QRZ Forums - Amateur Radio News
///////////////////////////////////////////
The ARRL Letter, January 29, 2015
Posted: 29 Jan 2015 01:26 PM PST
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...5&goto=newpost
The ARRL Letter
January 29, 2015
Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, Editor
[Note: Clicking on the story links below will take you to the news article
as it appears in The ARRL Letter on the ARRL website.]
ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Go On Alert for Massive East Coast Winter
StormFCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Goes into Effect on
February 17ARRL Board Names Award RecipientsNew Legislative Issues Advocacy
Fund Gets Initial Boost from Hudson DivisionARRL Board Elects Executive
Committee, Hears Reports, Welcomes VisitorsSchool Club Roundup is February
9-13! Unlicensed Religious Broadcaster Who Used Amateur Frequencies Ordered
Off the AirQRZ Logbook Now Offering Reciprocal Confirmation Credit and LoTW
DownloadNASA Opens Application Window for Paid CubeSat, PICetSat
InternshipsMarch Issue of The American Legion Magazine to Feature Amateur
RadioRSGB Welcomes Proposed Crackdown on Interference-Producing Power Line
Data DevicesARRL Assistant Roanoke Division Director Anthony R. "Tony"
Curtis, K3RXK, SKARRL Technical Advisor, Author, AMRAD President Emeritus
André Kesteloot, N4ICK, SKIn Brief...The K7RA Solar UpdateJust Ahead in
RadiosportUpcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
ARES, SKYWARN Volunteers Go On Alert for Massive East Coast Winter Storm
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams and SKYWARN weather observers
along the US Eastern Seaboard went on alert Monday, January 26, as a winter
storm began working its way into the Northeast. The storm, which brought
blizzard conditions to some areas, shut down transportation and kept
residents at home in several states. Eastern Massachusetts and the City of
Boston may have been hardest hit, with record or near-record snowfall
amounts and storm surge flooding in some coastal communities. ARES units on
Cape Cod deployed to staff six shelters and the Multi-Agency Coordination
Center, which serves Barnstable County. A shelter was opened on Nantucket
Island, after the entire island lost electrical power as well as most
telecommunication services, and ham radio volunteers helped to fill the
gap. Amateur Radio volunteers relayed this information to the National
Weather Service (NWS) Taunton Office, home to WX1BOX, where operations
kicked into high gear on Monday evening and continued for 27 hours.
Hurricane-force wind gusts were recorded on Nantucket Island and on the
western edge of Martha's Vineyard.
"Amateur Radio operators across Southern New England checked into regular
SKYWARN Nets and/or with WX1BOX throughout the storm, even during the
overnight hours, providing tremendous situational awareness and disaster
intelligence information for the National Weather Service, state emergency
management, nongovernmental organizations, and the media," Eastern
Massachusetts Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator and SKYWARN
Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, told ARRL. "Several hundred snowfall total
and damage reports, including coastal flood reports, were fielded over a
dozen SKYWARN nets across the NWS coverage area."
Macedo said widespread snowfall totals of 15 to 30 inches -- and up to 3
feet in some areas -- occurred in Central and Eastern Massachusetts and
parts of Rhode Island, while up to 2 feet of snow fell in Connecticut and
Southwest Massachusetts. ARRL Headquarters announced on Monday that it
would close on January 27 in anticipation of the severe weather.
Massachusetts' South Shore experienced flooding, as a wind-driven tidal
surge breached one seawall, flooding homes and businesses along the Brant
Rock Esplanade. Flooding was also reported in Scituate, where streets
filled with slushy seawater. Fierce winds caused some minor structural
damage. A few residents had to be evacuated.
ARES and SKYWARN volunteers elsewhere in the Northeast also relayed
ground-level weather conditions to NWS offices as the severe storm
continued its northeasterly trek. The winter storm may not have lived up to
advance hype in some areas, leaving forecasters apologetic, but it was a
significant weather event for Northern New England residents. While the
worst of the storm missed New York City, extreme Long Island saw a couple
of feet of snow. Eastern New York SEC David Galletly, KM2O, said ARES
groups in his Section stood down at midday on January 27.
"The storm track was apparently 50 to 100 miles east of the original
forecast with a very sharp snow boundary," Galletly said. "This resulted in
much less snow accumulation, especially in the Northern District counties."
ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Manager Jim Mezey, W2KFV, said ARES
teams in his Section spent Monday preparing for a storm that was
anticipated to be of "historic proportions." By midday, he said, ARES
members were awaiting marching orders. The American Red Cross had
identified three possible shelter locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties,
where ARES might have supported communication.
"Winds were running at 25 MPH with higher gusts, creating whiteout
conditions for most of the night and early morning," Mezey said. He
reported snowfall accumulations of from 5 to 8 inches in New York City, 13
to 20 inches in Nassau County, and more than 24 inches in Eastern Suffolk
County. By noon on January 27, ARES teams stood down but continued to
monitor the situation a while longer.
In Maine, where heavy snowfall and high winds battered eastern and coastal
communities, ARES bumped up its alert status to Level 2 -- standby.
Scattered power outages were reported, mostly in southern Maine.
Temperatures remained in the teens. Maine ARES Section Emergency
Coordinator Phil Duggan, N1EP, activated ARES Weather and SKYWARN Net
sessions on HF, but no served agencies requested ARES communication support.
More than 1 foot of snow fell along parts of the Maine coast, and stiff
winds out of the northeast caused considerable blowing and drifting of
snow. At times, visibility was less than one-quarter mile. More snow is
forecast for January 30.
FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Goes into Effect on February 17
Starting on February 17, the FCC no longer will routinely issue paper
license documents to Amateur Radio applicants and licensees. The Commission
has maintained for some time now that the official Amateur Radio license
authorization is the electronic record that exists in its Universal
Licensing System (ULS), although the FCC has routinely continued to print
and mail hard copy licenses. That will stop next month.
In mid-December, the FCC adopted final procedures to provide access to
official electronic authorizations, as it had proposed in WT Docket 14-161
as part of its "process reform" initiatives. Under the new procedures,
licensees will access their current official authorization ("Active" status
only) via the ULS License Manager. The FCC will continue to provide paper
license documents to all licensees who notify the Commission that they
prefer to receive one. Licensees will also be able to print out an official
authorization -- as well as an unofficial "reference copy" -- from the ULS
License Manager.
"We find this electronic process will improve efficiency by simplifying
access to official authorizations in ULS, shortening the time period
between grant of an application and access to the official authorization,
and reducing regulatory costs," the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
(WTB) said. According to the WTB, the new procedures will save at least
$304,000 a year, including the cost of staff resources.
In comments filed November 5, the ARRL had strongly recommended that the
FCC "give serious consideration to continuing a default provision for
sending an initial paper license document to new licensees in the Amateur
Radio Service, along with detailed, simple instructions for how to make the
elections set forth in the notice relative to future modified or renewed
licenses."
Under the new procedures, a new license applicant who already has an FCC
Registration Number (FRN) and provides a valid e-mail address
under "Applicant Information" in the ULS will receive an official
ULS-generated electronic authorization via e-mail. New license applicants
lacking an FRN will receive one in the mail, as well as a temporary
password to access the Commission Registration System (CORES). They will no
longer automatically receive a license document, however, and would have to
request one by changing their "Paper Authorization Preference" in the ULS
License Manager.
The ARRL and other Amateur Radio commenters also worried that unless a
license document is printed on distinctive paper stock, its authenticity
could be questioned in such situations as obtaining vanity call sign
license plates. To address this, the FCC said the watermark "Official Copy"
will be printed on each page of an official authorization that a licensee
prints out from the ULS. The WTB recently stopped using distinctive paper
stock to produce hard copy licenses and has been printing these
on "standard, white recycled paper." The Bureau noted that the distinctive
paper stock it had been using was six times more expensive than the plain
recycled paper it now uses.
The ULS License Manager (left) now includes settings that allow licensees
to notify the WTB that they prefer to receive official authorizations on
paper. Once final procedures go into effect designating electronic access
as the default, licensees can change the ULS License Manager setting so
that the Bureau will print and mail a license document. Licensees also may
contact FCC Support via the web, telephone, or mail to request paper
licenses.
The FCC rejected as "outside the scope of this proceeding" an ARRL argument
that Section 97.23 of the Amateur Service rules be amended to
replace "licensee mailing address" with other alternatives, including
e-mail, for use in Commission correspondence. The rule, which requires that
any licensee mailing address be in an area where the licensee has US Postal
Service access, has precluded FCC issuance of location-specific call signs
in such areas as Navassa Island (KP1) and some Pacific islands.
