Ham radio operators: Don't take your radios to Disneyland...

[SingWithFlowers]

You're reaching here. Not at any time did any of the four cast members I interacted with mention it being a potential bomb trigger. The second person I spoke to (that looked like a lead) said it was because I could listen in on park communications and the cast member in Guest Services said it could be used to "disrupt" their communications.

A lot of cast members at DL carry radios so they know full well the difference between a radio and a cell phone. Besides, if someone wanted to trigger an explosive device, it's more likely they would use a cell phone than a radio. Or use the remote to a toy car, as the Boston Marathon bombers are believed to have done. Should DL ban toy cars from the parks?

Everyone seems to go to the defense of the cast members here, but they knew exactly what they were doing. It's an established policy not to let amateur radios into the park.

If you saw this on someones belt, what would you call it?

Well that looks like a walkie talkie. And I understand your annoyance, I'd talk to corporate since it bothered you. You're a guest and have a right to voice your concerns and ask questions about a policy. And they should be concerned if what they're telling CMs to spiel is misinformation.

 

[Gisele]

Well said Sing. And I agree.
It looks like a walkie talkie or some other normal looking item for communication to me as well.
It is too bad that thanks to the few that have nothing but bad intentions, that they make the majority of society pay for it, one way or another.
To the OP, I am sorry for your frustration. Hopefully a happy conclusion may be had for both you and Disney.
In the meantime, if you are experiencing Disney burn out, it is a good idea, I agree, to take a break. Perhaps a nice, good rest will revive your Disney spirit.

 

[OKW Lover]

This is really strange. I've never tried to bring one of my hand held radios into DL or DCA (yes, I'm a ham too) but would be just as puzzled by that prohibition. I'm wondering if Disney's concern is that their own communication equipment isn't well designed and is susceptible to nearby transmitters.

For those that commented that there isn't a need for a hand held radio in the parks, sorry your opinion isn't what is important here. Its not your decision, its the ham's - and apparently Disney's too.

Ham radio operators have a very high level of social responsibility. They are often the first, sometimes only, to provide communications in events of natural disasters.

 

[OKW Lover]

Also wanted to encourage the OP to pursue this further, even if he isn't going back to Disney because of burnout. Its an opportunity to educate some folks on the importance of ham radio and will help other hams in the future.

 

[onespeed]

Some CB radio operators illegally boost the power of their radios and it interferes with other radio bands. Perhaps amateur radio operators before you did the same and ruined it for everyone else. There was this guy used to park near our house and talk on a CB radio ... his voice used to come through our 19 inch TV, even at midnight when the TV was off! After a few days of this I shined a high powered flashlight into his truck, he never came back. Too bad because the FCC told me to get his license plate number...

 

[davedmaine]

This morning I was turned away at the entrance to the Disneyland Resort and told I could not bring my amateur band radio into the parks. I had to trek all the way back to my car and leave it there. I was initially told it was because I could listen in on their park radios, but when my wife and I went to Guest Services to complain, we were shown a page right off their website saying the radio fell into the following, and this is a direct quote off their website: "Items that may be disruptive (e.g. laser pointers, slingshots, stink bombs, air horns)" When I asked them how it could be disruptive, I was told that it could be used to interfere with their in-park communications. I tried to explain that the radio wouldn't even transmit on their frequencies, they still said my radio was prohibited.

Now, I realize Disneyland and California Adventure are private property and it's their prerogative to prohibit whatever items they wish, but they're prohibiting ham radios for all the wrong reasons. Even if they were using analog business radios in the Land Mobile Service, there is no way my little ham radio could interfere with them. However, my research shows, according to Radio Reference, they use a Nextel PTT cell phone system with a 900mHz trunking system as a back-up. Their communications are way separated from the amateur bands.

To add to the annoyance, they are perfectly OK with FRS (Family radio Service) radios you can buy at Radio Shack. AND... There is an active amateur radio repeater located WITHIN the confines of the Disneyland park. Kinda hypocritical, in my opinion...

