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The ARRL has proposed a simplified Amateur Radio license structure featuring four license classes and reduced Morse code requirements for full HF access. In approving the plan July 18, the ARRL Board of Directors said the hobby no longer needed six license classes. In their discussions, Board members emphasized that the objective was to rationalize and simplify the amateur licensing structure without reducing the requirements for any class of license.
Among its recommendations, the plan would eliminate the current Novice and Tech Plus class licenses and merge those operating privileges into a new license class equivalent to the current General ticket. The plan would replace the present named license classes with Class A, B, C, and D tickets, revise written examination requirement and content, and set 12 WPM as the highest Morse code test requirement. Most of the spectrum freed up by the elimination of the current Novice CW bands would be "refarmed" into expanded HF phone segments. Some would remain available for digital and CW, however.
Announcement of the Board's plan generated a tumult of opinions pro and con within the Amateur Radio community. Comments received at League Headquarters have ranged from angry opposition to enthusiastic support, but by the end of the week in which the plan was announced, most Board members reported receiving somewhat more comments in favor than opposed.
The League has forwarded details of the plan in a letter to the FCC but will not petition for a rulemaking as it awaits public release of the Commission's own ham radio restructuring plans (see related story below). In its letter, the ARRL asked the FCC to "consider this restructuring plan as a means of modernizing and simplifying amateur radio licensing, and a means of making Amateur Radio available to more people."
Before the July meeting, the ARRL Board had twice voted down motions to consider changing the licensing structure. This time, the impending FCC rulemaking provided the impetus for the Board to issue its own plan, in time to stimulate debate on the topic and possibly serve as a counterpoint to the anticipated FCC proposals.
ARRL Board approval of the plan followed extensive discussion and debate during its recent three-day meeting. "The debate was, at times, contentious, and the result was not unanimous," said ARRL President Rod Stafford, W6ROD. The vote to approve the plan was 9 to 6. Most of those in the minority were not opposed to simplifying the licensing structure, however, and there was sentiment for even fewer license classes.
"Some Board members preferred greater simplification; others were uncomfortable with some of the changes being proposed," Stafford observed. "However, every Board member, without exception, left the meeting knowing that each of his or her colleagues did what they believe is best for the future of Amateur Radio."
In developing its plan, the Board tied proposed reductions in Morse code requirements to corresponding increases in written examination standards. On the other hand, Board members were adamant that simplifying the structure should not come at the expense of privileges amateurs already have earned. This was the rationale to recommend granting the new entry-level Class C HF license to present Novice and Technician Plus licensees, who already have earned entry-level HF operating privileges.
Charts depicting the proposed operating privileges and licensing structure and the text of the League's letter to the FCC are available on the ARRLWeb site at http://www.arrl.org/news/restructuring/. Members may comment on the ARRL plan via the Web or via e-mail to restrux@arrl.org.
Here are the highlights of the ARRL Board's restructuring plan:
Adoption of the simplification plan culminated some 30 months of work by the Board and embraced input from thousands of ARRL members, nonmembers, and prospective hams. The Board debated a wide variety of options including more and fewer license classes, higher and lower qualification levels, and different privileges.
Nearly lost in the maelstrom of discussion over the ARRL Board's plan to restructure Amateur Radio licensing is the fact that the FCC soon plans to make its own "streamlining" proposals public. Release of the FCC proposals could come within the next few weeks.
At a national meeting of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators July 9, FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau chief D'wana Terry hinted at what hams can expect from the FCC. "Some things will probably be concrete proposals; other things will be discussion topics," she told the gathering. But Terry said none of the FCC's proposals should be considered "carved in stone," and she urged hams to comment constructively. "We want to do things that make sense," she said.
Terry said the changes could include action on outstanding petitions for rulemaking "to the extent that they fit into the biennial review" of Part 97. "We are trying to clear out our backlog," she said.
She encouraged hams to not just complain but to tell the Commission what will work and offer solid suggestions. "What we try to do is give it our best shot," she said. "We don't always get it right."
Terry said the FCC's proposals on changes to Part 97 would be out "sometime this year--I can't say when."
VECs said they had been hoping for more of a "heads up" on the FCC's plans for Part 97. ARRL-VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, suggested to Terry that the FCC offer a longer-than-normal period for amateurs to comment. Also at the session, W5YI-VEC Fred Maia, W5YI, expressed concerns that something must be done to reverse the downward trends in licensing and upgrading.
FCC officials also discussed progress to implement the Universal Licensing System (ULS). The ULS, which would move the application process into the electronic arena, is expected to come on-line by next spring.
The VECs re-elected Conference Chairman Win Guin, W2GLJ.
Antone "Tony" Duarte, N1XRS, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, is the 1997 Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award winner. Duarte, 16, was named during the Board's meeting July 16-18 in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. The Maxim Award goes annually to an amateur under age 21 who has demonstrated exemplary ham radio contributions and accomplishments. Duarte was nominated by Eastern Massachusetts Section Manager Lawrence Ober, W1MW, who received a dozen letters supporting the nomination. Nominators cited Tony's active ARES and SKYWARN participation and his extensive record of public service contributions, as well as his technical skill and his leadership role, especially among younger hams. "Tony has been a real inspiration in my pursuits of using Amateur Radio for emergency communication," said Acushnet (Massachusetts) Emergency Management Director Jerry Bergeron, N1OFD, in supporting Tony's nomination. Said M. L. Baron of NOAA's West Island Weather Station: "Tony has shown his dedication through several major weather events; other spotters should be as faithful as he." A member of the Southeastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association, Tony studies electronics at New Bedford Vocational Technical High School. The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award carries a $1000 stipend, an engraved plaque, and a trip to an ARRL convention for a formal award presentation.
The ARRL Board also named Stephan M. Anderman, K2SMA, of Hamburg, New Jersey, as the recipient of the Philip J. McGan Silver Antenna Award. The McGan award goes to an amateur who has done the most in the previous year to promote Amateur Radio. It's named for journalist Philip J. McGan, WA2MGQ (SK), the first chairman of the ARRL Public Relations Committee. Active in Amateur Radio for more than 30 years, Anderman's public relations accomplishments range from being published in several newspapers to his three-plus years as host of a popular public access television show. Anderman is actively involved in public speaking on behalf of Amateur Radio, and for the second year in a row, is credited with securing Amateur Radio Month proclamations from New York State Governor George Pataki. "I am very impressed with all of his achievements," says Anderman nominator Martin Gartenberg, WA2YYX. "It is people like Stephan that make this wonderful hobby what it is today."
Anderman handled public information duties in Eastern New York for more than six years and was appointed an ARRL Public Information Coordinator (PIC) in 1996. He has also held several leadership positions in various local clubs, and at the section and division levels. Anderman is the host of the ham radio program "This Week in Amateur Radio" and editor of "The Hudson Loop," the Hudson Division newsletter. The Board also expressed its thanks to all amateurs engaged in public relations efforts on behalf of the hobby.
Named by the Board to receive the ARRL Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award were Eileen Lau, KE6VWU; Kai-Wai Chiu, KF6GHS; Jeff Qin, KF6GHY; John Davis, KF6EDB; Kent Potter, KC6OKH; and David Rutledge, KN6EK, all of the California Institute of Technology. The group was recognized for its technical accomplishments outlined in the article, "High-Efficiency Class-E Power Amplifiers" in the May and June 1997 issues of QST.
The Board selected Frank McNally, KF0WF, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the recipient of the Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award for 1997, and Robert Lavin, K6BOB, of Calabasas, California, as the recipient of the Professional Educator of the Year Award for 1997.
