MARS Gets New Name As It Fine Tunes Mission
(From ARRL)
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Route 66 On The Air
11th Anniversary! September 11th - 19th, 2010
US Highway 66 established in 1926, was the first major improved highway to link the west coast with the nations heartland. Through stories, songs, and TV shows, the highway came to symbolize the spirit of the freedom of the open road, inspiring many to see America. However, the demise of Route 66 began in the 1950's as the US began building it's interstate highway system, and the highway was officially decommissioned in 1986. None the less, small portions of US Highway 66 still exist in towns and rural areas in several states.
The Special Event:
The purpose of this event is a way to offer amateur radio operators a fun way to "Relive the Ride" and their own memories of Route 66, and to celebrate the highway's 84th anniversary.
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TALL SHIP SPECIAL EVENT
“The Star of India Amateur Radio Club (NS6OI) at Maritime Museum San
Diego will conduct Special Events during the Festival of
Sails/Rendezvous of Tall Ships 2-6 September (Labor Day Weekend).
Operating hours will be 1600Z to 0300Z daily SSB on 14320 mHz and
various SO CAL FM UHF/VHF repeaters. Station operations will be rotated
on different days between the 3 masted barque Star of India, USS Dolphin
Submarine Museum, and Soviet Foxtrot Class Attack Submarine Museum B-39
Cobra. Website www.sdmaritime.org ”
Note they will be operating as NS6OI for the event.
Ham it up!
73/JG
AB6RM
NS6OI Station Trustee
FCC to Allow Government Drills Without a Waiver as of September 3
Part 97 is the portion of the Commission's rules that govern the Amateur Radio Service. In the August 4th edition of the Federal Register, the FCC issued a summary of the R&O entitled Amendment of the Commission's Rules Regarding Amateur Radio Service Communications During Government Disaster Drills -- noting that the effective date of these new rules will be September 3, 2010.
“Experience has shown that amateur operations can and have played an essential role in protecting the safety of life and property during emergency situations and disaster situations,” the FCC noted in the R&O. “Moreover, the current Amateur Radio Service rules, which permit participation in such drills and tests by volunteers (ie, non-employees of participating entities), reflect the critical role Amateur Radio serves in such situations. However, as evidenced by recent waiver requests, state and local government public safety agencies, hospitals and other entities concerned with the health and safety of citizens appear to be limited in their ability to conduct disaster and emergency preparedness drills, because of the employee status of Amateur Radio licensees involved in the training exercises. We therefore amend our rules to permit amateur radio operators to participate in government-sponsored emergency and disaster preparedness drills and tests, regardless of whether the operators are employees of the entities participating in the drill or test. We find that extending authority to operate amateur stations during such drills will enhance emergency preparedness and response and thus serve the public interest.”
In order to allow participation in non-governmental disaster drills -- such as those sponsored by ARES® or private hospitals -- the FCC will now allow amateurs employed by an agency participating in such a drill to participate up to one hour per week. In addition, they may also participate in up to two exercises in any calendar year, each for a time period not to exceed 72 hours. “This time limitation, which is consistent with the timeframes contained in the waiver requests filed with the Commission, should serve to further ensure the use of Amateur Radio for bona fide emergency testing,” the R&O stated. “We emphasize that the purpose for any drills we authorize herein must be related to emergency and disaster preparedness. By limiting the purpose in this manner, we further ensure that such drills will be appropriately limited.”
In amending the Amateur Radio rules, the FCC reiterated that it does not intend to disturb the core principle of the Amateur Radio Service “as a voluntary, non-commercial communication service carried out by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest. Rather, we believe that the public interest will be served by establishing a narrow exception to the prohibition on transmitting amateur communications in which the station control operator has a pecuniary interest or employment relationship, and that such an exception is consistent with the intent of the Amateur Radio Service rules.”
The effective date of the R&O is to be determined and will be at some time after its publication in the Federal Register. A more detailed story will be forthcoming from the ARRL.
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The FCC Proposes to Eliminate Spread Spectrum APC Requirement,
and other actions
(From ARRL Headquarters)
Spread spectrum techniques are methods by which the information signal of a particular bandwidth is intentionally spread in the frequency domain. At any point of bandwidth the SS emission occupies, either the power spectral density of the transmitted signal is reduced to a comparatively low level or the duration of a transmission on any frequency in the frequency segment is very brief. Consequently, stations in the same area can transmit SS signals without causing harmful interference to or experiencing harmful interference from each other or a station transmitting a non-SS signal over the same spectrum segment.
Back in 1985, the FCC authorized Amateur Radio stations to transmit SS emissions with a maximum transmitter power limit of 100 W PEP. To emphasize the experimental nature of spread spectrum as well as some of the potential benefits associated with it, the Commission authorized such transmissions on a secondary basis to other amateur service communications. At that time, the Commission noted that "to reduce the likelihood that SS transmissions from an amateur station could be made for the purpose of obscuring the meaning of a message, the Commission permitted only frequency hopping and direct sequence spreading techniques."
