There is a loophole to getting licensed that you can legally use the ham radio bands if you are given permission from a licensed operator and under their supervision. Furthermore if you transmit and not being a nuisance the chances of a ham operator trying to track you down is slim to none and requires specialized equipment that can only be used while actively transmitting.
I mean, that's not a loophole. It's literally by design. That's like saying "there's a loophole to getting into R rated movies if you're underage. You can go with your parents."
In a time of emergency an unlicensed individual can broadcast on a ham radio. But the handbook, doesn't give a clear definition of what an emergency situation is.
transmitting on HAM frequencies without a license is the equivalent of going 5mph over. you’ll be fine, the FCC couldn’t bother wasting their time on tracking you down for it.
That makes sense but I’m guessing they’re not as hard on you if you use it in emergencies, so if you’re bleeding out and it’s the only method of communication you have so you call out to anyone you can, you’re not gonna receive some outrageous fine on top of outrageous medical bills
HAM radio saved my life once. My father has always been a licensed operator and when I was a kid he and I went canoeing down the green river and ended up getting stranded on a island after our boat washed away overnight. We were able to radio a operator in Florida who then contacted our boat rental company. They were able to send out a search boat to rescue us.
In an emergency situation being licensed or not goes out the window and anyone is allowed to broadcast. Their range depends on the watts of your radio. The guy posting this video is using a BaoFeng 5VR 8 watt radio. He is probably going to get 8 to 10 miles range line of site. You go into mountains and canyons it’s drastically cut down. Unless you hook up to a local repeater which can transmit you across the coast if they are networked
@ericspearo5731 imagine your trying to outrun a tornado or something see a car and are like... ohh nah man I can't drive that, my license is suspended 😂
@@bbbbbbb51 Them having the option to prosecute doesn’t hurt anyone and acts as a further deterrent against potential rule breakers. And the fact that they have chose, so far, to not use it means they aren’t abusing their power. You gain nothing by removing their power to prosecute.
@@tychodancer Oh, just like how I can't own a fucking hedgehog as a pet in the state of Georgia? Just because they're "unsure about them" (last time I checked their reasoning for the law, 15 years ago). My favorite animal too! Cute little SOBs 😢
Here we go, infamous HAM POLICE... You HAM "elite" operators, instead of threatening, scaring and turning down people, should work on promoting your hobby and welcoming people...
@@alopandur Not ham police. I want more people using the service, not less. It's just that there are idiots out there who think it's fun to interfere with others using radio legally. There are also idiots who think they can use whatever they like who end up interfering with licensed operators. Rules, regs, and licensing are to make the bands generally usable for everyone. Fifty bucks or less($35 to the FCC and $0-$15 for the test) and you can get a Tech licence. You can buy a book or find free classes in-person or online.
@@alexlammers6371 that's not really proof that's just knowledge that can be found anywhere for all I know you could just be making up a random string of characters as a callsign theres really no way to prove this unless you wanna send over ur card with a picture of yourself or verify by radio and DM I'm not asking you to do anything just trying to put in perspective that theres really no way you can just prove something like that just as the other guy can't prove hes a vet unless hes got medals or shows a military id VA card whatever it may be
I used to mess around on my dad's CB radio. He always told me if i did they'd find me and I'd go to jail lol. (All the truckers knew it was some kid playing around they never got mad)
@@timokane-vu3ks is it more illegal to abuse the HAM radio frequencies than the citizens band ? I know you're not supposed to play around on CB either but maybe it's not that big of deal. My dad probably said that so I wouldn't mess around
@@col.cottonhill6655 cb is citizens band, it is unmoderated apart from maybe channel 9, and can be used by anyone, as the radios u can buy for cheap don’t broadcast hundreds of miles like high wattage units, which are debatably illegal, but if u buy one it’s perfectly legal to mess around with, which I do with my friends very often
@@timothywhite8130 unless you get yourself one of those handy dandy 1000W ebay redneck amplifiers and scream autistic nonsense on channel 6, seems to be a common thing to pick up
The FCC doesn't care as long as it's not on police, fire department, ems, aircare frequencies. The only ones that that'll harass you are the hall monitors that are hard core ham operators.
@@pb6839 and they do what? Report John Doe (like anyone is going to identify themselves to someone not local law enforcement) to who? Do you think the FCC is coming running for a handheld on ham bands? Or do you think local police with their encrypted Motorola trunk systems care about your ham band? No Identification, no enforcement
Dude I was flying into an airfield and couldn’t make any calls cause two guys were on a hot mic roasting a dude about visiting his mom for like 5 minutes.
Dubious at best. It wasn't one of these radios. They don't tune ATC frequencies. I know because I was a controller for 13 years and I own one. More likely, they were hot miced in an aircraft on the ramp.
It’s usually not the FCC. If you’re being a douche on the channel, it’ll be a HAM that tracks you down. They have events called fox hunts for fun in which they basically practice the skill.
@@davidbrunner4413 Usually, if you don’t act stupid, you don’t have a problem. Unfortunately, that’s why all this regulation and BS exist in the first place. The world probably overall be a better place if half the people in it knew how to act like adults, or at least figure out there’s a time and place for everything.
*COULDN'T care less. Why do you guys say "they could care less?" That literally doesn't make sense. Saying "they COULD care less" means that they do care.
On our aviation radio licence course( in the EU), there are countless mentions that in case of emergency, you can basically do whatever it takes to solve the situation, so I don't think you'd have any problems doing it in an emergency.
I have two hams for that reason and I preemptively looked up all the local repeaters to know how to transmit to them in case I need to reach someone far away. I've got a path that will get me about 100 miles using repeaters. Kinda cool preparation as I live where hurricanes like to visit often. Last time one came through we lost cell phone uses for three weeks in a 30 mile radius
Teeechnically detachable antennas are illegal to use on FRS, it needs to be a specifically made radio for that frequency. Not that anyone is going to care or reprimand you lol, there's no way for anyone to know you aren't using an approved FRS radio
honestly as a licenced ham i never really cared if folks used the radios without a license. If your using a club repeater just try to be decent on there. But for simplex operation just find an empty channel in the simplex sub band and nobody will give a crap.
