Bill DeFelice's Open Letter to the FCC concerning Pirates vs Part 15 Operators.

I really like the opening paragraph because it gets right to the point of what it's about.

I haven't read the rest of it yet, but plan to do so during the day.

We give an approving nod to Bill for his effort which may benefit us all.

Long post short. isn't he just the "pot" calling the kettle black!!

My station was falsely accused of being a pirate by the person saying legal part 15 stations are being accused of and confused with blatant pirates. He has a lot of nerve to play innocent.

He is guilty of doing just what he says the FCC is doing to legal compliant part 15 stations.

Little does the world know the truth, because where false allegations are made people are banned from defending themselves.

After my being banned, the membership continued to call me insulting names and drew a false conclusion about me to which I could not defend myself to. Wasn't that convenient for the "POT"

Bruce.

Time to let go Mr. Bruce. You will feel better.

He was doing great until the 2^nd to last paragraph.  If you take out the 2^nd to last paragraph, it is a great response.  The use of “entitled” was off-putting.  Unless responding to individual inquiries is in Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners O’Rielly and Pai’s job descriptions they have nothing requiring them to respond to Mr. DeFelice.  It is entirely possible the Public Affairs Office (PAO) or, equivalent, at the FCC specifically forbids the sort of response Mr. DeFelice thinks he is entitled to.

That aside, his point “law abiding Part 15 radio community as a whole has no desire to be associated with pirate operators” is important.  It is also why the initiative makes me uncomfortable; any phrase such as “I ran X watts in to Y antenna and got Z range” where X and Y will exceed 15.239 limits is admitting intentionally being a pirate.

Engineering Radio Blog had a pretty good response to the FCC too:  http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2016/03/no-this-time-we-really-mean-it/

At the end of the day a person who wants a signal on FM will either be in compliance with 15.239 or they will be pirates.

As indicated I've read the rest of the letter and commend Bill Hobby for sending it... it's main subject is relevant to part 15 welfare.

The opening paragraph is my favorite part.

I think it was a good letter, but overly wordy.

He really should cut down on the self promotion.  The FCC doesn't care about that.

Throwing in the Jerry Gaule situation was a definite mistake.  There likely was more to that behind the scenes than any of us are aware of, and besides, the FCC isn't going to throw one of their own (that inspector) under the bus.

The basic intent is laudable, and indeed, the FCC does need to distinguish much more clearly in their publicity that there is a class of unlicensed operation that ISN'T piracy.

I just wish that Bill had put himself in the FCC's shoes rather than his (and our) own.  Yes, we all, as Part 15 broadcasters, don't want to be unjustly accused of being pirates.  But that and $5 buys you a latte at Starbucks.

What does mistaking a legal Part 15 broadcaster as a pirate mean for the FCC?  Well, it means increased, unfiltered enforcement calls at a time when their budgets are being cut.  If the FCC clearly delineates what is piracy, and what is not, then these other organizations (as well as the media) can and will act as filters.  It would be in the FCC's best interest to get the word out that Part 15 is NOT piracy.

If he had clearly stated that, the letter would have been a home run.

Probably most of us can agree with and support the statements of those who differentiate unlicensed AM/FM transmit systems that actually comply with Part 15 from such systems that do not -- regardless of the claims of their operators.

I just entered into a Peace Treaty and can't respond fully and righteously to what just got said.

If only I'd delayed that Treaty for 1-minute.

Bruce you can tell the whole story of your fate on our board. IT WON'T BE EDITED!!! Some of this is what I call sensitive dialogue. In the Elite section this cn be talked about with those who don't accuse. Now about that letter yes again part 15 is being put in jeopardy and yet we bicker about trivial stuff like “elite access” lol. We need to get people to realize that the war against part 15 has already been called out. Are we gonna sit and wait and again another hobby estroyed? How many years this time will it take America to get its head out of the sand? Will it be too late? Stay tune to find out. Care to wager? This could be a good betting game.

sigh..

Ditto to RP