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The National Association for Amateur Radio American Radio Relay League is a 501(c)3 non profit organization. Sacramento Valley Section Serving Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo & Yuba Counties in Northern California Sacramento Valley Section is located in the ARRL Pacific Division. ARRL National Page: www.arrl.org/Groups/view/sacramento-valley Thanks to Greg Kruckewitt KG6SJT for maintaining our Section ARES web page and for assisting with our Facebook page and Twitter feed. Submit Section News updates to kp4md(at)arrl.org
Past Section News Archive
Amateur Radio License Classes and Volunteer Exam (VE) Information and Schedules
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January 2019 News
From the Section Manager
Here are the latest news and happening from clubs and members around our section.
Happy New Year to all! This month's news features reports, photos and videos from radio amateurs and clubs around our Section.
Volunteers are needed for an ARRL Section Amateur Radio Exhibit and Special Event Station N6S at the March 2 Placer County STEM Expo at William Jessup University in Rocklin. If you would like to participate in this outreach activity and introduce youth to the fascinating world of amateur radio please e-mail Orion Endres, AI6JB our Section Youth Coordinator at ai6jb@arrl.net
Thanks to all who have submitted the 2019 calendar year License Class and Volunteer Exam Session updates. These and more useful information for anyone interested in amateur radio are now included in our home page sidebar.
There is no Section Wide net scheduled for January. Thanks to all who participated in our December 20 Section-wide nets.
You can still send January news to kp4md@arrl.org. This website is visited most during the first week of each month, but do check back as it is often updated with late breaking news.
Our Section website, Facebook and Twitter pages are a work in progress, and your suggestions and submissions are always welcome.
73, Dr. Carol Milazzo, KP4MD
American Radio Relay League Sacramento Valley Section Manager
kp4md(at)arrl.org
You can always send compliments, suggestions and submissions for inclusion in our Section News to kp4md(at)arrl.org
Amateur Radio Youth Outreach at Saturday
March 2 STEM Expo in Rocklin
Posted December 31
Hundreds of curious youngsters at the Placer County STEM Expo will learn about the fascinating world of communications and electronics at the ARRL Amateur Radio Special Event Station N6S and Exhibit! Kids of all ages love hands-on activities and the opportunity to experience contacts over amateur radio, and you can participate in learning experiences that can lead to a new amateur radio license and to fulfilling careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Radio amateurs and clubs who wish to join us at the STEM Expo to answer questions and share the joy of amateur radio should contact our Section Youth Coordinator, Orion Endres, AI6JB ai6jb@arrl.net now for more information!
ARRL SV Section-Wide Net Reports Thursday December 20
The ARRL SV Section-wide nets were held on Thursday, December 20. Andy Boone KJ6IYM opened the VHF net on the WD6AXM 146.085 MHz FM repeater at 7:30 pm PDT after the Yuba-Sutter ARES net signed off.
Here is the VHF net check-in list: KJ6IYM, KP4MD, N6SNO, KG6SJT, AG6IP, KJ6KIZ, KK6VZD, K6CEL, KC9EI, W6BXN, N6SAC,, K6STN, W7KOZ, WB6DNL, KM6RHC, KA6FFM, KB6EMC, KM6NFE, N6PGQ, K6MGI, KK6WSO, AE6LM, W6BEN, W6WMD, AI6LZ, and WA6OHP.
At 7:45 pm, ARRL SV Section Manager Carol Milazzo, KP4MD, called the SV Section HF net on 3880 kHz LSB. Propagation was good and KP4MD, AE6LM, K6BAA, K6WWL, KC9EI, KF6ABC,, KF7SWC, KK6YYF, KM6NFE, KM6RHC, N6DXX, N6JKH, N6LFB, N6PGQ, N6SAC, W7KOZ, WB6OGD, and K6ROB checked into the HF net.
Thanks to all who assisted and participated in our December Section-Wide Nets!
No Section-Wide Nets Scheduled for January
ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Nets are conducted only on the third Thursday of the month when announced, following the 7 pm Pacific Time Yuba-Sutter ARES net on the WD6AXM 146.085 MHz FM repeater, followed by the HF Section Net on 3880 kHz LSB +/- 3 kHz. During spring and summer months the HF net may be conducted on 5330.5 kHz USB as propagation permits.
