Oct 4, 2024 | ARES, ARRL, Public Service, Winlink
From the ARRL
10/04/2024
ARRL® The National Association for Amateur Radio® is tracking how amateur radio is proving critical in areas hit hard by Hurricane Helene, especially in North and South Carolina, portions of Tennessee, and beyond. In the hardest-hit Asheville, North Carolina, area, homes and entire towns have been swept away by flood waters and mudslides. Over 200 people have been killed, and many more are still missing.
Widespread devastation has damaged the power grid and roads, and many residents are without cell phone service and other utilities. For several days, radio communications were the only means of passing information. Ham radio continues to play a significant role in this situation.
In North Carolina, all official emergency radio communications are done through NC AUXCOMM. NC Division of Emergency Management Senior External Affairs Specialist Brian Haines says hams are deployed. “Amateur radio operators are working side by side with first responder communications personnel all over Western North Carolina. Needless to say, we are interested in highlighting all they are doing but at this point they are heavily involved in response efforts, which is where we need to focus,” he said.
Winlink, which provides email over amateur radio, has been used significantly in the recovery. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, says the recent FCC removal of symbol rate restrictions has allowed a streamlined response using modern technology. “Winlink is an example of how modern tools work well within the Amateur Radio Service. Not having to petition the FCC for a waiver of the old rules allowed Winlink to be used immediately during this emergency,” he said. ARRL had advocated for the change, which was implemented in 2023.
Significant stories of the response from individual hams is emerging, particularly from those who have created pop-up nets to pass health and welfare traffic. Using mountaintop repeaters that have robust power backups, HF frequencies, and Winlink, ham radio operators are putting in their time, talents, and personal gear to good use.
Read the full article, and associated media coverage, here:
https://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-serving-southeast-us-recovery-efforts
See the map of Winlink coverage here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=947498630745785&set=a.626049679557350
ARRL is the National Association for Amateur Radio in the US
May 8, 2023 | ARRL
From May 5: http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-helps-radio-amateurs-comply-with-new-rf-exposure-evaluation-rules:
The National Association for Amateur Radio® provides free, comprehensive resources to help radio amateurs ensure they are compliant with the new RF exposure rules.
On May 3, 2021, new FCC rules governing RF exposure evaluations went into effect. While the exposure limits were not changed, the requirement to conduct an evaluation was made more broadly applicable to amateur licensees. A 2-year transition period was implemented to allow existing amateur licensees to conduct evaluations and make any changes necessary to ensure that their station complies with the exposure rules. On May 3, 2023, the transition period ended. All licensees must now conduct evaluations of their current station and reassess compliance when making changes to their stations that would affect exposure going forward.
As detailed in a May 2023 QST article by Greg Lapin, N9GL, the rules now require amateur radio operators to perform station evaluations. The Amateur Radio Service is no longer categorically excluded from certain aspects of the RF exposure rules, and licensees can no longer avoid performing an exposure assessment simply because they are transmitting below a given power level.
The ARRL website features an RF Exposure landing page with resources, such as an RF exposure calculator, the entire RF Safety section from the 100th Edition of the ARRL The Handbook, a video explaining the topic, FAQs about the subject, and more. These tools and resources are available to the public without an ARRL membership or website account.
For further assistance with technical matters, ARRL members enjoy the additional resources of the ARRL Technical Information Service, and access to the experts within the ARRL Lab.
Sep 13, 2023 | ARRL, Hamfest, News, Special Event
From: https://epa-arrl.org/upcoming-epa-events-announcements/
EPA SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST – The SET will be held in the EPA on Saturday, October 7. (Note that in Montgomery County the LGS Drill will take place on Tues., Sept. 26 beginning at 4:00 pm.) ARES units in approximately 25 of the EPA’s 34 counties will participate in an exercise supporting the American Red Cross. The drill will simulate a widespread communications outage resulting from a CME event. ARES units will support Red Cross shelter operations by relaying critical email message traffic via Winlink. Last year the SET operated under similar conditions and more than 100 operators sent hundreds of messages in a highly successful event.
PA QSO PARTY – The 67th Pennsylvania QSO Party will be held on October 14 and 15. This operating event presents an excellent chance to dust off your HF rig and make some contacts. For event information and rules, follow this link: PA QSO Party Plans & Aids – PA QSO PA.
