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N9PMO > LETTER 19.09.14 20:38l 606 Lines 29398 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Sent: 140919/1822Z 406@N9PMO.#SEWI.WI.USA.NA BPQ1.4.61
ARRL Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for October 4-5 Weekend
High-Value ARRL "Red Badgers" Will Be Out in Force on September 21
W1AW Centennial Operations Now in North Carolina, Connecticut. New
Mexico, Idaho in the Bullpen
New $21.40 Vanity Call Sign Fee Now in Effect
IARU Region 1 General Conference, IARU Administrative Council to Meet
in Bulgaria
Amateur Radio Society of India Wants Less-Burdensome Amateur Radio
Licensing Rules
Rare Eritrea (E3) on the Air for Short Time
Moon-Bound Ham Radio Payload Will Transmit Earthly Messages from
Space
Qatari Es'hail 2 Satellite will Include AMSAT-DL Phase 4 Amateur
Radio Transponders
AMSAT-NA Announces Board of Directors Election Results
Colorado ARES Team Wins an Honorable Mention in Citizen Corps Awards
"Last Man Standing" Special Event Set for September 28
No Easy Answers for RadioShack's Slow, Downward Slide
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
The K7RA Solar Update
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
ARRL Website Unavailable on September 19 Starting at 2000 UTC
The ARRL website is scheduled to be offline on Friday, September 19,
starting at 2000 UTC. The length of the outage could run for several
hours and possibly into Saturday, September 20. The ARRL IT
Department will be performing maintenance in the process of testing
and, if feasible, switching the site to a new server.
A "Down for Maintenance" message will appear for the duration of the
outage whenever someone attempts to access www.arrl.org.
All e-mail functionality will remain online -- only the website will
be down for testing.
ARRL Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for October 4-5 Weekend
The national ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is slated for the
October 4-5 weekend, although the window for local and regional
exercises is September 1 through November 30 each year. All groups
conduct their events over the course of 48 hours. The SET is a
nationwide exercise in disaster response and emergency
Coweta County, Georgia, Emergency Coordinator Randy Mercer, WN4TLP,
operates as net control station from his home in Newnan during the
Metro Atlanta District ARES 2013 SET. [Randy Mercer, WN4TLP, photo]
communication, administered by ARRL emergency coordinators and net
managers, in which volunteers respond to a mock emergency or
disaster, such as an earthquake or hurricane. Members of the Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service (RACES), the National Traffic System (NTS), SKYWARN, the ARRL
Field Organization, and other groups work together to plan and
develop simulated emergency and disaster scenarios, in consultation
with the various served agencies that rely on radio amateurs during
emergencies.
The SET offers volunteer public service communicators the opportunity
to focus on their capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses while
interacting with NTS nets. It also provides a public demonstration --
to served agencies such as the Red Cross, state and local emergency
managers, and the news media -- of the value that Amateur Radio
provides. The SET helps radio amateurs gain communication experience
using standard procedures and a variety of modes, under simulated
disaster-response conditions. Participating groups earn points toward
an overall SET score, adding a competitive component to the activity.
Results are listed in QST (see pages 71-73 of the July issue of QST
for the 2013 SET results). Visit the ARRL Public Service/Field
Services page and click on "SET Score Card" for an explanation of how
points are earned.
Many ARES groups across the country will be participating, and all
ARES members are invited to support the national SET and their local
ARES group's activity.
During this year's SET, participating ARES/NTS members can earn SET
bonus points by participating in the ARRL Centennial QSO Party.
During the October 4-5 SET weekend, ARES and NTS field members and
appointees are encouraged to get on the air and call "CQ Centennial."
The exchange is signal report, name, location, and your designator.
There will be a special bonus for groups that include Centennial QSO
Party participation. Each station making at least 5 contacts is worth
an additional 3 points toward your group's SET score. Those taking
part in a SET on another weekend may participate on the national SET
weekend and count it later (or submit an amended SET report form).
