If the satellites required some sort of technical ability to work you might have a point. You can't complain when a repeater is placed in orbit such that a 25 dollar radio is all it takes, then complain those dam 25 dollar radios are interfering. Let's be honest here, current amateur satellites are just expensive cb radios. Rege
And in this thread we learn who some of the homicidal maniacs are. Shooting at a HUMAN BEING because you dont like what radio he's talking on. Wow. Rege
I would take exception to your comments here. Nodes and hotspots are considered "auxiliary stations" and are allowed in the vast majority of the 2M spectrum. They are not any more legal or illegal in the spectrum where they are allowed than simplex use. They are not prohibited from operating on repeater input or output frequencies, as long as they are not creating interference. They are allowed to be automatically controlled, so they can be as unattended as a beacon or repeater, which can also operate under automatic control. There are some that operate in areas not authorized to aux stations, and these are simply illegal. But there is no reason an unused frequency on 2M cannot be used for these purposes, as long as it is in the aux subband.
You have suggested a very positive way to deal with the situation. And, one that does not pit one group of users against the other, if handled properly. As others have said, in previous posts, the Ham Bands are (supposed) to be 'self policing.' And, historically, that what was done. However, IMO, the definition and meaning of 'self policing' has, for some, changed over time. Self policing used to mean that a Ham, or bunch of Hams (club), would make recordings, triangulate the offenders location, obtain a name, address, call (if possible) and otherwise do the necessary investigative work to build a dossier on the individual. The dossier would then be handed over to the FCC in a formal complaint. Self policing does not mean calling the FCC and complaining about 14.313 or about the Good Buddies' language up on 80 meters. As we all know the FCC does not have the budget or man power to perform the investigations. And, generally speaking, the FCC does not go looking for offenders on the Ham Bands. But, if a group of Hams start complaining, makes numerous complaints, and supplies the FCC with a Dossier on the offender(s) and their egregious behavior then it is more likely the FCC will respond. The proverbial 'squeaky wheel' gets the grease. Dan KI4AX
Just goes to show that the old adage about nothing new in the universe is really new is itself very true. If you have been on QRZ long enough you might remember this subject coming up years ago. Nothing was done then and nothing will be done now either. I'm not saying that the OP is wrong, because he isn't. The problem then and now is simply that posting a thread on a website accomplishes nothing. The FCC have apparently given up on amateur radio enforcement. We are supposed to be " self policing"? We cannot do that now with licensed hams, how in the world are we supposed to "police" unlicensed individuals? Vigilante operations? Mass protests in the front yard? Neither option will work. The ready availability of cheap handhelds has probably made this problem worse, but it's not a new problem and we still haven't got a viable solution. Sorry for this contribution to thread drift...
That sounds like a better approach than unloading your Remington 12 gauge in their direction. Just like CBers, there are a certain percentage of these guys who like to play with radios. Why not tap into that potential pool and find the guys who might make good hams? My first confirmed radio contact was as a kid playing with a Radio Shack walkie talkie, a friend and I were QRMing a St. Louis MO high powered CBer named "Moondog". He actually came back to us and told us kids to get off of his channel ;-) My reaction: Wow, this thing actually works!
One of the purposes of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is to discourage unlicensed operation on radio waves whether its top band (160m) or UHF (70 cms ) Join today ! It costs only about £5 per month to join. See their website~~ just type in RSGB to google search. (from Brian de GW0GHF. Wales, UK)
So there are taxis, tow trucks and Chinese food delivery guys being dispatched on 2m and we need a long and scathing indictment of an entire sport? 2m has long been an opportune target for people who want cheap communications and don't want licensing hurdles. This has way less to do with paramotoring than it does with the virtual discontinuation of enforcement by the FCC not only in the amateur spectrum but in LMR, broadcasting and other services. I am less offended by a few adrenaline junkies using 2m than by the licensed operators who make a zoo out of the band. I agree with WB0RIO that extending an olive branch in the form of an invitation to help them get a license is a much better route than jumping up and down waving your fists in the air. My wife took online tests for less than a week (20 minutes per day or about 2 hours total) and managed a respectable passing score on the tech exam. She admits to knowing nothing but she memorized the answers and is legal. If these guys are smart enough to fly around under a bed sheet with a motor on a backpack and not kill themselves they can easily pass the tech exam.
Aha. So now you see that there are people who take amateur radio way too seriously. It is a hobby. I figured that out when I saw an add for actual ham radio operator badges in an amateur publication. Badges? Really? We are not so special and there are a lot bigger problems in the world than sports enthusiasts of one sort or another using 2m to talk to each other. Paramotoring actually sounds like fun and if they don't have people who are uptight and potentially homicidal among them maybe it is a more relaxing hobby than amateur radio.
I bet they are all using 40$ Baofeng's up there ! & yes they should be on VHF air band so they don't end up in the intake of a fast mover ! & listen there & use MURS or FRS or GMRS ! I hope they fly better then they THINK !!! 73
"They" are too busy playing whack-a-mole with FM band pirates in Miami or the NYC area. If you read the Enforcement Bureau notices, that's about all they have listed, unless it's a TV or Radio station not keeping a log book or running less power than they're supposed to.
A few points: 1. I have never ever heard anything like this. If this is common, I assume we have recordings? 2. Air band radios are not ideal for coordinating with ground crews besides for being expensive. 3. 2 Meters FM seems dead most places. If we actually do have all these people that want to use 2 meters, why not recruit them? 4. I am a pilot and I think I would notice if powered parachute use was "exploding". Outside of an airshow, I rarely see these things.
