Warning! These are HAM (amateur) radios. They require at least an FCC technician license to be used in the United States.
Thank you for the reminder. We added the note.
Am I crazy, or are these $21.99/ea at the mothership? If I can add correctly, thatâs $43.98 for 2
The pair package as sold here is $62.35 over at Uncle Jeffâs place. I donât know about single radios as you didnât provide a link to compare.
https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-Two-Way-136-174-400-520MHz-Transceiver/dp/B00C3CYIQK
Is there any way for the govât to track you down if you donât have a license?
The govât . . . not directly. But other Ham operators can identify a non-licensed user (you have to provide an ID) and triangulate your transmitting position, then submit their findings to authorities. You will get a knock on your door from FCC officials and a nice little piece of paper with a dollar amount shown in fines.
Then again, you may not get caught and you only risk mucking up a frequency that is needing used by emergency officials that can cause confusion or delay a life-saving response.
Regardless, it isnât worth the risk to transmit unlicensed. A Technician license is inexpensive and easy to acquire. REF: Amateur Radio Service | Federal Communications Commission or google âham technician licenseâ for more information.
These arenât toys. These arenât the best on the market. BUT, they are great for someone to start a lifetime hobby that can really offer help in an emergency and fun for a lifetime. Think about communicating with someone across town, across the state, in another country!
To whom and how? Does the ID automatically get transmitted over the air waves?
You have to provide/say your ID (or Call Sign as some say) when you transmit or when asked by another HAM operator. There are ways to verify if it is valid.
Will the radio not work if I donât? Seems tough to enforce. As far as triangulation goes, these are mobile radios, so I donât imagine one would use them at home. So long as a person keep moving around, the triangulation efforts wouldnât really tell the authorities much.
You might find yourself surprised at the triangulating power of the HamsâŚ
OK, every time these come up for sell, the same discussion starts. Some simple points:
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They are legal to use for reception without a license. But since they receive the public safety bands too, they may be illegal to use in a car in some jurisdictions as they could be considered a police scanner.
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They will transmit on the GMRS and FRS bands. However they are not legal on those bands as they are not FCC type accepted for those bands. Chances of getting caught is slim.
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If you use them to transmit on the Amateur Radio bands without a license, you will probably be tracked down if you continued to do so. In my personal experience, Amateur Radio operators will usually tell you on the air that you need to get a license before further actions. I have seen this several times on the various Nets that I participate in. IE they donât immediately track you down and turn you in. But if you continueâŚ
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If you use these to transmit on the Public Safety bands you will get tracked down and in addition to FCC fines you could face local civil and criminal charges.
So in short, they are nice cheap little radios and fun to play with. Just donât do anything stupid with them.
I have the older version and I use it when in places I donât want to risk my more expensive radios. IE if I loose it or damage it I am out $25 and not $200.
Licensed Amateur Radio Operator
Well, lets first say you can own these W/O a license. You can MONITOR (i.e., use them) to LISTEN to all itâs freqâs. Using CHIRP, you can program them also. But lets look at one important fact. I doubt this model has been FCC approved rather you have a lic or not. Baofeng does make radios that are compliant with all FCC requirements (bleed over, aka, harmonics, power output, etc). But thatâs beside the point. In an EMERGENCY, the FCC/Govt is not going to TRACK you down even if you tear off the tags LOL. There are many HAM ops who will rat you out if you are being a clown with these radios. But just so we are clear. Some of the freqâs they operate on do not require a licâs to transmit on PERIOD. VHF/FM marine band and MURS. You can find that info here.. But if you want to use GMRS, you best pay the $70 bucks for the lic that last a few years and stay somewhat safe (that still doesnât make using non-fcc approved radioâs ok) but at least you can use the FRS/GMRS and ham repeater sites w/o getting some crusty key banger (you CW jockys will laugh at that I hope) turning you in to the FCC.
Now the disclaimer:. Iâm not a ham op. But I did 20 years of my life utilizing the airwaves as a military radioman and I do have my GMRS radio licenses. And Iâm even finding the time on the porcelain thrown studying to get my ham lic. Not really into the voice bit but CW is my thing. I still sit around on my porch yelling at kids to get off my lawn and listen to HF CW. Not the good stuff. I have a few of this brand of radios. I have one in every one of my âGO BAGSâ. Iâd say I have 4 in bags and 2 in my off site storage facility. Each have been programmed to the SAME channels/freqâs using CHIRP. My jeep has a Midland MXT 215 installed. I also have a 215 in my offsite storage and a MXT 400 at home. I have them both in a âhardened power canâ. Expensive but cool as woot. Hereâs a cool video of what they are.
Really, ham operators will tend to just ignore those that are not licensed. If youâre a jerk or keep transmitting a lot, they may take the time to turn you in.
Also⌠If the Zombie Apocalypse happens, itâll be OK to transmit all you wishâŚ
Cool. Thanks.
âYo yo yo! DJ B-Smizzle on the mic! What up, my fellow hams? My license number is 123-none-ya-bidnezz! Yâall ready get crunk up in this B?â (distorted dubstep plays)