On September 14th, in what could be a game changer, it’s believed that Apple will announce its’ new iPhone 13 with satellite technology support for sending messages in emergency situations, and possibly, the potential of bringing cellular service to rural America. Stay tuned…
Author: Ken Hawkins
FCC Grants Temporary Waiver to Permit Higher Symbol Rate Data Transmissions for Hurricane Ida Traffic
Sunday, August 29, 2021 The FCC has granted an ARRL emergency request for a temporary waiver intended to facilitate relief communications in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The waiver was orally granted on Saturday, August 28, and immediately permitted amateur data transmissions related to Hurricane Ida traffic to employ a higher symbol rate for data […]
Following Earthquake in Haiti, Radio Amateurs Asked to Keep Frequencies Clear
August 14, 2021 | ARRL In a statement received by ARRL on August 14, 2021, Region 2 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU-R2) has requested that radio amateurs in the Americas keep the following frequencies clear to support emergency communications in Haiti following an earthquake this morning: 3750 kHz, 7150 kHz and 14330 kHz. […]
FEMA To Test EAS and WEA Systems on August 11th
FEMA, in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this month. The national test will consist of two segments, to test EAS and WEA. Both tests are set to begin at 1820 UTC on Wednesday, August 11. The WEA portion of the […]
Virtual SeaPac ’21 Update from Mike Ritz – W7VO
“Virtual” SEA-PAC 2021 is only a month away! The general theme for the 2021 SEA-PAC on-line seminars is “Preparedness”, although there will be other topics. They are planning a full day of seminars on Saturday, June, 5th, from 10AM PDT until 6PM PDT. To access the seminars, you’ll need to register via the SEA-PAC website […]
What’s So Different About This Satellite? Well First Off, It’s Made Of Wood
An IARU post writes that “Woodsat” will have several amateur radio experiments on board as well as photo downlinking, as well as yes – a selfie stick. Here’s the story from the U.K.’s “Independent” newspaper… https://tinyurl.com/285bvb96
Oregon’s Own N6TR Featured on QSO Today Podcast
If you’ve been in amateur radio in Portland no – Oregon um – the USA – maybe the world, you know the callsign N6TR. Larry Tyree or “Tree” as he’s affectionately known is recognized as a tech guru, a tower builder and a serious (WRTC type) contester. But all that aside, the reason we really […]
Field Day 2021 is Six Weeks Away and Counting!
Field Day 2021 is right around the corner. This year’s dates are June 26th + 27th and thats a mere six weeks away. For all things you’ve ever wanted to know about Field Day 2021 – and more – we’ve attached a PDF here…
First-Time Amateur Radio Exam Applicants Must Obtain FRN Before Taking Exam
Beginning May 20, 2021, all amateur examination applicants will be required to provide an FCC Registration Number (FRN) to the Volunteer Examiners (VEs) before taking an amateur exam. This is necessary due to changes the FCC has made to its licensing system. Amateur candidates who already have an FCC license, whether for amateur radio or […]
American Red Cross “Operation Unify” SET is this Saturday, May 8th
There’s a busy weekend (May 8 + 9, 2021) coming up for US amateur radio operators. In addition to the DOD crossband (see previous post) tests on both Saturday and Sunday, there will be a nationwide American Red Cross (ARC) communications exercise on Saturday afternoon. Titled “Operation Unify”, the emcom scenario focuses on response to […]
DOD Hosts Cross Band Tests Saturday and Sunday, May 7+8
The US Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Cross-Band Test, Friday and Saturday, May 7-8, in recognition of Armed Forces Day on May 15. The event is open to all radio amateurs. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this exercise, designed to include […]
Did You Miss The 2021 Comm Academy? Not to Worry!
The 2021 Comm Academy is one for the books but if you missed it, not to worry! The entire event has been archived and is available on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/scvfctaz . There you can subscribe to stay up to date on extra content, future videos and have the ability to browse the archives of previous […]
Cell Tower Attacks by Malign Domestic Groups Reported
Police report that white supremacists are attacking cell phone towers in the United States. According to The Intercept, conspiracy theorists and far-right white supremacist groups are increasingly targeting cellphone towers and other critical infrastructure ‘to incite fear, disrupt essential services, and cause economic damage with the United States and abroad.’ The Hill summarizes the findings: […]
The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo Is This Weekend – March 13 + 14
The QSO Today “Virtual Ham Expo” takes place this weekend and if you register now you can save with the Early Bird Discount. The Early Bird cost is only $10 (ends March 11th) and “at the door” the cost is only $12.50. Registration at https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/tickets.html#!/~/
The ARRL International DX Contest Is This Weekend
The ARRL International DX Contest is coming up this weekend 0000Z March 6th until 2400Z March 7th, 2021. You’ll find contest times and full rules through the links at https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php#11303 . The HF airwaves will be full of DX stations and they’re aiming their beams at U.S. operators. BTW – Oregon is a sought after […]