The ARRL Letter, Volume 7, No. 15, August 2, 1988 Published by: The American Radio Relay League, Inc. 225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111 Editor: Jay Mabey, NU0X Material from The ARRL Letter may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, including photoreproduction and electronic databanks, provided that credit is given to The ARRL Letter and to the American Radio Relay League, Inc. ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS The ARRL Board of Directors held its second 1988 meeting in Hartford, CT on July 21-22. Major issues included: President Larry Price presented his report dealing first with the tireless, multi-faceted campaign to retain the entire 220-225 MHz band. In a move to assist in settling repeater coordination disputes, the ARRL will offer its good services in arranging binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association. Further, the Board affirmed its agreement with the specific terms of the FCC Report and Order in PR Docket 85-22 that states there can only be one recognized frequency coordinator for a given band and geographical area. Accordingly, frequency coordinators in undisputed areas are acknowledged by virtue of the recognition accorded them by the entire amateur community. No frequency coordinator will be listed in the ARRL Repeater Directory in any area where the existing coordination mechanism is in significant dispute until a settlement has been made. The ARRL will also seek an FCC reaffirmation of the principles set forth in PR Docket 85-22 in support of frequency coordination efforts. The Board adopted a resolution calling for spectrum managers to designate specific VHF/UHF frequencies for packet use. ARRL Counsel Chris Imlay was directed to petition the FCC for a 90-day extension for filing comments in PR Docket 88-139, the proposed Part 97 rewrite of the amateur rules. Counsel was also directed to petition the FCC to amend Section 97.87(e) to substitute the sub- bands 144.275-144.300 MHz, 220.275-220.300 MHz and 432.300-432.400 MHz for automatic beacon operation. Further, the ARRL band plans for automatic beacon operation for higher frequency bands were amended. The Board voted to begin negotiations with appropriate companies for "affinity cards," that is, credit cards bearing the name and emblem of ARRL, which can be offered to ARRL members. One-half of the royalties derived from these cards are to be allocated to the Defense of Amateur Frequencies Fund. The Headquarters staff was directed to investigate the costs of implementing a toll-free 800 number for purchasing ARRL products and for taking out or renewing of membership. The Hiram Percy Maxim award was given to Stacey Garner, KA9WDE; the 1987 ARRL Instructor of the Year Award to Larry Odoms, K7NUL; the Professional Teacher of the Year Award was conferred jointly to Joseph Fairclough, WB2JKJ and Carole Perry, WB2MGP; and the 1987 International Humanitarian Award was conferred on the Reverend Michael Mullen, WB2GQW. The 1987 Technical Excellence Award was given to C. J. Michaels, W7XC, for his article, "Some Reflections on Vertical Antennas," which appeared in July QST. In the operating arena, the Board moved to support efforts to include a competitive Amateur Radio activity in the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, and established the principle of an Amateur Awareness Day to promote Amateur Radio display stations to the public. The Board also directed the Membership Services Committee to study ways to encourage Novice and Technician class use of CW. The Board voted to hold the 1990 ARRL National Convention in Kansas City, MO, June 8-10, under the auspices of the PHD ARA. Complete minutes of the meeting will appear in September QST. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled to be held in Hartford January 20-21, 1989. ARRL FILES COMMENTS ON COVENANTS It is usually not the practice of the ARRL to become involved in FCC dockets and rulemakings outside of the scope of direct interest to amateurs; however, FCC Docket 88-138 is an exception. Docket 88-138 is an FCC Inquiry into possible adverse effects to viewers when cable television companies do not carry all of the local broadcast stations. In the past, the FCC has tried to require cable companies to provide an "A-B switch," with which the viewer could switch between the cable system and his outside antenna to receive local stations not on his cable system. How does this affect amateurs? In order to receive the broadcast station not carried by his cable system, the television viewer must normally use an outside antenna. The point of the ARRL comments is that restrictive covenants on outside antennas limit the off-the-air reception of broadcast television signals in the same way they prohibit or seriously limit amateur communications. League studies show that antenna