When I got my FCC First Class Radiotelephone license in 1969, I remember there were rules and questions related to requirements of being licensed in order to tune or adjust a lot of radio transmitting equipment, such as broadcast, marine, and two-way. This was considered maintenance, not necessarily tampering. Many of these rules went away with the deregulation of the FCC. You don't need ANY FCC license these days to make such adjustments if you're under the guidance or direction of someone who's responsible for the proper operation of the equipment, and even that person does not need to be FCC licensed, although it certainly helps. For example, the guy who packs your groceries could adjust the frequency of your 20kw FM transmitter as long as the chief engineer was talking to him on the phone and told him which knob to turn. Many states, including mine, have their own credential and license program in place that deals with two-way radio technicians and even alarm system installers. These would have more impact in cases where something was done improperly, but as to laws about tampering, I think we're back to the trespass scenario.
As far as tampering or malicious damage to FCC-licensed stations, facilities, equipment, etc., I will presume this is undesirable tampering or detrimental to the emissions of the site. If there's no specific rule that covers it, there certainly are rules that govern the results (interference, improper operation, etc). Once evidence of tampering has been collected, it could become a federal matter, much the same way that false SOS calls on the marine band are prosecuted by the U.S. Coast Guard. There are specific rules in part 97 about people who do not have valid amateur licenses operating equipment on the amateur bands. This assumes there is not a licensed control operator doing his/her thing. This precludes even a law enforcement officer from keying your ham transceiver (unless he's also a ham). Commercial two-way stuff is quite different, however. Most transmitters are type accepted or type approved. Making modifications to some areas of the equipment will invalidate this acceptance/approval and if undesirable operation results, it could then draw a citation from the FCC. This could happen if you changed some of the RF circuitry in a broadcast transmitter, like if the parts are no longer available. The manufacturer of the equipment can file paperwork for variations to this certification which lets the local engineer make such changes, but usually after 30 years, the equipment just gets replaced and no one really cares. Bob M. ====== --- mch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well, whatever you call that box that has components > that emit > significant amounts of RF energy under the > authorization of whomever > grants whatever paper, I'm sure there are laws > against tampering with > it. And they won't be laws enforced by the local or > state entities > (whatever you want to call those) due to federal > preemption. > > As an aside, not necessarily having anything to do > with any previous > postings on the list, if a local or state police > officer tries to > regulate your radio activities or takes action > against someone else > doing the same, he/she is impersonating a federal > agent. Only the FCC > has the authority to regulate RF transmissions in > the USA and enforce > laws dealing with same, and that power is exclusive > with the singular > exception of the Federal Government RF transmissions > (incl military). > > There may be trespass laws involved, but nothing > dealing with the > tampering of a transmitter. > > Joe M. > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > In a message dated 12/8/2006 9:50:23 P.M. Pacific > Standard Time, > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > They most certainly do license transmitters. > It's only in > > the Ham type > > services the operators are licensed and can > put transmitters > > anywhere > > (almost). That's why the commercial licenses > have > > coordinates and > > frequencies on them. > > > > They most certainly don't license transmitters. > They license stations > > and the station owner/trustee. They type accept > the equipment. If the > > specific equipment was licensed, > > you would have to pursue a new license to replace > it with a duplicate. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. http://new.mail.yahoo.com
