And for the record, K1VSK, I happen to agree with you on this issue.
At this point in time, I would not knowingly move into an HOA controlled area, and I don't live in one now.
But who knows, it could happen in the future, for reasons I can't envision today. Ham radio is incredibly
important to me and my happiness. But there is more to life than ham radio.
If I found myself in a situation where I was bound by HOA rules like that, here is what I would attempt to do:
1) Initially, do not do much at all. Maybe use some indoor antennas with reduced power for a while. Keep it low to preferably no impact on
others. Get to know your neighbors, and make it a point to attend HOA board meetings. Establish yourself as an intelligent, reasonable
person, a good neighbor, who works and plays well with others. Given how small our numbers are, it is very likely they have never met
a ham before. So this becomes an incredibly golden opportunity to introduce people the right way to who and what we really are.
People generally have some fear of things they are not familiar with. The key here is to gently give them that familiarity without invoking
the fear response.
2) After a while, politely and respectfully attempt to get a variance that would allow me to have a modest, reasonable antenna outdoors.
The key here is to be reasonable, and approach the situation with the right attitude. I've always found that people will treat you the
way you treat them. There is usually a difference between what you need, and what you want. Although some folks believe a tower would be
very important to have, all I really need is some simple wires for HF, and a VHF/UHF vertical.
3) If step 2 fails, then I would continue as in step 1 above, living within the restrictions I agreed to, and don't make a big stink about it. Keeping
in mind that I have merely lost a battle, but I haven't yet lost the war.
4) After that, I would begin the process of getting myself onto the HOA board. Once you are inside, you can begin the process of changing the rules
from within. Think of it as a big ship with a small rudder. It's a process that may take some time, but course changes are always possible, if
you can get your hand on the rudder. Most people will push back strongly against large, sudden changes. But adopt an incremental approach
of baby steps over time, and most people will not object.
Of course, as always, your mileage may vary. But that is how I would approach the situation. The key is handling people properly.