Senate Passage of Amateur Radio Parity Act

Lionel

Brent Parker

The ARRL reply button rejected my click, as I'd already done that.

I instead logged into Senator Bill Nelson's web site and wrote a personal message. I believe these personal messages are more effective, than the canned ones. Also being in Florida helps.

I encourage all Florida hams to write Bill, directly on his web page.

I reminded him that hams spurred much of the technology and communications that we now take for granted now and him having been is space, he should be fully aware of that. 

I also told him that both "sides" of this legislation have come together and now support this non-controversial legislation, and for him to hold it hostage, for other purposes is just not acceptable.

We'll see.

Florida hams, we need your help

Thanks

Brent Parker W8XG

Walt - KZ1F

Isn't this already done and is now part of the reconciled Communication Act of 2016? This was reported on a few weeks ago.

Moose

I live in Florida and I just called Senator Nelson's office in DC and asked that he remove the hold on the bill. I asked why the hold was there to begin with and the person I spoke to was not able to answer that for me.

73 Chris AK4SK

Walt - KZ1F

Why it was held or or if it was held?

Moose

The aid said he didn't know.

W7NGA

His neighbor has a 20-meter log periodic on a 100' tower.

KY6LA_Howard

It is being held because i it's part if an omnibus bill that has other parts that Nelson does not like or more likely it's being used by Nelson as a lever to get some Pork.

Walt - KZ1F

It's all about the sausage making.

Larry - WA7LZO

I'm not sure this bill, even if passed, will realistically do much of anything at all for erecting a decent HF antenna, even a simple dipole. The compromised language essentially says the HOA must make "...reasonable accommodations..."  As that infamous politician would say, It depends upon the meaning of "reasonable." Translation: The HOA may approve a toothpick. If the Ham decides to fight them for a modest dipole (let alone a very small beam), good luck draining your bank account on attorney fees. I am convinced HF enthusiasts living in a deed restricted or HOA environment must be prepared to pay big $'s (and accept the horrible realities of living with a septic system and well) to acquire acreage in some place like NW Idaho, N or S Dakota, or Montana to be allowed to put up a nice HF antenna.

k3Tim

It appears to be on hold due to a purely partisan reason:
"On the Democratic side, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and many others focused on the failure of the Senate GOP to confirm FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to a second term. This GOP reluctance to move on reconfirming her has resulted in a hold being placed on all telecommunications related bills coming up before the Senate."

source: 
https://www.neca.org/article.aspx?listid=26972&id=13431

In which case you can forget about it till next year.

Mark WS7M

I hit it again!  I've emailed, called and done what I can.

Walt - KZ1F

I suspect nobody is going to see a tower or yagi come out of it. Frankly, that is one reason people buy into HOA developments as they don't want to see neighbors laundry and or rusted out cars leaking oil on their front lawn up on cinder blocks, lawns turned to weeds thru neglect. All of which we had in an HOA development when we lived in Reston VA.

Michael Coslo

Agree. The HOA has to accomodate you, which means at best, a wire doublet, or a vertical. As well, you'll be dealing with people in the HOA who are now pretty PO'ed at ya, since you'd be using the force of law to make them accomodate you, so I suspect they'll accommodate you as little as they have to. 

It's seriously best to live in a place where you are allowed to put up whatever you want. Otherwise it's going to be an uphill battle to get at best something mediocre. I don't even want to live around those people.

Flamesuit on, I've been roasted, toasted,  and cursed a lot for my opinion.

Walt - KZ1F

Mike, the xyl and I were looking for a place with no deed restrictions for two years before settling on this qth and one can check out the tower and LP on qrz and the Google earth app.

Larry - WA7LZO

Yup, looking for a nice acre or two with no CC&R's, HOA's, etc. The biggest hurdle is I absolutely will NEVER again live with the horrible realities of a septic system, and/or a well.

Walt - KZ1F

Well, not on the east coast. I can't speak for the western US. And, as Mike said above, there will be a good number of very unhappy hams if and when it does pass. If you really want a tower and no well and septic, there is always RHR.

Lionel

In Texas, near Houston, it is pretty much impossible to buy a home that is NOT in an HOA.   Ours does allow me some flexibility and I have a vertical with a large radial field that works okay.   I'd like a high wire antenna, but that's out of the question.  After a decade we're bugging out of Texas very soon; property is up for sale. 

We're returning to MN and we have a realtor on board and I have made contact with relevant city departments for zoning and permits related to ham antennas.  It turns out that they have virtually no objections unless you want a tower that can fall on your neighbor.   It can be done., and apparently within 30 minutes of the Twin Cities, and no HOA.  We won't even look at an online picture of a house in an HOA. 

And, even better, for me anyway, once nested in the new QTH an already XYL approved new Flex 6500 will be added.

That said, the Parity Act is not all of what we want or need but the reality is we better take what we can get. Chip away at every chance. Or do nothing.  I prefer doing something and if it only takes a chip out of the HOA wall, so be it.  Every chip helps.

So not everyone agrees. That's okay. Those who do need to apply what pressure they can.

Mark WS7M

I live in a restrictive HOA.  So far I've slid by with a tree hidden antenna and a wire that is difficult to see from the road.

