Ham Radio Prep releases full course for the new US Amateur Radio Technician License exam
For those looking to get their entry-level US Amateur Radio Technician License, aka ham radio license, the exam questions are updating starting on July 1st, 2022. The new questions will be valid through 2026.

Ham Radio Prep, the nation’s fastest-growing amateur radio education program, has launched a completely revamped multimedia course covering all of the questions in the updated exam, making it possible for aspiring amateur radio operators to study the new questions without missing a beat.

The new course includes not only text study guides, but completely revamped video learning, games, quizzes and real-life practice tests much like one experiences when taking the official Federal Communications Commission amateur radio license exam.

Ham Radio Prep has made a massive investment in the future of ham radio with its new Technician license course and will only improve upon the popular study program already used by more than 60,000 successful students. The course is the first and only complete video course that covers the new question pool that goes into effect July 1.

“Our new course was a collaboration with hams with decades of experience,” James Cribbs, founder and CEO of Ham Radio Prep said. “In retooling the course, we focused on effectiveness while teaching the concepts, remaining short and to the point to ensure high completion rates.”

Since its start, Ham Radio Prep has upgraded its Technician license course three times to meet the demands of its tens of thousands of students studying in the online platform. The new course is based on the new FCC question pool that is in effect from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2026.

The Technician class license is the entry-level permit issued to persons who want to get on the air as amateur radio operators. Hams with the Technician license can help provide emergency communications in their community, experiment on the air and talk with other operators both in their general region as well as around the world, depending on radio frequencies used and atmospheric conditions.

Question pools for amateur radio licenses are rewritten every four years by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, a non-profit organization that ensures the integrity of the licensing process for ham radio in the United States. New questions reflect changes in technology, rules changes and more. Ham Radio Prep submitted 25 questions to the NCVEC for use in the new question pool, and a number of those submitted are reflected in the new questions and answers.

“Ham Radio Prep drew upon the expertise of our own staff as well as our many students to draw together questions we felt were important to be included on this new round of Technician class exams,” Chuck Gysi, general manager of Ham Radio Prep, said. “Our students often have comments about the questions they encounter on their exams and we used that input to bring their experience to the NCVEC question pool committee.”

Questions submitted by Ham Radio Prep to the NCVEC included correct answers and distractors on a variety of subjects ranging from amateur radio operations, technology, emissions, FCC rules and regulations, frequency use and more.

There are more than 775,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the United States and its territories. Ham Radio Prep offers courses designed to teach people online the information they need to take the three classes of exams that grant them FCC licenses for amateur radio. The courses also teach students how to be legal and safe on the airwaves, in accordance with FCC rules and regulations.

Ham Radio Prep was established in 2017 to assist people interested in obtaining an FCC-issued amateur radio license by offering courses for the Technician, General and Amateur Extra class licenses. For more information about Ham Radio Prep, go to http://www.HamRadioPrep.com.

Chuck Gysi, General Manager
Ham Radio Prep
chuck@HamRadioPrep.com

Australia: Update on proposed amateur class licensing
Communications regulator ACMA was announced a delay in the consultation process for the proposed amateur radio class licence

The ACMA announcement says:

The next stage of our consultation on the proposed amateur class licence and supporting arrangements has been delayed until Q3 2022.

At that time, we will consult on an updated draft amateur class licence, which incorporates feedback and practical suggestions made by submitters. We will also update the amateur community on the status of key outstanding matters, including international recognition of amateur qualifications and call sign management, since we released our Response to submissions in November 2021
https://www.acma.gov.au/consultations/2 ... ion-012021
Source ACMA Amateur Radio Update June 2022
https://acma.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/d/ ... B8E8FDC6A0

Brazil: Major ham radio regulation changes proposed
LABRE reports Brazil's ANATEL has published a public consultation with profound changes in the regulation of the Amateur Radio Service. These include abolition of the Morse requirement

A translation of the post by Brazil's national amateur radio society says:

The National Telecommunications Agency, ANATEL, published on 02/06/2022 a new Public Consultation, number 41, which deals with the consolidation of the various telecommunications services in a single resolution. Among the services affected is radioamateur. The proposal will be available for contributions from the company for 60 days and will have a public hearing to allow the online participation of interested parties. The proposal, together with the contributions of the company, will proceed for consideration by the Board of Directors and subsequent final publication, at the time without deadline to take place.

