S.3690 - Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

[SwampRatt]

For all us long suffering HOA dwellers!!
Contact your Fed senator and tell them to support this bill.
It's pretty simple and easy to read.
https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/s3690/BILLS-118s3690is.pdf

Send your senators an email in support of this please.

 

[AK9R]

Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 30, 2024. No movement since then.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3690/all-actions

By all means, contact your senator and explain to them why you think that government intervention into private land contracts is a good idea.

 

[k6cpo]

Anyone that thinks this bill has a chance of passing in this session of congress is seriously deluded.

 

[sloop]

k6cpo your correct...for the last 6 years there have been bills similar to this that died in committee. Part of the problem is that there has not been any concerted effort/support from the ARRL. As ineffective as they are Congress men do pay attention to their support (or nonsupport). As far as they are concerned current laws are sufficient to provide amateur radio operators relief. That with the illusion that amateur radio is old technology and not needed (look at California's rulings in the last several years concerning repeaters/hams emergency service) they are not likely to change anything unless it brings them votes in the election year.

 

[k6cpo]

Anyone that thinks this bill has a chance of passing in this session of congress is seriously deluded.

k6cpo your correct...for the last 6 years there have been bills similar to this that died in committee. Part of the problem is that there has not been any concerted effort/support from the ARRL. As ineffective as they are Congress men do pay attention to their support (or nonsupport). As far as they are concerned current laws are sufficient to provide amateur radio operators relief. That with the illusion that amateur radio is old technology and not needed (look at California's rulings in the last several years concerning repeaters/hams emergency service) they are not likely to change anything unless it brings them votes in the election year.

I was actually referring to the current political situation in Congress and the fact it's an election year, but you make some good points. It may very well be that the league is a bit gun shy after they almost gave it all away to the HOA community with the first attempt.

Not all is doom and gloom for amateur radio in California. The incident you are referring to was the result of some petty bureaucrat within CalFire independently deciding amateur repeater operators needed to pay high fees in return for their repeaters being hosted at state-owned locations. It was then blown all out of proportion by ham radio social media, particular one single presenter on YouTube. There are still a lot of repeaters up and operating on commercial sites in the state. San Diego is a good example.

My club currently has three repeaters operating on sites owned by other entities. We have two on a tower owned by the city where we are located and one on the top of a condominium in another city. We get all three for free AND we get a place to meet courtesy of the Fire Department in our city.

 

[marcotor]

look at California's rulings in the last several years concerning repeaters/hams emergency service.

Since I actually live in California, could you enlighten us all to the "rulings in California" concerning Amateur Radio? Thanks.

 

[Chronic]

Why do people continue to support HOA . If you signed on the dotted line , why complain about it , you knew exactly what you were getting. If people would stop supporting the crazy rules , they would change them .

 

[AK9R]

It may very well be that the league is a bit gun shy after they almost gave it all away to the HOA community with the first attempt.

The direction I got was that when the current bills, there's a companion bill in the House, looked like they might make it out of committee, hams would be asked to contact their representatives. Until then, a barrage of input might not have the desired effect.

It was then blown all out of proportion by ham radio social media, particular one single presenter on YouTube.

Who has since moved to Idaho.

My club currently has three repeaters operating on sites owned by other entities. We have two on a tower owned by the city where we are located and one on the top of a condominium in another city. We get all three for free AND we get a place to meet courtesy of the Fire Department in our city.

Proving, I think, that if hams show themselves to be an asset and not a hindrance, they can form good relationships with the government.

Why do people continue to support HOA . If you signed on the dotted line , why complain about it , you knew exactly what you were getting. If people would stop supporting the crazy rules , they would change them .

Exactly. Many years ago, when one of these bills was active in the House, I attended a town hall meeting with my Congressman. During the Q&A period, I asked about the bill. My Congressman thought for a few seconds and replied "As a libertarian, I have to question why we need the government involved in private land contracts." I don't disagree with that line of thinking.

Hams are very quick to blame their HOA for not being able to put up antennas. My philosophy is "Where there's a will, there's a way."

 

[N1FKO]

Complaining about your HOA seems very much like complaining about the noise from the airport - that you moved in next to.

 

[mmckenna]

Complaining about your HOA seems very much like complaining about the noise from the airport - that you moved in next to.

^^^^^^^ THIS! ^^^^^^^^

When I bought my home, there was a ton of paperwork that had to be signed. I made a point of going through and reading everything BEFORE I signed. The real estate agent wasn't annoyed, she was happy that someone was actually paying attention. She said that most people just blindly sign where they are told in a rush to get it done.

In that paperwork there were a number of rules about what I could and couldn't do with my home and land. Yes, I read them all. And I agreed with them.

You know why?​

Because I could look at this from both sides of the fence. I knew that if I started doing stupid **** that would annoy my neighbors, they could do the same thing also. Rules like: not keeping livestock on my small lot, No strip mining, no dumping used toxic waste in my back yard, abiding by local laws (no keggers at 3am with loud music). And, no, I don't live in an HOA controlled neighborhood, but there are such thigs called "Covenants, Codes and Restrictions".

