Georgia Single Sideband 3.975MHz

02/21/2024

11/05/2018

Concern Rising within Amateur Radio Community over WWV-WWVH Shut Down Proposal
08/21/2018
ARRL members and Amateur Radio clubs are expressing increased concern over the inclusion of WWV and WWVH on a list of proposed cuts in the White House’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Fiscal Year 2019 budget request. The proposed cuts also would include the Atomic Clock signal from WWVB used to synchronize specially equipped clocks and watches. Online petitions soliciting signatures include one established by Tom Kelly II, W7NSS, of Portland, Oregon, who would like to see funding for the stations maintained. At this point, the budget item is only a proposal, not a final decision. That would be up to the Congress to decide.

ARRL is among those worried over the possible loss of WWV, WWVH, and WWVB and is suggesting that members of the Amateur Radio community who value the stations for their precise time and frequency signals and other information sign Kelly's petition and/or contact their members of Congress promptly, explaining how the stations are important to them, beyond government and military use.

Kelly’s petition, which may be signed by US residents, notes that WWV is among the oldest radio stations in the US, having been established in 1920. “The station has transmitted the official US time for nearly 100 years, and is an instrumental part in the telecommunications field, ranging from broadcasting to scientific research and education,” his petition says. “Additionally, these stations transmit marine storm warnings from the National Weather Service, GPS satellite health reports, and specific information concerning current solar activity and radio propagation conditions. These broadcasts are an essential resource to the worldwide communications industry.”

NIST’s full Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request to Congress calls for the agency to “discontinue the dissemination of the US time and frequency via the NIST radio stations in Hawaii and Fort Collins, Colorado.” The agency noted, “These radio stations transmit signals that are used to synchronize consumer electronic products like wall clocks, clock radios, and wristwatches, and may be used in other applications like appliances, cameras, and irrigation controllers.” The specific cut, which would come from the NIST Fundamental Measurement, Quantum Science, and Measurement Dissemination budget, would amount to $6.3 million.

In its budget request, NIST said that it plans to consolidate and focus work on its efforts in quantum science while maintaining essential core capabilities in measurement science research and measurement dissemination, as well as eliminate “efforts that have been replaced by newer technologies, measurement science research that lies outside NIST’s core mission space, and programs that can no longer be supported due to facility deterioration.”

WWV and WWVH broadcast time and frequency information 24/7, including time announcements, standard time intervals, standard frequencies, UT1 time corrections, a BCD time code, geophysical alerts, and marine storm warnings. Transmissions are broadcast from separate transmitters on 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. An experimental 25 MHz signal is also currently on the air. WWVB transmits standard Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) signals on 60 kHz to appropriately equipped timekeeping devices.

NIST Public Relations Director Gail Porter told Tom Witherspoon, K4SWL — editor of The SWLing Post, which has been tracking developments — that NIST “is proud of the time and frequency services we provide through our radio stations, and understands that these services are important to many people.”

NIST Director Walter Copan has supported the overall budget request. “This budget request ensures that NIST can continue to work at the frontiers of measurement science by preserving investment in core metrology research,” Copan said. “Through its constitutionally mandated role, NIST performs work that only the government can do, and produces enormous return on US taxpayers’ investment. Translating measurements into technically sound standards across all industries enables effective international trade and US competitiveness

07/12/2018

Election Results

The recent on-air meeting of the GSSA yielded the following results:

President/ Net Manager: KN4QJ Frank Hobbs

Vice President: K4RTZ Phil Bracewell

Secretary/ Treasurer: KU4SD Garrett Gonella

Director 1: KE4VPD George Young

Director 2: WW4DW David Warren

Thanks to all that participated and listened, and remember next year to !

-KE4VPD

06/18/2018

Some clarity on the Georgia Code for House Bill 673:

It has been expressed that some may have a misinterpretation of the
“Hands Free” (House Bill 673) law that goes into effect on July 1st,
2018.

To be clear, Amateur Radio operators are NOT exempt from the coverage of
673 as it pertains to use of their cell phone. If you use your cell
phone in a manner that violates 673, you can be cited.

You are allowed to use your ham radio under the code, but ONLY if you
are driving in a safe manner. If a ham operator is rag chewing and
commits a traffic violation, like failing to signal or failure to
maintain a lane, s/he can be cited for driving offenses. Even though
Amateur equipment is not included as a "wireless telecommunications
device" you are required to drive safely while operating said
equipment.

