If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2017-07...

The ARRL Letter

July 6, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  ARRL CEO, Technical Relations Specialist Represent US at Pre-WRC-19
    Session
 *  IARU Revises Satellite Coordination Guidelines to Align with WRC-15
    Decisions
 *  President Names FCC General Counsel Brendan Carr to Fill Vacant
    Republican Seat on Commission
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  Band Plan Proposed for Eventual Amateur Radio Use of 472-479 kHz
 *  Ham Radio Aviator WB6RQN Reaches Halfway Point of Round-the-World Flight
 *  International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend Registrations Top 200 and
    Rising
 *  Vermont Radio Amateurs Putting Green Mountain State's Parks on the Air
 *  Jamboree on the Air Marks 60 Years this Fall
 *  WRTC 2018 Conducts New Round of Testing at 15 Sites
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions


ARRL CEO, Technical Relations Specialist Represent US at Pre-WRC-19 Session

ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, and ARRL CEO Tom
Gallagher, NY2RF, served on the US delegation to the Inter-American
Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) Permanent Consultative Committee II
(PCC.II) hosted by the US in Orlando, June 26-29. Approximately 170 delegates
from 16 countries throughout the Americas attended the meeting. PCC.II serves
as an advisory committee to CITEL, and the Florida session was part of the
run-up to World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19). Others defending
Amateur Radio interests at the meeting included IARU Region 2 Secretary José
Arturo Molina, YS1MS/KD2GXZ, and Flávio Archangelo, PY2ZX, who were delegates
to WRC-15.

"The most significant work of the delegates this week was in the Working Group
on Preparation for Regional and World Radiocommunication Conferences, chaired
by Carmelo Rivera of NOAA/Department of Commerce," Siverling said afterward.
"This is the working group that will develop proposals from the Americas region
 to WRC-19."

Siverling said that while it's still early in the process, the working group
continued to identify delegates who will attend WRC-19 to serve as chapter
chairmen and agenda item rapporteurs. The US proposed Siverling to serve as the
 alternate rapporteur for WRC-19 agenda item 1.1, "to consider an allocation of
 the frequency band 50-54 MHz to the Amateur Service in Region 1" in accordance
 with WRC-15 Resolution 658.

The delegates to PCC.II are preparing preliminary views that will mature into
proposals and later into Inter-American Proposals, or IAPs, to the Conference
for each WRC-19 agenda item, including several that may impact Amateur Radio.
These include agenda item 1.11, railway train-to-trackside radiocommunication
systems; agenda item 1.12, Intelligent Transport Systems; agenda item 1.16,
wireless access systems/radio local area networks (WAS/RLANs) in the bands
between 5,150 and 5,925 MHz, including additional allocations to the mobile
service; agenda item 1.13, International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) above
24 GHz, and agenda item 1.15, land mobile and fixed service applications in the
 275-450 GHz range.

"This meeting also advanced the work to update the International Amateur Radio
Permit (IARP) to allow administrations to process applications and issue the
permit electronically, a requirement for many countries as they transition to
eGovernment," Siverling said.



IARU Revises Satellite Coordination Guidelines to Align with WRC-15 Decisions

Starting on August 1, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) will follow
revised guidelines for satellite frequency coordination. Educational satellite
projects have grown in popularity as launch opportunities have increased. These
 satellites, constructed by students at universities and other institutions,
generally have been licensed to operate in the Amateur-Satellite Service, which
 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations define as
having the "purpose of self-training, intercommunication, and technical
investigations carried out by amateurs...interested in radio technique solely
with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest."

"The strong preference is for all satellites using spectrum allocated to the
Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services to operate under amateur licenses and
within the definition of the Amateur-Satellite service and the service-specific
 Article 25 of the Radio Regulations," IARU said in announcing the change. "The
 IARU believes the definition is sufficiently broad to encompass nearly all
educational satellite projects that include giving students hands-on experience
 with radiocommunication and are conducted under an amateur license."

