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Regulatory: ARRL Files Erratum to "Symbol Rate" Petition for Rule Making
Regulatory: Plans Announced to Update the Communications Act of 1934
ARRL Centennial: ARRL Granted Use of W1ØØAW for League's Centennial
Public Service: Amateur Radio Disaster Response in Philippines Winds Down
Public Service: SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 7
On the Air: The 2013 ARRL 160 Meter Contest is This Weekend!
On the Air: Canada Issues Short-Term 472-479 kHz Experimental License
Ham Radio in Space: High Schooler Returns to Her Elementary Alma Mater to Lead
ISS Contact
Ham Radio in Space: Happy Birthday to AO-7!
Youth: December is YOTA Month!
People: Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, Receives Radio Club of America's Sarnoff
Citation
Milestones: Former FMRE President Carlos Levy, XE1YK, SK
Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
Regulatory: ARRL Files Erratum to "Symbol Rate" Petition for Rule Making
The ARRL has filed an Erratum with the FCC to correct an error in its "symbol
rate" Petition for Rule Making (PRM), filed November 15 with the FCC and put on
public notice for comment as RM-11708 a few days later. The League's petition
asks the FCC to delete the symbol rate limit in §97.307(f) of its Amateur
Service rules and replace it with a maximum bandwidth for data emissions of 2.8
kHz on amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz. The Erratum, filed November 26,
removes an erroneous reference in the appendix at §97.307(f)(3) to
"unspecified digital codes" and includes a corrected appendix.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.
"In one respect the criticism being voiced about our RM-11708 petition has some
merit," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "This is with regard to the addition
of 'unspecified digital codes' language to §97.307(f)(3). This change is not
discussed at all in the body of the petition and was not intended to be
included in the proposal." The Erratum "relates only to the Appendix as
originally filed, and only with respect to the proposed revised text of
§97.307(f)(3)," The League said. "The remainder of the Petition was correct as
filed."
The revised proposed §97.307(f)(3) will read: "Only a RTTY or data emission
using a specified digital code listed in §97.309(a) of this part may be
transmitted. The authorized bandwidth is 2.8 kHz." Sumner pointed out that in
1995 the FCC clarified that "specified digital code" is any digital code that
has its technical characteristics publicly documented.
"All of us who reviewed the draft and missed this are deeply sorry for the
confusion thus caused," Sumner said.
In its petition, the ARRL said that the changes it is proposing "would, in the
aggregate, relieve the Amateur Service of outdated, 1980s-era restrictions that
presently hamper or preclude Amateur Radio experimentation with modern high
frequency (HF) and other data transmission protocols."
Regulatory: Plans Announced to Update the Communications Act of 1934
The US House Communications and Technology Subcommittee has announced plans for
a multi-year effort to examine and update the Communications Act of 1934, the
overarching law under which the FCC functions. The subcommittee, part of the US
House Energy and Commerce Committee, is chaired by Oregon Republican Greg
Walden, W7EQI. Walden and Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton of
Michigan made the announcement December 3.
"Today we are launching a multi-year effort to examine our nation's
communications laws and update them for the Internet era," Upton said. "The
United States has been the global leader in innovation and growth of the
Internet, but unfortunately, our communications laws have failed to keep pace."
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, noted that the most recent significant update of
the Communications Act was in 1996. "Under the leadership of Greg Walden, the
subcommittee and its staff are well equipped to take up the challenge," Sumner
said. "The ARRL will be monitoring the work closely as it goes forward next
year and beyond."
US Representatives Greg Walden, W7EQI (left), and Fred Upton announce plans via
Google Hangout to update the Communications Act.
The plan was made public via Google Hangout, where the committee leaders were
joined by former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, who said he was "delighted"
to learn of the update plans. Upton explained that the process, to start in
2014, will involve a series of white papers and hearings focusing on what might
be done "to improve the laws surrounding the communications marketplace as well
as a robust conversation utilizing all platforms of digital media." He
suggested a bill would be ready by 2015.
