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 20.43 DATE: October 25, 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 approval from the FCC,the manufacture of the radio delivers a certain amount of radios (about 300) to the FCC laboratory for tests, measurements, and inspection. If the FCC finds that the radios meet their criteria, that model radio is then "Type Accepted" to 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 homemade, or "Type Approved". "Type Approved" is different than "Type Accepted" in the fact that the manufacture 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 and Public Safety and Business radio. When this happens, the manufacture needs to charge a higher price on the Public Safety/Business radios since more time any money is involved in getting it "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 they ARE NOT "Type Accepted" and SHOULD NOT be used in the place of those which are. If a user of an Amateur radio uses it on Public Safety, or Business frequencies, it is illegal and could be fined by the FCC or the radio confiscated.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV