SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX001
ARLX001 National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station Annual Test

ZCZC AX01
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 1 ARLX001
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 16, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX001
ARLX001 National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station Annual Test

The amateur radio station of the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC
(NHC), located on the campus of Florida International University in
Miami, will conduct their on-the-air Annual Communications Test on
Saturday, May 27, 2023, from 9 AM - 5 PM EDT (1300z-2100z).

This is the NHC's 43rd year of public service. NHC Amateur Radio
Assistant Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R/WX4NHC, reports that the
purpose of this event is to test amateur radio equipment and
antennas at the NHC as well as operators' home equipment, antennas,
and computers prior to this year's hurricane season. The 2023
hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30.

This event is good practice for amateur radio operators worldwide to
practice amateur radio communications during times of severe
weather.

Ripoll said WX4NHC will be on HF, VHF, UHF, 2- and 30-meter APRS,
and Winlink. To contact the NHC's amateur radio station send an
email to, wx4nhc@winlink.org. The subject of the email must contain
//WL2K.

The Hurricane Watch Net will try to stay on 14.325 MHz for most of
the time, as well as 7.268 MHz depending on propagation. They may
also change frequencies due to potential QRM.

You may be able to find WX4NHC on HF by using one of the DX spotting
networks, such as the DX Summit website at, http://www.dxsummit.fi .

The VoIP Hurricane Net will also be active from 4 PM - 5 PM EDT
(2000-2100z), on IRLP node 9219/EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node
7203. Visit their website at https://voipwx.net for more
information.

WX4NHC will also make a few contacts on local VHF and UHF repeaters,
as well as the Florida Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet)
system to test station equipment.

QSL cards are available via WD4R with a self-addressed stamped
envelope. More information about the NHC is available at their
website https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/ .
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/EX
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* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (316:36/9)

SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX002
ARLX002 Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, Section Manager of the ARRL South
Carolina Section, SK

ZCZC AX02
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 2 ARLX002
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 18, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX002
ARLX002 Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, Section Manager of the ARRL South
Carolina Section, SK

Section Manager of the ARRL South Carolina Section Marc Tarplee,
N4UFP, passed away on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

Tarplee served as the South Carolina Section Technical Coordinator
for 7 years before becoming the South Carolina Section Manager in
2010. He was the longest-serving Section Manager of the century
within the ARRL Roanoke Division.

He was a member of the York County Amateur Radio Society (YCARS),
the Carolina DX Association (CDXA), a founding member of the York
County Contesters Group, and he recently retired as the Chief
Financial Officer of York Technical College in Rock Hill, South
Carolina. He completed his undergraduate degree in physics at the
State University of New York in Brockport, and then he pursued an
M.Sc. at the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology. He earned
his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of South
Carolina.

After spending many years as a shortwave listener, Tarplee became
licensed in 1988. He was an avid CW operator and was chasing ARRL's
Fred Fish Memorial Award, which is granted to hams who work all 488
maidenhead grids in the continental US via VHF/UHF. He had more than
420 grids confirmed.

Tarplee also enjoyed 160 meters and particularly relished working
the top band from a large piece of marshland he owned on the South
Carolina coast. From there, he had the space to run a full-wave
Beverage antenna. As both a committed DXer and contester, Tarplee
could be found anywhere from 160 meters to 23 centimeters.

"Marc's service to the South Carolina Section was legendary. He
served as Technical Coordinator prior to my successful election as
Section Manager in 2003 and continued in that position throughout my
tenure. When I was elected to the ARRL board to start in 2010, I was
looking for a replacement. As I was considering candidates, Marc
came to me and wanted to give it a shot. I admitted to him that I
did not even consider him at first, but that he was absolutely the
right person for the position," said Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, Director of
the ARRL Roanoke Division.

ARRL Field Organization Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, said, "Marc
was a wonderful ambassador for ARRL. While working him over the
years, I sensed that he really enjoyed sharing his interest in
amateur radio, and he knew how to encourage others to participate
and get involved."

Tarplee is survived by his wife, Lee, W7LEE, and his daughters,
Austin and Marley.

A memorial service for Tarplee will be held at the Learning Commons
in Building L at York Technical College, 452 South Anderson Rd.,
Rock Hill, South Carolina on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 1:00 PM.
NNNN
/EX
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (316:36/9)

SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX003
ARLX003 ARRL and FEMA Sign Agreement: Ham Radio is as Relevant
as Ever

ZCZC AX03
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 3 ARLX003
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 26, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX003
ARLX003 ARRL and FEMA Sign Agreement: Ham Radio is as Relevant
as Ever

The agreement emphasizes the importance of skilled Amateur Radio
Operators in times of crisis and the role of ARES leadership within
the emergency communications space.

