(Please excuse if this got sent twice... Having some phone line problems here)
WOW.
Since I posted my upcoming public hearing to the "Tower Talk" and "Ham- Law"
reflectors, things have been really busy around here.
Overwhelmingly, two responses:
1) Get Counsel. Of course this is what you might expect from the Ham Law
reflector, but the opinion was uniform all around. (I'm new to the Ham Law
reflector, and I didn't mean that as a "jab" fella's!)
2) Don't go alone. This is the "pack the room with hams" scenario. People
had mixed feelings about this. Generally it was thought a good idea, but it
can also harm you. One ham could say something like: "I can work the world
with a 72" whip on a rain gutter". So much for your tower project.
I'd like to do both. Today is Wednesday, that only gives me 1 week.
The wheels are turning locally to try and find some legal counsel familiar
with this type of issue.
Free (I don't know how to spell pro-bono) would be nice, but not too
realistic, I think.
I'm being rather cautious in recruiting the local Ham population. I've
contacted my ARRL Section Manager (or is that Division?) and notified a few of
the ranking members of our local club. The club is MDARC -- Mt. Diablo
Amateur Radio Club. It's current roster is in the neighborhood of 500.
I thought I would be doing this alone, but it looks like I need help. I hate
that. Something about rugged individualist, self sufficient and all that rot.
Must be the way I was brought up.
I will concede however: Fighting city hall all by myself is just plain
stupid.
So why didn't I get a lawyer in September?
Because I thought it was a slam-dunk. I had worked with all my neighbors (I
publish a neighborhood newsletter, I'm the guy who organizes the neighborhood
watch, halloween patrols, etc.) and I included detailed plans of what I want
to do in several newsletter editions. I talked with people. One lady was
really concerned about phone interference, having had a horrible experience
with a ham in the past. I invited her (and her mother) over for tea and
showed them the Ham station. Worked the local repeater for them. Turned the
beam antennas (they were on a radio shack mast at the time). Fired up LOG-SAT
on the computer and showed them the current location of the MIR Space Station.
My framed R0MIR QSL Card is on the wall.
They left feeling great.
Funny how things change once the "official notice" shows up from the city.
Up until Monday, I still thought I had it in the bag.
Geeze Louise, now I'm trying to find a lawyer (of all things) in the 11th
hour.
I love amateur radio!
Best Regards,
Joe Spinosa
KF6CWX
Concord, CA
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