September, 2006

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Vanity Call Sign Fee to Go Down September 6
The regulatory fee to obtain or renew an Amateur Radio vanity call sign will drop slightly starting with applications received by the FCC on or after Wednesday, September 6, the FCC's Wireless Tele- communications Bureau (WTB) says. The new fee will be $20.80 for the 10-year license term. This year promises to be a big one for vanity call sign renewals, since the initial round of vanity grants under the current system occurred in 1996. Licensees who want to retain vanity call signs issued under the current (post-1995) system must pay the regulatory fee when renewing.

Israel to impose tough new rules on amateurs
According to the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), Israeli authorities have imposed "draconian new rules" on radio amateurs. Effective January 2007, many of Israel's radio amateurs will not be able operate their radio equipment unless it has been inspected and authorized by government officials. The requirement follows ratification of a new law aimed at preventing harmful radiation from radio equipment, RSGB says. Amateurs who operate only VHF and UHF equipment at an output below 20 W are exempt. Radio amateurs also will have to obtain permits to erect antenna support structures, and these will only be granted if the licensee can demonstrate that the installation will not cause harmful radiation. The new rules provide that operation of Amateur Radio equipment without the proper permits will be considered a criminal offense. According to a spokesman for Israeli amateurs, the harsh new rules followed in the wake of public concern regarding the safety of cellular telephone masts. The RSGB notes that no study has shown any evidence of harmful radiation from cellular or from Amateur Radio installations. Earlier this year, Moshe Galili of the Israeli Ministry of Communications told the Israel Amateur Radio Club annual general meeting that his agency was working toward an across-the-board exemption for Amateur Radio with respect to the non-ionizing radiation law adopted last December, which covers RF sources as well as magnetic and electrical fields from power lines.

N8BJQ is new CQ WPX Award manager
Steve Bolia,N8BJQ,has been named to succeed Norm Koch,WN5N (ex-K6ZDL), as manager of the CQ WPX Award program, CQ Publisher and President Dick Ross, K2MGA, has announced. The WPX awards are issued for confirmed contacts with stations having different call sign prefixes. Koch is retiring after 25 years in the position. "We thank Norm for his many years of devoted service to the WPX program, to CQ and to Amateur Radio," said Ross, "We wish him all the best in the future." The September issue of CQ will include updated address information to submit award applications.

Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN, SK
Don Newcomb, W0DN, of Henderson, Nevada, died July 27. He was 71. Newcomb founded the Butternut Company, manufacturer of a series of highly regarded antennas, and he held several patents in antenna design. A bit of a renaissance man, Newcomb also was an accomplished musician, held a doctorate in French and was a university professor in Minnesota before he started Butternut in the late 1970s. In 1994, Newcomb sold Butternut to Bencher Inc and retired to Nevada. Funeral arrangements are pending. -- tnx Bob Locher, W9KNI

New Website!
www.usrepeaters.com (U S Repeaters) Dedicated repeater directory, easy to use ...

September, 2006

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