yeah no kidding, and he says he's a rocket scientist hahaha. Just kidding 
Allan, I know your not.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 4:06 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Radio airwaves get buzzed from pot

> Colin,
>
> That's a great idea.  I think that's the only way we'll be able to afford
> those stations and towers that Alan has.
>
> Steve
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 3:24 PM
> Subject: Re: Radio airwaves get buzzed from pot
>
>
>> Being the curious fellow I am, I've actually researched a bit about
>> starting
>> a legal grow operation...it can be hugely lucritive, in the order of
>> 200,000
>> bucks a month once you are up and running.
>> About 200 G's to get started and a bunch of paper work, but they don't
>> refuse permits to anyone here in Canada as long as you send in the 
>> correct
>> paper work.
>> and the market is in need of another couple hundred large production
>> suppliers right now in this country.
>> I don't use it myself, but I can certainly see the up side of growing it
>> for
>> proffit.
>>
>> 73
>> Colin, V A6BKX
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 1:18 PM
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: Radio airwaves get buzzed from pot
>>
>>> Damn; will have to re-evaluate my career path!!
>>> Pat, K9JAUAt 01:49 PM 6/5/2014, you wrote:
>>>>BlankRan across this in USA Today.
>>>>
>>>>Radio airwaves get buzzed from pot By Trevor Hughes,
>>>>
>>>>A few years ago, retired electrical engineer Tom Thompson noticed it was
>>>>getting harder and harder to hear his friends across the country talking
>>>>to
>>>>him on their ham radio sets. So Thompson built a portable antenna system
>>>>to
>>>>track down whatever was interfering with his radio transmission.
>>>>
>>>>The culprit? Marijuana grow operations, whose powerful grow lights can
>>>>emit
>>>>interference blocking radio broadcasts on the ham and AM spectrums.
>>>>
>>>>The first grower he encountered wasn't pleased to know Thompson, now 73,
>>>>could tell what was going on. "He said, 'What are you going to do, call
>>>>the
>>>>cops?' Thompson said. "And I said, 'Well no, it's a federal matter.
>>>>
>>>>' With 22 states and the District of Columbia allowing medical 
>>>>marijuana,
>>>>and Colorado and Washington permitting recreational use, there's been an
>>>>explosion in the number of people growing their own pot, much of it
>>>>indoors.
>>>>With that growth has come increasing interference from the grow lights,
>>>>which suck down huge amounts of electricity to shine upon budding
>>>>marijuana
>>>>plants. Growing pot indoors is usually more secure and gives the grower
>>>>more
>>>>control over light, water and insects, which results in higher-quality
>>>>plants commanding a premium price.
>>>>
>>>>The interference problems from one type of system have gotten so bad 
>>>>that
>>>>the amateur radio association, ARRL, filed a formal federal complaint on
>>>>behalf of the country's 720,000 licensed ham operators. The problems are
>>>>worse in Colorado and California, said Sean Kutzko, an ARRL spokesman.
>>>>
>>>>The interference is caused by what are known as "ballasts," electronic
>>>>systems controlling the grow lights. Unless they're properly shielded,
>>>>the
>>>>ballasts can throw off a wide range of interference. "We're seeing
>>>>numerous
>>>>cases ... and that's causing us a problem," Kutzko said. "We just want 
>>>>to
>>>>make sure the manufacturers are in compliance with FCC laws. The FCC has
>>>>the
>>>>power to regulate anything that interferes with licensed radio
>>>>transmissions, such as ham sets, but also cellphones and AM radios.
>>>>
>>>>Steve, K8SP