All Sacramento Valley Section radio amateurs are welcome to check into our Section Nets. The nets carry announcements of interest to our section and test our section-wide station communication capabilities.
and Listen to our HF net on a web receiver.
| W6DRZ receiver at Half Moon Bay | 3880 kHz | No 60m |
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| W7RNA receiver in Sedona, AZ | 3880 kHz | 5330.5 kHz |
| Northern Utah web receiver | 3880 kHz | 5330.5 kHz |
Hourly Northern California NVIS Observations
This chart shows colors that represent the recommended HF frequencies for contacting stations for a particular hour. Both stations should use the SAME frequency denoted by the color at the location of the target station. The chart is in Universal Time (UTC). More information at http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/HF_Systems/6/6
ARRL Petitions FCC to Incorporate Parity Act Provisions into its Amateur Radio Rules
from the ARRL News, December 19, 2018
The ARRL has filed a Petition for Rulemaking (PRM) asking the FCC to amend its Part 97 Amateur Service rules to incorporate the provisions of the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The Petition has not yet been assigned a rule making (RM) number and is not yet open for public comment. In the past, the FCC has said that it would not take such action without guidance from the US Congress, but, as ARRL’s Petition notes, the Congress “has overwhelmingly and consistently” offered bipartisan support for the Amateur Radio Parity Act.
Specifically, ARRL is proposing that the FCC amend Part 97 by adding a new subsection under §97.15, that prohibits and ceases the enforcement of, “Any private land use restriction, including restrictive covenants and regulations imposed by a community association,” that either fails to permit a licensee to install and maintain an effective outdoor antenna capable of operation on all Amateur Radio frequency bands, on property under the exclusive use or control of the licensee; precludes or fails to permit Amateur Service communications, or which does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the lawful purposes specifically articulated in the declaration of covenants of a community association seeking to enforce such restriction. ARRL's proposed rule would not affect any existing antenna approved or installed before the effective date of a Report and Order resulting from ARRL’s petition.
For the complete story go to ARRL News.
FCC to Suspend Most Operations on January 3, if Government Shutdown Continues
from the ARRL News, December 31, 2018
If the partial lapse in federal government funding continues, the FCC will suspend most operations on Thursday, January 3, at mid-day. At that time, employees will have up to 4 hours to complete an orderly shutdown of operations. Work required for the protection of life and property will continue, however, as will any work related to spectrum auctions, which is funded by auction proceeds. In addition, the Office of the Inspector General will continue operations until further notice.
ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said in such situations, the FCC website would go offline, including includes the Universal Licensing System (ULS) and the Commission Registration System (CORES). “This means all electronic license transactions would stop,” Somma said. “FRN registrations would be unavailable, and even the search engines would be unavailable.”
For the complete story go to ARRL News.
ARRL Sacramento Valley SEC Greg Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, Reports on the ARES Response to the Camp Fire
In TWiT.tv's Ham Nation episode 376 on November 14, Sacramento Valley SEC Greg Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, gave a detailed question and answer report on the role that radio amateurs played in supporting communication needs during the tragic Camp Fire in Butte County. The interview begins at the 45:50 point in the program. Read more about the amateur radio response to the Camp Fire in the ARRL News and on our Section Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Yuba Sutter ARES EC Andy Boone, KJ6IYM Interviewed on Amateur Radio Newline
In Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2142 for Friday, November 16 2018, Yuba-Sutter EC Andy Boone described the ARES response to the Red Cross call for support in the aftermath of the devastating Camp Fire. Click to read the script.
January 12, 2019 - Sacramento County ARES Training
Posted December 2, 2018
The next Sacramento County ARES training and meeting is scheduled for Saturday January 12, 2019 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Sacramento Sheriff's Central Division, 7000 65th Street, Sacramento, CA 95823.
Vince Cracchiolo KI6NHP is the Sacramento County EC.
For more information, visit the Sacramento County ARES web site at www.saccountyares.org
Pot grow lights interfere with Ham Radio
Submitted by Rene Smythe, WB6PSY, posted March 4, 2017
I have experienced this interference for the past few years. I found the interference by swinging my 10m Yagi monobander around until the noise became over S9. I then went outside to see where the beam was physically pointed and discovered a garage where indoor pot is being grown. The lights are on a time cycle so the interference comes and goes. 40º degrees in either direction takes the noise out.
Now that marijuana is being legalized in more states, more hams are going to experience this noise.
