South African RAE results released

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Many new radio amateurs will be on the air from this week as the results of the May 2014 Radio Amateur Examination have been published on the South African Radio League web

The South African Radio League RAE Manager, Gideon Jannasch, ZS4GJA, reported a good pass rate, 118 candidates were successful.

Congratulations to all the successful candidate and welcome on the air. If you did not make it this time, you are encouraged to write the October examination.

May RAE Results - http://www.sarl.org.za/Web3/RAE/ExamResultsPublic.aspx

ITAR restrictions on US radio amateurs to be eased

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The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) inexplicably applies to amateur radio satellites. It threatens US radio hams with jail terms or six figure fines if they cooperate with amateurs outside the USA on satellite projects. Cooperation includes talking about or publishing on the web certain information regarding amateur radio satellite systems.

After 15 years of restrictions and intense scrutiny, the United States Department of State is reclassifying satellites and several related components so they will no longer be treated as weapons. The changes affect Category 15 of the U.S. Munitions List (USML), which covers spacecraft and related articles, by shifting most commercial, civil and scientific satellites and accompanying equipment to the Department of Commerce’s Commerce Control List (CCL).

“The Department [of State] has committed to reviewing during the six months after the publication of this rule whether further amendments to the USML controls on civil and commercial remote sensing satellites are warranted, and seeks additional public comment on this matter,” according to a statement released by the Federal Register.

This rule is effective 10th November 2014, except for Sec. 121.1, Category XV(d), which is effective June 27, 2014. Interested parties may submit comments on paragraphs (a)(7) and (e)(11) of USML Category XV and ITAR Sec. 124.15 by June 27, 2014.

Read the full article - http://www.satellitetoday.com/regional/2014/05/16/new-us-satellite-export-reforms-gets-positive-response-from-industry/

Federal Register – Amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Revision of U.S. Munitions List Category XV - https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/05/13/2014-10806/amendment-to-the-international-traffic-in-arms-regulations-revision-of-us-munitions-list-category-xv

Among the projects affected by ITAR has been the New Zealand Amateur Radio satellite KiwiSAT. A 2009 IARU Region 3 report highlights that ITAR requirements made AMSAT-NA direct its members to cease cooperation with AMSAT-ZL in the development of KiwiSAT - http://www.iaru-r3.org/14r3c/docs/046.doc

2005 amateur radio P3E IHU project killed by ITAR  - http://www.amsat-dl.org/p3e/bericht-ihu3-0205-e.pdf

ITAR impact on the Eagle project - https://web.archive.org/web/20140327205527/ or http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/eagle/

AMSAT-UK - http://amsat-uk.org/

Ham Radio operators train National Guardsmen

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Eight Prattville Army National Guard members from the 231st Military Police Battalion armoury travelled to Fort McClellan for specialized training in ham radios in May 2014

The military is trying to bring back the use of HF or high-frequency communications in the service rather than having sole dependence on satellite communication.

With today’s email and cellphone communication, radios now are used primarily during natural disasters and emergency situations such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy when high cellphone use can overload the satellite system.

Special radio frequencies can communicate with emergency management agencies during such times.

“Today’s military has started to depend more on satellite communication. However, HF or high-frequency communications, is a more rapidly deployable communication system,” Black explained. “You can set up an antenna, tune into the right frequency and start talking within minutes. It takes much longer to set up a satellite.”
— Joel Black W4JBB, member the Region 4 Army Military Auxiliary Radio Service