covenants began to proliferate in the early to mid-1970s, during the heyday of the Citizen's Radio Service (CB), when rooftop antennas for CB became numerous. Dr Wayne Overbeck, N6NB, ARRL Vice-Director of the Southwestern Division, has conducted research on restrictive antenna covenants in new housing developments near Los Angeles, Dallas/Ft Worth, and San Francisco. His research paper on this subject, presented at the 1986 Western Communications Educators Conference and published in the Winter 1987-88 issue of Mass Comm Review is titled, ""A Free-Marketplace Myth: The New `Must Carry' Rule, A/B Switches and Deed Restrictions." The ARRL's comments cite Overbeck's findings and include a copy of his report. According to the study, in the Los Angeles area "Every single new housing development in Orange or Ventura County was found to have a deed restriction prohibiting all outdoor antennas. Only in the more rural and inexpensive areas of Riverside County was there a variation in the pattern." Furthermore, many of the deed restrictions that Overbeck examined contained virtually identical language forbidding antennas. This suggests that real estate developers have reached a consensus that outdoor antennas should be prohibited, and that such language has become standardized among the law firms who draft declarations of covenants for builders. Not only are new housing developments forbidding outside antennas, but more ominously, planned communities consisting of multiple developments governed by one master declaration of covenants can effectively prohibit outside antennas in entire towns! In his study, Overbeck points out that "...real-estate developers could eventually limit the [non-cable] television viewing alternatives for a large percentage of the population. In the end, homebuilders, not the FCC or even the free marketplace, might determine the fate of the competing electronic communication technologies by denying some an adequate customer base..." Overbeck's study in the Dallas/Ft Worth area showed nearly one-half of the developments either prohibited outdoor antennas altogether or imposed severe height restrictions. An additional one-third allowed one radio or TV receiving antenna per lot. Only rural, large acreage subdivisions some distance from Dallas had no antenna prohibitions. His studies in the San Francisco area (Contra Costa County) showed antenna restrictions in 15 of 18 new developments, with 9 prohibiting antennas altogether, and 5 requiring architectural control board or home owner association approval. One development allowed outdoor antennas until cable television was installed. Our comments conclude stating that "the proliferation of restrictive covenants makes it impossible to cast the issue aside by calling them `private contractual agreements'; there is no alternative. The covenants become contracts of adhesion, with no reasonable means of accommodation for television viewing short of cable subscription...the ad hoc regulation of interstate communications by covenant is so extensive as to require the Commission's immediate attention..." ARRL comments were filed July 8. MICHIGAN MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL CB OPERATION According to an FCC Public Notice, Bradford Mitchell, of Niles, Michigan, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for using a high-power CB transmitter. The one-year sentence was suspended except for an incarceration period of 90 days. In addition, Mitchell was placed on three year's probation with the special condition that he refrain from possessing or operating a radio transmitter. He was fined $1,025 and ordered to forfeit to the US Government all CB radio equipment that had been seized from him by the U.S. Marshall in 1986 and 1987. Mitchell must also perform community service as determined by his probation officer. ARRL FILES AGAINST SSB ON 30 METERS The ARRL has filed comments opposing a petition (RM-6363) filed by Anthony Sivo, W2FJ, to permit SSB operation in the 30- meter (10.1-10.15 MHz) band. In his petition, Sivo contended that the band is underutilized because phone emissions are not permitted there. Our comments took issue with the notion that this band is underutilized and said that a "great deal of amateur communication is conducted 24 hours per day" in this band. We noted that the 30-meter band is allocated to the Fixed Service outside of the US on a primary basis and amateurs are not allowed to cause "harmful interference" to this service. Thus "the primary obligation of the Amateur Radio Service on this band... is not to load it `to the full extent possible' as the petition would have it. Rather, the obligation is to use it in such a manner as to protect against interference to on-going fixed station use." In his petition, Sivo noted that some countries permit SSB operation on the 30-meter band. The ARRL