I’m a bit embarrassed to say I *should* probably know this, and I don’t.

I’ve been in the private security field about ten years now, and have almost exclusively used Motorola CP200’s and CP200D’s during that time. If I were to use one of these radios in my own time, or take one home with me, it’s my understanding that they require a license to use. My question is, what sort of license? I’ll admit I got a bit lost on the FCC page trying to figure this out.

With my position I should be able to purchase my own radio and program it ornhave it programmed, but I want to ensure I’m doing so while following any pertinent laws and regulations.

I’m in CT if that makes any sort of difference.

Thanks in advance all!

Those are pretty standard VHF/UHF commercial radios.

I think your employer likely has an industrial/business license covering specific frequencies, which your radios are then programmed to use.

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/b.../industrial-business

What is your goal for home use? Who is going to be on the other end of the radio? That makes a difference as to what you would need to do and how suitable those radios are for doing it.

Depends what you want to do. Amateur radio operates on different bands from the commercial stuff, and requires a different license.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
Those are pretty standard VHF/UHF commercial radios.

I think your employer likely has an industrial/business license covering specific frequencies, which your radios are then programmed to use.

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/b.../industrial-business

What is your goal for home use? Who is going to be on the other end of the radio? That makes a difference as to what you would need to do and how suitable those radios are for doing it.

“Home Use” May not be the best term - I’m Director of Security here and in the past with other sites, I often kept a radio on me even on off hours in the event of an emergency (not having to go to my office to grab my regular radio, for example). If I have two and can use them for “extra duties” such as convoy commo or some such trivial thing, just an added bonus. As far as the other end, likely my wife in most scenarios, a Team Sergeant in others (potentially). My wife is military as well and I’d probably look into us each getting a license in that case. I’m looking at this in a very, very broad sort of way. I bring up the CP200D’s in particular as those are what I’m used to, and could get relatively cheaply/easily.

Call it my personal “CYA” attitude, but I like to play it safe.

It’s sort of a “I like the things, and I can think of a ton of scenarios and cases where I *could* use one” situation where I might look into the license and then have the freedom to use them as situations or opportunities arise.

Your employer has an appropriate FCC issued license to operate these radios (which are FCC type accepted to operate on these frequencies) on the designated FCC frequencies these radios operate on.

So, you cannot really use these for your private use on frequencies your employer is licensed to operate on. You can listen, but you can not transmit outside of your official work use for these radios.

Get yourself FRS/GMRS type radios if you need to use radios for your private use.

Or get a Amateur Radio Tech license, then buy a cheap Bofaeng radio to use in the appropriate Amateur Radio frequencies.

Now, if you have an amateur radio license and the software to reprogram the radio frequencies for use in the Amateur Radio Service, you could use these radios in the Amateur Service. Of course you'd have to program these radios back to their commercial frequencies, when done with Amateur Radio use.

So, no, do not plan on using these radios for your private off duty use.

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:
Your employer has an appropriate FCC issued license to operate these radios (which are FCC type accepted to operate on these frequencies) on the designated FCC frequencies these radios operate on.

So, you cannot really use these for your private use on frequencies your employer is licensed to operate on. You can listen, but you can not transmit outside of your official work use for these radios.

Get yourself FRS/GMRS type radios if you need to use radios for your private use.

Or get a Amateur Radio Tech license, then buy a cheap Bofaeng radio to use in the appropriate Amateur Radio frequencies.

Now, if you have an amateur radio license and the software to reprogram the radio frequencies for use in the Amateur Radio Service, you could use these radios in the Amateur Service. Of course you'd have to program these radios back to their commercial frequencies, when done with Amateur Radio use.

So, no, do not plan on using these radios for your private off duty use.

The radios themselves would not be company property, they would belong to me (unless I’m misunderstanding your post). No private use would occur on company frequencies, and as I’m a 24/7 salaried position there aren’t really off-hours to worry about.

If an amateur radio license is what I need to use this radio type (which again I’m used to and have a means to get a pair relatively inexpensively), that’s what I’ll look in to! How to actually program these radios is beyond me at the moment, but I imagine over the course of getting the license and researching a bit I’ll find myself a bit more educated on it.

