RECENT UPDATES:

Increase in Amateur Power Limit

As announced by our President, Roy Symon, ZL2KH, in the November Official Broadcast, NZART is pleased to advise members that Radio Spectrum Management has agreed to our request that the general power limit for Amateur bands be increased. From 30 November 2011, the power limit for most bands will rise from 500 watts to 1000 watts peak envelope power (pX), as defined in ITU Radio Regulation 1.157. The only exception to this increase is for those bands (130 to 190 kHz, 505 to 515 kHz, 26.95 to 27.30 MHz and 921.00 to 928.00 MHz) which currently have lower limits and, in these cases, the current limits will continue to apply.

This is a very satisfactory conclusion to the HBARC Remit to the 2011 NZART Conference and will assist NZ Amateurs to:

* participate in weak signal work including EME, meteor scatter, DXing etc;

* remain competitive, despite our remoteness, when participating in contests.

For further information on licence conditions, please see the updated Amateur General User Radio Licence (GURL) on the RSM website

Don Wallace, ZL2TLL, NZART Administration Liaison Officer

Call Book 2011/2012 and Membership Drive

From the President

There have been two matters that have been in the pipeline - namely a Membership Drive and a Call Book for this year. Both were dependent on obtaining data from RSM that is accurate and useable.

In order for a Call Book to be ready for delivery with the December issue of Break-In the Call Book editor needed this data by 7th November. Consequently, as the data from the Smart system hasn't been received by him in time, we will have to reluctantly cancel the Call Book for this year.

Likewise for the membership drive. Accurate data is necessary so that we can compile a list of non-members who would be approached to join. As a result, the membership drive has also been called off.

Both of these cancellations are regrettable -but are outside the control of your headquarters as well as your Council.

I hope that you all have a really enjoyable Christmas with plenty of time to enjoy family and friends - and that 2012 will be good to you and yours. <

Roy Symon, ZL2KH, President, NZART (Inc).