WB6PSY
Radio Frequency Interference
posted February 3, 2018
ARRL and the FCC have a cooperative agreement in radio frequency interference matters. You may submit interference reports together with your supporting documentation to ARRL EMC Engineer Mike Gruber W1MG who then files the report with the FCC Gettysburg office.
You may also contact our Section Technical Coordinator Bob Wortman, WB6VYH, or our Section Official Observer Coordinator Bob Hess, W1RH, for assistance. More information is posted under the "From the Section Manager" notes in the November 2016 Section News - Carol KP4MD
Our Official Observer Coordinator Bob Hess, W1RH, shares this helpful web page by NK7Z for identifying sources of Radio Frequency Interference http://www.nk7z.net/rfi-snapshots
Club and Member News - January 2019
Update from River City ARCS
Posted December 31, 2018
Our January meeting date has been changed to Wednesday, January 2 at 7:30 pm due to the New Year holiday. Tom Cutter, W6BS, will give a technical presentation on HF digital voice modes. All are welcome.
Our meetings are held at the Sacramento Co. Corp Yard (SMUD) building 5026 Don Julio Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95842 (corner of Elkhorn and Don Julio Blvds). Meetings are open to the general public and visitors are always welcome.
Our club holds nets every Wednesday evening at 8:00 pm on the 145.25 MHz N6NA FM repeater, followed by an 8:30 pm 10 meter net on 28.420 MHz USB and a slow scan television net at 9 pm on the 441.300 MHz N6NA FM repeater. Our nets are open to participation by all club members and visitors. See more information at www.n6na.org/nets
We will hold no formal RCARCS nets on Wednesday January 2 due to the rescheduled general membership meeting that night.
Update from Sierra Foothills ARC
Posted December 31, 2018
SFARC Meetings - Monthly Members second Friday Monthly at Auburn City Hall, Rose Room starts at 7:30pm. Everyone is welcome.
On-air Nets - Thursday night at 7:30 on the W6EK repeater system is the weekly club net. Then every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 7:30pm is the Elmer Net. Please join us. W6EK Repeaters: 145.430 - 162.2Hz, 223.860 - 110.9Hz, 440.575 + 162.2Hz
Winter Field Day - Brian, AI6US is planning our Winter Field Day. Sign-up to come and participate… Brian is doing Breakfast!
Hamfest 2019 -the date is set for March 16th, 2019. Location will be at the Historic Loomis Train Depot in Loomis, CA
Our Groups.io is now at 126 members. This replaced the Yahoo Group function.
Jim, WA8MPA has assembled a Member's Library that allows the membership to check out any of over a hundred ARRL and other publications on Ham Radio.
Club activities for December boil down to our Members Christmas Dinner on the 15th, and the Breakfast at Mel's Auburn on December 29th.
We will be having a Youth Ham Scholarship in 2019. Details will be announced at the January meeting.
As with any SFARC net or meeting, we love visitors, so come on down and join the membership and check out our website at: w6ek.org
Newsletter on the Homepage at w6ek.org
VE Report December 2018
VE Exams - Every 1st Saturday each month at Raley's Granite Bay. Starts at 8 am. Walk ins welcome. Contact is Al, NI2U at vechair2015@w6ek.org.
All the Best Wishes to everyone from the members of SFARC. Happy New Year!
Carl, WF6J, PIO Sacramento, CA
Newsletter at: http://www.w6ek.org/newsletters/SFARC%20December%202018%20newsletter.pdf
VE Report January 2019
Thanks again for all the VE's that were able to come to the session. We had a very successful session again. We administered 10 elements to 6 candidates. 3 earned a Technician, 3 earned General and no new Extras.
Thanks Al NI2U
Update from North Hills RC
Posted December 31, 2018
The next meeting for The North Hills Radio Club will take place on Tuesday evening, January 15, 2019. This month's program will be presented by former past president, vice-president and secretary-treasurer, Maynard Wright, W6PAP. Maynard will give a talk about SWR. It promises to be an interesting program. So, why not come and join us!
Club meetings are always held on the third Tuesday of every month, at the former (SMUD) building located at 5026 Don Julio Blvd, at the northeast corner of Don Julio and Elkhorn Blvds. The board meeting begins at 6:00 P.M., followed by the general membership meeting at 7:30 P.M.