Walden said, "A lot has happened since the last update" and that the
Communications Act is "now painfully out of date." He said he wants to open the
discussion to input from everyone, and that interested parties may follow the
plan's progress via Twitter. "It's important for people to have an opportunity
to weigh in," he said. "This is really a public process to get better public
policy."
ARRL Centennial: ARRL Granted Use of W1ØØAW for League's Centennial
The FCC has authorized the Maxim Memorial Station W1AW to also use the call
sign W1ØØAW during 2014, the ARRL's centennial year. Contacts made from the
Maxim Memorial Station in Newington, from regional Centennial conventions, and
during the IARU HF Championship will use W1ØØAW, with portable designators as
appropriate. The "W1AW WAS" operations throughout 2014 from each of the 50
states will use W1AW, not W1ØØAW. Bulletins and code practice transmissions
during 2014 also will still use W1AW.
Contacts with W1ØØAW will be worth 100 points in the ARRL Centennial QSO Party.
To help kick off the ARRL Centennial, special W1ØØAW activity will begin at
0500 UTC on January 1, 2014 (midnight in Newington), and will include
participation in ARRL's Straight Key Night; one CW station will use Hiram Percy
Maxim's straight key. Activity will continue throughout New Year's Day.
Ad
Public Service: Amateur Radio Disaster Response in Philippines Winds Down
After weeks of deployment, the Philippines Amateur Radio Association (PARA)
HERO (Ham Emergency Radio Operations) Network stood down November 27, although
some activity continues during the disaster cleanup. PARA Vice Chief Operating
Officer Ramon Anquilan, DU1UGZ, said that four stations -- DU1IVT, DU1VHY,
DV1SMQ, and DU1EQ -- remain in operation to monitor for any assistance from
local HERO stations. Much remains to be done in the devastating aftermath of
Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which injured more than 26,000 people, displaced some
four million residents, destroyed 1.2 million houses, and wreaked extensive
damage and destruction to agriculture and to the Philippine infrastructure.
Anquilan said that while PARA and its HERO Network stations realize that rescue
and relief agencies now are handling the bulk of vital emergency communication
traffic, his organization still has plenty to do. He said this includes
accurately documenting what the HERO Network was able to accomplish, gaining
visibility by authorities and communities, and furthering HERO's role in
disaster preparedness. He said authorities already are taking greater notice of
HERO, and PARA wants to make sure its role is not forgotten within the enormity
of the disaster.
In the hard-hit Tacloban area and the rest of Eastern Visayas, an ACCESS-5
Amateur Radio team continues to be embedded with the Command Post National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Tacloban City. Three
operators are on duty there. ACCESS-5 Tacloban is now augmented by some 35
ACCESS-5 members from Catbalogan, Samar, and Burauen, Leyte. PARA
Secretary-General Butch Pacana, DU1RP, drove from Davao City to visit HERO
stations in Borongan, Eastern Samar and Tacloban City. While in Borongan, he
served as courier for the situation report from Eastern Samar to Tacloban City
-- the first official situation report from Eastern Samar. This helped
provincial officials find a suitable means of transport to Tacloban. He
reported that HERO operators were coping well and up to the task. Don Bosco
Technical College (DX1DBT) officials maintain their HF link between Borongan,
Eastern Samar, Cebu and Mandaluyong in metropolitan Manila.
Fernando Arroyo, EA4BB/DU6 (left), in Roxas City found DV6WAV and DV6ILA
providing emergency communications at the Governor's Palace.
In the Central Visayas, Iver Astronomo, DV6ILA, is still active from the Capiz
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Roxas City. The
DV6ILA signal got a big boost through the donation of an HF transceiver by Bing
Rodriguez, DU6RCR, and a microphone loaned by Bob Garcia, DU6BG. Arnel, DV6WAV,
reports that power is back on at the Capiz State University where he's a
professor, and that he has activated another VHF/HF station. The HERO station
DV6ILA and DW6WAV were staffing in Roxas City earlier got a surprise visit from
the bureau chief of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UN OCHA), Fernando Arroyo EA4BB, who "had a few short QSOs on the spot."
Arroyo later appointed DV6WAV to head his convoy team to meet international aid
volunteers at the airport. Other HERO stations also remain active, occasionally
reporting on their activities and providing progress updates on the restoration
of services.
