The ARRL Board of Directors unanimously has approved the use of a new identity for the League. Meeting July 16-17 in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, the Board accepted the recommendation of the ARRL Executive Committee to emphasize the initials ‘’ARRL’’ in conjunction with the tag line ‘’The national association for Amateur Radio.’’ The new identity—which is not a legal name change—will appear on League correspondence and publications. The traditional—and legal—name will be retained but de-emphasized. Further discussion of any possible new name for the League has been deferred until the Board’s January 2000 meeting.
The ARRL Board also approved a proposal to hold a Hiram Percy Maxim 130-year anniversary on-the-air event Sept 2-11.
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The FCC begins phasing in the Universal Licensing System for the Amateur Service August 8 at 4 PM Eastern Time. That’s when the FCC will stop accepting batch files that contain new or upgraded licensee data from Volunteer Examiner Coordinators under the current amateur licensing system.
Being phased out under ULS is the familiar paper FCC Form 610 series. A ‘’universal’’ Form 605--primarily designed for electronic use but available on paper—takes its place.
An FCC Public Notice July 23 says the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will begin use of the ULS for the Amateur Service on August 16. The existing Amateur Radio licensing data will be transferred into the ULS database during a weeklong phase- in period. During the phase-in, the FCC will not process new or upgraded licenses.
Electronic filing of Amateur Radio license renewals using FCC Form 900 ends August 9 at 9 AM Eastern Time. Electronic filing of vanity call sign application Form 610V terminates August 13 at 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Hams should not attempt to file renewal or vanity applications until the ULS comes up August 16.
Starting August 16, hams registered in the ULS may file the new FCC Form 605 electronically at any time of day, seven days a week. FCC Form 605 will be used for license renewals, modifications, cancellations, vanity call sign application, application withdrawals and amendments, as well as requests for duplicate licenses and administrative updates (i.e., a change of address or other clerical license modification). Applications for new or upgraded licenses will continue to be filed through a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator.
Automated processing of electronically filed applications will occur nightly each business day, but five days a week instead of seven. There will be no weekend ULS processing.
The FCC has warned that applicants should anticipate processing delays during the first couple of weeks the ULS is in effect.
The FCC will stop accepting most Form 610 applications next February 16, but club station Form 610B will continue to be valid beyond the six-month transition window to allow time for the FCC to implement new handling procedures.
One feature of the new ULS is a renewal reminder sent 90 days prior to a license’s expiration date. ULS also will simplify the process of submitting fees to the FCC, and the FCC said it anticipates that the ULS will be capable of accepting credit card payments on-line in the near future.
Registration in the ULS is required. Applicants should use FCC Form 606 for both electronic or manual filing. To register online, visit http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls/ and click on ‘’TIN/Call Sign Registration.’’ A paper FCC Form 606 is available at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html or from the FCC’s Forms Distribution Center, 800- 418-3676.
The FCC will not process future license grants, upgrades, modifications or renewals for any applicant not registered in the ULS. Individuals eligible to hold a Social Security Number must provide this number to the FCC in order to be registered in the ULS.
A copy of the July 23, 1999 Public Notice is available at http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls.
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The Phase 3D team is hoping for some “Good Vibrations” when the next-generation Amateur Radio satellite undergoes vibration testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. AMSAT Phase 3D Lab and Integration Manager Lou McFadin, W5DID, says the schedule is uncertain, but testing could happen as soon as next week.
“NASA has projects which are higher in priority than P3D,” McFadin said. “They are feverishly working on Hubble Telescope repairs and the Earth Orbiter-1 satellite.”
AMSAT’s Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, explains that the testing is intended to simulate the launch vibration environment. “If all the vehicle hardware passes—that is, all the mechanical hardware remains intact and the electronics operate after the testing—then the spacecraft is ready for launch,” said. Testing will take a day or two.
Once vibration testing is complete, the satellite will be returned to the Integration Lab in Orlando, Florida, for some verification testing “to make sure the vibe test didn’t break anything,” McFadin said. After that, P3D will be shipped to the as-yet unnamed launch site. Work continues on preparing the space frame and ground support equipment for shipment once the launch is announced.
AMSAT has been hoping for a launch opportunity as early as this fall. AMSAT has declined to name the launch agency or vehicle, and AMSAT-NA officials have cautioned the October date is very tentative and just the opening of a launch window.
For more information and photos, visit http://www.clark.net/pub/tac/p3d.htm and http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/phase3d.html
Amateur Radio satellites have been exempted from having to pay satellite filing fees to the International Telecommunication Union. The ITU requires that all satellite frequency and orbit information be filed and used to process the filings free of charge. But the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference last fall in Minneapolis resolved that cost recovery for satellite network filings, including coordination requests, be implemented as soon as possible. In response to a request from the International Amateur Radio Union, the ITU Council recently agreed to exempt the Amateur- Satellite Service “from any charges.” Fees for applicable services are effective for applications received by the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau after November 7, 1998. Each ITU member state gets one free listing a year.—ITU, IARU
C-W Crystals of Nevada, Missouri, has closed its doors and may be sold following the sudden death of its proprietor, John Morris, N0ACS. Morris was 59. In the meantime, Morris’ long-time companion, Marilyn Selvey, KB0RTO, reports that she has returned all orders and refunded all money. She reports that Morris did not have crystals in stock and processed orders as they arrived, so she is unable to fill any orders.—Marilyn Selvey, KB0RTO
Raymond J. Feeley, K1CSB, of Southampton, Massachusetts, died in the early morning hours of August 2 while trying to help a motorist who had struck a utility pole. He was 58. According to reports, Feeley came in contact with a live electrical line and was electrocuted while responding to the driver’s cries for help.— information via Larry Krainson, WB1DBY
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Nominations are open for the 1999 ARRL International Humanitarian Award. The award is dedicated to those amateurs who, through Amateur Radio, are devoted to promoting the welfare of mankind. The prize goes each year to truly outstanding Amateur Radio operators in areas of international humanitarianism and furtherance of peace.
All nominations and supporting materials for the 1999 award must be submitted in writing in English to ARRL International Humanitarian Award, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA. Nominations must be received by December 31, 1999. If t no nominations are received, the committee may determine recipients or make no award.
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