Fourteen years later, the FCC eliminated restrictions on spreading techniques "to allow amateur stations greater flexibility and permit them to use the SS techniques used in other communications services." The Commission also required stations transmitting SS communications with a transmitter power greater than 1 W to utilize APC to limit the transmitter power in accordance with a specific formula (permissible power is determined by the use of the ratio, measured at the receiver, of the received energy per user data bit [Eb] to the sum of the received power spectral densities of noise (No) and co-channel interference (Io); average transmitter power over 1 W shall be automatically adjusted to maintain an Eb/[No + Io] ratio of no more than 23 dB at the intended receiver).
In 2006, the ARRL petitioned the FCC, requesting that the APC requirement be eliminated, asserting that the APC provision has proven to be "virtually impossible" as it requires the operators of the transmitting stations to determine the transmitter power received at distant receivers and that this requirement has proven to be " something of a barrier to SS experimentation." The League further contended that the APC requirement could be eliminated without increasing the risk of harmful interference because:
* The station licensee or control operator of the station transmitting the SS emission would still be obligated under Section 97.313(a) of the Commission's Rules to use the minimum power necessary to conduct communications.
* Under Section 97.311(b) of the Commission's Rules, SS communications are already secondary to other Amateur Service communications.
In the NPRM, the FCC agreed with the ARRL that the APC requirement "may be unnecessarily impeding Amateur Radio operators in advancing the radio art," but the Commission does not propose to simply eliminate the APC requirement. Noting that the purpose of the APC requirement is to limit interference to other stations, the FCC pointed out that commercial broadband Internet service providers operating in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz ISM bands argue that the APC requirement should be maintained in order to prevent interference to other users. They also referred to suggestions maintaining that if the APC requirement is eliminated, the FCC should lower the maximum power limit on amateur stations transmitting SS emissions so that interference is minimized.
Given these concerns, the FCC proposes to eliminate the APC requirement and reduce the maximum transmitter power output amateur stations may use when transmitting SS communications from 100 W to a peak of 10 W.
"We believe that this approach is consistent with both the ARRL's request that we eliminate a requirement that may be impossible to implement and the intent of the APC requirement to limit interference to other stations," the FCC stated in the NPRM. "We also believe that the proposed rule change would (1) encourage individuals who can contribute to the advancement of the radio art to more fully utilize SS technologies in experimentation, (2) balance the interests of all users in mixed-mode and mixed-service frequency bands until sharing protocols are sufficiently developed to avoid interference and (3) promote more efficient use of the radio spectrum currently allocated to the Amateur Service." The Commission is seeking comments on this proposal.
In the Order, the FCC made amendments "to correct the Amateur Service rules or conform them to prior Commission decisions." These revisions will take effect once they are published in the Federal Register.
The FCC noted that when they authorized Novice class and Technician Plus class operators to transmit in certain portions of the 80, 40, 15 and 10 meter bands in 2006, they intended to limit those stations' power in those bands to 200 W PEP, "but the implementing amendment to Section 97.313(c) inadvertently applied that power limitation to all frequencies authorized to Novice and Technician Class licensees. We therefore correct Section 97.313(c) to clarify that the limitation applies only in those bands."
The Commission also revised Sections 97.301 and 97.303 related to the 40 and 60 meter and the 70 cm and 9 cm bands to conform to the Table of Frequency Allocations (Table), and to references within the relevant sections of the rules. They also revised the frequency sharing requirements in Section 97.303 "to limit the summary to those frequency bands that are allocated to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis, and to present the requirements more clearly."
In addition, the FCC moved transmitter power limit information from Section 97.303(s) to Section 97.313, the section concerning transmitter power standards. Section 97.103(c) was amended to delete the cross-reference to Section 0.314(x) that was removed in 1999. They also removed the entry "1260-1270 MHz" from Section 97.207(c) that lists the frequency bands authorized to amateur space stations "because footnote 5.282 to the Table limits the use of that segment to Earth station transmissions."
Pursuant to Sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's Rules, interested parties may file comments on the NPRM on or before 30 days after date of publication in the Federal Register and reply comments on or before 45 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. Based on previous experience, the ARRL expects publication of the NPRM and Order in the Federal Register sometime in early spring. Instructions on how to file comments on the NPRM only are listed on pages 6-7 in the NPRM. The NPRM can be found on the web at,
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-38A1.pdf.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SECTION REPORT
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SECTION Report for the month of July 2010:
SM Dan Pruitt, AE6SX- ASMs K6YK and N2NS, ACC W6DPD, SEC VACANT, OOC N1VM, STM
K6RAU, PIC K6QI, TC W6TE.
It seems to be that time of year when we are thinking about “Getting Out Of Dodge”. Many of the Clubs are doing Picnics, Ice Cream Socials and Camp-outs. Here we are, over half the year is gone, the weather is great, and the first thing that comes to mind is Radio? Well, I guess I'm a Ham because everything I do includes, “How can I check in on the net from the road”, or “How much gear can I hide in the car before the wife boots me out” and being an old SWL, “How many SW Broadcast Stations can I copy, in English, and MW AM Broadcast stations while under the starlight of the night sky”. Yes, I have plans later this year, and it includes radio.
It would be great to get some comments and stories from Hams of the San Joaquin Valley. There may be some already out there from Field Day or from a contest site. Some are exciting, like being chased by bears or bees. Mostly, they are the special moments we enjoy about a QSO or project. Also we have those personal goals that include contests, awards and the elusive DX. These are what lures new hams and keeps them interested.
On another subject, I attended a volunteer oriented discussion regarding the annual 'Great Shakeout' disaster drill, held in October. If anyone is participating in this, please keep me apprised of your involvement by emailing me. Put “ Great Shakeout” in the subject line. www.earthquakecountry.org
I'm happy to report Ed Hanna KF6FIR, SJV's New DEC is effectively working with the ARES groups in the North as Hal Clover KC5LUB has been as DEC in the South. Please feel free to contact the DEC in your area for all ARES and EmComm concerns.
As space allows I will enjoy relaying any events or occurrences that illustrates Amateur Radio as a hobby and public asset. It need not be a newsletter, if you think it important, it probably should be here. You should also send your newsletter to the Affiliated Club Coordinator (w6dpd@arrl.org) and the Director (w6rgg@arrl.org) vice director (k6jat@arrl.org) and to ARRL HQ (clubs@arrl.org).
Mark your Calendars: Santa Barbara Section Convention 14 August 2010. Check www.sbarc.org for more information. Southwestern Division Convention 17 September 2010. Check www.sandarc.net for more information. The Clovis ARP Swap Meet in September 18, 2010. Check www.k6arp.org for information. The California QSO Party is October 2-3, 2010. Check www.cqp.org for information. Pacificon 2010 is October 15-17, San Ramon Marriott. Check www.pacificon.org for more information. The Turlock ARC Auction is October 23, 2010. Check www.w6bxn.org for information. The International DX Convention is April 15 to 17, 2011. Check www.dxconvention.org for information. EMCOMMWEST is May 6 to 8, 2011 in Reno. Check www.emcommwest.org for information. The ARRL National Convention and ARRL EXPO will be held at Pacificon in Santa Clara in October of 2012.
Contests:
10-10 Int. Summer Contest, SSB Aug 7 – 8
North American QSO Party, CW Aug 7 – 8
ARRL UHF Contest Aug 7 - 8
ARRL Rookie Roundup, SSB 1800Z-2359Z, Aug 15
SCC RTTY Championship Aug 28 - 29
The K6RAU (our Traffic Manager) Morse Code Instruction Course is available at www.kj6art.com or www.pdarrl.org/k6rau. No need to know a "dit" from a "dah", simply with paper and pencil, and following the instructions.
The Turlock ARC celebrated 60 years of ARRL Affiliation in July 2010.
Top SJV scores in the 2010 International DX Contest (CW) were 1st AF6EV, 2nd K6YK, and third W6SX.
KK6LT earned Phone DXCC.
AA6K and W6DPD contacted all 13 Colonies special event stations between July 1 to July 5, 2010. They earned the clean sweep on their certificates. This special event is on the air from July 1 to July 5. They have a different certificate subject each year. Check www.13colonies.info/ for information on the special event.
ARACC ++ Led by Gene W7POR and Randy K6VAU, the club worked with the Kaiser Pass Bike Race Team. -- EDITOR'S NOTE:-- President Kim KF6ZSW shared Base Control and says more than half the ARACC membership participated. Don W6WWT, with his 'Have repeater, will travel', ensured coverage for the mountainous course. www.aracc.org
Clovis ARP ++ Picnic this week, then it's off to the mountains, with radios in tow. Rob AE6GE has the activities planned like a cruise director. A monthly T-Hunt also, with Rob and Dave W6TE as the fox. www.k6arp.org/
FRESNO ARC ++ Field Day pictures in the 'Skip' show some of the gear and operators. There is a reprint of the history of first VHF contact between W and KH6 in 1957. www.w6to.com/
KERN/CENTRAL VALLEY ARA ++ Field Day pictures in their newsletter, capture the moments of Boy Scouts and wide-eyed youngsters beside hams spanning multiple generations. The Ham Cram was also a success. www.w6lie.org
KINGS ARC ++ Nominations for the BOD are open and they are looking to complete the repeater upgrades and be operational by the months end. Check out the details at: www.qsl.net/ka6q
Los Banos ARC ++ Field Day pictures depict a genuine fun feel. www.aa6lb.org
SEQUOIA ARG ++ The newsletter photos of Field Day show a pristine site. A very intense discussion of a “Genderless” Battery is worth reading. It got my attention! www.sarg-krv.org
SIERRA ARC ++ The Ice Cream Social will be held on 11 August at 7 pm. Things have been a little warmer than some places, (wild fires) so we wish them the best. www.qsl.net/wa6ybn/
SJVARS ++ Mr. President Jason N6EY (a new TS), is delegating Club projects that cover all aspects of Ham radio. His constituents are doing club Programs, kit building and currently Carole W6TTF is leading an Extra License Class. www.sjvars.com
STOCKTON Delta ++ Wow, on the Wheat Field Pictures. A restored all wooden minesweeper will soon moor in Stockton. The vintage radio room needs restoration. AA6K's 13 colony Certificate is displayed in the August newsletter. The club PICNIC is 14 AUGUST. www.w6sf.org
TURLOCK ARC ++ A very detailed description of Field day is in the Arc-Over. Very nice thank you from the Merced County EMS to the Merced ARES EC Ken KF6IDK. www.w6bxn.org
The following Amateurs became Silent Keys since the last report: Vinton WA6VZG and Glenn KA6WBY. They will be missed.
Please support HR 2160, The Amateur Radio Emergency Enhancement Act of 2009, please go to this link for information: www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/12/10818 . Senate Bill 1755s also needs your support.
Need to take an Amateur exam? Are you having an exam? Check the ARRL web page, www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml for exam information. You can also search for Amateur Radio Classes in your area and register your exam. Instructors can also register classes there.
Card Checking in the Section: You can get cards checked for awards within the section. W6XK, K6ZZ, and W6DPD can check your cards for DXCC in accordance with the rules for field checking. DXCC card checkers may now check cards dated from Nov. 15, 1945, but no 160-meter cards or cards for deleted entities. DXCC card checkers may, at their discretion, check cards for WAS, WAC, and VUCC. W6DPD and K6ZZ can check cards for the CQ Awards, WAZ, DX, Field, and Prefixes. The card checkers may also check applications for the IARU Region 2 Award. ARRL Special Service Clubs may appoint a HF awards manager for WAS and a VHF Awards Manager for VUCC.
The Northern California Net (NCN), the Section Traffic Net, meets nightly on 3.533 MHZ at 7 PM Pacific Time. The slow speed training session of the net meets nightly on 3.533 MHZ at 9 PM Pacific Time. Handling traffic on CW is a good way to improve your CW skills. The Daytime Region 6 Traffic Net meets daily at 3:30 pacific time on or near 7.275 MHZ. The California Traffic Net meets daily on 3.906 MHZ and 6:00 PM local time. The Noontime net meets on 7.268.5 MHz. This net handles a lot of messages. The Golden Bear Amateur Radio Net meets nightly at 7:00 PM local time on 3.975 MHZ. The Mission Trail Net meets nightly on 3.856 MHZ at 8:00 PM local time. The Young Ham Net every Saturday 2:00 PM local time 145.230 –0.6 PL 100 or Echolink KR6DD-R 271122 or N6WN-R 477737
Traffic for July 2010:
ORS: W6DPD 0, K6RAU 17, W6SX 15, WB6VRJ 6, Total 38
PSHR: K6RAU 78, W6SX 38 Total 116
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ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section
Section Manager: Daniel L Pruitt, AE6SX
ae6sx@arrl.org
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SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SECTION Report for the month of June 2010: SM Dan
Pruitt, AE6SX- ASMs K6YK and N2NS, ACC W6DPD, SEC VACANT, OOC N1VM, STM
K6RAU, PIC K6QI, TC W6TE.
Field Day, great stuff!
I think every other sentence this month, contained ‘Field Day! I
know my thoughts were focused toward that end. Now that 2010 is in the
bag, I’m still thinking of what needs to be fixed for 2011, hi! Have
to keep the successful parts also! It was fun to just operate,
casually and enjoyed our host’s fair, and the improved conditions
over last year. W1AW was heard on many bands, and they claim over 3K
Qs, including Left Coast contacts. I know we heard them on the bands.
Some changes in the Appointments. There will be a new Section
Emergency Coordinator next month. Hal Clover KC5LUB accepted the NEW
position of District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) serving from Madera
County South, in San Joaquin Valley. One of his first duties will be
to replace “TEX” N6RDN, EC of Western Kern County. As of 30 June
Tex has retired and “Escaped” back to Texas, naturally, hi hi.
Thank you Tex for all you have done, 73!
