My dear - when you are a club Marshal, you can have your own club license - if you are an Authorized Government officer; you are most welcome to stop any of the Marshal who have a club CB in his car - show your official ID card and ask him for his CB License - I do not know why should I send you a copy of the club official documentation.
The link I sent was to explain to you what is the FRS Frequencies and were it is used - my comment on the link was very clear "THIS IS TO ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FRS FREQUENCIES" .. I didn't say that this is a confirmation that Walkie Talkies are legal in UAE .
Now back again to original topic - Holding a Walkie Talkie is at your own risk and responsibility - AD4x4 is not selling them, or forcing anybody to use them.
You buy them openly from several shops in UAE, not only the dragon mart and it is sold openly.
If you need to have a license for your Walkie Talkie, please visit TRA, get your license from there. We as a club are not involved in this process.
If you want to buy a CB and have it registered under AD4x4 channel, you have to wait till you are a Marshal, then you can get one.
I don't want to wade into this...but just to share some observations I have garnered in other forums as well as this one.
Firstly, I am a licensed radio holder - for UK and international maritime use as I am a ship's captain. Taken the tests, have the sign, the placard above my installed marine radio in my sailboat, and all that. I do know a little bit about what I speak.
From everything I have read, our walkie talkies are KNOWN to be against the strict letter of the law in the UAE. That is because the UAE military has basically outlawed personal communications frequencies by declaring them for "military use". (As far as I can tell, that is to prevent their use by people plotting against the UAE military and trying to cause trouble, that wish to evade the use of mobiles.)
I have read incidents of people that have had run-ins with UAE officials over their walkie talkies. If they are in plain sight and you are stopped by a policeman, he can and probably WILL confiscate them if you are in a "civilized area". From what I have read, it never goes further than that, you will not be arrested, nor fined. But expect to lose your 250 dhiram radio.
HOWEVER AND AS A PRACTICAL MANNER - the UAE police and military KNOW that what we off-roaders do takes place many km away from "civilized" areas, and that for much of our time we cannot get a mobile phone signal. They have some sympathy for that, and as a PRACTICAL MATTER do NOT enforce the regulations out in the desert, or if you can prove that you are on your way to the desert. In fact, on one forum someone wrote that they got caught by UAE Customs carrying in radios in through the airport, but was able to convince the officer that he was an off-roader and they were only for off-road use, and was allowed to actually enter the country with them (don't take that as a high probability though!).
This is VERY similar to the rules we have in the UK for knives. As a sailor, I carry a variety of knives on the boat, and on my way to the boat, or if I have stepped off the boat to go ashore. Many of those knives are lockblades, which are illegal in the UK - no exceptions, possible jail time and fines. Well, EXCEPT that if you can prove that you need it for sporting purposes and can prove that you are on your way to do that sport. Some cops in the UK can be asshats about it, and confiscate it anyway, but most will not. I usually clip mine to my foul weather kit or chest mount it on my life vest, so that I can easily prove I am on my way to go sail...
We just have to ackowlegdge that as sportsman (and desert driving is a sport) we have equipment requirements that WILL fall foul of the rules established for the general public, usually for their "safety" or "security" reasons. Most of the time, as long as we are responsible about it, and don't flaunt it publicly, the police will try to accommodate us as long as we are well behaved.
So it is inherent upon us to BE well behaved. That means no showing off of radios at the meeting places (I am guilty of this admittedly because I chest mount mine), that means we should probably NOT be doing a whole lot of talking on them in the convoys to the desert (we should probably skip the endless "Radio check, radio check" until we get to the deflation points and save the convoy radio use for just marshals instructions). We just need to be smart about it, and cautious in their use until we hit the desert. And if you are driving with one on the way to the meeting point or going home, why not put it in your glovebox or backpack?
it is great to have such a discussion although it was heated sometime, but it truly reflects the AD4x4 spirit and how the club is different than others , club members are very knowledgeable , also they care much about others and give advice to avoid being in trouble and finally we reach an agreement in a very civilized way .
All the best and thanks for the information folks .
Sorry to resuscitate an old thread, but I have heard of an INTERESTING event from a close friend on this topic, that occurred today from my very well-informed sources.
Apparently two members of a local off-road club were travelling near Dubai and happened to have left their radios on leaving the desert. They had used them infrequently to advise each other of the best route and changes to their route drive home. They had not been used actively for about 5 or 10 minutes, when the pair of trucks entered a roundabout on an empty section of a highway...and spotted a parked white Nissan Patrol (new body style) with what appeared to be an old fashioned TV antenna sticking fully out from the passenger side window, sitting on the opposite side of the roundabout. Both drivers had the presence of mind to realize that in general parked Nissan Patrols do NOT sit there watching over the air TV in roundabouts - and immediately both switched off their radios. They exited the roundabout and were immediately pursued by the Patrol, which drove in parallel with one of them for quite some time before accelerating rapidly and leaving them behind. However, as the vehicles progressed down the road, that same Patrol was there parked at every roundabout, and immediately left the roundabout as they entered it...keeping just ahead of them. This supposedly went on for 4 or 5 roundabouts over the course of many kilometres. Finally, the drivers left that road, after the Patrol had once again waited for them and progressed straight across the roundabout - and they immediately took a right hand exit to NOT follow and go a different route.
I understand the drivers were very creeped out by the whole event, and both believe they came VERY close to being stopped for their radios.
FWIW - radio detection equipment can detect your radios EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT TRANSMITTING. If they are merely turned on, the receiving circuitry generates its own detectable signal - although very weak, a large antenna can detect it.
From this story, it is clear that our use of radios really needs to be limited to the sands only...or at least well away from a city like Dubai.
Good information, and supports many stories I have heard before. I believe that most police patrol cars have scanners which can detect 'illegal' radios too.
As has been mentioned throughout this thread, I carry my radio when off-roading for SAFETY, and only switch on at deflation and off at inflation. If you must 'chat' while driving to or from a trip, use your phone!!
Jeremy *****
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There are at least 3 federal agencies are monitoring radio air frequently; we used to communicate with them when i was working in the mobile radio side , they are police, military and TRA ; and they scan randomly and in any time.
They have dedicated cars like what have mentioned above and easy to recognize with big omni antenna up on the air .
I appreciate the advice not to use the radio on the city but the other issue that we sometimes forget to switch them off after the trip and we just drive home .
It may be worth for trip leaders to ask drivers at the end of trips to switch off radio and put down flags .
Yes - Although there is no law regarding the use of FRS signal in the city. As I said before these signals are used in kids toys. However, it is better to stay safe and avoid using Radios in the city.
CBs are restricted - you need to have a special license to use it.
So then, the radios they sell on Dragon Mart/Motorola store are FRS?
Are FRS OK to communicate within the convoy? Any brand/model you would recommend?
In any case, I will limit the use from deflation to inflation only. (And I will keep my logbook and plenty of pictures from the desert trip at hand hehe)
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