Maybe Dick Smith Electronics are selling a wind-up doll, one of those where you pull the string and it says
"AAAGH! That was a totally useless broadcast! And I never used the term Affordable Safety! AAAGH!"
Anyway, maybe the publicity might eliminate the problem.
As far as the regs go, it is a complicated business. Licensing of all communications devices is the domain of the Australian Communications Authority, and the Radiocommunications Act of 1992 is one of the prime pieces of legislation. Transceivers operating on the aeronautical band are covered under a couple of licensing methods, a Class licence and an Apparatus licence. If you want some light reading, wade through the following available on the ACA website:
Radiocommunications (Aircraft Station) Class Licence 2001. .Aeronautical Licence Information Paper. .Aircraft Licence Information Paper
<a href="http://www.aca.gov.au/legal/licence/class/aircraftstation.htm" target="_blank">[/URL. .<a href="http://http://www.aca.gov.au/publications/info/aero.htm" target="_blank"></a>. .[URL=http://www.aca.gov.au/publications/info/aircraft.htm]</a>
The different licences cover equipment installed or used in aircraft and ground stations. A couple of key points 1) the operator of equipment not installed or used on board an aircraft must hold an Aeronautical Licence and 2) under all the regulations, all transmissions must be identified, either by registration markings, the registration assigned by a sport aviation body or other assigned callsign. Also, it is my understanding that under the Radiocommunications Act you cannot have in your possession equipment capable of transmitting, unless either you hold a licence applicable to that equipment, or it is covered under a particular regulation that does not require a licence eg. garage door openers, baby room monitors etc. In a nutshell (if I've got it right!), you can't use a handheld away from an aircraft unless you hold (or belong to an organisation that holds) an Aeronautical Licence, and all transmissions must be identified. Offences are covered under the Radiocommunications Act.
This is my understanding of it all, but to get the good oil ring the ACA's Central Office and ask to speak to someone in the Standards and Compliance group.
P_B a.k.a. Bush Lawyer <img src="wink.gif" border="0">