If you would like to become a member of SELARC, please print out and complete the application/renewal form and return it with your check to: P.O. Box 1324, Hammond LA 70404. Thanks!

==> Broadcasters Intruding on Exclusive Amateur Radio Frequencies
The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (IARU-R1) Monitoring System (IARUMS) reports that Radio Hargeisa in Somaliland has returned to 7,120 kHz after a break of several weeks, while Radio Eritrea has been reported on 7,140 and 7,180 kHz. Radio Sudan has been transmitting on 7,205 kHz with excessive splatter, IARUMS said. German telecommunications authorities have filed official complaints.
IARUMS has also reported digital signals attributed to the Israeli Navy on 7,107 and 7,150 kHz. In addition, a Russian military F1B signal was observed in mid-November on 7,179 kHz. A Russian over-the-horizon radar has returned to 20 meters on 14,335 - 14,348 kHz. It was monitored on November 22.
Earlier this fall, IARUMS reported digital signals from the Polish military daily on 7,001.8 kHz where Amateur Radio has a worldwide primary allocation. Telecommunications officials in Germany filed a complaint.
IARUMS has received reports of short "beeps" exactly 1 second apart, as well as frequency hopping between 10,108 and 10,115 kHz and 18,834 and 18,899 kHz. The signals are believed to emanate from a site near Chicago associated with an FCC-licensed experimental operation involved with low-latency exchange trading on HF (see "Experiments Look to Leverage Low-Latency HF to Shave Microseconds off Trade Times"). Although Amateur Radio is secondary on 30 and 17 meters, Experimental licenses may not interfere with Amateur Radio operations.

==> FCC Outlines Impact on its Operations of Potential Funding Lapse
The FCC suspended "most operations" at mid-day on Thursday, January 3, due to the continued partial lapse in federal government funding. The agency spelled out the impact of the funding lapse in a January 2 Public Notice Some systems that have gone dark in prior government shutdowns will remain operational this time, however. That includes the FCC website, although it will not be updated except for matters related to spectrum auction activities and those necessary for the protection of life and property, until normal operations resume. The FCC Daily Digest will continue to appear.
The Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), the Universal Licensing System (ULS), the Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS), and the Commission Online Registration System (CORES) will remain available, but no support will be provided except that necessary for spectrum auction activity that covers the costs involved.
According to the Public Notice, ULS and ECFS filings, among others, "will not be reviewed or processed and will be considered accepted on the day following the day of return to normal operations." This would include the processing of Amateur Radio applications. ...

==> Radio Amateurs Support Emergency Communication in Tsunami's Wake
Radio amateurs in Indonesia's Banten Province are in position to support any necessary emergency communication in the wake of a "stealth tsunami" on December 22, that struck without warning. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency concluded that "the eruption triggered a landslide underwater" at Anak Krakatau.
The tsunami struck in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, which connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. Rescue and relief activities are under way. The death toll was expected to top 400, with some 1,500 injured. Many were reported to be still missing. Fatalities occurred in the Pandeglang, South Lampung, and Serang regions of Indonesia.
IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Coordinator Dani Hidayat, YB2TJV, said in the immediate aftermath that ORARI, Indonesia's IARU member-society, would use 7.110 MHz for any relief and recover communication.

==> WRTC 2022 Organizing Committee Unveils New Website, Initial Qualification Rules
The World Radiosport Team Championship 2022 (WRTC 2022) Organizing Committee has debuted its Official Website as well as the Initial Qualification Rules -- already under vigorous debate -- to be selected as a WRTC 2022 team leader. While 2022 may seem a long way off, the qualifying events -- 24 in all -- take place between February 2019 and November 2020. Each qualifying event has a point value that's used in calculating qualifying scores, and each entry category has been assigned a weighting factor.
"Please don't think that WRTC is only for Top Guns," the announcement said. "You might have a chance." According to the announcement, WRTC 2022 Selection Areas are much smaller, so that operators on all continents will have more chances to qualify. Team leaders, once established, will select a team member from among the top applicants who did not qualify as team leaders. "WRTC 2022 is now for everybody. The only things that you will need are commitment, motivation, and skill," the announcement said.

==> FCC Reaches $900,000 Settlement in Unauthorized Satellite Launch Case
The FCC has settled an investigation into an alleged unauthorized launch and operation of small satellites by Swarm Technologies. The company agreed to a Consent Decree that included a $900,000 penalty, an extended period of FCC oversight, and a requirement of pre-launch notices to the FCC, among other stipulations.
"We will aggressively enforce the FCC's requirements that companies seek FCC authorization prior to deploying and operating communications satellites and earth stations," FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Rosemary Harold said. "These important obligations protect other operators against radio interference and collisions, making space a safer place to operate."

==> ARRL Petitions FCC to Incorporate Parity Act Provisions into its Amateur Radio Rules
The ARRL has filed a Petition for Rulemaking (PRM) asking the FCC to amend its Part 97 Amateur Service rules to incorporate the provisions of the Amateur Radio Parity Act. The Petition has not yet been assigned a rule making (RM) number and is not yet open for public comment. In the past, the FCC has said that it would not take such action without guidance from the US Congress, but, as ARRL's Petition notes, Congress "has overwhelmingly and consistently" offered bipartisan support for the Amateur Radio Parity Act. ...

==> New Amateur Radio Packet Gear Awaits Unpacking, Installation on Space Station
New Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) packet equipment awaits unpacking and installation on board the station after arriving in November as part of the cargo transported via a Russian 71P Progress resupply vehicle. The new packet module for NA1SS will replace the current packet gear, which has been intermittent over the past year. ...

==> Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 Suffers Apparent Receiver Failure
The receiver on the newly launched Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 CubeSat seems to have suffered a receiver failure that could render the satellite unusable, AMSAT said over the weekend. Efforts continue by AMSAT Engineering to establish the cause of the problem and determine if a fix is possible. AMSAT Vice President-Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, reported over the weekend that the issue cropped up during efforts to commission Fox-1Cliff/AO-95.
"After a few days of tests, analysis, and discussion, it appears that Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 will not be commissioned as our fourth Fox-1 Amateur Radio satellite," Buxton said. Commissioning began on December 4, right after the CubeSat's successful launch a day earlier.
"AMSAT Engineering will continue to evaluate and test Fox-1Cliff/AO-95 for solutions to the anomaly, and your continued help in providing telemetry is appreciated so that we can have data throughout her daily orbits, rather than limited data over our US stations," Buxton said. "The data, analysis, and testing could lead to a positive solution, but at the very least will be important to AMSAT's satellite programs in providing information that would help us and others avoid similar situations with future missions." ....

--The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League