Anquilan said that PARA now has a permit to import equipment, and its Board
will meet on its placement and use. He acknowledged donations by Patrick
Prescott, KC1AJT, who sent an HF transceiver, and Stanley Jungleib, WA6LVC, who
sent an antenna tuner.
Media Hits
On November 17, Anquilan appeared on both the BBC World Service radio and
National Public Radio, in interviews arranged with ARRL assistance. "We are
just hobbyists, and we are converted into this public service role when there
are emergencies," he told the BBC, calling public service work on ham radio
"uplifting and fulfilling."
Anquilan told NPR's Rachel Martin on "Weekend Edition Sunday" that the
Secretary Defense was one of the first people to use the Amateur Radio link set
up in Tacloban. He explained that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
the Interior had been dispatched to Tacloban before the storm, and after the
hurricane hit, the central government in Manila did not know their whereabouts.
"Even the president could not contact his cabinet on the ground in Tacloban,"
Anquilan said. "So, one of the first messages for us to relay was the message
of the Secretary Defense."
Anquilan and Nathan Eamiguel, DU5AOK, were featured in radio interviews on
November 23. "The program's host, Francis 'Kiko' Flores, welcomed the
participation of Amateur Radio in the emergency," Anquilan said. "He recalled
his own experiences in the 1991 Baguio earthquake, where he personally
experienced the usefulness of Amateur Radio emergency communications." -- Jim
Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee
Public Service: SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 7
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in
Miami, will be on the air for SKYWARN Recogni test the Amateur Radio Station
operations and equipment between NWS Office nationwide and is sponsored by
NOAA. This event is excellent practice for ham radio operators as well as NWS
staff to become familiar with the unique communication skills available during
times of severe weather. It is also a fun event."
WX4NHC will take advantage of the occasion to conduct operator training. The
station will make contacts on various frequencies and modes, to exchange signal
reports and basic weather data, such as "sunny" or "rainy" between WX4NHC, ham
stations at other NWS offices, and stations throughout the US.
WX4NHC will be on HF, VHF, UHF, APRS (2 meters and 30 meters), and Winlink
(subject should contain //WL2K). "We will try to stay on the recognized
Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) frequency 14.325 MHz most of the time and announce
when we QSY," Ripoll said.
Ripoll said that due to space and equipment limitations at the NHC, plans call
for having two to three operators on duty per shift. "We cannot be everywhere
and on every mode at the same time," he explained. "You may be able to find us
on HF by using one of the DX spotting networks, such as the DX Summit website."
WX4NHC operators also will be active on the VoIP Hurricane Net, from 2100 until
2300 UTC (IRLP node 9219 / EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node 7203). South
Florida area VHF and UHF repeaters will be part of the mix as well.
QSL cards are available via WD4R, with an SASE. Do not send QSLs directly to
the National Hurricane Center. Entry to the NHC will be restricted during this
event.
On the Air: The 2013 ARRL 160 Meter Contest is This Weekend!
Top Band stalwarts and newcomers will up the activity level on 160 meters this
weekend, as the ARRL 160 Meter Contest gets underway Friday evening. The event
offers an excellent opportunity for any station, regardless of size or antenna
system, to try their luck on 160. This popular, CW-only activity each year
attracts operators of all experience levels.
Multipliers in the contest are ARRL/RAC Sections and DXCC entities. Alaska
(KL7) and Hawaii (KH6) can be worked by both DX and W/VE stations, as can
Caribbean US possessions (KP1-KP5) and Pacific Ocean territories (KHØ-KH9).
Even stations with limited antennas for 160 should find many multipliers within
range.
Previous years have seen inventive antenna solutions from those with limited
space. Some interesting antennas have included flagpoles, house gutters, and
even 40 meter dipoles. If you don't have room for a dedicated 160 meter
antenna, you can make contacts with just about anything; many Top Band devotees
have outstanding ears and will be eager to work you.
