February 21, 2012 | Amateur Radio & Scanning
KSHB 41 of Kansas City gives us a look at the new Kansas City (Missouri) communications center, located downtown at 1111 Locust Street. KCPD, KCFD, and other agencies recently moved over to the Metropolitan Area Regional Radio System (MARRS), an 800 MHz P25 simulcast system.
February 20, 2012 | Amateur Radio & Scanning
This article was originally prepared for and published as the President’s Soapbox column in the February 2012 edition of the Static Sheet, the bi-monthly publication of the Des Moines Radio Amateurs’ Asssociation.
By now most of you have made new year’s resolutions for 2012, and some have already abandoned their resolutions. Of those that made resolutions, did you resolve to protect your investments?
Amateur radio investments, of course. Most of us pour a sizable amount of our paychecks into this hobby, and it’s a good idea to make sure that equipment is protected. An article on property insurance that is specific to amateur radio appeared in the November 2011 edition of QST, and I thought it would be a good idea to review some of the points made.
While I haven’t been working in property and casualty claims for a relatively long time, I’ve seen my fair share of policyholders understandably upset because losses they incurred were not covered under their policies, while they originally thought it would be covered. It’s a good idea to read your policy’s declarations and ask your agent (or your insurer’s customer service department) questions every now and then. While most insurers generally use the same wording in the declarations, this column is no substitute for advice from your agent. So let’s lay out the basics:
• A common misconception is that if your radios are bolted into the car somehow (via brackets, consoles, or otherwise), it’s automatically covered. Not so! In fact, my insurer specifically lists “citizens band radios,” “two-way mobile radios,” and “scanning monitor receivers” as exclusions in plain English. So if your radios are damaged in a collision, or stolen, it will likely not be covered, but it can be filed under your homeowner’s (or renter’s) insurance policy, which brings me to…
• Your homeowner’s deductible may be prohibitively high to claim the loss of some mobile radios. A common homeowner’s deductible in the midwest is around $1000, meaning filing a claim for a $600 mobile radio just isn’t going to help.
• Even if your loss exceeds your deductible, your homeowner’s policy may have limits on what they’ll pay for “electronic apparatus” — my insurer’s limits are $1500, and antennas are included in that limit. That may far exceed some mobile HF installations, and certainly most at-home installations.
• Assuming the loss isn’t excluded or exceeding the policy’s limits, your policy may only pay for the actual cash value (ACV), which means you will get paid only for what the item was worth, due to depreciation. For example, my Icom ID-800H is worth less now than when I bought it, due to depreciation. If your policy will pay for replacement cost value (RCV), then your insurer will pay you for the cost to replace the damaged or stolen item with a new item of like quality. Example: even though the value of my ID-800H has declined due to depreciation, my insurer will pay me to replace the radio with a new radio of like-quality, like the ID-880H.
So, if your insurance policies list similar exclusions or limits, it might be a good idea to purchase special property insurance specifically for amateur radio.
The ARRL provides a great insurance program to members through the Hays Affinity Group (http://www.arrlinsurance.com). The ARRL’s insurance program covers radios, accessories, towers, antennas, rotators, computers, and other media. It carries only a $50 deductible and will pay you replacement cost value for damaged equipment. Insurance premiums through the ARRL program are also inexpensive — $1.40 per $100 of scheduled equipment.
To further protect yourself in the event of a claim, make sure you already have the make and model of the equipment, value, serial numbers, and proof of purchase, pictures, or video showing you rightfully owned the property.
With the midwest’s unpredictable spring weather, now would be a good time to get things in order “just in case.” Stop into your agent’s office or give your insurer’s customer service department a call to see what would and would not be covered, and your policy’s limits, if any. And if you don’t feel you are adequately protected, I highly recommend checking into the ARRL’s insurance program.
February 18, 2012 | Amateur Radio & Scanning
This article was originally prepared for and published as the President’s Soapbox column in the December 2011 edition of the Static Sheet, the bi-monthly publication of the Des Moines Radio Amateurs’ Asssociation.
What a year!
Coming off of two very well-received general meetings in September and October, it’s time for the annual DMRAA Chili Feed & Auction followed by the annual Christmas Party.
While we give thanks and look back on 2011 at these events, DMRAA members have plenty to be excited about
next year. We’ve had a heck of a year, and there’s no sign that we’re going to be slowing down any time soon. Our membership base is continually growing. We’re retaining our current members and attracting new members through VE testing, technician classes, social media, and public events like the DMRAA Hamfest and W0AK Field Day. With a growing membership, we’re able to bring in different perspectives and skills, which makes us a very well-rounded club.
Speaking of those events, the Field Day 2011 results are in and W0AK placed first in all classes for the Iowa section, and placed in the top ten in all classes for the Midwest division, proving to be the most successful W0AK Field Days in recent history despite a rough start in Saturday’s morning rain.
We had a heck of a hamfest, too. We attracted vendors and attendees from all over the midwest and it looks like it was a good move for us to move the event to a larger facility to allow for growth. Next year’s hamfest will provide another opportunity to grow the hamfest even further.
As soon as the handbell choir lays their bells down for the night and after all of the potluck food has been consumed at the Christmas Party, the DMRAA board and its respective committees will shift into high gear and start planning for next year’s events — to an extent, the planning has already been underway.
Already, we already have our slate of programming ready for the first quarter of 2012. We’ll kick the year off with a presentation on PIC microcontrollers in January, followed by the annual MISA spotter talk in February, and then a presentation on high-altitude ballooning in March.
I am very thankful for everyone that makes all of this happen, from the DMRAA board, club members, visitors to our events, and those that donated their time and energy towards our events.
If you are someone that has an idea for a meeting, wants to help plan an event, or just has general suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact a board member in-person or via our website, because we would love to hear from you. We also have subcommittees that coordinate all sorts of different
aspects of our club that members can join. I am really looking forward to find out what next year brings
us.
It’s a great time to be a DMRAA member!
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