On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:10:26 -0400, "Eugene Zimmerman" <ezimmerm@erols.com>
wrote:
> Secondly you should make your rover as inconspicuous as possible. That
> can't
> be the case for a run and shoot rover but a rover that stops and sets up
> can
> often have the antennas collapsed to the point that from a distance it
> looks
> like a few bags of oats for the family horse or some fertilzer for the
> garden. I guarantee you will be hassled by the authorities who know nothing
> of amateur radio or roving. If you are in a car covered with neon stipes
> and
> you are wearing a yellow safety vest, what are you going to do when you are
> approached by the local sheriff?
>
I've been a police officer for 12 years, first at a local department now for
the state police. I've never had occasion to encounter a rover at work, nor
do I know anyone else that has, so I guess some of my advice is colored by
the fact that I know what ham radio and roving is, but I think it'll work.
Rovers for the most part are hardly inconspicuous. A little retro
reflective tape on the back and a safety vest aren't going to hurt anything,
even in the eyes of the local constabulary. Lots of people have that stuff,
from landscapers to the cable company, so it's not that out of place. Just
get a little bit of the red and white stuff they stick on semi trailers.
The suggestions that Les posted are pretty good if you plan on operating
from the side of the road. Even on a well lit road with light clothing,
drivers won't see you until it's too late to stop after dark. But I agree
with Gene that you shouldn't tape up your rover to the point that it looks
like a fire truck or stick a ton of reflective logos on it - that makes you
look like a nut. Avoid flashy lights - if you feel you must, one or two
LEDs or strobes toward the rear is more than enough. If your rover or storm
spotting car looks like a UFO landed when you park, well, you look like a
nut. Again, think "cable TV truck" or "news van" not "fire engine." Police
officers have to discourage the nuts that go out and try to "help" us - we
had one on I-290 last winter that had his car all lit up like Christmas. He
meant well (some don't), but it's dangerous for a lot of reasons.
Basically, you want to keep the cops from thinking you're "that guy." Don't
be "that guy." :-)
Now where I disagree with Gene is with making your rover so inconspicuous
that you look like you're hiding what you're doing. That will make "the
man" suspicious. It would make me suspicious, and I know what ham radio
is. My good buddy N9IFG already posted and he had a decent setup - no crazy
lights on the van, but couple of small ham radio signs in the windows that
he downloaded and printed from the ARRL. Everyone has heard of ham radio,
so if you get approached and have a "ham radio" sign on the window or ham
radio license plates, that offers up a reasonable explanation before you
even have to say anything. If you happen to see the fuzz approaching,
giving a friendly wave is a sign that you're probably not up to something -
criminals rarely invite the police over to chat. Some people have suggested
keeping a copy of your license handy - that's a good idea, too. For
heaven's sake, don't hastily pack up to leave at the first site of a cop car
- that _really_ says you're up to something.
That being said, there are places you really can't operate from...
Overlooking the approach or takeoff area of an airport is a no-no these
days, much to the dismay of aviation buffs, and other "security sensitive"
places like near nuclear power plants, for example. That has more to do
with 9/11 than ham radio - everyone gets chased out of there. (To those of
you that say, "Duh - who would go there?!?" Could be in the excitement of
hearing the band open up someone just didn't pay attention to where they
were, or maybe they just didn't know.) Private property when the owner
wants you removed and parks after closing without a permit are some other
ones. Again, everyone gets chased out of there, so that has nothing to do
with you personally or the 5-0 not understanding ham radio. You're
harmless, yes, but if I let you stay there then the next person who's not so
harmless might see you and think it's okay. Or some concerned citizen would
see the next not-so-harmless person and figure "well, the cops didn't do
anything last time..." and not call it in. Dangerous places are out, too -
you might be on the shoulder, but maybe you're just over the crest of that
hill and nobody can see you. The shoulder of the Interstate is right out.
Otherwise, if people can see you okay, you're off the roadway (or you're on
a side street), and parking isn't prohibited, knock yourself out.
Law enforcement is like anything else, though. We have the good (the vast
majority), the bad (a very few), and the ugly (me HI HI). If you encounter
someone that's rude or otherwise treating you badly, go with the program but
also complain to a supervisor - just don't try to do it right then, wait at
least until the encounter is over and call or head to the PD.
73! Chris N9YH
--
Chris Burke
chris@n9yh.com
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