🔴UPDATE: Victory for Ham Radio Operators: PA Distracted Driving Bill to Include Ham Radio Exemption!

Подписаться 1,6 тыс.

Просмотров 1 тыс.

50% 1

In a triumphant follow-up to our previous coverage on the plight of Ham Radio Operators in Pennsylvania, we're thrilled to announce a significant win for the amateur radio community! Thanks to the relentless activism of Ham Radio Operators and supporters nationwide, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has voted to reinstate the exemption for licensed radio amateurs in the state's distracted driving bill.
Initially facing a worrying scenario where our exemption was stripped from the bill, Pennsylvania's Ham Radio Operators sprang into action, reaching out to state legislators to highlight the invaluable contributions and services they provide to the state. With the threat of losing the ability to operate mobile radios looming, hundreds of emails flooded legislators' inboxes, emphasizing the critical role of amateur radio in emergency response and public safety.
Moreover, the bill's proposed removal of the ability for first responders, including volunteer firefighters, to utilize radios in their personal vehicles added urgency to the cause. Recognizing the interconnectedness of Ham Radio Operators and emergency responders, the community rallied together, advocating not only for their own rights but also for the broader public good.
With the bill's passage through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, following its approval in the Senate last summer, it now heads to Governor Josh Shapiro's desk for final approval. Once signed, this legislation will safeguard the mobile use of amateur radio in Pennsylvania, ensuring that Ham Radio Operators can continue their vital communications activities without fear of legal repercussions.
This victory underscores the power of grassroots activism and the collective voice of the amateur radio community. It serves as a testament to the dedication and determination of Ham Radio Operators in preserving their rights and advancing the interests of emergency communication in the digital age.
Join us in celebrating this significant achievement and stay tuned for further updates on the ever-evolving landscape of amateur radio regulations and advocacy efforts. Remember, when Ham Radio Operators unite, we can effect positive change and protect our cherished hobby for generations to come!
More coverage from our Partners:
/ @carlottaalotta
/ @scuffedradio
#HamRadio #AmateurRadio #PennsylvaniaRadio #DistractedDriving #ActivismWins #LegislativeVictory #EmergencyComms #PublicSafety #GrassrootsAdvocacy #RadioExemption #CommunityEngagement #EmergencyResponse #LegalRights #GovShapiro #RadioLegislation #VolunteerFirefighters #MobileRadio #StateLaw #HamRadioActivism #RadioRegs

Наука

Опубликовано:

8 май 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 25

@ThePfirefighter2 27 дней назад

If law enforcement can use a mic for their radios, civilians should be able to, also.

@StarShipAdventures 26 дней назад

Agreed, but the Government Vehicle Exemption was the first to go in!

@embracethesuck1041 26 дней назад

Same with computers and mobile devices.

@jbranstetter04 27 дней назад

Do they give tickets for picking your nose? Perhaps we will need a hands-free nose picker. Legislators go too far when they try to solve a problem that is not there.

@babayaga2977 27 дней назад

Shocked that they actually used common sense for a change . Thank you for the update!!

@StarShipAdventures 27 дней назад

Agreed!

@paguy67 27 дней назад

Great news! Thanks for the update

@StarShipAdventures 27 дней назад

Any time!

@Pilgrim420 26 дней назад

Good to hear that 👍 I appreciate your content.. thanks

@StarShipAdventures 26 дней назад

My pleasure!

@user-gk4nf4mo7l 28 дней назад

Informative videos Starship Adventures. Thanks .

@StarShipAdventures 27 дней назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@glennfink8384 24 дня назад

Excellent! What about GMRS?

@StarShipAdventures 23 дня назад

I have been told GMRS Should be OK, but I can't confirm how it reads in the new legislation.

@andymarshaevans 27 дней назад

So, is a CB radio operator considered a Ham radio operator?

@StarShipAdventures 27 дней назад

No. CB May still have issues in Privately owned vehicles.

@KP68videogates 27 дней назад

@@StarShipAdventures Great news! It will be interesting to know if most police even know the difference between Ham or CB. I doubt 99% do. I wonder if they pull someone over if they will ask to see their amateur license and actually look up the call sign in the FCC database. Seems like a big hassle for them.

