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« on: December 27, 2022, 1810 UTC »
Yes a mental health evaluation would be a start, but not the solution.
I was once a member of a amateur radio club, I actually drove 50 miles - not interstate, to and from the club meeting.
My purpose was to build a group of knowledgeable people that could be used to do more then check into a net on a 2 meter repeater and give your "No Traffic"!
A older couple attended one of the meetings, they were dressed nice, had jewelry on and the husband wore a suit and the woman wore a dress and I could tell that they were well to do. They had just passed the General Class License Exam and came to inquire about joining the club and wanted information about a good first rig - HF radio.
On the one side of the room was the old guard - club President, vice president, secretary - all family members, that owned junk and thought that junk was good enough.
On the other side of the room was me, with a couple of radio catalogs with the best entry level rigs circled and phone numbers for the sales people that would extend to them a decent discount - if they mentioned my name.
The couple mentioned that their neighbor was Mr. X - who owned a plumbing supply company, has been licensed since 1952, and a very knowledgeable person.
Like me, these people drove 30 miles each way to attend this meeting.
Sometimes the problem is - when dealing with X cb'rs, that their opinions out weighs everyone else's opinions and their belief that who yells the loudest must be right, prevailed over my plea's for the couple - not to listen to these people - because they do not know anything about what they are talking about....
I've never seen these people ever again, neither the group of licensed amateurs that belonged to the club nor the married retirees that was looking to get into a hobby that they could both participate in.
But my opinion was that we probably lost them and that they probably tore up their license - as soon as they got home.
My point is that we only have one opportunity to make a good first impression, and people on both sides has to take into account that acting poorly only adds to the problem and it detracts from creating a positive outcome for someone that has no knowledge about amateur radio - it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
The smartest people will tell you not to participate in those types of feuds and to turn the big knob and or walk away.
Unless it is life or death, its not worth staying in one place, making yourself into a target for any idiot that comes along, doesn't like you, your group, or the frequency and decides that it is their job to make your life unpleasant.
With the equipment the FCC has at it's disposal, they can now record the entire HF spectrum and can return at any time and listen to any frequency they desire.
So if you think this person has gotten away with something, you can guess wrong.
If it is a continued problem, the FCC can DX them, find out who they are and prosecute them to the fullest letter of the law.
For some people the only solution is to take their license away from them. When you loose your license, you loose any right to transmit on those frequencies, so basically the only person you hurt is yourself.
If you are upset, you need to contact your ARRL section manager - if you are in the USA, and what ever legal means necessary if you are in other countries.
Have each person write a short letter explaining what happened, the time, the frequency and make a recording of everything that transpired - using a digital format such as Audacity and send them a digital copy - MPEG recording.
Crying over the internet won't solve the problem.
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