October 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report

The Volunteer Monitor (VM) Program is a joint initiative between ARRL and the FCC to enhance compliance in the Amateur Radio Service.

Technician-class operators in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and Richmond, Texas, received Advisory Notices after making numerous FT8 contacts on 40 and 20 meters. Technician-class licensees are not allowed to transmit data on 40 meters and have no operating authority on 20 meters.
Operators in Mims, Florida; Moorefield, West Virginia; State Road, North Carolina, and Grottoes, Virginia, received Advisory Notices concerning excessive SSB bandwidth on 40 and 75 meters. The operator in Moorefield, West Virginia, previously received an Advisory Notice for out-of-band operation on 7.138 MHz. His case will be referred to the FCC for further enforcement action, which could include removal of voice privileges from, or revocation of, his General-class license.
An operator in Cave Creek, Arizona, received an Advisory Notice for making lengthy transmissions without identifying, as required by Commission rules.
An operator in Highlandville, Missouri, was reminded that a beacon on 30 meters cannot be automatically controlled, pursuant to 97.203(d) of the Commission's rules, and must have a control operator present at all times of transmission. He was further advised that the FCC may request a schedule of control operators and their duty hours.

The final totals for monitoring in September were 1,909 hours on HF frequencies and 2,716 hours on VHF frequencies and above, for a total of 4,625 hours.

There was one recommendation to the FCC for case closure and renewal of a license, and one request to review a license application. The FCC referred two cases to the VM Program. -- VM Program Administrator Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH