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Amateur Radio Parity Act Passes in the US House of Representatives!
Washington, DC, 09/14/2016 (from ARRL)
“The bill is passed without objection.” With those words, Amateur Radio history was made on September 12, when the US House of Representatives approved the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301 on a voice vote under a suspension of the rules. The focus of the campaign to enact the legislation into law now shifts to the US Senate.  The House victory culminated many years of effort on ARRL’s part to gain legislation that would enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities to erect antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The measure calls on the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules “to prohibit the application to amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and for other purposes.” While similar bills in past years gained some traction on Capitol Hill, it was not until the overwhelming grassroots support from the Amateur Radio community for H.R. 1301 shepherded by ARRL that a bill made it this far. The legislation faces significant obstacles to passage in the US Senate, however.
“This is huge step in our effort to enact legislation that will allow radio amateurs who live in deed-restricted communities the ability to construct an effective outdoor antenna,” ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said. “Thanks to everyone for their help in this effort thus far. Now we must turn our full attention to getting the bill passed in the Senate.”
ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who chairs the ARRL Board’s Legislative Advocacy Committee, has been heavily involved in efforts to move H.R. 1301 forward. “This has been a multiyear effort that is finally seeing some light,” he said. “The passage of the bill in the House is a major accomplishment, due to the hard work of so many — from the rank-and-file member to the officers and directors.”
Lisenco said it’s not a time to rest on our laurels. “We are only halfway there. The focus now shifts to our effort in the Senate,” he said. “We are beginning a massive e-mail campaign in which we need every member to write their two Senators using our simplified process. You will be hearing from President Roderick and from your Directors, asking you to go to our ‘Rally Congress’ page. Using your ZIP code, e-mails will be generated much like our recent letter campaign. You’ll fill in your name and address and press Enter. The e-mails will be sent directly to your Senators without you having to search through their websites.”
Lisenco said getting these e-mails to members’ Senators is a critical part of the process. “Those numbers matter! Please help us help you by participating in this effort,” he said.
As the amended bill provides, “Community associations should fairly administer private land-use regulations in the interest of their communities, while nevertheless permitting the installation and maintenance of effective outdoor Amateur Radio antennas. There exist antenna designs and installations that can be consistent with the aesthetics and physical characteristics of land and structures in community associations while accommodating communications in the Amateur Radio services.”
During this week’s limited debate, the House bill’s sponsor, Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), thanked ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI) for reaching an agreement to move the bill forward “in a bipartisan and very positive manner.” He pointed out to his colleagues that Amateur Radio antennas are prohibited outright in some areas.
“For some this is merely a nuisance,” Kinzinger said, “but for others — those that use their Amateur Radio license for life-saving emergency communications — a dangerous situation can be created by limiting their ability to establish effective communication for those in need.”
Kinzinger said that in emergencies, hams can provide “a vital and life-saving function” when conventional communication systems are down. He also praised the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), a US Department of Defense-sponsored program, comprised largely of Amateur Radio volunteers, that also supports communication during emergencies and disasters.
Cosponsor US Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT) also urged the bill’s passage. “This is not just a feel-good bill,” Courtney said, recounting how Hurricane Sandy brought down the power grid, and “we saw all the advanced communications we take for granted…completely fall by the wayside.” Ham radio volunteers provided real-time communication in the storm’s wake, he said, saying the legislation was a way “to rebalance things” for radio amateurs who choose to live in deed-restricted neighborhoods by enabling them to install “non-intrusive antennas.”
Courtney noted that he spoke recently with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, and said that Wheeler “strongly supports this legislation.”
Leading up to the vote, Rep Paul Tonko (D-NY) also spoke in support of the legislation, calling it a commonsense approach that would build “fairness into the equation for Amateur Radio operators” in dealing with homeowners associations.
The earlier U.S. Senate version of the Amateur Radio Parity Act, S. 1685, no longer is in play, and the Senate is expected to vote by unanimous consent on the version of H.R. 1301 that was adopted by the House on September 12.
 License exams for all license classes will be given at the Field Day site on Saturday, June 25th at 11:00 am. The location is the Community House on the Clearfield County Fairgrounds. The address is North Weaver Street and Stadium Drive, Clearfield, PA 16830.
There is a $15.00 fee, payable to ARRL for as many exams as you can pass. Retests at the same session incur an additional fee. Those taking tests must present a photo-ID, a copy of their existing license (if licensed) and any CSCE forms.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! This is a traditional time to spend with family and friends, and to remember all those who are no longer with us.
I remember in the early days of the club, that there was a day-long QSO on the DuBois Repeater with hams far and wide in the Quad-County area checking in and out and back in again as their family activities permitted.
My Elmer, K3TFL was the unofficial Master of Ceremonies for those sessions, and the discussions ranged from what was for dinner, to the snowy weather to how to modify an ARC-5.