The FCC has literally never prosecuted anyone for unlicenced use of HAM freq's. Even if HAM's track you down the worst they can do is give you the stink eye.
For a PRR role over short distances, especially with something similar to this or the cheaper model beofengs, check the specific regulated frequency ranges and power limits for your local or national law. Here in the UK there are regulated frequencies, but there are ranges that you can use unqualified below a certain output outside of those ranges.
I don't know much about ham radios but my grandpa had a cb radio in his car from his truck driving days. He told me this story about how he got on the horn after a hit and run with his family in the car. Minutes and a 1/4 mile later 3 rigs had pined the guy into a barrier. Good people out there going above and beyond. So yea don't waste the good people's time.
When I was in high school, we used to track people for fun. In fact we used to make a game of it, playing hide and seek across the entire city. Whoever was hiding would randomly transmitted and The seekers would track. It would take literally minutes to track someone down who was either being annoying or interfering with our conversations. Sometimes this would result with snipped coax going to their antennas once we found their house.
My school hat a radio operation club. An old man supervised the children between 12-16 and introduce them into radio communication. It was a sought after club and always full of ppl. I remember them playing hide and seek on campus and every one is equipped with a good walkie talkie. Youd hear them a mile away bc of the beeping 😂
I can see there being a fine presented if it’s someone constantly being a nuisance on first responders radio. But I really don’t see the FCC tracking you down for transmitting every once in a while
Agreed. Im seeing mixed messages about general transmission vs transmitting on emergancy frequencies and havent gotten a clear answer but one this is for sure. If you stay off frequencies for aviation, emergancy responders and so on, youll be ok. My old job had lower end radios and there was no issue. Whe. Me and a few others got this exact radio, we had a co worker tune them to our works frequency and channel.
@@GreyBlackWolfyeah you're basically good as long as you're not bothering anybody. Pirate radio stations are just as illegal and it's pretty rare they ever get taken down by anything other than their operators losing interest in the project.
@@davidponder1654 you're right if somebody is interfering with radio signals from the police or truckers or the military you're going to get really screwed but if you're just talking to another random person on a ham radio nobody cares
@@davidponder1654 The last fine I am aware of is one guy got hit with a big fine for operating an unlicensed radio station. Even that took a year or two for them to actually come out and do something.
My bro and I used some walkie talkies for fun as kids. Messing around. Then someone told us to stop. So we did. I didn't know about this. It's funny thinking about that knowing this now.
The chance of them finding you if you are transmitting without a license is ridiculously low. You would have to be openly belligerent with it while they are actively searching for you.
A quick Google search shows 1 in 2011 and 1 in 2016. Ultimately it depends on the old people around you if anything. Most Ham radio operators are in their mid to late 70s now.
@@evan3458 if youre generally being a dick on an important frequency like police lines, military comms, EMS lines, etc. and/or refuse to get off when someone tells you to, or maybe try to impersonate someone who actually uses the comms like emergency service dispatch or a soldier relaying false information just to mess with the military, youll probably get someone annoyed enough to track you down and report you, which would easily give the FCC enough reason to take away the license, otherwise should honestly be ok
@@UndercastEsmeganitrospeedno, it really is any frequency. It's just that it's also pretty much only meant for emergency situations where establishing a line of communication at all is more important than anything it might interfere with and using it frivolously will get that license yanked in a heartbeat.
The stupidest thing about living in the US today is that you need a license or a permit for everything. Basically you have to ask the government for permission for what you want to do and if they say no, you cant do it or you get fined/arrested.
@@TBjunk25 the FCC can track and pinpoint a broadcast. so yes, they can come after you. the likelihood they are gonna be able to hone in on the sparing use of this handheld is slim to none. they have bigger fish to fry.
@@Tyler-ts2ld also other ham operators,some are legit trackers with their homemade equipments and then report the possible location to the FCC As long as you stay below the radar it’s fine but if anyone abuses the radio then defo someone will report it
@@MichaelPechner I knew a guy who did that for his AE. Just took about 600 practice tests until he aced them and then went and tested. I prefer actually knowing my stuff. Keeps me out of trouble and let's me have relatively intelligent conversations with those who know more than me.
@@Silversnapdragon I agree, I did the same. In fact when I was an active VE I would relearn the material to retake the test when the materials changed.
If you’re in the U.S., you can use the Family Radio Service (FRS) frequencies without needing a license. They do have limited power, but if you’re just playing around with your friends it’s good enough.
I would say that is completely fine. At the very least you are using the bands in a way that cannot interfere with license holders who are the primary users. I always recommend to get your license as it isn’t just a piece of paper and has some very important safety information that you should learn.
@@FatallydisorganizedGMRS is also a licensed service, for what it’s worth. The point of the license isn’t to keep people out, it’s to try and make sure you know enough about your equipment and operating procedures to be effective and not do something dumb.
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Isn‘t the UV-5R illegal anyways because of harmonics?
160.950 used to be the Norfolk Southern frequency, and I would talk with crews on trains that were tied down. NS used to be chill AF. Then they changed their frequency because of people like me 😭
Ehhh we had a HAM with a 200 foot tower in a residential neighborhood.. it was a awesome raido. Our amplifier was so strong we could only use it at night. We could key the mic and all the phones in the neighborhood would stop working. We had two guys around the world and we could dial them in and bounce a code around the world in about 5 mins. Never ran into any law though and we used it all the time with no license.
I used to work right next to a military base using that exact same radio as a referee. Used to pick up random garble from the base, even a few words here and there. According to my manager we were using illegal frequencies but since the boss above him was too stupid to use the radios properly we had to use those or else he’d blow a gasket. The Feds even visited us once but it wasn’t over the radios.
@Someone said War ?? Gotta start somewhere, I've bought my share of junk over the years. Before Trijicon and Aimpoint I used Truglo, for my first rifle.
@@BloodyKnives66 Yea that’s fine, the problem is when you get online and start peddling shit products to idiots because you think you got it all figured out is what I have a problem with.
