toward the end of his life he developed dementia. Because of his antics the FCC finally fined him $17,000. At that time he was in hospice and didn't have any money left. His very large collection of radios were sold for pennies on the dollar.
"They have remote systems they can deploy".
The FCC has *many* remote, unmanned and permanent listening stations all over the lower 48, even in somewhat unpopulated areas.
B.S. read the reply from Gracful .....the FCC lies as part of their deterrent process. They probably paid a few bucks for this dog and pony show. HAM is Dead...FCC knows it...thats why they dont care
imo, fm radio should relax for pirate radio.
Often pirates are fined, for nothing. They do not disturb, while often even on same frequency.
just keep out of eachother's range. My 5 cents
"My 5 cents"
Damn, inflation is even coming for people's thoughts lol
Pirates are well named.
You just defined a squatter.
fcc doesnt do anything....at all...this video is a lie
Do they go into detail on simple issues such as unlicensed users? Ones that are not causing any issues, just using HAM and/or GMRS without a license.
It seems, that with all the trouble it is to deal with people causing an active and ongoing issue, that unlicensed users who are not causing any interference issues, or being jerks and clogging the airwaves or acting stupid on air, are probably very low on their priority list.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease as they say.
Yeah, still hearing plenty of pirate stations here in NYC. I've found some with my directional antenna
I was a Radio Specialist for a large utility, we held around 3000 FCC licenses, so yes we had a fair amount of interaction with the FCC. On the commercial enforcement side the FCC really wanted to see that you worked everything possible out including talking to the other party if possible. There were times we were blind sided by getting a letter from FCC without knowing we had a problem. We immediately dealt with the offending equipment and delivered a remediation plan back to the FCC. They would then sign off and we would be good to go.
Thanks, your experience reflects high level professionalism. Why does it not shock me you were blind sided by an agency.
What is your primary source of interference? Failing transformers? Bad cellular equipment?
@@TqSNv9R0iG5Ckxew For the ones that are the responsibility of the utility company they are usually the result of loose hardware, nuts, bolts, etc. You get a very small gap and you can have micro arc's that create wide band noise.
Are we allowed to watch this video?
I was fortunate enough to do broadcast radio in high school and college. In high school I took a radio broadcast and production class and was at KTCV 88.1 and in college I was at KZUU 90.7. It was a lot of fun being a college radio DJ.
In the last months, they add the GMRS complaints in the list of priorities…
I got curious so did some digging on the restaurant haha
From 21 Group's Jan 2024 minutes:
"The FCC will be hosting a presentation at
the Hibachi Grill and Buffet (5080 Jon-
estown Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17112) at start-
ing at 1200L."
Heck yeah.
Great informational video Josh, thanks for sharing
I was an auditor in a major Fortune 500 company for many years and I can state that this process has all the earmarks of a best-of-breed process. First stop is to understand, validate and document the issue, next you contact the individual, in person if possible, inform them of the situation, try to determine if it is an unintentional infraction or deliberate. If unintentional, work with the individual to rectify the situation. If intentional, ensure the "person" comprehends the severity of the infraction. From there the route to conclusion will mostly be handled theough established processes and unknowingly driven by the offender themself. Good process and the fact that these folks are so well versed and articulate about the process virtually ensures there will be no misteps, total fairness and no prejudice,
I agree. I also really appreciate the long form talk. If you haven’t seen it, give it a watch.
At what cost to the taxpayer or shareholder.
They'll never take me alive!
Lol
Careful that is their plan.
FCC enforcement ? How does this group apply since chevron deference ruling ?
It doesn't apply. There is no ambiuity in the scope of the FCC's delegated authority, which is when a Chevron issue would arise. The Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) contains very clear and specific delegations of authority and the scope thereof. The authority of the Commission has been challeneged multiple times and unsuccessfully.
@@stevevarholy2011 The Commission's authority has been deeply eroded by chevron deference, so it is a new ball game for them no matter how many times they were successful in litigation before Chevron. I would say any law passed by Congress is still in effect, but any rule by FCC is up for grabs. Actually I am concerned that a weaker FCC will hurt the HAM community some what, with the greed for bandwidth by numerous groups. But for most part the right thing for many alphabet agencies.
I like how she said the government always gets it's money. It's not the governments money.
