AZ HOA Antenna Bill - 2011

Hello everyone!

I want to make some pretty frank statements about this antenna bill. I don't intend to offend anyone at all. I just think we need to get this thing passed. Nancy has been so great over the years working on this thing for all of us. These are my feelings and I just think we need to not only consider the following, but UNDERSTAND it and NOT REPEAT it:

  1. This bill been getting submitted for several years, only to fail at the end.
  2. We have been submitting essentially the same bill each and every year, EXPECTING A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.
  3. We have been getting LESS votes each year, not more votes as what would be normally expected.
  4. Many State Representatives and Senators are growing weary of seeing this SAME bill coming through every year.
  5. We make the very same arguments each year (they are really tired of us hanging our hat on Katrina) and the opposition makes the very same arguments and shoots us down.
  6. We hold firm each year asking for the moon, stars and Jupiter. We seem to have this attitude that we are "owed" the right to put up pretty much any antenna we want rather than trying to just get "something" passed that furthers our cause.
  7. Pretty much the word "tower" is used by the opposition and that single word scares the daylights out of HOA's and state government officials. Perception is reality and that is what is killing us every year.

HOW DO WE GET A BILL (noticed I used the term "a" bill rather than "the" bill) PASSED THIS SESSION?

I worked in marketing for many years and trust me, I know how to sway public or individual opinions. Words matter, perception matters and I cannot stress enough... DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT OUTCOME IS NOT RATIONAL THINKING. I am going to list the ways I think we can get this bill passed. Many in the ham community are just going to have to suck it up and swallow their pride on this bill if they truly want something passed. Once a bill is in place, then it is a heck of a lot easier to go back later and modify it or loosen it a bit after we prove that we have been good ham citizens with the original law.

Some of you will not like this, but ask yourself this: What do we have to show for the last several years of this bill failing? NOTHING, ZIP, ZERO! Would you not like a victory to at least gain something? Okay, here is how this gets passed. The NEW bill would contain the following:

  1. The antenna would be a GROUND-MOUNTED VERTICAL IN THE BACK YARD.
  2. No tower of any kind may be used.
    (this would be specifically EXCLUDE "towers" which removes the "poison" word the opposition uses against us.)
  3. The antenna could be no taller than 8 feet above the highest point of the house.
  4. The antenna could not be attached to the home structure for support in any way.
  5. The antenna must conform to any current county or city law.
    (example: Where I live, it states that any object on my property must be able to fall over without landing on the property of a neighbor.)
  6. The part of the antenna which is above the highest point of the house must be a straight pole. NO BEAM ANTENNA ELEMENTS, loops or radials would be allowed above the highest point on the house.

I am sure this list could be worded better and easier for non-hams to understand, but you get the idea. However, something we hams consider somewhat draconian is what it going to take to get a bill passed. I don't think too many lawmakers could argue with a bill containing these restrictions. Sorry fellow hams, but nobody is ever going to be putting up tri-band beams in an HOA. If you expect otherwise, you are not being realistic.

There are so many EFFECTIVE antennas we could use under a law like I suggest:
  1. http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1668
  2. http://www.dxengineering.com/ShowProdImage.asp?URL=http://www.dxengineering.com/images/prod/40VEvert.jpg
    (this one would be my choice)
  3. http://www.dxengineering.com/ShowProdImage.asp?URL=http://www.dxengineering.com/images/prod/dxe-60va-1.jpg

I could list 50+ more EFFECTIVE ground-mounted antennas we could use and that is not counting home brew antennas. A ground-mounted screwdriver antenna could be less than 10 feet tall TOTAL (or even less) and be a highly effective antennas for someone in an HOA. Right now, we cannot even use those. I mention this screwdriver option because I know I will get an earful from people telling me their home is really short and they would be left with no antenna options with this kind of bill. Not true, you have scores of GOOD options!

Come on everyone, let's make something happen this time. We can totally disarm everyone in the legislature by submitting a bill this year that could actually pass. Can you imagine how much a bill like this would sway many of those against it in the past? It answers every single objection from the past and offers a solution. I think many in the legislature would love to see this bill go away for good. This new bill could be something they could vote for, not take heat for it in their districts and get us out of their hair. We would show amazing good faith by drastically altering our bill to address their objections.

Are we going to continue to beat our heads against the wall or are we going to make something positive happen?

I will be happy to put whatever time is necessary to make this bill become law. I will go to Phoenix and speak if necessary, lobby lawmakers or whatever I need to do. However, I will not invest my time again only to lose because we are so stubborn and stick to this crazy notion that we should be able to have some sort of parity with non-HOA neighborhoods. That will NEVER happen, and frankly I don't think it should be that way.

Let's make this be the year we make history. The entire ham (HOA-bound) community in the USA and beyond could benefit if a law like this passes in Arizona. It could then catch on elsewhere. Who is with me on this???

Randy Malick, KFØX
President
O.V.A.R.C.
Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club
Club Callsign: WØHF
Website: www.w0hf.com