The ARRL Letter
October 28, 2021
* ARRL Concurs with Two FCC WRC-23 visory Committee Draft Positions
* President Names Rosenworcel FCC Chair, Announces Planned
Nominations to FCC, NTIA
* ARRL Podcasts Schedule
* ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program to Accept Applications Starting
on November 1
* US and Region 2 Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships
Results are In
* ARRL Learning Network Webinars
* 3Y0J DXpedition to Bouvet Island Confirms November 2022 Activation
* Amateur Radio in the News
* Announcements
* Indian Radio Amateurs Help to Coordinate Disaster Relief in the
Wake of Flooding
* Well-Known Amateur Radio Contester and DXer Will Roberts, AA4NC, SK
* In Brief...
* The K7RA Solar Update
* Getting It Right!
* Just Ahead in Radiosport
* Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
ARRL Concurs with Two FCC WRC-23 visory Committee Draft Positions
ARRL has said it agrees with the draft positions of the FCC's World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) visory Committee (WAC) on WRC-23
agenda items 1.13 and 9.1 (Topic A). ARRL is represented on the WAC and
participating in its work. The FCC International Bureau issued a call
for comments earlier this year.
With respect to agenda item 1.12, ARRL recommends that the US support
"studies and possible consideration of a new allocation to the Earth
Exploration-Satellite Service (Active) on a secondary basis within the
frequency range of 40 - 50 MHz" for spaceborne radar sounders.
"Our support for the draft recommendation is conditioned on explicitly
including in the recommendation the need to provide protection and not
impose constraints on incumbent services in adjacent frequency bands,"
ARRL said. "Our expectation is that such studies will identify the
capability and adequate means to protect the weak-signal operations of
the Amateur Radio Service on the adjacent 50 - 54 MHz band without
imposing any restraint on those operations, if the need to use this
spectrum for spaceborne radar sounders is confirmed."
In its remarks, ARRL noted Draft Preliminary Views on WRC-23,
WAC-23/034 (13.09.2021) appended to the FCC's Request for Comment that
use of 50 - 54 MHz by radio amateurs was recently studied and
documented in ITU-Radiocommunication Report M.2478-0, "Spectrum needs
for the amateur service in the frequency band 50 - 54 MHz in Region 1
and sharing with mobile, fixed, radiolocation, and broadcasting
services."
ARRL also expressed its support for the WAC's draft recommendation on
Agenda Item 9.1, Topic A, Space Weather Sensors. The agenda item calls
on the Conference to consider and approve the Report of the Director of
the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau reviewing the results of studies
relating to space weather sensors "with a view to describing
appropriate recognition and protection ... without placing additional
constraints on incumbent services."
The WAC draft recommendation is that the view of the US be "that
changes to the Radio Regulations are outside the scope of Agenda Item
9.1" and that the US express its support for "conducting the studies
called for in Resolution 657 (Rev. WRC-19)."
"Completion and consideration of these studies are essential to
achieving the desired objective of not placing any additional
constraints on incumbent services," ARRL said.
ARRL represents the interests of radio amateurs through its
participation on World Radiocommunications Conference and FCC advisory
committees.
Read an expanded version.
President Names Rosenworcel FCC Chair, Announces Planned Nominations to
FCC, NTIA
President Joe Biden this week designated FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica
Rosenworcel as Chair and announced that he intends to re-nominate her
and nominate another to fill the open seats on the Commission.
Rosenworcel, a Democrat, is the first woman to head the Commission. She
has served on the FCC since 2012.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.
Prior to joining the FCC, Chairwoman Rosenworcel served as Senior
Communications Counsel for the US Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation. Before entering public service, she
practiced communications law. She is a graduate of New York University
School of Law.
The President also announced that he plans to appoint Democrat Gigi
Sohn to fill the other Democratic slot on the Commission. Sohn is a
Distinguished Fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law
and Policy and a Benton Senior Fellow and Public vocate. She served
from 2013 until 2016 as counsel to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.
Sohn earned her law degree at the University of Pennsylvania Law
School.
Biden also announced his intention to nominate Alan Davidson as
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the National
Telecommunications and Information ministration (NTIA) within the US
Department of Commerce. Read an expanded version.
ARRL Podcasts Schedule
The latest episode of the On the Air podcast (Episode 22) features a
discussion with Chris Plumblee, W4WF, about contesting and what this
activity has to offer new amateurs.
The latest edition of Eclectic Tech (Episode 45) features a discussion
about the current status of amateur television with Jim Andrews,
KH6HTV, as well as a brief description of an unusual "sound dampening
screw."
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.
ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program to Accept Applications Starting on
November 1
The ARRL Foundation will start accepting applications for its 2022
scholarship program on November 1. The submission deadline is December
31. More than 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $25,000 will be
awarded in 2022. The 2022 scholarship year totals an eligible amount of
over $800,000 to be awarded.
All applicants must be FCC-licensed radio amateurs (active non-US
radio amateurs are eligible for scholarships sponsored by ARDC), and
many scholarships have specific requirements, such as intended area of
study, or residence within a particular ARRL Division, Section, or
[IMG]state, and license class. Some scholarships also require
additional documentation, such as letters of recommendation.
The ARRL Foundation will be utilizing a new Scholarship Management
Platform for the 2022 ARRL Foundation Scholarships. Applicants no
longer choose specific scholarships but will be matched with all
scholarships for which they qualify. Transcripts and any additional
required documents must be submitted with the application, not emailed
separately as was done in the past. Applications without accompanying
transcripts and applicable required documentation will not be
considered.
The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee will review all applicants,
and scholarship recipients will be notified in May 2022 via USPS mail
and email. For more information, visit the ARRL Foundation Scholarship
Program.
US and Region 2 Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships Results
are In
The results are in for the 20th US ARDF Championships and 11th IARU
Region 2 Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF). Four days of
competitions were held October 14 - 17 in North Carolina. The results
will help determine the makeup of the US ARDF team at the 20th ARDF
World Championships, set for summer 2022 in Serbia. The US
Championships and the World Championships were rescheduled from 2020
after they had to be canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Visitors
from outside the US were unable to attend this year's competition due
to continued travel restrictions.
Competitors ranged in age from 14 to 74. Competitive events were held
in the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness Area just south of Asheboro, North
Carolina. Events began on October 14 with sprint events, a fast-paced
competition in which two sets of five transmitters operating on two
different 80-meter frequencies transmit nonconsecutive 12-second bursts
every minute. Two elite competitors completed the sprint course in just
over 15 minutes, a world-class time.
alia Schafrath-Craig
(W19) finishes her golden
performance in 2-meter
classic ARDF. [Imre
Polik, KX4SO, photo]
Two classic events were held on October 15. The longer courses for the
younger adult categories took place on 2 meters, and the shorter
courses for the older adult and youth categories took place on 80
meters.
Foxoring, a combination of radio direction finding and classic
orienteering on 80 meters, followed the next day. "Foxoring tests the
map-and-compass navigation skills of the participants," ARRL ARDF
Co-coordinator Gerald Boyd, WB8WFK, explained. Competitors try to hear
the weak signals of very-low-power transmitters until they arrive very
close to the marked locations and make a quick sprint to find its exact
location."
Classic ARDF competitors. [Imre
Polik, KX4SO, photo]
Competitions concluded on October 17 with a different map and two more
classic events, this time with the bands swapped for those on the
longer and shorter courses.
"Two standout youth competitors turned in impressive times on adult
courses in the womens' W19 category," Boyd said. Youths included alia
Schafrath-Craig (14 years old) of North Carolina who picked up classic
and foxoring golds, and Elizabeth (Lisa) Afonkin (15 years old) of
Massachusetts who won the sprint gold.
For more information on amateur radio direction finding, visit the ARRL
ARDF website. Read an expanded version.
