Monday, March 6, 2017

The Ohio Section News Update – March 6th Edition


Inside..

- 5MHz Bands
- NIMS / ICS
- See Something - Say Something
- Ohio ARES Important Dates
- Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week
- Survey Question
- Getting this Newsletter
- My Final    

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More Countries Authorize 5 MHz Bands; Comments Due on ARRL 5 MHz Petition by March 20
(from the ARRL Bulletin)

Uruguay and Hong Kong are among the latest countries to establish new bands in the vicinity of 5 MHz. The Final Acts of World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) provided for a secondary international allocation of 5,351.5 to 5,366.5 kHz to the Amateur Service.

In Uruguay, new Amateur Radio regulations that came into force on February 24 provide for a 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz 60-meter band as well as for allocations on 472-479 kHz, 47-47.2 GHz, and 77.5-78 GHz. In addition, radio amateurs in Uruguay now have extended allocations on 80 meters, 3,500-4,000 kHz, and on 160 meters, 1,800-2,000 kHz. The new bands and sub-bands were adopted according to the recently updated International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU-R2) band plan.

Holders of the General license in Uruguay may operate with 15 W EIRP, while Superior licensees may operate with 25 W EIRP.

Uruguay also has established a Beginner (Inicial) class license and a training program for new radio amateurs with mandatory operating practice on 80, 40, 10, and 2 meters. Uruguay has established procedures for non-citizens to apply for and renew Amateur Radio licenses, and reciprocal permits for non-residents will be available.

In Hong Kong, the local telecommunication authority OFCA has allocated 5,351.5-5,366.5 kHz to the Amateur Radio Service on a secondary basis. The maximum power permitted is 15 W EIRP. All 60 meter allocations are on a secondary basis.

While US radio amateurs have access to five discrete 60-meter channels, they do not yet have access to a contiguous band in that part of the spectrum. Comments are due on March 20 on the ARRL’s January 12 Petition for Rule Making to allocate a new, secondary amateur band at 5 MHz, while keeping four of the current five 60-meter channels — one would be within the new band — as well as the current operating rules, including the 100 W PEP effective radiated power (ERP) limit. The federal government is the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum in the US.

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NIMS / ICS Training

Hey Gang, I’ve got new numbers to show off to all of you..  Here’s the latest count we have on everyone.. Members in the database 650. Members completing all 4 required NIMS courses 440. Total Number of the Courses taken by everyone in the database 4,258  Here’s the link so that you can find out if your name is on the list..  http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/special/nims_roster.html 

Why are these courses so important? The simple answer is this - without these courses, you are not trained! Without the training, you can’t be used!  I couldn’t have said it better myself! Thanks Jerry, KC5WLA for that great way of phrasing it!!

Now, get those oh – so important ICS certificates in to me and to your Emergency Coordinator!!

Here’s where you can get all of this information  http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/training.html. This page contains a lot of information about what is needed. Each course takes about an hour or so to take, that’s really not much to ask now is it? You spent way more than that to get your Amateur Radio operators license!

I also highly recommend that you get used to looking at the Ohio Section Website..  http://arrl-ohio.org as it changes all the time. You’ll also want to visit the Ohio Section Emergency Coordinators page frequently too  http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/default.html

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See Something - Say Something
   
The nationwide "If You See Something, Say Something" public awareness campaign was created to raise public awareness of indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime, and to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the proper local law enforcement authorities.

Report suspicious activities to your local law enforcement agency.

The recent airport shooting in Florida that injured six people and killed five highlights the importance of this campaign and how imperative it is to maintain heightened awareness of suspicious activities, people or packages.  If you see something suspicious taking place, report the behavior or activity to local law enforcement or, in the case of emergency, call 9-1-1. Never try to handle or intervene in the situation on your own - let trained authorities take the proper steps.

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Ohio ARES Important Dates

Ohio ARES Conference
April 01 – Nope, this isn’t an April fool-- mark your calendars for Saturday, April 01 at Marion Tech/OSU for this year's All Ohio ARES Conference! More to come but we have a really solid lineup on tap for this year!

EC's, AEC's, and general members are all welcomed! Hope to see YOU there! We would ask that you register for the Conference so that we have a clear idea as to just how many folks will be attending.. Here’s a link..  http://arrl-ohio.org/SEC/form.html 

Ohio NVIS Day
April 22 – There will be more discussion about NVIS Day at the ARES Conference and on the website soon.

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Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week March 19-25
(from Ohio EMA All-Hazards Herald)

In a coordinated effort with the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA), Governor John R. Kasich is proclaiming March 19-25 as Severe Weather Awareness Week and encourages all Ohioans to learn what to do to protect themselves from spring and summer weather hazards and home emergencies.

As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, as coordinated by OCSWA, the state of Ohio will participate in a statewide tornado drill and test its Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, March 22 at 9:50 a.m.

During this time, Ohio counties will sound and test their outdoor warning sirens. Schools, businesses and households are encouraged to practice their tornado drills and emergency plans.

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Survey Question

Hey Gang,

There’s a NEW survey question on the website. I think you’ll find this question really interesting. You’ll find it on the left side of the main page..  http://arrlohio.org  Don’t forget, once you’ve voted to go back and take a look at how your answer stacks up with everyone elses..!!


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Are you getting those emails from me? If not, all you have to do is to “Opt-In” to receive them.

Heck, just send me an email:  n8sy@n8sy.com and let me know that you want to be added. It’s really just that easy. Please, if you know of anyone that would be interested in this information, feel free to pass it on to them. You don’t have to be an ARRL member or even a ham to receive these emails.

You can always  “Opt-Out”  at any time if you feel this is not what you were expecting.

Also.. are you viewing the Ohio Section Website on a regular basis? You should, it changes all the time. Here’s a link to it.  http://arrlohio.org

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My Final..    

In 1950 Silly Putty goes on sale in the US. Kids now have fun transferring printed comics from the newspaper to other objects.

Now.. go have FUN..!!
 

73,

Scott, N8SY..

eof..