Among the novelties, we highlight something much commented by our entire community:the end of the requirement of Telegraphy among the exams for class B and its counterpart, a new criterion for promotion to both class B and class A: Participation in events or courses related to amateur radio and proof of communications made in the various modes of operation and bands available. In the proposal, the confirmation of QSOs will take place through lot, reflecting the understanding that amateur radio should be active and not just a "license holder".

Other important points of the proposal are the creation of new types of station, such as the RELAY, the AUTONOMOUS and the SPACE stations, the increase in the time of the "timer" of the repeaters, which goes from 3 to 10 minutes, the possibility of operating stations type 4 and 5 (repeaters and relays) for up to 30 days without the need for licensing, useful in emergency situations or in tests, for example, express permission for class A and B radio amateurs to modify their equipment, as long as they do not exceed the pre-established limits, being in this case the mandatory approval, and the establishment of a limit for the granting of special callsigns, which can only granted be to the same amateur radio for a maximum of 90 days and only once a year.

In addition to these points contained in the section referring to Amateur Radio, ANATEL also proposes, within the section referring to the Citizen's Band, that duly licensed radio amateurs can operate, including using their own radio amateur callsign, within this band without the need to register specific, just meeting the requirements regarding equipment, such as maximum power, channeling, approval, etc., which are specific for this range.

LABRE has collaborated with the Agency since it was communicated that the current resolution that governs our Service, number 449 and in force since 2006, was on the agenda to be reformulated. Since then, we have met numerous times with ANATEL staff for mutual suggestions and clarifications, where we seek to demonstrate the need for certain changes.

LABRE is aware of the changes suggested by ANATEL in the text of the Public Consultation and will soon publish guidelines and explanations on these points in order to guide and clarify interested parties and encourage the participation of all, so that we have a new regulatory Norm that reflects the our aspirations and that is aligned both with the spirit of amateur radio, which is timeless and international, as well as with the advances that modernity has brought to our environment.

To learn about the proposal contained in Public Consultation 41/2022, access the link:
https://apps.anatel.gov.br/ParticipaAna ... taId=10021

Source LABRE: https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Brazil

South Africa: Radio Amateurs Exam results
In South Africa the amateur radio Class A (HAREC) exam is only held twice a year, SARL News report on the results of the May exam

The May RAE was held on Saturday 21 May 2022. A total of 106 candidates registered and paid to write the RAE, 99 for Class A and 7 for Class B with 1 candidate from Namibia. 74 candidates passed, 10 failed and 22 did not attend the exam. 24 people registered for the exam but did not pay and opted out before the exam. So, a total of 130 people registered but only 74 candidates wrote and passed.

On Saturday 11 June 2022, the ZS3ZU Hammies held a Class B RAE in Prieska with 7 candidates. All 7 passed. Three of these candidates ran the ZS3ZU station for the Hammies Sprint on the Sunday 12 June. They are Charles Coetzee, ZU3CEC; Ethan Oberholzer, ZU3EO and Henry Coetzee, ZU3HC. They will be issued with a special certificate of participation by the Contest Committee.

Source SARL News
https://sarlnewsbulletin.wordpress.com/

South Africa has two classes of licence:
• Class A is a HAREC licence equivalent to UK Full. It permits 400 watts output and requires a pass in a 60 question multiple choice exam
• Class B is equivalent to UK Foundation. It permits 100 watts output and requires a pass in a 30 question exam.

