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It's Ham Vs.Ham As Radio Amateurs Are In Conflict At ARRL (perens.com)
Bruce Perens co-founded the Open Source Initiative with Eric Raymond -- and he's also Slashdot reader #3872. But this week he wrote in with some news from the world of amateur (or "ham") radio:
ARRL has been the USA's representative organization for Amateur Radio for over a century. More recently, the organization has replaced transparency and democratic representation of its membership with confidentiality, policies to stifle dissent, and punishment of their own leadership when they get out of line. A vote happening this month offers members a chance to get back in control.
The open letter at that link -- signed by several AARL life members (including Perens), argues that "The members are not currently represented as they should be, due to the continued application of a policy meant for a for-profit corporate board," adding that "The only whistle-blower on the board was publicly castigated for informing us."
"The currently-suspended rules that go against the member's interest are temporarily suspended, and could be restored."
The open letter at that link -- signed by several AARL life members (including Perens), argues that "The members are not currently represented as they should be, due to the continued application of a policy meant for a for-profit corporate board," adding that "The only whistle-blower on the board was publicly castigated for informing us."
"The currently-suspended rules that go against the member's interest are temporarily suspended, and could be restored."
The community has been divided since the days the really old timers were fighting everyone else over the No Code license (MORSE not programming)
Then there were the volunteer examiner scandals. Oh wow an 8 year old girl has somehow managed to get an Extra Class license how did that happen.
Matter of fact the group in general seems to do this on a regular basis. My guess it's the people that can't get genuine technical accomplishments like QRP records or high numbers of CQ contacts, screwing with everyone else.
That's always been the problem with HAM radio enthusiasts, man...too political.
please do a write-up of why^Wwho thought this was a good idea and who went along with the idiocy, and why.
I just voted for someone for director of my division who is very much FOR the removal of the confidentiality policy. This has been a silly move at the ARRL, and hopefully one that can be turned around swiftly.
Get a life, dweebs!!!!
Let me guess: Code of Conduct issues. In 2018 everyone wants to control how everyone else behaves.
Beep beep beep boop boop boop beep beep beep!
...I've lived in 3 countries in Europe, they all fight over the same thing.
Old timers remember they heydays and how "hard" it was to take the license, it was earned, not given etc...
They tend to forget that there's a "maker" community today, that does at least as much technical stuff if not more than they ever did, and it's very hard to make the two meet. Old times despise the social media chat, because they see it too easy to just connect to the internet, and presto - you instantly chat with people all over the world.
To them - being a radio amateur means working hard to get some old school electronics theory, plus the mastery of morse code (which is actually pretty hard, it's easy to read on a piece of paper, but VERY hard to train the ear to listen to at 120 characters per minute), it was for me... I'm an "old timer" radio amateur myself, and I hardly use the radio anymore, I'm on the net like the rest of you - but I like to dabble in electronics, building robotics etc, and I feel it's sad that my fellow old timers have such a hard time adapting to the new times, especially when you can easily consider they where the pioneers of your "taken for granted" communications technology we enjoy today in such small formats.
I remember experimenting with my own BBS (Bulletin board system) which I set up with the help of a few transistors and a commodore 64 back in the early 80's when internet was relatively unknown. Then my fellow enthusiasts could leave messages to me or each other when I was at school. We even digitized images from scanning or video cameras, to send binaries or slow scan via the airwaves, that was our "instagram" back then.
But we did it - way before anyone else did. And fun times it was. But old timers (particularly way older than me) they just don't see it, and they don't "need" to see it, they will take their memories with them to the grave, good times were theirs, and they lived them to the fullest.
A pity really - because they have so much to give, so much to share, and yet - still - so much to learn.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
I am an Amateur Extra and I refuse to be a part of ARRL. They've lost their direction as an advocacy group for amateur radio. They have moved in a direction that is not conducive to promoting the hobby.
and start the fake news campaigns against cell phones and snapchat? they are just copying the rest of the administration's playbook, after all.
These guys are arguing over the placement of the deck chairs on the Titanic. --KZ7B AE
How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.
Sounds like a microcosm of the entire democratic western world, if you've been reading the newspapers.
If I wanted to do health checks on old farts I would go to an old folks home. Repeaters are all dead because nobody wants to offend anyone and lose their license. Pirate radio is truly where its at.
Keep calling in an APB for CHEETOS
Hamsexy.
The League is hamsexy now.
I am sad. We can't put Unicode emoticons on Slashdot, and they won't let us post Morse code.
dotdashdot dot dashdash dot dashdash dashdotdotdot dot dotdashdot
dash dashdashdash
dashdotdot dotdashdot dot dashdot dashdotdash
dashdotdashdash dashdashdash dotdotdash dotdashdot
dashdashdash dotdotdotdash dotdash dotdashdotdot dash dotdot dashdot dot
The "A" stands for America. So of source it works that way now.
