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GMRS Intruder Alert!
Unidentified Signals Heard
GMRS across the United States is
suffering from radio piracy. Unscrupulous radio shops are placing often times
clueless commercial users on GMRS frequencies. Consumers are also purchasing
new entry-level GMRS radios and failing to obtain an FCC license. We're also
talking about some very sophisticated pirate radio systems. GMRS Web maintains
a discussion forum at the
Personal Wireless Bulletin Board devoted to the GMRS
piracy problem. If you need help or advice in dealing with a piracy problem in
your area tell us about it in the forum. Licensees from around the country will
be happy to help you with advice and counsel. Postings should contain as much
information as will allow others in your area to assist you in identifying the
source of the radio transmissions. Some listings may actually be GMRS licensees
that have not used FCC assigned call signs. Some could be grandfathered
commercial or public safety licensees. Others could be intruders.
The purpose of the forum is to make as
much information about the Intruder situation available to as many GMRS
licensees as possible. By maintaining an active GMRS Intruder Watch program it
is hoped the Intruder problem can be drastically reduced or eliminated. It is
assumed that when you submit information you are having difficulty identifying
a particular signal and need the assistance of monitors in your area or you are
reporting the activity of an identified intruder so that magazine can develop
statistical information.
Never Get into
Bed with a Pirate
An unsettling GMRS operating practice
is emerging in various parts of the country. Some community repeater
organizations have actually aligned themselves with commercial GMRS pirates or
the unscrupulous radio shops that put pirates ion the air. These GMRS groups
actually share the same radio repeaters the pirates use on GMRS channels! When
these operations are exposed it can cause no end of grief for everyone
involved. Arguments erupt, friendships are ended. No one is served by breaking
the rules. If you have a pirate system in your area don't be tempted to jump
into bed with the pirate. Good old boy, under the table agreements entered into
to cover up illegal GMRS repeater use WILL back fire. Don't use the good name
of your organization to protect a pirate. Those of you finding such systems in
your area will probably determine as others have, that the ONLY recourse to
getting these systems off the air is reporting the pirate to the FCC.
Before signing up with a community
repeater in your area, particularly if you are asked to pay a fee, check the
license status of the licensee. Listen for a time before you commit. Verify the
repeater is a REAL GMRS repeater. Some GMRS licensees who didn't know the rules
have also found themselves duped into using a pirate's repeater system. The
appearance of a GMRS licensee on a pirate system tends to lend credibility to
the pirate with others who don't know the rules. Pirates have even been known
to fool a GMRS licensee into using the GMRS licensees call sign for the pirate
repeater automatic Morse code ID'er. Who do you think the FCC would want to
talk to? Don't be duped!
Eventually the radio shops involved in
such practices will find they can no longer use GMRS as radio channels for
their customers and pull the plug on GMRS. Those people in bed with the radio
shop will find themselves without a repeater. Don't let that be you!
More Help
The new FCC ULS system does not contain
as much licensee information as it used to. There is no reliable historical
information there. Corwin Moore of the Personal Radio Steering Group can assist
you in locating old license records for call signs or licensee names as you
research the status of signals you hear on GMRS.
The FCC
GMRS Web Magazine has participated with
NorCal GMRS licensees in developing and maintaining a working relationship with
the Federal Communications Commission for reporting GMRS piracy. We hope to
expand the reporting system we have developed to other areas of the country.
You can report a GMRS pirate to the magazine and we will forward it through the
NorCal representative. That person is currently available through this email
address [email protected] We strongly encourage you to use the FCC's 800
number to make a complaint. When you call this number insist that the clerk
take the complaint over the telephone. tell them you want the complaint logged
into their tracking system.
Reporting
Pirates
The FCC requires specific information
with any GMRS piracy complaint. Please obtain the following information:
- Name of pirate business.
- Address of pirate business
- Contact person and telephone number if
available.
- Address where radios are being
used.
- Address or coordinates of pirate
repeater.
- Any additional contact information
helpful that you may have developed that can help the FCC.
- State whether or not the pirate's
operation is causing interference to licensed users on the same channel.
Identify the interference victims and repeaters. provide the FCC with victim
call signs and addresses.
- Provide information on any suspected
violations of FCC rules. e.g. unlicensed use, grandfathered license terms
broken, unauthorized use of additional frequencies, failure to identify
station, etc.
- The frequency of operation.
- CTCSS or DCS tones used.
- Identify yourself with a name,
address, telephone number, and your GMRS call sign.
- State the time periods the pirate
station is in operation. When is the best time for an FCC agent to catch the
pirate on the air?
- When available provide the type of
radio equipment in use at the pirate radio station.
- State how you identified the suspect
pirate and give your sources of information.
- State whether the pirate is a repeater
or simplex operation or both.
- State the time and dates you have
heard the pirate in operation.
- If you have not identified the pirate
but you have bearings to the pirate station provide those bearings.
Other Links
These page links at GMRS Web can be
given to pirates that want more information. Pirates should be encouraged to
call the FCC or visit their website for official help in determining or
understanding their pirate status.
Warm & Fuzzy
GMRS licensees are NOT required
to contact or challenge pirates. Statistically, and through three years of
experience working over 100 piracy complaints, we have found that contact with
commercial pirates rarely has any effect on pirate operations. The warm and
fuzzy approach to moving pirates from GMRS does not always work and can
actually cause problems for you, the complainant, and even the FCC at a later
date.
We recommend that licensees identify
the pirate but that licensees not contact the pirate. Report the pirate to the
FCC.
Despite your best intentions the pirate
is very likely not going to cooperate. Because of this we also recommend that
if you do make contact never engage in argument. If the contact goes sour end
all communication and go straight to the FCC.
Don't believe everything you read about
making contact with pirates. Some groups claim it is an opportunity. We
question what kind of opportunity. Some GMRS licensees have actually aligned
themselves with pirate systems and would like to take advantage of even more.
You want to avoid these groups like the plague.
Contacting pirates is tricky and is
best left to the FCC. We appreciate the fact that you want to be nice to the
pirate. After all their radio shop probably hood-winked them. What you should
realize though, is that FCC also has an effective warm and fuzzy official
approach. We have found that the FCC excels in the ability to counsel pirates
and obtain cooperation. In Northern California and in other parts of the
country, licensees have been quite pleased with the service provided by the
Commission.
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