ARRL Board Names Award Recipients
The ARRL Board of Directors has bestowed the 2014 George Hart Distinguished
Service Award on David B. Colter, WA1ZCN, of New London, New Hampshire. The
Board may grant the award to an ARRL member whose service to the ARRL Field
Organization has been of the most exemplary nature. The award's namesake is
George Hart, W1NJM, long-time Communications Manager at ARRL Headquarters
and chief developer of the National Traffic System.
Colter, a member of the Twin State Amateur Radio Club, was recognized for
nearly 4 decades of service to the Amateur Radio community, including such
leadership positions as Section Emergency Coordinator and Assistant Section
Emergency Coordinator.
Colter designed training and development courses for the New Hampshire ARES
community and was the prime mover behind the New Hampshire ARES Academy --
a day-long springtime event that provides courses and training in various
aspects of public service communication. He also served as editor of the
ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course (ARECC) series and as
New England Division representative on the League's Emergency
Communications Advisory Committee.
The Board also honored three professional journalists with the ARRL Bill
Leonard Award for their outstanding coverage of Amateur Radio in video,
print, and aural media. The award honors journalists for excellence in
reporting that highlights the enjoyment, importance, and public service
value of Amateur Radio. The award is a tribute to the late CBS News
President Bill Leonard, W2SKE, an avid Amateur Radio operator and advocate.
The video award went to Christine Kim of KSNV-TV in Las Vegas, for
her "Local Heroes" profile of the Nevada Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
The print award went to Marti Attoun of American Profile magazine, for
her "Radio Active" article that profiled Amateur Radio.
The aural media award went to Steve Kraske and Beth Lipoff of KCUR-FM in
Kansas City, for their "Exploring Ham Radio in a Digital World" interview
of Brian Short, KCØBS; Carolyn Wells, NØCJ, and Matt May, KC4WCG.
The Board announced the award recipients at its 2015 Annual Meeting,
January 16-17, in Windsor, Connecticut.
New Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund Gets Initial Boost from Hudson Division
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB -- acting on behalf of
the members of his Division -- has presented ARRL President Kay Craigie,
N3KN, with an inaugural donation of $4500 to the new ARRL Legislative
Issues Advocacy Fund. President Craigie received the contribution during
the ARRL Board's Annual Meeting January 16-17 in Windsor, Connecticut. The
check, from the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club, represented
contributions from members at the 2014 Hudson Division Awards Luncheon on
November 8. President Craigie generously matched the donation. The Board's
Administration and Finance Committee established the Legislative Issues
Advocacy Fund -- proposed by Lisenco -- to educate and inform members of
Congress of the importance of issues that impact the Amateur Radio Service.
"There is an urgent need to raise money to help offset the cost of sending
our voice to Washington for legislative advocacy, and we need to continue
these expenditures into the future to achieve our goals -- including and
going beyond the current CC&R legislative effort -- as there will always be
issues that require a continuing presence on Capitol Hill," Lisenco said
after the meeting.
Lisenco added that potential issues down the road could include spectrum
allocation -- and especially conflicts stemming from broadband allocations
-- revisions to the Communications Act, the adequacy and efficiency of FCC
enforcement and the use of Amateur Radio volunteers, increased
privatization of Amateur Radio administration, FCC oversight, and radio
frequency interference concerns, "to name a few."
"We must establish a brand for Amateur Radio now, so that we no longer have
to be reactive when it comes to the relationship between the federal
government and Amateur Radio," Lisenco stressed after the meeting.
The ARRL is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity. All donations to the fund are
tax deductable within the limits of the law. For information on how to
donate to the ARRL Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund, contact Development
Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD (tel 860-594-0348).
Legislative Objectives Outlined
At its Annual Meeting, the ARRL Board adopted several legislative
objectives for the 114th US Congress. Accordingly, the ARRL will continue
to secure passage of legislation instructing the FCC to extend the
requirement for "reasonable accommodation" of Amateur Radio station
antennas -- a requirement that now applies to state and local governing
bodies -- to all forms of land use regulation. The League also will
continue to oppose legislation leading to the reallocation of amateur
spectrum or to sharing arrangements that reduce the utility of existing
allocations, as well as legislation that diminishes the rights of federal
licensees in favor of unlicensed emitters or that encourages the deployment
of spectrum-polluting technologies. Read more.
ARRL Board Elects Executive Committee, Hears Reports, Welcomes Visitors
The ARRL Board of Directors has elected members of the Executive Committee.