The Class B licence is only issued to people who are under 21-years-old. It is cancelled when the holder reaches their 25th birthday. The exam is equivalent to UK Foundation and permits 100 watts output in HF, VHF and UHF bands.

An HF Practical Assessment is required for both Class A and Class B licences and there are additional Practical Assessments to be completed for Class B.

The syllabus for Class A and Class B can be downloaded from
http://www.sarl.org.za/public/licences/rae.asp

Iceland: Renewal of 50 MHz authorizations
National amateur radio society IRA reports on the renewal of special authorization to use 50 MHz

A translation of the post by Iceland's IRA reads:

It is pointed out that it is important that licensees who are interested in telecommunications at increased power in the 50 MHz frequency range (6 meters) this summer, send a request to that effect to Fjarskiptastofa before transmissions begin. If permission was obtained last year (2021), it is not valid this year.

Licensees must apply separately for an authorization from FST in the same way as, for example, the 70 MHz frequency band has been used. Postal address: hrh (at) fjarskiptastofa.is It should be specified that an application is made for increased power at 50 MHz.

The premise of this is that ÍRA received a positive response from Fjarskiptastofa on 13 May to the organisations request for renewal of increased licenses on the 6-meter band, and the agency grants Icelandic licensees increased power licenses in the 50-50.5 MHz frequency range from 1 June 2022 for 4 months or until September 31st. Full licensees are allowed to use up to 1kW and Novice licensees up to 100W.

It is very gratifying that the validity of the authorization is for longer this year than last year.

Board of IRA.
https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Iceland

Proposed new ham radio regulations in Slovakia
Eight years after it was requested by Slovakia's national society SZR, the communications regulator is proposing increasing the Novice power limit to 100 watts with access to all HF bands

A translation of the post on the SZR site reads:

After the approval of the amendment to the Act on Electronic Communications in the Parliament, the Regulatory Office returned to our permission conditions (PP), which had been postponed for more than eight years. The SZR submitted its proposal already in 2014, and despite many meetings and our comments, progress was minimal.

The ice did not move until this spring, when the office began to work intensively on the permit conditions. During this period, the SZR was in intensive working contact with the office and participated in the preparation of the wording of many parts, while we started from our proposal eight years ago.

The new licensing conditions mainly reflect changes in the field of digital communication technologies, define them and determine the conditions of their use. From a practical point of view, however, the biggest change concerns holders of class N, who according to the current PP can only broadcast in limited sections of some KV bands. The new PPs will allow them to operate fully on all KV and VHF bands with a maximum power of 100 watts.

The new frequency table will also include the 470 kHz, 5 MHz and 70 MHz bands, so it will no longer be necessary to apply for them separately. Part of the PP will also be a regulation for issuing amateur radio tags, according to which tags issued with suffixes starting not only with the letter A but also with other letters will be able to hold class N.

The new permit conditions are in the final stage of preparation and are going through the legislative process and interdepartmental comments. You can download the draft text of the new PP at
https://www.slov-lex.sk/legislativne-pr ... P-2022-310

Please note that this is currently a PROPOSAL , which has yet to be approved. Although the proposal states an effective date of July 1, 2022, this date is definitely not the day when the new permit conditions should come into effect. Some date had to be stated in the proposal, and the Regulatory Office stated this, since it was not possible to predict how long the legislative process would take. The actual effective date will only be indicated in the final version of the PP, which will be issued by the Regulatory Office in the form of a Measure.

Therefore, we especially ask all holders of class N permits to really wait until the time when the change in the permit conditions will be implemented. We will of course inform you about it.

At present, however, it is impossible to say when exactly it will be. On June 20, 2022, the interdepartmental comment procedure on the draft of this measure ended, where several comments from the institutions concerned were raised (fortunately, these are only "ordinary", not "fundamental" comments). The RU must now comment on them. Subsequently, the measure must go through the Legislative Council of the Government, where the RU must defend it, and only when a favorable opinion comes from there, the measure can be officially issued and effective on the day specified in it.

