New Section Emergency Coordinator -Bob Wilson, W3BIG is the new ARRL ARES EPA Section Emergency Coordinator. He came on board Dec. 1, 2021. Bob lives in Upper Chichester Township, Delaware County. Bob has been a Ham since 1978, was previously the Emergency Coordinator for Delaware County from 2008 until 2015. View the ARES EC Map: https://epa-arrl.org/ares-ec-map/
Bob Wilson W3BIG
The ARRL has set a new standard for what counts as low power for ARRL-sponsored HF contests. The new limit is 100 W, which is down from the 150 W limit that has been permitted in some events, including the ARRL November Sweepstakes.
With the exception of the ARRL Field Day, this change goes into effect on 1 January 2022, for all ARRL-sponsored HF contests, as well as the IARU HF World Championship in July 2022.
This change has been implemented to standardize low-power categories within the contesting community. However, on a more practical level, the typical modern HF transceiver has a maximum power output of 100 watts.
In May of 2021 the FCC adopted guidelines and procedures for evaluating environmental effects of RF emissions. The guidelines incorporate two tiers of exposure limits based on whether exposure occurs in an occupational or “controlled” situation, or whether the general population is exposed or exposure is in an “uncontrolled” situation. In addition to guidelines for evaluating fixed transmitters, the FCC adopted limits for evaluating exposure from mobile and portable devices, such as cellular telephones and personal communications devices.
From the ARRL:
“Amateur Radio is basically a safe activity. In recent years, however, there has been considerable discussion and concern about the possible hazards of electromagnetic radiation, including both RF energy and power-frequency (50-60 Hz) electromagnetic fields. To allay such concerns, the FCC set limits on the amount of RF energy people can be exposed to. Some stations need to be evaluated to see if they are in compliance with the rules. (You don’t need to send anything to the FCC once you complete your evaluation.)
If you do a station evaluation for one or more powers or modes, you can use the ARRL worksheet to guide you through the process. This single page worksheet and instructions will suffice for many stations. You can keep this worksheet in your station records,
You can also use the online calculator:
http://arrl.org/rf-exposure-calculator Fill-in the form with your operating power, antenna gain, and the operating frequency. “Depending on how far above ground the RF source is located, you might want to consider ground reflections — and then click ‘Calculate’. You may need to run the calculator multiple times to get a complete picture of your situation, i.e. take into account the antenna’s lobes and directionality.” (These suggestions are from the Lake Washington Ham Club.)
See Chapter 5 of the ARRL “RF Exposure and You” book for more information about multiple-transmitter sites. This book may be downloaded, although some of the information on categorical exemptions for amateur radio has been superseded by the new rules changes. The book can be downloaded for free.
See also:
ARRL FAQ page: http://arrl.org/rf-exposure
ARRL Calculator parameters: http://arrl.org/rf-exposure-calc-instructions
PAARC welcomes members to our private Field Day event at Welkinweir beginning at 2:00 pm Saturday, June 26, and ending at noon on Sunday, June 27. Sorry, but this event is not open to the public.
Members will need to sign Welkinweir’s COVID-19 waiver at the sign-in table in order to visit or operate. Our event call is W3U, and the GOTA station will be K3ZMC. There will be a refreshments table in the pavilion.
We expect our classification to be 3A. The following operators will have stations set up for the duration: K3TWL, WA3LAB (CW), and KE3KQ. We anticipate a visit from K0BAK with a VHF 6 station.
The GOTA (Get On The Air) station is available for new hams and those who may not have operated in awhile. Coaching is available from K3AFV.
Thanks go out to Cliff for serving the greater community in such an important way!!! Cliff is a member of PAARC.
3/31/21 – The Eastern Pennsylvania Section of the ARRL (the national association for Amateur Radio) proudly announces that Cliff Hotchkiss, KC3PGT, is the new Philadelphia County Emergency Coordinator. In that role, Cliff is responsible for the county Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
Cliff succeeds WA2UAR, our Eastern PA Public Information Coordinator, who served as acting emergency coordinator following the untimely passing of Harvey Kolodner, WA3GTL/SK – the County EC for the last several years.
In just a few months, Cliff completed all required Level 3 ARES training courses including FEMA Incident Management courses and ARRL Emergency Communications courses. The Philadelphia region District Emergency Coordinator (Richard Stewart – K3ITH) and the Eastern Pennsylvania ARRL Section Manager (George Miller – W3GWM) heartily endorsed Hotchkiss for the post following Silber’s recommendation.
Cliff Hotchkiss is a fine art photographer and former photography professor, specializing in historic and antique photographic techniques. He is active, not only in ARES, but serves as a Red Cross Amateur Radio Operator volunteer, net control for the Marple-Newtown morning weather and information net, the Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club’s afternoon drive time net, and is a member of a number of regional clubs.
Join us all in congratulating Cliff Hotchkiss on his appointment as ARRL’s Philadelphia County Emergency Coordinator. And join Cliff as he leads the ARES Net meetings normally on the Phil-Mont repeater system, 147.03, +offset, PL 91.5 – 9 PM local time, Sunday evenings. (Also available on Echolink – W3QV-R, and Allstar 47940).
Visit the ARRL EPA website: https:www.epa-arrl.org