A Northern DEC will be named also in July. Both of these positions
should work directly with the State and NGO Regional control outlines.
In the meantime I am assuming the duties of SEC so feel free to contact
me for any of your ARES EmComm issues. I will also be making
excursions into the North San Joaquin Valley in the near future.
Please send a couple of snaps from your Field Day. I would like to
show the diverse locations and styles, ty.
73; Dan AE6SX
As space allows I will enjoy relaying any events or occurrences that
illustrates Amateur Radio as a hobby and public asset. It need not be a
newsletter, if you think it important, it probably should be here.
You should also send your newsletter to the Affiliated Club Coordinator
(w6dpd@arrl.org) and the Director (w6rgg@arrl.org) vice director
(k6jat@arrl.org) and to ARRL HQ (clubs@arrl.org).
Mark your Calendars: Santa Barbara Section Convention 14 August 2010.
Check www.sbarc.org for more information. Southwestern Division
Convention 17 September 2010. Check www.sandarc.net for more
information. The Clovis ARP Swap Meet in September 18, 2010. Check
www.k6arp.org for information. Pacificon 2010 is October 15-17, San
Ramon Marriott. Check www.pacificon.org for more information. The
Turlock ARC Auction is October 23, 2010. Check www.w6bxn.org for
information. The International DX Convention is April 15 to 17, 2011.
Check www.dxconvention.org for information. EMCOMMWEST is May 6 to 8,
2011 in Reno. Check www.emcommwest.org for information. The ARRL
National Convention and ARRL EXPO will be held at Pacificon in Santa
Clara in October of 2012.
Contests:
IARU HF World 10-11 July 1200Z.
CQ WW VHF 17-18 Jul 1800 to 2100Z.
North American QSO Party, RTTY 17-18 Jul 1800 to 0600Z.
RSGB IOTA 24-25 Jul 1200Z.
European HF 7 Aug 0000Z.
10-10 Int’l SSB 7-8 Aug 0001Z to 2359Z.
The K6RAU (our Traffic Manager) Morse Code Instruction Course is
available at www.kj6art.com or www.pdarrl.org/k6rau.
No need to know a "dit" from a "dah", simply with paper and pencil, and
following the instructions.
BARA ++ Nice ideas about preparedness and EMP protection in May, and
Field Day was at a member’s house in June.
www.W6bar.tripod.com/index.htm
Clovis ARP ++ Tune in to see how the CARP club survived their
fundraiser. www.k6arp.org/
FRESNO ARC ++ Jim W6ALE has a great article on RC Aircraft in Fresno.
Also LOTW is discussed by Chuck W6DPD and 12V battery back up by Jim
WS6X. www.w6to.com/
KERN/CENTRAL VALLEY ARA ++ Looks like they will be moving their club
meetings, most likely to the Veterans Hall on Ridge road.
www.w6lie.org
KINGS ARC ++ King’s Club joined with the Skywarn guys at WX6HNX for
Field Day and a Bar-B-Q. Santa Rita Peak repeater work is still
progressing. www.qsl.net/ka6q
Los Banos ARC ++ Field Day in the park, cool! Now the Ice Cream
Social 10 July, hi. www.aa6lb.org
SARA ++ Field Day pix galore. What more can you ask; Good site, Bon
fire, food and “Man’s best friends”, good job. www.saraclub.net
SEQUOIA ARG ++ Fire Safety and Field day at 8K feet, were discussed,
well done. www.sarg-krv.org
SIERRA ARC ++ One day Sprint style Field Day focusing on the NEW Hams
on the GOTA station and operating 2B. www.qsl.net/wa6ybn/
SJVARS ++ Field Day was a repeat of last year in Centerville, lite on
CW but heavy on PSK. Good Public announcement and even a tickle from
the media. www.sjvars.com
STOCKTON Delta ++ The Flysheet has good pictures of Field Day and a
great link to practical Antennas. Looking forward to seeing the report
on their NVIS ops during Field Day. AUGUST 14 is the date of the club
PICNIC. www.w6sf.org
TULARE Co. ARC ++ See the outstanding story of a new hams first Field
Day by Gloria W6NRS. Also a fine description of the phonetic alphabet.
www.tcarc.net
TURLOCK ARC ++ Summary of Root Beer Floats and swap meet plus an n
excellent description of mutual aid and Search and Rescue are
described. www.w6bxn.org
The following Amateurs became Silent Keys since the last report: N6BWW
Frank and KG6DAK, Marlene. They will be missed.
Please support HR 2160, The Amateur Radio Emergency Enhancement Act of
2009, please go to this link for information:
www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/12/10818 . Senate Bill 1755s also
needs support.
Need to take an Amateur exam? Are you having an exam? Check the ARRL
web page, www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml for exam information.