McNally has taught classes of all ages for six years and has about a 90% pass rate. He has designed a CD containing his Novice and Technician slide set and curriculum, which he uses in his classes. Lavin teaches social studies at the George E. Hale Middle School in Woodland Hills, California. Amateur Radio is part of the school's curriculum. He also organized the school radio club station, KF6ODM. Both award winners expressed the belief that getting younger people into Amateur Radio was the key to the hobby's future.
Two clubs sponsored awards this year. The Lake County Amateur Radio Club of Griffith, Indiana, is a cosponsor for the ARRL Herb S. Brier Award. The Lambda Amateur Radio Club, an international organization headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a cosponsor of the 1997 ARRL Professional Educator of the Year. There were no nominees for the 1997 ARRL Professional Instructor of the Year or the 1997 ARRL Excellence in Recruiting awards.
The ARRL has called upon the Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) to withdraw its request for reallocation of segments of the 420 to 450 MHz band to the Private Mobile Radio Service. Such a move would permit the FCC to focus its attention on portions of the LMCC petition that "might have more merit," the ARRL said. The League's suggestion is contained in reply comments filed July 16 with the FCC in response to the LMCC's petition for rulemaking, RM-9267, filed earlier this year. Amateur Radio shares the 70 cm band on a secondary basis with the federal government. The LMCC seeks immediate reallocation of the segments 420 to 430 and 440 to 450 MHz from the federal government to the PMRS.
Alternatively, the League asked that the FCC dismiss those portions of the LMCC petition dealing with the 420 to 450 MHz band as "plainly not deserving of further consideration."
The League said that comments from Amateur Radio operators--the vast majority of those filed in response to the LMCC petition--establish that the LMCC proposal for a PMRS allocation in the 70 cm band "was ill-conceived." Hams told the FCC that the band is heavily used and vital to amateur public service activities. The League noted among other commenters "a complete absence of support" for the 420 to 450 MHz proposal in particular. Some commenters were altogether silent on the 420 to 450 MHz reallocation issue, while one LMCC member, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), opposed any reallocation in the band.
The League urged the FCC to pay close heed to the comments of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The NTIA said national security and other federal interests would preclude sharing on the band. Those comments, the League noted, were "clearly protective of its own use of the 420-450 MHz band, and that of the Amateur Service as well."
The League said the LMCC has failed to justify a 420 to 450 MHz reallocation. Comments filed so far, the ARRL said, disprove both the LMCC's "rank speculation" about possible federal reductions in the use of 420 to 450 MHz as well as its representations about amateur use of the band. "The record that has been developed shows that there is no compatibility between incumbent Federal and amateur facilities and new PMRS facilities," the League said. But the ARRL said it has no quarrel with the LMCC to the extent that it seeks to open discussion on the general issue of PMRS allocation needs.
A complete copy of the League's reply comments is available on the ARRLWeb page at http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/RM-9267/arrl-reply.pdf (27,482 bytes, requires Adobe Acrobat to view).
Now that US astronaut Andy Thomas, KD5CHF, is back on terra firma, hams hoping for some Amateur Radio communication with the orbiting outpost had better bone up on their Russian. Thomas was the last US astronaut to live aboard Mir, now slated for an earlier-than-expected deorbiting.
The remaining crew members aboard Mir are Russian cosmonauts Talgat Musabayev, RO3FT, and Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, who speak only Russian. "Any message addressed as personal to R0MIR will not be understood by any of the crew members unless it is in Russian," advised MIREX President Dave Larsen, N6CO.
Larsen said MIREX has again opened up the R0MIR-1 digital system for third-party traffic (ie, store-and-forward messages). "This means that you will be able to address messages to other radio amateurs," he explained, but asked hams to use good judgment in posting messages to R0MIR-1.
"Please use this medium if you have no other e-mail or packet/bbs systems available," he said. Messages must be addressed to a valid amateur call sign. The system uses a Kantronics KPC-9612. Commands are similar to most PBBS and BBS systems.
