i'm saying we police ourselves similar to amateur operators. helping authrities determine who is a legal part 15, who might be pirate is in our best interests.
these state laws are coming like it or not, part 15'ers will be rounded up in the dragnet like it or not.
we need to now be involved in this like it or not.
One of my favorites: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-02-28/news/fl-radio-electrocution-20100228_1_man-electrocuted-front-yard-front-lawn
Part 15 stations are one man operations.
If one man went pirate hunting he wouldn't have time for his own station.
I think police hobby should have a different website.
AT THE SAME TIME...
KDX does have a security department. When I'm not programming the station I wear my brown cap with orange Mayan Indian decal on the front and patrol the grounds to make sure no one is playing Pokemon Go.
I am not a fan of Ham Cops.
I have to concur. I know of one that recently became an OO. Several of us had some dealings with him on the air. He was recording and playing back on air transmissions, even created a web site to promote his less than stellar views, at times mocking people that had speech problems. A few of us that were computer savvy did some digging and found out he had quite a sorted past with criminal activity. Needless to say, the drama on the air was not pleasant for a short period of time. He was finally convinced to move on, but we are sure he is one of the jammers that pops up on HF from time to time.
A few months later I see a post on one of the prominent ham sites where he was bragging about OO activities. Sure enough he had been given OO status. At that point, I lost what little respect I had for the process.
At one time, the OO program was very credible and meant something. But I question its functionality today. The operators that get a OO notice are the ones that miss a ID on the 10., yet are not hiding anything. The operators that are truly problems are never found, because they don't ID at all.
I got a OO notice one time back several years ago. I was using some vintage Drake tube gear. I was using a set of B-line twins , I was too close to the edge of the 75 meter band priviledges I was authorized for at the time. I meant to sync the twins together and when I flipped the switch to split transmitter and receiver, I did a brief transmission before realizing I had not synced the reciever and xmitter to the same frequency. I could hear my buddies, but was transmitting several KC lower than I meant to in another words.
Anyway, I realized my mistake, and ID'd (my mistake), and even voiced over the air I needed to move up to comply with my license. If I had said nothing, and not ID'd the OO wouldn't have even been the wiser. I am sure he felt big that day when he mailed out his useless piece of paper...
I still have my Drake twins... and still use them occasionally.
Having someone from the Part 15 community enforce the rules when they don't have the appropriate equipment and may not even fully understand the rules themselves doesn't sit right with me. If a pirate is creating interference, then, just like any other member of the community, report them to appropriate authorities (or not, depending on your preference). I personally wouldn't do even that, unless it was directly affecting me.
There was a pirate a little while, whom I've only heard once, who one Friday evening and into Saturday morning decided to tromp all over my BETS-1 signal. He was clearly illegal, as I could hear him strongly for miles. If it happens again, then you can bet that I'll be on the blower to Industry Canada (not that they'll ever locate the station since it broadcasts so infrequently), as that's the only real open frequency around. I'd have to accept the interference if a licensed station starts broadcasting there, but there's no way I'm going to accept a pirate interfering with my legal BETS-1 station.
we can't have local keystone cops with no technical or rules understanding running around trying to identify pirates from part 15 broadcasters either. PART15'ers WILL GET ROPED INTO THESE DRAGNETS!!!
someone with some technical ability and understanding of the rules needs to advise local law enforcement be it FCC, OO, or what not.
best senario is local criminal / Civil justice system stays out of the enforcement business but this is not going to happen untill someone with some money has the $$$ to fight it out in court and win.
they are talking about having the civil court system adjudicate against alleged pirates in addition to the criminal justice system prosecution of them.
again i reiterate PART15'ers will be dragged into this dragnet and there will be nothing they can do about it until someone has the $$$ to fight the constutionallity of civil / criminal enforcement of what is clearly FCC and only FCC jusrisdiction.
i run a part 15 and i don't want some local station sicking the local pd or bringing a civil case against me just to get rid of percieved competition.
i personally don't have the funds to fight back against a frivilous suit or criminal case.
The few states that produced "anti-piracy" statutes actually have noticable illegals on the dial, and the laws are no doubt reactions by the legistlators to phone calls from licensed station owners who object.
Most states have next to no "pirate" radio activity so far as I can determine and likely won't want to invest in whole enforcement departments with virtually no "crime-wave" to pursue.
The peculiar Commissioner who's made pirate radio his personal sport keeps making noise about a problem no one can find, and with so many special interest groups pressing for changes in this law or that policy the lazy vacation set called "senators" and "representatives" want to write bills that will bring them future votes... unlicensed radio doesn't ring the chimes for average voters.
If part 15ers bring attention to themselves by filing complaints they might be setting themselves up for a bust. According to published reports law enforcement is staffed by persons of imperceptable IQ who'll be incapable of paying attention long enough to absorb the delicacy of understanding why Part 15 is different than criminal.
We are unknown today and we should remain unknown for the future.
But for those of us who are legal Part 15 operators in smaller towns, what harm is there in calling your local police chief and asking him/her for an interview on your station? And to really open the door, maybe invite them to your studio (however humble) to conduct the interview? It would give them a chance to talk with YOU face-to-face about what you're doing and why. Don't be shy! Remember, if you're a legal Part 15 operator, you WANT your local law enforcement people to know about you. Thoughts?
I don't disagree with you on that point. In my small town, I am known to some as the go to guy for radio. I do backup comm for emergencies as a ham operator. And now word is on the street that I am working on a radio station for our small community. Does it buy me anything.. well probably not. The Dallas FCC office still investigates complaints... but I am legal, or at least I think I am!
On a related subject, in my opinion, the isolation from local officials, including police from the populace is part of the problem our nation is experiencing. I tell our Police chief all the time, they need to get out and shake hands, eat lunch in the cafes with the locals. It works out better in the long run.
The city judge came in this morning. He and I often discuss things in the community. I told him about my radio project and asked him to let me know if he heard any complaints or concerns from anyone of significance.
If you hide, it makes it seem that you are doing something wrong.
I am always open about what I'm doing - I belong to the local amateur radio club and have told them about the radio station (explaining BETS-1 in the meantime, as few knew about it).
I just don't feel comfortable actively seeking out pirates, unless they directly affect me as a member of the public. Let the guys who are paid to do that earn their money.
is the guys who are suppose to be paid to do it don't want the job anymore and want to pawn it off on untrained overburdened local civil / criminal justice system instead of those who are trained to handle this sort of thing. we are suppose to be innocent until proven guilty in this country but as we all know it is just the opposite and you need lots of money to fight baseless accusations.
it's easier to just shut down and go away and licensed stations know this and will use the system and abuse it to get rid of percieved competition legal or otherwise.
"Paranoia strikes deep, Into your life it will creep, It starts when you're always afraid,
Step out of line, the men come and take you away..."
i have just seen first hand the abuses in the criminal and civil justice systems.
and now with the militarization and federalization of our police forces under the 1099 program they like to swat flies with scud missles.