Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Dec 28 2018 11:14 am FCC MAKING CHANGES TO REGISTRATION SYSTEM JIM/ANCHOR: Change is coming to the FCC's registration system, as Paul Braun, WD9GCO, explains. PAUL: The FCC has announced changes being made to its Commission Registration, or CORES System, that will affect applicants taking amateur radio exams, or making changes to their licenses. CORES, which maintains FCC Registration Numbers known as FRNs, is being updated as of March 1, 2019. As a result of the changes, applicants for an FRN will need to create a CORES account first, before requesting an FRN. The creation of a CORES account will require the applicant to respond to an email that confirms the registration. This means that applicants who want to apply for, and receive an FRN, while present at an exam session, will have greater difficulty doing so. At some point in the future, all applicants will be required to have an FRN, because the FCC will no longer accept Social Security Numbers. Meanwhile, with the partial government shutdown in the U.S., the FCC announced on December 22nd that its offices will remain open through Wednesday, January 2nd. Brian Hart, director of the FCC's office of Media Relations said funding was available to keep the staff paid through that date. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO. (FCC) ** SILENT KEY: P.H. RAMA PRABHU VU2DEV JIM/ANCHOR: In India, hams are shaken by the loss of a well-known operator, an Elmer to many, as we hear from Jason Daniels, VK2LAW. JASON: Amateur radio operators in India are grieving the loss of a well-known ham, who was described as both an Elmer, and a benefactor to India's amateur community. P.H. Rama Prabhu, VU2DEV, became a Silent Key, on Friday, the 21st of December, according to news accounts. Satayan Sarath, VU3MES, reported on DX News, that the noted amateur was attending a programme at Ramanashree Academy, when he went into cardiac arrest. Satayan wrote that Rama Prabhu was a homebrewer, who always encouraged and cultivated new hams. Members of the Bangalore Amateur Radio Club were particularly affected by the loss of the Bengaluru resident, and considered him an inspiration. Originally from Hyderabad, he was affectionately known as Delta Echo Victor - or Dev - the suffix of his call sign. A report in the Telangana News newspaper noted that Dev was a frequent guest at amateur radio club meetings across the country, and many relied on his expertise, when homebrewing transceivers and building antennas. Vale, VU2DEV. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jason Daniels, VK2LAW. (TELANGANA TODAY) ** GOOD NEWS FOR GERMAN AMATEURS USING 4 METER BAND JIM/ANCHOR: Hams in Germany received some good news recently regarding their permission to use the 4m band, as Ed Durrant, DD5LP, tells us. ED: Hams in Germany who received access to part of the 4 metre band between May until the end of August in 2018, have received an extended section from 70.15MHz through 70.2MHz, effective from the 19th of December 2018, with authorisation through to the end of 2019. Operation is permitted on all modes, with a bandwidth less than 12kHz and a maximum of 25 watts ERP horizontally polarised signals from home stations only. Hams have been permitted to use 4 metres for experimental purposes in previous years. The German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) granted access most recently during the Sporadic E season of 2018, but Hams in Germany first had access to 69.950 MHz in 2007 through 2010, under a special experimental licence, and then full licensees have had access to 70.15 through 70.18MHz, between May and August in 2014, 15, 17 and 18. In a similar way to 6 metres, 4 metres will now require annual renewal by BNetZa if it is to become a semi-permanent band allocation in Germany. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP. (BNetzA) --- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32 * Origin: RadioWxNet: The Thunderbolt BBS tbolt.synchro.net (801:1/2) þ Synchronet þ Temple of Doom BBS - tod.eothnet.com .