You can also search for Amateur Radio Classes in your area and register
your exam. Instructors can also register classes there.
Card Checking in the Section: You can get cards checked for awards
within the section. W6XK, K6ZZ, and W6DPD can check your cards for DXCC
in accordance with the rules for field checking. DXCC card checkers may
now check cards dated from Nov. 15, 1945, but no 160-meter cards or
cards for deleted entities. DXCC card checkers may, at their
discretion, check cards for WAS, WAC, and VUCC. W6DPD and K6ZZ can
check cards for the CQ Awards, WAZ, DX, Field, and Prefixes. The card
checkers may also check applications for the IARU Region 2 Award. ARRL
Special Service Clubs may appoint a HF awards manager for WAS and a VHF
Awards Manager for VUCC.
The Northern California Net (NCN), the Section Traffic Net, meets
nightly on 3.533 MHZ at 7 PM Pacific Time. The slow speed training
session of the net meets nightly on 3.533 MHZ at 9 PM Pacific Time.
Handling traffic on CW is a good way to improve your CW skills. The
Daytime Region 6 Traffic Net meets daily at 3:30 pacific time on or
near 7.275 MHZ. The California Traffic Net meets daily on 3.906 MHZ and
6:00 PM local time. The Noontime net meets on 7.268.5 MHz. This net
handles a lot of messages. The Golden Bear Amateur Radio Net meets
nightly at 7:00 PM local time on 3.975 MHZ. The Mission Trail Net meets
nightly on 3.856 MHZ at 8:00 PM local time. The Young Ham Net every
Saturday 2:00 PM local time 145.230 –0.6 PL 100 or Echolink KR6DD-R
271122 or N6WN-R 477737
Traffic for June 2010:
ORS: W6DPD 0, K6RAU 25, W6SX 0, WB6VRJ 13, Total 38
PSHR: K6RAU 87, W6SX 20 Total 107
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ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section
Section Manager: Daniel L Pruitt, AE6SX
ae6sx@arrl.org
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MARS Gets New Name As It Fine Tunes Mission
(From ARRL)
The DoD defines a "military auxiliary" as "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," and gives the Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary as examples of auxiliaries.
In the past, MARS had focused primarily on emergency communications and health and welfare support. The DoD's Instruction now directs the three MARS services to provide "contingency radio communications" to support US government operations, DoD components and "civil authorities at all levels," providing for national security and emergency preparedness events. MARS units will still continue to provide health and welfare communications support "to military members, civilian employees and contractors of DoD Components, and civil agency employees and contractors, when in remote or isolated areas, in contingencies or whenever appropriate." MARS must also be capable of operation in "radio only" modes -- without landlines or the Internet -- and sustainable on emergency power (when public utility power has failed); some MARS stations must be transportable for timely deployment.
The Instruction, however, does not mention which of the three MARS services will take the lead when responding to events. According to sources, this has been seen as a critical issue in conforming to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that calls for "unity of command." As now constituted, the three separate MARS services are supposed to "interoperate," but command-wise, each operates independently. Some MARS members had urged clarification on this issue to avoid confusion during an emergency, sources said.
The Secretaries of the Army, Air Force and Navy are to encourage participation in MARS, the Instruction states, saying this may be accomplished "by establishing and funding an active MARS program within each Military Department, which shall then assign a MARS-licensed staff representative to manage operations, readiness, planning, procedural and technical development, documentation, standards, training, equipment, program and membership administration, and other matters necessary for mission accomplishment."
The Secretaries are also tasked with bringing new personnel into their MARS services. The Instruction calls on them to establish programs "to promote civilian interest, recruit qualified volunteers, sponsor them for basic background checks and furnish them suitable training in contingency support communications."
The Instruction also dictates that MARS leaders will now report to three DoD officials; before this revision, they only reported to one person. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security and Americas Security Affairs (ASD [HD&ASA]) now has primary responsibility for the MARS Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission. In addition, MARS leaders will report to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration/DoD Chief Information Officer (ASD[NII]/DoD CIO) and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness (ASD[L&MR]). In the 1998 charter, oversight of MARS was assigned to a single top official, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence.
This revision -- which was years in the making -- keeps the Navy/Marine Corps MARS intact; until now, members of this MARS service were concerned that their part of MARS might be terminated by Navy commanders.
The Instruction also gives some new perks to MARS members. Active duty military personnel who are affiliated with MARS may be able to earn Reserve points based on service in MARS and, in cases of permanent change of station, qualify for weight exemption for transportation of MARS communications equipment. All members may be considered for benefits associated with DoD civilian service, such as access to DoD morale, welfare and recreation Category C recreational facilities and access to DoD credit unions.