See you there! From Doug Emerson, Vice-President, North Hills Radio Club. Amateur call sign N6NFF
Update from Samuel F Morse ARC
Updated January 1, 2019
Our next SFM ARC in person meeting will be held at its normal time and location Jan. 3rd (followed by our Feb.7th meeting). The SFM ARC in-person meeting is held in the Howard Crowley room upstairs at the Carmichael Presbyterian Church. Directions, including a Google Map are available at the bottom of the W6SFM.com home page. At our January meeting, we will be revealing the results of our officer votes. We will also be finalizing January’s North American QSO party event to be held at member Bob N6PGQ’s home QTH. As always, we will have our Tech (show and tell) portion. Members and visitors are asked to share their Ham Radio related items they find of interest. Visitors are always welcome to join us at our meetings.
On-Air Net MeetingEach Tuesday of the week 8:00 PM on 3.545 MHz the SFM ARC enjoys getting on the air with CW for our weekly Nets. You do NOT need to be a member of the SFM ARC to check into our nets and we encourage you to invite a friend to join us as well. Although our nets usually run around 15 wpm code, we are all happy to accommodate those that are slower and need us to oblige. If you are unable to copy Morse Code or need some code practice, please feel free to visit our on-line LIVE streaming broadcast of both the Audio and a CW to Text decoding of the meeting. The “LIVE FEED” link can be found on our home page of our website. With our YouTube Live streaming system, you can watch the Live Feed on your Apple IOS or Android devices. You do not need to have a YouTube account to access the feed. However, you will need one to subscribe to our channel. Those visiting viewing can chat with others watching on-line as well. This of course is not mandatory, but rather just a way of making everyone feel more involved in our on-air nets. If you like, you can “check in” using the chat window and you will be included with our On-Air Net log. Simply announce your call letters in the chat window.
Tell A FriendDo you know someone in need of a Ham Club to call home? Perhaps someone that wants to learn Morse Code, are interested in CW or already knows and uses it? The SFM ARC would love to be their new Club home. Our in-person meetings are held each 1st Thursday of the month at 7PM. Please use the rear parking lot and entry for best access to the meeting. A map and directions can also be found on our website. We hope to see you at our next meeting!
Thank You, Michael N6MQL President 2018, Chris AI6U Secretary 2018
Update from Western Placer ARC
Posted January 8, 2019
WPARC 2019 Kickoff Luncheon at Via Roma Pizzeria con Cucina Sat, Jan 19, 2019, 1:00 PM
Our third WPARC Annual Kickoff Luncheon will be held at Via Roma Pizzeria con Cucina. Via Roma is opening early for this special luncheon just for us, on Saturday, Jan 19, 2019 at 1:00 PM. In past years we've dined on delicious lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, or chicken parmigiana entrees. Come join us for salad, fine Italian dishes, beverages, dessert and gratuity included for $25/person (wine available at additional cost.)
There will be our annual prize drawings from all of the drawing tickets collected at meetings in 2018. You have one last chance to strike it big! Who knows what prizes our Drawing Master will find?
Find Via Roma Pizzeria con Cucina at 1230 Sunset Blvd, Suite 600, in Rocklin [Map] where West Oaks Blvd crosses Sunset Blvd, between Lonetree and Blue Oaks Blvds.
We'll see you there!
Ham License Testing - Wednesday, January 2, 6 PM
WPARC offers Ham radio license testing on the first Wednesday of each month at Round Table Pizza at 6 PM (see below for map and directions.) For more information please email Chuck KK6DOA
WPARC Board Meeting - Wednesday, January 2, 7:30 PM
WPARC conducts Board Member meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at Round Table Pizza at 7:30 PM (see below for map and directions.) The board welcomes members and guests who wish to observe or bring business before the board.
WPARC Meeting and Testing Location - No Evening Meeting in January
We're having a luncheon meeting on January 19. See the lead article at the top of this section. Skip the evening meeting, and come to the luncheon!
Our usual meeting site is Round Table Pizza, 1020 Pleasant Grove Blvd #170, Roseville. This location faces Roseville Parkway at the northeast corner of the complex, just around the corner from the CVS store. View map and directions
The club website, http://wparc.us/index.html, has a new look and new information. Jey KQ6DK is now club web master and is updating the the site on a regular basis. Thanks to Jey for all his work on the website.
Don’t forget about our WPARC Facebook page. It is at: https://www.facebook.com/WPARC
Want more? We now have a Twitter account! Just search for @k6pac (the club repeater call sign with the “@” symbol). We are following the ARRL, the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section, Kenwood, and Yaesu and a few others. If you think of someone we should follow, please email me. I know there are a few local clubs with Twitter accounts and I will add them.
