On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, Scott Manthe wrote: > > > > These people seem to be completely oblivious or ignorant of the fact that > > what they are doing is illegal. > > They know what they're doing is illegal and they don't care that it's > illegal and they don't care how you feel about it. Just like the many 75 > meter ops who run 5,000 watts. >
I don't operate 75 meters and I rarely listen there. I've heard people tell me that some hams are running 5,000 watts there but I've never been to their stations to verify it. 97% of my operating is on CW and the other 3% these days has been on the new digital modes. I will work SSB for the Sweepstakes contest so the Society of Midwest Contesters will have a few more points in their cumulative score. (GO SMC!) > > > > Yes, you can extend friendship to a criminal in the hopes of getting the > > person to mend his ways, but what about when he doesn't? I have always > > been legally licensed and have never knowingly done anything illegal with > > my radio equipment. I expect no less of others. > > It's nice that you're so diligent and concientious, Zack. Unfortunately, > many of your fellow amateurs don't hold the rules in nearly as high regard > as you. Take a listen to any band during a major (especially phone) contest > weekend. Do you actually think the guys operating against the band edges and > outside the bandplans don't know what they're doing? How about the guys who > run 10 times as much power as they need to, in direct opposition to part 97? > Anytime you run more power than you have to, you're operating illegally. Are > you sure you've never run afoul of the law? And how about the "Hi-Fi" SSB > guys, who in their minds, don't "technically" break any rules, but certainly > assail good amateur practice by using twice as much spectrum as they need > to? You're making me feel like I'm the only one who DOES follow the rules. No, I've never intentionally broken a law, not even the "minimum power required" rule. I don't own an amp. I have three rigs that run 100 watts barefoot. And I throttle down if the other guy is loud here and gives me a big report. I don't mind getting 559 signal reports. And I know many hams who also follow the laws to the best of their ability. My guess is that the majority of them do. As a guess based on personal experience, the number who break the laws are no more than 20%. That's a minority. It's still not OK in my book, but I'll bet it's less than you think. > > > > > I hope I'm not sounding too harsh, but I didn't grow up in the freebander > > atmosphere. > > Is amateur radio really all that free of the "freebander atmosphere"? Take a > listen to 75 meters on the weekend or just about any pile-up. Ask yourself > how many people you know who run more than (sometimes many times) the legal > limit. Is it better that we break the law because we have a license, or is > it worse? Aren't those hams who knowingly break the rules just as bad as the > freebanders who don't care? I hope I don't sound too harsh, but many of us > amateurs feel that we're better than those freebanders, mostly because we're > licensed. But I contend that quite a few as are just as bad or worse than > they are, because if you work for something, aren't you supposed to respect > it? And I don't want to hear ANY BS about how amateur radio's been dumbed > down and how much harder it was for you to get your license way back when > than it is now. A change in requirements doesn't justify disrespecting the > people in the hobby or the rules that govern it. No matter when you got your > ticket. It's not OK to break the laws, whether you're licensed or not. Amateurs who do should be dealt with. But at least they have licenses issued by their respective governments and their operations aren't TOTALLY illegal. If you get stopped by a policeman for speeding and you're a licensed driver, you get a ticket. If you get stopped for speeding and you don't have a driver's license, you get arrested. If you're a licensed ham and Riley suspects you've done something illegal, he will issue a query. There is a little of the "benefit of the doubt" available there. If you're doing freeband operations, I don't think he's so lenient. > > Too many of us feel like we only need to follow the rules that we want to. > This is a kind freebander attitude and it will certainly do much more harm > to amateur radio than illegal 11 meter operators. > > 73, > Scott, W9AL > Who are these "too many of us"? Like I said, of all the hams in this area that I know, I've only seen one perform any sort of illegal operation (and I told him about it). And I don't live a sheltered life. I've been in many M/S efforts in contests in these here parts. I've probably been in the shacks of most of the DXers and contesters around here. You have to PROVE that a licensed ham is doing something illegal in order to fine or penalize him for it. Freebanders are illegal by nature. You don't have to prove anything beyond the fact they are transmitting. 73, Zack W9SZ Subscribe/unsubscribe, feedback, FAQ, problems http://njdxa.org/dx-chat To post a message, DX related items only, [EMAIL PROTECTED] This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org