All these processes take some time, but we believe it is only weeks, months at most. This will complete the long-term efforts of the SZR to create modern permit conditions that reflect current trends and enable the further development of our hobby.

Source SZR https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Slovakia

Australia: Number of new radio hams declines
WIA News carries an update from the WIA secretary Peter Clee VK8ZZ which notes Australia has seen a decline in new amateur radio licences

The report reads:

The monthly meeting of the Board of the WIA was held during this last week. At that meeting it was confirmed that the WIA had placed an order for a fresh batch of Foundation Manuals to replenish the current stock which now down to less than 20 manuals and is expected to be totally depleted before this broadcast goes to air.

The new Foundation Manual has been updated and contains a wealth of information for prospective amateurs.

The Board were also keen to see the updated foundation manual introduced as there has been a decline in the number of examinations and subsequent licenses issued in the last few years. This is in direct contrast to an increase in the numbers of new amateurs in both the USA and UK which saw a significant increase in numbers especially during the last 2 years.

The Board of the WIA are working with other internationally recognised national Amateur Radio organisations to improve the acceptance of Australian Licensed Amateur operators and to expedite acceptance of applications of temporary reciprocal licences for Australian operators visiting overseas destinations.

The board also reviewed a report on the progress of the preparations for the World Radio Conference to be held in 2023. There have been a number of virtual preparatory meetings leading up to WRC-23 in which the WIA has had active participation.

The World Radio Conference is held under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union every 3 or 4 years and sets all of the international radio regulations and ratifies band usage for the entire spectrum for all countries. The Amateur Service is represented at the WRC by the International Amateur Radio Union and the WIA as the peak body for the Amateur Radio service in Australia isrepresented at the WRC.

Also just an advise that the National Office is currently finalising the awards and certificates for those recipients named at this year's Annual General Meeting and we hope to have all of them out by the end of this month.

Source WIA News
https://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcas ... 2022-07-17





Netherlands: CBR to take over amateur radio exams
From July 1, 2023, CBR will run Amateur Radio exams in the Netherlands. Candidates will take their exam Online but only at a CBR exam center

This differs from standard practice in the UK and other countries where online exams can be taken at home.

CBR (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen) is the organization responsible for running theory exams for the driving license in the Netherlands.

A translation of the VERON post reads:

The exams for the radio amateur are going to change. The Stichting Radio Examens SRE explains what will happen:

The Telecom Agency has decided to transfer its tasks regarding the development and conduct of exams to the CBR as of 1 July 2023. That means a few things are going to change in terms of taking radio exams. An overview of answers to frequently asked questions:


Where can you take your exam?
From 1 July 2023, candidates will take their radio exam (digitally) at a CBR theory exam centre. Of these, 20 are scattered throughout the country. If you want to take an exam, you choose at which location and at what time you want to do so. From 1 March 2023, it will be possible to register for an exam via the CBR website.

Would you rather take the exam the old way? This is still possible until 1 July 2023. In 2023, the SRE will still organise exams in January, March, May and June. The website www.radio-examens.nl indicates when and where the exams will be held.

Will the exams change?
Yes and no. At the moment, the exams are taken on paper. At the CBR, that changes and you answer the questions on a computer. This has the advantage that you can see immediately after your exam whether you have passed or not.

The CBR takes over the existing question bank from the Telecom Agency. This means that you can expect the same questions at the CBR as in the current exams. The existing question bank has not been updated for a while due to the ICT problems that AT had. Therefore, after the transfer to the CBR, new questions are gradually added to the question bank. This ensures that the exams are again in line with current events and with technical developments relevant to the radio amateur.

Does CBR know about the exam material?
The CBR has a lot of experience with conducting exams and with guaranteeing the quality of those exams. That is an important reason why the AT has chosen to transfer its exam tasks to the CBR. For the content, the CBR works together with a network of content experts.