@Stephen Walker imagine inventing a tool, selling that tool freely, but not allowing that person who bought it to use that tool. Like, a hammer, or a nail gun. It's a communications device, not a g un or two ton death machine.
You can also tune that radio to the regular talkabout frequencies which is what those like $5 walkie talkies run off of. It’s not on the ham frequency band and it’s perfectly legal.
No, it's not "perfectly legal". Those radios aren't legally certified for usage outside of ham bands. Odds of getting caught are next to zero, but it's still not at all legal. Just like going 1mph over the speed limit.
Back when I was a firefighter, we opened our station up to the public one day to show the citizens of the city our gear/firetrucks. A group of 12 year old girls came up to me, and we were discussing radios. I was showing them my radio and one girl decided to hit the red button (aka the MAYDAY button). Thankfully, due to being in the bay with all the intercom speakers, my radio was off
They can track frequencies via the time it takes to communicate with nearby recievers/towers & which direction signals are being sent.. it's not that hard. & all radio frequencies are monitored more then you think. Criminals & foreign governments use channels like this to communicate, if every innocent americans call & texts are recorded via the Patriot act then yes every public frequency available is monitored, recorded & stored for future use.
They very easily could find you. Most the software is actually free download on computer if that’s what you’re into. I was a cryptologic linguist in the Army, and it is incredibly easy to track a radio like this. That being said, I really don’t think anyone would even care if you have a license, Nevermind tracking you down lol.
It’s important to know that the monitoring stations record things such that they can investigate a crime that happened years ago so don’t think a lack of funding will stop the investigating
I have a couple of those Boefang radios and we use them all the time. Nobody can ever find you and identify you when you’re moving. It’s literally impossible to track moving broadcasters and nobody will ever identify who you are. So the law is essentially useless.
There are ways to track you when your moving I've looked into but honestly the fcc unless your being so ignorant on active frequencies or just jamming the line your never gonna be bothered
...if the power goes out...anything youd wish you could listen on or would be useful is on an encrypted channel youd never be able to connect to and listen in on or transmit on
Let’s say that, you are the government and intel is valuable and don’t want it to leak out so they have to cut you off to save time, so they can move resources to a safe location so they are one step ahead of you, they don’t want people to hear the key classified movements
@@Mark_nobody3 this isn't the 70s or 80s all those channels are encrypted and you'd never be able to listen in anyways unless u steal one of theirs and they didn't notice and didn't change it
@Mark Nobody That, and the fact that in most emergency situations, average people are NOT helpful. If anything they make things worse and get in the way of the people who CAN help and have been trained properly to do so. A good amount of the training for emergency situations is not only WHAT to do, but HOW to act and techniques for keeping your emotions under wraps. It's about teaching people how to retain their higher cognitive thinking when they would otherwise naturally have a fight or flight response triggered. It's those adrenaline responses that need to be trained out of people so that a bad situation isn't made worse.
@@LemonSoulz they could look up the fake callsign you give and see it's not in the federal database. Then again, all they could do if they found you is give you the stink eye. The FCC has never prosecuted anyone for unlicensed tx on ham freq's.
@@LemonSoulz Your given a station ID you must announce yourself as, Radio signals are recorded 24/7 by anyone The only people who care are HAMboomers , but licensing is very cheap and easy as its just etiquette questions
Love to see someone bringing attention to this. I used to hold a technician class license myself my call sign was KF7IFO I mainly use the 145.45 out here in Washington state off the tunk mountain repeater.
There is actually a set of frequencies available on that radio that are legal to use. It’s called FRS. The Family Radio Service (FRS) is a private, two-way, short-distance voice and data communications service for facilitating family and group activities. The most common use for FRS channels is short-distance, two-way voice communications using small hand-held radios that are similar to walkie-talkies. The service is licensed-by-rule so the general public can use the devices without having to obtain a license and channel sharing is achieved through a listen-before-talk etiquette. The FRS is authorized 22 channels in the 462 MHz and 467 MHz range, all of which are shared with General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) which requires an individual license for use.
Technically that isn't true. The device itself has to be licensed for FRS/GMRS. Ham radios are not. However if you just aren't a tool then no body is going to care.
@@captainwasabi if what you say is true, please post a link directing us how and/or where to license a device. Only operator licensing is mentioned in any FCC resources I can find.
I wouldn't say "loads" but you can factory reset the uv-5r for frs/gmrs frequencies, the illegal part is that you're able to transmit and cause problems on other frequencies, also frs is supposed to be limited to 0.05W and this transmits with 5W, and you also need a license for gmrs in the US, although there's no test involved, it's like a $30-$50 yearly tax grab Moral of the story, don't talk to planes or emergency services, don't be a nuisance on HAM repeaters and you'll be fine
There is a loophole to getting licensed that you can legally use the ham radio bands if you are given permission from a licensed operator and under their supervision. Furthermore if you transmit and not being a nuisance the chances of a ham operator trying to track you down is slim to none and requires specialized equipment that can only be used while actively transmitting.
Fun fact the specialized equipment used to track transmitting radios was made by the Germans during ww2
@@lukevonkaenel7460 fun fact - fanta was also created in WWII era germany!
I mean, that's not a loophole. It's literally by design. That's like saying "there's a loophole to getting into R rated movies if you're underage. You can go with your parents."
In a time of emergency an unlicensed individual can broadcast on a ham radio. But the handbook, doesn't give a clear definition of what an emergency situation is.
Not true you could track someone pretty easily with Justin h t and a yagi antenna and an attenuator if they're not moving too much
transmitting on HAM frequencies without a license is the equivalent of going 5mph over. you’ll be fine, the FCC couldn’t bother wasting their time on tracking you down for it.
