Subj : Other Ham Radio News
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Sat Jul 20 2019 08:12 pm
If you are a US-licensed amateur radio station that routinely connects
to a foreign gateway, or a non-US-licensed station that connects with
a US gateway, you may be affected by new CMS behavior.
The Winlink CMS now will enforce US Third-Party Message rules.
Because Winlink is being severely criticized for allowing US client
and gateway operators to violate US amateur radio third-party traffic
rules, we are today starting to test automatic enforcement of these
rules. Part 97.3(47), 97.115 and 97.117 apply.
If you attempt to send or receive a third-party message between a
US-licensed station and another station the US does not have a
third-party communication agreement with, you may receive a service
message saying the message will violate the applcable rules, and that
the message is refused (if you're sending) or being held at the CMS
(if you are receiving). Alternative means to successfully send or
receive the message will be explained. The US has treaties with most
countries in the North and South America, but not most European,
Asian, and Pacific countries.
If you are a US-licensee, you should have no trouble sending and
receiving to/from internet addresses if you connect with another
US-licensed gateway, or one licensed in Central or South America;
as long as the US has a third-party agreement with the licensing country.
If you are a non-US licensee, you should have no trouble sending and
receiving to/from internet addresses, if you connect to non-US licensed
gateways.
We wish this was not necessary, but we have relied on US client and
gateway operators to know the rules, and obey them -- and most have
ignored them, unfortunately for all of us. In order to clean up the
violations, we are taking these measures to keep US Winlink operators
legal. All licensees have an obligation to study, know, and obey the
Amateur Radio Rules.
New monitoring and enforcement measures are coming into play with the
establishment of a new Volunteer Monitor Program, now being set up by
the ARRL, at the request of the US FCC. We're doing this to make it
easier for US operators to avoid losing their licenses!
We will be tweaking the behavior of this new mechanism to make it as
friendly and informative as it can be. Please bear with us as we make
changes.
Thanks and 73,
Lor W3QA
Winlink Development Team
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