The ARRL Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
January 26, 2012
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL Home Page ARRL Letter Archive
Audio News
IN THIS ISSUE
- + WRC-12: World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 Begins in
Switzerland, Considers Secondary MF Amateur Allocation
- + Public Service: Hams in Arkansas and Alabama Help Provide
Assistance to NWS During Severe Sunday Storms
- + Logbook of The World to Now Support CQ Awards
- + ARRL Foundation Scholarship Application Deadline Fast Approaching
- + FCC News: FCC Denies Anchorage VEC's Waiver Request
- + On the Air: 4U1ITU now 4U1WRC During WRC-12
- ARRL Publications: New Books on HF Digital Operations, Emergency
Power Now Shipping
- International News: Federación Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores
Marks 80 Years
- It Now Costs More to Send a Letter or Postcard through the US Mail
- US District Court for Maine Issues Order Granting Summary Judgment
against Glenn Baxter, K1MAN
- Solar Update
- This Week in Radiosport
- ARRL Board of Directors: Minutes of 2012 Annual Meeting Posted
- On the Air: RSGB Announces Special Prefixes to Celebrate Diamond
Jubilee, Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games
- Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
+ Available on ARRL Audio News .
> + WRC-12: WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE 2012 BEGINS IN
SWITZERLAND, CONSIDERS SECONDARY MF AMATEUR ALLOCATION
The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) opened in Geneva,
Switzerland on Monday, January 23. Attendees will review and revise the
Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio
frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. One of the items to be
considered at WRC-12 is Agenda Item 1.23: To consider an allocation of
about 15 kHz in parts of the band 415-526.5 kHz to the Amateur Service
on a secondary basis, taking into account the need to protect existing
services.
More than 3000 participants -- representing more than 150 out of the
International Telecommunication Union's 193 Member States -- are
expected to attend the four-week conference. About 100 Observers from
among the ITU's 700 private sector members -- along with international
organizations, including the International Amateur Radio Union -- are
also in attendance. A number of WRC-12 delegates are radio amateurs.
Members of the IARU Team include: IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH; IARU
Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR; IARU Secretary Rod Stafford,
W6ROD; IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T; IARU
Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AM; IARU Technical
Representative Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, and ARRL Chief Executive Officer
David Sumner, K1ZZ. ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX,
and ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, are
serving as members of the US delegation. Price is serving as Chairman
of the sub-committee that will consider Agenda Item 1.23. Read more
here
.
> + PUBLIC SERVICE: HAMS IN ARKANSAS AND ALABAMA HELP PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE TO NWS DURING SEVERE SUNDAY STORMS
Strong winds and tornadoes moved through Arkansas and Alabama on
Sunday, January 22. In response to the storms, the National Weather
Service office in Little Rock activated Arkansas SYWARN the same
afternoon, while ARES® members were activated in parts of Alabama.
Arkansas SKYWARN Program Coordinator Danny Straessle, KE5WLR,
summoned a team of radio amateurs and headed to the NWS office to
provide communications support to the forecasters. While Straessle was
enroute to the NWS office, Daryl Stout, AE5WX, brought up the Weather
Watch Net, a pre-net for Arkansas SKYWARN. By 6 PM, the Arkansas
SKYWARN net control team was in place and the NWS issued the first
tornado warning for the area. At this time, Straessle and Shane Lee,
KF5FBR, took over as Net Control for the Arkansas SKYWARN net. They
were assisted by Mona Blacklaw, KM5ONA. The NWS received reports of
tornadoes in Arkansas, Dallas, Lonoke, Prairie and Cleveland Counties.
In addition to activity by Arkansas SKYWARN, ARES® members in Alabama
also helped to provide communications support in that state. According
to David Gillespie, W4LHQ, of the Jefferson County Emergency Management
Agency, hams across Central Alabama began monitoring the storm
conditions in preparation for a possible activation. "Hams deployed to
the National Weather Service office to relay storm observations and
damage reports," he told the ARRL. "When the NWS issued a tornado
warning that evening, local ARES® members began an emergency
communications net. Net Control logged reports from 34 stations through
the night. When the storms cleared, these damage reports were used to
dispatch first responders to the areas that sustained the most severe
damage." Fourteen hams reported to the Jefferson County EMA, where
Gillespie coordinated communications for three shelters run by the
American Red Cross. Read more here
.
> + LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD TO NOW SUPPORT CQ AWARDS
The ARRL and CQ Communications, Inc have signed an agreement to
begin providing support for CQ-sponsored operating awards by the ARRL's
Logbook of the World (LoTW) electronic confirmation system. The
agreement was announced jointly on January 24 by ARRL Chief Operating
Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, and CQ Communications President Richard
Ross, K2MGA.
CQ's awards will be the first non-ARRL awards supported by LoTW and
will be phased in beginning with the CQ WPX award, with additional CQ
awards to follow. The ARRL's LoTW system -- an interactive database
recording contacts between radio amateurs -- was created in 2003 and
has been adopted by 47,500 radio amateurs worldwide. It already has
records of 400 million contacts and is growing weekly. The target date
for beginning LoTW support for WPX is April 1, 2012. Amateurs will be
able to use LoTW logs to generate lists of confirmed contacts to be
submitted for WPX credit. Standard LoTW credit fees and CQ award fees
will apply. Read more here
.
> + ARRL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING
Calling all college students and high school seniors! The ARRL
Foundation Scholarship Application Deadline is February 1, less than
one week away. Will you be nominated to receive one of the prestigious
ARRL Foundation Scholarships? Each year, the ARRL Foundation awards
dozens of scholarships to young hams pursuing higher education. The
total of these awards tops $80,000. Several hundred of the country's
top high school and college students vie for awards ranging from $500
to $5000. Read more here
.
> + FCC NEWS: FCC DENIES ANCHORAGE VEC'S WAIVER REQUEST
On January 24, the FCC issued an Order that denied a waiver request
from the Anchorage VEC, one of 14 Volunteer Examiner Coordinators in
the US. In its July 2011 Waiver Request, the Anchorage VEC asked the
Commission to permit individuals who have previously held an Amateur
Radio license grant issued by the Commission -- but which has expired
and is beyond the two year grace period for renewal -- to receive
credit for elements previously passed, and thus a new license grant,
without additional examination. This Waiver Request was in addition to
a Petition for Rulemaking filed in April 2011 that asked the FCC to
give permanent credit to radio amateurs for examination elements they
have successfully passed, effectively creating a license exam credit
that would be valid throughout an amateur's lifetime, never expiring.
The FCC noted that the denial of the Waiver Request was without
prejudice to the Anchorage VEC's pending Petition for Rulemaking,
meaning that this denial will have no impact on the pending Petition,
and the FCC will still consider it. Read more here
.
> + ON THE AIR: 4U1ITU NOW 4U1WRC DURING WRC-12
4U1ITU -- the Amateur Radio station at the ITU -- will be signing as
4U1WRC during the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12),
through February 17. The station will revert to 4U1ITU just in time for
the ARRL International DX CW Contest ,
scheduled for February 18-19. According to ARRL Chief Executive Officer
David Sumner, K1ZZ, who is attending WRC-12 as the IARU International
Secretariat, the station is in really good shape, with two operating
positions capable of going on any two bands at the same time. "A number
of delegates are active amateurs, so the station should be quite active
for the next several weeks," he said. Amateurs who work 4U1WRC between
January 23-February 17, 2012 can receive a special QSL card via the HB9
Bureau or by QSLing direct to IARC, PO Box 6, CH-1211 Geneva 20,
Switzerland.
> ARRL PUBLICATIONS: NEW BOOKS ON HF DIGITAL OPERATIONS, EMERGENCY
POWER NOW SHIPPING
The ARRL has just released two new books that you are going to want to
have in your shack: Get on the Air with HF Digital
by QST
Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and Emergency Power for Radio Communications
(2nd Edition) by Michael Bryce, WB8VGE.
Get on the Air with HF Digital is a step-by-step guide that will get
you started in the fascinating world of HF digital technology. Written
in an easy-to-understand, conversational style, this book will show you
how to set up and operate your own HF digital station. The text
includes instructions for configuring software programs for popular
modes such as RTTY, PSK31 and JT65. You'll also learn about other
digital communication modes such as MFSK, Olivia and PACTOR. It's a fun
and easy way for beginners learn how to get on the air!
