I’ve heard some questions that I think might relate to this “Temporary Rule Waiver.” This concerns the “aggregate club score,” not the official score under the Club call sign. It’s also important to label your club affiliation with the exact same text as the club uses, or it will not count.

Temporary rule waiver: For Field Day 2021, an aggregate club score will also be published, which will be the sum of all individual entries indicating a specific club (similar to the aggregate score totals used in ARRL affiliated club competitions). Ordinarily, club names are only published in the results for Class A and Class F entries, but the temporary rule waiver for 2021 allows participants from any Class to optionally include a single club name with their submitted results following Field Day. For example, if Podunk Hollow Radio Club members Becky, W1BXY, and Hiram, W1AW, both participate in 2021 Field Day — Hiram from his Class D home station, and Becky from her Class C mobile station — both can include the radio club’s name when reporting their individual results. The published results listing will include individual scores for Hiram and Becky, plus a combined score for all entries identified as Podunk Hollow Radio Club.

Yes, it’s Field Day weekend, but we will still have the Yaesu Fusion and GMRS Zoom meetings Friday morning, June 25. Fusion is at 10 am and GMRS at 11:00. To avoid having to close one meeting and open another, both meetings will use the same link:

Topic: GMRS Group (follows Yaesu Fusion Group):  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84728519386 Meeting ID: 847 2851 9386

Fusion will start at 10:00. At 11:00, the GMRS folks will arrive. I will create breakout rooms so the Fusion folks don’t have to leave if they have more to discuss. GMRS folks can also come early if they like.

We’ll try this, and if it works it will be our plan going forward.

ARRL Field Day is June 26-27, always the fourth full weekend in June. Lincoln County (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club will once again hold its Field Day event at Toledo Waterfront Park. Setup will begin Friday afternoon, with the actual event beginning at 11 am on Saturday. Demobilization will be Sunday morning.

Join us on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82341474435?pwd=anp6K1BQc2N5dExvNlBwbVhQYzVVZz09 The link will be up at least periodically, not necessarily the entire time, focusing on Saturday afternoon activities.

Meeting ID: 823 4147 4435

Passcode: 004606

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/P7McjUcdfCjEXJJS9

Use this link to a short survey to “register” your intention to attend some or all of the Club’s Field Day 2021:
https://forms.gle/kpLnLw4pk7uWSMrW8

Planning sessions for Field Day take place on Zoom each Wednesday at 12:30, through June 30. Join using this Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82295281560?pwd=cVFuZnMwaHQxbGlyVTBHdUhRSCsyZz09

An initial discussion took place Friday, April 30 on Zoom. Future regular meetings are scheduled for the 4th Friday of the month at 11:00 am, following the Fusion Group:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81635027759

From: ARRL Web site <memberlist@www.arrl.org>
Date: Tue, Apr 27, 2021 at 4:58 PM
Subject: ARLB014 FCC Auto-Registration Feature for Exam Applicants to be Discontinued.

Auto-registration in the FCC Commission Registration System (CORES)
amateur radio exam for candidates using a Social Security number
will be discontinued on May 20, 2021. Applicants must use an FCC
Registration Number (FRN) for all license transactions with the FCC.
Examinees must register in CORES and receive an FRN before exam day.
Starting on May 20, electronic batch filed applications that do not
include a candidate’s FRN will be rejected. The Social
Security/Licensee ID Field will be disabled.

The CORES website can be accessed at:

https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do .

An instructional video provides step-by-step instructions on how to
establish a CORES account, which is necessary for licensees to make
administrative updates and download electronic license
authorizations.

The instructional video can be found at, https://www.fcc.gov/rofrn .

After June 29, all filers must provide an email address on all
applications. When an email is provided, applicants will receive an
official electronic copy of their licenses once granted (allow
incoming email from authorizations@fcc.gov). If no email is provided
when filing on or after June 29, applications will be rejected. ARRL
VEC suggests that those without access to email to use the email
address of a family member or friend.

