FCC OTURD Laws

[kenglish]

Had to take down all my radio antennas yesterday.They are not covered under FCC OTURD Laws...only TV, satellite and internet ("cool, modern technologies") are covered. The FCC could care less about radio.

The assistant at the rental office was nice about it, said "maybe" I could sneak something back up in a few weeks, after the potential buyers tour the complex. But, she said the manager would like them "permanently removed".

I wonder why a skinny piece of 14 AWG wire, 30 feet off the ground, caught their attention, but not the big-honkin' DirecTV triple-stacker dishes with multiple LNB's, bolted to people's windowsills, did not? And, then there's the lawn, where the maintenance guys cut wheelies in the grass with their golf carts, right by the main entrance. Looks like crap, but I guess it ain't as bad as looking like a tecch'ie lives there.

[ddsparxx]

Yuck. I guess it has to do with radio antennas being suspicious or uncomfortable to nonDXers. Or they think we are up to no good. And the non DXers use flat screen TVs to watch movies and play games, causing the interferences. That's where I think the FCC should look into.


I use only indoor antennas and just deal with any noise by nulling them out with AM loops. Sometimes I go outside with a Tecsun DSP radio when the weather is nice.

[K6JHU]

Maybe put up a fake dish and wrap a loop around the outside. A bit directional though 

[borderblaster]

I operated ham radio with a very thin, almost invisible wire through a tuner from an apartment once. Still got detected.

[kenglish]

I wonder where the next generation of technically-inclined people are going to come from, if Americans can't even listen to a radio or watch TV, much less play Ham radio?

Asia, I guess.

[pianoplayer88key]

What about using a chainlink fence out front (or some other easily accessible already-there metal structure that wasn't originally intended for use as an antenna) AS your ham transmitting antenna?

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=191436.0 - look @ reply #3.

[K6JHU]

Time to tune up the rain gutters 

If you are an amateur radio operator, the following makes for some interesting reading. See particularly the discussion section.

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=prb-1&id=amateur&page=1

But at all times please be polite.

[Tom Wells]

I have never seen any section of law that requires holding an FCC license to erect such
antennas as are necessary to provide adequate communications.

Nowhere do the rules specify that transmitting is any way required.

By federal FCC law, you are entitiled to put up such antennas as required for YOUR  communications needs,
and no one else is enttitled to decide for you what you do or don't need access to.

Be polite but firm.  They may be entitled to one's best efforts to minimize obtrusiveness, but cannot legally
restrict anyone's commmunications.

[nocomradio]

 On the contrary, homeowners associations can and will do whatever they please regardless of what is legal or a right. An antenna is an easy target for them when many have made it impossible to even fly an American flag in front of your home now.

 I chose to never live under the restrictive rules placed by these micro governments upon their subjects many years ago and haven't looked back. Busybodies and nosy meddlers usually run them and only go after the people they know will comply with their vision of how the neighborhood "needs" to look. They never go after the guy with 14 derelict cars in the front yard, or the barking dog on a short chain amid the piles of scrap metal surrounding the house that hasn't seen paint in 20 years.

[Tom Wells]

Subdvision covenant "rules" are not laws and the Federal law supercedes everywhere.

There is no law requiring anyone be permitted to install flagpoles, anywhere, "as neccesary" for any reason.

There is no law that says a restrictive covenant cannot regulate the "look" of properties for as long as they can
get away with it.

But they may not restrict you from installing such antennas as are necessary for your required communication(s).

I'd never want to live in any such place anyway, but such restrictive covenants all deserve to have
somone use FCC law to show their control does NOT extend to a prohibition of anternas.
You can always win in Federal court, if you've got the time and money to protect your rights in this matter.