An officer is not supposed to ticket someone driving safely while using
a ham radio under the code section. However, if you have a device held
up to your face, it is difficult for an officer in traffic to tell if
it's a radio microphone or a cell phone until he pulls you over. Having
one's Amateur license and a copy of the code section might be useful.
Be polite.

In any case, give priority to your driving first. If timely to do so,
consider pulling over to the side of the road to convey your radio
traffic as a way of avoiding any possible questions of use. Emergency
Coordinators and those that organize volunteer communications support
for an event (bike rides, walk-a-thons, marathons, etc.) should work
with their local law enforcement and inform them ahead of time that
Amateurs will be using radio communications in their vehicles to support
the event. It may be worthwhile to give them a list of Amateurs that
will be acting as mobile communicators. Coordination with law
enforcement in such events demonstrates prudence and responsibility and
is actually a function of the Incident Command System.

05/04/2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE...APRIL 23, 2018
GEORGIA ANNUAL BURN BAN BEGINS MAY 1
Georgia's annual ban on outdoor burning begins May 1 in 54 counties, mostly in the northern half of the state. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) puts the restrictions in place during the summer months, when increases in ground level ozone may create health risks.
"From May 1 until September 30, open burning of yard and land-clearing debris is prohibited in some counties where particulate matter pollutants and chemicals from smoke are more likely to combine with emissions from vehicles and industrial activities," said Frank Sorrells, Chief of Protection for the Georgia Forestry Commission. "Our agencies closely monitor air quality, weather conditions and open burning for the safety of all Georgians."
The 54 counties affected by the ban are: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Walker and Walton.
May through September is the time of year when people are more likely to be outdoors. Higher levels of ground-level ozone and particle pollution levels are recognized to contribute to human health concerns and issues.
Residents in Georgia counties not included in the annual burn ban will continue to be required to secure a burn permit from the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) before burning outdoors. Permits can be secured online at GaTrees.org, by calling 1-877-OK2-BURN or contacting their county GFC office.
For more information about the summer burn ban and services of the Georgia Forestry Commission, visit GaTrees.org and https://epd.georgia.gov/air/summer-open-burning-ban

ATTENTION: May 1 - September 30 is the SUMMER OPEN BURNING BAN. 54 counties are included in this ban.Open Burning HomeOfficial Rule (391-3-1-.02(5))Press Release (April 27, 2018)

04/11/2018

IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?
Why ARRL is Recommending Enhanced HF Privileges for Technicians

ARRL has asked the FCC to expand HF privileges for the entry-level Technician license to include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 meters, plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, 40, and 15 meters, where Technicians already have CW privileges. ARRL believes the additional digital privileges will attract younger people to Amateur Radio.

The proposed additional HF phone privileges are 3.900 to 4.000 MHz, 7.225 to 7.300 MHz, and 21.350 to 21.450 MHz. Technicians already have HF privileges on parts of 10 meters.

Some in the Amateur Radio community have questioned the need for expanded Technician privileges or to express other perspectives. ARRL has responded to point out some of the key advantages of its petition, which recognizes the tremendous technological advances and changes in Amateur Radio. Some key points:

# A thorough review of operating privileges available to the entry-level license has not taken place since the late 1970s, when the Novice-class license -- the entry-level license at that time, and no longer issued -- was modified to allow Novices access to a limited portion of 10 meters. This included the first HF phone privileges for Novices.

# The 2-year process that led to the development of ARRL's petition includes significant input from the Amateur Radio community. The two surveys that the ARRL board's Entry-Level License (ELL) Committee conducted on this issue drew more than 8,000 responses from ARRL members.

# The 378,000 Technician licensees comprise more than half of the US Amateur Radio population, yet the Technician-class license no longer serves its original purpose from 18 years ago. Many Technicians do not participate actively, pursue on-air and public service opportunities, renew their licenses, or upgrade. An uncomfortably large attrition rate exists among Technician licensees. Technician licenses are not upgrading, because they don't find their operating privileges interesting enough to keep them in the hobby.

# The proposed addition of 275 kilohertz of HF phone privileges, spread across 80, 40, and 15 meters, would allow Technicians the opportunity to develop and expand their understanding of HF propagation. In addition, this proposed change would allow Technician licensees to participate in public service-oriented, emergency, and Section traffic nets on 75 meters, from 3900 to 4000 kHz, where primary state/Section-wide public service activities often take place.

