I never suggested P25 was not legal. The rule I was talking about seems to have been axed last year, when the FCC ammended, among other rules:
------------------------------------- * 97.113(a)(4) to prohibit amateur stations exchanging messages with amateur stations in other countries from making transmissions that are encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning, except for control signals exchanged between Earth command stations and space stations in the Amateur-Satellite service, something Part 97 already provides for. The old rule referred to the use of ''codes and ciphers.'' The same rule also already prohibits transmitting music, communications intended to facilitate a criminal act, obscene or indecent words or language and false or deceptive messages, signals or identification. --------------------------------------- So, it looks like even non-open standards may be used now - INCLUDING ENCRYPTION! That used to be specifically prohibited. Joe M. Nate Bargmann wrote: > > * mch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [2007 Apr 25 15:33 -0500]: > > Wrong. If it's not an open protocol, it's not legal in the ham band. > > Here is the relevant portion for FCC jurisdictions: > > ----- > > §97.309 RTTY and data emission codes. > > (b) Where authorized by §§ 97.305(c) and 97.307(f) of this part, a > station may transmit a RTTY or data emission using an unspecified > digital code, except to a station in a country with which the United > States does not have an agreement permitting the code to be used. RTTY > and data emissions using unspecified digital codes must not be > transmitted for the purpose of obscuring the meaning of any > communication. When deemed necessary by a District Director to assure > compliance with the FCC Rules, a station must: > > (1) Cease the transmission using the unspecified digital code; > > (2) Restrict transmissions of any digital code to the extent > instructed; > > (3) Maintain a record, convertible to the original information, > of all digital communications transmitted. > > ----- > > Looks like to me that P25 is legal above 50.1 MHz noting the bandwidth > restrictions of 97.307(f)(5) and 97.307(f)(6). From 33cm and shorter > wavelengths, there are no bandwidth restrictions--97.307(f)(7). > > 73, de Nate >>