With Emergency Power for Radio Communications, you will explore the
various means of electric power generation for every application --
from charging batteries to keeping the lights on. This book covers the
foundation of any communications installation: the power source. Use
this book to plan ways to stay on-the-air when weather or other reasons
cause a short-term or long-term power outage. Find ways to reach beyond
the commercial power grid and identify methods for alternative power
generation that will work best in your particular situation, perhaps
taking advantage of possibilities already on hand. Emergency Power for
Radio Communication, discusses the proper tools for emergency or backup
power, energy independence and portable energy. Read more here
.
> INTERNATIONAL NEWS: FEDERACIóN MEXICANA DE RADIO EXPERIMENTADORES
MARKS 80 YEARS
The Federación Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE) -- Mexico's
IARU Member-Society -- celebrated its 80th anniversary on January 14.
FMRE board members, director and hams from throughout Mexico attended
the celebration at FMRE Headquarters in Mexico City.
The FMRE records show that the first time that Amateur Radio
activities happened in Mexico occurred in 1918, when students at the
National Preparatory School constructed radio equipment. Three years
later, the Telegraph Department granted permission to install the first
radio stations in the country, and three men -- Francisco Castro
Herrera, Carlos Gonzalez and Carlos Palomino -- obtained permission to
use a wavelength less than 200 meters. At this time, Mexican wireless
operators felt the need for an Amateur Radio organization.
In 1922, the Colegio Francés la Liga Nacional de Radio was founded; in
1923, this group created its charter and changed its name to Liga
Mexicana de Radio. The Club Central Mexicano de Radio (LCMR) was also
founded in 1922. Shortly thereafter, they merged and formed the Liga
Central Mexicana de Radio and began holding national meetings and
publishing a magazine.
In November 1925, the Unión de Radioexperimentadores Mexicanos (UREM)
was created, but fell apart four years later. Members from this club
applied for IARU membership and organized the Conferencia Nacional de
Radioaficionados, the forerunner of the Liga Mexicana de
Radioexperimentadores. On January 10, 1932, these radio amateurs
founded the Liga Mexicana de Radioexperimentadores. On December 8,
1988, the Liga changed its name to the Federación Mexicana de Radio
Experimentadores. For more on the history of the FMRE (in Spanish),
please click here .
> IT NOW COSTS MORE TO SEND A LETTER OR POSTCARD THROUGH THE US MAIL
On Sunday, January 22, postage rates rose for first class letters,
postcards and packages within the US. The cost to mail a first class
letter is now 45 cents, an increase of 1 cent. According to the USPS,
this is the first increase since May 2009. The cost of mailing a
postcard has risen to 32 cents, an increase of 3 cents. This is the
second increase for postcard postage in less than a year; in April
2011, the USPS boosted the postcard stamp price from 28 cents to 29
cents. You will also pay more to send letters to Canada, Mexico and
other international destinations. Click here
for more information on all the postal increases.
> US DISTRICT COURT FOR MAINE ISSUES ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT
AGAINST GLENN BAXTER, K1MAN
On January 10, the US District Court for Maine issued a ruling in
the FCC's lawsuit to collect monetary forfeitures issued to Glenn
Baxter, K1MAN, of Belgrade Lakes, Maine. The FCC had assessed
forfeitures in the amount of $21,000 against Baxter
on
three asserted violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and its
regulations: Failure to respond to an FCC inquiry in violation of Title
47, Section 308 of the US Code
,
willful or malicious interference with other radio transmissions in
violation of Section 97.101(d)
,
and engaging in communications in which he has a pecuniary interest in
violation of Section 97.113(a)(3)
.
Chief US District Judge John A. Woodcock Jr, in writing for the Court,
agreed with the FCC on the first two counts -- willful or repeated
failure to respond to FCC requests for information, and willful or
malicious interference -- and granted summary judgments to the FCC in
the amount of $3000 and $7000, respectively. On the third claim --
communications in which an amateur station licensee or control operator
has a pecuniary interest -- the Court declined to grant a summary
judgment to the FCC, holding that there were issues of material fact to
be litigated in the Court in later proceedings. Find a link to the
complete decision here
(corrected link).
> SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "Staring at the Sun
" Cook, K7RA, reports: This
was another week where average daily sunspot numbers declined, while
average daily solar flux increased. The predicted solar flux is 125 on
January 26, 120 on January 27-30, 125 on January 31-February 2, 140 on
February 3-8, 145 and 150 on February 9-10, 155 on February 11-13, 150
on February 14-19, and then 145 on February 20-23. That's right -- the
long-anticipated short-term solar flux peak of 165 from February 17-21
is gone. The last forecast
which still held this number was on January 23, and on January 24 it
changed .