I came here to say this
Some sweaty old guy is gonna try tho
They only go after it when you do it intentionally do it either to the point it becomes impossible to ignore, or abuse it
People will find you and report you
That makes sense but I’m guessing they’re not as hard on you if you use it in emergencies, so if you’re bleeding out and it’s the only method of communication you have so you call out to anyone you can, you’re not gonna receive some outrageous fine on top of outrageous medical bills
HAM radio saved my life once. My father has always been a licensed operator and when I was a kid he and I went canoeing down the green river and ended up getting stranded on a island after our boat washed away overnight. We were able to radio a operator in Florida who then contacted our boat rental company. They were able to send out a search boat to rescue us.
wow
What range do they have
@@bigskyoutdoors423240 billion miles
In an emergency situation being licensed or not goes out the window and anyone is allowed to broadcast.
Their range depends on the watts of your radio. The guy posting this video is using a BaoFeng 5VR 8 watt radio. He is probably going to get 8 to 10 miles range line of site. You go into mountains and canyons it’s drastically cut down. Unless you hook up to a local repeater which can transmit you across the coast if they are networked
@ericspearo5731 imagine your trying to outrun a tornado or something see a car and are like... ohh nah man I can't drive that, my license is suspended 😂
I’m sure that button gets hit accidentally 100+times across the US daily.
And nobody got arrested….
Imagine speaking on ATC radio without licence
@@loadingsolate oops, there goes the pentagon
you wouldnt get arrested, youd get fined. but they only care if its a constant abuse of the button.
yes but an accident is different than doing it intentionally.
Doesn’t make it not illegal for unlicensed people…
Fun Fact: The FCC has not criminally prosecuted a single person for illegally operating a HAM radio
Like they haven’t fined anyone or they haven’t tried to get someone criminally charged?
@@pws3rd170 theve never moved to prosecute
@@tb7pets yep. It's one of those regulations that just shouldn't be in place anymore. Seems like a stupid tax if I'm honest.
@@bbbbbbb51 Them having the option to prosecute doesn’t hurt anyone and acts as a further deterrent against potential rule breakers. And the fact that they have chose, so far, to not use it means they aren’t abusing their power. You gain nothing by removing their power to prosecute.
@pws3rd 1 the fact there's no case law does not help their case lol
The government also told me I cant grow more than 5 tomatoe plants and cant have more than 4 chickens well they still haven't showed up
?? Where do you live that they tell you how many tomato plants you can have?
Where do you live?
@@maverickricardo4478It’s probably some BS city ordinance.
Be careful they might show up with a butcher at your door
@@tychodancer Oh, just like how I can't own a fucking hedgehog as a pet in the state of Georgia? Just because they're "unsure about them" (last time I checked their reasoning for the law, 15 years ago). My favorite animal too! Cute little SOBs 😢
Here we go, infamous HAM POLICE... You HAM "elite" operators, instead of threatening, scaring and turning down people, should work on promoting your hobby and welcoming people...
As a ham I agree. I would rather someone get excited and involved, then we can get the license later.
In my experience i never ran into people raging over non licenced use but they exist 100%. Imho just dont interfere and you get my approval
@@alopandur Not ham police. I want more people using the service, not less. It's just that there are idiots out there who think it's fun to interfere with others using radio legally. There are also idiots who think they can use whatever they like who end up interfering with licensed operators. Rules, regs, and licensing are to make the bands generally usable for everyone. Fifty bucks or less($35 to the FCC and $0-$15 for the test) and you can get a Tech licence. You can buy a book or find free classes in-person or online.
Stay on FRS frequencies and ignore people that say you need a license.
@@alexlammers6371 do you have any proof that hes not ? do you have any proof that you are a licensed operator? the hypocrisy here is insane.
@@alexlammers6371 that's not really proof that's just knowledge that can be found anywhere for all I know you could just be making up a random string of characters as a callsign theres really no way to prove this unless you wanna send over ur card with a picture of yourself or verify by radio and DM I'm not asking you to do anything just trying to put in perspective that theres really no way you can just prove something like that just as the other guy can't prove hes a vet unless hes got medals or shows a military id VA card whatever it may be
@@MYTOYMAKERZ no problem, good luck to you sir
Is this legal advice?
@@freedomseeding no lol
Inmate 1: "I butchered a family as they slept. What're you in here for?"
Inmate 2: "HAM radio..."
Hamature....🙄
Also, nowadays you'll probably do more time for ham radio
I def don't want to be in for Ham radio time. The big boys will steal my lunch when they find out.
Inmate 1: how tf
Inmate 2: press button then weewoo
Don't you just get a large fine?
I used to mess around on my dad's CB radio. He always told me if i did they'd find me and I'd go to jail lol. (All the truckers knew it was some kid playing around they never got mad)
CB is different
@@timokane-vu3ks is it more illegal to abuse the HAM radio frequencies than the citizens band ? I know you're not supposed to play around on CB either but maybe it's not that big of deal. My dad probably said that so I wouldn't mess around
@@col.cottonhill6655 cb is citizens band, it is unmoderated apart from maybe channel 9, and can be used by anyone, as the radios u can buy for cheap don’t broadcast hundreds of miles like high wattage units, which are debatably illegal, but if u buy one it’s perfectly legal to mess around with, which I do with my friends very often
Cb radios are completely legal to use and doesn't reach as far as ham radios
@@timothywhite8130 unless you get yourself one of those handy dandy 1000W ebay redneck amplifiers and scream autistic nonsense on channel 6, seems to be a common thing to pick up
In an emergency, you can "push the button" without a license. You can listen all you want the rest of the time.
I’m thinking of getting one of these. can I listen in without any problems?
@@LGgamingatgamesyes, this thing work like a FM radio (but in a different frequency), and yes, listening is NOT prohibited
@@flhrhw thank you so much
Well if you put that in front of me and tell me "Hey, don't hit that button!" I guess I'm going to jail...
💯 right lol 😆 🤣 me to
same!
The FCC doesn't care as long as it's not on police, fire department, ems, aircare frequencies. The only ones that that'll harass you are the hall monitors that are hard core ham operators.
I got 50 people that could find you dont take that risk
@@austinchaos8770 huh?
@@austinchaos8770 found the hall monitor
I mean, direction finding is super easy and only requires around $50 worth of equipment. Clubs have Easter egg hunts for children to teach them.
