ARRL News
Inter-American Proposal Removes 47 – 47.2 GHz from Bands under Study for 5G Services
The 34th meeting of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) Permanent Consultative Committee II (PCC.II) concluded a week of meetings on August 16 in Ottawa, Canada, in advance of World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19). The meetings were aimed at reaching regional consensus on WRC-19 agenda items. Attendees at PCC.II included ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverli...
Radio Amateurs in India Support Rescue and Relief Operations in Wake of Flooding
Radio amateurs in at least three western Indian states along the Arabian Sea coast are pitching in to support communication for rescue and relief operations following heavy rainfall and flooding. In Kerala, Shyam Kumar, VU2JLE, told The Hindu newspaper that he and 15 other radio amateurs belonging to the Wayanad Hams (WHAMS) group have been closely monitoring to help the government speed rescue...
Candidates for ARRL Directors and Vice Directors Announced
Two races for the office of ARRL Director and one contest for Vice Director are set for this fall. In the Southeastern Division, incumbent Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, faces a challenge from Mickey Baker, N4MB. A three-way race is set for the office of Southeastern Division Vice Director, with incumbent Joseph Tiritilli, N4ZUW, facing James Schilling, KG4JSZ, and Jeff Stahl, K4BH.
In the West G...
Department of Defense Message Prompts Listeners to Take WWV/WWVH Survey
Through Saturday, August 24, WWV and WWVH will transmit a US Department of Defense (DOD) message in conjunction with the COMEX 19-3 interoperability exercise in Tennessee. The broadcast also urges listeners to complete a survey on WWV/WWVH listenership and listening habits. The messages are broadcast on WWV at 10 minutes past the hour and on WWVH at 50 minutes past the hour. WWV and WWVH transm...
ARRL Contest and DXCC Rules Now Prohibit Automated Contacts
Following the direction of the ARRL Board of Directors, ARRL has incorporated changes to the rules for all ARRL-sponsored contests and DXCC, prohibiting automated contacts. These changes also apply to the Worked All States (including Triple Play and 5-Band WAS), VHF/UHF Century Club, and Fred Fish, W5FF, Memorial awards. The changes are effective immediately.
A resolution at the July ARRL Board ...
FCC Dismisses ARRL, AMSAT Requests in Small Satellite Proceeding
An FCC Report and Order (R&O) released August 2 in the so-called “small satellite” rulemaking proceeding, IB Docket 18-86, failed to address concerns expressed by ARRL and AMSAT. Both organizations filed comments on the FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the proceeding last year, seeking changes in the FCCs interpretations and procedures affecting satellites operating on Amateur Satell...
The K7RA Solar Update
No sunspots were visible over the recent reporting week, Thursday through Wednesday, August 8 through 14.
According to Spaceweather.com, 67% of the days so far in 2019 have been spotless, and for all of 2018 it was 61%. In the previous solar minimum in 2008 and 2009 the spotless days ran 73% and 71%, respectively.
Solar flux has been minimal and unremarkable, with average daily solar flux changin...
FCC Staff Recommends Designating 988 as National Suicide, Mental Health Crisis Hotline
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau and its Office of Economics and Analytics have sent a report to Congress that recommends that the Commission considers designating 988 as a three-digit emergency code for a nationwide suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. The report, mandated by the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, finds that such a three-digit number “would ...
Chinese Satellite Profiles Earth’s RF Spectrum as Seen from Lunar Orbit
The Chinese DSLWP-B (LO-94) satellite that had been in lunar orbit provided a profile of Earth’s HF spectrum as seen from the moon. The microsatellite subsequently was crashed into the moon’s surface after having completed its mission. DSLWP stands for “Discovering the Sky at Longest Wavelengths Pathfinder.” Among other things, DSLWP-B was designed to test low-frequency radio astronomy and spac...
Ulrich L. Rohde, N1UL, Named as Honorary Fellow of Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers
The Governing Council of India's Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) has conferred its Honorary Fellowship on noted researcher Ulrich Rohde, N1UL. The IETE is a prominent professional society in the field of electronics, telecommunication computer science/engineering, broadcasting, information technology, and related areas.
The Honorary Fellowship is accorded to an ...
22nd International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend Set for August 17 – 18
Amateur Radio operations at some 400 lighthouses and lightships will commence on August 17 as the 22nd International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) activity gets under way. Germany and the US lead the field in registered operations.
New this year is the US Virgin Islands’ Buck Island Lighthouse, built by the Danish government shortly Denmark sold the islands to the US in 1917, and they beca...
Dayton Hamvention Radio Club of the Year to Hold Ham Bootcamp at New England Convention
The Nashua (New Hampshire) Area Radio Society (NARS) will conduct a free Ham Bootcamp at the ARRL New England Division Convention next month to encourage and assist new and inexperienced radio amateurs in becoming more active and engaged in the various facets of ham radio. NARS, the Dayton Hamvention® Club of the Year for 2019, operated a guest exhibit for ARRL at this year’s show. It will also...