ARRL Requests Support for Senate Bill 1755

[unitcharlie]

ARRL Requests Support for Senate Bill 1755 --The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 Go here for the full story on ARRL's page.... ARRLWeb: ARRL NEWS: ARRL Requests Support for Senate Bill 1755

 

[elk2370bruce]

Defintely worth our support. E-mail your Senators.

 

[kb2vxa]

I'm neither for nor against the bill but IMO the League's desperate support of EMCOM is like a drowning man grasping at straws. Once upon a time they were the main support of Amateur Radio as liaison to the FCC but the politics of both have spoiled it all and membership (funds) has fallen to an all time low. No longer a liaison to any government body, relying on individual petitioning the House and Senate is a desperation move to say the very least, the ARRL is breathing it's last.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The only thing this bill will "enhance" is the revenue stream of whoever gets picked to do the research. I'm betting ARRL has an angle on getting that job.

Beyond that, there is nothing here that will do anything for ham radio as a hobby.

 

[elk2370bruce]

I totally agree with the opinion that ARRL badly wants the lucrative contract to conduct the "study" with all of the obvious "research bias" that would result. They may have even initiated the process through congress members who are in their pocket. It won't help our radio avocation but may influence the inclusion of amateur radio equipment in futue years through UASI and FEMA grant programs to county and local emergency operating centers.

 

[kb2vxa]

That's nothing new, maybe you don't remember the original name; Civil Defense.

 

[elk2370bruce]

Oh yeah! Goonie Box II with cat's eye. The first amateur radio I ever operated bach in the local civil defense office. We used a light bulb soldered to a chunk of cable and PL259 to load the derned thing up.

But I date myself!