[QCWA] Fw: What have you done for us lately?

[Jim Wilhite]

Jeff:

Again your comments span several different types of Amateurs.  Yes there are 
clowns in any grouping of people, and that is inevitable.  However the 
people who work within the constraints of society are not an example of a 
clown.  In my view, the guys who want 5 towers on their land with 5 big 
beams should be considered.  If, for example, they had restrictions when 
they bought the property, that would be one thing.  But if the restrictions 
were applied after the fact, that is something else.  Some people might 
object to a church steeple in the neighborhood as others object to antenna 
installations.  Neither, in my view, are correct.

While those people who "chase DX" might not be the heart of emergency 
communications, they could provide, in some circumstance, communications 
that others could not.  Would you really want to restrict them in an 
emergency requiring that requires their expertise?  Your reference to 
"Upscale Neighborhoods" is an example of conditioned thinking.  Just because 
I purchase a house worth $1,000,000 does not make the view any more 
desirable than a $150,000 house somewhere else.  In some people's misguided 
view, any tower, anywhere is a blight.  They live in a conditioned society 
that believes the government should and can take care of their every whim, 
even aesthetics.

Much of this is our fault for thinking that an emergency will only occur 
locally therefore all emergency communications will require communications 
within a few tens of miles, therefore we highlight the repeater and its uses 
for local communications.  Those of us who have been co-coordinators of one 
kind or other in charge of emergency communications, do not necessarily 
share your views.  21st. century communication techniques should be 
incorporated into the vast existing network, not used to replace what is in 
place.

Your capitulation to Culver City is really sad, for not only have you 
compromised your situation, but that of other hams that do not share your 
preferred method of communications.  I was faced with the same dilemma in 
Amarillo, TX in about 1975.  I had installed a 40 ft. tower with a tri-band 
beam only to come home to discover that code enforcement required it be 
lowered to no more than 20 ft. above the grade level of the house.  I, 
rather than run to the court system, began a campaign within the city 
government to educate them about the value of the higher installation. 
Inevitably, the appraisal question came up and I referenced them to upscale 
neighborhoods in Amarillo and other towns where property values had risen 
despite the presence of the towers.

With the local club behind me, the city government researched my proposal 
and we won a 60 ft. limit for future hams to chase DX or whatever they 
wished, only to have them respond in just a few years to a region wide 
weather disaster providing communications to Austin, TX the state capital on 
HF.  Today the emergency communications department in Amarillo requires 
either having a ham license or acquiring one within a year of employment for 
their technicians.  To me, that was a real win for Amateur Radio not just 
one aspect of the hobby.

Sadly many local governments and zoning boards will not respond to this kind 
of open thinking.  There we have no other avenue for relief.  So maybe you 
will find among those who do this kind of thing may be thinking out of the 
box.

Please do reserve the code discussion, but obsessive behavior is another 
story.

73  Jim

W5JO
>
> Ok, perhaps it wasn't clear enough. I'll try to do better this time 
> around.
>
> Caution, long winded rant about some of the negative aspects of
> amateur radio.
>
> There is an abnormally large number of clowns in the Amateur Radio
> fraternity that make us look bad.
>
> There is a large number of amateurs that work together or alone to
> advance the cause of Amateur Radio. However...
>
> I've been licensed since 1967. I have been active in coordination and
> for many years (22) have been a vendor at one of the larger amateur
> radio swap meets. I've seen more than my share of nut balls.
>
> For example, specifically to PRB-1:
> Out here in the Los Angeles area there have been a number of notable
> cases where Amateurs have taken PRB-1 to mean that they absolutely
> have to have a large tower and antenna array. Usually in upscale
> neighborhoods (that go with having the kind of money to engage the
> cities in large lawsuits.) Santa Monica and Palos Verdes come to mind.
>
> Usually with the claim of emergency communications. I have yet to
> hear of fellow hams in "rare DX" countries sending aid or offering
> communications assistance during an emergency.
>
> Previously, while living in Culver City, the city council passed an
> antenna ordinance. I suppose I could have sued the city council, and
> done my part for the amateur community. Instead, I moved the majority
> of the antennas inside the attic. The HF antenna stayed up outside and
> was within the city guidelines for the number of "visible external 
> antennas."
> Problem solved.
>
> For the most part, emergency communications assistance means being
> able to coordinate between various agencies during the time of need.
> This means handling a LOT of mundane traffic back and forth between
> various public safety organizations. It does NOT mean grabbing a
> hand held radio and running around getting in everyone else's way.
>
> The days of the lone amateur hunched down in his attic while his house
> is surrounded with water and banging away on a code key as the only
> viable communications to the "outside world" are over.
>
> Until we move into the 21st century, the image we portray to the rest of 
> the
> population is going to be nothing more than a bunch of anachronistic old
> farts living in our own fantasy world of an idyllic past.
>
> I'll save my comments on morse code and obsessive behavior for
> another posting.
>
> Jeff
> wa6fwi