radios used on logging roads

[westcoaster]

Why is this still a debatable subject? Almost like the drinking and driving subject.....

Probably because there is so much wrong information being posted up on how to achieve that safety on the logging roads....

At a minimum fellas, understand what laws you are breaking to achieve that road safety.

Is any sort of HAM gear (Icom 2300H or the chinese Baofeng radios) legal to transmit on the Resource road channels? NO! It is not! does it work? yes, it does...

Do you need a license to transmit on the resource road channels? Yes you do! The ONLY license is a commercial VHF license at $36 to $40 a year (I do not know the exact amount). Amateur VHF licenses do not permit you to broadcast on the commercial VHF frequencies.
Are you ever going to get checked? Maybe... In all my years of having a whip waggling around on my truck I have not been asked for a license, but I did roll through a radio check point in Williams Lake once.
It was dusk, and they were mostly concerned with commercial trucks. I got the stink eye when one guy saw the whip on the truck and camper and by that time it was too late to wave me over....

Know what frequencies you can use for chatter anywhere in the province. The idea of just plugging any old frequency in your radio and keying up the microphone will eventually get you in trouble.
Repeaters are everywhere. They use one frequency as an "input" and a different frequency as an "output" they are usually located on mountain tops to extend their range.
If you decide to chose the "input" frequency as your chatter channel you could be splattering your babble for thousands of square KM and never know it. Depending on the purpose of the repeater, there could be safety implications as well.

[Redthies]

An amateur radio license allows you to broadcast on the a amateur frequencies. It does not permit you to broadcast on the commercial frequencies which is where the resource road frequencies lie....

There are three VHF license types. Amateur, Commercial and Marine. Each license type permits you to use a particular VHF service.
Think of it this way.... There are three gun license types. Non restricted, restricted and prohibited.
What you have proposed here with the amateur license is akin to thinking your non restricted gun license gives you permission to acquire a .45 magnum handgun ....

This one, and your last post above are right on the mark, except for the “.45 Magnum” reference!

[REMINGTON JIM]

Probably because there is so much wrong information being posted up on how to achieve that safety on the logging roads....

At a minimum fellas, understand what laws you are breaking to achieve that road safety.

Is any sort of HAM gear (Icom 2300H or the chinese Baofeng radios) legal to transmit on the Resource road channels? NO! It is not! does it work? yes, it does...

Do you need a license to transmit on the resource road channels? Yes you do! The ONLY license is a commercial VHF license at $36 to $40 a year (I do not know the exact amount). Amateur VHF licenses do not permit you to broadcast on the commercial VHF frequencies.
Are you ever going to get checked? Maybe... In all my years of having a whip waggling around on my truck I have not been asked for a license, but I did roll through a radio check point in Williams Lake once.
It was dusk, and they were mostly concerned with commercial trucks. I got the stink eye when one guy saw the whip on the truck and camper and by that time it was too late to wave me over....

Know what frequencies you can use for chatter anywhere in the province. The idea of just plugging any old frequency in your radio and keying up the microphone will eventually get you in trouble.
Repeaters are everywhere. They use one frequency as an "input" and a different frequency as an "output" they are usually located on mountain tops to extend their range.
If you decide to chose the "input" frequency as your chatter channel you could be splattering your babble for thousands of square KM and never know it. Depending on the purpose of the repeater, there could be safety implications as well.

SO ! I want 2 hand helds to be able to comunicate with a fellow Quad or Sled rider while out in the Boonies - Also for Hunting - Fishing too and to CALL out the KM signs on Forest service roads with active logging trucks hauling on them !
What do i need that's Legal ? Thxs RJ

[Bugle M In]

SO ! I want 2 hand held to be able to communicate with a fellow Quad or Sled rider while out in the Boonies - Also for Hunting - Fishing too and to CALL out the KM signs on Forest service roads with active logging trucks hauling on them !
What do i need that's Legal ? Thxs RJ

I don't think there is a "legal" version of radio to communicate with, without being licensed?
Also, i think after a certain Wattage Output (I think over 5W and why many buy their radios from the States) is not legal either
without a license.
I understand why because you do have ass hats that don't think, or don't care, and can clog up the airwaves and really cause
havoc for those working and do need the channels open for them to do their jobs safely, after all, they want to go home every
night also!
BUT, i know they appreciate it when guys like us that are hunting and are on the same roads, do in fact call out there location,
and direction of travel, when they step onto the road the workers are using and also when you step off for them to know you
are no longer on it.
If you do it right, and don't do more than that, i think they don't care about us being licensed to be honest.
Its a hell of a lot better than us driving in those active areas without a radio.

I guess if you don't want to communicate, because you are not licensed, than "listening" to the activity and paying full attention
and pulling off to the side and wait for them to pass is a good option as well.
The only down side to that rationale is, if you are both in an area where there is "no room to pull over", than there is big issues.
BY communicating, they know the area, and know where there is room to pass and not pass.
Sometimes they will pull over and wait for you, or they tell you where to wait til they gat by, BUT, that only happens when there
"is communication" between both parties, licensed or not!

[ACE]

Many of us have years of involvement with this subject. Some very good information here. As Bugle M In mentions above . . . . . "they want to go home every night". As we do too . . . .
There should be a 'Like' button for posters.

