NRQZ info

[Tyler Fisher]

Good afternoon all. I saw there was some questions about the NRQZ situation, and I’m actually dealing with them right now so I figured I’d contribute my two cents. 

After moving out here (Waynesboro area) a couple months ago and learning about the NRQZ studying for my Extra I reached out to them. Gave them all the information they asked for, to the best of my ability. Frequencies, modes, power, bandwidths, antenna info such as gain, height above ground, patterns etc. The NRAO didn’t have any issues for me other than keeping below about 51w in the 140 mhz range. However, sugar grove had a lot of objections to my HF operation, and long story short came back telling me I had to limit my output to well under one watt. Yes you read that correctly. I’m sure I can look back and find the table they sent me somewhere if anyone really wants to see it. 

After receiving that I had about a 45 minute phone conversation with NRAO. He was very helpful. After explaining I’m just operating as a hobbyist from my house and explaining that I had no permanently affixed antennas(I mostly use an alpha HOA buster at the house, highly recommend) it changed things a bit. At that point I was told I could resume operation with the ask being that I disconnect when not in use. Okay, no problem. He told me he’d reach out to sugar grove and get their thoughts before sending me a letter of concurrence. 

I honestly only reached out to try and be a good representative of the HAM community by doing the “right thing” as far as NRQZ goes. I’m mostly out and about for POTA when I’m operating, but occasionally hunt from the house. The out and about is in important distinction. From what I understand, anything temporary and portable doesn’t require coordination unless you’re within the 10 mile radius of the antenna site. Not sure if any of this actually helps. Y’all’s experience may be different if you choose to reach out to them. 

Maybe all the questions had already been answered, but I figured id respond since I’m in the middle of dealing with it myself. Feel free to reach out with any more questions. Not sure I’ll be able to help, but I’ll try.

Below I will paste the most recent email I received. 

Good Morning Tyler,

 

Thank you for following up. I can confirm that, based on some very deep FCC rules and regulations, this sounds like it is considered a non-permanent fixed setup. Therefore it will not be required to coordinate under FCC 1.924. I confirmed this with some of my colleagues who are HAMs and have extensive knowledge of FCC rulings. In short, because you are not operating for at least 364 days a year, it cannot be classified as permanent.

 

I have talked with SGRS regarding this, and they are still working on some internal communications to get back to me. Basically, we cannot object to these operations, but I am waiting on drafting a letter illustrating this based on SGRS’s feedback –I want to capture any final comments they have (in a voluntary ask in the letter).

 

Let me know if that helps answers some questions, and where I stand in moving this along. In summary, this isn’t required to coordinate under FCC 1.924 (not permanent) but I am waiting on putting a letter together in case SGRS has any voluntary asks (which legally would not have to be met).

Tyler

KM4VWC

[David Gordon]

Interesting…. Having been an NRAO employee for 11 years, and knowing the NRQZ persons, their only interest in amateur radio was the coordination of the repeaters in use. The only clause in all the approvals was that if they were causing interference and or special observations were being conducted in the amateur bands, that the repeaters would be turned off. Nothing about HF operations. There were local amateurs there who ran a KW on hf with no problems observed by NRAO, including me on HF, 2m and 6m running 100+ watts. As for Sugar Grove, that facility was supposed to have been shut down years ago, and most secret stuff removed and dismantled. I could be wrong. 

David Kb4lci 

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From: 'Tyler Fisher' via Valley Hams <valle...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2026 12:26:25 PM
To: valle...@googlegroups.com <valle...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Valley Hams] NRQZ info

 

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[Gerald Nauman]

NSA (Sugar Grove) is still there. From what I've heard and in my dealing with repeaters, NRAO is not the problem, it is NSA and they will object to just about anything and everything. The lesson to be learned here is they have no say in a home ham station, so don't deal with them at all. If you look at FCC part 97 rules (the ham radio rules), the only mention of hams having to deal with the quite zone is in relation to automatically controlled beacon stations, see 97.203. 

Gerald
KN4FM

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[Bryan Daniels]

FYI

The Sugar Grove Research Station (SGRS) is operational.

I get “permission” for NRAO every year for the Shenandoah 500 Net Control location on Reddish Knob which over looks SGRS. Technically as is always sited in the PDF I get from them, coordination is not required but I do it as a “good” ham. They are great folks to work with IMHO.

I can send anyone that would like to see the letter I get back from them, which includes tech specs.

73
Bryan Daniels
K4RMY
EC Rockingham/Harrisonburg ARES

------ Original Message ------

From "David Gordon" <kb4...@hotmail.com>

To "Tyler Fisher" <tfish...@comcast.net>; "valle...@googlegroups.com" <valle...@googlegroups.com>

Date 2/27/2026 1:45:35 PM

Subject Re: [Valley Hams] NRQZ info

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[David Gordon]

That’s good to know. Thanks Gerald. 

David

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From: valle...@googlegroups.com <valle...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Gerald Nauman <genau...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2026 1:58:03 PM
To: valle...@googlegroups.com <valle...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Valley Hams] NRQZ info

 

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[Michael Turner]

Mike Turner WV8MT here. I live in Sugar Grove. My property adjoins the NSA base in Sugar Grove. By the way, the crow flies I am less than a mile from the installation. I have a coordination agreement through the NRAO approved by the Sugar Grove people to run full legal limit on HF and 2 m and 100 W on 440. The agreement came with the stipulation that I would voluntarily and temporarily shut down my operation if they called and asked me to. I’ve lived here for seven years and have not received a call from anyone yet. 

Y’all can do what you want, but I do not feel that there is any need for anyone east of the Shenandoah mountain to coordinate with the NRA for any reason if they’re operating in the band, their license tour running within the legal limitations. Everything they do in Sugar Grove is well above the UHF band. I cannot imagine anyway you would interfere with them. Just my two cents.

73’s

Mike Turner, WV8MT 

Sugar Grove, WV

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 27, 2026, at 3:11 PM, David Gordon <kb4...@hotmail.com> wrote:



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[Michael Turner]

Let’s try this again without all the typos. 

Mike Turner WV8MT here. I live in Sugar Grove. My property adjoins the NSA base in Sugar Grove. By the way the crow flies I am less than a mile from the installation. I have a coordination agreement through the NRAO approved by the Sugar Grove people to run full legal limit on HF and 2 m and 100 W on 440. The agreement came with the stipulation that I would voluntarily and temporarily shut down my operation if they called and asked me to. I’ve lived here for seven years and have not received a call from anyone yet. 

Y’all can do what you want, but I do not feel that there is any need for anyone east of the Shenandoah Mountain to coordinate with the NRAO for any reason if they’re operating in the band they’re licensed to run within the legal limitations of that band. Everything they do in Sugar Grove is well above the UHF band. I cannot imagine any way you would interfere with them. Just my two cents.

73’s

Mike Turner, WV8MT 

Sugar Grove, WV

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 27, 2026, at 4:50 PM, 'Michael Turner' via Valley Hams <valle...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Mike Turner WV8MT here. I live in Sugar Grove. My property adjoins the NSA base in Sugar Grove. By the way, the crow flies I am less than a mile from the installation. I have a coordination agreement through the NRAO approved by the Sugar Grove people to run full legal limit on HF and 2 m and 100 W on 440. The agreement came with the stipulation that I would voluntarily and temporarily shut down my operation if they called and asked me to. I’ve lived here for seven years and have not received a call from anyone yet. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/valleyhams/082F858E-3CEE-44E2-B417-9541944699D5%40icloud.com.