FCC's Updated Rules Governing Personal Radio Services Become Effective on
September 28: The FCC recently adopted a comprehensive reorganization of and
update to the rules governing the Personal Radio Services (PRS). These include
a wide variety of wireless devices used by the general public for personal
communication, including handheld Family Radio Service (FRS) transceivers,
radio-controlled models, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), medical implant
devices, and others. In addition to the updated rule changes, the FCC enhanced
the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) to allow new digital applications,
allot additional interstitial channels, and extend license terms from 5 to 10
years. It also allotted additional channels to the FRS and increased allowable
power on certain FRS channels from 0.5 W to 2 W. It also updated the Citizens
Radio Service (CB) rules to allow hands-free headsets, eliminate a restriction
on DX communication, and remove other outdated requirements. "These changes and
 others outlined below will update PRS rules to be more in line with current
public demands for the services and will make the rules easier to read and find
 information, while also removing outdated requirements and removing
unnecessary rules," the FCC said.


AMSAT Reports RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Completes P-POD Integration: AMSAT Vice
President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, on August 15 delivered RadFxSat
(Fox-1B) CubeSat, built in partnership with Vanderbilt University to Cal Poly
University. RadFsSat/Fox-1B was successfully integrated into the P-POD CubeSat
deployment container on August 16 along with its pod-mates, MakerSat-0 and
EagleSat. Launch qualification vibration testing of the integrated P-POD was
completed on August 17. The P-POD will next be mounted on the ULA Delta II
rocket for launch no earlier than October 12. "Many thanks to the Cal Poly,
Tyvak, and NASA personnel who we performed the integration with, to the
MakerSat-0 and EagleSat team members, and to my west coast AMSAT CubeSat wing
man Al Vasso for a successful and fun day!" Buxton said afterward. Uplink for
Fox-1B is 435.250 MHz FM (67.0 Hz CTCSS); Downlink is 145.960 MHz FM (with
subaudible slow speed telemetry data); 145.960 MHz 9600 baud FSK data. --
Thanks to AMSAT News Service via Jerry Buxton, N0JY

____________________________________________________________________________


Getting It Right!

The story, "Harvey Gains Hurricane Strength, Hurricane Watch and VoIP Hurricane
 Nets Activate," in the August 24 edition of The ARRL Letter, incorrectly
attributed information from ARRL South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Jeff
 Walter, KE5FGA.

____________________________________________________________________________


The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux
declined over the August 24-30 reporting week. The average daily sunspot number
 went from 39.9 to 33.3, while average daily solar flux declined to 81.2 from
84.6.

The average planetary A index declined from 23.1 to 7.1, and average
mid-latitude A index went from 18.6 to 7.4.

The latest forecast shows the planetary A index at 30 on August 31; 35, 20, 12,
 and 8 on September 1-4; 5 on September 5-7; 10 and 8 on September 8-9; 5 on
September 10-12; 25 on September 13; 30
on September 14-15; 25 and 12 on September 16-17; 8 on September 18-19; 5 on
September 20-22; 10 on September 23-24; 8, 15, 25, 18, 15, and 8 on September
25-30, and 5 on October 1-4.

Predicted solar flux is 89 on August 31; 91 on September 1-2; 89 on September
3; 88 on September 4-6; 86 and 80 on September 7-8; 85 on September 9-14; 88 on
 September 15-18; 85 on September 19-20; 82 and 80 on September 21-22, and 78
on September 23-25.

Sunspot numbers for August 24-30, 2017 were 43, 39, 35, 22, 17, 35, and 42,
with a mean of 33.3. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 78.8, 80.8, 77.5, 78.2, 81.6,
 84.3, and 86.9, with a mean of 81.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 11, 5,
 5, 10, 4, 10, and 5, with a mean of 7.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were
 16, 7, 5, 6, 3, 10, and 5, with a mean of 7.4.

The K7RA Solar Update in The ARRL Letter is a preview of the weekly Propagation
 Bulletin, issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an archive of past
propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.

In Friday's bulletin, look for an updated forecast and reports from readers,
including one from QST's "The World Above 50 MHz" columnist Jon Jones, N0JK,
about a revival of 10-meter propagation. Send me your reports or observations.

____________________________________________________________________________


Just Ahead in Radiosport

 *  September 1-3 -- G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest
 *  September 2 -- Russian RTTY WW Contest
 *  September 2 -- CWOps CW Open
 *  September 2 -- Wake-Up! QRP Sprint (CW)
 *  September 2 -- AGCW Straight Key Party
 *  September 2-3 -- All Asian DX Contest (Phone)
 *  September 2-3 -- Colorado QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 2-3 -- IARU Region 1 Field Day (SSB)
 *  September 2-3 -- RSGB SSB Field Day
 *  September 2-3 -- PODXS 070 Club Jay Hudak Memorial 80-Meter Sprint
    (Digital)
 *  September 3 -- WAB 144 MHz QRO Phone
 *  September 3-4 -- Tennessee QSO Party (CW, phone, digital)
 *  September 4-5 -- MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint
 *  September 5 -- ARS Spartan Sprint (CW)
 *  September 6 -- UKEICC 80-Meter Contest (Phone)
 *  September 7 -- NRAU 10-Meter Activity Contest (CW)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar for more information. For in-depth reporting on
Amateur Radio contesting, subscribe to The ARRL Contest Update via your ARRL
member profile e-mail preferences.

____________________________________________________________________________


Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

 *  September 1-3 -- North Carolina State Convention, Shelby, North Carolina
 *  September 8-10 -- New England Division Convention, Boxboro,
    Massachusetts
 *  September 9 -- Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, Virginia
 *  September 10 -- New Jersey State Convention, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
 *  September 15-16 -- W9DXCC Convention, Schaumburg, Illinois
 *  September 15-17 -- Southwestern Division Convention, Torrance,
    California
 *  September 15-17 -- ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference, St.
    Louis, Missouri
 *  September 22-23 -- W4DXCC/SEDCO Convention, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
 *  September 23 -- Iowa State Convention, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
 *  September 23 -- Washington State Convention, Spokane Valley, Washington
 *  September 29-30 - Wisconsin State Convention, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 *  September 30 -- North Dakota State Convention, West Fargo, North Dakota
 *  October 6-8 -- Mid-Atlantic States VHF Conference, Bensalem,
    Pennsylvania
 *  October 7 -- South Carolina Section Convention, Rock Hill, South
    Carolina
 *  October 7-8 -- Great Lakes Division Convention, Brooklyn, Michigan
 *  October 13-14 -- Florida State Convention, Melbourne, Florida
 *  October 14 -- Pacific Northwest VHF Society Conference, Moses Lake,
    Washington
 *  October 20-22 -- Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California
 *  October 21 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference, Wisconsin Rapids,
    Wisconsin
 *  October 22 -- Connecticut State Convention, Meriden, Connecticut
 *  October 28 -- Arizona State Convention, Maricopa, Arizona

Find conventions and hamfests in your area.

____________________________________________________________________________


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____________________________________________________________________________


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)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it
wrong...
... The above opinions are those of my computer!
---
 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)