[FLham] HAMS PLEASE READ - UNCLE Sam needs you!

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:02:41 -0400

The FCC's computers appear to be back up and running better.... a number 
of hams in the state have finally been able to make their feelings known 
about BPL, but still there are only roughly 200 replies thus far... not 
very impressive for a state with such a huge population of hams... my 
own special interest radio club has almost this many members alone!

Included in those replies from Florida is one from Florida Power & Light 
which is obviously pro-BPL in a big way...

To do battle with an entity this large we need YOU, the Florida Ham to 
read about and respond to the BPL threat.  If you have not gone to the 
ARRL web site and heard what BPL did to the transceiver in a roving 
mobile passing through a neighborhood where they are testing BPL - DO IT 
NOW - if you do I know your next stop will be filing your own comments 
against implementation of BPL.

Uncle Sam ( Samuel F. B. that is) needs you...

Please read the comments on how to make a comment, which I posted 
earlier, below - those who had trouble filing on Friday and over the 
weekend may be surprised to find the FCC Comment System will take them!

Spend a few minutes, please!

BPL is the biggest threat to the existence of Ham Radio in my 31 years 
as a ham... I do not plan on sitting idly by to see the hams bands 
turned into useless wastelands of BPL QRM.

Just Do It!

Jim, K4OJ

> 
> ----------
> From: 	Jim White, K4OJ[SMTP:[email protected]]
> Sent: 	Saturday, August 09, 2003 1:03 AM
> To: 	flboatanchors; Florida Ham
> Subject: 	[FLham] HAMS PLEASE READ - spend a moment of your time to do something VERY important for Ham Radio
> 
> I just went to the FCC web site and found that only 142 comments 
> regarding BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) had been filed form Florida. 
>   You can see who has filed on the web site by requesting a search by 
> state... I recognized some of my fellow club members, but not enough of 
> them :-(
> 
> This level of apathy among the Amateur Community stinks!  I am going to 
> hope that most of you simply are unaware of this situation as opposed to 
> not giving a damn that your hobby will come to an end should this issue 
> pass and as such will pass along the following information so you as a 
> Florida Ham might help save our hobby from ruination.
> 
> Broadband over Power Lines is a proposed system to use existing power 
> lines as a pipeline for broadband signals - i.e. a way to access the 
> internet.  While this sounds like a great idea since everybody has power 
> lines in their neighborhood please read on to see why this will spell an 
> end to Amateur Radio.
> 
> If you are unsure about this topic and want some more background go the 
> ARRL site at:
> 
> http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/08/08/2/?nc=1
> 
> There is all kinds of stuff there including links to studies on BPL, 
> etc. - MOST importantly, the ARRL sent a roving ham into a neighborhood 
> where this technology is being tested... he had a transceiver in the car 
> and there are movies you can see of what he saw AND HEARD while driving 
> these streets. Summarizing - he found interference across the entire ham 
> HF spectrum which rendered it totally uselss...click on "View the BPL 
> Video" - if you have not seen this, you will not believe your ears and eyes.
> 
> Now, once you have seen what this will mean to you as a ham, realize 
> that this is truly a time for us as hams to step up to the plate and do 
> the right thing...
> 
> Let the FCC know by flooding their electronic in-box on this matter just 
> how bad an idea this is.  It is easy to do - here is how to you can 
> stand up and be counted:
> 
> We are in the 21st century - use your computer browser to surf on into 
> the FCC site where you will find an opportunity to participate by making 
> an entry on the EFCS - Electronic Filing Comment System - in moments you 
> can be composing a note to the FCC that tells them what a bad idea BPL 
> is!  Click on:
> 
> http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/
> 
> Your on the FCC page, now - in the Upper RH portion of the page you will 
> see a button labeled
> 
> Submit A Filing  (click on it)
> 
> This will take you to:
> 
> http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi
> 
> Where you submit your comment on the matter...
> 
> The first box is the only difficult one to fill in - the number you need 
> for this is:
> 
> 03-104
> 
> The balance of the form is easy to fill out, you will be asked easy 
> stuff like your name, etc... and then, most important type in your
> 
> COMMENT
> 
> PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING THIS WEEKEND, take a few minutes to go to the 
> FCC site, lets act as a group on this and show the FCC that we care and 
> will not be QRMed out of existence.
> 
> Amateur Radio is this countries source of Communications First 
> Responders, BPL will render their frequencies useless.
> 
> Go to web site - lets all watch as the numbers of Florida hams who care 
> about the future of ham radio speak out and show the FCC that we took a 
> few minutes of our time to get their attention as to how this was a very 
> VERY bad idea.
> 
> PLEASE REPOST THIS MESSAGE FOR YOUR LOCAL HAM CLUBS MEMBERSHIP!
> 
> Thank you - now go to those web sites!
> 
> 73,
> 
> Jim White, K4OJ
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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