ARRL Division News Northwestern Division

Hello Northwestern Division.

Hamfest season is well underway here in the NW. VD Sterba made the trip to Rickreall for the February swap meet. (see his report below) and Jo and I made the trip over to Puyallup for the Mike and Key swap meet. Both events were well attended. Pictured below is the booth at Mike and Key just before the doors opened. SM Purdom and VD Sterba along with SM Whitney and myself visited with hams from across the division.

L-R, EWA SM Whitney, WWA SM Purdom, Al N7OMS, and VD Sterba. Just before the doors open at Mike and Key Swap meet March 8th (KB7HDX photo)

Local legend receives due praise

Saturday afternoon, after the Mike and Key swap meet, Jo and I met up with WWDXC President Rob Fanfant, N7QT and WWDXC Board member Robin Amundson, WA7CPA, at the home of Tad Cook, K7RA. Tad, as many of you know recently retired after Thirty-Six continuous years of writing the weekly solar report for ARRL. As a result of his efforts all these years it was an honor to present him, on behalf of the ARRL Board of Directors, the ARRL Presidents Award. This was a complete surprise for Tad. Watch for the full story in an upcoming issue of QST. Congratulations, and thank you Tad.

L-R back, Rob-N7QT, Robin-WA7CPA, Mark-KB7HDX, with Tad, K7RA (WA7CPA photo)

Voice of Idaho Club meeting

Via ZOOM, I was able to present to the VOI group again on Marth 12th. This is a great group of active amateurs in and around the Boise area. This was the second-year meeting with them and I appreciate the opportunity. If you live in the area and have not stumbled onto this club, visit the website at voiceofidaho.org

Edmunds-Woodway ARC meeting

On the 13th I visited with the Edmunds-Woodway club via ZOOM. Ed, N7PHY and I have been working since October of last year to find a date that worked for the club and I. Thanks to the club for letting me join the meeting. edwaynet.com

FCC Initiates broad inquiry on rules to delete or amend (from ARRL News)

In a Public Notice titled “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete,” issued on March 12, 2025, the FCC is soliciting public input on any FCC rules in any service that members of the public believe should be deleted or modified “for the purpose of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens.” This is the latest in a series of similar proceedings going back to 1996, when the Communications Act was amended to require the FCC to periodically review its rules.

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®, through its Executive Committee and FCC Counsel, is conducting a review of the provisions in Part 97 and other related rules that apply to radio amateurs. ARRL is also soliciting feedback from its members. Rules identified as outmoded, obsolete, or that for other reasons should be repealed or modified, will be included in ARRL’s filing to be submitted no later than the FCC deadline of April 11, 2025. The deadline for filing reply comments is April 28, 2025.

It is expected that the Commission will incorporate suggestions that it decides worthy of its consideration in a future Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that could be issued later this year. There will then be an opportunity for public comment on the specific rules that the Commission proposes for deletion or modification.

A PDF of the FCC Public Notice is available here: docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-219A1.pdf.

Anchorage youth communicate via satellite (Craig Bledsoe, KL7H)

On Monday, February 10th, I addressed two classes of 5th and 6th graders on the topic of extraterrestrial satellite communications using handheld Amateur (“Ham”) Radio equipment. I met with the two teachers, Joeann Bradley and Sachiko Vandermartin, at lunchtime prior to setting up on the playground with my Yaesu VX-5R walkie talkie and an amplified handheld Arrow antenna. Shortly thereafter I was surrounded by approximately sixty attentive students who were amazed at just the idea of talking to astronauts onboard the International Space Station using only a handheld radio station.

Fairview Elementary School is a Title One institution located in the heart of a historically underserved region of Anchorage, Alaska. Many of these young people have never had the basic opportunities that many of us take for granted. When I was able to communicate with hams in outlying locations and let the kids speak back to them via a satellite in outer space in return, it was a transformative moment for most of the participants, in my opinion.

I offered two opportunities for these young people to communicate via satellite with a classroom slideshow briefing and Q&A session in between running outside into the cold and snow for the actual extraterrestrial conversations. I mentioned the possibility of an engineering career in their futures, and how scholarships were regularly available to hard-working and deserving students. Overall, it was a highly successful day, and I thanked all of my ham radio friends who helped me deliver on this opportunity to mentor an upcoming generation of potential Professional Engineers.

