Romney "Disses" Amateur Radio In Televised Town Meeting (and why he won't get my vote)

Eastern MA American Radio Relay League ^ | Wednesday 16 November 2005 @ 15:48:10 | Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

[TalonDJ]

It would take just one instance of "hams banding together during a hurricane" to change the public's perception of the field.

They do this ALL THE TIME.

[Tuxedo]

Thanks for ur service - 73 es 33 de KX8X
AR SK

[spunkets]

"Amateur radio is indeed regulated, but not to the degree that fist responder communications are in todays world. "

First responders know nothing about radios. They are simply handed to them to use, right out of the box. They;re told push the button to talk, release to hear, and the volume control and battery compartment are pointed out. Depending on the class, amateurs know a hell of a lot more, and can build and operate your 10Kw station.

[Cyber Liberty]

You sir, are a amateur, not a professional. Don't mix the two. One can compliment the other, but they must be separate for good reason.

You're pretty snappy with the observations. How do you know RD is not a "professional?" Can you tell if I am? I'd love to hear your response.

[TalonDJ]

You are making false assumptions about something Romney never said or inferred. You just don't like him.

Reread the article and reread his posts. He made no assumptions or inference, it was pretty clear. You sir, are a amateur, not a professional. Don't mix the two.

Looks like he has you beat in number of scope of FCC licenses.

Amateur radio is indeed regulated, but not to the degree that fist responder communications are in todays world. There are damn good reasons for the regulatory aspects. The first thing that a enemy does during a attack, is to damage the communication infrastructure. This is why it is now hardened, and getting more so.

Your wrong. It is getting better bit during Katrina there still times and places where only HAMs could communicate. Your FCC license clearly did not tell you much about how disaster response goes or just how susceptible to them infrastructure is. I am also 'just an armature' with my FCC license but happen to know fair bit about military communications from my 'professional' job.

[Cold Heat]

We have a small community. The city is only 30K. The county is about 70k.

There is no Ham club at our level. The major city is over 100 miles to the north.

I suppose if a EMP weapon was used, it would cut us off from the system, but that is what it would take. If that were the case them we would use direct communications via mouth since no power and no radio comm would be likely for some time. There are one or two Ham operators, but they are not very common here. The one I knew well has passed on and the other moved.

We have a small airport and someone is organizing a Air club. But other that that, we would likely have to build something from scratch.

There is no backup that would survive a EMP anymore than a hamm radio would but they would likely be the first to be repaired and up and running should that occur.

Like I said, there is some integration in areas where it is available in any sort of dependable way. Like clubs and such. We don't have any here in my little city that I am aware of. We did several years back, but no longer.

IMO, government would destroy Ham radio if it extends it's reach because of full integration into the Federal and State systems. The business of amateur radio would be sensitive to excess regulation due to cost and inconvenience. The spectrum needs to remain free to survive, and effort to incorporate it on a non voluntary level would most certainly destroy it.

Romney's comment was correct. We don't need to do that. Hamm radio as a assist, or even a replacement if required, will work just fine as it is.

[TalonDJ]

Yup. In an emergency most first responders can just wait for the system to come back on-line. HAMs can build a radio out of scrap and start transmitting.

[kalee]

ping

[tcrlaf]

Y’all realize this is from 2005,right??

[RightWhale]

I went to the trouble of learning code years ago so Romney could dis me and my license. Great.

[tcrlaf]

“There is no backup that would survive a EMP anymore than a hamm radio would”

Tell that to my Halicrafters SX-71, with Johnson Adventurer transmitter...

Yes, I STILL have my first Novice rig, and it was ancient when I got it!!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Is Romney less of a dolt than this today?

[HiTech RedNeck]

A rig that was completely tubes (even the rectifier) and run off of nothing but batteries, would live.

[dragnet2]

So you are suggesting government, your county government for example has adequate communications for dealing with all disasters, and can readily contact citizens all over your region, for things like immediate status reports and other vital information?

If so, if you don't mind me asking, what type communications are they using to communicate with the citizens? And what type of communications are the citizens using to communicate with your local government during massive shutdowns and big time disasters?

We have a small community. The city is only 30K. The county is about 70k.

So the short answer is you have no means to communicate with the citizens in your region for immediate status reports and other vital information in the event of a major disaster.

OK.

[HiTech RedNeck]

oops, with batteries, don’t need rectifier :-)

[Cold Heat]

I never said the communications were as good as they could be. There are many communities that have little or none.

New Orleans, where I lived for 11 years, was crippled due to flooding. Generators failed due to flooding and then lack of fuel. They did have a antiquated system with repeaters, but the repeaters needed power from the grid in critical areas, and so it failed badly.

There are few communities that have covered all these simple bases, and I know this!

But that is not why I posted on this ridiculous thread. Romney's quotes do not indicate a disdain for Ham radio or ignorance of same. The poster simply is looking for a way to bash him as dozens, and dozens of threads here on this forum have done. It's all about Fred.

Well......Fred ain't gettin it done, and that is a fact. Attacking Romney is not going to make that better. Romney may well be the nominee, but that will not stop some conservatives from damaging him, or the Republican party.

[pops88]

Romney is saying simply that Ham Radio should remain free and unencumb

I'm sorry, but I can't find that anywhere in the article. I do find that his comments resulted in Embarrassed public safety officials.... Why would they be embarrassed if as you are asserting, he is so pro Amateur Radio? Do you know of comments that he has made outside of this article that have been positive toward Amateur Radio or statements about it remaining unencumbered?

[Cold Heat]

So the short answer is you have no means to communicate with the citizens in your region for immediate status reports and other vital information in the event of a major disaster. OK

OK?

What are you suggesting?

Are you advocating that Mitt Romney, as president, should use Federal resources for your State and local communications?

Where in the Constitution does it even suggest that the Federal government should even be interested in what your State of local community does in this regard, or God forbid, fund it!

Why don't you ask Fred the same question. He's a Federalist, like Romney is. I know what the answer will be.

What the hell has happened to conservatives since 9/11???

When is this going to stop???

[Cold Heat]

Romney is running for president.

As chief executive officer of the Federal government, he has no interest in what your State of local community does in regard to communications. It is a State matter.

When did it become a Federal issue? Is that some new Conservative idea???? Does the federal government the new responsible party for fostering the use of Ham radios?

LOL! This is too much.....

And you people call yourselves conservatives......

[Cold Heat]

Yeah, I think I still have a old kit that I built in the mid sixties. Not too much of that stuff around....