Category Archives: General

FCC Announces $35 Amateur Radio License Application Fee

In a Report and Order (R&O), released on December 29, the FCC scaled back to $35 the fee for a new license application, a special temporary authority (STA) request, a rule waiver request, a license renewal application, and a vanity call sign application. All fees are per application. There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. The FCC has agreed with ARRL and other commenters that its proposed $50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was “too high to account for the minimal staff involvement in these applications.”

The effective date of the fee schedule has not been established, but it will be announced at least 30 days in advance.

http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-reduces-proposed-amateur-radio-application-fee-to-35

Dust off those Keys…Straight Key Night is coming!

Every New Year’s Eve, starting at 0000 UTC starts an operating event like no other. It’s Straight Key Night!

Straight Key Night is not a contest…there are no points scored. It is a 24 hour operating event that celebrates our CW heritage. Contacts are strictly for fun and it’s a fabulous opportunity to hook up that straight key (or your trusty bug) and get on the air. See the attached link for details. Have fun!

http://www.arrl.org/straight-key-night

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…

‘Twas the night before Christmas,
And all through two-meters,
Not a signal was keying up
Any repeaters.

The antennas reached up
From the tower, quite high,
To catch the weak signals
That bounced from the sky.

The children, Technicians,
Took their HT’s to bed,
And dreamed of the day
They’d be Extras, instead.

Mom put on her headphones,
I plugged in the key,
And we tuned 40 meters
For that rare ZK3.

When the meter was pegged
By a signal with power.
It smoked a small diode,
And, I swear, shook the tower.

Mom yanked off her phones,
And with all she could muster
Logged a spot of the signal
On the DX PacketCluster,

While I ran to the window
And peered up at the sky,
To see what could generate
RF that high.

It was way in the distance,
But the moon made it gleam –
A flying sleigh,
With an eight element beam,

And a little old driver
Who looked slightly mean,
So I though for a moment
That it might be Wayne Green.

But no, it was Santa,
The Santa of Hams,
On a mission this Christmas
To clean up the bands.

He circled the tower,
Then stopped in his track,
And he slid down the coax
Right into the shack.

While Mom and I hid
Behind stacks of CQ,
This Santa of hamming
Knew just what to do.

He cleared off the shack desk
Of paper and parts,
And filled out all my late
QSLs, for a start.

He ran copper braid,
Took a steel rod and pounded
It into the earth
Till the station was grounded.

He tightened loose fittings,
Resoldered connections,
Cranked down modulation,
Installed lightning protection.

He neutralized tubes
In my linear amp…
(Never worked right before –
Now it works like a champ).

A new low-pass filter
Cleaned up the TV.
He corrected the settings
In my TNC.

He repaired the computer
That wouldn’t compute,
And he backed up the hard drive
And got it to boot.

Then, he reached really deep
In the bag that he brought,
And he pulled out a big box.
“A new rig?” I thought!

“A new Kenwood? An Icom?
A Yaesu, for me?
An Elecraft, TEN-TEC
Or Flex, could it be!”
(If he thought I’d been bad
It might be QRP!)

Yes! The Ultimate station!
How could I deserve this?
Could it be all those weekends
I worked Public Service?

He hooked it all up
And in record time, quickly
Worked 100 countries,
All down on 160.

I should have been happy.
It was my call he sent.
But the cards and the postage
Will cost a month’s rent!

He made final adjustments,
And left a card by the key:
“To Gary, from Santa Claus.
Seventy-Three.”

Then he grabbed his HT,
Looked me straight in the eye,
Punched a code on the pad,
And was gone – no good bye.

I ran back to the station,
And the pile up was big.
But a card from St. Nick
Would be worth my new rig.

Oh, too late, for his final
Came over the air.
It was copied all over.
It was heard everywhere.

The Ham’s Santa exclaimed
What an old ham expects:
“Merry Christmas to all,
And to all, good DX.”

Here’s wishing everyone a very, Merry Christmas from your friends at the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club!

FCC to require email addresses for all hams

The FCC has announced that they will be transitioning to all-electronic communication and will require that all amateur radio operators have a valid email address on file. The date that the requirement will take place is still to be determined, however it appears it will be in the summer of 2021.

There’s no time like the present to make sure Uncle Charlie has your correct mailing address, and be sure to get that email address listed!

http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-to-require-email-addresses-on-applications

http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-posts-email-address-reminder-on-uls-landing-page

Photos from the Tampa Bay Hamfest

Looks like the rain didn’t keep everyone away!

Tampa Bay Hamfest is this Friday & Saturday!

The annual Tampa Bay Hamfest is this weekend! It is once again being held at the Strawberry Festival grounds, however due to virus concerns it is primarily going to be held outside (so far the weather looks like it should be good). It starts Friday, December 11 at 1 p.m. and runs through Saturday, December 12 at 4 p.m.