From the question bank that the CBR will use, so-called 'series' are automatically compiled that are used for an exam. In each 'series' questions from the different exam topics come up. By continuously analyzing the exams, the CBR ensures that every exam that is taken is of the same level.

New questions
Every year questions will be renewed or added to the question bank. These questions are written by external content experts. Before new questions are used in exams, they are submitted to a Board of Experts. This college includes people who have 'knowledge of business'. It will also include a Dutch scholar who looks at the comprehensibility of a question. How the college is composed will be further elaborated in the coming period. The CBR will coordinate this with the SRE and the amateur associations.

Will it be more expensive to take an exam?
The rates that CBR charges for exams must be cost-covering. For 2023, the rates for regular exams will in any case remain the same as the rates of 2022 (€ 72.00 per exam). The CBR has expressed the expectation that it is not necessary to implement significant price increases for the radio exams: the existing infrastructure of the CBR will be used.

What about special exams?
At the CBR you can indicate what kind of exam you want to take. There are three choices:

Regular exam
A regular exam is suitable for anyone who has sufficient reading skills.

Regular exam with extra time
A regular exam with extra time is suitable if you have difficulty reading or perform better due to less time pressure. With this exam you get 15 minutes extra exam time.

Individually supervised exam
An individually supervised exam is suitable if you are dyslexic or have difficulty reading. It can also be a solution if you suffer from certain forms of social anxiety disorders.

An individually supervised exam is held at a CBR theory exam center in a separate room. There are no other exam candidates in this room. The exam is read by an employee of the CBR and you will receive 15 minutes extra time for the exam as standard.

For taking an exam with extra time or an individually supervised exam, a surcharge must be paid for this. The surcharge for extra time will be 12 euros. The surcharge for an individually supervised exam will be 58 euros.

Choose for yourself
Each candidate chooses which type of exam is suitable for him or her: no (medical) certificate is required to choose an exam with extra time or an individual exam. With a dyslexia or dyscalculia statement, the candidate can (within 14 days of the exam date) request a refund: a special form is available for this.

Does the CBR have the capacity to add these exams?
The CBR has been in the news negatively in recent years because of the (long) waiting times. This was especially the case for practical exams and for medical examinations.

In theory exams, these problems were much less or not. For the theory exams with extra time, a lead time of 4 weeks also applies. For the individually supervised exams, a lead time of 8 weeks usually applies. The lead times may vary slightly per location.

What happens after you take the exam?
Immediately after the exam you will receive the results of the CBR. If you have passed, the CBR will automatically pass this on to the Telecom Agency. After that, you can register your (new) callsigns almost immediately in the User Register of Agentschap Telecom. After you have done this, you will receive your registration certificate and your pass from the AT.

Source VERON https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Netherlands

Iceland provides practical training for new radio hams
The national amateur radio society of Iceland, the IRA, held an 'open day' on Saturday, July 16, to help those who had just passed their ham radio exam

A translation of the IRA post reads:

The organization of the ÍRA 2022 spring course, which ended with an exam from Fjarskiptastofa for an amateur license on May 21, provided for a special day (after the exam) in ÍRA's social facilities in Skeljanes. It says, among other things: “ Go to ÍRA's social facilities and check the telecommunication room and antenna. Students do test broadcasts under the name TF3IRA with the station manager. Implemented later with time ".

For various reasons, this special day was postponed until this morning, Saturday, July 16, at 10:00. An e-mail was sent to those who passed the exam (a total of 11 people) with an invitation to attend Skeljanes a week in advance. Responses were received from 6 who were either abroad or on summer vacation in Iceland, so it was clear that a maximum of 5 would be able to attend. Nevertheless, it was decided to stick to the advertised day and two new licensees came to Skeljanes.

