RE: AM radios still usable?
Mmmm...just me, or do these 2 statements completely contradict each other??!![sm=bananahead.gif]
I did contact Futaba about this and was first given a stock reply about lead solder issues....no joke..lol.
OK, so if anyone could un-twist my head after this one, I would GREATLY appreceate it [sm=biggrin.gif][sm=biggrin.gif]
I would hook it up to an O-scope if it was available.
yours in Confusion
Brian[8D]
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Actually, the FAQ has a series of questions about your system. If your transmitter "passes" one area, it's legal. So if it was manufactured below Ch.38, as you say your's was, then it's legal. The later statement does not apply.
One problem with "narrow-banding" is the fact that the FCC rules state that a transmitter is legal to use if it can be maintained to a frequency tolerance of 0.002% (as well as have the proper output spectrum). The wide-band transmitters almost always had a tolerance of 0.005%. If a upgrade cannot keep a transmitter at 0.002% tolerance, then it's not a legal upgrade. Many upgrades done in the field only changed the output to narrow band, but did not alter the tolerances. Those transmitters became illegal to use in 1998, even if the did have a gold sticker. You need to check with your transmitter's manufacturer to be sure.
We're also talking about transmitters that are all over a decade old. Some of those units are about due to be retired anyway. Systems that old are almost always no longer supported by the manufacturer, and parts availablility will be quite problematic.