@@pb6839 and they do what? Report John Doe (like anyone is going to identify themselves to someone not local law enforcement) to who? Do you think the FCC is coming running for a handheld on ham bands? Or do you think local police with their encrypted Motorola trunk systems care about your ham band? No Identification, no enforcement
That sounds about as serious as removing the mattress and pillow tags
😮 an illegal pillow or matress! No tag means it probably has a gun too 😂
The buyer can remove the tags, it is only “illegal” to remove them beforehand.
Hello satan
Right hahaha
😂😂😂😂😂
Me going to orbit while spamming this button 13 times per second while hypersonic missiles are chasing me:
-Go to remote location
-Enjoy the ham
-Destroy the radio and leave before anyone can get to you
or just get licenced. theres only 35 questions on the test and it only cost 35 dollars.
@@HarrierHawk-iq5ikor I could just not give the government money for nothing
Dude I was flying into an airfield and couldn’t make any calls cause two guys were on a hot mic roasting a dude about visiting his mom for like 5 minutes.
Dubious at best. It wasn't one of these radios. They don't tune ATC frequencies. I know because I was a controller for 13 years and I own one. More likely, they were hot miced in an aircraft on the ramp.
@@mcalsip couldve been a CTAF on an uncontrolled field
@@TooManyBoats1 almost definitely, but those frequencies are on the ATC bands and the Baofeng won't tune those.
That sounds terrible, . . . bet your arms are tired!
It’s annoying when people hot mic, but when they hot mic while roasting someone, well that’s just annoyingly funny!
FCC could really care less and they simply don't have the manpower to send agents or whatever to track you down
Be respectful on it and they will never have a reason to track you down or question your use of it
It’s usually not the FCC. If you’re being a douche on the channel, it’ll be a HAM that tracks you down. They have events called fox hunts for fun in which they basically practice the skill.
It's never the FCC that catches you, it's the fudds that snitch in you
@@davidbrunner4413 Usually, if you don’t act stupid, you don’t have a problem. Unfortunately, that’s why all this regulation and BS exist in the first place. The world probably overall be a better place if half the people in it knew how to act like adults, or at least figure out there’s a time and place for everything.
*COULDN'T care less.
Why do you guys say "they could care less?" That literally doesn't make sense. Saying "they COULD care less" means that they do care.
Well, if I’m lost or in a SHTF situation, I WANT THEM TO FIND ME!
In that case the wont find u they will be looking for the guy who is playing with that
You’d also be like the first person ever to get in any measurable amount of trouble if you pushed that button.
In case of emergency Don't hesitate to use it if you really need it.
On our aviation radio licence course( in the EU), there are countless mentions that in case of emergency, you can basically do whatever it takes to solve the situation, so I don't think you'd have any problems doing it in an emergency.
"Have fun giving trying to give me a fine, I'm stuck in a ravine with a broken leg in the wilderness :3"
@@chillbro1010 Now you've got both the Mountain Rescue and the FCC looking for you. I'd take it as a win
I have two hams for that reason and I preemptively looked up all the local repeaters to know how to transmit to them in case I need to reach someone far away. I've got a path that will get me about 100 miles using repeaters. Kinda cool preparation as I live where hurricanes like to visit often. Last time one came through we lost cell phone uses for three weeks in a 30 mile radius
"Please be advised that you are operating on a military channel!" Best response when scanning random channels as a kid.
Another
Lucky bastard
I always got called on not putting out my call sign letters first. Wow. That was late 70's and I still remember them.
Military channels are encrypted. Can’t just stumble upon them with a random radio. Half of what this dude said is correct. Amateur for sure
@@kop4860 And has this always been true, or only in more recent times?
I've picked up chatter from Ft. Stewart not too many years ago.
Use FRS Channels at appropriate output wattage. Not illegal, just baiting us like a tool.
Teeechnically detachable antennas are illegal to use on FRS, it needs to be a specifically made radio for that frequency.
Not that anyone is going to care or reprimand you lol, there's no way for anyone to know you aren't using an approved FRS radio
So it's the best life alert ever
If you arent interfering with anything important no one will track you down. Been using mine for years without a license
honestly as a licenced ham i never really cared if folks used the radios without a license. If your using a club repeater just try to be decent on there. But for simplex operation just find an empty channel in the simplex sub band and nobody will give a crap.
How do I get my license?
@@ChrisHirner how do people know if ur licenced
The FCC has literally never prosecuted anyone for unlicenced use of HAM freq's. Even if HAM's track you down the worst they can do is give you the stink eye.
@@ChrisHirner 'required' 🤣
Imagine them hunting you down but instead of them getting closer to you, you get closer to them.
Tf
@@JOSWAY787 wooooshhhh
@@STUKABAKER36what a world we live in where if we don’t say lol or lmao, we are automatically wooooshed…
based
Oh, shiet
For a PRR role over short distances, especially with something similar to this or the cheaper model beofengs, check the specific regulated frequency ranges and power limits for your local or national law.
Here in the UK there are regulated frequencies, but there are ranges that you can use unqualified below a certain output outside of those ranges.
My oldest son has fooled with HAM Radio since he was a teenager and has mobile units in all his vehicles and a base station at home.
I don't know much about ham radios but my grandpa had a cb radio in his car from his truck driving days. He told me this story about how he got on the horn after a hit and run with his family in the car. Minutes and a 1/4 mile later 3 rigs had pined the guy into a barrier. Good people out there going above and beyond. So yea don't waste the good people's time.
do you invite people over for beers on that thing ? if not ,missed opportunity
💡😂🙏
there are rules against it.
My dad is a volunteer fire fighter and it’s cool to see people explain things that I see him use all the time
You can program FRS Freqs and avoid all the HAM freqs
They can’t track you down unless you’re a chronic offender
I would be so chronic that I would be doing it at the border in Mexico broadcasting to America and no one could do shit
When I was in high school, we used to track people for fun.
In fact we used to make a game of it, playing hide and seek across the entire city.
Whoever was hiding would randomly transmitted and The seekers would track.
It would take literally minutes to track someone down who was either being annoying or interfering with our conversations.
Sometimes this would result with snipped coax going to their antennas once we found their house.