73, Michael Buck. K6BUK
WPARC on Facebook and TwitterCheck us out on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter (@k6pac)
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Update from El Dorado County ARC
Posted December 31, 2018
FROM THE PRESIDENT
This will be the last article for the year and I hope 2018 has been a good year for you.
The Amateur Radio community has been very busy in 2018. The new FT8 digital mode has created an explosion of activity in the data subbands allowing many to make DX contacts with limited stations and poor band conditions. Several specialized groups collecting contacts such as Summits on the Air (SOTA), Parks on the Air (POTA) and Grid Chasers have also increased band activity. Many have discovered the digital voice modes on 2m and 70cm bands that allow Hams to talk across continents or to large groups beyond the range of their local repeater with a simple handheld transceiver. A few DXpeditions created some DX excitement in the Fall. Finally, our ARES and RACES groups have been busy providing communications during the many disasters our country faced this year. This tells me that Amateur Radio is still relevant and growing and you are all part of it. Congratulations on doing your part to keep the hobby growing.
The club has one more activity this year, our holiday dinner on Sunday, December 9th. It looks like there might be some rain in Pollock Pines on Sunday, but we should be below the snow level. Then in January we will have our regular meeting on the 24th and the Coloma Gold Discovery Special Event Station on January 26th and 27th. More information will be provided soon for the special event station. The board has already started looking for club activity ideas for early 2019, so stay tuned in!
From my family to yours, I’m wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
73, Jay, KE6GLA
Ham Radio ExamJanuary 12th, 2019 at 9:00am. Held at the American Legion Post 119, 4561 Greenstone Road, Placerville CA 95667. Testing Fees $14.00. Contact Ken Vogele, W6KWV at 530-642-9523
2019 Coloma Special EventThe El Dorado County ARC will be commemorating 171st anniversary of the discovery of gold in Coloma, CA. The special event station will be on the air as AG6AU from the gold discovery site January 26th and 27th. More information to coming soon./p>
Jay, KE6GLA Newsletter
Update from Oroville ARS
Updated January 7, 2019
OARS Monthly Meeting
The OARS regular monthly meeting will take place Friday, 11 January, 7 pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Hall, 1430 Pine St., Oroville, CA 95965. The doors will open at 6 pm for a social hour prior to the meeting. Election of 2019 officers is expected to top the agenda. Payment of dues for the year ($20) would also be appreciated. Hope all can attend. 73, Jim W7XZ
Net night is every Sunday evening 8:00 pm on the 146.655 MHz W6AF FM repeater.
OARS Monthly BreakfastThis month’s OARS Breakfast will take place Saturday, 26 January, 9 am, at the Acorn Cafe (second floor) of the Gold Country Casino and Hotel, 4020 Olive Hwy, Oroville, CA 95966
Update from SOTARS/QCWA Chapter 169
Posted January 7, 2018
The SOTARS/QCWA meeting is Wednesday, January 9. You may choose lunch or breakfast. Lunch is at eleven and Denny's serves breakfast all day.
The meeting will be called to order at noon in the restaurant's back room. The program this month will be a video tour of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica.
The meeting as usual is at: Denny's Restaurant on the southwest corner of Howe Ave. and College Town Drive, one block North of Highway 50. 7900 College Town Drive, Sacramento Phone (916) 383-7071
Please plan to attend. 73, Dan WA6VPJ
Update from Nevada County ARC
Updated December 31, 2018
Next Meeting: Monday January 14, 2018 7 pm-9 pm.
General Meetings 2nd Monday of Each Month 7:00 p.m. at the Salvation Army Meeting Room, 10725 Alta Street - Grass Valley. Guests are Welcome. Presentation, Coffee, Monthly Raffle. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Nevada County Amateur Radio Club members hold impromptu meetings at the Omega Rest Area on highway 20. Elevation is around 5000 ft and the views are tremendous. Our activity always draws the interest of motorists coming through the rest stop.
