The ARRL Letter
September 3, 2020
* FCC Proposes to Institute Amateur Radio Application Fees
* First Element of ARISS Next-Generation Radio System Installed and
Operating on ISS
* Solar Minimum Most Likely Occurred in December 2019
* ARRL Podcasts Schedule
* Hurricane Watch Net Logs More than 29 Hours of Continuous Operation
for Laura
* Historic Winlink Gateway KH6SP Ceases Operation
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Launch of Satellites Carrying Ham Radio Payloads Postponed Again
* Announcements
* 2016 ARRL International Humanitarian Award Co-Recipient Richard
Darling, AH7G, SK
* In Brief...
* Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions
FCC Proposes to Institute Amateur Radio Application Fees
Amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio
license application if the FCC adopts rules it proposed last week.
Included in the FCC's fee proposal are applications for new licenses,
renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign
requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as
changes of address, and annual regulatory fees.
The FCC proposal is contained in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
in MD Docket 20-270, which was adopted to implement portions of the
"Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services
Act" of 2018 -- the so-called "Ray Baum's Act."
The Act requires that the FCC switch from a Congressionally-mandated
fee structure to a cost-based system of assessment. In its NPRM, the
FCC proposed application fees for a broad range of services that use
the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS), including the Amateur Radio
Service that had been excluded by an earlier statute. The new statute
excludes the Amateur Service from annual regulatory fees, but not from
application fees.
"[A]pplications for personal licenses are mostly automated and do not
have individualized staff costs for data input or review," the FCC said
in its NPRM. "For these automated processes -- new/major modifications,
renewal, and minor modifications -- we propose a nominal application
fee of $50 due to automating the processes, routine ULS maintenance,
and limited instances where staff input is required."
The same $50 fee would apply to all Amateur Service applications,
including those for vanity call signs. "Although there is currently no
fee for vanity call signs in the Amateur Radio Service, we find that
such applications impose similar costs in aggregate on Commission
resources as new applications and therefore propose a $50 fee," the FCC
said.
The FCC is not proposing to charge for administrative updates such as
mailing address changes, and amateur radio will remain exempt from
annual regulatory fees. "For administrative updates [and]
modifications, which also are highly automated, we find that it is in
the public interest to encourage licensees to update their [own]
information without a charge," the FCC said.
The FCC also proposes to assess a $50 fee for individuals who want a
printed copy of their license. "The Commission has proposed to
eliminate these services -- but to the extent the Commission does not
do so, we propose a fee of $50 to cover the costs of these services,"
the FCC said.
The FCC dropped assessment of fees for vanity call signs several years
ago, but the Ray Baum's Act does not exempt filing fees in the Amateur
Radio Service.
ARRL is reviewing the matter and intends to file comments in
opposition.
Deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the
NPRM appears in the Federal Register. File comments by using the FCC's
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No.
20-270. This docket is already open for accepting comments, even though
deadlines have not yet been set.
First Element of ARISS Next-Generation Radio System Installed and
Operating on ISS
The initial element of the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) next-generation radio system has been installed onboard
the ISS, and operations using the new gear are now under way. The first
element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in
the ISS Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system
and packet module originally certified for spaceflight in mid-2000.
"Finally! It's been a scramble the last few days with coordination over
the weekend and yesterday with astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR,"
ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO, said. "But the new
ARISS radio system is now installed, set up, and functioning. What a
long road we've traveled over the past 5 years!"
Part of the ARISS InterOperable Radio
System -- the multi-voltage power supply
-- being put through its paces during one
of its many NASA tests. [Photo courtesy of
ARISS]
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross-band repeater
mode using an uplink of 145.99 MHz (CTCSS 67 Hz) and a downlink of
437.800 MHz. Special operations will continue to be announced, ARISS
said.
Launched from Kennedy Space Center last March, the IORS consists of a
"space-modified" JVC-Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS-developed
multi-voltage power supply, and interconnecting cables. The design,
development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS
culminated a 5-year engineering effort by the ARISS hardware team of
volunteers.
