Re: New HA product development

[Mac <foo@xxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 01:11:18 +0000, gwhite wrote:

> Joel Kolstad wrote:
>>
>>
>> Ah, well TRANSMITTING on the police bands is another issue.  That
>> certainly is illegal (for your friend).
>
> I believe true maydays are never illegal on any band.  Note you do not
> claim he was arrested for illegal operation.  (I admit it has been over
> 25 years since I took the license exams.)
>
>> But note that the FCC confiscated the device specifically because it
>> was modified and therefore no longer type accepted...
>
> As I wrote, seizure of a non-type accepted radio, that has been legally
> used, is different than saying the particular mayday use itself was
> illegal.

See, in particular:

§97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
  No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of
any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential
communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life
and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are
not available.

Also:
§97.111 Authorized transmissions.
(a) An amateur station may transmit the following types of two-way
communications:
(1)[...]
(2) Transmissions necessary to exchange messages with a station in another
FCC-regulated service while providing emergency communications;

As I understand it, (and I am not a ham) in a real emergency, and when
there is no other alternative, a ham may use any power, any band, and any
modulation necessary.

--Mac