When is your HT an HT and when is it not?

[SvenMarbles]

So anyone familiar with part 95 knows that there are some rules variances between what you can do with mobile, HT, and “fixed station”. 
 

If you’ve got a handheld, take it in the house, and screw it into your home mounted antenna, do you then have to treat it as a fixed station? Screwed into your car antenna, then it’s a mobile? Is it always still a handheld? 

[WRUU653]

Definition of a fixed station. 

Fixed station. A station at a fixed location that directly communicates with other fixed stations only

A base station is not a fixed station, neither is your HT. Fixed stations only communicate with other fixed stations. Like a point to point communication. Maybe a com from a gate or something like that. 

[mixdup]

2 hours ago, WSAK691 said:

So anyone familiar with part 95 knows that there are some rules variances between what you can do with mobile, HT, and “fixed station”. 
 

If you’ve got a handheld, take it in the house, and screw it into your home mounted antenna, do you then have to treat it as a fixed station? Screwed into your car antenna, then it’s a mobile? Is it always still a handheld? 

It has to do with the certification of the radio, and what type of radio the manufacturer had it certified as. If the radio was certified as a handheld by the FCC it's gonna be subject to those rules no matter what you affix it to

[WRQC527]

4 hours ago, WSAK691 said:

If you’ve got a handheld, take it in the house, and screw it into your home mounted antenna, do you then have to treat it as a fixed station? Screwed into your car antenna, then it’s a mobile? Is it always still a handheld? 

Here are the definitions of Base, Fixed, Hand-held Portable Unit, Mobile, Repeater and Control stations, copied directly from the FCC Part 95 rules. Using these definitions, you can answer your question as though you are asking it of an FCC representative. Don't overthink it, and don't rewrite the FCC definitions. They are quite concise and leave little or no room for interpretation.

BASE STATION: A station at a fixed location that communicates directly with mobile stations and other base stations.

FIXED STATION: A station at a fixed location that communicates directly with other fixed stations only.

HAND-HELD PORTABLE UNIT: A physically small mobile station that can be operated while being held in the operator's hand.

MOBILE STATION:  A station, intended to be used while in motion or during halts at unspecified locations, that communicates directly with base stations and other mobile stations, and with control stations and other mobile stations through repeater stations.

REPEATER STATION: A station in a fixed location used to extend the communications range of mobile stations, hand-held portable units and control stations by receiving their signals on one channel (the input channel) and simultaneously retransmitting these signals on another channel (the output channel), typically with higher transmitting power from a favorable antenna location (typically high above the surrounding terrain).

CONTROL STATION: A station at a fixed location that communicates with mobile stations and other stations through repeater stations and may also be used to control the operation of repeater stations.

[AdmiralCochrane]

With a scanner or SDR receiver you can find Fixed Stations transmitting data streams in my area

[wrci350]

31 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

Here are the definitions of Base, Fixed, Hand-held Portable Unit, Mobile and Repeater stations, copied directly from the FCC Part 95 rules. Using these definitions, you can answer your question as though you are asking it of an FCC representative. Don't overthink it, and don't rewrite the FCC definitions. They are quite concise and leave little or no room for interpretation.

You forgot one:

Control station. A station at a fixed location that communicates with mobile stations and other control stations through repeater stations, and may also be used to control the operation of repeater stations.

Base stations are simplex.  Control stations use repeaters.

But many in these forums disagree with your last statement, since there are endless arguments about the definitions.

[WRQC527]

17 minutes ago, wrci350 said:

But many in these forums disagree with your last statement, since there are endless arguments about the definitions.

Those arguments don't include me. If I'm asked, I would direct those folks to the website below, then go have a beer or something. 

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-95?toc=1

Also, I added control station to my post. Thanks for pointing it out.