From gfg at scsr.nevada.edu  Thu Feb  3 17:50:38 2005
From: gfg at scsr.nevada.edu (GARY F GRANT)
Date: Thu Feb  3 17:58:59 2005
Subject: [CVRC] SNARS Breakfast Meeting
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050203144946.0361baf8@mail.greatbasin.net>

This coming Saturday, February 5 at Denny's in Sparks (I 80 E to McCarran
Blvd.) starting at 7:00 AM the SNARS group will be meeting.  Come and
welcome N7ACM the new Chairman.

At 10 AM at the UNR Applied Research Building (Old Bureau of Mines) there
will be a Emcomm planning meeting.  Talk in W7TA 146.61 - pl 123 W7UNR
repeater 145.29.

UNR Radio Pack holds a breakfast/meeting at the Gold Dust West Restaurant
First and Vine starting at 6:30 AM.  Everyone is invited to attend.
A recent project of the group has been the communications set up at the
UNR Police/EOC.


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Feb  3 18:00:08 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu Feb  3 18:08:19 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLD005 DX news
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050203150002.03653398@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB DX @ ARL $ARLD005
ARLD005 DX news

ZCZC AE05
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 5  ARLD005
 From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  February 3, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB DX ARL ARLD005
ARLD005 DX news

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
ND5S, the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX, 425DXnews, DXNL, WA7BNM and
Contest Corral from QST.  Thanks to all.

GHANA, 9G.  9G5OO has been QRV using RTTY on 30 meters around 1930z
and then 20 meters around 2030z.  QSL via DL4WK.

SIERRA LEONE, 9L.  Massimo, 9L1MS plans to be QRV,
weather-permitting, from the Turtle Islands, IOTA AF-056, on
February 5 and 6.  QSL via IZ0EGA.

CHILE, CE.  Look for a number of operators to be QRV as CE8A from
Rennell Island, a new IOTA, from February 10 to 15.  Activity will
be on 80 to 10 meters using CW and SSB.  QSL via CE6NE.

MAYOTTE, FH.  Maurice is QRV as FH/F6AIG and has been active on 20
meters between 1600 and 1630z.  QSL via F6AIG.

REUNION ISLAND, FR.  Didier is QRV as FR/F5TNI until February 21.
He is active using mostly CW with some RTTY and possibly PSK.  QSL
to home call.

ECUADOR, HC.  Andy, DH8WR is QRV as DH8WR/HC2 from Guayaquil until
March 7.  QSL to home call.

SAUDI ARABIA, HZ.  Thomas, HZ1EX has been QRV on 40 meters around
0300z.  QSL via SM0BYD.

ALAND ISLANDS, OH0.  Look for members of the Kulju DX Club to be QRV
as OH0W from Kumlinge from February 9 to 15.  They also plan to be
QRV in the upcoming CQ WPX RTTY contest.  QSL via OH3LQK.

NETHERLAND ANTILLES, PJ2.  Rick, NE8Z is QRV as PJ4/NE8Z from
Bonaire, IOTA SA-006, from February 4 to 13.  Activity will be on 40
to 6 meters, including the newer bands, using CW and SSB.  QSL to
home call.

ST. MAARTEN, PJ7.  Ron, ND5S and Sue, KF5LG will be QRV from Dutch
St. Maarten, IOTA NA-105, as PJ7/homecalls from February 6 to 26
while here on vacation.  Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY.  Ron will also be active as PJ7/ND5S in the
upcoming CQ RTTY WPX and ARRL DX CW contests.  QSL via operators'
instructions.

BANGLADESH, S2.  Dave, EI3IO and Manjurul, S21AM are QRV as S21BI
from Kulsum Bag, Charfassion, Char Dakhin Shahbazpur, Bhola Island,
IOTA AS-140, until February 7.  QSL via operators' instructions.

BELIZE, V3.  Art, NN7A will be QRV as V31JZ/p from South Water Caye,
IOTA NA-180, from February 10 to 14.  Bob, NF7E will be joining Art,
and will have his call issued upon arrival.  Activity will be on 40
to 10 meters, and possibly 160 and 80 meters, and the newer bands,
using CW and some SSB.  QSL to home calls.

MACQUARIE ISLAND, VK0.  David, VK0MT has been QRV on 20 meters
around 1100z and then 17 meters just after 1200z.  QSL via JE1LET.

ZIMBABWE, Z2.  Eric, Z21FO has been QRV on 15 meters using PSK31
from around 1800 to 1900z.  QSL via K3PD.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO.  The Vermont and Minnesota QSO Parties,
10-10 International Winter SSB Contest, YLRL YL-OM CW Contest, AGCW
Straight Key Party, FYBO Winter QRP Sprint, Delaware QSO Party,
Mexico RTTY International Contest, North American SSB Sprint and the
ARCI Winter Fireside SSB Sprint will certainly keep contesters busy
this weekend.  The rescheduled Kid's Day on Satellite AO-51 (Echo)
is also set for Saturday, February 5.  Please see February QST, page
102 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites for details.
NNNN
/EX


From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Fri Feb  4 00:23:21 2005
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Fri Feb  4 00:31:34 2005
Subject: [CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 05
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050203211953.058f2548@mail.greatbasin.net>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 05
February 4, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL's Community Education Project under way
* +Some new rules in place for Field Day 2005
* +Long wait pays off in space QSO for New Mexico school
* +Analog Electronics course is latest ARRL on-line offering
* +Pennsylvania town decides against BPL project
* +President recognizes Ohio amateur's volunteer service
* +ARRL extends best wishes to Emma Berg, W0JUV, at age 100
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
      This weekend on the radio
      Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
      The ARRL Letter and HTML
      ARRL to be well represented at Miami Tropical Hamboree
      Echo (AO-51) satellite Kid's Day reset for Saturday, February 5
     +QSL output down in 2004

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE: To accommodate vacation schedules, this week's editions of The ARRL
Letter and ARRL Audio News are being published one day earlier than normal.
===========================================================

==>COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROJECT HOLDS INAUGURAL SESSION

Even a blizzard didn't stop several hearty Mainers from attending the first
meeting of the ARRL Community Education Program (CEP). The Saturday, January
26, session was held in the southern Maine city of Saco. Coordinated by Bill
Barrett, W1WJB, the CEP is funded by the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS) to explore the best ways Amateur Radio can work
with local emergency managers and with Citizen Corps councils. The CEP has
targeted a dozen communities from Maine to Oregon to learn about the value
of Amateur Radio to community safety and security between now and August.

"Even though a blizzard was well under way in Saco--only 'essential
government employees' were to report to work that day--emergency management
officials from a number of area agencies trekked to the town hall
auditorium," Barrett recounted. "A sizeable group of 11 radio amateurs also
slogged through the snowstorm, while 20 others were standing by on the air."

Barrett said those participating from home served as the "other end" for the
program's demonstrations and assisted in clarifying various points of his
program.

Created by Barrett to be much more "conversation" than "presentation," the
lively exchange of questions and answers gave the Maine emergency officials
a much better idea of what Amateur Radio is and what sorts of applications
it can be put to. It also helped acquaint the emergency officials with the
community of local radio amateurs.

Indeed, Barrett kept the program's spotlight focused on the true stars of
the show--the local hams, who also fielded the vast majority of questions.

In addition to repeater basics and an explanation of the very large
territory covered by linked repeater systems, demonstrations included
digital text communications and APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System).

Each served-agency attendee got specially a created booklet aimed at the
non-ham, non-technical audience as well as a companion resource CD--both
produced by ARRL through the CNCS grant. The materials are intended to be
shared with other personnel at the served agencies, spreading the word on
ham radio even wider.

Before and after surveys helped to gauge attendees' reactions and, more
important, how the ham radio presentations may have altered their thinking.
One objective of the CEP is to facilitate the networking of hams and
municipal leaders to foster greater understanding and new relationships.

The ARRL last fall received new CNCS funding of nearly $90,000 to execute
the pilot program to enlighten localities about the value of Amateur Radio
to community safety and security. For his visits, Barrett enlists local
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams, the ARRL Field Organization
and ARRL-affiliated ham radio clubs to demonstrate Amateur Radio's expertise
as a source of trained volunteer communicators--equipped and ready to serve.

==>SOME NEW WRINKLES IN 2005 FIELD DAY RULES

Those planning to participate in this year's Field Day will need to bone up
in advance on a few changes in the rules for the ever-popular operating
event. Field Day this year takes place June 25-26. The 2261 Field Day
entries for 2004 were the most ever. While similar in format to a contest,
Field Day is primarily a means to exercise and demonstrate Amateur Radio's
emergency operating capabilities while having fun at the same time. ARRL
Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says that among other things
rule changes for 2005 expand eligibility for bonus points.

"All groups will be eligible for some kind of bonus points," Henderson said.
"Make sure you carefully read Field Day Rule 7.3." That rule spells out how
to qualify for such bonus points as 100 percent emergency power, media
publicity, message handling, making satellite contacts, using an alternative
power source and copying the W1AW bulletin, among other things. Many bonus
point categories are available to all entry classes.

Henderson notes that some large clubs often compete among themselves to see
who can claim the highest number of transmitters. Under the revised rules,
all transmitters must be on the air with an operator to count toward a
club's entry class. "You have to actually have individual people and
sufficient equipment capable of operating simultaneously," Henderson
emphasized, referencing Rule 4. "The key word there is 'simultaneously.'"

The Field Day exchange consists of the number of transmitters on the air
followed by the participation category (A through F). Operators would send
"3A," for example, for a club or non-club portable setup with three
transmitters on the air at the same time. Rule 4 also specifically prohibits
switching and simulcasting devices.

The 2005 Field Day rules also modify the number of transmitters eligible for
bonus points that a group can claim for its operating class. "You can only
claim the emergency power bonus points for up to 20 transmitters," Henderson
explains. "That's a maximum of 2000 emergency power bonus points." There no
limit on the number of transmitters eligible participants may have on the
air, however. Field Day rules already generally prohibit the use of more
than one transmitter at the same time on a single band-mode.

In addition, Field Day 2005 will introduce a new "Youth Element" bonus
category (Rule 7.3.15). Clubs or groups operating in Class A, C, D, E or F
now can claim 20 bonus points--up to a maximum of 100--for each person aged
18 or younger, who completes a valid Field Day contact. Single-operator
Class B stations can earn a 20-point bonus if the operator is age 18 or
younger. Two-person Class B setups can claim a 20-point bonus for each
operator age 18 or younger, for a maximum of 40 points. The maximum number
of participants for Class B entries remains at two.

Another rule change clarifies that Get On The Air (GOTA)
stations--instituted a few years ago to encourage new or comparatively
inexperienced operators to gain operating practice--use the same exchange as
the "parent" station. The maximum transmitter output power for GOTA stations
is 150 W, and GOTA stations may only operate on the Field Day HF bands.

Free transmitters do not count toward a group's total, and GOTA stations and
free VHF stations for Class A entries do not qualify for bonus point
credits.

Henderson encourages Field Day participants to submit their Field Day
summaries electronically using the Web applet form
<http://www.b4h.net/cabforms>. "You may input your summary information at
that site for a 50-point bonus," Henderson points out.

The Maritime Radio Historical Society's K6KPH, comprised of former operators
of the KPH commercial shore station, now an historic site, again will
augment W1AW Field Day CW and RTTY bulletin transmissions for West Coast
participants.

The complete 2005 Field Day packet now is available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/05-fd-packet.pdf>.

==>NEW MEXICO YOUNGSTERS FINALLY GET CHANCE TO TALK TO ISS

A dozen pupils who attend Pi?on Elementary School in Los Alamos, New Mexico,
are all smiles this week after getting the chance to speak via Amateur Radio
with International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. The January
27 contact was arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) program. Los Alamos Amateur Radio Club Communications
Officer Bill Boedecker, NM5BB, handled Earth station duties for the direct
VHF contact with NA1SS. Pi?on's application had been in the queue for an
ARISS school contact for more than four years.

"Luckily we had a good nine-minute window, and all the students were able to
ask at least one question," he commented. Before the contact actually got
under way, Boedecker spent some time with the school's sixth graders
describing how the ham radio gear on the ground works to communicate with
the ISS. The kids also did some practice runs. In all, the 12 youngsters
asked 14 questions, and Chiao responded to some of them at length.

On hand for the event were some 60 fellow students, who observed along with
a few parents and teachers. Principal James Telles called the ARISS contact
"an incredible experience" for his students, one they'd remember it for the
rest of their lives.

Among other topics, the youngsters' questioned Chiao about how the ISS is
powered. He explained that solar power was the only type of power aboard the
ISS. Another wanted to know about how Chiao and his crewmate, Russian
cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, keep physically fit. The ISS Commander
explained that the crew needs to exercise for at least two hours daily,
using a variety of exercise equipment especially designed for the
zero-gravity environment.

Youngsters also wanted to know what kinds of experiments the crew was
conducting, and if the ISS residents were able to view space phenomena such
as meteors heading into Earth's atmosphere. Chiao said the crew actually
looks down, not up, to see meteors from the ISS.

Boedecker, an ARRL Life Member and a retiree of the Los Alamos National
Laboratory, had help from Los Alamos ARC members Dave Haworth, N9KYP, and
Anne Browning, KD5NLN. Boedeker said all the gear worked flawlessly, despite
bad weather at the time.

A local newspaper sent a reporter and photographer to cover the event, and
University of California TV recorded the contact for future use in a program
to air in several weeks as part of the Behind the White Coat series,
produced at Los Alamos National Labs and distributed by UCTV.

ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international outreach, with US
participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.--some information provided by Gene
Chapline, K5YFL

==>ARRL TO INTRODUCE ON-LINE ANALOG ELECTRONICS COURSE

The ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program (C-CE) will
introduce a new on-line course, Analog Electronics, EC-012, this month.
Registration for the first session will remain open through Sunday, February
13, and the class will begin Friday, February 25.

In 16 learning units students will learn about the use of instrumentation,
Kirchoff's Laws--two laws necessary for solving circuit problems, diodes,
rectifier circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various amplifier
configurations, filters, timers, op amps and voltage regulators. Most
lessons include a design problem and optional construction project. The
course run 12 weeks and earns 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

This course is designed for those who feel at home with basic electrical and
electronic components. Prospective students should be able to read simple
schematics; know Ohm's Law and the relationship between power, voltage,
current, and resistance; own and be able to use basic test equipment and be
competent in simple algebra.

Those who feel they need a refresher course might consider browsing the
first few sections of Chapter 6, AC Theory and Reactive Components, in The
ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications or pick up a copy of Understanding
Basic Electronics, by Larry Wolfgang, WR1B.

EC-012 tuition is $65 for ARRL members and $95 for nonmembers. Additional
details are in the course introduction
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/intro-012.html>. Information on all ARRL C-CE
courses is on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.

==>PENNSYLVANIA TOWN DROPS BPL PLANS

The Borough of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has decided against plans to
offer broadband Internet service via broadband over power line (BPL)
technology, according to a January 18 report in Public Opinion. The
Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC) spearheaded ham radio
opposition to the plan in the eastern Pennsylvania community of some 17,000
residents through an informational campaign.

"We were lucky, but only because many members of the local amateur community
put time in to fight BPL right up front, before the municipality had thrown
so much money at it that it had a stake in it succeeding," CVARC President
David Yoder, KB3HUC, told ARRL. "I can't emphasize that enough--putting
people in front of the decision-makers, working with the press and so forth
paid off because we jumped in as soon as we heard BPL was being considered."


The Public Opinion article by Cathy Mentzer, quoted Chambersburg officials
as saying there wasn't enough money in the municipality's Electric
Department budget to go forward with a BPL deployment this year. Borough
officials also cited state legislation effective last year that encourages
telecommunication companies to provide broadband to consumers.

While the BPL initiative is off the borough's 2005 projects agenda, Public
Opinion quoted Borough Council President Bill McLaughlin as saying, "As far
as I'm concerned, it's dead."

Public Opinion also noted that CVARC members were pleased by the outcome.
"That is good news," the article quoted Yoder as saying. "All Amateur Radio
operators in the area are relieved to learn that apparently our concerns
were taken into account, along with the recent legislation." Among other
things, CVARC members had told the Borough Council last year that BPL would
interfere with Amateur Radio and its ability to provide emergency
communication.

Chambersburg officials had been looking into leasing the borough's power
lines to an Internet service provider as a way to generate revenue, and a
consultant had recommended Chambersburg look into BPL. There's more
information on CVARC's actions in the BPL matter on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/CVARC_plan.html>.

==>OHIO AMATEUR RECEIVES PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

President George W. Bush has presented the President's Volunteer Service
Award to Thomas J. "T. J." Powell, N8UIR, of Northfield, Ohio. Powell, 38,
is an active volunteer with the Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps
(NEOMRC), a partner program of Citizen Corps <http://www.citizencorps.gov/>.


The president has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4000
hours over the course of their lifetimes, and he created USA Freedom Corps
<http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/> to help foster a culture of service,
citizenship, and responsibility.

NEOMRC provides medical support services for public events and emergency
situations. As chief of NEOMRC and a certified emergency medical technician,
Powell volunteers 800 to 1000 hours per year, helping with logistics,
planning, Amateur Radio operations and first-aid for charitable fundraising
events throughout Northeast Ohio. In addition, he assists local fire
departments and emergency medical service agencies during incidents that
impact public health.

President Bush made the presentation during a January 27 visit to Cleveland.
Powell, also a former American Red Cross volunteer and volunteer
firefighter, greeted the President at Cleveland's Hopkins Airport.

For more information on the Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps, visit the
NEOMRC Web site <http://www.neomrc.org/index.php>.--contributed by Joe
Phillips, K8QOE

==>EMMA BERG, W0JUV/AAR7AX, STILL ON THE AIR AT 100

At age 100, ARRL member Emma Berg, W0JUV/AAR7AX, of Lawrence, Kansas,
remains active daily in the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS). Berg
achieved centenarian status on Sunday, January 16. The occasion elicited
greetings this week from ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, who extended best
wishes to Emma Berg and congratulated her on more than four decades as a
member of both Army MARS and the ARRL.

"You should be proud of your continuing service to the Military Affiliate
Radio System, which informs us that you have been a member for more than 40
years and remain active on a daily basis," Haynie wrote. "We also were happy
to hear that you still write articles for Sunflower Seeds, the Kansas MARS
quarterly newsletter. Keep up the good work!"

On the Friday, January 14, MARS net session she always checks into--the last
before the weekend of her birthday--fellow operators likewise extended
birthday wishes. Berg also received a beautiful bouquet from Western Area
MARS coordinator James Banks, KK7RV/AAA9W, and from Membership Administrator
Martha Smith at Ft Huachuca, Army MARS headquarters in Arizona.

A retired teacher, Emma Berg lives by herself in a Lawrence condominium. She
and her late husband George, who was a professor at Haskell Indian Nations
University and also a radio amateur, had to give up HF operation when they
moved from their farm to deed-restricted quarters in town. Fortunately, the
retirement home was within range of a VHF net. The Bergs had been active in
MARS--in Emma's case since 1961.

"She is very spry for her age," said Kansas State MARS Director John
Halladay, AAA7KS. "Always busy--a person we could be proud to emulate in our
own aging." Over the years Berg has served as net control operator on Kansas
CW nets and was a first lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol.

Berg, who edited the Sunflower Seeds newsletter in her younger years--when
she was in her 90s--now pens the publication's "Fun & Relaxation" articles.
Her column is described as "a genial collection of aphorisms and
witticisms."

The philosophy she expressed in the lead item of her New Year's Day 2005
column may sum up her view of retirement, if not of human existence in
general.

"Bread may be the staff of life," she wrote, "but this is no reason anyone's
life should be a continual loaf."

Emma Berg certainly has no plans for loafing. She recently renewed her
Amateur Radio license for another 10 years.--contributed by Bill Sexton,
N1IN

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Heliophile Tad "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers were down by nearly 17
points over the Thursday through Wednesday reporting week. Over the same
days the average daily solar flux also was down by nearly 17 points. The
daily geomagnetic indices showed much greater stability, with all of the K
and A indices down when compared with the previous seven days.

Look for quiet geomagnetic conditions over the next few days, with the
Friday through Sunday, February 4-6, planetary A index around 8, 5 and 5.
The A index is expected to rise again after this weekend probably due to the
return of sunspot 720, which caused so much recent activity. It returns into
view on its 27.5 day rotation, and the planetary A index prediction for
February 7-9 is 15, 25 and 15.

Sunspot numbers and solar flux should also rise, with solar flux values
rising above 100 after February 5, staying relatively high (for this point
in the declining sunspot cycle) at 130 or above around February 7 and
continuing for about a week.

Sunspot numbers for January 27 through February 2 were 43, 43, 30, 38, 49,
27 and 28, with a mean of 36.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 86.9, 84.9, 86.4, 85.5,
86.2, 83.7 and 81.8, with a mean of 85.1. Estimated planetary A indices were
3, 6, 20, 16, 19, 6 and 8, with a mean of 11.1. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 2, 5, 16, 10, 15, 4 and 7, with a mean of 8.4.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (SSB), the Vermont,
Delaware and Minnesota QSO parties, the 10-10 International Winter Contest
(SSB), the YL-ISSB QSO Party, the YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW), the AGCW Straight
Key Party, the Mexico RTTY International Contest and the ARCI Winter
Fireside SSB Sprint are the weekend of February 5-6. The RSGB 80-Meter Club
Championship (SSB) is February 7, and the ARS Spartan Sprint is February 8.
JUST AHEAD: The North American Sprint (CW), the KCJ Topband Contest, the CQ
WW RTTY WPX Contest, SARL Kid's Day, SARL Field Day Contest, the
Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the Dutch PACC Contest, the YLRL YL-OM
Contest (SSB), the Louisiana QSO Party, the OMISS QSO Party, the FISTS
Winter Sprint, the British Columbia QSO Challenge and the RSGB First 1.8 MHz
Contest (CW) are the weekend of February 12-13. The ARRL School Club Roundup
is February 14-19. The AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening and the RSGB 80-Meter
Club Championship (Data) are February 16. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course
(EC-001) opens Monday, February 7, 2005, at 1201 AM EST, and will remain
open until all available seats have been filled or through the February
12-13 weekend. Class begins Friday, February 25. Radio amateurs 55 and up
are strongly encouraged to participate. THIS IS THE FINAL YEAR OF
GRANT-SUBSIDIZED COURSES! Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for
National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the
$45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after
successful completion of the course. During this registration period, seats
are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To
learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more information, contact Emergency
Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* The ARRL Letter and HTML: A common question regarding The ARRL Letter is,
"Why don't you put it out as an HTML document that includes hyperlinks from
the table of contents directly to story headlines?" The primary reason is
the "KISS" principle. The ARRL Letter arrives at subscribers as a plain
ASCII text e-mail document because this method reduces production and
editing overhead, offers a common-denominator format that all subscribers
should be able to read without problem and minimizes the load on the e-mail
server as the Letter goes out to its approximately 66,000 subscribers, thus
speeding delivery. There is a workaround, however, albeit not as elegant as
a hyperlink. Undoubtedly, regular readers have seen the "==>" that precedes
each headline and wondered why it was there. Not only is it a visual cue,
this set of characters (two "equals" symbols plus a "greater than" symbol)
also provides a unique search target, so subscribers can step through major
story headlines in each edition. Try it! Such a search also takes readers to
important information in the masthead, which appears at the end of each
edition, such as the e-mail address to report delivery problems,
letter-dlvy@arrl.org. For "In Brief" items, search for an asterisk plus a
space [* ]. For those who just prefer to scroll through each edition, major
story headlines are in ALL CAPS to make them easier to spot.

* ARRL to be well represented at Miami Tropical Hamboree: Representatives of
the ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) will be on hand
February 5-6 for the 45th Tropical Hamboree at the Fair Expo Center, 10905
SW 24 Street (Coral Way) in Miami, Florida. Gates open both days at 9 AM,
and parking is free. In addition to the vendors, flea market offerings and
various presentations, ARRL Lab Director Ed Hare, W1RFI, will update
attendees on broadband over power line (BPL) and radio frequency
interference issues. IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, and ARRL
International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, will offer an IARU
Report. The ARRL Forum gets under way at Sunday at 11 AM, led by ARRL
Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler, W4RH, Vice Director, Sandy
Donahue, W4RU, and Southern Florida Section Manager Sherri Brower, W4STB.
ARRL Emergency Communications Course Coordinator Dan Miller, K3UFG, will
attend the 10th annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference, held at the
National Hurricane Center in association with the Hamboree. He'll talk on
Amateur Radio participation in the Florida hurricanes and tsunami. ARRL
Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, also will visit
Hamboree. The South Florida DX Association hosts the DX Forum February 5,
where ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, will give a brief
presentation on DXCC and Logbook of the World. He'll also be available
during the Hamboree to check cards. Additional speakers include QST "How's
DX?" Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, who also edits The Daily DX. The DX
Dinner will take place Saturday evening. More information is available on
the South Florida DX Association Web site <http://www.qsl.net/k4fk> or stop
by the SFDXA booth. The Miami Tropical Hamboree is sponsored by the Dade
Radio Club of Miami. Complete details are on the Hamboree Web site
<http://www.hamboree.org>.

* Echo (AO-51) satellite Kid's Day reset for Saturday, February 5: AMSAT has
announced that it has rescheduled its Echo satellite (AO-51) Kid's Day
activity for Saturday, February 5 (US time zones). The activity will begin
Saturday, February 5, at approximately 1415 UTC and continue until Sunday,
February 6, at 0300 UTC. "We ask that all Amateur Radio stations give this
short time window to promote satellite operations with kids," said Mike
Kingery, KE4AZN, of the AO-51 control team. He says regular satellite
operators can help by demonstrating to youngsters how to make contacts via
AO-51, by providing a station to contact or by refraining from using Echo so
other stations can make contacts with the kids. "During the event, please
limit contacts to stations that are operating with kids at the microphone,"
he requests. "This should allow the kids to have a nice QSO and pass some
information." For the exchange, youngsters can give their name, age and
location and tell who's helping them operate on Echo. AO-51 will be
configured with a different uplink frequency for the Kid's Day
event--145.880 MHz FM voice with a 67-Hz CTCSS tone. The downlink is 435.300
MHz FM voice. Kingery believes the AMSAT Kid's Day activity on Echo not only
offers AMSAT an educational opportunity but might inspire youngsters to
become the Amateur Radio satellite operators of the future.--AMSAT News
Service

* QSL output down in 2004: The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service shipped 1,100,535
cards to overseas QSL bureaus, reports QSL Service Manager Martin Cook,
N1FOC. That's down by nearly 258,000 over the total logged during 2003, when
the QSL Service had a staff of two and handled 1,358,474 cards. "Currently
processing time is seven days from receipt," Cook says. He attributes the
downturn to a greater backlog of cards, less-favorable propagation
conditions and greater use of Logbook of the World (LoTW) to confirm
contacts for awards.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest
to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise,
and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org> for the latest news,
updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers
access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast"
compiled from The ARRL Letter.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384

==>How to Get The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
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The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
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* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
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cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)


From dick at twohams.com  Fri Feb  4 00:31:44 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Fri Feb  4 00:39:51 2005
Subject: [CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 05
In-Reply-To: <5.2.1.1.2.20050203211953.058f2548@mail.greatbasin.net>
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050203212523.03672628@mail.greatbasin.net>

Tubes!  I want tubes!!  :)

At 09:23 PM 2/3/2005, ARRL Letter Mailing List wrote:
 >==>ARRL TO INTRODUCE ON-LINE ANALOG ELECTRONICS COURSE
 >
 >In 16 learning units students will learn about the use of instrumentation,
 >Kirchoff's Laws--two laws necessary for solving circuit problems, diodes,
 >rectifier circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various amplifier
 >configurations, filters, timers, op amps and voltage regulators. Most
 >lessons include a design problem and optional construction project. The
 >course run 12 weeks and earns 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Fri Feb  4 11:31:28 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Fri Feb  4 11:40:11 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLP005 Propagation de K7RA
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050204083117.0365bdf0@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP005
ARLP005 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP05
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 5  ARLP005
 From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  February 4, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP005
ARLP005 Propagation de K7RA

Average daily sunspot numbers were down this week by nearly 17
points (our reporting week runs from Thursday through the following
Wednesday for the timing of this bulletin). Over the same days the
average daily solar flux was also down nearly 17 points. The daily
geomagnetic indices showed much greater stability, with all of the K
and A indices down when compared with the previous seven days.

Look for quiet geomagnetic conditions over the next few days, with
the February 4-6 (Friday through Sunday) planetary A index around 8,
5 and 5. The A index is expected to rise again after this weekend
probably due to the return of sunspot 720, which caused so much
recent activity. It returns into view on its 27.5 day rotation, and
the planetary A index prediction for February 7-9 is 15, 25 and 15.

Sunspot numbers and solar flux should also rise, with solar flux
values rising above 100 after February 5, staying relatively high
(for this point in the declining sunspot cycle) at 130 or above
around February 7 and continuing for about a week.

If you would like to comment or have a tip, email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of
the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information
Service propagation page at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.

Sunspot numbers for January 27 through February 2 were 43, 43, 30,
38, 49, 27 and 28 with a mean of 36.9. 10.7 cm flux was 86.9, 84.9,
86.4, 85.5, 86.2, 83.7 and 81.8, with a mean of 85.1. Estimated
planetary A indices were 3, 6, 20, 16, 19, 6 and 8 with a mean of
11.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 5, 16, 10, 15, 4 and
7, with a mean of 8.4.
NNNN
/EX


From dick at twohams.com  Sat Feb  5 01:45:06 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Sat Feb  5 01:53:34 2005
Subject: [CVRC] General Upgrade Class in Minden
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050204223950.0365bdf0@mail.greatbasin.net>

Carson Valley Radio Club will be holding an upgrade class for Technician 
licensees wanting to upgrade to General Class.

The free class will be held at the Sierra Front Dispatch Center Training 
Room at 2311 Firebrand Road, Minden. This is at the Minden/Tahoe Airport, 
half-way between Minden and Carson City. A map to the facility can be found 
at http://www.cvrc.net/images/SierraFrontMap.gif.

The textbook will be the ARRL "General Class License Manual," 5th Edition. 
The retail price of the textbook is seventeen dollars. It can be purchasd 
from various local dealers, directly from the ARRL by telephone at 
1-888-277-5289 or through their online Publication Catalog at 
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9205. A limited number of copies will 
also be available for sale at the first class session.

