What about WebSDR?

[dosw]

SDR software allows SDR owners to set up an SDR server that can either be the back end of a web page (websdr.org, for example) or can be connected to by SDR++ itself. I could connect SDR++ to any SDR server on the web that allows me to access it. And sites like websdr.org aggregate sites that provide web interfaces to networked SDRs.

 

Similarly, there are websites online that allow users to listen to radio scanners in varioius geographical regions.

 

Is there now a problem with this paradigm with respect to GMRS? If a website wanted to expose SDR or scanner feeds in various regions, is that now against the rules? Maybe it always has been.

 

Let's say, for a moment, that it is permissible to expose an SDR feed or a radio scanner feed over the Internet. If an SDR feed from Atlanta is set to GMRS 462.7000 with PL 127.3 and that is available to be listened to over the Internet, it's not repeater linking -- people can't respond, they can just passively listen. And if that is okay, a feature of *this* site (or some site) could be to allow repeater owners to provide a link on their repeater's information page, to an SDR, scanner, or radio that is passively listening to that frequency in their area and feeding it through the link.

 

Is the FCC saying, now, that is against the rules? Because if it is, it's the one radio service where that's suddenly a problem. OR all online SDR and scanner websites are in violation, across all radio services they feed, except for amateur bands.

 

I'm just trying to think through the ramifications, and figure out what is allowed, and what isn't.

[WRUU653]

 

10 minutes ago, dosw said:

people can't respond, they can just passively listen

If I understand you correctly the first thing that comes to my mind is you can’t use GMRS for broadcasting and if you aren’t having a communication over the radio that’s what you’d be doing. 

[WRHS218]

28 minutes ago, dosw said:

people can't respond, they can just passively listen

There is no two way communication so I don't think it counts as linking. And as far as broadcasting goes, you are not broadcasting something on the GMRS frequencies so that doesn't meet the "requirements" of the regulations regarding the GMRS service. But, I am not a smart person so YMMV. 

[WRUE951]

obviously scanner traffic is not two way communications which the FCC implies too in the rules. Like most radio bands it is not illegal to rebroadcast received one way radio signals over the internet which is currently being done by tons of Smart Phone apps.  There are exceptions where you are would not be allowed to re-broadcast or even listen to to certain frequencies such as Cell Phone frequencies, Taxi Service Frequencies and a few others.  GMRS frequencies would be permissible  

[WRUU653]

Perhaps I was reading more into what OP was saying. To clarify I thought they were suggesting that people could just transmit on the radio to respond to what they hear via listening to scanning on the inter web. Which would be a one way communication as far as the radio is concerned. Thus my comment of broadcasting. I wasn’t referring to the rebroadcasting per se. Not really linking though. 

[dosw]

So if GMRS frequencies are permissible, this may fall into a category of site feature request:

 

Allow repeater listings to provide a feed link. Let the feed software that the site has been using for linked networks instead just provide audio access to the feeds people voluntarily list for their repeater listings.

[WRHS218]

18 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Perhaps I was reading more into what OP was saying. To clarify I thought they were suggesting that people could just transmit on the radio to respond to what they hear via listening to scanning on the inter web. Which would be a one way communication as far as the radio is concerned. Thus my comment of broadcasting. I wasn’t referring to the rebroadcasting per se. Not really linking though. 

I'm with you 653. I misunderstood the meaning of the original post.

[dosw]

8 minutes ago, WRHS218 said:

I'm with you 653. I misunderstood the meaning of the original post.

Broadcasting is over the air. This is really just listening in, and providing a feed to the listening device. Two way traffic, be it simplex or duplex carries on as it always has. But a radio happens to be listening and putting a feed online. I don't think this violates any rules, and therefore could be a nice feature in the absence of this site carrying interconnected repeater networks.

[JLeikhim]

3 hours ago, dosw said:

SDR software allows SDR owners to set up an SDR server that can either be the back end of a web page (websdr.org, for example) or can be connected to by SDR++ itself. I could connect SDR++ to any SDR server on the web that allows me to access it. And sites like websdr.org aggregate sites that provide web interfaces to networked SDRs.

 

Similarly, there are websites online that allow users to listen to radio scanners in varioius geographical regions.

 

Is there now a problem with this paradigm with respect to GMRS? If a website wanted to expose SDR or scanner feeds in various regions, is that now against the rules? Maybe it always has been.

 

Let's say, for a moment, that it is permissible to expose an SDR feed or a radio scanner feed over the Internet. If an SDR feed from Atlanta is set to GMRS 462.7000 with PL 127.3 and that is available to be listened to over the Internet, it's not repeater linking -- people can't respond, they can just passively listen. And if that is okay, a feature of *this* site (or some site) could be to allow repeater owners to provide a link on their repeater's information page, to an SDR, scanner, or radio that is passively listening to that frequency in their area and feeding it through the link.

 

Is the FCC saying, now, that is against the rules? Because if it is, it's the one radio service where that's suddenly a problem. OR all online SDR and scanner websites are in violation, across all radio services they feed, except for amateur bands.

 

I'm just trying to think through the ramifications, and figure out what is allowed, and what isn't.

If you are an individual who puts up a receiver to link one or more GMRS channels and broadcast them across the internet there is nothing illegal about that. Its like Broadcastify. The FCC rules do not preclude that.

Now conversely,  if you set up a small studio in your home and broadcast your bloviating across the country to GMRS transmitters, that would be a violation of the one way broadcast prohibition.

[dosw]

2 hours ago, JLeikhim said:

If you are an individual who puts up a receiver to link one or more GMRS channels and broadcast them across the internet there is nothing illegal about that. Its like Broadcastify. The FCC rules do not preclude that.

Now conversely,  if you set up a small studio in your home and broadcast your bloviating across the country to GMRS transmitters, that would be a violation of the one way broadcast prohibition.

Fortunately I only bloviate in forums, not over the airwaves.

[WRQI583]

With the exception of countries who do not allow you to "listen" to certain communications, you can receive (listen) to whatever you want and broadcast it wherever on the internet. 

It is once you begin the act of transmitting (talking, you or something you have is uttering a sound to others, taking from that internet and re-broadcasting onto a radio frequency) that you have an issue.

In any sort of radio (at least in the USA) you can listen until the cows come home and then some. The second you transmit, if you are not properly licensed to do so, you are committing a crime. 

Listening, monitoring, copying, or whatever you want to call it, is one thing. 
Transmitting, broadcasting, re-broadcasting, sending, putting out some information is another thing.

Simply put, the FCC does not want GMRS repeaters tied together by any means. They want your radio to go into the receiver, through to the transmitter and go back out. They do not want it taking a detour and heading out across the internet. If you know how a repeater works (which very few people who operate them do) you will understand the FCC much better.

When it comes to SDR's, to the best of my knowledge, there is nothing wrong with broadcasting to the internet, just as long as it ends right there on the internet and does not proceed to head back out onto a FCC licensed and controlled radio frequency.