Category Archives: Amateur Radio Relay League

Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, Congress, Federal Communications Commission, News

Senator Blumenthal Supports Amateur Radio at Senate Confirmation Hearing

Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) received an affirmative reply from FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel when he asked her to commit to providing his office “an update on the steps that the FCC is taking to support amateur radio operators.” The Senator posed the written question as part of Rosenworcel’s renomination hearing conducted by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

Blumenthal took note specifically that “Radio amateurs voluntarily provide an array of public services, especially emergency and disaster-related support communications when infrastructure has been destroyed by a hurricane or similar disaster. Their contributions in this area are regularly recognized by local and state authorities.”

“ARRL is grateful to Senator Blumenthal for his support and recognition of radio amateurs,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. Blumenthal has previously co-sponsored legislation supporting amateur radio, and his staff was recently briefed by ARRL on pending amateur radio matters at the FCC. Roderick added, “We need the partnership of the FCC and Congress to ensure our rules and spectrum continue to support the march of technological innovation in our vibrant Amateur Radio Service.”

Multiple proceedings to update or change the FCC’s amateur Part 97 rules to account for changes in technology and operating practices have been languishing at the FCC, some going back five or more years. ARRL is hopeful that these will be addressed soon.

The Senate Committee approved Rosenworcel’s renomination with a bi-partisan vote on December 1, 2021. She has served on the FCC since 2012, and the Committee’s vote to approve her nomination for an additional term sends it to the full Senate for final consideration.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, License Examinations

ARRL Board Considers Plan to Cover New $35 FCC Fee for Some Young Applicants

02/17/2021

At its Annual Meeting in January, the ARRL Board of Directors considered a motion to offer a new service that would pay the new but not-yet-implemented $35 FCC application fee for a limited number of new radio amateurs younger than age 18 who, at the time of testing, belonged to an ARRL Affiliated 501(c)(3) charitable organization and passed their tests through an ARRL VEC-sponsored exam session. The proposal called for reducing the VEC fee for these candidates to $5.

The initial proposal came from ARRL Southeastern Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB. Other Board members offered subsidiary motions. Supporters said the purpose behind the motion was to ameliorate the potential financial hardship the pending FCC application fee posed on certain minors applying for their first license, and to encourage new youth membership.

Consideration of the motion, which was subject to considerable discussion, was deferred to an ad hoc committee composed of the members of the Administration & Finance Committee, two Members of the Programs & Services Committee, and ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA (or his designated representative). The Board directed the panel to review and more fully develop the proposal and report back to the Board by the end of March with a recommendation as to whether such a program should be adopted and, if adopted, how it should be implemented.

Supporters expressed the belief that recruitment and training of young radio amateurs “is a necessary and proper mission of the ARRL” and that subsidizing the $35 fee “will reduce the number of new amateurs that otherwise would be lost from these groups.”

In December, the FCC agreed with ARRL and other commenters that the initially proposed $50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was “too high to account for the minimal staff involvement in these applications.” In a Report and Order (R&O), the FCC scaled back to $35 the fee for a new license application, a special temporary authority (STA) request, a rule waiver request, a license renewal application, and a vanity call sign application. All fees are per application. There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address.

As the FCC noted in its R&O, although some commenters supported the proposed $50 fee as reasonable and fair, “ARRL and many individual commenters argued that there was no cost-based justification for application fees in the Amateur Radio Service.”

“After reviewing the record, including the extensive comments filed by amateur radio licensees and based on our revised analysis of the cost of processing mostly automated processes discussed in our methodology section, we adopt a $35 application fee, a lower application fee than the Commission proposed in the NPRM for personal licenses, in recognition of the fact that the application process is mostly automated,” the FCC said in the R&O. No fee would apply to minor modifications or administrative updates, which, the FCC noted, “are highly automated.”

The FCC turned away the arguments of some commenters that the FCC should exempt amateur radio licensees. The FCC stated that it has no authority to create an exemption “where none presently exists.” The FCC also disagreed with those who argued that amateur radio licensees should be exempt from fees because of their public service contribution during emergencies and disasters.

