Fwd: Re: Gary should claim credit for perfecting the Part 97 Repeater Rules

[w3hxf at cox.net]

> From: "Hap Holly" <hap at therainreport.com>
> To: "Gary HENDRICKSON" <w3dtn at verizon.net>,
	<w3hxf at cox.net>,
	<W3DTN at arrl.net>
> Subject: Re: Gary should claim credit for perfecting the Part 97 Repeater Rules
> Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:45:06 -0600
> 
> Well Bill and Gary, Wayne had a habit of taking credit for things he only had peripheral involvement with or none at all. Thank you, Gary, for the clarification. Nice to know that somebody is actually paying attention to the RAIN Report ... occasionally anyway. Merry Christmas!
> 
> Hap
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Gary HENDRICKSON 
>   To: w3hxf at cox.net ; W3DTN at arrl.net 
>   Cc: hap at therainreport.com 
>   Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 8:42 PM
>   Subject: Re: Gary should claim credit for perfecting the Part 97 Repeater Rules
> 
> 
>   Hi, Bill and Hap,
> 
>   I'm dont' think that I can claim a whole lot of incluence in changing/relaxing some of the repeater rules that had been adopted in Docket 18803 under Prose Walker's leadership back in 1973, but I was involved in some of the proceedings that relaxed some of the rules.  
> 
>   I had originally been hired in the fall of 1973 by John Johnston, W3BE, who was cheif of the Rules and Legal Branch of the Amateur and Citizen's Division at the FCC.  My primary responsibility was in processing many of the more technically sophisitcated repeater license applications - ones with multiple receive sites, radio remotely controlled systems, linked systems, etc.  Mr. Johnston knew of my reputation as having been involved in repeater construction and operation for several years.  I was involved in the creation of the 600 kHz national standard for repeater input/output spacing,  was a member of the ARRL's VHF Repeater Advisory Committee (VRAC) under Harry Dannals, ARRL President at the time, and was the repeater frequency coordinator for T-MARC, the then-recently formed frequency coordinating organization for the mid-Atlantic area.  I wrote and submited multi-page comments on the proposed new repeater rules on behalf of the Northeast Repeater Association (NERA), a coalition of all of the repeater sponsors in the northeastern part of the country.  (By the way, Wayne always referred to NERA as the "Non-Existant Repeater Assn.", HI).
> 
>   After having been with the FCC for time, I became involved in several of the FCC Rule Making proceedings.  Although not an engineer, I learned how to write in ""beareaucratic".   Yes, Wayne had honchoed a one-day meeting with some of the Commissioners.  Just how much influence his presentation made, I have no idea.  But I don't remember hearing of any instructions from them saying "relax those rules!"  But I do think that it layed the ground-work for a slow, long-term relaxation, after the amateur community had learned more about the need for adequate control of repeaters.  At the time, this was a burgeoning portion of Amateur activities, and the Commission was beginning to get complaints from some amateurs about inadequate "frequency-sharing", control responsibilities, etc.
> 
>   One other aspect of the new repeater rules which Prose Walker was attempting to bring to the amateur community, was that of  "frequency conservation".  He felt that most amateurs didn't recognize the need for spectrum conservation, and that some amateur activities were wasteful of spectrum, which could come back to bite us from the Commercial radio user community.  Hence, the rules prohibiting cross-band or parallel repeater operation, limiting repeaters' coverage areas by restricting the output power as the antenna height went up, etc.  
> 
>   Unfortunately, he was not able to convey this concept of  "spectrun conservation" to the amateur community in a manner that actually meant something to the amateurs.  Hence, the "Prose Goes" buttons at Dayton, etc.
> 
>   Anyway, Bill, thanks for your compliments!  I was a bit surprised when I read your email.  Then I listened to Hap's RAIN Report, and thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in.
> 
>   Hap, keep up the great job!
> 
>   73 guys,  Gary  W3DTN
> 
> 
>   From: "w3hxf at cox.net" <w3hxf at cox.net>
>   To: W3DTN at arrl.net 
>   Cc: hap at therainreport.com 
>   Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 2:41 PM
>   Subject: Gary should claim credit for perfecting the Part 97 Repeater Rules
> 
>   I will refute what W2NSD said during his RAIN Report interview. See:
> 
>   http://www.therainreport.com/contactus.shtml
> 
>   The RAIN Report for 11-18-2011
> 
>   RAIN This Week: An entertaining 2003 interview with the flamboyant and outspoken Wayne Greene, W2NSD 
>   about the demise of his '73' magazine; (Part 1, 13 minutes)
> 
>   Contact Information for RAIN Founder/Producer Hap Holly, KC9RP
>   •Email: hap at therainreport.com 
> 
>   W2NSD took credit for correcting the FCC Repeater Rules in Part 97.
>   The credit for fixing the Pros Walker composed repeater rules should have been given to 
>   Gary Hendrickson W3DTN who started working for the FCC in 1973 or 1974, accomplished what 
>   W2NSD is trying to claim, in one meeting with the FCC.
> 
>