CB radio laws, not about guns still legal issues

B

bamf

New member
I'm hoping someone can help. My parents have this neighbor who installed this massively huge antenna for CB radio (I assume). Well the problem is his broadcast can be heard through speaker's in my parent's home and interferes with television reception.

Is there any law or ordinance he's breaking? The guy is seriously a real a**hole, he cussed out my mom when she asked him about it. :mad: So before I go down there and beat...oops I mean talk to him :), I'd like to have the law to back me up.

Oh a little info, they little in San Jose, CA.

-bamf
 
A stock Citizen's Band radio transmitter is limited to 5 watts power, hardly enough to cause interference to other broadcast services. However, if this fellow is running power through an illegal linear amplifier, especially if it is not set up properly, there is an increased chance of interference.

If the fellow is running excessive power then the Federal Communications Commission has the enforcement arm to deal with the problem.

Some other issues. If you are close to an airport the height of his antenna may be an aviation safety concern. It would have to be a really tall antenna to get into this ballpark.

If the neighbor is a licensed radio amateur, the burden is on him to take every step possible to eliminate any interference. At least it was that way when I was an active Ham. I still have the license, but I haven't used it in years.

Of course, if he cussed out your mom, I doubt he is a licensed amateur. Then again, things may have changed since I was active.

If he is a Ham and not cooperative, the local FCC office should be able to give you some ideas.
Bruce
 
Antenna height restriction, 60 feet OR 20 feet from the heightest point on the man-made structure, building or tree the antenna is attached to. Antenna includes the mast and poles used to suport it. Other restrictions may apply if you are close to an airport or if the site is of historical interest.

Power restriction, 4 watts carrier power in the AM mode or 12 watts Peak Envelope Power in the SSB mode.

1-It is possable to cause interference with this level of power.
2-It can be a result of a number of problems.
3-It is usually best to see what you can do on your side first before contacting the FCC.

So here are a few ideas,
1- Use a surge protectot that has line filtering on the effected devices.
2- Replace your existing coax cable with RG-6 QS cable, it has much much better shielding.
3- Install a static discharge grounding block into your antenna line and ground it.
4- Make sure all cable line spliters and electrical outlets are properly grounded.
5- Use better cables on your stereo for interconecting the components.

The point is, it is not always the radio opperators fault. Do what you can on your side first.
 
Don't look for any help from the FCC. Yes, they do have an enforcement branch and it is empowered to enforce the law. But I can promise you they will not be interested.

We had a similar problem in town a couple of years back. A couple was running a high power linear device and interfering with cable TV reception and phone reception in their neighborhood. To top it off, their transmissions were a little on the racy side, R rated or worse.

The chief of police contacted the FCC and played the tapes we had (yes we had them on tape, when people called the PD to complain, you could hear it over the phone and our system that tapes all calls into the dispatch center picked it all up) and the FCC told him to have the city attorney draft an ordnance to make it illegal to interfere with telephone and television reception while using more power then allowed by federal law.

This process took a couple of months. The ordnance was passed and the couple was served with a cease and desist notice from the city attorney. They continued and were arrested, their equipment seized as evidence and were found guilty. The judge issued a permanent order forbidding them from using linears with their CBs. All this did was make them mobile. They installed the equipment in their van and continued to transmit. About a year later, we finally caught them and the judge fined them for contempt.

Now, not all CBers are this way, but everyone was very disappointed on the response we got from the federal agency charged with enforcing this law.

I'd recommend hardening your stereo equipment and TVs and talking to the neighbors. They may be unaware that they are causing interference.

Jeff
 
Get more technical with the guy. Ask him about his SWR meter reading (should be below 1.5), modulation (should be below 100%), and other technical items. That makes it look like you are helping him out and are interested in CB'ing. Volunteer to help him tune his antenna.
 
Put a needle thru his coax.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
AAAAhahaha! Jesus...ya, stick the needle in, then trim it off at the base with dikes, then squeeze it in a bit further with pliers so it's nearly impossible to spot or feel.

Truly evil...and deserved.

Jim
 
The needle trick is a good last ditch idea. The guy will be wondering forever how he managed to blow a set of finals. Then again, when his SWR goes through the roof he will most likely start investigating. The first thing to look at is always the coax.
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. Especially the devious ones, I'll keep those in mind if all else fails.