Josh the lady mentioned if they find out your buying radios after enforcement action I actually see a problem with that there is no law saying you have to have a license to purchase a radio ownership is not something the fcc regulates transmitting is unless there is something I have missed in the Gordon west study books or watching your tech and general courses if I’m wrong please correct me and explain where I was incorrect
The judges they refer to, aren't real judges. They are agency administrative judges. They've been violating the constitutional rights of Americans since the 1984 Chevron case. The Supreme Court (week before last), shut down administrative judges in federal agencies, by reversing the Chevron Doctrine being used against Americans. These fake judges now have no teeth.
everything they say is a lie...7 officers with more than one state to manage each...nothing is true. Any bust they have is a photo op. There is NO enforcement
I love this channel learn a lot. Thank you.
This FCC/ARRL lunch thing got me all fired up. BTW, I did listen to the 2 hour fear fest.
12:35 Wait, this sounds like extortion.
18:03 remember I don't have to let anyone in my home or place of business. 4th amendment. They gotta get a warrant. Besides, they report to Congress (legislative) not DOJ (executive). They can levy anything they want but they need to hand it over tot the DOJ. Admitted here: 12:58
23:50 Thank you Laura.
24:23 It IS petty.
Let's keep in mind, the FCC is there to "protect" the airwaves for sake of national security, not ed and joe being interrupted because they are simply making a cool QSO to the guy down the street (I'm using hyperbole here)
I get it, Joe should not go and teardown Ed's aerial because Ed is keying up over that cool QSO, but really folks, we are spending a lot of taxpayers money to have to protect or even apease Joe. Simply go up or down a few freqs and resume your talk about your new Yeasu. Let's let the FCC go after the guys that are jamming and playing games with the public safety spectrum or the military frequencies.
BTW, I always use my callsign on GMRS with my Baofeng. Don't hate me.
As a licensee, you agreed to allow an inspection. You can waive your 4th Amendment rights and in the case of radio licensure, you did. Don't like it? Don't be a licensee. Use of the spectrum is a privilege, not a right.
As they mentioned, the FCC is not a law enforcement agency. An FCC inspector looking at your amateur radio station equipment is not a search of your home.
@@stevevarholy2011 97.103[c] I get it, they can inspect at my station and it records upon request. I was referncing Josh's comment, "Remember you don't have to be a radio operator. You can have a wifi router that's misbehaving...." Also, as licensee, I did not waive my 4th amendment rights. The FCC is not permitted to just show up one day and want to see my wifi router or other transmitting system. There is due process.
@@N2YTA I agree with you. Not law enforcement. Also agree, 97.103[c] says they can inspect at my station and it records upon request. They key is 'request'. There is due process. Can't just come and "knock on my door want to inspect my wifi" as was commented at 18:21. Also, the 4th amendment is not limited to my home.
This is good info. Agree 100% with your comments. 'm lucky enough to be friends with a few notable criminal defense attorneys. One case they talk about all the time is Brogan v. US. This is a US Supreme Court case worth reading. Although the FCC is not law enforcement, it appears that 18 USC 1001 would still apply. Something as innocent as saying "no" to a quickly leveled accusation could get you five years in the cell. An inspection is one thing. Answering questions without counsel present is another. Anyone who answers questions at an unannounced inspection without a lawyer present is a fool.
They're meeting in a Chinese restaurant lmao. Not sure why it's funny but it is.
Baofeng sponsored.
Thank you for providing this valuable summary😊
Great video Josh. I am glad you shared this I found it very educational and entertaining, especially the part where Bill and Tom were interrupted during their conversation over the air LOL!!
I'm about to get into this world of ham radio. I know enough to get my license first, but didn't know how crazy the fines were. I will definitely be making sure to stay away from interreference issues.
Seen a ton of mobile jamming but also jamming from condos etc where access isn't possible and even if it was, trying to find the individual unit is next to impossible. Super interesting talk about low hanging fruit but jamming has and will always be a part of things, I just spin the dial.
The "HI HI OM" attitudes around here basically mean the VHF and UHF bands are dead except for strict check-in nets. There is some benefit for loosening things up otherwise it's all static.
Local repeater had someone called “the driver” plague it for years. They did end up finding through good old fashioned dfing and the abuser making a mistake.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Yeah I heard about that one. Thankfully he was predictable and they were able to corner him at a regular spot.
Here there's very little you can do if the person is in a condo. You may get the right building but good luck finding the unit.
At least you guys have activity and general informal chats there. Here it's mostly the odd check in net with a rigid format and dead quiet the rest of the day.
I have noticed people will jam the check in nets but leave the science net unbothered.
