Where's the BEEF?

Yeah, here we go again. Ok, someone, an OO, I believe, said the thing for us to do is to help the OO's build legal cases against jammers and bootleggers. Someone else pointed out that the cost of such legal maneuvering can grossly exceed the possible fines. I dunno about anyone else here, but I think I pay enough in taxes already. If the 1000$ fine costs 10000$ to levy, then I'd rather not se it levied.
The OO's have a lousy job. Their principle function is to police the ham bands for rules infractions by licensed operators. Imagine my blood pressure when I got a pink slip for my transmitter over-deviating while discussing with another ham what should be done to an unlicensed operator who had begun talking to his teenage buddies on 146.420. I made this point clear when responding to the pink slip, but I was resoundingly told the issue was MY signal, not that of the unlicensed operator. Ok, cool, I'm an adult. I can understand this. So, if the OO's are not really able to do anything to unlicensed operators, then who is?
Around these parts we've got some vigilantes that HAVE actually DFed such signals, confronted the operators, and threatened them with various legal and civil penalties. Whether this brand of frontier justice actually works is a matter of personal opinion.

 

Hello.
It is wrong for others to abuse bands that hams use. We took our tests and studied hard to get our tickets. I myself never heard illegal transmissoins in my area, but there were a few in the repeater system months ago. We were not able to track him down, but we just got a first name. It was going on for about 2 weeks before it stopped. My friends would keep telling me that before they transmitted on ham frequencys, they would just use my callsign, but I told them they better not or ill kick their butts. Im talking them into getting their licenses so we can talk back and forth without tieing up the phone and have it for a hobby. The FCC should pay more attention to the ham radios and have them send fines to the people who have been doing illegal transmissions. If you know who is using your callsigns, and they happen to have an antenna sticking out somewhere, go over there and break it down and just tie both wires together, so the next time they Transmit, it will hopefully fry his equipment.

 

Gentlemen:
Terroristic threats, assault, trespassing and destruction of property are not
in the acceptable realm of "self policing".
Please be aware of the example you are setting.
Thanks, WT0A

 

It all comes down to money... FCC has none to go out and find or look in to it.

 

Have read the posts in this topic with interest, and I have to say that I have NEVER heard unlicenced operation and NEVER heard profanity on the amateur bands in the USA. The only time I heard unlicenced operation was whilst visiting London, England.
Admittedly, I have only been a ham since January, but since getting my ticket, I have found hams to be helpful, courteous, friendly and totally professional. From my point of view, the problems in your area seem to be isolated and extremely unusual.
73
James Fairhurst KG4RAT kg4rat@callsign.net

 

I agree, with budget cuts and the cost of poliecing the airwaves the FCC has alot on their plate. The concept of a self poliecing group will work but it will take time. If we as individuals or a group on a regular freq. will take the time to conduct ourselves in the proper manner and sprit of Ham radio you have nothing to worry about.
73'ssssssssssssssssssss....Tom

 

FYI for all us hams......

Florida Citizens Band enthusiast William "Rabbit Ears" Flippo will spend the next 15 months in federal prison and have to pay a $25,000 fine for jamming Amateur Radio communications and transmitting without a license. Flippo was convicted in federal court earlier this year on eight misdemeanor counts. The sentence is believed to be a record for convictions of this type.

Federal District Court Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley imposed the sentence August 29 on Flippo, of Jupiter. He had been found guilty June 19 of four counts of operating without a license and four counts of deliberate and malicious interference. Flippo has remained in custody since the guilty verdict and underwent a psychiatric evaluation prior to sentencing. It's not clear if he will get credit for time already served. The judge also said he wants a full financial disclosure from Flippo, who may face other legal actions unrelated to his radio operation convictions.

At the sentencing, Flippo reportedly wept, said he'd turned over a new leaf and claimed he was sole support for his wife and two daughters. None of his family members was in the courtroom for the sentencing, however.

The judge was not persuaded, telling Flippo, 60, that he was old enough to have considered the consequences of his actions. Hurley also alleged numerous incidents of perjury during the course of Flippo's testimony during his June trial, which ran six-and-one-half days. The jury took about a half hour to determine that he was guilty on all counts.

According to trial testimony, Flippo primarily had targeted members of the Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group for jamming and regularly interfered with amateur operations, especially on 10 and 2 meters, over an approximately three-year period. Following up on the amateurs' complaints, personnel from the FCC's Tampa District Office visited the Jupiter area at least twice in 1999 and reported tracking the offending signals to Flippo's residence.

Flippo had faced a maximum of eight years in prison--one year on each count--and up to $80,000 in fines. Available opinions were mixed on whether the sentence Hurley imposed was appropriate. Ed Petzolt, K1LNC, who assisted the FCC in gathering evidence and, at one point, had his car rammed by Flippo's vehicle, said he felt Flippo should have received at least three years.

"I thought it was a slap on the wrist," said Petzolt, the 1999 ARRL International Humanitarian Award winner who also testified at the trial. John Criteser Jr, KC4JLY, agreed. "I think he should have gotten more--at least five years," Criteser said outside the courthouse. Other amateurs who attended the sentencing session, including Jupiter-Tequesta club member Bert Moreschi, AG4BV, were satisfied with the penalty, however.

Flippo requested that he be incarcerated at Florida's Eglund Air Force Base, but the decision on where he'll spend his sentence is up to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Flippo's federal trial was twice postponed last year after he argued successfully that serious health problems would prevent him from participating. He was unsuccessful, however, when he tried the same tactic during a hearing earlier this year to determine if he was capable of standing trial.

Last year, Flippo was convicted in state court of criminal mischief--also a misdemeanor--after ramming Petzolt's vehicle. He was sentenced to a year's probation and ordered him to dispose of any radio equipment in his possession. A ban on possessing radio gear also had a condition of his federal bond, which Hurley subsequently revoked during the trial.

Federal authorities arrested Flippo in July 2000. The criminal charges of which he now stands convicted covered violations allegedly committed between June 1999 and April of 2000. The defendant already faces a $20,000 fine levied in 1999 for unlicensed operation, willful and malicious interference to Amateur Radio communications, and failure to let the FCC inspect his radio equipment.

Hurley ordered Flippo immediately back into custody to start serving his sentence. Flippo reportedly was led into and out of the courtroom in shackles and leg irons.

 

I guess I have been on both sides of the FCC. Once to help a very scared blind ham explain why he was about 10kc below the Novice band(he was running a Viking xmtr and a Hammerlund xcvr).

Just recently I went to the FCC about interference on the aircraft band. They said if I could get the frequency, signal strength, location of the transmitter, times of the interference, what form of modulation is used, and a recording of the offending signal, they would be right out to check things out. I just said that if I knew all of that I would have taken care of the problem my self!!

Larry....WA6KQD