The Oscillator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Published BI-Monthly by the Tri-Town Radio Amateur Club, Inc. PO Box 1296, Homewood, IL 60430

Volume 65 Number 1 January 2019 Club Call W9VT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4th

Friday

New Meeting Date is the 4th

Friday of the Month (1/25)

January Business Meeting

Program: The "Original Ham's Wide World" Video

Friday, January 25,2019, 7:30 PM at the Hazel Crest Village Hall. First business of the new year. Officers for 2019 will take their offices. The program for the evening is from the ARRL Film Collection. The original "Ham's Wide World" will be shown. Raffle and refreshments will be available. Bring a friend.

February Business Meeting

Program: To be announced

Friday, February 22, 2019, 7:30 PM at the Hazel Crest Village Hall. The business meeting will be followed by a program. Raffle and refreshments will be available. Bring a friend.

2019 Election Results

Nominations were open for the election of officers and member of the board of Tri-Town Radio Amateur Club for 2019 until the time of the vote at the Meeting/Christmas Party. The slate of nominations was as follows: for the Office of President, Brian Bedoe WD9HSY, Vice-President, Matt Schumann N9OTL, Secretary, Jim Everard WD9GXU, Treasurer, Trish Jaggard N9WDG and John Krueger N9DWE for Director. The slate of officers was unanimously elected. Thank you to all who chose to serve the Club in 2019.

General meeting 4 th Friday of the Month 7:30 PM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tritownrac Check out the Club Website: WWW.W9VT.ORG

Officers, Board Members, & Committee Heads for 2019 Brian J. Bedoe, WD9HSY Club President 815.370.1383 Bbedoe@aol.com

Oscillator Editor, Repeater Trustee

Matt Schumann, N9OTL VP, Chair. of Board 708.423.7066 mattschumann@yahoo.com Trish Jaggard, N9WDG Treasurer 708.957.1973 the_jaggards@sbcglobal.net Jim Everand, WD9GXU Secretary 708.748.6798 jimgxu15@outlook.com Mac Kirkpatrick, WA9CYL Board Member 708 341.8900 wa9cyl@comcast.net Sharon Gunderson KA9IIT Board Member 708.957.7944 d.gunderson@sbcglobal.net John Krueger, N9DWE Board Member 708.534.2686 johnk17856@aol.com Bruce Haffner, WD9GHK W9VT Trustee, Dir 708.614.6134 WD9GHK@comcast.net Tom Gunderson, W9SRV Webmaster, W9VT 815.466.0245 webmaster@w9vt.org Members of the Tri-Town Radio Club Inc. publish the Oscillator 6 times a year. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Officers or members of the Tri-Town RAC, but of the contributors. All articles may be reprinted as long as full credit is given. Other publications are asked to reciprocate their newsletter. Some Articles printed here are from AMSAT, ARRL Letter, TAPR, World Radio, QRZ.COM, Eham, and Other Amateur Radio Publications.

Club Meetings & Nets Club meetings are the 4th Friday of each month at the Village of Hazel Crest Village Hall, 170th and Holmes. All are welcome and refreshments will serve. Don’t forget to bring a Friend.

Club Hangouts: The Club’s Repeater 146.805 WD9HSY/R & 146.49 Simplex 442.375 Homewood, 441.300 Grant Park WA9WLN/R, “Waldofar” 443.325 Frankfort WD9HSY/R & 147.165 Kankakee Co. WD9HSY/R All UHF’s use a 114.8 PL & All VHF’s use a 107.2 PL

Club Nets 2 Mtr FM 49’ers Net Wednesday, 8:00 PM Local, The Club’s Repeater 146.805 -600kc 107.2 PL 2 Mtr FM Preparedness Net Sundays, 8:00 PM local, The Club’s Repeater 146.805 -600kc 107.2 PL 10 Mtr SSB Net Thursdays, 8:00 PM Local, 28.490 SSB USB. 40 Mtr Tri-Town Alumni Net Weekdays, 2200 UTC 7.285 SSB LSB 80 Mtr SSB Net Saturdays, 9am local 3.860 SSB LSB

Tri-Town Meeting Day to Change in 2019

Beginning with the January 2019 meeting, our meeting night will change from the 3rd Friday to the

4th Friday of the month.

