Jeffery Gill started this petition for increased power on the AM BCB and here is the companion to the original petition. As I've been googleing to try and find any more possible petitions and rule changes in store for either part 15 AM or FM. This link may be of interest to us as there is already work in progress for an increase in the extended portion of the band as well as forming a possible NEW service for AM. Since FM is unlikely or at this point not within reach we may be able to work with all part 15 websites (Even HB) to achieve a common goal and interest. HB has always been king of AM so maybe this is something they may want to help with. Why argue about FM when we already have folks who are pro AM. Maybe we should work with them. After all I'm going AM in a few days because of the uncertainty and gray areas with part 15 FM Today. Check out the link:
sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the FCC won't bother to pay any attention to a change.org petition.
they will only pay attention to proposing rule changes through official channels and procedures.
TheLegacy said: "HB has always been king of AM"
Not at all true. It is this website, Part15(dot)Us that came first as the original Part 15 website and champion of all forms of Part 15 radio broadcast, AM very much included.
HB is simply a second, other part 15 website.
Part15(dot)Us is the legacy website for Part 15.
And to Robert, kc8gpd, re-read TheLegacy's opening post in which he clearly says that the change.org page is merely a companion to the official formal petition.
This petition is over a year old. The problem with it, as I see it, is that it fails to fully address the three major concerns of the FCC: interference, emergency and diversity.
Any petition for RM has to include those main points and words.
Micro stations can serve a specific language group in a community that is not being served by a licensed broadcaster thereby increasing the number of diverse voices (e.g., Cantonese speakers in Arcadia, CA). Small towns could be served by micro stations offering daily information on school and community activities as well as life-saving information in times of emergency--none of which would likely be covered on distant licensed stations. Given the tiny amounts of power and limited reach, no micro station would interfere or compete with a licensed broadcaster.
Micro broadcasting can serve a much needed and useful function in communities all across the country as well as provide an efficient way to use existing spectrum.
What if we re worked the petition and added data and proof that by simply allowing more antenna length for example and more ground wire length will not cause harm? I do know there was some wording about interference and a trial basis. If some of us were granted say to experiment with a 100 Ft antenna wire in the house. If I were to build my own house I'd have one huge metal antenna built into the wood house loading coil as well if it were legal. Or even be able to experiment with a huge AM loop that would work inside a wood house. More power is great for serving a small neighborhood and Rocking the Block was already discussed on the other site. Its given me more courage to try Album Rock which I'm doing now on AM. After I go outside tomorrow I hope I'm transmitting at least 1 mile.
Why not apply for an experimental license to support your arguments?
Some of you may have seen this but it's worth re-reading. Back in 1974 a Part 15 broadcaster petitioned the FCC for a waiver of Part 15 rules so that he could operate a 6 watt AM TX for his community. The petition was denied.
But what is interesting is how the FCC defined what the Part 15 rules (at least as they pertain to AM) were designed for. It also explains why the petition was denied and what the petitioner failed to show.
Here are some quotes:
"The intent of Part 15 is to provide the radio enthusiast with an opportunity to experiment with radio and to entertain friends or neighbors within a very limited communication range. The Commission never intended that part 15 be used to establish a low power broadcast facility to service an entire community."
At the end of the FCC decision:
"The petitioner has offered no information or technical data to justify waiver of our rules; moreover, there is no showing how the public interest would be served if the restrictions in part 15 were suspended to permit the petitioner to carry on his proposed operation."
So here are the FCC's objections for a power increase as laid out over 40 years ago. Perhaps you can create a petition that answers those objections and possibly move the Commission to reconsider Part 15 radio's value to the community.
You can read the entire document here:
http://transition.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Databases/documents_collection/74-87.pdf
Thanks Carmine5 this will have to be used to see if we can get enough data for AM to at least allow more Antenna/Ground longer than 3 meters. Trying to find other countries that do allow more for AM will be a challenge however some of the data for Shortware and Long wave could help. At least they recognize the hobby sense of it all. If Jeffery Gill would have done it the right way and not just on change.org (as far as I know) we might have had something to work with. However the fact that radio's have deteriorated as far as sensitivity may get some points towards the petition. At least a possible better shot than FM.
My hopes for any change here are dim.
But, as my wife says, my hopes for
everything are pretty dim. HAHA
Anyway, I would love to see a shortwave BC
allocation with some useable power. What fun!
And the shortwave broadcasting bands are pretty empty
now....
If experimentation is what you want, a ham
license can get you on a shortwave band, and you
can build any kind of AM transmitter that you want.
You just have to talk to people. You can't broadcast.
However, as a ham, I have been on (roughly) 3890 kHz,
and 7290 kHz, with a 60 watt AM vacuum tube transmitter.
When you are talking into that mike - you feel like a
shortwave broadcast station - even though you are not
one. You get that "real radio" feeling.
Anyway.....
I think if there was a 10 watt shortwave broadcast
license, there would probably be a zillion more
religious stations. Every 5 khz up and down every
band. Oh my... I'm probably wrong about that.
It's funny about low power.
We've talked about this before, but as you all
know there once were many AM stations that
were on only during the daytime. Now there are
a lot less. Many are on at night, but with very low
power. 5 or 10 years ago, there were several AM
stations in the U.S. that are only 1 watt at night.
Some of them must have gone dark by now. I
had compiled a list, but I don't know where it is.
Then there are the one or two AM stations in the
U.S. that change frequency at sunset and back to
where they were at sunrise. I did this with my
part 15 station just for fun - but these are real
licensed AM broadcast stations. I remember
one flips from 680 to 690 and back again, but
I don't remember the specifics.
Radio Radio Radio
Broooce, WLP