Category Archives: ARRL

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

ARRL, FEMA, National, National Government, News

FEMA Announces Plans for September National Preparedness Month

Next month is National Preparedness Month with the theme Prepared, Not Scared. Be Ready for Disasters.National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning now and throughout the year. This year’s campaign will feature PSAs and multimedia products around four weekly themes:

· Week 1: Sept 1-7 Save Early for Disaster Costs

· Week 2: Sept 8-14 Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters

· Week 3: Sept 15-21 Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters

· Week 4: Sept 22-30 Get Involved in Your Community’s Preparedness

Content has been loaded on the Ready.gov National Preparedness Month Toolkit webpage. This year, FEMA wants participants, which include ARES operators, to share their activities and success stories. The longtime ARRL partner wants brief descriptions of what you are planning for National Preparedness Month. Send them to FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov with the word NPM in the subject line. An appropriate, brief submission would be your planned or conducted ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) activity. Many groups will be holding their SET during September and through the fall. The primary League-sponsored national emergency exercise is designed to assess the skills and preparedness of ARES and other organizations involved with emergency/disaster response. Here’s an opportunity to let FEMA know about it.

In June 2003, ARRL became an official affiliate program of Citizen Corps, an initiative within the Department of Homeland Security to enhance public preparedness and safety. The Statement of Affiliation makes ARRL an affiliate under the four charter Citizen Corps programs–Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service, Community Emergency Response Teams and Medical Reserve Corps.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL, News, Rules and Laws

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, ARRL, Event, Hamvention, News

Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L, is “Amateur of the Year,” as Hamvention Announces Award Winners

Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L. [Don Kerouac, K9NR, photo]
Valerie Hotzfeld, NV9L, of Crescent City, Illinois, is the 2018 Hamvention® “Amateur of the Year.” The Hamvention Awards Committee — chaired by Michael Kalter, W8CI, and Frank Beafore, WS8B — this week announced its 2018 award recipients for Club of the Year, Technical Achievement, and Special Achievement.

“I am extremely honored to even be nominated for Amateur of the Year, let alone to win this award,” Hotzfeld told ARRL. “I would like to thank the Hamvention Awards Committee. Their decision must have been a tough one, as I am certain the other nominees have done an outstanding job representing this hobby too. I would also like to thank those who mentored me throughout my different learning phases of this hobby. Not only has Amateur Radio been a life-changing experience for me, there are so many helpful hams in this hobby that it just feels natural to give back.”

First licensed in 2006, Hotzfeld has been very active in local Amateur Radio clubs and in ARES. Once she “discovered” HF, she became obsessed with DXing and contesting. In the past few years, she has enjoyed inviting new hams to her station to DX or contest. She has been the pilot or lead pilot for four major DXpeditions. Hotzfeld also is a co-host of the Ham Nation webcast and has created how-to videos on YouTube for the ham radio community.

In 2017, Hotzfeld became engaged in public service, first traveling to Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to help rescue small animals. She subsequently was deployed to Puerto Rico with the American Red Cross for 3 weeks as part of an Amateur Radio volunteer contingent, facilitating critical communications after Hurricane Maria.

Club of the Year

The Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) of Ravenna, Ohio, is Hamvention’s 2018 Club of the Year. PCARS was established in November 2005, and it is an ARRL-Affiliated Special Service Club. PCARS members average more than 40 hours of club activities each month, including special interest groups, license training, contesting run from the club site (K8BF), and club social events.

“Our members cover a wide range of interests that allow us to support public safety organizations, student outreach programs, and activities focused on growing our hobby,” the club told the Hamvention Awards Committee. “We love to share our experiences and have a requirement that our events be filled with a lot of fun. Members have joined PCARS because of all the activities and fun we have.”

The club donated more than $6,000 in time and money to the community last year. It has created its own contests and events, including the annual Freeze Your Acorns Off in February and Ohio State Parks on the Air, which was used as a model for ARRL’s year-long National Parks on the Air event in 2016.

PCARS sponsors several “Build Days” each year, with projects including home-built transceivers, antennas, and digital equipment to allow members to expand their horizons into new areas of Amateur Radio. A monthly “Get on the Air Day” lets members and non-members use club site equipment to learn about HF and new operating modes. “It is all about building our hobby, helping our community, building our skills, and, most of all, having fun,” PCARS said.

Technical Achievement Award

Chip Cohen, W1YW, of Belmont, Massachusetts, has received the Hamvention 2018 Technical Achievement Award. Licensed for 52 years and bitten by the antenna bug, Cohen became a radio astronomer and astrophysicist, working at Arecibo, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the Very Large Array (VLA), and others. While a professor at Boston University, Cohen connected fractal geometry with antennas, pioneering a paradigm shift in the design of fractal antennas and what they make possible. The holder of 41 US patents, Cohen is known for inventing the invisibility cloak using fractal antenna techniques.

Starting 30 years ago with simple flea market treasures, W1YW bootstrapped fractal antennas with modest gear and employed ham radio to report on the success of his new technology. He started Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. with WA1ZWT (SK) in 1995, and is presently its CEO.

Cohen is a DXCC Top of the Honor Roll DXer and a strong advocate for technical “innovation culture” through Amateur Radio. He is a Life Member of ARRL and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, where he has served as vice president and director.

