Enact Part 97 to prohibit coordination of closed repeaters
This petition site is being used for the purpose of collecting signatures in support of this issue that will be added to a future petition to be filed with the FCC.
We, the undersigned, are signing this petition to request the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enact a rule, under Part 97.205, to prohibit the coordination of a closed repeater. A closed repeater is one that is lawfully coordinated and not open for public use of fellow licensed amateurs of proper license class (Novice through Amateur Extra).
We believe that such coordinations contradict the primary purpose of our hobby, as defined by FCC Rules Part 97.1 Basis and purpose of amateur radio that states the following:
The rules and regulations in this Part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communications and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
This is a petition to enact a rule to specifically prohibit authorized frequency coordinators from coordinating what are known as "closed repeaters" in the US Amateur Service. Therefore, not allowing individual licensees or private clubs to have FCC backing on channel, or frequency pairs under Part 97.
This rule, if enacted, will allow for all amateur licensees, operating under FCC rules and repeater stations "codes of conduct" to freely use any and all functional repeater stations without fear of being told to vacate the frequency as current closed repeater stations are able to enforce through the FCC under current Part 97 rules.
Those individuals seeking to operate a closed repeater should obtain a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license or other such alternative radio service to operate such closed repeaters.
All repeaters installed on the amateur service should be open to all amateurs who follow FCC Rules & repeater conduct for use as they are operating on public access ham radio frequencies.
**Support your local open repeaters by donating funds to them as needed to keep them on the air!**
Our goal is at least 3,000 signatures, including hams from around the world. This petition has been created by Bradley Smith, AA9G & the Prairieland Amateur Radio Society (www.ww9p.com). About the petitioner: I have been a licensed radio ham since March 1999, working my way up to the top class of Amateur Extra just over a year later. I have earned 4 career diplomas from Penn Foster in Electrician, Basic Electronics, PC Repair & TV/VCR Repair Technician. I am also the founder & trustee of PARS; WW9P. Listen for our call on ARRL Field Day 2009!
This petition site is being used for the purpose of collecting signatures in support of this issue that will be added to a future petition to be filed with the FCC.
We, the undersigned, are signing this petition to request the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enact a rule, under Part 97.205, to prohibit the coordination of a closed repeater. A closed repeater is one that is lawfully coordinated and not open for public use of fellow licensed amateurs of proper license class (Novice through Amateur Extra).
We believe that such coordinations contradict the primary purpose of our hobby, as defined by FCC Rules Part 97.1 Basis and purpose of amateur radio that states the following:
The rules and regulations in this Part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communications and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
This is a petition to enact a rule to specifically prohibit authorized frequency coordinators from coordinating what are known as "closed repeaters" in the US Amateur Service. Therefore, not allowing individual licensees or private clubs to have FCC backing on channel, or frequency pairs under Part 97.
This rule, if enacted, will allow for all amateur licensees, operating under FCC rules and repeater stations "codes of conduct" to freely use any and all functional repeater stations without fear of being told to vacate the frequency as current closed repeater stations are able to enforce through the FCC under current Part 97 rules.
Those individuals seeking to operate a closed repeater should obtain a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license or other such alternative radio service to operate such closed repeaters.
All repeaters installed on the amateur service should be open to all amateurs who follow FCC Rules & repeater conduct for use as they are operating on public access ham radio frequencies.
**Support your local open repeaters by donating funds to them as needed to keep them on the air!**
Our goal is at least 3,000 signatures, including hams from around the world. This petition has been created by Bradley Smith, AA9G & the Prairieland Amateur Radio Society (www.ww9p.com). About the petitioner: I have been a licensed radio ham since March 1999, working my way up to the top class of Amateur Extra just over a year later. I have earned 4 career diplomas from Penn Foster in Electrician, Basic Electronics, PC Repair & TV/VCR Repair Technician. I am also the founder & trustee of PARS; WW9P. Listen for our call on ARRL Field Day 2009!
Closed repeaters serve no purpose in amateur service. They actually prevent others from using frequencies that could be used to advance the technical capabilities of the amateur service.
This is obviously NOT in the spirit of Amateur Radio and, therefore, an intrusion into the amateur radio frequencies!
This is amateur radio, not GMRS or business band. We should be encouraging ALL hams to use our frequencies. Jim Kapphahn KB6JST
Closed repeaters are not needed or required in the amateur service. If a private frequency is needed there are other ways to get one. Leave the amateur frequencies for the amateur radio hobby.
Closed repeaters are private systems and have no place in Amateur Radio. Amateur Radio is after all, part of our country's disaster preparedness tools. Ricco Lorenzi / N6XQT
Now that many repeater band segments are fully allocated in many parts of the country, allowing closed repeaters to occupy these scare resources no longer makes sense for the greater good of the Amatuer Radio service. -- Jim - K6JM
In Northern Califortnia it is almost impossible to get a 2 meter pair. In our area we have losted the use of the UHF bands due to a radar problem and a closed repeater makes it worst. W6BBQ
Bravo!!! I have been saying this for years. Day in and Day out, frequencies are unused because somone has a closed repeater system. If the frequency ISN'T in use, why is it wrong for me to transmit on that frequency and with a given pl tone just because someone has a coordinated (or uncordinated) "closed" repeater that is receiving on that frequency. There should be no closed repeaters - period!!! If you don't want someone using it - shut it off when you aren't using it yourself. Everybody wants their "system" and doen't want to hear ANYONE else. If you want that - how about moving into the 20th century (that's right - LAST century) and use PL decode on the radio like is done in commercial services. Proper implementation of PL could easily increase the availablility of repeater channels 10 fold.
There is enough room on the open repeaters for everone. if they have secrets they need to use the phone. Thanks J L N5INC
In the spirit of Amateur radio, all repeaters should be open and available for use by all. If there is a need for a closed repeater, operate in the business or GMRS service not HAM. GDL
ka5gqi
I would very much like to see Part 97 clearly prohibit closed repeater systems. This is the death of HAM RADIO as we know it. Everyday we loose our rights and freedoms as Americans! This is a prime example. Shame on Closed repeaters systems. I support repeaters thru donations heavily. I know its expensive to operate a repeater. I too support this petition.
Closed repeaters go against the spirit of Amateur Radio. In a sense it is privatizing a very public frequency spectrum. This practice also can isolate individuals and also lead to closed groups that often will shun outsiders who have every right to use these frequencies that their federal government license allows them to transmit on.
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I am a licensed Amateur Operator (KC7IIB) and support many charity events such as runs and walks. There is nothing more frustrating then being told that I cant use a repeater system to support an event. I recognize the expense of putting a repeater online and am a member of several organizations in my area that support repeaters. But if an existing repeater is online and not being used otherwise, it should be available to all amateurs in my opinion. I would very much like to see Part 97 clearly prohibit closed repeater systems.
I support this petition.
I operate six open repeaters. If I ever have to close them, I will take them off the air. Tim K6BIV
The whole concept of a "closed" repeater should be anathema to the Amateur Radio Service. In many countries they are illegal. I would only add a few comments: 1) The coordination process needs to be open and public. No membership or fees to access or review co-ordinations. Administrative fees for coordination should be minimal, if they exist at all, and should only be levied when an action is necessary (a token, e.g. $1 annual renewal fee to help weed out abandoned coordinations would be OK). All coordinations and user access details should be published on a publicly accessible website. Local expertise is needed for coordination, but the process for application should be nationally standardized. 2) The same regulation should make it easy for coordination bodies to eliminate paper repeaters and move existing repeater frequency assignments to facilitate better spectrum utilization (e.g. narrow modes like D-STAR could easily put 8-10 repeater pairs in a contiguous 100 kHz., whereas current analog FM plans can only accommodate 4 to 6.66 repeaters - moving existing repeaters to obtain contiguous blocks would facilitate this.) 3) A repeater without CTCSS or similar mechanisms is not protected from co-channel operations. Repeater owners and coordinators should not expect "clear channels" in the fringe. 4) The petition should re-iterate the trustee's right to exclude somone who violates rules on the repeater. 5) Mandatory dues amount to commercial activity, and should not be required to use a repeater, but everyone should support repeaters they use primarily. (Utah has a great system where you can belong to a local repeater and for a few dollars contribute to a statewide fund so you are helping other repeaters in less populated areas and you don't have to feel bad about using them when in the area.)
Open 'em or don't allow them. Follow the Part 97 rules!
For more impact, add a personal comment here
There are far too many club cliques in Amateur radio who have been asking other Amateur operators to stay off their repeaters these club cliques are destroying Amateur Radio with their rude remarks and actions they take to keep others from useing the repeaters.
Our licenses authorize us to transmit on all amateur assigned frequencies. No one should be allowed to monopolize any amateur frequency, as their own. I support this petition 100%.
I support this petition
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Closed repeaters are not needed in the amateur service due to violation of the very purpose a repeater is supposed to serve and the very spirit of what amateur radio really is. The FCC and the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that if radio operations are to be private, such as a person expecting privacy in their own home; the "shades" need to be lowered. This means that the amateur service is not the place for closed or private communications systems. There are other radio services where the privacy or the restriction of access to a radio system is more suited.
I support this petition and feel that coordination should only be allowed for repeaters open the the entire ham community. W1MRK
I support this petition 100%!!!
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