Chosen during the Board's 2015 Annual Meeting were New England Division
Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI; Hudson Division Director Lisenco; West Gulf
Division Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV; Pacific Division Director Bob
Vallio, W6RGG, and Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK.
The Board also chose members of the ARRL Foundation Board. Northwestern
Division Director Jim Pace, K7CEX, was elected to fill the unexpired term
of past ARRL Midwest Division Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, who stepped down
from the Foundation Board.
For full 3-year terms on the Foundation Board, the Board elected Director
Frenaye, Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, and
Martin Green, K2PLF. Frenaye, as ARRL Foundation President, reported that
the Foundation funded some 80 scholarships in 2014, and that two new
scholarships are in the process of being established.
Other Business
The ARRL Board heard reports from officers during its Annual Meeting.
Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, told the Board that efforts
are in full swing to build support for Amateur Radio-related issues, in
preparation for World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 in November.
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, pointed out in his report that spectrum
auctions continue to pose a potential threat to Amateur Radio spectrum. He
also told the Board that inadequate FCC attention to Amateur Radio
enforcement issues continues to be a concern.
Also present for the Annual Meeting were International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
Vice President Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA. Stafford brought greetings from
IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR,
and noted that 2015 is the 90th anniversary of the IARU. The IARU is
preparing for the International Telecommunication Union World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 this November in Geneva.
Find ARRL on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter!
School Club Roundup is February 9-13!
School clubs are busily prepping their stations for The "Winter/Spring
Term" School Club Roundup, which gets under way Monday, February 9 at 1300
UTC, and continues through Friday, February 13, at 2359 UTC. Stations may
operate no more than 6 hours in any 24 hour period (up to a maximum of 24
hours).
The twice-yearly event is an opportunity for school club stations -- from
elementary school to college -- to get on the air for a friendly radio
activity. Non-school clubs and individuals are encouraged to participate
too. Sponsored by the ARRL, the ARRL Hudson Division Education Task Force,
and the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC), the contest aims to
foster contacts with and among school radio clubs.
Stations exchange signal reports, class ("Individual," "Club,"
or "School"), and US state, Canadian province/territory, or DXCC entity.
Stations may operate on all amateur bands except 60, 30, 17, and 12 meters
(no repeater contacts and VHF/UHF contacts must be on recognized simplex
frequencies, except calling frequencies). Stations may operate phone, CW,
and digital modes, or a combination. The most popular time for younger
students is during after-school hours, but older students may be on the air
anytime. All groups are limited to one transmitter on the air.
If you'd just like to get on the air and hand out contacts, enter in the
Individual category. Tune around in any mode and listen for SCR stations
calling CQ, or call CQ yourself and see who answers (call "CQ School
Clubs," if you are not a club station). Logs are due no more than 15 days
after the operating period has ended and can be submitted online via the
WA7BNM website.
The top three entries in each category -- Elementary,
Middle/Intermediate/Junior High School, Senior High School
College/University -- will receive an Award Certificate. Non-school clubs
or multiop groups and individuals are also eligible for certificates.
See "Getting Organized for School Club Roundup" for some helpful tips! Stay
up to date on SCR by subscribing to the School Club Roundup reflector.
Unlicensed Religious Broadcaster Who Used Amateur Frequencies Ordered Off
the Air
The FCC has ordered an unlicensed California religious broadcaster, who
sometimes broadcast on a frequency in the 40 meter phone band, to shut down
his station. On December 31, the FCC's Los Angeles District Office issued a
Notice of Unlicensed Operation to Martin K. Elliott of Inyokern,
California. The FCC said it issued the Notice in response to a complaint of
unlicensed operation on multiple HF frequencies, including some allocated
to aeronautical stations. The FCC said its agents used radio
direction-finding techniques to confirm that signals on 6280 kHz and 11,595
kHz were emanating from a residence located near Inyokern, and property
records indicated that Elliott was the current owner and resident.
"The Commission's records show that no license was issued for operation of
a station on either the frequencies of 6280 kHz or 11,595 kHz at this
location," the FCC wrote. "Unlicensed operation of this radio station must
be discontinued immediately."
The pirate station, which identified itself as "YHWH," was not cited for
operating on Amateur Radio frequencies, although ARRL Official Observers
had monitored the station in the past on 7185 kHz LSB. One short-wave
listener said the operator of YHWH changed frequencies regularly.
