RADIOACTIVITIES Newsletter of the Argonne Amateur Radio Club
Volume XLII, Number 8	August, 2001

Appointed by President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, the Novice Spectrum Study Committee is chaired by ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD. The panel wants to determine what changes, if any, might be needed now that the FCC no longer issues new Novice licenses. The membership survey is part of the Board’s mandate to the committee. A final report is due at the annual meeting next January.

In addition to the survey responses tallied, several dozen more comments were filed by members and nonmembers alike via e-mail to novicesurvey@arrl.org. “The written comments for the most part have been thoughtful and reasoned and are highly appreciated by the committee,” said Dave Patton, NT1N, who is Headquarters staff liaison for the panel.

Patton urged those who have not yet done so to fill out a survey. “Please make sure to read the entire text of the survey to help understand some of the assumptions made by the committee regarding what questions to ask and what band segments and modes to offer as predefined options.”

Generally speaking, the committee’s predefined options propose retaining Extra class CW subbands on the affected bands, setting aside expanded CW reserves for all license classes except Technicians who have not passed Element 1, and dividing the remaining spectrum into expanded phone segments for General, Advanced and Extra class operators.

Many have offered separate opinions on the process. “Although I operate and prefer CW over phone, I welcome the expansion of the phone bands for Extra class operations, especially on 75 meters,” one member wrote. “And I am glad to see that Extra class CW bands remain in place.”

Other comments recommended no change or expansion in privileges for Novice or Technician Plus operators on the affected bands - an option that the survey provides. Not all commenters were happy. “By handing Novices significant amounts of additional bandwidth ’free of charge’ you remove one of the key motivators to upgrading, namely access to additional bandwidth!” one said about the predefined choices.

No license class would lose privileges under any of the proposed refarming schemes. The Committee has suggested that Novice/Tech Plus CW band restrictions on 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters be changed to match those of the General class CW/RTTY/data band segments, with the caveat that Novice/Tech Plus operators only run CW on 80, 40, and 15 at up to 200 W. Novices already may operate RTTY and data on 10 meters. Novice refarming also would restore full privileges to higher-class operators in the 80, 40, and 15-meter Novice bands, where all license classes are limited to 200 W output.

I don’t know but here it is August already. The weather is nice and warm (read HOT for some people but I believe its better than January!).

July 10, 2001 Attendees:

Bruce Epperson (KA9JXU) President,
Joe Kilar (WB9THV) Secretary,
Dale Travis (AG9H) Treasurer,
Jim Specht (W9GBL) Director.

ANL OPEN HOUSE: Bruce is awaiting word from OPA on our possible participation in the Argonne Open House being held in September. In the meantime, we decided to gauge membership interest in running the booth. We would need at least 2 people there at all times that day.

GENERAL DISCUSSION: In light of Field Day attendance, we had a general discussion about membership participation and interest. We often have trouble recruiting enough volunteers for events or even a quorum at board meetings (technically we were 1 short of a quorum for this meeting). The advances in computers, e-mail and cell phones have most likely replaced some interest in amateur radio. Dale and Joe had noted that full membership (ANL/DOE employees) is down significantly again this year. Many of the most active hams have retired. Some previous members have not renewed. There are only a few new amateur radio operators joining the Lab. One idea advanced was perhaps doing more as a club in providing communications for public service events where sharing the one repeater frequency with all listening to all communications is an advantage not available with cell phones. Surveying the membership was another idea. We will discuss this topic further at a later meeting.

NEWSLETTER: Due to illness, Bruce had to delay the July newsletter. It should be published soon. The deadline for getting items to Bruce for inclusion in the August newsletter will be July 16.

In the course of building and maintaining Amateur Radio repeaters in northern Utah, Kearl and Lloyd saw the need for a stronger NWS signal into the Bear Lake Area. Because of mountain interference, many locations in the area were not able to receive the weather radio signal from Logan Peak.

“Amateurs provided the site, a UHF receiver, installation, and will provide power maintenance for the transmitter site,” said David Toronto, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service. NWS provided the UHF link transmitter, UHF transmitter, maintenance, weather radio frequency, and a continuous signal to the transmitter from the Salt Lake City office, he said. For additional information, contact Dave Toronto dave.toronto@noaa.gov. — David 3Toronto/NWS

02		KD9CM		Paul		Naperville, IL
03		AB9BZ		David		Chicago, IL
04		N9EJS		George		Hillside, IL
06		KA9QAD		Don		Plainfield, IL
08		W9GQY		Dan		Burbank, IL
09		AG9H		Dale		Lockport, IL
09		K9TP		Mark		Chicago Ridge, IL
14		KA9BNQ		Howard		Plainfield, IL
15		N9FFT		Ronald		Downers Grove, IL
17		N9NWU		Jim		Westmont, IL
22		K9LJK		Dennis		Palatine, IL
23		N9BSS		Charles		Chicago Ridge, IL
23		W9HXM		Richard		Redmond, IL
24		WA9GQR		Albert		Lockport, IL
24		WA9GQR		Albert		Lockport, IL
23		K9IB		Dick		Downers Grove, IL
29		WA8LIS		Jan		Lockport, IL
29		N9UWK		Joan		Joliet, IL