His antenna I believe is too tall and in violation of FCC regs. So hopefully the FCC will do something...if not the pin going into the coax :)
 
First, you have to have the cable(??) lines in your house checked for proper operation,(terminations, spiltters, couplers, etc). Cable Co(??) should be able to do this, or a friend who's knows electronics. Once this has been ruled out, goto your local Ham radio club, nearly everywhere USA has one, you should be able to help out on this matter. Local Radio Shack might shed light on contacts there.

Point is, he's probably a Ham radio operator. That being the case, he's causing cross-modulation interference in the TV IF circuits. Without knowing what channels are affected, I'll guess somewhere around channels 19-23.

That he's operating(radiating) a Ham radio, he's required by law to be licensed for the frequency ranges of his operation. And here's the biggie, if he gets a complaint from a neighbor about interference, he's required BY LAW to eliminate the interference. Since you've already attempted to rectify the situation, you can contact the local Ham club, and let them identify/locate him, and deal with him. They will most likely take the FCC coordinator righ to his premises, and they will test his equiptment, and notify him accordingly, if he's legal that is. If he's not, he loses the equiptment, and is fined. Simple as that.

He's required by FCC 97.21 to limit his transmission to exclude certain times of the day, once notified of interference. He's further required by FCC 97.307 to reduce, or eliminate the offending transmissions as much as possible, (that means install traps in his equiptment, and these cost money!)

Those FCC subparts were found here: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_98/47cfr97_98.html as maintained NARA.

Print copies of both, and highlight the sections that pertain to your greivance, then approach him again, with a witness, such as a Deputy, and ask that he comply with the Law, duly notified. Ask the Deputy to notarize a statement that you've attemtpted to rectify by initial contact. If the guy fails to repair, goto FCC website www.fcc.gov , and contact them about this matter. While they may only send the guy a notification, the wheels have started. Again goto local Ham clubs for assistance as well. Don't just sit there looking at the herringbone patter on your TV.

Good luck with this guy. I've had a similar runin with a fellow Hammer up the road, and I had a heck of a time with him, and after we reached an understanding we're all happier now.

Best Regards,
Don

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The most foolish mistake we could make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms;
History shows that all conquerers who have allowed their subjected people to carry arms have prepared their own fall.
Adolf Hitler
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"Corrupt the young, get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial, and destroy their rugged- ness.
Get control of all means of publicity, and thereby get the peoples' mind off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books and plays, and other trivialities.
Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance."

Vladimir Ilich Lenin, former leader of USSR
 
I have seen "Uncle Charley" ( The FCC ) come to a residence ONCE since 1970 . The operator ( Kingsize ) was talking on his LEGAL radio in South Bend Indiana and they knocked on his door . He had the audacity , the nerve AND the inmitigated gall to NOT use his Federally bestowed call sign . Not only a threat to life and limb but an affront to the very basis of our community values .
On the other hand , at the same time in South Bend was a doofus calling himself Desperado and was running about a skrillion pounds linear splashing every transmission for 30 miles on all channels . "Uncle Charlie" must have had better things to do than get him .
Cut the coax and let them know your knife can outlast their checkbook . There's more if you're interested but you need to REALLY want this guy off the air .

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TOM
SASS AMERICAN LEGION NRA
 
Advocating the distruction of someone elses property is not being very responsible. Makes us gunowners look bad.
 
Put some 50pF ceramic capacitors across the speaker terminals and the phone lines where they enter the house (you many also need to get phone line surpressors at the phones too). This will probably fix the problem right away.
 
Here's an idea. Are your parents retired? Does this guy work? If so, make his life a living hell.

Fix a cost to the pain and suffering they endure daily. Then file a case in small claims court daily and serve him the papers nightly. Say its $100/day for not being able to enjoy television reception and for his BS for coming through the speakers. Haul him to small claims court for as long as it takes for him to get the message.
 
Isn't it odd that so many Federal agencies won't enforce the laws already on the books, but are so eager to make new ones? What's up with that?
 
seronac,
I agree, it is only because of groups like the USCB Opperators Association, and the Amature Radio Relay League, that the FCC has finally started to enforce the existing rules. FCC Enforcemen top dog, Riley Hollingsworth has said on record that it will be a hard year for illegal opperators.
 
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