Hamvention® and ARRL Introduce Dayton Mobile App

Attendees at this year's Dayton Hamvention® (which is also the 2019 ARRL National Convention) have the option of putting forum schedules, prize numbers and other information on their smartphones through a new, free, Hamvention app. According to the ARRL Letter, the designers' goal was to include exhibitor directories and maps, forum and dinner schedules, and winning prize numbers as hourly drawings are made. 

In addition, the app offers users the option to easily share their profile information with other attendees by scanning a QR code on each other's badges. The app is available for Apple and Android mobile devices, as well as a web-browser version that is supposed to be compatible with just about any platform.

W5KUB Live Hamvention Webcast Begins Wednesday

"Amateur Radio Roundtable" host Tom Medlin, W5KUB, will again be airing a live Hamvention webcast, beginning this Wednesday, May 15, during his 10-hour drive to Xenia, Ohio from his home in Memphis, Tennessee. The live webcast will feature 50 hours of live streaming of Hamvention 2019 with thousands of dollars of prizes for our viewers. Watch on
 W5KUB.COM.

The trip starts with a live webcast of the trip to Dayton on May 15th. Tom will also be on the air during the drive, using D-STAR, DMR,and HF. Check the chat room for frequencies. The live webcasts will continue on Thursday (setup day), the three show days of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, plus the return trip to Memphis on Monday May 20.

Astronaut Doug Wheelock will return for his 7th year as cohost. Join in the live chat room, or get more information on Facebook at <https://www.facebook.com/groups/w5kub/>.

ARRL to FCC: Ignore the QRM on Tech Enhancement

The ARRL has called on the FCC to disregard off-topic comments received in response to its 2018 proposal for enhanced HF privileges for Technician Class hams. In reply comments filed in late April, the ARRL Letter reports that the League noted that several comments related to other pending rulemaking proposals or dealt with privileges for other license classes. The "sole subject and intent" of its proposal, said the ARRL, is updating HF privileges for Technician Class licensees. The League's petition calls for limited voice privileges as well as RTTY/digital privileges for Techs on the 80, 40 and 15-meter bands, where Technicians already have CW privileges.

The reply comments also dismissed concerns expressed in some comments about increased interference potential due to an influx of Techs on HF digital modes, noting that "(i)t is improbable that all, or even a majority, of Technician licensees suddenly would develop a passion for the same digital technology." It also notes that many newer digital modes, such as FT8, are very spectrum-efficient and unlikely to result in broad-based interference.