See page 78 in the July issue of QST, and page 75 in the September
issue of QST for more information on the SET. -- Thanks to the ARES
E-Letter
High-Value ARRL "Red Badgers" Will Be Out in Force on September 21
The next ARRL "Red Badges on the Air" activity is just days away. On
Sunday, September 21 UTC (starting the evening of Saturday, September
20, in US time zones), holders of red ARRL name/call sign badges will
be on the air en masse, offering a chance to boost your ARRL
Centennial QSO Party total. ARRL officers, elected officials such as
Director or Section Manager, as well as Headquarters staffers and
volunteers, and other members of the ARRL family will take to the
Working the holder of this red badge, ARRL Midwest Division Director
Cliff Ahrens, is worth 225 points per mode contact. [Rick Lindquist,
WW1ME, photo]
air in numbers. Contacts with red badge wearers are worth as much as
300 points per contact for working ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN.
ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N,
said he expects many of the 200 or so Red Badgers will be on the air
on September 21, along with other ARRL appointees, VEs, and members.
"The first Red Badge Day was a huge success but left many operators
wanting more. Nine months into ARRL's Centennial year, the Centennial
QSO Party and W1AW activations already have proven to be the largest
and most active special events in the history of Amateur Radio, with
more than 20,000 participants on the air from all continents."
The event is considered an activity day, not a contest, and operation
is permitted on all bands. Participants can call "CQ ARRL Centennial
QSO Party" on phone or "CQ CENT" on CW or digital modes. While the
focus is to encourage ARRL red badge holders to hand out Centennial
QSO Party points, all activity is welcome, regardless of point value.
ARRL members are worth at least one point in the Centennial QSO
Party. Participants get credit for each band/mode contact, regardless
of point value. ARRL Centennial QSO Party participants can use the
leader board to determine how many points they have accumulated. Read
more.
W1AW Centennial Operations Now in North Carolina, Connecticut. New
Mexico, Idaho in the Bullpen
The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout
2014 from each of the 50 states are now in North Carolina (W1AW/4)
and Connecticut (W1AW/1). W1AW operations will transition starting at
0000 UTC on Wednesday, September 24 (the evening of September 23 in
US time zones), to New Mexico (W1AW/5) and Idaho (W1AW/7). W1AW has
visited each of the 50 states for at least 1 week so far during 2014.
By year's end W1AW will have been on the air from every state at
least twice, as well as from most US territories.
The ARRL Centennial QSO Party kicked off January 1 for a year-long
operating event in which participants can accumulate points and win
awards. The event is open to all, although only ARRL members and
appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth ARRL
Centennial QSO Party points.
Working W1AW/x from each state is worth 5 points per mode/contact,
even when working the same state during its second week of activity.
To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating
portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut
does not count for Connecticut. Participants must work W1AW/1 in
Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available.
An ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board shows participants how many
points they have accumulated in the Centennial QSO Party and in the
W1AW WAS operations. Log in using your Logbook of The World (LoTW)
user name and password, and your position will appear at the top of
the leader boards. Results are updated daily, based on contacts
entered into LoTW.
Ad
New $21.40 Vanity Call Sign Fee Now in Effect
The new Amateur Service vanity call sign regulatory fee of $21.40
became effective on September 11. The FCC released a Report and Order
and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (R&O) on August 29, in
which it recalculated the fee to $21.40 for the 10-year license term.
The $5.30 increase represents the largest vanity fee hike in many
years. In the past, new vanity fees did not become effective until 30
days after their publication in The Federal Register, which occurred
on September 11.
The FCC reported there were 11,500 "payment units" in FY 2014, and
that the vanity program generated an estimated $230,230 in FY 2013
revenue. The Commission estimated that it would collect nearly
$246,100 in FY 2014 vanity call sign fees.
The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable when applying for a
new vanity call sign or when renewing any vanity call sign designated
as "HV" in the FCC's ULS database.
As of October 1, 2013, the Commission no longer accepts checks --
including cashier's checks -- for the payment of regulatory fees. All
payments must now be made by online ACH payment, online credit card,
or via wire transfer. Any other form of payment will be rejected and
returned to the applicant.
IARU Region 1 General Conference, IARU Administrative Council to Meet
in Bulgaria
Representatives of the countries comprising IARU Region 1 (Europe,
Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia) will gather this month
for the Region 1 General Conference. The Bulgarian Federation of
Radio Amateurs, (BFRA) will host the meeting September 21-26 in
Albena on the Black Sea Coast. Regional general conferences are held
every 3 years.
"At General Conferences IARU Region 1 makes major decisions on the
future of Amateur Radio and determines the way ahead with
administrative, operational, technical, and financial matters,"
Region 1 Chairman Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, explained.