The FCC has directed the Office of Managing Director, in consultation with relevant offices and bureaus, to draft a notice for publication in the Federal Register announcing when rule change(s) will become effective, “once the relevant databases, guides, and internal procedures have been updated.”

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL, Education, Federal Communications Commission, National, News

Make your comments for or against upcoming fees on amateur radio licenses.

The FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) MD Docket 20-270 appeared in the October 15 edition of The Federal Register and sets deadlines of November 16 to comment and November 30 to post reply comments, which are comments on comments already filed. That means that the deadline for you to make comments is only days away.

I was able to finally figure out how to submit comments, so I’ll impart what I have learned. First, there are two ways to submit comments. One is to prepare a word processor document, as I did, and upload it to the FCC at the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System. The other is to make a brief statement for, or in opposition to, the proposed fees. You can type that right into the ECFS.

Yes, you can make comments that you agree with the proposed increase. Remember, however, that your comments are public and we know who you are (Just kidding).

First I will explain how to make a brief statement which is probably the prefered method for those who do not have a lot of time. Second I will explain how to upload a document. You might want to peruse the ARRL guide to submitting comments web page before you start.

They recommend not dwelling on how devastating such an increase might be to amateur radio. Obviously do not make accusatory statements. There are some blogs out there contending the FCC is trying to destroy amateur radio so they can sell our frequencies to private companies. This may, or may not, be true, but it is an example of what not to say in your comments.

Try to stick to what you know. Old timers have seen developments in amateur radio that benefited humankind and contributed to the landing on the moon (or what ever). Stick to those elements. I concentrated some effort on emergency communications because that is what got me interested in amateur radio to begin with. If you have participated in community service events, you might indicate how you feel part of the community because of it. If you have had to call for help with amateur radio, that might be something to tell them.

Making a Brief Statement

The brief statement is the easiest and quickest method of making a comment. If your comment is going to be 500 words, or less, this is probably the best method. My statement was about five pages so I had to use the method outlined next.

I recommend that you type out your comments in your favorite text editor. Read it over a couple of times and make any corrections. Be concise, but clear. If you read your statement and it sounds like a politicians campaign speech, you probably want to cut it down. If you have several points, you can use a number-bullet-type of arrangement such as:

I oppose the proposed fees on amateur radio licenses because:
1) I have participated in community events and have seen how amateur radio protects the lives of people in these events. On at least two occasions I have witnessed amateur radio operators calling for help for runners in distress that may have saved their lives [That was my personal experience. Wish I had thought to add that to my statement.]
2) I participated in actual emergencies with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service during weather emergencies that kept me up-to-date on what was happening and allowed me to keep in contact in case I had an emergency.
3) I find the life-long learning of amateur radio to be a benefit to me and helps me to keep abreast of technological advance in amateur radio and in other fields.
4) I personally constructed a robot that can take instructions through amateur radio and can perform appendetomies. [Only use if you happened to construct a robot that can take instructions through amateur radio and can perform appendectomies. Don’t use otherwise.]

Once you have your statement ready to cut-and-paste, go to the the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System Express Comment section. The following steps also apply for the standard filing.

In the Proceeding(s) box, type “20-270”. Two items will come up, but you obviously want to select 20-270.

Put your name in the Name(s) of Filer(s). If you are making the statement with others, add their names, as well. For example you could add all of the amateurs in your home.

Unless you are a law firm or attorney, go down to Primary Contact Email and add your email. Just below that click on the drop-down menu and select Comment for Type of Filing.

Go down to the Address of section and fill out your address. You can use any address where you receive mail, but I recommend using the address you used to obtain your license. I seriously doubt that the FCC is going to send you a letter on the matter. At the bottom, however, there is a box for Email Confirmation. I recommend that you check that and you will get an email confirmation that the FCC received your comments.

Click on the Continue to review button. If it looks good submit it. You’re done.

Standard Filing

If your comments are going to be lengthy, you might want to choose Standard Filing. Use the same steps as above to prepare to upload your comments. You can simply drag-and-drop from your directory to the web site.

