FCC Slaps Down Amateur Emcomm

I gave this one the once over and filed it when it came through my email last week, but the recent storm of postings and comments elsewhere got me to look it over again.  On October 20th the FCC issued Public Notice DA 09-2259 warning that no one in a paid emergency services position may operate on the ham bands during drills or other non-emergency operations.  While the lawyers will have to argue over the definition of “pecuniary interests”, the FCC is sending a clear message that they see Amateur Radio as a hobby, not an emergency communications service.  We talked about this issue in past classes where dispatchers and other government employees received their ham licenses.  We assumed that it was ok for these folks to use amateur radio on shift, as long as it was not their primary job responsibility.   DA 09-2259 says we were wrong.  If you are an emergency services employee you can not use the ham bands for drills or other related activities while you are on the clock unless there is a bona-fide emergency, OR you have received a dispensation from the FCC.  Keep an eye on this one.

2010 Amateur Handbook

The ARRL announced that the new 2010 Edition of “The Handbook” would begin shipping Oct. 1.  The 1250 page tome is supposed to be sporting 70% new and revised content.  I can personally attest that the DIGITAL chapter is very well done.  It was written by “our own” Scott Honaker, N7SS and I got a chance to proof-read it in May.  If your copy of the Handbook is getting a little dog-eared it might be time for an upgrade.  The ARRL is selling the hardcover version at the soft cover price “for a limited time”.

Here is a link:

ARRL 2010 Handbook

Tech Classes Nov ‘09 at AMRE

The following is the text of an email I sent to ARRL-VEs and past instructors for the Technician License classes in Whatcom County.

Hello VE’s and Instructors!

This morning N7BA, AE6K and I met with representatives of the American Museum of Radio & Electricity in Bellingham to work out the details of their offer to host classes and exams for new Technician Licensees. The following is a summary of our plans.

+The classes will be the same format as we have done in the past- Two consecutive Saturdays of question drill PowerPoint presentation followed by the ARRL-VE exam immediately on the second Saturday (at 3 pm).

+Instructors will be local volunteers from the Amateur community (usual folks and/or new folks- join the fun!)

+Registration and payment for the class/books will be handled by the Museum staff.  Payment for the exam will be handled by the Exam Coordinator (probably me but the job is yours if you ask nice   The exams will be open to all (not just the Tech students).

+The cost will be $30 for the class and book (W5YI as we have used in the past).  No separate museum admission or membership is required to take the class.  The exam fee is $15 as dictated by the FCC/ARRL.  Books are available in the Museum library if the student can’t afford the cost.

The first of hopefully many regularly scheduled class/exams will be 9am-3pm NOVEMBER 14 & 21 with the exam time at 3PM on the 21st.  You may register in person, by email, or by telephone with Anne at the AMRE  360-738-3886  Anne@AMRE.US

WHY are we doing this???????????????

1)  We all love to teach and share our enthusiasm for the Amateur Radio hobby but dealing with payments and book orders is a CHORE.  I am happy to pass that off to the folks at the AMRE.

2)  The Museum will have books in stock so interested parties can stop by and buy one any time.

3)  The American Museum of Radio and Electricity is an amazing resource that we are lucky to have in Bellingham.  A relationship between the Amateur Radio community and the museum is really a “no-brainer” that can only benefit both groups. We are looking forward to more joint activities.

4)  The facility has lots of room and will give us the ability to physically separate the exam graders from the examinees.  People who completed the exam will have a lot of neat stuff to look at instead of hanging around (and distracting) the remaining examinees.

5)  There is a complete working HF station, VHF/UHF station, and more visual aids and doo-dads than you could possibly haul to any other class location.

6)  Lunch options have always been miles away from our other class sites- there are several choices within a block of the museum.

-  The only negative I can think of might be the parking.  The meters are NOT used on Saturdays so parking is free, but spaces might be limited- I don’t know how busy it is on Saturday before 9 am so I hope it won’t be too troublesome.

We are limiting the class to 25 participants to make sure we are not overwhelmed.  I am sure we will fill that number and be in need of every VE that can attend on Nov. 21st so please mark your calendar now and come down to the Museum at about 1430 on that date.

Thank you for your help and 73,

Brian / KNØN

Field Day 2009

Only one month until the biggest Amateur Radio operating event of the year. FIELD DAY will be observed at at least THREE locations in Whatcom County, so there will be ample opportunity for you to visit and operate on the weekend of June 27/28.  I created an info page.  Click the FIELD DAY logo at the top right in the “About” section.  Please send additions or corrections and I will update the page.

