[arm-allstar] correction about flite ---was:AUTOSKY

[John Huggins]

Your point is well taken, but 97.113 (5) (c) offers a loophole.

(c) No station shall retransmit programs or signals emanating from any type
of radio station other than an amateur station, *except propagation and
weather forecast information intended for use by the general public and
originated from United States Government stations*, and communications,
including incidental music, originating on United States Government
frequencies between a manned spacecraft and its associated Earth stations.
Prior approval for manned spacecraft communications retransmissions must be
obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Such
retransmissions must be for the exclusive use of amateur radio
operators. *Propagation,
weather forecasts, and manned spacecraft communications retransmissions may
not be conducted on a regular basis, but only occasionally, as an incident
of normal amateur radio communications.*

Emphasis added.

Of course AutoSky doesn't re-broadcast the NOAA VHF broadcast verbatim
(although that's probably fine given 97.113-5-c), but transmits NOAA
information from a NOAA data source via web site query. Yeah we are all a
bit ahead of the Part 97 technologically, but the case can be made we are
probably okay.

As for my second emphasized portion above, the phrase "but only
occasionally" is an important tip. I think AutoSky improves on this
immensely with a double advantage by only...

   - broadcasting thrifty summaries of important weather details as
   composed and published by NOAA and,
   - directing a user to find out more elsewhere.

If anything AutoSky is likely more rules compliant, by being less in you
face, than the folks who just pipe the NOAA broadcast out their repeater.

Now if HAMVOIP introduced AutoMarket that announces advantageous stock
market details, well that might cross the line. ;)

I think it is important to note when the bad weather boogieman comes a
callin unbeknownst to the commuter monitoring their local repeater, having
that repeater relay NOAA warnings ensures the commuter hears the news as
well as someone listening to radio station programming or their MP3
collection.

John, kx4o

On Wed, May 16, 2018 at 9:13 AM, "Mark Johnston via arm-allstar" <
arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:
> *§97.113   Prohibited transmissions.*
>
> (5) Communications, on a regular basis, which could reasonably be
furnished
> alternatively through other radio services.
>
> (b) An amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, ...."
>
> Is this "AutoSky" even legal? Since you mention legality... seems that
> could be done over other services, cellular connection, business radio
> service, NOAA weather radio offers alerts etc... just saying...
>
>
>
>