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 Previous: ARRL Board of Directors Names Humanitarian, Leonard Award Winners |  Next: The K7RA Solar Update |
 The head table at the January Board meeting: (L-R) ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD; Treasurer Jim McCobb, W1LLU; Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN; First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN; President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Special Assistant to the CEO David Patton, NN1N. (Background: ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG.) |
 Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Vice Director Ned Stearns, AA7A, were among the new faces at the January Board meeting. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 27, 2005--Frigid New England temperatures and a major snowstorm failed to chill enthusiasm as the ARRL Board of Directors met January 21-22 in Windsor, Connecticut, to tackle a lengthy agenda. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, chaired the gathering. Among the highlights of the session was the Board's unanimous adoption of positions on six initiatives for the 109th Congress. Topping the list was a call for "consistent application" of the FCC's limited federal preemption policy--PRB-1--to Amateur Radio antenna systems. The League wants PRB-1 to apply to "all types of land use regulations," public and private. That would include deed covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
"The American Radio Relay League seeks congressional instruction to the FCC to extend its limited preemption policy governing residential Amateur Radio antennas, so that private land-use authorities cannot preclude, but must reasonably accommodate, Amateur Radio communications in subdivisions and communities," the Board resolved. After the FCC declined to include CC&Rs under the PRB-1 umbrella, the League since 2002 has initiated bills in Congress to accomplish the same end. "The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2004," introduced in the 108th Congress and designated HR 1478, attracted 36 cosponsors.
In addition, the Board expressed support for measures to improve federal management of telecommunications, including beefing up the FCC's ability to regulate transmitter, receiver and antenna issues and resolve electromagnetic interference. The Board also wants public service allocations, including Amateur Radio's, exempted from auction or commercial reallocation, and compensatory spectrum whenever the federal government reallocates existing public service spectrum to another service. The resolution reflected the essence of the "Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2004," HR 713, which attracted 108 cosponsors in the last Congress. An identical bill will be introduced into the 109th Congress, the Board was told.
Calling amateur frequencies "the technological equivalent of a national park," the Board further resolved to support measures to "preserve and protect" primary Amateur Radio access to existing amateur spectrum "as a natural resource for the enjoyment of all properly licensed individuals, and protect against interference from unlicensed transmitters such as Part 15 devices" operating on amateur frequencies. That would include such technologies as broadband over power line, or BPL, which operates under Part 15 rules.
Finally, the Board expressed support for requiring the FCC to develop effective, mandatory standards for radio frequency susceptibility of consumer electronic devices. It also expressed opposition to any expansion of current prohibitions against the reception of radio signals beyond those already on the books. Excepted from the resolution were FCC efforts to strengthen or clarify prohibitions regarding cell phone and personal communication services.
In a related vein, the Board affirmed support for the ARRL Grassroots Legislative Action Plan and called for its immediate implementation. Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, says the Grassroots Legislative Action Plan will function mainly by direct contacts with lawmakers in their members' home districts and by motivating legislative support through letter writing by members.
"Each Division will have one Legislative Action Chair and a number of state or section Legislative Action Coordinators," Fallon explained.
Working with the new Congress could prove more difficult than in the past, ARRL's congressional consultant John Chwat of Chwat & Co suggested to the Board. He expressed the belief that the 109th Congress is very contentious and advised that every League effort on Capitol Hill focus on Amateur Radio's role in emergency communication.
 ARRL West Gulf Vice Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV (center), socializes with Rocky Mountain Vice Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT (left)--attending his first Board meeting--and Rocky Mountain Director Rev Morton, WS7W. |
 Incoming ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B (center right), and Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, share a laugh as the ARRL Board of Directors meeting is about to get under way. |
 FMRE Past President Oscar Oropeza, XE1O (left), conveys greetings from FMRE to the ARRL. RAC President Earl Smith, VE6NM, looks on. |
 ARRL Pacific Division Vice Director Andy Oppel, N6AJO, and Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG. |
Draft Petition to Establish Subbands by Bandwidth Modified
Following recommendations of the ARRL Executive Committee, the Board adopted changes to the League's pending petition that would propose segmenting bands principally by maximum bandwidth rather than by emission type. The petition remains in the draft stage, although the Board has reviewed the document and membership input.
Board members okayed three amendments to the draft. These would call on the FCC to permit non-telephony emissions not exceeding 3 kHz at 10.135 to 10.150 MHz, to prohibit "continuous" test transmissions on most frequencies above 51 MHz, and to clarify §97.309 of the rules to specify that amateur stations may use any published digital code, as long as other rules are observed.
Additionally, the Executive Committee will evaluate whether to recommend retaining, deleting or amending §97.221(b) and/or §97.221(c) of the rules regarding automatic control of digital emissions. "This evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, the effect of these rules, and the effect of proposed changes in these rules, on APRS and other current and planned digital communications in the HF bands," the resolution noted.
The Board will consider the amended bandwidth petition and the Executive Committee's further report at its July meeting. The League is not expected to file the petition with the FCC until later this year at the earliest.
ARESCOM Management Team Established
The Board dissolved the ad hoc ARESCOM (Amateur Radio Emergency Service Communication) committee with thanks for its members' contributions toward enhancing ARES digital communications capability to include rapid and accurate long-range message handling. To establish the initiative on a more permanent footing, the Board established the ARESCOM Management Team.
Working under ARRL Headquarters' oversight, the new organization will resolve remaining ARES digital network details, manage the network to promote continuous operation under all conditions, encourage and support the use of alternative modes to expand the network, and work with emergency management officials to promote the network's use.
Board Welcomes Fresh Faces
Turning out for their first meeting of the ARRL Board were new Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Vice Director Ned Stearns, AA7A, both elected last fall. New on the "back bench" was Rocky Mountain Division Vice Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT. At 25, Mileshosky is believed to be the youngest vice director in League history. He succeeded Rev Morton, WS7W, who attended for the first time as Rocky Mountain Division Director.
The Board also elected a new ARRL chief operating officer. He's Harold R. Kramer, WJ1B, of Cheshire, Connecticut, now a vice president with Connecticut Public Broadcasting. When he officially joins the ARRL staff February 15, Kramer will succeed former COO Mark Wilson, K1RO, who left the ARRL Headquarters staff last September. Kramer's hiring concluded a lengthy and extensive search to fill the open management slot. Board members got a chance to greet Kramer at the January Board meeting.
Attending as guests of the Board were Earle Smith, VE6NM, president of Radio Amateurs of Canada, and Oscar Oropeza, XE1O, of the Federación Mexicana de Radioexperimentadores (FMRE). He filled in for FMRE President Carlos Levy, XE1YK, who was unable to be on hand for the January Board session. Both conveyed greetings from their respective organizations.
As a result of the weekend snowstorm, a few directors and vice directors found themselves stranded in Connecticut for an extra day after their flights home were canceled.
Other Business
In other actions, the ARRL Board
The complete minutes of the Board Meeting are available on the ARRL Web site.
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