I worry a bit that we are obtaining a "chicken little" reputation with the
FCC and the media because of poor management or planning of our responses. I
think we did not plan our strategy very well from the perspective of how we
are perceived.
First, showing someone how bad interference is in a mobile only proves
something that can serve millions might bother a few thousand people with a
hobby. What we tend to forget is even amateurs are communicating more and
more via other media (like Internet) and less via radio! Internet is very
important, much more so than amateur radio is.
To the non-amateur view, everyone does the same thing. Wireless operators
talk to people over large distances, and so do Internet users. There is NO
difference except more data is available on Internet.
What we should be doing is stressing how important radio is when emergencies
happen, now how BPL affects the DX we work! No one will care about DX or
counties except amateurs. Everyone will care about emergency communications,
ESPECIALLY if it includes military and government services.
If I were going to drive a reporter around, I'd have tuned in the HF
aircraft bands used by airlines or military communications. I'd have tuned
in SW BC stations, or had something on the Red Cross low-VHF frequencies or
CAP frequencies. I'd have shown SOME amateur stuff, but I sure would not
have made it the focus because our general communications AREN'T that
important to the common man.
We need to think about what we are doing here. We may be causing amateur
radio much more harm than good by highlighting the fact our overall "hobby
communications" MIGHT be bothered by BPL. Who the hell cares about that
except us?
I'd back up and regroup, and focus over and over again on how it hurts the
public....NOT us. If we don't do that, everyone might decide we are the
problem. This is not a #1 technical nation so far as the mainstream
population is concerned, and it is getting less knowledgeable as time
passes. Amateur radio is dumbing down technically as a percentage of
amateurs who understand the overview of how radio works, and the general
population certainly is!!!
We'd better focus on how it affects the population, not us.
73 Tom
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