Conference delegates will elect the Executive Committee as well as
working group chairmen, and coordinators.
General Conference participants will tackle a plethora of papers on a
wide variety of Amateur Radio topics -- from administrative to
operational and technical.
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) will raise the issue of
malicious QRM, especially in the wake of intentional interference to
well-publicized DXpeditions that have attracted huge pileups. "It is
now time for all Region 1 Member Societies to treat malicious QRM as
a major and urgent priority and to take positive action against this
form of anarchy that threatens the future of Amateur Radio," the RSGB
said in
IARU Region 1 Chairman Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T.
its paper, "Malicious QRM -- Time for Action." Among other
approaches, the RSGB will recommend that member societies use their
media outlets to "highlight the self-regulatory ethos of Amateur
Radio, to condemn the actions of the malicious QRMers, and to
publicize where direct action has been taken." The RSGB also will
recommend that Region 1 appoint an Amateur Radio Observation Service
(AROS) network.
The topic of transnational Amateur Radio remote-controlled operation
also will come up for discussion. A recommendation from the Irish
Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) would mandate the incoming
Executive Committee to set up a working group of individuals
experienced in radio regulatory affairs "to examine the question of
transnational remote-controlled operation and to establish under what
conditions such operation might be regulated."
IARU Region 1 Youth Coordinator Lisa Leenders, PA2LS.
IARU Region 1 Youth Coordinator Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, has submitted a
proposal to form a Region 1 Youth Working Group, which would be
responsible for Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) activities in addition
to promoting Amateur Radio youth activities within the region.
Leenders will recommend that IARU Region 1 become the "main funder"
of a week-long YOTA summer camp, where youngsters take part in
Amateur Radio activities.
Other presentations that delegates to the IARU Region 1 General
Conference will hear include a presentation on CW operating procedure
by the Icelandic Radio Amateurs (IRA) -- Iceland's IARU
member-society.
The IARU Administrative Council will meet September 27-28, following
the Region 1 General Conference.
Amateur Radio Society of India Wants Less-Burdensome Amateur Radio
Licensing Rules
The Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) -- India's International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society -- is continuing an effort
to make it easier to obtain an Amateur Radio license in that country,
where excessive red tape is an accepted reality when dealing with
government agencies. The latest attempt came in an August 19 letter
from ARSI President Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, to Ravi Shankar Prasad,
who heads the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
"In India we are hampered by some very archaic rules, which were
possibly formulated during the British [colonial] times, when
everything was done to restrict radio licenses being given to
Indians," Madhavan wrote. "The most restrictive and time-consuming
aspect is the 'security clearance' that is being done before a
license is granted," he continued. "In most cases, this takes months
or even years, and often the paperwork is totally lost in transit
between the various agencies."
Such "inordinate delays" in receiving a license after passing the
examination can cause applicants to simply lose interest, said
Madhavan, who is also IARU Region 3 chairman. "[G]enuine aspirants to
Amateur Radio are denied licenses for months, year, and sometimes
forever, as the papers are lost," he said.
In his letter, Madhavan took pains to spell out Amateur Radio's
public service role in past disasters and emergencies, such as the
Indian Ocean tsunami, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and
the Latur and Gujarat earthquakes. Amateur Radio also contributes in
terms of technical training, experimentation, and communication, he
said.
ARSI President Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN, during a 2011 visit to ARRL
Headquarters.
The Department of Telecommunications within Prasad's ministry issues
Amateur Radio licenses. The Indian government has suggested that ham
radio technology may fall into hands of terrorists and has begun
requiring a security clearance. Madhavan pointed out that the
security clearance requirement is not listed in India's Amateur Radio
regulations, and he called it "totally irrelevant" at a time when
many other means of communication are available.
"Every country has serious concerns about security, but they have not
found it necessary to vet aspirants to Amateur Radio as is done only
in India," he wrote. In most countries, he noted, applicants can
obtain a license within a week of passing the required exam and
paying any necessary fees.
Madhavan requested Prasad's "intervention and coordination" with the
Ministry of Home Affairs to help ease the process of issuing a new
amateur license and to grow India's Amateur Radio population, which
currently stands at some 17,000 in a country of more than 1.2 billion
people. Read more.
