"As a user of someone else's repeater, on a regular basis, I feel I have an obligation to voluntarily support its operation either financially or otherwise, directly or indirectly, but as soon as there is a mandatory fee for use, it is a business."
This is exactly the way I've fealt about several closed repeater systems. However, the FCC does authorize closed repeaters. So, technically you could operate a closed D*STAR repeater, but you might as well skip the Internet since you'd be letting others link into you. --- In dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com, John Hays <j...@...> wrote: > > A couple threads to comment on here: > > Item 1 > > The video is a little hype-ish, but does convey the basic technical > setup needs What you use the information contained in the video for > is a judgement call. Who should be concerned about what a given > station "surfs" for? Not all the arm chair lawyers but rather the > stations operating the link. Different jurisdictions have different > rules, but in the US there are a few: 97.113, 97.205g, 97.219, > 97.221 (review at: http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=320), if it isn't > included in Sec 97 (and referenced laws) then its just opinion. If I > personally was running a DD access point (RP2D or RP1D) I would do > some pretty restricted access, but it really isn't my business or > concern what others do, its their licenses. > > Item 2: > > If you own and operate a repeater (or similar device) on amateur radio > and you expect to have its operation compensated by someone else, you > are running a business and fall under rule 97.113c, in my opinion. If > you can't afford to provide the service or take the criticism of your > system, you should take it off the air and free up the frequency for > other uses. > > As a user of someone else's repeater, on a regular basis, I feel I > have an obligation to voluntarily support its operation either > financially or otherwise, directly or indirectly, but as soon as there > is a mandatory fee for use, it is a business. > > Club owned repeaters should be funded out of the general funds of the > club. If the club can't afford it, they should not have a repeater. > Keeping your club healthy (recruiting and retention, having a purpose, > inclusiveness, and low politics) is the way to have the funds to > operate a repeater. Soliciting donations is not running a business, > but mandatory fees for use amounts to a business. > > Amateur, by etymology, and definition means you pursue an interest out > love for the activity. An amateur repeater should be a labor of love. > (See background at: http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=320) > > John Hays > Amateur Radio: K7VE > j...@... >
