So, picture this, I'm arriving at the gate of a military base (dont' ask which). There is a public road crossing that area that goes through the base. Didn't know the road was actually on the base, and I'm just following a rough map in a book. Just want to cross the base to get to the other side (or else a huge detour).
I stop at the gate. Police officer comes out. Wants all my truck paperwork. Bit of confusion about my registration get things started iffy fast. Never mind that part. Got cleared up eventually.
-following is a loose interpretation of what transpired on the radio front-
He points at the main body (face plate and antenna stashed away) of my 7800 that's sitting next to my seat. Says "what's all the equipment?".
Me: it's a ham radio.
Him: do you have a license?
Me: Yes
Do you have it with you?
Me: Errrr..... No, not aware I had to carry it with me.
(Never heard that. I did not point out that you don't even need a license to buy or own a radio, or that a spy could have parked a mile before the gate with a van full of ultra-sensitive receivers. I was trying to be diplomatic...)
It went downhill fast after that.
Him: "I have the "warm and fuzzies" about this. How do I know you're not going to listen to the military radios? When I was abroad as a radio operator, people were listening all the time..."
Me (thinking silently) I think it's not illegal to listen outside of cell phone bands? Don't they sell scanners over the counter?
Out loud: "not planning to listen. The setup is dismantled and not operational right now, it's just for emergencies."
Him: "What's with the big antenna (points at the 80 radio antenna mast)? And you can put it back together and connect it if you want...."
On and on about how he does not like me having the radio. Tells me / hints at how a 2 way radio is somehow bad. Hints that I can transmit on military frequencies. Numerous times "I have the warm and fuzzies about this". and "I would feel better if it were not working"
Me: "it's a ham radio, it can't transmit on other frequencies"
Him: "How do I know you haven't modified it, you can change it"
-skipping various exchanges-
him: "have you registered your vehicle as a mobile operator?"
me: Errrr... no, didn't know I was supposed to do that.
him: "yes you must. You must know the rules. There is a question about that in the license exam." Goes on about how one should know laws.
me (thinking silently) - Never heard a thing about this. Where is this all coming from?
and on and on...
By then I have 3 or 4 police officers shining flashlights inside my truck.
I'm bracing myself for the full body cavity search at that point....
Finally, the sergeant comes over. Brief discussion with the officer who's being giving me the 3rd degree. 30 seconds later: You're free to go...
I just had to ask the sergeant: "do you also think that there is a need to register the vehicle as a mobile operator for a ham radio " He says yes but did not seem too sure. Another guy pipes up" Yes, and you'll get a license plate with a symbol in the corner".
(Oh yea, the first officer also told me earlier that hams need to have a license plate with the call sign on it.... )
anyway, finally got out of there after about an hour or so, thankfully without the cavity search....
the vagaries of being a ham... I thought having a ham radio in the truck was good additional protection for emergencies and good for public service.... maybe not, eh?
carry one in sight at your own risk ...
added: I have no idea where this was all coming from. I won't try to guess. In retrospect, though, heck, if the guy had told me something like "be sure not to transmit while on the base cuz there is some possibility of interference, I would have snapped to attention and said sure. But that or other similar reasonable concerns never came into the picture. Still dumbfounded...
Oh, yea, at one point one of the other officers points out at the Hi-Lift on the back of the spare tire and says "those are the best". Yea, got some brownie points courtesy of Hi-lift of all things! Probably didn't help that the truck looks like some sort of armored military vehicle, though...
I stop at the gate. Police officer comes out. Wants all my truck paperwork. Bit of confusion about my registration get things started iffy fast. Never mind that part. Got cleared up eventually.
-following is a loose interpretation of what transpired on the radio front-
He points at the main body (face plate and antenna stashed away) of my 7800 that's sitting next to my seat. Says "what's all the equipment?".
Me: it's a ham radio.
Him: do you have a license?
Me: Yes
Do you have it with you?
Me: Errrr..... No, not aware I had to carry it with me.
(Never heard that. I did not point out that you don't even need a license to buy or own a radio, or that a spy could have parked a mile before the gate with a van full of ultra-sensitive receivers. I was trying to be diplomatic...)
It went downhill fast after that.
Him: "I have the "warm and fuzzies" about this. How do I know you're not going to listen to the military radios? When I was abroad as a radio operator, people were listening all the time..."
Me (thinking silently) I think it's not illegal to listen outside of cell phone bands? Don't they sell scanners over the counter?
Out loud: "not planning to listen. The setup is dismantled and not operational right now, it's just for emergencies."
Him: "What's with the big antenna (points at the 80 radio antenna mast)? And you can put it back together and connect it if you want...."
On and on about how he does not like me having the radio. Tells me / hints at how a 2 way radio is somehow bad. Hints that I can transmit on military frequencies. Numerous times "I have the warm and fuzzies about this". and "I would feel better if it were not working"
Me: "it's a ham radio, it can't transmit on other frequencies"
Him: "How do I know you haven't modified it, you can change it"
-skipping various exchanges-
him: "have you registered your vehicle as a mobile operator?"
me: Errrr... no, didn't know I was supposed to do that.
him: "yes you must. You must know the rules. There is a question about that in the license exam." Goes on about how one should know laws.
me (thinking silently) - Never heard a thing about this. Where is this all coming from?
and on and on...
By then I have 3 or 4 police officers shining flashlights inside my truck.
I'm bracing myself for the full body cavity search at that point....
Finally, the sergeant comes over. Brief discussion with the officer who's being giving me the 3rd degree. 30 seconds later: You're free to go...
I just had to ask the sergeant: "do you also think that there is a need to register the vehicle as a mobile operator for a ham radio " He says yes but did not seem too sure. Another guy pipes up" Yes, and you'll get a license plate with a symbol in the corner".
(Oh yea, the first officer also told me earlier that hams need to have a license plate with the call sign on it.... )
anyway, finally got out of there after about an hour or so, thankfully without the cavity search....
the vagaries of being a ham... I thought having a ham radio in the truck was good additional protection for emergencies and good for public service.... maybe not, eh?
carry one in sight at your own risk ...
added: I have no idea where this was all coming from. I won't try to guess. In retrospect, though, heck, if the guy had told me something like "be sure not to transmit while on the base cuz there is some possibility of interference, I would have snapped to attention and said sure. But that or other similar reasonable concerns never came into the picture. Still dumbfounded...
Oh, yea, at one point one of the other officers points out at the Hi-Lift on the back of the spare tire and says "those are the best". Yea, got some brownie points courtesy of Hi-lift of all things! Probably didn't help that the truck looks like some sort of armored military vehicle, though...
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