Emcom and prepping do not qualify as commercial communications. This is a codified purpose for ham radio in the US.
Keep in mind that an amateur radio repeater owner in the US jurisdiction has the backing of the FCC to kick you off their repeater for any reason they care to dream up or without any apparent reason at all. Since that repeater is on a frequency coordinated channel, they do effectively 'own the frequency'.
- Glenn W9IQ
Glenn, I question at time putting you on ignore... but you never fail to remind me. I just seem to forget to NOT click show post.
Yes, specific use of ham bands outside of hobby use is illegal when it's ONLY used for that purpose.
Yes, emcomm is PART of amateur radio. NOT the only part.
SAR is not emcomm. It's under public safety communications and if a SAR group files with the FCC for a license they get frequencies from the public safety pool and not the general SMR pool. CERT is the same way. CERT is even designated as first responders when they are activated under the FEMA guidelines... ARES is not ever considered first responders in any situation.
As far as the comments above about NOT talking on ham radio EXCEPT for communications for the SAR / CERT / whatever group. I have been in meeting where the group leader has said that ham radio is for EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS ONLY and not for ANY other use. And told the members that they would be removed from the group if they were using ham radio of other purposes. This is patently wrong, yes, in the middle of the meeting I spoke up, and corrected the group leader who though it wise to question me. When he found out that I had been a ham longer than he had been alive, and was there by direction of the EMA director for the county, he decided to shut up. When you, yourself decide to only use ham radio for one specific purpose. Be that DXing, contesting, packet radio, AREDN, satellite communication or what ever, that's YOUR choice. When a leader of a group MANDATES that you can only use ham radio for a specific purpose then that is illegal, because it DOES make it a replacement for commercial radio communications. It would be no different than the moderators on here saying no one can be a member of this forum and talk on HF. It's crap.. no real ham would do it. Unfortunately, the league says nothing to these fools because ultimately it may push them away and lower the potential number of members. And the only reason for it is they can jump on OTHER peoples infrastructure (repeaters) which they typically do. And conduct their business. And yes it IS a commercial endeavor. Because if they so much as drink a cup of coffee that is provided be ANYONE other than the individual, they are being paid for ham radio usage in their endeavor and that makes it commercial and therefore illegal.
We can sit here and split hairs all you want. I have my opinion and you have yours. They don't seem to match on this topic, or you do agree but choose to agitate. Might be why you have 4700 and some posts.
Your a really smart guy, engineer, and obviously well educated.
Not so sure about your delivery skills though.