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H.R. 2160, The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 (23 comments ↓)
H.R. 2160 would promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of amateur radio communications in Homeland Security planning and response.
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Visitor Comments
B.C. Farthing NP2CB
April 30, 2009, 9:12pm (report abuse)The successful passage of this bill will provide access to a wealth of talent and resources of the FCC licensed Amateur operators trained in EmCom. Emergency Communications. Please support it.
M.L. Dominy KD5URW
May 1, 2009, 3:55pm (report abuse)The successful passage of this bill will provide access great to the wealth, the talent and the resources of the FCC licensed Amateur Radio operators trained in EmComm. Emergency Communications. Request you support this bill.
Charles Young WA5NNV
May 1, 2009, 10:26pm (report abuse)This bill must also insure that Home Owner and Property Owner Associations must reasonably accomodate amateur radio outdoor antennas and structures.
PBR-1 address government entities but does not go far enough to insure reasonable accomodation by HOA/POA groups.
Please contact your Representative to support this legislation.
Frank Wroblewski
May 10, 2009, 11:08pm (report abuse)Living in developments governed by HOA's has become much more common in our society. PRB-1 removes unreasonable obstacles to amateur radio operation by municipalities, but it doesn't address the plight of licensed radio operators living in developments.
Many developments unfairly allow satellite dishes, TV antennas,and even Business antennas; but ban an operator from erecting so much as a simple wire antenna.
On one hand it can be argued these radio operators knowingly bought property governed by HOA's forbidding antennas. In reality, the choice was usually made because of location and price and not policy of the governing authority. When one purchases a house governed by a municipality, the reasons for choosing that property are the same as the indivdual in the restricted group. yet PRB-1 protects him from unreasonable restrictions.
Licensed radio operators need protection from unreasonable obstacles hindering emergency communications - regardless of where they live.
Frank Wroblewski
May 10, 2009, 11:12pm (report abuse)Support protecting volunteers from unreasonable obstacles.
James Blaine
May 17, 2009, 10:22am (report abuse)H.R.2160 must pass to ensure that the country receives the best available communications during any local, regional or national emergency/disaster.
This bill must also insure that Home Owner and Property Owner Associations must reasonably accomodate amateur radio outdoor antennas and structures.
PRB-1 addresses government entities but does not go far enough to insure reasonable accomodation to Amateur Radio by HOA/POA groups.
The Amateur Radio Emergency Service provides backup/ support communications for Public Safety, FEMA, Hospitals and non-governmental agencies such as American Red Cross, Salvation Army among others.
Joe Gadus
June 12, 2009, 12:28pm (report abuse)The ARRL, ARES and other groups have worked with local and national authorities for years, but with varying degrees of support for the public sector. Passage of this bill will allow a realistic assessment of capabilities, benefits and costs of this valuable volunteer asset.
Joe Pecks
July 9, 2009, 1:11am (report abuse)Ham radio is an obsolete and outmoded form of communication. With the advent of cellular telephones and wireless internet, radio has become largely unneccessary. Passage of this law would open a door to allowing Ham Radio operators free run in covenant-protected communities, where others would remain restricted. Ham radio is a dying hobby and no taxpayer money should be spent on it.
B.C. Farthing
July 18, 2009, 10:07am (report abuse)Mr. Pecks, Wow are you mis- informed. With the advent of internet growth and it's ever emerging new technologies, advanved modes of communications are being discovered in the marriage of the internet and Amateur radio. The result is an aggressive growth in the number of newly licensed hams. And as far as your cellular telephones; how do you rely on them when during natural or unnatural disasters occur with the loss of their towers and the loss of power to keep those cell phones charged, whata gonna do then? And who or what provided the necessary emergency communications when that happened in LA,MISS,AL,etc during Hurricane Katrina? Just ask the Red Cross, FEMA,the State National Guard(s), the USCG, DHS, and others. No Sir, Amateur Radio is it when " All else fails" NP2CB NCS MMSN.
James Blaine
August 3, 2009, 12:18pm (report abuse)Mr.Pecks sounds like one of those HOA nazis. He has no idea what amateur radio is or isn't. And I'd just bet he would be one of the first to be screaming for help when it hits the fan. That being said, he needs to be educated about amateur radio both from the hams point of view and the Emergency Management point of view. Of course he would actually have to seek out this info and I doubt if he will do that. Remeber Katrina? Even the President had to use ham radio to speak with FEMA at one point.
James Blaine
August 3, 2009, 12:30pm (report abuse)Should have mentioned: Winlink2000,VOIP,Pactor,amateur satellites,SSTV. All of the Digital modes used by hams and bouncing signals of the moon. EOCs have all of these "fancy" radios but they have to use ham radio to talk to the state EOC and NGOs.
Cliff Steagall Jr. KG6VAJ
August 6, 2009, 2:09pm (report abuse)If power go's out, Most Ham,s have generators & battery backups. With the Fires in California Hams did most of the emergency comunications when the power lines burned down.When the lines are down, what is left?
D. Bermann W6PS
August 7, 2009, 7:15pm (report abuse)Amateur radio communications capabilities are always available when all else fails, provides back up to other public services, direct communications for health and welfare, and do not depend on commercial services when cell and wire phone are devoted to public service use during a disaster, leaving the general public with no electronic communications access. Hams who are members of emergency services are trained and ready at a moment's notice to perform the above activities and more. Ham radio in emergency service is far from obsolete and I would like to see Mr. Pecks or anyone else find electronic communication access during a local community or national emergency anywhere as effective as ham radio operators who are ready, willing and able to provide the quality of communications needed to keep communications open and support the public in this way. There should be no question whatsoever about Homeland Security being able to depend on ham radio in times of emergency.
