[Laser] Re: Laser Digest, Vol 11, Issue 7

[wa4qal at ix.netcom.com]

> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 20:02:04 +0100
> From: Karel Kulhavy <clock at atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz>
> Subject: Re: [Laser] Re: Laser Digest, Vol 11, Issue 6
> To: wa4qal at ix.netcom.com,	Free Space LASER Communications
> 	<laser at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <20050310190204.GA3643 at atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> 
>>It would be broadcasting (which is illegal for the amateur radio
>>service, at least, in this country).  But, I think it would be very 
> 
> 
> What country are you living in? Is flashing a light rapidly illegal
> in your country?
> 
> Cl<

No, flashing a light rapidly is not illegal (well, as long as it's not a 
red or blue light while you're in an automobile on the highway).  
However, any such communications resulting from such an operation
would not be considered amateur radio communications because
of a couple of rules:

Amateurs may not engage in broadcasting.

Amateurs may not engage in one way transmissions.

Now, while it is technically correct that the optical frequencies are
a shared band with amateurs having privileges there as well as 
unlicensed experimenters, communications between these two 
groups must not occur since:

Amateurs may only contact other licensed amateurs.  

While it would be possible for an amateur to contact an experimenter
in the optical band, by doing so, he would place himself in the 
experimenter category and not in the amateur category, and, thus,
any such communications would not be classified as amateur radio.

Yes, I know it sounds stupid, but, with the way the rules are 
written, that's the way it is.

Dave
WA4QAL