The site says it will accept PDF, text, ppt, pptx, docx, xlsx, doc, xls, rtf, dwg documents of 25 MB per submision and a maximum of 5 files. I used LibreOffice (the freebie program because I am cheap) to create a docx file. When I tried to submit it, however, it kept giving me an error. When I saved it to a PDF, it uploaded with no problem. So if the site give you an error, I recommend saving it as a PDF to upload.

SUMMARY

I hope this helps you to get a comment in before the comment period is up. Remember the last date for comments is November 16.

I will let you know that in my comments, I did say that if they needed an increase, I would not totally object to a $15 fee. I also said that I agreed to a $50 fee (or higher) for vanity license fees. We have people that have been changing their vanity calls several times tying up a call you might want. A healthy fee might just prevent that. I also said that anyone under 18-years-old should remain free and to upgrade your license should remain free. That is my opinion and I am sticking with it.

What ever your opinion, I hope you will get it in before the comment period ends.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL, Federal Communications Commission, National, News

ARRL Urges Members to Join in Strongly Opposing FCC’s Application Fees Proposal

ARRL will file comments in firm opposition to an FCC proposal to impose a $50 fee on amateur radio license and application fees. With the November 16 comment deadline fast approaching, ARRL urges members to add their voices to ARRL’s by filing opposition comments of their own. The FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) MD Docket 20-270 appeared in the October 15 edition of The Federal Register and sets deadlines of November 16 to comment and November 30 to post reply comments, which are comments on comments already filed. ARRL has prepared a Guide to Filing Comments with the FCC which includes tips for preparing comments and step-by-step filing instructions. File comments on MD Docket 20-270 using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).

Under the proposal, amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio application for new licenses, license renewals, upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests. The FCC also has proposed a $50 fee to obtain a printed copy of a license. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees. Amateur Service licensees have been exempt from application fees for several years.

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. The 2018 statute excludes the Amateur Service from annual regulatory fees, but not from application fees. The FCC proposal affects all FCC services and does not single out amateur radio.

ARRL is encouraging members to file comments that stress amateur radio’s contributions to the country and communities. ARRL’s Guide to Filing Comments includes “talking points” that may be helpful in preparing comments. These stress amateur radio’s role in volunteering communication support during disasters and emergencies, and inspiring students to pursue education and careers in engineering, radio technology, and communications.

As the FCC explained in its NPRM, Congress, through the Ray Baum’s Act, is compelling regulatory agencies such as the FCC to recover from applicants the costs involved in filing and handling applications.

In its NPRM the FCC encouraged licensees to update their own information online without charge. Many, if not most, Amateur Service applications may be handled via the largely automated Universal License Service (ULS). The Ray Baum’s Act does not exempt filing fees in the Amateur Radio Service, and the FCC stopped assessing fees for vanity call signs several years ago.

See also “FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees,” reported by ARRL in August, and a summary page of the proceeding at www.arrl.org/FCC-Fees-Proposal.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL, Federal Communications Commission, National, News

FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees

[UPDATED 2020-09-01 @1845 UTC] Amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio license application if the FCC adopts rules it proposed this 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 2018 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 for amateur applications, 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 Ray Baum’s Act does not exempt filing fees in the Amateur Radio Service. The FCC dropped assessment of fees for vanity call signs several years ago.

Deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. Interested parties may file comments by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270. This docket is already open to accept comments, even though deadlines have not yet been set.

SOURCE: ARRL

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, Education, Event, Event, Hamfest, Morse Code, Podcast

QSO Today Ham Expo review

From 00:45 August 8 (5:45 August 7 local time), until August 9, I attended the QSO Today Ham Expo. This exposition was a virtual event on the Internet hosted on theVFair.com web site. There was quite a few sponsors of the event including the American Radio Relay League, ICOM, Gigaparts, RFinder, Flex Radio, RT Systems, Elecraft, and several others. There were others that did not have “booths.” I searched the parking lot for the tailgate hams, but could not find any.

