[TowerTalk] BILL in the HOUSE

[Rick Karlquist]

N7KA at comcast.net wrote:
>
>
> We must pay close attention to this bill.  It has the potential to both
> help and hurt our situations.  Being that emergencies are usually a
> somewhat local event, long distant (5000 or more miles) communications
> are not usually needed.  The wrong study could have the affect of
> possibility supporting lower antenna restrictions (lets say 40ft, and not
> considering 70ft,100ft, or more).  We must follow this bill closely.
>
> Arne N7KA

And we already have a precedent for this, the 60 meter "band".
Brings to mind the War Emergency Radio Service (WERS) during
WW II.  All work, no play.  The last thing we need to do is
to change the Amateur service into a form of WERS.  (We have
MARS if you like that sort of thing).  BTW, why is MARS never
mentioned in these discussions?

Another slippery slope is the idea of getting various professional
emergency workers/first responders to get ham licenses, which they
will use while on the clock.  Brings to mind the ridiculous phrase
"paid volunteers".

Rick N6RK