@mo mo lol
@mo mo such an intelligent well-thought-out comment..
@@russr That only applies to base stations though. No way you can ever find a walkie like this thats on the move
My school hat a radio operation club. An old man supervised the children between 12-16 and introduce them into radio communication. It was a sought after club and always full of ppl. I remember them playing hide and seek on campus and every one is equipped with a good walkie talkie. Youd hear them a mile away bc of the beeping 😂
If anybody should be arrested, it's this guy.
Looks high.
Shut up
"I think everyone should have this"
"You'll get fined if you use it"
Worst part is that you won't. Old technology is less surveyed
In the last 20 years Noone has got a fine for transmitting
I can see there being a fine presented if it’s someone constantly being a nuisance on first responders radio. But I really don’t see the FCC tracking you down for transmitting every once in a while
Agreed. Im seeing mixed messages about general transmission vs transmitting on emergancy frequencies and havent gotten a clear answer but one this is for sure. If you stay off frequencies for aviation, emergancy responders and so on, youll be ok. My old job had lower end radios and there was no issue. Whe. Me and a few others got this exact radio, we had a co worker tune them to our works frequency and channel.
@@GreyBlackWolfyeah you're basically good as long as you're not bothering anybody. Pirate radio stations are just as illegal and it's pretty rare they ever get taken down by anything other than their operators losing interest in the project.
@@davidponder1654 you're right if somebody is interfering with radio signals from the police or truckers or the military you're going to get really screwed but if you're just talking to another random person on a ham radio nobody cares
@@davidponder1654 The last fine I am aware of is one guy got hit with a big fine for operating an unlicensed radio station. Even that took a year or two for them to actually come out and do something.
"this button" points at walkie talkie
hes pointing at the ptt key
My bro and I used some walkie talkies for fun as kids. Messing around. Then someone told us to stop. So we did. I didn't know about this. It's funny thinking about that knowing this now.
The chance of them finding you if you are transmitting without a license is ridiculously low. You would have to be openly belligerent with it while they are actively searching for you.
“I’m pulling into wal mart now!”
We been using these in a hunting club for years. They don't talk very far. Those that get tracked down are on base stations pushing 10,000 watts
@@GaryGoat350 this killed me
There is a game called fox hunting that hams find transmission
@@Hawken707 So I can use it between cars on a road trip
Good luck with fining me🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hal from Malcolm in the middle 😂😂😂
Literally no one has been charged for this in decades
ever
A quick Google search shows 1 in 2011 and 1 in 2016. Ultimately it depends on the old people around you if anything. Most Ham radio operators are in their mid to late 70s now.
@@Rommer2258 I have one in my car just in case. I would rather pay a fine than die in a ditch in the middle of a blizzard when my cellphone is dead.
@@USERNAME1-x5u its not ilegal if your in danger you can break some law to save your life
@@aoki6332 Yeah. I figured they would rule it out quite easily if that was the case.
i’ll one up you :)
I hold a Restricted Radio license, allowing me to establish 2way comms on any frequency. Mil or civil. But so do all other pilots 😁
Can you get in trouble for what you say? Can you contact military planes/helicopters and just say whatever you want?
He can not contact military anything. Don't believe it. Maybe military contract employees, yes.
@@evan3458 if youre generally being a dick on an important frequency like police lines, military comms, EMS lines, etc. and/or refuse to get off when someone tells you to, or maybe try to impersonate someone who actually uses the comms like emergency service dispatch or a soldier relaying false information just to mess with the military, youll probably get someone annoyed enough to track you down and report you, which would easily give the FCC enough reason to take away the license, otherwise should honestly be ok
I'm pretty sure... It's not "any frequency"
@@UndercastEsmeganitrospeedno, it really is any frequency. It's just that it's also pretty much only meant for emergency situations where establishing a line of communication at all is more important than anything it might interfere with and using it frivolously will get that license yanked in a heartbeat.
I will never be licensed by the FCC
The stupidest thing about living in the US today is that you need a license or a permit for everything. Basically you have to ask the government for permission for what you want to do and if they say no, you cant do it or you get fined/arrested.
I was never licensed and I’d push that button and talk all the damn time into the radio as a kid. Never had anyone stop me
That was probably a walkietalkie from the dollar store
how would they know who’s pressing the button, 😂 it’s not like you have to display your license everytime you use it. This guy is overreacting
@@TBjunk25 the FCC can track and pinpoint a broadcast. so yes, they can come after you. the likelihood they are gonna be able to hone in on the sparing use of this handheld is slim to none. they have bigger fish to fry.
@@Tyler-ts2ld also other ham operators,some are legit trackers with their homemade equipments and then report the possible location to the FCC
As long as you stay below the radar it’s fine but if anyone abuses the radio then defo someone will report it
@@Tyler-ts2ld But why would they automatically assume that the individual does not have the right to use that frequency.
Damn it
I really need to get that license to make sure i don‘t get sued after the nuclear apocalypse
In the event of the nuclear apocalypse no one is going to try to track you down unless you claim you have food and weapons
Boy, you better believe Uncle Sam getting his cut after the earth melted
It wouldn't surprise me if by then getting fines and pat taxes would be a thing
Getting a hamradio license is not hard to get any more.Nice video, thanks..73
That license is almost impossible to get in Brazil, but nobody cares if you have it or not.
Very true. I tested for my general the same day tested for the tech. Very expensive hobby!!! 73.
They publish the question and answers. Just memorize
@@MichaelPechner I knew a guy who did that for his AE. Just took about 600 practice tests until he aced them and then went and tested. I prefer actually knowing my stuff. Keeps me out of trouble and let's me have relatively intelligent conversations with those who know more than me.
@@Silversnapdragon I agree, I did the same. In fact when I was an active VE I would relearn the material to retake the test when the materials changed.
Pro tip, do it in front of someone you hates house.
If you’re in the U.S., you can use the Family Radio Service (FRS) frequencies without needing a license. They do have limited power, but if you’re just playing around with your friends it’s good enough.
or under supervision of a licensed operator one operator covers the whole house
@Aaron-zu3xn really?
