Expedition Overland Show & HAM Radios...and Business USe

[vtsoundman]

Just watched the latest videos on Expedition Overland - and saw some comments about HAM radios & business use.
They are clearly using HAM, APRS to coordinate operations for business filming use....

I am a licensed HAM - and to be honest, am conflicted about being a hardcore stickler for the rules - however, these guys are about as commercial as they come.

What are folks' thoughts on the topic?

 

[DaveInDenver]

You are not supposed to use amateur service for commercial use, so this is against the letter and spirit of the rules.

The only business that is allowed to be discussed is related to ham radio, used radios, on-air swap meets, repeater club business, that sort of thing. Anything else you should be using the business bands and licensed as such.

I have a little reservation here because I also want the spectrum used but in this case abusing the privilege raises more issues with the FCC than it helps.

 

[Airmapper]

I picked up on that as well while watching. Raised an eyebrow, but it's not my problem.

Not sure how I feel about it.

Like you if it was bending the rules a little, I'd see it as no big deal, but that was a full on production and integrating it into the show. If they had used them and not included it so heavily in the end result, it might have been easier to argue it was personal use among themselves. But with all the corny tac talk over the comms for obvious exhibition, kinda kills that justification. The darn frequency was even told removing the benefit of doubt.

Edit to add: It might be useful to keep in mind they were in Canada. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) However I understand Canadian ham radio is quite similar to the US in it's band assignments and rules, but references to the FCC would not be applicable, it's Canada's agency that would apply.

 

[vtsoundman]

I have a little reservation here because I also want the spectrum used but in this case abusing the privilege raises more issues with the FCC than it helps.

The more I think about it, the more I agree - their use is over the top. In previous shows/interviews, Clay states he pays his crew...and he runs a production company.

 

[vtsoundman]

True - however, since most of the them live in the US, they have to be FCC licensed...and per some of the comments on Youtube, some of them are not in the FCC HAM database.

Canadian rules are nearly a mirror of US rules & regs - especially when it comes to business use. Anecdotally, I have heard that Canada has stricter enforcement.

Edit to add:

This is an easy fix for them moving forward.
They can demonstrate the use of the HAM radio - show the install, etc...but then say they are restricted to using business freq/radios during the trip.

Also, the FCC database is not that screwy - I have found it to be pretty reliable - by their own admission, not all of them are licensed. I would bet only a couple of them are...

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Was there a time in the show when the frequency used was discussed or shown?

 

[tgreening]

Disdain for the FCC rules regarding HAM radio use seems to be on the upswing lately. It's generally easy to tell if a group is licensed or not. They either go the trucker CB route, or try to sound like Seal Team Six on a mission.

 

[jessandjamie]

Was there a time in the show when the frequency used was discussed or shown?

Part 1 31:10 mark. At least that's where I think the above people are talking about.

 

[vtsoundman]

Part 1 31:10 mark. At least that's where I think the above people are talking about.

Is this the one where they zoom in on the 400DR and show the 146 simplex freq? They also show APRS frequencies and a few others in various shots...I haven't gone back to look. Edit: Seems like the discussion on Youtube about HAM bus use in their Comms video. https://youtu.be/1qsvC9LD1eA

Disdain for the FCC rules regarding HAM radio use seems to be on the upswing lately. It's generally easy to tell if a group is licensed or not. They either go the trucker CB route, or try to sound like Seal Team Six on a mission.

Seems like someone has hit a cord on their YouTube channel...Some of the Youtube posts about their business use of HAM are gone. I recall there was one strongly worded one calling these guys out. A fellow HAM buddy pointed this out today - he went back to see if there was a response to some of HAM radio violation posts - there were some responses, but the more strongly worded ones are gone.

 

[BigSwede]

A couple of years ago I was in the Rockies and there was a major bicycle race going on in Aspen. For some reason the people running the race were using 146.520 to communicate about the peliton's progress etc. I thought it was a bit weird they picked that particular frequency, but also a bit entertaining to listen to.

 

[vtsoundman]

A couple of years ago I was in the Rockies and there was a major bicycle race going on in Aspen. For some reason the people running the race were using 146.520 to communicate about the peliton's progress etc. I thought it was a bit weird they picked that particular frequency, but also a bit entertaining to listen to.

HAM radio clubs have been providing race support and various charitable functions for years...and this is a sanctioned use of HAM freqs. I don't know all the regs, but many of the rules requiring station IDs every few min, limiting transmission time, yielding the repeater, etc are waived during these events. There are even special call signs / station IDs given out during the events....so to a casual listener/new HAM, it may sound like the HAM bands are being used for commercial purposes. The local HAM clubs here cover marathons, bike races, charity walks for First Aid, various competitor status, supplies, etc. The HAM bands/use of repeaters are more conducive/reliable than cell networks for broadcasting details to many stations during these events. These are a great way for people to learn how to use their equipment and speak/relay info on the radio - many of the HAM operators that support these events also participate in the local SAR, & RACES (emergency comms) activities.

 

[BigSwede]

Makes sense. I just wonder why they used the national calling frequency...seems easy enough to pick another one.

 

[vtsoundman]

Makes sense. I just wonder why they used the national calling frequency...seems easy enough to pick another one.

Ah yeah...Good point - that seems odd...I read your post too fast and missed the freq.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Part 1 31:10 mark. At least that's where I think the above people are talking about.

Gotcha, I can speak exactly to that situation. The reason we made a point of discussing the frequency in that segment of video was that we were switching FROM the low-watt FRS to the 2M, but we had HAM's on both end (KE7FYQ). That was a rare scenario as generally we run on FRS freq's (you'll see XO Alpha on the radio often) or for long distance stuff freq's in the 152-154mhz range, commonly referred to as "Race Freq's" that many company's PCI, Rugged Radios, etc are supporting. As a ham I struggled to understand how operation on these race freq's was allowed as there is no licensing, no real etiquette outside of the repeaters (such as those set up by BF Goodrich & others), etc. But for the last 20+ years at every desert race both foreign and abroad there are hundreds of teams using modified HAMS and/or radios set up by PCI, Rugged, etc. King of the Hammers for example has 100+ teams each day running these radios and thousands more spectators chiming in. Not sure where the regs fit in there. Why choose 146.460, easy we were not only trying to chat with each other but comms into the local village where there is a local that monitors the 2M and we had the best hope to find them there.

 

[KG4NEL]

A couple of years ago I was in the Rockies and there was a major bicycle race going on in Aspen. For some reason the people running the race were using 146.520 to communicate about the peliton's progress etc. I thought it was a bit weird they picked that particular frequency, but also a bit entertaining to listen to.

I mean, .52 is a wasteland in a lot of places in the country, but especially in a place like Colorado where there are excellent mountaintop repeater networks, that just seems odd.

There are century rides here, but they're always on wide-coverage machines, and usually highly publicized beforehand to allow people to move if they want to yak during the race.