SteveShannon

Where did you find that on the ARRL website? I used their search function and found nothing other than mentions. Thanks!

That’s how I read it also.

Here it is, from ARRL: Good morning, The serial number is a sequential number, starting with 1 for your first contact, 2 for your second contact, and so on. In the case of the 10 Meter contest, stations located in the US, Canada, and Mexico send their state or province abbreviation, not a serial number. In the ARRL International DX contest, as a US station, you'd be sending a signal report and your state abbreviation. It's customary to just give a 59 (or 599 if CW) as a signal report and then your state. The DX stations will send a signal report and their serial number, when then goes in your log for cross checking (we check to see if you receive the number they sent you correctly by comparing the logs.) I can add that term to the glossary which is located at the end of the contest rules PDF files on the ARRL website. 73, Paul Bourque, N1SFE Contest Program Manager

Yes. I think @WSEZ864 probably nailed it but it should still be defined somewhere easy to find.

Welcome to the forums! I hope you enjoy it.

Hopefully people won’t get too wrapped up in recreational use of radio, but with the official language decree I could see court orders going out against any business who discriminates against someone who is using English.

This is especially true if the license that the OP seeks to renew is one of the grandfathered licenses. FCC has made it very clear that those licenses, which carry with them privileges that newer licensees may not exercise, must be kept up. Once expired they will not be renewed.

Here are the rules for the 10 meter DX contest. https://contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/10M-Rules.pdf Yes, a serial number is required and apparently serial numbers are required for some DX contests, but unfortunately I couldn’t find where the term is defined. It might be as simple as the serial number corresponding to your logbook or to a log of contacts for that particular contest, in which case, since he was your first contact it would have been simply ‘1’. But I don’t really know. There are FAQs, glossaries, and “Getting Started” articles and none of them (that I could find) define “Serial Numbers” even though they use the term. I think that’s a stupid oversight. I have written to the contest director at the ARRL asking for such terms that they take for granted to be added to a glossary that the rules reference.

For GMRS, the FCC allows plain language voice communications: 95.1731 Permissible GMRS uses. The operator of a GMRS station may use that station for two-way plain language voice communications with other GMRS stations and with FRS units concerning personal or business activities. Earlier, in the overarching Personal Radio Services definitions (which apply to all of the personal radio services) the FCC tells us what is meant by plain language voice communications: 95.303 Plain language voice communications. Voice communications without codes or coded messages intended to provide a hidden meaning. Foreign languages and commonly known radio operating words and phrases, such as “ten four” and “roger,” not intended to provide a hidden meaning, are not considered codes or coded messages. Even with an executive order to establish English as our official language changes to the above rules would need to be made if the government determined that radio communication must be done in English. Of course legislation could do it, assuming it withstood a constitutional challenge.

This picture, which I believe originated from Laird, shows how much or how little placing an antenna base off center, or even at the corner of the roof actually makes: 0.02 dB less when moved to a corner of the roof. I don’t believe any of us would even notice that. Moving it from the roof makes more difference of course.

Call customer support at the FCC

On this we agree.

Chinese refers to people, not all things from China. Citizens of Taiwan consider themselves Chinese. Millions of Americans are also Chinese. “Made in China” is different from “Chinese”. Using the term “Chinese” contributes to racial stereotypes. I agree with the fact that much of what is exported to the United States from China is poor quality. But it’s also possible to import quality goods from China if an importer is will to exert quality control on the goods, either in China or upon receiving them here. Making the mistake of assuming that all things made in China have little or no quality has already cost US manufacturing greatly. The truth is that they have as much or as little quality as we are willing to pay to own. Communist China is one of our two greatest adversaries, economically and militarily. To underestimate their abilities by subscribing to stereotypes is very risky. I may be more sensitive to this than others having worked in Taiwan in my past, but I believe it’s an important subject.

I absolutely agree.

I was answering his question, not baiting you.