FCC Fines
The vast majority of FCC fines related to radio are related to pirate radio stations.
Two ham radio related FCC fines are Ham Operator
blocking Repeater for $17,000
and Ham
Operator on prohibited frequency interfering with Emergency Services $34,000.
Each case involved multiple requests to stop before it rose to the level of a fine.
You can double check me by reviewing the FCC
Enforcement Actions.
Check out this analysis by a popular radio influencer.
Hand Held Radios are basically line of sight radios; so, terrain, obstacles, and the
curvature of the earth interfere with the signal.
These devices (without a repeater) are limited to a few miles range.
This means that if you used your ham radio on FRS, GMRS, and MURS frequencies that someone
would need to be close enough to detect your usage and report it to the FCC.
I don't believe the FCC is out fining people for using small wattage hand helds on the wrong
band plan.
There are no FCC enforcements that I could find where a person was fined for using
their HAM radio on FRS, GMRS, and MURS frequencies.
And if you are smart, reduce your wattage to the minimum required to communicate with the
other members of your group then the signal detection risk is FREAKISHLY LOW.
The majority of FCC radio actions are related to blocking other people from using a
frequency or illegally broadcasting like a FM radio station.
If you were caught using a Baofeng to consistently talk to a MURS operator, they would most
likely tell you to buy a MURS radio.
If you are using a Baofeng on a boat in place of a damaged Marine VHF radio that would be a
FCC part certification issue with the device; most likely treated like jay walking.
If you were using the Marine VHF radio frequencies on land without a registered boat and
interferring with water operations, you can expect to be reported and fined.
If you interfere with commerical licensed frequencies (350TX) connected to multi-million
dollar operations like cranes and construction sites, you can expect their baby eating
lawyers to come after you.
Salaried lawyers like to drop the hammer. Don't be the nail. Don't use their frequencies.
Same for T-Band. Messing with public safety and emergency services is asking for FCC to
crush you.
It is cheaper to buy radios then to pay fines.