[CW] Re: Last chance to comment on Phone expansion

[Bill Tippett]

K4KYV wrote:
>Recall that before Riley came on the scene, the local SSB group COULD HAVE 
set right down on 14,010 with impunity, presently existing legal subbands 
notwithstanding.

        Well of course you can always violate any law including murder
if you are willing to suffer the consequences...  You are saying there
were no consequences to violating FCC laws prior to Riley but that is
really not true.  160M is the only band where they could have legally 
done that without violating the law and risking enforcement action.
The only change Riley made was to begin enforcing voluntary bandplans,
which are not necessary on bands with legal mode segmentation.
  
        Surely you are not advocating we ignore laws.  If we do, we 
will soon become no better than our good buddies on 27 MHz.  20M and 
every other HF band have FCC-mandated mode segmentation per Part 
97.305 (c).  You seldom see modes out of place on any band except 160
today, but I guarantee you will begin seeing it on ALL bands if the
FCC were to remove all mode segmentation.  Now please tell me again how
having the FCC going around chasing people who violate voluntary 
bandplans is going to reduce their workload?  A very foolish idea 
which has been proven NOT to work on 160 for the past 15+ years...
and now we want to repeat the mistake on all other bands?  If the FCC 
wants guraranteed job security for Riley, this would certainly do it!
Speaking a taxpayer, this would be a very stupid waste of resouces.

        ARRL is very schizophrenic on this issue.  Today we have mode
segmentation on every HF band except 160, then ARRL proposes NO mode
segmentation for the new 5 MHz band, and now they propose modifications
in RM-10413 which endorse continuing segmentation in the proposed changes.  
I believe even the FCC must be wondering what ARRL's true position is
on mode segmentation...they are totally inconsistent in their actions.
I just hope the FCC remembers that once the genie is out of the bottle, 
it may be very hard to put back in (i.e. 11 meters and CB radio).
Today we have the FCC to thank for the worldwide interference from 
illegal AM stations all over the 10 meter CW band...tomorrow it COULD 
be your local AM net buddies on 14010 if mode segmentation is removed.  

                                                73,  Bill  W4ZV