Author: kc9wwh

This has been at the top of our minds recently as we’ve been dealing with some coordination issues. I thought it might be a good time to go over what a coordinated system is, and why, even though it seems like a lot of  “bureaucracy” there are good reasons for handling coordination the way we do. I’ll also mention something in the new bylaws that will help holders of coordination in the future. First, let’s talk about a coordinated system.
A coordinated system is one that:

• Has received a coordination recommendation from the coordinator.
• Has built the system according to the parameters of the coordination recommendation, and has notified the coordinator as such.
• Has NOT made any changes to height, power, mode, frequency, access tones, location, etc.
• Has responded to periodic updates, even if there are no changes.
• Has notified WAR of any changes to the Holder of Coordination, and has kept WAR updated of any changes of contact information.
• That has consistently remained in operation, as defined in our by-laws.
  

Now, that’s not an all-inclusive list, but at the minimum ALL of those conditions must be met in order to be considered a coordinated system. Note that some of those are on-going requirements. Coordination is not a “build and forget” thing. You must “actively” remain coordinated.

What causes a system to be de-coordinated? Here are some things:

• Failure to respond to periodic updates.
• ANY change to a technical parameter such as mode, modulation scheme, access tone, power, height, location, etc.
• Changes in Holder of Coordination without notifying WAR.
• A “paper” repeater, or a coordinated system that has not been built, or that has been off the air for an extended amount of time without notification as defined in our by-laws.

So, let’s say that you’ve been “on-the-air” for years. Chances are that if you haven’t replied to a periodic update, you’ve been de-coordinated. That means that the frequency that you had been coordinated on can be re-used somewhere else, even if you’ve been there for years.

Why is that? It’s simple, really. If we don’t know you’re there (via periodic updates) then we don’t know that the frequency is being used any more. “Why not assume that it is?” you may ask. Well, if we did that, we’d have a bigger spectrum crunch than what we’re dealing with now! Remember that
coordination not only affects systems in Wisconsin, but also neighboring states. Imagine if we all just “assumed” that systems were on without verification, when in reality, 20% of them were not? That’s a lot of dead spectrum, and when the FCC and other interests “spin the dial” looking for spectrum for the “next big wireless thing”, and hear a whole lot of nothing, what do you think could happen? We  want to actively use as much spectrum as possible as efficiently as possible. Since there are systems all over the state, and only a couple of us, periodic updates are the only way for us to do that.

That leads me to a proposed by-law change. One of the changes we’re proposing is to give us the ability to appoint “regional” directors in each “selective access” (tone) area of the state. These would be people familiar with the area. While it does NOT eliminate the need for periodic updates, they could certainly help us with the verification process, and possibly “nudge” along people who need to provide updates.

Finally, a note about modulation schemes (analog, digital, etc.). It is NOT acceptable to simply change the repeater type and continue to be coordinated. Different modes have different characteristics, and often different bandwidths. In order to efficiently “pack” the spectrum, we have
agreements with neighboring states on how we handle these types of systems. We want to work with you on the planning and implementation to make sure you’re protected and that you’re protecting other systems. Also, remember that ANY change to ANY technical parameter requires a new
coordination request. They’re simple (and free) to make, so please do that in order to continue to protect everyone.

Remember, when you get de-coordinated, you are no longer protected, and you’re responsible for protecting others. Yes, coordination is not mandatory – and if you’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s possible that you can throw something up and not ever worry about it. However, the FCC will fall on
the side of the coordinated system every time, so while you may consider it a hassle to “go through all the bureaucracy”, there is a very good reason to do so – even if you may not fully understand why. I believe we’re as transparent as can be, and will always explain why coordination decisions are made the way they’re made.

Remember, we’re just a bunch of volunteers. We’re not the repeater police. Nobody gets paid, and nobody personally benefits from serving. There are no “power trips” or “favorites”. We have rules – rules that the membership has voted on – that we follow. We rarely, if ever, make exceptions. We
apply the same rules whether you’re a new owner, or one that’s been around forever. It may not seem fair at the time, but if we don’t apply the rules evenly in all cases, then there’s no point in having them!

Please keep in mind, you do have recourse if you believe we operated in error. So, if there comes a time that you feel that we haven’t followed the Association’s rules, let us know. You’ll see that you have options up to and including being able to hold a membership vote. You can hold us accountable.

Finally, be sure to make your voice heard. Participate in the annual membership meeting on March 18th. It’s your chance to make a difference.

-Chris, W9JOL
WAR Chairman

On Feb 7, 2017, letters were sent to the contacts associated with twenty one (21) repeaters advising that they have been removed from the active records due to one or more reports and/or first hand observations and/or confirmations that the stations had not been operating as coordinated for at least sixty (60) days and in some cases much longer than that. In some of these situations, those involved with a repeater have affirmed that their station is on the air even though there have been repeated complaints that it is not and which has been independently confirmed. In other cases a repeater may in fact be on the air, just not operating from its coordinated location or even by the person(s) the coordination recommendation for
which the recommendation had been made.