The 2013 ARRL 160 Meter Contest runs from 2200 UTC Friday, December 6, until
1600 UTC Sunday, December 8. Complete rules and entry forms may be found
online. Logs must be e-mailed to 160meter@arr-338) proposing the creation of a
new LF ham band at 135.7 to 137.8 kHz. Canadian hams already have such an
allocation.
Ham Radio in Space: High Schooler Returns to Her Elementary Alma Mater to Lead
ISS Contact
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca "Becca" Rubsamen, KJ6TWM, recently returned to her
elementary school alma mater to help youngsters there speak via Amateur Radio
with astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, at the helm of NA1SS aboard the
International Space Station. The November 13 event at Rancho Romero Elementary
School in Alamo, California, was sponsored by the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program.
Becca Rubsamen, KJ6TWM, holds the mic as pupils at Rancho Romero Elementary
School take turns asking questions of astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, aboard
the ISS.
"Becca approached Rancho Romero Elementary School, her alma mater, with the
idea to do an ARISS contact there," her dad, Reid Rubsamen, N6APC, told ARRL.
"She drafted the application, helped develop the curriculum, and convinced
astronaut James Van Hoften to come to Science Night to help promote the
contact. Becca and I were very excited about the whole thing!"
Becca assembled from a kit the Elecraft K3 and 2 meter transverter she used for
the ARISS contact. "I built the antennas in my backyard," she explained on her
website, which includes audio of the contact. "It took a flat bed truck and a
fork lift to put them on the roof at Rancho!"
During the approximately 8 minute contact, the youngsters at the school posed a
wide array of questions to Hopkins, who, responding to one student's query,
explained that the ISS orbits Earth 16 times a day, making it hard to keep
track of time. "We have a great group on the ground that helps up keep track of
time and lets us know when it's time to go to bed," he said.
Hopkins told the students that the crew members are "the guinea pigs" for some
of the science experiments in space that are aimed at determining how humans
fare in the spacecraft's microgravity environment, which, he pointed out, takes
a toll on muscles and bones. "We exercise about 2 hours a day to try to
counteract that bone loss," he said. But, he added, "You're never going to
forget what it's like to float."
Becca works on a VHF antenna in her backyard.
Becca's is a nearly all-ham family. Her mother, Amy, is KJ6WMF, and her
13-year-old brother Mike is KJ6WMG. Only her 7-year-old brother is not yet
licensed. According to her dad, Becca believes the CubeSats may be "the next
big thing" to promote ham radio and STEM (science, technology, engineering,
mathematics) education. "She is going to install a permanent UHF/VHF ground
station at Rancho Romero to help this happen," he told the League.
As for the future, her dad said Becca -- a sophomore at Bentley School in
Lafayette, California -- sees a career in health care or teescribes the Mode
A/B bird as "semi-operational" and "almost certainly" running solely from its
solar panels.
The ham satellite organization theorizes that AO-7's batteries shorted when
they failed, but the short circuit subsequently opened, allowing the satellite
regain some functionality. This means AO-7 only works when it receives direct
sunlight, and it shuts down when in eclipse. Since the satellite returned,
terrestrial users have enjoyed numerous contacts via AO-7.
AMSAT-NA this week offered its congratulations to all involved in the
designing, building, launching, and operating the satellite, adding, "It's an
amazing achievement that, other than the batteries, most of the circuitry
continues to function normally 39 years after launch."
AMSAT newsletters from the 1970s and early 1980s are available, courtesy of
KA9Q. N4HY offers a photo gallery depicting AO-7's construction and launch of
AO-7. -- Thanks to Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, via AMSAT News Service
Ad
Youth: December is YOTA Month!
During December several European countries will promote ham radio to youth as
part of a Youngsters On The Air (YOTA) event, on all bands and modes. Stations
will be on the air with "YOTA" as a call sign suffix or appendage.
"The idea for this is to break the ice for some youngsters," said Bjorn
Dettmaring, ON5CFG. "This is not a contest but a shout out to the world of ham
radio. Try to get as many youngsters as you can on the air this month," he
urged.
Awards are available for operators or SWLs working or monitoring YOTA stations.