The FCC warned Elliott that operation of radio transmitting equipment
without valid authorization violates federal law and could subject the
operator to severe penalties including, but not limited to, substantial
monetary forfeitures, equipment seizure, and criminal sanctions.
The Commission gave him 10 days to respond. The FCC said its Notice "does
not preclude this office from pursuing additional sanctions based upon our
investigation of this incident."
QRZ Logbook Now Offering Reciprocal Confirmation Credit and LoTW Download
QRZ Logbook now recognizes contact confirmations from ARRL's Logbook of The
World (LoTW). QRZ Logbook users now can download their contacts from LoTW
directly into their QRZ Logbook. Contacts that exist in LoTW but not in QRZ
Logbook will be added to your QRZ Logbook. LoTW automatically puts contacts
made under a previous call sign into a user's current call sign account.
QRZ will automatically put contacts into the logbook associated with the
call sign used when the contact was logged.
"Not only will this improve your confirmation rates, because you are
receiving credit for your confirmations on LoTW, but it will also import
records that exist on LoTW and not QRZ Logbook," QRZ.com said in announcing
the new service. "Those QSOs may match another record on QRZ, resulting in
even more confirmations."
In addition, all contact data in your LoTW database -- whether or not the
contact is new to your QRZ account -- will include the LoTW QSL Received
Date, as well as the LoTW Sent (Y/N) flag set in the QRZ Logbook. Contacts
confirmed in LoTW, whether or not they are new to QRZ, will automatically
be confirmed in your QRZ Logbook. Read more. -- Thanks to QRZ.com
NASA Opens Application Window for Paid CubeSat, PICetSat Internships
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) seeks applicants to fill paid
CubeSat and PICetSat-related internships for the Summer 2015 semester.
These positions may be of interest to Amateur Radio licensees pursuing
degrees in electrical or computer engineering and now in their junior or
senior years. Applications are being taken on the NASA One Stop Shopping
Initiative (OSSI) recruiting website. The openings are CubeSat Simulator
Upgrade Plus -- advertised previously but now reopened -- as well as
CubeSat Ground Station Development, and PICetSat Module and PCB
Development. Other internship opportunities are available at each of the
other 10 NASA field center locations as well, said Pat Kilroy, N8PK, of
GSFC. The official application deadline is March 1, but Kilroy is hoping
applications will be submitted sooner.
"The word to the wise student is to get one's application in ASAP -- and
certainly within the next 3 weeks," Kilroy said. Applications from Amateur
Radio licensees should include a call sign.
Details on each internship are available through the OSSI page. Contact Pat
Kilroy for more information. Applications must be submitted via the OSSI
web page.
March Issue of The American Legion Magazine to Feature Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio will be featured in the March 2015 issue of The American
Legion Magazine. The article, by best-selling author Don Keith, N4KC, will
explain how ham radio remains exciting, important, and relevant, even after
more than a century in existence and changes in technology. The article
will also talk about the American Legion
Amateur Radio Club (TALARC) -- home to club station K9TAL at American
Legion Headquarters in Indianapolis, which sponsors regular operating
events. It also will explain how the American Legion is integrating Amateur
Radio into its organization and for its members, how members can become
licensed, and perhaps establish a club station at an American Legion post.
The Legion has an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to
provide assistance during emergencies, and Keith's article will discuss how
Amateur Radio meshes with that effort. Keith has written more than 2 dozen
books, including Riding the Shortwaves: Exploring The Magic of Amateur
Radio, Firing Point -- a submarine thriller -- and Wizard of the Wind,
which includes a ham as a key character. He has also written extensively
about World War II history.
RSGB Welcomes Proposed Crackdown on Interference-Producing Power Line Data
Devices
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) has said it welcomes a recent
initiative by telecommunications regulator Ofcom to combat interference
from home power line data transmission (PLT) devices. The
Ofcom "consultation" -- similar to an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making --
has invited responses by February 16. The RSGB Electromagnetic
Compatibility (EMC) Committee has lobbied Ofcom to assume greater authority
in cases involving violations of EMC rules.
"These proposals make the regulations more resilient to evolving
technology, when it causes undue interference to wireless telegraphy
apparatus," the RSGB said. "The proposed changes aim to catch apparatus
that exceeds the permissible levels in service," The RSGB said.
