February 5, 2008 by kb3ljm.

The Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR) has announced that the 2008 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference will take place September 26-28 at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The conference is an international forum for radio amateurs to meet, publish their work and present new ideas and techniques. Presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about recent hardware and software advances, theories, experimental results and practical applications. Forums will feature the latest developments in Amateur Radio digital communications, as well as demonstrations of emerging digital technology. More information is available on the ARRL/TAPR DCC Web site.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7997

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February 5, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Attention 6 meter operators — there’s a new award to work toward! The ARRL Board of Directors approved a new award honoring the late Fred Fish, W5FF, the only amateur who worked and confirmed all 488 grid squares in the 48 contiguous United States on 6 meters. The Fred Fish Memorial Award will be granted to any amateur who duplicates Fish’s accomplishment. Fish was a mainstay on the VHF+ bands for many years, having achieved Worked All States (WAS) on 6 meters through 432 MHz, as well as DXCC for 6 meters. He is widely regarded as a gentleman operator and one of the finest amateurs in the VHF+ community. ARRL Contest Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, will oversee this award. Kutzko, an avid VHF+ operator himself, said, “We hope the new award will increase 6 meter activity throughout the US and the world. We also hope it will lead to the activation of rare grid squares in the US by encouraging the native ham population of a rare grid square to give 6 meters a try, as well as through so-called ‘Grid DXpeditions.’ We actively call on the 6 meter community to help educate VHF+ newcomers to the fun that is available on 6 meters.” Complete details on the Fred Fish Memorial Award will be available soon.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7998

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February 5, 2008 by kb3ljm.

The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) has revised its table of equivalence between FCC amateur licenses and the CEPT license. Effective February 4, 2008, Recommendation T/R 61-01 (as amended) now grants full CEPT privileges only to those US citizens who hold an FCC-issued Amateur Extra or Advanced class license. This means that those US licensees who hold an FCC-issued General or Technician license are no longer eligible for full operating privileges in countries where CEPT-reciprocal operation had previously been permitted. US Novice class licensees have had no reciprocal operating privileges under the CEPT provisions. These changes are the result of a re-evaluation of US and CEPT license classes equivalence by the CEPT’s Radio Regulatory Working Group at its meeting January 29-February 1, 2008 in Basel, Switzerland. The Working Group deals with numerous areas of concern including Amateur Radio, and is responsible for applications from countries to participate in T/R 61-01, as well as other Amateur Radio related issues. “Changes in the US license structures and examinations often have ancillary implications beyond the immediate impact upon the US licensees,” said Dan Henderson, N1ND, ARRL Regulatory Information Manager. “While this CEPT change affects several classes of US licensees when they visit Europe and other CEPT signatory countries, it has no effect on their operating privileges at home.”

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8000

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February 5, 2008 by kb3ljm.

The Greenlandic telecom administration has announced seven 5MHz frequencies for OX operators to use SSB, CW and digimodes. They now have 5260, 5280, 5290, 5368, 5373, 5400 and 5405kHz.

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February 5, 2008 by kb3ljm.

A new UK record is claimed by Angus Young, M0IKB, after working a nAmerican by moonbounce on two metres. Angus achieved the 500,000 mile contact with KB8RQ using just 25 watts to an indoor, homebrew 7 element beam. 2m EME is a well established practice, but usually requires large aerial arrays and high power. Angus said, “I was really shocked when I picked up the signal, it was brilliant.” [GB2RS]

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February 5, 2008 by kb3ljm.

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that the 2007 E4/OM2DX DXpedition to Palestine has been approved for DXCC credit. “If you had cards rejected for this operation, please send an e-mail to the ARRL DXCC Desk and you will be placed on the list for update,” Moore said.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7989

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