[FARC] ARRL Book

[Bob Moroney]

Check out these links.  They deal with precisely what you observed:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/06/01/100/?nc=1

http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2007/05/01/1/

My take is that the CA guy was not doing anything illegal, but he may 
have been exhibiting the jerk-like "road rage" sort of behavior that 
Hollingsworth mentioned in his talk at Dayton.  Maybe it's the Ham 
equivalent of driving a Hummer and expecting everyone to get out of your 
way for that reason alone.  And he definitely seemed to be exhibiting 
the "frequency squatting" sort of behavior Sumner mentions in his article. 
Do you belong to the ARRL?  If so, you can subscribe to various email 
newsletters that often contain useful/interesting nuggets like those 
linked above.  If not, you should consider joining.  I've been 
forgetting to mention this as often as I should, but the FARC gets to 
retain a portion of your ARRL membership dues if you join or renew 
through the Club.  It's only $2 for a renewal, but a whopping $15 for a 
joining member.  There are plenty of direct and indirect benefits 
derived from ARRL membership, so it's worth thinking about.  And the 
renewals can add up, too - $2 here and $2 there, pretty soon you're 
talking $4!

73, Bob K9CMR 
========================
Kirk Talbott wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Speaking of operating procedures I heard something interesting on HF 
> yesterday and wanted to run it by everyone and get their opinion on whether 
> it was proper operating procedure or even legal.
>
> On 20 meters, I heard a booming station (S9) from California talking to 
> others I couldn't hear.  I heard a breaking station come in and ask if the 
> frequency was in use and the California station said yes.  A few minutes 
> later I heard a DX station start calling CQ on the frequency along with 
> several others wanting to come in.  The California station kept repeating 
> the frequency was in use, and that he had been using the frequency for about 
> an hour.  Other stations finally left the frequency and the California 
> station had it all to himself and his group again.
>
> Then the California station did something I thought was questionable, 
> procedurally.  He said to another station in his group, "I'm going to sign 
> off now so I'm handing the frequency over to you."  What this an attempt to 
> hold the frequency to keep anybody else from using it?
>
> I could tell from the replies to his group that the California station was 
> not a net control as he wasn't using net control protocol, taking checkins, 
> or using any other type of formal or informal net procedure.  He also wasn't 
> a special event station, contester, or any other kind of special use 
> station.  He just had the biggest amplifier on the block, the strongest 
> signal, and was ragchewing with the others in his group and didn't want to 
> give up the frequency.
>
> Anyone else ever heard of this type of operating procedure?
>
> KB3ONM
> Kirk
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bob Moroney" <windbrkr at erols.com>
> To: "Frederick, Maryland ARC" <farc at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 6:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [FARC] ARRL Book
>
>
>   
>> OK, Kirk, glad you found it useful.  I don't believe it's available any
>> longer, at least not through the ARRL.  Too bad, imo.  (The book is
>> "Help for New Hams" by Doug DeMaw W1FB, in case anyone else on the list
>> is wondering.)
>>
>> Some of the information, particularly on station equipment, was a little
>> dated even when I bought it, and the author, W1FB (sk), had a fairly
>> brusque, even gruff writing style, so all of that may be why it was
>> dropped from their book offerings.  Still, there are many nuggets of
>> both common sense and wisdom between the covers, especially on matters
>> of good Ham operating procedures and courtesy, to get new Hams started
>> in the right direction, or at least give them a perspective a bit
>> different from what they might come up with on their own, just from
>> listening on HF and the repeaters.
>>
>> I'm not in any rush to get it back, so feel free to pass it along to
>> anyone else, Ham or not, who might get something out of it.   (I would
>> like to get it back eventually, though.)
>>
>> 73, Bob K9CMR
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Kirk Talbott wrote:
>>     
>>> Bob,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the book.  It's a good read and down around my non-technical
>>> level.  Is a great book for me and anyone thinking about becoming a Ham.
>>> I've just about finished it.  If it's still in print I'll probably pick 
>>> up a
>>> copy of my own to use as a reference.
>>>
>>> KB3ONM
>>> Kirk
>>>