Wilson, I currently belong to ARRL mainly so I have access to old QST articles on tube circuitry.
I belonged a long time back but became disenchanted with their inability to lobby Congress and/or the FCC to give Amateurs a fair shake regarding antennas in subdivisions with covenants and restrictions. If the FCC can allow FM, satellite TV, and cellular phone antennas, they sure should allow Amateurs at least a minimal option for an antenna in a subdivision. It appears that now since ARRL has a female president, the current House and Senate bills MAY pass regarding our fair shake on antennas. If ARRL pulls this off I might have more respect that they are indeed looking after our best interest. Time will tell... Respectfully, Phillip Sent from my iPhone > On Nov 29, 2015, at 10:29 PM, Wilson <info...@embarqmail.com> wrote: > > I think we should all belong to and support ARRL. > Agree with everything or not, they are far and away our best lifeline and > guardian. > Dropping out over an issue is petty. They can't please everyone all the time! > Pactor may have some EMCOMM use, but I consider its boater use a scourge and > antithetical to "real" ham operation. > Routine use on boats (or anywhere) is contrary to all stated ham principles. > There's no techie involvement and no goodwill generation. > The exam is a joke and everyone on the boat will likely use it, ham or not. > Just buy it, pay someone to install it, and use "our" spectrum. > Sure, it can be another digi mode for hams, but pushing it out to consumers > is nuts. > So let's get some cards and letters going to the right places. > Wilson > W4BOH > Also getting old > > -----Original Message----- From: Glen Zook via Boatanchors > Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 9:14 PM > To: bcarl...@cfl.rr.com > Cc: boatanchors@puck.nether.net ; tetr...@googlegroups.com ; > novice-r...@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] [Glowbugs] I agree > > The ARRL has been, seemingly, pushing for more WINLINK / PACTOR availability > for some time. One speculation is that they hope to increase membership > through more boat, and yacht, owners getting licenses specifically for > operating using those modes because they do not want to have to pay for > Internet access using considerably more expensive commercial links. Of > course, being able to afford, and to operate, such watercraft usually > requires a substantial investment and yet those same people don't want to > spend any money to be able to use the Internet while on the water. Then, > again, amateur radio operators also have a reputation as to being "cheap" > and, I suppose, boat / yacht owners are no different where money is concerned! > Although the ARRL does not normally make the actual number of members public, > if one takes a look at the mailing notice that has to be published, > periodically, that is in small print in the back of QST, it is pretty easy to > get a pretty good idea as to the number of members. > For some time, the ARRL has "pushed" EMCOMM to get new members to replace > other members who have abandoned the ARRL and, it seems, that they are doing > the same thing with boat owners. > I abandoned the ARRL some time back because they have long stopped supporting > what I believe the direction that amateur radio should take. Since I am not > an ARRL member, I do not comment on the internal workings of that > organization. However, when the ARRL submits petitions to the FCC, or even > when they are proposing such, that affects the entire amateur radio > population then I definitely do have the right to comment! > Several years ago, the ARRL submitted a request for an NPRM that expanded > WINLINK / PACTOR operations that they retracted after quite an uprising > within the membership. It appears that they might be trying it again. > I realize that thing are changing and have been changing for some time during > the over 56-years that I have been licensed and some of those changes have > been for the good of amateur radio and some have not been good for amateur > radio. However, I definitely believe in doing everything possible to stop > changes that are definitely not in the best interests of the Amateur Radio > Service. > Glen, K9STH > Website: http://k9sth.net > > > > _______________________________________________ > Boatanchors mailing list > Boatanchors@puck.nether.net > https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors _______________________________________________ Boatanchors mailing list Boatanchors@puck.nether.net https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
