Push to Identify Unlicensed 10-Meter Operators Continues
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 10, 2003--A concerted effort begun last spring to monitor for and possibly identify unlicensed operators on 10 meters will continue through October. The FCC already has asked the ARRL Amateur Auxiliary/Official Observers for assistance. Now, FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth is inviting hard information on suspected interlopers from all amateurs.
"If I don't receive reports, we'll have to conclude that unlicensed operation on 10 meters no longer is a problem," Hollingsworth said this week. Hollingsworth's initial request to beef up monitoring came in the wake of complaints from the amateur community that rose to the level of a major enforcement headache. He's expressed some disappointment, however, that the number of solid reports received so far has been few, although he's aware that a problem exists.
Hollingsworth asks amateurs to be specific in what they report. "Everybody should police their own neighborhood," he suggested. "Turn on the radio, and take a listen on the band. If you hear a loud signal that's obviously an unlicensed interloper, see if you can track it down."
Hollingsworth said that in the case of a suspected unlicensed trucker on the highway, amateurs should try to get the license plate number of the tractor--not the trailer--or at least the company name and, if possible, the DOT number.
The FCC does not require direction-finding data but would appreciate, where possible, names and addresses of alleged or suspected operators. Audio recordings of apparently illegal transmissions also can prove helpful but are not absolutely necessary.
Individual amateurs with solid information on alleged unlicensed operation on 10 or even 12 meters should report it to the FCC via e-mail. Official Observers should file their reports through normal ARRL channels.
ARRL Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, says the FCC wants to pin down specific areas where unlicensed operation is prevalent in the US. He and Hollingsworth concede, however, that not all illegal 10-meter operation is of domestic origin.
The FCC's initial request last May request was made in accordance with the Communications Act and a longstanding agreement between ARRL and the FCC regarding the use of Amateur Radio volunteers to assist in enforcement.
Page last modified: 01:58 PM, 10 Oct 2003 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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