TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM ARRL DISTRICT 3
EMERGENCY COORDINATOR WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INC.
WOOD COUNTY ARES BULLETIN NR 20.10 DATE: March 8, 2020
SUBJECT: PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICE AND AMATEUR RADIOS
The Federal Communications Commission requires the use of "Type Accepted" two-way radios when transmitting on Public Safety and Business Radio frequencies. A "Type Accepted" radio is one which has meet FCC approval.
To get the "Type Accepted" approval from the FCC, the manufacture of the radio delivers a certain amount of radios (about 300) to the FCC laboratory for testing, measurements, and inspection. If the FCC finds that the radios meet their criteria, that model radio is then "Type Accepted" and can be used on Public Safety and Business Radio frequencies.
Amateur radios do not have to be "Type Accepted" to be used on the Amateur Radio frequencies, but they do need to be either homemade, or "Type Approved". "Type Approved" is different than "Type Accepted" in the fact that the manufacture of Amateur radios just sends the radio specifications to the FCC on what the radio can, and cannot do.
Some manufactures of radios use the same material in both Amateur radios, Public Safety/Business radios. When this happens, the manufacture will charge a higher price for the Public Safety, and Business band radios. The higher price is to cover the cost, engineering, time, and money involved in getting the Public Safety/Business radios "Type Accepted".
Most Amateur radios, which are manufactured by the same company, as Public Safety and Business radios can do about the same thing, with slight modifications, but that doesn't mean they are "Type Accepted" and SHOULD NOT be used in the place of those which are. If a user of an Amateur radio uses an Amateur radio on Public Safety, or Business radio frequencies, it is illegal, and the user can be fined by the FCC, and/or the radio confiscated.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV