• Delta Division News

    From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Tue Oct 25 11:53:15 2022
    Greetings Delta Division Members:

    The ARRL Foundation is now accepting applications for grants to amateur
    radio organizations and for its 2023 Scholarship Program! Also, I will
    remind everyone that the second round of club grants is also open for application submittals.

    The grants program awards limited funding to organizations for eligible
    amateur radio related projects and initiatives, particularly those with
    a focus on educating, licensing, and supporting amateur radio activities. Youth-based projects and initiatives are especially encouraged. The ARRL Foundation grants program accepts proposals on a cyclical model three
    times a year, in February, June, and October. Proposals for the October
    grant period are being accepted through October 31. Awardees will be
    notified approximately one month after the closing of each cycle.

    Additional information and a link to the grant application can be found
    at www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-grants.

    The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program will award more than 100
    scholarships to deserving radio amateurs pursuing higher education.
    Individual scholarships range from $500 - $25,000. All applicants must
    be active, FCC-licensed amateur radio operators and submit a completed
    online application by 12 PM Eastern Time on January 4, 2023. Active
    foreign amateur radio operators are eligible for the Amateur Radio
    Digital Communications (ARDC) scholarships.

    For the 2023 scholarships, the ARRL Foundation will be utilizing the
    same Scholarship Management Platform that was used for the 2022
    scholarships. Transcripts and additional required documents must be
    submitted with the application and not emailed separately. A number of scholarships require additional documents, such as a letter of
    recommendation from a sitting Officer of an ARRL Affiliated Club.
    Applications without accompanying transcripts and additional required
    documents (if applicable) will not be considered.

    The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee will review all applicants for eligibility and award decisions. Scholarship recipients will be notified
    in May 2023 via USPS and email. Awards are mailed directly to
    recipients' schools.

    Additional information and a link to the application can be found at www.arrl.org/scholarship-program.

    The ARRL Foundation administers programs to support the amateur radio
    community and was established in 1973 by ARRL The National Association
    for Amateur Radio (R).

    If you know a deserving amateur radio operator who is a student and
    would benefit from a Foundation scholarship, please encourage them to
    apply.

    73 ES DX

    K5UZ

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Delta Division
    Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
    k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Fri Jan 13 17:34:17 2023

    HNY Delta Members and Amateurs,

    Happy new year to all. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas or
    Hanukah season with family and friends. 2022 is over and now we are in
    to 2023 as time rapidly marches on. 2023 is special the ARRL observes
    the Year of the Volunteer. You, the ARRL volunteer, are heart and soul
    of our organization and amateur radio moreover. The ARRL relies heavily
    on your great efforts whether it is ARES with emcomm, giving classes as
    a volunteer instructor, conducting exam sessions as a volunteer examiner, working with the Section manager and his appointed staff or simply being
    an Elmer, you are the focus of this year's activities in recognition of
    your worthwhile and essential efforts. Indeed your efforts are essential
    as they nurture and grow the ranks of amateur radio operators. Vice
    Director Hudgens and I want to sincerely thank each of you for your great
    work in Delta Division and let’s grow the greatest hobby in the world
    and our beloved amateur radio SERVICE this year!

    ***********************************************************************
    VOTA! 2023's ARRL Centennial Style Operating Event is Underway!

    ARRL's yearlong operating event, Volunteers On the Air, or VOTA, began
    January 1, 2023. The event is organized as part of ARRL's 2023 theme,
    "Year of the Volunteers," which recognizes the contributions of ARRL
    member volunteers, and offers opportunities to become more active and
    involved in amateur radio and ARRL.

    VOTA encourages participants to make contacts with ARRL members and
    volunteers, earning points for each contact. Point values have been
    assigned (see the Points Table at vota.arrl.org). All scoring is
    automatically calculated through ARRL's Logbook of The World (LoTW, www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world). If you are already an LoTW user,
    continue to upload your QSOs there to participate. If you're a new LoTW
    user, visit Getting Started with LoTW.

    As part of the event, there will be week-long activations by W1AW
    portable stations operating in all US states and territories. W1AW/#
    portable operations are worth 5 points for each contact, and they can be contacted on all bands and modes. There's also an opportunity to earn
    the W1AW Worked All States Award. There will be two week-long W1AW
    operations from each of the 50 states.

    Later in the event, an on-line scoreboard, the VOTA Leaderboard, will be activated, allowing each participant to see how their score measures up
    with other participants throughout the year.

    Only two-way contacts qualify for points (cross-band, cross-mode, and
    repeater contacts are not valid), using any mode (CW, phone, or digital)
    - including EME and satellite operations - on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10,
    6, 2, and 1.25 meters, as well as 70 centimeters, VHF/UHF/SHF, and
    microwave bands available to US amateurs above 2 meters (2190-, 630-,
    60-, 30-, 17-, and 12-meter band contacts are not counted for credit in
    this event).

    Join the fun! Visit the official VOTA website for further details: vota.arrl.org.

    **************************************************************************

    I should also mention that 2023 celebrates the 50th year of the ARRL Foundation. The Foundation has grown the last year with the addition of
    ADRC Scholarships and the new Club Grants Program. We look forward to
    repeating both programs in 2023. Happy Birthday ARRL Foundation! As
    President of the ARRL Foundation, I am extremely pleased with the way
    things are progressing.

    **************************************************************************

    The K7RA Solar Update
    01/10/2023
    Two new sunspot groups emerged on December 29, one more on December 30
    and another on January 1, then two more on January 5.

    Solar activity was a little higher, with average daily sunspot
    number rising from 96.1 to 97, and solar flux averages rose 14
    points to 157.8.

    On Thursday, January 5 the sunspot number rose to 103, above the
    average of 96.1 over the previous seven days.

    Predicted solar flux is 154 on January 6, 152 on January 7-8, 150 on
    January 9, 148 on January 10-11, then 146, 148 and 145 on January
    12-14, 140 on January 15-16, 145 on January 17-19, 150 and 155 on
    January 20-21, 160 on January 22-23, 165 on January 24-26, then 160,
    155, 155, 158 and 155 on January 27-31, 150 and 148 on February 1-2,
    145 on February 3-4, 140 on February 5-6, 150 on February 7-9, 145
    on February 10, 140 on February 11-12, and 145 on February 13-15.

    Predicted planetary A index is 12 and 8 on January 6-7, 5 on January
    8-16, then 8, 12, 25, 20 and 10 on January 17-21, 5 on January
    22-24, then 8, 28, 15 and 10 on January 25-28, and 5 on January
    29-30, 18 on January 31 through February 1,15 and 10 on February
    2-3, and 5 on February 4-12.

    OK1HH wrote in part:

    "Solar activity increased so rapidly in recent years that earlier
    last year it already reached the level predicted for July 2025, the
    predicted peak of the current 25th solar cycle. The year 2022 ended
    with the highest monthly sunspot count in 7 years.

    "Solar flares are already routinely of moderate magnitude (M-class
    in X-rays), while geomagnetic disturbances are so far only very
    rarely in a higher class than G1 (minor). In the G1 class was also
    the disturbance on 30 December, which was triggered by a CIR
    (co-rotating interaction region) impact, as predicted.

    "This week the Earth is in the impact zone of possible eruptions in
    the AR3176 sunspot group directly opposite our planet, which
    produces M-class solar flares. The strongest so far, on December 30
    at 1938 UTC, was class M3.7, which sent a CME toward Earth with an
    expected arrival on January 4 - and the prediction proved correct -
    the disturbance began at 0254 UTC.

    "The CMEs filled the space between the Sun and Earth, and clouds of
    solar plasma shielded the incoming cosmic rays enough to reach a
    six-year low.

    "Thus, since 26 December, we can observe the 'Forbush Decline,'
    named after the American physicist Scott Forbush, who studied cosmic
    rays in the early 20th century and first noticed the relationship
    between them and solar activity. With more CMEs hitting Earth, the
    cosmic ray decline will grow.

    "On January 3 at 1058 UTC, something exploded on the far side of the
    Sun. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) detected a bright
    CME sweeping across the southeastern limb of the Sun. The source of
    the outburst was likely the old sunspot AR3163, which has been on
    the Sun's far side for the past two weeks. We are now starting to
    see it on the solar disk as AR3182, and we might tentatively expect
    an X-class flare from it.

    Send your tips, reports, observations, questions, and comments to k7ra@arrl.net.

    For more information concerning shortwave radio propagation, see http://www.arrl.org/propagation and the ARRL Technical Information
    Service at http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals . For an
    explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere .

    An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation . More good
    information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/ .

    Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL
    bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins .

    Sunspot numbers for December 29, 2022 through January 4, 2023 were
    113, 121, 82, 94, 94, 89, and 86, with a mean of 97. 10.7 cm flux
    was 162.8, 178.3, 164.9, 152.6, 146.4, 148.5, and 151, with a mean
    of 157.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 11, 31, 16, 14, 8, 7,
    and 21, with a mean of 15.4. Middle latitude A index was 8, 22, 10,
    9, 5, 5, and 17, with a mean of 10.9.

    NAQP CW is this weekend! Get on the air and make some QSO's!
    It is from 1800Z, Jan 14 to 0559Z, Jan 15, 2023!

    Go to https://www.contestcalendar.com/fivewkcal.html for more
    information.

    CU on the air!

    ***

    Upcoming events:

    Jan 19 - Jan 21, 2023 Annual (January) ARRL Board of Directors meeting
    - please forward your concerns.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    SELARC - 41st Annual - Hammond HamFest
    01/21/2023
    Location: Ponchatoula Community Center
    300 N. 5th St., Ponchatoula, La. 70454
    Ponchatoula, LA 70454

    Website: http://www.selarc.org

    Sponsor: Southeast Louisiana ARC (SELARC)

    Talk-In: 147.000 / -600 khz / 107.2 pl
    Public Contact: Tyrone Burns , N5XES
    POB 1324 Hammond, LA 70404
    Phone: 985-687-2139
    Email: n5xes@arrl.net

    Jackson MS Capital City Hamfest 2023,
    *****ARRL Mississippi State Convention****

    Start Date: 01/27/2023
    End Date: 01/28/2023

    Location: Mississippi Trademart
    1200 Mississippi St.
    Jackson, MS 39201

    Website: http://www.msham.org

    Sponsor: Jackson Amateur Radio Club
    Talk-In: 146.76- 77hz

    Public Contact: Jim Armstrong , AK5J
    1103 Pinehurst Place Jackson, MS 39202
    Phone: 601-709-6740
    Email: ak5j@arrl.net

    ******* Don't miss Friday evening's big DX Program! *******

    ***

    LCARC Winter-Fest, *******ARRL Arkansas State Convention*****
    02/18/2023

    Location: Hoxie Service Center
    500 S.W. Lawrence St.
    Hoxie, AR 72433

    Website: http://www.w5wra.org

    Sponsor: Lawrence Co Amateur Radio Club, Inc.

    Talk-In: 147.045 (no tone)

    Public Contact: Dale Stratton , K5ZXH
    111 N.E. Dorothy Dr. Walnut Ridge , AR 72476
    Phone: 870-759-2067
    Email: dales@suddenlink.net
    Note: Setup after 3pm Feb. 17, Doors open 8am on Feb. 18.

    ***

    Arkansas River Valley Hamfest
    03/04/2023

    Location: Dardanelle Community Center
    2059-2099 State Hwy 22
    Dardanelle, AR 72834

    Website: http://www.arvarf.com

    Sponsor: Arkansas River Valley Amateur Radio Foundation

    Talk-In: 146.82 131.8

    Public Contact: Michael McAllister, KE5EIY
    10420 Buckeye Road Dardanelle, AR 72834
    Phone: 479-692-9970
    Email: mikemac20002003@yahoo.com
    Note: Onsite parking is VERY LIMITED - carpooling strongly recommended.

    **************************************************************************

    We will see you on the air for VOTA – and at Jackson MS and Hoxie, AR
    for the two State Conventions!

    73 ES DX

    DE K5UZ WB4RHQ

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Delta Division
    Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
    k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Fri Feb 17 15:43:27 2023
    Greeting Delta Division Members,

    This weekend has a couple of events both on air and in person. First off
    is the LCARC Winter-Fest and ARRL AR State Convention in Hoxie, AR
    Saturday as the in-person event. Second is the ARRL DX Contest - CW
    version starting at 00:00Z Saturday. K5UZ will be at Hoxie and on air in
    the DX 'test as travel and time permit.

    LCARC Winter-Fest, ARRL Arkansas State Convention
    Saturday 02/18/2023

    Location: Hoxie Service Center
    500 S.W. Lawrence St.
    Hoxie, AR 72433

    Website: w5wra.org - Go to ARRL website for more information under Hamfests
    and Conventions - see below

    http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/lcarc-winter-fest-arrl-arkansas-state-convention

    Sponsor: Lawrence Co Amateur Radio Club, Inc.

    Talk-In: 147.045 (no tone)

    Public Contact: Dale Stratton , K5ZXH
    111 N.E. Dorothy Dr. Walnut Ridge , AR 72476
    Phone: 870-759-2067
    Email: dales@suddenlink.net

    ***************************************************************************

    The ARRL International DX Contest - CW is this weekend starting at
    00:00Z February 18 (tonight).

    * USA to USA contacts do not count for scored points, only USA to DX.
    * DX Entities count as multipliers, one per band.
    * AK, HI and US possessions count as DX so work them!
    * The exchange for USA stations is signal report and state.
    * DX stations will send a report and their power.
    * Use the six HF bands 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters.
    * The mode is CW only.

    Rules are posted here: http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx

    Get in and make a good effort or just pick off some new ones, The bands
    are open so get QRV and heat up the ionosphere!

    ***************************************************************************

    73 ES DX

    DE K5UZ WB4RHQ

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Delta Division
    Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
    k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Wed May 24 13:26:39 2023
    ARRL Member Bulletin - May 24, 2023

    Reminder:
    Complete the ARRL Dues Survey Now

    Dear member,

    If you're among the nearly 12,000 members who have already completed the
    dues survey -- THANK YOU. If you haven't yet, please complete the survey
    now at www.arrl.org/take-dues-survey.

    Since the survey launched on May 1, I have personally read each survey
    response for feedback. Many members have taken the opportunity to share
    with us what we're doing well, what they like, and what we could do
    better or improve. Many of you have shared ideas. A member who is blind
    even wrote to tell us that the survey was fully accessible for him -- reinforcing that we want participation from every member.

    Some of your Division Directors have also sent you reminders -- setting
    up a healthy competition (which Division will have the highest
    participation rate?).

    As I shared previously, this is only the second time in 22 years we are considering a dues increase. The survey is an essential step in this
    process.

    If you haven't already participated, please follow these steps:

    Go to www.arrl.org/take-dues-survey. This is a member-only page. If you
    are already logged in to your account, the page will include the survey.
    If you already completed the survey, you may see a message indicating,
    "You have already voted in this poll."

    If you are NOT already logged in to your account, follow the instructions
    on the page to log in. Or, select the Login button at the top of the web
    page, and you will be prompted to enter your ARRL website username
    (usually your call sign) and password. If you have not logged in since
    April 2022, please use these Login Instructions.

    Complete the survey by May 31.

    If you need additional help with your login, call us Monday - Thursday
    from 8 AM to 7 PM ET, and Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM ET at 860-594-0200
    or email us at membership@arrl.org.

    What happens next?

    The survey results will be tabulated and shared with members on the ARRL website in June. The results will also be shared with the ARRL Board of Directors. Your responses will aid our analysis and discussions, and
    ultimately help ensure ARRL's future as an effective, strong, and
    influential membership association.

    Again, thank you for being a member and collaborating on this big decision.

    73

    David A. Minster, NA2AA
    Chief Executive Officer
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Fri May 26 08:48:42 2023
    Greetings Delta Division Members,

    On May 1st, we began a survey for members to provide us feedback on
    some possible changes the ARRL Board of Directors is considering to
    ARRL dues and membership services. The ARRL survey will remain open
    until May 31st. It is very important that you take a few moments, and
    share with us your opinions how changes could be made to ensure the
    long-term viability of ARRL. Cutting back on services or raising dues is
    not something any organization enjoys doing, and it has been resisted by
    the Board; however, it is now being considered due to the economy. As a historical point, this will be only the third time in 22 years that we
    have considered raising the dues, and this includes the elimination of
    the previous senior discount in the mid 2000's. Cutting back or
    consolidating services may also be an option.

    As a valuable member, your input is very important to us. The decisions
    we're considering should be influenced by all members. If you have
    already taken the survey, thank you! If you haven't yet, please do so
    soon. The more members that participate, the better our data is in
    determining any possible course of action.

    The results from the survey will be tabulated and shared with members
    on the ARRL website in June. Responses will ultimately help guide the
    future of ARRL. The survey is only available to ARRL members. Why?
    Because you ARE the ARRL, and you have a stake in the outcome, and we
    need YOUR input.

    Please make sure you log into www.arrl.org to participate. THIS IS
    IMPORTANT!

    Thank you for being an active member, and for your ongoing support of
    amateur radio and ARRL.

    73,

    DE K5UZ
    WB4RHQ

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Delta Division
    Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
    k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Tue May 30 15:23:55 2023

    LAST CHANCE!

    Please Complete the ARRL Member Dues Survey by May 31

    If you're among the 17,000+ members who have completed the dues survey --
    THANK YOU!

    The survey closes tomorrow, Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

    Complete the survey now at www.arrl.org/take-dues-survey.

    We want your input on how ARRL will handle an increase in dues. Start by reading the editorial written by ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, in the
    April 2023 issue of QST magazine.

    If you haven't already participated, please follow these steps:

    Go to www.arrl.org/take-dues-survey. This is a member-only page. If you
    are already logged in to your account, the page will include the survey.
    If you already completed the survey, you may see a message indicating,
    "You have already voted in this poll."

    If you are NOT already logged in to your account, follow the instructions
    on the page to log in. Or, select the Login button at the top of the web
    page, and you will be prompted to enter your ARRL website username
    (usually your call sign) and password. If you have not logged in since
    April 2022, please use the Login Instructions noted.

    Complete the survey by May 31.

    If you need additional help with your login, call ARRL Headquarters
    during business hours Eastern Time at 860-594-0200 or email us at membership@arrl.org.

    The results from the survey will be tablulated and shared with members
    on the ARRL website in June. The results will also be shared with the
    ARRL Board of Directors. Your responses will ultimately help guide the
    future of ARRL!
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Tue Jun 13 17:31:47 2023
    GE Delta Division Amateurs!

    Tonight at 7:00PM CDST - 8:00PM ESDT (June 14, 00:00Z) LA will pass the
    W1AW/5 baton to AR to fire up ARRL's Volunteers OnThe Air from the
    Natural State. Many Arkansas stations will be making this activation
    possible. KM5G, K5DB, K5UZ, K5UR and W5ZN will be among those activating
    W1AW/5 which will be QRV for one week. Give us a call on any band or
    mode and grab the VOTA points! Who knows, you might just get lucky with
    a "two-for" points wise.

    Hopefully the QRN south of LR won't be too bad...

    Get radio active! CU on the air!

    73 ES DX

    DE K5UZ

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Delta Division
    Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
    k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Fri Jun 23 15:11:23 2023
    Tomorrow is the day!

    2023 Field Day! Have a fun and safe Field Day weekend. I will be QRV for
    the 24 hour period making those VOTA points available. Ed will be on
    from his EOC in Williamson Co. TN.

    Be sure to invite your local elected officials or your EMA manager to
    your site. This is our opportunity to show case amateur radio and
    expose other to our great hobby and an example of what a resource the
    amateur radio service truly is. Also, invite youth! Ham radio is a
    great STEM tool!

    Be sure to send a NTS message to your Section Manager from your Field
    Day site.

    Not with a club or group? You can still join the fun from home, mobile
    or the field.

    Go to

    http://www.arrl.org/field-day

    For more information

    GL, 73 ES CU on the air!

    DE K5UZ WB4RHQ

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Delta Division
    Director: David A Norris, K5UZ
    k5uz@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Sun Jul 23 19:00:27 2023
    A Message from ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR

    Dear ARRL members,

    Yesterday, the ARRL Board of Directors completed their second annual
    meeting. I'm writing to let you know that they made the tough, but
    necessary, decision to increase the regular membership dues rate to
    $59 a year starting January 1, 2024 (see 2024 Dues Rates at www.arrl.org/2024-dues-rates).

    Additionally, we have chosen to separate the printed, mailed magazine
    from regular membership. Members will be able to choose whether they
    want to add-on a print subscription to any of our magazines including
    QST, On the Air, QEX, and NCJ. All members will continue to have online, digital access to each of these four magazines, and the digital archive
    as part of their regular membership benefits.

    This is only the second time in 22 years that ARRL has raised our dues.
    It is a necessary part of ensuring ARRL is supported, so we can continue
    to promote and fight hard for our Amateur Radio Service, while providing benefits and services for our members that increase your knowledge and enjoyment of ham radio.

    To help us make this decision, we invited every ARRL member to participate
    in a survey in May...you can view the results at www.arrl.org/dues-survey

    Over 20,000 members responded. We know from the survey results that most
    of you will find the new rate reasonable, or even ask why we didn't set
    it higher. We also know that some may find the rate is too high.

    As I've shared with many of you during my visits at hamfests and
    conventions, each of us has a responsibility to be active participants,
    and to support ARRL if we want to increase our ranks, and ensure a
    lasting legacy for amateur radio's future.

    You told us that you value ARRL's advocacy efforts, including spectrum
    defense, standing up to regulators and policymakers, and our work in
    other areas that defend, promote, and grow amateur radio - including
    STEM outreach to schools, teachers, and youth. There is no other
    organization that is working harder to advance a vision that allows any
    citizen to explore, develop, and practice radio communications and radio technology.

    Your feedback showed us the many benefits, services, and programs you
    use - from Logbook of The World, to the work done by the ARRL Lab, to
    test equipment for product reviews. While our magazines topped the list
    of benefits, many of you also shared that your reading preferences have changed. Some of you prefer print, and increasingly members prefer
    digital. As a result, for those who prefer print, you will be able to
    subscribe to QST and/or On the Air magazine. Again, all members will
    continue to have access to the digital editions of all four ARRL
    magazines.

    Have you ever heard a Life Member say, "I got a good deal when I signed
    up for Life Membership 25 (or 30, or 40...) years ago." They're right!
    They got a good deal, but continuing to serve Life members is not
    sustainable without making some changes.

    So, we're going to freeze new applications for the program, not adding
    any new Life Memberships until we can price the offering to be revenue
    neutral over its term. And, again, as more members prefer digital, we'll
    be asking current Life Members to opt-in if they want to continue to
    receive QST by mail.

    The cost of doing business goes up every year. During the last couple of
    years, the costs associated with printing and postage have increased significantly. We've cut and delayed hiring for some positions on our professional staff - one of the smallest teams we've had staffing our headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, in years. We are also continuing
    to examine other cost-saving measures, but we cannot go further without reducing or eliminating benefits and programs which our members have told
    us are important to them.

