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ARLB026 FCC Proposes to
Hike Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Fee
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ARRL Bulletin 26
ARLB026
From ARRL
Headquarters
Newington CT March 26,
2003
To all radio
Amateurs
SB QST ARL
ARLB026
ARLB026 FCC Proposes to
Hike Amateur Radio Vanity Call Sign Fee
The FCC proposed March 26 increasing the
regulatory fee to apply for, renew or reinstate and Amateur Radio vanity
call sigh from $14.50 to $16.30 this fall. The Commission included
the new fee in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) "Assessment and
Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2003" (MD 03-83), released
today. The closing date for comments on the new fee schedule is
April 25. Reply comments are due by May 5.
"We estimate that 9800 applicants will
apply for vanity call signs in FY2003" the FCC said in its NPRM.
That's up by 800 from FY2002. It expects to collect revenues of
nearly $160,000, an increase of almost $30,000 from FY2002.
The FCC NPRM also seeks comments on its
efforts to review, streamline and modernize its fee assessment and
collection processes and procedures. "We welcome comments on a broad
range of options in this regard," the FCC said. Areas of particular
interest include suggestions for improvement in the agency's electronic
payment system. Interested Parties may comment via the
FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) on
the web at, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ .
Enter "MD 03-83" in the "Proceeding" field. Electronic comments by
e-mail also are welcome.
"SPACE IS
BEAUTIFUL!"
BOWERSOX TELLS UK YOUNGSTERS VIA HAM
RADIO
Youngsters from Rushey Mead Secondary
School in the United Kingdom gathered at the National Space Centre in
Leicester April 4 for a quick ham radio chat with Ken Bowersox,
KD5JBP. The contact was arranged via the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program. Students participating
from the comprehensive secondary school ranged in age from 11-16.
The school also has its own Amateur Radio Club. John Heath, G7HIA,
operated the National Space centre's GB2NSC club station for the
occasion.
"Space is beautiful," Bowersox
rhapsodized in response to one youngster's question. "It's black
with the stars dotting everywhere. It's gorgeous." The
Expedition 6 crew commander said the space station occupants don't have TV
to watch for entertainment. "We look out the window at the earth,"
he said. When the crew members tire of that, there are CDs and books
aboard.
Bowersox noted that he has wanted to be
an astronaut since he was seven years old and trained five years for his
current mission Answering an oft-asked question about how the crew
keeps clean in space, Bowersox explained that the astronauts and
cosmonauts use towels moistened with soap and water to wash
themselves.
In all, 12 youngsters put questions to
Bowersox during the direct ARISS contact that ran under five minutes
compared to the usual 10 minutes, although the ISS remained in nominal
range for the full period. ARISS Vice Chairman Gaston Bertels,
ON4WF, speculated that the problem may have been a result of having to
arrange the contact on short notice and not having optimal Earth-station
antennas in place.
Howard Long, G6LVB, offers audio and
video recordings of the event and additional photos on his Web site http://www.g6lvb.com/issmedia.htm
.
The crew's next Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) school group contact is scheduled for
April 14 with Lounsberry Hollow Middle School in New Jersey.
ARISS is an international project with
support from ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. --some information from Gaston
Bertels, ON4WF.
FCC WARNS
AMATEURS:
UNLICENSED OPERATION COULD
COST YOUR HAM TICKET
The FCC has let a trio of Idaho amateurs
know that unlicensed operation outside Amateur Radio frequencies could
lead to revocation of their ham tickets. FCC Special Counsel Riley
Hollingsworth recently wrote three Boise amateurs, citing allegations that
they had transmitted without a license on several 11-meter
frequencies.
"Information before the Commission
indicates that you have transmitted without a license on 26.350,
27.420 and 27.700 MHz using SSB and SSTV," Hollingsworth said. He pointed
out that, in addition to revocation proceedings, fines for unlicensed
operation normally range from $7,500 to $10,000. Letters went out March 17
to Dave Every, KD7QAS; John F. Hail, KD7QAW; and Tom M. Sjoberg,
KD7RCS. Every holds a General ticket, while Hail and Sjoberg
are Technician licensees. Hollingsworth says he understands that the
unlicensed operations have ceased. The three frequencies involved
are below and above the Citizens Band.
An Ohio ham, Dave K. Childers, N8QGI,
also heard from Hollingsworth March 18 in a case involving alleged obscene
or indecent transmissions last December on 27.115 MHz - CB channel
13. Hollingsworth did not raise the issue of unlicensed operation in
that case, but he did spell out the FCC's position on the transmission of
obscene or indecent words or language. He also requested Childers, a
Technician licensee, to respond to the complaint within 20 days and
indicated that a tape recording would be made available to him upon
request.
Although the alleged Idaho and Ohio
operations occurred on 11 meters, Hollingsworth said he contacted the four
individuals only because it was determined that they were FCC Amateur
Radio Service licensees. Complaints in the Idaho cases came from the
amateur community, Hollingsworth indicated.
The FCC also sent a Warning Notice March
24 to Anthony L. Basile, N3HFB, of Pennsylvania, citing "monitoring
information" indicating that the licensee has been deliberately
interfering with three 2-meter repeater systems in his area.
Hollingsworth warned of fines and revocation proceedings and said that
until the matter is resolved, the FCC would not routinely renew Basile's
Advanced class license, which expires in September. A similar
Warning Notice went out March 18 to Tech Plus licensee Erin J. Rourke,
NØKCN, of North Dakota, alleging deliberate interference to a 2-meter
repeater in the Fargo area.
In another enforcement
case, Hollingsworth has notified Drew B. Feldman of Los Angeles that
the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau had set aside his Amateur Radio
license KG6PFC. "That action is based upon complaints about the operation
of your station," Hollingsworth wrote March 18. In May 2000, the FCC
canceled Feldman's Tech Plus ticket, N3KSO, after he failed to appear as
requested for re-examination. Feldman subsequently retested for the
Technician license and was issued KG6PFC on February 20. Following
the complaints, the FCC canceled the grant a month later.
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