FCC Retires Old “CORES” Registration System

If you’ve been licensed for more than six years, you will probably want to update your FCC CORES (COmmission REgistration System) file to move it to the commission’s updated system. The ARRL Letter reports that use of the new system is now mandatory and that the legacy system was retired as of July 15. This is the system that keeps track of your licensing records and issues your FRN, or FCC Registration Number, without which you can’t do business with the FCC’s computers. The updated system may be accessed at <https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do>.

Earthquake Exercise Puts Winlink to the Test

More than 100 radio amateurs in North and Central America took part in June’s “SoCal Shifting 2022” earthquake drill, a joint exercise involving the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the EmComm Training Organization and county/local law enforcement. 

According to the ARRL Letter, the main goal of the exercise was to test the operational capability and readiness of the Winlink radio e-mail system. The 101 participating hams were asked to send a series of four messages, ranging from a “Did You Feel It?” message to a Field Station Report. The after-action report indicated that 76 of the stations sent all four messages, 16 sent three (most often forgetting the Winlink check-out message), and the remaining nine stations sent either one or two of the four messages. The LA Northeast District Emergency Coordinator said the test was a great success, especially since participants had been given only three days’ notice.

Friedrichshafen “Ham Radio” Show Returns in Person; DCC to Follow

The annual “Ham Radio” gathering in Friedrichshafen, Germany, , sponsored by the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), returned in person this year after a two-year Covid hiatus. Organizers report that Europe’s largest hamfest was very successful despite drawing a smaller-than-usual crowd (10,200 attendees vs. 14,300 in 2019) from 52 countries around the world.

The ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) will also return to an in-person format this year. The 41^st DCC will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 16-18. More information is available at <https://tapr.org>.

ARDC Funds Education Projects

The Amateur Radio Digital Communications foundation (ARDC) is providing funding for amateur radio-related projects at both ends of the education spectrum. According to the ARRL Letter, one grant, aimed at elementary school students, is going to the Science is Elementary organization to fund publication of a radio-themed book in the group’s series of books aimed at helping students solve problems using science. Jasmine and José Build a Radio tells the story of two young people visiting a friend who’s a ham and are inspired to build their own radio. The books will be accompanied by field trips allowing students to build a working radio from simple components.

The second grant is going to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, to fund ongoing work by three recent graduates on a project to encourage experimentation in the 33-centimenter (902 MHz) amateur band.

ARDC also increased its scholarship commitments this year to $750,000. See the following item for details.