Dettmaring said the December event follows up on the success of the Youngsters
On The Air events last summer. Awards are free and will be distributed
electronically. Only contacts during December 2013 are valid. Each station may
be counted only one time. -- Thanks to Bjorn Dettmaring, ON5CFG
People: Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, Receives Radio Club of America's Sarnoff
Citation
Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH
Retired FCC Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley
Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is the 2013 recipient of the
Sarnoff Citation. The Radio Club of America established the award in 1973 to
recognize an individual or club member for "significant contributions to the
advancement of electronic communications." The Sarnoff Citation has been made
to RCA members "who have contributed to advancement of electronic
communications in any significant manner, including nontechnical support of the
wireless industry," the club's website states.
Hollingsworth's engraved award, dated November 23, says, "For your significant
contributions and outstanding achievements in wireless communications."
"I could never adequately thank the Radio Club of America for this award,"
Hollingsworth said in a statement conveyed to those attending the awards
banquet in Orlandllagigedo in 1973 and 2007 as XF4YK.
"Carlos was a friendly, but strong, leader who tried very hard to improve
Amateur Radio in Mexico and the FMRE," said ARRL Membership and Volunteer
Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "He was the right guy at the right time for
FMRE, and he will be missed."
Levy was a professor of international communications at the University Nacional
Autónoma de México, where he'd worked for 26 years. He held a PhD in
political and social sciences and a master's in international relations, and
his academic interests focused on globalization of media, freedom of
information, and international politics.
Survivors include his brother Pepe, XE1J, who serves as ARRL's DXCC card
checker in Mexico.
Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, Washington, reports: Due to the Thanksgiving
holiday in the United States (Canada celebrates the same holiday on the second
Monday in October, Columbus Day in the US), we had a short bulletin last
Wednesday and a catch-up bulletin on Monday, December 2.
Solar activity bounced back this week, with average daily sunspot number
increasing from 63.6 to 102.9, and average daily solar flux from 130 to 132.9.
There were no periods of disruptive geomagnetic activity, although November 30
and December 1 were slightly unsettled.
Predicted solar flux for December 5-9 is 140, 145, 140, 135 and 130, then 125
on December 10-11, 130 on December 12, 135 on December 13-14, 130 on December
15-16, 135 on December 17, 130 on December 18-19, 125 and 130 on December
20-21, 125 on December 22-23, 130 on December 24-26, and 125 on December 27-28.
There is an odd peak at 165 predicted for January 8, but this seems to be a
remnant of a prediction issued from November 25 through December 1, when there
were many days in mid-December, late December, and early January with solar
flux predicted at 160 to 165. On December 2 these predictions were radically
revised downward, with the exception of January 8.
From November 25 to December 1 the solar flux prediction was 165 for January
4-10, but starting on December 2 that prediction was revised to solar flux at
130 on January 4-7, and 135 on January 9-10 and 130 on January 11-12, with
January 8 standing alone at 165.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 and 8 on December 5-6, 12 on December 7-8, 5
on December 9-12, then 10 and 8 on December 13-14, 5 on December 15-25, then
12, 10, 8, 12, and 10 on December 26-30.
This weekend is the ARRL 160 Meter Contest, which starts at 2200 UTC Friday,
December 6, and ends at 1600 UTC Sunday, December 8 -- a 42 hour period with no
time limitation. We will have an updated geomagnetic forecast for the contest
in Friday's bulletin. Given recent quiet geomagnetic conditions and longer
hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere, 160 meters should be in great
shape.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Dec 6 xas
January 19-26 - Quartzfest Convention, Quartzsite, Arizona
January 24-25 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi
January 25-26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico
January 31-February 1 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Miami, Florida
Feb 7-9 -- Northern Florida Section Convention (Orlando HamCation® -- Regional
ARRL Centennial Event), Orlando, Florida
Feb 14-15 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona
March 1-2 Alabama Section Convention (BirmingHAMfest 2014), Birmingham, Alabama
March 7-8 North Carolina Section Convention (Charlotte Hamfest), Concord, North
Carolina
March 7-8 West Gulf Division Convention, Claremore, Oklahoma
March 22-23 Communications Academy, Seattle, Washington
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
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