Jim Flaanders W0OOG
August 9, 2009, 1:41pm (report abuse)Mr. Pecks needs to try his cell phone during a disaster. (I am not wishing for one.)
A local nature park has an annual event. The event is supported by Ham radio operators. But one year, the museum management decided to use cell phones instead.
It was a disaster. First, the cell phone operators did not know how to communicate and pass messages accurately; second: There were outages due to heavy traffic. And third, some cell phone batteries died prematurely.
73 & 88's
Maurice Wright KI4PZS
August 14, 2009, 10:35am (report abuse)I am only partially for this bill. The ARRL does not support, or represent, all amateurs in America, only those who shell out money for it. I was a member for one year, and have asked many times for help from the ARRL, and have been told all the time I will be helped only if I pay for a bigger membership. The ARRL looks only for its own interest thus should not be sought for advice or consul with this bill. The bill itself has some questionable areas which in the wrong hands (in hands of certain hams) would lead to abuse of the benefits from the bill, including abuse by the ARRL.
For those who I know will email me with hate and rage, I am a large supporter of Emergency Communications (not ARES or ARRL) and volunteerism of amateur operators. I am not a supporter for self-serving organizations claiming to represent those they do not.
MARK W
September 2, 2009, 10:21am (report abuse)MR PECKS- Your are so Misguided. Let me fill you in on something I have used ham radio when there was no cell phones after katrina when I was on a Greyhound Bus no cell phone towers for hundreds of miles, the bus broke down,and I used my Ht to call into Baton Rouge to get the bus driver help.Secondly where I live and all over Houston to Galveston after IKE no cell phone or telephone communications Ham radio was used. I know cause people were hungry and had not had eaten and got things started. Third, Your a person that has nothing but hate in your heart and one day SIR you will need help some time or some place. I have used my ham radio station to report damage,tornadoes,fires and worked many disasters till you sit down and see what goes on you have made a outlandish error in your Judgment. I also do messages and phone patches for the TROOPS OVERSEAS to home and their families God Bless our Country
mark Retired Fire Dept Captain and ham radio operator
Bryan
October 26, 2009, 3:09am (report abuse)Wow, How far out and outrageous could anyone be Mr.Pecks, i woulds doubt you've ever met a real ham radio operator.?
Jim West, WA4YBC
November 10, 2009, 1:53pm (report abuse)Almost every subdivision developed in the last 20 years has antenna restrictions completely prohibiting any outside antennas.
In order to obtain an Amateur Radio License in U.S., an individual must pass a Federal Communications Test on knowledge of FCC regulations, electronics, and Amateur Radio operating procedures. In addition to passing the FCC license exam, we now require that individuals sell their homes to they can use their FCC license. This is killing Amateur Radio. Unless something is changed, the only Amateur Radio Clubs will be in retirement communities. To require people to sell their homes to be an Amateur Radio Operator in this country is asking too much. We are very close to losing Amateur Radio in the U.S., unless something is changed.
Another ham operator
November 23, 2009, 10:07am (report abuse)We shouldn't pick on Mr. Pecks too much. The ideas he has on ham radio are those same thoughts shared by too many others. This is ignorance (not stupidity), and our society has a false sence of securtiy with cell phones, and laptops with wi-fi. It takes a katrina to wake up an area, I agree, and this is also due to many areas not having hams dedicated to educating thier own community.
Vernon Bruce
November 23, 2009, 10:14am (report abuse)A list of agencies we serve in our area. County EMA's: Wakulla, Leon, Madison, Jefferson, Jackson. Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Capital Regional Medical Center. American Red Cross. National Weather Service Tallahassee Office. Florida EOC at Tallahassee. There is an Amateur Radio station at each of these agencies. And, EVERY time each of these agencies are activated, the stations are staffed at the request of the agency.
Tom VE3II
November 23, 2009, 11:20am (report abuse)Under the heading of unreasonable impediments, a very real impediment to effective Emergency Communication is the current state of radio contesting.
Unlike a radio contest, a natural disaster or other emergency condition is not a scheduled event. Should an emergency situation occur during a contest, as has happened in the past, effective communication would be extremely hard.
The authors of this bill should consider a requiring the contest sponsors to limit the amount of space to be used on each amateur band for their contest. I would also recommend making this requirement a condition of any funding sought by a contest sponsor in the name of Emergency Communications!
Although I am not an American citizen, disasters know no borders. If this were to pass, the US would set a tremendous standard that other countries would follow.
Gary - KA3FZO
November 24, 2009, 11:39am (report abuse)Ham Radio communications are always available when all else fails.
We have always provided communications to all emergency agencies.
We also help facilitate communications between military personnel & their families when needed.
We are trained not to depend on commercial services.
When the public systems go down, we are properly trained to pick up where the other systems left off.
Lest we forget, the internet, cell and regular phones can and do disappear as shown during the hurricanes and of course 9-11.
Hams who are properly trained and equipped are usually ready at a moment's notice to perform the above activities and more.
All groups have dips in membership, and rebound as we have.
There should be no question that the public is able to depend on ham radio in times of need.
H.R. 2160 and S. 1755 will greatly benefit the country including those who have never been educated as to what Amateur Radio really is.
Best of 73.
KA3FZO
Bob McGwier N4HY
November 26, 2009, 12:23pm (report abuse)On 9/12, I went to IS89 in the Battery Park City. The telecommunications infrastructure ceased to exist. We were it. In Katrina, all of the modern forms failed and again, ham radio filled in the gaps. It would have been better and enhanced if it were easier to put up antennas and get into the game. We have to end the stranglehold of CC&R on amateur radio. The numbers of hams in the U.S. is GROWING, not falling.