Thanks to my Disney addicted wife, I was on the verge of Disney burnout and we had already agreed that we weren't renewing my annual pass next year, but this is the final straw. It will be a long, long time before I go back there.

Thanks for the info but it probably only applies to you.

 

[OKW Lover]

Some CB radio operators illegally boost the power of their radios and it interferes with other radio bands. Perhaps amateur radio operators before you did the same and ruined it for everyone else. There was this guy used to park near our house and talk on a CB radio ... his voice used to come through our 19 inch TV, even at midnight when the TV was off! After a few days of this I shined a high powered flashlight into his truck, he never came back. Too bad because the FCC told me to get his license plate number...

I'm sure that was frustrating for you but it in no way relates to ham radio. The radio that the OP wanted to bring into the park operates on an entirely different set of frequencies far removed from the CB radio frequencies. It also only produces 5 watts of output while that bandit CB operator was probably running 100 watts.

 

[cmwade77]

It actually would be that the noise coming from it would be disruptive. They already have enough problems with walkie talkies, phones, etc.

 

[onespeed]

I work in electronics and am very curious, if a HAM radio operator would key his radio while standing next to a CM with a walkie talkie perhaps it could bleed over the CM's? My coworker is a HAM i'll ask him. At my workplace, if i put a small antenna on one of my signal generators i can block out an AM/FM radio with less than 100 mW. I may be wrong but with 5 watts I think it could be very possible...

 

[onespeed]

I'm sure that was frustrating for you but it in no way relates to ham radio. The radio that the OP wanted to bring into the park operates on an entirely different set of frequencies far removed from the CB radio frequencies. It also only produces 5 watts of output while that bandit CB operator was probably running 100 watts.

Good info, but TV and CB are also two different frequencies and I could hear this guy while he was parked over 300 ft away. I was amazed and annoyed at the same time :0) Actually, if it were to happen today i would walk over and talk to the guy to check out his gear, being the geek that i am.

 

[OKW Lover]

Good info, but TV and CB are also two different frequencies and I could hear this guy while he was parked over 300 ft away. I was amazed and annoyed at the same time :0) Actually, if it were to happen today i would walk over and talk to the guy to check out his gear, being the geek that i am.

Not to drag this further away from the OP's original point but a couple of things probably contributed to your problem with the CB operator. First is that the illegal amplifier he was using was probably emitting splatter (not the technical term) all up and down the radio spectrum and one of those spurious emissions was on a frequency that your TV picked up. Second is that many inexpensive TV's aren't properly designed to shield against nearby strong signals.

OK, enough on the interference problem. Thanks for listening.

 

[onespeed]

Not to drag this further away from the OP's original point but a couple of things probably contributed to your problem with the CB operator. First is that the illegal amplifier he was using was probably emitting splatter (not the technical term) all up and down the radio spectrum and one of those spurious emissions was on a frequency that your TV picked up. Second is that many inexpensive TV's aren't properly designed to shield against nearby strong signals.

OK, enough on the interference problem. Thanks for listening.

Yes, and perhaps it could be harmonics or sub-harmonics, ok i'm done too.

 

[GrumpyGoat]

It actually would be that the noise coming from it would be disruptive. They already have enough problems with walkie talkies, phones, etc.

Then why aren't they banned?

I work in electronics and am very curious, if a HAM radio operator would key his radio while standing next to a CM with a walkie talkie perhaps it could bleed over the CM's? My coworker is a HAM i'll ask him. At my workplace, if i put a small antenna on one of my signal generators i can block out an AM/FM radio with less than 100 mW. I may be wrong but with 5 watts I think it could be very possible...

I have another radio I use for railroad operations (I'm a volunteer at a railway museum) in the Land Mobile Radio Service. I just tried what you suggested and there was no bleed over, even on frequencies closer together than I could get to Disney's with my ham HT.

 

[krispin41]

.

How would you feel if you were told you couldn't bring your cell phone into the park?