Meanwhile, Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, reports that he has modified his LIVE MIR Space Station Downlink Web page to capture messages and mail from the R0MIR Mir packet system on 145.985 MHz. Files of the last eight passes, as monitored in Maryland, are available at http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/mirex.html. Bruninga's page also links to a Mir locator at http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/temp/Mir_loc.html.
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Manned Space Programs, says the Russian Space Agency has formally announced plans to retire the Mir space station next June, six months earlier than expected. Russian space officials have chalked up the decision to continuing money woes. Safety also was a factor, Russian space officials said. Mir originally was designed for three years. It now has flown for more than a dozen in space. Some observers consider its condition shaky at best.
Russian officials have said a French and a Slovak cosmonaut would be among the last scheduled to visit Mir.
Larsen said QSLs for R0MIR contact from everywhere except Europe should come to him at PO Box 1501, Pine Grove, CA 95665.
Radio Amateurs of Canada President Farrell "Hoppy" Hopwood, VE7RD, plans to step down at year's end. Hopwood, RAC's first and only president, advised the RAC Board of Directors that he is resigning as RAC President and Board Chair effective December 31. The RAC Directors now will convene the RAC Elections Committee to elect a new president to fill the one-year remaining in Hopwood's two-year term.
In a message to the RAC Board, Hopwood cited personal and family obligations for his decision. "I am very grateful for the honor and the privilege of serving our members and the amateur community as RAC's first President during these times of formation and growth," he said.
Licensed since 1956, Hopwood retired from British Columbia Telephone in 1992. He served as president of the former Canadian Amateur Radio Federation (CARF) and was instrumental in the merger of CARF and the Canadian Radio Relay League (CRRL) into the Radio Amateurs of Canada. He was elected RAC's first president in 1993.--RAC
Solar sage Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: W9JJ wrote to point out that the statement in last week's bulletin that a K index of 6 was bad really only applies to HF. For VHF operators, geomagnetic disturbances often produce exciting propagation. A good VHF rule is when the K index is high to point your antenna toward the closest polar region--north in the northern hemisphere and south in the southern--to take advantage of auroral propagation. Estimated Planetary A indices of 37 on July 16 and again a week later on July 23 were certainly good times to listen for those gravelly auroral signals on VHF. W9JJ reported that when he lived in Wisconsin he would frequently find auroral propagation on 2 meters when the K index was only 3 or higher. When the K index was 6 it meant a solid 2 and 6-meter opening.
VHF has been producing a lot of interesting propagation lately, but not just from aurora. A lot of Hawaiian signals have been reported on the West Coast due to tropospheric ducting. WA6KLK, K6FV and N6RZ reported hearing the KH6HME 2-meter beacon in Northern California early in the week, and later it was copied by a number of Pacific Northwest stations. KH6HME went on to fill several log pages with contacts. KJ6KO in Placerville, California, has posted several .wav files of KH6HME working the 2-meter opening. You can hear them at http://www.innercite.com/~kj6ko
A number of stations reported 6-meter openings to Japan. JH2COZ worked K7CA in Nevada and heard many JA stations calling N5JHV in New Mexico and K7FF in California. G0JHC in Northwest England heard a VE8 6-meter beacon at S7.
Over the next week look for a rising solar flux, reaching 120 around July 28 to August 1. Flux values are expected to drop below 110 around August 7, and above 110 again after mid-August. Look for disturbed geomagnetic conditions again around July 30-31.
Sunspot numbers for July 16 through 22 were 113, 89, 76, 62, 90, 125, and 145, with a mean of 100. The 10.7-cm flux was 106.2, 100.3, 99.2, 103.6, 111.8, 110.3, and 114.1, with a mean of 106.5. The estimated planetary A indices were 37, 9, 5, 8, 6, 15, and 8, with a mean of 12.6.
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Executive Vice President.
The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that's available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise, and readable. The ARRLWeb Extra at http://www.arrl.org/members-only/extra offers ARRL members access to late-breaking news and informative features, updated regularly.
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