Does using free commercial solar panels disqualify us from using the amateur bands?
It depends. The issue is compensation (pecuniary interest). As long as you meet all amateur requirements, then using freely donated hardware (or software) and sharing what you learn as an amateur is fine. Implicit understandings that you will share data shouldn’t be a problem so long as the sharing isn’t a condition of the donation, which would be a form of compensation. Free will donations have made many satellites and on-board experiments possible. Free will donations, by definition, are always made with no expectation of anything in return. Indeed, a written record of the donation may be helpful; even necessary. USA: If donation value (cash or in-kind) exceeds $250, IRS requires that the donor be given a receipt. At the same time, no data may be hidden. Remember, amateur transmissions must be in the clear and, therefore, open to reception by anyone. Q9: We are building a satellite that will have transmitters and receivers on both amateur frequencies and commercial frequencies. We pl
