FCC Amending Amateur Radio RF Exposure Safety Rules 

The FCC is amending its Part 97 Amateur Service rules relating to RF exposure safety. In a lengthy document in ET Docket 19-226 released on December 4 that addresses a broad range of RF safety issues, the FCC said current amateur radio RF exposure safety limits will remain unchanged, but that the amateur-specific exemption from having to conduct an RF exposure evaluation will be replaced by the...

ARISS Contact with Pennsylvania School to be Streamed Live 

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact with astronaut Dr. Drew Morgan, MD, KI5AAA, and students at Council Rock High School in Pennsylvania will be livestreamed. The contact will take place at approximately 1756 UTC on Thursday, December 5. Morgan is a native of New Castle, Pennsylvania. Several Warminster Amateur Radio Club members, including Michael Shanbla...

Oldest Known US Ham Receives ARRL Centurion Award 

The oldest known US radio amateur, Cliff Kayhart, W4KKP, received his ARRL Centurion Award plaque in November. The award recognizes hams who have achieved centenarian status. Kayhart, who lives in White Rock, South Carolina, is 108. The ARRL Board of Directors conferred the award on Kayhart at its July 2019 meeting.

At the November meeting of the Dutch Fork Amateur Radio Group in Little Mountain...

Slow-Scan TV Transmissions from International Space Station Taking Place until December 6 

Russian cosmonauts were expected to activate VHF FM Slow Scan TV (SSTV) image transmissions from the International Space Station, starting Wednesday, December 4, until Friday, December 6 (UTC). December 4, until 1650 UTC; December 5, from 1125 until 1715 UTC, and December 6, 1020 UTC until 1640 UTC. Transmissions will be sent on 145.800 MHz FM (5-kHz deviation) using SSTV mode PD-120. Once rece...

SKYWARN Recognition Day Participation Webinar Set for December 4 

A webinar will held on Wednesday, December 4, at 8:30 PM EST (December 5 at 0130 UTC) for those interested in participating in SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD), which marks its 20th anniversary this year. On Saturday, December 7, 0000 to 2400 UTC, radio amateurs will be on the air from National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices across the country, celebrating the long relationship between the...

YOTA Month Expanding into the Americas 

December is Youth on the Air (YOTA) Month, when stations operated by young radio amateurs around the world will get on the air to celebrate youth in amateur radio. YOTA Month began a few years ago in International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1, and the concept has now taken root in the Americas as YOTA Month in the Americas.

During YOTA Month, radio amateurs aged 25 and younger will be on ...