The class will run for six Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. and 
will be followed by a standard CVRC evening VE examination. The class will 
begin on Thursday, March 3rd and run until the final VE examinations on 
Friday, April 8th.

For more information contact Dick Flanagan K7VC, telephone 775-267-4900 or 
e-mail k7vc@arrl.org.


From dick at twohams.com  Sat Feb  5 02:08:04 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Sat Feb  5 02:27:26 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Week-Day Evening VE Session Feb 11th
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050204225940.03637098@mail.greatbasin.net>

There will be an ARRL-affiliated Volunteer Examination session this coming
Friday evening, February 11th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Carson Valley.

The session will be at the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center at the
Minden/Tahoe airport between Minden and Carson City.  The Sierra Front
complex is at the end of Firebrand Road, off Heybourne Road midway between
Johnson Lane and Airport Road.  A map can be found at
http://www.cvrc.net/images/SierraFrontMap.gif.

All amateur examination elements will be offered.  The examination fee will
be $14.  Examinees should bring one picture ID or two non-picture IDs.  The
original and a copy of any current licenses or CSCEs should also be brought.

For those who cannot make morning or weekend VE sessions, this is a good
opportunity to get your license or upgrade.  The examinations are sponsored
by the Carson Valley Radio Club (http://www.cvrc.net).

                  ** PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED **

To register or for additional information contact:

Dale Anderson KV7S
E-mail: kv7s@arrl.net
775-267-4218

73, Dick
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc@arrl.org


From ehorton at unr.edu  Sun Feb  6 22:15:56 2005
From: ehorton at unr.edu (E Horton)
Date: Sun Feb  6 22:24:38 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Radio Equipment for Sale
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050206191538.037d6140@mail.greatbasin.net>


Kenwood TS 830S transceiver

ICOM 751A transceiver

Kantronics KP 232 TNC

Code Reader CW/RTTY - Yaesu YR 901

Comm Terminal HAL CT 2100

3 KW Differential Ant Tuner - MFJ 986

Have some other packet items also.

Interested parties may call me at 541-471-0522


From cypotts at echoweb.net  Tue Feb  8 22:31:21 2005
From: cypotts at echoweb.net (Cy Potts)
Date: Tue Feb  8 22:40:20 2005
Subject: [CVRC] More Info on For Sale Items
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050208192728.03803528@mail.greatbasin.net>

Herewith more info on the gear I am selling:

ICOM 751 A gen coverage Transceiver, mike,
External spkr, manual &  Astron VS-20M P.S.   $ 525

PAKRATT Mod PK 232 TNC (Advanced Electronic
Applications) w/manual                        $ 75
Not Kantronics-sorry for my error)

CODE READER, CW/RTTY, Yaesu YR 901
w/ manual                                     $ 75

DIFFERENTIAL ANT TUNER, 3KW, MFJ
Mod 986 w/ manual                             $ 210

MFJ 1278 DATA Controller w/ manual            $ 75

HAL COMMUNICATIONS TERMINAL Mod
CT 2100 w/ keyboard, software & manuals       $ 80

ERA Microreader (Enterprise Radio Applications)
CW/RTTY No book                               $ 45

No other packet stuff left. The Kenwood 830
is sold. Don't know how the PK 232 differs from
KPC 3

Interested parties may call me at 541-471-0522
or E mail: cypotts@echoweb.net

Thank you & have a great day---73---Cy


From dick at twohams.com  Tue Feb  8 22:41:31 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Tue Feb  8 22:50:32 2005
Subject: [CVRC] More Info on For Sale Items
In-Reply-To: <5.2.1.1.2.20050208192728.03803528@mail.greatbasin.net>
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050208193349.00c5f100@mail.greatbasin.net>

At 07:31 PM 2/8/2005, Cy Potts wrote:
 >PAKRATT Mod PK 232 TNC (Advanced Electronic
 >Applications) w/manual                        $ 75
 >Not Kantronics-sorry for my error)
 >[...]
 >... Don't know how the PK 232 differs from KPC 3

A KPC 3 is a VHF packet-only TNC.  The AEA PK-232 is not just a TNC, but is 
a multi-mode data controller.

While it does support VHF packet like the KPC 3, the PK-232 also supports 
AMTOR, PACTOR, RTTY and more.

It is a reliable work horse data controller that has been around for a long 
time.  It can even be upgraded by Timewave (the new owner of AEA) to full 
DSP operation.

 >Interested parties may call me at 541-471-0522
 >or E mail: cypotts@echoweb.net

73, Dick
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc@arrl.org


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Feb 10 16:53:15 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu Feb 10 17:02:36 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLD006 DX news
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050210135310.00c37e38@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB DX @ ARL $ARLD006
ARLD006 DX news

ZCZC AE06
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 6  ARLD006
 From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  February 10, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB DX ARL ARLD006
ARLD006 DX news

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
SV1CIB, W5UE, QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX, 425DXnews,
DXNL, WA7BNM and Contest Corral from QST.  Thanks to all.

ANTARCTICA.  Vidar, LA2SNA is QRV as 3Y2SNA until February 15 from
the Norwegian Troll Station, located on Queen Maud Land, IOTA
AN-016.  He is active on 20 and 17 meters using SSB as time permits.
QSL via bureau.

EAST MALAYSIA, 9M6.  Rich, PA0RRS will be QRV as 9M6/PA0RRS/8 from
Sarawak, IOTA OC-088, from February 13 to 26.  QSL to home call.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 9Y.  Girts, YL2KL, Arvia, YL2LY and Juris,
YL2GM are QRV as 9Y4/homecalls until February 24 from Tobago, IOTA
SA-009.  Activity is on all bands using CW, SSB and RTTY.  This
includes entries in the CQ RTTY WPX contest and the upcoming ARRL DX
CW contest.  QSL to home calls.

CHINA, BY.  David, BA4DW has been QRV on 160 meters around 1930z.
QSL to home call.

BAHAMAS, C6.  Bill, K1CN and Laura are QRV as C6AMM and C6AWW,
respectively, from Harbour Island, IOTA NA-001, until February 26.
Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using CW and SSB.  QSL both calls via
K1CN.

ANTARCTICA.  Yuri is QRV as CA8WCI/9 from the Chilean Antarctic Base
''Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva'' on King George Island, South
Shetlands, IOTA AN-010.  He is active during his spare time and
weather-permitting.  Activity is on 80, 40 and 10 meters.  QSL to
home call.

SPRATLY ISLANDS.  Gil, 4F2KWT is QRV as DX0K from Pag-Asa Island,
IOTA AS-051.  Activity is on all HF bands, using mostly CW, SSB and
some RTTY.  Lately he has been QRV using RTTY on 40 meters around
1240 to 1300z and 20 meters around 1400 to 1500z.  QSL to home call.

CANARY ISLANDS, EA8.  Members of the Canary Islands DX Society will
be QRV as EF8BDX from Burrero Rock, IOTA AF-004, from February 12 to
13.  Activity will be on 15 meters SSB only.  QSL via EC8ADU.

PERU, OA.  A group of operators are QRV as OC4P from Pachacamas
Island, IOTA SA-052, until February 13.  Activity is on 80 to 6
meters using CW and SSB.  QSL via DL5WM.

ARUBA, P4.  Miika, OH2BAD is QRV as P40MH until February 18.
Activity is on all HF bands using CW and SSB.  QSL to home call.

GREECE, SV.  Look for SV1CIB, SV3FUO and SV3BSF to be QRV as J43BSF
in the CQ RTTY WPX contest as a Multi/Single entry.  QSL via SV1CIB.

SAN MARINO, T7.  John, T77CD will be QRV in the CQ RTTY WPX contest.
QSL via operator's instructions.

CHAD, TT.  Luc, ON4IA is QRV as TT8KLJ from N'djamena until March
20.  QSL to home call.

MACQUARIE ISLAND, VK0.  Dave, VK0MT has been QRV on 80 meters around
1300 to 1500z and 15 meters from around 1100 to 1200z.  QSL via
JE1LET.

MEXICO, XE.  Trey, N5KO, Glenn, W6OTC, Alberto, XE1NK and Ramon,
XE1KK will be QRV as 6G1KK during the CQ RTTY WPX contest.  Activity
will be on five bands.  QSL via W5UE.

OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC.  The following operation is approved
for DXCC credit: Chesterfield Island, TX9, October 2004 operation.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO.  The CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest, SARL Kid's
Day, Asia-Pacific Spring CW Sprint, 50th Anniversary Dutch PACC
Contest, YLRL YL-OM SSB Contest, Louisiana QSO Party, OMISS QSO
Party, FISTS Winter CW Sprint, Classic Exchange, British Columbia
QSO Challenge, RSGB 1st 1.8 MHz CW Contest and the North American CW
Sprint will certainly keep contesters busy this weekend.  Please see
February QST, page 102 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites for
details.
NNNN
/EX


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Fri Feb 11 10:58:50 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Fri Feb 11 11:08:29 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLP006 Propagation de K7RA
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050211075840.03eb08b8@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP006
ARLP006 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP06
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 6  ARLP006
 From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  February 11, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP006
ARLP006 Propagation de K7RA

All solar activity indicators rose this week, though not by much.
Average daily sunspot number for the week rose 4.4 points to 41.3,
average daily solar flux was up 11.6 points to 85.1, and average
planetary A index rose 4 points to 15.1. Average daily mid-latitude
A index rose 2.2 points to 10.6.

Monday through Wednesday, February 7-9 had unsettled to active
geomagnetic activity with Tuesday the most disturbed day. The
planetary A index was 34 that day and mid-latitude A index was 27.
At the 0300z February 8 reading, the planetary K index reached a
high of 6, and the highest reading for Alaska's college K index came
at 1800z that day when it reached a very high value of 8. There was
a K index of 7 on the previous day, and the college A index for
February 7-10 was 50, 71, 45 and 30, all high values.

This is why Alaskan operators oftentimes report such poor HF
conditions during periods when the rest of the United States hardly
notices. For instance, between 1200-1500z on February 8, the Alaska
K index readings were 6, 6, and 8, indicating a severe geomagnetic
storm. But the mid-latitude K index, which affects most of the rest
of us was only 2, 3 and 3, quite moderate numbers. Of course for the
rest of us, a high latitude path (such as the one to Europe from
Seattle) would also be affected, even though each end of the path is
at a more moderate latitude.

The college A and K index is measured at Fairbanks, Alaska, and the
mid-latitude indices that we use are from Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The planetary K and A index is the mean-standardized index from 13
geomagnetic observatories between 44 and 60 degrees northern or
southern latitude.

That single A index for the day is calculated from the eight K index
readings, and the scales are quite different, the K index being
quasi-logarithmic. A single point change in the K index is quite
significant, but a several point change in the A index is not. A day
with all eight K index readings of 2 would yield an A index for the
day of 7, but all-day K index of 3 would produce an A of 15, and K
of 4 all day would yield an A index of 27. You can check the
relationship between the A and K readings on NOAA's National
Geophysical Data Center site at,
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/GEOMAG/kp_ap.html.

A week-long graph showing Boulder (another mid-latitude
observatory), Fredericksburg, planetary and college K index is at
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/alerts/k-index.html. Notice from the graphs
that the Boulder measurement is often slightly higher (at least it
was in the week prior to this bulletin) than the Fredericksburg
values. There is only a two-degree difference in latitude, Boulder
being at 40 degrees north, and Fredericksburg at 38 degrees north.

The higher A and K numbers this week were caused by a robust solar
wind stream. The Interplanetary Magnetic Field pointed south, so the
earth was vulnerable to these particles. When the IMF points north,
the earth is shielded, and it didn't point north until February 10,
a quiet day.

Last week this bulletin said that solar flux values should rise to
130 by February 7, and stay there for about a week. This was because
of the return of sunspot 720, which was quite large the last time it
faced earth. When 720 returned a few days after the bulletin, it was
much smaller than before. Currently solar flux is expected to stay
around 115 for February 11-12, then drop a few points for the next
few days. Solar flux could drop below 100 around February 19, but
the further out we look, the prediction becomes less meaningful.

Roger Bonuchi, AC9Y of Plainfield, Illinois sent an email this week
asking about GOES Solar X-Ray Flux as shown at,
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/today.html#xray. He wonders if this relates
to the 10.7 cm solar flux we report in this bulletin. They actually
are measurements of electromagnetic radiation in different parts of
the spectrum. X-rays have wavelengths shorter than ultraviolet
light. 10.7 cm solar flux is at a much lower frequency, around 2.8
GHz.

See the relative positions of x-rays, light waves and radio waves at
a physics study aid at,
http://www.plus2physics.com/electrons_and_photons/study_material.asp?cha
pter=4.

10.7 cm solar flux correlates to some degree with sunspots, and
typically the higher solar flux or sunspot numbers result in a
higher MUF, or Maximum Usable Frequency. If you use a propagation
program such as W6ELprop (free at http://www.qsl.net/w6elprop/),
over most paths the MUF will go higher when the sunspot numbers or
solar flux are higher.

X-rays are correlated with events such as coronal mass ejections or
solar flares, and the measurements shown in the graph that Roger
sent are done by the GOES satellite. You'll notice on that same page
there is a link to the D-region absorption prediction at
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/dregion.html, which should show
greater absorption when the x-ray flux is higher.

Allen Robbins, W7AM of Salem, Oregon asked about the scales heard on
the WWV geophysical alerts. You can see the text of the latest WWV
broadcast alert at http://sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt. A
couple of web pages that explain the numbers and scales for radio
blackouts, solar radiation storms and geomagnetic storms are at,
http://www.sel.noaa.gov/Data/info/WWVdoc.html and
http://www.sel.noaa.gov/NOAAscales/index.html.

If you would like to comment or have a tip, email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of
the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information
Service propagation page at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.

Sunspot numbers for February 3 through 9 were 23, 22, 22, 47, 62, 53
and 60 with a mean of 41.3. 10.7 cm flux was 83, 82.1, 94.6, 97,
103.1, 108.2 and 108.6, with a mean of 96.7. Estimated planetary A
indices were 8, 3, 4, 9, 23, 34 and 25 with a mean of 15.1.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 2, 1, 6, 19, 27 and 14,
with a mean of 10.6.
NNNN
/EX


From dick at twohams.com  Sat Feb 12 20:15:32 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Sat Feb 12 20:25:24 2005
Subject: [CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 06
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050212171525.03f6faa0@mail.greatbasin.net>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 06
February 11, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL files petition for reconsideration on BPL order
* +BPL problems persist in Austrian city
* +Earth cadets work space commander on ham radio
* +Hamvention to feature ARRL Expo 2005
* +Desecheo Island will remain a rare one a while longer
* +The DX Magazine releases most-wanted DXCC entities survey
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
      This weekend on the radio
      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
      Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
     +New video PSAs now available from ARRL
     +ARRL member wins Jeopardy! "Teen Tournament"
      "Big Project" schools get Best Buy Te@ch grants
      Jeff Brone, WB2JNA, wins January QST Cover Plaque Award
      DXCC Desk approves operations for DXCC credit
      Correction

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================

==>ARRL TELLS FCC TO "RECONSIDER, RESCIND AND RESTUDY" BPL ORDER

The ARRL has petitioned the FCC to take its broadband over power line (BPL)
Report and Order (R&O) back to the drawing board. In a Petition for
Reconsideration filed February 7, the League called on the Commission to
"reconsider, rescind and restudy" its October 14, 2004, adoption of new Part
15 rules spelling out how BPL providers may deploy the technology on HF and
low-VHF frequencies. Asserting that the R&O fails to adequately take into
account the technology's potential to interfere with Amateur Radio and other
licensed services, the League called the FCC's action to permit BPL "a gross
policy mistake." The R&O, the ARRL said, "represents a classic case of
prejudgment" by an FCC that knew better but ignored evidence already at its
disposal.