The predicted planetary A index is 5 on January 26, 8 on January 27-28
and 5 on January 29 to February 7, 8 on February 8-9, and then 5 again
on February 10-23. Look for more information on the ARRL website on
Friday, January 27. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
. This week's "Tad
Cookism" is brought to you by U2's Staring at the Sun
.
> THIS WEEK IN RADIOSPORT
This week:
- January 27 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint; NCCC Sprint Ladder
- January 27-29 -- CQ 160 Meter Contest (CW)
- January 28-29 -- BARTG RTTY Sprint; REF Contest (CW); UBA DX Contest
(SSB); SPAR Winter Field Day
- January 28 -- WAB 1.8 MHz Phone Contest
- January 29 -- QRP ARCI Fireside SSB Sprint
- January 29-30 -- Classic Exchange (CW)
Next week:
- February 3 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
- February 4 -- Minnesota QSO Party; FYBO Winter QRP Sprint; AGCW
Straight Key Party
- February 4-5 -- Vermont QSO Party; Delaware QSO Party; British
Columbia QSO Party; Mexico RTTY International Contest; 10-10
International Winter Contest (SSB); YL-ISSB QSO Party (CW); Black Sea
Cup International; EPC WW DX Contest
- February 5 -- North American Sprint (CW)
All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest
Branch page , the ARRL Contest Update
and the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar for more
information. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out
the ARRL Special Event Stations Web page
.
> ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS: MINUTES OF 2012 ANNUAL MEETING POSTED
The minutes of the 2012 Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors
have now been posted to the ARRL Web site
.
The meeting took place January 13-14 in Windsor, Connecticut.
> ON THE AIR: RSGB ANNOUNCES SPECIAL PREFIXES TO CELEBRATE DIAMOND
JUBILEE, SUMMER OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB ) and
Ofcom -- the British equivalent to the FCC -- have authorized radio
amateurs to use special prefixes
during 2012 in
celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Summer
Olympics and Paralympic Games.
To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, all UK radio amateur and
club stations can apply to use a special prefix for a five week period,
from May 5-June 10. This will add or substitute the letter "Q" in the
place of the regional identifier in the call sign. During the Summer
Olympics and the Paralympic Games, radio amateurs and club stations can
apply to use the letter "O" in the same fashion for a seven week
period, from July 21-September 9.
Amateurs in the United Kingdom who choose to apply for these special
call signs will be using GQ, MQ and 2Q prefixes to celebrate the
Diamond Jubilee, and GO, MO and 2O prefixes to celebrate the Olympic
and Paralympic Games. In addition, calls in the series GB2012aaa will
be available for Special Event Stations relating to the Olympics.
Licenses will also be issued for four "flagship" stations using the
prefix 2O12a (that's the letter "O," not a zero; "a" is a single letter
relating to the location of the station).
> UPCOMING ARRL SECTION, STATE AND DIVISION CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS
- January 27-28 -- ARRL Mississippi State Convention
,
Jackson, Mississippi
- February 4 -- ARRL Virginia State Convention
,
Richmond, Virginia; ARRL South Carolina State Convention
,
Ladson, South Carolina
- February 10-12 -- ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention
,
Orlando, Florida
- February 17-18 -- ARRL Southwestern Division Convention
,
Yuma, Arizona
- February 18 -- ARRL Arkansas Section Convention
, Hoxie,
Arkansas
- February 25 -- ARRL Vermont State Convention
,
South Burlington, Vermont
- March 3 -- ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Convention
,
Del Rey Oaks, California; ARRL South Texas Section Convention
,
Rosenberg, Texas
- March 3-4 -- ARRL Alabama Section Convention
,
Birmingham, Alabama
- March 9-10 -- ARRL Louisiana State Convention
,
Rayne, Louisiana; ARRL Oklahoma State Convention
,
Claremore, Oklahoma
- March 10-11 -- ARRL Roanoke Division Convention
,
Concord, North Carolina
- March 17 -- ARRL Nebraska State Convention
,
Lincoln, Nebraska; ARRL Southern Florida Section Convention
,
Stuart, Florida; ARRL West Texas Section Convention
,
Midland, Texas
- March 23-24 -- ARRL Maine State Convention
, Lewiston,
Maine
To find a convention or hamfest near you, click here
.
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