ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that earlier today, the FCC Commissioners unanimously voted to amend the Amateur Radio Service rules to replace the baud rate limit on the Amateur HF bands with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit to permit greater flexibility in data communications.

“The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the flexibility to use modern digital emissions,” announced FCC.

“Specifically, we remove limitations on the symbol rate (also known as baud rate) — the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude, frequency, and/or phase is varied to transmit information — applicable to data emissions in certain amateur bands,” concluded the FCC Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, adopted November 13, 2023. “The amateur radio community can play a vital role in emergency response communications, but is often unnecessarily hindered by the baud rate limitations in the rules.”

Read The Full Article Here: https://www.arrl.org/news/

Contact the FCC – Save the 60 Meter Band

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ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is asking that all radio amateurs urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to continue the existing use of the 60-meter band. A public comment period is open until November 28, 2023. ARRL encourages expressions of support to the FCC for the current 100 W ERP power limit (instead of reducing the power limit to 15 W EIRP) and continuing secondary access to the current channels.

To submit a filing of your comments for the FCC’s consideration in the rulemaking process:

Go to the FCC web page for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking’s (NPRM) Docket Number 23-120 at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/docket-detail/23-120.

If you wish to directly enter your comments, select the button labeled SUBMIT AN EXPRESS FILING.

If you are uploading a document that contains your comments, select SUBMIT A STANDARD FILING.

When submitting your comments, be sure the correct proceeding’s docket number, 23-120, is included on the form. Your name and comments will be entered into the official public record of the proceedings and will be viewable by anyone who visits the docket web page.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.arrl.org/60-meter-band

Veterans Day 2023 Special Events

Veterans Day 2023 Special Events will offer many opportunities for amateur radio operators to honor Veterans and make contacts for Veterans Day.

 

K1USN will be on the HF bands on SSB, CW, and FT8, and they will begin operating at 1300 UTC and run until 2100 UTC.

American Legion Post 111 Amateur Radio Club, KA4TAL, in South Carolina will also operate on November 11 from 10 AM to 3 PM ET on 14.255, 7.264, 14.275, and 7.185 MHz.

Liberty ship S.S. John W. Brown, K8JWB, will hold National Liberty Ship Day.  Operations will be on 14.250, 7.225, and 21.300 MHz, from 0200Z – 0800Z.

Charles County Amateur Radio Club in Maryland will host their special event, The Ghost Fleet at Mallows Bay, on November 11 from 1400Z – 2100Z.  K3SMD will operate on 40 (7.270 Mhz), 20, and 15 meters on phone and FT8.

United States Marine Corps will celebrate its 248th anniversary and Veterans Day. The USS Midway CV-41 COMEDTRA amateur radio station, NI6IW, will be on the air from 1700Z – 2359Z on 14.320, 7.250, and 14.070 MHz.

N3TAL, Lanham, MD. American Legion Post 275 Radio Team. 7.275Mhz +/- LSB.  Glenarden, MD.

More details here: https://www.arrl.org/news/veterans-day-2023-special-events

FCC Wants to Bolster Amateur Radio

Commission will vote in November on plan to remove outdated technical restrictions

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says the FCC plans to “incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands” by getting rid of outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the flexibility to use modern digital emissions.

The commission at its November meeting is expected to take action on a Report and Order that would eliminate the baud rate limitation and establish a bandwidth limitation in the amateur radio bands below 29.7 MHz.

The order being circulated for tentative consideration by the commission would remove the baud rate limitation — the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude, frequency and/or phase is varied to transmit information — for data emissions in the amateur radio bands, the FCC says. The current baud rate limits were adopted in 1980.

The order would implement a 2.8 kilohertz bandwidth limitation in place of the baud rate in amateur radio bands. The 2.8 kHz limitation is consistent with the commission’s treatment of other wireless radio services, the FCC says.

The current rules limit the baud rate for high-frequency amateur radioteletype/data transmissions to 300 baud for frequencies below 28 MHz (except in the 60-meter band), and 1200 baud in the 10 meter (28-29.7 MHZ) band.

Finish Reading On: https://www.radioworld.com

 

ARES Meeting Saturday – Oct 28th

Allegheny County
ARES Meeting 
Oct 28th @ 9:30 AM
At The Skyview Club House

Bob NU3Q will be holding the ARES meeting the Skyview K3JMW club house on Saturday Oct 28th at 9:30 AM.  If you want to get a bite to eat before the meeting Bob will be at the Eat N Park restaurant at 7:45 AM for breakfast.  All those wanting to learn more about ECOM should attend these meetings.

Location Skyview Club House:
2335 Turkey Ridge Rd, New Kensington, PA 15068

Location of Eat N Park – New Kensington:
380 Freeport St, New Kensington, PA 15068

Astrobotic will launch to the moon on Christmas Eve

After months of waiting — and 16 years of development — North Shore-based Astrobotic finally has a launch date for its first commercial lander.

Peregrine is set to journey into space aboard a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket on December 24.

Astrobotic CEO John Thornton said it will be “a fantastic Christmas present” and “the dawn of a new era for the moon.”

“I’m especially excited because the whole world will be at home watching the launch and cheering us on,” he said.

Read The Full Article On The: Post Gazette
Astrobotic Video Tour By: John KC3MMC 

Introducing Elecraft KH1

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Elecraft just tackled some of the hardest problems with HF field deployment: How to get you on the air in seconds, with an internal ATU that tunes both a built-in, multi-band whip and BNC-connected random wires. Providing field logging that’s truly convenient. Creating the optimal user interface for handheld CW operation – because there isn’t always somewhere to sit. And making an HF rig that’s light enough to use HT-style without wrist fatigue.

The result of this effort is the KH1: an ultralight radio you’ll never leave at home. It’s ideal for SOTA, hiking, vacation and business travel, or just that carefree hour after the chores are done.

With the Edgewood Package (shown installed below), your KH1 becomes a fully integrated station, with fold-out log tray and pen, plug-in keyer paddle, battery, charger, ATU, and whip antenna. It all fits in our versatile ES20 carrying case, with room to spare.

KH1 Features:
• 40-15 m ham bands; 6-22 MHz SWL
• CW mode; 5 watts, all bands
• ATU includes whip & high-Q inductor for 20/17/15 m
• 2.5 AH Li-Ion battery & internal charger
• CW decode & 32K TX log
• Scan/mini-pan feature
• Real-Time Clock
• Full remote control
• Speaker
• RIT, XIT, & VFO lock
• Light gray case stays cool even in bright sunlight