[QCWA] Is APRS legal? QCWA President says NO!

[Gene Pentecost]

On pages 12-13 of the QCWA Journal, Spring 2005, President John Johnston, 
W3BE, uses a question and answer format to address the legality of some 
APRS practices.  Those of us who are familiar with APRS will question some 
of his statements, but all who have used digital modes know the MYCALL-N 
identification has been accepted and used for over twenty years.  The 
President says this does not meet the station ID requirement of Section 
97.119(c).

Rather than engage in a fruitless debate, I asked John C. Hennessee, N1KB, 
the ARRL's Regulatory Information Specialist.  His reply: "This practice 
was, is and will continue to be quite legal".  The world's leading 
authority on APRS said: "Unless I misunderstand things, this guy is so out 
of it that it is amazing".  He then continued with an historical accounting 
of the long-standing practice of digital station ID.

The full text of these replies was sent to Officers and Directors of the 
Quarter Century Wireless Association with a request that the President 
contact FCC's Riley Hollingsworth to get an opinion and publish the result 
in the next issue of the Journal.  According to two QCWA officers, the 
President refuses to answer me but will address the matter in some 
unspecified future issue.

The logical question is: How or why did this happen?  President Johnston 
has a distinguished record.  Among his accomplishments listed in his 
biography on QRZ.COM is: "Retired in 1998 from the FCC after 27 years of 
regulatory work for the private radio services".  So his position cannot be 
based on ignorance.  And if the objective of his column were to educate the 
reader, he would be eager to correct this mistake.  So was it a 
mistake?  Is it his personal agenda?  Or could he be implementing a BoD 
decision?

An e-mail to QCWA Secretary Alan Pickering, KJ9N, requested copies of the 
minutes of the Board of Directors meetings for the last year.  Alan 
initially agreed to send the information, but after a conversation with 
President Johnston wrote: "By the way, I have checked all of the QCWA Board 
actions of the past nine months (the time I have been acting as Secretary) 
and find no references to your concern in any of the motions made or the 
discussions related thereto".  But I was really looking for any Board 
actions that might give President Johnston reason to undermine digital 
modes.  So I asked again.  He has ignored my request.

So what is to be done?  If you are concerned that President Johnston is 
reinforcing the image of QCWA as a bunch of "old pharts", then make your 
view known to QCWA officers and members of the BoD.  But more important, 
let's try through the election process to get someone in the office who is 
responsive to member concerns.

One good thing has come about.  The column was published without a 
disclaimer.  Future issues will contain one that indicates articles are the 
views of the authors alone.

I have not yet decided to submit this to QRZ .COM.  The benefit is reaching 
many more QCWA members.  But the collateral damage to the QCWA organization 
may outweigh the benefit.

73

Gene Pentecost W4IMT