FCC May Revise Rules Concerning Disruption to Comms During Disasters

+1 Thats dunking many sugar and chocolate donuts into very sweetened coffee.
Doing actual work besides looking important is beyond their job description; Im sure there are excellent exceptions; that dont need the sugar rush to get around with whatever method the disabled use.

I would like to see some of the world class USA contest stations set up new emcom networks on the ham bands, their antenna systems make their own propagation as I personally found out with the individually rotated and phased
4/4/4/4 on 10-20-15 and 4/4 Shorty 40 KLM back during my contest daze
Even NH to Chicago on 160 SSB at high noon with a pair of full size verticals sloping away from the big tower with elevated radials.

The warm bodies and installations are ready and available if asked.

Carl

 

We're being charged for licenses because Congress passed a law requiring it.

The fee is less than a penny a day.

And....this isn't the first time. There were fees from 1964 to 1977,and when you adjust for inflation the fees were much higher than today. (Remember that back then the license term was only 5 years).

Here's the history:

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/a-short-history-of-us-amateur-radio-license-fees.722599/

 

NPC's never understand "public airwaves"

Fee's are just telling us we have no right to the airwaves and our masters will decide. You can clearly tell who is in love with that concept here. Question is why should we pay them any mind.

 

Ham radio, the thankless hobby

 

My XYL (W8CNM) built the entire 911 system for the Florida Keys (Monroe County). She said it was a mess. Many residences had neither address numbers or street names. Before she was done, she was literally making up street names where none existed previously. If this is a microcosm for the nation's 911 system, it is in serious need of an overhaul -- and right away!

 

2 years ago I was called to a meeting at my county 911 center. Fem a was also there. That wanted me to in the HF Radio for SHTF and other things. I was signed up. Then a few weeks later I was told that I had to be on the same page as Every one else who works for the county. I was not paid! I was a volunteer. I was told I had to Join The Left Side of the Street if you know what I mean. So I quit and stayed on the Right side.

 

What does that mean?

No.

Fees (plural, not possessive, not a contraction) were imposed because Congress passed a law requiring them.

That's all there is to it.

The original fee was going to be $50 but ARRL got FCC to lower it to $35 - less than a penny a day.

Do you think everyone has a right to go on the air?

Who are "they"?


It's a bit of a hard sell that $35 is too much to pay for a ten year license when you look on various websites and see amateur radio stations with thousands of dollars worth of gear, big antenna farms, etc.

 

Oregon needs ham radio operators. Many years ago a town in Oregon was flooded and the local communications along with electricity went out. Ham radio operators with digital radio equipment helped maintain communications for the State of Oregon. That is why hams should be available for local emergency situations and events.

 

No, I don't.

 

It isn't reflective of the system as a whole; actually thousands of local systems.

 

I was hoping to see an energetic ham follow the FCC lead here and build an app that could be deployed to bridge the gap between citizens and the PSAP, to help them connect with each other when lines are down and/or the power is out. A portable, quickly deployed communications network on 5 gHz could work.

With FCC permission, hams could gather local outage reports from the telcos and set up wifi hotspots, relay needed info to broadcasters, set up a radio link to the operator of the PSAP experiencing an outage, relaying calls for assistance via radio instead of 911. I guess this is something the Cajun Navy Relief is already doing with Zello, GMRS, FRS, and CB, and the Internet.

Maybe the simplest way is best, and the Bass Boat crowd has a lock on it for now, but, "When All Else Fails" is something that will only apply to the Cajun Navy Relief effort if we don't make an effort to gain a technological edge. Of course, Bill Cross (FCC) had to something to say about that as well:

"Fundamentally, RACES is there to serve whatever purpose that the emergency management agency has for it. Because the emergency management agency decides whether it has a use for a RACES group, the rejuvenation, if it is even necessary, will have to come from the local or state organizations.

They will have to get people interested in joining their groups if they have a use for them. Some of the people I have talked to in different government agencies wonder why we still have this service, given the way that emergency communications are run and managed today."

