HAM’S LIFE

Recently the ARRL sent an email to its members stating in part, “Late last year, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) — WT Docket 09-209 — seeking to amend the Commission’s Amateur Radio Service rules to clarify certain rules and codify existing procedures governing the vanity call sign system, as well as revise certain rules applicable to club stations.”

I saw nothing in the email that indicated the ARRL’s official position on the proposed changes just a statement of fact that the FCC has proposed to amend the vanity call sign program and make changes to certain rules about club stations licenses.

After reading the comments made on the official FCC comment page it appeared to me  that some people are objecting to the changes but have no idea what the proposed changes are.  Possibly or maybe I should say probably they did not bother to find out what changes the FCC wants to make and why. Well informed comments are of great value to all concerned but uninformed comments are of little value to the FCC or to the Amateur radio community. 

If you are interested in what the FCC has proposed you can read the information at: http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2009/db1124/FCC-09-102A1.pdf

If you are interested in making a comment about the release you have until March 26, 2010.  Comments can be submitted via the FCC’s Web site at, http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/.  One thing I would recommend, before you comment read the document you are commenting about. 

To see comments made by others go to: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding_search/input?z=cp5su enter “09-209”  in the block marked “proceeding number?”  and click “Search For Proceedings”  button at the bottom of the page. Click on the blue circle with the “i” in it under “Filed On Behalf Of.”  Click on  “View 1” following “”View Filing.” 

While the issue of interference between amateur radio operators on the 440 MHz band and the US Air Force Pave PAWS has been resolved on the east coast the restrictions on amateur operations on the 440 MHz band still remains in effect on the west coast of the United States. 

If you are not familiar with the issue more information can be seen on the January 8, 2008 post (http://hamslife.com/?p=60) and on the February 1, 2008 post (http://hamslife.com/?p=81 ) of this blog site. 

By means of email the Section Manager for the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section, Ronald D. Murdock, W6JK gave an update to ARRL members in the Sacramento Valley Section. 

In his email Ron said that on 8 January 2010 he and other ARRL officials were given a briefing by Lt. Col. Cory J. Keepler the commander of the 7^th Space Warning Squadron at Beal AFB, CA.  In this briefing Lt. Col. Keepler revealed that the Air Force believes the current restrictions on the local Amateur radio operations has improved Pave PAWS operation and thus will remain in effect. 

There is also some other interference which the Air Force has not yet been able to identify.  The Air Force will continue to search for any interference and hopefully will be able to identify all of them. 

One of the fun parts of operating this blog is being able to answer emails from readers who have questions.  Two areas of questions that frequently come up are, “Should I get a ham radio or a CB radio?” and, “Can my teenager get a ham license?”  Frequently these questions come together.

The first question is impossible for me to answer but I try to give some guideline that will hopefully help.  Reading my post on the difference between ham radio and CB radio (http://hamslife.com/?p=24) might help in making the decision.  One big consideration is are you willing to study and take a test to get on the air?  If not then ham radio is out but that does not necessarily mean CB is in for you. 

The second question is easy to answer.  There is no age limit in the United States on who may hold an amateur radio license.  Some countries do have limits and if you are not in the United States of America and do have age restrictions please leave a comment so if others in your country reads this they can know about the restriction.  Children 8 years old and younger have passed the test and received their ham radio license. 

Now let me bring the two questions together and ask, should a child or teen be on the amateur or the CB radio frequencies?

Some young children who obtain their ham radio license do not yet have the social skills or interest that is needed to effectively use their acquisition.  If they are pushed by a ham parent to get the license it could have a negative result as they get older.  My wife and I raised six children; three of them got their ham license before leaving home and one got her license after she was married.  None of my children currently have valid amateur radio licenses.  Maybe I was guilty of pushing.

While my children were allowed to listen to and, when licensed, operate on the ham bands they were not allowed to listen to nor operate on the CB band. 

Citizen Band radio was authorized to provide an inexpensive short range business radio communications service for the general public.  A license, though no test was involved, was required.  From the beginning there were people who abused the system and in the early 1970 the whole CB operation got so out of hand that the FCC could not enforce the regulations so for the most part if the operators were not bothering anyone outside the CB frequencies the FCC just ignored it.  Obscene language became the norm.  Drug dealers and prostitutes found they could use CB to their advantage in selling their illegal traffic. 

Ham radio operators have a history of trying to keep illegal operations off the ham bands.  So while I can not say it does not happen I can say it is rare. 

It is my personal opinion that children and teens should not be subjected to the Citizen Band service.  When it comes to children and teens acquiring their ham license and using the ham bands it needs to be remembered that each one is an individual and thus different.  I know hams who have been hams for many years who got their license as teens and some even younger. 

On Monday January 4,2010 the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators’ (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC)released the new question pool for the Technician Class amateur radio exam which will become effective on July 1, 2010.  The new question pool will be valid for four years or until June 30, 2014.

Within the approximately 400 questions there will be questions related to graphics and diagrams.  The graphic and diagram questions will be new for this element 2.  The exam itself will continue to consist of 35 questions. The complete Questions and Answers for the new test can be found at http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=356 . 

No! NASA is not looking for hams willing to operate from the planet Mars.  The MARS referred here is the Military Auxiliary Radio System formally known as the Military Affiliate Radio System. 