@johnwest7993 27 дней назад

That's not good. It makes our roads less safe when drivers, including hams, have only 1 hand free. I've always kept my 'on the road' conversation down to somewhere between 'roger' and 6 words if I have to say anything at all. If I need to chat I pull over and stop. But if I want to chat while driving I put on a lapel mic and switch on the VOX on my rig. It's not rocket science. It's ham radio science. Heck, lazy hams may have even invented VOX. My base station radios all have VOX, including my 40 year-old Heathkit base station. My mobiles all have it. Even my $20 Chinese HT's have it! If any rig I wanted to use while driving didn't have it I could easily build a VOX for it. For any ham unable to design one for themselves you'll find schematics and instructional photos for them in old copies of the ARRL Handbook. It's pretty simple, about 3 transistors and a relay. Most mobile rigs also have convenient memory channels, too. Hams are no safer drivers than anyone else who's holding a phone or a mic in their hand when they should be driving. So why should we be treated different from anyone else when it comes to driver safety laws, because we can yell louder at politicians? Political muscle doesn't change the basic problem or the reason for the law. It just means we whine louder than others. BTW, I've had 2-way radios in my vehicles most of the time for the last 50 years, but I respect the dangers of driving, and I respect my obligation to protect the lives of others when I'm on the road. I believe other hams should do so as well. Those who have been screaming that PA was "making ham radio illegal!!!" sound like some sort of embarrassing Karen's to me, and I would much rather have them take their driving responsibilities to heart. Ham radio has in the past been considered a somewhat geeky but pretty well respected hobby, with only a few hams embarrassing the rest of us. I'd like it if we could at least keep it that way, or perhaps even do a little better. Getting this unnecessary privilege doesn't seem like that's what we're doing. If we want to yell at our representatives about something worthwhile we should be yelling about home antenna restrictions instead of this. We've just wasted much of our political capital on something we shouldn't have.

@StarShipAdventures 26 дней назад

I could not disagree more. I am a retired Fire Chief and Former Law Enforcement Officer and it infuriates me that these laws are made because it feels good. These laws make people hold the phone further from the road to prevent the cops seeing it, which causing more crashes. These No Texting or No Handheld Device Laws have failed to make the roads any safer. Facts are Facts. It is feel good legislation! It does not make your drive any safer! After a distracted driving Law passed here in Florida, fatalities, accidents, and injuries all rose again year over year on the same curve as before. This Enforcement Action is a complete Waste of Time, Energy, Tax Money, and Private Funds. The Danger created by these new traffic stops plus the added risk by drivers keeping the phone out of sight will actually raise the total number of crashes! BTW, You Bought in an HOA, this has nothing to do with the government. I live outside of HOAs and I can put up anything I want. You made your own issue when you moved into an HOA! I can't believe you want the Government to tell me what I can do when I am driving, but you don't think your HOA should be able to tell you what kind of antenna you can have! You Signed the Agreement. I would never live in a HOA!

@Obliticus 26 дней назад

"...sound like some sort of embarrassing Karen's to me" I guess you failed to realize this is exactly what YOU sound like

@johnwest7993 26 дней назад

@@Obliticus, pretty sure I sound rational and thoughtful, and point out viable solutions to a problem for those who don't appear aware of the solution. However, you're welcome to think otherwise, whether you have any evidence of that or not. Others can read the posts and decide for themselves.

@Obliticus 26 дней назад

@@johnwest7993 Rational and thoughtful does not equate to realistic and practical. When you ignore reality, you end up with insane laws that do far more harm than good. As for evidence... where is yours? Hard evidence that HAM operators are causing traffic accidents all across the country? If you have problems operating a HAM radio while driving then STOP. But that doesn't mean the vast majority of the rest of us do and that YOU should dictate our lives around YOUR terms and failings.

@johnwest7993 26 дней назад

@@StarShipAdventures, and I was an 'under cover ride checker' for over a decade for a major US city's public transportation system, and part of my job was to observer the driving habits of the bus drivers. Twice I saw drivers doing things with their phones while driving buses with dozens of passengers aboard, looking away from the road, steering with their elbows, their minds on the phone instead of the road, etc. Both times they were driving much less safely because of it. They were reported and fired.