Some administrations have issued experimental licenses for such satellites
operating in Amateur-Satellite Service bands. The IARU has coordinated these
satellites as well, to reduce the possibility of harmful interference that
might result from uncoordinated operation. Since July 1, 2014, however, it has
not been possible to coordinate experimental satellites in the 144-146 MHz
band, because of the high probability of harmful interference in this heavily
used band.

IARU will continue to coordinate satellites with combined amateur and
non-amateur missions. It will only coordinate a non-amateur satellite if an
administration directs in writing that it be operated in an Amateur-Satellite
band under an experimental or other non-amateur license.

The new guidelines bring IARU's satellite coordination policies into line with
Resolution 659 at World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). That
resolution noted that the use of 144-146 MHz and 435-438 MHz by non-amateur
satellites was not in accordance with the definition of the Amateur-Satellite
service in the Radio Regulations, and it made clear that the spectrum needs of
what are now called "non-geostationary satellites with short duration missions"
 should be met either within the service in which the space station is
operating, or within the Space Operation Service. If new or upgraded
allocations to the Space Operation Service are needed, studies should be
limited to the frequency ranges of 150.05-174 MHz and 400.15-420 MHz, IARU
said.

WRC-19 has been invited to consider steps to facilitate the deployment and
operation of nanosatellites and picosatellites. Such satellites generally must
use spectrum below 1 GHz for operational reasons.

A global federation of national associations of radio amateurs in more than 150
 countries, IARU has provided complimentary frequency coordination services for
 amateur satellites for many years.



President Names FCC General Counsel Brendan Carr to Fill Vacant Republican Seat
 on Commission

President Donald Trump has announced plans to nominate FCC General Counsel
Brendan Carr, a Republican, to fill one of the two vacancies on the Commission.
 One FCC vacancy, to be filled by a Democratic candidate, remains in order for
the Commission to be back to its full five-member complement. The president on
June 14 named former Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, to fill one
vacancy. No more than three members of the FCC may be of the same political
party. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a congratulatory statement.

"Brendan has a distinguished record of public service, having worked at the
agency for over five years, including most recently as the FCC's General
Counsel," Pai said. "In particular, Brendan's expertise on wireless policy and
public safety will be a tremendous asset to the Commission. I look forward to
working with him in his new role and wish him all the best during the
confirmation process."

Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said Carr would be "a great asset to
 the Commission, calling him "well respected on both sides of the aisle" and
saying that he's "demonstrated a deep knowledge of the legal and policy issues
facing the communications sector."

Coming as he does from the Chairman's staff, Carr is expected to support Pai's
efforts to reverse controversial "net neutrality" rules passed by the FCC's
then-Democratic majority that would subject broadband providers to the sort of
oversight that conventional telecommunication carriers have faced.

Both Rosenworcel and Carr are expected to be confirmed by the US Senate.



The Doctor Will See You Now!

"APRS" is the topic of the latest (July 6) episode of the "ARRL The Doctor is
In" podcast. Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering, "ARRL The Doctor is In" is an informative
discussion of all things technical. Listen on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone -- whenever and wherever you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and the
Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of technical
topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor@arrl.org, and the Doctor
may answer them in a future podcast.

Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes, or by using your iPhone or iPad
podcast app (just search for "ARRL The Doctor is In". You can also listen
online at Blubrry, or at Stitcher (free registration required, or browse the
site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or Android
devices. If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's
guide.



Band Plan Proposed for Eventual Amateur Radio Use of 472-479 kHz

ARRL 630-Meter Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, and LF/VLF enthusiast
John Langridge, KB5NJD, have proposed a possible band plan for the pending
472-479 kHz Amateur Radio band. Raab said that once US radio amateurs are
granted access to 630 meters, he would move stations operating under the
blanket WD2XSH FCC Experimental (Part 5) license to 461-472 kHz.

"This will clear the amateur frequencies, while allowing the experimenters to
run unattended propagation beacons without using the limited bandwidth that
will be available to amateurs," Raab explained in his spring 630-Meter
Experiment Project Status quarterly report. "The new 630-meter band will have a
 very limited amount of spectrum (7 kHz)."