I won't be surprised if it's a Raspberry pi with a software define radio you can easily remote those very simple, one good software for such an operation is SDR connects that runs on Linux, you can run it on a a Raspberry pi and use a Sdrplay RSP duo or DX STDs,
Can you imagine a US Marshall team coming to your door over something like that
No, the Federal Marshalls no longer support the Enfarcement Boro's activities because all the other U.S. administrative agencies know the FCC is a bullshit agency, and is just trying to foist off the grunt work of non-meritorious cases onto other federal agencies. Instead, the FCC gets local law enforcement authorities to help them because the locals are really impressed by that word "federal".
NEVER WILL HAPPEN......PURE LIES PURE LIES I've been doxed and slandered by a repeater group. Because there is an internal war or battle, some of us have been thrown away, far away from this hobby. I've broke off friendships because of this hobby. This hobby SUX. Laura Smith was contacted first hand. I was told spin the dial. I was told to sue, I was told to change my address on the FCC system, and I was told they do not have the manpower to look after and go after violators on 9 thousand repeaters. YES, I have the emails, YES, Im not finding anything in this hobby worth while. BOTH Riley and Laura have had my communication, and I have replied from BOTH. They only go after the ones that make good news for the FCC. They go after those who are known by their call signs.....NONE OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH LICENSING. You can can have licensed users with bad behaviors. Great...all I hear is "hams not dead we have more new licenses all the time" B.S. HAM is dying....and its dying because of BAD operators and the original hobby of building, using and getting into the actual NUTS and BOLTS of radios is going going gone. Radios are built to be thrown away or sent back to the manufacturers. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE ON THIS. Its like FBI taking photo ops for big drug dealers, they take pictures or make news about those who are busted for jammers....only to act as deterrent to everyone else. yes, admit it....HAM SUX now. Because you cannot have 7 Police Officers in a million person city..thats what FCC has now for the western states. Apparently, FCC knows they arent in the mood to enforce their own laws.... THANK YOU and GOODBYE
The price of being a hero has never been higher.
I've worked for years creating submissions to the FCC for issue advocacy, but while aware I never understood the details of the FCC enforcement process. Thanks for this informative video!
You really spend your free time gathering evidence to snitch on random people? Lmao sounds pathetic. Get some friends and a hobby.
The only way this will happen is if you are interrupting government frequencies and trying to cause trouble. Other than that you will just upset nerds.
Be careful, the nerds are the most dangerous to upset...
@@mineton1293no they're not, I've upset so many nerds in this hobby. They're powerless and it makes them mad.
Users always ID on our local GMRS repeater in Southeast Missouri. Hell, we ID on simplex constantly. We can hit another in Northern Arkansas, and some of them can hit our repeater. They always ID. Same situation with another one in Southern Illinois.
Who cares?
Virginia Beach first responders operate in the 800mhz range encrypted, as well as military bases. Since hams dont operate on those channels, are the odds of malignant activity detection more likely?
The enforcement vehicles are black suburbans with deep tinted windows. So unless the EB folks show it to you, you can see it. I'd imagine they would probably give you a tour. There's a deterrrent effect in letting the word get out about their capabilities. The giveaway with the suburbans is all the discreet low profile antennas on them.
Excellent video Josh! Gave me an idea for some new uses of the Boondock: Happy Ham recordings.
We had Ham operator in NW PA a few yrs ago do jamming. He got talked to then fined. Thought he stop? Heck no awhile later he started to do it again except worse. Let’s just say he got fined and jail time….
Can you find those fines on the fcc database? I’d like to review it.
The local GMRS repeater doesn’t ID here at all. The folks use the last three digits, if they do callsigns. Only hams use their GMRS calls on the repeater.
if u use your license they steal it to interfere with others.
In many places in Europe the government does not care and you can do whatever as long as it is not a huge problem.
They got people tracking down pirates but im waiting months to get my tech call sign put in the database? No way this is real. I cant even get them to email me back after they got my money. This 100% isnt real i havent even seen the fcc do what ive paid them to do yet. 😂
If you haven’t, contact the VEs that tested you. Something is wrong there. If you tested online, it takes days.
its not its all b.s. look at my post....this is theatrics ......they arent doing anything and have admitted it to me via email
That woman makes my skin crawl.
How could you possibly say something like that about The Lovely Laura!??
@@horseathalt7308 Something really stinks about her.
The FCC won't let me be or let me be me so let me see...
This is my local club. I couldn’t make it because I was at work. I got made fun of for watching the entire video lol.
Your club sounds legit! Tell them thanks for doing this. Talks like these are pretty rare!