For our Quad-County hams, our repeater was the “Social Media” of the day. We all knew each other and stayed in touch on the air, making friends and sharing our thoughts all over the coverage area. This regular repeater contact with each other made for stronger friendships, and brought our disparate communities together in a spirit of cooperation and good will. Sadly, repeaters have fallen into disuse, and the social connections have withered away to a great extent.
I wonder; what would happen if we all made the effort to pick up the microphone, and reach out to each other today, and into the future? Would we find a renewed interest in local ham radio, and perhaps make a new ham radio friend or two? The only way to find out is to give it a try.
Why not fire up the radio today, and see who’s on the repeater? I’ll see you… on the air!
The rain couldn’t damp OR dampen the spirits of the erstwhile Quad-County hams as they slogged through the ankle-deep waters and braved the torrential downpours on Field Day, this June 27 and 28th. This year, the operations were  set up at the Punxsutawney Airport at the facilities used by the Punxsutawney Area Amateur Radio Club. The Special Event callsign N3Q was used in honor of the Club’s 40th anniversary. The GOTA station used the Punxsy Club’s K3HWJ callsign.
Our score of 746 points was easily able to take first place in the 2AC category, due to the absence of any other WPA Stations in that category. OK, so it’s a wee bit misleading to say we “won”… but it makes us happy to say it that way!
Realistically speaking, we placed 19th nationally, out of field of 35 entries in the 2AC Category, which put us smack-dab in the middle of the pack in our own category. Looking at the entire collection of entries, we placed #1758 out of 2720 total entries putting us at the 35% point which is still in the middle of the group, albeit at the lower end of the middle. Considering the weather, that’s not a bad showing at all!
Thanks to everyone who showed up and braved the dismal weather!
From ARRL:
[UPDATED 2015-09-30 @ 1940 UTC] The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has made it official: It’s Hurricane Joaquin, a Category 1 storm. But the NHC said that Joaquin is gaining strength and “could become a major hurricane during the next couple of days.” The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated at 1500 UTC today (September 30) on 14.325 MHz (after nightfall, the net will convene on 7.268 MHz) to gather observer reports. WX4NHC at the NHC is not active at this time. Currently packing maximum sustained winds of 85 MPH, Hurricane Joaquin was about 190 miles east-northeast of the central Bahamas as of 1800 UTC. A hurricane warning is in effect for the central Bahamas, including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador.
“Due to the close proximity to land, whether or not this storm makes landfall in the Bahamas, the Hurricane Watch Net will be active until the storm is no longer a threat in this region,” said HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV. “Everyone along the US East Coast should keep a close eye on this system. The current forecast brings Joaquin near the New England area by late Sunday or early Monday.”
During HWN activation, the net control station will request measured/observed ground-truth data from stations in the affected area. The HWN also remains available to provide back-up communication to official agencies, such as emergency operations centers and Red Cross officials in the affected area. The net also will gather and report to FEMA officials in the NHC any information on significant damage. Stations should not check into the net unless specifically requested to do so.
The NHC reported at 1800 UTC that Joaquin was moving toward the southwest at nearly 6 MPH. “A general motion toward the west-southwest or southwest is expected to continue through tonight,” the NHC said. “A turn toward the northwest and a decrease in forward speed are forecast on Thursday or Thursday night.The center of Joaquin is expected to move near or over portions of the central Bahamas tonight and Thursday.”
According to the NHC, Hurricane conditions are expected to reach portions of the Central Bahamas by Thursday morning. “Winds are expected to reach tropical storm strength in the warning area tonight, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the NHC said.
Dangerous storm surges are possible, and Joaquin is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches possible over San Salvador and Rum Cay through Friday morning.
The NHC said swells generated by Joaquin will affect portions of the Bahamas over the next few days and will start affecting portions of Florida’s eastern coast and the US southeast coast by Friday. “These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC predicted.
“We’re monitoring the situation and the forecasts regularly. Like most, we’re waiting to see which way the storm will go,” ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, told the ARRL Field Organization leadership in the areas that could be affected by Joaquin. “ARRL Headquarters will be in touch with our National VOAD partners, FEMA, and NHC as things develop.”
Visit the HWNwebsite for the latest information on this storm and HWN activation plans.
| Our deepest condolences to Art Kunst W3WM and his family on their loss. Art is a Charter Member of the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club, and until illness forced them to leave the area, both were members of the club.
 Sylbia Shirley Kunst, 90, South Fayette, formerly of DuBois for more than 60 years, died peacefully Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015.
Beloved wife of Arthur F. Kunst W3WM for 67 ½ years; loving mother of Sylbia (Frank) Katrin of South Fayette, Sharon (Tris) Coffin of McDonald, Arthur (Cindy) of Carlisle, and Donald (Terry) of Lykens; grandmother of William and Ryan Trude, Kaeli, Abby and Jackie Coffin, Michael, Sean and Steven Kunst and Garrison Kunst; also many nieces and nephews.