See the attached link for details. See you there!

General Information

Skywarn Recognition Day December 5

SKYWARN™ Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the contributions that SKYWARN™ volunteers make to the NWS mission, the protection of life and property. Amateur radio operators comprise a large percentage of the SKYWARN™ volunteers across the country. The Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication between the NWS and emergency management if normal communications become inoperative.

For additional info and details on the operating event go to https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition

A little rain never stopped a hamfest!

Despite the rain Saturday morning, there was a good turnout for the Southcars meet-up and tailgate at the Golden Corral. Here is the evidence… (thanks to Glenn, KO4AWJ for the photos!)

It’s ARRL Sweepstakes SSB Weekend!

Once again it’s time for the November Sweepstakes (ok, CW weekend was two week ago)! ARRL’s November Sweepstakes is the oldest U.S. based contest, having been around since 1930, and has it’s roots in traffic handling, thus the somewhat complicated exchange.

Sweepstakes is a great way to sharpen your H.F. operating skills, and it’s a fun way to spend some time on the air as one doesn’t need a killer station to make lots of contacts and work plenty of states and counties. The ultimate Sweepstakes goal is a “Clean Sweep”, which is to work all 84 U.S. and Canadian ARRL/RAC Sections, which is definitely a challenge in these times of diminished solar activity.

Visit http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes for details, and see you on the air!

Yes, Virginia…there are still hamfests going on!

While their number is greatly reduced, and big ones such as the Dayton Hamvention and Orlando Hamcation are getting cancelled, there are still good hamfests going on. These photos are from one that took place in Clearwater this past Saturday.

The Tampa Bay Hamfest will be taking place in Plant City on December 11 & 12. Go to fgcarc.org for additional details. Also, the Southcars meeting and swap meet will be taking place at the Golden Corral on U.S. 98 North in Lakeland Saturday from 9am until noon.

The best place to find hamfest info is at http://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar

Let’s get out there and support our fellow hams, and who knows…you might find a bargain!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, And all through two-meters, Not a signal was keying up Any repeaters.

The antennas reached up From the tower, quite high, To catch the weak signals That bounced from the sky.

The children, Technicians, Took their HT’s to bed, And dreamed of the day They’d be Extras, instead.

Mom put on her headphones, I plugged in the key, And we tuned 40 meters For that rare ZK3.

When the meter was pegged By a signal with power. It smoked a small diode, And, I swear, shook the tower.

Mom yanked off her phones, And with all she could muster Logged a spot of the signal On the DX PacketCluster,

While I ran to the window And peered up at the sky, To see what could generate RF that high.

It was way in the distance, But the moon made it gleam – A flying sleigh, With an eight element beam,

And a little old driver Who looked slightly mean, So I though for a moment That it might be Wayne Green.

But no, it was Santa, The Santa of Hams, On a mission this Christmas To clean up the bands.

He circled the tower, Then stopped in his track, And he slid down the coax Right into the shack.

While Mom and I hid Behind stacks of CQ, This Santa of hamming Knew just what to do.

He cleared off the shack desk Of paper and parts, And filled out all my late QSLs, for a start.

He ran copper braid, Took a steel rod and pounded It into the earth Till the station was grounded.

He tightened loose fittings, Resoldered connections, Cranked down modulation, Installed lightning protection.

He neutralized tubes In my linear amp… (Never worked right before – Now it works like a champ).

A new low-pass filter Cleaned up the TV. He corrected the settings In my TNC.

He repaired the computer That wouldn’t compute, And he backed up the hard drive And got it to boot.

Then, he reached really deep In the bag that he brought, And he pulled out a big box. “A new rig?” I thought!

“A new Kenwood? An Icom? A Yaesu, for me?An Elecraft, TEN-TECOr Flex, could it be!” (If he thought I’d been bad It might be QRP!)

Yes! The Ultimate station! How could I deserve this? Could it be all those weekendsI worked Public Service?

He hooked it all up And in record time, quickly Worked 100 countries, All down on 160.

I should have been happy. It was my call he sent. But the cards and the postageWill cost a month’s rent!

He made final adjustments, And left a card by the key: “To Gary, from Santa Claus. Seventy-Three.”

Then he grabbed his HT, Looked me straight in the eye, Punched a code on the pad, And was gone – no good bye.

I ran back to the station, And the pile up was big. But a card from St. Nick Would be worth my new rig.

Oh, too late, for his finalCame over the air. It was copied all over. It was heard everywhere.

The Ham’s Santa exclaimedWhat an old ham expects: “Merry Christmas to all, And to all, good DX.”