Re: New HA product development

[John Fields <jfields@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:20:43 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@xxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>
>"John Fields" <jfields@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:1l4jb1l118erpu8s5d5m9394qki0s5rbnr@xxxxxxxxxx
>> On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 08:51:13 -0700, Jim Thompson
>> <thegreatone@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> >On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 15:39:46 GMT, "fleen_squigger"
>> ><skliegle@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> >
>> >>Wow, you really aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?  That
>> >>'poetry' was an example of just how incredibly bad ass-barphed's poetry
>is,
>> >>not my own!  Hello --- it's supposed to be bad!  My god, how do you
>> >>function?  Sorry Kieth, I just cannot buy into this fallacy that you are
>> >>some kind of electronics professional, more likely you are a victim of
>> >>lunatic asylum budget-cutbacks --- they thought you'd be ok as long as
>you
>> >>took your medication, and kicked you out to save money.
>> >>
>> >
>> >And you, "fleen_squigger", are "some kind of electronics
>> >professional"??
>>
>> ---
>> He's a sophomoric little ham from Vancouver ("Tom, VA7FAB") who
>> advocated (in a newsgroup, yet) using lightly trafficked spectrum
>> space illegally by not doing it enough to get caught.  He gets himself
>> all worked up from time to time and likes to try to annoy me because I
>> threatened to turn his slimy little criminal ass in to the authorities
>> and because I gave him some information about SKYPE that he didn't
>> want to hear about.
>
>By "illegally" do you mean without a license, or intruding into forbidden
>bands?

---
Intruding into forbidden bands.
---

>Don't the airwaves belong to the people?  Shouldn't the people be allowed to
>make any use they want of the airwaves, as long as they don't interfere with
>properly licensed/permitted signals, or cause a hazard to others?

---
Yes, they belong to the people, but in order to keep them (us) from
causing a hazard because of improper use,  spectrum allocation and
restrictions had to be put in place.  Your anecdote about the local
ham is a good example.  What if some rag-chewing CB'ers with 100 watt
linears decided to park anywhere they wanted to and just happened to
step on the frequency the ham was trying to use to call for help?  I
know it's all "what if",  but if there weren't any rules it could
easily happen.
---

>The feds can be so picky.  I am aware of a local ham who altered his
>portable to be able to listen to police bands.  While mountain-biking with
>friends, one fellow got badly hurt.  He called for help on the Sheriff's
>frequency, and the victim was saved.  A few days later, the FCC paid him a
>visit and confiscated the device.

---
Well, regardless of whether that action saved the guy's life or not,
the ham hadn't just modified the receiver, which isn't illegal, he'd
modified the transmitter, which was, and he knew it.

Probably the FCC's position was that since the guy modified it, he
intended to use it (otherwise why bother?) and since it was an
unlicensed transmitter it needed to be confiscated.

Kind of like if you're not licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but
you're carrying one anyway,  if you use it to shoot someone who's
committing a crime, say a murder even, you're gonna be in trouble, I'm
pretty sure.

--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer