Hi Ria: I had a long conversation with Laura Smith, special counsel for the FCC, on April 23 about an unrelated amateur radio matter involving repeater coordination issues. She then turned the conversation to the non-type accepted import radios on amateur bands on her own initiative. She is getting a great deal of pushback from hams on that so we spoke for 20 minutes- she seemed anxious to have her (FCC’s actually, not just her) position understood. Her explanation as to their use made sense to me in view of the requirement to type accept or comply with other part 15 scanning receiver certifications required. I was skeptical, but she had a rational analysis. Hams can build their own radios, and even modify an otherwise illegal import in a way to make it legal for ham use only, but otherwise her explanation made sense to me and remains as it was. A BaoFeng UV-5R, for example, is illegal to use unless rebuilt by a ham. It is not type accepted for other services and is NOT otherwise accepted under other FCC regulations for receivers (limitations) and for imports. Same brand model UV-82C is legal as it has a genuine part 90 acceptance. Part 90 accepted? Then it is legal for part 97 by default as the requirements are more stringent. She also reports that the Commission is seeing a great deal of cooperation from the major importers and sources, Amazon and Walmart, for example, at curtailing the import of non-type accepted products. Director Hopengarten had suggested we present a 10 minute program on this at the Dayton Law and Ham Radio forum but time does not permit. I am taking another topic as is Director Hopengarten this year. I am in my office today preparing for my Dayton presentation, so give me a call to explain further. Use extension 302 if you call as usual. And I am sure our new League FCC counsel can easily dig into this if asked and provide us an official analysis. Was the file forwarded to him as a work in progress? I am in my office today preparing for my Dayton presentation. Give me a call to explain further. BTW, Ms. Smith congratulated us on the selection of such a prominent FCC attorney as new counsel. She went out of her way to comment and seemed genuinely impressed we retained David. He was “on the 8th floor” (her words) when she joined the FCC years ago. Bob Famiglio, K3RF Vice Director - ARRL Atlantic Division 610-359-7300 www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Roderick, Rick, K5UR via arrl-odv Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2019 11:59 AM To: rjairam@gmail.com; arrl-odv@arrl.org Subject: [arrl-odv:28154] Re: FCC DA-18-980 - import radios Ria, I don't believe we have heard anything from the FCC after counsel Imlay wrote them twice last October and after Imlay, Shelley and Henderson had a teleconference with FCC officials also in October. See Imlay's January Board Report ODV: 27883, January 15, 2019. Imlay was to have written a white paper for us to use with our members but I can't find it if he did. I know we had web articles initially. Howard, do you have anything to add that I missed? Please follow up with Siddall. 73 Rick - K5UR -----Original Message----- From: rjairam@gmail.com <mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> <rjairam@gmail.com <mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> > To: ODV <arrl-odv@arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@arrl.org> > Sent: Sun, May 12, 2019 9:02 am Subject: [arrl-odv:28153] FCC DA-18-980 - import radios Can we get a status update as to where we are with trying to get this clarified for amateur radio? Several of the members in my division are asking about it. Basically this advisory broadly bans import radios that are not FCC certified. For amateur use we know that we do not need to use certified radios as the licensee is ultimately responsible for their own compliance with part 97 rules. However the FCC’s advisory still effectively bans them. I assume that this was handed over from our previous counsel to Mr. Siddall but I haven’t heard anything further to this. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-980A1.pdf Ria, N2RJ _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
