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Wicker, Blumenthal co-sponsor S.1685, Senate version of Amateur Radio Parity Act

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by K4FMH, Jun 30, 2015.

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  1. K4FMH

    K4FMH Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Due to the lobbying efforts of the ARRL and licensed amateurs in Mississippi, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) has co-sponsored a Senate version of H.R. 1301 with Richard Blumenthal, (D-CT) called the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015. It is S.1685 and located here. This bipartisan effort greatly increases the chances that this legislation will become law in the near future. See the ARRL announcement here and Senator Wicker's press release here. Stay tuned as these two bills are heard in their respective Committees. Good work, ARRL!
     
  2. NU4R

    NU4R XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Too much, too little, too late!

    US Senator Roger Wicker said, " “This could be accomplished without taking any jurisdiction away from homeowners associations and would protect neighborhood aesthetics.”

    HOA's have WELL ENTRENCHED CC&R's and precedence for any fairytale bill to have even AN OUNCE of bite in the issues amateur radio operators have faced in their foolish attempts to move into a HOA regulated communities, constructing even the most meager of hidden antennas. And, with the FIRST complaint of interference...it's bye-bye "flagpole" antenna!

    Secondly, will someone PLEASE explain to me exactly why active hams, and especially those desiring even reasonable happy-happy-joy-joy on HF...or otherwise...CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO THESE WELL ENTRENCHED DEED RESTRICTED COMMUNITIES!!!! WHY?!?!?

    I'm telling ya'll RIGHT NOW that the HOA scenario in places like "The Villages" in Central Florida or Kings Grant in Clermont,FL has more clout than the entire legislative force in the Sunshine State! (Just ask NP2CB!)

    Nevertheless, good luck ARRL, Mr Blumenthal and Wicker! At least your efforts will be recognized come re-election times by ham radio HOBBYIST'S!Arrogance killed the "Radio Star" folks and contrary to Mr. Wicker's reference to the aftermath of Katrina...coming upon A DECADE AGO...communication infrastructures have changed in local, state and national emergency management scenarios, and wrong or right, these very same entities have succeeded in pushing the amateur radio service out the front doors PSAP's and Comm Centers.

    Or, maybe hams get themselves a little once janitors closet in EOC's and that's IF the operators can gain access AT ALL!

    My personal LAST experience in disaster relief came in the form of heading into the debris field 2 days after Super-Storm Sandy in October 2012...and simply to help the friends of 50 years in their recovery.
    Now, what do ya'll think about amateur radio "emergency preparedness[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]" when, to get a message to my XYL in Florida, I have to go through Rooney, 6Y5RP on 14.300...because THROUGHOUT Central NJ...there isn't a single coordinated VHF/UHF net scenario to be found. (And, I'd PLENTY of communication equipment to find one...I assure you!) Plenty of the typical banter and chatter on the operating machines and simplex from Toms River, NJ to NYC, to Atlantic City, Cape May to Philadelphia.[/FONT]

    [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The aftermath of Super-Storm Sandy, in present day, is TRULY representative of the state of amateur radio "emergency preparedness" in this country, don't kid yourself folks! All this bugle blowing by the ARRL and two members of the government is nothing more than a punchline to a bad joke about US...because in the end...we are NOW considered nothing more than a flaming bunch of communication HOBBYISTS! And, us HOBBYISTS will never see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to circumventing CC&R's and stepping on the toes of HOA board members who've little use for remembering the traditions of what we once were.[/FONT]

    [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In end, and referring to my QTH, not physical address, per the map feature on QRZ, is there any question why I live where I do? I'll be forever SMH as to WHY anyone would really want to live in the likes of the pestilence that IS an HOA community!

    73![/FONT]
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2015
  3. W4HM

    W4HM XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    The biggest reason that hamateur radio operators have in the past and continue to this day move into housing communities with CC&R's and HOA commies is mostly due to the fact that that's pretty much all that's available nowadays. If you buy a home in an older neighborhood without CC&R's and HOA's you end up with a crack den or grow house as a neighbor.

    I live in a nice subdivision that's clean and safe and built in the late 1980's with no outside antenna CC&R's and commie HOA here in central Florida but it took me more than one year of regular searching to find it. It's a rare bird indeed in Florida.

    Just my 2 cents on the issue.