Further information about providing an email address can be found
at,

http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-to-require-email-address-on-applications-starting-on-june-29-2021
.

Licensees need to log in to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) to
download their authorizations. The FCC no longer issues paper
copies.

Updated Radio Frequency Exposure Rules Become Effective on May 3 (arrl.org)

OET 605b

RF Exposure – ARRL

Exposure calculator

Another exposure calculator

Contrary to what you may have heard or read, the collection of
application fees for the amateur radio service and certain other
services will NOT begin on April 19, 2021.

Although April 19, 2021 is the date the rules in the FCC Report and
Order adopted last December generally take effect – i.e., one month
after the R&O was published in the March 19, 2021 Federal Register –
certain parts of those rules, including collection of the application
fees for the amateur radio service, will NOT begin on that date.

The effective date for new amateur radio fees has not yet been
established. The FCC explicitly states in the published Notice that the
fees will not take effect until:

     *  the requisite notice has been provided to Congress; AND
     *  the FCC’s information technology systems and internal
procedures have been updated; AND
     *  the Commission publishes [FUTURE] notice(s) in the Federal
Register announcing the effective date of such rules.

The League’s counsel for FCC matters estimates that the effective
start date for collecting the fees will be some time this summer, but
regardless of the exact timing we will have advance notice. Stay tuned
for further developments on this. 

Keep in mind that one can only renew their amateur license within 90
days in advance of the expiration date. If you, or a club station
license you are trustee for, are within that 90 day window now, I’d
renew as soon as possible to avoid the new fee.

If you are thinking of switching to a vanity callsign, I’d also
seriously suggest you apply for that special callsign sooner rather than
later.  (Of course, if you are an Extra class seeking a new shorter 1X2
or 2X1 callsign, competition for those calls in the future MIGHT be a
bit less due to the new fees! We’ll see…)

73;
Mike
W7VO

When disaster strikes, being prepared can make a big difference. A preparedness tool called ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System will be activated in Oregon on March 11.  Already in place in California, ShakeAlert detects significant earthquakes quickly and sends an alert to people before shaking arrives at their location. The time between receiving the alert and feeling the shaking, gives people critical seconds to protect themselves.

No action needs to be taken on March 11 and no sign up is required. These important alerts come automatically on most cell phones making a distinctive sound and a text message that reads “Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself.” The ShakeAlert message is available in Spanish for phones set to receive alerts in that language. Another way to receive ShakeAlert notices is to download the QuakeAlertUSA mobile app.

While there is no way to know when an earthquake will strike, the precious seconds of advance warning provided through ShakeAlert will give people time to take protective actions to reduce risk, minimize casualties and reduce damage. 

Learn more at shakealert.org or Lincoln County Emergency Management – What’s Happening Now .

I am writing to thank all of our local stations for all of the friendship, laughs, information and technical help. Today marks just about one year since I found my way back into amateur radio.  I am amazed at how much I have learned and how much fun it has been for the last 12 months.

When I originally received my Technician and then General ticket back in June of 2013, my shack had only a few pieces of equipment. A power supply, FT-2900 (as a base VHF radio), FT-60, Baofeng UV-5RE and a Kenwood TS-590S.

I did a lot of VHF, but never did get an HF antenna installed before life kept me too busy for HAM (late 2014 – 2019).  I am so happy that I set my shack up again in February 2020 anticipating that I would have a lot more time when I retired June 30, 2020. 

And what a year it has been – VHF, HF, APRS, WinLink, DSTAR, Fusion, CW and more. And great groups too – LCARC and ACS.

This is a picture of my shack today. It needs a clean up because I have had so many interests going on at once. Some stations may notice that I need to complete my station grounding.

So again, thank you to all of those that have provided amazing help. And that you to all stations that have participated in our various nets. I do not even know what some of you look like so I am looking forward to when we can get back to safely getting together in person.
73 all
KG7EAB