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|    Message 1,923 of 3,036    |
|    mark lewis to all    |
|    The ARRL Letter for September 10, 2015    |
|    11 Sep 15 12:41:18    |
      If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:       http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2015-09-10              The ARRL Letter              September 10, 2015       Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME               * ULS, Other FCC Systems, Come Back Online        * Opponents' Representations of Parity Act's Purpose "Just Not True," ARRL        President Says        * Vintage Transmitter Sale Funds Opportunity for ARRL Teachers Institute        Participant        * ARISS-International Delegates Meet in Tokyo        * Jamboree On The Air 2015 Station Registration is Open        * QCWA Recognizes 105-Year-Old Radio Amateur's 90 Years of Hamming        * Arkansas Ham Tops His Own Satellite Contact Distance Record        * Nominations Open for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award        * In Brief...        * The K7RA Solar Update        * Just Ahead in Radiosport        * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events                     ULS, Other FCC Systems, Come Back Online              Scheduled FCC computer system upgrades took a couple of days longer than       anticipated, but the Universal Licensing System (ULS) -- the repository for       Amateur Radio licensing data and portal for all applications -- came back       online early on September 10, along with FCC e-mail and other systems that had       been down for several days. The Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) and       the Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS) returned to service on       September 8. During the outage, which began on September 2, it was not       possible to file any Amateur Radio applications, including examination session       documents, or conduct any license or application searches. Earlier this week,       ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said a lot of candidates and volunteer       examiners had begun asking why new call signs or license upgrades had not yet       been issued.              "We have a huge backlog in our filing system that continues to grow!" she said       on September 8, the day the ULS was supposed to be back online. "We already       have approximately 75 examination sessions and over 500 applications waiting       to be released to FCC." Somma said she first wanted to make sure the ULS       electronic batch filing system was working properly before attempting to file       the backlog, which, she added, could take a day or so to release.              The FCC's Chief Information Officer David A. Bray, said the computer system       work included physically moving more than 200 different legacy servers from       FCC headquarters to a commercial service provider. This move -- a cost-saving       measure, he explained -- ran into trouble when it was determined that       additional cabling was needed to complete the transition. "Unfortunately, this       delayed completion of all of the system upgrades -- even with the FCC team       working around the clock throughout the holiday weekend," Bray explained       earlier this week.              Bray said it took seven moving vans to contain the servers being relocated.       "With a massive server move of this scale -- even with detailed planning,       independent verification, and backup plans -- the opportunity always exists       for surprises, especially with legacy IT systems, nearly 400 program       applications, and hundreds of servers," he pointed out.              The requirement to pay a regulatory fee for Amateur Radio vanity call sign       applications officially ended on September 3, but prospective vanity       applicants have had to wait until the ULS was up and running again to file for       an available call sign. The approximately 18-day vanity call sign waiting       period will remain in place "for now," the FCC has told ARRL.                     Opponents' Representations of Parity Act's Purpose "Just Not True," ARRL       President Says              ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, has taken strong exception to certain claims       being made by community association organizations about the Amateur Radio       Parity Act of 2015 -- H.R. 1301 and S. 1685. In an interview with Ham Radio       Now host Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, during the ARRL Roanoke Division Convention in       Shelby, North Carolina over Labor Day weekend, President Craigie stressed that       passage of the legislation is critical to ensuring the future of Amateur       Radio. And she described as "false" recent assertions that the bills' passage       would prevent community associations from requiring prior approval for 70-foot       ham radio towers and from creating reasonable processes       and aesthetic guidelines.              "As bills go, it's pretty short, and it's in plain English," President Craigie       said. "The legislation does not say that, it does not mean that. It's just not       true!" She pointed to the League's recent "Clarity on Amateur Radio Parity"       posting, which attempts to separate fact from fiction regarding the       legislation. The "Clarity" document explains the bill and "addresses some of       these statements that have no resemblance to anything that is factual in this       or any other solar system," she said.              "The only authority that [homeowners associations] would lose is the ability       to say, 'No, go away,'" said President Craigie. HOAs, she explained, would at       least have to negotiate "reasonable accommodation," which would depend on the       circumstances existing in a given neighborhood.              She also said that the Parity Act does not represent any sort of federal       government or FCC takeover or preemption of HOAs. "It does not take their       authority to regulate away," she said. "It only takes away their authority to       say 'no.' There's a big difference."              "The legislation does not even come close to what they are saying," agreed       ARRL Roanoke Division Director Dr Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, who was interviewed with       President Craigie at the Shelby Hamfest.              President Craigie said the proliferation of antenna-restricted communities       could dramatically affect the ability of young newcomers to engage in and       enjoy Amateur Radio. "A lot of people who are hams today got started as young       folks, and it led them into careers; it led them into all kinds of interesting       opportunities in their lives," she told Pearce. If a young person's parents       buy into a deed-restricted neighborhood, however, any ham radio aspirations       could be shut down, she said.              "We need to make sure that whatever community their parents decide to buy a       house in, that [prospective newcomers] will be able to have some kind of a       functioning antenna," President Craigie said. "Otherwise, our future has got a       major crimp in it."              "The world will not come to an end if the HOAs actually have to sit down and       communicate with the radio amateurs who live there," President Craigie       concluded.                     Vintage Transmitter Sale Funds Opportunity for ARRL Teachers Institute       Participant              The sale of a vintage Collins transmitter has made it possible for a       Connecticut Amateur Radio club to fund a seat for a future ARRL Teachers       Institute on Wireless Technology participant. The ARRL-affiliated Chippens       Repeater Association/Bristol Radio Club (CRA/BRC) donated the money it       realized from the sale of the old transmitter to cover the League's cost of       providing the opportunity for an educator at a Teachers Institute session. As       part of its educational outreach to schools through the Education & Technology       Program, each summer the League offers multiple expenses-paid Teachers       Institute sessions at locations throughout the US.              "We have decided to fund a seat in the Teachers Institute program, since we       believe that teachers bringing Amateur Radio and wireless technology into       their classrooms and exposing their students to STEM lessons would be an       excellent use of the money," CRA/BRC Treasurer Bill Flaherty, W1GY, told ARRL       Development Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD, in a letter accompanying the club's       check for $2000. Clarke said the League greatly appreciates the club members'       thoughtful and generous support.              "The Teachers Institute program, started by ARRL staff members and key       volunteers in 2000, has grown into one of ARRL's cornerstone programs," said       Clarke. "Applicants far exceed the number of available spots every year. By       sponsoring a 'seat' at a future Teachers Institute, the CRA/BRC is giving a       teacher a very special opportunity to teach Amateur Radio and wireless       technology and to engage students in STEM-related lessons."              Flaherty said the club hoped the donation would "help inspire future students       to become radio amateurs."                     ARISS-International Delegates Meet in Tokyo              Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International       delegates and representatives tackled a wide-ranging agenda when they met in       late August in Tokyo. The August 20-23 gathering was held in conjunction with       the Japan Amateur Radio League's 90th anniversary celebration and the JARL Ham       Fair. Those attending represented Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia, and the US.              Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB, of ARISS-Japan and JARL delivered opening remarks. ARRL       First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR, who was in Tokyo for the JARL Ham       Fair, also spoke briefly to the gathering. Kicking off the meeting was a       presentation by Hideshi Kagawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency       (JAXA) on its initiatives to launch and deploy small satellites and technology       payloads using JAXA's Epsilon launcher.              