i have a simple yes or no question (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

I could probably pass it right now. I've done alot with rf when I worked out at Yuma proving ground but will need a refresher. It's been awhile. If there's any electronics in the test, I won't be worried about that.
Once you get your Ham licence, you can be the "control operator" for your group when you are out with them. That is if you trust your unlicensed buddies to behave on the air, once you give the basic rules of what they can not do on the air. You would be responsible for their on the air behavior. When you are studying for your license look further into FCC control operator rules. It is a legal way for unlicensed folks to be on the air, it is done that way at all the Ham clubs Field Days.
 
Once you get your Ham licence, you can be the "control operator" for your group when you are out with them. That is if you trust your unlicensed buddies to behave on the air, once you give the basic rules of what they can not do on the air. You would be responsible for their on the air behavior. When you are studying for your license look further into FCC control operator rules. It is a legal way for unlicensed folks to be on the air, it is done that way at all the Ham clubs Field Days.
so can some someone with the tech license be a control operator or do they have to have a higher level license? also, I got my book in a couple days ago and was thumbing through it and a lot of this stuff, from what I seen so far, I learned in my electronics school in camp Lejeune while I was in the marines. i forgot a lot of it! lol I'm sure it will come back to me...
ive also had a crash course on rf at a fire alarm school in Chicago. granted that doesn't really apply to ham radio but it was a class on antennas for the transmitters and waveforms. reflection, etc etc. as far as i know MCAS Yuma and the air base in Hawaii were the only ones in the usa to use 138.975mhz. that is until we sold the frequency to mexico. it was for government use only. we got rid of those transmitters for data lines but now since they don't want to fork over the multi millions of dollars to run copper they want to do a radio mesh and receiver... they just should have kept the old transmitters, the ones i could rebuild with my eyes closed, and saved money...
 
Last edited:
It is not that simple, the FCC does not change rules for Field Day. This stuff is easy to find in google by the way. Keep it simple, one radio user, one license. This is what the actual law states:

§97.7 Control operator required.

When transmitting, each amateur station must have a control operator. The control operator must be a person:
(a) For whom an amateur operator/primary station license grant appears on the ULS consolidated licensee database, or
(b) Who is authorized for alien reciprocal operation by §97.107 of this part.
[63 FR 68978, Dec. 14, 1998]

And from the ARRL Field Day info page:

Q. During Field Day, members of the public wander through as we operate. Many times, these unlicensed individuals want to
operate. Can they legally operate our Field Day station?
A. Only a licensed amateur is eligible to be the control operator, and obviously an unlicensed person can’t be the control operator of an
amateur station. So, an unlicensed person cannot legally operate the Field Day station. However they may participate under the
immediate supervision and direction of a control operator present at the control point. Third parties may only communicate
directly with other US stations or with countries with which the US has signed third-party agreements (97.115(a) and (b)). Part 97 rules
are always in effect. There is no “special exception” for Field Day. It is the hope of the ARRL that everyone will do lots of operating
during Field Day, demonstrate Amateur Radio to the public, practice our emergency communications capabilities, eat lots of good Field
Day cooking and most of all, have a good time while doing it. However, it all must take place in the context of the FCC rules.
 
Yes, it is. And you should avoid it.

However, there are a few considerations:

For the people who said that f you're going to operate illegally, why not operate on HAM frequencies anyway?

If you're far enough inland and have little to no marine (or boating) activity, you're much less likely to bother someone using those frequencies. There will not be any HAM activity, no repeaters, nothing.

On the other hand. I don't know the US regulations, but some government agencies down here operate on 15X.XXX frequencies, so a marine channel might actually be in use as a restricted frequency. I've heard fire departments here using those.

EDIT: If you end up using them, look up the channel frequency tables and descriptions, try and use a channel that's labeled as non commercial. Be very careful not to use channel 16.
 
I think he already stated not willing to operate illegally, so moot point. There are no loopholes in the FCC regs, it just is what it is. And in the US, many business do operate on the 150 and you can interfere with those business, and government groups.
You can't recall a radio signal, once is gone down range, its going down range. And depending which forest or wilderness area you are in, 150MHZ will attract the attention of men with green faces.
 
With a Tech License you can be a control operator for others within the scope of a Tech License.
 
With a Tech License you can be a control operator for others within the scope of a Tech License.
But doesn't that simply mean you can let someone transmit from your radio (on frequencies that are available to your license level, e.g. 2m and 70cm for tech) while you are standing by to observe? I don't think it means unlicensed folks can use their own radio while you use yours on the same frequency...

To the OP: I found the ARRL book rather distracting to study for the license - too many feel good/sob stories about how famous actor/astronaut/politician has been a Ham radio operator since they were like 2 years old, and whatnot, and a lot of info seems to be liberally sprinkled about in the book. I signed up at QRZ.com, and practiced the test until I reliably hit 100%. If you miss a question, the site directs you to the group of test questions where the miss occurred, and you can do sub-tests on one particular subject. I found that very helpful.

My wife drives her own truck on the trails, but won't bother with the Ham test. So I've taken out a GMRS license, and that works well. For the most part, CB works fine for us.
 
to pass the tech lic exam only takes a few hours of study for ham..maybe 2-3 times right before the test. eham.net has some good study questions and there are various other places too, that offer some practice tests/study guides. Ham is going to be by far your best choice.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom