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!
