Comments on: Ont. Ham gets OPP Bill 118 Ticket

By: Michael Chatel

Michael Chatel — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:09:37 +0000

I never thought of that…this is a good idea. I’m going to keep a copy of bill 118 in the truck.

By: joe

joe — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:42:30 +0000

This just goes to show what hams should prepare themselves for when the 3 year grace period ends! Good Luck.

By: Joseph Verdirame

Joseph Verdirame — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:03:24 +0000

Hello Peter,

Subsequent to reading this news on the blog, I had a QSO with the RAC member in question and obtained further clarification on this issue. It appears the member has received not one, but two tickets, from two different police services! What was even more surprising to me was the fact that the police officers involved were convinced that the amateur radio exemption applies only when we are passing emergency traffic! Clearly our folks in blue have not been briefed properly on the exexmption, and we have a problem.

This morning another ham menntioned to me that only a few days ago, while driving in the GTA, a plainclothes police officer motioned to him to put his microphone down. So it seems that these are not isolated incidents. With the misconceptions held by our police services about this new law, there will no doubt be many more people charged by well-meaning but woefully misguided police officers.

This begs a critical question: would it not be a good idea for RAC’s Honorary Legal Counsel to make written representation to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and to the Chiefs of Police of Ontario to make them aware of this unsatisfactory situation?

All of this could be avoided by properly briefing officers about the exemption (which, last time I checked, is not only for hams!). This briefing should not be done “on the job” at our members’ expense.

Thanks for all that you do.

Joe, VE3LNU

By: Sean Dickinson

Sean Dickinson — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Hats off to you guys and I intend on renewing, I have been a member on and off for a few years when my budget permits, as well as working for a HAM radio store off and on in Whitby that promotes RAC through Book sales & advertising. I would like to point out that it is unfortunate that Amatuer Radio operators are not fully exempt and should in my opinion have been exempt indefinately on this issue (not just for 3 years or so). What are we to do when the time is up? Sell our mobile gear? I am hoping that somehow this regulation is changed to exempt us and our gear as I will have a hard time having bluetooth technology on the 6 Amateur radios I have in my truck. Other provincial juristictions and US states havce not adopted any of this in regards to Amateur Radio and I fear we are setting a terrible first example here in Ontario for mobile use of HAM radio in the future.

Again great job helping out, and hopefully we can get some permanent changes to benefit us in the future.

Regards

Sean Dickinson VA3VEC / VE3YUF Brighton Ontario.