WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Alright. To put everyone's mind at ease in this circumstance:

1) I just went to the shops and purchased a legal, expensive, CB radio. Oricom UHF5500.

2) The Baofeng will be deactivated by myself (Ie, I'll disconnect the power terminals inside the device to prevent it ever working by mistake.) until I get my foundation license. (Yep I'm keen.)

It's a stop-gap solution, and I still run afoul of the law, but it's the best I can do at this point. I DO NOT want to potentially interfere with anyone else's comms. To do so would be idiotic.

roland985 wrote:2) The Baofeng will be deactivated by myself (Ie, I'll disconnect the power terminals inside the device to prevent it ever working by mistake.) until I get my foundation license. (Yep I'm keen.)

That does seem a bit extreme

Just don't unpack it and turn it on and you'll be right - or if you do turn it on don't push the PTT

Zebedee wrote:

roland985 wrote:2) The Baofeng will be deactivated by myself (Ie, I'll disconnect the power terminals inside the device to prevent it ever working by mistake.) until I get my foundation license. (Yep I'm keen.)

or if you do turn it on don't push the PTT

Yeah. I've researched how to program it for receive-only. It is possible to program the TX power output on all frequencies to 0.

If I ever do use it, it will be as a scanner.

roland985 wrote:Yeah. I've researched how to program it for receive-only. It is possible to program the TX power output on all frequencies to 0.

If I ever do use it, it will be as a scanner.

Yep I've done exactly the same thing with some frequencies in my handheld that I want to be receive-only. If you try and press the PTT button on one of those channels, it just gives a rude beep and won't let you transmit

Yep.

I wonder where danoroth ended up. I read through all his comments, he was rude from the start.

Okay. My very illegal radio arrived. It's an impressive unit.

But I need a license before I can even think about touching PTT. What where the contact details for Ham college?

I'll call them tomorrow morning.

www.hamcollege.com.au

First Foundation course of the year is the 14/15 Feb with the assessments on the 21st.

Time to book in...

Those Baofeng radios seem to be very popular.

I know quite a few volunteer fire-fighters that own one and they were actually supplied by someone at their fire station, pre programmed.

Seems there are many volleys breaking the law.

Programmed for DFES use? Since they are basically a commercial programmable radio, and the vollies would be trained and authorized to use the frequencies allocated to them (i.e. the normal radios used) then this should be fine?

Correct me if I'm wrong though, I'm not sure if something like a C-Tick is required in this case which these radio's wouldn't have.

yorky wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong though, I'm not sure if something like a C-Tick is required in this case which these radio's wouldn't have.

I can't comment on vollies using non-Vertex self supplied radios, as it's more of a DFES policy thing, but commercial land mobile equipment needs to be certified against AS/NZS4295 to be legally used in Australia. Most, if not all, Chinese radios haven't been approved and so aren't legal to transmit outside of amateur bands.

Excellent that clears that up, so basically this radio can only be used by amateur on amateur bands full stop by the sounds of it.

vk6hgr wrote:

yorky wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong though, I'm not sure if something like a C-Tick is required in this case which these radio's wouldn't have.

I can't comment on vollies using non-Vertex self supplied radios, as it's more of a DFES policy thing, but commercial land mobile equipment needs to be certified against AS/NZS4295 to be legally used in Australia. Most, if not all, Chinese radios haven't been approved and so aren't legal to transmit outside of amateur bands.

I asked our DFES comms peeps about this a while ago. You are correct. Not a good idea, and DFES can indeed prosecute you.