freebanders

[AA4PB]

Today's freebander is yesterday's bootlegger. Depending on your definition I guess you might say that all freebanders are bootleggers but not all bootleggers are freebanders. Regardless of what you call it, it is illegal.

[K8IO]

A lot of conversing and grumbling about freebanders here and how it is fall out of CB. I propose it isnt.[/quote]

You're wrong. "Freebanding" came from cb folks moving out of the channels and into adjacent frequencies.

We will just have to disagree, CB is the most popular reference though.

operating on then 5 meters without a license. And they had quite a group of regulars that operated without licenses. And his Bust from the FCC. He said the fcc looked his station over and told him the only thing he needed was a license. Made him promise to NOT operate again till he got one. Which he did.

What he did was called "bootlegging" back then (the 1920s-1930s). It was rare but not unknown. Freebanding is different.

'
How is one illegal ops different from another??I think the only thing different is the fact that the FCC and then other goverments ignored the issue. Emboldening the freebanders. Then Manufacturers flooded the market with radios capable of freebanding with again no enforcement, and now that genie is out of the bottle.

Note that in those days your friend's setup would have not gone very far on 5 meters. More important, he STOPPED and went legit.

 Well he was monitored from over 60 miles out initially, and was using a directional antenna. A lot of them would "go legit" faced with the option of that or a hefty fine or confiscation of equipment.

This was LONG before CB was even a thought.

Not really. Your friend was probabluy on 5 meters in the 1930s. UHF cb was authorized right after WW2. 11 meter cb came along in 1958.

Freebanding as we know it came about in the 1970s.

There are freebanders operating on bands far removed from the 11 meter bands.

Ahh, to my point, last I checked WW2 ended in 1945

Name some.

6 mhz, 3.4 mhz, I have even come across some guys operating on 35 Mhz using old FM surplus stuff.
http://www.freewebs.com/meterbands/echocharlie.html
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/17165250

People want to communicate, but not all will go to the efforts to get a license.

What "efforts" does it really take to get an amateur radio license today? A couple of multiple-choice tests from a published pool, given by volunteers. 74% is the passing grade. Elementary school children have achieved the top license class.

So it's not about "effort".

73 de jim, N2EY

Its not about how easy it is, its about the fact you have to do something at all.


[/quote]

[ONAIR]

With little to no enforcement, and relatively low priced radios available all over the internet to anyone, it is no surprise that this freeband operation has skyrocketed.  They even have their own internet websites where they issue individual "call signs" to their members, based on the country that they are operating from!!

[KA5ROW]

If the highway patrol has no problem enforcing speed limits the FCC should no more difficult time enforcing the CB band.

 The FCC could do raids at truck stops and residential areas, and that would slow it down a lot. By the time a few dozen
 trucks get in pounded company’s would make dammed sure there trucks  that had personal CB in them were legal and
of course the driver would be fired on the spot, plus any fines imposed by the FCC on the driver and possible the company.

Residential raids; confiscate all equipment hefty fines and even property seizer just like they would do in a drug raid.

After a few months of that 90% of truck drivers would have thrown their old illegal ring in the trash and have a nice new legal radio. The same could be said of residential base stations.  Once word got out that several had lost their home to the Feds they would have gotten new clean radios too.

There will always be some idiot that thinks they won’t get caught.

[ONAIR]

If the highway patrol has no problem enforcing speed limits the FCC should no more difficult time enforcing the CB band.

 The FCC could do raids at truck stops and residential areas, and that would slow it down a lot. By the time a few dozen
 trucks get in pounded company’s would make dammed sure there trucks  that had personal CB in them were legal and
of course the driver would be fired on the spot, plus any fines imposed by the FCC on the driver and possible the company.

Residential raids; confiscate all equipment hefty fines and even property seizer just like they would do in a drug raid.

After a few months of that 90% of truck drivers would have thrown their old illegal ring in the trash and have a nice new legal radio. The same could be said of residential base stations.  Once word got out that several had lost their home to the Feds they would have gotten new clean radios too.

There will always be some idiot that thinks they won’t get caught.

   That could work.  Unfortunately in these bad economic times, I doubt that the FCC (or government agencies in general) would devote resources to anything other than what they consider to be most essential.

[K1DA]

I get a kick out of the "speed limit" reference.  Selective enforcement  at the very best .  Most of the interstate highway system was designed for 70 mph at a time when vehicles were far less capable than they  are now.  There are street radial tires  better than the racing tires of the 80's and brakes and suspensions ae far better.  Nevertheless, when Aunt Tilly tells the local dogooder politician that the whippersnappers are passing her on the right on the interstate and  she has a "constitutinal  right" to go ten under in the passing lane,  the do-gooder undertakes to "save the children" by having the limit LOWERED again, thus creating another nice speed trap opportunity.  Traffic engineers have a procudure for setting speed limits at about the 85th percentile, it involves MEASURING average speeds first and then doing some math.  Or, we can let Aunt Tilly and the dogooders set them "because". 
German URBAN interstates have a lower accident than our RURAL ones, but in Germany, even Aunt Tilly knows how to drive. 

[W3HKK]

Agree. With the lack of any effective enforcement,  some folks take things into their own hands.

[K1ZJH]

Some of these proposals are pretty outlandish. We could have shoplifters executed on sight, but does the
punishment fit the crime??

The FCC already has the power to enforce and impose monetary fines for rules violations. The problem is the
whatever fine is imposed goes back into the general fund, and does not increase the FCC's budget. What
incentive does the FCC have to enforce the rules, when the cost of enforcement adversely affects their
budget??

[W5GNB]

It was interesting to me this past weekend when I was listenig to the LIDS on 14.313 doing everything WRONG in the book and then some.  Many probably Not licensed and many who were not giving any calsigns if they were licensed.

On comparing thier activity to what I heard on the famous "BOOTLEG" channel of 27.555, I have to say the curtesy and order was much improved on the Bootleg channel.  Eveyone there was a gentleman and it sure sounded like some sense of respect for each other.....

Have the roles finally changed to where Hams are now CB'ers and visa versa??

Just Sayin'
Gary - W5GNB

[AA4HA]

There are bootleggers all over the place. Folks who live in the middle of some state like Montana or Wyoming and have maritime VHF radios installed in their trucks and ATV's. It is much more common than you think.

When I worked as the technical expert for a Motorola VAR you would not believe some of the requests that would come down from some fairly "official" places like Police Departments wanting a private frequency programmed into some of their HT's on frequencies in the middle of the VHF business band (not even a standard channel allocation).

[N8YX]

On comparing thier (sic) activity to what I heard on the famous "BOOTLEG" channel of 27.555, I have to say the curtesy (sic) and order was much improved on the Bootleg channel.  Eveyone (sic) there was a gentleman and it sure sounded like some sense of respect for each other.....

You must not be listening to the same 'triple nickle' as my R70 was tuned to last weekend. Shenanigans being conducted there are identical to those on 275/313. Someone rolls up to the frequency, thinks it's theirs, issues statements to that effect and the fight's on...

[KD6KWZ]

There is a 14khz wide area at 13.56mhz to operate as well

Not only for RFID, but it's used in industrial processing. Semiconductor etch & deposition equipment frequently
use this frequency. Here's one example:

http://www.mksinst.com/product/category.aspx?categoryid=17

[KD8GTP]

I enjoy both my ham radios and 'other' radios.  It's a hobby, nothing more. Everything is ok in moderation. Made a lot of good friends on ham radio as well as 'other' radio
I say enjoy your radios, whatever band they may be.