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Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) volunteers set a new record for total hours activated during a single storm. The net was active for 157 hours — 139 hours of which were continuous. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said the continuous activation record stands at 151 hours for Hurricane Matthew in 2018.
“During this marathon activation, members of the Hurricane Watch Net collected and forwarded countless surface reports to the National Hurricane Center in Miami,” Graves noted.
After devastating Abaco and Grand Bahama islands with winds clocked at 200 MPH or more, Dorian made its way slowly toward Florida, before sliding up the southeastern US coast and making a second landfall on Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It wasn’t over, however. Dorian veered out into the Atlantic, affecting New England before hitting Maritime Canada, where it knocked out power and downed trees.
During its lengthy initial activation, the HWN attempted on numerous occasions to raise stations in the Bahamas but
…Continue reading Hurricane Watch Net Sets New Activation Record during Dorian
 In ex parte comments filed on September 17 in WT Docket 16-239, ARRL renewed its request that the FCC delete symbol-rate limits for data transmissions in the Amateur Service rules. As it did in its initial filing, ARRL asked the FCC to couple the removal of the symbol rate limits with the adoption of a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. In response to a 2013 ARRL Petition for Rulemaking (RM-11708), the FCC proposed deleting the symbol-rate limits but declined to replace them with the 2.8 kHz bandwidth that ARRL wanted.
“This proceeding addresses an update to the Commission’s rules that is needed because a limitation in the rules unintentionally is inhibiting US amateurs from employing the latest improvements to some of the digital modes,” ARRL said in its remarks. “Data signals commonly used for daily communications as well as in disaster situations have bandwidths in the range of 2.5 kHz and must co-exist with other modes that use bandwidths as narrow as 50 Hz.”
…Continue reading ARRL Renews Request for FCC to Replace Symbol Rate with Bandwidth Limit
 The 1 × 1 Special Event Call Signs system offers a way for clubs, groups, or even individuals to use a short call sign of special significance to the amateur community. These 1 × 1 call signs are reserved in advance for use in conjunction with short-term special events and commemorative operations. The FCC does not assign 1 × 1 call signs, so they are not “official.”
On the matter of special event call signs, the FCC says, in Section 97.3(a)(11)(iii) of the Amateur Service rules: “The call sign is selected by the station licensee from a list of call signs shown on a common database coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the amateur station special event call sign data base coordinators. The call sign must have the single letter prefix K, N, or W, followed by a single numeral 0 through 9, followed by a single letter A through W or Y or Z (for
…Continue reading Unraveling the Mystery of 1 × 1 Call Signs
 The Dayton Amateur Radio Association says it has signed an agreement to keep the Dayton Hamvention® at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center for at least the next five years.
Hamvention General Chairman Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT, said the agreement will allow DARA and the Expo Center to “move forward with additional enhancements to the facilities.” That would most likely include a new building to replace the two large tents that continue to house several commercial exhibitors. The timetable for constructing that new building was reportedly a sticking point in the negotiations, according to CQ sources.
Hamvention moved to the Greene County Fairgrounds three years ago, after the closure of its longtime home at Hara Arena.
 The FCC has proposed requiring electronic submissions for all filings to the Universal Licensing System (ULS), including amateur radio license applications, modifications, etc.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in early September is part of a broader plan to eliminate paper filings and correspondence of all types that involve ULS, according to the ARRL. Many types of filings are already required to be done electroni- cally, but hams have been exempted until now.
The FCC says it currently receives some 5000 manually-filed ULS applications each year out of a total of approximately 425,000 (1.2%). The Commission said it doubted that anyone still lacks access to a computer or the internet, and was seeking comments on its proposal to mandate all-electronic filing.
 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced that nine schools and organizations have been selected to host Amateur Radio contacts with International Space Station crew members during the first half of 2020. The selected host organizations must now complete equipment plans that demonstrate their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once a plan is approved, the final selected schools/organizations will have contacts scheduled as their availability matches up with the opportunities offered by NASA.The schools and host organizations are: Celia Hays Elementary School, Rockwall, Texas; Golden Gate Middle School, Naples, Florida; J.P. McConnell Middle School, Loganville, Georgia; Kittredge Magnet School, Atlanta, Georgia; Maple Dale Elementary School, Cincinnati, Ohio; Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee; Oakwood School, Morgan Hill, California; Ramona Lutheran School, Ramona, California, and River Ridge High School, New Port Richey Florida.
The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) activities and raise their
…Continue reading Nine Schools and Organizations Make the Cut for Ham Contacts with ISS Crew
 When the World Radiocommuni- cation Conference (WRC-19) convenes in Egypt in late October, France’s proposal to study additional spectrum space for the Aeronautical Mobile Service will not include 144-146 MHz. The 2-meter amateur band segment had been part of the original French proposal, but it was removed under intense pressure from the International Amateur Radio Union and national amateur radio societies around the world, according to the ARRL. In addition, the 47-47.2 GHz amateur band has been removed from a study proposal for additional spectrum needs for 5G wireless.
WRC-19 will consider a proposal to permit amateurs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East to operate on 50-52 MHz on a secondary basis.
The FCC is asking for public comments on procedural changes that, if adopted, would streamline many administrative hearings under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.“Currently, these hearings typically are conducted like trials in civil litigation and include, among other things, live testimony before an administrative law judge, cross-examination of witnesses, and an initial decision by the administrative law judge that is subject to review by the Commission,” the FCC said in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in EB Docket 19-214. The FCC said its proposals “are designed to supplement the Commission’s current administrative law judge referral process and promote more efficient resolution of hearings.”
If adopted, the proposals would:
Codify and expand the use of a process that would rely on written testimony and documentary evidence in lieu of live testimony and cross-examination. Enable Commission staff to act as a case manager that would supervise development of the written hearing record when the Commission
…Continue reading FCC Seeks to Streamline its Hearings Process
 This is an invitation to the Midland Amateur Radio Club’s September Club Meeting and visit by John Stratton N5AUS, acting Director of the West Gulf Division of the ARRL on 16 September. The doors will open at 7:00 pm and the meeting will start at 7:30 pm. There will be several door prizes, including a Baofeng UV-9R, the higher power version of the UV-5R. A 2500mAh battery, speaker mic, and software interface with cable are included.
I know that for many of you this is a long trip; however, I want to extend the invitation as it is a great opportunity.
Mr. Stratton will give us a first person update on the ARRL Board of Directors focus on topics facing modern Amateur Radio. It will be a good opportunity to put him on the hot seat with your concerns and questions. John has been a regular attendee of the St Patrick’s Day Hamfest and gives an informative presentation during the Section/Division Forum. If possible make plans
…Continue reading John Stratton N5AUS visit and September Club Meeting next Monday 16 Sept
 Eddie De Young, AE7AA, of Clearwater, Florida, has been named Awards Editor of CQ Amateur Radio magazine. His first Awards column appears in the September 2019 issue. De Young succeeds Ted Melinosky, K1BV, who served both as Awards Editor and USA-Counties Award Custodian for more than 20 years. Brian Bird, NX0X, now is USA-CA custodian.
Licensed since 1954, De Young has held more than two dozen call signs in 11 different countries over the years. While living in Australia, he served as Awards Manager for the Wireless Institute of Australia.
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