ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

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ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by vk6hgr »

Two Melbourne-based security companies have received combined penalties in excess of $10,000 for allegedly using and possessing unlicensed radiocommunications devices. An ACMA investigation found that the companies were operating unlicensed radiocommunications devices in the 400 MHz band on frequencies used by emergency service organisations.

http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/engage-b ... y-exercise
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by roland985 »

Wow. I am more and more annoyed by people using the wrong gear on the wrong frequencies.

It seems so irresponsible.
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by Zebedee »

roland985 wrote:Wow. I am more and more annoyed by people using the wrong gear on the wrong frequencies.

It seems so irresponsible.
It is irresponsible, but as you've seen for yourself, there's pretty much no control over radios being brought into the country from popular shopping sites like eBay. People buy the cheap Chinese two-way radios as 'scanners' and often not realising they have transmit capabilities as well as receive. Or if they do know the difference, they don't think it matters...
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by roland985 »

Zebedee wrote:... often not realising they have transmit capabilities as well as receive. Or if they do know the difference, they don't think it matters...
It's actually quite a scary prospect. $40 and you have a device capable of blocking off emergency services' comms..

It's a huge problem. I really hope the ACMA and customs band together to block them, and keep them out for good.
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by Zebedee »

roland985 wrote:
Zebedee wrote:... often not realising they have transmit capabilities as well as receive. Or if they do know the difference, they don't think it matters...
It's actually quite a scary prospect. $40 and you have a device capable of blocking off emergency services' comms..

It's a huge problem. I really hope the ACMA and customs band together to block them, and keep them out for good.
Well personally I hope they don't do that - I actually quite like the devices and have a couple of them for various things. I'd rather spend under $100 for a cheap handheld rather than $500+ for a 'name brand' one :)
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by roland985 »

Indeed. But customs should hold it until the ACMA tells them that the person who ordered the item is a licensed operator.
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by Zebedee »

Ouch ... that sounds ... expensive! :)
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by roland985 »

Well, do you want 10 year olds running around with 5 watt radios spattering out crap comms on emergency channels, or do you want some level of order?

I hope the ACMA come up with something reasonable.
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by Zebedee »

roland985 wrote:Well, do you want 10 year olds running around with 5 watt radios spattering out crap comms on emergency channels, or do you want some level of order?

I hope the ACMA come up with something reasonable.
The reality is not "A or B" - there is the possibility of people transmitting where they shouldn't, but the reality has shown that it's not common at all.

In last year's fire season, radio comms were affected by malicious interference on a few occasions but there's nothing to suggest that it was because of cheap eBay imports. It may have been, or it may not have been...

I believe it is unlikely that the ACMA will do what you suggest - mainly because it'd be ineffective more than anything. Some time back they moved to what I'd call an "individual responsibility" model - the onus was no longer on the seller to make sure they were selling to someone who was entitled to those items but instead to the buyer to make sure they were buying something appropriate.

So far I haven't seen anything that would make me change my mind and say that this scheme isn't working.

If anything what would be better is for increased penalties for people caught doing the wrong thing. And it's not TOO hard to catch people transmitting where they shouldn't ... from a technical perspective anyway.

Heck, a bunch of amateur radio operators conducted an exercise on the weekend that simulated this exact situation.
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Re: ACMA: Using unlicensed radios a costly exercise

Post by roland985 »

That's a good idea.

I just purchased some extra half watt handhelds (For extreme short range comms with my brothers), and the staff just let me buy it straight off the shelf!

Nothing to advise me the do's and don'ts, what Channel 5 and 35 are for, etc. Contrast that to back in 2005, when I was a kid, I bought my first transciever. We were told all about the safety channels, and the do's and dont's.
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