The meeting is to be held in Brazil from September 10th to the 14th. One of the agenda items is a recommendation that a new RSQ reporting system be used for digital modes below 30 MHz.

RSQ stands for Readability, Strength and Quality. It was first proposed and endorsed at the Region 1 IARU General Conference back in 2005.  RSQ would replace the traditional RST reports that hams have used since 1934. RST stands for Readability, Strength and Tone, but appears not suitable for digitally generated signals. RSQ is favored because it can provide a more useful signal report for High Frequency digital modes. (Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1565)

An innovative QSL service named iQSLUSA 

www.iqslusa.com is now operational from Niagara

Falls, NY. The service is aimed at both e-QSL as well paper QSL users and contains several innovative features designed to make QSLers life easier.First pioneering element that comes to mind is an online design tool called QSLmaker. It actually allows creating your own QSL cards online without downloading or learning any programs. Most of cards turn out to be rather attractive; since the system lets you add your call, logos and other related graphics to various templates of predetermined styles. For example, you can play around with vintage 1930's looks or modern images from space.

Right now there are approximately 30 different styles present and (according to developers) the system is being frequently updated. Once the right layout is finished, you can e-mail it to yourself or use it as e-qsl by e-mailing it to the person with whom you just had a QSO.

For those of us who prefer paper QSL cards, iQSLUSA arranges full color QSL printing in US at decent rates. Along with that come several additional free services aimed to eliminate backlogs and save time.

For example, you may e-mail your log in spread sheet format, and they will automatically fill in your QSO table during printing. So if your backlog consists of several hundred cards, this type of service may certainly become handy.

In addition, they may pre sort all QSL cards alphabetically, as well as forward them to incoming or outgoing Bureaus in North America. Thus if you need a QSL manager, iQSLUSA could effectively become one.

An entire website in itself is quite attractive; has a fair size QSL gallery and is generally pleasant to look at. You may find it at www.iqslusa.com

Starting this September, there will be no filing at the FCC by fax or e-mail. Radio World reports that the regulatory agency is doing away with interim procedures it adopted in 2001 to allow electronic filing of certain pleadings.

The procedure in question came into being following an anthrax scare on Capitol Hill and some U.S. Postal Service processing facilities. This disrupted mail delivery and required certain documents to be filed via fax or e-mail, by an overnight delivery service other than the U.S. Postal Service, or by hand-delivery to the commission?s Capitol Heights, Maryland location. Since that time, mail delivery in the Washington areas has improved and the FCC has implemented its own processes to combat the threat of contamination of incoming mail. The commission also has expanded its online filing capabilities.

Based on this, the agency decided to rescind the interim procedures effective September 25th.  After that date, filings will no longer be accepted by facsimile or e-mail unless otherwise authorized by the

FCC?s rules. Its not clear if this decision to revert back to the old system will affect ham radio operators filing of rules change requests or those making comments on them. (Amateur Radio Newsline)

FCC WILL NOT CHANGE ID TIME PERIOD RULES:

The FCC has said no to a pair of hams who sought to change the time period in which it requires an Amateur station to identify. 

There were two I-D time limit filings. In the first, a ham in Texas, had asked the regulatory agency require that hams transmit their call-sign at the beginning and end of each single transmission and at other times involving short interval communications.

Another ham in Maryland had petitioned the FCC to reduce the required frequency of station identification period to every 30 minutes, rather than once every 10 minutes as it is now.

The FCC sees nothing wrong with the current 10 minute I-D requirement and plans to keep it that way.

(Amateur Radio Newsline)

Background Checks: ARRL Board of Directors Acts on Background Checks at July Meeting.  A major concern at this Board meeting was the topic of served agencies and background investigations. The Ad Hoc Background Investigation Committee agreed that pursuing federally recognized credentialing for Amateur Radio volunteers was critical for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) to function. The Committee chairman, ARRL Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, proposed that the Board adopt a policy with regard to Memoranda of Understanding with the various served agencies.  The Board adopted a policy that "communications volunteers participating in ARRL-sponsored programs should not be required by served agencies to undergo background investigations of any kind," but notes that criminal background checks--performed by law enforcement agencies--are "generally acceptable." 

Technician Licensee Info: All technician licensed amateur radio operators (even those without passing any code test) now have privileges on some HF bands.
This includes SSB and CW privileges from 28.3 to 28.5 Mhz
To upgrade to general class, operators will still need to take the written exam and pay the examination fee. More Info on the ARRL website