[CW] ARRL Request to Contact Your US Senators Supporting S 1534 - the Amateur Radio Parity Act

[sbjohnston at aol.com]

I've received several direct email appeals from the ARRL asking me to "write my representatives" and seek their support of the 'Amateur Radio Parity Act'.  There was also a special, bonus editorial in a recent QST which was a lengthy defense of the League's work in the matter.  My take-away has been that the bill might be helpful for some, might makes things worse for some others, and for most it would have no impact.  

The League seems to be pushing this one very hard.  I just wish they'd work that hard on the growing problem of man-made noise interfering with reception.

I get the impression that the ARRL considers restrictive covenants against antennas to be one of the big enemies of ham radio. I've heard from several League reps that it is one of the main complaints they hear from members.  I personally *abhor* the idea of living under a homeowners association, but I don't see it as such a severe threat to the hobby as a whole as does the ARRL.

In my view, antenna restrictions shouldn't be an issue for already-licensed hams as they hunt for a new home - they can choose to live in a non-restricted location knowing that outdoor antennas are important to their hobby.  Where restrictions seems to be most harmful is for new hams - people who already live in antenna-restricted locations and become interested in ham radio.  And this impact is probably why the League is trying so desperately to appear effective on this issue - much of their growth prospects come from licensing new hams.

Quite a few times I've heard from newly-licensed hams that they aren't allowed to put up any antennas at their house or apartment and they are disappointed with the performance of indoor antennas (mainly due to the extreme noise levels in such locations blocking reception).  One of them actually moved from her rental to a house of her own in a non-restricted location - she wanted to own a house but the deciding factor was her desire to put up an antenna.  But I suspect that level of enthusiasm is rare, and most probably give up or at least put the hobby aside until some future opportunity arises.

 


Steve WD8DAS

sbjohnston at aol.com
http://www.wd8das.net/
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