Ham / Amateur Radio Ops?

[exwoodburner]

The FCC issues radio licenses for amateur radio service. The "service" part is the key word - the government wants a means of national emergency communication, and by issuing licenses they are ensuring that the people have adequate training and won't interfere with other communication systems (military, aircraft, etc). Most of the time people enjoy amateur radio as a hobby, but the expectation is that if there is an emergency you will do your part to pass important information, etc.

The rules are enforced by other hams. If you get on the air and start interfering with others that suspect you are unlicensed, they can find your location via signal reports from multiple locations. Many hams actually do this for fun, it is known as a foxhunt. If someone is a real nuisance the FCC can get involved and levy fines.

There are unlicensed radio frequencies available for those that just want to get on the air. CB, FRS, and MURS.

Fair enough. Can someone licensed or not do "damage" with an amateur radio? Meaning can an amateur radio interfere with radio communications or wavelengths from official sources such as the FAA, Police, & Fire Bands?

I once lived very close to a major international airport. Like extremely close. Probably the closest street of houses to the runways there on the landing approach. If I had to guess based on a google map scale of the area, the planes' flight path were about 1000' away horizontally and maybe 600 - 700' high when they passed by my back yard. They were about 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile away from touching down. in the 80s and 90s a plane landed about every 1.5 minutes. The FAA air traffic control tower is in the middle of the airfield and probably 1 - 1.5 miles away in a straight line from my house. I had a cheap Sony radio, CD, cassette player in my garage. For whatever reason on a certain FM radio frequency that Sony radio would pick up the FAA air traffic control tower plain as day. I could very clearly hear the constant squawk going on. It would overpower the FM music station I was trying to listen to. Could a ham radio putting out a radio signal overpower a critical frequency if used improperly?

[Rob R.]

Meaning can an amateur radio interfere with radio communications or wavelengths from official sources such as the FAA, Police, & Fire Bands?

Yes. All you need to is transmit on the wrong frequency. Most transceivers that are made for amateur use are "locked" to transmit only on the appropriate frequencies, but many older units (or home built) are not - along with cheap Chinese equipment. There are no shortage of cheap radios available online that will transmit outside of the frequencies reserved for amateur use.

[Rob R.]

This afternoon I was getting some pieces of lumber from the storage area over my shop and saw an old CB antenna I had stashed in the rafters about 5 years ago. CB uses the 11 meter band, so I figured this antenna would work on the 10 and 12 meter bands with my antenna tuner. I hung the antenna in a maple tree and tried my luck making some contacts. In 10 minutes I had made contacts in Arkansas and Florida. Not bad for a repurposed antenna and only 100 watts. I am going to leave the antenna up and try to find some time this winter to make more contacts on the 10 and 12 meter bands.