Although I may come across as a dogmatic curmudgeon, I really am one. The FCC Part 97 rules (http://www.w5yi.org/page.php?id=57) allow you, a licensed ham, to build a radio and operate it to transmit on any frequency allocated to the Amateur Radio service, subject to various specs concerning power / spectral purity / modes / etc. Those rules do not allow you to build / modify / operate radios for any other purpose on any other frequencies.
For non-Amateur radio services, the hardware must be "type accepted" by the FCC to meet the applicable emission regulations. That's what the FCC sticker on the back of the radio / router / keyboard / mouse means: the manufacturer asserts that the radio meets those specs. There are many such agencies around the world and the sticker situation can reach absurd levels, but so it goes: http://softsolder.com/2011/07/23/lenovo-mini-wireless-keyboard-readable-power-switch/ For example, it's perfectly legal to modify a WiFi router by adding larger antennas and external RF power amplifiers, as long as you use it only on the (relatively few) WiFi channels within the Amateur frequency allocation. It is *not* legal to modify the router and operate it on a frequency outside the Amateur allocations: same hardware, different frequency, different rules. Amateur radio receivers with out-of-band scanning capability will sport an FCC Part 15 sticker for the scanning function in addition to the Part 97 type acceptance. That does *not* mean the radio is authorized to transmit on out-of-band frequencies. Even if (an unauthorized modification to) the firmware enables transmission on a non-amateur frequency, that does *not* mean the hardware will meet FCC specifications for the service using that frequency. For example, the bandpass filters between the RF power amp and the antenna may have different values to ensure proper out-of-band suppression for a given service. The fact that the hardware *can* generate a signal does not mean that signal *will* meet the specifications. In particular, modifying an amateur radio to transmit on FRS / GMRS / MURS frequencies is not permitted, regardless of power level. If you want to use those services, you must buy a radio that is type accepted for that service and, as needed, get a license to operate that radio. Although the rules (97.403 and 97.405) authorize using any frequency / mode in a life-threatening emergency, they do *not* preclude subsequent fines and equipment confiscation. There was a case in CA (San Diego?) along those lines; a guy made a perfectly valid use of the 97.403 rule, saved a life, and got legally walloped. I can't find the definitive link and the usual forum blather is, mmmm, unproductive, but the truth is out there. One reason for the fines / confiscation may have been that the police had been having trouble with jammers and decided that, seeing as this guy had a modded radio, perhaps he'd been involved. Look up what happens if you're found with a scanning radio in a vehicle in New York State, even if you're an amateur radio operator, for some disturbing backstory about what happens to presumably innocent people. Sections 97.403 and 97.405 do *not* permit transmissions for testing purposes, so you cannot verify that the radio will work as intended. If you illegally modify a radio, deliberately bring it into harm's way as a means of emergency communication, and naively expect both it and you to function properly in an actual emergency without previous testing and practice, you pretty much deserve what you'll get. Or not get, as the case may be. A friend does long-distance bike rides and depends on a Spot satellite transceiver (http://www.findmespot.com/en/). That eliminates all issues with being out of range of repeaters, ensures that somebody's actually monitoring the frequency, and guarantees that an emergency *will* get appropriate attention. It has the disadvantages of being perfectly legal, completely non-hacky, and moderately spendy, but that's the price you pay for getting something that actually works when you need it. I'm not interested in debating this topic, because the rules are quite clear and there is no wiggle room. Hardware mods can be interesting & useful, but non-amateur radio communication (emergency or not) is not an area where it makes any sense whatsoever. Bottom line: RTFM. -- Ed http://softsolder.com _______________________________________________ Mid-Hudson Valley Linux Users Group http://mhvlug.org http://mhvlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mhvlug Upcoming Meetings (6pm - 8pm) MHVLS Auditorium Sep 7 - DIY 3D Printing and the Makerbot Thing-o-Matic Oct 5 - Distributed Authentication Systems Nov 2 - Nov 2011
