ARRL

It’s not just broadcasters who are getting their say in the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” deregulation initiative.

The National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) has also filed comments, advocating for a modernization of the Part 97 Amateur Radio Service regulations. Their proposals include both previously submitted items and new requests that the ARRL said is centered on updating the rules to reflect technological advancements while preserving the foundations of traditional amateur radio practices.

“The soldering iron and discrete physical components used in past experiments often are replaced by a personal computer and coding knowledge to experiment with new techniques and functions,” the ARRL wrote.

Modernizing Technician class license privileges

The ARRL said that while digital technologies like FT8, RTTY and PSK31 have become integral to the Amateur Radio Service, entry-level Technician class license privileges have not been updated accordingly. It advocates for granting Technicians access to HF frequencies where digital modes are prevalent, which it says is crucial for introducing newcomers to the fundamentals of low-power communication and fostering self-training and emergency communication skills.

“The youth attracted to amateur radio today will become the wireless engineers and space scientists of tomorrow that are critical to our nation’s future if given a chance,” the ARRL wrote.

The ARRL references a February 2018 petition on this matter that has yet to see action. Their specific requests include phone privileges in the 3.900 to 4.000 MHz, 7.225 to 7.300 MHz and 21.350 to 21.450 MHz bands, as well as RTTY and digital privileges within current Technician allocations on the 80, 40 and 15-meter bands.

Addressing 80- and 75-meter subband imbalance

The ARRL noted the increasing use of digital modes leading to an imbalance within the 80- and 75-meter amateur bands. To improve spectrum efficiency and better accommodate the demand for digital modes, the association refers to their 2016 petition requesting adjustments to the subband boundaries.

Specifically, it proposed shifting the lower edge of the phone band upward to 3.650 MHz, allowing RTTY data in the 3.500-3.650 MHz range, aligning the ACDS subband with international practices at 3.600-3.615 MHz, and granting Novice and Technician licensees CW, RTTY and data privileges in the 3.600-3.650 MHz segment, with General and Advanced licensees also gaining access to this segment.

Deleting baud rate and bandwidth limits

The ARRL reiterated its support for the FCC’s ongoing Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that Radio World reported on in 2023 to eliminate baud rate and bandwidth limitations on specific amateur LF and VHF/UHF bands. It noted the widespread support for this change among commenters.

Additional areas of interest in the ARRL filing include:

• Deleting Obsolete Digital Code Limitations:  It proposes allowing amateurs to freely experiment with new, publicly documented and decodable digital codes.
• Deleting Amplifier Drive Limitation: The ARRL requests the removal of the 15 dB gain limit for HF amplifiers. It argues this rule, originally intended to prevent CB misuse, is now obsolete due to advancements in solid-state amplifier technology and restricts efficiency for U.S. amateurs.
• Deleting Obsolete Identification Requirement for Special Call Signs: The ARRL seeks to remove the requirement for operators using special event call signs to identify hourly with their assigned call sign.
• Implementing WRC-03 Third Party Rule Changes: The ARRL calls for aligning FCC rules with the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference updates regarding third-party communication. The association points out that despite the international agreement removing the need for bilateral treaties for most third-party communication, the FCC still requires such agreements, hindering cross-border communication and emergency training.

“Technology has changed dramatically in the amateur radio domain, as it has in most other communications services, and the above requested rules deletions and modifications will foster the regulatory goals for the amateur service and continue to increase the amateurs’ historical experimentation and service in meaningful ways,” the ARRL concluded.

(Read the comments of the ARRL to the FCC, filed on April 11.)

The Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, created by longtime amateur radio publisher Richard Ross, K2MGA (SK), will continue to honor amateur radio operators on a new section of the Hamgallery.com website.

CQ magazine ceased publication in October 2023. Ross died on April 27, 2024, and the change was made with the permission of his widow, Cathy.

The Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors licensed amateur radio operators, and non-licensed individuals, who have made significant contributions to amateur radio, their professional careers, or to another aspect of world affairs. A select and diverse group of amateurs will administer the new website and review submissions.

The 2025 inductees are:

Professor Jim Breakall, WA3FET. Dr. Breakall’s work has been instrumental in amateur radio antenna technology development for decades. Dr. Breakall has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles and books. He is an IEEE Life Fellow, a Radio Club of America (RCA) Fellow, and has been awarded the Sarnoff Award, the Dr. Ulrich L. Rohde Technical Award, at the RCA, and the Technical Achievement Award at the Dayton Hamvention®.

