One more note: Flag poles and TV receiving antennae are things that potentially affect everyone. Allows freedom of speech, allows choice. Hams are few and far between and transmitting antennae are not only a potential "eye sore" but also a potential source of RFI and a potential continuous thorn in your neighbors' ability to watch/listen to commercial broadcasts uninterrupted.
Simple as that also.
Peace out.
Approval for the majority, and rejection for the minority. I'm sure that will fly in a discrimination lawsuit. The problem here is the perception that an overly large ham radio antenna is an eyesore, and a hazard to the safety, health, and welfare to the community if it falls over. With the advent of digital TV transmissions, TVI/RFI to a TV has pretty much been eliminated. When is the last time you installed a low pass filter in your transmission line, or a high pass filter in a TV installation?
Someone else mentioned that "long boom and elevated TV antennas are beyond the scope of OTARD interpretation, and likely prohibited in most if not all HOA's". Are you sure of that? Read the FCC OTARD rule. No mention is made regarding the size or height of an over the air broadcast TV receiving antenna. It just must be capable of effectively receiving local broadcast stations. For the most part, digital TV transmissions are line of sight reception...no more "snowy" signals. You either receive them intact, or not at all. An HOA cannot stop you from capably receiving free over the air TV. If that means reasonably elevating over a hill or obstruction, and having many elements due to the transmitting towers being far away, I don't think the HOA can stop you. Case in point is my neighbor (hilly neighborhood in an AZ desert setting) with a 20 foot mast on top of a two-story house with a large TV antenna on top...larger than a 6 meter beam. My ham radio antenna is prohibited. Just sayin'...... if anyone can prove me wrong, I'll listen.
73, Bob K7JQ
"Approval for the majority, and rejection for the minority. I'm sure that will fly in a discrimination lawsuit."
Non sequitur. This is not about discrimination based class or category, such as race or gender (rather than individual merit). A ham license is merit based, at least for a few more years.
"The problem here is the perception that an overly large ham radio antenna is an eyesore..."
"Perception" is the key word here. People have different perceptions and this is the source of much disagreement these days.
"For the most part, digital TV transmissions are line of sight reception...no more "snowy" signals. You either receive them intact, or not at all."
This is not true. I view OTA TV because I choose to remove my access to some channels because I absolutey refuse to support a few other channels (that come with the package and can't be removed). I absolutely refuse to financially support a couple of these channels in any way, shape or form, even at the expense of not having access to some other channels that I like. This is my choice and I have it because TV antennae are specifically allowed in my CC&Rs (with height/size restrictions--mine is actually in my attic and invisible from the outside, but that's beside the point.) I have several OTA channels that pixelate due to ducting and other atmospheric phenomenon at TV frequencies. That's the digital equivalent of analog snowy. And I've tested my TVI potential. When I put a TV in my ham shack, extend the rabbit ears, key up 100 watts on 15 meters, the "4-bar" local channel completely freezes until I unkey. Luckily, only on 15. So I don't operate on 15 (much...)
Again, we are a republic of 50 democratic states. The 51st government was agreed to by those 50 democratic states and the agreement came from severely limiting the 51st government in its power and scope. I view that 51st government telling the little HOA what they can and can't do beyond all the laws written to prevent discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, etc. is more than "over reach" because they are usurping powers not delegated to them in the agreement. (Not to mention how many levels of government they are skipping over.)
There are real, practical answers to solving this issue of HOA's restricting the ham's ability to play with radios (without needing federal intervention) and they've already been mentioned several times. The answer lies in the freedoms we all have, but some of the freedoms we have are difficult for some and they'd rather impose themselves on others and make life difficult on others in order to make their lives easier. This is the sad state of our republic for many other issues also.
Respect for your neighbors is key to solving the issue of hams in restricted HOAs. But I guess we'll always have a few bad apples.
I question those who are pushing for federal legislation which usurps power through several levels of government. Are these hams doing this because they truly want to get on the air or are they doing this because they want to put up some sort of giant obelisk monument visible by all for some type of personal gratification reason? I don't see anything wrong with a stealth flagpole antenna. There are several other stealth antennae designs that are much easier to install also. And if these compromise antennae aren't enough, there are at least two other answers, which have already been stated multiple times, but for some reason, those answers are being emphatically rejected because they are said to be of no help and don't solve the problem (when they actually do.)
(again)
Thomas Jefferson said, "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’, because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."
(Our founders don't get enough credit these days--they were pretty smart.)
Or a more recent quote: In the early 1900's U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr said, “Your Liberty To Swing Your Fist Ends Just Where My Nose Begins.”
I'm beginning to repeat myself so I'll let this post fade into obscurity, become forgotten and let you guys carry on. Peace out.