If ANY Fed agency shows up at my door claiming there are potential crimes/regulatory violations being committed, they can get a warrant. I do not have to let FCC inspect my home. They are not fed law enforcement. That's a 4th amendment issue. Why don't they investigate why I pay for 1G internet and get 100mib? Or why I pay for Verizon wireless that advertises full coverage in my area but I never get a phreaking bar of signal?
Lol imagine a federal agency giving you a heads up like that
That’s why I don’t use my ham and gmrs license
Most licensees are not afraid, they just follow the rules which are not complex, stay in the band, use clean proper power, be courteous. ID with your call.
@@johnrieley1404 Hamb radio is a dying hobby because the hambs are way too boring. Sorry, but I don't associate with people like that.
@@HamJamming Very true in many parts of the world it is predominately older people in the hobby, regular not special people. But hams may concentrate on studying and working with radio technology, such as digital voice and data systems, or may mostly just operate. Some like learning and using the engineering stuff, ADC, DAC, mixers, RF amps, PSK, 4CFM, DMR and so on. It is a learning, and using, hobby, much better than the boob tube. And maybe, often, all people can be boors.
@@horseathalt7308 I definitely agree with you. Jamming is by far the best part of hamb radio.
@@horseathalt7308correct
K9kao was cought jamming the cactus system the video is on youtube.. if he did not have it taken down agin.
I have no issue with the FCC other than their misrepresentation of their jurisdiction and ability. Many rights are often violated by government agencies because people are misled into believing that the agency has the authority to do something it does not. Aside from voluntary payment, the FCC lacks a legal mechanism for collecting fines of any kind. If I disagree with their conclusion that I was acting outside of the scope of the law, I can say no, I will not pay the fine, and have my day in court before a judge. At that point, the judge, not the FCC, can decide my guilt. Just because it is the FCC does mean that the court will rule in their favor. It is also worth noting that the FCC lacks the jurisdiction to direct the US Marshalls to do anything. I can assure you that they will not enter your personal property or remove anything until a judge signs a warrant. Regardless of the department they serve, they are still subject to the constitution. Furthermore, if a warrant is secured to collect my private property, I will see the FCC in court again when this is over to collect my property. I do not have to be licensed or approved by the FCC, and they have no regulatory capacity, which gives them the ability to keep me from owning that equipment or to prevent me from selling it as I see fit. Should they "have fun" and destroy my property, I can and will sue them for replacement value. Understand that I am not a vigilante and intend to operate inside the law. I simply do not like any government organization that utilizes the threat of disciplinary action, which they are incapable of, as a fear tactic to induce conformity. This type of speech and presence is the source of people's dissatisfaction with the government, and it bears no responsibility.
lol
@@airplaneian Meant to reply to Big John. He's welcome to FAFO.
@@stevevarholy2011 I don't know if you read the whole thing, but even if you did, it's obvious that you missed the part where I said, quite clearly, "I am not a vigilante and intend to operate within the law." I'm not going to "FAFO," but I'm also not going to be "F'ed" with.
I am just glad they are willing to do stuff.
Yayyy more government in our lives
let me translate:
Observer = Snitch
let me go further.... "FCC = does nothing"
Fantastic, thank goodness for the Empire's taxing ability. What is the cost of one enforcement, 1000 $10k ham stations.
My takeaway from this is that it's a pretty high bar for the FCC to do anything, much less for them to turn it into a case.
7200 will still be a shitshow
so will 435 and 450 in socal lol
Nothing will change, the fcc is a joke
Maybe we shouldn't add GMRS frequencies to our ham HT's ?
If want to be consistent with FCC regulations, transmit on GMRS only with radios that are Part 95 type accepted. Ham HTs are not Part 95. In fact unless you cut the diode, they can't transmit outside Part 97 freq. Another stickler is using a Part 90 (business/public safety type radio) to transmit on GMRS, not allowed even though Part 90 most likely within spec. Of course many hams cut the diode on their Part 97 and use them on GMRS or sometimes on a Part 90 freq such as MURS. I don't think anyone will notice unless persistantly causing problems on such frequencies. I always thought FCC never does enforcement but this video shows they do, not often but those situations where there is significant problems.
Awesome video Josh. You sank some time into editing this one and it shows. Nice job.
Thanks for watching!
