Ares members responded to a call to assist with communications during the Colorado Fires. To learn more go to

http://www.arrl.org/news/ares-activates-as-wind-driven-year-end-fire-destroys-1-000-colorado-homes

Amateur Radio Operators in California answered the call when storms hit their area. To learn more of their activities go to

The new President of the Radio Amateurs of Canada attended the ARRL Board Meeting

Get an update on the current solar cycle at

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=11&month=01&year=2022

The annual winter field day event will be held January 29/30 2022. More information at

https://www.winterfieldday.com/

Water and communications equipment has started to arrive in Tonga. To see some of the efforts go to

The following was received from the ARRL

From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  January 19, 2022
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB005
ARLB005 Amateur Operation in 3.45 – 3.5 GHz Segment Must Cease by
April 14, 2022

The FCC has established April 14, 2022, as the date by which amateur
radio transmissions must stop in the upper 3.45 – 3.5 GHz segment of
the amateur secondary 9-centimeter band. Secondary operations are
permitted to continue indefinitely in the remainder of the band, 3.3
– 3.45 GHz, pending future FCC proceedings.

On January 14 the FCC released DA 22-39, which announces the results
of Auction 110 for the 3.45 – 3.55 GHz band. Release of this notice
triggered FCC rules adopted last year requiring that amateur radio
operations between 3.45 GHz and 3.5 GHz cease within 90 days of the
public notice.

DA 22-39 can be found online at,
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-winning-bidders-345-ghz-service-auction/attachment-a
.

In October 2021, ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, urged Congress
to direct the FCC to preserve Amateur Radio’s secondary use of the 3
GHz band in a written statement responding to H.R. 5378, the
Spectrum Innovation Act of 2021, before the US House Commerce
Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

A chronology of actions responding to amateur access on the 3.5 GHz
band can be found on the ARRL website at,
http://www.arrl.org/3-ghz-band .
NNNN

The following information was received from Radio Relay International.

Radio Relay International has received several inquiries regarding emergency communications support in the aftermath of the Tonga volcanic eruption.

Our nearest RRI Registered Radio Operator is in Fiji, approximately 800 km (500 miles away). He reports the following:”The situation in Tonga is dire indeed with the loss of their submarine cable link as well as ash clouds blocking satellite communications.”

The ETC Office in Suva also enquired about any HF links in Tonga, but as far as I know there are no resident amateur stations there, and most inter-isand links now rely on satellite. Perhaps there remains some HF links with government offices, but I do not have the information here.

This is a typical example of the need for skilled HF operators to be trained in such localities; the lack of interest for HF nowadays is the main issue.”

If more news is forthcoming, RRI will provide additional information and any needed operational guidance to the Amateur Radio community. For more information on disaster emergency communications planning and response, please visit the RRI website or download a copy of our National Emergency Communications Response Guidelines at: http://radio-relay.org/…/RRI-NECRP-2020-8-1-Final…