responded by saying that this was true only because most countries do not specify subbands for emissions in their amateur rules; "such operation is not in accordance with the band plan for the thirty-meter band adopted worldwide by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). The IARU band plan is adhered to almost universally." The ARRL also cited a 1980 survey in which the amateur community was asked what the uses and subdivisions of the 30- meter band should be. "Of 610 written comments received at League Headquarters, 71% of the respondents suggested that either A1A... and F1B (telegraphy) emissions only in the 50 kHz wide band should be allowed." Our comments concluded by noting that the FCC had expanded HF phone bands in 1983 and that the 24-MHz band offers a 60-kHz phone segment. "There is no showing, in the instant petition or otherwise, that the creation of a telephony subband at 30-meters is in any sense necessary or desirable. In summary, the League believes that the... petition does not warrant further Commission consideration... and requests...(it) be denied." CALL SIGN UPDATE The following is the FCC listing of "just issued" amateur call signs as of July 1. District "A" "B" C" "D" Extra Advanced Tech/Gen Novice 0 WK0B KE0WN N0JMN KB0CYK 1 NS1G KC1KC N1FVG KA1SIH 2 WI2D KE2HU N2IJP KB2GAX 3 NQ3T KD3IJ N3GIW KA3TJA 4 AB4IW KM4DY N4TFY KC4GAT 5 AA5GR KG5LG N5MUL KB5GTF 6 AA6JH KJ6IV N6SOW KB6ZBI 7 WQ7F KF7LM N7LIA KB7FIZ 8 WI8F KE8ST N8JRE KB8FEJ 9 NZ9R KE9LN N9HPL KB9BDW Guam KH2K AH2BY KH2DH WH2ALQ Hawaii ** AH6JC NH6PS WH6BZC Alaska ** AL7KB NL7OF WL7BRV USVI KP2Y KP2BN NP2CR WP2AGA PR ** KP4PK WP4PX WP4IBR FCC LICENSING FIGURES FCC licensing figures as of the end of May show that more new amateur licenses were issued during the first five months of this year than in any other recent year except 1987 (which had an unusually large number during May, the result of people slipping under the wire before the Novice Enhancement rules took effect). We've welcomed 10,743 newcomers to our ranks in the first five months of this year. Even more impressive, there were 11,941 upgrades during the same five-month period. This is more than twice the number just four years ago, and is an 18% increase over the same period last year. ARRL POTPOURRI President Larry Price has appointed James Brooker, NI8E, as Chairman of the VHF Repeater Advisory Committee for the 1988 term. Also appointed for the remainder of the 1988 term was James Dockery, WB2HBZ, as Chairman of the Public Service Advisory Committee following the resignation of Dale Temple, W5RXU. ARRL HQ COMPANY PICNIC Due to the annual office picnic, ARRL HQ will close at 11 AM EDT on September 1. NTS HISTORICAL INFORMATION SOUGHT ARRL Honorary Vice Presidents "Doc" Gmelin, W6ZRJ, and George Hart, W1NJM, spent some time at Headquarters researching historical documentation on the founding of the National Traffic System. They are interested in drafting a series of articles for QST on this subject. Perhaps the field could supply some information. The period they are most interested in at present are the early days of NTS in late 1949-1950. Anyone out there who remembers anything historically significant about NTS operations in those days, or who has any correspondence or documents, could contribute significantly to the project by sending W6ZRJ and W1NJM copies. Their addresses are: J. A. Gmelin, W6ZRJ, 10835 Willowbrook Way, Cupertino, CA 95014 and George Hart, W1NJM, 66 Highland St, Newington, CT 06111. RSGB 75TH ANNIVERSARY ARRL was represented at the 75th Anniversary luncheon of the Radio Society of Great Britain by President Larry E. Price, W4RA, and Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ. The luncheon was held July 15 in Birmingham, England, in conjunction with the RSGB National Convention. The highlight of the affair was the opening of the Convention by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron of the RSGB. The following day, Amateur Radio representatives from 18 countries gathered in informal session to compare notes on allocations conference preparations, stimulating Amateur Radio growth, attracting young people to our ranks, and other topics of international interest. FOREST SERVICE REVISES RENT SCHEDULE FOR AMATEURS The Southern Region of the US Forest Service has again revised its proposed rental fee schedule for the various radio and television services, including amateur, who rent US Forest Service land for communications sites. In June, 1987, the Southern Region had proposed fees ranging from $300 to $1200. The new proposal, printed in the Federal Register July 26, proposes a $75 yearly fee for Amateur Radio repeaters. Comments on the proposal are due by September 26 and should be sent to Vince McCormack, Lands Staff, Forest Service, 1720 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30367.