"It is readily apparent that the Commission long ago made up its mind that
it was going to permit BPL without substantial regulation, no matter what
the effect of this flawed application of old technology is on licensed radio
services," the League's petition declares. The ARRL accuses FCC Commissioner
Michael Powell and his four colleagues of deliberately authorizing "a
spectrum pollution source" that's proven to be incompatible with existing
licensed uses of the HF spectrum.

"The Commission wanted nothing to contradict its enthusiasm about BPL," the
League said, and its Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) saw to it
that evidence of the "fundamental incompatibility" between BPL and incumbent
HF radio services "was suppressed, ignored or discredited." The FCC has not
adjudicated a single interference complaint, the ARRL added, but has swept
interference complaints under the rug.

While expressing appreciation for Commissioner Michael Copps' concerns
regarding BPL's potential to interfere with Amateur Radio and his call for
quick complaint resolution, the League said his admonition "has not been
heeded by either the Enforcement Bureau or the Office of Engineering and
Technology."

In the filing, which included several technical exhibits to bolster its
major points, the ARRL further argued that Powell--a self-described
"cheerleader" for the technology--the ARRL further argued that Powell should
have recused himself from voting on the R&O. The chairman, the ARRL says,
violated the FCC's own ex parte rules by attending a BPL provider's
demonstration October 12, after release of the October 14 agenda. Powell
"tainted this proceeding" by taking part in the demonstration, and that
alone is sufficient to have the Commission vacate and reconsider its action,
the ARRL alleged.

The League also said the FCC's "late and incomplete" responses to ARRL's
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests fail to show any support for
FCC's conclusions regarding interference to licensed services from BPL. The
highly redacted information release contained nothing that supports the
FCC's conclusions about BPL's interference potential and suppressed negative
recommendations from its own technical investigators, the petition says. As
a result, the League said, the Commission "failed to conduct impartial,
reasoned rulemaking."

The Commission used an unlawful "balancing test" that weighed BPL's
purported benefits against its interference to licensed services, the League
asserts, creating "a hierarchy of licensed radio services" based upon "how
much interference each service deserves." The Communications Act, the
League's petition points out, requires an objective determination from the
outset that the likelihood of harmful interference from a proposed
unlicensed service is virtually nil.

The interference mitigation rules in the R&O are both ineffective and
inequitably applied, the ARRL's petition further argues. Noting the new
rules do not require BPL systems to shut down in the event of interference
except as "a last resort," the League said the practical effect is "that
systems will never have to shut down," even if the BPL operator has not been
able to remedy ongoing harmful interference to the Amateur Service. The new
rules, the petition charges, accord priority to unlicensed BPL, "regardless
of the preclusive effect" or the duration of interference.

In its unanimous BPL decision, the Commission, the League says, has
abandoned its fundamental obligation to avoid interference in
telecommunication systems, instead requiring complainants to initiate
contact with BPL providers and "beg for resolution." The ARRL petition also
faults the Commission's adopted measurement standards.

The League's Petition for Reconsideration in ET Dockets 03-104 and 04-37 is
on the ARRL Web site,
www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et04-37/recon_petition/.

==>BPL LEGAL WRANGLES CONTINUE IN AUSTRIAN CITY

Local telecommunication authorities in Austria have sent a "first-step"
legal notice to Linz Strom GmbH (Linz Power), calling on the utility to
"take necessary technical measures" to operate its "Speed-Web" broadband
over power line (BPL) system so it doesn't cause interference to other
telecommunication equipment. Joseph Ibinger, who heads the Upper
Austria-Salzburg field office for the Federal   Ministry for Commerce,
Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), told Linz Power in late December that
interference mentioned in complaints is definitely coming from the utility's
BPL system. From the time the BPL installation was a pilot project, radio
amateurs have been among the most vocal in expressing their displeasure,
blaming BPL for causing excessive interference on HF bands throughout the
City of Linz. The Austrian Amateur Transmitter Federation (?sterreichischer
Versuchssenderverband--?VSV), Austria's International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) member-society, praised the action, which the utility is very likely
to appeal.

"The Austrian Amateur Radio Society applauds this decision of local
authorities and notes that radio users have repeatedly indicated the problem
of unwanted radiation from unshielded mains wiring," said ?VSV President
Michael Zwingl, OE3MZC. "The recent decision will be an example for
authorities in other European countries facing similar problems in BPL
trials."

In October 2003, Linz Power received a similar letter from local
telecommunications authorities asking the utility to "remove the illegal
interference" on the HF bands generated by the utility's BPL then-pilot
project. As a result, Zwingl says, the utility took legal action against
?VSV.

Assuming an appeal by Linz Power, the BMVIT must move Ibinger's initial
response--essentially the equivalent of a warning notice or citation--up to
the next level, and it could take up to six months to resolve the matter.
Zwingl says if the federal authorities affirm the local decision, they could
prohibit operation of the BPL system. As it now stands, the utility was
given a month to resolve the interference.

Zwingl said ?VSV has been unable to obtain a copy of the actual decision and
was only able to obtain details of the document in January by working
through a "peoples' lawyer," essentially a legal ombudsman who runs
interference between the Austrian federal government and citizens.

According to legal ombudsman Peter Kostelka's report to Zwingl, the
telecommunication authorities cited Linz Power's use of unshielded wiring to
transport data signals, resulting in constant emissions that interfere with
short wave bands as "an undesirable byproduct" of the system.

The Linz Power BPL system boasts upward of 4000 "satisfied customers" out of
the 40,000 in its service area. It offers its basic service for ?24 a month;
a faster version goes for ?42 a month, both less installation charges.
Speed-Web uses Main.net BPL technology.

Zwingl said the recent official decree followed "some years of complaints
and investigations" into the Linz Power BPL project.

"We put pressure on officials to not just take measurements but also to
react by all legal means," he said. "It took us some time, but we never
agreed with the opinion of some authorities who have made a judgment between
the importance of ham radio and BPL." Zwingl maintains that Austria's
telecommunication rules conform with International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) regulations and "protect radio services and spectrum regardless of
subjective importance."

Linz Power Executive Josef Heizinger reportedly reacted calmly to the field
office decision. "We are absolutely in the right, legally, and will continue
the BPL development according to plan," he's quoted in the media. In another
interview, Heizinger declared that "simultaneous problem-free operation of
BPL and Amateur Radio equipment is possible," and he blamed a small group of
dissident radio amateurs for trying to discredit "this innovative and
economical technology."

Linz Strom blames the few radio interference problems its system has caused
on "defective equipment," and says it's resolved those cases promptly.

?VSV continues to insist that in its current form BPL--also known in
German-speaking countries as "Internet from the Electrical Outlet"--is
incompatible with HF reception.

==>UK CADETS TAKE TO THE HAM RADIO AIRWAVES TO CHAT WITH ISS

Cadets from the 1132nd Air Training Corps Squadron from Stalham High School
in Norfolk, England, made contact via Amateur Radio February 2 with the
International Space Station. The direct VHF school group contact between
GB2ATC and NA1SS was sponsored by the Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) program. ISS Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao,
KE5BRW, responded to 20 questions from the cadets, who ranged in age from 13
to 18. He told the cadets that while he and crewmate Salizhan Sharipov did
not witness the December 29 tsunami, they have been able to view the
aftermath from more than 200 miles above Earth.

"We were able to get some pretty striking photographs of the damage," Chiao
told the high schoolers. "It was really a tragedy for us to witness." He
explained that it was not until several days after the disaster that the
spacecraft's orbit brought the crew over that part of the world during
daylight.

Another cadet wanted to know how the Expedition 10 crew celebrated the
arrival of the new year.

"We marked New Year's Eve as we went around the earth and marked the big
cities," Chiao responded. "Of course we didn't have very much to toast with,
but we did have some chocolates to enjoy."

Cadets also asked what inspired Chiao to become an astronaut and who were
his role models. He told the students that seeing the early Apollo moon
landings in the late 1960s stimulated his interest in pursuing a career in
space. He cited astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins as
his early heroes.

The youngsters also asked what the crew members ate and drank in space.
Chiao told the cadets that there was both American and Russian-style cuisine
aboard. As for beverages, he mentioned juices, coffee and tea.
"Unfortunately, that's about all we have," he quipped. "We don't have any of
the good stuff on board."

Organizing the QSO on the local level was the squadron's commander Terry
Owen, G4PSH. The Radio Society of Great Britain's (RSGB) mobile radio
communications demonstration vehicle GB4FUN was on hand to back up the Earth
station in the event anything broke down. Fortunately, that did not happen.
Owen called the ARISS QSO "a fantastic opportunity" for his squadron's
members that would help with projects the schools were doing on space
exploration.

The RSGB's Carlos Eavis, G0AKI, assisted with the contact and also garnered
a post-contact interview with the BBC. "I think it shows them science has a
value, not only as a teaching aid but also in everyday life," he told the
Beeb. "We're surrounded by technology. They need to understand that physics
does apply to real life." An area newspaper also reported on the ARISS
school group QSO.

ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international educational outreach
with US participation by ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.

==>ARRL EXPO 2005 TO HIGHLIGHT LEAGUE'S NATIONAL CONVENTION IN DAYTON

If you've never been to Dayton Hamvention, then this is the year. That's
because Hamvention will host the 2005 ARRL National Convention May 20-22. A
special feature of the event will be "ARRL Expo 2005," a separate area at
Hara Arena that will highlight what the League means to Amateur Radio.

"ARRL Expo 2005 will be a special feature of the Convention," says ARRL
Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, who's helping to coordinate the
event. "ARRL Expo will showcase ARRL membership benefits and services as
well as the activities of ARRL volunteers. Visitors will be able to meet
ARRL volunteers and staff knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics, and, of
course, have their cards checked for operating awards."

Hamvention has donated a separate section of floor space for ARRL Expo 2005.
The large area is convenient to the flea market and indoor exhibit
areas--and it's just a short walk from the Ballarena entrance to Hara Arena.
While the Expo area will complement the traditional ARRL concession in North
Hall, it will operate independently.

ARRL Expo will offer the opportunity to meet and greet ARRL staff members
and volunteers--including representatives of DXCC, the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service and other ARRL entities and programs that span the wide
variety of interests that comprise Amateur Radio.

The National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers (NARTE)
will be attending Hamvention as guests of the ARRL National Convention. ARRL
and NARTE have a memorandum of understanding to support mutually beneficial
programs and activities. NARTE representatives will be on hand at the ARRL
exhibit and will provide FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL)
examinations to interested applicants. The testing fee, not included in the
Hamvention admission price, is $40. Register or get more information from
the NARTE Web site or by calling NARTE toll-free at 800-89-NARTE
(800-896-2783).

Inderbitzen notes that ARRL Expo 2005 will be the place to pick up a free
"ARRL Passport" to get a 2005 ARRL National Convention keepsake when making
qualifying purchases from participating retailers at Hamvention.

The ARRL ad hoc National Convention Committee has been meeting since last
July to help make Dayton Hamvention 2005 a memorable ARRL National
Convention. New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, chairs the
committee. Members are ARRL Great Lakes Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, Dakota
Division Director Jay Bellows, K0QB, Midwest Division Director Wade
Walstrom, W0EJ, and ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher,
K7BV.

The theme of Dayton Hamvention 2005 is "Bringing hams together from around
the world." Upward of 25,000 visitors from the US and elsewhere on the globe
make the annual pilgrimage to Hamvention, where socializing is a big part of
the fun.

In addition to the popular indoor and outdoor exhibits and vendors, Dayton
Hamvention 2005 will feature a full slate of forums and other activities. As
they say, "If you can't find it at Dayton, you'll never find it." It's not
too soon to purchase tickets for Dayton Hamvention 2005. Early birds can
save $5 by getting their tickets online at the Hamvention Web site
<http://www.hamvention.org>. Hamvention has eliminated the on-line handling
charge.

Check the ARRL National Convention at Dayton Hamvention Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2005/> for information updates.

==>OHIO DXERS DENIED DESECHEO ISLAND (KP5) LANDING PERMIT

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has again said "no" to four Ohio
radio amateurs seeking to visit Desecheo Island (KP5), a prized DX location
that's on the top-ten "most-needed list" for DXCC. The denial came in a
letter from the FWS to US Rep Mike Turner (R-OH) of Dayton, who acted on
behalf of well-known DXer and contester Harry Flasher, AC8G, and three other
members of the South West Ohio DX Association (SWODXA). Flasher was on
Desecheo in the 1980s.

A small island about 14 miles off the northwestern corner of Puerto Rico,
Desecheo Island is a national wildlife refuge and under FWS jurisdiction.
The FWS told Turner that the Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge "is closed to
all public entry for safety reasons due to unexploded ordinance (artillery
shells) in the area." The island once was the site of war games. The FWS has
not issued Amateur Radio permits since 1993.

As it has in earlier denials, the FWS also raised the specter of problems
with Caribbean drug traffickers in turning down the latest request. The FWS
also has continued to deny access to Navassa Island (KP1), over which it
also has jurisdiction. Navassa is on the most-needed list for DXCC as well.

The SWODXA group had requested access to a small landing beach--a manmade
gravel patch the group feels is far away from potential contact with
unexploded artillery shells. ARRL Ohio Section Manager Joe Phillips, K8QOE,
said the group has not given up its attempts to gain permission to land on
and operate from Desecheo Island.--Joe Phillips, K8QOE

==>THE DX MAGAZINE ISSUES MOST-WANTED DXCC ENTITIES SURVEY RESULTS

According to 2004 survey results published in the January/February issue of
The DX Magazine <http://www.dxpub.com/>, North Korea (P5) remains atop
DXers' "most-wanted" lists for DXCC.

"It was a real surprise to see North Korea at the top of the most-wanted
list," commented The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com/> Editor Bernie
McClenny, W3UR. The most-recent P5 operation was by Ed Giorgadze, P5/4L4FN,
in 2001 and 2002, during which he logged more than 16,000 QSOs.

Number two on the list is Andaman and Nicobar Islands (VU4), although a
post-survey DXpedition in December likely diminished worldwide demand,
despite being cut short by the tsunami.

In third place--but topping the list in four US time zones--was Scarborough
Reef (BS7). Fourth is Lakshadweep (VU7), and fifth is Yemen (7O). A
DXpedition set for this month from number six Peter Island (3Y/P) could
blunt demand for that rare one. Rounding out the top 10 are Navassa Island
(KP1) and Desecheo Island (KP5), both under jurisdiction of the US Fish and
Wildlife Service which has denied visitation permission, Bouvet (3Y/B) and
Kure Island (KH7K).

