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All The News That'll Fit To Read
Last updated: 9-21-2011
The result of the September 16 and September 17, 2011 "HAM CRAM" class and W5YI testing session on September 17 resulted in quite a few new hams and several hams that upgraded their license.
The "Ham Cram" and Amateur radio testing sessions are held several times a year at the Ouachita Parish Fire Department at 1000 New Natchitoches Road, in West Monroe, Louisiana.
For information and for scheduling a slot in future "Ham Cram" classes, please contact:
kb5yeg@yahoo.com
or
kb5vjy@yahoo.com
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW AND UPGRADED HAMS (and thanks to Carlos, KB5YEG, for providing the callsign and licensing information). All licenses were effective on September 20, 2011.

TCHC meetings are held at 6:30 PM (with the A.R.E.S. meetings being held at 6:00 PM), the 1st Tuesday of almost every month, with few exceptions. Meeting dates for the remainder of the year are as follows:
OCTOBER 04
NOVEMBER 01
DECEMBER MEETING - COMBINED WITH HOLIDAY PARTY (DATE TO BE DETERMINED)
The Location for A.R.E.S. (6:00 PM) & TCHC (6:30 PM) MEETINGS:
OUACHITA PARISH FIRE CENTER
1000 NEW NATCHITOCHES RD.
WEST MONROE, LA.
All folks interested in amateur radio are welcome to attend both meetings.
We're not sure of the status of this bill, but wanted to keep the issue in your forethought.
On February 10, 2011, Rep. Peter T. King (NY) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that could threaten our spectrum on the 70-cm band (420-440 MHz). HR 607, the "Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011," was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on February 10 and then on February 28, 2011, the bill was further referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which handles telecommunications legislation.
The ARRL is asking its members and other hams to contact their US representatives to voice their opposition to the sections of HR 607 that could affect the Amateur Radio Service allocation in the 420-440 MHz band.
Please check out the details of this important issue at:
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-asks-members-to-write-in-opposition-to-hr-607
Links are provided for a sample letter, “How to find your Representative,” as well as the contact information for the League’s legislative consultant.
If you're not an ARRL member, a great tool for determining your U.S. Representatives and Senators is located at:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
We recommend calling the Washington D.C. telephone number listed for your representative and telling the congressional aid why you are calling and also provide your name and address. The call won't take much of your time and carries a great deal of weight with your members of congress.
Why not follow up by writing and mailing a letter to them, at the address provided at the above web site (click on your Representative's name to go to the details provided on the ContactingTheCongress web site).
If you are really serious about protecting our use of the 420-440 MHz band, since it's with the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, why not also contact each member of that subcommittee, which is listed at:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/subcomms/subcommittees.shtml
In fact, a couple of great URLs to have are:
http://www.house.gov/
and
http://www.senate.gov/
If you want to search the Library of Congress for current information regarding the 112th Congress, this is THE link to use:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?&n=BSS&c=112
There a number of additional useful links also found on this search page.
For a list of the 2011 Twin City Ham Club (TCHC) Officers and Board of Directors, CLICK HERE!



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