Compiled by S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL News Editor
k1sfa@arrl.org

This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of September.

The ARRL filed comments with the FCC regarding its ongoing dispute with Recon Robotics.

The ARRL filed a Petition for Clarification or Partial Reconsideration, asking the FCC to “clarify, or partially reconsider a single aspect” of its Report and Order concerning 2304 MHz operation.

The ARRL filed comments with the FCC concerning that agency’s review of the rules that regulate the Citizen’s Band (CB) Service.

The FCC and the NTIA have both agreed to support a medium frequency Amateur Radio secondary allocation at WRC-12.

In New York, a judge dismissed a case against a ham who was cited for using his handheld transceiver while he was driving; the New York State Police officer had considered the rig to be a cell phone.

ARRL HQ staff -- as well as members of the ARRL’s Field Organization along the Eastern Seaboard and in the Caribbean -- were kept busy during preparations and activations for Hurricanes Earl and Igor.

The ARRL Awards Committee issued a statement on how the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles will affect the DXCC program.

An article in the June 2009 issue of QST sparked a new program on radio astronomy at a Texas university.

The USA’s Amateur Radio Direction Finding Team (ARDF) -- sponsored by the ARRL -- won three medals at the 15th Annual ARDF World Championships held in Croatia.

ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, attended the ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference near Portland, Oregon.

Section Managers from Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Southern Florida met in Newington for an orientation workshop for newly elected or appointed Section Managers.

Hams and ARES® members in Colorado helped to provide communications support during massive wildfires near Boulder.

ARRL Field Organization Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, attended EmComm East in Rochester New York where he gave a presentation and participated in several seminars concerning emergency communications. ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, attended a meeting of the Hampden County (Massachusetts) Radio Association where she gave a presentation about QST, The ARRL Letter, the ARRL Audio News and other ARRL publications.

As part of the USTTI program, the ARRL welcomed six students from developing countries who are interested in fostering an Amateur Radio program in their countries. The course is led by ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX

ARRL Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, was unanimously elected by ARISS International Delegates to another two-year term as ARISS-International Secretary Treasurer. Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, was re-elected as ARISS-International Chairman and Mark Steiner, K3MS, was elected as ARISS-International Vice Chairman

The ARRL announced it is accepting nominations for the George Hart Distinguished Service Award.

The Official Observer Desk forwarded several complaints to the FCC, including businesses in Ohio and Missouri using 2 meters, jammers on 40 meters using a bootlegged call sign, interference to repeaters in Indiana and West Central Florida. The Desk also received complaints about an unidentified signal near 14.190 MHz that is believed to be a Russian Navy RTTY signal, a digital signal on 10.129 MHz that is believed to be a French diplomatic teletype channel, a shortwave broadcast station on 14.005 MHz, Russian military stations on 7.117, 14.024 and 14.120 MHz, an unidentified station on 7.030 MHz and Radio China International on 14.190 MHz. In Western New York, Official Observers are investigating a report of CB interference to the amateur bands.

The ARRL invited hams to sponsor plaques for the upcoming November Sweepstakes.

The winners of the QST Cover Plaque Award for September are Dave Leavenworth, WV6JPL, and Pete Tiffany, KT4BW, for their article “A Solar Powered Repeater for EmComm.”

For the ninth year running, the US Office of Personnel Management has designated the ARRL to participate in the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of ARES®, the ARRL issued its first Challenge Coin.

The ARRL Lab installed a D-STAR repeater in the Lab at the ARRL Headquarters building