I get it. I'm a ham also, and was long before I bought the house. There were limitations on what I could do antenna wise, and I knew that when I signed the papers. A small suburban lot isn't a good place for a 200 foot tower with contest station antennas.

And I'd get annoyed if another ham moved in next door and set up such a thing. As much as I enjoy radio, I don't want to look at some crappy antenna installation blocking my view. The other thing: I'm a ham, and I know how much of this "emcomm" stuff is absolute Bull****.


Covenants, Codes and Restrictions pay an important role in keeping good neighbors.
HOA's do the same thing. No one is forced into buying a home in an HOA controlled neighborhood.

 

[N1FKO]

I approached it from the opposite direction, but I think the principles are the same: my offer was contingent that there were no covenants or restrictions. If there were, I would have gone elsewhere.

 

[KevinC]

^^^^^^^ THIS! ^^^^^^^^

When I bought my home, there was a ton of paperwork that had to be signed. I made a point of going through and reading everything BEFORE I signed. The real estate agent wasn't annoyed, she was happy that someone was actually paying attention. She said that most people just blindly sign where they are told in a rush to get it done.

In that paperwork there were a number of rules about what I could and couldn't do with my home and land. Yes, I read them all. And I agreed with them.

You know why?​

Because I could look at this from both sides of the fence. I knew that if I started doing stupid **** that would annoy my neighbors, they could do the same thing also. Rules like: not keeping livestock on my small lot, No strip mining, no dumping used toxic waste in my back yard, abiding by local laws (no keggers at 3am with loud music). And, no, I don't live in an HOA controlled neighborhood, but there are such thigs called "Covenants, Codes and Restrictions".

I get it. I'm a ham also, and was long before I bought the house. There were limitations on what I could do antenna wise, and I knew that when I signed the papers. A small suburban lot isn't a good place for a 200 foot tower with contest station antennas.

And I'd get annoyed if another ham moved in next door and set up such a thing. As much as I enjoy radio, I don't want to look at some crappy antenna installation blocking my view. The other thing: I'm a ham, and I know how much of this "emcomm" stuff is absolute Bull****.


Covenants, Codes and Restrictions pay an important role in keeping good neighbors.
HOA's do the same thing. No one is forced into buying a home in an HOA controlled neighborhood.

But you can put up an antenna in an emergency, correct? And transmit on your MARS/CAP modified ham radio on ANY frequency?

 

[mmckenna]

But you can put up an antenna in an emergency, correct? And transmit on your MARS/CAP modified ham radio on ANY frequency?

You left out the part about putting amber strobe lights all over the house.

 

[GlobalNorth]

You left out the part about putting amber strobe lights all over the house.

If one is the neighborhood gossip, shouldn't at least one of the strobe lights be green to meet NFPA/NIMS PIO notification requirements?

 

[GlobalNorth]

Being a part of a HOA community doesn't preclude being an active Amateur. Just don't try to make your residence look like a SIGINT facility from 1957 East Berlin.

 

[mmckenna]

My post above was partially serious, partially humor. I'll let you figure it out.

Glad I don't live in an HOA.

Looking at the bill, there's some good stuff in there that seems to give some pretty good options for some hams to have 'reasonable' antennas. Then there's some stuff that seems like it is a bit out there, like no restrictions on vertical antennas up to 43 feet.

I hope your neighbor is not named "Karen".

 

[sloop]

It isn't just California..check North Carolina forum; "Mt. Mitchell amateur repeaters told to vacate". There are a lot of factors involved in these incidents. Politics and money to me seem to be the controlling factors especially when the idea of 'antiquated communications' prevails. After all we have wifi, cell and satellite phones and CERT volunteers, who need a bunch of 'nerds' with radios? If amateurs really want to be of use to the public in emergencies we need to do a better job of representing ourselves to the public.

 

[mmckenna]

If amateurs really want to be of use to the public in emergencies we need to do a better job of representing ourselves to the public.

I'd add that if amateur radio is supposed to be there "when all else fails", then maybe co-locating with public safety systems isn't the best idea. Having repeaters at physically diverse locations would be beneficial.

 

[vagrant]

Just operate portable, or mobile. Why go against a signed agreement? Where does breaking the agreement end and where does allowing other exceptions begin? A friend lives in an HOA and likes it. We also go out and enjoy working portable with some filters.

I am not a fan of an HOA as I believe in my house my castle. I still have local codes I need to abide by. Still, if I wasn't happy with that I would have purchased several acres, but I would still be under the thumb of county codes yet avoiding city ordinances / codes, etc.

I have an inordinate amount of antennas on my roof and wires strung at my home, but working portable is fun as well. It's a hobby. Additionally, all but one neighbor moved in after I did and the antennas were there. I did paint them gray to blend in as even I did not enjoy the white/metal eyesore they can be to some degree.

 

[N4DES]

The national lobby for HOA's is stronger than the ARRL and the US licensees all put together. They also have the ears of Congress.
The lobbyists fought hard against this one as well and it didn't go anywhere.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/9670/text