I did get a chance to discover some organizations I did not know existed. One is Youth on the Air.

Some presentations in the form of videos may have been transferred to YouTube. Marcel Stieber AI6MS posted some of his QSO presentations on his YouTube page. He also has videos on ExamTools—a remote amateur radio licensing test system. His presentation on Fully-Remote Amateur Radio Exam Administration is well worth watching.

Ward Silver N0AX gave a good presentation on Bonding and Grounding. There are several videos with him on different amateur radio topics on YouTube.

I also liked the presentation of the CW Ops CW Academy. Eric Silverthorn NM5M gave a great brief on the four-stage program the academy offers. I received feedback from one student who really enjoyed their program. I hope to be able to take the course in the future.

The Exposition is closed now, but for the next thirty-days people who got tickets can still check in and watch, or re-watch, videos of the presentations. I do not know if you can now “sign up” and check in now that it is over.

At the beginning of the Expo I got to Zoom with the ARRL headquarters in Connecticut.
Of course the Exposition is far from the fun of attending an actual convention. Conventions will no doubt return when COVID ends on November 5. I can see the VFairs platform being useful into the future, however. The QSO Today Exposition boasted over 26,000 and that will be difficult number to beat.

I was also able to hold a QSO with Bill KQ1S; a fellow member of the Coconino Amateur Radio Club. He discovered that there was a list of participants in the QSO Lounge and found me to start the QSO. There was no easy way to find a person at the Expo. If they did not go to the QSO lounge, you could not search for them. The QSO chat between Bill and me was through a Skype-like set up. The problem was you could not move it around the screen so you could see something else.

The Q&A sessions after the presentation were on Zoom. You could ask text questions, but chat, your video and audio were not functioning. That is understandable, of course, since you are not answering the questions. The Q&A sessions were recorded so I believe they are available

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, Classes, Coconino Amateur Radio Club, Flagstaff, License Examinations, News, Williams

Can you get your amateur radio despite the coronavirus?

With what is going on in the world today, it may have sparked your interest in amateur radio. With the appropriate license, equipment and propagation, you may be able to contact areas hard-hit by the coronavirus and get on the scene reports. You may realize that it helps in emergency communications locally. You may just want to chat or use it just for communications while camping or hunting. What ever your reason, if you have an interest in an amateur radio license, you can still study for it. There are several resources that may help you prepare for an upcoming exam in your area (if they have not been cancelled).

Let me first explain the licenses. There are three levels. From lowest-to-highest they are Technician, General and Amateur Extra. Most people that have taken our Coconino Amateur Radio Club sponsored classes have been able to get the General license. The Amateur Extra is much more difficult to get and only gives you a few more frequency privileges. The Amateur Extra, however, give you the ability to assist amateur radio in other administrative ways.

There is a separate exam for all three levels of license. The exam fee is $15. This does not pay the people giving the exam. The examiners are all unpaid volunteers. The classes (if held) are also free and run by volunteers. The exam fee pays for the administration of the exam (printing the exam, postage, etc.). When you go in, you must take the Technician exam first. You must bring in a valid picture ID, also. We recommend that you bring a FCC Registration Number (FRN) to the exam. You need this to deal with the FCC and you can obtain it at their web site. If you plan to get a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license, you need to get an FRN also. It only takes about an hour to get the FRN, so I always recommend people do it a couple of days before the exam in case you decide not to take the exam. If you do not get an FRN, you must bring your social security number. We prefer the FRN for your security.

When you pass the Technician exam, you can take the General exam free. If you pass that, you may take the Amateur Extra exam free. If you fail an exam, however, you must pay the $15 exam fee to take it again. For example, if you pass the Technician and fail the General, maybe you feel you can pass the General if you had another shot. You have to pay the $15 to retake the exam.

Another point is that once you are licensed, you are under no obligation to join any group or organization to use that license. You may go merrily along calling out on the radio and QSOing. (You will learn what that means when you study) There are obvious advantages, of course, to supporting the ARRL and joining a local Ham club.

By the way, I gave you the information to answer about three exam questions in the above paragraphs.

