Become the chairman for the HOA's Architectural Review Committee...start handing out $10.00 and $20.00 bills
That's an insulting, uncalled-for statement. In many states, the majority of available and affordable are in HOA communities.
What if they can't afford it? I'm really tired of arrogant hams looking down at people who can only afford HOA housing.
Please - ENOUGH. Keep it civil, on topic, or the thread will have to be closed. Let's all just get along, shall we? Thanks Dave W7UUU
Obviously you do not plan to live in the North (where you can't comfortably sit outside half the year), just as some do not plan to live in an HOA. lol
Who cares about what some HOA says? If you're independently wealthy enough to live anywhere, you might also be rich enough to just buy a few large lots of land well outside city limits (or maybe a private island), and set up your remotely operated antenna sites and stations there. Then operate your remote station from a comfy sofa in your (HOA controlled) penthouse condo balcony, private hospital bed, or deck chair on your yacht. XYL can use your private jet to fly to her favorite shopping locales. So you can live anywhere. Realistically, some people have slightly more restrictive budgets, or employment, or family, or medical care requirements, etc. (but still want to play with radios).
I live in a HOA by choice. Very nice neighborhood, easy access to medical care, fabulous biking, hiking, snowshoeing, low crime and even great food. I can walk to the grocery store. Plus, it is an easy to maintain home. Perfect for aging in place. Almost all newer developments here in the Madison area are either HOA or tightly limited with CCRs. Not a lot of wiggle room if we wanted a new house and staying with our current health care. Before buying, I negotiated putting up a flag pole antenna, which is now on the air. It is not ever going to be a world beater, but is good enough for me to have some fun. I greatly enjoy ham radio, but it is just one of the things I do. My suggestion is to fully weigh the advantages of a location against ham pursuits. Each of us has a different balance point in that decision process. Good enough to have fun hits it for me. I also do portable HF stuff. I enjoy shop time. There are many paths for enjoyment within ham radio beyond having a top shelf HF antenna. We downsized. Yes, I could have pushed for a home without the antenna restrictions, but that would have put us into a older home with the attendant maintenance issues. I had to balance that against our desire to travel. Easy maintenance won big time. Balance. Jim KF9VV
I think it is called due diligence. Example, renting an apartment in the building next door to the community microwave antenna system,. No one noticed the inverted V between the guy lines. Purchasing lot #1 and the land next door that is not in the subdivision or city limits. Putting all antenna on that land. HOA did not exactly like it. I also turned down annexation by my city. Right now I only use wire antenna. I doubt most neighbors can find them. Your HOA could use RF safety next. Any antenna could require a report signed off by a P.E. . I happened to like towers. Retired wireless engineer. I bet I have heard ever reason one can think of to oppose a tower or a small cell on a light pole! One of the best tests we were required to run was a balloon test. We flew a helium balloon at proposed heights. Photo simulations were also powerful tools. People are scared of the unknown. A tower that is shielded by trees is often overlooked. I think the fall zone should be contained within my property. Same with safe RF levels. Neighbors should be safe working up against the property line. MY opinion. At this point ever city, county and state understand towers very well. I suspect some HOA restrictions are driven by the city you live in. Our towns provide a boiler plate that is suggested. Good luck if you have to "sell" your antenna system to the HOA. Seem I watch a TV comedy on what not to do ! LOL
I heard a guy on the air who had done just that. He bought a strip of land from a farm that abutted his property, having cleared everything with a real estate lawyer. The neighbors mostly did not notice, and in any case could do no more than gripe. Balance (thanks, KF9VV): their gripes did not equal his enjoyment of an effective antenna system.
I concur on RF safety limits and fall zone both remaining within the licensees property. There is a consulting firm up here that made quite a nice business out of selling wireless zoning guidelines to municipalities.
I like these guys. They remind me of "Click and Clack", the Car Talk guys who used to be on NPR. One of them even laughs like one of the Car Talk guys. I escaped from an HOA in 4-land (specifically Garner, N.C.) and moved to the little town of Pahrump, Nevada a couple of years ago. Nobody in this town gives a fat rat's rectum what you do. When I moved in I asked my landlord if he minded if I put up a few ham radio antennas. His response: "I don't care what you do as long as nobody gets hurt." YESSSSSS! Life is good. I now have a hexbeam and a couple of verticals in the air and more are coming soon. Many fine hams here in Pahrump and over in Las Vegas and Henderson, too.
Pity that you have to deal with these HOA restrictions. I (PAĆTVI) fought the local authorities for two and a half year, even went to court (and won) based on the text below: freedom of speach and right of gathering information. After court ruling the authorities wouldn't cooperate, went to the media: TV, newspapers, local radio. But in the end it worked and tower (top of antenna/vertical 21,5 meters / 70 ft) permitted. Maybe time to all get organized and seek it higher up than those HOA's and get them overruled. TV clip is in Dutch and Frisian language, but gives an impression. https://www.omropfryslan.nl/nieuws/...ng-van-gemeente-ik-lig-er-s-nachts-wakker-van European Convention on Human Rights Article 10. - Freedom of expression 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. 2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
Unfortunately , Dave; the ZED has its fair share of over-sensitive individuals who take offense easily. Not a good trait to work in law enforcement.