CAPITAL TESTING GROUP – Amateur radio testing in the Harrisburg area will be conducted by a new volunteer organization, the Capital Testing Group. The group is an ARRL-accredited VE unit that will hold testing sessions on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month just outside Harrisburg. In addition to the regular testing sessions the group will facilitate special needs testing in an individual’s home or an assisted living facility. Information on this extremely valuable service can be found here: Capital Area Testing Group – Ham radio testing, FCC testing, Amateur radio testing, Capital area, (arrlcapitalareatestgroup.info).
EPARA HAMFEST IN STROUDSBURG – September 17 – The Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Hamfest will be held on Sunday, September 17 at Moose Lodge 1336. The address is 705 Stokes Mill Road in East Stroudsburg, PA. For information on EPARA, check the link: https://qsl.net/n3is/.
RED ROSE REPEATER ASSOCIATION HAMFEST IN NEW HOLLAND – October 7 – The RRR Association will hold its annual hamfest in New Holland on Saturday, October 7. The location is 339 East Main Street at the Garden Spot Fire and Rescue Station #1 in New Holland, PA. Information on the Red Rose Repeater Association can be found here: Red Rose Repeater Association – W3RRR.
RF HILL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB HAMFEST IN PERKASIE – October 22 – The RF Hill ARC Hamfest will be held on Sunday, October 22 at the Upper Bucks County Community College campus at 313 Blooming Glen Road in Perhasie, PA. Follow this link for the hamfest flyer: L:\Data\R\RF Hill\HAMFEST\HAMFEST FLYER 2022.pmd (rfhillarc.club).
Apr 13, 2023 | Amateur Radio, ARRL, Events
From the ARRL:
World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is held on April 18 every year and is celebrated by radio amateurs and their national associations which are organized as member-societies of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). It was on this day in 1925 that the IARU was formed in Paris. American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim was its first president.
The IARU announced that Human Security for All (HS4A) will be this year’s World Amateur Radio Day theme. The day is being celebrated with a 2-week operating event occurring April 11 – 25. Special event stations will be operating from around the world, making two-way radio contacts to call attention to the HS4A campaign. The United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security describes ‘human security’ as “a more powerful, lasting approach to the most difficult deficits in peace and development,” such as poverty, war, and natural disasters.
ARRL encourages all radio amateurs to take to the airwaves for WARD, to enjoy our global friendship with other amateurs, and to show our skills and capabilities to the public.
More information about 2023 World Amateur Radio Day is available at www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day and www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day
World Amateur Radio Day is April 18
Jan 16, 2022 | ARRL, EPA Section
Jan. 11, 2022 – The ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, is pleased to report the re-election of George W. Miller, W3GWM to a third 2-year term as section manager for the 34 counties of Eastern Pennsylvania (EPA). Miller resides in Wyalusing, PA.
As the Eastern PA (EPA) ARRL section manager, Miller is responsible for managing a team of volunteers that offer the following:
1. Emergency and backup communications for emergency management agencies and other disaster relief organizations, during public safety incidents, weather disasters and other local and national emergencies.
2. Outreach to youth organizations like the Scouts and others with an interest in Amateur Radio both as a hobby and as a public service
3. A source of information and education about Amateur Radio for appointed and elected government officials in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4. A public information service providing media in Pennsylvania with news releases on issues of importance to Amateur Radio and our communities in Eastern Pennsylvania, as well as an informative YouTube Television series – What Hams Do… aimed at the general public.
5. A liaison to the more than 50 ARRL affiliated Amateur Radio Clubs in the 34 counties that comprise the Eastern PA Section of the ARRL.
Miller was first licensed as an Amateur Radio Operator by the Federal Communications Commission in 1979. He spent decades in the armed forces of the United States in various communications roles. His service includes 26 years in the US Air Force Reserve and an earlier stint with the US Coast Guard. In more recent years, Miller ran his own IT consulting firm and authored or co-authored 5 books on computer programming. He was also the Technical Editor for Compute! Magazine as home computers became a standard fixture.
In addition to managing the EPA section, Miller is also a leading ‘traffic’ handler, i.e., an amateur radio operator who passes emergency communications from one part of the country to another. He serves as ‘net control’ – the on-air meeting manager for Amateur Radio Operators engaged in handling emergency messages – for a variety of daily and weekly meetings that ensure there’s a trained cadre of experts to maintain regional and national communications when disaster disrupts phone and internet service.
As section manager, George has made his mark, even in these difficult pandemic times, as a constant presence in the ham radio community. His regular in-person and remote presentations to ARRL affiliated clubs regarding traffic handling and other Amateur Radio activities are highly regarded by the thousands of hams in Eastern PA.
Learn more about the EPA Section: https://epa-arrl.org
George Miller, W3GWM
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