She was an active member of the Christ Lutheran Church, DuBois, for many years.
Funeral arrangements by BEINHAUERS. 724-941-3211. Friends welcome at 2828 Washington Road, McMurray, 15317, 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, 2015. Services will be held on 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, at the funeral home. Interment in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies. Please add or view tributes at www.beinhauer.com |
| We note with sadness the passing of Harold K. Miller WA3NRC, 92, of Clearfield on September 24, 2015. Harold was a founding member of the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club and returned to the Clearfield Area in 1972 after retiring as a research scientist for the National Institute of Health in Washington, DC. He was an avid Morse Code operator, and enjoyed designing and using his radio equipment. He was well known for his groundbreaking work with receiving systems.
Arrangements are being made through the Chidboy Funeral Home, and more information will be reported as it becomes available. |
 FCC announces that ULS and other databases will be taken offline for scheduled maintenance for a five-day period beginning Wednesday, September 2 and continuing through the Labor Day weekend. The Commission said that during the ULS outage, it will not be possible to file any Amateur Radio applications.
During the outage, no license applications can be filed, no license modifications will be accepted, and no new licenses will be granted. It is expected that the vanity callsign licensing & renewal fee will be eliminated as part of this action. A search revealed that only two Group A (1×2 and 2×1) callsigns become available during that time period, but since applications may be made early on 9/2 for K4JE, and late on 9/8 for KE9B, careful applicants can successfully apply for those callsigns.
If your license is set to expire during this period, it is recommended that you submit your renewal application now to avoid a lapse in your license.
ZCZC AG25
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 25 ARLB025
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 25, 2015
To all radio amateursSB QST ARL ARLB025
ARLB025 FCC Universal Licensing System, Other Applications to be
Down for Maintenance
FCC website maintenance in early September will make the Universal
Licensing System (ULS), the Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS),
the Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS) and other public
applications unavailable for more than 5 days. The Commission said
the outage will begin at 2200 UTC on Wednesday, September 2, and
continue through the Labor Day weekend. The maintenance work should
be completed by 1200 UTC on Tuesday, September 8. During the ULS
outage, it will not be possible to file any Amateur Radio
applications.
"Most Commission resources normally accessible through the
Commission's website, including access to all electronic filing
systems and electronic dockets, will be inaccessible for the same
period, with the exception of the Network Outage Reporting System
(NORS), the Consumer Help Center (CHC), and the Disaster Information
Reporting System (DIRS), which will remain available," an FCC Public
Notice said on August 20. "The Commission's website will remain
available, but with reduced content and limited search
capabilities." According to the Public Notice, the FCC will follow
its normal schedule of operation during the maintenance period, but
voicemail will be offline, and most Commission staffers will not
have access to e-mail. Static content webpages on the fcc.gov
domain, such as the FCC consumer guides, should remain available
during the outage.
The FCC will extend filing deadlines for all regulatory and
enforcement filings that fall during the maintenance period. Filings
due on September 2, 3, 4, or 8 now will be due on Wednesday,
September 9. "Except for the due dates specified herein, we are not
automatically extending the deadlines for any other comment or
filing periods that will be running during this time period, but
requests for extension of time will be considered consistent with
the Commission's normal practice," the FCC Public Notice said. "To
the extent the due dates for filings to which reply or responsive
pleadings are allowed are affected by this Public Notice, the due
dates for reply or responsive pleadings shall be extended by the
same number of days."
In a blog, "Modernizing the FCC's IT," FCC CIO David Bray said that
with the world and the technology we use are changing rapidly, "the
information technology used by the Federal Communications Commission
must change as well." Bray said the FCC has "made significant
progress to upgrade and modernize our infrastructure, and we
continue to work on modernizing the FCC's legacy IT systems with the
resources we have available."
"We understand that this temporary downtime before and during the
Labor Day Weekend may be inconvenient for some FCC stakeholders,"
Bray added.
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 Every year, hams around the country start gathering their radios and warming up their grilles to get ready for the annual ARRL Field Day. This year, the Quad-County Amateur Radio Club has joined forces with the Punxsutawney Area Amateur Radio Club to participate in a very special 40th Anniversary Field Day operation at the Punxsutawney Municipal Airport in Jefferson County.
In honor of the Club’s 40th Anniversary, the Quad-County Club will use the special-event callsign N3Q. The GOTA station will be operating with the Punxs’y Club callsign K3HWJ as in the past.
Of course there will be hotdogs with legendary “BUX” sauce, made from the secret recipe created by Dick Flanders WA3BUX (SK), served at every Field Day since the Club’s origins! Other food will be available, and everyone is encouraged to bring something to share with the group.