Rare Eritrea (E3) on the Air for Short Time
Zorro Miyazawa, JH1AJT, is on the air until September 22 from Eritrea
as E30FB, at present running 100 W to a vertical antenna on 20 and 15
meters, SSB. Eritrea now stands at number 17 (mixed) on ClubLog's
DXCC Most Wanted List (number 10 on CW, number 22 on SSB). Eritrea
has not been activated since 2001.
This is not a DXpedition. Miyazawa is in Eritrea as part of an
official Japanese delegation. He plans to operate as his schedule
permits.
Additional gear has arrived, but he is still missing the shipment
containing an amplifier. He does not have Internet access, and logs
will be uploaded when he returns to Japan.
Once a part of Ethiopia, Eritrea is a small country on the Horn of
Africa that is home to some 6.2 million people. -- Thanks to Jay Oka,
JA1TRC
Ad
Moon-Bound Ham Radio Payload Will Transmit Earthly Messages from
Space
The Amateur Radio payload on the lunar-orbiting 4M-LXS spacecraft is
set to carry up to 2500 brief digital messages into space for
retransmission via JT65B mode on 145.990 MHz. China recently
announced plans to launch the orbiter carrying the 14 kg
battery-powered payload, developed by LUXspace in Luxembourg. The
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is a partner in the
experiment. Getting a message into space required registering and
uploading one via the 4M website. A "73 de W1AW" message was among
those uploaded before the message collection site closed on September
17. While the window was open, the site gathered messages of up to 13
characters -- the maximum for JT65 transmissions -- to transmit "from
the moon," the 4M Manfred Memorial Moon Mission website said.
A model of the LUXspace 4M spacecraft superimposed above the lunar
surface. [LUXspace image]
Signals from the Amateur Radio payload can be decoded using the free
WSJT software by Joe Taylor, K1JT. The Manfred Memorial Moon Mission
memorializes Manfred Fuchs, the late founder and chairman of LUXspace
parent company OHB of Bremen. He died in April. The 4M mission is
expected to launch sometime after 1800 UTC on October 23.
According to LUXspace, the 4M spacecraft will transmit continuously
on 145.980 MHz (± 2.9 kHz) at 1.5 W into a simple quarter-wave
monopole antenna. "This will give S/N comparable to EME signals at
Earth's surface," LUXspace said. "The transmission is based on a
1-minute sequence and a 5-minute cycle. The transmission will start
4670 seconds (77.8 minutes) after launch."
The 4M mission was detailed during a presentation the EME 2014
conference held recently in France. A paper, "4M Mission: A Lunar
Flyby Experiment" also is available. During the lunar flyby, the
spacecraft will be about nearly 248,000 miles from Earth and between
7440 and 14,480 miles from the Moon. The spacecraft will be part of
the last stage of the lunar mission. The planned trajectory calls for
a lunar flyby and return to Earth, with a 90 percent chance that the
spacecraft will re-enter Earth's atmosphere. LUXspace has provided a
tracking tool on its website. Read more. -- Thanks to LUXspace,
AMSAT-UK
Qatari Es'hail 2 Satellite will Include AMSAT-DL Phase 4 Amateur
Radio Transponders
Gunter's Space Page has reported that the Es'hail 2 communications
satellite will carry analog and digital Amateur Radio transponders.
The new satellite, which will be operated by Es'hailSat, the Qatar
Satellite Company, will be in a geostationary orbit, positioned at
the 26° East "hotspot" position for TV broadcasting to the Middle
East and North Africa. Launch is planned for late 2016.
Es'hail 2 will provide the first Amateur Radio geostationary
communication capability linking Brazil and India. It will carry two
AMSAT-DL-designed Phase 4 Amateur Radio transponders, consisting of a
250 kHz linear analog transponder and an experimental digital
modulation transponder with an 8 MHz bandwidth. Uplinks will be in
the 2.400-2.450 GHz range, with downlinks in the 10.450-10.500 GHz
Amateur-Satellite Service allocation. Both transponders will be
equipped with antennas capable of providing full coverage over about
one-third of Earth's surface.
