Moral of the story is this: Keep your eyes peeled for the "Cat Detector Van."
http://mzonline.com/bin/view/Python/FishLicenseSketch (This actually refers to the British licensing of radio and TV receivers. Both require a license and they actually go around in vans to "ctach" and punish persons listening without a license!) On 2 Mar 2006 at 19:54, Phil Galasso wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > > > I made a 1/4 wave dipole out of a PL259 and coat hangers, and stuck it on > > my vent pipe on the roof. > > I never checked the range, its on 90.4 MHz. > > A good antenna would likely get me in trouble. > > > > 4 watts and a good antenna would likely go many miles. > > That's an excellent way to lose your ham license while courting a $10,000 > fine from the FCC for unlicensed operation. Current Part 15 rules permit a > MAXIMUM field strength of 250 microvolts per meter at 3 meters from the > transmitting antenna. If you check the FCC Enforcement Log, available on the > Enforcement Bureau page of the Commission's Web site, you will see numerous > people who got busted for transmitting in the FM broadcast band without a > proper radio station license. A few of these show up every week. If the > bootlegger is a college kid or a preacher who puts an unlicensed station on > the air as a hobby or to broadcast his church services, he may get away with > a warning not to do it again. Since you are a ham, and, therefore, licensed > by the FCC, you would lose your license and be hit with a heavy fine. Your > radio equipment could also be confiscated. In Florida, you would also face > state charges, as the Sunshine State passed a law a couple of years ago that > makes unlicensed operation in the broadcast bands a felony. > > BTW, the FCC just levied a massive fine against Ramsey Electronics for > marketing "export only" FM broadcast transmitters that did not have FCC type > acceptance for regular broadcast use. > > The bottom line is, such equipment is illegal. And the FCC is vigorously > enforcing the rules that apply to the AM and FM broadcast bands. > > If you want to hear your AM roundtable while you are called away to the > telephone or using the bathroom, get a good speaker, attach it to your > receiver, and turn up the volume. > > Phil K2PG > > > ______________________________________________________________ > AMRadio mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html > Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > AMfone Website: http://www.amfone.net > AM List Admin: Brian Sherrod/w5ami, Paul Courson/wa3vjb >
