Hi All,

As I've so freely wished for new services for Amateur use, such as
RADAR, and by extension HAARP, events seem to be anticipating me, or
at least my event horizon of imagination is growing. From the New
York Times:

A Bill Advancing Digital TV Is Approved by Senate Panel
By STEPHEN LABATON
Published: October 21, 2005
....
Another behind-the-scenes fight has been brewing over how the
government should allocate the so-called "white space" on the
spectrum, which viewers now see on those channels that do not
carry programs, like Channel 3 in New York. Some technology
and Internet service providers, along with consumer groups,
have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to
approve a new generation of unlicensed wireless devices to
make use of the white space.

Their efforts are opposed by the broadcasters, who say that those
devices would interfere with broadcasting transmission.

The transition has also prompted lobbying by the equipment makers,
including Cisco Systems and Intel, and by software companies like Microsoft,
which has urged lawmakers to preserve a significant amount of the spectrum
for free or unlicensed use. Several lobbyists said this week they had heard
from lawmakers that in recent months Bill Gates, Microsoft's co-founder,
had pressed the issue with members of Congress.

A spokeswoman in the Washington office of Microsoft, Ginny Terzano,
declined to provide details about Mr. Gates's conversations with lawmakers.
She said the company was not seeking a provision for unlicensed spectrum
use in the bill adopted on Thursday but generally favors such unlicensed spectrum.

What do I imagine? Amateur TV Broadcasting! Remember the ill-fated
neighborhood FM? Interest groups sank that idea like a rock in the
ocean. What does "Amateur" mean in this context? Discard the notion
of transmitting only to exchange QSL cards and start pumping music and
game shows produced at the community level. The prohibition against
transmitting entertainment is a antediluvian appeal to the 1930s.
"Amateur" in this context means non-commercial. Not even appeals for
donations. Do it on your own or go back to vaudeville.

My notion to re-invigorate Amateur radio is to expand neighborhood TV
transmission (small service area, AKA Pirate TV) making Hams the
non-profit extension of the FCC for site review and inspection. Boost
the technical requirements (sort of a low grade General
Radiotelephone) for non-profit transmission testing and monitoring.
Develop an association for granting area and frequency coverage (just
like repeater associations have been doing for years) to co-ordinate
allocations. There should even be provisions for networking.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC