HCARC Happenings

June 2013

 

News for Amateur Radio Operators In and Around Hillsdale County

 

The next Ham Breakfast will be Saturday, June 8 at 8am at the Downtown Diner (formally the Reading Inn), 137 S Main in Reading (map). 

 

 

Field Day is coming up on June 22-23.  There will be a planning session on Saturday, June 8, immediately following the ham breakfast at the Downtown Diner (approximately 9am).  Come have some breakfast, then stick around to help with the planning.  The ARRL Field Day packet with rules and other information is available here.  Check out the ARRL Field Day web page and order your official ARRL Field Day gear here.  Brenda Sprow will be doing the catering.  Click here to view the menu.  Donations will be encouraged to help defray the cost of the food.

 

 

Four club members provided Amateur Radio services to the Hillsdale County CROP Walk that was held on May 5.  Walkers started at the Salvation Army Citadel in Hillsdale and went along the Baw Beese Trail for two miles to Sandy Beach before returning.  Don Gambill KC8WAU and Dan Sprow KC8RYF, assisted by Jonesville High School senior and Eagle Scout Colton Easterday, directed incoming vehicles to the parking area.  Brian Zimmerman KD8TLC and his family set up a water station at the beach.  Craig Moore KD8TKR and Don patrolled the trail, Craig on his bike and Don on roller blades.  Dan coordinated operations with staff at the Citadel as well as providing transportation for walkers needing assistance.  The CROP walk staff as well as the walkers were very appreciative of our help.

 

 

Four club members provided Amateur Radio services to the Community Action Agency Head Start Picnic that was held on May 9.  Penny Seevers KD8PKY, Dave King KQ8R, Don Gambill KC8WAU and Brian Zimmerman KD8TLC staffed the parking lot, maintaining the orderly flow of traffic throughout the event.  For more information about the picnic, click here read the Hillsdale Daily News article posted on the CAA website.

 

 

With the end of the school year there are currently no club meetings scheduled.

 

 

Club membership currently stands at 16 as of June 1.  Membership application is available here.

 

 

Dave Parks WB8ODF is looking for Field Day stations (club or individual 1D stations) to try out his Chat Program / Field Day Logging software.  Anyone interested can contact Dave directly at WB8ODF@yahoo.com.

 

 

The Michigan Senate recently adopted a resolution designating the week of June 17-23 as Amateur Radio Week in Michigan.  Click here to read the entire resolution.

 

 

The FCC is seeking to raise the fee for Amateur Radio vanity call signs by 20 cents.  Currently a vanity call sign costs $15 and is good for 10 years.  The new fee, if approved, will go up to $15.20 for 10 years.  The FCC is authorized to collect vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that program.  (ARRL story)

 

 

The next wave of television viewing may more closely resemble the days of yore when home antennas dotted landscapes.  The Aereo mini-antenna allows reception of free, over-the-air broadcasts to anyone with an Internet connection and $8 a month for a subscription fee.  For the time being, Aereo services are available only in New York, but the company website promises expansion into 22 new markets, including Detroit.  (CAPCON article)

 

 

On May 1 President Obama announced that he has nominated Tom Wheeler to be the new Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.  If the Senate confirms the nomination, Wheeler will replace Julius Genachowski who announced his resignation from the FCC in March.  Pending Wheeler’s confirmation, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will serve as the Commission’s acting chairman.  (ARRL story)  In addition to Genachowski, Commissioner Robert McDowell’s resignation, announced earlier this year, took effect in May.  The President has not yet made a nomination to fill his position. 

 

 

On May 16 the ARRL announced that Trusted QSL (TQSL) v1.14 would be released on May 20.  TQSL is the open-source development project responsible for developing and maintaining the three Logbook of the World (LoTW) client-side applications: TQSL, TQSLCert and the TrustedQSL library (ARRL story)  A few days later the ARRL announced that defects were reported after that announcement.  The defects have been corrected, but before publicly releasing a corrected version, the software must be thoroughly retested.  (ARRL story)

 

 

In early 2012, the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council (TAC) was tasked to study the role of receivers “in ensuring the efficient use of spectrum and to provide recommendations on avoiding obstacles posed by receiver performance to making spectrum available for new services.”  In April the FCC released the recommendations of the TAC’s working group on Receivers and Spectrum in a white paper called Interference Limits Policy -- The use of harm claim thresholds to improve the interference tolerance of wireless systems.  Comments are invited and are due June 21.  Information on how to file comments and reply comments can be found on page 4 of the Public Notice.  (ARRL story)

 

 

The ARRL has commented in response to an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making that proposes to authorize Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure use of an additional 195 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.35-5.47 GHz and 5.85-5.925 GHz bands.  The Amateur Radio Service has a longstanding secondary allocation of 5.65-5.925 GHz, with an amateur-satellite uplink band at 5.65-5.67 GHz and a downlink at 5.83-5.85 GHz.  In its filing the ARRL traces the history of “a continuing series of overlays” to which the band has been subjected over the past 16 years, progressively reducing the utility of the amateur allocation.  (ARRL story)

 

 

If you're planning on going to the Monroe Hamfest on June 16, keep in mind that it is also race day at Michigan International Speedway.  Plan accordingly to avoid the traffic.

 

 

The Michigan ARRL Section Outing will be held on July 11-14 at the Woodlands Conference Center & Campgrounds in Hale (map).  It's a 4-day fun-filled event hosted by your ARRL Michigan Section Staff involving fun events for the whole family.  Camping, RVing, canoeing, horseshoes, volleyball, softball, boating, swimming facilities are available all day every day of the outing for your pleasure.  The event is free to attend, although campsites and beds in the Bunkhouse have a nominal charge.  Motels and Bed-and-Breakfasts are available just a short drive away.  Meals are potluck but a main course will be provided.  Donations are accepted to help cover costs.  You can stop by for just a day or stay for the entire event.  Click here for more information.

 

 

Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles, the International Amateur Radio Union member-society for Spain, has announced that Spanish amateurs may now use 1810-1830 kHz in the 160-meter band on a secondary basis.  This is in addition to the existing primary allocation of 1830-1850 kHz.  The new 630-meter band, 472-479 kHz, is also available to Spanish amateurs now.  Both changes took effect on May 10.  (ARRL story)

 

 

FCC License Database Activity in Hillsdale County

5/16 K8HRC Hillsdale County Amateur Radio Club - License renewed, Trustee/Custodian info updated

5/16 WD8BHH FAIT, DENNIS C – License renewed

 

 

FCC Enforcement News

The FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order (NAL) in the amount of $18,000 to Pennsylvania man for failing to make his Citizens Band (CB) station available for inspection by the FCC and for failing to comply with restrictions imposed on  him by the FCC.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Upcoming Events

June 1 - Independent Repeater Association Hamfest

June 1 – Fulton County Hamfest

June 2 - Chelsea Hamfest

June 8 – Ham Breakfast and Field Day Planning Session at Downtown Diner in Reading

June 16 - Monroe Hamfest

June 22-23 – Field Day

July 11-14 – Michigan Summer Family Outing

July 21 - Van Wert Hamfest

July 27 - CMARC Trunk Sales (Holt)

 


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