Membership in any of the three MARS services is open to qualified active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel, as well as those in civilian agencies who report to civil authorities or their supporting organizations (including nongovernmental organizations) and private US citizens who meet age, education and other criteria -- such as an FCC-issued Amateur Radio license -- imposed by a DoD Component MARS office.
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MARS Cuts Ribbon on New Pentagon Station
(From ARRL)
MARS, which began in the early 1950s, started as a worldwide network of shortwave radio enthusiasts who would spring into action in the event of a nuclear war or natural disaster. Thousands of civilian and military ham radio volunteers manned the system. With service members deployed far from home, or even overseas, MARS provided health and welfare messages called MARSgrams, allowing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to keep in touch with their families back home. Today, those shortwave broadcasts have been superseded by the Internet; many service members use cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to speak with loved ones.
In the event of an emergency, high-frequency communication is generally the first to recover, and even the most modern technology can get overloaded. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, PARC member Allan Hubbert, KH6ILR, noted that there were communication problems during President Barack Obama's inauguration earlier this year: "During the inauguration, there were so many people on cell phones that it system was overloaded. We [hams] could still operate, and we helped back up the system down on the [National] Mall." More than 60 volunteers help to man the Pentagon MARS station.
With more than 6000 volunteers worldwide serving Army MARS, Air Force MARS and Navy-Marine Corps MARS, the system now backs up the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "There have been many crises or disasters that have struck where the first word out of an area is via [Amateur Radio], and someone has their little gas generator going," Grimes said. "That's not likely to change any time soon." -- Thanks to the Department of Defense for some information
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"The following article is reprinted as a reminder of the important changes the branches of the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) are playing in serving the public interest. Hams who decide to volunteer in the MARS program, are involved in a high level of service to their country."
MARS to Assist TSA "When All Else Fails"
(From ARRL)
"This is an extensive area and will require member support across the continental United States," Harrison said in a broadcast announcement to Army MARS participants. "We will need many volunteers to man teams assigned to specific geographical areas, starting with airports throughout the hurricane corridor." She called for "physically capable" Amateur Radio operators to volunteer for the assignment.
The first airport emergency support teams will be located at four airports in the Florida hurricane belt: Miami, Ft Myers, Jacksonville and Pensacola, Harrison said. She added that recruiting will immediately follow for nine additional potential hurricane targets from Washington, DC to Houston. In a later phase -- but as soon as possible -- additional teams will be recruited for other hurricane locations including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and after that, the remainder of the continental US.
The emergency support teams -- each consisting of four members of MARS -- are being assembled under joint sponsorship of MARS and the TSA, with deployment assignments determined by the TSA when and if the government's communication systems fail. "Volunteers should be within a reasonable traveling distance to the airport. It will be their responsibility to get to the site when activated," said Harrison.
The Memorandum of Understanding, which is already in place, calls for using MARS networks, personnel and equipment to maintain communication during the first 72 hours of incidents involving aircraft, mass transit and pipelines. Seventy-two hours is considered the maximum time needed for federal response organizations to deploy internal emergency communication systems.
The MoU spells out the most extensive MARS support mission since the development of the Essential Elements of Information (EEI), which date to the 1994 Northridge earthquake that devastated parts of California's San Fernando Valley. EEIs are alerts to the Pentagon of a natural disaster or other incident that might require a federal response.
In a memo to MARS personnel, Harrison included the following points:
The Navy-Marine Corps and Air Force MARS organizations are included in the call for volunteers, via their separate chains of command.
Army MARS state directors will be responsible for formation of the joint teams.
All deployments will be by team, each with a combination of equipment and operator capabilities and members ready to work 12-hour shifts. Some locations may ultimately require more than one team.
Required equipment for each team will include HF and VHF radios with voice and digital capability, Pactor/Airmail digital messaging, phone patching and emergency power.
Some locations may have TSA radio gear and emergency power supply to augment the hams' personal equipment. A particular MARS responsibility will be to provide communication interoperability with local, state and national networks, such as the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and Shared Resources (SHARES). A separate web of national and regional HF radio networks, SHARES links federal agencies under the DHS's National Communications System (NCS), of which MARS already is a primary participant.
The pact calls for a reliable back-up solution "to ensure the continuity of TSA's command and control function during the first 72 hours following any incident interfering with normal communications channels and to provide local, regional and nationwide TSA communications during that time." The existing Army MARS emergency communication network offers such a solution immediately and at no additional cost to the TSA, the MoU points out.
Under the MoU, the TSA agrees to provide MARS volunteers with access to its facilities and space for radio equipment. It further agrees to integrate MARS capabilities into its emergency planning and exercises. The Army's commitment includes providing "volunteer MARS radio operators, equipment, and use of the MARS radio networks" and developing "alert procedures and a communications support plan" that "will identify specific frequencies, call signs, and radio operator level duties." Harrison stressed that the decision to volunteer rests with the individual. "The Army has no liability over a member who reports to a disaster site; members will be responsible to TSA personnel."