On March 28, the FCC adopted rules that will allow secondary Amateur Radio
access to 472-479 kHz and to 135.7-137.8 kHz (2,200 meters), with minor
conditions. The issue now holding up amateur access involves a requirement to
notify the Utilities Telecoms Council (UTC) of proposed Amateur Radio operation
 on either new band. The FCC says the Office of Management and Budget (under
the Paperwork Reduction Act) must first approve the information-collection
requirements in ?97.303(g)(2). Procedures to meet the requirements are said to
be still under development by UTC, which says it wants to avoid Amateur Radio
interference to power line communication (PLC) systems used to manage the
electrical power grid. No such interference has been reported during the
extensive experimental operation on 630 meters and on 2,200 meters.

According to Raab's quarterly report, he and Langridge prepared the 630-meter
band plan that "based upon established patterns, separates different modes of
operation, and harmonizes US amateur operations with those in Europe." The
plan, which is still a proposal and has not been endorsed or adopted by ARRL,
calls for using only narrowband modes -- with bandwidths of 150 Hz or less --
during nighttime operation. Under the plan, modes such as AM, SSB, and MCW
would be discouraged after dark, except during special events. In the event a
"wideband" mode were necessary, though, the signal should be confined to
between 476 and 479 kHz.



Ham Radio Aviator WB6RQN Reaches Halfway Point of Round-the-World Flight

Texas radio amateur and pilot Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN, is right on schedule on his
commemorative Amelia Earhart round-the-world flight. He reached Darwin,
Australia in his airplane Spirit on July 1, in time to enjoy local hospitality
as well as some Territory Day celebration events, including a fireworks
display. Greeting Lloyd upon his arrival in Australia was Stuie Birkin, VK8NSB,
 who had been in contact with Lloyd on 20 meters while he was still aloft.

"With Brian now part of the family, we headed to the Territory Day fireworks at
 East Point Darwin," Birkin reported. For his part, Lloyd expressed gratitude
for the hospitality following his 10-hour flight leg from Indonesia.

Following seven stops in Australia, Lloyd was scheduled to depart Sydney on
July 6 for New Zealand.

Lloyd will head out across the Tasman Sea to Auckland, New Zealand, and then
the Pacific for Suva, a fly-over of Howland Island -- which has no runway --
and Hawaii. He planned to drop a wreath of flowers when he passes above Howland
 Island, in memory of Amelia Earhart. Howland was where the famed aviator and
author and her navigator Fred Noonan are believed to have vanished on July 2,
1937.

Before taking off from Miami on June 1, Lloyd estimated that the
circumnavigation would take 2 months. To give his 1979 Mooney 231 aircraft
additional range, he modified it to carry 150 gallons more fuel. He also
equipped it with modern navigation equipment, long-range radio, and satellite
communication gear. Because the flight involves some risk, special safety gear
is part of his equipment ensemble.

WB6RQN has been operating SSB on 17, 20, and 40 meters (18.117, 14.210, 14.346,
 and 7.130 MHz). -- Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC



International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend Registrations Top 200 and Rising

Registrations for the 2017 International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW)
have topped the 200 mark for the August 19-20 event. The ILLW is 20 years old
this year, and with a bit more than 6 weeks to go, nearly 250 planned
operations have registered throughout the world. During the annual event,
Amateur Radio stations will be on the air from -- or in the immediate vicinity
of -- various historic lighthouses and lightships in more than 25 countries. In
 past years, more than 500 stations in some 90 countries have taken part.

"Many enjoy linking portable Amateur Radio to the navigational beacons for
shipping traffic of the past, and in doing so, help raise public awareness of
the need to preserve the old structures," Jim Linton, VK3PC, remarked.

The Polish DX Club will mark the milestone anniversary as 3Z20ILLW, with six
club members at the Jaroslawiec Lighthouse, Poland's oldest, on the Baltic Sea.
 In West Malaysia, the Borneo Amateur Radio Club will activate Tinagat
Lighthouse for its first time, as 9M6SDX.

