All,

how do I add a new article to the Wiki library? I tried and can't, I guess I need permissions to do so.

After sifting through all of our tickets more than once, I got the feeling that a lot of users are either totally oblivious of where on the spectrum they may legally operate, or are feeling too comfortable using radios which aren't specifically approved for a service like e.g. GMRS. I collected a few pointers for first-time radio users. I know (and appreciate) that the Chirp community is pretty liberal about this, but I think we should be telling people that there are some legal restrictions to consider. And if it's just to cover our own back.

Let me know what you think.

73 Bernhard AE6YN

--

h1. Am I actually allowed to use this radio?

{{>toc}}

Chirp can help you to program a multitude of different radios - from little toys to complicated commercial devices. While Chirp allows you to do that, please don't if you don't have clear permission to use the radio afterwards.

All countries have laws and regulations controlling the use of two-way radios. Unfortunately, by law you cannot just go and use any radio for any purpose. The regulations in most countries are very similar: the basic rule is that there must be a license of some sort, and that * this license has either been granted for a specific service to a specific radio make and model by the telecommunications authority of your country (the radio has been approved and carries a label which says so), * or it has been bestowed on a person (e.g. a radio amateur, after passing an exam). In some cases, both must be in place: for example, to use the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) in the United States, a user must obtain a license, but the radio must still be specifically approved for GMRS. Radios without a stamp by the local telecommunications authority can only be used by licensed radio amateurs - and even then these radios can only be used on specific frequencies (the ham bands).

Here is a list of a few Region 1 (EU) and 2 (US) radio services and their requirements. This list is by no means complete and varies from country to country.

h2. Citizen Band Radio Service (CBRS, CB radio, 11 meter band) Available in many countries. Depending on the country you live in, 40 or 80 channels are available. Modulation is in FM, AM, or SSB, often with specific channels allowing only one specific mode. CB radios must have approval. Power is limited to usually 4 watts; the use of amplifiers is expressively prohibited.

h2. PMR446 (EU countries, India; UHF - 446.0..446.2 MHz): Private Mobile Radio. (In the US, PMR falls into the 70cm ham band and therefore cannot be used.) No personal license required, but requires PMR approved radios. 16 available channels. In many countries, antennas must be fixed and power must be 0.5W; some allow mobile radios with higher power output. Digital radios double the amount of available channels.

h2. FRS (USA; UHF - 462 and 467 MHz): Family Radio Service No personal license required, but FRS approved radios are required. 22 available channels. Antennas cannot be detachable and power must be 0.5W. All channels are shared with GMRS (see below).

h2. GMRS (USA; UHF - 462 and 467 MHz): General Mobile Radio Service A 10 year personal license is required and costs a small fee, but the service still requires GMRS approved radios. Handhelds up to 0.5 or 5W and mobiles up to 50W are allowed (not on all channels!); there even are repeaters possible. 30 available channels, most of which are shared with FRS (see below). The user must state her or his call sign on a regular basis while using the service.

h2. MURS (USA; VHF - 151 and 154 MHz): Multi-Use Radio Service No personal license required, but MURS approved radios are required. 5 available channels, AM or FM. Some bandwidth restrictions apply. Antennas do not need to be fixed; power must be 2W or less.

h2. Amateur Radio Amateur radio offers a lot of frequencies and bands to select from, at power outputs up into the range of kilowatts. To be allowed to operate on any of them, one must undergo an exam showing that he or she is knowledgeable enough to prevent interference and injuries. On the other side, a radio amateur does not need to use approved radios and can even build one herself or himself. The radio amateur must state her or his call sign on a regular basis while using ham bands.

h2. Commercial radios Commercial radios often are entirely different animals. They can operate in VHF or UHF, but also on 700, 800, or 900 MHz ranges. They may be digital (P25, DMR, etc.), they may be trunked (i.e. use a central station which assigns channels). These frequencies are assigned to specific purposes, and can only be used by licensed personnel.

h2. Summary * Various radio services regulate exactly which frequencies you can use. The wide availability of cheap radios with wide frequency ranges does not mean that you actually may use all of that. * Don't transmit anywhere! In the best case you might just irritate someone, in the worst you might interfere with traffic a life is depending on. * Don't transmit in any mode (FM, AM, DMR, SSB, what-have-you). It may not be approved for the service you're using. * Also, while it's technically possible to use that Chinese Cheapo on services like PMR or FRS, please reconsider that and buy a radio which has been approved for the service instead. Getting caught with an illegal radio is not only expensive (the fines can be quite hefty), it can bring other legal hassle and damage your reputation with the authorities.

Q: Does that mean that the $20 radio I plan to buy is illegal to use? A: Yep. Unless you're a licensed radio amateur. And then you can use it only on ham bands.

Q: But I will only use FRS (or PMR446) frequencies, and these are license-free! A: Still not legal. The radio must have been approved for the service by the telecommunications authority of your country and carry a label which says so.