Inside..
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NIMS / ICS
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Handbook Give Away Winner
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Part 95 Rules Change
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Getting this Newsletter
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Survey Question
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My Final
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NIMS / ICS
Training
The
numbers are growing! Ohio ARES folks realize that they need to be properly
trained, and you don’t get that by just being a bystander or having an HT in
your hand! It takes some additional effort on your part! Having these numbers
grow every day proves that we are doing this for the right reasons. We need
these courses, and we need to continue our education. It doesn’t stop just
because we got our Amateur Radio license. In fact, it just starts there! Stan
and I have added a new wrinkle to all of this just this past week. We have
joined with Ohio Responds. Now by doing this we have an obligation to fulfil a
requirement of theirs, which is to have these 4 courses in. Now, what is Ohio
Responds you ask? And how does this affect me? Stan and I will dive into that
subject a little later. But know this, it will definitely have a great benefit for
the Ohio Section, and YOU!!
Here’s
the latest count we have on everyone.. Total amount of active members in the
database is 711. The total amount of
members completing all 4 required NIMS courses 511 and the total Number of the Courses taken by everyone in the
database is 4777. We’re now over the 500 mark, but that’s only about a third of
the Ohio ARES membership. Now the push is on to get all the others to join in
as well.
Here’s
the link so that you can find out if your name is on the list. This list is
being updated pretty regular, so if you don’t see you name on it, and you have
just submitted your certificates, please be patient.
Now,
I want to talk to the folks in border counties of Ohio, you may be registered
in our other surrounding Section ARES programs (Kentucky, West Virginia,
Indiana, Pennsylvania or Michigan) and that’s ok.. They may, or may not require the 4 basic courses for ARES
membership, BUT Ohio does! Please send me, and your EC, copies of your
certificates, regardless of another Section’s requirements.
Also,
for those outside of Ohio in the bordering states, if you have these 4 courses
in, please feel free to send me copies of your 4 certificates and we’ll be very
happy to get them entered into our database as well. Please make sure that you
have your call sign either in the email or as part of the file name on the
certificate.
For
those just starting out, we have a webpage with all the information about how
to get started.. 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!
Now
here’s a link that Ed, KE8ANU found that breaks it all down for you as to what
the classes are:
And
here’s an additional link to the FEMA First Responder Catalog www.firstrespondertraining.gov Thanks Michael, N8QHV
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Handbook Give Away
We
have a WINNER!!!! Let’s all
congratulate Becky Boban, KD8UAE!! She’s
the lucky person this month.
Now,
as that we love to celebrate special occasions, and with the Dayton Hamvention
coming up in a few short weeks, I am planning a very special drawing just for
Dayton this year!! Now, to get entered in this drawing you WILL have to attend
the Dayton Hamvention. That’s right, all you need to do is stop by the Ohio
Section Booth in building 2 and get signed up!!
This
drawing will be for a lot more than a Handbook. I will have a bunch of other
goodies to give away too! I even have some ARRL Gift Certificates as well!
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FCC
Personal Radio Service Revisions Will Affect GMRS, FRS, CB, Other Part 95
Devices
(from
ARRL Bulletins)
In a lengthy Report and Order (R&O) in a proceeding (WT Docket No.
10-119) dating back 7 years, the FCC has announced rule changes affecting the
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), the Family Radio Service (FRS), the
Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS or “CB”), as well as other applications that
fall under the FCC’s Part 95 Personal Radio Services (PRS) rules and
regulations. Part 95 devices typically are low-power units that communicate
over shared spectrum and, with some exceptions, do not require an individual
user license from the FCC. As the R&O explains, common
examples of PRS devices include “walkie-talkies;” radio-control cars, boats,
and planes; hearing assistance devices; CB radios; medical implant devices; and
Personal Locator Beacons.
“This
draft Report and Order completes a thorough review of the PRS
rules in order to modernize them, remove outdated requirements, and reorganize
them to make it easier to find information,” the FCC said in a summary attached
to the R&O. “As a result of this effort, the rules will become
consistent, clear, and concise.”
GMRS
and FRS devices are used for personal communication over several miles; compact
FRS handhelds, often sold in pairs, are widely available. While GMRS and FRS
share spectrum, GMRS provides for greater communications range and requires an
FCC license; FRS does not.
