Meeting Notice

Saturday September 24, 1995

There will be a general SCRRBA membership meeting on
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 1995.

Check-in time is 12 Noon. The meeting will begin at 1 PM SHARP (even if check-ins are not completed).

The principal purpose for this meeting is to come to a consensus on the positions we are to present to the ARRL national coordinators meeting in St. Louis in October. The FCC has made it clear that they want a single point of contact with the amateur community nationwide.  The ARRL is considering "volunteering" to be this single contact. This is phrased as a single point of contact with amateur "Repeater" Coordinators. This obviously has the potential to expand to include all areas of amateur radio to FCC communications. FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Deputy Chief Ralph Haller (who will attend the St. Louis meeting) has indicated that they are willing to consider recognizing a method of "certifying" coordinators, but, that they would only deal with a single "point of contact." This opportunity requires a national structure. The St. Louis meeting is intended to determine if we want to do this, and, if so, how it could work.

The ARRL Board of Directors has approved the following set of objectives for the St. Louis national coordinators' meeting. An agenda is being re-written with additional items being considered.

1. To respond to an FCC request that it be provided with a single point of contact with the coordination community, through which the FCC would recognize and support local and regional coordinators.

2. To determine whether coordinators would support a return to repeater licensing, subject to the applicants' acceptance of coordination recommendations and with provisions for temporary or trial operation.

3. To determine to what extent coordinators should coordinate emitters other than repeaters, and whether coordinators should attempt to resolve interference between repeaters and other kinds of amateur stations. (We still have to educate them--they did not include Auxiliary stations in their agenda items. Auxiliary stations are rather uncommon in Newington.)

4. To develop a procedure for bringing to the FCC for action, coordination issues that cannot otherwise be resolved.

5. To decide how to develop standards for service by coordinators.

6. To decide how appeals of local coordinators' decisions should be handled.

7. To develop a process for recognition and orderly succession of coordinators.

8. To decide how the coordinating community should respond to the introduction of new technologies.

Additional items being thrust into the fray are: Technical standards like co-channeling based upon (computer analysis of) HAAT and ERP (another eastern flatlanders viewpoint--they haven't even mentioned real technical standards); Coordinator "certification" and selection criterion; "Mandatory coordination and repeater licensing -- No coordination paper--No License."

The ARRL Board is not on top of reality on these items. Read Minute 85 in the Sept. QST, Pg. 58. Our director Heyn tried unsuccessfully to cause recognition by the board of the FACT that local band plans have priority over the "national" band plan. We must make our voices loud enough so that the "N. I. H." syndrome prevalent among the eastern area directors wilts under the barrage! These questions will result in quite a bit of discussion in our meeting, and most likely an incredible babel in St. Louis! We will report on the overall picture at this point. We will then listen to discussion from the floor on these matters and attempt to determine a consensus. Hopefully, it will be possible to boil down the discussion to the point where we can vote on certain resolutions produced by this consensus. It is anticipated that these matters will take the vast majority of the meeting time.

There are a number of additional subjects to cover. We will briefly report on the FCC/NTIA actions on the 2.3 GHz band, the Apple petition to steal the 5.6 GHz band, the NOAA Wind Profiler on 448-450 MHz (yes it is here in So. Cal.!), the new Microwave band plans, and the new 431 and 439 MHz digital sub-band plan. We will report briefly on the progress of the commercial 450-512 MHz "refarming" rules and how they could affect us. There will be some handouts available of band plans, information, and forms.

Check-in means "pay your dues" (still $10/year) and determine your eligibility to vote. Voting is limited to full members. Full members are those who have paid their dues and who own/operate a relay system in the bands SCRRBA coordinates. A voting paddle represents one member system. Multiple paddles representing the same system are not permitted. If you cannot attend and you wish to send a representative, you must send that person with a "proxy" letter. This letter must identify you well enough so that we can find you in the coordination records, and must clearly identify the person you wish to hold your vote. It is acceptable for one person to hold more than one voting paddle. That person must present acceptable proxy letters at check-in time and have the proxies validated before the paddles will be issued.

The meeting will be held in the auditorium at the Combined Orange County Search and Rescue Center, 18685 Santa Ynez Street, Fountain Valley. This is the former James Harper Elementary School. This facility is in the residential area bounded by Newland, Magnolia, Garfield, and Ellis streets.

From southbound on Magnolia St., turn right onto Nightingale Ave. (the third right south of Ellis), go one block to Santa Ynez St., turn right, and the school will be on your left.

Last modified: April 12, 2003