I wound up just using my uv-5r for gmrs frequencies until i got my license
I would say that is completely fine. At the very least you are using the bands in a way that cannot interfere with license holders who are the primary users. I always recommend to get your license as it isn’t just a piece of paper and has some very important safety information that you should learn.
@@FatallydisorganizedGMRS is also a licensed service, for what it’s worth. The point of the license isn’t to keep people out, it’s to try and make sure you know enough about your equipment and operating procedures to be effective and not do something dumb.
Isn‘t the UV-5R illegal anyways because of harmonics?
And that's why "I ate a cheeseburger"
160.950 used to be the Norfolk Southern frequency, and I would talk with crews on trains that were tied down. NS used to be chill AF. Then they changed their frequency because of people like me 😭
I doing classes for my ham radio. Since I want to be a pilot, I need the license for emergencies. It's also pretty cool to talk to the ISS :)
You can talk to the ISS?
And when have you ever talked to someone supposedly in the ISS??
@@mepking3877 yes, when they fly over, which you can usually see with the naked eye, you can tune into their frequency.
@@diychad7268 when they fly over my house. They’re only around 230-300 miles above the earth, and semi expensive ham radios can operate at that
You don’t need a Ham license to be a pilot
Him: this button is illegal to press.
Also him: points finger at the entire radio
Lmao I knew a guy that had one just listening to the Johnny’s line all the time
Great short! We need more ham radio operators! Grow the hobby. It’s a heap of fun
I'm just getting started, haven't got my license yet but that's the next step 😊
Ehhh we had a HAM with a 200 foot tower in a residential neighborhood.. it was a awesome raido. Our amplifier was so strong we could only use it at night. We could key the mic and all the phones in the neighborhood would stop working. We had two guys around the world and we could dial them in and bounce a code around the world in about 5 mins. Never ran into any law though and we used it all the time with no license.
They aren't going to find you. They aren't even looking. The air is free. Push your buttons and talk away bros.
If you transmit on emergency, military, or law enforcement frequencies they can triangulate your position
@@hewbambam well they can have fun finding me in a open field then
@@hewbambam we're talking about mobile radios here, you also have the option of hitting a repeater with a high-gain antenna
I mean, if you’re in a life or death situation it’s a small price to pay.
“Oh you’re going to arrest me? Thank god, here are my coordinates “. 😂
Me at a garage sale: check check check 1234 this mic on? "FJB"
I used to work right next to a military base using that exact same radio as a referee. Used to pick up random garble from the base, even a few words here and there. According to my manager we were using illegal frequencies but since the boss above him was too stupid to use the radios properly we had to use those or else he’d blow a gasket. The Feds even visited us once but it wasn’t over the radios.
Maaan listen I'd press that button sooooo many times lol
Man got a slick Amazon plate carrier with probably steel plates telling us about “kit” lmaoo
Steel plates are fine as long as they have a liner on the plates and you put in a trauma pad.
@Someone said War ?? Gotta start somewhere, I've bought my share of junk over the years. Before Trijicon and Aimpoint I used Truglo, for my first rifle.
@@BloodyKnives66 yea if you like getting your shit plastered in spall stop being cheap your life’s worth more than $200
@@BloodyKnives66 Yea that’s fine, the problem is when you get online and start peddling shit products to idiots because you think you got it all figured out is what I have a problem with.
I hate content like this.
Ahh yes, the “oh i read the whole menu, but what does this button do?” Button
When the government takes your rights and sells them back to you, thats what we call a license
So if I invent a radio, it's you God given right to use it? I have no say how my invention is used?
@@stephenwalker6939 Yes. If I own it I’m gonna do whatever the heck I want with it.
@Stephen Walker imagine inventing a tool, selling that tool freely, but not allowing that person who bought it to use that tool. Like, a hammer, or a nail gun. It's a communications device, not a g un or two ton death machine.
@Thought Criminal I think you replied to the wrong person lmao
Wahre Worte
You can also tune that radio to the regular talkabout frequencies which is what those like $5 walkie talkies run off of. It’s not on the ham frequency band and it’s perfectly legal.
No, it's not "perfectly legal". Those radios aren't legally certified for usage outside of ham bands. Odds of getting caught are next to zero, but it's still not at all legal. Just like going 1mph over the speed limit.
@@beartwigs At that point, fuck the law
He keeps putting his finger on or near the button and it’s makin me nervous 😂
That's a hell of a rubber duck ant
Once on a cruise as a kid, I used my family radio on the frequency of cruise security and called man overboard and ran with it for too long
We need the rest of the story
Are you not allowed to use radios on cruise ships ?
That moment the government wants you to have licenses for a damn radio: *blasts säkkijarven polka on 20 ham radios*
I doubt the FCC (a useless government agency) has the money or manpower or time to go after ham radio operators unless it becomes a problem.
Been using them offroad for years...
Just push the button
That's what I call the guy at the Deli counter. a Ham operator.
I'm not even upset lol
Hahahaha that's funny stuff
Back when I was a firefighter, we opened our station up to the public one day to show the citizens of the city our gear/firetrucks. A group of 12 year old girls came up to me, and we were discussing radios. I was showing them my radio and one girl decided to hit the red button (aka the MAYDAY button). Thankfully, due to being in the bay with all the intercom speakers, my radio was off
Close call
I have the same type of walkie talkie. I listen to my local radio stations.
We use it in Philippines but you have to be a licensed operator also 😂
I became a HAM operator when I was in middle school. It was an awesome learning experience
They can't track you, unless they're already watching you. And only if you're talking on frequencies that they use for official purposes. 🤣
They can track frequencies via the time it takes to communicate with nearby recievers/towers & which direction signals are being sent.. it's not that hard. & all radio frequencies are monitored more then you think. Criminals & foreign governments use channels like this to communicate, if every innocent americans call & texts are recorded via the Patriot act then yes every public frequency available is monitored, recorded & stored for future use.
I remember my grandpa had an old radio and we used to listen to it all the time
I like how the video loops at the end
That’s like getting to use the cashier lounge when you’re just a stocker 😅
Broo... im into radios. Its not like computers, they wont find you like in the movies, dawg.