McClenny, who also edits "How's DX?" for QST, notes there's still a large
demand for VU4, but he expressed guarded optimism that the VU4RBI/VU4NRO
DXpedition's emergency communication operation following the December 29
earthquake and tsunami would make Indian authorities more willing to allow
future DXpeditions. "Keep you fingers crossed," he said.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar Seer Tad "House of the Rising Sunspot" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: All solar activity indicators rose this week, but not
by much. The average daily sunspot number for the week rose 4.4 points to
41.3, the average daily solar flux was up 11.6 points to 85.1, the average
planetary A index rose 4 points to 15.1, and the average daily mid-latitude
A index rose 2.2 points to 10.6.

Monday through Wednesday, February 7-9, had unsettled to active geomagnetic
activity. Tuesday was the most disturbed day, with a planetary A index of
34, and mid-latitude A index of 27. At 0300 UTC February 8, the planetary K
index reached a high of 6, and at 1800 UTC the Alaska college K index toped
out at the very high value of 8. There was a K index of 7 the previous day,
and the college A indices for February 7-10 were 50, 71, 45 and 30--all high
values.

The higher A and K numbers this week were caused by a robust solar wind
stream. The Interplanetary Magnetic Field pointed south, so Earth was
vulnerable to these particles. When the IMF points north, Earth is shielded,
and it didn't swing north until February 10--a quiet day.

Currently solar flux is expected to stay around 115 for February 11-12, then
drop a few points over the next few days. Solar flux could drop below 100
around February 19.

Sunspot numbers for February 3 through 9 were 23, 22, 22, 47, 62, 53 and 60,
with a mean of 41.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 83, 82.1, 94.6, 97, 103.1, 108.2
and 108.6, with a mean of 96.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 3, 4,
9, 23, 34 and 25, with a mean of 15.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were
5, 2, 1, 6, 19, 27 and 14, with a mean of 10.6.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (CW), the KCJ Topband
Contest, the CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest, SARL Kid's Day, SARL Field Day Contest,
the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the Dutch PACC Contest, the YLRL YL-OM
Contest (SSB), the Louisiana QSO Party, the OMISS QSO Party, the FISTS
Winter Sprint, the British Columbia QSO Challenge and the RSGB First 1.8 MHz
Contest (CW) are the weekend of February 12-13. The ARRL School Club Roundup
is February 14-19. The AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening and the RSGB 80-Meter
Club Championship (Data) are February 16. JUST AHEAD: The ARRL International
DX Contest (CW) is the weekend of February 19-20. The RSGB 80-Meter Club
Championship (CW) is February 24. The Russian PSK Worldwide Contest is the
weekend of February 25-26. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the Technician Licensing course (EC-010) and the new Analog
Electronics course (EC-012) remains open through Sunday, February 13.
Classes begin Friday, February 25. With the assistance of a mentor,
Technician Licensing students learn everything they need to know to pass the
FCC Technician class license examination. Analog Electronics students will
learn about the use of instrumentation, Kirchhoff's Laws, diodes, rectifier
circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various amplifier
configurations, filters, timers, op amps and voltage regulators. Most
lessons include a design problem and optional construction project. To learn
more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education Program <cce@arrl.org>.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level II on-line course
(EC-002) opens Monday, February 14, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open
until all available seats have been filled or through the February 19-20
weekend--whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, March 4. THIS IS THE
FINAL YEAR OF GRANT-SUBSIDIZED CLASSES! Thanks to our grant sponsors--the
Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies
Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be
reimbursed after successful completion of the course. Radio amateurs 55 and
up are strongly encouraged to participate. During this registration period,
seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web
page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more information, contact Emergency
Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* New video PSAs now available from ARRL: Following up on the introduction
last month of two new audio public service announcements promoting Amateur
Radio to the general public, the ARRL is now offering video PSAs. The new
videos underscore how, in the wake of recent disasters, ham radio operators
are able to pass emergency traffic when other communication systems fail.
These "mini-commercials" for ham radio already are airing on dozens of
stations across the US, and the numbers keep growing. There's a 30-second
MPEG (nearly 2.7 MB) file on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/pio/ARRL30mpeg-video.mpg>. While MPEGs are good enough
to view on a PC, they don't have sufficient resolution for broadcast
television. To obtain a video in higher-resolution DVD+r format, contact
ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP,
<apitts@arrl.org>. Include your name and address and indicate on which TV
outlet you will place the spot. ARRL thanks Jerry Martin, KC9BDA, for his
efforts in turning the great audio into an impressive video! The radio/audio
PSAs remain available on the ARRL Web site as well. There's a 30-second spot
<http://www.arrl.org/pio/HAMWORKS30.mp3> and a 60-second spot
<http://www.arrl.org/pio/60HamRadioWorks0105.mp3>. To download, right click
once on the selection and choose SAVE TARGET.

* ARRL member wins Jeopardy! "Teen Tournament": Sixteen-year-old ARRL member
Michael Braun, K3LNT, of Silver Spring, Maryland, picked up the $75,000
grand prize as winner of the Jeopardy! "Teen Tournament" February 8. "Most
of my money will be in savings for college and future expenses," Braun said
when asked what he'll do with his financial windfall. "However, I may use a
small fraction for radio equipment." A high school junior, Braun holds a
General ticket, enjoys HF operating and is a member of the Montgomery
Amateur Radio Club (MARC). He also told Jeopardy! that he hopes to
eventually work for a computer company and considers Microsoft's Bill Gates
"somewhat of a role model." Sony Pictures produces Jeopardy!

* "Big Project" schools get Best Buy Te@ch grants: Two ARRL Amateur Radio
Education and Technology Program (ETP) <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/>
participating schools were the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin at
Lyndon Baines Johnson High School (LBJ) in Austin, Texas, and Orono Middle
School in Orono, Maine. Lead teachers Ronny Risinger, KC5EES, at LBJ, and
Richard Glueck, N1MDZ, at Orono say they'll use the grant funds to purchase
laptop computers suitable for field work and other applications. ARRL ETP
Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, says he hopes other Big Project schools
will consider taking advantage of the Te@ch awards and other grant programs.
The list of all schools receiving Te@ch grants is available on the Best Buy
Web site
<http://communications.bestbuy.com/communityrelations/teachwinners.asp>. The
ETP reaches more than 3600 students, exposing them to a collective total of
some 184,000 hours of involvement in "wireless technology literacy." The
League invites contributions to the ARRL Education and Technology Program
via its secure donation Web site
<https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/education/education.html>.

* Jeff Brone, WB2JNA, wins January QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the
QST Cover Plaque Award for January is Jeff Brone, WB2JNA, for his article
"EchoLink for Beginners." Congratulations, Jeff! The winner of the QST Cover
Plaque award--given to the author or authors of the best article in each
issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll
Web page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>. Cast a ballot for
your favorite article in the February issue by February 28.

* DXCC Desk approves operations for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved the R1MVI (Malyj Vysotskij Island) operation of September 10-13,
2004, and the Chesterfield Island (TX9) operation of October 2004 for DXCC
credit. For more information, visit the DXCC Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc>. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/faq/>," can answer most questions about the
DXCC program. Current ARRL DX bulletins are available on the W1AW DX
Bulletins for 2004 page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.

* Correction: In The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 05 (Feb 4, 2005), we misspelled
the name "Kirchhoff," as in Kirchhoff's Laws.

===========================================================
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Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
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The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest
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From Wplewis2 at cs.com  Sun Feb 13 16:40:16 2005
From: Wplewis2 at cs.com (Wplewis2@cs.com)
Date: Sun Feb 13 16:59:38 2005
Subject: [CVRC] About Dick Budd, W7RWB
Message-ID: <1aa.31a0dd20.2f412340@cs.com>

Hello to all,

After several weeks in the hospital, now Dick is in room 210 of Evergreen 
Gardnerville Health and Rehabilitation Center.  They allow visiting at about any 
time.  

When Phyllis and I were there early this afternoon Dick was sound asleep, not 
having slept well the night before, so I can say little except that he seems 
to have lost some weight.

Dorothy tells me his diagnosis is senile dementia, and it seems most probable 
to me, from its sudden onset, that a small stroke or a medication reaction 
might have triggered it.  The big question it whether it is permanent.  At 
times, Dick's mental state seems to be perfectly normal, and at other times he says 
some very bizarre things.  Hopefully, he will show speedy improvement and 
soon will be back among his Radio Friends.

Evergreen Gardnerville is located behind the Barton Medical Facility just 
south of Gardnerville on Hwy 395.  From Hwy 395 turn easterly on Virginia Ranch 
Road (which is the usual entrance road to Barton), and continue a short ways 
beyond the well-signed Merrill Gardens.  The road turns to the right, and you 
will see a large sign for Evergreen Gardnerville.  

After a few days, Dick will probably settle into a sleep pattern that will 
determine the best time to visit him.

Will KD7NIR and Phyllis KD7OKI Lewis,
kd7nir@arrl.net

From kd7jyk at earthlink.net  Sun Feb 13 19:32:12 2005
From: kd7jyk at earthlink.net (KD7JYK)
Date: Sun Feb 13 20:48:24 2005
Subject: [CVRC] WANTED!
Message-ID: <00b001c5122c$a1b23940$4c70f504@classified>

Wanted:  Occasional work done by an Honest, Reliable Machinist.

Every so often I need a part turned down, cut, or duplicated that is beyond
the means of my tools.  Materials include delrin, aluminum, bronze, brass
and stainless steel.  Soon, I will need a 15-15/16" disc with a 7/16" center
hole cut from 3/16" 6061 T6 aluminum plate.

Is anyone available for this type of work?

Kurt

From Wplewis2 at cs.com  Wed Feb 16 18:05:22 2005
From: Wplewis2 at cs.com (Wplewis2@cs.com)
Date: Wed Feb 16 20:03:27 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Join Bob Evans, N6YMA for lunch
Message-ID: <142.3f98b902.2f452bb2@cs.com>

Hello all, 

Bob expects to be at lunch in Gardnerville on Wednesday the 23rd, and all are 
invited.   He'll be at Jethro's in GV Ranchos, on Kimmerling between the Post 
Office and the bowling alley.  A little before 11:00 AM to a little after 
noon.  Just ask where the radio bunch is.  No reservations needed.

The very best news is that Bob doesn't need dialysis any more, so they 
removed the dialysis tube Tuesday and Bob can have hot showers and use up as much 
water as he wants to for the first time since his last surgery.

Give me an email if you need any fills.

73,

Will Lewis, KD7NIR
From dick at twohams.com  Thu Feb 17 14:13:19 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Thu Feb 17 14:23:47 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Snow Advisory for Carson City, NV
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050217111236.035d1be0@mail.greatbasin.net>

Winter Weather Advisory
1052 am PST Thu Feb 17 2005

...Snow Advisory in effect from midnight Friday to midnight PST
Saturday...

The National Weather Service in Reno NV has issued a Snow Advisory.

Snow will spread to the Lee side valleys of western Nevada early
Friday morning and intensify Friday afternoon after a brief break
later Friday morning. By Friday night...total snowfall is expected to
be 1 to 4 inches north of Carson City with 3 to 6 inches from Carson
City southward...with up to 8 inches in the foothills above 5500
feet.

Expires:180600 gmt
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc@arrl.org


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Thu Feb 17 17:31:40 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Thu Feb 17 17:42:16 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLD007 DX news
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050217143127.00c4b5e8@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB DX @ ARL $ARLD007
ARLD007 DX news

ZCZC AE07
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 7  ARLD007
 From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  February 17, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB DX ARL ARLD007
ARLD007 DX news

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
K4QD, K7BV, K9EL, the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX, 425DXnews, DXNL,
QRZ DX, WA7BNM and Contest Corral from QST.  Thanks to all.

NEPAL, 9N.  Stig, LA7JO is the Regional Telecoms Officer for the
UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and is QRV as 9N7JO from
Kathmandu.  Activity is on 160 to 15 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.
He may be here for more than one year.  QSL direct.

BAHAMAS, C6.  Steve, AK0M is QRV as C6ASB from Eleuthera, IOTA
NA-001, until February 22.  Activity is on 160 to 6 meters, using
mostly CW, with some SSB or digital modes possible.  He plans to be
active in the ARRL DX CW contest.  His wife Sandy, KC0RD may also be
QRV as C6ASC using SSB or digital.  QSL via AK0M.

ANTARCTIC.  Francois, F8DVD is QRV as TM8ANT until February 27
during the 2nd Antarctic Activity Week.  Activity is on 80 to 10
meters using SSB.  QSL via bureau.  Meanwhile, look for the F6KDF
Team to be QRV as TM0ANT the last two weekends of February.  They
will try to be active on all bands and modes.  QSL via operators'
instructions.

CROZET ISLAND, FT5W.  Nicolas, F4EGX and Jean-Paul, F5BU are QRV as
FT1WK and FT5WJ, respectively, until the end of March 2005.  QSL via
operators' instructions.

SAINT MARTIN, FJ.  John, K9EL is QRV as FS/K9EL until February 26.
He is active on 40 to 10 meters, including 17 and 12 meters, and
possibly 80 meters.  This includes an entry in the ARRL DX CW
contest.  QSL to home call.

HAITI, HH.  Jan, K4QD and Koh, JA7KAC will be QRV as HH4/K4QD and
HH4/K2AC, respectively, from the St. Louis du Nord mission from
February 21 to March 4.  Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY.  QSL HH4/K4QD to home call and HH4/K2AC via
JA7AGO.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HI.  Dennis, K7BV will be QRV as HI3TEJ in the
ARRL DX CW contest.  Outside the contest, he is active as K7BV/HI3.
QSL this call direct.  QSL contest call via ON4IQ.

SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS.  Danny, LZ2UU is QRV as LZ0A and VP8/LZ2UU
from the Bulgarian Antarctic Base "St. Kliment Ohridski" on
Livingston Island, IOTA AN-010, until late February.  QSL LZ0A via
LZ1KDP and VP8/LZ2UU direct.

ARUBA, P4.  Andy, AE6Y is QRV as P49Y until February 22.  This
includes an entry in the ARRL DX CW contest.  QSL to home call.

FERNANDO DE NORONHA, PY0F.  Bill, W9VA is QRV as PY0ZFO until
February 22.  He will be active as PY0FF during the ARRL DX CW
contest as a Single Band entry.  QSL to home call.

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE, S9.  CT1APE, CT1FFU and CT2GLO will be QRV as
S92RI from Ilheu das Rolas, IOTA AF-023, from February 20 to 26.
Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31.
QSL via operators' instructions.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, V2.  Larry, W1LR and Bill, W4WX will be QRV as
V25LR and V25WX, respectively, from February 21 to 24.  Activity
will be on 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 meters using primarily PSK31 and
some RTTY.  QSL to home calls.

ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, V4.  Alex, W2OX and John, K3TEJ will be QRV as
V47KP in the ARRL DX CW contest as a Multi-2 entry.  QSL via K2SB.

MONTSERRAT, VP2M.  Larry, W1LR and Bill, W4WX will be QRV as VP2MHS
and VP2MHX, respectively, from Volcano Island, from February 24 to
March 2.  Activity will be on 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 meters using
primarily PSK31 and some RTTY.  QSL to home calls.  Meanwhile, Art,
N2NB will be QRV as VP2MDY from February 24 to March 8.  Activity
will be on 160 to 6 meters.  QSL to home call.

CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF.  Jim, N6TJ is QRV from Little Cayman and will
participate in the ARRL DX CW contest as ZF2TJ.  QSL via VE3HO.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO.  The ARRL International DX CW Contest and
the CQC Winter QSO Party are all scheduled for this weekend.  Please
see February QST, page 102 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites
for details.
NNNN
/EX


From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Fri Feb 18 10:47:45 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Fri Feb 18 10:58:19 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLP007 Propagation de K7RA
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050218074726.034a6c20@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP007
ARLP007 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP07
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 7  ARLP007
 From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  February 18, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP007
ARLP007 Propagation de K7RA

Conditions improved this week over last. The average daily sunspot
number rose nearly 34 points to 75.1, and the geomagnetic indices
were down over the week. The geomagnetic field may become more
active, and for February 18-20 the planetary A index is predicted at
20, 20 and 15. The major sunspot group affecting us this week will
soon move off the visible solar disk, but there is a small sunspot
group on the other side of the sun. Conditions should be fair to
good for the ARRL International DX CW Contest this weekend.

Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA has an interesting and useful propagation
column in the March 2005 issue of WorldRadio. With ionosonde data he
demonstrates how daily variations in solar flux have little effect
on the MUF. Instead, propagation is better predicted with a smoothed
sunspot number applied to seasonal variations.

For instance, this afternoon when I wanted a feeling for when 15 and
17 meters would still be open toward various locations, it was
better to use W6ELprop with an average of sunspot numbers for the
previous five days rather than today's solar flux. You can get the
recent sunspot numbers from
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/DSD.txt, and download
W6ELprop from http://www.qsl.net/w6elprop/.

This afternoon I went out to the car to do some 17 meter mobile
work. Geomagnetic indices were low and the band was good. I had a
nice CW chat with KG0TS in Des Moines, Iowa, and then worked
9Y4/YL2GM in Tobago on SSB. Juris was in the Caribbean getting ready
for the DX contest from 9Y4W this weekend.

If you would like to comment or have a tip, email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of
the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information
Service propagation page at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.

Sunspot numbers for February 10 through 16 were 63, 73, 72, 73, 115,
69 and 61 with a mean of 75.1. 10.7 cm flux was 114.1, 114.1, 116.4,
115.5, 118.1, 121.7 and 112.8, with a mean of 116.1.  Estimated
planetary A indices were 17, 11, 5, 4, 5, 5 and 13 with a mean of
8.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 11, 7, 3, 2, 4, 1 and 8,
with a mean of 5.1.
NNNN
/EX


From dick at twohams.com  Fri Feb 18 19:01:11 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Fri Feb 18 19:11:53 2005
Subject: [CVRC] DCART Trng
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050218160039.04a426f0@mail.greatbasin.net>

DCART Training will be held Monday night (02-21) at the Sierra Front 
training room starting at 1830. Please watch this reflector for any changes 
due weather.

Dick KJ7UK


From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Fri Feb 18 23:52:02 2005
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Sat Feb 19 00:11:03 2005
Subject: [CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 07
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050218204604.04a426f0@mail.greatbasin.net>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 07
February 18, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +New ARRL COO outlines his vision for future
* +League staff member testifies on BPL
* +Ham radio links ISS crew with Mother Earth
* +FCC chief, member want "Sunshine Act" changes
* +Commission affirms $4000 fine for Missouri ham
* +Vanity call sign fee proposed to stay at $20.80
* +FCC upholds $10,000 fine for unlicensed operation on 2 meters
* +Radio amateurs get Volunteer Service awards
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
      This weekend on the radio
      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
      Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
      Anticipated Peter I Island DXpedition postponed until 2006
      AMSAT-DL reviews P3E satellite design
      ARES/RACES drill participation draws FEMA praise
      Collins ARC special event to feature operation from B-29 station

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE: ARRL Headquarters will be closed for Presidents' Day, Monday, February
21. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions on that
day. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Tuesday, February 22, at 8 AM EST. We
wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday!
===========================================================

==>NEW ARRL COO HAROLD KRAMER, WJ1B, WANTS BRIGHT FUTURE FOR AMATEUR RADIO

New ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold R. Kramer, WJ1B, says he is looking
forward to having an active role in confronting and resolving issues that
may cloud Amateur Radio's future. The 56-year-old Cheshire, Connecticut,
resident officially joined the ARRL Headquarters staff February 15,
replacing Mark Wilson, K1RO, who stepped down last September. In his new
role, Kramer says, he wants very much to be a part of the solution to
keeping Amateur Radio vibrant.

"I not only want to ensure a future for Amateur Radio, I'd like to see it
thrive," he said. Kramer wants the ARRL to augment efforts advocating
Amateur Radio as a great leisure-time activity that also offers lifelong
opportunities for both learning and public service. But he also concedes
that there's no single answer to assuring a bright future for Amateur Radio.


"A lot of things have to happen," he said. "These include an ongoing
emphasis on public service. That's something we need to continue doing."

As the Emergency Coordinator for Cheshire and an alumnus of the ARRL Amateur
Radio Level I emergency communications course (he's working on Level II),
Kramer's clearly willing to walk the walk. Besides public service work, he's
a CW enthusiast.

A radio amateur since he was a teenager and possessing an education that
spans the arts and the sciences, Kramer may be in an ideal position to
foster his vision for ham radio's future. He holds an associate degree in
electronic technology from the University of Hartford's Ward Technical
College, where he still teaches an introductory course in electricity and
electronics. He also holds a BA in English and an MA in education
(Instructional Media and Technology) from the University of Connecticut.

Kramer served previously as vice president for strategic planning, business
development, and education at Connecticut Public Broadcasting. Prior to
that, he was employed in the cable television industry.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, noted that Kramer's
selection culminated an intensive search process. "Harold brings to the ARRL
staff an outlook and relevant skills developed in both the for-profit and
non-profit sectors," he said. "That, coupled with a lifelong love of Amateur
Radio, makes him a strong addition to the ARRL management team."

Kramer says he'd like to see the ARRL firm up its position as an educational
resource that enjoys a complementary role in turning out a better-trained
technical workforce that's aware of current wireless technology and
techniques.

"I'm convinced that ham radio gave a lot of people a career kick start, and
that needs to continue," he said. Additionally, he'd like to promote Amateur
Radio as an avocation that can adopt and integrate the Internet and other
modern telecommunication technologies--and even developments still beyond
the horizon.

At the same time, Kramer doesn't want to lose sight of the League's primary
commitment. "I want ARRL to continue its tradition of excellent service to
its members," he said. "Things like contesting, awards, technical support,
our publications--those are things we want to continue to emphasize because
that's really our main business."

==>ARRL STAFFER TESTIFIES ON BPL AT CALIFORNIA HEARING

ARRL staff member Dean Straw, N6BV, testified February 8 in San Francisco at
a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) public hearing on broadband
deployment--including BPL. In his nearly six-minute testimony on the draft
policy decision crafted by CPUC member Susan P. Kennedy, "Broadband
Deployment in California," Straw--an electrical engineer and an ARRL
technical editor--decried the fact that the section of the document dealing
with BPL--broadband over power line--neglected to mention the technology's
disadvantages.

"I feel there is further work necessary on the sections dealing with
broadband over power line--BPL," Straw testified. "There is not a single
mention made of the three most significant disadvantages of BPL." These, he
continued, include interference from BPL to radio receivers, interference to
BPL from radio transmitters and a lack of bandwidth for expansion,
especially in instances where BPL interference must be mitigated in some
fashion.

"We are not opposed to Internet broadband services," Straw maintained on
behalf of the Amateur Radio community at large. "We're not categorically
opposed to Access BPL, but we are opposed categorically to interference."

Kennedy, who chaired the hearing, stopped Straw from reading into the record
the CPUC's own cautious reply comments on the BPL proceeding, although she
did say he could submit them in writing. While generally supportive of
encouraging more competition within the broadband industry, the CPUC's reply
comments recommended the FCC "ensure that adequate testing is performed and
industry standards are developed before any deployment takes place." The
CPUC also noted "significant disagreement in the industry over the level of
interference."

"The statements made by the CPUC in June of 2004 in reply comments to the
FCC are now being--rather incautiously, I'd say--thrown to the wind," Straw
declared. The attitude toward BPL in Kennedy's broadband deployment policy
document, if adopted by the full commission in its present form, would
represent a 180-degree shift from its position of less than a year earlier,
he said.

The broadband policy Kennedy drafted calls for California to "encourage
deployment of BPL by its electric utilities by providing regulatory
certainty in the areas of its affiliate transaction rules, in the treatment
of BPL program expenses and revenues, and exemption from Section 851
requirements for the use of utility assets." And it says the CPUC "should
adopt this policy framework proactively without waiting for an application
to be filed by an electric utility for a BPL project."

Straw said the broadband policy appears to represent "a wholesale embracing"
of BPL. "I urge caution in that," he said. "There is still a great deal of
science that has not been done on BPL in terms of interference and
interference mitigation."

In December, the ARRL suggested that Kennedy temper the "excessively
optimistic" view of BPL she'd expressed in an interview. "It has yet to be
demonstrated that BPL systems can be deployed without polluting the radio
spectrum," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, wrote Kennedy December 10. "Until
this issue is resolved, we respectfully suggest that public statements that
paint an excessively optimistic picture of BPL are inadvisable."

==>EARTH RARELY OUT OF SIGHT OR MIND FOR ISS CREW

While it's 220 miles distant, Earth seems never far from the thoughts of the
International Space Station's Expedition 10 crew. Gazing upon the home
planet from their vantage point in space is among the most favorite
activities of those who have done duty tours aboard the ISS, and the current
crew members are no exception. Speaking via Amateur Radio from NA1SS
February 10, Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, told youngsters at
Fairview Elementary School in Mt Prospect, Illinois, that his new hobby is
taking pictures of Earth. Chiao also informed Fairview Principal Kerry
Swalwell that earthly topics dominate conversations between himself and
crewmate Salizhan Sharipov.

"We talk about things that you'd talk about on the ground, I guess," Chiao
said. "We talk about the day's work, we talk about things we've seen out the
window, and we talk about our families and friends and things we're looking
forward to when we come back to Earth." Swalwell's "bonus" question came
after her pupils had exhausted their own list of 20 questions, and the ISS
was still in radio range.

In his answers to the youngsters' questions, Chiao spoke of missing his wife
and family on Earth and of looking forward to having a real meal when he
gets back. A dozen Fairview students took part in the contact, while
parents, teachers and classmates looked on.

One youngster wanted to know about Chiao's funniest moment in space. The
astronaut described an optical illusion he'd experienced while looking out
the ISS window. "One time I thought I saw a satellite, and it turned out it
was just a speck of dust about three feet from the window," he said. "It was
being very brightly lit up by the sun."

To a question about animals in space, Chiao quipped, "We don't have any
animals on board. The only animals on board are the two of us right now." In
his previous missions, he recounted, some small fish and jellyfish
accompanied the space travelers.

Chiao visited the school in May 2004, and he has kept in touch with the
youngsters via e-mail. The approximately 10-minute direct VHF contact
between NA1SS in space and AJ9N at the Chicago-area school was arranged via
the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
Handling Earth-station duties was veteran ARISS mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N.


ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation by
ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.

==>FCC CHIEF, COMMISSIONER SUGGEST "SUNSHINE ACT" IMPAIRS DECISION MAKING

FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell has told a US Senate committee that the
open-meeting requirements of the "Sunshine Act" constitute "a barrier to the
substantive exchange of ideas" among FCC members and hamper commissioners'
decision making. The Sunshine Act's open-meeting provisions require
essentially every part of every FCC meeting to be open to public observation
when a quorum of Commissioners is handling official business. A February 2
letter from Powell and Commissioner Michael J. Copps to Sen Ted Stevens
(R-AK), chairman of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation, supports changes in the act to permit "closed deliberations
among Commissioners in appropriate circumstances." Powell and Copps cite
bipartisan support for such a change--Copps is one of the FCC's two
Democrats--as well as a body of scholarship favoring reforms.

"Due to the prohibition on private collective deliberations, we rely on
written communications, staff or one-on-one meetings with each other," the
commissioners told Stevens. "These indirect methods of communicating clearly
do not foster frank, open discussion, and they are less efficient than
in-person interchange among three or more commissioners would be."

As a result, Powell and Copps conclude, FCC decisions "are in some cases
less well informed and well explained than they would be if we each had the
benefit of the others' expertise and perspective." The letter to Stevens
noted plans in Congress to revise US telecommunication laws. Powell has
announced plans to step down as FCC chairman.

The ARRL's recent Petition for Reconsideration in the BPL proceeding, ET
03-104 and ET 04-37, charged that Powell had violated Sunshine Act
requirements prior to casting his vote in favor of adopting new Part 15
rules to govern Access BPL.

"Based on the Commission chairman's action preceding the BPL decision, what
the FCC needs is more sunshine, not less," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ,
commented this week.

Just two days before the FCC's unanimous October 14 BPL vote, the ARRL
asserts in its petition, Powell violated the Commission's own ex parte rules
by attending a BPL provider's demonstration during the so-called "Sunshine
Agenda" period, thus tainting the proceeding. The League had called on
Powell to recuse himself from taking part in the BPL vote, but he declined.

The ARRL petition also noted the League's extensive efforts through the
Freedom of Information Act to get the FCC to release studies and reports it
said it had relied upon in making its favorable decision on BPL but had not
made public. The Commission ultimately released hundreds of pages of
material, some of it heavily redacted. The League's petition maintains that
the FCC adopted the BPL rules even though it already possessed information
suggesting BPL was technologically unsuitable and a spectrum polluter.

In their letter to Stevens, Powell and Copps say they are "in complete
agreement with the Sunshine Act's goal of providing the public with reliable
information about the basis for Commission decisions." But they say they
support amending the Act because experience has shown that the FCC "can
satisfy this goal through other means that better serve the public
interest." One method posed was a requirement that brief summaries of topics
decision makers discuss at non-public meetings "be recorded and placed in
relevant administrative records."

==>FCC AFFIRMS $4000 FINE FOR MISSOURI AMATEUR

The FCC has affirmed a $4000 fine for Paul D. Westcott, KC0OAB, of Purdy,
Missouri, for "willful and repeated failure to respond to Commission
requests for information about his station." The Commission released a
Forfeiture Order in the case on February 16. The FCC reports it has received
"numerous complaints" alleging that KC0OAB for several months now has been
transmitting CW "24 hours a day, 7 days a week" on 7.030 MHz. While
complainants assert the transmissions constitute broadcasting, the FCC
contends they interfere with other amateur communications "due to an
apparent lack of station control." The FCC proposed the forfeiture November
30 in a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL).

"A licensee cannot ignore the directives in a Bureau inquiry letter," the
FCC said in the November NAL. "We, therefore, conclude that Paul D. Westcott
apparently willfully and repeatedly failed to respond to Commission
correspondence."

While Westcott did reply to an initial FCC Enforcement Bureau inquiry last
June, the Commission says he failed to respond to a subsequent Warning
Notice and Request for Further Information in early September, a Warning
Notice--Failure to Reply in mid-October or to the November NAL, issued by
the Commission's Kansas City field office.

FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth has told ARRL that
Westcott assured him "some time ago" in an informal conversation that the
transmissions were for Morse code practice, but neither he nor the FCC's
Kansas City field office have received any formal responses from Westcott
since last June.

