Comments on: Emergency Message From Hatzolah Regarding Children With Radios Interfering With Hatzolah Emergency Radio Transmissions

By: JulianL

JulianL — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 07:02:53 +0000

Yes, the radio is shown to be on the 70 cm band. These, and similar Chinese radios cover a significant range of frequencies around both the 2 metre and 70cm bands. They are OK if used on the amateur bands only, by youths or adults with an Amateur Radio Licence. Unfortunately they are perhaps all a student can afford. More expensive (Japanese) radios only caver the “ham” bands. I expect they are also used as they are cheaper than a scanner, although someone without a licence should not have one (scanners are fine).
A trunking system is perhaps a better solution for the organisation.

By: whatshappeninman

whatshappeninman — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 05:49:23 +0000

There are plenty of completely legitimate uses for this kind of radio – Amateur Radio, for starters, which has no age limit and requires considerable knowledge for a child.

There are also numerous other licensed and unlicensed services for which this equipment can be used without any impact to any other services.

It is also perfectly acceptable to program a radio personality for “receive only”, making it impossible to transmit accidentally – in other words, making it identical to a scanner functionally.

The market competition has made family, recreational and emergency communications accessible to people of all walks of life and income levels – scaring people and demanding that parents confiscate the radio is employing a sledgehammer where it isn’t needed.

In the rather unlikely situation the parent doesn’t know what a child is using this radio for, they need to… be a parent, investigate, find out, and then act accordingly in a logical, coherent way.

I’m sorry that Hatzolah has been having problems with unauthorized use – and I am quite sympathetic, as a long-time ham radio operator (a service where enforcement is near zero). But let’s not be too hasty to punish people who aren’t doing anything wrong.

By: dmccollom

dmccollom — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 02:04:31 +0000

The ignorance of the copywriter who wrote this is astonishing. Rather than demonizing an object that many kids use lawfully with the consent and knowledge of the federal government perhaps a plea not to interfere with safety of life communications and an admonishment of the penalties as well. Or better yet get the local amateur radio club to help DF the miscreants and bring them over to the light side when they are found.

By: gabbi

gabbi — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 18:20:03 +0000

Why doesn’t hatzolah have askanim arrange for the authorities to give some of these kids a good scare.

By: mbbrief

mbbrief — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 18:03:47 +0000

#5 digital isn’t any better. When your driving and u have a digital radio the connection is very bad. Ask any bssp member, because they have digital.

By: sushibagel

sushibagel — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:06:53 +0000

My mistake, they do where I live (not the NYPD)

By: sushibagel

sushibagel — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 08:59:31 +0000

The police use digital

Moderators Note: The NYPD does not use digital.

By: Israeli Chareidi

Israeli Chareidi — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 04:48:54 +0000

#10
Because in an emergency situation with no cell phone service…
Think 9/11.

By: Lamid Vov Zaddik

Lamid Vov Zaddik — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 03:41:00 +0000

Why cant Hatzolah scrap all two way radios and get some open line with Verizon (or any carrier) on a line to each member similar to Amigo phones we had..

By: chaimss

chaimss — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 02:24:13 +0000

From the picture it looks like the 70cm band…