73, Cal McKitrick AI6MC, NCARC President 2018 Newsletter Facebook Group
COFFEE CHAT (Ham n' Coffee)
Thursdays, 8 am at Valentina's Bistro, 841 Sutton Way, Grass Valley
Update from Yuba-Sutter ARC
Posted December 31, 2018
TECHNICIAN CLASS
Coming in January and February 2019 is the next technician class. Do you know of anyone interested in becoming a ham? Encourage them to attend and then become their Elmer. Help your hobby to grow. Classes will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. at the American Red Cross Center in Yuba City beginning Jan. 7, 2019. They will run through Feb 27th. The Red Cross building is located at 125 E. Onstott Road, Yuba City. We will be meeting in Classroom 2.
EDITORS COMMENTS✓YSARC’s new web page is: www.ysarc.net - click on the upper right-hand icon on the homepage to join the club’s Facebook page. Past issue’s of the VHN are available on our new website.
✓Send your ham related articles and pictures to share in your VHN. Pictures of ham shacks, antenna projects, antenna parties, etc. are appreciated KI6CSN@arrl.net or KF6FVP@arrl.net
Update from Elk Grove-Florin ARC - pending
Posted July 9, 2018
Elk Grove-Florin ARC—Section News
Remember how much fun the Install-O-Rama was last August? Attached is the announcement for this year's event. Please share it with your radio club and others who may be interested. Thanks... Dave Reingold, KK6MVJ
Christine Lay, KG6JFO, President EGFARC, 916/715-8091 Install-O-Rama Flyer
Update from Glenn ARS - pending
Posted July 9, 2018
Prez Says for July 2018
Greetings to all club members and guests. It’s almost Independence Day and I want to thank you for your service this club and to this great country. I hope you find the club newsletters and ‘Prez Says” message useful and informative.
Mike Ellithorpe, KF6OBI President, GARS kilofox6obi@yandex.com 530-518-3730 Newsletters
Update from Golden Empire ARS - pending
Posted July 9, 2018
The Prez' Says:
73 de KI6VOS, Rick +1.415.624.5865
73, Tom Rider W6JS, President GEARS rustyboyrider@aol.com Newsletter
Member Updates and Feedback
Please send your feedback to kp4md@arrl.org to be included in this section.
Section Member Phil Sittner, KD6RM, on QSO Today Podcast
Phil Sittner, KD6RM, has a ham radio story that goes back over 50 years, from childhood. Still living in Northern California, Phil builds his own radios and test equipment, operates CW on 80 and 40 meters, using his fence mounted 80 meter end-fed Zepp and a pair of phased 40 meter verticals in an HOA neighborhood where antennas are forbidden. We harness Phil’s extensive technical expertise and hear his ham radio story in this QSO Today.
Listen to Phil's podcast interview on https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/kd6rm
The 70 cm Pave PAWS Radar at Beale AFB
Posted December 8, 2018
The Sacramento Valley has the distinction of being home to Beale AFB—one of the Pave PAWS (Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System) 420-450 MHz radar installations in the continental US. Since 1979, Pave PAWS continues to be a key component of the US Department of Defense missile defense and satellite surveillance mission.
The Beale AFB AN/FPS-132 Pave PAWS radar is housed in a 105 foot high five story triangular building with two 20° tilted faces that each contain a phased array of 2,677 circular polarized crossed dipole antennas with a gain of 38.6 dB and beam width of 2.2°. The radar beam can be steered rapidly within microseconds by computers that electronically control the phase of the antenna elements. The facility can scan from 3° to 85° elevation over a 240° arc of azimuth with a range of 3000 nautical miles for objects of 10 m2 size. Each array face transmits 600 kW peak power output (145 kW average) with a normal 18% duty cycle. Pave PAWS search mode radar signals can be observed as random pulses of about 300 kHz bandwidth that are centered every 1 MHz throughout the 420-450 MHz band. In tracking mode the pulse bandwidth can increase to 30 MHz.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is the primary user of the 70 cm band shared with the Amateur Radio Service as the secondary user. FCC Part §97.313 (f) limits our amateur radio transmitter power to 50 watts PEP within a distance of 150 miles radius from the Beale AFB Pave PAWS in Yuba County. Since its 2007 system upgrade, the Beale AFB Pave PAWS radar has required additional power restrictions on some 440 MHz repeaters in this area. Radio amateurs may continue to operate on 70 cm thanks to our voluntary cooperation with limits coordinated among the ARRL, NARCC, the DoD and FCC. A status report is posted at http://www.narcc.org/NARCC-ARRL-PAVE-PAWS-Update-2014a.pdf
Read more about Pave PAWS at Air Force Space Command PAVE PAWS Radar System and Appendix H—Upgraded Early Warning Radar Analysis
Keep Our Digital Transmissions Legal on 60 Meters
Posted January 29, 2017
Our decreasing solar activity and residential antenna restrictions have attracted increasing numbers of radio amateurs to operate CW and weak signal digital modes on our lower HF frequencies including 60 meters. The five frequency channels that US amateur radio operators share on a secondary basis with US federal government users on 60 meters (5 MHz) pose unique requirements for CW and digital operators. As explained on http://www.arrl.org/60m-channel-allocation, US radio amateur emissions on our 60m channels must be precisely centered in the center frequency of each assigned channel, that is, 5332.0, 5348.0, 5358.5, 5373.0 or 5405.0 kHz. Thus, for example, a CW signal on channel 3 (USB Dial frequency 5357.0 kHz) must be precisely on 5358.5 kHz. The same ARRL page explains that all digital emissions must also be centered in the channel center.
