If I recall correctly, several of the members on this board a ham radio operators. If so, you might be interested in this info passed to me by a friend: =================================== I'm working with some ham radio operators who are very upset with proposed changes supported by The Glendale mayor and another Glendale official that will tie the hands of ham radio operators within the city of Glendale. The April 2010 staff report says these new regs aren't necessary. However, someone has gotten new regs onto the June 2 city council agenda that Glendale ham operators must have specified retractable antennas that the guys can't even find on the marketplace. I fully understand why people don't want an ugly 75' or more tower in their neighbors backyard even tho my neighbors had them in N. Phx and never offended me. I was always glad they were there. People needs to realize that when disaster strikes and communications systems ( phones, computers, electric, etc) go down, it is the ham operators that provide the emergency communications. I've also been with Kent on several cross country trips when those guys are communicating emergency messages, i.e. tornado & flood alerts, highway accidents etc to authorities where cell phones or CB's don't work. If this Glendale idea spreads across Maricopa County, we are in deep CENSORED if terrorists knock out our normal communications systems. Take a look at the Midwest the past 2 days when communications systems were temporarily down after those tornadoes whipped out communities. It was the ham radio operators that filled that gap, but few people even know it.