Comm Site Fees to Significantly Increase for Ham Radio Repeaters

Just the testing of ham equipment and feedback to manufacturers, and reporting and resolving RFI issues TO our equipment, is enough to make any ARRL membership worth it. We could be using sub-standard radios or having much worse noise issues if SOME organization wasn't looking out for ham radio. Who else could/would people support that does this?

Glenn AE0Q

 

I agree with N1IPU. If you think about it, they won't have much of a communications black out if Hams are everywhere because we can communicate no matter what. They can't shut down the millions of transmitters that are everywhere in the US and abroad because most of them are in private homes and they don't know where most of them are? Don't fear we are still in the majority!

 

Right you are. Emergency service agencies have spent billions on mutual aid between agencies. In times of emergencies hams are probably not going to be called. When was the last time anyone can remember hearing actual emergency traffic on a repeater? Yea, it happens but is is very rare. We have been reduced to providing comms for bicycle races and such..Everyone has a cell phone. The old excuse of "But we provide comms in times of emergencies" is a moot point. If your repeater system is effected by this fee increase then the system needs to be member supported. $1400 a year is not that much if you have enough users to pitch in. Yes it is more govt. money grab. I don't like it either but I am a realist....it'll happen.

 

Emergency traffic is as rare as hens teeth. Those days are gone.....Everyone has a cell phone.......

 

Cell phones are even less reliable.

 

Comment and email sent. -K0JWQ

 

Your cell phone might be fine in the city, but its useless in the backcountry and our rural communities. Which is why I always carry my HT and support my local autopatch repeater. I've used it to call home and I intend to use it if I get hurt or come upon someone hurt.

 

Public-service comms have always been far more numerous than actual emergencies. First, when the major emergency hits, like 9/11, the cell system collapses from overload. Also, that public-service communications does sometimes get vital. In the Boston Marathon a few years back, when the bomb went off, hams were stationed along the route and stopped the race, then relayed information to the runners about how to get picked up. With cell phones, it would not have been instantaneous like that.

 

Many of you voted for this. You get what you vote in.

 

??
When did any of us vote for this?

 

It's part of the Farm Bill passed in 2018 and signed by the previous President, and being implemented by the current. Blame who you choose I guess.

 

When it comes to rulemaking proceedings, yes, ARRL very much encourages hams to file their own comments. But it also very much files comments and a host of other material in support of its positions. When BPL was front and center, ARRL provided literally hundreds of pages of technical material, which ultimately persuaded enough of the industry that its forward-looking companies developed industry specifications such as HomePlug that did not use the amateur bands.

In a separate comment a bit earlier in this thread I also posted a rather lengthy list describing the highlights of the work of the ARRL Lab staff.

Here is a link that will show you far more than "a single thing" that the ARRL has done in the FCC regulatory arena. I am certain that it will be filing comments into this action as well. There is more than "a single thing" there, too.

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/fil...rs.name:(*ARRL*))&sort=date_disseminated,DESC

Look for the filings by Siddall, Imlay and Price. Many of the others are individual filings where the filer included ARRL affiliation.

Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab

 

No doubt a bill approved by a Representative and/or Senator elected in part by the actions, or inactions, of those old enough to vote.

 

who do they represent some one.........

 

All this is barking up the wrong tree. The folks you need to stir up are the folks that need your vote every election. Your Senator and Congressman. Politicians dont care about anything other than your vote and your money. Enuff need to threaten to withhold support and that will get them asking questions. Remember every email a Congress person gets is assumed to be 40 emails. Its just how the figure it. They know some are pissed but dont speak out.
FCC does not care what you think. You Congress people care about your vote.