As of this writing, the Coconino Amateur Radio Club has an exam scheduled for April 18 and Saturday classes starting April 25. This may change depending on current conditions. The Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club sponsors periodic classes in Williams when there is enough interest.

The American Radio Relay League has information on becoming licensed. They also offer books. These books and other resources are available on Amazon, as well.

Applications on your phone can help.
Another source of information is your smart phone. If you have an Android phone you can search for ARRL Ham Test Prep. That app contains all of the questions and answers (including distracters) for every exam level. There is also an app for Ham Bands that is useful. There are also free apps on Apple. The Ham Test Prep app allows you to take sample exams. However the “STUDY” button is a little misleading. The STUDY button allows you to go through each section of the exam pool and memorize answers. It does not explain the answers. That is where the books and videos mentioned above are useful.

There are web sites on line which offer practice exams, also.

I recommend the videos at http://www.hamwhisperer.com/p/ham-courses.html. The videos cover an outdated question pools, but most of the information is still valid. The updated pools ask some new questions about digital radio and ask some questions a little different, but overall the information is still good. The videos go through each question of the old exam pool give a very basic explanation of the information. The videos on electronics and radio wave propagation, for example, will give you valid information even though the questions have changed. There are some updated questions in the area of radio equipment, but those are minor.

With the plethora of resources available, we still have an uncertain future concerning actual exams. We are hopeful that this situation is resolved by April 18. If it is, you will be ready without the need for classes.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARES, Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club, Coconino Amateur Radio Club, Emergency Communications, Flagstaff, News

EOC activation for Museum Fire

(Edited July 27, 2019)

On Sunday July 21, I turned on my two radios to monitor the 146.980 (- 162.2) repeater on Mt. Elden and the 146.780 (- 91.5) repeater on Bill Williams mountain as I normally do. On Sunday I did not expect much as traffic is normally light. To my surprise, I heard Janice KI6WCK announcing that the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Flagstaff was active and the Coconino Amateur Radio Club (CARC) Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) was providing communication services.

The ARES group was providing backup communications in support of a fire that was being called the Museum Fire. I listened to monitor the situation for a few minutes. When it was clear they were asking for volunteers, I volunteered. This is, after all, what we train for. I could not drop everything and run up that day. So I volunteered for Monday. I contacted Joe W7LUX who is the District Emergency Coordinator for Coconino County. He needed someone late in the day Monday so I volunteered.

There were other things happening on Sunday. Amateur radio operators responded to the call to tow the CARC antenna tower trailer and the communication trailer to the EOC. Others brought coaxial cable that was needed. Some came to help set up and relieve Janice. It was a busy day.

The trip to Flagstaff for me is about 80-miles round trip and about two-hours travel time. Arizona Department of Transportation is currently doing repairs on the highway in both directions east- and west-bound on I-40. So that was another thing I had to contend with.

I packed my emergency dual-band antenna and mast in my car and an extra power supply in case it was needed. I carried them to Flagstaff every time I went up.

The Museum Fire from 4th Street in Flagstaff.

When I arrived in Flagstaff, I was actually stunned by the magnitude of the fire. To make matters worse, the fire was in an area called Shultz Pass that had a fire years ago. This caused flooding when it rained. Fortunately Coconino County had been working on the problem long before this fire. There was some flash flooding because of rain on Tuesday—according to NOAA radio—but it did not damage any private structures, as far as I know.

The big concern was whether or not the fire would reach the repeaters at Devil’s Head on Mt. Elden. I was impressed that the CARC trailer was set up for its intended purpose of emergency communications. The CARC antenna trailer had been set up and Ken KF7DUR had a VHF and UHF emergency repeater set up in the trailer in case the worse happened.

The CARC trailer and antenna set up for emergency communications.

We were also able to maintain communications with the Bill Williams Mountain Club repeater in Williams. The 146.780 (- 91.5) Bill Williams repeater is also attached to Echolink. Under normal conditions, I’ve met some new Hams coming in on Echolink.