The policy has long stated that continuous operation is one of the many conditions associated with each coordination recommendation. If conditions are such that a station is expected to be off the air for an extended period of time, one can ask for a waiver. In areas where there are other frequencies still available and thus is not placing anyone else at a disadvantage, we have routinely extended this courtesy as long as there is regular contact confirming that there is still an intent to return a station to
operation. These stations are not published, but do remain in the database and are visible to the coordinators.

Annual updates, which were not sent out in 2016, are expected to be mailed within the next week, but will not include these twenty one repeater stations, or associated auxiliary stations. If these station owner/operators wish to contest the reports and/or observations that the stations are no longer in operation, as coordinated, they will need to contact us separately.

Though stated in the annual update mailing, it bears repeating here that the annual update form is NOT the time or place to make technical “corrections” to reflect uncoordinated changes you have made. While you are welcome to provide updated contact information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, website URL’s and the like, changes to coordinated parameters must be made by submitting an application in advance of the proposed changes.

To spread the workload just a bit, annual update forms should be returned to the address shown on the form and Greg N9CHA, WAR Secretary will handle the initial processing. Any coordination related requests should still be sent directly to the coordinator.

The following were notified 02-07-17 they have been removed from active records:

• AB9KL 444.900 Jefferson
• KB9JJB 145.270 Lohrville
• KC9FNM 224.660 Baraboo
• KC9NW 147.060 Wausau
• KC9SJY 442.48125 Sheboygan
• KD9EJA 443.825 Rice Lake
• KD9EJA 444.450 Cumberland
• NØNIC 146.955 Beldenville
  
• NØNIC 147.225 Beldenville
• NØNIC 224.840 Beldenville
• NØNIC 443.225 Beldenville
• N9AFN 146.670 Lac Du Flambeau
• N9FZH 147.225 Shawano
• N9MMU 145.110 Earl
• N9WYQ 146.625 Big Flats
• N9WYQ 444.725 Big Flats
• N9XFD 147.030 Two Rivers
• W9LLB 145.450 Melrose
• WA9VDW 146.820 Superior
• WD9HFT 442.300 Chippewa Falls
• WD9HFT 444.000 Chippewa Falls
  

Thanks, Dave KA9FUR, Frequency Coordinator

Members, Stakeholders, and friends: The WAR board members sat down and met several times over the past few weeks to create a proposal to update and revise our bylaws.

Bylaws are a “big thing”. They, along with policy documents, determine how an organization is governed. It spells out how the organization is to operate. It’s important enough that it requires a larger majority and two separate votes to make a change. Yes, it’s that big.

And it was time to change them.

The bylaws were created many, many years ago and amended several times. Much of the language was convoluted and old. There were things that weren’t very clear. We wanted to clean that up.

At the same time, we felt it was a good time to look at how our organization is structured. We looked at several similar organizations to see what they were doing. We took that information and compared it to what we were doing, and saw some problems.

First off, the “board” was just a few officers, elected every year. It was possible that the entire group of leaders would change every year, or that we’d get a nomination for one position, but not another. That makes it pretty hard to keep any kind of momentum or consistency going. We decided to fix that by moving to staggered two-year terms, meaning that only half the board changes every year. Second, there should be more and better representation on the board. To that end, we proposed not only expanding the number of board members but also adding representatives to the board from each geographical area. Let’s face it, we’re a big spread-out state. Naturally, the odds favor more people being able to get involved from the more populous parts of the state, which “stacks the deck” a bit. On
the same token, if we “forced” the board to consist of members from certain regions, it could result in open positions if nobody was willing to volunteer from an area, or perhaps someone is elected who isn’t an ideal candidate just to fill the position. Doing it this way allows for anyone who wants to
participate to be able, and we’ll have representation from around the state.

The second major change is how the officers are elected. Right now, the membership votes for the Chairman, Vice Chair, etc. We propose to have the membership vote for the Directors of the board, then let the board appoint the officers (positions of President, Vice President, etc) from within the
board members. This allows for the board to fill vacancies (if the President or Vice President step down for example) or allows for an officer to perhaps step down from an officer position but remain on the board. All of our neighboring associations operate this way, and we feel that it offers quite a bit of flexibility.

Another proposed change is with voting. We want everyone who is entitled to vote to do so. We updated the language to allow for proxy voting via representative, postal mail, or even electronic  means. We also opened the door for the possibility of holding meetings via the internet so that you
won’t need to travel to participate.

The goal here is to allow as many people to participate in as many ways as possible. I feel that this gets us much closer to that.

The changes will have to happen in two steps: First, the members need to approve the changes with a simple majority at the upcoming annual meeting. We then need to publish the changes (which we’re doing now) and have a second meeting later in the year where 2/3rd’s of the members present need to approve them.

Please take the time to read the proposed changes. They are important. If there is something that you don’t understand, please feel free to contact me for clarification. We spent a lot of time debating these changes, so I am intimately familiar with them.

And please, participate. This is your organization, and it’s important to everyone that it remains healthy and vibrant. It’s my hope that the proposed bylaw and policy changes help facilitate that in future.

And, as always, contact me anytime: chairman@wi-repeaters.org. I’d love to hear from you.

73 and Happy Holidays!
Chris, W9JOL