A recent news article reported that Ofcom was proposing that individuals
using power line networking equipment could face prosecution if it
interferes with radio communications. The article, in The Telegraph, also
said that GCHQ -- a security and intelligence organization similar to the
US Department of Homeland Security -- has become increasingly concerned
about PLT in recent years.
The RSGB said the Ofcom proposals would provide additional enforcement
authority with respect to a particular piece of equipment, not just a range
of devices. "These changes are essential to prevent compromising important
communication systems, particularly those that ensure public safety," the
RSGB said.
ARRL Assistant Roanoke Division Director Anthony R. "Tony" Curtis, K3RXK, SK
ARRL Assistant Roanoke Division Director Anthony R. "Tony" Curtis, K3RXK,
of Laurinburg, North Carolina, died on January 23. He was 74. Curtis served
twice as an Assistant Director -- from 1986 until 1997 and again from 2002
until his death. Known as "Dr Tony" to his mass communication students at
the University of North Carolina at
Pembroke, Curtis -- who was licensed at 14 -- was a space and Amateur Radio
satellite enthusiast and occasional guest speaker. He also contributed to
QST. An ARRL Life Member, Curtis was involved in emergency preparedness and
held ARRL Field Organization appointments as Official Emergency Station and
Volunteer Examiner.
"The department lost a valued colleague and a good friend, and he'll be
deeply missed," Dr Jason Hutchens, chair of the Mass Communication
department, said.
At UNCP, he received an Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012 and was named
the Most Valuable Professor in 2012 and 2013. He had served as chair of the
faculty senate and as president of the Friends of the Library Board. Read
more.
ARRL Technical Advisor, Author, AMRAD President Emeritus André Kesteloot,
N4ICK, SK
ARRL Technical Advisor, author, and Amateur Radio Research and Development
Corporation (AMRAD) President Emeritus André V. Kesteloot, N4ICK, of
McLean, Virginia, died on January 4. He was 77. Kesteloot was the author of
Spread Spectrum Sourcebook, published in 1991, and he contributed to QST
and QEX. A native of Belgium, Kesteloot was an electrical engineer and
spent a decade in the Middle East installing TV and radio transmitters in
the 1950s and 1960s. He subsequently signed on with the Central
Intelligence Agency and spent 25 years as a CIA operative. Kesteloot was a
recipient of a CIA Intelligence Star for Valor, and he served as executive
vice president of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.
After retiring in 1994, Kesteloot joined the faculty of Phoenix Consulting,
and trained Iraq-bound Special Forces units and intelligence agencies. An
active AMRAD member, he was a frequent contributor to the organization's
newsletter and papers. He also assisted in taking field measurements of
Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems in Virginia and Maryland. Kesteloot
was an ARRL member and life senior member of the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers.
In Brief...
DXpedition Goings and Comings: As of January 26, the three-person "boat
team" heading to Navassa Island for the K1N DXpedition had made it to Great
Inagua in the Bahamas. There was no official word yet from the Navassa
Island DXpedition team as to when the other operators, now in Jamaica with
the equipment containers, would depart. The DXpedition to one of the
most-wanted DXCC entities is expected to get under way in the next few
days. "We plan to sail from Great Inagua the afternoon of January 30," the
K1N team announced January 27. The DXpeditioners hope to start offloading
their gear on January 31 and February 1. Meanwhile, on Kish Island, Iran,
the Belgian EP6T DXpedition team finished up operations on January 27
(UTC). The EP6T operators logged more than 68,000 contacts during 9 days on
the air -- nearly 70 percent of them with stations in Europe. Just under 10
percent of the EP6T contacts were with North American stations, although
the operators reported persistent noise issues that prevented them from
hearing many callers. -- Thanks to The Daily DX
Ralph Fedor, K0IR, to be Dayton RTTY Contest Dinner Speaker: DXpeditioner
Ralph Fedor, K0IR, will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 RTTY Contest
Dinner, Thursday, May 14, at 7:15 PM, at the Crowne Plaza in downtown
Dayton. Tickets will be on sale until May 1. No tickets will be sold at the
door. The NAQP RTTY plaques will be presented at the event. -- Thanks to
Fred Dennin, WW4LL
SSTV Transmissions Scheduled from the International Space Station: The
Russian Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team plans
to activate slow-scan television (SSTV) from the ISS on Saturday January
31, and on Sunday, February 1. The anticipated SSTV mode will be PD180 on
145.800 MHz with 3-minute off periods between transmissions. Twelve
different images will be transmitted during the operational period. This is
the second series of pictures to be transmitted. The SSTV transmission are
scheduled to begin around 1000 UTC on January 31 and around 0900 UTC on
February 1. Transmissions should terminate around 2130 UTC each day. --
Thanks to ARISS-EU Chair Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
The K7RA Solar Update
Average daily sunspot numbers for the January 22-28 period rose from 61.9
on the previous 7 days to 89.1. Average daily solar flux climbed from 126.2
to 136.8 over the same period.