New Video Promoting Field Day

from ARRLweb:

Two new video Public Service Announcements (PSAs) — one promoting ARRL Field Day and another showing the technical side of Amateur Radio — are now available from the ARRL Web site.

“The Field Day PSA is meant to be posted on Web sites, added to e-mails and shared via the Internet,” explained ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP.

Amateurs can download the video from the Field Day Web page or just click here.

Year end figures

On the ARRL PR committee mailing list this morning, Allen G Pitts, W1AGP, the ARRL’s Media & PR Manager reported the following year-end statistics:

• the ARRL grew by 1100 members,
• there was approximately a 1.2% growth in hams in the USA, using stats found at AH0A’s Amateur Radio Education Website, and
• there are 28,066 new US hams in 2008.

[from KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog]

Committee Lambastes FCC Chairman

(ARRLweb, Dec 12, 2008) — On Tuesday, December 9, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce — the congressional committee that oversees the Federal Communications Commission — released its majority staff report “on the bipartisan investigation of the FCC’s regulatory processes and management practices.” The report — Deception and Distrust: The Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Kevin J. Martin — stated that the investigation was prompted “by allegations to the effect that [FCC] Chairman Kevin J. Martin has abused FCC procedures by manipulating or suppressing reports, data and information.”
Full Story

FCC Sells 40 Meter Band, NOT

==> FCC AMENDS WE2XRH EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE

In response to the October 20 ARRL Petition for Modification or Cancellation of Experimental Authorization (Petition) concerning an experimental license issued to Digital Aurora Radio Technologies (DART) station WE2XRH, the FCC today issued an amended license that redefines one of the station’s frequency ranges to eliminate conflict with the Amateur Radio Service. This revision addresses ARRL’s concern that the original 7.10 to 7.60 MHz range would cause unacceptable interference to Amateur Radio operations in the 40 meter band. The amended license narrows the range to 7.30 to 7.60 MHz and gives as the reason for the change, “operation in the band 7.1-7.3 MHz will cause harmful interference to Amateur Radio Service licensees.”

“We are delighted that the FCC acted so promptly to correct this error and are pleased that the matter has been resolved,” said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.

WE2XRH will be testing a proposed domestic broadcast service using a 20 kHz bandwidth digital emission at a transmitter output power of 100 kW and an ERP of 660 kW within a radius of 1500 kilometers of Delta Junction, Alaska. According to the amended license, the transmissions will take place in the frequency ranges 4.4 to 5.1 MHz, 7.3 to 7.6 MHz and 9.25 to 9.95 MHz.

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB014
ARLB014 ARRL Files Petition with FCC against Experimental License
Using 40 Meter Band

ZCZC AG14
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 14  ARLB014
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  October 22, 2008
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB014
ARLB014 ARRL Files Petition with FCC against Experimental License
Using 40 Meter Band

On Monday, October 20, the ARRL filed a Petition for Modification or
Cancellation of Experimental Authorization (Petition) with the FCC
with respect to WE2XRH. According to the FCC, this experimental
license — issued to Digital Aurora Radio Technologies (DART) –
proposes to “test digital transmissions in 4.50-5.10 MHz, 7.10-7.60
MHz and 9.25-9.95 MHz for a terrestrial digital radio service to the
citizens of Alaska.”

The League’s Petition states that DART’s hopes that this
experimentation “will lead to a terrestrial, high-frequency (HF)
digital aural (domestic broadcast) service in Alaska. Ostensibly to
study the operation of this ’shortwave’ system at high latitudes,
and apparently in order to roll out this domestic broadcast service,
DART specifies exceptionally high power operation in various
segments of the HF spectrum. ARRL’s interest in this matter is
limited to the fact that the experimental license includes the band
7.1 -7.3 MHz, allocated domestically exclusively to the Amateur
Radio Service.”

“It is astonishing that the FCC would grant this experimental
license for operation at such a high power level in a band that is
allocated exclusively to a service with which such operation is
clearly incompatible,” said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David
Sumner, K1ZZ. “The only possible explanation is that it was an
error; the only reasonable step for the FCC to take is to correct
its error immediately, either by cancelling the license or by
amending the frequency ranges to delete 7.1 -7.3 MHz.”

It is the ARRL’s view that “Simply stated, there is a 100% certainty
of severe, continuous, harmful interference from operation of the
DART facilities as authorized by the Commission to ongoing Amateur
Radio operation at 7.1 to 7.3 MHz. This authorization must be
modified immediately (if not cancelled completely), so as to delete
the band 7.1-7.3 MHz” from DART’s experimental license application.

