Batboard

I was wondering if anyone knows if the FCC permits law enforcement officers to TX on any land mobile freq w/o licensing as long as it is 1 watt or less TX and it does not interfer with any other users? I heard this some time ago and of course I can't find it on the FCC web page.

Thanks,
Mark

You won't find it in the rules because it's not there. LEOs, as a class, don't have any special privileges when it comes to FCC rules. In the case of an emergency, anyone can use any means to call for help. Otherwise LEOs are restricted to the license of their department.

Yes, the 2 Watt rule does exist. Ill see if i can find you a rule number.

90.20 f(5) A Police licensee may use, without special authorization from the Commission, any mobile service frequency between 40 and 952 MHz, listed in paragraph (c)(3) of the section, for communications in connections with physical surveillance, stakeouts, raids, and other such activities...The maximum output power that may be used for such communications is 2 watts.

Enjoy

The starting point is the examination of FCC regulations that relate to
surveillance radio operation. FCC Regulation 90.19(g)(3):

"A licensee may use, without special approval from the Commission,
any mobile service frequency between 40 and 952 MHz listed in
Subpart B of this part of the Rules, for communications in connection
with physical surveillance, stakeouts, raids and other such activities.
Such use shall be on a secondary basis to the operations of licensees
regularly authorized on the assigned frequencies."

"The maximum output power that may be used for such communications
is 2 watts. Transmitters operating under this provision of the Rules,
shall be exempted from the station identification requirements, of
Section 90.425. Use of Public Safety frequencies not listed in paragraph
(d) of this section is conditional on the approval of the coordinator
corresponding to each frequency...''

Hi motisking. We must have hit the submit button
at about the same time. Great minds think alike, eh?

Doesn't the phrase "other such activities" leave them kind of wide open to abuse? I mean, this basicly means they can program whatever frequencies they want into their portables and use for anything they want.

Abuse? Yes, that is true....but like everyone else, until they get caught.
One would shudder to know the number of frequency abuse cases that
occur in all radio services on an average day.
I think public safety users are probably the least of our worries.

wb0qqk wrote:Hi motisking. We must have hit the submit button
at about the same time. Great minds think alike, eh?

Yes they do. It looks like had I typed the entire section, we would have posted within the same minute. There should be a name for such an event.
How about "Simulposting" ?

Some officers of the Indianapolis IN. police dept have a bad habit of using the 2m ham band for thier "private" comms even though they have been scolded by the dept. brass several times for it. Every time they get caught
they have to cough up the ham rigs, that seems to stop it for a while.

Chris
N9LLO

In some places in AZ. officers UC here, will use what the Trash Man uses at night. And I've heard some on the EW (gas company) freq's. Electric co. also... in the wee hours. makes good sense since regular traffic is dead after midnite on those repeaters...unless theres an event...jim

Back when I was a kid in high school some officers used CBs to talk to each other. It was fun to listen to them, they'd say stuff that they wouldn't say on the PD channels. Guess they use cell phones for that nowadays.

Doug

Out here in southern ct, the PD used to hop on a business repeater that would pass digital. The owner wouldnt know it, and the PD had a spare channel to use!

Mike in CT
KM1R

Thank you all for the information. I knew I had seen that somewhere before!

Mark

Well I stand here with egg on my face. I learn something every day. I'll have to read up and see when that was enacted.

[43 FR 54791, Nov. 22, 1978]

One clarification - unlicensed use by Police (at 2 watts) is limited to frequencies in the FCC Part 90 Public Safety frequency pool.

On a different subject for a minute, jim2121 did you ever find any secure saber belt clips ? sorry guys for deviating from the subject.

Mike
Prescott

I'll send you a pm mike m jim