Comments on: New rules on Ontario roadways

By: Frank ve3sq

Frank ve3sq — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:19:59 +0000

Returning our license plates will do nothing to an already insensitive government body.
The intent of 118 is to limit (because that’s all it will do) the use of cell phones and blackberries.
Unfortunately we as hams are caught in the squeeze but all is not lost. We have some time to promote our cause and look for technical solutions as well.
Personally I prefer to focus on my driving in today’s busy traffic anyway.

By: richard appleyard

richard appleyard — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:36:54 +0000

i have seen law enforcement officers being inattenative while using a cell phone while on duty and on chch 11 a reporter witnessed an hsr transit driver using a cell phone while underway. a friend of mine has witnessed women applying makeup while driving. we all done it at one time or another eating and drinking while driving. as one person stated the police can not even enforce speed limits on the highway my daughter on her G2 permit asked me a question about speed i said when in the center lane keep with the flow of traffic and never use your cell phone unless it is an emergency and even then move over the right lane with slower traffic. what we need is some politicians with ham lpermits i believe there was couple in bill davis government

By: Jerry VE3JCJ

Jerry VE3JCJ — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:39:09 +0000

I don’t disagree, BUT figure how many hams actually have personalized plates and how many of them would be willing to sacrifice those plates that they struggled to get. The amount of dollars lost by our not renewing ham plates would not register to those in charge. (my opinion only)
The person(s) we need to talk to happen to be our own local politicians and most don’t understand, or care, what ham is all about.

It would be great if we knew someone within the political arena that is a ham and that might have some pull, of sorts.

How can we get all hams to unit and exercise our justification?

My perosnal hamming tends to be mostly mobile rather than base

By: Mark VE3JMR

Mark VE3JMR — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:35:17 +0000

The way to send a message is for all hams to return their ham license plates to the Minister of Revenue telling him that because we are not permitted to use our rigs mobile, we won’t be giving the government any additional money for license plates.

By: Jerry VE3JCJ

Jerry VE3JCJ — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:13:31 +0000

It’s really a sad time with ham radio. It appears that the mobile application has no more use. While the real cuplrits have caused this problem EG the cell users and texters through their inatentiveness cause multiple, major accicents. Yet, for decades I never heard of any ham operators that caused or were in, traffic accidents directly related to driving and talking. A little bias maybe but someone should check the fact sheet. But, with the reality of it all, how many truckers, using their CBs while driving, have been involved in crashes due to talking and driving? If we can prove that those numbers are low, then it’s more ammunition for ham opertators that ham operators can also be exempt.

Over the past years, as many of you, I have talked on the cell phone while driving. I have noticed my own inattentiveness while driving and talking. I stopped talking ion cell about 5 or 6 years ago, aside from answering and stating that I would call back later. That said, while I’m on the ham radio, I noticed my driving habits are not much diffrent than not using the ham radio. I think this is because of the full duplex versus the half duplex. With Half duplex you can only listen. With full deplex you’re 100% interactive. With half duplex you listen as you would the car radio. Unless you’re a full blown rag chewer.

We need some real honesty from hams. How are YOUR habits?
Comments?

By: Tony Lelieveld

Tony Lelieveld — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:06:29 +0000

Personally I think that they carry it too far. I get the feeling that they do not make sufficient distinction between the full duplex operation of a cell phone, which requires much more interaction with the party on the other end of the line, and PTT operation. They seem to want to make it easy on them self to paint nearly everyone with the same brush. High office government officials have a chauffeur to drive them around so it doesn’t affect them anyway.

I wonder when they are going to give fines for drinking hot and cold liquids from a cup or bottle. What about some very articulate drivers who are having a conversation with their passenger and are constantly looking over to the passenger side to face the passenger? I have seen this many a time. I think in many aspects this law is a good thing. I’ve seen an idiot passing me on I-75 in Michigan doing 75 mph with a laptop on the steering wheel and a guy with a cell-phone between his ear and shoulder and writing on a note pad lying on the seat beside him while steering with his knees. All this was at highway speeds. It is scary you have to admit.

There are going to be a lot of upset truckers and it would be interesting to hear their reactions over the air. I don’t like it either and a first knee-jerk reaction would be to say “to hell with it all”. On the other hand, the enterprising and resourceful HAM will find a solution with a lapel microphone and foot or thumb switch. Any bets on how long it will take for the manufacturers of mobile equipment to come up with built-in “Blue-tooth” devices? Like the seat-belt law, we don’t have to like it but it’s going to be a thing of the future and we might as well prepare for it.

Tony VE3DWI

By: Harry MacLean

Harry MacLean — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:25:55 +0000

Police can’t even enforce the speed limit on the 401. Does anyone think they’ll even try to enforce this silly law.? And are they going to observe it themselves when operating their own radios?

Carry on. If you get stopped, seek forgiveness and say you won’t do it again. Then carry on.

73, Harry, VE3GRO

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:43:58 +0000

I spoke to my MPP David Zimmer many months ago and expressed my concern about ham radios in the car. I told him hams had a big investment in mobile radio gear and have been using it safely for decades. He assured me that ham radio would NOT be affected. Now when I email him about the new law he does not respond. Like a previous poster I feel like bad-mouthing those politicians but I will wait for the ballot box. BTW my radio is out of the car now.

By: Short Wave News – | Short Wave Radio Receivers

Short Wave News – | Short Wave Radio Receivers — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:52:52 +0000

[...] responding vehicles — must be hands-free in three years time,” he posted on the RAC’s blog. “This news comes from the official government staffer who has been in communications with [...]

By: mark

mark — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:42:18 +0000

The bill talks about “hand held devices”. It says nothing about radios that are not “hand held”. My D700 isn’t hand held by any reasonable definition of such. I hold the mic, which is one small part of the radio; the rest is “held” under my front seat.

Imagine the uproar from hams if HRO started advertising the D710 as a “handheld”!