ARES (see the ARES fact sheet at, www.arrl.org/ares) is a network of
trained Amateur Radio Service licensees organized across the country
to provide communications and other support to served agencies, such
as local governments, hospitals, and disaster response charities.
More than 20,000 ARES volunteers actively participate in the ARRL
program. In 2022, they provided more than 420,000 labor hours of
service saving local officials $13.4 million in personnel costs.

Each member of ARES has specialized training in emergency
communications. Many have also completed training in the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) in order to integrate with local
officials during an emergency response.

In March 2023, FEMA released the final version of the NIMS
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Functional Guidance,
which includes radio amateurs in the response ecosystem and national
emergency preparedness.

"The agreement is representative of the continued commitment and
cooperation between FEMA and ARRL," said ARRL Director of Emergency
Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. "Serving our country during
emergencies is an important service provided by ARES volunteers and
a principal purpose of our Amateur Radio Service. Our well-equipped
volunteers bring their training, use of innovative technologies, and
community partnerships together to serve before and during
disasters."

FEMA announced the new agreement on Twitter stating, "We recently
signed a new MOA with ARRL -- establishing our partnership with
licensed, voluntary amateur radio operators to support response
(and) recovery efforts. We're honored to work side-by-side to meet
the needs of millions in the wake of disasters."

Former FEMA Administrator and ARRL member Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, led
the agency when the previous MOA with ARRL was signed in 2014.
Fugate said the agreement underscores the importance of ham radio.
"By incorporating amateur radio into their emergency plans, FEMA
ensures that they have access to a network of trained operators who
can establish and maintain communication links when traditional
infrastructure fails. This collaboration between FEMA and Amateur
Radio Operators allows for more robust and resilient emergency
communication capabilities, ultimately contributing to effective
disaster response and recovery," said Fugate.

"The ARRL Board and the Emergency Communications and Field Services
Committee are committed to strengthening our resourcefulness to the
EmComm (emergency communications) community," said ARRL President
Rick Roderick, K5UR. "Our partnership with FEMA helps further ARRL's
work to better serve our volunteers, partner agencies, and the
country."
NNNN
/EX
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (316:36/9)

SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX004
ARLX004 Gomez Nominated for Vacant FCC Seat, Two Commissioners
Renominated

ZCZC AX04
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 4 ARLX004
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 26, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX004
ARLX004 Gomez Nominated for Vacant FCC Seat, Two Commissioners
Renominated

President Joe Biden announced three nominees for the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) on May 22, 2023. The President will
nominate Anna M. Gomez for a vacant FCC seat. Two sitting
Commissioners, Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr, will be nominated
for new terms at the same time.

Gomez is an attorney with decades of experience in domestic and
international communications law and policy. Gomez currently serves
as a Senior Advisor for International Information and Communications
Policy in the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital
Policy, where she has been leading US preparations for the monthlong
WRC-23 conference that will commence on November 20 in Dubai. ARRL
The National Association for Amateur Radio has represented the
interests of US radio amateurs in preparation for the conference,
and ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, has
been appointed to the US delegation to WRC-23. ARRL also actively
supports the work of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU),
which, as a member of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector,
participates in conference preparatory work and whose
representatives will also attend WRC-23 by invitation as observers
in an advisory capacity.

Earlier in her career, Gomez served for 12 years in various
positions at the FCC, including Deputy Chief of the International
Bureau and Senior Legal Advisor to then-Chairman William E. Kennard.
From 2009 to 2013, she served as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Deputy Administrator. Gomez also briefly
served as Counsel on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, as well as Deputy
Chief of Staff of the National Economic Council during the Clinton Administration. Prior to joining the State Department in 2023, Gomez
was a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm Wiley LLP. Gomez also
was Vice President for Federal and State Government Affairs at
Sprint Nextel and an Associate at the Arnold (AND) Porter law firm.

Senate hearings on all three nominees are expected to be held in
June.
NNNN
/EX
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (316:36/9)

SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX005
ARLX005 Licensee Hit With $24,000 Fine for Jamming Net, Failure to
ID: FCC

ZCZC AX05
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 5 ARLX005
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT June 5, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX005
ARLX005 Licensee Hit With $24,000 Fine for Jamming Net, Failure to
ID: FCC

An investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
results in a large fine against a California amateur radio license
holder.

A Notice of Apparent Liability Forfeiture (NALF) for $24,000 has
been filed against Phillip J. Beaudet, N6PJB, of Burney, California.

According to the filing, the penalty is for Beaudet "willfully and
repeatedly interfering with the radio communications of the Western
Amateur Radio Friendship Association (WARFA) while it was attempting
to hold a regularly scheduled net and for failing to provide station identification on amateur radio frequencies."

FCC agents used direction finding techniques during November and
December of 2022 to track the interfering signals to Beaudet's home
station. Agents "heard him playing recordings on 3.908 MHz that
caused interference to the ongoing WARFA net while failing to
provide his assigned amateur call sign," the document stated.
NNNN
/EX
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (316:36/9)