A Petition to the FCC

It will come as little surprise to anyone who has been reading these maunderings for a while when I say that I'm not normally one to advocate that Uncle Sam step in and nullify local rules and regulations, let alone private contracts, but banning amateur radio operators from putting up antennas on their homes can have a serious detrimental effect on their ability to provide communications support in an emergency or disaster. That support can include providing "health and welfare" communications to neighbors, by the way; it's not just helping the town Emergency Operations Center talk to the state capitol, or asking FEMA for more barbed wire anti-zombie ammo.)

So, anyway, there's this petition at change.org: Petition: Federal Communications Commission: Void antenna restrictions by homeowner's associations and developers | Change.org

Note that this is not just about putting up one of those 100' Texas Towers that would make most of us clutch the ground whimpering at the thought of climbing it to check a connection; no, this can be about as little as putting up a simple 15' whip antenna.   During the Sunday night net I have to sit on my front porch and use my handy-talkie*, because I can't have an actual "radio shack" inside? 

Well, when I'm out doing my windshield survey after the Big One, I may forget your block...

*Or in the car, in the driveway, if I have a mobile installation.  The principle still applies.