[South Florida DX Association] Monthly Southern Florida Section News Summary

[Bill Marx]

Hi Everyone,

Fall is here but the weather is still warm and humid and as I type this we
have several tropical disturbances offshore.  Keep the go-kits handy.

Recently several states have passed what are called PRB-1 laws. Many members
have become excited thinking that this was a good way to ask Florida to pass
a similar law.  We have had a PRB-1 law as Florida statute since 1991:
166.0435 amateur radio antennas; construction in conformance with federal
requirements.-- No municipality shall enact or enforce any ordinance or
regulation which fails to conform to the limited preemption entitled amateur
radio Preemption, 101 FCC 2d 952 (1985) as issued by the Federal
Communications Commission. Any ordinance or regulation adopted by a
municipality with respect to amateur radio antennas shall conform to the
above cited limited preemption, which states that local regulations which
involve placement, screening, or height of antennas based on health, safety,
or aesthetic considerations must be crafted to reasonably accommodate 
amateur
communications, and to represent the minimum practicable regulation to
accomplish the local authority's legitimate purpose.

Please note that PRB-1 and corresponding state laws apply only to county and
municipal laws.  These regulations do not apply to deed restrictions, CC&Rs,
and HOA rules.  For further reading on  PRB-1 vs HOAs and CCRs go to:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/antenna-restrictions.html and
get the facts.  There are currently no bills in the Federal or Florida
legislatures that address the CC&R issues.  If you can get the ear of a
legislator and form a group to introduce such a bill, your efforts will be
appreciated by all amateurs.  Contact me and I will put you and the
legislator in touch with the ARRL officials to assist you.  Please do not
send me an e-mail message that you support such a bill - send me the name 
and
contact information of the person who assured you they would introduce the
bill.  We will have a lot of work to do if a bill is introduced and
individuals will be encouraged to write at that time.

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AWARDS PROGRAM
Did you know that the ARRL has a large and varied Awards Program?  Why not
have a challenge in your club for one or more of the awards.  For 
information
on the program go to:
http://www.arrl.org/awards/
For a list of fellow amateurs who can check your cards for these awards go 
to:
http://www.arrl.org/awards/awardsearch/wassearchform1.php3

-----------------------------
TRAFFIC REPORT:
SAR September 2008: KA4FZI 248, KE4CB 108,
AA4BN 54, KC4TM 19, WA4BAM 9, W7GXW 8, KP3O 4
===========
PSHR September 2008: KA4FZI 120, KE4CB 105,
AA4BN 86, K4DLF 86, N4SCY August 170
===========
NETS September 2008
Name, Abbreviation, Sessions, QNI,QTC, QND---- Manager
All Florida CW Traffic Net, QFN, 60, 530, 327, 857---- AD4DO
Florida Amateur SSB Traffic Net, FAST, 30, 365, 91---- K4SCL
Florida Medium Speed Net,FMSN, 30, 357,43, 520,---- AG4RJ/AB4XK
Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group, JTRG, 8, 77,34, 404---- AG4BV/W4FK
Palm Beach County Ares Net, PBCAN, 8, 141, 17----- K4DLF
Southern Florida ARES Net (Aug), GCAN, 4, 128, 6,173---- N5KFR
Saint Lucie Repeater Association, SLRA, 4, 44, 0,37---- KE4UEI
Southeast Florida Traffic Net,SEFTN, 33, 680, 51,1387---- AG4RJ/KI4IQZ
Southwest Florida Traffic Net, SWFTN, 26, 367, 65,1622---- KE4CB/N9WS

-------------------------
ARES REPORT:
Total number of ARES members in the 11 counties reporting: 915
ARES nets active in the 11 counties: 12, held 46 sessions, 5 have NTS 
liaison.
DECs/ECs reporting:  N4LEM, WA2DQX, KF4MJJ,  N5KFR, WA4ASJ, WA4GUK,  AI7Q,
AD4RZ, N4QPM, AJ4BP,  WN7YJJ reporting for Osceola .
Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 44, Person hours
290.8
Total number of ARES operations this month: 55, Total Person hours  306.8

SETs have been held in several ares.  Palm Beach held a drill simulating a
plane carrying unknown chemicals crashing in a residential area.  Miami-Dade
DCAT Team linked with Broward ARES/RACES for a hurricane simulation.  St
Lucie checked all EOC equipment and mobile units.  Indian River is planning 
a
tabletop drill at the November ARES meeting. Miami-Dade will work with 
Monroe
on a drill in the next few months.  If your county has not done an SET since
September 1 you can still participate in the national ARRL SET program until
December 31.  Contact your ARES EC and offer to help plan the drill.

Many of you may already be aware of this course, or have taken it.
Nevertheless, here is information on a relatively new FEMA online 
independent
study course that presents the concepts of Emergency Support Function
#2-Communications. We strongly encourage integrating ARES in the local,
county, regional or state government emergency operations plan. This 
presents
us a variety of mission options, not beholding to any one specific group, 
and
we become more aligned with the emergency management structure.  The course
takes  approximately 30 minutes to complete. Here is the link:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS802.asp

Remember, RACES works FOR Emergency Management while ARES works WITH 
Emergency
Management AND other agencies.

----------
Lastly, a good read:
 A 67-page booklet, Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur by
John Devoldere, ON4UN, and Mark Demeuleneere, ON4WW, is available for free
download from the ARRL Web site. The booklet is an Americanized version of
the booklet that the authors wrote for an international audience.  At its
June 2008 meeting, the IARU Administrative Council endorsed and recommended
the principles set out in the booklet as a means of encouraging all radio
amateurs to operate to the highest levels of proficiency, with proper
consideration for others using the amateur radio bands and as a tool "to
teach newcomers and others correct operating behavior. The booklet mainly
addresses HF operating issues, but the principles are also applicable to VHF
and higher bands.

Till next month, get on the air and stay safe.

73,
Sherri, W4STB


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ARRL Southern Florida Section
Section Manager: Sharon T. Brower, W4STB
w4stb at arrl.org