It took longer than I expected, but Bill finally closed the window blinds so no one can peek in to see the titles of recent topics anymore (previously, non-members could simply ask Google what HBs recent topics were and it would answer by providing the titles to those topics). I knew he would find a way to repress that info from Google, but now that it's done, the fun of watching his goofy reactions to an outsider seeing his recent topic titles are lost, can't watch him squirm around in frustration anymore, but I'm sure that's not the end of the HB comedy series, there's sure to be more of his notorious antics to come that we can marvel over.
Anyway Google is now also banned from HB forums like the majority of the part 15 hobby community are. Today's Google search for "recent new topics" at HB" replied:
"Note: Specific, day-by-day forum discussion posts for April 28-29, 2026, were not publicly indexed in the search results and typically require a registered account to view in real-time."
Lol.
I can just see it. The next step is for him to close the website to non members After all, why should he work hard (?) to create the website for free. People should pay to see his bragging about how great he is!
Of course, he would then have a problem of getting paid, as no one could get into that site to register, and no one knows his true e-mail, but no matter. He could Outsource!
We could also potentially 'steal' (gasp!) those ideas embedded in the public site. We could, for example, steal the idea of having a chart (riddled with grammatical errors to show that we're one with the rank and file) saying how great we are and how bad everyone else is.
He's probably right now wondering how he can copyright bragging.
What about off the beaten path search engines like Duck Duck Go, or Opera? or are they all blocked from the site too? Rich mentioned Safari but that seems to be for android not PC.
Out of curiosity I can get my android tablet and try it and see if I get in.
But isn't it already closed to non members?
I haven't attempted to visit Hobbybroadcaster for months.
Before that, it was mainly to see some of the outrageous things that were posted there, by the webmaster and a few loyal members. Not only outright misinformation, but attacks on other sites, claims of people 'stealing' from their site, etc.
@mark, I think Rich was referring to AI bots no longer being able to roam the site and report on it. Like @richpowers, I'm surprised he hasn't done this sooner.
This is no big loss.
The ai bots were simply reading the "Recent Forum Activity" box on his main site front page, not from the forums itself. I presume he simply removed that window. Yes Mark is right that even for those who are able to enter the primary HB main site, you still can't enter or read the forums without membership. It's been like that for some time now.
He's so terrified some on will steal his info, despite the fact that it's all consist of widely and easily accessible content from a vast arena of sources, which he simply collected under one roof, and a few exclusive documents he acquired from the original part 15 community - namely this site, most significant of which was the FCC field agent manual, which he likes to often take credit for, but it's a undeniable fact that it came from here, by part15.us founding members after being obtained via FOIA two years after he tried and failed to obtain it under his own efforts. - If Bill says otherwise, he's a bold faced liar.
As of late he's been bragging that his site is nearing its 18th anniversary or something. It probably infuriates him that our site will always have him beat on being the longest lasting Part 15 community forum in existence - For that matter part.org is probably the very first part 15 community website in history. .. I'm not aware of any to proceed it, but perhaps there had been some bulletin board forums to proceed it, but so far as I know here was the first actual website forum for part 15 broadcasting.
Lol.
I can just see it. The next step is for him to close the website to non members ...
Well.. he has been kind of doing that for awhile now, essentially anyway - it already appears evident that large swatches of areas are restricted access to his main site, I can't even enter his main site from a public library computer - that indicates to me that he blocked access to my entire county! Mark experienced similar inability to access in his area, and that thread over on the antique radios site we we talking about the other day they're were people talking about not being able to access the main site (which by the way @mark is where Safari was mentioned, I've never used a Safari browser before)
@richpowers He's blocked all of N. America and maybe beyond. Safari is not for PCs it's for Android but I could download it into my tablet I have just to see if the it is blocked there too. Maybe tomorrow I'll see.
But as soon as he reads this he will hurry to block it there too.
@mark lol, somehow I doubt that but wouldn't put it past him.God forbid North America read his transmitter challenge results or something.. they might tell someone what the best transmitter is and not credit him.
Part15.us was going strong in 2006, and had started earlier. HB didn't start up until 2008. I wonder just exactly who stole from whom?
Part15.us was going strong in 2006, and had started earlier. HB didn't start up until 2008. I wonder just exactly who stole from whom?
