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can i use a "ham" radio on am?

King Mudduck

King Mudduck

FEAR THE DUCK!
May 6, 2005
864
16
28
285 South Western Virgina waving!
I know this is not the place to post this but it seems more people look at the topics here than anywhere else so......
Now i know im going to catch some shot from the ham guys for this but i was wondering if i could buy something like an Icom 706 or the like for use on am(cb channels)I in no way want to cause problems with anyone on other bands im just tired of the junk that is out there when it come to most export radios.I have a friend that is heavy into ham and he lent me his 706 for the weekend and thats all it took,I WANT ONE!I know its a lot of money to spend for what im going to use it for but i think in the long run it would be money well spent.Im also a little scared of what will happen if someone catches me with it,im sure i could get fined big time since im not a licensed ham.I was looking on ebay last night and found a few ham radios but im not sure what type to buy.I do know that if i do this i want to stay with Icom because i have heard that they are solid as a rock and will last all most forever if well cared for.So what do you all think?And sorry for the long post.
 

I should proabley stay out of this cause I will most likey start WW3 but anyway, if you get down to the law anything but a type certified radio is illegal to operate on the cb portion of 11 meters, and it can not be modified in any way. Now we know that there is very few radios that are operated that way, and that a lot of the radios you hear are hf (HAM) radios. I would like to know how many Icom,Yaesu, Kenwoods and etc, are sold each year just for the sole purpose of being used as cb's? I would dare say a large number keep in mind that there is only around 600,000 licensed hams in the states which is not enough to keep all these radio manufactures in business and they know that ,that is why so many of the radios are so ridiculously simple to change to out of band operation. Now as far as having one as far as I know you can own anything from a cb to a broadcast station as long as you don't transmit on it, in the fcc rules it states in one place that if you have a cb station in your possession that if you have a linear amp it will be construed as if you have been using it, I really think that if some fancy laywers took that to court we would see some rewording of that rule. Because hearsay is not admissable in a court of law so basically if there is not hard evidence that a person was transmiting on it not a lot can be done other than threaten ( kinda like these letters to the truckers, they are warning letters and the fcc or anybody else can't walk into a court room and say I heard Fred talking on 10 meters in his truck the other day so put him in jail, it don't work that way because they have to have proof which means and officer of the law has to have seen them doing it not someone else with a radio and a callsign ) I am not saying right or wrong just that a large number of hf rigs end up as cb's as in all things it is up to the individual as to what he or she does! :roll: :eek:
 
KM

Instead of using it on CB, why not expend the effort to get the license? Nothing worth having is gained without *some* effort, and in exchange for this effort you would have radio at your fingertips that CB can NEVER give you! When, for example, the higher bands like 10-11 Meters are dead, the hams just move farther down (something called MUF-no need to elaborate here for now). Thousands of frequencies available instead of the crowded channels you complained about on CB.

I fail to see what a 706 will gain that a quality AM CB won't. I mean, the noise and trash will STILL be there no matter WHAT kind of radio you use. The 706 is going to cost you around $899 (I haven't looked at the price lately) and you are expending WAY over that of a regular CB. However, if you buy a ham radio with the intention of becoming licensed, then by all means do so. You won't regret it a bit! Using a 706 on CB is, of course, illegal and if they DID inspect your station, there's 800 bucks GONE when it could've been only a couple hundred! Kinda risky. Just recently they popped a couple of guys for operating on 26.815 and interfering with the 10 Meter band. I don't know, but they ARE noticing more than they were!

Yama, just as info, you are mostly correct about "hearsay" evidence.............................but! Radio law doesn't fall under regular civil law. It falls under Administrative Law. If you read Part 95, you will see that it states (and this is a rough translation) that you agree to abide by ALL the rules of the CB service. It also states that IF you have an amplifier (for example, but it also applies to other radio equipment if you don't have a license for it, etc) on the premises, it will be PRESUMED that you have/will/are/ using it and you will be cited or fined--or whatever the punishment. So if you break ONE rule, you have broken at least TWO at the get-go. Some people also confuse civil law and procedures for search and seizure)__again, ADMINISTRATIVE Law, not Civil. Back to the rules...........In Part 95 it also says that you MUST permit inspection of your station during reasonable hours (still could be
3 AM if you are operating and doing something illegal). Yes, you can refuse to allow the agent to come in your house. B U T!! BUT!! If you do that, then they will cite you for the refusal and it will likely MORE (fine?) than if you had allowed the inspection in the first place! IOW, they gotcha no matter what! :D :p

73

CWM
 
Does the '706 work good on AM? yes, but it's a LOT to spend for just that. I'm with CWM on this one....if you're willing to spend the money on the rig, why not do a little study and be able to work all the freq's it has to offer?

