    Such crude, 100 years old technology is no longer necessary — Hams themselves, using technology, have obviated the need for such crudities — they have developed methodologies that permit every Amateur to have access to the airwaves — they have created remote ham radio. Why even their national organization has and continues to support the development and expansion of remote ham radio operation — they lend their prestige and trademarks to the providers and even adapt their rules of operation to permit and promote remote operation.

    With respect to Marty — remote operation will become cheaper as it gains more customers/adherents — thus that "reasonable" case and defense will be whittled away over time. The argument also assumes a level of understanding of the operation of AR that simply does not exist in any legislature. When you start explaining the difference between DX, local repeaters, simplex, et al — the "glazed eye" quotient increases logarithmically. And the HOAs, the real estate community, the builders and the developers will not accept any differentiation in operational needs — they will simply tie the issue to: "Dude, it is a dying hobby of OFWGs who just want to talk & technology (they developed) permits them to do that. We used to have to have ugly telephone poles to communicate, now we have cell phones; technology improves all communications and the OFWGs just need to adapt to technology (theirs). Besides, with modern infrastructure, mobile & satellite communications and the universal availability of the internet how often is it likely we will really have to rely on an ancient, past century communications system practiced by a minority of citizens (OFWGs by the way)?

    Accepting Chris Imlay's statement that the ARRL refused to run a RHR ad with the CQ language — correct call and good job, by the way — it underscores past poor business and strategic decisions — to wit, not getting control of CQ when it was possible. CQ intends to survive — it is a business after all — and if the Devil wants to run an ad and the Devil's check clears, the Devil is going to be permitted to run an ad. In fact, if I were the Devil I would think about buying or financially supporting CQ to maintain a pipeline to the customer base. And there is always the internet & its advertising ...

    RHR is also a for-profit business; it intends to survive and expand. So it the stuffy senior citizens @ 225 Main reject their ads, they are going to go elsewhere. RHR is not a friend of AR or the ARRL. And it is clear from its past actions that it doesn't give a tinker's damn what the ARRL thinks or what AR needs to expand and survive.

    And if the "DC Team" has "things in their pockets to deal with it" I would love to have a peek into the "Team's" pocket.

    Dr. Jim, yes the fight to remove outdated, financially motivated, private property right limiting private land use restrictions is "a good fight" — in fact, I believe it is THE good fight — but if we are to win that fight, AR has to develop and fund a strategic theater of operations battle strategy it is willing to maintain for the long term. And that plan has to realistically address the elephant in the room — RHR, remote operation and RHR's very damaging and hostile marketing.

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       John Robert Stratton

                    N5AUS

       Office telephone:    512-445-6262
   Cell:                         512-426-2028
                  PO Box 2232
          Austin, Texas 78768-2232

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