In regards to your thoughts around the 14 min mark. Even if I wanted to pay the thousands of dollars to get an FM license I cannot because the FCC rarely opens for applications. I live in an area where there are two ... two whole FM stations within reach of my house. Now this is most likely a market sustainability issue and getting the funds together from the community at large through advertising and what not probably wouldn't allow for another radio station, however it is impossible to test as the application process, as far as I can tell, never opens.
Very interesting to hear things from the FCC's point of view.
Are their different names for karen’s and chads on the airwaves? 😂 I might have to watch the whole video now, sounds a lot like my old job. You can’t investigate or troubleshot without information, it’s key. Also you can’t take some hearsay word as fact, you need to capture it on your own approved equipment that will hold up in court if needed. Basically and full forensics that is indisputable in the end.
Do the FCC rules apply 20 miles off shore for pirate radio (Broadcast not Amateur Pirates)?
What does the FCC do about licensed spectrum with interference coming from Mexico or Canada?
I have a GMRS license, as well as tech, no clue what my callsign is lol. We only use it on long road trips or camping. Guess I should print it out now ;)
Just be honest, you don’t use your call sign. Maybe rectify that for the good of the service.
I seriously do not understand the thought process of radio jammers. Some people just have to be jerks I guess.
It's very strange. It seems to bother them when other people are doing something they enjoy.
One of my friends had 40 x 1000 watt HPS grow lights on a digital (switching)ballast. These ballasts ran at 20khz. The wiring for the bulbs was extended and unshielded.
9pm to 9am every day, a few blocks around his house everything was suppressed. Cell towers , people's wifi, tv, phone, internet, CB.
@@horseathalt7308 lol, they did.. multiple provider techs, and the feds knocked on his door and told him they detected disruptive interference coming from his house at a specific time.
He contacted me, asked me what the hell was going on. I knew what it was right away.
Took out the unshielded, relay panel , ez.
19:24 the guy talking at this point just seems like the type of guy who would sit in his lawn chair in his front yard with a radar gun issuing citizens warnings. 😅
21:50 “Trust but verify.” My #1 rule in troubleshooting. I don’t even trust my own work.
A simple way to think of it is. ..Imagine people are talking. And then you start screaming so loud they cant hear each other.
They find you by walking towards the sound.
The FCC could do a better job of representing itself here. What I heard a) we love destroying equipment (referred to it as a "party") b) we can charge exorbitant fines and c) we have no problem fining those on a limited income or those who disabled. Has anyone had an unfair or very negative experience in dealing with this agency?
Bunch of petty nerds who got bullied in highschool.
They're all too old and fat to beat their wives anymore, so they have to scratch that itch by jackboot larping.
I wish you hadn't pointed out that out of sync light in the background, now I can't not see it. 😠
Good video today, thanks.
Great video. I need to be more diligent and keep up. Thanks for all your work.
What happens if you have a job that also uses two way radios, you go and purchase one out of your own pocket have it programed to the companies frequencies and use it just like it belonged to the company? The only difference is you own it? I have heard of work places that charge the employee 500$ per radio if it gets damaged, lost or stolen. when in fat that would seem like corruption...they should have insurance on them!
I've never heard someone butcher the name Gutierrez I've ever heard. "Gwirtez"?
4:51 , I didn't expect that Melbourne Australia classic reference.
He's a classic! The funniest parts can't be related here. :D
Great job
they used to be a guy I think it was around the 2020s and stuff like that, the guy used to be a jamming on GMRS, I used to listen to these guys on my radio receivers,
The FAA is not happy until you are not happy.
The FCC is not happy until you are in jail... 🤣
I always thought FCC never does enforcement but this video shows they do, not often but situations of significant problems. I think amateur radio operators should maintain consistent self regulating and self enforcement. Similar to skydivers that formed US Parachute Association, the FAA has some regulations pertaining to skydiving but the sport is mostly self regulated in terms of basic safety regulations such as minimum pull altitudes, skydiver licenses (actually certifications of experience level), instructor certification programs, PRO-ratings for demo jumps into areas needing FAA waivers, etc. FAA has bigger fish to fry so if skydivers can keep themselves clean that's OK with the FAA. USPA was created specifically to create a sense of order otherwise the sport would have been regulated out of existence. Also the hang gliders did the same with USHGA.
100% we collectively need to be better at making complaints too. That was shocking that people just rant on those things.
You call typing up an NAL and hyping it to the public, but never collecting it, "doing enforcement"? Wow, they really have you hoodwinked!
Do not fear my Baofeng brothers! Pressing your UV-5R without permission is ok! You are fine. In fact you can just give yourself a callsign to please all the Sad Hams out there.
