It's not especially hard to modulate a signal on frequencies you shouldn't be. You don't even need to be doing it intentionally thanks to the lovely phenomenon of harmonics amongst other factors.
Software defined transceivers exist. Adjustable antennas exist. Poorly shielded electronics that can cause further noise propagation to broadcast out of the transmit side also exist.
You can also change the intended broadcast frequency of some cheap handheld radios using a USB cable and an off-the-shelf antenna.
There is very little in the way of the general public to do something illegal, wittingly or otherwise, in RF.
I'd argue that 'capability' is a naive limiter here as they'd be more likely to do this by accident than on purpose (or ignorance vs malice).
There are tons of illegal/unpermitted/unlicensed broadcasts happening all of the time. They only become an issue when regulators need to enforce rules, usually due to noticed interference.
Bad bonding/grounding is probably the most common cause. RF exists other places too. RF that was meant to be contained in a wire can use these same allocated OTA frequencies because they were never meant to escape that closed system... But do, mostly through poor bonding/grounding.
As you can probably see by now, there is little actually stopping anyone from broadcasting on any particular frequency. Regulators will catch them if they're causing destructive interference, eventually.
But you could potentially use 'illegal' RF for years and never be noticed. Your transmit power/range and your local environment (who else is using the spectrum locally) will dictate that for you more than any allocation rules alone.
The amateur radio scene is a special thing. They share knowledge, experience and more than anything, a culture of informed operation of RF.
I'd encourage anyone interested in operating any RF systems to acquire or at least study enough to acquire an amateur Technician license (US).
> Your transmit power/range and your local environment (who else is using the spectrum locally) will dictate that for you more than any allocation rules alone.
I agree, but I think it's important to note that "long range" is the context we're talking about. If you just want to get a quick message out then I fully agree, there's not a ton stopping you, but if you want it be a reliable and/or medium to long-term solution, then the barriers are quite non-trivial. There's also the risk of prosecution, which the regulators are not above if they smell intentionality. If they think you're innocently transmitting they'll just ask you to stop, but if they think you're intentionally and/or openly violating the rules, they can bring some serious legal pain down.
Software defined transceivers exist. Adjustable antennas exist. Poorly shielded electronics that can cause further noise propagation to broadcast out of the transmit side also exist.
You can also change the intended broadcast frequency of some cheap handheld radios using a USB cable and an off-the-shelf antenna.
There is very little in the way of the general public to do something illegal, wittingly or otherwise, in RF.
I'd argue that 'capability' is a naive limiter here as they'd be more likely to do this by accident than on purpose (or ignorance vs malice).
There are tons of illegal/unpermitted/unlicensed broadcasts happening all of the time. They only become an issue when regulators need to enforce rules, usually due to noticed interference.
Bad bonding/grounding is probably the most common cause. RF exists other places too. RF that was meant to be contained in a wire can use these same allocated OTA frequencies because they were never meant to escape that closed system... But do, mostly through poor bonding/grounding.
As you can probably see by now, there is little actually stopping anyone from broadcasting on any particular frequency. Regulators will catch them if they're causing destructive interference, eventually.
But you could potentially use 'illegal' RF for years and never be noticed. Your transmit power/range and your local environment (who else is using the spectrum locally) will dictate that for you more than any allocation rules alone.
The amateur radio scene is a special thing. They share knowledge, experience and more than anything, a culture of informed operation of RF.
I'd encourage anyone interested in operating any RF systems to acquire or at least study enough to acquire an amateur Technician license (US).