A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my venture into amateur radio. Here’s my progress so far.« Continue »
Amateur Radio II
Archives for October 2018
Amateur Radio and The Constitution
Ignoring for the moment the constitutional issues with the FCC itself, the entity’s regulations on amateur radio (HAM) are, in some cases, horrific violations of the constitution. As some background, I have been interested in amateur radio for a long time, but I recently decided to actually bite the bullet and go for my license. You can find more about that here. I did this for two reasons. First, I like to push myself. But I also did this so that I could be considered part of the class of amateur radio operators. In this way, I can be involved in any lawsuits against the FCC, with respect to protecting the rights of amateur radio operators.
The first matter to address is the need for a license at all. We have a right to utilize any means at our disposal to communicate with one another. Now, one might want to argue that failure to comply with specific guidelines could impose on others trying to also exercise their rights to communicate with others. That’s true. But these kinds of restrictions treat people as potentially harmful, from the get-go.
The right to peaceably assemble is violated by this licensing rule. While we may not be assembling physically, we are assembling through an available means of communication. So long as we are not impeding someone else’s right to assemble in a similar fashion, that should be enough. But even if you have a license, there are a lot of restrictions.
Profane speech may be offensive, but it is still speech. It is very likely conveying an idea, even if that idea is offensive. Therefore it is also protected under the first amendment. However, because of the semi-open nature of amateur radio, operators are not allowed to use any profanity or vulgar speech on the air. Furthermore, because the goal of amateur radio is communication, usually related to the hobby, things like playing music is also prohibited, in general.
Perhaps some of this restriction makes sense, on older methods of communication. But it really makes no sense if we are using DMR, which is a form of digital communication. DMR allows for a more controlled means of communicating with individuals. Because each person using DMR is assigned a unique identifiers and the radios can be set to communicate with specific identifiers or groups of identifiers, unwanted content can be blocked out. Indeed, it would be possible to even have “NSFW” indicators in the ID so that parental controls could be enabled.
Illegal search and seizure is another issue. The FCC does not abide by the Fourth Amendment. It relies on the argument that investigations into civil matters is not covered by the amendment (FCC Inspection Fact Sheet). Therefore the FCC has taken it upon itself to have the power to demand inspection of any station, without any warrant or other justification. You are required to immediately submit to a search, if the FCC demands it. Unfortunately, while there have been a number of court rulings that admit that the Fourth Amendment is not limited to criminal investigations, the courts have not yet fully recognized our protections (Justia).
While I do hope to have fun with amateur radio, I have really gotten involved in the activity in order to oppose these unconstitutional restrictions. After all, you cannot just sue to oppose a law. You must be impacted by the law in order to sue. Being a licensed amateur radio operator, I will now be impacted by these restrictions, and so it will now be easier to involve myself in lawsuits related to amateur radio operations.
Further Reading
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Amateur Radio
Amateur radio is a hobby that has managed to remain relevant, even with substantial advancements in “alternative” technologies. Here’s my first experience with starting out.« Continue »
Br’sqvur Ship Design
The Br’sqvur ships were very different from the ships people normally see in science function. First off, they weren’t solid, at least for the colony ships. Instead, they consisted of a multi-layered geodesic sphere, constructed out of large tubes through which the Br’sqvur could swim. At each external junction were multiple engines. The computer system controlled all of these engines allowing the sphere to move in pretty much any direction. Towards the interior of the ship, junctions consisted of large pools surrounded by hollow shells. Families resided in these shells, as the Br’sqvur were still air breathing and to an extent land dwelling.
At the center of the ship was a large power core, surrounded by the computer core and other essential systems. This area was also the “bridge,” though not much of one was needed, as each member of the colony was able to interact with the ship through their direct neural interface.
For those who are not familiar with geodesics, below is a two layer geodesic sphere, designed by George W. Hart. The colony ships, depending on their size, likely consisted of far more than two layers.
Also, because of the aquatic nature of much of the ship, there really wasn’t any need for all that much life support. The hull itself was heavily insulated for the most part, so it took minimal energy to heat the environment, and most of the energy for environmental regulation went to artificial light. An artificial biome throughout the ship, produced a large amount of plankton, which fed smaller organisms, and eventually larger ones, allowing for a food source for the Br’sqvur; their ships were essentially miniature words.
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