Harrison told the Army MARS membership that she's "very excited" about the new agreement. "This will be a fast-moving recruitment/development action, and I request your support in filling these teams."
The chiefs of Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps MARS also are onboard with the new agreement and have messaged their respective memberships to signify their participation and cooperation with Army MARS. Air Force MARS Chief Don Poquette, AGA3C/KE9XB, has pledged his members' support. "AF MARS will assist to accomplish this mission," he said, pending working out logistical details.
Harrison says she and her headquarters staff met recently with TSA and DHS representatives to formalize the details of the cooperative arrangement. She said MARS area coordinators will provide specific requirements to state MARS directors to recruit members and equipment capabilities to support TSA.
Signing the MoU on behalf of the Army was Col Mary Beth Shively, chief of staff, Network Enterprise Technology Command/Ninth Army Signal Command. James Schear, general Manager, Operational Plans and Programs, endorsed it for the TSA. Headquartered at Ft Huachuca, Arizona, the Ninth Army Signal Command oversees the Army MARS mission. -- Bill Sexton, N1IN
NARCC REJECTS 2-METER REPEATER BAND CHANGES - SETS THREE YEAR MORATORIUM & STUDY
(Gene Davis/W7POR)
As discussion developed, it was obvious there were several not-so-hidden agendas at play by the proponents of the ICOM and JARL technology called D-STAR. This is a digital speech method, considered to be generally incompatible with firmly entrenched analog FM. It had earlier been disclosed that their attempts to locate D-STAR devices in the spectrum reserved for Packet and digital data, had been side tracked by a Federal Communications Commission ruling that a repeater is a device which retransmits a signal at the same time it receives it. Therefore it was not allowed in the digital spectrum. It had been a victory for Packet users represented by the Northern California Packet Association (NCPA).
The D-STAR promoters concluded there was no place for them to go in the two meter band. They subsequently convinced the NARCC Technical Committee, and much of the Board of Directors, that changes had to be made in the coordinated band plan to open up channels for them. Possibly influenced by a recent FCC mandate to force commercial channels to reduce their bandwidth to 12.5 KHZ, the committee apparently believed Amateur repeater owners should follow that directive, even though the FCC has not imposed such a plan on Ham Radio Repeaters. A sour note was injected when the authors of Plan A,B and C concluded ,”NO WHINING ALLOWED.,” a warning evidently directed to anyone who disagrees with them.
There was apparent disregard to the economic and technical hardship imposed on repeaters and their users to move their frequencies, modify radios and re-tune duplexers and cavities. There was no mention of the specter of creating complicated intermodulation components resulting from new sets of mixes in high radio frequency environments. It was also disclosed that many user radios are not capable of squeezing down to 12.5 KHZ band widths and readjusting deviation to below 4 KHZ.
Members were reminded that NARCC is not an enforcement agency. It has been involved in coordination and conflict resolution and is only authorized by the FCC to do that. A close look at NARCC’s own repeater list sees substantial numbers of repeaters who have chosen not to join, but otherwise are in compliance with the long standing band plan. Those representatives evidently were not consulted nor allowed to participate, as only dues-paying members could vote. It was pointed out that NARCC’s coordination credibility would be further impaired if it enacts such a sweeping plan, simply to satisfy a handful of wishful channel seekers.
A claim was made that NARCC coordinators are stressed by a “waiting list” of people who want to secure their own two meter channel. Several members reminded the group there is no such thing as a waiting list, and it has always been up to the individual to do research, find a repeater pair, give it a try, and if there is no conflict, seek coordination. So, the waiting list myth was rapidly dispelled, and was probably used to justify band changes. The question was posed as to the meaning of “full.” No matter how much room you create, it’s probably only a matter of time until “full” is attained again. What happens then?
There was considerable discussion about so-called Paper Repeaters, i.e., those which are not on the air, even though they are listed in directories. Complaints also were voiced about repeaters which regularly announce the time, but have little actual activity. It could be suggested here that users should maintain repeater activity to show we’re on the air. Steve Allred, K6SCA, of Fiddletown,CA, who finally withdrew his support for the Technical Committee’s re-farming plan, said he had received FCC and ARRL statements that such quiet repeaters could be unilaterally removed from the coordination list. Others disagreed, saying there is no rule defining low or sparse activity in order to sustain coordination. Others reminded the group that while their machines may be quiet, they quickly spring into action to serve the public in an emergency situation. It was decided that NARCC will seek an official, legal, written opinion on its powers, and not rely on personal statements made on the telephone to one individual.
One final note – High marks go to Sue Allred, K6SZQ, of Fiddletown,CA, the new NARCC President. She conducted one of the most productive and organized meetings I have witnessed in several years.
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