Can I monitor HAM radio frequencies with a GMRS License?

[WRWP693]

   May be this is a newb question, I feel like I've leveled up a little bit, but I need a little clarification. I'm doing my initial set up using Chirp (Thanks for the video Randy) and I was thinking about programming some HAM channels in so I can keep up with the happenings here (Hurricane zone). Clearly I can't broadcast here, but I can see value in listening. I just want to make sure I'm compliant with the 3 letter folks. Is this a state by state thing? my initial googling was a little confusing.... seems that there may be some English as a second language responses on there... 

   Feel free to newb-shame me, I'm tough... just make sure it's funny.

   Thanks!

[WRUU653]

Absolutely. You don’t need any license to listen.

[marcspaz]

You can listen to any frequency without a license.

[WRWP693]

Awesome! Thanks! 

 

[nokones]

As long it is not encrypted, in some States.

[ULTRA2]

Monitor on a ham band is fine but not transmit on a GMRS license

[AdmiralCochrane]

There are countries through the world where listening to other than official government transmissions is illegal; thankfully, the US is not one of them.  You may listen to anything out there if you are not a spy.

Technically "transmit" once you get your license.  "Broadcast" is something different.

[MrGoodwreck]

Why would you want to?

 

[AdmiralCochrane]

3 hours ago, MrGoodwreck said:

Why would you want to?

 

To learn what (radio) traffic exists in your neighborhood.  It is common courtesy not to interrupt other's transmissions.  If you know when and on what frequency there is traffic you can avoid being a problem.  One may also learn about nets that otherwise are not published where you could be a welcome addition. Another thing that one may learn is whether there are grandfathered commercial users in your neighborhood on frequencies you will want to avoid ... 

[WQAI363]

Can I monitor HAM radio frequencies with a GMRS License?

This question seems so silly. Of course, you can MONITOR Amateur Radio frequencies. Unless you also have a n Amateur Radio License, you are not allowed to press the PTT on the Amateur Radio bands or any other Radio Services. As matter of fact, if you radio is open transmit, you should disable transmit or Rx only function.

[OffRoaderX]

10 minutes ago, Adamdaj said:

Unless you also have a n Amateur Radio License, you are not allowed to press the PTT on the Amateur Radio bands or any other Radio Services.

What happens if you press the PTT on the H.A.M. bands without a amateur radio license?

[marcspaz]

47 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

What happens if you press the PTT on the H.A.M. bands without a amateur radio license?

 

Every time someone keys up without a license, a puppy dies.

[OffRoaderX]

Just now, marcspaz said:

Every time someone keys up without a license, a puppy dies.

C'mon man, dont joke around! As @Adamdaj pointed out, this is a very serious subject, i'm just waiting for his response because obviously the FCC takes these matters very seriously.

[WRQC527]

14 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

What happens if you press the PTT on the H.A.M. bands without a amateur radio license?

In this screen grab from an FCC training film, we can see that an unlicensed radio operator is being cited by an FCC agent tasked with hunting down and prosecuting anyone caught pressing a PTT button on a radio without proper licensing.

 

[SteveShannon]

15 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

What happens if you press the PTT on the H.A.M. bands without a amateur radio license?

“Off with his thumb!”

[WRYU400]

I doubt that anything would happen. Unless you were aggressively kerchunking an active repeater, nobody would hear you. Chances are that you are using a handyscratchy on simplex frequencies. If by chance someone did hear you, they would give their call sign and ask if someone needed help with their rig. The amateur community is very helpful with new operators for the most part.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WRQC527]

30 minutes ago, WRYU400 said:

The amateur community is very helpful with new operators for the most part.

In this image from a recent amateur radio licensing class, we can see one of my fellow amateur radio volunteer examiners explaining the function of the PTT button.

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, WRQC527 said:

In this image from a recent amateur radio licensing class, we can see one of my fellow amateur radio volunteer examiners explaining the function of the PTT button.

Can you spot the error in one of the formulas?

[SteveShannon]

Just now, Lscott said:

Can you spot the error in one of the formulas?

Yes

[SteveShannon]

Seriously I took an “advanced engineering math” class from a professor who would fill the board like that, then assign us to work through it on our own. 
On at least one occasion, after furiously scribbling his equations for the entire period, he stared at the board for a long while before saying “never mind, I made a mistake in the beginning.”

I like math, but his class was worthless. 

[Lscott]

On 10/8/2023 at 2:47 PM, Sshannon said:

On at least one occasion, after furiously scribbling his equations for the entire period, he stared at the board for a long while before saying “never mind, I made a mistake in the beginning.”

I like math, but his class was worthless. 

I think most of us in engineering have had a professor like that at one point. It's not the wasted time copying down the worthless material I hated. It was suffering with writer's cramp doing it.

[BoxCar]

No, NO, NO. They are ham bands not Hamas bands.

[WQAI363]

On 10/7/2023 at 8:20 PM, OffRoaderX said:

C'mon man, dont joke around! As @Adamdaj pointed out, this is a very serious subject, i'm just waiting for his response because obviously the FCC takes these matters very seriously.

I don't mean to sound uneducated, but seriously to ask a question such as this, seems silly. Almost like asking, could I monitor AAR Channels with either a GMRS radio or Amateur Radio?  Depending on radio the individual owns, he or she may have wide 136.to 174.000 and 400 to 512.000. Of course, the Midland or Maxon line of GMRS radios will either be just on GMRS or NOAA Weather Rx Only. As far as transmitting on frequencies other than GMRS without proper license, such as Amateur Radio or Commercial Business, the FCC would have a Field Day only if the parties that uses those frequencies reported to the FCC.

[OffRoaderX]

So.. You're not going to tell us what will happen?

[WRQC527]

2 hours ago, Adamdaj said:

the FCC would have a Field Day

Actually, it's the ARRL that has a Field Day. It's the last full weekend in June. Next year it's June 29 and 30.