Cascadia Rising Planning Meetings

I’d like to have a Tuesday night planning meeting at 6pm every Tuesday (except for regular meeting nights) between now and through Cascadia Rising.  I’m hoping this weekly update will help get folks prepared for the exercise, dial in our staffing and planning, and give us time to work through the forms to be transmitted.  I know… yet another meeting, but I don’t know how else to share ideas and practice without something structured like this.

I’ll do my best to send out a reminder 24 hours before and maybe 8 hours before each week so it is fresh in everyone’s mind.  The 8 hours before reminder should have some agenda type information so you know what we’ll be discussing and working on.

Yes… It is a different meeting number than the regular meetings, I’ll send it out with every single email reminder to it should be easy to open the email reminder and select the link.

Tuesday May 3 – 6pm-7pm – Cascadia Rising Planning – still refining scheduling, assignments.  Working towards one location to go to retrieve all the documents when we get closer so you can download the stuff you need prior to the event. (and we’ll take some feedback and ideas on the previous weekend’s events, what worked and what didn’t, how we could make it work better, etc.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89351387703?pwd=Q1dFLzVKbGdRK2ZuWGtsU3JXdElmZz09

Meeting ID: 893 5138 7703

Passcode: 383741

Phone in: +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

FCC Application system down

Update: The system was back up, then has been up and down off and on. Just know that there have been some ongoing difficulties since the implementation of the $35 fee-collection system. We’ll have to be patient while they iron out the wrinkles. -N7ONP

The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) reports that the FCC
Universal Licensing System (ULS) electronic batch filing (EBF)
system has been down since midday Tuesday, April 19, 2022, which is
the day the FCC application fees became effective for amateur radio.

On Wednesday, in a notice to all VECs, the FCC asked them to refrain
from submitting any session or application files while they work to
resolve the issue.

ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said the FCC did not estimate
how long the system would be down. Some applications were processed
through the system before the FCC notice was released to the VECs.

Applicants should expect delays with license and application
processing.

ARRL VEC will provide an update when the FCC communicates that the
filing system is back online.

——————————————————————–
ARRL Northwestern Division
Director: Michael T Ritz, W7VO
w7vo@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

Cascadia Coastal Coalition

Ralph KA8ZGM has provided information on upcoming talks from the Cascadia Coastal Coalition:

Talks are free and can be viewed in-person or by zoom.  Watch www.cascadiacoastalcoalition.org for updates and zoom info. RalphKA8ZGM

Next Upcoming Event: Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 10:00 am 

• What:   Spring Speaker Series
• Who: 
• Session 1: Yumei Wang, PE, FASCE, Owner of SLS LLC, and Senior Advisor on Infrastructure
• Resilience and Risk Affiliate Faculty, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Portland State University. 

• Cascadia Catastrophe in Coastal Communities

• Wang will discuss the expected catastrophic impacts from a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami on coastal communities, describing tsunami casualty estimates in each community, the breakdown of the Highway 101’s bridges that will result in a series of “islands”, and specific challenges that hospitals face in preparing for this inevitable disaster. People need to help reduce the increasing frequency and severity of disasters, including a Cascadia catastrophe. The “triple 3 resilience target” integrates readiness, response and recovery goals to strengthen community resilience. She will share fuel and water disaster planning guidelines aimed to help coastal hospitals prepare for “the big one”.

• Session 2:  Sky Terry , NW Regional Emergency Services Director.  Emergency Volunteer Aviation Team from NW Washington. http://www.evac.org/  and  http://www.evac.org/northwest.htm

• Hello, 

• Sky Terry is the NW Regional Emergency Services Director for the Emergency Volunteer Air Corps (EVAC) and also one of the leaders of the West Coast General Aviation Response Plan (WCGARP).

• It’s been well over a decades worth of drills, responses and effort but what we’ve developed together is a aviation based resource tied with ground support and HAM communication that we believe is the juggernaut that can take the worst the planet can dish out and can rise to the occasion to be that life saving critical life line when it’s needed the most.  Below is just one video of one of our past drills.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJFjoXDgWQ&t=277s

• Thank you again for being willing to be a part of this noble effort and below is our main website with some great additional information.

• www.evac.org/northwest.htm

License Fee Clarification

ARRL News | New FCC Application Fee Will Not Apply To Amateur Radio License Upgrades

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff has clarified in response to an ARRL request that the new $35 application fee will not apply to most license modifications, including those to upgrade an Amateur Radio Licensee’s operator class and changes to club station trustees.

The FCC staff explained that the new fees will apply only to applications for a new license, renewal, rule waiver, or a new vanity call sign. As previously announced, the new fees take effect on April 19, 2022.“

We are pleased that the FCC will not charge licensees the FCC application fee for license upgrade applications,” said ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. “While applicants for a new license will need to pay the $35 FCC application fee, there will be no FCC charge for future upgrades and administrative updates such as a change of mailing or email address.

Most current licensees therefore will not be charged the new FCC application fee until they renew their license or apply for a new vanity call sign.” ARRL previously reported that the new $35 application fee for Amateur Radio licenses will become effective on April 19, 2022. Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are available from the ARRL VEC.

Friday Forums: Digital Voice: April 8

We accommodate multiple digital voice modes on the 2nd Friday, typically opening breakout rooms for separate discussions. A robust D-star group will be updating their latest exploits. The Yaesu Fusion group plans to focus this month on basic operation of the FT70D.