10/07/2022

ARRL Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Committee member Gerald J. Ramie,
KI6LGY, received the Laurence G. Cumming Award for Outstanding Service on
August 4, 2022. Presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) EMC Society, the award recognized Ramie for promoting
meaningful EMC immunity testing for utility control products over the last
decade.

Ramie's work began in 2010 with the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Electromagnetic
Interoperability Issues (EMII) Working Group. The group's report was completed
by November 2012, but when compared to the inventory of existing
electromagnetic interference (EMI) standards, five major gaps were found. Soon,
three additional gaps were found, including one that addressed resistance to
emissions below 80 MHz. One existing IEEE standard addressed resistance to
emissions above 80 MHz.

Ramie worked for the next 10 years to get these eight missing immunity tests
included in the IEEE Power & Energy Society list of EMC Immunity Standards for
substation communications equipment.

"ARRL deserves the Cumming award as much as I do," said Ramie. "None of this
Standards [work could] have been done without that support, and it will save
lives. It has certainly been life-changing for me."

ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, said Ramie's work ensured that the
modern power grid would be immune to the transmissions of nearby transmitters.
"This protects the grid against threats from radio transmissions of any kind,"
said Hare. "This work demonstrates the value of amateur radio and its
continuing contributions to the development of new technology." Hare also said
that if amateur transmitters were to cause the grid not to function, the value
of amateur radio would be diminished, and, in many cases, amateurs could be
held to blame.

Ramie was granted his General-class license in 2017 at the suggestion of Hare.
"He asked if we could work together more on amateur radio issues, and suggested
that I should acquire a license to make that easier," said Ramie. "I started
studying materials that Hare sent me and went for a course and 2 days of
testing in Fremont, California. I try now to log into UHF nets sometimes and
have several good friends in local ham clubs."

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