Jeff said:
Remember when the FCC required registering CB radios?
Yes I do and I wish they still did.. But NIXON did something long over due (I do not often say nice things about NIXON, in fact, this is it).
Prior to Nixon the FCC had authority over LICENSED transmitters.. Thus licenses were required for all transmitters saver for part 15 stuff (very low power). NIXON signed the legislation that gave the FCC jurisdiction over ALL transmitters.
Prior to that bill... the Justice Dept. had jurisdiction over UNLICENSED transmitters. not the FCC. But they did not have the people and hardware needed to track them down and inter-agency cooperation has never been as good as it should be. I think of all the crimes that would be prosecuted if various agencies got together and shared notes and.. IT IS SCARY,, Homeland Security is supposed to share notes.. but I think you can figure out how well that is working. (In a few cases, very well, this is why the TSA has not stopped any terrorists at the gate.. They never get that far as the FBI, working with Local agencies, and other agencies, stop them before they leave for the airport).
So that is why we no longer have Children band licenses.
As for the Boosters...
What has happened is that the cell companies are whining about the boosters causing interference (They can epically if not properly installed, at least that is what my WILSON owner's manual says) so the FCC decided to regulate them.
Thankfully... I am grandfathered.
Here is what happens: IF your booster, like mine, has indoor and outdoor antennas.. And you do not have proper separation between the antennas. Then the amplifier can feed back to itself and go into self oscillation. Basically this turns it into a cell phone jammer. Not a good thing at all.
