From: jim@n5ial.chi.il.us
Subject: Re: CC&Rs - how binding are they?
Originator: jim@eddie
Reply-To: jim@n5ial.chi.il.us
Organization: me?  have you seen my desk?  : -)
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 13:29:52 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.212741.5344@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP
(Gary Coffman) writes:

>More directly related to ham radio, I've had legal complaints filed
>against my antenna because it's non-conforming and a public nuisance.
>I've had to show that it is grandfathered *and* not a public nuisance.

when I was in school, for a while I lived in an apartment complex that
had a statement in the lease that read ``no antennas'' (this meant no
antennas, period, indoors, outdoors, etc.).

I wanted to work HF, however, so late one night, I put up some dipoles
made out of something on the order of #22 wire, and all but a very small
length was up in the trees in the courtyard.  there were no RFI problems
(I'd *ASKED* my neighbors to let me know if there were) and it took them
several months to spot the antennas.  when they did, of course, they
wanted them down that afternoon (or they were going to cut them down...I
really thought about keying up at a few hundred watts at that moment...).

anyways, here's how I looked at it:  I'd done my part to put up a clean
antenna system that would keep RFI problems away, an invisible antenna
system that obviously worked, since they walked by it several times/day
and didn't notice it for a few months, and so on.  well, no antennas
permitted, right?  doesn't say anything at all about a few feet of coax
out of the window, some spikes in the ground, and the rain-gutter system's
downspout.  ;-}

had all kinds of RFI problems (not my fault, IMO), but the performance
on the air was actually *BETTER* than the dipoles (40m and up...80m was
lost).

if I were living in a house with a yard right now, had some dipoles up
(I can't exactly afford a tower) or a vertical, and someone started
whining and moaning about being able to see it, fine.  put up a less
visible antenna (there are always ways to put up something if you're
creative).  if the performance isn't as good, and you lose a few dB,
hey, have a 1500 W amp that you can kick in if you need it.  of course,
all the RFI problems (that you had worked so hard before to prevent)
may appear, with your compromise antenna and all that power, but then
again, it wasn't your idea.

right now, I live in a high-rise apartment (studio apartment).  I want
to run HF (and I do run HF).  I've got some antennas that I constructed
that I can hang out the window.  to the best of my knowledge, no RFI
problems (again, I've asked).  if there were, I'd make adjustments to
eliminate them.  I'm working under adverse conditions, but the apartment
management and my neighbors have all been very cooperative/polite, and
the above attitudes don't apply in this case.  still, I am able to work
HF (ok, so I can't work anything below 30m yet...I'm still working on
plans for those antennas).

>In another instance, I was visited by the police because a complaint
>was filed about the storage of a number of microwave dishes on an
>open rack in the backyard. They claimed I was in violation of a new
>solid waste ordinance

hold on a second....  microwave dishes...we're talking about the RF
type, right?  so how does that get tossed in with a solid waste ordinance?
that flat doesn't make sense.

>Then I built an "auxillary structure",
>two stories and 2300 square feet, the minimum 5 feet from my property
>line ajoining the troublesome neighbor. Now his "view" is not obstructed
>by non-conforming uses. In fact all he can see out his windows is
>my shop.

only one thing I can say to this:  :-)

point of all of this:  there is always a way.  you may not be sitting there
with a 50 element full-sized mono-band beam on every HF band (ok, so that's
a slight exaggeration), but you can get on the air, usually still with a
solid, respectable signal.

later, folks.
   --jim

DISCLAIMER:  My cat typed this for me, and I didn't proofread it.  The above
may not represent what I said (she changes things to match *HER* opinions).
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