Special Achievement Award

Heriberto Perez, KK4DCX; Victor Torres, WP4SD, and Emilio Ortiz Jr., WP4KEY, are Hamvention’s 2018 Special Achievement Award winners. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico last September, Perez mobilized his radio equipment to Radio Sol in San Germán, the local public broadcasting station, accompanied by Torres and Ortiz. The team handled health-and-welfare traffic to thousands of families across the continental US. Thanks to the support of more than 45 radio amateurs across the US, more than 4,000 messages were delivered via telephone to anxious families.

“We would like to thank everyone who nominated a candidate,” the committee said in announcing the award recipients. “The process is always difficult.” A formal awards presentation will take place this May at Hamvention 2018 in Xenia, Ohio.

Amateur Radio, ARRL, Contest, Event, News

NASA announces year long amateur radio event beginning in December

NASA was created on July 29, 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first lunar mission was in 1968. Elements of the International Space Station were first launched in 1998. NASA is asking amateur radio operators to participate in these and other events for the entire year of 2018.

Beginning in December of 2017 and running through December of 2018, various NASA clubs and stations will be listening and calling via phone, CW and digital methods of the amateur radio hobby. The ARRL web site announced that the event starts Monday, December 11 UTC.

The club stations at the various NASA centers and facilities plan to be on the air with special events to celebrate these milestones and are offering commemorative QSL cards and a special certificate indicating how many centers you worked on various bands and modes may be downloaded. QSL instructions are available on the QRZ.COM site for each individual club station.

NASA plans to have a web-based system for you to check your points total and download a certificate at the end of the event in December 2018. Points will be awarded for each center worked on each band and mode.

The event will run from December 2017 through December 2018 with the following key dates:

  • Apollo 17 45th anniversary – 11-14 December 2017, beginning of event
  • NASA founded 60th anniversary (act signed by President Eisenhower) – 29 July 1958
  • ISS First Element Launch 20th anniversary – 20 November 1998
  • ISS Node 1 Launch 20th anniversary – 4 December 1998
  • 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 – launch 21 December 1968, splashdown 27 December, end of event

Note that there may be other special event operations by the various centers commemorating specific events, but those listed above will include participation from all the centers. All operating modes are fair game including satellites, repeaters, EME, ISS APRS, etc.

In addition, NASA stations hope to be on the air for casual contacts and contests as well. It is a good time to consider getting an amateur radio license.

Please check their web site for updates as the program is developed.

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

FCC Affirms Penalty for Unlicensed Amateur Operation

ARRL NEWS — The FCC has affirmed a $23,000 penalty against Daniel Delise of Astoria, New York, for operating without an Amateur Radio license on 147.96 MHz and for transmitting a false officer-in-distress call on a New York City Police Department (NYPD) radio channel. The FCC’s December 5 Forfeiture Order follows its August 31 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL), which detailed a history of complaints and alleged illegal radio operation by Delise dating to 2012.

“The penalty represents the full amount proposed in the Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, and is based on the full base forfeiture amount as well as an upward adjustment reflecting Mr. Delise’s decision to continue his misconduct after being warned that his actions violated the Communications Act and the Commission’s rules,” the FCC Forfeiture Order said. The FCC said Delise’s response to the NAL offered “no reason to cancel, withdraw, or reduce the proposed penalty.”

Last summer, ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, credited the intervention of New York Rep. Peter King with getting the case “off the back burner and up to the front of the line.” Lisenco and ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, met with the Republican congressman in January to discuss ongoing interference issues in the Greater New York City/Long Island area. King subsequently wrote FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to urge “timely and visible enforcement.”

The September 15 response to the NAL did not deny that Delise violated the Communications Act and FCC rules but argued that the FCC should reduce or cancel the fine because he is currently incarcerated and has no income or assets. The FCC turned away that argument, saying that Delise did not provide any documentation to substantiate his claim of inability to pay.

Last April, the FCC Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Unlicensed Operation, after determining that Delise was transmitting on 147.96 MHz, a repeater input. Not long after, the NYPD informed an FCC field agent that police had taken Delise into custody for “sending out false radio transmissions” over the NYPD radio system and for possessing radios capable of operating on NYPD frequencies, in violation of state law.

Delise, who could have been fined more than $140,000, has 30 days to pay the fine. He’s now in prison as a result of the false police call and guilty pleas to other charges.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL, Event, News

ARRL 10 Meter Contest is in the Wings

ARRL-Flag-waving-Large_54The  American Radio Relay League is hosting a 10-meter Amateur Radio contest December 12-13. If they had bothered to check they would have found that I will be busy on December 12 getting my Amateur Extra license. I will not be able to afford any 10-meter equipment until well beyond that. I’ll be ready for the next one.

From the ARRL web site:

The 2015 ARRL 10 Meter Contest is just ahead, December 12-13. This popular event is lots of fun, and you never know what sort of propagation you might encounter on 10 meters.

The ARRL encourages computer loggers to check out the new web-based log uploading facility. It offers quick response and instant feedback, and if your log has a problem, you’ll be able to fix it on the fly and upload the log again on the spot.

For paper loggers or for those using software that does not generate a Cabrillo file, there is a convenient data entry service that converts your log data into Cabrillo format and forwards it on to the ARRL’s log handling service. You also can still submit your log via e-mail.

Whichever method is more convenient, be sure to submit a log, even if you only made a few contacts. It improves the quality of the log checking, and you might even find yourself in line for a certificate! Post any soapbox comments and photos to the ARRL’s Soapbox page.