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 20, 2017
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME

 *  Amateur Radio Parity Act is Introduced in US Senate
 *  Revised FCC Form 605 Will Ask Applicants "The Felony Question"
 *  The Doctor Will See You Now!
 *  New HAARP Research Campaign to Begin in September
 *  Many Special Events Will Be on the Air to Mark the Total Solar Eclipse
    in August
 *  UK Telecoms Regulator Ofcom to Auction Former Amateur Radio Spectrum
 *  Ham Radio is There, as Honolulu Hosts a Successful 10th Annual "Geek
    Meet"
 *  In Brief...
 *  The K7RA Solar Update
 *  Just Ahead in Radiosport
 *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

____________________________________________________________________________


Amateur Radio Parity Act is Introduced in US Senate

The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017 was introduced in the US Senate on July
12, marking another step forward for this landmark legislation. Senators Roger
Wicker (R-MS) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are the Senate sponsors. The
measure will, for the first time, guarantee all radio amateurs living in
deed-restricted communities governed by a homeowners' association (HOA) or
subject to any private land-use regulations, the right to erect and maintain
effective outdoor antennas at their homes. The Senate bill, S. 1534, is
identical to H.R. 555, which passed the US House of Representatives in January.

"Amateur Radio continues to be a critical part of our emergency communications
operations," Wicker said. "Mississippians learned firsthand after Hurricane
Katrina how Amateur Radio operators can provide a resilient, distributed
network to first responders and disaster relief organizations when other
communications tools fail."

"Amateur Radio operators provide an invaluable service to their communities by
assisting local emergency communication efforts when disasters occur and main
lines are down," Blumenthal said. "This bipartisan measure ensures that
operators have access to the tools they need to support our first responders
when lives are at stake."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai applauded the bill in late January, saying that it would
"help Amateur Radio operators, and take several steps to promote public
safety."

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, expressed the League's appreciation to the
Senate sponsors. "ARRL is grateful for the support of Senators Wicker and
Blumenthal for sponsoring this important piece of legislation, and for
advocating this bill for the past 3 years," he said. "Their continuing support
is critical to the success of our efforts." President Roderick also thanked
Senator John Thune (R-SD), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, for
"championing the Parity Act in the Senate since the beginning of our effort."

The bill has enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support. In the 114th Congress,
nearly 130 cosponsors signed onto the legislation in the House and the Senate.
The legislation, which strikes a carefully crafted balance for all concerned
parties, is the result of months of work culminating in the accord reached by
ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI). The measure provides for
the guarantee of an effective outdoor antenna while protecting the aesthetic
concerns of HOAs.

In a statement, ARRL said it looks forward to working with the bipartisan
leadership of the Senate and the Commerce Committee to help move the
Wicker-Blumenthal legislation through the Senate and to the President's desk.

____________________________________________________________________________


Revised FCC Form 605 Will Ask Applicants "The Felony Question"

A revised FCC Form 605 -- Quick-Form Application for Authorization in the Ship,
 Aircraft, Amateur, Restricted and Commercial Operator, and General Mobile
Radio Services -- going into effect in September will ask all applicants to
indicate if they have been convicted of or pled guilty to a felony. The
Communications Act obliges the Commission to ask "the felony question," as it
did on the old Form 610 and still does on other applications. This action will
correct its omission on Form 605, which has existed for years. Applicants'
responses and explanations will be used to determine eligibility to be a
Commission licensee. The FCC told ARRL that it's still deciding whether to
issue a public notice on the change.

"The Commission is revising the basic qualifications section of the form to
include a question regarding whether an application has been convicted of a
felony in any state or federal court," the Office of the FCC Secretary
explained in a May filing with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which
 must okay the revision. "Applicants answering YES must provide an explanation
regarding the conviction. This item enables the FCC to determine whether an
applicant is eligible under sections 310(d) and 308(b) of the Communications
Act of 1934, as amended, to hold or have ownership interest in a station
license."

The revision also will apply to NCVEC Form 605, the unofficial Amateur
Radio-specific version of the application that is completed and filed at
volunteer examiner coordinator (VEC) examination sessions. VECs will have to
start using the revised form on September 7. Responding to VECs' questions, the
 FCC offered some guidance, with a particular focus on NCVEC Form 605.

ARRL VEC Manager and NCVEC Vice-Chair Maria Somma, AB1FM, thanked the FCC for
honoring a request to amend the effective date of the change. "At the urging of
 the NCVEC leadership, the FCC took into consideration the undertaking to
change and distribute all affected forms and update software and agreed to push
 back the execution date by 1 month," she said. The NCVEC will create a revised
 NCVEC Form 605 and release it to VE teams before September 7.

