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Fake outrage? Real threat?



 
I read the other day that Cal Fire is lobbying to remove oxygen from California. It's combustible nature along with its sheer volume has them worried about potential fire hazards.

Apparently oxygen and sparks are joining forces to fight this battle. Maybe radio frequencies can get in on the action.

:rolleyes:
 
They must stay steadfast their oath that "nothing of value shall go untaxed" The smearing of operators and repeaters is just reasoning support for charging rent.
Oregon is real good at that too. We tax hikers and back packers on public land now and its not cheap either!
Next stop is when you take your car to the DEQ, you also get a breathalyzer test to see how you are running in order to charge you for the oxygen used, plus a tax for the nasty climate changing CO2 emitted from your mouth. Could be a federal tax too since oxygen and Co2 may cross state lines.
 
I was a radio operator in the USAF in Germany when there was a big plane crash at an air show. This is pre cell phone. The HAM operators on the east coast fired up their systems and contacted the military and allowed several hundreds to a few thousands of families to hear from their service members.

If the cell system failed here we are back to the dark ages. The biggest problem is panic set off by people fearing the worst in every scenario. These days we are TV programmed to fear and scream. Pre cells, you just dealt with it.
 
I was a radio operator in the USAF in Germany when there was a big plane crash at an air show. This is pre cell phone. The HAM operators on the east coast fired up their systems and contacted the military and allowed several hundreds to a few thousands of families to hear from their service members.

If the cell system failed here we are back to the dark ages. The biggest problem is panic set off by people fearing the worst in every scenario. These days we are TV programmed to fear and scream. Pre cells, you just dealt with it.

The Ramstein AB air show crash back in 8/88? I ALMOST went to that air show, but I wound up having to pull PSD duty in Heidelberg that day.

Talk about dodging a BIG bullet!! :eek:
 
It's a straight up BS move to shut off citizens communication that isn't monitored by Big Brother.

It also shuts down comms during shtf situations. Like maybe if folks are "resisting" some possible gubmint malfeasance bad enough to warrant Ham radio communication.

I'm just sayin'.
 
It's a straight up BS move to shut off citizens communication that isn't monitored by Big Brother.

It also shuts down comms during shtf situations. Like maybe if folks are "resisting" some possible gubmint malfeasance bad enough to warrant Ham radio communication.

I'm just sayin'.
Totally agree. They can't tax the Ham operators so they must destroy them. For the time being, they are just kicking the repeaters off the sites where they co-locate with public transmitters and on public land. It's definitely a shot across the bow though.
 
More hype than content. In a real SHTF situation, hams could set up their own repeaters easily enough. If not, assisting the public will be become secondary to our own communication needs and well being.

I can have a VHF simplex set up going pushing 250 watts or more that will cover my area of concern and needs, the hell with assisting the public via private repeaters on public sites.

This will bring Mad Max type setups of set up and take down repeaters, holding and defending high ground positions and long wire HF antennas with the HF guys running Morse code off car batteries supplying long range needs.

Most repeater sites would not last more than 5 days on auxiliary fuel anyway with out grid service, so going old school would have to happen sooner rather than later.
 
Very true about Ham generosity. I started with the phone company in the late 70s as a cord-board operator. One of my late night jobs was ham service assistance A local ham operator would link up with ham operators on Okinawa, Japan or Korea and let servicemen and women contact their folks in the states. Overseas calls back then were crazy expensive and this let the troops talk to their families for interstate rates which were much cheaper collect calls. I would get the list of US numbers and have the next call waiting while one was underway. I got my wage for being there but the ham operators were doing this for hours every night all on their own dime.
Great guys, every one of them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It's a straight up BS move to shut off citizens communication that isn't monitored by Big Brother.

It also shuts down comms during shtf situations. Like maybe if folks are "resisting" some possible gubmint malfeasance bad enough to warrant Ham radio communication.

I'm just sayin'.
It does make one wonder.
 
Wow - what a dump job, sunds just like a soon-to-be ex telling ou she just traded up:

""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."


As pointed out on another site: "and because it depends on AT&T's Network, it requires that backup Power for each and every Site, and when that power fails, the network dies... and what can kill the backup Power... Floods, lightning, Fire, earthquakes, etc..."

Good thing California doesn't have power outages, otherwise this "all eggs in one basket" approach...

IMO they want to cut out the civilian bands because they are preparing for emergencies where they want to restrict the audience. Use of HAM operators means civilians relaying communications, and since they can't be encrypte anybody with a receiver can hear what's going on. It makes me wonder if they are preparing for civil unrest, and if so, what legislation are they planning that might incite an angry population?
 
Wow - what a dump job, sunds just like a soon-to-be ex telling ou she just traded up:

""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."


As pointed out on another site: "and because it depends on AT&T's Network, it requires that backup Power for each and every Site, and when that power fails, the network dies... and what can kill the backup Power... Floods, lightning, Fire, earthquakes, etc..."

Good thing California doesn't have power outages, otherwise this "all eggs in one basket" approach...

IMO they want to cut out the civilian bands because they are preparing for emergencies where they want to restrict the audience. Use of HAM operators means civilians relaying communications, and since they can't be encrypte anybody with a receiver can hear what's going on. It makes me wonder if they are preparing for civil unrest, and if so, what legislation are they planning that might incite an angry population?
It sounds more like a matter of getting rid of the Ham repeaters from state /local sites by attrition. FirstNet is what they are going to rely on more and more and if they need the room for that equipment, then the Ham equipment if not paying rent will go first, then existing rental agreements will not be renewed. They are even offering access to FIrstNet to local CERT's who are already reliant on amateur radio. Right now the movement is fairly low level but within a few years the efforts to rely on FirstNet will be much more intense as the funding will come form DHS grants, etc.
 
This all stemmed from a single person's perspective of a single county and a single repeater, where the group did not want to comply with a few regulations. This story has been thoroughly debunked on the Ham Radio web sites ... Oh Woe is me, the end is near ....
Gotta remember, EVERYTHING you read / hear / see on the Internet is THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

Whether invited to participate in a disaster relief effort or not, HAMS will be very effective in setting up communications, even without the co-ordination of government agencies. Perhaps better since it isn't so structured. Go where there's a need, and get the job done by whatever means are available ....

Somebody got their panties in a knot, and put out a wah wah video and everybody took it at face value.

Good lesson ... check your facts!

'73' Kevin K7ZS
 
My friend in NW MT has been going on and on about this issue.

He is a ham radio operator. He and other people are pretty upset about this issue.

Another man up there in that area but in another county has been working with the sheriff's department with his ham radio station. I think that man is involved with some search and rescue teams too.

I think that ham radio operators are a good idea and that the repeaters should be left alone.

Cate
 
My friend in NW MT has been going on and on about this issue.

He is a ham radio operator. He and other people are pretty upset about this issue.

Another man up there in that area but in another county has been working with the sheriff's department with his ham radio station. I think that man is involved with some search and rescue teams too.

I think that ham radio operators are a good idea and that the repeaters should be left alone.

Cate

If nothing else the repeaters should be left in place until the new system is proven reliable. Even then keeping the backup system in place is a good idea.

What looks reliable on paper is not always reliable in practice, especially when it comes to technology. For example, we have a redundant WAN with dual telco providers to ensure 100% uptime. Guess what? it took years to fully stabilize including getting Cisco to make changes to IOS, and we still get outages on occasion
 

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