My profile here says I'd been a member here since 2005 -- I know that's not right, I know for certain I was already participating here when 9/11 had occurred (in 2001), because I had just bought my first Rangemaster a few months before that happened; I definitely was already a member here in 2001, maybe even since 2000, and this forum was going plenty strong back then.
When I first joined in 2006, yes, you were there @richpowers, Carl, scwis (I think that was his id - I believe he started up the site), Neil, a bunch of others. Some with lots of radio experience, DJ's, engineers, and some just starting out. Plus a lot of lurkers.
There were the same old discussions that we still have today, about what constitutes compliance. A lot of reviews and discussions about specific experiences.
I seem to remember that it was mostly U.S. centric until I joined, and started to give the Canadian point of view. Although I was still pretty green in the field at the time; I had just taken early retirement from Microsoft and was looking to start up alternative activities.
So, at least 7 years later (assuming the site started in 2001), maybe more, DeFelice decides to start up HB. From one of his initial 'advertising' posts in Radio Discussions, he claimed that it was because of the lack of "quality" in existing sites. Sure, Bill. HB was always a vanity exercise, nothing more.
There was far more expertise here than at HB for many years. Now both sites are operating at critically low levels.
Hopefully, there will be an upswing in interest in the future. With nostalgia being 'the thing' these days, it only seems to make sense. And if that does happen, guess which site the newcomers will gravitate to? The one you can't see and is outwardly hostile, or Part15.org, the open and friendly place?
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. All HB members are welcome here. Even Bill, although I can't see him eating enough crow to do it.
We don't hold grudges. If you're upset at the way things are run there, or even mildly discomforted, try this site out. I won't even say you might be pleasantly surprised - you WILL be.
It's guess my memory is flawed about my already being a participant here in 2001, the Internet Archive earliest crawl was in May 2004, and it indicates it was pretty new, there was at that time 21 registered users with the newest registered user being AMRadiolegend
http://www.part15.us/modules.php?name=Forum s"> https://web.archive.org/web/20040401221955/http://www.part15.us/modules.php?name=Forums
I guess I must be thinking of the Community Radio USA forums in 2001 (where I began) and guess I gravitated from there to over here after a couple years.. I am certain that had been in 2001 when I bought my first Rangemaster (originally I intended to get a Ramsey FM for my 16mm film hobby, but it was primarily William Walker who had steered me towards AM and the purchase of the Rangemaster -- I bought it directly from Keith Hamilton, but Walker got a little pissed off at me about that because I didn't buy it through him after we had a lot of correspondence about the advantages of buying one
-- but here's the thing, I never had a clue that William was a reseller, not once during our discussions did he ever mention that he was a distributer for the Rangemasters! It never came up until after I mentioned I had just ordered one, and then Walker got all upset with me for not buying from him, until that moment I had no clue that all our forum and private correspondence was related to him trying to sell me one.
Anyway - I guess I was still at Community Radio USA in 2001, and perhaps part15.us had not yet come into existence. But either way, this site was still years before HB came on the scene.
Evidently I misinterpreted Google previous response. Today I asked Google "don't you have the titles of recent forum post anymore?"
It replied:
I do! I was just keeping things brief, but I can definitely give you the specific titles. As of today, Monday, May 4, 2026, the most active discussions from the last 48 hours on the HobbyBroadcaster.net forums include:
📡 Recent Forum Post Titles (May 2–4, 2026)
- Windows Time Bomb Approaching (May 2)
Your Choice: Combo Meal or a New Radio? (May 2) - LPB AM30 AM Transmitter (May 2)
- Schlockwood: The Next Generation (May 2)
- AM Antenna Matching Optimization (May 2)
- 📻 Other Recent & Notable Topics
- High School Radio Day 2026
- A Twist on Radio Dedications
- Waterbound Radio (Mobile/boat-based broadcasting)
- Rebuilding LPB Carrier Current Transmitters
- Attracting a Younger Audience to Terrestrial Radio
@richpowers So that means somewhere it is not blocked. I tried on the Android Tablet with a browser off the beaten path or so it seemed and had to download it but forbidden came up there too. Now I can't see how to uninstall it! Safari only is for Apple I phones which is not android but their own operating system and maybe that is not blocked.