Re: [IRCA] FCC info on tone testers

["R. F. Tetro" <rtetro@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, John, for your comments. 

I hate to get involved in such disagreements, but, I wanted to let you
know that I agree with you.  Had I enough qualitative and accurate
information, I would have gone to the commission, as well, at first
probably through my local or NY field offices, since I have a
relationship with the field engineers at those locations.

While as a dxer tracking such mysterious and unexplained signals is
indeed fun and a challenge, as a broadcasters I also view it with
serious concern.  If, as is now thought, a company operating under an
experimental license under a government contract that is one thing.
But, none of us knew that.  I suspected it was a government operation
because of the scope, and I mentioned that on this and other DX lists.
But, what if it had not been legitimate testing?  

Suppose it was someone who had just gotten hold of a high power
transmitter, and was doing a little "non-legitimate" and illegal
experimenting?  That creates an entirely different set of dynamics.

The best thing in a situation such as we have had in the past two weeks
is to gather enough credible and accurate information as you can, and go
to the Commission.  If it's a large scale government or contractor
experimental operation, they are going to know about it.  (They may not
tell you that, but they will know it.) If it is an overzealous person
who got his hands on a high power AM transmitter and is doing some of
his own "testing", the FCC is going to want to know about it.  And, if
it is some sleeper Al Qaeda cell, or other foreign or domestic terrorist
group, who has plans on disrupting communications during an attack, then
it becomes very serous business.

This is not a matter of being a "tattle-tale" -- like ratting out a
pirate who is running a 10 watt transmitter.  This was a MAJOR
disruption to several frequencies on the standard broadcast band over an
extremely large segment of the nation.  Whoever went to the commission
had a legitimate reason to do so.  With the FCC's limited financial
resources, they often depend upon the public to be their eyes and ears.
Complaints, especially complaints of this magnitude, are normally dealt
with quickly by most field offices.  Filing a complaint or placing an
inquiry on something this vast in scope is not snitching, it is being a
good citizen, especially in the climate which now exists.

73,
Rene'

Rene F. Tetro
Lansdale, PA, USA
W2FIL, WPXG816, WPXU288
Coordinates:  40D12'41"N  75D18'22"W
Grid:  FN20IF
Email:  rtetro@xxxxxxxxx
Moderator:  www.radioveronica.us and www.dxhub.com


>I was saddened, but not too surprised, to read this morning that 
>someone was denigrating whoever inquired of the FCC as to the source 
>of the tone testing that many of us have been monitoring.  The 
>complainer's statements pretty well boiled down to the contention 
>that we shouldn't be tattle-tails to the authorities who were, by 
>definition, the bad guys, and that "anyway, no one was hurt by this."




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