General meeting 4 th Friday of the Month 7:30 PM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tritownrac

Check out the Club Website: WWW.W9VT.ORG

Special Event Station – Celebrating 200th Anniversary of Illinois Statehood Tri-Town ran a Special Event Station on Saturday, December 1, 2018 from 9 AM till mid-afternoon in honor of

Illinois' 200th Anniversary of Statehood which took place on December 3rd. 2018. The Club Station was

utilized and operated SSB on 40 and 20 meters. The Special Event was listed with the ARRL and certificates

for QSOs are available. A total of 95 QSOs were made. Thanks to Ed K9EGS, Ron WB9JYZ, Bruce WD9GHK,

Jim WD9GXU and Todd KA9IUC for participating. Each of the operators were given a certificate similar to

those being sent to requesting contacts. To date, 13 confirming certificates have been requested.

Field Day - 2018

The ARRL has published Field Day 2018 results in the December issue of QST. Tri-Town's 1990 points netted

first place in Class 5D. To be fair about it, Tri-Town was the only entry in Class 5D. Again, thanks to all who

participated in Field Day as it was a team effort and a great Club activity.

FT8 Update new version 2.0 In December 2018, Joe Taylor, K1JT, released WSJT-X 2.0. This is an update to previously released 1.8 and

1.9 and is not compatible with them. Joe suggests that everyone be on 2.0 by January 1, 2019. Major changes

were made to operating modes FT8 and MSK144 to allow for major contest operations. The upgrade to 2.0 is

easy. Just download it and install. It automatically adjusts to all your setting used with 1.8 or 1.9. There is an

error statement concerning LoTH. You can download a program, at cost, so you can tell which stations use

LoTH. Joe's program works just fine without this download. The new program also sends "RR73" when

concluding a response to a CQ you have sent. Another nice update is that under settings, colors, you can have

it identify calls new to the band you are working that you have worked on another band.

See: https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html for more information.

General meeting 4 th Friday of the Month 7:30 PM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tritownrac Check out the Club Website: WWW.W9VT.ORG

Tri-Town's Tentative 2019 Event Calendar

January 25, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. February 22, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. March 22, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. April 14, 2019, Folks on Spokes Bike Ride April 26, 20119, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. May 17 -19, 2019, Hamvention May 24, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. June 15, 2019 ESTIMATE Driving the Dixie (Date unpublished, estimate based on 2018) June 28, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. June 29 and 30, 24 hrs Field Day at Bunker. July 26, 2016, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. August 23, 2016, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. September 28, 2019, Picnic at Monee Reservoir NO monthly meeting. (John N9DWE GOT US OUR SITE!) October 25, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at Hazel Crest Village Hall. November 22, 2019, 7:30 PM, Meeting at the Bunker. December 20, 2019, Christmas Party. TENATIVE Board of Directors Meetings - Second Monday of the Month, 7:30 PM at the Club Station. Members are

welcome.

Changes to the Tri-Town RAC Constitution & By-Laws Dated January 1, 1996 The Officers and Board proposed changes to the Tri-Town RAC Constitution and By-Laws. The changes were

reviewed and passed at the October and November Business meetings. Changes will be effective January 1,

2019. If you wish a copy of the Tri-Town RAC Constitution and By-Laws, please email Todd, KA9IUC and a file

copy will be emailed to you.

New Online FCC Registration System

The FCC is retiring its present version of the Commission Registration System, also known as CORES. As of

March 1, 2019, anyone applying for an FCC Federal Registration Number, or FRN, must first create a

username and password on the system before they can receive the FRN itself. That's already the case - but on

the new CORES website - anyone who already has an FRN from the old Commission Registration System will

need to create a username to continue managing it under the new system. (Info via AR Newsline)

Radio Shack is Back .....Sort Of

HobbyTown has begun carrying a large selection of Radio Shack components. A visit to the HobbyTown store

at 15551 South 94th Avenue in Orland Park, IL offered a large selection of components for the DIYer.