 

I was one of the hams who worked in GOHSEP (Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emerg Prep) in Baton Rouge the day after Ida. Didn't see or hear any Cajun Navy. We did pass tons of traffic over ham radio repeaters from EOCs in areas that lost all comms including cell, FirstNet, internet, LWIN (Louisiana Wireless Information Network) and WebEOC.

Good for the Cajun Navy but their comms are a joke. Most areas they operate in cell service is down. Some might use Marine VHF but FRS/GMRS are extremely short range. No centralized dispatch, command, or tie in with EOC.

We have set up our club's comms trailer with CB, Marine VHF, GMRS, FRS, Red Cross, FEMA interop, LWIN, and of course, all ham radio frequencies from 80m thru 70cm voice and digital.

 

You're the first ham to step up and talk about moving a significant amount of traffic over repeaters after IDA. Can you approximate how many hams were involved; what kinds of traffic; how many messsages; on behalf of whom were messages passed, and; did anyone collect data about the preceding during the event? Thanks Elmer!

 

Well, having read through the comments, it's true a lot of ham operators have grey hair, some with underlying medical conditons.
On one end of the spectrum, you have what I've seen termed as whackers with dayglo vests, flashing lights, 10 radios on the
belt, 20 more in the car that shows up and a served agency wonders what to do with this person. And no, they are not God's gift
to the needs of emergency communications.

On the other end, you have the ham who has an HT, a radio with HF in the car who ask what they can do to help.
Carry water? sure. Check people in and keep a list of who is coming into a shelter? Why not? Anything that can be
done to help is a blessing. How many hams show up and become an overall part of the problem rather and a helping hand?
When I was a part of Kirkland ARES (now Kirkland Emergency Communications Team), we were activated I believe once in 10 years.
I've passed birthday messages over the NTS, and those messages are just as important as emergency communications.
If I'm in an area with no phone service and someone comes up to me and asks if I can contact their family to let them know that
the person is OK, then to me, that is service. I don't need badges, flashing lights, etc. to lend a helping hand.
I saw a story that says that due to global warming, hurricanes and storms are going to be more intense, more frequent, and cause more
damage than in past decades. This is just my opinion, but if you approach an agency and you really wish to help, you'll do whatever
they ask of you if it within your capability to do so. For me, emcomm is not helping an agency, it's helping people.
If I can contact 90 year old Aunt Mary's family in another state and let them know she's OK, to me that's being of service.
Now, that family doesn't worry, and Aunt Mary doesn't have to worry about how to let her family know her status.
It's the little things. For the Special Needs Christmas cruise, I played Santa that the kids could talk to on the radio.
I don't know if it's just me, but helping people is what emcomm should be about. If I can make a kid happy saying hello
this is Santa and asking how they are, then I'm all for it.
If I can use my station to help someone, even if it's a happy birthday or congratulations on your new license message,
then to me, that is the reason we have the spectrum we do.

With the COVID pandemic going stong still, the world is quite a different place than it was even two years ago.
Now, pile a good snowstorm (yes Winter is coming) or other local event. The question to ask is, ARE YOU READY?

It starts with YOU, then your immediate family and pets. Are you all safe and not in immediate danger? Good.
How about your neighbor? They doing OK? Fine, fine. How many have neighbors who are on oxygen or rely on other
medical services? Summer heatwave? Does your neighbor have a way to keep cool? It's not just about radio.
I'm grateful for all the things I've learned over the years and even today, I'm still learning.
Winlink, digital modes, new ways of communication, this hobby keeps evolving and that's what makes it fun.
As for me, mine, and my station, if I'm needed, I serve. If not....CQ CQ CQ DX!

73
--KD7YVV

 

Old, well, maybe by today's standards.
Fat, that's a matter of opinion.
Smelly? Depends on who you're around.
Useless? As for me, far from it.
No human being is useless.

As for "getting in the way" at EOC's. Many EOC's have included amateurs in their disater/emergency plans.
I don't think hams can just "show up" at an EOC anymore. After 9/11, security has been beefed up and you
have to have an ID card/badge issued by the agency in charge of that EOC to even access one.
This means being known to that agency. As for a Little Rascal, well, maybe someday, but a good walk and
exercise is a good thing. Now, give me my geritol and get off my lawn you young whippersnapper <GRIN>

73
--KD7YVV