[MRCA] Pondering the conversion of the BC-620 radio for eithet Ham or CB use.

Wed May 30 22:58:06 EDT 2018

Hi Mark - clipped from our earlier offline conversation:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Mark - Yes, they must be modified to reduce the deviation below the max
audio freq for "legal" operation between 28.3 and 29mc;  they should be OK
wideband only above 29 mc as I read Part 97..  But again I don't suppose
anyone pays any attention to that..

I don't see anything in the current Part 97 that addresses anything built
before 1972 as being exempt.  Maybe I missed it.  Part 97 governs only
Amateur Radio...We can still build and use our own gear but it still must
be compliant with the Part 97 regs, not aware that there any exemptions for
even that.."

On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 7:38 PM, WW2RDO via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
wrote:

> Hello Tim,
>  Check on exemptions for radios made before 1972.  The BC-659 most
> definitely qualifies, and is legal to operate unmodified on the upper end
> of the 10 meter band.
>
> Mark D.
> WW2RDO
>
> In a message dated 5/30/2018 7:38:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> timsamm at gmail.com writes:
>
> Hi Jim  - points well taken.  An attempt to modify a 620 to operate the
> transmitter and receiver in AM mode (and illegally on CB channels) would
> certainly destroy the relic equally badly as putting a dreaded "CB"
> inside.  I certainly would not do that.. It would probably also not work
> and then be relegated to visual display/scrap..  It would be akin to
> modifying a stock M38 jeep to meet today's emission and safety mandates in
> California...  Freakinstein but not illegal.....Also, seems that few care
> about "FCC legalities" these days..
>
> True, you do need at least a General class to operate on the 10 meters FM
> segment.  Also, a stock BC-659 is not "legal" on 10 meters anyway unless
> the transmitter deviation is significantly reduced..(Modulation index must
> be < 1....)
>
> Maybe the thing for a purist with a General class license is to put a
> BC-659 "Infantry" radio with reduced deviation into their vehicle assigned
> to "Armor/Art'y" and then challenge anyone to prove that that was never
> done in WWII.  Bam!  LOL  Never say never....
>
> Tim
> N6CC
>
> On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 2:25 PM, J Mcvey via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> The easy solution is to use radios that are in the Ham bands, and get a
>> general ham license, which is pretty easy to get.
>>
>> The BC659 FM is legal on the upper end of the 10 meter band . 29.6 Mhz is
>> the FM simplex calling frequency.
>>
>> The thought of hacking up a decent WWII relic to put a CB inside makes me
>> cringe...
>>
>> The original radios (BC620,659) that will work in the 11 meter CB band
>> are FM modulated which is not allowed there.
>> CB is AM/SSB only.
>> Then again, who follows the rules on CB?
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, 1:47:22 PM EDT, Robert Nickels <
>> ranickel at comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>> An old time Chicago ham told me an interesting story about the BC-603
>> which is the receiver component of the SCR-508 that tuned from 20-28 Mhz
>> - FM of course.   The important feature to him was that it used a
>> pushbutton-controlled local oscillator rather than crystals for the
>> channel frequency.    He'd just finished high school in the Chicago area
>> where Motorola was located, and thanks to their influence, the local
>> police were among the first to abandon medium wave AM for the newfangled
>> VHF FM band, leaving many frustrated police-radio listeners behind.
>>
>> This fellow saw opportunity and purchased custom converters from
>> Vanguard Electronics in Hollis NY to bring the new police frequencies
>> down to the range of the BC-603.   Then it was just a matter of setting
>> the needed frequencies into the pushbuttons and wiring everything up.
>> The BC-603 "tank radio" was plentiful and cheap at local surplus stores
>> because most hams had little use for them,  but that it could run from
>> 12 volts and had squelch made it nearly ideal for his needs.    He says
>> he had no problem selling enough of these "mobile police receivers" to
>> pay for college.
>>
>> 73, Bob W9RAN
>>
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