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Fellow Amateurs, you will probably have received or will receive a letter from ARRL, dated October 1999, concerning the immense competition for some of the Amateur Radio Bands. Please read the letter. There are companies with “big” money wanting to get the use of the bands for commercial purposes. One prime example is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) needs a lot of spectrum for mobile wireless access systems. The ARRL needs money to lobby to keep at least our existing bands. You may not like the ARRL, and possibly you have good reasons for not belonging. Even though the ARRL may not appeal to you, please be advised that the ARRL has improved much in the last few years under new leadership. They are providing much better service in many areas. Check the ARRL Web Page, if you are interested. Please give consideration to making a donation to the ARRL to help secure and keep the bands. Also, consider joining the ARRL.Thanks, Dewey, WB5CDD |
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Reprinted from The ARRL Letter, Vol. 18, No. 46, November 19 & 26, 1999. Even though registration has been available for approximately two years now, most Amateur Radio licensees have yet to register with the FCC's Universal Licensing System. The ULS Task Force reports that, as of mid-November, 682,212 amateurs still have not registered. This figure includes individuals whose licenses have lapsed but remain in the two-year grace period. The FCC recently said approximately 3% of US licensees had registered with the ULS. The FCC deployed the ULS for the Amateur Service on August 16, 1999. Amateurs must be registered in the ULS in order to file applications with the FCC—including renewals, modifications, and vanity call sign requests. Meanwhile, the latest "good news/bad news" scenario from the ULS could go something like this: "Dear Amateur: The good news is that we have granted your requested Group C vanity call sign which you sought 10 weeks ago when you were a General class licensee. The bad news is that when we granted your long-awaited vanity call, we also undid the Advanced and Extra class upgrades you accomplished while your vanity was pending. So, congratulations! You're a General once again." The ULS Task Force says it recently discovered that the bug occurs when several applications are pending (eg, a vanity application and an upgrade application). The FCC is attempting to straighten out the unintended downgrades and says it will have the operator class of affected licensees corrected within a week. FCC personnel are currently testing the processing for club, military recreation, and RACES applications and hopes to act on pending applications before the end of the month. Up until now, those applications have been filed on paper and still must be manually keystroked into the ULS prior to processing. The ULS Task Force also wants amateur applicants to know that if they apply too early for license renewal, their applications will be dismissed. A license renewal must be filed no sooner than within 90 days of expiration, even if coupled with a license modification. This is only an issue for those filing paper applications; the electronic filing system will not let applicants file prematurely. To register for the ULS, visit http://www/fcc.gov/wtb/uls and click on "TIN/Call Sign Registration". Paper registration also is possible. For more information, call toll-free 888-CALL FCC (225-5322). |
| New MARC Web Page |
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Our new Web Page is online. The address is: http://www.w5qgg.org. Bill Bentley, N5POB, is the new webmaster. Bill says that the Web Page is not finished. You will find that it is under construction. Bill invites you to visit the new Web Page. He also would like your comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms. Bill’s email address is: n5pob@caprock.net. |
MARC MeetingsClubhouse - 7:30 P.M.December 13, 1999 |
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