Angel M. Vazquez, WP3R. Vazquez graduated from the City University of New York. He worked at WNYC as a radio engineer before moving back to Arecibo, Puerto Rico and taking a job at the Arecibo Observatory in 1977, rising to become head of telescope operations. He has presented numerous talks on the Arecibo Observatory and his amateur radio experiences at the Dayton Hamvention® Antenna Forums, RCA Speaker series, HamSci conventions, and multiple amateur radio clubs around the world. He was awarded Puerto Rico Amateur of the Year in 2017.

Wayne Overbeck, Ph.D., N6NB (SK). Overbeck was co-inventor of the Quagi antenna, which is part quad, part Yagi. He was active in amateur radio for over 68 year, was a communications law professor and textbook author as well as an accomplished DXer and contester.

The nomination deadline for 2025 has passed but information can be found at Nomination Process for Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.

The Annual Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test, hosted by the Department of Defense, is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025.

The event will test two-way communications between military stations and amateur radio operators as authorized by the Federal Communications Commission in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations 47 CFR 97.111. The test provides opportunities, and challenges, for operators to test their individual technical skills in a controlled scenario that will not impact public or private communications.

The annual DOD message will be transmitted via RTTY on 14667.0 kHz at 1400 and 2000 UTC. Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and announce the specific amateur radio service frequencies that will be monitored.

All scheduled times will be in UTC, and all scheduled transmissions will be upper sideband (USB), unless otherwise noted. Frequencies, times, and other technical information can be found at the DoD MARS – Armed Forces Day site at: www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day.

Those who wish to document their contacts with a QSL card should visit www.usarmymars.org/armed-forces-day-qsl-card-request and complete the request form. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event

;”>ARRL welcomes members and all radio amateurs to visit us at the 2025 Dayton Hamvention®, May 16 —18 in Xenia, Ohio. The event features three days of fun activities, ham radio programming, and plenty of opportunities to engage with ARRL.

Saturday’s ARRL Youth Rally will be a fun day of ham radio discovery and friendship for young people aged 11 to 21. Among the team leading the Youth Rally will be volunteers from the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program (CARP), who are also exhibiting and presenting at Hamvention.

In addition to the CARP forum, ARRL has many other exciting forums planned at Hamvention. Start off Friday with a surfside lesson on portable antennas with “Salty Walt” Hudson, K4OGO, of the popular Costal Waves and Wires YouTube channel. Salty Walt’s forum is Friday, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, in room 3.

The ARRL Membership Forum is on Saturday.

There are many other great ARRL forums for you to attend. See the whole list at www.arrl.org/expo.

You can also visit ARRL’s large exhibit area in the Telsa Building. All the great things you expect from ARRL will be there, including a chance to get some ARRL merch and publications, plus your free 2025 ARRL button. The ARRL VEC will be on site to help hams renew their licenses; you can visit with ARRL leaders face-to-face and learn about how to get involved in your local ham community (and much more).

You can also see the ARRL Sweepstakes Icom Dream Station on display.

You asked, we listened: The ever-popular on-site radio emissions testing by the ARRL Lab returns this year. Have your handheld tested to make sure the output is clean. Expert engineers will be on hand to do it right in front of you.

Find ticket information at www.hamvention.org. Download the ARRL Program Guide [PDF]

Dear ARRL Member,

On March 12, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Public Notice titled “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete,” seeking input from the public on FCC rules that may be outdated, unnecessary, or in need of modification. This inquiry is part of the FCC’s ongoing effort to alleviate regulatory burdens across various services, including the Amateur Radio Service.

As part of this review, ARRL is conducting a thorough examination of the provisions in Part 97 and related rules that affect amateur radio operators. ARRL’s written comments, which will be prepared by our FCC Counsel and the ARRL Executive Committee, will include consideration of feedback we received from members.

Members who want to share comments and concerns about this matter are urged to share your feedback directly with ARRL. Please submit your comments by March 31, 2025 and use the following feedback form:

www.arrl.org/fcc-public-notice-march-2025

ARRL will submit our official filing to the FCC by the April 11 deadline. After that, there will be an opportunity for reply comments at the FCC until April 28, and then later, opportunities for public comment on any rules the FCC proposes to delete or modify.

While the FCC Public Notice is a broad inquiry that does not single out any specific radio service, ARRL is nonetheless committed to protecting the Amateur Radio Service, promoting its public interest goals, and ensuring your right to access radio spectrum.

ARRL will continue to work on this matter, and we will inform members as more news develops.

Thank you,

73

ARRL Executive Committee