If you would like to become a member of SELARC, please print out and complete the application/renewal form and return it with your check to: P.O. Box 1324, Hammond LA 70404. Thanks!

Shreveport-Bossier City Hamfest on 10-11 August with prizes, flea market and FCC exams! Details at http://shreveporthamfest.k5sar.com/

Multiple Sclerosis "Dat's How We Roll" Bike Tour a 150-mile ride from Hammond to Percy Quin Park in Mississippi and back will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6 & Sunday, Oct. 7. Ham radio volunteers to assist with communications can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or to volunteer.

Greater New Orleans Ham Fest on November 10th, Harahan LA, with prizes and flea market! Details at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2044282109131267/

Hammond VE Group - ARRL/W5YI tests are scheduled for the last Sunday of each month [with the exception of holiday conflicts] in Room "B" of the North Oaks Medical System Diagnostic Center at 2pm with $15 testing fee. Bring photo ID and any appropriate CSCE. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Find an Amateur Radio License Exam in Your Area.

Lots of Birthday Wishes in August go to Addison Fowler W5NON, David Muller W5NPV, Deandra Forrest K5XYL, Tyrone Burns N5XES, Trent Hernandez KD5PCM, Carmen Bray KF5VXO, and Mark Lacey WXRN... and belated Happy Birthday to Hillary Portier W5DIY, whose birthday we missed last month! If we missed your birthday, please let us know.

CQ Newsroom Update reports that fourteen-year-old Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, who was the 2017 Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure Essay Winner, has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Bill Pasternak WA6TIF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award. Rascoll lives in Montgomery, Alabama. He earned his Technician Class license at age 11 and had upgraded to Extra Class by late 2017.
His mom, Lauren, is also a ham (KG5TQO). Bryant is already an experienced contester and DXpeditioner. He was chosen for last year's Dave Kalter Youth DX Adventure in Costa Rica and was a member of one of three youth teams at this past July's World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) event in Germany. He is also the ARRL Alabama Section Youth Coordinator, won first place at a science fair earlier this year with a project on "Antenna Height Effectiveness" and was a presenter at the 2018 Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum. Before his move to Montgomery, Bryant frequently checked into our Tangi ARES Net and other local nets on VHF from his Algiers Point QTH. We join in congratulating him on his accomplishments!

The meeting was called to order at 7PM by President Tyrone Burns N5XES who led in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a self-introduction of all present. It was m/s/passed to accept minutes of the June meeting as published in the "Hamster." A monthly financial report was given by Treasurer Carol Redmond KE5GOC, and it was m/s/passed to accept the financial report. A new member application from John Shettles K5SNB was voted on and approved.

Attendance (13):Carol KE5GOC, Jimmy AG5EJ, Mark WX5RN, Tyrone N5XES, Ralph K5CAV, David Muller W5NPV, Pat KE5KMM, Keith KF5VLX, Bob WB5FBS, Ed KE5GMN, Carmen KF5VXO, David Oehler K4BHY and John Shettles K5SNB

Committee Reports: ARES (Pat KE5KMM) - Bob WB5FBS reported for Pat, who was absent, and suggested members attend the ARRL/ARES forums at the Slidell Hamfest on July 21 to hear and discuss upcoming ARES changes. He also mentioned the MS Bike Tour is coming up on the first full weekend in October, the 6th & 7th.

Old Business: (1)Field Day - Tyrone N5XES mentioned that Lyle KD5JRY was away and unable to give the report, but FD was noted as a success with many contacts made and excellent food! (2)LA Special Olympics - Bob WB5FBS stated there was nothing new to add except to thank the 17 ham volunteers who produced 90+ people-power hours for the event. The 2019 Special Olympic Games will be the weekend before Memorial Day. (3) Cleaning Supplies (Tyrone N5XES) - small portable vacuum, broom, and dust-bin for the radio room have not yet been purchased.

New Business: (1)August eating meeting - President Tyrone N5XES raised a question for discussion whether the August meeting should be an eating meeting, and where it should be. No decision was made. (2) SELARC Hamfest 2019 - Tyrone N5XES opened a discussion to begin preparations for the next Hamfest and the club has tentatively booked the same venue for 2019. (3)Elections - Tyrone N5XES opened a discussion suggesting the club amend SELARC bylaws in order to change election time frames to be earlier in the year. That way new officers would be already elected before annual registration filings with the secretary of state are due. Will be looking for more input in the next meetings. (4)After-meeting programs - A discussion was opened on the after-meeting presentations and suggestions for possible presenters on Digital HF and V/UHF topics.