Registration guidelines call for operating sites to be officially listed as
aids to navigation. That could include a classic lighthouse or lightship with a
 Fresnel lens, fog horns, time ball towers, and lighthouses or lightships moved
 to museums. According to the ILLW site, "lights such as range lights, channel
markers, skeletal towers, and breakwall lights will probably not be accepted."
Registration for the event is not required, but it does let other participants
know which lighthouses and lightships will be active.

Sponsors stress that the event is not a contest -- and there are no prizes,
certificates, or other enticements to participate. Each station's operators
decide how they will operate their station with respect to bands and modes, and
 participating stations do not have to be on the air for the entire weekend.

Activity does not need to take place inside the structure itself. A Field
Day-style setup at the light or other building adjacent to the light is
sufficient. "Adjacent means next to or as close as possible," event guidelines
explain. "The intention behind this requirement is that the station should have
 a visible presence to the passing public who may be visiting the lighthouse
over the weekend. Permission to operate from a lighthouse/lightship should be
obtained from the relevant authorities." -- Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC



Vermont Radio Amateurs Putting Green Mountain State's Parks on the Air

The Vermont Department of Parks and Radio Amateurs of Northern Vermont (RANV)
are sponsoring "Vermont State Parks on the Air" until June 1, 2019. The
activity is dedicated to Amateur Radio operation in Vermont's parks. Operation
is open to all modes and all bands, although most recent operation has been on
40 and 20 meters. The event uses World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio
(WWFF) calling/operating frequencies: Phone: 3.744, 7.144, 14.244, 18.144,
21.244, 24.944, and 28.444 MHz; CW: 3.544, 7.024, 10.124, 14.044, 18.084,
21.044, 24.894, and 28.044 MHz.

"This program is a follow-up to the ARRL National Parks on the Air event," Bob
Henneberger, KB1WXM, told ARRL. "We are hoping it catches on with Vermont hams
and can be a regular ongoing event each summer. We encourage the backpackers
working QRP as well as those setting up 500 W stations with dipoles 70 feet up
in some tall trees."

State parks encompassing mountain peaks can be simultaneously activated for
Summits on the Air (SOTA) awards. Parks on the Air identifiers are on the WWFF
website. Activators can list future park activations on the WWFF website or on
the Vermont Parks on the Air Facebook page. Participants are encouraged to also
 submit logs to the Logbook of The World. Contact Henneberger for more
information.



Jamboree on the Air Marks 60 Years this Fall

"60 Years Connecting Scouts" is the theme for the Boy Scouts' 2017 Jamboree on
the Air (JOTA), set for October 20-22. JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, said
the theme "recognizes the start of the event in 1957 and commemorates its
growth in participation and in the expanding communication channels that are
activated on the third weekend in October." The official JOTA patch will be
available by July 19. The JOTA-JOTI (Jamboree on the Internet) patch is
available now.

Wilson said JOTA's "communication channels" now include Amateur Radio on the
air and via internet-based channels, as well as many other internet-based
options, including social media, ScoutLink and IRC chat services, Skype, and
more. "It also recognizes the goal of the event -- connecting Scouts so that
they can engage in conversations with other Scouts across town and around the
world," Wilson said. "This allows them to discover geographic and cultural
differences and similarities. Plus, they are exposed to the technology that
makes all this happen." The World JOTA-JOTI Team said it would announce "a
number of weekend activities supporting the 2017 theme."

JOTA participation last October was up from 2015's numbers. According to the
final JOTA report, 10,761 Scouts took part -- an increase of more than 50% from
 a year earlier -- and the number of stations filing reports, at 267, jumped by
 28% from 2015 (the record was 271 in 2013). The number of Amateur Radio
operators was up by 14% to 1,120, although the number of radios reported in use
 dropped by 25% to 631. Total JOTA 2016 contacts remained flat at 8,254. --
Thanks to JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND



WRTC 2018 Conducts New Round of Testing at 15 Sites

The organizers of the 2018 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC 2018)
conducted a second round of station testing June 23-25. The effort involved
more than 100 volunteers, who set up 15 Field Day-style stations in the
Jessen-Wittenberg area of Germany where the international competition will take
 place in a little more than 1 year from now. Joining local volunteers were
amateurs from Bavaria, the North and Baltic sea regions, and the extreme
reaches of western Germany. Organizers said that some familiar faces from the
2016 station tests were once again on board, and many excited contesters,
ranging from 20 to 80 years old, looked on. Four transporters were needed to
move the necessary materials into place at the 15 sites. In addition to large
parts such as masts, SpiderBeams, tents, coax cable, and generators were many
tools and small parts.

