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Thread: Communications Gear Import Ban

  1. #1
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    Default Communications Gear Import Ban

    Communications Gear Import Ban

    BY Herschel Smith
    11 hours, 36 minutes ago Survival Blog:
    Back in August, I warned SurvivalBlog readers about an upcoming FCC rules change. Well, the ban did indeed arrive, on Monday. As of September 24th, 2018, the FCC banned the importation of some quite capable dual band models of inexpensive Baofeng ham radio handie-talkies:
    FCC Enforcement Advisory No. 2018-03
    Because of this new FCC “enforcement advisory” ban, I predict that fewer and fewer these particular hand-held ham radios will clear Customs. Then, Amazon and eBay listings for them will soon disappear, probably in just a few weeks. The window of opportunity is closing quickly, folks! Note that no license is required to buy these radios.
    I strongly recommend that SurvivalBlog readers stock up on these dual band radios, NOW, while there are still some available at a reasonable price! Grab a five-pack, or perhaps two five-packs, so that you will have some extras available to trade at a later date. Remember: “Buy low, and sell high.” As I’ve described in detail in the blog before: Bans almost always lead to higher prices!
    JWR wrote about this earlier and I’ve been thinking about this.
    The Baofeng radios he’s recommending come with baggage. The real radio guys pan this stuff. The clubs won’t go within a mile of it, and the scuttlebutt is that if you don’t buy after-market antennas for it, as soon as you walk around the next building you lose signal. Parts fall off, the radios don’t work for long, etc., etc.
    Furthermore, it’s said that you must have your certification to use most of the frequencies on these radios. Frankly, I don’t know what to think. I believe it’s important to have at least minimal comms equipment, but I also believe that we don’t all have to be Ham radio operators in order to have this minimal capability.
    On the other hand, these are fairly cheap, and getting your certification is said to be easy. Furthermore, they aren’t going to be available for long.
    So here’s a bleg for readers. How about someone with some comms capabilities (Pat Hines?) weigh in and give us a lengthy assessment of this whole matter? I’m not thinking about stationary radios. I’m talking about highly portable comms equipment.

    Survival Tags: Communications Gear
    They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
    “As a general rule, the earlier you recognize someone is trying to kill you, the better off you’ll be.”

    "You think a wall as solid as the earth separates civilisation from barbarism. I tell you the division is a sheet of glass."



  2. #2
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    grower is offline Tree of Liberty Contributor
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    Actually, there are LOTS of Baofengs being used by hams. Our ham club did a tutorial at one of our meetings on how to program those radios both ways -- manually and via a USB plug online. They are very popular among hams, and nearly everybody at a hamfest has one on their belt.

    I am sorry to hear the FCC is trying to crack down on them, though. To what end?
    IF you are willing & obedient , you shall eat the good of the land: But if you refuse & rebel, You shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 1:19, 20

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    I ordered another one last week
    Also drones are being curtailed by the FAA, operator's license, registration etc so I bought one as well
    They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
    “As a general rule, the earlier you recognize someone is trying to kill you, the better off you’ll be.”

    "You think a wall as solid as the earth separates civilisation from barbarism. I tell you the division is a sheet of glass."



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    These are great little radios, and quite tough. They are not waterproof however.
    We’ve used them here for years, if they get damaged it won’t break the bank to replace them.
    And despite the hype, they are very easy to program using the pc, cable, and the simple software available for free.

    I think the FCC issue is the radio can easily be programmed to operate in public safety frequencies, and others where it’s against the rules to use them. So unlike Yaesu or Icom hts that restrict the operator to US ham frequencies these can easily put the operator in violation if not used properly.

    But my car can do 130 miles an hour, and the DoT didn’t outlaw that...
    A warrior lives by acting, not by thinking about acting, nor by thinking about what he will think when he has finished acting.

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    The old radio shack handie talkies could also be made to use outside the ham bands.
    ''... I believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people...are a safeguard to the continuance of a free government...whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast Republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it.''- Gen. Robert E. Lee

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    Default I got the tri-band UV-5x3

    Many commercially available radios can be easily made to operate outside the ham bands, it's called the "MARS Mod". The ones I've looked into would be converted by breaking a single diode, for example. They're designed to do this.
    The Baofeng radios can do that without modification I understand. But the real issue our government has with them is they were issued a certification to operate in a way that is improper for the ham bands.
    These Chinese radios aren't top of the line, but they're pretty decent for what they are and what they cost. I would certainly not want to discourage anybody from picking up one or two, as importation will likely be banned shortly; though I won't go so far as to push five-packs if you don't even have a ham license.
    There is no excuse for not learning about this stuff so you're not taking somebody else's word for it.
    Amateur radio is a hobby, there's entirely too much to it to expect to get a simple answer to a question of "what do I need". Legally transmitting requires getting your license. But listening and learning and building antennas does NOT take a license!
    Not to discourage the license. It is super simple now. The biggest drawback I can think of which denizens of the Tree would care about, is that the FCC database is public, and contains your address. You can have it show a PO box if that really bothers you.
    You can get started listening with equipment you likely already have, or can easily get. You only need a decent shortwave receiver (shortwave = high frequency HF) or scanner (VHF, UHF, maybe 6m). Most ham voice transmissions on HF will be Single Sideband so your receiver will need a BFO to receive them. This is a feature found on slightly more expensive shortwave receivers. Morse code requires no special features.
    If you have a race or police scanner, you can receive all the ham FM repeaters in your area. Your local club websites will give details.

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    The Globalists are eliminating our ability to 'shoot, move, and communicate' all counter to the US Constitution, of course
    They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
    “As a general rule, the earlier you recognize someone is trying to kill you, the better off you’ll be.”

    "You think a wall as solid as the earth separates civilisation from barbarism. I tell you the division is a sheet of glass."



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    Quote Originally Posted by Lenno View Post
    The Globalists are eliminating our ability to 'shoot, move, and communicate' all counter to the US Constitution, of course
    Hopefully you anticipated such from the matrix, and properly prepared.
    A warrior lives by acting, not by thinking about acting, nor by thinking about what he will think when he has finished acting.

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    Quote Originally Posted by HouseWolf View Post
    Hopefully you anticipated such from the matrix, and properly prepared.
    ME? Lil Ol' ME?
    M
    They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
    “As a general rule, the earlier you recognize someone is trying to kill you, the better off you’ll be.”

    "You think a wall as solid as the earth separates civilisation from barbarism. I tell you the division is a sheet of glass."



  10. #10
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    A warrior lives by acting, not by thinking about acting, nor by thinking about what he will think when he has finished acting.

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