One day, while monitoring a local repeater, I heard an interesting conversation take place. The conversation went something like this:
Unlicensed Operator (ULO): “Hey! Does anyone know what’s going on with the smoke in Utah County today?”
K1ABC: “Looking at the wind patterns, it looks like it’s coming from the south, maybe Nevada or California. K1ABC”
ULO: “Thanks, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to be on this frequency.”
K1ABC: “Do you have a callsign?”
ULO: “No, I haven’t gotten my license yet.”
K1ABC: “Then, no, you aren’t allowed to be on this frequency.”
K1XYZ: “On any frequency. K1XYZ”
K1ABC: “Yeah, what XYZ said.”
ULO: <silence>
While everything said is true, if the person was really looking at getting their license, the curt responses may have deterred the Unlicensed Operator from getting their license, because it was unfriendly.
The FCC rule say that licensed operators are not supposed to communicate with unlicensed operators. However, there are a couple of exceptions. The main exception is if life or property is in danger. Another exception would if the unlicensed person was being supervised and in the presence of a licensed operator. This is called third-party communication. And finally, we can communicate with the unlicensed operator to explain how to get licensed. In this last case, the communication should be long enough to provide the necessary information but should not lead to a long back-and-forth conversation.
So, how might we handle the situation a little differently?
Unlicensed Operator (ULO): “Hey! Does anyone know what’s going on with the smoke in Utah County today?”
K1ABC: “Looking at the wind patterns, it looks like it’s coming from the south, maybe Nevada or California. K1ABC”
ULO: “Thanks, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to be on this frequency.”
K1ABC: “Do you have a callsign?”
ULO: “No, I haven’t gotten my license yet.”
K1ABC: “Ah, okay. Well, you aren’t supposed to be transmitting on the amateur radio frequencies until you are licensed. You are welcome to listen. There are lots of people out there who can help answer questions about getting your license on the Utah Valley Amateur Radio Club Facebook group. Have a great day! K1ABC.”
ULO: <silence>
In this last example, we have not only provide the necessary information, but we were kind and followed all the FCC rules.
So, what if the person doesn’t get off the frequency and continues to cause issues? Well, this can be very frustrating, and unfortunately, there’s not much you can do, but ignore them. Eventually they will either get tired of not getting the attention they are wanting or maybe the battery in their HT will die.
So, if you happen to run into an unlicensed operator on the radio, just remember that this person may be in trouble and needs help, or one day they will get their license and will need a warm welcome to the hobby.