However no coax or connectors were spotted. Their inventory can be reviewed at www.hobbytowm.com and

search for Radio Shack.

Tri-Town Meeting Day to Change in 2019 ** 4TH

Friday!! **

Beginning with the January 2019 meeting, our meeting night will change from the 3rd Friday to the 4th Friday of the month. This is being done to avoid meeting night conflicts with another ham club in the area. Hopefully this will increase attendance at Tri-Town meetings and allow for better programs

Tri-Town Christmas Party Recap Trish N9WDG Weather was just perfect for the Annual Christmas Party- 27 attendees and everyone enjoyed the great food and dessert. Thank you Todd and Matt for bringing Raffle Prizes and cake. Todd, KA9IUC our outgoing President, was recognized for his many years of volunteering and contribution to the club, and I presented him with a certificate Also recognized for operating the Special Events Station for the 200th birthday for the State of Illinois on Saturday, 12/1/18 were Todd KA9IUC, Ed K9EGS, Bruce WD9GHK, Jim WD9GXU and Ron WB9JYZ. Each received a certificate. Thank you to all who came and enjoyed. See you in 2019!

Christmas Party a Success There was an excellent turnout for this year's Christmas Party at Aurelio's in Frankfort. The pizza was great as

was the extra food they provided. Cake, ice cream and drinks were also provided. Entertainment for the

evening was a trivia contest with prizes for the correct answers. A high point of the evening was a Certificate

given to outgoing Club President Todd KA9IUC for his many years of volunteering Time and Talent to the Club.

Central Division Director Election Last Fall an election was held by the ARRL for the Central Division Director. This Division covers the 9 call

area. Running for Director was Kermit Carlson W9XA and Valerie Hotzfeld Nv9l. Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA

was unopposed for Vice-Director. The vote was 1898 for Kermit and 1755 for Valerie. Therefore, Kermit

continues as Central Division Director.

FCC / Ham Apps in Limbo as Partial Shutdown Continues The FCC is not processing any Amateur Radio applications as the partial government shutdown approaches its fourth week. The FCC suspended “most operations” at mid-day on Thursday, January 3, although an appearance of activity continues. For radio amateurs, the shutdown means that while the Universal Licensing System (ULS) continues to accept applications for all valid purposes, the FCC will not review or act upon them until the funding stalemate is resolved. This includes Volunteer Examiner Coordinator test session batch files as well as modification, renewal, and vanity call sign applications filed by individual licensees. Amateur Radio newcomers who have passed the required examinations will have to wait until the shutdown concludes to receive a call sign and authorization to operate. License upgrades are also on hold. At this point, 262 of 1,437 FCC employees (excepting contractors) remain on the job, as are FCC Commissioners. The Commission has emphasized that it will undertake any activities necessary for the protection of life and property during the funding lapse. That includes the High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) Center in Maryland, considered essential. The FCC website remains up, and the FCC Daily Digest of its activity continues to be posted, but the website is not being updated, and the only items in the Daily Digest are those related to spectrum auctions, activity that is funded through auction proceeds, not government funds. The Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) also will accept posts, but filings will not be reviewed or processed until after normal operations return. The FCC spelled out the overall impact of the funding lapse in a January 2 Public Notice. Using available funds, the agency was able to maintain a business-as-usual posture until that date. The FCC released an updated Plan for Orderly Shutdown Due to Lapse of Congressional Appropriations on January 9. The resumption of normal operations will also be announced on the FCC’s website.

