Questions tagged [united-states]
Questions specific to rules, regulations, and practices in the United States of America.
221
questions
-4
votes
4answers
52 views
what is a good way to study for the tech test
I took the test last week but I failed it I was in a program that went through all the chapters but I just very bad at taking tests is there a way to go around the test
0
votes
3answers
120 views
Why are no 2w FRS walkie talkies on the market?
I have read that the new laws regarding FRS radios state that you may use up to 2 watts power, yet I can't find a single 2 way radio that advertises 2 watts power; only .5 watt, or they don't state ...
1
vote
4answers
106 views
Can a foreign student take a US license exam in the US and use that license in China?
The event I'm currently attending hosts Ham exams, and it's kind of likely that the student would pass on first attempt; would it make sense for him to take the exam? Can he just go home to China and ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What fraction of 2x2 USA call signs are vanity calls?
I found out a while back that, as things currently stand with the FCC, if you take and pass all three license class exams in the same sitting, you get a so-called "two by two" or 2x2 call -- two ...
1
vote
3answers
115 views
Frequency for UHF hot spot in the US
Approximately what frequency should my UHF Pi-Star be set on in the US? Is there a standard?
5
votes
2answers
190 views
Can anyone identify this military radio?
Hoping someone can identify the following military radio.
I spotted it at the curb and decided to make it a land-fill diversion project...
2
votes
2answers
491 views
Can I use my US callsign to transmit while in El Salvador?
I am traveling to El Salvador later this fall, and was wonder if there is any reciprocal agreement that would let me use a US callsign while there? If so, what privileges would I have there based on ...
7
votes
4answers
156 views
Required SSB sideband and carrier suppression?
Is there a legal (U.S. FCC) or a commonly accepted standard requirement for SSB opposite sideband and and carrier suppression for either manufactured or kit built transmitters?
Does the 43+ dB down ...
1
vote
0answers
95 views
Mismatched Radios: A Baofeng UV-5R & a Cobra ACXT 645 [closed]
I've got a Baofeng UV-5R and a Cobra ACXT 645, and I'm trying to get them to communicate.
The Cobra transmits and the Baofeng (programmed with CHIRP) receives, but not the other way around.
I've ...
3
votes
0answers
92 views
GnuRadio RF transmission, legal and safety issues
I'm trying to run some transmit/receive RF examples that I found online using GNU Radio with USRP B200. I read and heard about some cautions in terms of transmitted frequencies here in the USA which ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Transferring old callsign to a club?
A new vanity callsign will be granted to me (currently in pending level 2 stage).
Can I transfer my current soon to be cancelled callsign (vanity) to a club which I am trustee without waiting the ...
5
votes
3answers
103 views
Is Field Day a contest?
Is the ARRL Field Day a contest, or is it not a contest?
Kindly explain the reasoning behind your answer.
A non-ham could not tell the difference.
2
votes
1answer
142 views
Would a ham license allow me to use an uncertified radio on other (non-ham) bands I have permission to use?
I just purchased a UV-5R to hopefully integrate into business class radios my company uses. Do I need a technician or other class FCC license to operate these only on the frequencies I already access ...
13
votes
3answers
248 views
Testing blind license applicants
My friend is blind and would like to take the amateur radio license exam.
I understand that the question and the four possible answers can be read to them, and that is fine. The one question that we ...
3
votes
3answers
94 views
How can I get a license to build broadcast transmitters?
I am in the United States.
The title pretty much says it all. I am really into to building transmitters. It's even more fun for me than using them. I really have a lot of skills and would like to ...
0
votes
2answers
45 views
How old do you have to be to be a ARES volunteer?
Look at the title for the body because my question is short.
1
vote
2answers
78 views
What to do when accidental emission can't be given a call sign ID?
Yes, obviously, it would be best if there's not an emission that doesn't include a call sign ID. Part 97 seems to say this should never, ever occur (the law is often written in that kind of black-and-...
5
votes
3answers
345 views
Call sign ID for a “homebrew” or improvised repeater?