    I can assure you that the ARRL Board exercises due diligence and oversight
    in making sure your association is a good steward of your membership
    dollars. The reality is that ARRL does a lot - in fact much more than dues cover.

    ARRL shares your passion for amateur radio. We are committed to
    strengthening and growing our community, and protecting our rights to
    use and experiment on our amateur radio spectrum. We have a 109-year
    track record that includes YOU as part of that ongoing legacy of support
    for amateur radio and ARRL.

    73,

    Rick Roderick, K5UR
    President, ARRL
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Tue Aug 1 09:40:26 2023
    Filers Seek Extension on Shortwave Petition. ARRL to File Comments.
    07/31/2023 [Updated 7/31/2023]

    Since May, ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio (R) has
    been reviewing the rules proposed in a petition before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from the "Shortwave Modernization
    Coalition" (SMC). The ARRL Laboratory has been studying the petition
    out of concern for potential interference to Amateur Radio
    communications.

    Comments on the petition, RM-11953, were due to FCC by July 31, 2023
    (see previous ARRL News story, noted elsewhere in this post).

    However, a 30-day extension of time was requested by both Skywave
    Networks LLC and FlexRadio Systems.

    The timely request from Skywave automatically triggered an extension to
    the filing deadline. Under FCC rules, when a request for extension is
    made within the appropriate timeframe, commenters may file comments until
    a date set by FCC when it rules on the extension request, or no earlier
    than two business days after the FCC decision. On Monday, July 31, the
    FCC denied the request for extension. Comments therefore may continue
    to be filed through Wednesday, August 2.

    In its petition, SMC, a group that appears to represent high-speed stock trading interests, has proposed amending the FCC Part 90 rules to allow introduction of high-power digital communications to the shortwave
    spectrum, that in many instances, is immediately adjacent to the amateur
    HF bands.

    ARRL's comments on the matter will be based on the analysis by its
    laboratory and guided by its experienced Washington, D.C. regulatory
    affairs counsel. ARRL will use the extension to best represent the
    interests of its members and the Amateur Radio Service.

    **

    The Previous Post on this, from the Arkansas Section Manager, is below.
    Note: There are already several videos on YouTube concurring with this. DS

    ***

    Please take a few moments to read the following notification from the
    ARRL WebSite.

    The Direct URL to the article is:

    http://www.arrl.org/news/commercial-interests-petition-fcc-for-high-power- allocation-on-shortwave-spectrum

    (above URL all on one line -- this is the "previous story" from above)

    The context of this article is copied below.

    After reading this please reach out to the ARRL, and your congressional representative to let them know that you are OPPOSED to this possible
    action!

    You can submit your objection using the FCC URL:

    https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/how-comment#comments

    Reference the Rule Making Request RM-11953

    Time is not on our side as the open comment period closes on 31 July
    2023. (as per the top story, the deadline was extended to August 2).

    ========================================================================

    The ad hoc group "Shortwave Modernization Coalition" petitioned the
    Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow data communications on multiple bands within the HF 2 - 25 MHz range with up to 20 KW,
    including in bands immediately adjacent to spectrum allocated to the
    Amateur Radio Service. This group appears to represent high-speed stock
    trading interests.

    ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio (R) is treating the
    petition as a subject of concern for its members and the greater Amateur
    Radio Service. ARRL Laboratory staff are studying the matter from a
    technical standpoint, including analysis of transmitted signals
    potentially interfering with Amateur Radio communications on Amateur
    Radio spectrum. The results from this expert review are being finalized
    and will inform ARRL's filed comments on the matter.

    The FCC has assigned the petition RM-11953. Comments are due by July 31,
    2023, and reply comments by August 15. While the petitioners exclude the amateur bands, high power operations on immediately adjacent bands are proposed.

    A copy of the petition is at:

    https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1042840187330/1 (PDF).

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    ARRL Arkansas Section
    Section Manager: James D Ferguson Jr, N5LKE
    n5lke@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
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    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)