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ARLB007 ARRL Board Adopts Modified Novice Band Refarming Plan
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ARRL Bulletin 7 ARLB007
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT January 22, 2002
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB007
ARLB007 ARRL Board Adopts Modified Novice Band Refarming Plan
The ARRL Board of Directors has adopted a modified proposal to
refarm the Novice bands, now that the FCC no longer issues Novice
licenses. The Board met January 18-19 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The ARRL Novice Spectrum Study Committee had proposed allowing
Novice and Tech Plus (or Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees
to operate CW on General-class 80, 40, 15 and 10-meter CW segments
at up to 200 W output. The panel recommended refarming the current
Novice/Tech Plus CW subbands, in part to allow expansion of phone
allocations on 80, 40 and 15 meters.
The Board approved a modified plan that would leave in place or
slightly trim the amount of additional phone spectrum the committee
had recommended for 75 and 15 meters. The amended plan would drop
the US phone band to 3725 kHz on 75 meters but leave it at 21,200
kHz on 15 meters. The original plan called for dropping both by 25
kHz.
The 75-meter proposal would expand the phone band by 50 kHz for
Generals over the present allocation and by 25 kHz for Advanced and
Extra licensees. On 15 meters, Generals would get another 25 kHz of
phone spectrum, but phone privileges for Advanced and Extra class
operators would stay the same.
The Novice Spectrum Study Committee's original recommendations for
40 and 10 meters were accepted. The ARRL plans to propose the
modified refarming plan to the FCC later this year along with other
regulatory requests.
The Board also deferred until its July meeting a decision on whether
to cut ''Section News'' and contest ''line scores'' from QST and move
them to the ARRL Web site as part of an effort to stem ARRL
operating losses. Before deciding to relocate the QST content, the
Board said, it wants members to be ''aware of the reasons for the
proposed relocation and the enhanced capabilities available on the
Web site.'' The Board said it also wants to evaluate ''variations and
alternatives'' to the proposal.
The Board did decide to eliminate the minutes of its own
meetings--published as ''Moved and Seconded''--from QST. Minutes
already are posted on the ARRL Web site and will be made available
via alternative means to members lacking Internet access.
The Board also voted to accept several changes to the field
organization rules, as the Volunteer Resources Committee
recommended. According to the new rules, ''The Section Manager is
accountable for carrying out the duties of the office in accordance
with ARRL policies established by the Board of Directors and shall
act in the best interests of Amateur Radio.'' Section managers will
be proscribed from ''committing, obligating, or binding the League''
without review by the Field and Educational Services Manager and
approval of the ARRL president.
Among other changes, the revised rules will prohibit a section
manager removed from office for running in the next SM election
following removal. Anyone removed by action of the Executive
Committee would have to get that committee's consent to be eligible
to run again. The Executive Committee also will have the power to
cancel any field organization appointment ''whenever it appears to be
in the best interest of the ARRL to do so.''
The Board also modified the ARRL by-laws to say that anyone removed
from office by recall ''shall not be eligible to be a candidate for
director or vice director for three years following removal from
office.''
The Board further resolved to petition the FCC for reconsideration
in ET Docket 98-156, by comments in ET Docket 01-278, and ''by other
necessary means'' in order to elicit ''a clear statement from FCC
acknowledging the limit of its statutory jurisdiction to authorize
the manufacture and sale of unlicensed Part 15 devices.''
The Board resolved to extend the ARRL's ''most sincere condolences to
the families and friends of the radio amateurs who lost their lives
on September 11, 2001.'' The Board also commended and honored
amateurs ''who generously volunteered their time and expertise during
the rescue and recovery efforts on September 11 and thereafter.''
The Board holds its next meeting in July in Windsor, Connecticut.
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