RadioBanter - View Single Post

July 11th 03, 06:27 PM

wrote in message ...

They

{meaning the FCC}

have other incentives, too. One is minimizing bad operators who
will QRM services in ARS or in other bands. Another may or may not be
to discourage participation in ARS and whittle away bandwidth for
lucrative reallocation, or at least to keep it small enough that the
need for new bandwidth is minimized.

How about this motivation:

One of FCC's biggest headaches in the avocational-radio area is the
pirate/freebander/bootlegger, who simply ignores FCC rules and goes on
the air using whatever mode/frequency/power/equipment/ID strikes their
fancy. Enforcement agains such folks is more challenging because
they're not in the database and they don't really care about "the
rules" anyway.

This is not a new problem - the FCC rules about RF power amplifiers
covering 12 and 10 meters were a response to these folks and the
manufacturers who sold to them, not any problem in ham radio. Those
rules date from 1978.

Perhaps FCC figures that if they make it easier to get an amateur
license, there will be more hams and fewer
pirates/freebanders/bootleggers. And if they get out of line,
enforcement will be easier.

A few weeks ago, FCC went after several hams who were operating
illegally on about 26 MHz. These were relatively new hams - wonder
what they did before they got their tickets?

Waddya think?

73 de Jim, N2EY

WWHD