This may appear unreasonable to radio amateurs because a 2.8 kHz channel can accommodate many digital and CW transmissions simultaneously, and requiring multiple stations to operate on the same exact frequency would result in mutual interference. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)* explains this requirement in https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/7021871884.pdf which states: "Allowing multiple emissions within the necessary bandwidth of the widest authorized modes (2.8 kHz) increases the possibility of harmful interference from secondary amateur stations to primary federal stations, and would make it more difficult for a federal station to identify an interfering amateur station. In addition, NTIA is concerned about the aggregate equivalent isotropically radiated power from multiple amateur stations transmitting within a single 2.8 kHz channel. Accordingly, NTIA requests that 47 C.F.R. Section 97.303(h) continue to require that amateur stations transmit only on the five center frequencies allocated to the amateur service." (See http://www.arrl.org/what-the-fcc-rules-say-97-303-h)
| Observed Violations of US 60 Meter Frequency Regulations | |
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JT65This screenshot photo shows JT65 signals received on 60 meter Channel 3 (5357 kHz USB dial frequency) from 0300-0309 UTC on January 29, 2017. In the photo, the 5357 kHz dial frequency is at 0 Hz on the left side of the waterfall and the 5358.5 kHz channel center is at the 1500 Hz mark. Decodes of several US radio amateurs are seen transmitting JT65 emissions simultaneously on various frequencies throughout the channel 3 frequency range 5357-5360 kHz. This is the familiar appearance of a JT65 waterfall display on all other amateur radio bands; however, it violates the NTIA requirement that each US radio amateur transmission be centered on the 1500 Hz mark (the 5358.5 kHz channel center frequency).ARRL Official Observer Richard Saunders, K6RBS, has posted the proper WSJT-X program settings for legal 60m JT mode operation here. |
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WSPRThe link http://wsprnet.org/olddb?band=60&sort=callsign&reverse=on&unique=on lists WSPR mode emissions on the 60 meter band. One can scroll down that list and see how many A, K, N and W call signs have been transmitting WSPR mode on 5288 kHz outside the authorized 60 meter center channel frequencies.US WSPR transmissions continue to be observed on the WSPR software default 60 meter frequency of 5288 kHz, a completely unauthorized frequency for US radio amateurs. |
Each licensee has the final responsibility for the lawful operation of his or her station. Unfortunately, the increasing automation in our radios has apparently accustomed some to falsely assume that the radio will correct for operator carelessness and ignorance of regulations. Our cooperation with NTIA requirements is essential for our continued access to the 60m channels and for possible future access to the new ITU worldwide 60 meter allocation at 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz. (See http://www.arrl.org/news/view/arrl-asks-fcc-to-allocate-new-5-mhz-band-retain-channels-and-current-power-limit and http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-invites-comments-on-arrl-petition-to-allocate-new-5-mhz-band). Please be aware of these requirements if you intend to or currently operate CW or digital modes on our shared 60m allocations. The Amateur Auxiliary is documenting this matter and hopes to raise its awareness in the wider amateur radio community.
-Carol Milazzo, KP4MD
*The NTIA is the federal authority that coordinates radio spectrum use for the US military and federal government while the FCC serves in this capacity for US civilian radio spectrum users.
Free Amateur Radio Club Website Template
Posted January 20, 2019
Section Member Al Canton K6AAI is offering a generic amateur radio club WordPress website template for free. See the sample website posted at https://k6anc.com/wpradio/. If interested, please contact Al at ac@K6AAI.net
