[InHam] IN-ARRL BULLETIN 17

[KB9BVN]

IN-ARRL BULLETIN 17
8 DEC 2008 - 1900 EST

FROM CENTRA.L DIVISION HQ

There has been some discussion within the ARRL board about hams getting
involved in the DTV conversion box installation process.  On the surface,
it looks like a great opportunity to provide a needed public service.
However, a similar situation arose several decades ago, when hams were
urged by the FCC to help with amateur radio TVI issues in the 50s by
installing high-pass filters on TV antenna feed lines.

Most of the early TVs did not have long-term trouble-free operation.  Tubes
would age and die, 300 ohm twin lead feed line would get brittle and fail,
etc.  Many times, the TV would fail shortly after a ham had helped out and
the ham was blamed for the failure.  It became a mini-epidemic in the 50s.

In today's litigious society, somebody else is always at fault.  It's never
the owner of the equipment, or the user of the service.  I suggest that hams
only make suggestions, or maybe provide some "show and tell" in public 
venues.
But they should NEVER perform actual DTV converter box hook-up services.
To do so, is to invite serious liability issues when something totally 
unrelated to
the installation of a DTV conversion box causes loss of the signal or even 
TV
failure.  It's happened in the past and it will happen this time around.

- Dick, W9GIG

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
VIA  KB9BVN
Brian Murrey - KB9BVN
IN-ARRL Bulletin Manager
317-535-9887