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Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) Report 1719 - July 23 2010
Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1719 with a release date of Friday, July 23, 2010 to follow in 5-4-3-2-1. The following is a Q-S-T. Europe gets set to host a major ham radio emergency communications meeting, more on the FCC action to permit hams to take part in emergency training drills sponsored by their employers, the ARRL says amateur radio is growing in the United States, an $8000 do it yourself ham radio satellite is detailed in the MAKE Magazine blog and ham radio honors one of the early pioneers of manned space flight. Find out more on Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) report number 1719 coming your way right now. (Billboard Cart Here) ** RESCUE RADIO: EUROPEAN EMCOMM CONFERENCE SEPT 25 TO 26 Europe will be hosting a ham radio emergency communications conference this fall. RSGB newsman Jeremy Boot, G4NJH has the details: -- A European Emergency Radio Conference is being organised in the German town of Gross-Gerau for the weekend of 24th to 26th September. Known as EuREC-DL, the conference aims to bring together radio amateurs and emergency services to show how the two groups can work together to increase the resilience of their communications. I'm Jeramy Boot, G4NJH and you are listening to the Amateur Radio Newsline. -- The conference is supported by the German Red Cross. More information can be found at www.EUREC-DL.de. (GB2RS) ** RESCUE RADIO LAW: FCC SAYS PUBLIC GOOD OUTWEIGHS CONCERNS OF HAM COMMUNITY IN THE AREA OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS More this week regarding the Federal Communications Commission report and order changing the amateur radio service rules to allow hams to transmit messages in certain circumstances during disaster drills. This, regardless of whether the ham is an employee of the organizations participating in the drill. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, is here with some background on the decision and the view taken by the FCC in making it: -- In issuing its Report and Order on Docket RM 10-124, the FCC acknowledged the role that amateurs can play before and during emergencies. It noted that many governments and safety organizations make hams a part of their emergency planning. As such, the commission agreed that Part 97 rules, as written and codified, had in essence prohibited communications in which an operator has a pecuniary interest. This included communications on behalf of an employer, even when that employer was serving the needs and welfare of the American public. Until about a year ago, the FCC had unofficially turned its back when hams employed by cities, townships, emergency response groups, hospitals and the like provided services during drills and other training exercises. But that changed when one ham who had provided such a noble service posted about his work on an Internet website. In turn, other hams who oppose ham radio involvement in anything that might even remotely be construed as business related reported the posting to Laura Smith at the FCC. This lead to the FCC contacting the ham about the matter. This was followed by what many construed as a warning from the FCC issued by its rules man Bill Cross, W3TN, at the 2009 Dayton Hamvention: -- Bill Cross, W3TN: "No communications on behalf of an employer means just that. There's no exception for the 15 minutes you are on a break. There's no exception for -gee it's the weekend. Or, there's no exception because you want to do it. If its your employer, you cannot transmit communications on their behalf. That is a commercial communications." -- In the real world, this edict meant that hams who work for public safety agencies and hospitals could not participate in tests and exercises even though these same operators would be expected to be ready in time of a real life emergency situation. This satisfied those hams opposed to any business communications and other groups who are anti ham radio being involved in emergency communications. It also brought with it an out-cry from those hams who have devoted their lives to emergency preparedness as well as from a number of emergency communications groups and responders that have traditionally utilized the services of ham radio volunteers. A few months later, the FCC bowed to public pressure and agreed to issue waivers on a case by case basis to permit ham radio operators to participate in training exercises and drills sponsored by government agencies and those that a government entity might appoint to oversee a practice session. In the meantime, several petitions were filed to change 97.113 to in effect codify into the Amateur Service rules what hams have been doing for almost a century. Public safety agencies and other first responders generally supported such a rule change. Several ham groups also argued the change would help improve the skills of employees who might have to act during disasters. Others felt it could increase the usefulness of programs such as ARES, RACES and even MARS. Those who opposed the change felt that it would erode the not for profit amateur status of the service They called the proposal an essential change for the worse in the characteristic of United States Amateur Radio service. |
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