A Really S-L-O-W Transatlantic Contact on 2200 Meters

In what is believed to be the first transatlantic contact on 2200 meters by a U.S. ham operating under

The shack at N1BUG
(From N1BUG.com)

FCC Part 97 rules, Paul Kelley, N1BUG, made a successful two-way contact on 137 kHz with Chris Wilson, 2E0ILY, in the United Kingdom, in late March. The ARRL Letter reports that the two used a mode known as DFCW60, or dual-frequency CW, 60-second dit length, and that the contact took four nights to complete! Their exchange included complete call signs, signal reports and acknowledgements. Canadian hams, who had access to the band sooner than U.S. amateurs, have reported several transatlantic contacts in the past.

Online Status Monitor for LoTW

Hams using the ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW) electronic confirmation system can now get real-time status information for the system at any time. The ARRL Letter  reports that the status monitor shows if the system is running or down; overall uptime statistics and other quick stats. It can be accessed at <www.arrl.org/logbook-queue-status>.
 

The addition of LoTW support for CQ's Worked All Zones (WAZ) award has proven very popular in its first month of availability, with very high levels of activity. See our FAQ guide in the June issue of CQ.

Clyburn Stepping Down as FCC Commissioner

Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn announced in mid-April that she would be leaving the

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn
(FCC photo)

Commission prior to its May 10 scheduled meeting. According to Politico, Clyburn made the announcement at the Commission's April meeting. She has served since 2009, focusing her attention on the communications and internet needs of low-income and minority communities. 
 

By law, the FCC's five commissioners are split between the major political parties, with the party of the President holding three seats. A Democrat would need to be nominated to fill Clyburn's seat, and the President traditionally accepts the recommendation of the Senate Minority Leader in making opposing-party appointments. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has already recommended the appointment of Geoffrey Starks, an assistant chief of the FCC Enforcement Bureau, according to the Politico report.

Enforcement in a ham radio case has caught the attention of another FCC commissioner. Michael O'Rielly used the long-running case William Crowell, W6WBJ (formerly N6AYJ), as an example in his efforts to abolish the FCC's Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) system. According to the ARRL Letter, Crowell - who was fined $25,000 in 2016 for intentional interference and other rules violations – has been battling the FCC for a decade over the renewal of his license. Crowell had repeatedly asked that his case be transferred to a different law judge, claiming that the judge hearing his case is biased against him. O'Rielly says the ALJ system is flawed and needs to be replaced.