Ken KF7DUR set up a UHF and VHF repeater in the CARC trailer in case the worse happened.

By the end of the day Monday, it was clear that there was less danger to the repeaters. Things slowed down and Erv KE7QFI conducted the Skywarn net.

On Tuesday I had an appointment at the VA in the morning, so I went to the EOC right after. I did not expect to, but I wound up staying until they secured ARES for the day. In the morning, the Southwest Area Type I Incident Management Team 2 took over management of the fire. What that means, in layman’s terms, is that this was a serious fire. The terrain was rugged and aircraft had been bombing the fire with water since the fire began.

  • l-r Ken KF7DUR, Jacob KI7WNS, Governor Doug Ducey, Glen KG7YDJ and Joe W7LUX

The big news (though not over the amateur radio airwaves) was that Governor Doug Ducey was going to come to the EOC to sign the Declaration of Emergency for the Museum Fire. They had podium, flags and chairs set up for the purpose. He did not arrive at the scheduled time. It turns out he went into the field. He did,however, show up at the EOC later and took time out to thanks us for our work. He also patiently took time so we could all snap a picture with him.

The Museum Fire on Tuesday. The trailer in the foreground is a piece of equipment from Arizona DEMA that is used to establish cell communications and Internet.

After he left we returned to duty. The monsoon rains started. They were relatively light but seemed to help slow the fire a bit. Surely it helped cool off the fire fighters. The problem was that there was now a flash flood warning until 7 p.m. People were given the opportunity to get sand bags for their homes. At about 5:30 p.m., I checked NOAA radio and it was reported that a flash flood was crossing Paradise Road and heading toward the community of Sunnyside. It was reported by Skywarn observers that the flash flooding carried ash and debris from the fire. I did not hear of any damage to homes. After 9.5 hours I went home.

On Wednesday I returned to the EOC at about 12:45. The fire was still going as was the EOC. I did notice that there was considerably less smoke. I received a surprise visit from an amateur radio friend, Ian, who was a fire fighter on the TYPE I team that was sent in to manage the fire. He got to see just what ARES does.

Wednesday is the regular ARES net. I remembered to take my computer, but forgot to take a copy of the roster and even the script. So I had to text Ron KG7OH to email me a copy of those items. It was an interesting experience running the net from the EOC. I made it more interesting by playing with the buttons on the radio and forgetting to re-set it back to the proper settings before the net. I was familiar with the Yaesu radios, so it was no problem getting it set properly and conducting the net.

I simply could not return on Thursday due to personal reasons. I still monitored the radio, of course. On Friday I monitored fully prepared to respond if needed. I learned, however, that ARES was being de-activated at 10 a.m., but that the EOC was still being staffed over the weekend. So we are still “on call,” though we are breaking down the CARC equipment tomorrow.

Overall it was an interesting experience participating in an actual ARES activation. It was more interesting because this was such a major emergency. I met new Ham operators both on the radio and in person. It gave me a chance to learn to interact with the different groups in the EOC.

The EOC provided plenty of food and snacks. In fact on Tuesday they provided an Italian cuisine with spaghetti, Parmesan chicken and the works. Of course, no Italian menu would be complete without Chinese fortune cookies. They had a box of them. This was one of my fortunes:

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ARRL and FCC Sign Memorandum to Implement New Volunteer Monitor Program

ARRL and the FCC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that paves the way to implement the new and enhanced Volunteer Monitor program. The memorandum establishes the Volunteer Monitors as a replacement for the Official Observers (OO) program. Current OOs have been encouraged to participate in the new program.

“We are excited by the opportunity to codify our partnership with the FCC and to work together to achieve our mutual interests of protecting the integrity of our Amateur Radio bands,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. “This Memorandum of Understanding will serve as the foundation for a new level of partnership on this very important issue.”

Rick Hollingsworth – K4ZDH

ARRL has contracted with retired FCC special counsel and former Atlantic Division Vice Director Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, to oversee the ARRL’s role in the development and implementation of the Volunteer Monitor program.

