From: estey@skyler.mavd.honeywell.com
Subject: ARRL Explains HF STA Administration
Organization: Honeywell Systems & Research Center
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 15:12:28 GMT

ARRL Explains Their Management of the STA for Unattended Operation.
Prepared by Carl Estey, WA0CQG 8/18/92

In anticipation of filing comments on the forthcoming ARRL rulemaking proposal
concerning unattended automatic message forwarding I wrote a letter on August
6th to Luck Hurder, KY1T seeking information on the STA process. He is the 
Deputy Manager in the Field Services department at the American Radio Relay 
League. 

What follows is a summary of the questions submitted to, and responses from, 
Mr. Hurder concerning the guidelines by which the ARRL has administered the 
STA for unattended automatic digital message forwarding since it was granted 
in June of 1986.   

Question 1.
Estey: "What are the criteria by which the ARRL evaluates individual requests 
for inclusion under the STA?"

Hurder: "I can't speak for the initial period of time that the STA was in
operation, but during the last couple of years, the criteria has been based on
the wishes of the Net Managers, not ARRL HQ.  In other words, if the NMs told
us they had to have W0ABC as an integral part of the experiment, then 'ABC's
application was approved, until such time as additional applicants were no
longer required to conduct the experiment.  See #7 below."

Question 2.
Estey: "How many different stations, from inception of the STA to present, 
have requested coverage under the STA?"

Hurder: "Many hundreds have requested it since 1987.  Most had no idea of
what the experiment was about and merely wanted to disobey PART 97 by
operating their Personal Mailbox Systems on an unattended basis on HF.  Of the
hundreds, 140 individuals were eventually approved to participate in the ARRL
unattended packet STA."

Question 3.
Estey: "Is there a limit on the number of stations that will be included with
the STA and how was that determined?"

Hurder:  "No."

Question 4.
Estey: "Is there any proof required of stations granted use of the STA that
they are still actively operating in the automatic un-attended mode?"

Hurder:  "No."

Question 5.
Estey: "How many stations per mode (i.e.: Packet; AMTOR; RTTY; etc.) are
currently authorized to operate under the STA?"

Hurder: "138, but a discussion of mode is not applicable, as the STA was
solely to allow HF packet on an unattended basis."

Question 6.
Estey: "Does the ARRL track the number of HF nets?  If yes, how many digital
automatic and unattended nets are there?"

Hurder:  "There are four authorized."

Question 7.
Estey: "Does the ARRL refer inquiries from prospective STA participants to net
managers  (i.e.:  Dave Toth, VE3GYQ for SKIPNET - 14.109 Mhz)?"

Hurder:  "Yes"

[EOF]
-- 
______________________________________________________________________________
Carl Estey                  |  Home Mail Address: 276 Walnut Lane
Amateur Callsign:    WA0CQG |                     Apple Valley, MN 55124
                            |  Business Address:  Honeywell Inc.
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The nonsense here is of my own making - no one else would want credit!