[westcoaster]

SO ! I want 2 hand helds to be able to comunicate with a fellow Quad or Sled rider while out in the Boonies - Also for Hunting - Fishing too and to CALL out the KM signs on Forest service roads with active logging trucks hauling on them !
What do i need that's Legal ? Thxs RJ

Right, you asked the question, "What do I need that is Legal?"

As it sits right now, what is legal is a commercial radio license ($40/yea) for EACH of your type approved hand held radios (example Kenwood TK-2312) If you have a Type approved mobile radio (example: Kenwood TK 7360) that needs a license too....
A radio shop needs to program those radios and perform any changes.
You do NOT need a letter of permission to have the resource road frequencies in your radio (but you do need a license), you also get the Western Canada 10 common channels (Appendix 6) with your radio license.

Remember, you asked what is Legal....

Do you come to a complete stop at every stop sign? Do you follow the posted speed limit EXACTLY? I don't, I also know what the consequence of not following that law exactly is...
I'm not telling you to follow the letter of the law either, you asked what is legal and I told you what is legal.

Does a Baofeng work? Yes, Does an Icom 2300H work, Yes, Does shooting your deer with a Dirty Harry .44 Magnum work? Yes....

Will you ever be asked for your radio license? Maybe.... I don't think things have gotten to the point of being a problem yet. What concerns me are fools that do whatever they want, broadcasting on any frequency, and causing harmful interference are going to screw it up for the rest of us....

Educate yourself on wide and narrow band, educate yourself on areas of operation and what frequencies are common in what areas (LAD 1 is not to be used west of Hope)


This post is about understanding what the law is as it currently stands. You make the choice as to whether you want to follow that law or not....

[westcoaster]

This one, and your last post above are right on the mark, except for the “.45 Magnum” reference!

I knew I would be called out on that one....

[Stresd]

Right, you asked the question, "What do I need that is Legal?"
This post is about understanding what the law is as it currently stands. You make the choice as to whether you want to follow that law or not....

I'd also like to mention that those that are running a radio similar to a Icom 2200H with a Mike that as all the Buttons on it. Using a mike of this type is considered distracted driving. A Mike with a single push to talk button is legal to use while driving. Also if you disconnect the Mike from your radio. You now only have a scanner.......

[Arctic Lake]

West coaster ! I have a current radio license from the Federal Government the $40.00 one .I have an ICOM Handheld with the RR channels programmed in by the shop . It is my understanding that if you want to B.S with hunting buddies in the bush you use the LAD channels .Am I correct ? I know the RR channels are not for Chatter .
Arctic Lake
I

Right, you asked the question, "What do I need that is Legal?"
As it sits right now, what is legal is a commercial radio license ($40/yea) for EACH of your type approved hand held radios (example Kenwood TK-2312) If you have a Type approved mobile radio (example: Kenwood TK 7360) that needs a license too....
A radio shop needs to program those radios and perform any changes.
You do NOT need a letter of permission to have the resource road frequencies in your radio (but you do need a license), you also get the Western Canada 10 common channels (Appendix 6) with your radio license.

Remember, you asked what is Legal....

Do you come to a complete stop at every stop sign? Do you follow the posted speed limit EXACTLY? I don't, I also know what the consequence of not following that law exactly is...
I'm not telling you to follow the letter of the law either, you asked what is legal and I told you what is legal.

Does a Baofeng work? Yes, Does an Icom 2300H work, Yes, Does shooting your deer with a Dirty Harry .44 Magnum work? Yes....

Will you ever be asked for your radio license? Maybe.... I don't think things have gotten to the point of being a problem yet. What concerns me are fools that do whatever they want, broadcasting on any frequency, and causing harmful interference are going to screw it up for the rest of us....

Educate yourself on wide and narrow band, educate yourself on areas of operation and what frequencies are common in what areas (LAD 1 is not to be used west of Hope)


This post is about understanding what the law is as it currently stands. You make the choice as to whether you want to follow that law or not....

[westcoaster]

Three things....

If you remove the microphone from your two way radio you still have a two way radio.
A two way radio with or without a microphone is still type approved as a two way radio, not a scanner.

Radio etiquette would dictate the chatter stays off the resource road channels. Guys with radios know full well there is a little bit of chatter that does goes on.
Largely a brief bit of chatter isn't a problem but attention needs to be paid to how a radio is used while this chatter takes place. Driver "A" says his piece immediately responded by driver "B" immediately responded by "A" immediately responded by "B" immediately responded by "A" meanwhile driver "C" has just passed a mile post, knows someone is near and can't get an opening to call his mile.

Instead of Immediately responding to babble with babble, space out the reply time, give several seconds of silence between message and reply. This gives the guy that really wants to get his message out an opening to do so. Keep the messages brief instead of tying up the channel for minutes at a time. If you want to tell your life story, pull off the road and go to the LAD channels....

third thing... I'm not a "radio expert" I am a guy that has geeked out on radios. the commercial spectrum has been an interest for me for many years.
I feel the best way of staying out of trouble is to fly under the radar and fully understand what will get me into trouble in the first place....