I saw a couple YouTube videos last night about setting up a repeater using a pair of cheap hand-held radios and, at its simplest, an audio patch cable to connect the speaker output of one radio to the ...
6
votes
2answers
263 views
What are the official Baofeng websites in the USA?
Which Baofeng website(s) in the USA is (are) official (that is, selling genuine Baofeng radios, programming cables, and accessories)?
Which "Baofeng" websites are NOT, allegedly selling counterfeit ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
How to log contacts when mobile?
I'm just about to get on the air for the first time as a ham. It's been my understanding that it's good to log contacts with call sign, frequency, signal quality, and time of contact. However, for ...
3
votes
1answer
48 views
Digital networks — operator at control point, or automatic relay?
I've recently (part of studying for Extra license exam) learned about "mesh networks", where it's common to use repurposed wifi routers to connect at 2.4 or 4.8 GHz and form a network over a much ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Sending a downloaded file on digital: third party communication?
This came up in comments on this question.
Since before the Internet was widely available, it's been common to pass along files received from other users or downloaded from a server somewhere. For ...
4
votes
3answers
305 views
Is compression “encryption” under FCC regs?
I read this question about digital signatures and FCC prohibitions on "obscuring" messages in amateur transmissions, and it cause me to think of something: the difference between encryption and ...
4
votes
1answer
80 views
High-resolution GIS datasets of groundwave conductivity of the United States, besides the FCC?
The FCC publishes a map of estimated groundwave conductivity of the United States, but the resolution is quite low:
Are there any GIS datasets that include groundwave conductivity at a higher ...
5
votes
1answer
126 views
Signing of messages transmitted over ham radio
FCC Regulation 97.113 (a) 4 states that:
"messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning"
Are "Prohibited transmissions", I believe this is the clause that is used to prohibit ...
4
votes
1answer
250 views
What are Radio-location Services in the 1.9-2.0 MHz range?
I'm currently studying for the General Exam and in looking at charts of the new frequency privileges have run across a restriction I would like to have further defined. In the 160 meter band the books ...
3
votes
0answers
75 views
Can anybody identify an appropriate radio for this game? [closed]
Complete radio ignoramous here. I've been playing a game called The Blackout Club, and I'd quite like to make a 3D model of a radio set for it.
The game is set around 2007 and, as in the picture ...
0
votes
3answers
123 views
Why do some of the amateur radio license names imply something different than what it actually is?
I am asking on behalf of my friend who is not on this site.
My friend wants to know the nomenclature behind the licence Amateur extra, since they think that that term is misleading. I think my ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
What devices are able to decode the EAS SAME headers, attention signal, and encoded marker?
When I was watching television, especially when I was younger, I sometimes heard a loud noise, followed by either a test message, or a genuine emergency broadcasts, like an Amber alert.
The first ...
6
votes
1answer
118 views
What happens to your callsign if you migrate?
If, as an amateur radio operator, you're licensed in one country with a callsign, let's suppose, the US and you migrate to, say, Germany, will you have to reapply and obtain a new callsign?
What if ...
0
votes
3answers
71 views
Voltage Converter for Amp
I have a chance to get a 1 kW amplifier with a 220V plug dirt cheap from a friend of mine, but I only have a 110 outlet. The 110 outlet is on its very own 20A breaker with no other outlets. Could I ...
0
votes
2answers
148 views
Amateur wanting to re-enter ham radio legally
I'm an Amateur Radio enthusiast from way back; mostly CB and 10 meters. I have a couple of hand-held Baofengs that I want to use for family communications and as a backup link in case of emergencies.
...
5
votes
2answers
260 views
Yagi vs Parabolic Dish for 2.4GHz Campus Wifi from 1,800ft away?
My apt balcony is 1,812 feet exactly from my campus's Wifi access point behind a triple pane, brick, 4th floor building window. There is a clear line of sight. I was interested in seeing if I could ...
5
votes
3answers
371 views
Unlicensed TV broadcasting power limit (Band I)
I'm curious what is the legal limit for unlicensed TV signals being transmitted on the VHF Band I?