There were two new sunspot regions on February 22, another one on February
23 and again on February 25, four more on February 26, and another two on
February 28.
The average daily solar flux for January 29 through February 4 is predicted
to be 165.7 -- nearly 29 points higher than the previous week.
Predicted solar flux is 165 on January 29, 170 for January 30 through
February 2, then 160, 155, 145 and 125 for February 3-6, 130 for February
7-9, 125 for February 10-11, 120 for February 12-13, and 125 for February
14-16. Flux values will reach of low of 115 on February 18, then a high of
135 during the period February 26-28.
Predicted planetary A index is 12 on January 29, 15 for January 30 through
February 1, 12 on February 2, 10 for February 3-4, 5 on February 5, 10 for
February 6-7, 8 for February 8-9, 5 for February 10-14, 12 on February 15,
and 10 for February 16-18.
This weekly "Solar Update" in The ARRL Letter is a preview of
the "Propagation Bulletin" issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an
archive of past propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.
In the Friday, January 30, bulletin expect an updated forecast for the near
term and reports from readers. Send me your reports and observations.
Just Ahead in Radiosport
January 31 -- Feld-Hell WAAAEO Sprint
January 31-February 1 -- UBA Contest (SSB)
January 31-February 1 -- Worldwide EME Contest
February 2 -- OK1WC Memorial Contest (SSB, CW)
February 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
February 3 -- CWOps Weekly Mini-CWT Tests (CW)
February 6 -- NS Weekly Sprint (CW)
February 6 -- YL-OM Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)
February 6-8 -- Triathlon DX Contest (SSB, CW, Digital)
February 7 -- Straight Key Weekend Sprintathon
February 7 -- FYBO Winter QRP Field Day (SSB, CW)
February 7 -- Minnesota QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)
February 7 -- Straight Key Party
February 7-8 -- Vermont QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)
February 7-8 -- YLISSB QSO Party
February 7-8 -- Ten-Ten Winter Phone QSO Party
February 7-8 -- Black Sea Cup International (SSB, CW)
February 7-8 -- British Columbia QSO Party (SSB, CW, Digital)
February 7-8 -- XE International RTTY Contest
February 7-8 -- AM QSO Party
February 8 -- North American Sprint (CW)
February 8-9 -- Classic Exchange (Phone)
February 8 -- Milwaukee FM Simplex Contest
February 9-13 -- School Club Roundup (SSB, FM, CW)
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions and Events
February 7 -- Virginia State Convention, Richmond, Virginia
February 13-15 -- Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, Florida
February 20-21 -- Arizona Section Convention, Yuma, Arizona
February 28 -- New Mexico Techfest Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 28 -- Vermont State Convention, S Burlington, Vermont
March 7 -- Santa Clara Valley Section Convention, Del Rey Oaks, California
March 13-14 -- North Carolina Section Convention, Concord, North Carolina
March 14 -- West Texas Section Convention, Midland, Texas
March 20-21 -- Louisiana State Convention, Rayne, Louisiana
March 21 -- MicroHAMS Digital Conference, Redmond, Washington
March 21 -- Nebraska State Convention, Lincoln, Nebraska
March 21 -- Southern Florida Section Convention, Stuart, Florida
March 28 -- Texas State Convention, Rosenberg, Texas
Find conventions and hamfests in your area.
The ARRL Letter appreciates the support of these advertisers:
Icom
Radio City
Radio Lights
DX Engineering
RF Concepts
Low Loss PWRgate
HRD Software
Timewave Technology, Inc
RIGOL Technologies, Inc
ARRL members can opt to receive The ARRL Letter (with color images!)
directly via e-mail. If you are not an ARRL member, consider joining now to
receive this and other benefits, including the monthly ARRL journal, QST
(and the QST online digital edition). The ARRL — the national association
of Amateur Radio is the only organization representing Amateur Radio in the
US. As an ARRL member you support the ranks of thousands of other ham radio
enthusiasts shaping the Amateur Radio Service today. If you consider
yourself an active ham, you need ARRL now. Membership costs as little as
$39 a year. ARRL members have access to the ARRL Archive and Periodical
Search, the Product Review Archive, E-Mail Forwarding, a voice in the
affairs of ARRL and ham radio through locally appointed volunteers and much
more! Become part of the future of ham radio. Join the ARRL today!