# Additional operating privileges for Technicians will not limit their incentive to upgrade. ARRL points out that Technicians now have access to 850 kilohertz of spectrum in four HF bands. ARRL proposes an additional 275 kilohertz on three of those bands, so the total under this proposal is 1,125 kilohertz on four bands -- 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters.

Compare that to current General-class HF privileges: 3150 kilohertz across nine HF bands -- 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters. In addition, Generals have access to the five 60-meter channels and to the two newest bands, 2200 and 630 meters. The incentive to upgrade from Technician to General is a tripling of the available HF spectrum; upgrading to General allows access to eight additional bands, including the prime daytime bands of 20 and 17 meters. Also, Technicians upgrading to General or higher are permitted the maximum amateur power level of 1500 W PEP.

-ARRL Letter



It Could Be Worse....
Swedish Telecoms Regulator Considering Charging Hams a Fee to Run More Than 200 W

Sweden’s Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) is considering lowering the maximum transmitter output power for general Amateur Radio stations to 200 W PEP. Under a set of wide-ranging proposed regulatory changes affecting many radio services, radio amateurs wishing to run higher power would have to apply for a license and pay an annual fee of about $33.

Amateur Radio licenses were eliminated in Sweden in 2004, and Amateur Radio in Sweden is “permission free,” but prospective radio amateurs still must pass an examination, typically arranged by Sweden’s International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society in Sweden, SSA. A certificate and a call sign, valid for life, are issued without any future fees. The maximum permitted power on most HF bands is 1 kW; that power level would not necessarily be guaranteed under an Amateur Radio license, and conditions could apply.

The PTS’s rationale is that requiring a license for radio amateurs who want to run more than 200 W will make it easier to trace any interference that those transmitters may cause.

“The matter is widely discussed in Sweden,” Henryk Kotowski, SM0JHF, told ARRL, “since there are quite a few opponents to permission-free operation, resulting — in their eyes — in degradation of quality and discipline on the air.”

SSA is planning to comment on the proposal by the March 30 deadline.

-ARRL Letter




A Call To Action

In recent months on 40M and 80M, there has been a concern by many Amateur Radio operators regarding certain individual’s operating behavior, specifically on 7.200 MHz and 3.822 MHz. Constant vulgar and indecent language, music being played, transmitting without a call sign, hate language, threats, and the use of the “N” word, have been normal operating habits by a few.

In the spirit of “self-policing,” when confronted by other Ham Radio operators concerned about the behavior, the result is a confrontation that does not resolve the situation but makes it worse.

For the reasons noted in the paragraph above, the FCC Enforcement Bureau has been contacted and notified of the behavior, which includes the Enforcement Bureau Chief and the FCC Chairman. The FCC has responded and is committed to eliminate the issues and will engage FCC resources to resolve this matter.

The FCC is requesting the Amateur community participate and assist in this effort:

“One of the ways that you, as amateur licensees, can assist the agency is to focus on long term patterned bad behavior yourselves. Begin a log of this behavior, noting days of the week, times of the day, and call signs of those stations that consistently and intentionally violate the Commission’s rules. Track this behavior over an extended period of time – say 30 days – and then send me your logs. Once we establish a consistent “pattern” of behavior, I can then request that a field agent from one of our local offices be sent to that location. By working together and establishing the “pattern” of behavior, we can ensure that our agent is in the right place at the most appropriate time to monitor the behavior and confirm the possible violation of the Commission’s rules. This helps to maximize use of our very limited and very valuable resource . . . our field agents”.

Amateur Radio is an extraordinary service to our communities and a wonderful ambassador to the world. We should not allow this type of behavior on the Amateur Radio bands. It is an absolute shame this type of abhorrent behavior is being conducted on Amateur Radio frequencies.

This is a Call-To-Action for all Ham Radio operators to assist the FCC as is being requested to ensure this type of behavior is curtailed and eliminated.

-amateurradio.com

10/07/2017

09/28/2017

Georgia Cracker Radio Club Fall Picnic

The GCRC Fall Picnic is set for Saturday October 7th at the ETC Telephone Pavillion on Legion Road in Ellijay. Bring a covered dish, and something for the auction, ya'll know what to do. Should be beautiful fall weather, come on up!