Winter Field Day 2019 is January 26 – 27

FT8 is not compatible for WFD exchanges! (Use RTTY or PSK instead) The Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) sponsors the 2019 running of Winter Field Day, January 26 – 27. WFDA says that the ability to conduct emergency communication in a winter environment is just as important as the preparation and practice that take place each summer, but with some additional unique operational concerns. “We believe that maintaining your operational skills should not be limited to fair-weather scenarios,” WFDA said in announcing this year’s event. “The addition of Winter Field Day will enhance those already important skills of those that who generously volunteer their time and equipment to these organizations. Preparedness is the key to a professional and timely response during any event, and this is what local and state authorities are expecting when they reach out to emergency service groups that offer their services.” Members of the Warren County (NY) Radio Club (WCARC) will activate Maxim Memorial Station W1AW during 2019 Winter Field Day. Club members will work a rotating 24-hour operating schedule to ensure the most band/mode coverage. The event is open to all radio amateurs.

General meeting 4 th Friday of the Month 7:30 PM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tritownrac Check out the Club Website: WWW.W9VT.ORG

RTTY / FT8 Successfully Coexist in 2019 ARRL RTTY Roundup Based on informal polling and log-submission trends, it appears that RTTY and FT8 successfully shared spectrum during the ARRL RTTY Roundup over the January 5 – 6 weekend. The event is seeing a dramatic uptick from last year in the number of logs submitted, with more than 2,400 and counting received by midweek, as opposed to 1,622 in the 2018 running. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, is urging everyone who participated in the 2019 RTTY Roundup to turn in a log — no matter the number of contacts made. Logs for the 2019 RTTY Roundup are due by Sunday, January 13, at 2359 UTC, and may be uploaded via the ARRL website (or see mailing instructions for paper logs). “The 30th running of the ARRL RTTY Roundup is now in the books,” Jahnke said. “All indications are that the event — in both RTTY and other digital categories — gained significant additional attention and increased popularity with the inclusion of FT8 in the digital line up.” Jahnke said the digital operating experience gained through the RTTY Roundup should benefit participants in the upcoming ARRL January VHF Contest and in future VHF contests, where WSJT-X protocols such as JTx, MSK144, and FT8 continue to gain popularity as a means to work hard-to-reach grids beyond the usual 400-mile tropo-scatter range, and for slower activity periods. The inclusion of FT8 for the first time in the RTTY Roundup had generated considerable pre-contest debate, but when all was said and done, most stations tended to operate one mode or the other, although a few utilized both (and perhaps other digital modes), judging from logs posted on the 3830scores website. The RTTY Roundup came close on the heels of the inaugural FT8 Roundup over the first weekend in December, which was deemed a success (it was the first-ever contest for the winner — only licensed for 2 years — and for one other Top 10 finisher). The WW4LL Multi-Single, High Power team made about one-third of its contacts using digital modes. J42L, operating Multi-Single, Low Power from SV2DCD, avoided RTTY altogether, logging 535 contacts. FT8 co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, operating Single Operator Unlimited, Low Power use only FT8, logging 585 contacts. He noted “close to zero” inter-mode interference between RTTY and FT8 signals. “FT8 has significant advantages for a much larger group of contest participants who are constrained by geography, housing limitations, solar conditions, power, and noise,” Muns said. “The amazing explosive growth of FT8 activity since its introduction in mid-2017 also means that there are many more participants for all of us to work in contests.” Muns said he initially didn’t believe that RTTY and FT8 could coexist in the same contest. “Of course, like many things we can debate ad infinitum, a little bit of actual experience goes a long way to inform our [preconceived notions],” he added. “I’m very impressed with how it all worked out.”

New General Class Question Pool Released, Effective July 1 NCVEC Question Pool Committee The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee has released the 2019 – 2023 FCC Element 3 General Class Question Pool into the public domain. The 2019 – 2023 General Class (Element 3) Question Pool is available in Word, ASCII text, and PDF versions. The new Question Pool is effective for Element 3 exams administered on or after July 1, 2019. The Question Pool Committee also released on January 6 a revised diagram Figure G7-1 (PDF) (JPG), as part of the new Element 3 Question Pool.