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most
popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday.
Subscribe to...
NCJ -- National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO
Parties.
QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published bi-monthly,
features technical articles, construction projects, columns and other items
of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter (monthly
public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest Update
(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and
much more!
Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 48 times each year. ARRL members
and registered guests may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing
their profile.
Copyright © 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
///////////////////////////////////////////
Breaking news: Fcc inaugurates paperless amateur radio licensing february
17
Posted: 29 Jan 2015 08:10 AM PST
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...7&goto=newpost
BRAKING NEWS: FCC INAUGURATES PAPERLESS AMATEUR RADIO LICENSING FEBRUARY 17
(Courtesy ARRL)
SB QST @ ARL $ARLB004
ARLB004 FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Goes into
Effect on February 17
ZCZC AG04
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 4 ARLB004
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT January 29, 2015
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB004
ARLB004 FCC "Paperless" Amateur Radio License Policy Goes into
Effect on February 17
Starting February 17, the FCC no longer will routinely issue paper
license documents to Amateur Radio applicants and licensees. The
Commission has maintained for some time now that the official
Amateur Radio license authorization is the electronic record that
exists in its Universal Licensing System (ULS), although the FCC has
continued to print and mail hard copy licenses. In mid-December the
FCC adopted final procedures to provide access to official
electronic authorizations, as it had proposed in WT Docket 14-161 as
part of its "process reform" initiatives.
Under the new procedures, licensees will access their current
official authorization ("Active" status only) via the ULS License
Manager. The FCC will continue to provide paper license documents to
all licensees who notify the Commission that they prefer to receive
one. Licensees also will be able to print out an official
authorization - as well as an unofficial "reference copy" - from the
ULS License Manager.
"We find this electronic process will improve efficiency by
simplifying access to official authorizations in ULS, shortening the
time period between grant of an application and access to the
official authorization, and reducing regulatory costs," the FCC
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) said. According to the WTB,
the new procedures will save at least $304,000 a year, including the
cost of staff resources.
In comments filed November 5, the ARRL had strongly recommended that
the FCC "give serious consideration to continuing a default
provision for sending an initial paper license document to new
licensees in the Amateur Radio Service, along with detailed, simple
instructions for how to make the elections set forth in the notice
relative to future modified or renewed licenses."
The FCC said that applicants or licensees who include a valid e-mail
address under "Applicant Information" in the ULS will receive an
official electronic authorization via e-mail. New license applicants
who do not provide a FCC Registration Number at the examination
point will receive a printed license as well as an FRN and a
temporary password to access the Commission Registration System
(CORES).
The ARRL and other Amateur Radio commenters also worried that unless
a license document is printed on distinctive paper stock, its
authenticity could be questioned in such situations as obtaining
vanity call sign license plates. To address this, the FCC said the
watermark "Official Copy" will be printed on each page of an
official authorization that a licensee prints out from the ULS. The
WTB recently stopped using distinctive paper stock to produce hard
copy licenses and has been printing these on "standard, white
recycled paper." The Bureau noted that the distinctive paper stock
it had used was six times more expensive than the plain recycled
paper it now uses.
The ULS License Manager now includes settings that allow licensees
to notify the WTB that they prefer to receive official
authorizations on paper. Once the final procedures go into effect
designating electronic access as the default, licensees can change
the ULS License Manager setting so that the Bureau will print and
mail a license document. Licensees also may contact FCC Support via
the web at,
http://esupport.fcc.gov/index.htm?jo...ct_fcc_support , or via
telephone or mail to request paper licenses.
The FCC rejected as "outside the scope of this proceeding" an ARRL
argument that Section 97.23 of the Amateur Service rules be amended
to replace "licensee mailing address" with other alternatives,
including e-mail, for use in Commission correspondence. The rule,
which requires that any licensee mailing address be in an area where
the licensee has US Postal Service access, has precluded FCC
issuance of location-specific call signs in such areas as Navassa
Island (KP1) and some Pacific islands.
NNNN