During the meeting, delegates voted to study the feasibility of creating an       interoperable radio system based on the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver, which       would be interchangeable between the Columbus and Russian ISS modules.       "Currently items are certified for one or the other, but not both," explained       NASA ARISS Technical Liaison Mark Steiner, K3MS. "They also use two different       voltages, 28 V dc in the Russian segment and 120 V dc in the US segment.       Future equipment will be able to be used in either. This will significantly       improve our flexibility on orbit." Steiner added that the next set of       equipment being proposed for launch will follow this new requirement       for interoperability.              Delegates agreed to continue studying a proposal to use a so-called "Astro Pi"       unit -- a modified Raspberry Pi computer device -- to generate a slide show of       images for the Ham TV DATV system at times when no camera is attached. An       Astro Pi unit will accompany the UK's first ESA astronaut, Tim Peake, KG5BVI,       to the ISS in November.              A lot of discussion focused on fundraising and the formation of the       ARISS-International Sustainability and Funding Committee. Delegates discussed       funding projects and recommended yearly budgets. ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer,       KA3HDO, encouraged all ARISS regions to support development of an       international plan and strategy for funding and resources.              Delegates also considered a revision of the organization's current terms of       reference, to better formalize and document team roles, responsibilities, and       processes, and address other recent changes within the ARISS program.              ARISS-International delegates will meet next in Houston, Texas, in November       2016, the 20th anniversary of the inaugural ARISS working group meeting.                     Jamboree On The Air 2015 Station Registration is Open              Worldwide station registration is open for the 2015 Boy Scouts Jamboree On The       Air/Jamboree On The Internet (JOTA/JOTI), which will take place over the       October 16-18 weekend. Registration requires a scout.org username, which       gives full access to the registration system as well as to many of the       JOTA/JOTI activities that will be under way during the weekend. JOTA is aimed       at fostering Scout-to-Scout communication across borders and is the largest       Scouting event in the world, with upward of 750,000 Scouts participating from       some 6000 stations in 150 countries. In the US 13,326 Scouts and visitors took       part in JOTA 2014.              Registration will also provide everything needed to take part in JamPuz (short       for "Jamboree Puzzle"), an identity code that JOTA-JOTI participants exchange       with one another. Required JID codes will be issued later in September, and       participation in JamPuz is optional.              The Boy Scouts encourage participating stations to submit JOTA reports and       photos following this fall's event. "We need your report to demonstrate the       success of JOTA to those in Scouting and Amateur Radio," said Jim Wilson,       K5ND, the national JOTA organizer. He has asked stations to note down the       number of Scouts participating, Amateur Radio licensees, and radios on the       air, as well as the total number of contacts and states and countries       contacted.              "We would also like to see your best photos and hear some stories about your       event," Wilson said. He advised local JOTA team organizers to add these tasks       to their JOTA "to-do" lists.              This is the 58th JOTA, held each year on the third weekend in October.                     QCWA Recognizes 105-Year-Old Radio Amateur's 90 Years of Hamming              The Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) has honored 105-year-old       Charlie Hellman, W2RP, of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, for his 90 years in       Amateur Radio. The QCWA's announcement also served to flush out another active       ham who, while 1 year older than Hellman, has not been licensed quite as long.       On August 31, the QCWA presented a "90 Year Continuous Licensed Certificate       Award" (No 1) to Hellman, whom the organization at the time called "the oldest       living Amateur Radio operator in the United States and possibly the world."       Hellman got his ham ticket in 1925, when he was 15 years old. He joined QCWA       in 1975 and is a member of QCWA Chapter 181 in New York's Hudson Valley. He       gets on the air regularly.              After QCWA posted its announcement on the QRZ.com news forum, however, Marcel       Stieber, AI6MS, chimed in to point out that Hellman is not the oldest known       ham. He said that Harry Wolf, W6NKT, of Morro Bay, California, is 106,       although licensed but since 1936.              QCWA Webmaster Bob Roske, N0UF, stepped forward to renew Wolf's lapsed QCWA       membership and noted that since Wolf had been licensed for more than 75 years,       QCWA would issue him a life membership. And now the organization may       recognize his longevity as well.              