ARISS says the new system offers a higher-power radio, voice repeater,
digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities, and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow-scan
television (SSTV) system.
A second IORS will undergo flight certification for later launch and
installation in the Russian Service Module. "Next-gen development
efforts continue," ARISS said. "For the IORS, parts are being procured
and a total of 10 systems are being fabricated
to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing, and
astronaut training." Follow-on next-generation radio system elements
include L-band repeater uplink capability -- currently in development
-- and a flight Raspberry Pi, dubbed "ARISS-Pi," still in the design
phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV
operations, ARISS explained.
This year, ARISS marks 20 years of continuous amateur radio operations
on the ISS. The largely volunteer organization welcomes donations to
the ARISS program for next-generation hardware development, operation,
education, and administration. Read more.
Solar Minimum Most Likely Occurred in December 2019
Sunspot Index and Long-Term Solar Observations (SILSO) in Belgium said
this month that the minimum between Solar Cycles 24 and 25 "most
probably" took place last December. SILSO, a part of the Royal
Observatory of Belgium and formerly known as SIDC, cited as evidence
the January 2020 increase in the 13-month smoothed sunspot number --
the first upswing since the Cycle 24 maximum in April 2014.
"[F]or now, this latest smoothed value in January 2020 is the very
first point indicating a rise of the activity. So, the date of the
minimum still needs a full confirmation over the coming months," SILSO
said on its website. "For now, preliminary smoothed values, limited to
less than 13 months, hint at increasing values over coming months. If
the rising trend indeed continues, this [December 2019] date will
become fully definitive."
SILSO said another indication of the transition between the two solar
cycles can be drawn from counting individual sunspot groups that belong
to either the old or new solar cycle. "While most sunspot groups
belonged to the last solar cycle [Cycle 24] until September 2019, the
dominance switched to groups of the new cycle in November 2019," SILSO
said.
SILSO said that in terms of the number of active regions, the minimum
between Cycle 24 and Cycle 25 falls in October 2019. "This is close to
December 2019," SILSO said. It attributes the difference to three
factors:
The sunspot number also takes into account the total number of spots,
and the size of the emerging active regions.
The time of the minimum depends on the respective trends of the
declining phase of the past cycle, and of the rising phase of the new
cycle, over the 12 months surrounding the minimum.
The date of the minimum has a significant uncertainty range. Near
minimum, activity hardly varies and is close to minimum for a few
months. "The date of the minimum is thus always less sharply defined
than the date of the maximum of the cycles, which are more sharply
peaked," SILSO explained.
SILSO noted "a steady stream" of small, active regions since last
December, but that activity stagnated at a constant low level.
"However, since July -- and even more in the course of August 2020 --
the activity seems to truly take off, with at least one sunspot group
visible on almost all days. Such a level of activity had not been
reached since early 2019."
"This late-breaking upward trend is now expected to accelerate over the
coming months," SILSO predicted. "So be prepared for a more eruptive
and interesting sun!"
ARRL Podcasts Schedule
The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 8) features an
interview with brothers Andy, KK4LWR, and Tony, KD8RTT, Milluzzi about
the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative. The On the Air podcast is
a monthly companion to On the Air magazine, ARRL's magazine for
beginner-to-intermediate ham radio operators.
The latest episode of the Eclectic Tech podcast (Episode 15) features a
chat with Bob Allison, WB1GCM, about HF transceiver shopping -- getting
the best performance for the money.
The On the Air and Eclectic Tech podcasts are sponsored by Icom. Both
podcasts are available on iTunes (iOS) and Stitcher (Android), as well
as on Blubrry -- On the Air | Eclectic Tech.
Hurricane Watch Net Logs More than 29 Hours of Continuous Operation for
Laura
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) logged 29.5 hours of continuous operation
in advance of Hurricane Laura, beginning at 1300 UTC on August 26. One
primary function of the HWN is to obtain real-time ground-level weather
conditions and initial damage assessments from amateur radio operators
in the affected area and relay that information to the National
Hurricane Center (NHC) by way of WX4NHC.
