[aprssig] Another Bootlegger?

Robert Bruninga bruninga at usna.edu
Wed Jan 7 12:38:38 EST 2009


> However, is going straight to the FCC 
> the best way to handle this? 

No, never!  Anyone who has dealt with the government or any
bureaucracy should have learned lesson number one.  That is,
NEVER go ask a question to a bureaucracy or someone with power,
unless you have:
1) done  your homework
2) have predicted every possible outcome
3) have decided what is the worst possible outcome
4) and are completely willing to ACCEPT that
worst-possible-outcome.

> Tattling to the teacher can sometimes be 
> effective, but sometimes it backfires.

I agree completely!

Don't take an issue upwards unless you are fully 100% willing to
accept the worst possible outcome that is 100% the opposite of
what you went in with.

Amen.  Work it out amicably on your own first.  But then also,
never confront anyone, just investigate, learn and document.
Then take one step at a time...

I agree with the poster!

Bob, WB4APR



  I had the chance to talk with 
> Riley Hollingsworth a few years back, and he felt that hams 
> could solve a lot of issues themselves without involving the 
> FCC.  Sometimes, we also need to take a step back and take 
> another look at the situation - is it really worth the hassle?

>  
> Granted this appears that it might be a commercial endeavor 
> trying to use amateur frequencies.  That IS a violation.  But 
> consider this....  
>  
> What about talking to the COMPANY after we have confirmation 
> of what is going on?  Not confronting the driver, but a 
> verified communication with the company?  They do bear 
> significant financial risk if the FCC does take action.  
>  
> I'd be willing to bet that the honchos at the company don't 
> even know what's up.  I wouldn't put it past some honcho to 
> tell their IT folks "Find us a cheap way to track our 
> vehicles".  Someone doing a search on vehicle tracking would 
> surely have found APRS information.  They would realize that 
> they could buy a radio, GPS, and TNC (or something like a 
> TinyTrack, etc.) and do it for free after the cost of the 
> initial equipment.  It would be very easy to ignore the fact 
> that an FCC Amateur Radio Operators License is required.    
>  
> Free is a very good price, and would impress their superiors. 
>  So they go and do it, get praises from their superiors (or 
> at least don't get chastised over the price), and no one 
> really knows what's up except for the guy that set it up, and 
> he may not really understand (or care).   
>  
> Going to the FCC with clear proof will give them what they 
> will need to go on, and they do have vans that can track 
> things down at the local level.  But perhaps contact with an 
> executive at the company - using a simply advisory tone - 
> letting them know that it seems that an employee using 
> company property is engaged in an activity that could expose 
> them to liability - would be more effective and would keep 
> the FCC from hearing yet another complaint from those "hams".

>  
> Just a thought.  
>  
>  
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Andrew Rich <mailto:vk4tec at tech-software.net>  
> To: jdv at iglou.com ; TAPR APRS Mailing List
<mailto:aprssig at tapr.org>  
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Another Bootlegger?
> 
> Can you just go and find him
> 
> 	----- Original Message ----- 
> 	From: John Vause <mailto:jdv at iglou.com>  
> 	To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <mailto:aprssig at tapr.org>  
> 	Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 1:54 AM
> 	Subject: Re: [aprssig] Another Bootlegger?
> 
> 	Ok, here's a suggestion from a "no code tech":
> 	How about the Igate sysops (in the area where ETI-1 is 
> transmitting RF if nowhere else) put ETI-* in their exclude 
> lists (or suplists) depending on IGATE software/hardware. 
> Block his packets from being
> 	transmitted to the Internet.
> 	If the bootlegger's packets don't make it to the APRS 
> IS  then what good is his tracking hardware?
> 	If this guy IS legal then he'll soon be asking why his 
> tactical call is not making it to the APRS IS.
> 	
> 	Beats some of the other suggestions I've read here 
> including injecting bogus positions into the APRS IS.
> 	
> 	
> 	Daron Wilson wrote: 
> 
> 			Whatever happened to the good old days, 
> when you just pinned their coax and
> 			    
> 
> 		smoked their finals?
> 		
> 		Those folks sold their CB's and got no code 
> tech licenses I think...
> 		
> 		
> 		
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> 
> 	-- 
> 	*   My favorite law: The Law of Unintended Consequences
*
> 	*                                -- John Vause
*
> 	*  "Over here, over there, everywhere,
*
> 	*   Today, tomorrow, always:
*
> 	*   Bad men there are.
*
> 	*   Hate you they do.
*
> 	*   Kill you they will.
*
> 	*   Watch out you better!"  -- Shoshone refrain
*
> 	*
*
> 	*   You can fool yourself if you want, and you can fool
*
> 	*   as many as will follow for as long as you can get
*
> 	*   away with it. But you can't fool reality.
*
> 	*   - James P. Hogan in "Kicking The Sacred Cow"
*
> 	*
*
> 	*   Si vis pacem, para bellum - Cicero
*
> 
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