FCC

ARRL – Pass The Bill

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You’ve probably seen the messages about the ARRL push for relief from antenna restrictions by Home Owners Associations (HOAs). If not, take a look here. It is clear that excessively tight HOA restrictions are a significant barrier to getting started in ham radio. ARRL has launched a nationwide grassroots campaign aimed at securing the passage … Read more

The Case of The Shrinking Technicians

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My friend and colleague Frank/K4FMH has published several recent articles on trends in amateur radio licensing and demographics. This one, The Decline in ARRL Membership and Market Share, has some interesting data and observations about licensing trends in the US. (It also comments on ARRL membership trends, but that is not the subject of this … Read more

Erroneous Prepper Frequency Lists

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Many “emergency frequency lists” showing up on the internet are a hodgepodge of frequencies scraped from various sources and assembled into what looks like a credible list. Most of these frequencies are not authorized for use by the general public. Some of these frequencies are useful, but too many are misleading and perhaps even dangerous. … Read more

FCC Enforcement Actions

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When teaching ham radio license classes, I often get asked whether the FCC enforces the Part 97 rules and regulations. That is, how likely is it that the FCC would come after me if I violate the rules? This same question surfaces concerning the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). This morning, I looked at the … Read more

Adios Symbol Rate Limit

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The FCC will be voting on and will likely approve a Report and Order that eliminates the symbol rate restriction on HF data transmissions, replacing it with a bandwidth limit of 2.8 kHz. See FCC To Vote on Removing Symbol Rate Restrictions. The symbol rate limit of 300-baud is an obsolete way of limiting the … Read more

My Comments On The Proposed FCC License Fees

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You have probably heard about the FCC proposal to establish a $50 application fee for Amateur Radio licenses. This is part of an overall redesign of the FCC’s fee structure, affecting many radio services, not just amateur radio. The Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is found in Docket 20-270.  The public is invited to … Read more