I have 12 Baofeng BF-888s radios. When I purchased them, I changed the frequencies. I cannot tell you at the moment what frequencies that I changed them to. I will get back with you on that. I am wanting to know what kind of FCC license I will need and make sure all of my radios are compliant with the law. I have also bought a QYT KT8900 mobile radio. I am going to program these frequencies with the boafengs. Can you help?
In the UK, you could get a licence and be up and running legally with this kit in less than an hour - but I understand the US situation has changed recently. If you are here, it’s easy, but in the US doing what you want, with this specific equipment may be impossible to do with type approvals to consider. More US centric opinion will arrive shortly - best of luck.
Thank You. I am located in the US.
It depends on what you are using them for. If you have a business, you’ll need a license in the Business Radio services. To get this license, you’ll need to go through an authorized frequency coordinator, who determines what frequencies you’ll be licensed on. Fees for both this service and the license will be applied. You can check your area for a two way radio dealer who may know where to go to have this attended to.
Although we do offer licensing services for business radios, it isn’t just about obtaining a license to use the frequencies already programmed into your radios. When you apply for a license for a business frequency, you are assigned a specific frequency on the business band. In other words, you can’t just use any frequency programmed into the radio.
Also, the KT-8900 and BF-888S are technically capable of operating on frequencies used by multiple radio services. Some are licensed, some are not, and some are reserved for government or other uses.
This is why it is important to know what frequencies you programmed into the mobile before you program them into the Baofengs and attempt to use them. You may or may not be able to obtain a license for them.
These will be for personal use.
What are the frequencies?
Then, you cannot use your radios… unless you get an amateur radio license. There are no personal radio services that your radios can legally operate under. Those radios don’t have the FCC certification required for use on the license free services.
UK question for the US experts. Here, it is possible for an individual to apply for a business licence to use for business purposes. So if you have some kind of non-domestic connection, like a club, society, not for profit group, flood watch volunteers etc etc, then the club or person in charge can hold a licence legitimately. Is this the same in the US - you apply for the licence to do say, sports comms or maybe paintball teams, that kind of thing?
Yeah, I think you can apply for a business license for the examples you have given. I think any “organization” can get a license.
That would seem to sort it - create the business, get the licence, use the radios for business purposes.
I’m happy talking to my son on our business repeater - I don’t think anyone is actually bothered what we talk about!
Okay, thank you all for your help. I have reached out to the FCC themselves to see what I can and have to do. So as I am understanding, I CAN use these radios if I buy a business license? But I CANNOT use for personal use. If I were to purchase this license, where would be the cheapest place to purchase. I am on a tight budget with this.
Again thank you all for your help. I am very new to the whole Ham radio stuff, and don’t know what all needs to happen to get started!
Ham Radio? We didn’t realise you wanted to become a radio ham - that’s completely different. Just take the test and use the kit on the amateur bands. everyone would have to do the test, of course, but that could be doable - the scouts and other organisations here often put everyone through the course and away you go.
I don’t know what I want to do. LOL I am very confused on all of this myself.
What I am wanting to do is just use my Baofeng BF-888s and my QYT KT8900 together one for the car, and the other for handheld. I don’t have a business, and I am not looking to do this as a “hobby” sometimes I will take my radios to church events and so that our church team can communicate effectively. I know how to program my radios, but I also want to make sure this is compliant with US laws and regulations.
I am very sorry for all the confusion I am creating. If I am beyond helping it is okay!
Got you! I suspect that like many radio users, to be 100% compliant with the laws of the country, you have to decide how legit you want to be.
Today I was in a UK church - sorting out some issues they have with their audio system. Churchwarden, verger and the vicar himself. A UK church of England church have hundreds of complex and difficult to understand rules. They were keen to follow them all. I mentioned that one of their radio mics was working on 580MHz - totally unlicensable in the UK, and always has been apart from a few users like broadcasters with a special licence not available to normal users. Surprisingly they totally ignored this.
The practical upshot of low power radio usage is that unless the user is daft enough to pick a frequency used by somebody else, and causes interference nobody will actually care. Clearly, it’s wrong, and illegal - but it’s more morals and ethics. What you want do do can’t be done legally with whats you have. However, what you have will do the job. What did Clint Eastwood say? “Are you feeling lucky?”
Ok, Thank You!
Now I’m confused. You know how to program the radios, and when you purchased the Baofengs, you changed the frequencies, but you cannot tell us what those frequencies are. Yet you want to make sure all of your radios are compliant.
If you programmed the radios, surely you know the frequencies you programmed into them. You asked for our help. If you provide the frequencies that you programmed into your radios, we can tell you right away what you need to do to be FCC compliant, or if those frequencies can be used for what you want to do.
What frequencies did you program into the radios?
View Attachment for frequencies.
The resolution is so poor I can barely make out the numbers, but if I am reading them correctly, you have a mashup of frequencies across several services.
Some of these are public service frequencies (police, fire rescue, etc.) and some are in the industrial/business pool, (at least as near as I can tell, since some of the digits in this screenshot are hard to read).
The last two channels look like 449.25 and 448.25 respectively, which are the upper limits of the 70cm amateur radio band, which at the least requires a technician class ham license.
None of these frequencies are for general public use, and certainly not for use without a license for their respective service.
Just out of curiousity, why did you choose these specific frequencies to program into your radios?
Okay. Here they are. I just started typing in numbers that worked in the radio. As I have stated many times… I am new to all of the frequencies and stuff. I wanted to be able to work 5-10 mile area. I am going to try to look around for places in my area that know how to program and what frequencies I can use in my area.
Channel 1 458.35 - 94.8
Channel 2 459.35 - 67
Channel 3 460.35 - 71.9
Channel 4 461.35 - 88.5
Channel 5 462.35 - 74.4
Channel 6 463.35 - 100
Channel 7 457.35 - 118.8
Channel 8 456.35 - 167.9
Channel 9 455.35 - 199.5
Channel 10 454.35 - 218.1
Channel 11 453.35 - 203.5
Channel 12 452.35 - 74.4
Channel 13 451.35 - 85.4
Channel 14 450.35 - 250.3
Channel 15 449.35 - 229.1
Channel 16 448.35 - 103.5
*The number in front of the dash is frequency, and number after is the CTC/DCS