The "A" stands for American. So of course it works that way now.
And I still can't type correctly.
The current issue is about transparency, but there was presumably an earlier, underlying issue that some board members wanted to keep quiet. What was it?
I am a HAM and I do a lot of volunteer work with my license. In large events, like the Boston Marathon, cell phones bandwidth gets limited and making calls can be difficult. Like the time of the bombing, they turned off cell phones. I have volunteered at the Boston Marathon a few times and the HAMs play a major role in coordination of medical attention for runners, getting supplies to various stops, and observing runners looking for ones that may be in trouble.
When people say amateur radio is dead or dying, it really isn't. Its kind of growing. You can get a great rig for about $200 these days (Beofung), and you can make a very good antenna for 2M and 70cm out of some wire and PVC pipe. A lot of the preppers and survivalists are also becoming HAMs.
There is a test, you need to pass it, but its about half technical and half rules and crap. You don't need to be a genius, but you will need to study a bit.
This reminds me of what the ARRL did back in the 70's, I believe it was. The majority of hams were against what was called incentive licensing, that created several new license classes. The ARRL simply ignored the majority and went along with the FCC proposal.
I lost full privileges as a licensed General class and got only part of my privileges back upgrading to Advanced. Years later, I got the Extra, and that only because you didn't have to perfectly copy one minute of 20 words per minute sent, just be able to answer questions correctly pertaining to what was sent. After all that extra licensing nonsense, today they have sense removed some of the add licenses. This kind of power creep never ends.
Today confidentiality, tomorrow the world!
Where are they published?
What the FUCK does "ARRL" stand for, you stupid fucker?
But honestly it feels like a great deal more reform is needed in amateur radio to make it relevant again. The interests of existing HAMs is simply far outweighed by the interests that could be served with amateur radio technology in younger generations today. Radio simply is not about talking anymore.
The FCC needs to drop backwards old rules about profanity and encryption, the profanity rules can be kept for open broadcast. For commercial use, it should be prohibited except when using the radio in a manner similar to a common carrier where the operator isn't controlling what is transmitted. Where possible signaling rate limits need to be lifted and almost everything should be opened up for autonomous and digital use.
Basically, almost everything done in the commercial space with radio should be completely open to amateur radio. Widen the use cases up enough to experiment with and learn all sorts of modern and relevant technology and the equipment won't be so damn overpriced either.
What do you expect, from an organization started by the inventor of the Maxim Silencer, and whose dad invented the Maxim Machine Gun?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Gotta say, though, "cool do', bro!". Very Tesla-ish!
I "retired" from ham radio many years ago, but got my Novice license in junior high in the late 60's, and then got the General and Advanced while in high school.
As I recall, the ARRL didn't have much of a different reputation back in the 70's. They've always presumed to speak for the majority of American hams, even though the majority of American hams have never been members.
I think the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Casting aside your hatefulness and bigotry should be your biggest priority. Judging by how you write, those old Ham radio gatekeepers provided a valuable service if you found a different hobby.
It was relatively easy for me to get my amateur radio license. 5 words per minute in Morse code was easy to pass in the test. From that perspective, Morse code was not a barrier to becoming an amateur radio operator.
What has turned me off about amateur radio, is that there are very few truly amateur hams in the ham radio hobby. Most of the active hams today are pushing their own for-profit service or equipment at ham fests. The hobby has become very competitive. In field trials, attention is focused on who can climb the highest mountain the quickest with a rig on his back, to see who can have the highest number of contacts within a fixed period of time. It boils down to speed and quantity, not quality, when it comes to making contacts. By quality, I mean building bridges by making friendly, long distance contacts over the air.
There's an issue of equipment, when it comes to enjoying the hobby. Most, but not all, of the equipment used by hams is very expensive and almost always imported. Gone are the days of excellent kits made by Heathkit. Miniaturization has been the key to making better rigs with better features. Packed, crowded circuit boards are difficult to build on your own, if you want to learn by building your own rig. Most old time amateurs take the approach: I've been there and done that, now it's time to move on and join contests. That tells me that they're bored with the hobby, and they want to spice it up by making it competitive.
The FCC hasn't exactly made the amateur radio hobby attractive to newcomers, who want to join the ranks. In crowded neighborhoods, it's difficult not to interfere with your neighbor's electronics. The FCC rules for amateur radio forbid any conversation over the air that is not directly related to your transmission in progress. The FCC rules discourage amateurs from chewing the fat over the air. It has to be all business all the time, or you stand to lose your license.
The internet has become a more enjoyable hobby for me than amateur radio. I get to use radios with my wifi and cell phone every day, and the FCC isn't limiting my bandwidth and looking over my shoulder. Thank-you, Al Gore, for inventing the internet for the millions of us, who enjoy it every day! Over and out. dit dah dit dah dit, dah dit dah.
