Amateurs now can file ULS applications via the Web. The FCC opened ULS to Internet filers on April 29 and formally announced the system this week.
FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Thomas Sugrue announced that ULS users now can file applications and notifications via the Internet for all services previously only available by dial-up connection to the Commission’s Wide Area Network. To access the new capability, visit the ULS home page at http://www.fcc. gov/wtb/uls and click on ‘’Online Filing.’’ The ULS—the FCC’s interactive on-line licensing application, modification and renewal system for wireless telecommunications services—was deployed for the Amateur Service last August 16.
Sugrue noted that many ULS users had requested the ability to access ULS through the Internet in order to utilize their high speed Internet connectivity. He also addressed concerns about the security of transactions handled via the Internet.
‘’We now have the technology in place that assures the integrity and security of data transmitted over the Internet along with high speed connectivity,’’ he said. ‘’This is another step forward in the expanding functionality of ULS.’’
The FCC says that to make online payments requires that users be running the 128-bit encryption version of Netscape, Ver 4.73. The FCC currently supports only recent versions of Netscape for online filing tasks but says that support for other browsers and platforms is in the works and should be available shortly.
Dial-up access continues to be available.
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Registering now on the FCC’s Universal Licensing System can benefit amateurs, even if they have no plans to file an application anytime soon. FCC staffer Steve Linn, N4CAK, says that ULS registration ‘’protects your call sign within the system’’ and could prevent it from inadvertently being deleted/reissued due to a filing error.
Linn also pointed out that amateurs filing for a change of address should file an ‘’administrative update’’ (AU) and not request a ‘’modification.’’ The ULS will not renew an amateur’s license unless it is within the 90-day window of expiration or within the two-year grace period after expiration. The same applies for those upgrading under restructuring.
Linn said the FCC continues to work out the bugs in the ULS. He said that support for the Mac platform and other browsers, such as Internet Explorer, should be available soon.
The FCC in late April opened the ULS to Web filing. Linn advised filers to use the on- line system whenever possible, since it helps users to avoid errors that will not get trapped when filing on paper and could lead to delays or errors in your FCC record. Visit http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls for more information or to access the ULS.
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The Phase 3D Amateur Radio satellite will not launch until September at the earliest. Under the latest tentative Arianespace launch schedule, P3D now could go up on Ariane 507 as early as mid-September, but could be as late as the end of October.
Arianespace recently announced a resumption of Ariane flights. Flight 507 had been on the schedule to go into space in July, but concerns over potentially defective thrusters had caused some major customers to delay flight preparations. AMSAT-NA President Keith Baker, KB1SF, called the Arianespace announcement ‘’very good news’’ for the Phase 3D program.
The Phase 3D satellite is at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, awaiting the start of its launch campaign.
Arianespace representatives met recently with Phase 3D representatives at AMSAT- DL headquarters in Marburg, Germany, to discuss preparations for the P3D launch campaign. The exact date of the Phase 3D mission’s launch depends on the Ariane 506 launch, set for July, and the availability of the other satellites flying with P3D.
A launch contract accepting Phase 3D as a payload for the first suitable Ariane 5 launch vehicle was signed last October.
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As of the first of the month, your GPS receiver became a whole lot more accurate. President Clinton ordered GPS selective availability terminated midnight on May 1.
Eric Lemmon, WB6FLY, called the action “a huge benefit to hams who are into APRS, because the SA error will no longer hamper its accuracy.” Selective Availability was an error introduced for national security purposes. It prevented GPS from being as accurate as it could have been for civilian users. With SA turned off, accuracy is expected to be as much as 10 times better.
Harry Pyle, AB7TB, charted the error at the changeover. His data show the GPS error— typically in the 100 to 200 foot range— dramatically dropping to something on the order of from 10 to 20 feet when SA was turned off.
Chuck Heron, KD7BWG, suggests one area of caution. “Most topographic maps used in the United States are in NAD27 CONUS datum. Some of the newer mapping programs available for APRS and computer usage are in WGS 84 datum,” he points out. Before attempting to use GPS for some coordinated activity, such as during a disaster response, Heron recommends putting all GPS units on the same map datum (this is typically done via a navigation setup screen on the GPS unit). This will put all users on the same page, so to speak, when using GPS coordinates in conjunction with hard-copy or CD-ROM maps.
More information on the elimination of SA is at: http://www.igeb.gov
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The ARRL has launched the developmental phase of a Certification and Continuing Education Program pilot project in emergency communications. That announcement came this week from Dan Miller, K3UFG, who recently assumed responsibilities as ARRL Certification Specialist in the new program.
Since February, members have been offering comments and suggestions via the Certification and Continuing Education Program’s Web-based educational forum http://www.arrl.org/members-only/forums/w-agora.php3. Responses showed a need and desire for emergency communications to be the very first—and most important—topic for further study and learning. A special-interest forum was begun in March under the leadership of Pat Lambert, W0IPL, to gather more details.
Results and progress can be found by browsing the Emergency Communications topic of the forum, http://www.arrl.org/members-only/forums/.
