HI folks,

WHen transmitting out of band you're not operating within the terms of
your amateur license.

IN part 97 it states that you can use "any amateur frequency" and that
doesn't mean public service or other freqs.  If the folks at the
friendly candy company find you transmitting out of band without
proper licenses you'll be getting a nice little pink slip.

THere was a case a few years ago where a fellow was on a bike ride in
the mountains with friends.  One of his companions had a serious
accident.   tHe rider called on some local ham radio repeaters but got
no response after folks found that their cell phones weren't working
from that spot.  AFter meeting no positive result on ham freqs he went
to the local sheriff's department repeater system where he was able to
summon aide for his fallen comrade.

TO make a long one short the sheriff's department wanted to give him
an attaboy for quick thinking, whereas the FCC wanted to confiscate
his equipment and fine him.

NOte that I've reproduced the relevant section of the rules below.
I've heard some discussion about this, and if you really want to ask
him I'm sure Riley would tell you that the key phrase in the passage
I've quoted below is "at its disposal" and the only frequencies an
amateur station is to have "at its disposal" are amateur frequencies.

S 97.403  Safety of life and protection of property.
   No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of
any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential
communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life
and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are
not available.

S 97.405  Station in distress.
   (a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station
in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known
its condition and location, and obtain assistance.
   (b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the
exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a), of any means of
radiocommunications at its disposal to assist a station in distress.




Richard Webb

Electric Spider Productions

If you put garbage in a computer nothing comes out but garbage.  But
this garbage, having passed through a very expensive machine, is
somehow enobled and none dare criticize it.