Rob,
I agree with you 100%! We all need to keep operating or we will eventually
lose our privileges and our bands.
The mindset our society is moving toward is minority group rights trump the
majority individual (property) rights. Don't like what your neighbor is
doing on his property? Form a Home Owners Association and run him out.
Over the last 30 years they have perfected this by putting HOA contracts
place before the first houses are even sold.
Our numbers of active HF operators continues to shrink and the average age
of licensed hams continues to climb mostly because of limitations on their
homes blocking activity. Nearly all the people I've recruited to get a ham
license in last 20 years have never operated HF from their home because they
live in restrictive neighborhoods.
With property rights becoming a thing of the past, it's only going to get
worse if we don't operate on the air.
73, de ed -K0iL
TV is just entertainment. Amateur Radio is a licensed Radio Service.
-----Original Message-----
From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rob Atkinson
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 4:40 PM
To: rfi@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RFI] VDSL (very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line)
All well and good working with ARRL and neighbors but hams need to grow
spines and quit tucking their tails between their legs and capitulating to
neighbors who due to irrational psychology, seem to think watching TV or
some other appliance use is a birthright, but ham radio is just an optional
play-time activity with some toys.
This comes out for example with antennas, and the deplorable use of hidden
"stealth" antennas to appease neighbors, as if the ham is in the Resistance
in WW2 or is engaged in some illegal activity, or has a
spy station. It is exceedingly disappointing that the use of these
antennas is promoted in ham magazines such as CQ and QST, complete with
glowing reports of satisfied owners, as if these are excellent and
satisfactory antennas in the fullest sense. If I were counsel representing
plaintiffs against a ham, all I would need to do is round up dozens of these
articles and present them to a jury and I'd easily win. I am absolutely
nonplussed every time QST or CQ hands municipalities yet another article to
use against us. Every one of those articles should carry a prominent
disclaimer to the effect that these antennas are most unsatisfactory and are
only presented to be used as a temporary measure in the belief that any
antenna is better than none at all.
But, as for RFI, a ham curtailing his mode/power/hours in any way makes as
much sense as the neighbor curtailing his TV watching.
73
Rob
K5UJ
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