The Part 15 FCC Petition Comment Thread

Requesting more legal unlicensed FM power during a time when they are emphasizing a battle against the unlicensed FM pirates is almost comical. They want them off the air, this is not exactly an ideal time to ask allowances to increase your range.
But even if that wasn't the case, the FM band is cramped as it is, with legal licensed broadcasters.

Agreed on how "frightenly easy" a lift on the Part 15 AM antenna restrictions would more than triple our current range capabilites on AM, but not sure what kind of arguement could be formulated for the FCC to even consider it.

You got to keep in mind the essence of what is being asked for; Your asking for the rights for any interested party to cover a substantial area of the public airwaves, license free, without any further requirements or the expense it entails. In what world is that a reasonable request?

I'm only talking about Part 15 AM and FM here.. Part 15 is what it is. This initiative wants something far beyond that.

Common sense tells me that Part 15 and 'The Initiative' don't belong in the same sentence. The two topics should be seperated, they are independant of each other.

We can go round and round with this topic (and have for the past year, unfortunately).  I'm sure everyone has an opinion.

It's time to set the real objectives for the initiative, including the framework for the supporting arguments that will be put forward.  It's tough to argue anything, for or against, when you don't know what you're doing.

Then people can decide if they're in or out, and willing to help or not.

My point is it is not about Part 15

It seems every thread up here has morphed into discussion about (in essence) methods of legalizing piracy

RP brings up a pretty good point. I always saw part 15 as a form of QRP.

QRP?

Nevermind, I just googled it:

In amateur radio, QRP operation refers to transmitting at reduced power while attempting to maximize one's effective range.

I am not hot to trot to ask for rule changes, but I do support the Initiative on two specific counts:

1.) FM rule 15.239 is insultingly low and should be higher;

2.) Now is a good time to promote having unlicensed Amateur Broadcasting on shortwave.

Yet, even with those opinions I do not personally want or need a power increase on any band, my setup works fine either at or even below rule levels.

The private Initiative Forum is intended, among other things, to relieve part15(dot)us from having all these threads fantasizing about power increases.

So stop talking about it and either join the Initiative Forum or go back to talking only about the existing rules.

who are interested in commenting on the "initiative" have been invited and urged to do so via the forum created for this at the ALPB site. While this site can carry the load, it is confusing to have comments scattered all over here and now on another site.

A few months back I suggested that the initiative posts be placed in a single thread and that didn't work out. Please help those who are trying to get this going and also ensure that your opinion is noticed by placing, as requested, comments in the forum at the ALPB.

Neil

I'll only say a few short things here and not make a big deal as Carl Blare is correct here.

Mighty 1650 I've been talking about two separate power levels for those transmitters you may buy at Walmart, and the ones we intend to use as a localized announcement transmitter. If you have read you'd remember my proximity sensor that would even be built into the fixed transmitter. Move it, and your power will jump to the old level.

As for the passowrd it will only be given to a trusted few who are very open minded and serious. Sorry but I feel that at this time until things are etched in stone if your dealing with the NAB it would be detrimental against the group at this time because some content could be misinterpreted. At a later time there may be a public Initiative forum where when the documents are ready to go and we have it bulletproof then those folks can be in that forum. But for now some of us feel that its best to keep things the way we have them set up as far as our private passcoed forum. If you want to join, let me or Station8 know and we'll talk about it with the other members and let you know if your accepted into this group. Its not the amount of members, but the quality and integrity of our members.  As for Shortwave many folks have said earlier "Why on't you inclue Shortwave?"  Even "Why FM Only?" We do listen to others and we talk about it in our private room.  So hopefully this website can be less cluttered with the Initiative and its plans.  Best regards to all.

I am getting excited about Shortwave. But then again, I have always been excited about Shortwave. 73 de WA4JM

Did I misunderstand the request to submit comments via the initiative forum at the ALPB and now I read that this is a private forum with restricted participation? This hardly seems like a reasonable approach to gain comments. The forum would function as a working area for those authoring the proposal but not for general comments.

Neil

Yeah, this is not looking all that attractive to me.

You can't ask for comments from everyone, both positive and negative, and then restrict access to the place for which the comments were requested, based on some vague criteria (which sounds as if you'd better agree with the current approach).  This entire thing reeks of misplaced paranoia.  And high school.

I did e-mail Station8 about the password to join, but now I'll withdraw that request.

I really truely can not believe people are acting like spoiled little kids and complaining about a closed to the public forum.

HB has a closed forum and has it to BAD MOUTH and SLANDER people behind their backs.

The purpose of the intitive forum being closed and private is to prevent people from misunderstanding what is being talked about and thinking it is okay to try that at home.

Good God don't join and remain an outsider, then complain that you weren't invitied to particiapate.

From what I have seen, no one is talking bad about anyone and accusing them of being lawbreakers like the other site some of you religiously favor and hang out at.

I am an adult and can not believe those who are SUPPOSED to be adults cry like little childern!

Bruce.

We are listening to the suggestions you are making here however our private board is for members only we are asking for comments here but remember the private board is private there is a difference. its not that we are not listening.

Based on what was posted here previously, the private Forum was to take the load off Part15.us, and be a place to discuss the Initiative.  It was to be a place where all kinds of opinions were to be heard.

It now appears to be morphing into a private boys club with exclusive membership based on some sort of unknown criteria.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining about it.  In fact, at this point, I could care less.

I stepped back from this whole thing a while ago when it seemed to be getting out of control and, quite frankly, not based on reality.  I have been encouraged by some of the more moderate comments recently and I was willing to lend some of my expertise in proposal writing and project management.

But it appears I wasn't incorrect the first time.  It's one thing to confine comments and work related stuff behind closed doors to get something done - it's tough to write a document when there are too many chiefs.  It's quite another thing to hide.  If the people involved with this thing think there's something to hide, then I won't be involved.

I'm sure it won't bother anybody who is involved right now, as I'm probably now seen as one of 'them' (i.e., the 'enemy', someone who doesn't care about Part 15 radio, isn't enthusiastic and definitely not dedicated - to what you're supposed to be dedicated to I have no idea).  And it's certainly not going to bother me, as I have plenty of other things to do than to waste my time (such as getting ready for the relaunch of Artisan Radio).

You know,

I can SEE the need for it, but at the same time ALL of this seriously could have been contained in one thread the entire time and that would have been fine.

I'm going to sit on the Fence on this for a bit. I want it to work, I really do.