Thank you all, I *think* that answers my question.

quote:

Originally posted by xwesler:
“Home Use” May not be the best term - I’m Director of Security here and in the past with other sites, I often kept a radio on me even on off hours in the event of an emergency (not having to go to my office to grab my regular radio, for example).

Using for work purposes off work hours may be covered by your employer's existing license - there should be an administrative person in charge of the license and ensuring compliance that you can ask for guidance.

quote:

Originally posted by xwesler:
If I have two and can use them for “extra duties” such as convoy commo or some such trivial thing, just an added bonus. As far as the other end, likely my wife in most scenarios, a Team Sergeant in others (potentially). My wife is military as well and I’d probably look into us each getting a license in that case. I’m looking at this in a very, very broad sort of way. I bring up the CP200D’s in particular as those are what I’m used to, and could get relatively cheaply/easily.

For totally not-work-related purposes, I don't think it is really feasible to use the same radios on the same frequencies. At a minimum, you'd need to get personal business/industry licenses covering the frequencies, which is a pain, and that's even assuming you could - I think they try not to issue overlapping licenses in the same area.

Now, just looking at the specs, it looks like those radios do cover the 2m and 70cm amateur bands, so if you all got amateur licenses you could program the radios to use frequencies in the amateur bands and use them legally, but you wouldn't be able to cover the entire bands (those radios require programming a small number of fixed frequency options) and you'd have to reprogram the radios every time you wanted to switch between using them for personal use and using them for work use.

Personally, I'd check with your employer about whether their existing license covers you using one of their radios at home for work purposes, and then get separate radios for personal use - either MURS or FRS, which don't require licensing, or getting amateur radio licenses and getting radios better suited to amateur use.

The "Base Unit" location will have a FCC License posted somewhere, plus a list of how many handheld Radios are in operation.

I got a radiotelephone operators license many years ago when I was getting my private pilots license. That allows you to operate the radio in the plane.
There was a simple form used to answer a few questions and you mailed in with a very small fee and it is good for life.
Not much to it if that hasn't changed and no reason to not get one.
Sounds like the same thing for a walkie talkie like you're talking about.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
I got a radiotelephone operators license many years ago when I was getting my private pilots license. That allows you to operate the radio in the plane.
There was a simple form used to answer a few questions and you mailed in with a very small fee and it is good for life.
Not much to it if that hasn't changed and no reason to not get one.
Sounds like the same thing for a walkie talkie like you're talking about.

That license is specific to certain types of marine and aviation radio usage, and, as far as I know, not otherwise useful.

the radios you have are not authorized for amateur use

and be careful about the cheap Chinese radios that flooded the market

ARRL and the FCC just delisted a bunch as being non-conforming radios

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the radios you have are not authorized for amateur use

and be careful about the cheap Chinese radios that flooded the market

ARRL and the FCC just delisted a bunch as being non-conforming radios

I don't think this is true.

The issue that came up with the cheap Baofengs is that they can be programmed to operate on restricted frequencies, but weren't FCC-approved for those restricted frequencies.

Radios like the CP200 can be programmed to operate on restricted frequencies, but ARE FCC-approved for those restricted frequencies.

See this article, including correspondence with an FCC person:

https://medium.com/@lucky225/f...require-40377a3722c5

FCC person:

quote:

The bottom line here is that if the radios are compliant with our rules (have been certified in the non-amateur bands) an amateur can continue to use them in the amateur bands.

Also FCC person:

quote:

If the radio is non-compliant in non-amateur bands (i.e., not certified) — then it cannot be used at all, even in amateur bands.

You can't use amateur radio frequencies to conduct business.

quote:

Motorola CP200

They aren't readily user programable without the software. While they are FFFC type rated into the Ham UFH bands, transmission on that band without a suitable license is illegal. Getting a tech license is not hard. However that HT isn't the greatest for amateur use. The lack of a keypad would eliminate many features available.

I used my police dept. issued HT on the ham freqs. years back. But when I speced out the radios, I had mine shipped with the tone and keypad. I was also licensed.