Plans are to operate around the clock, and to have a GOTA station set up for new hams, inactive hams and the public to operate. Additionally a VHF station will be set up to operate on 6-meter and 2-meter SSB/CW/Digital modes.
Most importantly, a good time will be had by all, as we once again demonstrate to public officials and all of our guests how hams are always ready to work together to set up top-notch radio stations away from the comforts of home and communicate with each other across the miles, to serve our communities.
T he DuBois Diner was the host for this year’s Quad-County Amateur Radio Club Spring Banquet. This year’s Banquet was special for several reasons. First, this year is the 40th Anniversary of the Club, which was founded in 1975. Second, the food and service was GREAT – Thanks to the staff of the Diner, and to Brie, our server. And then there were our guests… Tim Duffy K3LR, the ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Manager spoke  about the value of clubs and the ARRL’s focus on local clubs. Our Featured Speaker was Matt Welsh W3DEC from the Cleveland area. May of us know Matt as a sales agent at Amateur Electronic Supply’s Wickliffe store.
The dinner was served from the Diner’s extensive menu and everyone was pleased with their meal. MC Joe Shupienis W3BC, who is the club’s founder, recounted highlights from the Club’s long history, and made a tribute to the Founding members, many of whom are now Silent Keys.
More photos:
Tri-State Radio Fest
10th Annual Antique Radio Flea Market and Auction
Vintage TV, Amateur Radio, Audio & Phonograph (No Computers.)
Open to buyers from 8:30 am – 12:00 noon
-Entrance fee $5.00
Check-in for auction items 9:00 am to 11:00 am
Auction to begin at 12:00 noon
Auctioneer: Richard Estes-www.estesAuctions.com
Raffle Prize—restored Atwater-Kent 206
Featured: Contest – Atwater-Kent radios
Center Stage Banquet Hall
1495 Old Brodhead Rd, Monaca, Pa 15061
- I-376 “Beaver Valley Expressway, Exit 39, Route 18 North (13 miles North of Greater Pittsburgh Airport)
- Near the border of Pennsylvania & Ohio
- Near the Beaver Valley Mall, food and lodging close by
- Look for TSRF signs leading the way
Sponsored by:
Pittsburgh Antique Radio Society (PARS)
The Buckeye Antique Radio and Phonograph Club (BARPC)
For more detailed information, Visit : www.PittAntiqueRadios.org or call :
Chris Wells 724-942-1113
Andy Manko 412-884-6194
Tom Dixon 412-343-5326
 HAPPY BIRTHDAY QCARC! On April 18, 1975, a group of about 30 local hams gathered at the DuBois High School for the first meeting of what would become The Quad-County Amateur Radio Club. From that auspicious beginning, the club grew in membership and activity. The members of the new club took part in Field Day that very first year from a hilltop in Clear Run. Later, the club placed the WR3AGV repeater at that location, coordinated on 146.13/73 MHz.
Traditions that continue to this day are monthly meetings at 7:30 pm on the third Friday of each month, Club Banquets, Field Day, and a number of Public Service activities, involving multiple served agencies, such as DuBois and Sandy Township Police Departments, the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts, and local schools. Club Founder, Joe Shupienis W3BC (then WA3IHK) conducted dozens of licensing and upgrade classes that continue to this day, in DuBois, Clearfield, St. Marys, Ridgway, Kersey, Punxsutawney and Reynoldsville.
In the 1970s, the club held meetings in several communities throughout the Quad-County Area, such as Sinnemahoning, Punxsutawney and Reynoldsville, but found that it was more convenient for everyone to keep the meetings in the more centrally-located DuBois area. In 1991, meetings moved to Clearfield at the County offices, and over the next couple decades the membership, meeting participation and activities declined, as the club became “the Clearfield Club.” New clubs formed in Jefferson, Cameron and Elk counties in reaction to the long travel distances the move created.
In 2011, the club decided to conduct Field Day operations in a location accessible to the general Public, and moved operations from a small, crowded room in the Clearfield County Emergency Operations Center to a public pavilion at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds. In November, the Club held its final meeting at the EOC, and once again began holding meetings in DuBois. Currently, we hold our monthly meetings at the Penn State DuBois Campus, which provides plenty of free parking, handicapped accessibility, and outside space for experimenting with antennas and hidden transmitter hunting before the meetings.
 Don KB3LES shows us how happy he was to find the fox!
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The House victory culminated many years of effort on ARRL’s part to gain legislation that would enable radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities to erect antennas that support Amateur Radio communication. The measure calls on the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules “to prohibit the application to amateur stations of certain private land-use restrictions, and for other purposes.” While similar bills in past years gained some traction on Capitol Hill, it was not until the overwhelming grassroots support from the Amateur Radio community for H.R. 1301 shepherded by ARRL that a bill made it this far. The legislation faces significant obstacles to passage in the US Senate, however.
