PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS
October 1998
It seems impossible that it is October already, but as our pace becomes more rapid, time just seems to fly by. October means our General Meeting is held further South so our Orange, San Diego, and Imperial County members have the shorter drive. This year, thanks to the help of Sybil, W6GIC, we are back at the Carlsbad Safety Center in Carlsbad, CA. This freeway close location makes it easy to get to no matter where you live. Driving directions are on the Meeting Notice page (reverse). If you need a map, be sure to read the Web Page comments below.
Your attendance at the meeting is important for several reasons. Not only do we need your representation to insure we have a quorum, but several important initiatives are underway and we need your input. I mentioned last quarter that I would be starting the process of a formal Band Plan Review and would be appointing individuals to work in several improvement areas. The tentative schedule for the Band Plan Review is as follows:
| October - December 1998 | Identify key individuals who can represent the various interest groups on 219 & 222 MHz. and begin to solicit input from the general Amateur Community. Name Band Plan Review Committee Chairman. |
| January - June 1999 | Conduct Band Plan Review meetings and formulate any desired changes. Define options that need to be reviewed at a Public Meeting. |
| July - September 1999 | Present any change proposals at a special Public Meeting. Solicit comments on the proposed changes. |
| October - December 1999 | Finalize Band Plan Proposal(s) and distribute for consideration. |
| January 2000 General Meeting | Adopt Band Plan to start the new millennium. |
The Coordination Process Improvement Committee has already started its work and is still looking for more members. Dick Mathison, KG6Y, was appointed Chairman of this committee and would like to hear from any of you interested in helping. It is our goal to better define and document the procedures we want to use in performing Amateur coordination. Efforts are also underway to improve the records keeping process so critical to us being able to do a good job.
OFFICER ELECTIONS - October also means that Association Officer Elections are just around the corner. It is imperative that we have individuals willing to do the several administrative tasks involved in running an organization of this nature. We need new blood. I have held the office of President for several years and it is time that I pass this assignment on to someone new. I will continue to be active in the Association, and may even be willing to take on the assignment of Treasurer, or keep the assignment of Webmaster, but everyone should be planning on whom they want to elect for Officers in January.
ARRL SWD CONVENTION - The Convention was a great success and the Spectrum Management & Repeater Coordination Forum was well attended despite facility issues. We appreciate the support SCRRBA provided in making the session worthwhile. Apparently League President Stafford has been reading our Newsletter because during his ARRL Forum comments he mentioned the opportunity that Amateur Spectrum Management and Coordination organizations have for providing leadership in moving Amateur Radio into new technology. BTW, over 125 copies of our Special Convention Issue Newsletter were picked-up by convention attendees. For those interested, there are some photos of convention activities available on the Internet at my Volunteer Organizations Page.
http://www.orgs.cc220SMA ON THE WEB --
http://www.220sma.org -- The importance of our presence on the Web continues to be demonstrated as members and non-members alike give me feedback as to the value of our site. Thank you all for the nice comments. This month there are a couple of new items you should check out, including interactive maps to help you find your way to the General Meeting. Again, if you are a 220SMA member and don't know the "Members ONLY" password, drop me an e-mail. Registered members watch your e-mail for password change information.220 MHZ AUCTION - This auction is for the 220 MHz spectrum (220 to 222) we lost to the commercial interests. If you haven't been watching what is happening as the FCC conducts its second auction for frequencies in this area, you might want to check out the FCC Web Pages. Since the Commission has dropped the requirement for "spectrum efficient" (wasn't that the reason we lost it?) applications the band has new value. If you come to the October meeting we will help you figure out what your favorite channel on 220 is worth.
I look forward to seeing you at the October Meeting. Please share your ideas with me on how we can improve.
Jim Fortney, K6IYK Jim@Fortney.com P.O. Box 3419, Camarillo, CA 93011-3419 805-491-3916