[MilCom] RE: [FedCom] 139.9 MHz

[Duane Mantick]

Indeed, you *don't* NEED a license to buy.

However, I think most hams who have been around for
a while (in my case, just over 30 years on the bands)
can tell you how often unlicensed folks who buy with
good intentions can NOT keep their fingers off the
transmit key.

And, some who do NOT have such good intentions.  Ever
wonder why they sell 10 meter rigs in truck stops?  I
notice that the FCC has been cracking on THAT one lately
with some stings and other notices, etc.  Too many 
truck drivers on the 10 meter band illegally.  UPS got
a nasty-gram from Old Riley H. about that, I recall.

Frankly, it would be a LOT better if everyone selling
simply refused to sell an Amateur radio capable of
transmitting to anyone without a license.  It would
save the FCC and the rest of us a lot of hassles. As
far a transmitters go, I also have NO problem with 
the FCC creating a law that says "no ticket, no purchase".
GMRS, too.

I'm sure that the manufacturers would probably cringe at
this thought and lobby against it - which would tell us
which manufacturers to put some pressure on.  In this
day and age of technology, why can't those companies
stick a nifty little blocking algorithm into the radio's
processor?  Then, the transmitter could not be activated
(legally) without getting a license, and at that time
you could download an "unlock key" and open up the
transmitter.  Heck, they do that with software already.

To me that seems not only prudent, but easily done if 
the software industry can do it.  Obviously you can't do
that with "legacy" rigs, but it might head off future
problems if implemented in the near future.

Duane
WB9OMC

> -----Original Message-----
> From: milcom-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:milcom-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Jordan Hayes
> Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 1:32 AM
> To: 'Discussion of Federal Government Communications'; 'mil'
> Subject: Re: [MilCom] RE: [FedCom] 139.9 MHz
> 
> 
> > When I GO to hamfests, I don't see ANYone asking to
> > see a ham license when selling ham gear.
> 
> I guess; you don't need a license to buy, just to operate: if the FCC
> doesn't like that, they can change the rules.  Personally, I bought a
> transciever a full year before I got my ticket: I believed that the
> illegal-to-touch PTT button would force me to take the test :-)
> 
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