We started the day with a morning coffee in the hall, where the main aspects of ÍRA's activities were reviewed and was based on a new address letter and the ÍRA's brochure. Among other things, social work was discussed under "normal circumstances"; now that the Covid-19 epidemic is over. Attention was drawn to the ÍRA's spring and winter programs, which are available in the period February-May and in October-December. A brief report was given on electronic communications on behalf of ÍRA, i.e. Easter games, VHF / UHF games and TF outdoor games. The publishing activities were also reported, ie. the social magazine CQ TF, annual report and website and attention is drawn to the sub page of CQ TF where you can read all the social magazines from the beginning.

The availability of transmitters in the VHF and UHF frequency bands was also reviewed, attention was drawn to the four receivers over the network and the two radio beacons at 50 and 70 MHz.

In TF3IRA's telecommunication room, TF3IRA's pre-printed telecommunication diaries were distributed and the registration was reviewed in a "log". Traditional radio amateur telecommunications [and] what CQ and CQ DX mean were explained. Participants asked questions and practiced how a QSO works several times.

The conditions were not directly desirable; The K-value was high and there were no signals on 20M SSB except some Russians, the Russian Radio Team competition lasted from 0700-1500 on Saturday. In light of this, it was decided to call CQ but no answer. It was not possible to get any contacts, so we decided to call Óðinn Þór Hallgrímsson, TF2MSN, who immediately got on the band and contacted both Antonia (TF3ST) and Guðmundur (TF3VL).

When those contacts were coming to an end, a Dutch licensee who was /P and was just over S9 came to the fore and they both talked to him. It can be said that their first QSO - both with the Icelandic licensee and the DX station - went smoothly. Apart from that, Odin Thor was very encouraging; welcomed them to the air and told his experience from when he first started in the air in 2011.

Despite the unexciting conditions, they were both happy. It was therefore suggested that they arrive in Skeljanes one Thursday evening in the near future and then they will be trained to take to the air. They took it well. We then moved to the QSL office room and the QSL Bureau's functionality was explained.

Finally we went back down to the hall and talked a lot. When it was 13:30, the meeting ended. Thanks to Jón Björnsson, TF3PW ÍRA course supervisor and Kristján Benediktsson NRAU / IARU contact ÍRA for coming to the place, helping and answering. Special thanks to Óðinn Þór Hallgrímsson, TF2MSN for coming on 20M and talking to the new licensees. Last but not least, thanks to Antonia Sabrina Stevens, TF3ST and Guðmundur Veturliði Einarsson, TF3VL for coming to Skeljanes. A fun and successful Saturday!

Source IRA https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Iceland

Two new bands for Canadian amateurs
RAC reports On July 28, 2022, Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) released an update to a very important document for Canadian Radio Amateurs: 'RBR-4 – Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service'.

The document specifies what frequencies we may operate on and with what bandwidths.

There are two major new additions to our spectrum:

• 472 to 479 kHz, also known as 630 metres: on this new band, we are allowed to run a maximum of five watts EIRP, using emissions with a maximum bandwidth of 1 kHz.
• 5351.5 to 5366.5 kHz in the 60 metre band: this is a new worldwide allocation. Canadian Amateurs are allowed to run a maximum of 100 watts ERP, using emissions with a maximum bandwidth of 2.8 kHz.

The new 60 metre band is in addition to our existing fixed-frequency allocations at 5332, 5348, 5373 and 5405 kHz. The new 15 kHz-wide allocation overlaps our existing authority to use 5358.5 kHz. Canadian Amateurs are unique in having authority to use 100 watts ERP on the four spot frequencies and on the new 15 kHz worldwide segment. Amateurs in most countries are limited to 25 watts or less and may operate only in the new 15 kHz-wide segment.

Please note that Amateur Radio is a Secondary radio service on these bands. Amateurs may not cause harmful interference to Primary users and we may not claim protection from interference by Primary users.