They very easily could find you. Most the software is actually free download on computer if that’s what you’re into. I was a cryptologic linguist in the Army, and it is incredibly easy to track a radio like this. That being said, I really don’t think anyone would even care if you have a license, Nevermind tracking you down lol.
As long as you don't use the radio from home and use it in different locations randomly you can NEVER get caught.
True. I mostly have mine for emergencies, in which it's legal to use.
Idk who would use it from home I was trying to figure out who’s gonna come find me in the middle of absolute no where for using a radio lol
@@evandoesstuffandthings4379 what are they gonna do once they get there 🤣
Unless you dress like he does.
@@huntermac2012 look at some dirt I guess I’ll be hundreds of miles away by the time they get there
It’s important to know that the monitoring stations record things such that they can investigate a crime that happened years ago so don’t think a lack of funding will stop the investigating
I have a couple of those Boefang radios and we use them all the time. Nobody can ever find you and identify you when you’re moving. It’s literally impossible to track moving broadcasters and nobody will ever identify who you are. So the law is essentially useless.
Right? The federal gov has way more shit to worry about then ham radio violations. Such a joke.
Scare tactics yes ...just like COVID 19
We found you josh now that will be a $15 fine
There are ways to track you when your moving I've looked into but honestly the fcc unless your being so ignorant on active frequencies or just jamming the line your never gonna be bothered
It's called Fox hunting and people live for it.
Remember anytime someone tells you the government isn't the bad guys that when the power goes out they want you to be alone and afraid and uninformed.
...if the power goes out...anything youd wish you could listen on or would be useful is on an encrypted channel youd never be able to connect to and listen in on or transmit on
Wat
Let’s say that, you are the government and intel is valuable and don’t want it to leak out so they have to cut you off to save time, so they can move resources to a safe location so they are one step ahead of you, they don’t want people to hear the key classified movements
@@Mark_nobody3 this isn't the 70s or 80s all those channels are encrypted and you'd never be able to listen in anyways unless u steal one of theirs and they didn't notice and didn't change it
@Mark Nobody That, and the fact that in most emergency situations, average people are NOT helpful. If anything they make things worse and get in the way of the people who CAN help and have been trained properly to do so.
A good amount of the training for emergency situations is not only WHAT to do, but HOW to act and techniques for keeping your emotions under wraps. It's about teaching people how to retain their higher cognitive thinking when they would otherwise naturally have a fight or flight response triggered. It's those adrenaline responses that need to be trained out of people so that a bad situation isn't made worse.
Track me down! You will need that vest! 😂
So is the gas pedal of a car "BuT It DePeNdS On ThE PeRsOn".
I feel like if I accidentally pressed it for a split second, most people would probably say “all good, don’t do it again” if it’s even noticed.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Absolutely no one would care. This is clickbait
yeah how would they even know if u have a license
@@LemonSoulz they could look up the fake callsign you give and see it's not in the federal database. Then again, all they could do if they found you is give you the stink eye. The FCC has never prosecuted anyone for unlicensed tx on ham freq's.
@@LemonSoulz Your given a station ID you must announce yourself as, Radio signals are recorded 24/7 by anyone The only people who care are HAMboomers , but licensing is very cheap and easy as its just etiquette questions
Love how he didn’t explain what the button actually does but explains what happens if a old dude finds you
If this was literal, It’s a portable radio you talk into it, and people can talk back
This will also disarm ring alarm systems lol
Love to see someone bringing attention to this. I used to hold a technician class license myself my call sign was KF7IFO I mainly use the 145.45 out here in Washington state off the tunk mountain repeater.
Nice to see some more hams in my area. I got my license in January my call sign is KK7KEF, and I also live in Washington. 👍👍
@@phoenixsousley6993 nice yeah I got my license way back in 2010 and since then I’ve not held one in years but just something I used to do
*sits in living room listening to local ATC chatter on VHF band frequencies with a basic two-way radio*
listening isnt illegal. transmitting is.
I listen to public ATC channels in a web browser because I have jack shit for spending money.
There is actually a set of frequencies available on that radio that are legal to use. It’s called FRS. The Family Radio Service (FRS) is a private, two-way, short-distance voice and data communications service for facilitating family and group activities. The most common use for FRS channels is short-distance, two-way voice communications using small hand-held radios that are similar to walkie-talkies. The service is licensed-by-rule so the general public can use the devices without having to obtain a license and channel sharing is achieved through a listen-before-talk etiquette. The FRS is authorized 22 channels in the 462 MHz and 467 MHz range, all of which are shared with General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) which requires an individual license for use.
I use those all the time with my Baofeng.
Technically that isn't true. The device itself has to be licensed for FRS/GMRS. Ham radios are not. However if you just aren't a tool then no body is going to care.
@@captainwasabi if what you say is true, please post a link directing us how and/or where to license a device. Only operator licensing is mentioned in any FCC resources I can find.
No one has ever been tracked down for using a ham without a license. Only insufferable ham guys say that.
I like how while he is explaining that it’s illegal to push the button he is basically rubbing it
You've got to ask yourself : if things are bad enough that I need a HAM radio, are government regulators gonna have the time to stop me?
Isn't there a load of civilian frequencies you can access with that require no licensing? Im pretty sure I use that exact radio for airsoft comms
I wouldn't say "loads" but you can factory reset the uv-5r for frs/gmrs frequencies, the illegal part is that you're able to transmit and cause problems on other frequencies, also frs is supposed to be limited to 0.05W and this transmits with 5W, and you also need a license for gmrs in the US, although there's no test involved, it's like a $30-$50 yearly tax grab
Moral of the story, don't talk to planes or emergency services, don't be a nuisance on HAM repeaters and you'll be fine
The UV-5R is not part 95 compliant, therefore making it illegal to operate on non-ham frequencies
@@porcupinepunch6893 there is no way to tell if a radio transmission was from a baofeng or a $5000 Bat-ear radio
@@itmeng There is actually
@@porcupinepunch6893 only in a lab enviroment