If i come across the boarder as jose jose can i get another birth certificate and get another callsign
there should be some frequencies that are just a free-for-all, and as long as you stay within those frequencies at certain power levels, you can trash it up as much as anyone wants
Let people do their free random broadcasts on a few frequencies
I wonder how the FCC would be able to collect a fine from a non US citizen ? Maybe deport them ? Still Pirates on in NYC and Boston Mass. The only call sign I herd on GMRS is my girlfriends and armature ones. Some GMRS repeaters around me never ID . some un listed. What about 7200 KHZ ? lots of pirates. no calls given. 40 meter free for all .
Wow I learned a lot . What happens if some one Makes interference but lets say they are on sail boat in international waters ? Lol Uncle Sam doesn’t have jurisdiction there ?!?!?!!?
Pirates come get you?
FCC is a joke. Have had jammers in Miami for the last 4 years and now they’re on gmrs as well. Causing constant interference. You can’t even talk. We’ve filed several times with the FCC and not a single thing has been done. 2 biggest jokes in regards to ham radio are the ARRL and the FCC.
Did you see how many FCC people were at that table? There's one person handling those complaints. As they stated, the Commission may be working on it and building a case, you just won't know about it until they issue an NAL. While they talked about the various attorneys working the EB, in general there suprisingly few people working on various things. I interned at the Commission in the late 1990's in the International Bureau. If they held a field trip, you could fit all the people handling policy, regulation, and international coordination for terrrestrial, suboceanic cable and satellite on a single bus.
@@stevevarholy2011 I get it. But it’s been over 4 years and several repeater sites shut down. I’ve just resulted to talking on 146.52 and HF. When I watch videos about the FCC's efforts to crack down on interference, I can't help but feel a sense of skepticism. Despite experiencing interference issues for over four years, it seems little has been done to address these concerns. It’s frustrating to witness ongoing challenges without seeing significant action or resolution.
> FCC, can I do a ride-a-long
I can already picture this episode of Cops
“The antenna is showing 9:1 vswr”
“Stop resisting me!!”
I will say, people ID very well on my local GMRS repeater.
That is good to hear. Out here, it’s not common.
RE Jammers. Contact NY2H, Lou, about the Green Sky system he developed.
"Congratulations on wealth"
So are you saying that Rtl-sdr transmits?
Great find! Very informative and it feels good to know that real enforcement actions are happening. 73 ~KD8TUO
nope...its all lies
I just want to know why our street addresses are displayed to all malign actors...
While I don’t like it either, you can use a P.O. Box.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse - I'm not going to spend extra monies for a PO Box. The FCC should simply end the open display of our street addresses on a public database.
No complaints from me!
It was k9kao i saw him break his own window and jamm his own repeater your honor..i love how k9kao is the only person who i knowncan stright up lie in court flash a free mason hand sign and not be held in contempt in court. While i had ro tell the whole truth. Yep your honornit was k9kao hes the jammernwhos jamming himself your magastright laura smith .
Dang. I know Henry. I had no idea.
I try to identify every 10 minutes or a little sooner than that,
Nobody owns the airwaves, sorry.
Own? No. Appropriates manages frequency access? Yes.
Telecommunications act pretty much does and the ITU.
What does a pirate radio station do?
Up to the operator really, it's just an unauthorized radio station. Could be political broadcast, religious, someone to whom the rules do not apply, or simply someone who wants to pretend to be Johnny Fever playing good music. Parked on a frequency transmitting or broadcasting without permit or license.
@@stevenlamb3971 and they interfere with licensed broadcasters.
ARRGHH on repeat.
It's a station that don't follow the mafias rules.
@@LumocolorARTnr1319 there's one in every crowd.
This is the government you're talking about here. This diatribe is total rubbish.
my biggest problem with the fcc is the violation of the 4th amendment.
They don’t. You can refuse your request and then the Doj ends of handling it if you choose to keep resisting their investigation.
The airwaves should be managed to keep things running smoothly and have guidelines and laws and standards. These guidelines and laws however should not be made up by un-elected groups like the FCC and then should never be allowed to enforce anything without due process. The FCC cannot make law only policy. Law enforcement enforces law, not policy.
After the overturn of the chevron deference decision this may change honestly.
Yet mudduck is out there everyday still
Thanks Josh!
Any time!
@@HamRadioCrashCourse also this was held at the monthly 21 group ham luncheon at a Chinese buffet in Harrisburg, Pa. It is salted for this meeting to happen again in the future.