Once the Form 605 update has been implemented, assuming all other information
is correct, negative felony question responses will result in a license grant,
the FCC said. A YES will place the application in the "pending file for review"
 category. Applicants answering YES would have to, within 14 days, provide the
FCC with a statement explaining the circumstances, and a statement "giving the
reasons why the applicant believes that grant of the application would be in
the public interest, notwithstanding the actual or alleged misconduct," the
revised Form 605 instructions state. The FCC said an applicant's answer to the
felony question and explanation will be public via ULS, unless a separate
request is made to the FCC that the applicant's explanation be kept
confidential. The FCC will review applications on which the felony question has
 been answered in the affirmative, and decide whether to grant them or
designate them for hearing.

"The applicant must provide sufficient information for the FCC to determine
whether there exists any material and substantial question of fact regarding
whether the applicant has the character qualifications to be a Commission
licensee," the FCC said.

The FCC said the only additional information that VECs will have to collect is
the response to the felony question; any explanatory exhibits and
confidentiality petitions will go directly to the FCC, and VECs will have no
information as to the status of such applications.

The FCC said the felony question must be answered every time -- even if
previously answered -- for New, Modification, Renewal/Modification, and
Amendment applications. "Assuming that nothing has changed, the attachment to
the subsequent applications can simply reference the file number of the
application where the complete explanation was given, rather than having to set
 forth the complete explanation each time," the FCC memo said. "Clubs are not
exempt from the felony question. The question applies to the club as an entity
and to the trustee, but not to any other individual officers."

____________________________________________________________________________


The Doctor Will See You Now!

"Power Supplies" is the topic of the latest (July 20) 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.

____________________________________________________________________________


New HAARP Research Campaign to Begin in September

Last February, many HF listeners across North America and elsewhere were able
to copy signals from Alaska's High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program
(HAARP) during its first scientific research campaign since it was taken over
by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute in 2015. UAF
Space Physics Group Assistant Research Professor Chris Fallen, KL3WX, told ARRL
 this week that the next HAARP research campaign, which will get under way in
mid-to-late September, will carry on the experiments begun during the previous
campaigns. This time, though, even more listeners may be able to hear HAARP.

"Similar to the February campaign, I plan to inform listeners of selected
experiment activities, allowing hams and SWLers to tune in and collectively
participate," Fallen said. "One notable difference from the previous campaign
is that another column of transmitter shelters at HAARP will be operational,
both increasing the HAARP net transmitted power to 80% of its nominal 3.6 MW
and increasing its antenna gain."

In advance of the September scientific campaign, HAARP will hold an open house
on August 19. "Throughout the day there will be talks by Geophysical Institute
researchers on site about the HAARP facility and research, and other research
topics pursued at the UAF Geophysical Institute," Fallen said. "As in the
previous year, tours of the main transmitter array, control center, and power
generation plant will be offered throughout the day. Hams and radio enthusiasts
 are encouraged to bring their equipment for photo opportunities or even to
make contacts from the site."

Fallen's February experimental campaign at HAARP included an audio broadcast,
transmitting AM carriers and even some music on or about 2.8 and 3.3 MHz, with
the resulting skywave signal consisting of a mix of both frequencies. He
followed that with an "artificial aurora" experiment. Fallen is working under a
 National Science Foundation grant. He has posted additional information on his
 "Gakona HAARPoon 2017" blog. Follow HAARP on its official Facebook page or via
 Twitter (@UAFHAARP).

____________________________________________________________________________


Many Special Events Will Be on the Air to Mark the Total Solar Eclipse in
August

Radio amateurs from several states will gather in southern Illinois on August
17-21 to operate special event station W9E, leading up to and during the 2017
solar eclipse on August 21. W9E, which will operate from Marion, Illinois, is
one of several announced solar eclipse special events.

"This will be the first total eclipse on American soil since 1991, the first on
 the mainland United States since 1979, and the first to sweep across the
entire country since 1918. It will be an event you do not want to miss!" the
W9E announcement said. "The far southern tip of the state of Illinois is the
only place viewers can see the totality of the eclipse."

W9E plans to operate on 80, 40, and 20 meters (and perhaps other bands, if
conditions permit), on CW, SSB, and digital modes (JT65, JT9, and PSK31). All
amateur operators visiting the area for the eclipse are invited to visit. A
copy of your license and photo ID are required to operate. Amateur Radio
license testing also will be offered during the event.

While the W9E special event is under way, organizers are planning a joint
exercise with ARES(R) Illinois District 11 Emergency Coordinator W. Bruce
Talley, WA9APQ, hoping not only to assist with local communication during the
eclipse but to coordinate with other ARES groups as the eclipse travels from
northwest to southeast.

"Our plan is to be proactive and ready to respond as needed," said Talley.
"Local volunteers and those from outside the area are welcome to sign up in the
 database. We are especially interested if you are coming to the area to view
the eclipse and know where you will be stationed."

