Smith Trucking Company Told to stay OFF the 10 Meter band

[RadioRay]

Folks, once again, if you are operating one of those illegal "10 Meter" radios and using the mythical "freeband", you must remember that the 10 Meter band is NOT for unlicensed users. And another company has been told to get and keep their drivers OFF 10 Meters. See below.

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1

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Enforcement Bureau

Spectrum Enforcement Division

1270 Fairfield Road

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-7245

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

August 7, 2007

Smith Trucking, Inc.

2719 Morgantown Road

Smithfield, PA 15478

ATTN: Theodore Smith

SUBJECT: WARNING NOTICE - UNLICENSED RADIO OPERATION

Case #EB-07-SE-3061

Dear Mr. Smith:

Information before the Commission indicates that your drivers have been
operating radio equipment without a license on the frequency 28.535 MHz
and causing interference to licensed stations in the Ten Meter Amateur
Band.

The drivers were observed operating unlicensed in April and May 2007 on
Route 19 between the Fairmont, West Virginia area and the Haywood power
plant near Shinnston, WV.

Please advise your drivers that operation of radio transmitting equipment
without a license is a violation of Section 301 of the Communications Act
of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Section 301, and will subject them to fine
or imprisonment, as well as an in rem seizure of any non-certified radio
transmitting equipment, in cooperation with the United States Attorney for
your jurisdiction. Monetary forfeitures normally range from $7,500 to
$10,000.

You are requested to contact me at 717-338-2502 to discuss this matter.

Sincerely,

W. Riley Hollingsworth

Special Counsel

cc: FCC Northeastern Regional Director

- 2 -

[MADLUX]

[greg3564]

Ah jeez! This makes my head hurt.

[RadioRay]

Why would it make one's head hurt? It is simply that the operation of those so-called "10 Meter" radios on the CB band is against the law, AND it is against the law to transmit ON the 10 Meter band without an FCC license to do so! There is actually NO such thing as a "freeband" contrary to popular CB myth and legend. Almost EVERY frequency between 26.000 and 26.965, 27.405 IS assigned to other services. The 10 Meter band is assigned internationally to the Amateur Radio Service. Unlicensed station may NOT transmit there, and doing so can bring fines of up to $10,000 PER instance! And it HAS happened VERY recently to CB operators who thought they were "safe" from FCC enforcement or, "they can't find ME"! :shock:

There are 600,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the USA alone, and these operators, particularly those who are authorized to use the 10 Meter band, are upset at the presence of unlicensed stations on their frequencies. They even go so far as to quietly follow truck drivers who are literally stealing something that doesn't belong to them and record/ write down the truck's info to report to the FCC. As you see above, the FCC WILL ACT against the company whose driver is "caught" and require that the "10 Meter" radio be removed from the truck. Should a driver continue to talk on 28 MHZ, he will be caught again, and a fine is sure to ensue!

Your BEST bet is to use an approved (FCC sticker on the back) 40 channel CB radio and stay OFF any "funny" channels! Who knows, YOU could be next! I sure wouldn't want to have to explain to my boss why I caused him to get a certified letter from the FCC threatening to fine his company!

RR

[Fredog]

Why would it make one's head hurt? It is simply that the operation of those so-called "10 Meter" radios on the CB band is against the law, AND it is against the law to transmit ON the 10 Meter band without an FCC license to do so! There is actually NO such thing as a "freeband" contrary to popular CB myth and legend. Almost EVERY frequency between 26.000 and 26.965, 27.405 IS assigned to other services. The 10 Meter band is assigned internationally to the Amateur Radio Service. Unlicensed station may NOT transmit there, and doing so can bring fines of up to $10,000 PER instance! And it HAS happened VERY recently to CB operators who thought they were "safe" from FCC enforcement or, "they can't find ME"! :shock:

There are 600,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the USA alone, and these operators, particularly those who are authorized to use the 10 Meter band, are upset at the presence of unlicensed stations on their frequencies. They even go so far as to quietly follow truck drivers who are literally stealing something that doesn't belong to them and record/ write down the truck's info to report to the FCC. As you see above, the FCC WILL ACT against the company whose driver is "caught" and require that the "10 Meter" radio be removed from the truck. Should a driver continue to talk on 28 MHZ, he will be caught again, and a fine is sure to ensue!