That said, the FCC is not in the business of doing random inspections. If you're not interfering with anyone, and staying within CB allocated frequencies, the chances of anything happening to you are about a bazillion to one. Kind've like going 70mph in a 65 zone.

If you want good AM, I'd give up on the export stuff. There's a few CB radios out there that really do work good: Try looking for an older Cobra 148GTL, or a Uniden Grant. Even the newer Unidens are decent. But the Export radios' RX is just way too wide open and then you experience what you've run into.
 
I know all to well about administrative law having delt with it in some unrelated issues, I know from experience that if it is not specifically stated in the record ( rules) it can not be said to apply. The rule in question states only amps it does not mention any other gear. A lot has changed in the courts since these rules were written ( individual rights, civil liberties, etc.) and it would be interesting to see what would happen if they were challenged, but that would take a lot of money and time and as it has been stated before cb has no influence, just by its nature, unlike ham which is more closely nit and has the arrl to help in lobbying for them.
Personally I would rather hear a good (Icom,Yaesu,Kenwood,etc.) as to listen to a butchered old Cobra hooked up to a kilzillion watt splatter box
 
Amps

Yama,
True, it doesn't apply in that partiicular paragraph. But there is another rule in there that states (in effect) that you MUST use an approved transceive (not a ham radio, not a modified CB, not an "export" radio or it voids your authority to operate a CB station. .......or something like that. So, they gotcha either way. IOW if you have an amp sitting in the house without even being hooked up, no Amateur license, they will presume it has/will be used.

The rules HAVE been challenged before and have been upheld each time. :D

Cheers,

CWM
 
King-

It is all about what it is worth to YOU. I "upgraded" my CB's in the early 80's and have no regrets, it was worth it to me.

The 706MKIIG covers 6M, 2M & 70cm, licensing for that is real easy if you are interested and that would increase the value of the radio to YOU. You could go nuts and get your General and then the full value of the radio would be realized. PLEASE NOTE: I am not preaching that you should do this just pointing out two options. :)

The bottom line is that if you invest in your interests, it is money well spent.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a "Roger Roger Old Man, Fine Business, HIHI" HAM, nor am I a "Fur 10 Good Buddy Dropping The Maul On Y'all" CB'er. Some place in between... Just someone who enjoys both for different reasons.

73

riq165

PS- The new Icom 7000 will be out in Aug. if you really want to go nuts!

http://www.rffun.com/catalog/hamhf/0700.html
 
Rig

rig165,

That's how I became involved in ham. I was heavily involved in another agency and its communications systems. In the early days we used homebrew AM transmitters and Army surplus stuff until USAF made us switch over to SSB. Then it was purpose-built Heathkits (HW series, etc) and *some* ham* rigs. Then onto PLL rigs as the solid state stuff become more
stable and crystals were no longer required. I bought a Yaesu
FT757GX in '87, power supply, tuner, desk mike and accessories. As I looked around my shack, I thought, "Now ain't this a bite in the you-know-what!" Here I am sitting with more capability than I can actually use and more money tied up in it than Carter has liver pills! :D

I had always thought about the Amateur ticket--even as a kid.
But we always ended living out in the boonies where the nearest FCC office was many miles away, and Dad was too busy/thought such things trivial and unneccessary. I had a lot of the knowledge thanks to elmers and other ham friends that helped me with my quasi-military station. So in '89 I decided, OK, it's time to go after that license. And I did.

The moral of the story is, just like King, I had bought an expensive radio, but could only listen to the other stuff going on.