Craig Bledsoe, P.E., CSP
FCC Callsign: KL7H

Division email ability returns

The IT staff at HQ has restored our ability to email direct to members. This newsletter; however, is coming out of the marketing software at HQ as it contains photos which we cannot send via the legacy system. This format also goes to all Division members signed up to receive email from the Section or Division. The legacy system can be tailored to go out to only a section, or even down to legislative districts. If your club or group has information you would like shared, please call me about it and I can get it sent. Mind you this system is text only, no photos, and no graphics. If your information is specific to your section, you can also contact your Section Manager and they can forward the information out as well.

Upcoming ARRL sanctioned Hamfests and Swap Meets

April 12th N7YRC Tailgate Party, Union Gap (Yakima) WA
April 19th Kamiah Hamfest, Kamiah ID
April 26th Spokane Hamfest and WA State Convention, Spokane Valley WA
May 10th Stanwood-Camano ARC Flea Market, Stanwood WA
May 30, 31, and June 1st Northwestern Division Convention, SEA-PAC, Seaside OR
June 6, 7, and 8 Wenatchee Hamfest, Dryden WA
July 18-19, 20 Glacier-Waterton Hamfest, East Glacier MT
July 26th Chehalis Valley Swapmeet, Centralia WA
August 9th Idaho State Convention, Post Falls ID
August 15, 16 and 17th Pacific NW DX Convention, Clackamas (Portland) OR

For more information on these and other events, please visit n7cfo.com or the ARRL website.

73.. Mark, KB7HDX

And just what has VD Sterba been up to you might ask?

Hello Northwestern Division!

This last couple of months have been quieter when compared to January with a change to my tasking. Newly assigned to Administration and Finance Committee (A&F), I’m spending time refreshing myself on the roles, responsibilities, and authorities (RAA’s) of this committee. This will be a fun challenge as I step further into the meat and gravy of our ARRL Board functions.

I had the privileged of attending the Salem Hamfair in Rickreall, OR, and really had a great time. This was my first opportunity to meet many of the local team and was impressed with the great group of people supporting this event. This also was my first time working close with the Oregon Section Manager (SM) Scott, N7JI, who had proactivity engaged with the attendees on various League related concerns and questions. This is one of the crucial responsibilities of a SM – serving as the in-person representative for the attending population. My personal thanks goes to Scott on his proactive “Can-do” approach.

The inclement weather leading up to the event did appear to have impact attendance, yet there still was a steady stream of people for the duration. Some notables who stopped by the ARRL table were ARRL 2nd Vice President Mike Ritz W7VO, from the Oregon Section SEC Bonnie Altus AB7ZQ, Section Youth Coordinators Frank Gruber KB7NJV & Russ Mickiewicz N7QR, Emergency Coordinator Kathryn Catherwood KI7RNU. Attending from the Western Washington Section was District Emergency Coordinator Stan Nelson K7DKK

Left to Right: Oregon SM Scott N7JI, Northwestern Div V Dir. Michael KG7HQ & Oregon Youth Coord Russ N7QR

Speaking of events. I also had the privileged of attending the 43rd Annual Mike and Key Electronics Show and Swap meet in Puyallup, WA. and really had a fantastic time. The attendance was appearing like pre-2019 levels. While fielding questions, I enjoyed observing the renewed interest in the ARRL. I’m seeing a change in demographic with younger men and women enjoying the event and taking time to stop by the ARRL table to join. With this shift in population, you can feel the sense of community building.

My visit to the Radio Amateurs of Skagit County (RASC) allowed for an informal exchange surrounding current amateur radio events. Keeping up with these changes has been a bit daunting with different opportunities presenting themselves. The Leagues leadership team has been fully engaged in the current governmental affairs with our amateur radio community sharply in focus. Recent ARRL bulletins have shared additional details as understanding solidifies toward action.

Populations at the time of this writing (Lagging Indicators):

Northwestern Division Membership:

• 10,729 (Decrease from 10,799)
• 188 (New)
• 273 (Lapsed that re-joined)

National Membership:

• 136,107 (Decrease from 136,820)

License Counts:

• 73,011 (Division total)
• 933 (New)
• 0 (Upgrades) (Reporting under maintenance)
• 743,236 (National total)

Director Tharp and I are always open to input, good and bad, (we prefer good) from members. If you have anything you would like to talk about, shoot us an email or call on the phone. In addition, we are always looking for information to share with the Division. If you have a news item you would like to offer, please send us a note and we would be glad to include it here. It is always great to hear from members.

Enjoy Amateur Radio… Be Active, Be Positive, Be Safe, as your voice carries

Respectfully your servant,

Michael A. Sterba,
ARRL Vice Director
Northwestern Division
kg7hq@arrl.org

Mark J. Tharp, KB7HDX
Northwestern Division Director
kb7hdx@gmail.com