There are other small changes in RBR-4 that bring Canadian Amateur Radio regulations in line with changes agreed at several previous World Radio Conferences (WRCs) of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Radio Amateurs of Canada would like to thank former Regulatory Officer Richard Ferch, VE3KI, for his dedicated work over several years to bring these changes forward.

You can find RBR-4 here:
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.n ... 10650.html

Dave Goodwin, VE3KG
Regulatory Affairs Officer
Radio Amateurs of Canada

Source RAC
https://www.rac.ca/
https://twitter.com/RACTWEETS

16 new radio amateurs in Cyprus
The Cyprus Amateur Radio Society (CARS) reports that for the second year in a row a record number of candidates took the HAREC exam

The CARS site says:

CARS is happy to announce that 16 persons have successfully completed the 2022 amateur radio examination held on Wednesday, 14 September 2022.

Congratulations to you all!! CARS wishes you all a wonderful and exciting amateur radio experience, with lots of good DX.

The Society stands by your side should you wish any help and guidance during your next steps, in order to get you on the air as soon as possible.

Finally, please consider joining CARS. With your help our community can continue to grow and thrive. The following documents lists the main reasons for joining the society.

Source Cyprus Amateur Radio Society
https://www.cyhams.org/
https://twitter.com/CYHAMS

Australia: Proposed new ham radio licence
Australia's communications regulator ACMA has asked radio amateurs to comment on their proposed amateur class licence and considerations for higher power 1 kW operation

The ACMA say:

Following the extensive 2021 public consultation and associated response to submissions, we have released a consultation paper on the proposed amateur class licence and supporting operational arrangements, along with considerations for higher power operation. This is the next step in our review of regulatory arrangements for the operation of non-assigned amateur stations.

The draft class licence for amateur radio has been amended to incorporate changes suggested by representative bodies, amateur radio clubs and individual amateurs during the 2021 consultation.

The consultation paper, proposed class licence and details about how to make a submission are available on the ACMA website
https://www.acma.gov.au/consultations/2 ... ion-312022

Submissions close COB, Tuesday 29 November 2022.

Questions about the consultation
If you have an important question about this consultation, please send it directly to spectrumlicensingpolicy@acma.gov.au. Please note, we may use the Amateur radio update e-bulletin to answer frequently asked questions.

Subscribe to the ACMA Amateur Radio newsletter at
https://www.acma.gov.au/subscribe-our-newsletters

Australia's ACMA proposals on Class Licensing and high power – WIA working on response
Author : Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
A Working Group has hit the ground running to develop the Wireless Institute of Australia’s response to the ACMA’s proposal on Class Licensing and high power operation by Advanced amateurs.

Deadline for responding to the ACMA’s proposals is 29 November. The ACMA intends to implement the proposed arrangements from 1 July 2023.

Leading the Working Group is the WIA’s Regulatory Counsel, Peter Young VK3MV.

Peter has been licensed since 1965 and has a background in maritime communications engineering. He is a former Regional Manager with the ACMA in Melbourne and, since retiring, held positions with the WIA as a director in the WIA Board, director with the Region 3 International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and on the Spectrum Strategy committee.

Members of the Working Group come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, but particularly having experience in preparing persuasive responses to government proposals, expertise in RF engineering, in science, and in the machinery of government. Members also have interests in contesting and DX, home design and construction, and propagation.

The first meeting of the Working Group was held by Zoom on Monday 3 October, which identified key issues to be addressed in developing the WIA’s response and setting regular meetings.

Firstly, it is clear that we will have to address the Class licensing questions, and the matter of Advanced amateurs wishing to use high power, as separate issues.

As we’ve done before, a survey of the Australian radio amateur community will be held to gather viewpoints and suggestions from individuals, groups and WIA Affiliated Clubs.

Look out for regular despatches from the WIA Working Group on the ACMA’s Class Licensing proposals.

Further reading: https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/ ... /index.php