The Qatar Amateur Radio Society and Qatar Satellite Company are
cooperating on the Amateur Radio project. AMSAT-DL is providing
technical support. -- Thanks to Gunter's Space Page via AMSAT News
Service
AMSAT-NA Announces Board of Directors Election Results
AMSAT-NA has announced the results of its recent Board of Directors
election. Tom Clark, K3IO; JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM; and Lou McFadin,
W5DID, were elected to serve 2-year terms.
Jerry Buxton, N0JY, will serve the remaining year on the term of the
late Tony Monteiro, AA2TX.
The First Alternate is Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and the Second
Alternate is Frank Griffin, K4FEG. Read more.
Colorado ARES Team Wins an Honorable Mention in Citizen Corps Awards
The Boulder County (Colorado) ARES team (BCARES) received an
honorable mention in the Citizen Corps 2014 Individual and Community
Preparedness Awards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
announced its list of nationwide award recipients on September 3.
Ueli Hauser, KB9TTI/HB9TTI, on the roof of the Boulder Amateur Radio
Club's station, located at the airport. ATV cameras and transmitters
provided emergency managers with flood images. [Ueli Hauser, KB9TTI,
photo]
BCARES was cited under the Technical Innovation category for its use
of Amateur TV and APRS and for its Mountain Emergency Radio Network
(MERN) project during its response to the 2013 flooding in the
Boulder area. MERN was created in conjunction with BCARES, the
Inter-Mountain Alliance (IMA), and the Boulder County Office of
Emergency Management. The goal of the system is to facilitate
community emergency preparedness and insure uninterrupted
communication between and within six mountain communities in Western
Boulder County, county emergency services, and their resources prior
to and during an emergency via an Amateur Radio network.
FEMA is planning an award presentation. -- Thanks to ARRL Colorado
Section Manager Jack Ciaccia, WM0G
Ad
"Last Man Standing" Special Event Set for September 28
A Hollywood-style Amateur Radio special event is set for later this
month from the so-called "Seinfeld Stage" on the CBS Studio Center
lot in Studio City, California. The K6H "Hollywood Hamnado" special
event station will be on HF and D-STAR on September 28, from 1400
until 2200 UTC. Hosts for the event will be Amateur Radio crew
members of the ABC television series "Last Man Standing." On the
show, actor Tim Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT. The show's producer
is John Amodeo, NN6JA
The Southern California-based PAPA Repeater System, in association
with the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society (BEARS) and Disney
Emergency Amateur Radio Service (DEARS) are sponsoring the special
event.
Operation will take place on 10, 20, and 40 meters on HF and D-STAR
reflector 12A. Rob Antonacci, AA6RA, said K6H is planning to run
three SSB stations, operating on or around 28.420, 14.250, and 7.260
MHz. The PAPA website, the W5KUB chat room, and the Mike Baxter
KA0XTT Facebook page will provide up-to-the-minute updates.
K6H also will use the Disney Amateur Radio Interconnect to link the
WB6AJE repeater in Los Angeles to Disney/ABC-sponsored repeaters in
Manhattan-Bristol, Connecticut; Washington, DC, and Orlando, Florida.
Various IRLP and EchoLink nodes will be available. Those contacting
K6H will receive a limited-edition QSL card.
Tom Medlin, W5KUB, will be on Stage 9 to interview the participants
and report on the special event activity. The PAPA website will
stream video directly from the operating stations. So far, 26 members
of the "Last Man Standing" crew have been inspired by the show's
Amateur Radio component to get licensed. -- Thanks to Rob Antonacci,
AA6RA
No Easy Answers for RadioShack's Slow, Downward Slide
Back in the day, RadioShack employees would answer the phone by
saying, "You've got questions, we've got answers." But RadioShack now
seems stumped, and the "B" word is looming ever larger as the
retailer -- once the go-to place for electronic components and, at
one point, even some Amateur Radio gear and shortwave receivers --
casts about for a white knight. Last March, in the wake of a
substantial drop in holiday sales and a big fourth-quarter loss, the
Fort Worth, Texas-based RadioShack announced plans to close 1100 of
its outlets, leaving the chain with 4000 stores, including more than
900 dealer franchises. The company's second-quarter 2014 report has
been deemed "dismal" by investment advisors.