“The
rules will increase the number of communications channels for both GMRS and
FRS, expand digital capabilities to GMRS (currently allowed for FRS), and
increase the power/range for certain FRS channels to meet consumer demands for
longer range communications (while maintaining higher power capabilities for
licensed GMRS),” the FCC explained.
The
amended rules eventually will eliminate combination FRS/GMRS radios for the
most part, but allow up to 2 W PEP output for FRS transceivers. “[M]any current
users of GMRS/FRS combination radios do not obtain licenses to operate over the
GMRS frequencies in those radios,” the FCC said. “Much of this problem likely
arises as a result of the mass consumer marketing of combination devices for
sale to the public in large quantities to users who do not know about or do not
understand the licensing requirements attached to such radios and obligations
associated with operating in the GMRS.”
The
FCC said it no longer will certify FRS devices that incorporate GMRS
capabilities or capabilities of other services. Existing GMRS/FRS combination
radios that operate at power levels of less than 2 W ERP will be reclassified
as FRS devices; existing GMRS/FRS radios that operate above that power level
will be reclassified as GMRS devices, requiring an individual license. Radios
that can transmit on GMRS repeater input channels will continue to be licensed
individually and not by rule.
“We
believe the 2 W limit for FRS is appropriate, because many of the existing
combination GMRS/FRS radios already operate under that level with no
significant complaints about interference or other problems, and it provides a
reasonable balance between the desire for increased range over the prior FRS
power levels and battery life,” the FCC said.
The
FCC said changes to the decades-old Citizens Band (CB) rules will remove
outdated requirements, including certain labeling requirements. DXing on
Citizens Band will become legal too. Once the new rules are effective, CBers
will be allowed to contact stations outside of the FCC-imposed — but widely
disregarded — 155.3-mile distance limit. The revised CB rules further clarify
how hands-free devices can be used with CB radios and will allow the use of
wireless microphones with CB radios. “We find the record persuasive regarding
the consumer demand for this feature, and it will promote safety on the
highways by reducing driver distraction for those using CB [radios],” the FCC
said. The FCC left in place the current power limits for the CB Radio Service.
The
rule changes will phase out the use of voice-scrambling or “obscuring” features
in all Part 95 devices, and it will ultimately prohibit manufacture,
importation, or sale of any devices incorporating such features, “regardless of
whether the Commission has previously certified that radio.”
Overall,
the FCC said, its action “achieves a thorough review of Part 95 rules and
creates a new rule structure where common administrative rules are
consolidated to reduce duplication, and individual subparts are structured with
a common numbering scheme.” The FCC said the changes remove “outdated and
unnecessary rules, while clarifying others.”
Most
of the new Part 95 rules will become effective 30 days after their publication
in The Federal Register.
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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
are always free to “Opt-Out” at any time
if you feel this is not what you were expecting. Just send me an email with the
email address that you used to opt-in on, and you will be removed. It’s that
simple.
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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Field Day
Hey
Gang,
I
know that a lot of you are already deep into planning your Field Day activities
as well as getting everything ready for that big weekend, well I have some
additional goodies for you.. I have the Ohio Governor’s Proclamation posted on
the website.. Thanks to our State Government Liaison, Bob Winston, W2THU we
have it and it’s posted on the website.
There’s
also a suggested Press Release there as well as a lot of other information
about Field Day too. Go take a
look: http://arrl-ohio.org/FD_Message.html
Oh,
and don’t forget to have someone assigned as a photographer! You’ll want pictures
and so do I.. Please, let’s have as many pictures of our Field Day sites as
possible. Remember, I use a lot of these pictures for the Ohio Section Banner
that’s displayed everywhere! So, get the dusty old Brownie Box Camera out of
the closet and get it all tuned up and ready to take a mountain of pictures of
your site and all the people at it having FUN!!
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Survey Question
Hey
Gang,
Have
you checked out the Survey question on the website yet?. There is a question up
there for you to answer! You’ll find it on the left side of the main
page.. http://arrlohio.org !!
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My Final..
Today
is May 1st and it’s MONDAY once again!! Today is Batman Day for those of you
into comic books. It’s also Frequent Flyer Day and CSS Reboot Day as well!!
Amateur
Radio has its serious side, but it can also have a FUN side too. I hope that
this News Update has been informative and fun for you to read.
So,
as we go through our training and exercises learning from our past and from
those who are willing to take the time to teach us, let’s remember to have FUN
too.. It’s what keeps us alive and vibrant..!!
73,
Scott,
N8SY..
eof..