Approved by the ARRL Board of Directors at its July 2018 meeting, the new Volunteer Monitor program is a formal agreement between the FCC and ARRL in which volunteers trained and vetted by the ARRL will monitor the airwaves and collect evidence that can be used both to correct misconduct or recognize exemplary on-air operation. Cases of flagrant violations will be referred to the FCC by the ARRL for action in accordance with FCC guidelines.

The intent of this program is to re-energize enforcement efforts in the Amateur Radio bands. It was proposed by the FCC in the wake of several FCC regional office closures and a reduction in field staff.

“Under this program, the FCC will give enforcement priority to cases developed by the Volunteer Monitor program, without the delay of ARRL having to refer cases through the FCC online complaint process,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth has committed to FCC and ARRL officials to ensure the adequacy of training for the new positions, to review the quality and utility of Volunteer Monitor submissions to the FCC for enforcement actions, and to advocate for rapid disposition of cases appropriately submitted to the FCC.

ARRL officials estimate that the first Volunteer Monitors will be in place and ready to begin their duties within 6 to 9 months. Read more.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, Baofeng, Equipment, Federal Communications Commission, News, Rules and Laws

FCC Cites Baofeng Importer for Illegally Marketing Unauthorized RF Devices

ARRL News

The FCC has issued a Citation and Order (Citation) to Amcrest Industries, LLC (formerly Foscam Digital Technologies, LLC), an importer and marketer of popular and inexpensive Baofeng hand-held transceivers, alleging that the company violated FCC rules and the Communications Act by illegally marketing unauthorized RF devices. The FCC asserts that Amcrest marketed Baofeng model UV-5R-series FM hand-held radios capable of transmitting on “restricted frequencies.” The Baofeng models UV-5R and UV-5R V2+ were granted an FCC equipment authorization in 2012 to operate under Part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Service (Land Mobile) rules.

“Under § 2.803 of the Commission’s rules, an entity may not market a device that is capable of operating outside the scope of its equipment authorization,” the FCC Citation said. “RF devices that have been authorized under Part 90 rules, such as the model as issue, must operate within the technical parameters established in those rules.” The FCC also maintained that the UV-5R 2+ is capable of operating at 1 W or 4 W, while the Part 90 Equipment Authorization limits the power output to 1.78 W.

Amcrest conceded that the units were capable of operating on restricted frequencies but told the FCC that, per discussions with the manufacturer, were “only capable of operating at 1 W, the FCC said. The company instructed the manufacturer to fix the problem and later confirmed with the manufacturer that all Amcrest inventory on order and in the future would operate only on 145 – 155 MHz and 400 – 520 MHz.

While the Citation does not mention Amateur Radio, the UV-5R series radios can be programmed in a channelized configuration to function on 2-meters and 70-centimeters. According to the Citation, Amcrest had added a warning in its user manuals and marketing and sales materials implying that the UV-5R V2+ could operate on unauthorized and restricted frequencies, including Part 87 Aviation Services frequencies, Part 80 Maritime Services frequencies, and frequencies reserved for federal government use. The FCC said Part 90 radios that permit the operator to use external controls to program and transmit on frequencies other than those programmed by the manufacturer are “generally prohibited.”

Amcrest told the FCC that it had ceased marketing four models in the Baofeng UV-5R series “a few years ago,” but it did not remove them from its website until last February. Numerous online retailers continue selling UV-5R series radios for less than $25, with some ads indicating that these are “ham” equipment.

Amcrest Industries, LLC, which owns and operates Baofengradio US, is an import, distribution, and marketing company based in Houston, Texas. It also sells hand-held transceivers under its own label.

“While we recognize Amcrest’s efforts to date to achieve compliance with the Commission’s rules, the company must nonetheless ensure the version of the UV-5R V2+ it is marketing operates only on frequencies specified in its Equipment Authorization,” the FCC said in its Citation. The FCC directed Amcrest “to take immediate steps to come into compliance with the Commission’s equipment authorization rules and cease marketing unauthorized RF devices in the United States.” Amcrest could face fines of nearly $20,000 per day if it fails to comply.