Interesting discussion.
But, what I see as missing from the dialog is WHY we need to get
"regulation by bandwidth"? At this point we need to motivate the
members and me. And I think I was very involved and awake for the last
four years as we developed this idea and the proposal, but recently I
have started to blink. What is so wrong with the current "regulation by
mode" system that we need to risk ARRL's already damaged image to force
this idea down the throats of the ham radio world? Will the ham radio
world fall apart without it? I think we have a lot to loose if we are
not successful with our second attempt.at a bandwidth proposal. SO, ....
We need to answer those question first before we move forward, I feel.
Is there a strong believable and compelling reason for doing this? Will
the ham radio community understand that view and agree with us?
I do not think that we have the answers to those questions yet. I have
not seen them or heard them. I need to see them and hear them before I
risk getting 2600 negative comments and almost no agreeing comments a
second time around.
I do believe that we all agreed that it was going to be much more
difficult second time around with this idea. So why put ourselves in
that position again for no good reason?
The other problem I have is that I just do not trust Bill Cross and the
others at the FCC to do the right thing here. Their recent performance
record in this area is worse than bad. I find it hard to accept this
leap of faith that they really want to do this and are on our side. I
keep remembering what Cross recently did to the CW and digital
regulations on 80 meters. We also seem to have lost sight of the fact
that there is another regulation by bandwidth proposal out there in the
wings which has not been withdrawn. That proposal essentially asks for
deregulation of any mode regulations. Looking at the FCC track record
in all areas in recent years I think the great minds at FCC are going to
find that concept very attractive. My fear is that at the end of the
day those who control Cross' strings will have him go with that idea. I
just do not trust the FCC to do the right thing here or to do it the
ARRL way.
73 de Frank...N2FF.......