The ARRL ascertains that DART has been permitted operation in the
7.1-7.6 MHz band using a 20 kHz bandwidth digital emission at a
transmitter output power of 100 kW and an ERP of 660 kW within a
radius of 1500 kilometers of Delta Junction, Alaska. In the
Petition, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, points out that
while DART says it will coordinate with the High Frequency
Coordination Conference (HFCC), “[i]t does not propose any
coordination with any individual or entity in the Amateur Service.
There is no showing whatsoever how DART proposes to avoid
interference to Amateur Radio operation at 7.1-7.3 MHz. In fact,
there is no indication that DART is even aware of the allocation.”

Calling the 40 meter band “perhaps the most heavily-utilized Amateur
HF band in the United States,” the ARRL states that it can see “no
compatible use that DART can make of this band in any state or
territory of the United States, at any time of the day or night” and
will cause “preclusive interference” to amateurs using that portion
of the band. “The entire 7.0 – 7.3 MHz band is used heavily within
Alaska, especially by radio amateurs located in its remotest areas,
at all times. It is particularly critical in times of emergency due
to its daytime and nighttime propagation characteristics. The band
is also used at all times of the day and night for worldwide
communications by radio amateurs.”

The League’s Petition points out that the FCC’s Rules at Section
5.83(b) state that experimental license grants are subject to change
or cancellation by the Commission at any time without hearing if in
the Commission’s discretion the need for such action arises: “ARRL
submits that this application should never have been granted as
applied for in the first place, and there is an urgent need to
prohibit operation of the DART high power transmitters in the
entirety of the 7.1-7.3 MHz band. It is likely that DART has been
under a misapprehension that the band is among the international
broadcast allocations, because, in ITU Regions 1 and 3, the band is
allocated to that Service. However, in Region 2, in Alaska, it is
not.” After March 29, 2009, 7.1-7.2 MHz will not be available for
broadcasting anywhere.

The League goes on to say that Section 5.85 of the Commission’s
Rules governs the selection and use of frequencies by holders of
experimental authorizations and adamantly states that “there is no
justification submitted by DART for the use of the frequency bands
requested, particularly with respect to 7.1-7.3 MHz. It is unclear
why such large segments of spectrum were specified by DART, given
its stated course of experimentation, and given its narrow occupied
bandwidth” and notes that DART “should have been required to conduct
its frequency coordination efforts in advance of the filing of its
application.”

The ARRL contends that DART’s proposed facility cannot meet the
FCC’s requirements, as outlined in the Commission’s Rules, Section
5.111(a)(2), “and there is no showing that the transmitter power is
the lowest practical value consistent with the program of
experimentation. Nor has it even taken Amateur Radio operation into
account.” This portion of the Rules state that when transmitting,
the experimental licensee “must use every precaution to ensure that
the radio frequency energy emitted will not cause harmful
interference to the services carried on by stations operating in
accordance with the Table of Frequency Allocations of part 2 of this
chapter and, further, that the power radiated is reduced to the
lowest practical value consistent with the program of
experimentation for which the station authorization is granted. If
harmful interference to an established radio service develops, the
licensee shall cease transmissions and such transmissions shall not
be resumed until it is certain that harmful interference will not be
caused.”

Calling for DART’s WE2XRH experimental license to “be cancelled
entirely, or at least modified so as to delete the reference to any
Amateur HF allocation,” the ARRL reminded the FCC that DART failed
to make any showing as to how it would avoid interference to Amateur
radio operation at 7.1-7.3 MHz: “ARRL submits that such a showing
could not be made in any case.”
NNNN
/EX

Stray Carrier Hunt 14.038 MHz

All Western Washington Hams:

For a number of days, now, there has been a carrier on 14.038, source unknown.

Our OOC Scott W7XC and his OOs are looking for the source. If you have a beam that is capable of pinpointing, your assistance would be appreciated.

Send Scott your location lat/long as well as the heading of the signal from your location.

If you have DF equipment and are in the field and find the source, please don’t make contact but call me at 360 508 8437 or send an email to Scott at scott_douglas@comcast.net

I am quite confident that if the signal is from a ham station, the operator isn’t aware of the problem. (also must have some awesome

finals) We want to be polite, helpful and encouraging to the owner of the source of the signal

73 and good Hamming

Jim K7CEX

WWa SM

Technician License Classes Announced

Our next Technician License classes will be held from 9 am to 3 pm on two consecutive Saturdays, the 15th and 22nd of November 2008.  The location will be the District 4 Fire Station on Britton Loop road, south and west of the Britton Road intersection with the Mt Baker Highway.  The cost for the class is $35 and includes a book, handouts, AND THE EXAM FEE.  Download this flyer: tech-class-nov-08 for registration info and be sure to have it in by November 5th.

As always, there is a permenant link to class and exam information on the banner up top ^