A June 21, 2004, letter from Hollingsworth requested information from
Westcott regarding an attached complaint about the KC0OAB Morse code
transmissions. In his response Westcott reiterated the code practice claim.
The June FCC letter also asked Westcott when he had had begun the CW
transmissions and for evidence that the transmissions--consisting largely of
biblical text--were actually being used for that purpose. Hollingsworth
further asked Westcott to address the complaint "as it related to
allegations of religious broadcasting."

Hollingsworth says his office continues to receive complaints about the
ongoing KC0OAB transmissions on 40 meters.

The Commission gave Westcott 30 days to pay the fine or risk facing
collection proceedings through the US Department of Justice.

==>FCC PROPOSES HOLDING THE LINE ON VANITY CALL SIGN FEE

The FCC has proposed retaining the current $20.80 Amateur Radio vanity call
sign regulatory fee for the 10-year license term. The fee went from $16.30
to $20.80 last August. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM),
"Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2005" (MD
Docket 05-59) released February 15, the FCC says it's proposing to collect
more than $280 million in regulatory fees for fiscal year 2005, as mandated
by Congress "to recover the regulatory costs associated with the
Commission's enforcement, policy and rulemaking, user information, and
international activities."

The FCC anticipates 8000 vanity call sign applications during FY2005--up
from 7800 applications in FY2004--and it expects to raise $166,443 from
vanity call sign fees.

More information on vanity call signs is available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/vanity.html>.

==>FCC UPHOLDS FINE FOR UNLICENSED OPERATION ON AMATEUR FREQUENCY

The FCC has affirmed a $10,000 fine against a now-closed New Jersey
restaurant and its owner for alleged unlicensed operation of a radio
transmitter on 2 meters. The Commission's action strongly defended amateur
spectrum against unlicensed intruders. In a Memorandum Opinion and Order
(MO&O) released February 9, the Commission denied a Petition for
Reconsideration from Pang Cheng, doing business as Best Wok restaurant in
Westville. In 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) in
the case, which involved operation of a so-called long-range cordless
telephone on 145.8376 MHz. Best Wok, the FCC says, failed to respond to the
NAL. But it did reply to the subsequent Forfeiture Order (NoF), arguing that
its unlicensed operation was unintentional and minor and caused minimal
interference. The FCC disagreed, noting that the unlicensed operation
generated a number of complaints from amateur licensees.

"Any use of Amateur Service frequencies for business communications creates
a great potential for harmful interference to authorized Amateur Service
communications," the FCC said in the MO&O, signed by FCC Enforcement Bureau
Chief David H. Solomon. "We must take strong action against such use because
failure to do so would only encourage others to engage in the same conduct."

The FCC also denied Best Wok's claim that its unlicensed operation was
unintentional. The FCC had warned the restaurant in 2001 and again in 2003
that operation of transmitting equipment without a license violated the
Communications Act and could lead to penalties. In 2003, FCC agents from
Philadelphia tracked the 2-meter signal to the restaurant and inspected the
radiotelephone equipment, used to communicate between the restaurant and a
vehicle. The eatery's manager said Best Wok had stopped using the long-range
cordless telephone after the FCC's 2001 Warning Notice. But, the FCC says,
the manager admitted that the restaurant resumed using the long-range
cordless telephone after another communication system proved inadequate.

==>TWO AMATEURS RECEIVE PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

Two radio amateurs have received the President's Volunteer Service Award.
President George W. Bush personally presented the award to Thomas J. "T. J."
Powell, N8UIR, of Northfield, Ohio. Powell, is an active volunteer with the
Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps, a partner program of Citizen Corps,
which provides medical support services for public events and emergency
situations.

As chief of NEOMRC and a certified emergency medical technician, Powell
volunteers 800 to 1000 hours per year, helping with logistics, planning,
Amateur Radio operations and first-aid for charitable fundraising events
throughout Northeast Ohio. In addition, he assists local fire departments
and emergency medical service agencies during incidents that impact public
health. Bush made the presentation during a January 27 visit to Cleveland.

The White House also honored ARRL member John H. Bauer, W4AWM, of Burke,
Virginia, with a President's Volunteer Service Award. Bauer received the
award January 29 in recognition of more than 500 hours of volunteer work in
the Volunteer In Police Service (VIPS) program. Bauer is assigned to the
Crime Prevention Office of the West Springfield District Station, Fairfax
County Police.

"My assignment consists of many public relations and administrative duties
as well as participating in various training drills for SWAT teams and other
police activities," he explained. Presenting Bauer's award during a ceremony
for himself and other recipients was the Fairfax County Chief of Police.
Bauer also received a certificate of appreciation from the Fairfax County
Police Department.

Bauer says he always wears his call sign belt buckle when on duty, and
that's resulted in his meeting two police officers who also are hams. The
buckle also invites questions from people who want to know what it
represents. "This is a great door opener to talk about my favorite hobby,"
Bauer said.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Propagation guru Tad "Dancing in Sunshine" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Conditions improved this week over last. The average daily sunspot
number rose by nearly 34 points to 75.1, and the geomagnetic indices were
down over the reporting week.

Looking ahead, the geomagnetic field may become more active. For Friday
through Sunday, February 18-20, the planetary A index is predicted at 20, 20
and 15. The major sunspot group affecting us this week will soon move off
the visible solar disk, but there is a small sunspot group on the other side
of the sun. Conditions should be fair to good for the ARRL International DX
Contest (CW) this weekend.

Sunspot numbers for February 10 through 16 were 63, 73, 72, 73, 115, 69 and
61, with a mean of 75.1. The 10.7 cm flux was 114.1, 114.1, 116.4, 115.5,
118.1, 121.7 and 112.8, with a mean of 116.1. Estimated planetary A indices
were 17, 11, 5, 4, 5, 5 and 13 with a mean of 8.6. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 11, 7, 3, 2, 4, 1 and 8, with a mean of 5.1.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The ARRL International DX Contest (CW) is the
weekend of February 19-20. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW) is
February 24. The Russian PSK Worldwide Contest is the weekend of February
25-26. JUST AHEAD: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (SSB), the REF Contest (SSB),
the UBA DX Contest (CW), the Mississippi and North Carolina QSO parties, the
CZEBRIS Contest, the North American QSO Party (RTTY), the High Speed Club CW
Contest, and the CQC Winter QSO Party are the weekend of February 26-27. See
the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more
info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) and Radio Propagation
(EC-011) on-line courses remains open through Sunday, February 20. Classes
begin Friday March 4. For EC-004, computer-modeling expert and noted author
L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined the expertise of his long career as a
college professor with his love and antennas and antenna modeling to offer a
comprehensive, yet practical, course of study. EC-011 students will learn
the science of RF propagation, including the properties of electromagnetic
waves, the atmosphere and the ionosphere, the sun and sunspots, ground waves
and sky waves, and various propagation modes--including aurora and meteor
scatter. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line course
(EC-003) opens Monday, February 21, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open
until all available seats have been filled or through the February 26-27
weekend--whichever comes first. Radio amateurs 55 and older are strongly
encouraged to participate. Class begins Friday, March 11. Thanks to our
grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and the
United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon
enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
This is the final year of grant-subsidized courses! During this registration
period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come,
first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more
information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller,
K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* Anticipated Peter I Island DXpedition postponed until 2006: The
anticipated Peter I Island (Antarctica) 3Y0X DXpedition
<http://www.peterone.com/main.htm> has been called off at the eleventh hour.
The DXpedition team announced February 17 that its charter vessel, the
Cavendish Sea, has been delayed until February 20 instead of the hoped-for
February 18. With a projected February 21 departure, the DXpedition ran out
of time. "This latest delay, on top of numerous previous delays, simply
makes it impossible for us to spend a sufficient amount of time on Peter I
to justify the DXpedition this year," said the announcement from Bob
Allphin, K4UEE, and Ralph Fedor, K0IR. "So, we have no choice but to
postpone the DXpedition until 2006." The DXpedition's first vessel and
helicopter backed out at the last minute, forcing the team to quickly
regroup with a new vessel and helicopter earlier this week.--The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com>

* AMSAT-DL reviews P3E satellite design: An international team gathered in
Marburg, Germany, in late January to review progress on the Phase 3 Express
(P3E) Amateur Radio satellite--essentially a scaled-down and less-complex
version of the now-defunct AO-40. The meeting focused on the design of the
integrated housekeeping unit (IHU-3) computer and the "CAN-Do interface."
AMSAT-NA is a partner in the P3E high-altitude, elliptical-orbit satellite,
a prelude to the ambitious Mars-orbiting P5A spacecraft, and AMSAT-NA
President Rick Hambly, W2GPS, was among those attending the gathering
January 26-30. Being developed under AMSAT-DL leadership, P3E will provide a
test bench for technology under development for the subsequent Mars mission.
Launch is planned sometime before the end of 2006. The P3E satellite will
offer both analog and digital communication on VHF through microwave.
There's more information on P3E and P5A on the AMSAT-DL Web site
<http://www.amsat-dl.org/>.--AMSAT News Service

* ARES/RACES drill participation draws FEMA praise: Calhoun County, Alabama,
ARES/RACES participated February 9 in a communication drill in which the
scenario was a nerve gas release, and Amateur Radio the only communication
system available to the local emergency operations center (EOC). The
exercise, the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program
(CSEPP) conducted by the Anniston Army Depot and the Calhoun County Alabama
Emergency Management Agency, was aimed at checking the coordination of
communications at the EOCs. Calhoun County Emergency Coordinator Randall
Landers, KG4EUD, managed his team's activities from the EOC, while Alabama
Section Emergency Coordinator Jay Isbell, KA4KUN, and staff headed up
communications at the US Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Noble Training Center at Ft McClellan. A mission of
the Anniston Army Depot is to incinerate stockpiles of chemical weapons. In
the exercise scenario, 36 land mines explode releasing VX nerve agent. The
ARES/RACES team provided updates and deployed volunteers to hospitals and
schools and to Emergency Activation System radio stations, where they
disseminated official news releases. "A FEMA Region 4 representatives said
that the Amateur Radio group was the best they have evaluated, and that
their knowledge of radio and communications was excellent," reported Alabama
Section Manager Greg Sarratt W4OZK.

* Collins ARC special event to feature operation from B-29 station: The
Collins Amateur Radio Club in cooperation with the Cedar Valley Amateur
Radio Club--both in Iowa--will operate special event station W0CXX/29 to
celebrate the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Iwo Jima. The eight-hour
special event gets under way February 19 at 1600 UTC and continues until
February 20 at 0000 UTC. ARRL member Lawrence Robinson, KC0ODK, is heading
up the volunteer team that's attempting to recreate a B-29 radio operator's
position showcasing the Collins ART-13, the standard B-29 liaison
transmitter. Approximate frequencies will be 3885, 7290 and 14,286 kHz on
AM, and 3529, 7029, and 14,029 on CW. QSL info and other details are on the
Collins ARC B-29 Radio Project page
<http://www.collinsclubs.com/carc/b-29/>.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest
to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise,
and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org> for the latest news,
updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers
access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast"
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Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
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letter-dlvy@arrl.org
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==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
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==>How to Get The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
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* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
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From kb2luc at sbcglobal.net  Sat Feb 19 01:52:14 2005
From: kb2luc at sbcglobal.net (Nick)
Date: Sat Feb 19 02:10:23 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Thank You !
References: <5.2.1.1.2.20050204225940.03637098@mail.greatbasin.net>
Message-ID: <003601c5164f$8c67fda0$6400a8c0@main>

I would like to thank AL ke7bfd, Paul k9bbq,and Monte n7plq for there 
support and suggestions for the 447.550 repeater in downtown Reno. I had 
some problems with alignments and audio problems , AL was very helpful 
taking  time to work on it , with me at home and the site. k9bbq was also 
helpful with the use of meters , missing screwdrivers and moral support . 
Monte n7plq with tuning plugs and was willing to help just in case we burnt 
something up and the old Simpson meter trick .   Thank you I am proud to be 
member of this ham community I will continue to support the local repeaters 
in the area. If I cry for help people came and help out .  Thanks
Nick Manzo
kb2luc
PS Carcon thanks for dealing with my mistakes, I tried.
> 


From KD7JMR at msn.com  Sat Feb 19 10:38:34 2005
From: KD7JMR at msn.com (Dick Young)
Date: Sat Feb 19 13:47:42 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Technician class
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV158B3B675B430D1A9463F5886F0@phx.gbl>

The upcoming and planned Technician class needs your help and guidance.

The class schedule is set in stone - initiates on March 29, goes for eight Tuesday evenings from 6:30PM, and will be held at the Carson Valley United Methodist Church on Centerville Lane in Gardnerville.  

The Valley has many many residents that would appreciate knowing about this class, if they just knew about it.  Do you know how to make a few of them aware of the class?

Word of mouth is probably the best way.  Please talk it up with friends and neighbors.  Ask them to contact Dale (kv7s) at 267-4218.

Do you know where you can place a flyer or two during your travels?  To do so gives greater exposure to class availability and also makes the community more aware of HAM radio.  

We have flyers available for you to spread around the neighborhood.  They're in vibrant colors and really stand out.  Anyplace there's a bulletin board!  Or a wall where scotch tape will hold up the flyer.  Send me an email and return surface mail will get your needs to you.

Keep Amateur radio vibrant and alive!

From dick at twohams.com  Sat Feb 19 18:16:24 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Sat Feb 19 18:27:44 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Reminder: General Upgrade Class in Carson Valley
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050219151158.0429dec8@mail.greatbasin.net>

Carson Valley radio clubs will be holding an upgrade class for Technician
licensees wanting to upgrade to General Class.

The free class will be held at the Sierra Front Dispatch Center Training
Room at 2311 Firebrand Road, Minden. This is at the Minden/Tahoe Airport,
half-way between Minden and Carson City. A map to the facility can be found
at http://www.cvrc.net/images/SierraFrontMap.gif.

The textbook will be the ARRL "General Class License Manual," 5th Edition.
The retail price of the textbook is seventeen dollars. It can be purchased
from various local dealers, directly from the ARRL by telephone at
1-888-277-5289 or through their online Publication Catalog at
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9205. A limited number of copies will
also be available for sale at the first class session.

The class will run for six Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. and
will be followed by a Friday evening VE examination. The class will begin
on Thursday, March 3rd and run until the final VE examinations on Friday,
April 8th.

For more information contact Dick Flanagan K7VC, telephone 775-267-4900 or
e-mail k7vc@arrl.org.


From dick at twohams.com  Thu Feb 24 16:17:50 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Thu Feb 24 16:29:46 2005
Subject: [CVRC] CVRC Meeting Cancelled
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050224131629.03aba5f0@mail.greatbasin.net>

The regularly scheduled February 26 CVRC meeting has been postponed until 
the April 23 meeting.

Sorry for the short notice.

73, Dick
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc@arrl.org


From dick at twohams.com  Thu Feb 24 18:25:22 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Thu Feb 24 18:37:03 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLD008 DX news
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050224152423.03b25f90@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB DX @ ARL $ARLD008
ARLD008 DX news

ZCZC AE08
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 8  ARLD008
 From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  February 24, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB DX ARL ARLD008
ARLD008 DX news

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
NC1L, QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX, 425DXnews, DXNL,
WA7BNM and Contest Corral from QST.  Thanks to all.

