At 10:38 AM 7/19/2008, you wrote:
Kim wrote:
This is simply an unfair assertion. It is not the ARRL's job to be
the Omniscient Spectrum Protector. Most of the spectrum is not the
Amateur's to protect.
I disagree. I asserted that the League has changed its role, and
speculated on reasons that might have happened - not that the role
of the ARRL should be as "Omniscient Spectrum Protector."
I see the role of ARRL as representative of the membership. And my
experience has been that the membership tends to be interested in
the entire radio spectrum.
I simply do not approve of the ARRL expending any of it's limited
capacity on protecting broadcast spectrum when the broadcasters
themselves are far better equipped to do that.
For example, many, many of the hams that enjoy operating AM also
are avid listeners to utility and broadcast stations elsewhere in
the spectrum.
I agree. However, it is not our responsibility to protect that
spectrum. As romantic as the Golden Age of broadcasting was, the
broadcasters are in it for the money, and they have a lot more of it
than we do. If they want clean spectrum, they have to step up to the
plate and fight BPL according to their own interests. There's nothing
wrong with the ARRL, or amateurs in general, speaking up for general
spectrum integrity, but our limited resources must be used for our
immediate benefit.
And I personally embrace the idea that the Amateur is a leader in at
least the philosophies and policies of electronics and
communications, and can offer guidance to all sides - a sort of
liaison between the general population and the government and
corporations on these subjects.
You'll get no argument from me on this. The ARRL can make "amicus"
-like filings in various actions (they have done this many times over
the years), but when push comes to shove and real money has to be
expended to protect our spectrum from poor management -- or outright
abandonment -- I expect that money to be expended to specifically and
explicitly protect the amateur spectrum.
Indicting the ARRL because they don't take up a general fight against
BPL to protect everyone's spectrum is unfair and unreasonable.
Kim Elmore N5OP
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