"Since Laura had become a Major Hurricane (Category 3) overnight, well
ahead of earlier forecasts, we opened our net on both 14.325 MHz and
7.268 MHz," said HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV. "We did this for two
reasons. HF propagation was horrible on both bands, and we wanted to
make sure anyone trying to contact us would be able to do so." Graves
said it strained resources, but the net was able to get its job done.
The HWN remained in continuous operation until Thursday, August 27, at
1830 UTC, well after Hurricane Laura made landfall in Louisiana, near
the Texas border.
"In many ways, Laura seemed similar to Hurricane Michael in 2018, as it
rapidly intensified close to landfall, nearly becoming a Category 5
hurricane," Graves said. "ditionally, with major hurricanes, you
normally have a few eye-wall replacement cycles. I don't recall there
ever being one [with Laura], and meteorologists I know agree."
Graves noted that on Wednesday afternoon, forecasters at the NHC used a
phrase not typically heard, in order to get a point across --
"unsurvivable storm surge." The ominous prediction certainly caught on
with the media and was widely repeated.
"Given the terrain for the projected impact of Laura, the storm surge
was expected to move well inland, as far as 40 miles, with depths as
high as 15 to 20 feet in some areas," he said.
Throughout its more than 29 hours of operation, the HWN collected and
forwarded numerous surface reports to the NHC. Graves said that
Emergency Management in Louisiana checked in with the net on 14.325 MHz
to announce its presence on 7.255 MHz.
"After Laura was downgraded to a tropical storm, we shifted gears and
began asking for post-storm reports from those affected by Laura,"
Graves recounted. "We also called for emergency or priority traffic."
Graves expressed his appreciation to other stations for moving aside
for the net to use 14.325 and 7.268 MHz.
Graves noted that the forecast for this year's hurricane season is
reminiscent to that of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck. "It is
forecast to be a very busy season," he said. "When it comes to
hurricane seasons, never drop your guard." Families should have plans
in place ahead of a major storm, and factor the COVID-19 pandemic into
those plans, he advised. Read more.
Historic Winlink Gateway KH6SP Ceases Operation
The last amateur radio digital gateway -- KH6SP -- at the Navy site in
Wahiawa, Hawaii, went silent on August 1. The site housed two amateur
radio gateways donated by a group of Hawaii amateurs led by Thomas
Overman, W2AIT -- KH6UL and KH6SP. For more than 8 years, Overman
maintained the Winlink software running them. The system had high-gain
log-periodic arrays with low-angle radiation that provided the maritime
community with email service across the Pacific and later handled
inter-island traffic. Station trustee Gus MacFeeley, NH7J, introduced
and demonstrated the stations to local amateur radio operators 5 years
ago, pointing to the future of amateur radio digital mode emergency
communications in the Pacific Section. MacFeeley handled necessary
on-site work. The multi-node operation provides continuous
Winlink/Winmor service across the Pacific Ocean for many maritime
mobile stations that have come to rely on it as their critical link to
the world.
The US Department of Homeland Security took possession of the site a
few years ago and is now extending its intergovernmental use. All of
the antenna quadrants are now needed by the government, including
SHARES Winlink.
Since MacFeeley introduced the Hawaii amateur radio community to
Winlink, the Hawaii network has grown to five HF gateways providing
inter-island communication, and 18 VHF gateways serving local
communities. More are planned. During the past few years, the cost of
interfacing amateur equipment to Winlink has dropped significantly with
the development of PC software sound card modems, which can rival the
performance of PACTOR modems.
"We can expect to see an explosion of applications in the future making
amateur radio increasingly relevant to our communities," said ARRL
Pacific Section Manager Joseph Speroni, AH0A, as he bid "a fond
farewell to KH6UL and KH6SP and the group of amateurs that started this
revolution in Hawaii." -- Thanks to ARRL Pacific Section Manager Joe
Speroni, AH0A
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: No sunspots have appeared for the
past 12 days. We're all hoping for more sunspots, and I'm sure they'll
return soon. The trends for this newly awakening solar cycle seem to
favor it. The autumnal equinox on September 22 should favor worldwide
HF propagation.
Average daily solar flux declined over the August 27 - September 2
reporting week, from 70.4 to 69.6.
Geomagnetic indicators showed quite a bit more activity than they have
in some time now. Average daily planetary A index rose from 5.1 to
13.1. The most active day was August 31, when the planetary A index
reached 26. The cause was a vigorous solar wind spewing from holes in
the solar corona.
A solar flux of 70 is forecast for every one of the next 45 days. The
predicted planetary A index is 10 on September 3; 5 on September 4 -
17; 8 on September 18 - 19; 5 on September 20 - 22; 8, 10, and 14 on
September 23 - 25; 10 on September 26 - 27; 12 and 10 on September 28 -
29, and 5 on September 30 - October 17.
Sunspot numbers for August 27 - September 2 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and
0, with a mean of 0. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 70, 70.1, 70.2, 70,
69.2, 69.5, and 68.3, with a mean of 69.6. Estimated planetary A
indices were 8, 10, 14, 9, 26, 16, and 9, with a mean of 13.1. Middle
latitude A index was 7, 8, 14, 8, 19, 16, and 8, with a mean of 11.4.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL
website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the
ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...,"
and check out K9LA's Propagation Page.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable
propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.
Share your reports and observations.
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Just Ahead in Radiosport
* September 5 -- CWOps CW Open
* September 5 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
* September 5 - 6 -- All Asian DX Contest (Phone)
* September 5 - 6 -- Colorado QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 5 - 6 -- IARU Region 1 Field Day, SSB
* September 5 - 6 -- RSGB SSB Field Day (Phone)
* September 5 - 6 -- IARU Region 1 145 MHz Contest (CW, phone,
digital)
* September 5 - 6 -- PODXS 070 Club Jay Hudak Memorial 80-Meter
Sprint (Digital)
* September 5 - 7 -- AGCW Straight Key Party
* September 6 -- WAB 144 MHz QRO Phone
* September 6 - 7 -- Tennessee QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
* September 7 -- RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Series, SSB
* September 7 - 8 -- MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint
* September 8 -- ARS Spartan Sprint CW
* September 9 -- VHF-UHF FT8 Activity Contest
See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth
reporting on amateur radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest
Update via your ARRL member profile email preferences.
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Launch of Satellites Carrying Ham Radio Payloads Postponed Again
The scheduled September 2 launch of three satellites carrying amateur
radio payloads from the European Space Agency Spaceport in Korou,
French Guiana, was postponed again because a typhoon was threatening a
tracking station in South Korea. The launch of the Arianespace Vega
vehicle will be rescheduled for later this month. The Vega is set to
carry a total of 53 satellites into orbit. AMSAT-France Chair
Christophe Mercier said in an AMSAT-BB post that the AmicalSat,
UPMSat-2, and TTU100 satellites will carry ham radio payloads.
AmicalSat
The AmicalSat CubeSat was built by students at the Grenoble University
Space Center (CSUG). "The measurements made by the satellite will be
available to all," Mercier said. "They will allow radio amateurs to use
them for propagation predictions." He said AMSAT-F supported the
AmicalSat project. Software for Linux and Windows platforms is
available for decoding the telemetry and posting it to the SatNOGS
database.
According to the AmicalSat website, the CubeSat will focus on space
weather, monitoring the auroral oval, and photographing the aurora.
"Scientifically, the data will be used to reconstruct the flux of
particles coming into the atmosphere, especially the electrons in the
range of 20 eV - 10 keV," the website said.
AmicalSat will transmit 1,2k AFSK on 436.1 MHz (as RS17S), and 1,000k
GFSK on 2.415.3 MHz. Reports are welcome via email.
UPMSat-2, a project of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, will
transmit 1,2k AFSK on 437.405 MHz (as UPMST2). TTU100 (Hämarik), a
p
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