Aborted 3Y0Z Bouvet DXpedition Offers Refund Options Leaders of the 3Y0Z Bouvet Island DXpedition, which was abruptly aborted last February before the team was able to land on the island, are offering several options for partial refunds to those who contributed to their venture. The turn of events was a huge disappointment for the DX community, as well as for the DXpedition team. We were offshore Bouvet for 3 days and encountered extreme weather conditions. While fighting hurricane-force winds, one of our vessel’s engines was over-stressed and a critical coupling failed. The ship’s captain had no choice but to abort the DXpedition for safety reasons. It was the correct decision, but a huge disappointment after almost 3 years of planning.” Allphin said all DXpedition accounts now have been settled “After all this, I am happy to report we have a balance in our accounts. I am able to offer you a 48% refund of your original contribution to 3Y0Z. All supporters of our DXpedition are offered the same percentage regardless of whether they are a DX foundation, DX club, individual DXer, or DXpedition team member. This is the only fair way to do this,” Allphin explained. There are five refund options: 1. Refund the contribution. Allphin said refunds for individuals would be made via PayPal, but he asked those who contributed $30 or less to forgo their refunds and donate them to the 3Y0Z team. 2. Donate any refund to the 3Y0Z team. Allphin pointed out that team members “invested considerable money, time, and effort to try to make this DXpedition a success.” 3. Donate any refund to the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) in the contributor’s name, to help fund future DXpeditions. 4. Donate any refund to the International DX Foundation (INDEXA) in the contributor’s name, to help fund future DXpeditions. 5. The default option: For those who do not respond, the 3Y0Z team will divvy the contribution among the 3Y0Z team, NCDXF, INDEXA, and the German DX Foundation (GDXF) — the DXpedition’s largest financial supporters. The deadline to request a refund or to select a specific beneficiary under options 1 – 4 is March 15, 2019. . Bouvet Island currently is the second most-wanted DXCC entity, behind North Korea. The 3Y0Z DXpedition, comprised of top operators with considerable DXpedition experience, had attracted contributions from clubs and individuals around the world. A dependency of Norway, Bouvet is a subantarctic island in the South Atlantic. The last Bouvet activation was 3Y0E, during a scientific expedition over the winter of 2007 – 2008.

US Senate Confirms Starks and Carr to Full FCC Terms The US Senate has confirmed Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to full 5-year terms as FCC commissioners. Starks, who most recently had served as assistant chief of the FCC Enforcement Bureau, fills the seat vacated last spring by Mignon Clyburn. Both are Democrats. Republican nominees have a 3 – 2 advantage on the Commission. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is the other Democrat on the FCC. “I congratulate Geoffrey on his Senate confirmation,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. “During his confirmation hearing, I was excited to hear him highlight the need to expand rural broadband and the power of telemedicine. I look forward to working with him and having a fellow Kansan on the Commission.” Carr, a Republican originally nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the seat left vacant by the departure of former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, was confirmed last August. He now has been confirmed for a full 5-year term. Carr previously served as FCC general counsel. “I also congratulate Brendan on his confirmation to a full term,” Pai said in a statement. “Brendan has done tremendous work on a number of issues, including his leadership on wireless infrastructure modernization. He has also been a staunch advocate for rural broadband deployment, particularly for precision agriculture and advancements in telemedicine.” With Pai and Carr, the other Republican on the FCC is Michael O’Rielly.

FCC $900,000 Settlement in Unauthorized Satellite Launch Case The FCC has settled an investigation into an alleged unauthorized launch and operation of small satellites by Swarm Technologies. The company agreed to a Consent Decree that included a $900,000 penalty, an extended period of FCC oversight, and a requirement of pre-launch notices to the FCC, among other stipulations. In April 2017, Swarm applied for an Experimental license to deploy and operate two Earth stations and four tiny 0.25 U CubeSats called SpaceBEEs. The FCC denied Swarm’s application in December 2017 over concerns about the ability to track the satellites. Swarm nevertheless launched the satellites on January 12, 2018, on a vehicle that also carried an Amateur Radio satellite into space. After reports of the unauthorized SpaceBEEs launch surfaced, the FCC launched an investigation last March. The FCC determined that Swarm had launched the four SpaceBEEs from India and had unlawfully transmitted signals between Earth stations in Georgia and the satellites for more than a week. In addition, the FCC discovered that Swarm had also performed unauthorized weather balloon-to-ground station tests and other unauthorized equipment tests prior to the launch. All these activities required FCC authorization. The December resolution requires Swarm to pay a penalty $900,000 to the US Treasury and to submit pre-launch reports to the FCC for the next 3 years. The FCC said Swarm has committed to a strict compliance plan to prevent future FCC rule violations.