According to CNNMoney, though, the retailer has been able to shutter
only 200 of those shops -- because it costs a lot of money even to
close locations, and RadioShack has none to spare. It's already
bleeding cash -- some $149 million just this year --in its struggle
to board up unprofitable locations and keep its head above the rising
waters, and, as CNNMoney reported, credit rating agency Moody's
expects the company's bank account to run dry within another 12
months. One Wall Street analyst already has warned of impending
bankruptcy, and Forbes.com reported last week that the retailer
itself has confirmed the likelihood of a Chapter 7 or Chapter 11
bankruptcy filing, if it cannot find a buyer or restructure its debt.
RadioShack CEO Joseph Magnacca said in a statement on September 11
that while the company was making progress in its turn-around
efforts, "we are actively exploring options for overhauling our
balance sheet and are in advanced discussions with a number of
parties."
A filing the retailer submitted to the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) this week was far more blunt. In short, it said that
if RadioShack cannot sell the firm, partner with another company, or
restructure its debt, "we may not have enough cash and working
capital to fund our operations beyond the very near term, which
raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going
concern." And if Plan A does not work out, the retailer told the SEC,
"we would likely be required to liquidate under Chapter 7 of the
Bankruptcy Code." Read more.
A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL
In March 1980, Mount St Helens spectacularly exploded. Before the
explosion, radio amateurs had been assisting with communication among
a number of sites where ongoing measurements were being taken,
because scientists had concluded that the mountain was nearing the
point of eruption. The hams continued to work after the volcano's
several eruptions, with both emergency communications and a
continuation of their previous support work. Sadly, two of those hams
lost their lives during the disaster -- W6TQF and KA7AMF.
By the 1980s, some towns and neighborhoods had begun to impose very
restrictive rules about antennas and towers -- rules that would
prohibit effective amateur antennas. Many of these cases were fought
through the legal system successfully by the affected hams. As with
so many issues that involve many hams all over the country, ARRL
joined the fight, providing legal assistance through the League's
general counsel and volunteer counselors who were also hams.
Mount St Helens erupted in March 1980. [Robert Krimmel/USGS photo]
The ARRL introduced a new periodical in December 1981 -- QEX. Its
purposes were (1) to publish articles that documented advanced
technical work in areas that were not of wide general interest, and
(2) to act as a catalyst for technical development in the Amateur
Radio and Amateur-Satellite Services.
On May 21, 1981, at the request of the ARRL, the FCC restored 160
meters to exclusive Amateur Radio use. Before this, the FCC rules
included an array of restrictions on 160 meter operation, to protect
the LORAN (Long-Range Aid to Navigation) system. Now, hams could run
a full kilowatt on 160, day and night, anywhere in the country!
In the 1980s, packet radio and packet repeaters -- digipeaters --
came into being. Numerous QST articles detailed this mode of
operation, helping interested hams to get up and running on packet.
In 1982, cable TV systems expanded across the US, bringing with them
the potential for CATVI -- cable TVI. Some cable channels were on 2
meter amateur frequencies, and because many poorly installed and
maintained cable systems "leaked" TV signals, causing interference on
the 2 meter band. Of course, if signals could leak out, other signals
could leak in, and hams sometimes caused interference when their
signals got into the cable TV system. Cable companies often blamed
the problem on hams, rather than take the blame for their poor
equipment and maintenance. In the meantime, the FCC was in a fiscal
crisis, because of budget cutbacks. Although it was willing to
enforce the regulations and bring the cable companies in line, it was
unable to fund that enforcement effort. This problem continued for
some time before it was corrected.
During the 1980s, the SKYWARN system was established and became
affiliated with the National Weather Service, so hams could report
dangerous weather events that they saw. To this day, SKYWARN members
have proven extremely valuable for monitoring weather conditions and
providing "ground truth" reports to the NWS. Much SKYWARN
communication occurs via 2 meter repeaters.
Harry Dannals, W2HD, had been ARRL President for 10 years when he
decided to step down in 1982. At the same time, ARRL Secretary and
General Manager Richard Baldwin, W1RU, retired. At their first 1982
meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors elected Vic Clark, W4KFC, as the
League's new president, and David Sumner, K1ZZ, as the new Secretary
and General Manager.
On the afternoon of January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 took off
from Washington National Airport. But the Boeing 737 slowly settled
toward Earth, clipping the 14th Street Bridge (I-395) and destroying
seven cars that were on it, before crash landing in the ice-covered
Potomac River. The area's ARES operators and nets sprang in
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