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

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

The ARRL filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the FCC, asking it to amend Sections 2 and 97 of its rules and create a domestic Amateur Radio allocation at 472-479 kHz, conforming to the allocation status and limitations set forth in the international Radio Regulations and as approved at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference.

The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeking to give primary status of the entire amateur portion of the 160 meter band to the Amateur Radio Service. It also proposed a new LF amateur band at 135.7-137.8 kHz.

The ARRL has created a new informational page to issue daily status updates and information of interest to the Logbook of The World (LoTW) user community. In addition, LoTW’s processing queue is now updated hourly, telling how many logs and QSOs have been uploaded to the LoTW system and are awaiting processing.

Together with QST Editor-in-Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, ARRL Lab Test Engineer Bob Allison, WB1GCM, prepared a video and a web page to introduce the ARRL’s Evolution of Amateur Radio exhibit.

Development Update: ARRL Individual Giving Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD, reported that the ARRL Diamond Club is at 82 percent of its 2012 goal (1219 donors), the Spectrum Defense Fund is at 83 percent of its goal (2541 donors), the W1AW Endowment Campaign is at 71 percent of its goal (881 donors) and the Education & Technology Fund is at 108 percent of its goal (659 donors). Click here to make your contribution to the fund of your choice.

NASA is now accepting proposals from US schools, museums, science centers and community youth organizations to host an ARISS contact in 2013.

The ARRL is now offering the satellite computer-aided tuning interface -- as featured in the October 2012 issue of QST -- for use with SatPC32 software and the Yaesu FT-817 transceiver.

Jim Mezey, W2KFV, of Carle Place, New York, was appointed as the new ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Manager.

W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, worked with Andrew Toth of XX Towers to install the new 2 meter/70 centimeter satellite antenna at W1HQ, the Laird Campbell Memorial HQ Operators Club.

The Education Services Department prepared a band chart listing only the Technician privileges with the goal of improving clarity for those preparing for the Technician licensing exam, as well as for newly licensed Technician operators. This is just one of the many tools available on the Tech Prep Resource Library web page.

The Radio Amateurs of Canada -- that country’s IARU Member Society -- announced a new mailing address for its incoming QSL bureau.

A new QuickStats poll was posted to the ARRL website.

The winner of the December QST Cover Plaque award was James K. Boomer, W9UJ, for his article “Delta Loop Collinear Antennas.”

The February print issue of QST was released to the printer and the digital edition was released to the digital publisher. The January digital edition of QST was made available to ARRL members.

Official Observer Desk: ARRL Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, handled complaints concerning a carrier signal on 7.040 MHz, interference to local repeaters on Long Island and unlicensed operation on 3.516 MHz, a shortwave broadcast station on 7.120 MHz and a third harmonic on 1.920 MHz. He also answered questions from radio amateurs concerning ISS uplink frequency, operating overseas, APRS beacons, Armed Forces crossband tests, calling frequencies, band plans in Central and South America, antenna restrictions and Technician licensees connecting on 10 meter repeaters via links.