ARRL’s Logbook of The World Tops 1 Billion QSO Records As of December 19, more than 1 billion contact records have been entered into ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW) system. And, while 1 billion QSO records represents a significant milestone, a more important statistic may be the nearly 187 million contacts confirmed via LoTW over its 15-year history. The one billionth record was uploaded by 7X3WPL, the Sahara DX Radio Club, at 23:32 UTC for a 20-meter SSB contact with with Davide Cler, IW1DQS, that took place on December 28, 2016. The upload resulted in a match (QSL). LoTW debuted in 2003 after a lot of behind-the-scenes planning and development. Initially LoTW got off to a slow start. While user numbers gradually grew to about 5,000, a lot of hams didn’t fully understand what LoTW was or how it worked, and opening an account could be cumbersome. Today, LoTW boasts some 112,000 users in all 340 DXCC entities, and 75% of all DXCC applications are filed via LoTW, which accounts for 86% of confirmations applied. Now, ARRL is looking at the development of LoTW 2.0, Fusaro said. “Over the years we have added more awards that can be applied using LoTW QSL credits; VUCC, Triple Play, and two CQ awards — WPX and WAZ.” “The service still has room for a lot of improvement, but it continues to grow and is the preferred method of confirming QSOs because it strives to protect the integrity of DXCC and all awards,” Fusaro said.

General meeting 4 th Friday of the Month 7:30 PM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tritownrac Check out the Club Website: WWW.W9VT.ORG

ARRL Petitions FCC to Incorporate Parity Act Provisions into its Amateur Radio Rules The ARRL has filed a Petition for Rulemaking (PRM) asking the FCC to amend its Part 97 Amateur Service rules to incorporate the provisions of the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The Petition has not yet been assigned a rule making (RM) number and is not yet open for public comment. In the past, the FCC has said that it would not take such action without guidance from the US Congress, but, as ARRL’s Petition notes, the Congress “has overwhelmingly and consistently” offered bipartisan support for the Amateur Radio Parity Act. “Private land use regulations which either prohibit or which do not accommodate the installation and maintenance of an effective outdoor antenna in residences of Amateur Service licensees are unquestionably the most significant and damaging impediments to Amateur Radio Service communications that exist now,” ARRL said in its Petition. “They are already precluding opportunities for young people to become active in the avocation and to conduct technical self-training and participate in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] learning activities inherent in an active, experiential learning environment. Without the relief in this Petition, the future of Amateur Radio is bleak indeed.” The proposed amendments would have no effect on the FCC’s limited preemption policy in §97.15(b), which pertains to state and municipal governing bodies, ARRL said. Specifically, ARRL is proposing that the FCC amend Part 97 by adding a new subsection under §97.15, that prohibits and ceases the enforcement of, “Any private land use restriction, including restrictive covenants and regulations imposed by a community association,” that either fails to permit a licensee to install and maintain an effective outdoor antenna capable of operation on all Amateur Radio frequency bands, on property under the exclusive use or control of the licensee; precludes or fails to permit Amateur Service communications, or which does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the lawful purposes specifically articulated in the declaration of covenants of a community association seeking to enforce such restriction. ARRL's proposed rule would not affect any existing antenna approved or installed before the effective date of a Report and Order resulting from ARRL’s petition. The proposed provisions reflect the accommodation reached in the ultimate version of the Parity Act bill at the urging of federal lawmakers between ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI), the only organization representing homeowners’ associations. “That legislation was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives four separate times and has the support of the Senate Commerce Committee and the current Administration,” ARRL stressed. “Private land use regulations are not ‘contracts’ in the sense that there is any meeting of the minds between the buyer and seller of land,” ARRL said. “Rather, they are simply restrictions on the use of owned land, imposed by the developer of a subdivision by recordation in the land records of the jurisdiction when it is first created. They bind all lots in the subdivision. If an Amateur Radio licensee wants to buy a home in a subdivision burdened by deed restrictions, that licensee has precisely two options: Buy the residence subject to the restrictions, or do not buy the residence. There is no negotiation possible because the restrictions are already in place and cannot be waived by a seller in favor of a buyer.” ARRL noted in its Petition that an increasing number of homes available for purchase today are already subject to restrictive covenants prohibiting outdoor antennas, and that the Community Associations Institute data show that 90% of new housing starts in the US are subject to deed restrictions and other limitation that make installation of outdoor Amateur Radio antennas ineffective or impossible. Also, ARRL pointed out that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 gives the FCC jurisdiction “to preempt private land use regulations that conflict with federal policy and that private land use regulations are entitled to less deference than municipal regulations, because the former are premised solely on aesthetic considerations rather than safety issues, whereas municipal regulations are concerned with both.” “It is now time for actual and functional parity in the Commissions regulations in order to protect the strong

federal interest in Amateur Radio communications,” ARRL said.

Countdown to Third Annual AM Rally Has Begun Have you ever used AM on HF? (Come on, show your age!!) The third annual AM Rally is on the near horizon — just about 6 weeks away — getting under way at 0000 UTC on February 2 and continuing until 0700 UTC on February 4. The event aims to encourage the use of AM on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters while highlighting the various types of AM equipment in use today. The event is open to any and all radio amateurs running AM using any type of radio equipment — modern, vintage, tube, solid-state, software-defined, military, boat anchor, broadcast, homebrew, or commercial. “We’re very excited about the upcoming AM Rally in February, given its growth over the past 2 years and the positive comments we’ve received,” said Clark Burgard, N1BCG, who is spearheading the event with Steve Cloutier, WA1QIX, and Brian Kress, KB3WFV. “In particular, it’s great to hear how so many ops are giving this classic mode a try, many for the first time, and of the help offered to them by those who have mastered the technology.” For many, if not most, radio amateurs getting on AM is as simple as pressing the AM mode button on the front panel. Numerous transceivers in use today offer AM capability. A lot of hams enjoy restoring and using vintage Amateur Radio equipment, which typically means a separate transmitter and receiver. Until SSB subsumed it on the ham bands, AM was the primary HF voice mode. The change to SSB did not happen without some pushback, however. Today, a group of dedicated radio amateurs keeps the flame alive, getting on AM frequently, and for many of them, AM is their primary operating mode. The AM Rally gives the uninitiated a chance to dip a toe into the pool, so to speak. The event website has complete AM Rally details, contact information, award categories, logging, and tips on how to get the most out of your station equipment in AM mode. Contact Burgard for more information. The event is sponsored by Radio Engineering Associates (REA), in cooperation with ARRL, which supports all modes of Amateur Radio operation. W1AW will play a leading role in the event, as it has for the past two years.

Broadcasters Intruding on Amateur Radio Frequencies

The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (IARU-R1) Monitoring System (IARUMS) reports that Radio

Hargeisa in Somaliland has returned to 7,120 kHz after a break of several weeks, while Radio Eritrea has been

reported on 7,140 and 7,180 kHz. Radio Sudan has been transmitting on 7,205 kHz with excessive splatter,

IARUMS said. German telecommunications authorities have filed official complaints.

IARUMS has also reported digital signals attributed to the Israeli Navy on 7,107 and 7,150 kHz. In addition, a

Russian military F1B signal was observed in mid-November on 7,179 kHz. A Russian over-the-horizon radar

has returned to 20 meters on 14,335 – 14,348 kHz. It was monitored on November 22. Earlier this fall,

IARUMS reported digital signals from the Polish military daily on 7,001.8 kHz where Amateur Radio has a

worldwide primary allocation. Telecommunications officials in Germany filed a complaint.

