An interesting email from one of my Assistant Directors… Doug K4AC From: n2cei@downeastmicrowave.com [mailto:n2cei@downeastmicrowave.com] Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 9:32 PM To: Doug <doug@k4ac.com> Subject: 2M FM Hey Doug, Got a problem Up here that appears to be escalating. I don't know if you have heard of any complaints about non licensed operators on 2M FM or not. We had a flurry of them around here last hunting season. The local hunters have given up on the CB sets and have found that 25-50 watt 2M mobile rigs work great ! They have been sort of confined to 146.52 and 55 for what ever reason. So-- two days ago, " JDC Number 1" asks for a radio check on our local repeater . I assumed since the radio was programed for the correct split and Encode/Decode, it was a local Ham that sold his rig to the highest bidder because I can't believe that a non ham would know how to find the correct information and if so, why would he? . BUT-- Today, A member of our club has a good friend that is in a local Hunt club. He was informed that the hunt clubs have found BaoFeng handhelds and buy them at the "20per shipment rate" for $25 or so. What the seller in China now promises is that they will program them for all of the area frequencies if you supply a Zip code. so-- what do you think the Hunters do! They just switch to channel 2 and see whats going on there. Thats why JDC #1 was upset when I told him that he required a license to operate that radio on the ham bands and he went on to tell me where I could stick it because "I spent good money for this rig and no one is gona tell me what to do with it!" So-- Who should I make aware of this problem and how do I help solve it. Steve