There is a new sheriff in town. The FCC appoints Laura Smith to take Riley's job.

There is a new sheriff in town. The FCC has appointed Laura Smith to take Riley Hollingsworth’s former position in enforcement. The FCC’s "Special Counsel for Amateur Radio" slot has gone unfilled for 6 months thus she has a backlog of work ahead of her. Fortunately she is up to the task. Laura is a seasoned FCC veteran with a broad communications background at both the FCC and in the private sector.

The FCC has been slow to fill the position and for a while we wondered if Riley’s successor would ever be named. It looks like they were waiting for the right person. Now that Laura is on the job, let’s give her our full support. If you have an enforcement issue, she may be reached by e-mail at: laura.smith@fcc.gov

Amateur radio has always been somewhat “self policed” but when peer pressure is not enough to maintain civility, then a stronger hand is needed. The FCC has the muscle to demand compliance of the few wayward operators. We can help also. Our bands are not perfect, newer licensee’s need guidance on how to properly share the many bands, frequencies and modes of operation that we radio amateurs are privileged to use. Reach out and guide (elmer) someone so that they do not become an “enforcement” issue. That is part of elmering also; it is not just about technical items.

I know that some of you are wondering, “Is Laura a ham?” No, not yet, but she does have the study guides.

If you attend the Dayton Hamvention 2009 – May 15-17, you will have a chance to visit with her.

We welcome Laura to this position and wish her success.

73,
Terry Graves, K7FE
Editor QRZ.COM

 

Good luck to her in the new job.

She will need it when she reads the amount of emails from "Washer Women" amateurs who complain about some aspects of amateur radio. "I was on frequency first & then another amateur came along and started using it" type of thing.........Lots of petty emails she will have to wade thru making hams out to be like two school kids fighting in the playground over a baseball glove.


Tom XU7XXX

 

Seems odd that they'd appoint a non-ham to this role. Then again I'm one of those weirdos that thinks the head of the FCC should be a technologist first and a lawyer second. Silly me.

...dtw

http://sparqi.blogspot.com/

 

Maybe....just maybe

Now that we have her maybe she will try to get rid of the idiots on 14.275. Maybe she will work close with Canada and get this guy canned. There were a lot of dx stations yesterday morning, and everytime I would call at one all they could hear was this garbage disposal mouth. It is a shame that this has went on for so long with no action. The ONE AND ONLY should be the One and Only nailed to a tree..

I do however wish her the best of luck with the new career. She will need it as one of the other posters stated she will have her lunchbox full!

One suggestion that I make is to get her license and LISTEN for a while and understand what goes on. For the most part there are few problems on the bands. But like anything else you get bad apples with the good ones. The ones causing the problems have no interest in ham radio other than it being a outlet for thier crazy thoughts. When other hams try to talkover, tune over and comment...the lids win..The attention is what they are after. Ignore them and report them..

I run a small net one day a week and every evening about the start of the net we get the same old carrier...I cant imagine how the rig has held up with hours of tuning.

I have never and never will just start talking on the freq without checking first if it is in use. If we would all do that it would make it easier for all of us.

Anyways there is my 2 cents worth. And again I wish her the best as she has big shoes to fill and I am sure she will do well. I will support her in every way that I can to insure that we have a place to talk as we all enjoy. I would hope that others will do the same. If we dont all work together we will not accomplish anything. Just because she is IN CHARGE doesnt mean we have to sit back and wait for her to do something. If you hear something that is not RIGHT and we all know what that means. By all means report the lid and hope they get nailed.

God Bless everyone and Happy DX in 2009

CUL

73

http://www.drna.org

 

It's all about who is willing to work in DC.

 

Maybe as a non-ham, she's less likely to show bias or favoritism for any particular ham cliques.

 

Two questions:

1) Does your HF rig receive and transmit on frequencies other than the bolded one above?

2) If so, did you try listening for and/or calling the DX on frequencies OTHER than the bolded frequency?

The FCC has stated repeatedly that the problem with 'KFM is Industry Canada's; NOT ours. I-C's position is that he is exercising his right to free speech. As such, expect no action to be taken against him by either FCC or I-C.

Hollingsworth gave everyone sage advice when he advised us to spin our VFOs PAST the offending frequency. Don't look for that to change in the eyes of his successor.

 

My best wishes on the new position and my offer to help if I can go out to Laura Smith...KL7OF

 

A lot of DX amateurs don't know about 275.

I don't think that one frequency should be held captive by just a few people.

 

Wave the magic wand - crowd currently occupying it is disappeared.

New batch moves in; commences idiotic behavior.

Advice still holds. Use your VFO.

Google "Attention wh0ring". That's all the participants who operate on a certain frequency are doing. If the amateur community as a whole wouldn't give any of them the time of day, the problem would solve itself. And in rather short order.

 

14.275

N2RJ sez: A lot of DX amateurs don't know about 275.

I don't think that one frequency should be held captive by just a few people.
__________________
I hope that you feel the same way about the jerks who have commandered 14300. I asked them about QSYing once, and was told to perform a sex act on myself. Not a lot of difference between those so-called Maritime Mobile MORONS, who read a weather forecast once in a while and chat with their old fart buddies the rest of the time. ANY Mariner who can receive the Maritime Mobile net can PROBABLY(?) get the weather forcast elsewhere. 73, Gene

 

Excellent.

I don't believe too much in gender-based advantages, but maybe in this case she can see beyond protecting the "old boy" style of squatting on a frequency.

 

There is a new sheriff in town. The FCC appoints Laura Smith to take Riley's job.

ITS About Time & I Wish Her The Best Of Luck She Has Got Her Work Cut out for her There is a Lot Of GARBAGE ON THE BANDS TOO TAKE CARE OF! & I for 1 am Looking Forward too Seeing Some of these Fools Gotten Ride Of!

 

Riley did - witness the 'Liberty Net' proclamation in the late 90's - but it's still "business as usual" with most of the nets.

 

The FCC operates in "complaint driven" mode at present; they don't have the staff to perform proactive enforcement (IOW, monitoring). Thus, they'll act on documented instances of on-air violations.

Frankly, I'm not hearing many these days. What's a good frequency to listen for them?