[aprssig] Pagers as part of the Text Messaging Initiative

[Ben Jackson]

Steve Dimse wrote:

> On Jan 26, 2009, at 9:56 PM, Ben Jackson wrote:
>> So, the million dollar question is, what classifies as subject  
>> matter of
>> direct interest to the amateur service? How would a APRS message  
>> differ
>> from a POCSAG transmission to a pager? ACKing is not required (I  
>> think,
>> my protocol reference is in another room), and I (IMNSHO) don't see a
>> difference between the two besides the protocols used.
> 
> The rule talks about "subject matter of direct interest to the amateur  
> service", not subject matter of interest to individuals using the  
> amateur service. In other words, to meet this exemption, the material  
> must be of interest to the service as a whole, not to individuals  
> using it. Information about, say, the latest amateur satellite to  
> launch are what they are talking here, not a message from me to Bob.  
> Even my ego doesn't permit me to say that everything I would say would  
> interest amateur radio as a whole ;-)

So, we need to limit use to people with large egos! Problem solved. :)

*snip*

> The easy way to think about 97.219 is this: Part 97 only applies to  
> people with ham radio licenses. Sending a prohibited message is a  
> violation of Part 97, and someone is responsible. The FCC must  
> determine who is responsible, and unless there is a trail leading back  
> to a licensed radio amateur, blame falls on the person that first  
> transmits the message.

OK, thats more-or-less how I viewed it.

> The ARRL will not get involved in this. Asking the FCC is virtually  
> guaranteed to result in a no. Like everything else, it is up to the  
> individual operators to decided the level of risk which they feel  
> comfortable assuming.

The ARRL doesn't offer rule interpretations? Sheesh.

As for the FCC, the answer will probably be a "No", but if we wrap
ourselves in the cloth of how this is valuable for emergency
communications and homeland security, it may gain traction. But, that is
very much the last step if this is deemed "bad"

			~Ben

-- 
Ben Jackson - N1WBV - New Bedford, MA
bbj <at> innismir.net - http://www.innismir.net/