"This is why I say that everyone knows what is going on with the export radios, cause I just don't see these companys sneaking that many items past customs. Were talking thousands of radios, great big box loads seems they would be easy to find as they come off the ships if the FCC was really looking."
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Not quite. It *may* have been winked at until the people starting filching 10 and 12 Meters. Then they had to act on the complaints and because of treaty issues.
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When the FCC picked 11m for CB, they said it was due to the high cost of UHF equipment at that time (true). Question: What were their true motives? Commerce.
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Yes and no. We are talking 1958 when UHF equipment was exorbitantly expensive compared to the then-common HF radios. Lots of agencies were on Lo VHF for many, many years because of this.
Commerce? Yes. It simply made sense at the time because they knew the public would likely BUY the 27 MHZ sets as opposed to the UHF stuff.
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Let's jump ahead to the present. The FCC is a money sucking operation that will try to sell as much airspace as possible. They are salesmen/auctioneers.
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Wrong. FCC gains nothing from the "sale" of spectrum as they operate on a budget that is allocated by Congress. Any revenue generated by FCC, including fines and license fees, goes to the US General Fund.
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Back to the past. As a money sucking operation, the FCC knew that they wouldn't get many licenses if it were in the UHF spectrum. And, license fee's brought in $$$. Manufacturers and retail stores would die on the vine. 11m pumps a lot of money into the economy.
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Partly true. They are charged by Congress and the Act that created the agency with facilitating and managing spectrum that generates revenue, stimulates the economy, and promotes
jobs. None of said money goes to FCC.
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The circle of greed is easy to see - it's been there all the time. CBer's buy illegal amps, etc. because of a lack of enforcement. This "happy" period lasts for awhile, then the Feds spend a few years making sweeps and collecting fines. And then it qets quiet again. Things go back to business as usual.
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Until it became apparent that CB users were not going to be content with staying in their own pasture, then they HAD to act. This latest cycle of enforcement was caused, in large part, by the theft of spectrum by illegal operators. Had they NOT strayed out of the 40 channels, they STILL would be asleep!
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Export radios are sold all over, and they too enjoy their "Happy" period. Then the Feds make their sweeps of the retailers and wholesale outfits collecting even bigger fines. And then it gets quiet again, and things go back to business as usual.
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It is still all about enforcing the law fairly and equitibly, not "fines". FCC goes not collect fines for themselves. It goes into the General Fund. In fact there is a political reason for it.
It is to prevent agents from going after radio users unfairly or purposefully generating "violations" to line the agency's pockets
(or their own). Kinda like cops using speed traps to support the budget of some small hick town. This removes any attempt for the agency (FCC) to become too fat or too money-greedy.
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This has been going on for a long time (at least since I got into CB in the sixties)
HY Electronics / Copper sell a variety of illegal stuff, and every few years they get busted, pay their big fines, and then it's business as usual. Why? It's not a matter of being under-manned, hell, it only takes a few minutes to check out their websites, or even request a free catalog.
The FCC has a good thing going for them, and they know it. They won't kill the golden goose.