I've never really understood what the relationship is between RAC and
the ARRL . There is nothing on either the ARRL or RAC webpages that
speaks to this issue. So I Googled "rac and arrl partnership" and this
is what AI returned:
/The Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) and the ARRL (American Radio Relay
League) have a partnership and work together in several ways,
particularly within the realm of amateur radio in North America
.
Here are some key aspects of their relationship:
Field Day: ARRL Field Day, a major amateur radio event, is open to
amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and
countries within IARU Region 2.
Contest Sections: Both organizations utilize a system of "Sections" in
their contests, with specific designations for ARRL/RAC Sections used in
contests like Sweepstakes, the 160 Meter Contest, and Field Day./
/Reciprocal Operating Agreements: The US and Canada have an automatic
reciprocal operating agreement that allows licensed amateurs to operate
in the other country with minimal issues. US amateurs need to carry
proof of their citizenship and valid license and use the US call sign
followed by a stroke and the appropriate Canadian prefix.
Historical Connection: The Canadian Radio Relay League (CRRL), which
later merged to form RAC, was originally a division of the ARRL before
becoming autonomous.
Collaboration on ARRL News: The ARRL website has reported on RAC
announcements, such as the creation of a new Section.
In essence, RAC and the ARRL maintain a cooperative relationship that
facilitates the enjoyment and development of amateur radio across North
America, particularly concerning contests and emergency preparedness
activities.
/
/
/
I also Googled "rac and arrl relationship" and here is what was returned :
/The relationship between the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) and the
American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is one of distinct national
organizations that share a common origin and collaborate in certain
aspects of amateur radio
.
Historical Background:
Early Days: The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) was founded in
1914 and initially encompassed Canadian amateur radio activities as well.
Canadian Division: In 1920, the Canadian Radio Relay League (CRRL)
was formed as a division of the ARRL, with a Canadian director on the
ARRL board.
Autonomy: The CRRL gained more independence over time, and in 1988,
it became fully autonomous from the ARRL.
RAC Formation: In 1993, the CRRL merged with another Canadian
organization, the Canadian Amateur Radio Federation (CARF), to form the
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC).
Current Relationship:
Distinct Organizations: Today, the ARRL and the RAC are independent
national organizations representing amateur radio operators in the
United States and Canada, respectively.
IARU Membership: Both organizations are member societies of the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).
Collaboration: While independent, they collaborate in some areas,
including:/
/ Field Day: The ARRL and RAC jointly sponsor Field Day, a
popular amateur radio operating event.
Reciprocal Operating Agreement: The United States and Canada
share an automatic reciprocal operating agreement, simplifying
cross-border operation for licensed amateurs.
Contest Section Structure: The organizations maintain a section
structure for their respective countries, used in certain contests.
Advocacy: They may collaborate on issues affecting amateur
radio at international levels through the IARU.
In essence, the RAC and ARRL have a historical connection stemming from
the ARRL's early role in Canadian amateur radio. While now distinct
entities, they maintain a relationship through their shared interests
and participation in international amateur radio activities/
I really don't understand the RAC's rational to even break up the
northern provinces of Canada into three sections. That area of Canada
has maybe 500 amateur radio licensees.
A search on QRZ.com shows the following :
VY1 call-signs (YT) - 276 matches
VY0 call-signs (NU) - 63 matches
VE8 call-signs (NT) -161 matches.
By comparison the DC section alone has 531 amateurs. The state with the
lowest number of amateurs is North Dakota with 1470.
In my state of Georgia there are 18,769 amateur radio operators. We are
just one ARRL section. States such as Massachusetts (13,131) , New
Jersey (12,848) who have fewer amateur have two sections. (Source is
http://www.arrl.org/fcc-license-counts .) Georgia's population is
heavily concentrated in the Atlanta metropolitan area, with about 57% of
the state's residents living there. I don't know what the criteria is to
create a new section. I know it has nothing to do with radio contests
but representation in the ARRL. Georgia would be a good candidate to
break into more that one ARRL section.
I agree with AF5CC that this change was made to create a new section for
ARRL contests. Also, does the ARRL CAC vote on this or can the RAC just
create new sections on a whim?
Personally, I think the RAC has made some bad decisions lately -
Boycotting the Dayton Hamvention based on non-ham radio reasons and now
this. I'm sure the ARRL wasn't very happy about the Dayton boycott but
keep that to themselves. Maybe the ARRL should just drop the Canadian
sections from their contests. Then they would be independent from the
ARRL like practically every other amateur radio society in the world is.
Jeff KU8E
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