[KYHAM] [Fwd: ARLB025 Comments invited on Novice Band, field-reparable gear petitions]

[Ron Dodson]

FYI those not getting these bulletins
Comments are due by May 16 !!!

73,
Ron

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: ARLB025 Comments invited on Novice Band,
field-reparable gear petitions
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 17:43:34 -0400
From: "ARRL Web site" <memberlist@www.arrl.org>
To: ka4map@bbtel.com
CC: Subscribed ARRL Members: ;

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB025
ARLB025 Comments invited on Novice Band, field-reparable
gear petitions

ZCZC AG25
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 25  ARLB025
>From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  April 18, 2002
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB025
ARLB025 Comments invited on Novice Band, field-reparable
gear petitions

Comments are due by May 16 on two Amateur Radio-related
Petitions
for Rule Making put on public notice this week by the FCC.
The ARRL
petition, designated RM-10413, would eliminate the 80, 40
and
15-meter Novice/Technician Plus CW subbands and reuse the
spectrum
in part to expand the 80 and 40-meter phone allocations.
Another
Petition for Rule Making filed by Nick Leggett, N3NL,
designated
RM-10412, would require most commercially manufactured
Amateur Radio
transmitters and transceivers to be field-repairable ''in
some
manner.''

Amateurs may view and comment on these proposals via the
FCC's
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS),
http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. (Click on ''Search for
Filed
Comments.'' In the ''Proceeding'' field enter the rulemaking
number,
with ''RM'' in upper-case and the hyphen included.)

The ARRL's petition, filed in March, asks the FCC to
eliminate the
Novice and Technician-Plus CW bands and reapportion these
''inefficiently deployed segments'' to alleviate
overcrowding
elsewhere. If the FCC goes along, current Novice and
Technician Plus
(ie, Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees would be
permitted
to operate on the 80, 40, 15 and 10-meter General-class CW
allocations at up to 200-W output. For General and higher
class
operators, the ARRL plan would implement changes in the 80,
40 and
15-meter phone bands, expanding phone segments for many
amateurs.

The League's petition also seeks FCC permission to use
spread
spectrum on 222-225 MHz; to expand the pool of special event
call
signs beyond the 1x1 format to include identifiers for US
territories and possessions that do not provide for mailing
addresses; to clarify rules to indicate that modulated CW
(MCW) is
permitted for repeater station identification; and to
incorporate
into the rules a 1990 FCC waiver authorizing amateurs in
certain
areas of Colorado and Wyoming to operate on certain segments
of the
33-cm band.

The Leggett petition was filed in February. ''Field repair
is
important to the Amateur Radio Service because it enhances
emergency
communications preparedness and the growth of technical
knowledge in
the Amateur Radio Service,'' Leggett said in his petition.

Leggett suggests that the FCC consider mandating easily
replaceable
modules or circuit boards, minimum component spacings on
circuit
boards, removable integrated circuits mounted in sockets and
other
requirements for commercially made amateur transmitters and
transceivers. He would exempt ham radio receivers.

Leggett concedes that some manufacturers may drop out of the
amateur
market if the FCC were to adopt his recommendations, but he
suggests
that they would be replaced by other manufacturers, such as
those
making QRP equipment.  
NNNN 
/EX