____________________________________________________________________________


Solar Eclipse QSO Party

The Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP), sponsored by HamSCI, will take place on
August 21, 1400 to 2200 UTC.

As the August 2017 QST article "The Solar Eclipse QSO Party -- Are You Ready?"
explains, "The objective...is to flood the airwaves with contacts, all measured
 by the automated receiver networks of the Reverse Beacon Network, PSKReporter,
 and WSPRNet. When those observations are combined with the logs from
individual stations, the result will be one of the largest ionospheric
experiments ever performed."

____________________________________________________________________________


Other Total Eclipse Special Events

 *  The South Dakota's Black Hills Amateur Radio Club in South Dakota plans
    to operate special event K0E on the day of the eclipse, August 21,
    1500-1930 UTC, from Harrison, Nebraska. Operation will be on 20 meters
    (14.260-14.280 MHz) and on VHF and UHF. Contact Bob Ewing, W0RE, for
    more information.

 *  The Near Zero Sunlite, Great American Eclipse N0S special event will
    take place August 20-22, 1400-2200 UTC, in Crystal City, Missouri,
    sponsored by the Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club. Operation will be
    on or about 3.850, 7.250, and 14.300 MHz. QSL with SASE to Jim Berger,
    WA0FQK, 131 Ozark Dr., Crystal City, MO 63019.

 *  K7E will be on the air for the Great American Total Solar Eclipse 2017
    special event, August 21-22, 1500-0300 UTC, from Laramie, Wyoming, near
    the path of totality, on or about 7.183 and 14.256 MHz. QSL Perry
    Lehman, N7FST, 19828 N. 78th Ln., Glendale, AZ 85308.

 *  The North East Wyoming Amateur Radio Association (NEWARA) will field
    special event W7S from historic downtown Gillette, Wyoming, August
    19-21, 1200-0600 UTC, on or about 3.945, 7.265, and 14.265 MHz as well
    as on 147.360 MHz. QSL to Garth Crowe, WY7GC, P.O. Box 2208, Gillette,
    WY 82717.

 *  The Lincoln County Amateur Radio Club (LCARC) will operate special event
    N7E, August 20-22, 1600-1900 UTC, from Newport, Oregon, on or about
    3.820, 7.200, 14.245, and 28.350 MHz. Contact Michael Eastman, N7ONP.

 *  Total Solar Eclipse special event N9E will be on the air on August 21,
    1400-2000 UTC, from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, 7.180-7.190 MHz. Contact
    Peter Herman, KD9VV.

 *  The Lewis and Clark Radio Club (LCRC) will operate special event K9HAM
    from Godfrey, Illinois, on August 21, 0900-1700 UTC, on or about 7.225
    and 14.280 MHz. Contact the LCRC for more information.

 *  In North Carolina, the Greater Gaston Amateur Radio Society (GGARS),
    will be on the air as N4S from Lexington, South Carolina, on August 21,
    0000-1900 UTC, on or about 7.180 and 3.895 MHz. QSL to Robert Wells,
    W7CSA, QSL. Robert Wells, 409 Elizabeth St., Gastonia, NC 28054.

 *  The Southern Illinois University Amateur Radio Club (SIUARC) will
    sponsor W9S, August 18-22, 0000-2359 UTC, from Fulton, Illinois, CW on
    160 meters and all modes on 80 through 10, with a focus on the lower
    bands. Satellites and 6 meters are also possible. QSL to Martin A.
    Schuette, N9EAT, P.O. Box 29, Fulton, IL 61252.

 *  Ole Virginia Hams Amateur Radio Club (OVHARC) will sponsor W4E from
    Lexington, South Carolina, on August 21, 1500-2015 UTC, on or about
    3.810, 7.230, and 14.263 MHz and 146.52 MHz FM simplex. QSL to Terry
    Erlacher, KC4DV, 10855 Felicia Ct., Manassas, VA 20110.

This may not be a comprehensive listing. Search the ARRL Special Events
Calendar for total eclipse special event operations.

____________________________________________________________________________


UK Telecoms Regulator Ofcom to Auction Former Amateur Radio Spectrum

UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced plans to auction access to
190 MHz of former Amateur Radio spectrum in two bands -- 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz --
 to make more room for mobile broadband services. In 2014, Ofcom announced in
the wake of a year-long "consultation" -- a rule making proceeding -- that it
was ending Amateur Radio access to significant portions of the 2.3 and 3.4 GHz
bands, where Amateur Radio is secondary. The consultation followed the release
by the Ministry of Defence of 40 MHz of spectrum at 2.3 GHz and 150 MHz of
spectrum at 3.4 GHz.

"The 2.3 and 3.4 GHz spectrum is needed to provide additional capacity to meet
growing consumer demand for mobile broadband," Ofcom said in a statement. "It
is important that the frequencies are made available as quickly as possible for
 the benefit of consumers and industry."

