CCP 10-12-1987 - Laserfiche WebLink

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James S. Lyndon, Esq. October I, 1987 , . Page Two - ----------------------------- ordinance or in this specific decision of the City Coun- cil. Please note that I am forwarding this information to you in an effort to amicably resolve this issue wi th a minimal amount of Rmuss and fussR. A bit of background as to amateur (ham) radio may be helpful. Amateur radio is a public service and hobby by which persons properly licensed by the Federal Communi- cations Commission (FCC) may use short-wave radio to communicate with other amateurs around the state, country and world. A distance over which an amateur is able to communicate is governed by the frequency at which he or she chooses to operate. For example, broadcast radio stations, such as WCCOam can be heard across the nation at night, but WCCOfm can only be heard locally; because the two stations broadcast on different frequencies. . Assuming that an amateur already has a radio, the key element in installation becomes the antenna. The antenna is the single most crucial element, permitting reliable communications. There are approximately 5,000 radio amateurs in the greater metropolitan area, approximately 8,000 in Minnesota, and about 425,000 in the united States. Worldwide, the ham population is approaching 2,000,000. As previously indicated, a crucial component in a reliable amateur radio station is the antenna. A poor .or limited antenna greatly reduces the ability to communicate with consistency. The regulation of communications matters is generally within the excl\lsive jurisdiction of the Federal Government through the FCC. The express federal objec- tives with regard to amateur radio include enhancement of international goodwill through effective worldwide communi- cation; and service to the public, worldwide, nationwide and locally, through provision of voluntary, noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to emer- gency communication. 47 C.F.R., Section 97.1(a), et. seq. To the extent local restrictions upon the height and nature of amateur radio antennae restrict amateur .