I'd not bring it in, and it would be like the trips "back in the olden days." I'd deal. I usually leave my phone in the hotel safe anyway.

 

[DarthMole]

I'd not bring it in, and it would be like the trips "back in the olden days." I'd deal. I usually leave my phone in the hotel safe anyway.

Yes. If they banned cell phones I'd probably enjoy my trip even more. Not to mention less teens with their heads down walking around like zombies.

As for the OP, it would be nice to get a better answer than the one you received regardless of your intention to return. That said, I sort of look at this as a way to escape for you. It sounds like you're "over" Disney so taking an hour or two break in DTD or one of the other public areas would make more sense to me. If I had to put in a few hours of work on vacation, I wouldn't be lugging my laptop and phone into the park to try and squeeze it in while my party is off doing rides. I'd be in a lobby, pool area, or my room away from all the comotion.

 

[tdhickey]

Very odd they wouldn't let a HAM like that in, they must have had some issue in the past and made a judgement call on all or none. Personally I find Disney is not very good at making exceptions to their rules where it makes sense, they simply enforce their policy and won't budge.

 

[onespeed]

GrumpyGoat, here's a ham radio interfering with a DVR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL-koUaSZM0.

 

[GrumpyGoat]

GrumpyGoat, here's a ham radio interfering with a DVR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL-koUaSZM0.

Direct TV is not noted for being terribly customer friendly. I have two rental units I manage and one of my tenants wanted to install Direct TV. they drilled holes in the ceilings of her unit and put bolts through the exterior fascia boards after specifically being told not to.

In most of these "interference" cases it's not the ham that's at fault but the equipment on the other end. It is poorly designed and particularly prone to interference. And it works both ways. Plasma televisions are notorious for giving off huge quantities of radio frequency noise, sometimes making it impossible for nearby hams to operate.

I still don't buy Disneyland's contention my radio is going to interfere with theirs...

 

[deanimal]

Could a HAM radio be used to listen to communications between Disney employees? Does it look like one of those devices that people use to listen in to police scanners and stuff like that? (I honestly have no clue). I remember I used to work night shift with a guy that had some sort of device that listened on police frequencies and he's listen in for fun during his breaks. I imagine Disney would do everything it could to prevent that happening but I have no idea if these things could be even remotely related.

 

[GrumpyGoat]

Could a HAM radio be used to listen to communications between Disney employees? Does it look like one of those devices that people use to listen in to police scanners and stuff like that? (I honestly have no clue). I remember I used to work night shift with a guy that had some sort of device that listened on police frequencies and he's listen in for fun during his breaks. I imagine Disney would do everything it could to prevent that happening but I have no idea if these things could be even remotely related.

It probably could, IF... I knew what the frequencies were and if they were within the range of frequencies my radio can receive. Many amateur radios are capable of receiving transmissions outside the amateur bands but will not transmit on any frequency except those within the FCC-allocated amateur bands. I routinely use a similar radio at home to listen to railroad, aviation and marine frequencies, but I can't transmit on any of them.

I believe Disney uses a "trunking" radio system that I couldn't access with this radio even if I wanted to.

Here is the definition of a trunked radio system:

A trunked radio system is a complex type of computer-controlled two-way radio system that allows sharing of relatively few radio frequency channels among a large group of users. Instead of assigning, for example, a radio channel to one particular organization at a time, users are instead assigned to a logical grouping, a "talkgroup". When any user in that group wishes to converse with another user in the talkgroup, a vacant radio channel is found automatically by the system and the conversation takes place on that channel. Many unrelated conversations can occur on a channel, making use of the otherwise idle time between conversations. Each radio transceiver contains a microcomputer to control it. A control channel coordinates all the activity of the radios in the system. The control channel computer sends packets of data to enable one talkgroup to talk together, regardless of frequency."

I realize this may be too technical for some, but it's a much more complex system than those used in amateur radio and a conversation between two parties may be changing frequencies as often as one party unkeys and the other keys up.

For the techies, here's more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trunked_radio_system