Ofcom also has published a decision to draft regulations allowing Wi-Fi use in
the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services 5,725-5,850 MHz band. "To make
connections faster, we are making regulations to open an additional 125 MHz of
spectrum in a 'sub-band' within the 5 GHz frequency range for Wi-Fi -- while
ensuring protection for other users, such as satellite services," Ofcom said.
The additional sub-band increases the number of 80-MHz channels available for
Wi-Fi from four to six.

In 2015, Ofcom said it was considering the Amateur-Satellite Service
allocations at 10.475 GHz and 47.0 GHz for 5G use. Ofcom published an update on
 spectrum bands above 6 GHz that might be suitable for next-generation mobile,
often referred to as "5G."

____________________________________________________________________________


Ham Radio is There, as Honolulu Hosts a Successful 10th Annual "Geek Meet"

In the middle of Honolulu, with the yacht club, harbor, the ocean, and the
beach, Amateur Radio was there on July 2 for the 10th annual Geek Meet at Magic
 Island. Hawaii's Geek Meet is a fun, casual, family-friendly, grassroots
gathering for people who are curious and have a passion they want to share,
including Amateur Radio. Members of the Emergency Amateur Radio Club of
Honolulu and Pacific Section PIO Stacy Holbrook, KH6OWL, staffed a booth the
2017 Geek Meet.

"We had over 200 visitors to our booth and signed several up for possible
attendance at classes," Holbrook said. "Some people just stopped to see what we
 were about, and some got into an in-depth discussion on what we can do and how
 we do it." He said other local and visiting radio amateurs stopped by
throughout the day-long event to show their support, and some even stayed to
handle booth duty.

One of the Geek Meet's founders, Ryan Ozawa, KH6WEB, said ham radio has been a
part of the event every year from the very beginning.

Holbrook said youngsters visiting the booth enjoying tinkering with the Morse
code demonstration and spelling out their names in code. "They seemed to like
the old-fashioned key better and played with it more," Holbrook said.

"This was a great event and helped showcase what Amateur Radio is all about,"
Holbrook said. "It is a hobby, not just emergency communications, but that is a
 big part, and we discussed that with others, too."

Holbrook said some booth visitors had never heard of Amateur Radio and confused
 it with CB radio. He said the booth team was happy to discuss the differences
between CB and Amateur Radio. Other questions ranged from the typical "How far
can you talk?" and "Why not just use your cell phone?" to "Why do you need
Amateur Radio? We will never lose our cell phones or power for an extended
period," and "What is the difference between your radio and the one in my car?"

"I hope we were able to...answer all the questions and made everyone feel
welcome," Holbrook said afterward. "It was fun and great interaction with the
community." The booth included a ham radio station, but Holbrook said the booth
 team did not attempt to make any contacts, explaining that the event "was
about making contact with the community, not contacts on the air." -- Thanks to
 Pacific Section PIO Stacy Holbrook, KH6OWL

____________________________________________________________________________


In Brief...

ARRL Board of Directors to Meet: The ARRL Board of Directors will meet for its
second, regularly scheduled session of the year on Friday, July 21, and
Saturday, July 22, in Farmington, Connecticut. ARRL President Rick Roderick,
K5UR, will chair the gathering.


ARRL Inviting Orders for Very Limited Supply of ARRL International DX Contest
Pins: A very limited supply of 2017 ARRL International DX Contest pins is
available from the ARRL Contest Branch. To qualify for the International DX
Contest pin, you must have completed 100 contacts in either the CW or phone
contest weekends -- the pin is the same for either mode (contacts with the same
 station on different bands count toward the total). E-mail the Contest Branch
to confirm pin availability. The cost is $7 (US) in the US, its possessions,
and Canada, and $10 everywhere else (postage included). If availability is
confirmed, send a copy of the first page of your Cabrillo log file with payment
 to DX Contest Pins, ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. Allow 4 weeks for
 delivery after your order is received.


Dave Kalter, KB8OCP, Memorial Youth DX Adventure Set to Start on August 3: Dave
 Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure (YDXA) Team Leader Jim Storms, AB8YK, said
this year's YDXA contingent of three youths, three parents, and two leaders
will travel to Costa Rica on August 3 and plan to be on the air that evening.
TI5/<home call sign> operations will continue until the evening of August 7.
"There may be times of being off the air due to conditions, as we will be on a
mountaintop, which is not lightning friendly," Storms said. "Also, there are
some plans for a local trip to enjoy the area." Storms offered no promises
regarding 160-meter operation, but said the team will have antennas on most
bands. He recommended checking the YDXA website. "On this trip, we plan to do
some digital [operating], which is a first for the group. PSK and RTTY will be
the modes." He said participants will also operate SSB and CW, keeping two
stations active as long as no interaction exists. Last August, the YDXA team
operated as PJ6Y from Saba. -- Thanks to The Daily DX


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