Posted on 10/15/2019 5:48:02 PM PDT by econjack
...the state (of CA) Fire District has decided that Ham radio equipment in remote areas must be removed unless radio operators cough up a big fee to lease the land from the government
Ham radio operator use station repeaters to relay emergency traffic, especially when cell towers and other means of communication are down. This is done free by the radio operators; they buy, maintain, and operate the service at no charge to the state. Their thanks for this service: $2500 application fee to lease a tiny piece of land, $3000-5000 admin fee, plus an annual rental fee. The real losers: the CA residents who may lose any emergency communications they have.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Thanks Lurker. Appreciate you passing that on. I don't get to talk to my friends out there in "7 Land" in CA much anymore due to being restricted to an attic antenna these days.
My god,if the SHTF,some areas are doomed so much more than others especially the liberal sh*tholes and the dependency zones. California is a catastrophe waiting to happen by many forms and quite possibly by a combination of some.
I’m studying for my Technicians License now.
Have a good one!
L
Do you have a reference I can read. I’m a ham operator and would like the full skinny if I can.
Not actually true. I have a ham radio license and station that I can run off a battery for about 8 hours and is capable of worldwide communications. I have a solar charger that I can use to recharge the battery. There are things I can do about it if I need to.
When storms hit Sandy Hook several years ago, all phone and cell service was gone. Hams were the only means of communication. The same was true for many small islands two years ago when they were wiped out by a hurricane. Sadly, most people don’t seem to know about this side of ham radio.
The story, from a trustworthy and authoritative source.
http://www.arrl.org/news/report-causes-concern-and-confusion-in-california-s-amateur-radio-ranks
Report Causes Concern and Confusion in California’s Amateur Radio Ranks
10/15/2019
By all credible and reliable accounts, the State of California has not turned its back on Amateur Radio as an emergency communication resource nor have established repeater owners been asked to remove their equipment from state-owned sites unless they pay sizeable fees. The California controversy, inflamed by a viral YouTube video, stemmed from a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) communication telling a repeater owner or group that Amateur Radio equipment would have to be removed from a state-owned site or “vault” if the owner(s) determined the cost was too great to proceed with a formal application to keep it there.
“I do understand and appreciate all of the service you have provided in the past,” CAL FIRE’s Lorina Pisi, told the unknown repeater owner(s) or group(s) last month. “However, with constantly changing technological advances, there is no longer the same benefit to State as previously provided. Therefore, the Department no longer financially supports HAM operators [sic] radios or tenancy. If you desire to enter into a formal agreement to operate and maintain said equipment, you must complete and submit attached collocation application along with fee as outlined on page one of application. There is cost associated with getting an agreement in place.”
It’s not clear to whom Pisi’s memo was addressed, since any name or names were redacted from the version of the memo that is being circulated. ARRL reached out to Pisi this week but has not heard back.
After receiving a lengthy communication from attorney Nathan Zeliff, K6DPS, of Shingletown, California, citing Pisi’s letter, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko did some asking around of his own. He reported that Jim Price, the Communications Center Operation Officer for the State Office of Emergency Services, explained to him that the matter is not a new one, and the issue of repeater equipment in state radio vaults has been going on for 5 years or longer.
“He said this gets down to a local level, if the local officials feel there is a need to have the ham radio repeaters in vaults in their area,” Bosenko told Zeliff. “As such, this gets down to authorization for vault space, clearances and authorization to access equipment in the vaults and contract agreements for the equipment to be in the vaults. The matter of cost and who will bear the cost for contracts and vault space has also been an issue for years.”
ARRL officials who have also looked into the situation agree that it’s been blown out of proportion by parties with their own agendas.
“The State of California has not made any determination we can find ‘that Ham Radio [is] no longer a benefit,’” Pacific Division Director Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, is quoted on the Sacramento Valley Section website. “What happened is that CAL FIRE has transferred responsibility for its communications sites to its property management department. That department has the task of evaluating each site, its condition, use, and tenants. If a repeater not known to be associated with the emergency management function of a local jurisdiction is found in a CAL FIRE vault, the default action is to move it out or subject it to commercial rental rates.”
“Our contact in the California Office of Emergency Services suggests that, if any affected repeater is in any way involved with local emergency or government support activity, they should ask that agency to engage with CAL FIRE concerning the repeater. If the agency makes the case, there is a good chance that the repeater will be unaffected,” Tiemstra added.
ARRL Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, has been responding to inquiries with the same message.
Good decision. Just got mine.
My late FIL was a HAM. He worked very closely with our local Emergency Management division. You are right.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they backtrack on this.
This is a vital service if the grid goes down.
Maybe the government should pay for him since he is operating emergency work for free. Or maybe the company you work for should donate repeater space for emergency work and if the operator doesn’t use it properly, then deny him. It would look good for the company to advertise it.
rwood
47 CFR SS 1.400; PRB.1; and FCC 97.15(b):
“...Except as otherwise provided herein, a station antenna structure may be erected at heights and dimensions sufficient to accommodate amateur service communications. (State and local regulation of a station antenna structure must not preclude amateur service communications. Rather, it must reasonably accommodate such communications and must constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the state or local authority’s legitimate purpose. See PRB–1, 101 FCC 2d 952 (1985) for details.) “
Here locally in Butte County, we have a Neighborhood Radio Watch operating with GMRS instead of amateur bands. Licensing through the FCC is $70 for ten years for the whole family. We have a repeater going up on Indian Property. So, for our area, we have amateurs working with citizens ala communications. I would suggest that other communities to the same for their disaster/safety comms. In fact our fourth net occurred tonight with folks checking in via radio to net control. Even have my wife doing the net check in and she has no interest in amateur radio, but will do GMRS. I got her a Btech GMRSV-1...A Chinese radio for certain, but it works. We were able to do the net from a distance of seven miles or so with a stock antenna. The radio is a hand held.
“ Maybe the government should pay for him since he is operating emergency work for free.”
FCC regulations don’t allow it. That’s why they’re called amateurs.
L
Lots of people could die as a result of this stupid move. Time for an emergency Temporary Restraining Order (and then a Permanent Injunction) to stop this Marxist insanity.
outstanding
BINGO..hubby teaches for free the Math part of Extra Classes when they are held for our region. He’s been a Ham Radio operator over 30 yrs. Finally broke down and bought a new radio. Waiting until we can get some one to put up his tower.
When Katrina hit, Hams were the only ones still operating. And we Do the St Jude’s Marathon each year that frees up EMT and Emergency services to pick up a drop out runner or keep the gator aid and TP at the aid stations.
“That’s why they’re called amateurs.”
Even amateurs can have their equipment breakdowns repaired and/or replaced. Don’t make it a wage, make it a service of the equipment and the operator a volunteer with the privileges of using the equipment for their time. Uncle Sugar gets an emergency operator for the cost of the unit repair when it needs it. And if enough in the area use the tower, they can cover a whole lot of ground in the best interest of everyone. Uncle Sugar can choose the amount and who they work with selecting that or those volunteers depending on the need. And Charlie remains happy with status and knowing what equipment is in the area. Fair trade.
rwood
That’s not a bad idea at all.
Thanks.
L
I was just thinking about something....if the governors of Calif., Illinois, NY, Colo., & maybe a couple others could meet as a group, they might be able to come up with some other ideas that are totally insane.
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