On-Line
Licensing Course, Grassroots Lobbying Kit Part of ARRL's 2004 Plan
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 25, 2003--An on-line
Amateur Radio licensing course--possibly bundled with ARRL membership--plus
additional Certification and Continuing Education courses are
among the strategic objectives of the League's 2004 Operational Plan. The League
also plans to evaluate its existing ARRL on-line class offerings. The item was
among several the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) designated to include in the
next year's plan when it met November 9 in Irving, Texas. Work on the licensing
course already is under way, and the ARRL plans to announce its availability in
the near future.
At a mid-September strategic planning
session, ARRL Board members agreed to let the EC pick the 2004 objectives to
incorporate into the 2004 Operational Plan. In the future, the full
Board will handle the task. Other strategic objectives include development of a
grassroots lobbying kit for ARRL members to use when approaching congressional
representatives in their home districts on legislation affecting Amateur Radio;
surveying served agencies such as relief organizations to identify their
present and future emergency communications requirements and areas of Amateur
Radio performance that may need improvement; and pursuit of a cooperative
working relationship with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to promote the
League's role as a "call-first resource."
The EC included some bottom-line related
strategic objectives: That the League operate profitably to insure its future
well being, and that it develop as ARRL Board policy a requirement that all new
programs and services have a business plan and at least break even financially.
In other matters, ARRL CEO David Sumner,
K1ZZ, told the EC that the League is close to signing a contract calling for
independent testing and measurement of Broadband over Power Line (BPL)
interference characteristics. Earlier this year, the FCC issued a Notice of
Inquiry, ET 03-104, that enthusiastically endorsed the prospect of
BPL, which the ARRL and others feel poses the potential of possibly severe
interference to licensed HF radio services. The contract would include
certification by professional engineers.
ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul
Rinaldo, W4RI, provided the EC with a report on the status of BPL technical
investigations. The interference potential of BPL to over-the-air radio
services was the topic of a November 7 ARRL-sponsored meeting of communications
professionals. The National Association of Broadcasters hosted the gathering at
its Washington, DC, headquarters.
The EC discussed and developed draft
proposals to implement changes in US Amateur Radio rules in the wake of World
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03). Among other significant changes,
the international gathering voted this past summer to leave up to individual
countries whether to require a Morse code test for access to amateur
high-frequency allocations. The ARRL Board of Directors will discuss the EC's
recommendations in detail at its January 2004 meeting.
The EC also voted not to go forward with an
appeal of an FCC Report and Order to permit expanded unlicensed
Part 15 operations in the 24.05-24.25 GHz band. The ARRL had filed a Petition for
Review October 22 with the US Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit of two FCC orders that would allow certification of unlicensed
24-GHz equipment at field strengths 10 times the level Part 15 rules now
permit. After discussing the pros and cons of the case and the minimal
prospects for a positive outcome, the Executive Committee voted to withdraw the
League's appeal.
In addition to Sumner, members of the EC are
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP; ARRL
First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN; New England Division Director Tom
Frenaye, K1KI; Atlantic Division Director Bernie Fuller, N3EFN; Roanoke
Division Director Dennis Bodson, W4PWF; and Delta Division Director Rick
Roderick, K5UR.
Minutes of the November EC meeting are available on
the ARRL Web site.
Page last modified: 01:03 PM, 25 Nov 2003 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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