Thank all of you for contributing your suggestions and comments to this thread. The goal of posting the initial information has been reached … notification to the Amateur Community and the generation of a healthy discourse. I encourage you to discuss this topic with others. Of particular note: KJ7BNH, WB4HIE, N4UFO, N3CB, N7KFD, KI4AX, WG7X, KI6PMD, KM4TIN, K6LPM, W1YW, KM1MT, N3HGB, K0UO, KQ6XA, W0PV, KC8VWM, WW5JS, KM1MT. Thank you for your insightful and intelligent contributions. Let me respond to a few comments made … - A few have indicated I have a problem with the sport. The answer is NO. I have an issue with unlicensed persons using Amateur Radio frequencies no matter the frequency / location. Plain and simple. - Some believe the original posting is simply a marketing method for the PPG sport. Uh huh. Ok I give … you saw right through the intent of all that was written. Dang ! - The article title should not have mentioned … the new CB Band because it denigrates CB users. Ok, maybe the title should have been .. the new 7.200 MHz of 2 meters. But then maybe that title denigrates the illegal broadcasters using that frequency ? What to do ? I personally believe the most effective approach is to “Train the Trainers”. Make the PPG Schools aware of the FCC requirements and encourage them to adhere to the law as well as include the information in the training syllabus for the PPG students. (The reason for providing a list of some of the known training schools.) Suggest for immediate use the other VHF band plans that offer unlicensed use – some for a fee and others that only require a completed application. I also believe formal notification to the PPG national organizations would be equally valuable. (Who currently holds a position of recognition and authority that should do this ?) And most of all, inviting PPG pilots to become licensed operators. K5CQA stated "...people in general have gone downhill." Yes sir .. you are absolutely on target. Society in general has deteriorated. What is worse … society in general appears to assume this is a natural consequence and everyone should be accepting of it. Well … NO. A segment of society would be shocked to learn that ‘Right is still right and Wrong is still wrong.’
These aviators just need to be encouraged to become good licensed radio operators. Stop all the negative output from our side and wave them over with a smile. They have a good fun way to promote amateur radio when they get converted to being legal operators. That way we will grow our good numbers and avoid incurring any unwanted federal assistance that we can all do without. Concerning picking on a group or hobby: What they are doing when they operate legally or illegally should have no bearing on the matter of encouraging legal operation. For example if there were a group of minorities operating illegally would you role in the fact that they were minorities operating illegally or would you just say there exists illegal operators.
I see the PG group to be very similar to the HF Packers and LandOps org's; another potential useful integration of HR with a fun outdoor recreational activity. We have the MMSN navy, the HF Pack infantry, Land OPS armor / marines, now the PG airborne . Oh, and the cosmo/astronaut space force too
I simply hate them! Because that's what we do when we disagree with someone nowadays! Demonize! Name call, then hate. Thanks, Ed
I honestly think your friend is on to something. Ham radio is all about communication and to have para-gliders in the fold could be beneficial to our hobby. Instead of casting off a group that has a ligament use for reliable communication; Maybe promoting and educating so they actual become licenced operators is the better solution. Seems the main problem is that they don't know they can cause harmful interference. Hams often provide communication for public events such a festivals, marathons and bike races for example. Who knows, para gliders might be able to provide some community service we have not identified yet.
Well yes and no. Relying on illegal use of ham frequencies for anything to do with safety of life is a stupendously bad idea. We can state that for sure. That said, imagine this scenario: You are a parasailing instructor. You got a couple of radios that work fine and you never really checked into what frequency they are on. They just work and you never hear anyone else on them. You don't even know ham radio exists. One day at the field: Instructor: Bob, turn right! You are drifting towards the power lines! Turn right! Bob hears: Bob zzzzzz Well hi everyone! This is N1ABC and W3QRT having our weekly discussion of quantum field mechanics. Well sure we haven't used FM simplex for about 30 years, but we are using it today for sure! Good thing there are no illegal operators on this freqeuncy because we would just have to talk right over them because we can and they can't stop us and we belong here. So know let us start our discussion...........blah blah..........on and on..................... Meanwhile, Bob looks like this and his widow sues the jamming hams:
Well I'm sure that the widow could find a lawyer who would take the case, and probably win based on past precedence. Sad but true... Probably. In an event like that, someone, somewhere is gonna get sued, because we all know that someone else is always to blame... Right?
I don't understand WHY can't they GMRS or FRS. In the air they can reach a long distance on those modes. Why cause problems with the LEGAL license people, I guess they like to piss people off. I think the FRS radios would be easier to use. Maybe it's time for a little kick *** and TRY to set these people straight, OR just try to be a GOOD gentleman and say hey folks PLEASE respect our hard earned license and GET one for yourself.
I'm afraid this is largely due to the recent availability of inexpensive/disposable radio equipment. If equipment had been as cheap and readily available in the business or aircraft bands, they would operate unlicensed there, just the same. Opportunity itself is motive for scofflaws.
I don't know why someone complaining about bootleggers is considered "news". No wonder we can't take that word seriously anymore. :/
It's the same carry on here in NTH IRELAND.. GB3LY was over run by cb'ers who got a FL and then abused the repeater.. songs, swearing, jamming the repeater so /M couldn't use it.. they then moved to 10m fm I think and just carried on.. Since then a flying club has been heard here on the 2m band..
There are no licenses required for airband radios in the USA anymore. The only reason I have one is for international flying and no one has ever checked. Three issues with airband: 1. It costs more. 2. There are very few frequencies appropriate for this activity. 3. VHF Airband is heavily used and interlopers are hunted down pretty quick. Goofballs on the wrong freq are not tolerated. * come to think of it, maritime mobile inside the USA no longer needs a license, MURS is an unlicensed service on what used to be freqs needing a license, FRS does not need a license, and GMRS only notionally needs one seeing as how probably well over 90% of GMRS radio users do not have one. It would be very understandable for anyone not a ham to figure any cheap handheld of any type is license free. Also see the 7.200 MHz thread, it isn't like having a license makes anyone behave any better or the FCC care any more than the 0 that they do
BOY!!! Whaddah mess HUH??? Let's put this PROBLEM RIGHT IN THE LAP OF THE FCC RULES (Part 15) in that ALL THE "CHINEE RIGS" are "BROADBANDED" and almost anywhere in the VHF/UHF BANDS THEY'LL WORK!!! How did that ever happened when there's something known as "TYPE ACCEPTANCE"??? Secondly!!! Those HTs are SOLD ON ALL OF THE MAJOR SHOPPING WEBSITES WITHOUT (PROOF of LICENSE)!!! Again, the FCC CREATED THIS SITUATION !!!
It appears (from reading their forums) that many of the Para pilots are using the more expensive Yaesu or Icom HTs. These radios are limited to the ham bands only. They like the better VHF ham HTs, and especially the ones that have bluetooth. Not so many using Baofengs, etc.
A tort predicated upon an illegal action or use would be rebuttable. An unlicensed user would be considered a contributory factor to his actions.
