ARRL Encouraging Amateurs to File Comments Opposing FCC Fee Proposal

I did the math, so....................0.416 cents a month. I reckon I'll be eating cat food?
The last 12 issues of QST took about 6 minutes each to read, cover to cover. That's a pretty rapid number 2, wouldn't you say?
Best 73 es DX de
K3BR

 

As those who have read my comments on various forums over the years will know it is clear that I am not adverse to criticizing the ARRL when it is warranted. But for the life of me I cannot understand the posts that attempt to link the ARRL or ARRL sponsored activities like contesting to the FCC fee for licensing proposal. What is the nexus? I've read the posts and it appears that any subject regarding ham radio provides some with an opportunity to league bash. The fee proposal stands on its own. Like it? Then accept it. Don't like it? Stop bashing the League and convey your objections to the FCC. It is the FCC which has proposed this, not the ARRL.

And FWIW I am, as is my wife who is also licensed, retired and on a fixed income. I would prefer, if a fee is inevitable, that it be a lesser amount. But since I have been continuously licensed for almost 63 years and my wife for nearly 30 we will pay the fee--just to be able to continue enjoying the hobby in whatever time on earth the Good Lord gives us.

 

HA if you think that will happen, I am sure you are more then willing to hand me over a couple thousand dollars to be owner of the golden gate bridge..
The fees will equal you getting the same or worse crap service from the FCC as you did when it cost you nothing. All fees go into the general fund not into the fcc fund.
NO FEES PERIOD. I for one will not be extorted to pay for something that has for the entire time I have been licensed FREE. I will radio for FREE one way or another with a license or as a pirate.

 

The correlation is that ARRL claims to be the national representative for the amateur radio service in the US, implying that there are no others. If their claim is true, they would consequently have a unique and pressing responsibility to the service to be out front on regulatory and legislative issues, providing timely and relevant feedback to the regulatory agency and/or to the congress, and pushing back either when either one proposes changes that are potentially adverse to the service.

Since they long ago lost (or gave up) their ability to do that, they attract criticism in the forums for failing to do so, and they similarly attract a very small proportion of licensees to their membership rolls.

 

That speaks volumes of your lack of character.

 

Don't you just love the displays of good citizenship?

 

Here in Maine a regular drivers license for under 65 is $30 for six years. I think I can handle $5 per year amateur fee.

 

There is no proposal to have any sort of yearly fee, the fee is an application fee only. The fee would be the same if our licenses expired each year, or lasted a lifetime.

There is no upside for hams to have this proposal go into effect, it can only be a detriment to our hobby.

 

I'LL TEACH 'UM ALL A LESSON!

I'LL GIVE UP HAM RADIO!

THAT'LL LEARN UM...IT WILL!

 

K8TDN, I ditto your comments. A very small price to pay for such a great hobby.

 

a lot of whining going on...i should have brought some cheese and crackers to this forum..........whether you like it or not there are people whom are ok with the fees and there people who are not ok with it......for those of you who dont care and it means nothing to you to dole out money for a hobby that was and is still free, fine im ok with that ..........but for those of us whom are not ok with the fees we need to speak up and write those we supposedly have our backs , oh wait we are a self policing hobby , a self advertising hobby, everything about this hobby says ourselves........so we are to assume that we ourselves should be the ones to blame if this goes thru, and you know it will. We look to others for our voice but if we are a self polcing and a self advertising...then it ourselves whom is too blame.......speak now or forever hold your peace............

 

You are off by a factor of a hundred.

Try to do it again with fingers and toes.

 

Both? At the same time? Damn, that’s harsh.

 

Pretty sure he meant 41.6c per month.

 

A $50 fee that you pay every 10 years "can only be a detriment to the hobby"...really? I think more people will be put off by the excessively expensive equipment than anything else.

If you have thousands of dollars in equipment sitting around your shack, and you are whining about a little $50 licensing fee, you should really be embarrassed. Seriously...for the cost of one low end U/V mobile, you can pay for a license for 3 or 4 decades...lol