The program behind MARS started back in November 1925 under the leadership of Captain Thomas C. Rives of the United States Army Signal Corps.  Captain Rives organized a group of amateur radio operators with the intent of utilizing their talents to train soldiers how to use the new technology of radio communications.  He would also use the organization, which was then called Auxiliary Amateur Radio System (AARS), to assist in research and development of radio equipment to be used by the US Army.  AARS members could also provide an instant pool of already trained radio operators for military operations if needed.

That pool of ready trained operators proved very useful when the United States of America was suddenly thrust into war on December 7, 1941.  Many of its members of AARS became military radio operators.  AARS operations along with all amateur radio operations were suspended during the war.  In 1946 AARS was reactivated.

November 1948 AARS changed its name to Military Amateur Radio System (MARS) and was split into two separate groups, the Army MARS, and the newly formed United States Air Force MARS.  (The USAF became a separate branch of the US military on September 18, 1947.  Formally it was known as the Army Air Corp.)

MARS kept its acronym but changed its name to Military Affiliate Radio System on September 2, 1952. The Navy-Marine Corps MARS program was established on August 17, 1962.

The MARS program became well known for its handling of messages and phone patches for military personnel serving overseas.  Modern email and cell phones has almost eliminated the need for MARS to handle personal messages for those serving in the military. 

December 23, 2009 MARS again changed its name while keeping it well known acronym.  The new name for MARS is the Military Auxiliary Radio System.  The Department of Defense give the following definition of a military auxiliary: “an organized body of volunteers prepared to supplement the uniformed services or any designated civilian authorities by provision of specialized autonomous services when called upon or when situations warrant.”  The Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary are two examples of Military Auxiliaries. 

With the name change came a modification of its primary mission.  MARS now will provide auxiliary emergency communications for US Military and other federal agencies such as FEMA and Homeland Security.  MARS may now assist state, local, and select private and public agencies with emergency communications. The new focus of the MARS’ mission is homeland security. 

West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society (WTARS) steps forward to promote amateur radio and is to be commended for humanitarian efforts.

It all started when Bob Alper, W6KT, went to visit his friend and fellow ham Gary King, W4WKZ, in November 2008.  It was then that Bob discovered Gary’s 60 foot tower and antenna array had been damaged.  Gary is legally blind so he was not able to make repairs to his tower and antenna system himself. 

Along with his other amateur related activities, before his antennas were damaged, Gary daily reported weather conditions in Medon, TN, Gary’s home town, to the National Weather Service in Memphis, TN but after his antenna system was damaged he was unable to operate his station and thus not able to send in his daily weather report. 

Bob related Gary’s plight to other members of WTARS and the club was able to purchase a new tower and antenna system for Gary.  In the summer’s heat of July 2009 a group of WTARS members gathered at Gary’s home and poured 880pounds of concrete, which they mixed in five gallon buckets, to form a base for the new tower.  It took four more months to obtain the rest of the parts needed to complete the tower and antennas and install them. 

Finally after over a year of silence W4WKZ was back on the air on December fifth of 2009. 

WTARS is not unlike other clubs.  It does not have a large pot of money waiting to be used for such projects but it does have member who are willing to give of their time and personal finances to help a fellow ham in need. 

Thank you WTARS members for being an excellent example to us all. 

Every ham knows about field day sponsored by the ARRL held on the last weekend of June.  Very few hams know about the winter field day on the last weekend of January sponsored by Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio (SPAR). 

One of the purposes of field day is to test readiness for emergency operation.  Emergencies and disasters are not limited to the summer months. Winter disasters can many times be more devastating then summer disasters.

To learn more about the Winter Field Day event go to http://www.spar-hams.org/ and click on Winter Field Day under Activities/Contests.   

That yellow safety sticker on an antenna tower, push-up pole or vertical antennas will not protect you.  It is there to remind you of the hazards of raising a conductor around power lines.

On 10/12/2009 at 2040 Eastern Time a 55 year old man, his 49 year old wife, and their 15 year old son were electrocuted while attempting to raise an antenna for the man’s mother.  None of the deceased were ham radio operators but the mother was a licensed ham (out of respect I will reframe from giving her call sign.)  The 50 foot vertical antenna they were trying to erect fell across a 13,000 volt power line. 

When erecting antennas check to be sure there is no way the antenna or its support can come in contact with power lines either while they are being erected or if a storm should bring them down later.  If you are not experienced at raising either a push-pole or a tower get help from someone who is experienced and knows what they are doing.  For safety reasons this type of work should not be done in the dark. 

While the above individuals were not alone I just want to thrown in the following bit of advice.  Never work on a tower, ladder, roof, or other elevated platform alone.  Always have another person to assist. 

Accidents will happen but their frequency of occurrence can be greatly reduced by taking a little time and evaluate the possibilities so the negative potentials can be avoided.

October 6, 2009 U. S. Senators Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a companion bill to HR 2160 which was introduced to the House of Representatives by Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX-18) in April 2009.  Senate bill is 1755 is also known as “The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009”. 

More complete information can be found on ARRL website at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/07/11127/.  I highly recommend each of you with an interest in ham radio study the information on this bill and write your senator and encourage him or her to support this bill.   

Comment after comment I have to mark as spam or delete.  It is coming time to renew my web site name (hamslife) and I am not sure it is worth the cost because I am not sure I am helping anyone.  The whole idea of this blog is to pass information and help in the area of ham radio.  If it is not doing this then what is the reason for me to spend the money or time?

I know sense I broke my leg a year ago I have not done as much as I would like to do here but just a little encouragement from out there would help me do more.

Does anyone want this site to continue or should I take it down and stop waisting siberspace?