I would hope that if King buys a 706, he listens and becomes so
-----what's the word?---anxious? Maybe frustrated? :D And that causes him to go after the ham ticket. The process is easy, fun, and takes you thru steps. Each step (license test)
takes you farther and opens up new privileges. You can join the MARS program and help send messages both for the military itself and to families whose relatives are far away fighting in Iraq. It opens up so much you won't believe how much you missed before!

At any rate, good luck with your purchase whatever you decide. If you are determined to remain with CB, then, IMHO, it just doesn't make sense to spend $800 for a radio that you can't legally use.

CWM
 
Thanks all for the replys.I understand what your saying about why spend that much if your never going to use it for what it was intended for but i really dont know if im smart enough to get my license!I have other friends that have told me that it is a lot to learn and a little hard to get it so thats why until now i have not tried.Im still looking for something like a 706 or maybe something a little less expensive but i really dont know of a good site that i could and check any others out,maybe some of you could help me with that.
 
Oh boy,,,here I go....lol dont take this in the wrong way...please !

but,there's one aspect to the question that no one has addressed yet...so here I go,,geez i must be a "Tard",,,,
ok,,,,Mr King....i dont blame ya for liking the 706 that ya borrowed from your pal..but here's what ya must think about,when U were operating this nice peice of equitment for the weekend,,,did ya ever stop to think that it does such a fine job,because of the power it will produce??
I am sure,,,that if ya use it again,,,and pull the power output back to the legal limit for CB,,,,4watts,,you wont find it any better than,say your basic uniden or cobra radio....and again i'm going where knowone else wanted to go here....but do ya see my point..
And yes i am well aware that we dont much run a legal 4 watt radio,,,ever,,,lol...but what i am getting at here is,,,,apples to apples..,..and oranges to oranges...
and also if ya were to get in the "Trick Bag" over running a 706 for your CB radio,,,,this is just another area that "The Man" would have ya over his barrell....

Just my 3 cents..
sorry for using the bandwidth..

rfpowerman 8)
 
King Mudduck said:
Thanks all for the replys.I understand what your saying about why spend that much if your never going to use it for what it was intended for but i really dont know if im smart enough to get my license!I have other friends that have told me that it is a lot to learn and a little hard to get it so thats why until now i have not tried.Im still looking for something like a 706 or maybe something a little less expensive but i really dont know of a good site that i could and check any others out,maybe some of you could help me with that.
Click to expand...

You haven't tried for yourself! LOL! Just for kicks, go to the website www.arrl.org and browse. There's a link that talks about how to be licensed. Read and take the practice tests. They are multiple guess (I mean, choice!) and the entry license is not hard at all. If you can pass a drivers license test, you can pass this one, too! ;)


73
 
rfpowerman....i have been talking on a 95T,i dont think that a 706 will come close to that kind of power!But then again,power is not everything if it sounds like crap!Anyway......its just the way the 706 worked.everthing was better.the way it received,talked,all of those channels you know what im talking about.thats why i thought about spending the money for one.
 
706

The 706 should do 40 watts full bore on AM (of course, you should reduce this to allow for some "headroom"), and 100 watts SSB. Normally it is also true that the quality of most Amateur equipment exceeds that of CB gear and has more features.

CWM
 
RF-

I won't bore you (or me) with the technical reasons why I feel the 706 is better, but I will use this analogy... A VW Bug and a Porsche 911 are traveling on a road. They both are German made, both have 4 wheels, both can go the speed limit (or exceed it), and both will get you from point A to point B. They both have their place in the world. Some folks may even own one of each, but driving them does NOT produce the same experience. :)

For the record, I love my Uniden Grant LT, but it is not the same experience as my Yaesu.


CW-

Funny you mention the 757GX, that was what I used, still have it!


King-

Don't sell yourself short! *IF* at all interested in taking the test go for it! If you are not interested thats fine too. :) Much has been made about the entry level test, it is not bad, and if you go for it you will learn new things about a topic you are interested in so there is a plus side to at least trying. The FCC is about to restructure and things my be even easier in another year or so.

Other less expensive (but new) radios to look at are:

FT-840
http://www.rffun.com/catalog/hamhf/2319.html

IC718
http://www.rffun.com/catalog/hamhf/0718.html

I believe these both can be converted. I have no first hand experience with either.

73

riq165
 

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