IARUMS has received reports of short “beeps” exactly 1 second apart, as well as frequency hopping between

10,108 and 10,115 kHz and 18,834 and 18,899 kHz. The signals are believed to emanate from a site near

Chicago associated with an FCC-licensed Experimental operation involved with low-latency exchange trading

on HF (see “Experiments Look to Leverage Low-Latency HF to Shave Microseconds off Trade Times”).

Although Amateur Radio is secondary on 30 and 17 meters, Experimental licenses may not interfere with

Amateur Radio operations.

Trading Post Campers Special:

Yaesu FT-817ND.....w/mic....original box

Nicad battery pack ....(internal) .....w/charger (NC-72B)

Portable antennas ....HF/VHF/UHF

Desk stand for FT-817ND

Program Cable

Power Supply (Micranta) 1.75amp

Antenna Tuner (MFJ 941B)

Looking for $550....pics available...will send via email ....send request to:

Jim n8eat@aol.com 708-361-2657

New 2019 Repeater Directory is Now Shipping The new 2019 ARRL Repeater Directory® is now shipping. It includes “crowdsourced” listings contributed by users, repeater owners, and volunteer frequency coordinators. This means more listings that are and updated more often. With 28,000 listings, the ARRL Repeater Directory® is the most complete printed directory of on-the-air repeaters, covering repeater systems throughout the US and Canada. Repeater systems are listed by state/province, city, and operating mode. Digital repeater systems are included: System Fusion, D-Star, DMR, NXDN, and P25 systems. It is available in one size — 6 × 9 inches — with a convenient lay-flat spiral binding. Make it yours: The cover includes space to personalize your directory. Pages of supplemental information include VHF/UHF and microwave band plans, and repeater operating practices. For decades, The ARRL Repeater Directory has been an invaluable source for locating repeater frequencies while traveling. New hams often use the Repeater Directory to find local activity after purchasing a new handheld radio. And, public service volunteers keep a copy nearby or in their emergency “go kit.” The 2019 ARRL Repeater Directory is now shipping. Order from the ARRL Store, or find an ARRL publication dealer; ARRL Item No. 1045, ISBN: 978-1-62595-104-5, $19.95 retail; ARRL member price $17.95. For additional questions or ordering, call 860-594-0355 (toll-free in the US, 888-277-5289).

Japanese Ham Receives License to Operate in Myanmar Akio Taguchi, JE2QIZ/AC7XZ, reports that he has received a license from the Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) Ministry of Transportation and Communication. His call sign there will be XZ2B. Taguchi explained that Myanmar only permits Amateur Radio operation from 20 MHz to 300 MHz at a power of just 25 W, and he plans to operate a "fishing rod antenna" from his hotel.

Because license fees in Myanmar are assessed in terms of spectrum used, Taguchi said his license authorizes operation within 20 kHz of the band edge. He will operate CW only. As of January 12, he reported having contacted fewer than 30 stations, including New Zealand, Australia, China, the Philippines, and Russia. His license is valid for 150 days. More information is on the XZ2B QRZ.com profile. Myanmar is the 49th most-wanted DXCC entity, according to Club Log.

Tri-Town Radio Amateur Club Inc. PO Box 1296 Homewood, IL 60430-0296

January 2019

Tri-Town Radio Amateur Club Membership Application

Name ______________________________________ Call _____________________

Address ______________________ License Class ___________ ARRL Member Y / N

City, State _____________________ Zip _____________ Phone _______________

Email Address: _______________________________________________________ ____ Regular Membership $ 25.00 ____ SWL Membership $ 25.00 ____ Extra Family Membership $ 6.00 $ _______ Total Paid by Club Member For Example: Regular Member, with Family (25+6) = $ 31.00

Tri-Town Meeting Day to Change in 2019

Beginning with the January 2019 meeting, our meeting night will change from

the 3rd Friday to the 4th Friday of the month.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tritownrac

Check out the Club Website: WWW.W9VT.ORG