Not one mention of cheese. Oh, wait...
The baofeng radios are like supermicros. I wouldnâ(TM)t trust one.
I'll admit I had a similar kneejerk response to this, "closed is bad". But there's another important facet to the problem that makes this angle seriously worth looking at. When any organization gets big it requires a "ruling body" of some sort. It could be a government, a committee, a board, whatever. Those people either each represent groups of their members, or are all supposed to represent all of their members in their own way. Regardless of how it works, differing opinions are always a good thing, making sure that even unpopular ideas get their due consideration.
But the other half of this strength is in the solidarity of the board. Any "command structure", be it civil, corporate, or military, requires that once a decision has been made, (regardless of the process) it's important that "everyone is on board". This is easy if you agree with the decision, but it's hard if you don't agree and wanted something different. BUT if the board has arrived at a decision, they need everyone's support. The board must move as a group, so that they can quickly and efficiently execute the plan that's been decided on. Continuing to publicly push for a different direction after it's been made fails the "do unto others as you'd have done unto you". Flip the tables and this quickly becomes a distasteful thing.
I don't entirely like the idea of "confidentiality", but the point is that the members can't all move in the same direction if different opinions are still being voiced after the direction has been decided by the board. Otherwise you have chaos as members that agreed with one of the minority board members want to either go in that direction or start back up the discussion to try to get the board to change its mind.
Maybe a middle-ground is best here, but it requires a good deal of thoughtful behavior by the board. It's a bit like how the SCOTUS has "minority opinions" published after some decisions, in particular the 5-4's. The minority opinion usually explains BOTH sides of the story, points out differences, and goes into some detail as to why the dissenting judges didn't side with the majority. Nowhere there does it call for further discussion on the matter, or in any way state that the lower courts should consider their minority opinion. I think this minority opinion takes it as absolutely as far as it should go. Most of the 6/3's and below don't even publish an opinion, in the interest of solidarity.
Also look at any military organization. Behind closed doors you're usually encouraged to voice your opinions, giving your commander options and possibly trying to sway his decision. BUT once he has come to a decision, you DO NOT argue with him over it in front of the troops. The military expects their people to go all-in, and doesn't tolerate public disagreement with decisions that have been made, because moving as a unit is paramount.
So there are two pretty much opposite sides of the story there with their justifications. I think trying to label board solidarity as "censorship" is a desperate attempt to call an apple an orange in the hopes of winning an argument they've already lost. (and I don't even know what they're arguing about!) Censorship is stopping an idea from being seen by the public. I would be astounded if the ideas these minority board members have are some stunning revelations that nobody has seen before or that nobody else is talking about. This isn't about an idea being suppressed, it's about the opinions of an individual, whose primary duty is to the board. And after the board has made a decision, it's their duty to "be the public face of that decision". Trying to display your disagreements to the public after the board has arrived at a decision is contrary to your responsibility to those members. It's sad if the board has to resort to passing rules to encourage its directors to do their job. That may not have been the best route to take though - dissenting directors that refuse to get on board and publicly sup
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
I just want to see the FCC adopt more flexible rules governing spread spectrum, esp. with regard to HF and low-bitrate QRP digital modes.
I think it was Bruce who argued a few years ago that EIRP per hz per time-interval (within a larger umbrella applying to instantaneous power & bandwidth) matters more than the name and legal definition of any particular mode.
If anything, the test for Amateur Extra should include things relevant to advanced digital modes, like OFDM, CDMA, FFT calculation, SDR, matrix math, etc.
Maybe set aside a 100MHz sandbox for the lowest license-class hams to play with without restriction (besides input power and total bandwidth) at low power in the 10GHz band (almost nothing you can do with a watt at 10GHz is going to matter much, even if you screw up in nearly every conceivable way), expanding bands & power as you move up the license classes (reserving HF wideband spread-spectrum for amateur-extra class (which is something that WOULD motivate me to move up from General class).
The idea being that someone who makes it to AE will hopefully at least understand HOW things can innocently go wrong with exotic digital modes, so the FCC can give them more freedom to play in situations where allowing a (novice-)Technician class licensee would be like handing a loaded gun to a toddler.
There are many in the Amateur Radio community that does not believe the propaganda, er, assertions that the ARRL is the savior and sole voice of Amateur Radio in the US (just look it up in the intro to any of their yearly ham radio handbooks, it's there in black and white) and maintain that the ARRL acronym actually stands for "Anal Retentive Regulation Lovers". They have done more in their history to build their power base and define what is and isn't a "proper" ham radio operator, damn near killing the hobby when they proposed and advocated "Incentive Licensing". Now their leadership wants to hide behind closed doors while they plan and scheme to increase their grip on the hobby.
And they wonder why their membership isn't growing....
Beware of Sales Reps bearing gifts.
I love autistic slap-fights!
numbnuts