[CW] Amateur Radio Parity Act Receives Favorable House Energy and Commerce Committee Report

[Donald Chester]

Amateur radio is shooting itself in the foot with all the “stealth antenna” projects that have been appearing lately in publications like CQ and QST.  It seems that the present-day attitude is that, by default, a ham antenna MUST be stealthy, even if you live in a neighbourhood without a HOA or restrictive zoning ordinances.

 

This is self-defeating in two ways. First of all, it’s effectively establishing as a new norm the assumption that a ham is automatically EXPECTED to limit himself to a stealthy compromise antenna, regardless.  Secondly, all this stealth antenna talk is giving the anti-antenna nutcases ammunition for denying a ham’s request to erect an effective antenna.  Imagine you are at a hearing with the local zoning board or meeting with the HOA to plead your case, and the opposition pulls out copies of QST and CQ with multiple articles describing crappy “stealth” compromise antennas and balcony-mounted UHF whips as PROOF that a ham doesn’t need an efficient full-size HF antenna in order to “communicate” with other hams.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

 

Don k4kyv

 

From: CW [mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of stan levandowski



I live in a townhouse.  I'm 67.  This has been our retirement home for the last 15 years.  I served on the Board until very recently.

 

I can imagine how a request to install a simple dipole antenna would be addressed by our Board.   The meeting is called to order.   First, our retired NYC real estate attorney would argue that we have to be mindful of establishing precedent.  Then our retired broadcast engineer (he has a REAL 1st Class FCC Radiotelephone License as he likes to point out) will bring up lightning protection and proper grounding and RFI potential in a close-living community.  At this point, our retired IBM safety and security manager will bring up the issue of RF safety, antennas falling across driveways and decks and children suffering RF burns.  Our landscaping coordinator will explain in agonizing detail how detrimental to curb appeal and resale value ANY visible antenna will be. At this point, the other five Board members (all old and retired because younger people don't have the time or energy to serve) have a collective look of absolute horror; they imagine nothing but terrible consequences.  The attorney says she has read the new ruling and "something" must be approved so...she proposes that ham radio operators living in the community be authorized to put up a wire antenna that fits within the footprint of their rear deck.  The broadcast engineer amends the motion to limit the height of such antenna to 8 feet to reduce lightning threat and chance of falling over on passing children.  He reads his research notes about end fed MFJ vertical antennas with loading coals that don't need radials. The motion is carried.  The attorney announces that the Board is now fully compliant with the new ruling.  The meeting adjourns.

 

Meanwhile, for the last 15 years and fully aware of Youvan's Corollary, I've been having a ball with a 67' doublet in my attic fed by 16' of window line to an SGC231 autocoupler in the top of a second floor linen closet. It can provide 4 million matching solutions.  I even work QRPp when propagation is good.  My logbook is full of choice DX contacts as well as wonderful ragchews.  My favorite QSLs include VK2DX (03JAN2012) ("Great signal for 4 W,Stan,and GL with QRP DXCC") and JH7VHZ (19OCT2011) on 900 milliwatts with a KX1 on rundown "AA" cells).  No one is the wiser.  

 

Stan WB2LQF

 

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