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ARRL Learning Network Webinars
Visit the ARRL Learning Network (a members-only benefit) to register,
check on upcoming webinars, and to view previously recorded sessions.
More webinars are coming soon!
ARRL members may register for upcoming presentations and view
previously recorded Learning Network webinars. ARRL-affiliated radio
clubs may also use the recordings as presentations for club meetings,
mentoring new and current hams, and discussing amateur radio topics.
ARRL members interested in presenting a webinar can complete the
online Speakers Form.
3Y0J DXpedition to Bouvet Island Confirms November 2022 Activation
The 3Y0J Bouvet Island DXpedition team says that with its first deposit
on its contract to have the SS Marama provide transportation to Bouvet,
it has confirmed its plans to activate the second most-wanted DXCC
entity in November 2022.
"It is a huge task and undertaking to go to Bouvet, and we still
critically need additional upfront support to close the budget," said
the amateur radio DXpeditions team of co-leaders Ken Opskar, LA7GIA;
Rune O/ye, LA7THA, and Erwann Merrien, LB1QI. The DXpedition announced
that two more operators will join the adventure, taking the number to
13.
Dave Jorgensen, WD5COV, is an avid DXer and experienced DXpeditioner.
He is vice president of the Intrepid-DX Group, which had hoped to mount
a DXpedition to Bouvet before its plans broke down.
The second new team member, identified as Peter, is described as "an
experienced captain and expedition leader." He will oversee the Zodiac
landings and serve as a digital mode (FT#) operator.
"Our preparation for Bouvet includes planning, constructing, and
testing a system for landing Zodiacs safely, [and] this will be tested
in rough sea in Norway before and after Christmas," the 3Y0J team said
in its news release.
Bouvet Island. [Courtesy of the
Norwegian Polar Institute]
"We plan for safely landing the Zodiacs in different manners also with
some swell, unmanned, and with less risk for operators. And we prepare
for the event that Zodiacs are capsizing, and we still can retrieve the
equipment. We have done the first prelim sea trials of the Zodiac
equipment in Norway and will continue sea trials to further mature the
concept."
According to the announcement, the team plans to use a gasoline-engine
powered winch to lift equipment up a cliff to the operating site. This
will also be tested in Norway. "We plan to access the 25-foot cliff
with professionals means and, if needed, prepare for climbing and
bolting a short route to gain access."
Follow the DXpedition team's plans from its website and the 3Y0J
Facebook page. Read an expanded version.
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Amateur Radio in the News
ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other
member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news.
* Medford students take part in Great American Shake Out; learn to
use Emergency Radio / KTVL News 10 (Oregon), October 21, 2021
* Mary Hare pupils make contact with International Space Station in
world first for deaf children with Newbury Amateur Radio Society /
Newbury Weekly News, UK, October 13, 2021
Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.
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Announcements
* The San Francisco Radio Club has announced it will be running its
second club OTA Trifecta event this year on Angel Island in San
Francisco Bay on November 6. Special event station W6P will be on
the air. The OTA-Trifecta is single event that combines
simultaneous Parks on the Air (POTA), US Islands on the Air (US
Islands OTA), and Summits of the Air (SOTA) activations. Separate
stations will be on the air 1830 - 2130 UTC to represent the three
activities. All stations will be battery operated.
* Finnish radio operators OH2BH, OH2TA, OH5BM, and OH5LLR will join
the Amateur Radio Society of Kosovo (SHRAK) team at Z60A for the CQ
World Wide SSB Contest. They will activate two stations on all
bands.
* Arunava Dey, VU3XRY, has reported what he is calling the first-ever
Parks on the Air (POTA) activation from India. He and Abhrajit Das,
VU3YDA, operated from Kanchanjungha National Park (VU-0081), he
said.
* [IMG]ARRL Audio News^(c) is available free each Friday, providing a
look at the week's ham radio news happenings. Contact ARRL Audio
News with questions and comments. The webcast is available on the
ARRL website as well as on Blubrry and may be transmitted freely
via repeater at no cost.
