Tim Stoecklein
EF5
If it helps you feel confident in my info, I've been a General for 6+ years....
To receive any signal is not illegal (unless you're monitoring phone calls), but to transmit out of amateur bands on an amateur radio is........yes, unless it's an emergency, and you have NO OTHER MEANS of communication. This is very rare in most areas between cell phones and amateur repeaters. That being said, I do have a handheld which is modified to transmit out of the amateur bands. The modification is not illegal, though the only reason I modified the radio was to expand the bands which I could receive, not to transmit on public safety bands.
If you are studying for, or currently hold, an amateur license, I would get a radio with the widest receive capability you can afford. My Kenwood 700 (currently the 710 I believe) receives every frequency range you can receive on an analog scanner, so it's nice to have the capability without carrying two units...or at least that's been my experience.
As David mentioned, there are only a couple of states which restrict you from possessing a scanner in your vehicle. Honestly, most of my radio frequency knowledge came from a couple years of owning a scanner ahead of getting my license. If you just want to listen and learn, it's the way to go. If you're working towards getting your license, get a ham radio with a wide receive range........just keep your finger off the transmit button until you're legal
To receive any signal is not illegal (unless you're monitoring phone calls), but to transmit out of amateur bands on an amateur radio is........yes, unless it's an emergency, and you have NO OTHER MEANS of communication. This is very rare in most areas between cell phones and amateur repeaters. That being said, I do have a handheld which is modified to transmit out of the amateur bands. The modification is not illegal, though the only reason I modified the radio was to expand the bands which I could receive, not to transmit on public safety bands.
If you are studying for, or currently hold, an amateur license, I would get a radio with the widest receive capability you can afford. My Kenwood 700 (currently the 710 I believe) receives every frequency range you can receive on an analog scanner, so it's nice to have the capability without carrying two units...or at least that's been my experience.
As David mentioned, there are only a couple of states which restrict you from possessing a scanner in your vehicle. Honestly, most of my radio frequency knowledge came from a couple years of owning a scanner ahead of getting my license. If you just want to listen and learn, it's the way to go. If you're working towards getting your license, get a ham radio with a wide receive range........just keep your finger off the transmit button until you're legal
