Would you believe it?  The Payroll Tax Relief bill just passed by Congress contains an amendment that could be beneficial to Amateur Radio.  It is very interesting, especially the part about impediments to the Amateur Radio Service.

Section 6414 of the act reads as follows:

Section 6414: Study on Emergency Communications by Amateur Radio and Impediments to Amateur Radio Communications

• (a) In General: Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission [FCC], in consultation with the Office of Emergency Communications in the Department of Homeland Security, shall:
  • (1) complete a study on the uses and capabilities of Amateur Radio Service communications in emergencies and disaster relief; and
  • (2) submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the findings of such study.
• (b) Contents: The study required by subsection (a) shall include:
  • (1)(A) a review of the importance of emergency Amateur Radio Service communications relating to disasters, severe weather, and other threats to lives and property in the United States; and
    • (B) recommendations for:
      • (i) enhancements in the voluntary deployment of Amateur Radio operators in disaster and emergency communications and disaster relief efforts; and
      • (ii) improved integration of Amateur Radio operators in the planning and furtherance of initiatives of the Federal Government; and
  • (2)(A) an identification of impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio Service communications, such as the effects of unreasonable or unnecessary private land use restrictions on residential antenna installations; and
    • (B) recommendations regarding the removal of such impediments.
• (c) Expertise: In conducting the study required by subsection (a), the Commission shall use the expertise of stakeholder entities and organizations, including the Amateur Radio, emergency response, and disaster communications communities.

You can find the full text on the ARRL website http://www.arrl.org/attachments/view/News/63238

What?  Is he kidding?  Is that some kind of special event station?

You might hear some strange QSO’s on the air this year as hams work to earn the DXCC Diamond Challenge, commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the DXCC award.  To earn the award you have to contact 100 or more of the countries that were on the first DXCC list 75 years ago.

Many of the countries from 1937 no longer in exist.  That creates some interesting challenges when pursuing this award.  The ARRL has a list of current entities to represent former countries from 1937 on their website.  Work Ethiopia to get credit for Abyssinia.  For the former Belgian Congo, you can work Democratic Republic of the Congo (9Q), Burundi (9U) or Rwanda (9X).  How easy is that!  The city of Kaliningrad (RF2), which is its own DXCC entity today but politically part of Russia, gives you credit for 1937 Germany, when it was known as Konigsberg.  There are some oddities in the list.

My personal favorite is the Canal Zone (KZ5), which of course is now part of Panama. To qualify for the CZ credit, you have to work an Panamanian (HP) station that is within 8 kilometers of the canal.

How would that work?  You might try . . .”CQ, CQ, Panama Canal within 8 KM”….  Or “CQ HP <= 8KM de the Canal”…Try that on CW or RTTY!

Since I operate mostly SSB, I tried to envision how that contact might go for me.

ME:  QRZ, QRZ HP only.

[I’m thinking.  Maybe I’ll get lucky.]
HP Station: HI OM UR 59 here, Name is Ralf. BTU.

[ Hmm…So far, so good…]
ME:  Thanks for coming back to me Ralf.  What is your exact QTH?  Are you within 8 KM of the canal? Over.
HP Ralf: What canal? UR 59 hr too. Over.

[I’m thinking maybe Ralf is really in Honduras(HR) or he needs a map.]
ME: The Panama Canal, You know, the big ditch where all the boats go. BTU Ralf.
HP Ralf:  Oh that canal.  I don’t know. I haven’t looked lately.  Does that matter?  BTW, WX is blah, blah, blah.  Rig here is  . . .blah, blah, blah. Antenna is blah, blah, blah.  Do you want my Grid Square?  How about you? Over.

(Obviously Ralf missed the e-mail.  Let’s cut to the chase Ralf]
ME: That’s great Ralf.  Yes its for a new DXCC award.
HP Ralf: Man, I never heard of that one!  That’s some crazy award.  I don’t do kilometers, how many feet is that?

[ARGHH! OK, maybe we are getting somewhere at last.]
ME: Its about 26,200 feet. Over
HP Ralf:  Sorry OM, there was some bad QRM that time. A lot of guys are calling me like I’m some rare DX all of a sudden.  Say again, how many feet is that?

[Panic is setting in.]
ME: 26,200.  26 Two zero zero. Over over.
HP Ralf:  That is a lot of feet dude. Don’t think I have a tape measure that long. Do you mean from the center of the canal?

[Getting desperate.]
ME: Can you just estimate?
HP Ralf You mean guess? I guess so.

ME: Cool, Good enough for me.  Got you in the log.  Thanks Ralf.  73

You don’t need confirmations, its on the honor system.

You can find the rules at
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-diamond-dxcc-challenge
A list of the entities and the corresponding countries today is available on the ARRL web site at:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Diamond%20DXCC/DXCC75_Entity%20List%20TABLE_1_3x.pdf

Good Luck and have fun.

73,

Ron, AE5NO

2 Nights Before Christmas

Twas 2 nights before Christmas and up at the Pole,

Santa was checkin’ his radio gear for the big show.

His APRS was working just fine,

So the boys at NORAD could track him down the line.

His new HF rig was tuned up on 20.

He knew that 100 watts would be plenty.

No CW on this flight he grumbled out loud.

I have to be able to fly through the clouds.

So sideband it is for the big night tomorrow.

I hope those code guys won’t be too full of sorrow.

The two meter rig was already encoded,

with every repeater that could be uploaded.

They’ll know I’m when I’m near and won’t be surprised,

and make sure the kids have all closed their eyes.

He stopped for a moment then gave a big start,

when he suddenly realized he was missing a part.

Of course! He exclaimed, its my laptop PC!

I won’t get far without it on my knee.

Its got my log and my list and my flight plan too,

though I always have Rudolph to guide me through.

He pulled out his wallet and made sure to check,

to be sure his FCC license was there for the trek.

Well, it looks like I’m ready, they heard him declare,

I’ll be single op unassisted for the whole affair.

I better get some rest now before the big night

So that everything will work out alright.

And they heard him exclaim as walked off to bed,

CQ, CQ, CQ . . .

Merry Christmas Y’all

73, Ron, AE5NO

This week is the 100th anniversary of the first successful trek to the Geographic South Pole by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.  For the last couple nights, Andy has been on the air.  I listened to and worked KC4AAA at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station night before last with just a 100 watts and my stealth dipole.

He will be active for at least a couple more days, so here is your chance to grab a piece of history.

He is usually heard on 20 meters at 14.243 starting around 8 PM local time with a good signal, 57-59.   Don’t be discouraged, if you can’t hear him right away. Propagation at the Pole is finicky and can ebb and flow over the course of the evening.  So persevere and you will snag a new country and a new continent.

The U.S. has had a permanent presence at the Pole since 1956 and amateur radio has been there from the beginning.  I was fortunate to work Antarctica (KC4USK) in 1958 during the International Geophysical Year.  That station has long since gone QRT but you can imagine my excitement as a 17 year old making that contact in the dead of night.

Amundsen had to trek to the pole with sled dogs. Today you can fly in to the station during Antarctic Summer, when the average temperature is a balmy -30F.  Or, you can go there tonight via Amateur Radio.

73,

Ron, AE5NO