Indian Radio Amateurs Help to Coordinate Disaster Relief in the Wake of
Flooding
The administration of the Thrissur District in Kerala, India, sought
the service of radio amateurs to support communications during disaster
relief operations in the wake of incessant rain and resultant flooding
that disrupted lives across central Kerala, The Economic Times has
reported. The hams have set up stations in the district to overcome the
possibility that conventional telecommunications may fail.
"Communication turns out to be a major challenge when natural
calamities strike," Sarachandran C. S., VU2SCV, told the Press Trust of
India news agency. "During heavy floods, there are chances that the
power supply will be down for days, which will affect the communication
systems, including the mobile phones." Sarachandran, a former merchant
navy officer, was one of 10 operators volunteering to help the Thrissur
administration to handle emergency communication.
CNN reports that at least 27 people were killed after heavy rain
triggered floods and landslides in southern India. According to their
report, torrential rain in mid-October caused rivers to swell and
flooded roads, leaving vehicles submerged in muddy water. Some houses
were "reduced to rubble," CNN said.
Ham radio volunteers have been recruited to assist during previous
natural disasters in India, including an August 2018 flood that ravaged
Kerala state. Sarachandran recounted that during the August 2018 event,
as the state flooded and power outages affected communication, the
district administration sought the assistance of radio amateurs.
Well-Known Amateur Radio Contester and DXer Will Roberts, AA4NC, SK
An experienced and successful member of the amateur radio contesting
and DX community lost his life on October 21 as the result of a small
plane crash. ARRL Life Member William "Will" Roberts, AA4NC, of Apex,
North Carolina, was piloting the plane, which went down not long after
take-off in a wooded area of Onslow County, North Carolina, near the
Holly Ridge/Topsail Island Airport, killing Roberts and another
passenger, identified as Willie Hobbs, Jr. Two children were
hospitalized with injuries. Roberts, 61, was the owner of the Mooney
M20J aircraft and held a commercial pilot's license.
A licensed radio amateur since 1976, Roberts became interested early on
in contesting and DXing and enjoyed being "on the DX end of the
pileup," as he said in his QRZ.com profile. Over the years, Roberts
operated from many locations, including some in South and Central
America and others in more exotic locales. He was a regular at the
Dayton Hamvention^(R). He is on the DXCC Honor Roll, had achieved
nine-band DXCC on HF, and VUCC on 6 meters. He also enjoyed RTTY. AA4NC
took part regularly in events like the ARRL 160-Meter Contest and ARRL
November Sweepstakes. He participated in the first World Radiosport
Team Championship (WRTC) event in 1990 in Seattle and served as a judge
at WRTC 2018 in Germany.
A member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC), Roberts was the
trustee of W4MR, used occasionally in contests from his home contest
station.
Roberts was also a guitarist and vocalist who played solo acoustic
shows in the coastal Carolinas and belonged to the Flying Musicians
Association (FMA).
A graduate of North Carolina State University, Roberts was an
electrical engineer, specializing in telecommunications.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are
looking into the cause of the crash.
In Brief...
[IMG]Watch those Band Edges! With the CQ World Wide SSB Contest this
weekend, it's an appropriate time to remind phone contesters to pay
attention to band edges. If you're operating near the upper or lower
band margins (or near the limits of your operating privileges), be
aware that your signal's bandwidth may extend beyond the frequency
displayed on your radio. For example, if your radio reads 7.125 MHz on
lower sideband phone, your signal will extend outside of the US phone
band (and into the CW portion of the band). In the quick pace and
excitement of a contest, it's easy to lose track of upper and lower
band edges, as well as of your license privileges. It's always best to
review the amateur allocations before a contest and to keep a copy at
hand. If using spotting assistance, be aware that operators in other
countries often have frequency allocations that differ from those in
the US, and they may spot stations on frequencies that are off limits
for US amateurs. Always check that the frequencies of the spots you
click on are within your privileges. ARRL offers a handy, printable US
Amateur Radio Bands chart for quick reference. For additional HF
contesting
--- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462
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