Miller says the next step in putting together an emergency communications curriculum will be to pull together all the training material available from various sources. Once the info’s in one place, it can serve as a resource in disaster-response planning. “If you have a current training plan for any type of public disaster and/or emergency communications, such as SKYWARN, ARES/RACES, NTS-affiliated, or other plan, please share with us so we can share with the world,” Miller said. E-mail submittals are preferable, but regular mail also is acceptable. Send submittals to Dan Miller, K3UFG, k3ufg@arrl.org, or to ARRL Continuing Education Pilot Program, ATTN Dan Miller, K3UFG, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Miller said he hopes to have the emergency communications curriculum in place for the pilot project by the end of this summer.
The ARRL Board of Directors approved the development and implementation of the self- education Continuing Education and Certification Program for radio amateurs at its January meeting. The program is aimed at inspiring amateurs to continue to acquire technical knowledge and operating expertise beyond that required to become licensed.
Miller says that anyone wanting to participate in the program who is not yet an ARRL member can take advantage of a special membership offer for those taking part in the Continuing Education Pilot Project. Call or e-mail Miller for details at 860-594-0340; fax 860-594-0259; e-mail dmiller@arrl.org.
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National Cancer Institute researcher Kenneth Cantor has embarked on an epidemiological study of radio amateurs. Cantor wants to evaluate whether causes of death among amateurs differ from those of the general population. If it turns out that they do differ, he then wants to find out whether the individual’s “usual occupation” might explain the differences.
Representatives of the ARRL RF Safety Committee met with Cantor at League Headquarters April 28 to discuss the project. On hand were Committee Chairman Greg Lapin, N9GL, Committee members Robert Gold, WB0KIZ, and Kai Siwiak, KE4PT, and David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Ed Hare, W1RFI, of the ARRL staff.
In addition to identifying ways that the League could assist in improving the study’s accuracy, the meeting was aimed, in part, at educating committee members and League staff about the specifics of the study.
Cantor described his investigation as an “inexpensive kind of quick study” that would not yield fine detail. As a result, he told the group, it would be “wrong” to ascribe the deaths to any particular factor.
The session presented an opportunity for Cantor to learn about influences amateurs tend to be exposed to in addition to RF energy. Cantor and the amateurs also were able to gain an appreciation for each other’s points of view—Cantor on the public’s sensitivity to the words used to explain the results of such an epidemiological study, and the amateurs on the significance of different types of epidemiological studies.
Some discussion at the session focused on a similar study done 15 years ago by Samuel Milham. Wording in that study’s conclusions led many to believe that the Milham study had presented evidence that RF energy caused “an excess of leukemia.”
Cantor emphasized that his investigation is a preliminary study, based on a statistical comparison of FCC licensing records and State of California death records. Additional death records might be included as needed. The initial “cohort group” for Cantor’s study includes more than 100,000 men and women - seven times larger than the earlier study.
“This type of study can be performed at minimal cost, but it has the potential for misleading results,” said Lapin—himself a research professional. Lapin explained that in the event of “apparent associations” in the results of Cantor’s study, a follow-up study would be conducted. The follow-up would involve individual questionnaires and contact with the families of Silent Keys— something the Milham study did not attempt.
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ARRL-VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, says staff members and volunteers are making substantial progress processing the flood of amateur applications resulting from FCC restructuring. Jahnke says the initial surge of applications already has been processed, and fewer remain in the pipeline.
“We’re making headway fast now, as the number of applications diminishes the further we get away from April 15,” Jahnke said. He reports the ARRL-VEC sent some 6700 applications to the FCC last week and has been averaging a pace of well over 1000 per day. “Last Friday was our strongest day ever—at 1966 applications transmitted to FCC,” he said. Since April 15, the ARRL- VEC has logged more than 12,000 General and more than 9500 Extra upgrades. The ARRL-VEC has logged in about 3800 test sessions since the beginning of the year.
Jahnke said he anticipates the time from exam session to license grant to continue to diminish from the current five weeks or longer to just over three weeks by next week. On June 8, applications were being processed from May 12 test session receipts. Typically, the FCC processes applications within 24 hours of receipt, although there were some delays last weekend.
Still remaining in the queue are applications from another 507 test sessions. Jahnke estimates these will yield 600 new Technicians, 2100 new Generals, and 1400 new Extras. By the time ARRL-VEC personnel work their way through that stack, Jahnke said, the wait should be down to less than 10 days.
Jahnke reminded applicants that the best license grant information is available from the FCC’s Universal Licensing System site, http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls (click on “License Search”). Typical Web call sign servers are at least 24 hours behind the FCC in updating license data, he said.
ARRL-VEC staff members and volunteers have been working nights and weekends— including Memorial Day weekend. Seven VEC staff members, two temporary employees, and a half-dozen or more HQ staff volunteers from other departments have been whittling down the stacks of applications. “We’re just about ready to lift the moratorium on sick days,” Jahnke joked.
Processing status is available on http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/status.html.
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Speaking of conventions, please set aside the weekend of August 26-27 for the ARRL New England Division Convention in Boxborough, MA, at the Holiday Inn Conference Center (exit 28 off of I-495). This is a big event with a full schedule of interesting talks and presentations, flea market, lots of vendors, and a big crowd of people from all over the northeastern USA.
This year’s events feature presentations by FCC’s Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, and new ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP. Watch the Boxboro web site for more details at http://www.boxboro.org/
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