First licensed as W2AMK, Hellman was an educator. After working his way       through the City College of New York, he taught physics on the secondary       level. During World War II, the Department of War tapped Hellman to write a       textbook, Elements of Radio, for training radio operators.              Two of Hellman's siblings also held ham tickets. His brother Robert, now       deceased, was W2JAN. His brother Benjamin, 96, is W2VB.              Also an educator, Wolf indicated on his QRZ.com profile that he once taught       electronics at the college level and, after retiring in 1973, went to live in       Hong Kong where he operated as VS6GF for 4 years before returning to       California. He said he's on the air every day, mostly on 40 meter CW.              Hellman's certificate reads, "The Quarter Century Wireless Association       presents this 90th Anniversary Award to its Distinguished Member Charles       'Charlie' Hellman, W2RP, to commemorate Ninety Years of Service as a licensed       Radio Amateur."              Hellman also received a congratulatory letter from QCWA President Ken Oelke,       VE6AFO. Read more. -- Thanks to QCWA, Pete Varounis, NL7XM, and Charles Tropp,       N2SO              ____________________________________________________________________________                     Arkansas Ham Tops His Own Satellite Contact Distance Record              On September 5, Arkansas Amateur Radio satellite enthusiast Dave Swanson,       KG5CCI, topped the satellite contact distance record he had set just a few       days earlier. Operating from an old US Forest Service fire tower atop Rich       Mountain in extreme western Arkansas (EM24uq01mu), Swanson worked Manuel "Dom"       Ruiz, EA5TT, in Valencia, Spain (IM99sl48cx), via the venerable Oscar 7 (AO-7)       satellite, operating in Mode B (U/V).              "[T]his equates to 7947.381 km (4927.3 miles), which we believe to be a new       record for AO-7 Mode B," Swanson said in a posting to the AMSAT-BB. Unlike his       FO-29 record-setting contact on August 27, the contact between KG5CCI       and EA5TT was scheduled in advance. Swanson recorded the contact and posted it       on YouTube.              On August 27, Swanson worked Christophe Lucas, F4CQA, in Trouy, France, by       responding to his CQ. Swanson was operating on Shinall Mountain in Arkansas at       the time. The two operators calculated that their contact spanned 7599.959 km       (4712 miles). That appeared to break the previous distance records of 7537.799       km between W5CBF and G4DOL, and 7538.685 km between K4FEG and DK1TB, set on       FO-29.              AO-7, the oldest still-active satellite, was launched from Vandenberg Air       Force Base on November 15, 1974. It went silent in 1981 due to battery       failure, but it reactivated on June 21, 2002. AO-7 now will only operate when       it is in sunlight.                     Nominations Open for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award              The ARRL is accepting nominations for the George Hart Distinguished Service       Award. The deadline to receive nominations and supporting materials is       November 1. The award honors longtime ARRL Communications Manager George Hart,       W1NJM (SK), the chief developer of the National Traffic System (NTS). Hart       died in 2013 at the age of 99.              Established by the ARRL Board of Directors in 2009, the George Hart       Distinguished Service Award is given annually to an ARRL member for exemplary       service to the League's Field Organization. Selection criteria include NTS       operating record, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) participation, or       service to the ARRL Field Organization in terms of appointments and/or       leadership positions held.              Nominations should thoroughly document the nominee's lifetime activities and       achievements within the ARRL Field Organization. Nominees are expected to have       at least 15 years of distinguished service.              The Programs and Services Committee will serve as the Review Committee, and       the ARRL Board of Directors will make the final determination at its Annual       Meeting in January.              Submit nominations and related supporting material and letters of       recommendation via e-mail or postal mail to ARRL Field Organization Team       Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.                     In Brief...              ARRL Server Maintenance Will Put All Website Systems Offline: Some ARRL       servers will undergo routine maintenance from 0000 UTC until 0700 UTC on       Sunday, September 13 (Saturday evening on September 12 into Sunday morning on       September 13 in US time zones). While the website will remain accessible, all       systems will be unavailable during this outage. This includes Logbook of The       World (LoTW), the ARRL Store, and all ARRL e-mail, including the ARRL E-Mail       Forwarding Service ( |
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