A Technical Analysis
This analysis examines concerns regarding Retevis sponsorship of Orlando Hamcation 2026 and the RT86 radio’s potential to facilitate illegal business operations on the 70cm amateur band. The concern is real. The Retevis RT86 holds only FCC Part 15B certification. This certification is for receivers and unintentional radiators. Yet, the radio is marketed for business use on 430 to 440 MHz. These frequencies are allocated exclusively to amateur radio. The sponsorship of Hamcation 2026 by Retevis has resulted in strong emotions and an accusation of bribery. Characterizing commercial sponsorship as bribery is legally incorrect and counterproductive to addressing the underlying regulatory concern. That concern is warranted and real.
Technical Facts: The RT86 Certification Gap
The Retevis RT86 presents a clear regulatory discrepancy between its FCC certification and its marketing.
| Specification | RT86 Value |
| Frequency Range | 430-440 MHz (70cm amateur band) |
| Power Output | 10W high / 5W med / 1W low |
| FCC ID | 2ASNSRT86 |
| Equipment Class | CXX (Communications Receiver) |
| FCC Certification | Part 15B ONLY (unintentional radiators/receivers) |
| Marketing | Business use: warehouses, construction, logistics, security |
The Certification vs. Use Discrepancy
| Aspect | RT86 Reality | Legal Business Radio |
| FCC Certification | Part 15B only | Part 90 required |
| Frequency Band | 430-440 MHz (amateur) | 450-470 MHz (business) |
| Programming | User-programmable | Restricted (dealer only) |
| License Required | Amateur license for these frequencies | Part 90 business license |
FCC Enforcement Precedent: Skydive Elsinore (May 2024)
The FCC does enforce against businesses operating illegally in amateur bands. In May 2024, the FCC issued a Notice of Unlicensed Operation to Skydive Elsinore, LLC (Lake Elsinore, CA) for transmitting on 442.725 MHz without proper authorization. This confirms the FCC takes action when violations are documented—though enforcement depends on available resources and case priority.
The Enforcement Pipeline: Riley Hollingsworth and FCC Resource Constraints
Some community members have expressed frustration that Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, hasn’t been able to resolve complaints about illegal business operations on 70cm. Understanding Hollingsworth’s current role, and its limitations, is essential context.
Riley Hollingsworth served as Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau from 1998 until his retirement in 2008. During that decade, he was effectively the face of amateur radio enforcement at the FCC. He handled violations, issued warning letters, and pursued enforcement actions. He became legendary in the amateur community for his hands-on approach to spectrum enforcement.
In 2019, the ARRL and FCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding creating the Volunteer Monitor (VM) program, with Hollingsworth as the Volunteer Monitor Program Administrator. This program replaced the old Official Observer system. Under this arrangement, trained volunteer monitors observe the bands, document violations, and report them to Hollingsworth, who reviews cases and refers appropriate ones to the FCC for action.
Hollingsworth is a contractor/volunteer for ARRL. He is no longer an FCC employee. He can review cases, document violations, and refer them to the FCC, but he has zero enforcement authority. The FCC Enforcement Bureau must decide whether to act on any referral. The VM program was explicitly created “in the wake of several FCC regional office closures and a reduction in field staff.” The FCC doesn’t have the resources to handle amateur enforcement at the level it once did. Cases referred by the VM program compete for attention with interference to aviation, public safety, and cellular. All of which have paying constituencies and Congressional interest.
When someone says “Riley knows about it, but can’t do anything,” they’re essentially correct. He can pass complaints to the FCC, but the FCC Enforcement Bureau prioritizes cases based on available resources and perceived harm. Unlicensed business operations on 70cm, while a legitimate violation, may not rise to the level that triggers immediate FCC action when balanced against their other enforcement priorities.
This doesn’t mean filing complaints is pointless. Documented cases build the record that can eventually justify FCC action, and the VM program gives cases priority treatment over the general complaint process. But expectations should be calibrated to the reality that FCC amateur enforcement operates under significant resource constraints.
The Bribery Question: Why the Characterization Matters
Characterizing Retevis’s Hamcation sponsorship as “bribery” is legally incorrect and strategically counterproductive. This is a characterization made by people genuinely upset and outraged by Hamcation accepting Retevis as a sponsor. It feels bad and looks bad. This isn’t just another radio equipment company, but one that has sold products that have been recorded operating on the 70 cm ham band in open violation of FCC regulations.
Why is bribery the wrong characterization? Bribery requires offering value to influence an official act. Commercial sponsorship is transparent and a routine business practice.
Hamfests regularly accept sponsorship from vendors whose products can be used illegally. Many radios can transmit outside their authorized frequencies. Almost all of Open Research Institute’s work is done on software-defined radios that have essentially no limits on which band they can transmit on. It’s entirely up to our volunteers and experimenters to operate the equipment legally and well.
The legitimate question is one of organizational ethics. Should hamfests vet sponsors for regulatory compliance? That’s a policy discussion, not a criminal allegation.
The technical facts, like the Part 15B-only certification, the business marketing, the amateur-band defaults out of the box, are all strong enough to stand on their own.
Recommendations
For the Amateur Radio Community
Focus on regulatory facts. Document specific instances of illegal operation with time, frequency, location, and signal characteristics. This has been done and has been reported to Riley Hollingsworth. More reports are needed. File FCC complaints through the VM program (K4ZDH@arrl.net) or directly at ConsumerComplaints.FCC.gov
Understand that enforcement takes time and resources. Building a documented case history helps justify eventual FCC action.
It’s a good question as to whether or not individual amateur radio operators have a responsibility to educate businesses about licensing requirements when encountering illegal operations. It’s almost never a good idea to confront someone doing something that is illegal. Amateur radio is supposed to be self-policing, but this has almost always been taken to reinforce the idea of policing our own ranks (signals that splatter, tuning up on top of the DX station, repeater hogging), and not policing band incursions from commercial operations that might take great exception to an interruption of logistics at a construction site. If education can be done safely and corrects a genuine misunderstanding of the radio products that a warehouse or delivery service has purchased, then good. If it results in a physical confrontation or being trespassed, then not good. ORI cannot and does not recommend physically confronting people that are abusing the bands. Use email or a phone call, be professional and brief, cite the regulations, and make a report as outlined above.
For Hamfest Organizers
Consider developing sponsor vetting criteria that include regulatory compliance review. Engage constructively with community concerns about sponsor practices
For Retevis:
Obtain proper Part 90 certification for radios marketed for business use. Adjust default programming to appropriate frequencies. Specifically 450 to 470 MHz for business applications. Or clearly market 430 to 440 MHz products as amateur-only equipment.
Conclusion
The technical concerns about the RT86 have merit. The combination of Part 15B-only certification, explicit business marketing, and default programming on 430 to 440 MHz creates conditions where unsuspecting purchasers will operate illegally. This is a regulatory gap worth addressing.
The FCC has demonstrated willingness to enforce against 70cm band intrusion (Skydive Elsinore), though enforcement capacity is limited. Documented complaints through proper channels combined with realistic expectations about enforcement timelines are the most productive path forward.
Written by Michelle W5NYV, with Kenneth Hendrickson N8KH