"At all sites, antennas and infrastructure were set up without any major
problems. The wind did make antenna construction somewhat more difficult, but
luckily the weather was sunny and dry," a follow-on report on the testing
recounted. "The setup process was difficult work, requiring a lot of
concentration to make sure all elements and parts went into the right places."
Once stations were set up, they took to the air using different 2 x 1 call
signs for each site.

The testing also included a dry run of an online scoreboard, the use of online
media such as Hamnet and Facebook, and logistics. WRTC 2018 team member Michael
 Hoeding, DL6MHW, said the team took notes, compiled a list of some 200 ideas,
and suggested a few improvements, "but nothing was critical."

WRTC 2018 will involve operation by two-operator teams from more than 60
individual sites. The event will coincide with the July 2018 running of the
IARU HF Championship, although the WRTC competition will follow its own set of
rules.

"The mixture of hard work and ham radio operating inspired enthusiasm in many
faces," the report summary said. "New friendships were made, and many ideas
were born."



In Brief...

New ARRL Section Manager Appointed in Eastern New York: John Fritze, K2QY, of
Delmar, New York, has been appointed ARRL Eastern New York Section Manager,
effective on June 29. He takes the reins of the Eastern New York field
organization team following the retirement of Pete Cecere, N2YJZ, of Woodstock,
 who had served as the ENY SM since March 2001. Fritze will complete the
remaining term of office, which ends on March 31, 2018. Fritze is the longtime
ARES District Emergency Coordinator for the Albany area and a Hudson Division
Assistant Director. An ARRL Life Member, Fritze is a past president of the
Albany Amateur Radio Association. ARRL Field Services Manager Dave Patton,
NN1N, consulted with ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, in
making the appointment of Fritze. -- Thanks to Field Organization Team
Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X


Microwave Update 2017 Issues Call for Papers, Presentations: Microwave Update
(MUD) 2017 has issued a call for papers and presentations on the technical and
operational aspects of microwave Amateur Radio communication. The Call for
Papers link on the MUD website lists suggested topics and explains how to
submit papers and presentations. Selected presentations for the technical
program may be delivered in person or by proxy. Submissions are due by
September 12; notify MUD organizers as soon as possible with proposals.
Microwave Update 2017 will be held on October 26-29 in Santa Clara, California.
 MUD is an annual international conference dedicated to microwave equipment
design, construction, and operation. It is focused on, but not limited to,
Amateur Radio on the microwave bands. There will be a 2-day technical program
along with a microwave test lab, vendors, swap meets, and a banquet. Visit the
MUD website for more information. -- Thanks to Mike Lavelle, K6ML, MUD 2017
Technical Program


Canada C3 Expedition Award for Hams, SWLs, Announced: Radio Amateurs of Canada
(RAC) has announced an award for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners (SWLs)
that involves using HF to track the 150-day Canada C3 voyage of the Polar
Prince from Toronto, Ontario, to Victoria, British Columbia, via the Northwest
Passage. Part of Canada's sesquicentennial celebration, Canada C3 is aimed at
raising awareness of Canada's coastline and inspiring a deeper understanding of
 Canada's land and peoples. The voyage got under way on June 1 and will end on
or about October 28. The object of the Canada C3 Award is to track the voyage
of the Polar Prince and to study radio propagation in Canada's Arctic regions.
As already announced, the vessel is transmitting a WSPR signal on 40, 30, and
20 meters, using the call sign CG3EXP. Stations will listen for WSPR signals
from CG3EXP and record the 6-character Maidenhead grid square transmitted and
the location of the ship at the time of reception. A logging spreadsheet and
more information are available on the RAC Canada C3 Expedition Award page.


---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)