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 Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending February 16, 2007 |  Next: FCC Denies Petition to Require Exam Questions in Languages Other than English |
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, operates 10 meters from W1AW. |
W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, routes operating suites to antennas. |
ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM (center), checks exam session paperwork at ARRL HQ. ARRL Assistant Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, and ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, are nearby. [Katie Breen, W1KRB, Photos] |
Josh Rozovsky, N3YAR (right), of Bloomfield, Connecticut, upgraded from Tech to Amateur Extra. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ (left) speaks with a reporter. |
The W1AW Open House will continue through Sunday, February 25. [Rick Lindquist, N1RL, Photo] |
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 23, 2007 -- A new Amateur Radio Service regime now is in place. The requirement to demonstrate Morse code proficiency to gain HF privileges officially disappeared from the FCC's Part 97 rules today at 12:01 AM Eastern Time. At the same time, some 200,000 Technician licensees without Morse code exam credit acquired HF privileges equivalent to those available to Novice licensees. The League is marking the occasion with a W1AW special event aimed at welcoming newcomers to the HF bands. The "W1AW HF Open House" has included exam sessions under both old and new rules. ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, points to the still-growing number of ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) test sessions now on the schedule across the US as evidence that the rule changes will provide a shot in the arm to Amateur Radio.
"ARRL VEC has been extremely busy scheduling new exam sessions," Kramer said. "We normally coordinate about 5500 sessions per year, but we've already scheduled close to 5000 sessions and it's only the end of February."
ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, reports some 175 ARRL VEC test sessions are on the schedule through the February 23-25 period, "and these are just the ones that have registered with us," she added. Two dozen applicants showed up at League Headquarters the evening of February 22, either to sit for an exam or apply for license upgrades under the new rules.
"I was surprised at the number of people who wanted to take the test at 12:01 AM," Somma remarked, noting that all but two applicants took their exams under the new rules. "After people took their exams, some went over to W1AW to use their new privileges," she added.
First out of the gate at the League's 12:01 AM test session was Joshua Rozovsky, N3YAR, of Bloomfield, Connecticut. He upgraded from Tech to Amateur Extra.
Despite snowy weather, a few applicants traveled some distance to take their exams. "A nice young couple that drove in from Rhode Island joined ARRL while here," said ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB. "They thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take their upgrades here at HQ."
Breen, who upgraded to General, has been tracking W1AW Open House events in near-real time on an ARRL Web site blog. She also has posted some videos to YouTube.com. ARRL staffers Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, and Jodi Morin, KA1JPA, also upgraded to General.
Avalanche Anticipated
Somma says her department now is bracing for an anticipated application avalanche as paperwork from initial sessions shows up. She and Kramer predict test demand will surge even further in the days and weeks ahead. Not only has the number of test sessions increased dramatically, Kramer pointed out, the number of applicants at each session is up as well. To keep up with demand, ARRL VEC has hired additional help. Staffers from other HQ departments also have been lending a hand.
Special Section in March QST
March QST includes an eight-page "tearout" section "Now, New Opportunities for Every Ham!" (it appears between pages 48 and 49). It focuses on various topics of interest to those gaining new HF privileges through upgrading or owing to the new rules as well as to veteran licensees. Among other things, it covers mentoring -- or Elmering -- newcomers, "The Top 10 Reasons to Try Morse Code," earning ham radio operating awards by using Logbook of the World (LoTW) and a "Welcome to the fascinating world of high frequency (HF) radio!" by ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.
"The FCC's decision to eliminate the Morse code examination as a licensing requirement opens the door to HF for all amateur licensees," Sumner comments. He also addresses the topic in his "It Seems to Us" editorial in March QST (page 9).
"As these new HF operators join us on our favorite bands, we old timers need to set a good example and to be patient, welcoming and positive," he writes. "Let's all remember how little we knew when we got started, and honor those who helped us along the way by doing the same for others."
The March QST special section includes a new ARRL band chart created by ARRL Senior Technical Illustrator Dave Pingree, N1NAS. The band chart is available for downloading from the ARRL Web site in black and white or in color.
Interest in Amateur Radio on the Rise
The new rules seem to be driving greater enthusiasm for ham radio in general. There's been an uptick in ARRL publication sales, particularly in licensing manuals and licensing guides, and enrollment in the online "ARRL Ham Radio License Course" (EC-010) is at an all-time high. Additionally, Kramer notes, DXCC applications are up by 350 from last year, while LoTW has exceeded 121 million QSO records.
"W1AW HF Open House"
W1AW HF Open House operation will continue through the February 24-25 weekend, with primary activity from 10 AM until 5 PM Eastern Time (1500 until 2200 UTC) or later, depending on interest, propagation and participation. ARRL Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY, will compete in the North American RTTY QSO Party from W1AW.
Primary operation will be on both SSB and CW. W1AW is concentrating activity on the Technician and General class HF subbands, using its normal frequencies on most bands. On SSB: 1.855, 3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160, 21.390 and 28.480 MHz. On CW: 1.8175, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975, 21.0675 and 28.0675 MHz. RTTY frequencies are 3597.5, 7.095, 14.095, 21.095 and 28.095 MHz.
Additional exam sessions are set for Saturday and Sunday at ARRL HQ.
A Long Tradition
A Morse code requirement for Amateur Radio licensing has been on the books in the US in one form or another since 1912, and CW continues to be a favorite mode, especially in the contesting, DXing and QRP communities. The transition to a Morse code-free licensing system in the US has not been without controversy, however, and the issue has been a divisive one within the Amateur Radio community since the FCC eliminated the 13 and 20 WPM Morse code exam elements in 2000.
In eliminating the code requirement altogether in the Report and Order in WT Docket 05-235, the FCC said the change "eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden that may discourage current Amateur Radio operators from advancing their skills and participating more fully in the benefits of Amateur Radio."
More than two dozen countries around the globe already have dropped their Morse code licensing requirements in the wake of World Radiocommunication Conference 2003. WRC-03 delegates agreed to let individual national administrations decide whether or not they wanted to retain a Morse code test for HF access. Cyprus appears to be the latest country to have eliminated its Morse code requirement. Others already on the list include the United Kingdom/Great Britain, Canada, and Germany.
| Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending February 16, 2007 | Next: FCC Denies Petition to Require Exam Questions in Languages Other than English |
