VHF question

[Cam_L]

OK, I don't want to go to jail, or piss off the ham community, but......

I have a VHF in my truck. I do not have a license. I use it to know where my companies' logging trucks are when I am going into/out of camp. I also usually have it on LAD 1 when on the highway, to find out about adverse road conditions/speed traps,

I don't use it for a chat line, like some guys do, but I would like to know what the "guidelines" are for VHF radio users and licensing.

Thanks,

Cam

[Neoworm]

I have a VHF to communicate to logging trucks as well. I am also unlicensed. Other than that I basically just use it as a scanner.

I've never had a logger complain but I just use it to indicate my position.

I'd be interested to know how many laws I'm breaking as well.:laugh

[rattle]

I'd be interested to know how many laws I'm breaking as well.:laugh

Probably a couple. You are required to have a station license for every frequency that you transmit on or the permision of the license holder (logging company). As far as scanners go or just listening in there is no problem as long as you don't record the conversations.

I would guess that most OTR drivers that use VHF are probably not licensed so you are not the only one.

[baluch]

I have a VHF to communicate to logging trucks as well. I am also unlicensed. Other than that I basically just use it as a scanner.

I've never had a logger complain but I just use it to indicate my position.

I'd be interested to know how many laws I'm breaking as well.:laugh

As far as I understand, you're required to apply for and license private frequencies. You need permission from the owner of a frequency to use it, but by posting road channel freq's on the side of the road, the companies are not only granting you permission to use their frequency, but also encouraging it for safety reasons. I program road channels into people's radios all the time, but if you want to use somebody's repeater you need written approval.

Essentially, it's the frequency that's licensed, not the radio. Although, if you have a licensed frequency, you get charged according to how many radios use the freq, among other factors.

The LAD channels are for anyone to use, and the weather channels are for anyone to monitor.

Front programmable radios are illegal, because you have the ability to put any frequencies you want into them, and could steal repeater time, etc. Industry Canada will only try to track you down if you are interfering with one of their licensed customers, and the customer complains. Even then, unless you transmit non-stop, they have little to no chance of finding you, because they just drive around with a spectrum analyzer and look for the signal to get stronger and stronger until they're right in front of you. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Or you could drop a bunch of names or business names while interfering on someone's frequency, that makes you easier to track down also.

You've got no worries using your VHF radios, unless you're an a$$ about it.

[Lone Ranger]

I backup what everyone's been saying. I have a VHF in my highway truck and it also sits on Lad 1 95% of the time (the other est. 5% being Lad 2 - 4 or occasionally Plateau or Kicker). Industry Canada occasionally does crackdowns but I haven't seen/heard of any for quite a while. As for tranmitting on logging roads it is encouraged, or at least drive with your headlights on and always remember, a logging truck ain't going to hit the ditch to avoid you so watch your ass (keep on your own side of the road and remember, no matter how bad the ditch may look it'll do a whole hell of a lot less damage than a 100,000+ lb logging truck!!).

They are a priviledge, don't abuse them but also don't be afraid to use them when necessary. LR

[Luc]

baluch,

I need to reprograme my VHF with the logging road frequencies of SW BC.

I have a Vertex radio, can you programme this one ?

How accurate is your frequency list ?

[baluch]

baluch,

I need to reprograme my VHF with the logging road frequencies of SW BC.

I have a Vertex radio, can you programme this one ?

How accurate is your frequency list ?

We can do some vertex's, depends on the model. We don't keep a frequency list of road channels, just lineups for our customers. Generally, a customer provides us with a list of what they want, and we program it in. Saves on the headaches, and the cost.

Might be worth your while to check on ebay, you can prob find a programming cable for cheap. Shouldn't be too hard to find software on the internet either. Then you can program it yourself all you want. Dunno about radio shops on the coast, but we charge a min of $40 to program a radio, so it wouldn't take long for a cable to pay itself off.