Your BEST bet is to use an approved (FCC sticker on the back) 40 channel CB radio and stay OFF any "funny" channels! Who knows, YOU could be next! I sure wouldn't want to have to explain to my boss why I caused him to get a certified letter from the FCC threatening to fine his company!

RR

this guy needs a hobby

[Malaki86]

this guy needs a hobby

He seems to have one - unfortunately for us...

[Useless]

this guy needs a hobby

This guy needs a LIFE!! :P

[Useless]

For More Information Regarding The 10 Meter Band & Radio Ray,

Call:

1-800-RADIORAYHASNOLIFE

[Useless]

Why would it make one's head hurt? It is simply that the operation of those so-called "10 Meter" radios on the CB band is against the law, AND it is against the law to transmit ON the 10 Meter band without an FCC license to do so! There is actually NO such thing as a "freeband" contrary to popular CB myth and legend. Almost EVERY frequency between 26.000 and 26.965, 27.405 IS assigned to other services. The 10 Meter band is assigned internationally to the Amateur Radio Service. Unlicensed station may NOT transmit there, and doing so can bring fines of up to $10,000 PER instance! And it HAS happened VERY recently to CB operators who thought they were "safe" from FCC enforcement or, "they can't find ME"! :shock:

There are 600,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the USA alone, and these operators, particularly those who are authorized to use the 10 Meter band, are upset at the presence of unlicensed stations on their frequencies. They even go so far as to quietly follow truck drivers who are literally stealing something that doesn't belong to them and record/ write down the truck's info to report to the FCC. As you see above, the FCC WILL ACT against the company whose driver is "caught" and require that the "10 Meter" radio be removed from the truck. Should a driver continue to talk on 28 MHZ, he will be caught again, and a fine is sure to ensue!

Your BEST bet is to use an approved (FCC sticker on the back) 40 channel CB radio and stay OFF any "funny" channels! Who knows, YOU could be next! I sure wouldn't want to have to explain to my boss why I caused him to get a certified letter from the FCC threatening to fine his company!

RR

RadioRay:

Why do I get the distinct inpression that as a child, you were quite adept at playing the role of Classroom Snitch??

Isn't there a radio talk show, or some other place for you to go to annoy people??

Why do I get the distinct inpression that as a child, you were quite adept at playing the role of Classroom Snitch??

Isn't there a radio talk show, or some other place for you to go to annoy people??[/color]

Your mean Useless. I'm going to tell two people about you and tell them to tell two people then before you know it there will be lots of people telling on you then your going to be in real big trouble. They will probably reward me with chrome or something and you, well, you will be in really big trouble.

[Useless]

Why do I get the distinct inpression that as a child, you were quite adept at playing the role of Classroom Snitch??

Isn't there a radio talk show, or some other place for you to go to annoy people??[/color]

Your mean Useless. I'm going to tell two people about you and tell them to tell two people then before you know it there will be lots of people telling on you then your going to be in real big trouble.

Uh, OHHH!!!! :nervous:

Then, after you tell two people who go tell two more people, who find two more people to tell on me, then you can turn them all into Amway snitches!!

[Sheepdancer]

I cant imagine why anyone would want to use those radios anymore as a hobby. Sure 20-30 years ago, Im sure it was "neato" to be able to talk to people all over the country and even the world. But nowadays we have the internet where you can instantly talk to people all over the world for virtually free. Plus we all have cell phones.
I say just go ahead and open up those bands for truckers. They have more important uses for it than some radio "hobbyists"

Honestly, I cant see an amatuer radio operator passing his hobby down to his kids...
Dad: Son, come out here to the garage and I want to indroduce you to the exciting world of 10 meter. Where you can talk to people from all over world. Sometimes there is only a little static.
Son: Sorry dad, cant right now. Im on the internet, video chatting with some hot chick in Amsterdam and I think shes about to take off her top!

HA HA HA HA HA HA

LMAO

[RadioRay]

I cant imagine why anyone would want to use those radios anymore as a hobby. Sure 20-30 years ago, Im sure it was "neato" to be able to talk to people all over the country and even the world. But nowadays we have the internet where you can instantly talk to people all over the world for virtually free. Plus we all have cell phones.
I say just go ahead and open up those bands for truckers. They have more important uses for it than some radio "hobbyists"

Honestly, I cant see an amatuer radio operator passing his hobby down to his kids...
Dad: Son, come out here to the garage and I want to indroduce you to the exciting world of 10 meter. Where you can talk to people from all over world. Sometimes there is only a little static.
Son: Sorry dad, cant right now. Im on the internet, video chatting with some hot chick in Amsterdam and I think shes about to take off her top!

"honestly", your lack of knowledge of the radio world is showing and is contained within the circumference of your steering wheel! :twisted: You only know of "10 Meters" or "11 Meters" and ONLY because you saw them in some truck stop. When your "internet" is DOWN, your CELLPHONE doesn't WORK, and your computer is DEAD, those hams will still be on the air passing vital traffic into and out of disaster areas during hurricanes, fires, floods and other events. Ten Meters is a small part of the frequency resources allocated to hams! And, no, it will never be "opened up" to truckers or the CB crowd. It is an INTERNATIONAL allocation governed by treaties, and the USA is only ONE signatory to these agreements.

Now. The real TRUTH is, CB radio has PLENTY of "channels". Forty is MORE than enough! :shock: The trouble is, the USERS cannot, or WON'T manage what they have! Birds of a feather flock together, and on any given day, you can flip thru 1-40, and with few exceptions, a FEW channels will be VERY busy; the rest QUIET as a tomb! WHY? Because people assemble where the action is. CH 19, for example. More than enough of these "followers" must have attention, so they use an amplifier because 1) they just gotta be LOUD to make up for deficiencies in their phallic region and 2) because they think that if they aren't LOUD, they won't be noticed. Yet, if people shunned the use of amplifiers, EVERYBODY would be heard (with a little courtesy like it used to be). If they were on one of the quiet frequencies, nobody would know just how important he is! So EVERYBODY flocks to a FEW channels, WAY too many people try to be "Mr BIG", and FEWER folks get heard. They MAKE their own noises, howls, screeches and roars because they don't KNOW any better! To them, the solution is MO' POWA, MO CHANNELS and when they "get" those, they proceed to screw up those, too because they have no training, and on and on and on; more power, more screwdrivered radios, and more and more "channels" they didn't need in the FIRST place so they can booger up them, too, and SCREEE, HOOOWL, ROOOAARRRR! On and on and on and on.

Ten Meters is allocated to the Amateur Radio service, both domestically and internationally. It is not going to change! Operating on 10 Meters is simply going to getcha CAUGHT! :shock: Maybe even FIRED!!! Only you can decide if it is worth the risk!

OH, btw! Those radios you call "10 Meter" 'amateur' radios? They aren't REAL amateur radios at all. They are exactly what FCC found them to be and why they are illegal to sell--illegal to USE on CB! A REAL amateur radio does NOT have "channels". They do not have "bands" of channels to cover ONE band! "Channels" are marks of a civilian APPLIANCE, one that is set up previously for untrained operators.
REAL amateur "10 Meter" radios do not have rebel flags and echo and 'talkback" (a silly device if ever there was one). NOPE! Your so-called "10 Meter 'amateur' radio is a chrome-faced CB radio for an illegal CB market and is noted as such on FCC's Office of Technology site!!!!!

Insist on talking on 28 Mhz, and you will pay the price eventually!

RR

[Twilight Flyer]

You only know of "10 Meters" or "11 Meters" and ONLY because you saw them in some truck stop. When your "internet" is DOWN, your CELLPHONE doesn't WORK, and your computer is DEAD, those hams will still be on the air .....

Yeah, but when that happens, drivers can just go out and get in their trucks and use the 10 meter band. :P

[century451]

Actually on the internet you dont get to hear distress calls at sea or listen to hams in other countries plead for assistance due to war or castatrophys or any number of things like transmissions from Everest or the radio room of the Queen Mary. And if your good at code you get to relay the message to mom and dad that their sons and daughters are safe in war zones or arrived safely at a distant duty station.

One other part of the hobby is doing home brew....hams are always building and experment with circuits and things and believe it or not...they stumble onto new technology in communications and satilites. More of a community service and humanitarian than just a stupid hobby of talking to people long distant

[kc0iv]

RR said:

A REAL amateur radio does NOT have "channels". They do not have "bands" of channels to cover ONE band! "Channels" are marks of a civilian APPLIANCE, one that is set up previously for untrained operators.

I guess RR the ICOM 706 MkIIG isn't a REAL amateur radio since it has "Number of memory channels. : 107 (99 regular, 6 scan edges, 2 call channels)"

Or how about the Yaesu FT-450. It has "500 Regular Memories."

How many more HAM radios do you want me to list that has channels? Do you want me to list all the 2 meter radios that are setup for channels operations?

And while we are talking about illegal CB operations on "10 meters". How many of these illegal CB operations on "10 meters" have received fines?

Why don't you clean up 75 meters. There are tons of illegal operations on 75 meters. Like the old adage says: "people who live in glass houses should not throw stones"

kc0iv

[RadioRay]

RR said:

A REAL amateur radio does NOT have "channels". They do not have "bands" of channels to cover ONE band! "Channels" are marks of a civilian APPLIANCE, one that is set up previously for untrained operators.

I guess RR the ICOM 706 MkIIG isn't a REAL amateur radio since it has "Number of memory channels. : 107 (99 regular, 6 scan edges, 2 call channels)"

Or how about the Yaesu FT-450. It has "500 Regular Memories."

How many more HAM radios do you want me to list that has channels? Do you want me to list all the 2 meter radios that are setup for channels operations?

And while we are talking about illegal CB operations on "10 meters". How many of these illegal CB operations on "10 meters" have received fines?

Why don't you clean up 75 meters. There are tons of illegal operations on 75 meters. Like the old adage says: "people who live in glass houses should not throw stones"

kc0iv

No. Note you said MEMORIES. The difference is, "Channels" for the CB market are PRE-determined by the manufacturer. The USER cannot change these at will--at least not easily or random. MEMORIES are slots into which specific frequencies may be programmed AT WILL by the user for quick recall. They may also CHANGED by the user at will and at random. The so-called "10 Meter" radios (the ones that LOOK like a CB, have "bands" of 'channels' to cover ONE band are CB radios; they LOOK like a CB, they echo like a CB, they "talkback" like a CB. NO amateur radio built today has to have "bands" of "channels" to cover ONE band; indeed, most all HF transceivers now will tune continuiously from 500 KHZ to 30 MHZ without the benefit of 'bands'. The false "10 Meter" radios give away their true purpose with their "bands" of channels.

"Tons" of illegal operators on 75 meters is subject to one's interpretation.
Those who are operating illegally usually get caught pretty quick. The subject here was the use of those illegal "10 meter" radios whose purpose is to defeat the regulations by providing more "channels" and power than allowed for CB radio. They often end up ON the 10 Meter band where the licensed users catch drivers talking there and turn them into FCC.

[kc0iv]

RR, It appears your operation of 75 meters must be limited. There is guys on 75 meters operating for years illegally and seem to have not got "caught".

You might want to look-up "memories" and "channels" in a dictionary.

BTW: Notice the ICOM says "Number of memory channels." Yes they are programmable but once programmed they function as "channels."

I'll ask you again RR. How many of these illegal CB operations on "10 meters" have received fines? You have posted maybe a half dozen of these letters in the last couple years. So I would think you should be able to show one or two that have received fines. Or is it really not as bad has you seem to think it is? It sure isn't much of a problem to show where "hams" have received fines. When you compare the number of "hams" vs the number of "CBer" there should be more "CBers" fines.

As I have said in the past the FCC really doesn't take this matter serious or as serious as you think it is is or they are about the dumbest people around. If they really wanted to put a stop to these illegal operations a quick "google" search would yield hundreds of locations that sell these illegal radios.

In my opinion what you are doing with these postings is turning people away from ham radio. Giving ham radio a bad name at least in the trucking industry. I would suggest you spend time "elmering" a few of these truckers. Instead of turning them off to ham radio. There are truckers every week or two posting questions that an "elmer" could answer. So unless you are posting by another user name I haven't seem you answer any of these questions.

kc0iv