Gregory Maxwell wrote:
Moreover, the amateur license gives you a ready and simple explanation
for anyone who might want to claim that you possession of radio
equipment signals some kind of intent to operate in a forbidden
manner. "Why do you have all this radio stuff? Are you a terrorist??"
"No. Ham radio operator." "oh. Okay. I'll just leave now before you
geek-out on me."
Another point to consider is that the EB's approach toward interference
is different when the interference comes from an unlicensed source as
opposed to a licensed one. If harmful interference to a licensed
station originates from an unlicensed source and the unlicensed source
is an intentional radiator that isn't just a malfunctioning part 15
device or something, the FCC is very likely to slap the responsible
party with a Notice of Unauthorized Operation, or NOUO; NOUOs typically
carry an $11,000 fine and that fine is often assessed on the first
offense. However, interference which originates from a licensed
station, even if the licensee is not authorized to operate on the
frequencies in question, will typically result in a Notice of Violation,
or NOV. Licensees subject to a NOV are typically given an opportunity
to correct the violation without penalty, especially when the
interference was not intentional or was due to a misunderstanding or an
ordinary technical error on the part of the licensee. Amateur radio
operators, in particular, are often given considerable leeway here.
NOVs also tend to carry smaller fines (at least for amateur service
licensees) than an NOUO for the same behavior, and the FCC is less
likely to confiscate offending equipment.
As an aside, I'm a ARRL/VEC accredited volunteer examiner, and have
administered nearly 100 license examinations now, so I think by now I
have some concept of how the process works. If anyone has any questions
regarding this process, I'll be glad to answer them.
Regards,
Kelly (AB9RF)
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