This seems ill defined. The part 15 FM rules I am assuming don't apply here. And I don't think it ...
8
votes
1answer
182 views
How to clean up profanity on airwaves
We have a repeater here in Southern California (Sylmar K6GE 147.435), and no matter what time of day or night there are a great many operators spewing tremendous profanity, disrespect and meanness ...
-1
votes
1answer
179 views
Is it legal to transmit scrambled or encrypted voice via SSB on ham bands?
And also, can anyone tell me how? Using Arduino or any other way ...
3
votes
2answers
83 views
Mobile 2m / 70cm dual band with aviation frequency TX capability
Forgive what may be a basic inquiry from a new enthusiast. I am new to amateur radio, just barely passed Technician and General tests. I am also a pilot and have an RR class licence. I believe that I ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
What are the differences of ham radio procedures compared to military or public safety procedures?
After reading the commentary in this question and its answer, it's apparent that ham procedures/norms/protocols/etiquette are substantially different than military and public safety radio procedures. ...
9
votes
3answers
295 views
Why does ARRL license examination procedure preclude students from discovering what questions they got wrong on licensing tests
I got my Extra-class ticket some time ago. I was able to discover what my score was (the number of questions I got wrong). However, my examiner was not able to tell me specifically which questions I ...
1
vote
1answer
286 views
2018/2019 proposed expansion of technician privileges
I read that arrl is petitioning the FCC to expand the privileges of the technician license. Can you summarize those changes with the schedule?
1
vote
3answers
329 views
What kind of ham radio license should I get?
I have an interest in studying and researching how radio technology can be used in other fields of electronics. What kind of license should I look into so I can carry out some experiments or research? ...
3
votes
1answer
194 views
What is the minimum equipment necessary to get on the air with FT8?
To the extent that FT8 is a way to bring people into the hobby or re-ignite passion among those who haven't been on the air in a while, what's the easiest way to get someone on the air with this new ...
5
votes
1answer
84 views
Is a US Extra class exam from the '90s valid to upgrade from Advanced class today?
If one passed the Extra written test in the late '90s at an ARRL test center but did not get the 20wpm endorsement, yet is an Advanced operator, would they now be upgraded to Extra class or do they ...
5
votes
1answer
90 views
A question about callsign formats
I just passed my technician exam (yay!) and received my callsign from the FCC (KC1KHV). I was surprised by the two letter prefix, which seems to come from the class D group. According to the FCC ...
5
votes
3answers
188 views
Is HAM the only non-criminal/civil broadcasting a person can do that doesn't own a shortwave radio station?
I do not understand. Is ham radio the only legal way to broadcast on shortwave radio? I mean for a "regular" person, not a million dollar radio station. I saw lots of shortwave broadcasting ...
6
votes
1answer
4k views
How do I legally use a Baofeng UV-5R radio for communication?
I'm new to radios. Only ever used them for squad communication in airsoft. I have two Baofeng UV-5R handhelds and would like to use them this week to communicate on a family camping trip with no cell ...
2
votes
4answers
504 views
Amateur Radio Long Distance Data Communication
My friends and I are going off to college ~180 miles/290 kilometres apart. As a project, we are looking into creating a data communication connection between our two schools. Our requirements would be:...
3
votes
3answers
187 views
Non-life-threatening emergency in the US?
The minivan in front of us blew a tire and pulled over, a long way away from mobile signal. We couldn't find a spare tire. I have a Technician license; if I'd had my Baofeng BF-F9 V2 with me, is there ...
6
votes
2answers
284 views
Are old USA amateur radio licenses in the public FCC database?
My old man worked in avionics for 30+ years and taught me nearly everything I know about radios, like how a superheterodyne receiver works, how the ionosphere refracts signals, etc. He grew up only a ...
2
votes
2answers
156 views
Amateur Radio for Science Fair
Can I use an amateur radio for a science fair? If so, do I need to prove that I have an active license?
