[Heathkit] Heathkit Digest, Vol 60, Issue 35

[Drew P.]

Christopher J. Whewell wrote:

"The thought occurred to me that I could possibly set the AT-1 to the  
10 meter band (it only has band settings for 80, 40, 20 and 10m) and  
then tune the VCO to 27.1 MHZ and then send some keyed CW (using a  
really crappy antenna), while keeping total output below 4 watts and  
only desiring to hear the keyed signal on a CB transceiver located  
across the room. In this scenario, I'd be transmitting on the CB band  
at less than 4 watts, a permissible use for CB and at the same time I  
could determine whether the AT-1 is putting out any RF, since that is  
my sole desire."

As the AT-1 is not FCC type accepted for use on the CB band, such
operation would be illegal.  A dummy load for testing purposes would be
recommended.  As a practical matter, however, the CB band has become 
a vast wasteland, an RF toilet.  You would have to do quite a bit of 
illegal operation there to get caught.  Yes, the FCC does enforce the
laws pertaining to the class D citizen's radio service, but you would be
an infinitessimally small part of the illegal operation already going on
there, essentially disappearing into the background.

As a matter of consideration for the seemingly small number of
legitimate CB users, use of a dummy load is to be recommended when testing
there.  They may be "just CB'ers", but they still are radio operators
who deserve respect.  Who knows, the CB'er you hear ratchetjawing today
may be tomorrow's extra class amateur radio licensee thanks to no-code
licensing (yippee!). 

I suppose that you could emit some small amount of RF on 27.12 MHz which
is an ISM (industrial/scientific/medical) frequency nestled in between 
CB channels 13 and 14. Would anyone else care to comment on emissions
on the ISM frequencies? 

Drew