Burt, who may no longer be on this forum gave many of us a hard time about wanting to "break" our covenant agreements that we signed when we bought our properties.  I had issues with this because I think that many covenants, including ours are too restrictive. 

I don't seek to "break" but rather to modify.  IE if the parity act passes I expect that it will make it more possible to modify covenants.  Yes it will take time, **** people off, cost money but I think for me that will not really be the case. 

I'm looking for the parity act as a fall back that if some day someone spots my wire and says what the ****?  I will have something to back me up even in the slightest.

So I agree with chipping away.  I certainly don't expect to put up a massive tower and beam but an almost invisible wire should be acceptable and I hope the parity act makes it possible for me to stand up to our HOA if it ever comes up. 

On the flip side, one reason I'm sticking with FlexRadio is that I still have this dream of a true remote station.   In my ideal world I'd buy or lease a small piece of land in a nice elevated location.  Build a nice brick structure, put up a tower and a beam, set up line-of-slight LAN connection to my house and be able to run my station completely remotely.

This is a ways off both financially and practically but it is a dream and I think flex offers the best options at this.

I have found some rather nice mountain top properties for sale.  I've found one owner that was interested in leasing out a piece of his large land.  I didn't get into pricing but he didn't seem to mind when I suggested leasing a small square plot to build a building and mount a a tower and beam.

What would be even better would be to find a ham that want to share the expense of building and putting up a tower and we could pool resources for equipment.  If this person lived in a good area then it might be a good way to go.   

I'm waiting for Flex to really nail the WAN version of SSDR before I go to something like this but I do think this is how I will end up someday.  My gear will be some miles away.

KY6LA_Howard

In California it's impossible to buy any new home without a HOA unless you are very wealthy and even then it is quite difficult.

Michael Coslo

I live in a development, and a nice one, that the only restrictions on antennas are that if I have a tower, it must pass the pencil drop test. Not that any tower is likelt to ever fail that way, but I'm okay with that. The only issue with the neighbors is they like to come out to see whatever odd thing I'm doing. 

Even then, I have a trick up my sleeve. I stay on real good terms with the neighbors. I also belong to an RFI listing where there are more than a few that want to go in guns-a-blazin' (figuratively of course) when they have an issue. But it's amazing what sharing a ****, or using the snowblower on their sidewalks will do for PR.

Larry - WA7LZO

No way RHR. Prefer CXG.

Larry - WA7LZO

We're looking at some acreage properties nearby Austin, TX with no HOA, no CC&R's. We cannot EVEN believe how inexpensive land and homes are in Austin and the surrounding areas, juxtaposed to Seattle prices.

Walt - KZ1F

Sorry, that's completely cow pies. One party to a legally binding agreement can not unilaterally'modify' it. Burt was working hard at his curmudgeon status, but on that point he was 100% correct.

Michael Coslo

That is prety sad. Wouldn't it be a better fight at the state level then? I apparently cannot live in Cali, because I was in an HOA once, and would jump off a bridge before dealing with those devils again. 

Mark WS7M

As a member of the HOA board I actually do have a chance to modify it since our covenants are in review and revamp at this stage of the game.  We are not in compliance with recent Colorado rulings so we do have to update them, under law. It is my hope to factor some of this in as a member of the covenant review committee I do have a chance at this since I've already brought it up.  It always helps we have a new ham moving in down the block.  So it could happen.

I wish that more people would realize that they don't always know the full situation before they yell out "cow pie".   :-)

Ria

I believe the issues are bigger than that with Senator Nelson. Florida is basically HOA-ville, home to The Villages, a gigantic retirement community with lots of CC&Rs, among others. He probably owes the Florida RE industry a huge amount of favors. 

Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, ARRL Hudson Division Director and a major champion of the Amateur Radio Parity Act (and a long time friend of mine) explained the whole thing today. We really don't have much of a choice because Senator Nelson holds the cards right now and isn't up for re-election for 3 more years. 

So,keep calling, keep writing, keep emailing and keep on keeping on. 

Ria

I have lived with a septic system nearly all my life. A well is really no big deal either. We've had 2 failures (pumps, one septic, one well) but as long as you maintain it and keep oil, grease, laundry lint (use a filter) and feminine hygiene products out of it, it should last a long time. I have seen a lot of nightmares of sewer lines filling up and overflowing into the streets, no thanks. I think either has its disadvantages. 

Before I go to RHR I may just get an unmanned building somewhere and then run a remote to it. I have to resolve within myself my own ethics of using RHR before I actually decide to use it. 

Ria

The problem with CC&Rs is that they are nearly impossible to modify. They run with the land. When you buy the home you can't negotiate the CC&Rs. They're usually passed by the HOA or the developer and you have zero say. That's the very definition of one-sidedness.

I generally don't have a problem with HOAs as long as they are voluntary. However I'm seeing more cities, towns and municipalities mandate them for plat approval. It gets them off the hook for things like snow removal and upkeep, but the developer gets to slap restrictions, some of which are just ridiculous - eg no pickup trucks in driveways, no open garage doors.  

Mark WS7M

No argument there.   I'm lucky that our CC&Rs are in violation of Colorado laws otherwise everyone here is right... I'd never be able to modify them.

Ria

That's cool! I like Austin and Texas in general as well. As a bonus you'll be close to the mothership.