==> ARRL Board Adopts Volunteer Monitoring Program; Official Observer Program to be Retired - The ARRL Board of Directors has adopted the recommendations of the Official Observer Program Study Committee, which would retire the venerable Official Observer (OO) Program and institute the Volunteer Monitoring (VM) Program. The Board took the action at its July 20 - 21 meeting in Windsor, Connecticut, instructing that the transition "be implemented as soon as practicable." Under the terms of the new program, current Official Observers will be invited to apply for appointment as Volunteer Monitors. The Board expressed its appreciation for the OOs and their dedicated volunteer service over the years.
The Board said the action is expected to re-energize enforcement efforts in the Amateur Radio bands and was undertaken at the request of the FCC in the wake of several FCC regional office closures and a reduction in field staff. Coordination of cases and evidence gathering would become the responsibility of ARRL Headquarters staff, while the FCC will retain the responsibility for final decisions regarding action in specific cases.

==> FCC Proposes $18,000 Fine in Louisiana Amateur Radio Interference Case - The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) proposing to fine Jerry W. Materne, KC5CSG, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, $18,000 "for apparently causing intentional interference and for apparently failing to provide station identification on amateur radio frequencies," the FCC said. "Mr. Materne was previously warned regarding this behavior in writing by the Enforcement Bureau and, given his history as a repeat offender, these apparent violations warrant a significant penalty," the FCC said in the NAL, released on July 25. In 2017, the FCC received numerous complaints alleging that Materne, a General-class licensee, was causing interference to the South West Louisiana Amateur Repeater Club W5BII repeater, preventing other amateur licensees from using it. In March 2017, the repeater trustee banned Materne from using the repeater. Local amateurs were able to track the interfering signal to Materne's residence and confirmed their findings to the FCC, prompting a Warning Letter advising Materne of the complaint and pointing out that his behavior "as described in the complaint would be a violation of Section 97.101(d) of the Commission's rules."
In the wake of further complaints, FCC agents visited Lake Charles, tracked transmissions on 146.130 MHz to Materne's residence, and monitored them for up to 7 hours. The agent reported hearing Materne "playing music on 146.130 MHz and warning other amateur operators that the local Amateur Radio club would not be able to conduct their net later that day." That evening, the agent watched as Materne drove to a location near the W5BII repeater, where, the agent said, Materne "began transmitting an amateur digital radio signal from a hand-held radio in his vehicle," disrupting the net and failing to identify. Subsequently, the agent, accompanied by a deputy from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, approached Materne's vehicle and confirmed that he possessed a radio capable of operating on 146.130 MHz. "Audio recordings captured by the agent demonstrate that the intentional interference ceased as the agent and the Sheriff's deputy approached Mr. Materne's vehicle," the FCC said in the NAL.

==> FCC Cites Baofeng Importer for Illegally Marketing Unauthorized RF Devices - The FCC has issued a Citation and Order (Citation) to Amcrest Industries, LLC (formerly Foscam Digital Technologies, LLC), an importer and marketer of popular and inexpensive Baofeng handheld transceivers, alleging that the company violated FCC rules and the Communications Act by illegally marketing unauthorized RF devices. The FCC asserts that Amcrest marketed Baofeng model UV-5R-series FM handheld radios capable of transmitting on "restricted frequencies." The Baofeng models UV-5R and UV-5R V2+ were granted an FCC equipment authorization in 2012 to operate under Part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Service (Land Mobile) rules. Amcrest conceded that the units were capable of operating on restricted frequencies but told the FCC that, per discussions with the manufacturer, were "only capable of operating at 1 W, the FCC said. The company instructed the manufacturer to fix the problem and later confirmed with the manufacturer that all Amcrest inventory on order and in the future would operate only on 145 - 155 MHz and 400 - 520 MHz. Amcrest told the FCC that it had ceased marketing four models in the Baofeng UV-5R series "a few years ago," but it did not remove them from its website until last February. Numerous online retailers continue selling UV-5R series radios for less than $25, with some ads indicating that these are "ham" equipment.

==> Parity Act Options Open Despite Removal from Defense Authorization Act Conference Report - ARRL Hudson Division Director and ad hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee Chair Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, said this week's removal of Amateur Radio Parity Act (HR 555) language from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report was unfortunate, but does not kill the initiative. The Parity Act would ask the FCC to grant radio amateurs living in deed-restricted communities the right to install effective outdoor antennas. Lisenco said that while the language was removed from the final NDAA Conference Report, other viable options remain to see the Parity Act succeed. Lisenco said that Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has been the lead obstructionist during several stages of efforts to enact the Amateur Radio Parity Act, which has passed the US House of Representatives four times. Lisenco added that that Nelson's opposition makes no sense, as Florida desperately needs effective Amateur Radio disaster communications during hurricanes, and hurricane season is rapidly approaching. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said the House-passed version of the NDAA included the Parity Act language, but the Senate bill did not, and a House-Senate conference committee had to resolve a variety of differences in the two passed bills. He said the Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member was one of the "Big Four" who would have had to agree to keep the Parity Act in the final NDAA Conference Report, but unfortunately, he deferred to Nelson on the matter; without Senator Nelson's opposition to the bill, it would have passed Congress long ago.

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Stay Radio active -- See you at the August 14th Meeting

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