    73,
    Thomas F. Giella W4HM
    Lakeland Highlands, FL
     
  4. KC9UUM

    KC9UUM Ham Member QRZ Page

    Agree with Mr. Giella.

    The problem is the proliferation of these associations. Once mainly found in gated communities and such, HOAs are becoming much, much more common. Most new developments have one before the first load of supplies is dropped off from the lumber yard. I live in one. I moved in before I was licensed, but even if it were after, I really wouldn't have had a whole lot of choice. Sure, I could find a place without one- if I wanted a 3 hour commute to work, and now didn't care at all about uprooting my children from the excellent school district I happened to land in (was not a thought back when I bought) and all of their friends.

    Fortunately for me, the board in my association is pretty easy-going. The people complaining about the board are the ones that nobody wants to live next to anyways- the house that hasn't seen a drop of paint in 15 years, trees sprouting form the gutters, yard mowed every other month because the weeds are starting to look like trees, don't bother picking up after the dogs- you get the picture. As long as you're at least making an effort to keep the place looking nice, they leave you alone. Now, if I wanted to put up some massive HF antenna, they might say otherwise; then again, so would the XYL, and that can be worse to deal with than the worst of HOA boards. :D For those that live in associations with self-important, self-righteous board members that are happy to levy fines for so much as having a few blades of the wrong style of grass in the yard, or last years' model of lawn furniture, I'd argue not being able to put up an antenna is the least of your concern.

    Again, the problem here is how common this is becoming. It's only going to get worse, so these issues need to be dealt with now. The exemptions for DBS and such won out because those restrictions, due to the rise of HOAs, started affecting a larger and larger portion the general public (not to mention the DBS, WISP, etc. companies). Very few people have the luxury of being able to choose where to live based solely on whether there is an HOA or not, ground conditions are good, and has nice elevation (or whatever their particular goal is, for that matter). To say "Just don't live there!" oversimplifies the problem.
     
  5. K4KPT

    K4KPT Ham Member QRZ Page

    The problem is here in Texas, if the subdivision was built after 1988, it is a 90% chance it is going to be a no antenna neighborhood. Well if you have children and a career, some issues like schools and living close to work are the major deciding factors on where to live. It is not fair to constantly castigate these hams who HAD to make this decision, not for their selfish selves, but with a family in mind. Fact is, these restrictions were put in place by developers who were paid off by the cable TV industry. All we are asking for is what OTAB and satellite industry received. What I see here is selfish people blaming others for a family oriented decision they had to make but in reality, amateur radio should not have to endure these restrictions in the first place.
     
  6. WA7PRC

    WA7PRC Ham Member QRZ Page

    Approximately 25% of all residential real estate falls under a HOA. When I purchased in 1996, it didn't take long to find a nice property.
     
  7. N0PIX

    N0PIX XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    1996 was almost 20 years ago...
     
  8. W5HEH

    W5HEH Ham Member QRZ Page

    HEY i have NO SYMPATHY for so called intelligent HAMS buying into these restricted divisions ! WE MOVED from large dangerous Metro City to RURAL OZARKS , NO RESTRICTIONS , you can get more land , clean air and water and very low Taxes ,( yah many tell me to shut up and not share those facts,lol).. We all gotta change the way we think , so many purchases online anyways , a lot of couples worry about where they are gonna shop ! You all have to expand your Horizons ! I have a 550ft + 160-10 m Loop , no need for even a Tower ! more money saved ! oh yeh at the moment i run Barefoot as well . We also grow delicious Tomatoes that taste like the old days ! So open up your minds and eyes fellow Hams ! 73s from a Boomer aged Happy HAM !
     
  9. K4KPT

    K4KPT Ham Member QRZ Page

    This antenna issue doesn't affect me directly since I have a variance.

    But what does bother me is the lack of unity and short sidedness among ham radio operators towards dealing with a common problem, that given enough time will slowly snuff out HF operations in most urban areas and choke off the future of the hobby.
     
  10. WA8FOZ

    WA8FOZ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Exactly. I am fortunate enough to live in a nice suburban neighborhood, platted around 1960 and hence without HOAs or the like. I got a building permit for my tower when we moved in 30 years ago, and that was that. I have nice neighbors, a reasonably safe neighborhood, and no meth labs or crack houses for quite a few blocks.

    Note that I am VERY fortunate. In the first place I did not have to move to change jobs, and have worked in the same place for 24 years now. My family's needs have been met living here: work, school, amenities, health care, all that. The neighborhood has stayed nice, and I could afford the loss of appraised home value in the recession. Etc., etc.

    Most people are not as lucky. I grew up on a farm and would LOVE to be in a rural area. However, my work and my family's needs (work, school, amenities, health care, all that) have precluded that. Maybe someday in retirement; but the wife is a city girl and likes other people around, so...Were I to move prior to retirement, to move into an equivalent setting in another area would likely take a whole lot of time finding a place and more money than I could afford, even though I make a decent living(housing is relatively cheap here).

    Like it or not, this country is becoming more and more urban, and less and less rural and agricultural. Most peoples' work and personal needs cannot be met in an isolated location. Housing reflects this shift; developments with HOAs/CCRs are the easiest and most economical way to meet these needs. So....

    I recognize that some people reflexively believe that contracts are sanctified documents that should not be regulated for any reason, even in the interest of general welfare, and even when effectively forced on people. I also recognize that some people believe that ham radio does not create enough public good to merit even the slightest regulation of contracts in property law. I disagree and, as you do, see these attitudes as destructive, both to us and to the general welfare.
     
  11. WA7PRC

    WA7PRC Ham Member QRZ Page

    Yes -- I indeed did purchase my home almost 20 years ago. It took me 10 years to get around to erecting my tower (link).

    However, the data cited is fairly recent (IIRC, 2012). Cypherin', that's only... um... er... ah... 3 years ago. ;)
     
  12. KU0O

    KU0O XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    That is great for you. Some of us need to be close to our work and our children need to attend decent schools. In the Denver metro area there is not one new subdivision that does not have HOAs or CC&Rs, not one. My wife and I have looked at plenty of older properties as well, just about all of them need major work or are beyond our financial means. There is a reason most of us are getting stuck with HOAs/CC&Rs and it's not for a lack of trying.
     
  13. NI7I

    NI7I XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    As much as I am FOR amateur radio...and as much as I DESPISE HOAs, I am even MORE for less BIG government involvement into localized issues. The federal bill in congress may seem good to those hams that want more freedom to put up antennas, but the end result is less freedom overall because big government is given power to control small local government. I am against HB 1301. If we give the federal government the power to control HOAs, we give them power to control any and every aspect of our lives...radio or otherwise.
     
  14. W4RLR

    W4RLR Ham Member QRZ Page

    The federal government already has power over CC&Rs and HOAs. The OTARD rule states that satellite antennas one meter or less in size or a standard outdoor television antenna to pick up LOCAL stations is not subject to any HOA action due to federal preemption. I fail to see how the House and Senate bills now under consideration would be putting the nose of the federal government in the tent of the homeowners associations and private land use restrictions any more than OTARD currently does. I am not subject to a HOA board telling me how I can use my property, but there are restrictions that run with the land in my rural Southern Middle Tennessee home. It took me a while to find the home with the proper amount of restrictions that would also allow me to operate as an amateur radio operator. Places that had no problems at all were in areas where I would not want to live, due to the neighbors having junk cars in the yard, trash strewn about and unmaintained properties. It took me months to find my home, and I had to live in a campground for six months while searching for my current home. Whether or not we would be personally affected by the passage of this legislation, we as amateur operators should band together to do what we can to aid in its passage. The adage of "it doesn't affect me" or even worse "I have no sympathy for" is the wrong attitude to have in this matter.
     
  15. K4KPT

    K4KPT Ham Member QRZ Page

    Ham radio has been a part of the American landscape for over a century now.
    Have you ever seen all those old timey pictures of ham antennas, like the wooden towers with tons of flat top wires in residential areas? They were far more unattractive than today's modern antennas. Hams have, for decades been accommodated.

    It was only in the late 80's and mostly from people tired of CB interference, that these new prohibitions started to appear as part of blanket provisions to get rid of outside antennas completely and the cable TV industry was more than happy to help make it happen. So why are these people against repealing "big commercial interests" from controlling our lives? Makes no sense. Tired attitudes like that actually make ham radio unattractive to newcomers.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2015
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