ARRLWeb: USTTI Course a Learning Experience for All -- The USTTI Amateur Radio Administration Course, Class of 2007

The USTTI Amateur Radio Administration Class of 2007. From left to right: ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Walt Ireland, WB7CSL; Oros Chattanond, of Thailand; Eva Marie Flomo, of Liberia; Sylvan Ronald Kennedy, of Barbados, and ARRL Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer and Meeting Planner Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]

Flomo and Chattanond build a 40 meter receiver in the ARRL Lab as part of the course. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]

Kennedy builds his 40 meter receiver. [S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Photo]

ARRL Headquarters hosted students from Liberia, Thailand and Barbados October 8-12 for the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) Amateur Radio Administration Course (ARAC). ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Walt Ireland, WB7CSL, coordinated the session and led the course, and ARRL Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer and Meeting Planner Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, coordinates with USTTI for the ARRL. Although five students were scheduled to attend, two had difficulty with the new US visa process.

The students -- Sylvan Ronald Kennedy, of Barbados; Eva Marie Flomo, of Liberia, and Oros Chattanond, of Thailand -- all work in their respective government telecommunications offices dealing with telecommunications and Amateur Radio testing, licensing and monitoring. Ireland said that this year's students were especially interested in both Amateur Radio regulations and the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) process of submitting drafts and recommendations. "It was a most interesting group because of the questions they asked, their sincere interest in the subject matter and the feedback they provided. For example, Mrs Flomo stated that Liberia was starting its communications agency 'from scratch' as a result of the recent past governmental turmoil, and she was particularly interested in every step of US Amateur Radio regulations and the FCC," Ireland said. The curriculum also covered the ITU and ITU regulations as well as the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07).

The USTTI/ARRL course was a learning experience for Ireland, as well. He said that he put a lot of emphasis on disaster communications, the Amateur Radio operator as a national asset during disasters and processing issues through the ITU. ARRL HQ staff assisted with the course, too. Assistant VEC Manager Perry Green, WY1O, covered US Amateur Radio Licensing Structure and the VEC program. Dan Henderson, N1ND, presented FCC changes to the Amateur Service and international licensing. Dennis Dura, K2DCD, presented the Disaster Communications module. ARRL Publications Manager and QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, spoke on HF digital and Amateur Radio satellites.

ARRL Laboratory staff members -- Mike Gruber, W1MG, Mike Tracy, KC1SX, Zack Lau, W1VT, and Ed Hare, W1RFI -- also contributed to the training effort. Hare delivered presentations on RFI and RF safety, while Lau, W1VT, demonstrated 10 GHz equipment. Gruber and Tracy assisted the students in assembling 40 meter receivers.

The ARRL and USTTI have been working together for more than 20 years. The Amateur Radio Administration course is designed for those in developing countries who regulate and manage their country's Amateur Radio Service and will help participants create, administer and foster an Amateur Radio Service in their home countries. Now in its 25th year, USTTI is a nonprofit venture involving leading US-based communications and information technology corporations and leaders of the federal government cooperating to provide tuition-free management, policy and technical training for talented professionals from the developing world.