..What is Good Amateur Practice?
The term "Good Amateur Practice" is an often used "catch-all" cited by Official Observers for situations and infractions not covered by specific Part 97 of the FCC Rules that govern amateur radio. Often those cited take issue with the use of such a vague rule. The FCC maintains the rules in Part 97 are purposely vague to allow room for expanding technologies and to allow "self-regulation" within the amateur community to succeed.
Recently the editors of WorldRadio magazine asked Riley Hollingsworth, the FCC's Special Council for Amateur Radio Enforcement, for a definition of "Good Amateur Practice". His reply is quoted below:
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"Good Amateur Practice is a hard thing to define. I'd have to say it's operating with the realization that frequencies are shared, that there's going to be occasional interference and that's no reason to become hateful and paranoid. You have to "It means giving a little ground even if you have a right not to, in order to help preserve Amateur Radio and not cause it to get a bad name or hasten the day when it becomes obsolete." "It means not using that one Kenwood rig on 6kHz bandwidth when there are lots of people on the band." "It means not acting like an idiot just because you were stepped on. It means being aware that we all love Amateur Radio, and why damage it just to save face?" "It means cutting a net or a contester a break even if you don't have to and even if you have no interest whatsoever in nets or contesting." "It means being nice, because one thing we don't need more of are idiots in the radio world. Now this doesn't touch on a lot of technical issues such as using 1,500 watts when your signal report received is 20 over 9." "It just means a lot of things that can't be qualified, such as respecting a band plan because it makes it possible for every mode to have a chance." "It means operating so that if a neighbor, niece or nephew or news reporter hears you, that person is impressed with Amateur Radio." "It means realizing that every right carries responsibilities, and just because you may have a right to do certain things doesn't mean it's right to do them in every circumstance." "It means just because you haven't done a creative thing in Amateur Radio in 25 years, and have been on the same frequency every morning for 135 years shooting the breeze with Harry, who's 200 miles away, doesn't mean you own the frequency."
"It also means NOT operating so whoever hears you becomes sorry as hell they ever got into Amateur Radio in the first place." |
I think we both have to admit Mr Hollingsworth's comments are fairly frank and straight forward. You might not agree with his views. However I fully respect his opinions and feel he has no alterer motive other than to make Amateur Radio better for us all.
Over the years, I have personally spoken to Mr Hollingsworth I can tell you from those conversations -- his views on the subjects listed above have not varied. And if you follow the published enforcement actions, you can easily see each point hammered home on the individuals caught in violations against the "spirit" of Amateur Radio's very purpose.