News for Amateur Radio Operators In and Around Hillsdale County

 

The next club meeting will be Thursday, November 21 at 7pm at the First United Methodist Church, 45 N Manning in Hillsdale (map).  Park in city lot F and use the east entrance off the alley to the Fellowship Hall in the basement.  This is an important meeting because we will be electing officers for next year.  We need to have a quorum (at least 1/3 of membership) present in order to hold the elections.

 

 

Club officer elections will be held at the November 21 club meeting.  If you are interested in becoming a club officer, check the club constitution for information about officer duties and the election procedures.  Feel free to contact me or any of the current club officers for more information.  New faces, ideas and energy are always welcome.

 

 

This month the Ham Breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 9 at 8am at the Tastes of Life, 3380 Beck Rd in Hillsdale (map).  Please come join us.

 

 

Mark your calendars for Friday, December 20 as the tentative date for the club Christmas party.  More information will be forthcoming.

 

 

Club membership currently stands at 18 as of October 31.  Membership application is available here (print 2-sided).

 

 

Volunteers are always needed to run the Monday Night Ragchew Net.  Check the Calendar page on the club website for the schedule and results.  And don’t forget to check in at 7pm every Monday on the 147.06 MHz repeater.

 

 

FCC activities ground to a complete halt as the federal government shut down on October 1.  This included functions at the commission's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, facility, which handles all Amateur Radio licensing transactions, as well as the FCC's main website and the Amateur Radio call sign database (ULS).  The FCC sprang promptly back to life October 17 after Congress resolved the government funding crisis.  (ARRL stories  1  2  3)

 

 

PRB-1 legislation was recently re-introduced in the Michigan Senate.  The bill would put state law in sync with FCC regulations with respect to encumbrances to antenna structures.  A similar bill died in committee at the end of the last legislative session in December.  ARRL Michigan Section Manager Larry Camp WB8R and State Government Liaison Ed Hude WA8QJE issued a request to amateurs to contact members of the Energy and Technology Committee requesting quick action on the bill.  Click here to follow the progress of the Senate Bill 0493.

 

 

Tuesday, November 5 is Election Day.  Although there are no county-wide races or issues, there may be other items to vote on depending on your precinct.  Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center to check if you are registered and find other election information, including a map to your polling place and a sample ballot.  Be sure to get out and exercise your right to vote.

 

 

The ARRL Centennial QSO Party is set to kick off January 1 for a year-long operating event in which participants can accumulate points and win awards in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the ARRL.  During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every state (at least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy to work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations.  The event is open to all, although only ARRL members and appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth points.  (ARRL story)

 

 

A new electronic publication, The Spectrum Monitor, will begin publication after the Monitoring Times publishes its final issue in December.  Charter subscriptions are available until December 15 for $20 for twelve issues, a $4 savings.  (ARRL story)  Monitoring Times announced earlier this year that it was ceasing publication after a 33 year run and the retirement of its publisher, Bob Grove, W8JHD.

 

 

On October 15, the ARRL.net email forwarding service was transitioned to a new provider.  POBox.com, with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, has taken over operations for this popular ARRL member benefit.  (ARRL stories 1  2)

 

 

The FCC has dismissed a petition that sought to expand Technician privileges in the 10 meter band.  The Toledo Mobile Radio Association, sponsors of the Toledo hamfest, had asked the Commission last June to expand the spectrum available to Technician licensees on 10 meters to include operating privileges in the FM portion of the band.  Novice and Technician licensees now may operate on 10 meters from 28.000 to 28.500 MHz.  (ARRL story)

 

 

The US Senate confirmed the White House nomination of venture capitalist and industry insider Thomas Wheeler, a Democrat, to be FCC chairman.  He succeeds Julius Genachowski, who stepped down in June.  The Senate also confirmed Michael O'Rielly as a commissioner to one of the two Republican seats on the commission.  The confirmations bring the commission up to its full complement of five commissioners.  (ARRL story)

 

 

The Weather Channel, for the second year, will name snowstorms and blizzards.  The storm-naming criteria are based on National Weather Service thresholds for winter-weather warnings.  The criteria also are based on the storm’s expected impact on highly populated metro areas or over a large geographic region.  (Free Press story)

 

 

ARRL membership certificates commemorating the League’s 100th anniversary in 2014 now are available.  Members logged onto the League’s website can generate their own certificates or cards online for printing.  (ARRL story)

 

 

FCC License Database Activity in Hillsdale County

10/23/13 N8DCC TROMBLEY, EDMOND R upgraded to Extra from Technician

 

 

FCC Enforcement News

The FCC fined a Missouri man $500 for transmitting on 14.312 MHz without a license.  The FCC said it affirmed that the man had violated Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934.  (ARRL story)

 

The FCC fined an Alaska CBer $500 for “willfully and repeatedly” operating a non-certificated CB transmitter with an RF linear amplifier which, the Commission said violated federal law and its rules.  (ARRL story)

 

 

Upcoming Events

November 7 – Board Meeting

November 9 – Ham Breakfast

November 16 & 17 – Fort Wayne Hamfest

November 21 – Club Meeting & Officer Elections

December 5 – Board Meeting

December 14 – Ham Breakfast

December 20 – Christmas party