MAURITANIA, 5T.  Phil, G3SWH, Jim, G3RTE, Jean, ON8RA, Harry, ON4HVO
and Nicolas, 5T5SN are QRV as 5T0CW from Nouakchott until March 4.
Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW and SSB.  Propagation
permitting, they plan to have one station QRV at all times.  QSL via
G3SWH.

KENYA, 5Z.  Enrico, IV3SBE is QRV as 5Z4ES while working here.  He
is active on the weekends on 80 to 10 meters, including 12 meters,
using SSB.  QSL to home call.

MALTA, 9H.  Special event station 9H2NCC is active from March 1 to
31 from the World Carnival.  QSL direct via 9H4DX.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CON GO, 9Q.  Gus, SM0DIC is QRV as 9Q0AR from
Kinshasa until the end of 2005.  QSL direct via SM5BFJ.

THE GAMBIA, C5.  Noel, M0NBY is QRV as C56/M0NBY until March 3.  He
is active mainly during his evenings on 20 and 15 meters and
possibly 40 meters using SSB.  QSL to home call.

BAHAMAS, C6.  Bill, NE1B is QRV as C6AWB, and he along with Tom,
C6ANM are active until March 8.  This includes an entry in the CQ
160-Meter SSB contest and the upcoming ARRL SSB Contest.  They plan
to visit Berry Island, IOTA NA-054, from March 1 to 3.  QSL both
calls via WA2IYO.

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS, D4.  Al, D4B has been QRV on 160 meters and will
be active in the CQ 160-Meter SSB contest.  QSL via K1BV.

SPRATLY ISLANDS.  Gil, 4F2KWT is QRV as DX0K from Pag-Asa Island,
IOTA AS-051, and has been active on 40 meters SSB around 1330 to
1445z.  QSL to home call.

ISLE OF MAN, GD.  Martin, G4XUM will be QRV as MD4K in the CQ
160-Meter SSB contest.  QSL via G3NKC.

SOUTH KOREA, HL.  A group of Korean hams are QRV as DT0HF from Taebu
Island, IOTA AS-105, until February 27.  QSL via HL2FDW.

AMERICAN SAMOA, KH8.  The American Samoa Amateur Radio Association
will be QRV as KH8SI from Swains Island, IOTA OC-200, from March 2
to 6.  Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters, including 6 meters,
using CW, SSB and RTTY on the usual DX and IOTA frequencies.  QSL
via VE3HO.

ANTARCTICA.  LU1ZAB is working from the station "Teniente Matienzo"
on the Larsen Ice Shelf, IOTA AN-016.  Activity is generally on 20
meters SSB around 2100z.  QSL via operator's instructions.

ARUBA, P4.  John, W2GD is QRV as P40W until March 8.  This includes
an entry in the CQ 160-Meter SSB contest and the upcoming ARRL DX
SSB contest.  Outside the contests he is active using mostly CW on
the newer bands.  QSL via N2MM.

DODECANESE, SV5.  Willi, SV5/DJ7RJ will be QRV from the island of
Kos, IOTA EU-001, mostly on the lowbands from February 28 to March
19.  QSL to home call.

BENIN, TY.  Luigi is QRV as TY2SF and has been active on 20 meters
SSB just after 1700z.  QSL via IK2ILK.

MARSHALL ISLANDS, V7.  Steve, N4TKP is QRV as V73CS and plans to
activate several atolls over the next 18 months.  QSL via operator's
instructions.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5.  Ray, K9RS will be QRV at VP5B for
the CQ 160-Meter SSB contest and the upcoming ARRL DX SSB contest.
Before and after the contests he is active as VP5/K9RS.  QSL
VP5/K9RS via the bureau.  QSL VP5B via operator's instructions.

BURKINA FASO, XT.  SM5DJZ is QRV as XT2JZ from Ouagadougou until
March 11.  This includes an entry in the upcoming ARRL DX SSB
contest.  Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW and SSB.  QSL to
home call.

INDONESIA, YB.  Stan, YB0AJR will be QRV as YE0X from Java, IOTA
OC-021, in the CQ 160-Meter SSB Contest.  QSL via bureau.

OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC.  The following operation is approved
for DXCC credit: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, VU4RBI and VU4NRO.
Operation from November 30, 2004 through December 31, 2004.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO.  The North American RTTY QSO Party,
Russian PSK WW Contest, CQ World Wide 160-Meter SSB Contest, REF SSB
Contest, 1st Annual US Virgin Islands QSO Party, UBA DX CW Contest,
AM QSO Party, Mississippi QSO Party, CZEBRIS CW Contest, High Speed
Club CW Contest and the North Carolina QSO Party will certainly keep
contesters busy this weekend.  Please see February QST, page 102 and
the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites for details.
NNNN
/EX 


From Wplewis2 at cs.com  Thu Feb 24 20:11:07 2005
From: Wplewis2 at cs.com (Wplewis2@cs.com)
Date: Thu Feb 24 20:30:10 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Bad news from Bob
Message-ID: <29.6da7f02f.2f4fd52b@cs.com>

This email just came in from Bob.  He needs all he support we can give.  
Will, KD7NIR



Dear friends,

Well, trip to see the oncologist was not a happy one. Dr. Srinivas said that
the latest MRI study of my liver confirmed that the cancer has spread. In
earlier studies there was one lesion that "might" be a tumor. Now there are
four, and the earlier one has grown. She doesn't think there is any doubt
that the lesions are kidney cancer metastases. 

Unfortunately, she also doesn't think that surgery is an option, nor is
Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA). She thinks that the surgery would be at
least as bad as my December operation, and may not get all the cancer. In
the last operation at least they could be sure that they got the whole tumor
out. RFA may get these four tumors but she believes that the cancer has
already seeded more tumors in the liver.

Next, she thinks that I may have lung metastases as well. I've been having
pain in my chest that isn't consistent with heart problems, so she is
concerned about additional tumors. They did a chest x-ray today to establish
a baseline for comparison later.

Dr. Srinivas thinks that my best bet at this point is immunotherapy,
probably low dosage IL-2 (Interleukin-2). She isn't sure that I'm strong
enough for high dose IL-2 - the treatment can be pretty rough. The bad news
is that from my reading about kidney cancer high dose IL-2 has at best a 5%
chance of a cure; low dose has maybe 1-2% chance, or less.

I have an appointment with the cardiologist next week to make sure I don't
have a heart problem. They need to make sure my cardio system can stand up
to the stress of the immunotherapy. On top of everything else my
nephrologist found out that I'm now anemic. Sigh. He has given me one more
prescription to take.

In two weeks I go back to see Dr. Srinivas. This will give me time to do a
little more research and thinking about the best course of action. In the
meantime, I'll get more exercise and continue to build my strength - for
whatever treatment we decide on.

Cheers,
Bob

------------------------------------------------------- 
Bob Evans Bob@BobAndMerrilyEvans.Org
2158 Harrison Street Home: 408-423-8704
Santa Clara, CA 95050 Cell: 775-450-4543



From memberlist at www.arrl.org  Fri Feb 25 12:38:16 2005
From: memberlist at www.arrl.org (ARRL Web site)
Date: Fri Feb 25 12:50:16 2005
Subject: [CVRC] ARLP008 Propagation de K7RA
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050225093808.03a9f4c8@mail.greatbasin.net>

SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP008
ARLP008 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP08
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 8  ARLP008
 From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  February 25, 2005
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP008
ARLP008 Propagation de K7RA

Average daily geomagnetic indices for the week were slightly higher,
and the average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux were down
markedly. Average daily sunspot numbers were down nearly 30 points
to 45.4, and average daily solar flux was down nearly 19 points to
97.3. This is compared to the seven days reported at the end of last
week's Propagation Forecast Bulletin ARLP007.

A week ago this bulletin mentioned that conditions for last
weekend's ARRL International DX CW Contest should be fair to good,
but there was a worry about geomagnetic activity. Mid-latitude
geomagnetic activity wasn't bad, but polar paths were affected more.
The planetary A index for February 18-20 was 25, 14 and 12, and the
high latitude college A index (from Alaska) was 37, 40 and 16. The
mid latitude A index was moderate, at 14, 8 and 6.

Jeff Hartley, N8II in West Virginia mentioned in an email that he
had a blast on 20-meters, despite the somewhat disturbed conditions.
The beam heading from his place to Japan is 330 degrees, which puts
it right through the auroral zone. JA stations were weak and
fluttery. Propagation to Europe was much better (Germany has a 47
degree beam heading for Jeff), and he worked about 1500 European
stations.

Disturbed conditions on HF often portend good propagation on VHF.
Jon Jones, N0JK of Kansas mentioned Sporadic E skip on 6-meters from
February 18-23. He and Ken Neubeck, WB2AMU are working on a paper on
the subject of geomagnetic disturbances and 6-meter E-layer
propagation. Jon writes, "While aurora activity usually dampens
regular mid-latitude Es, the day(s) after the aurora subsides may
see increased Es activity." WB2AMU has written extensively on VHF,
and has published the books, "Six Meters-A Guide to the Magic Band"
and "VHF Propagation-A practical guide for radio amateurs."

N0JK mentioned that the February 20th 6-meter opening lasted from
1900z to 0100z, and extended across much of the eastern states and
southern Canada. He worked two stations in Mexico that day, and
wrote, "From Kansas, stations in Georgia and Florida were booming in
for hours." He noted that E-layer openings in late February are
rare.

This weekend is the CQ World Wide 160-Meter SSB Contest, and for
160-meters we hope for quiet geomagnetic conditions. The latest
forecast for February 25-27 is for a planetary A index of 15, 20 and
20. The Prague Geophysical Institute projects active geomagnetic
conditions for February 26, and unsettled to active for February 25
and 27. This is because earth is moving into a solar wind stream
coming from a coronal hole. Sunspot numbers and solar flux should
remain quite low. Predicted solar flux for February 25-27 is 80, and
flux values are not expected to rise above 100 until around March 9,
and then only slightly.

If you would like to comment or have a tip, email the author at,
k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of
the numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information
Service propagation page at,
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.

Sunspot numbers for February 17 through 23 were 51, 46, 51, 60, 33,
23 and 54 with a mean of 45.4. 10.7 cm flux was 111.3, 104.2, 98.5,
95.7, 94.5, 92.3 and 84.6, with a mean of 97.3. Estimated planetary
A indices were 6, 25, 14, 12, 8, 4 and 4 with a mean of 10.4.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 14, 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2, with
a mean of 6.3.
NNNN
/EX


From vhfplus at bmg50.com  Fri Feb 25 19:21:02 2005
From: vhfplus at bmg50.com (Jack/AE7DX)
Date: Fri Feb 25 19:40:42 2005
Subject: [CVRC] IC-701 FS
Message-ID: <421FC0EE.6050105@bmg50.com>

I am posting this item in hopes of finding a local buyer 
before listing it elsewhere:

Economic circumstances, plus the opportunity to acquire a 
70-foot crankup tower, persuades me to sell my ICOM IC-701 
HF transceiver with the IC-SM2 desk mic. This is a 100-watt 
160-10 meter SSB/CW/FSK rig but does not and cannot have the 
WARC bands.  The rig is in excellent condition and has 
worked well for me in both casual SSB use and in CW and SSB 
contests. I originally bought the rig with contesting in 
mind and, given the affordability of the rig plus the very 
good receiver characteristics, this was an easy choice.

The rig is a digital readout with resolution to 100Hz and 
covers 1.8 to 29.9999MHz plus 15MHz WWV with extended 
receive coverage beyond the Amateur bands by grounding a pin 
on the accessory connector on the rear panel. The '701 has 
dual VFOs with front-panel selection so you can
rx/tx with any combination. The rig has receiver passband 
tuning, an effective noise blanker, RIT, a 10db attenuator 
that can be switched in or out and a narrow audio filter 
that is switched in when operating in the "CW Narrow" mode. 
I understand that there are INRAD filters available for this 
rig but this one has the stock filters. The '701 has the 
capability of being used with VHF transverters via an RCA 
jack on the rear panel (you'd have to consult the manual for 
details on that). There are also RCA connectors on the rear 
of the rig that will allow use of an external receive 
antenna which is great for using that 800 foot Beverage in 
the 160 contest!

The '701 transmitter has an SSB speech processor and VOX 
plus is fully metered allowing you to look at audio 
compression, ALC, power output (although I do not know how 
accurate that is) final collector current and collector 
voltage. The transmitter can operate FSK (RTTY) with
either a wide or narrow shift. Mark/space is selected by a 
contact closure on the accessory connector...that's for 
interface with a polar relay for those old enough to 
remember such things :>)

There are only two things that I have found wrong with the 
rig, both of which are relatively minor. First, if you 
attempt to use the rig when it is cold (temperatures in the 
40 to 50 degree range) the synthesizer exhibits some 
instability (random hopping in frequency anywhere from a
few hundred Hertz to a couple of kilohertz). Since I have 
the rig in my garage shack it does get fairly chilly, even 
though the room is insulated, so I leave the rig on all the 
time so that it stay warm regardless of room temperature and 
the instability never appears. Second, when changing bands 
the rig defaults to the bottom of the band (1.800MHz, 
3.500MHz, 7.000MHz, etc) which means having to tune up the
band to get to your desired frequency. I *think* there is 
some sort of "CMOS-type" battery that needs to be replaced 
but I have never looked for it and don't know how it is 
configured. Tuning up-band quickly is made easy by a "fast 
tune" mode that allows the synthesizer to step 10kHz at a 
time instead of the normal 100Hz steps.

Aside from those two problems this rig has given me 
excellent service on all bands, including 160, on CW and 
SSB. I have not had occasion to run RTTY but the rig does 
put out power in the RTTY position if you key the
transmitter manually, so I know it does work in that mode. 
Physically the rig is in surprising condition with little 
evidence of wear. There are a few places where one can see 
very slight imperfections but these are all quite minor. The 
front panel almost looks as good as the day it first came 
out of the carton from ICOM so someone obviously took good
care of this rig! I do have a copy of the manual in pdf 
format which I can send as an attachment in an e-mail to the 
buyer. The rig requires a 13.8 volt power supply at a 
maximum current of about 18 amps.

I am asking $150.00 for the IC-701 and IC-SM2 mic. I live in 
Silver Springs and work in Reno so I can arrange to meet 
someone for delivery anywhere in Reno/Sparks/CC/Carson 
Valley/Fernley/Fallon/etc. If you have any questions please 
contact me via e-mail.

Thanks,

Jack, AE7DX

From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Sat Feb 26 01:38:04 2005
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Sat Feb 26 01:50:00 2005
Subject: [CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 08
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050225223311.03a9f4c8@mail.greatbasin.net>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 08
February 25, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +New Spectrum Protection bill introduced in US House
* +Consent decree ends FCC enforcement action on interference
* +Maine high schoolers speak with space station via ham radio
* +2005 Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference draws a crowd
* +Amateur Radio saves one of its own
* +New section managers start this spring in three ARRL sections
* +League honors Dayton Hamvention committee
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
      This weekend on the radio
      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
      ARRL to sponsor emergency communications seminar at SEA-PAC
     +"Cardless" 5BDXCC testimony to Logbook of the World's value
      WRTC 2006 Web site open
      Microwave Update 2005 issues call for papers
      Notable Silent Keys

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================

==>AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT OF 2005 INTRODUCED

At the urging of the ARRL, Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced The
Amateur Radio Spectrum Act of 2005 into the US House of Representatives. The
bill, designated HR 691, has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce
Committee where Bilirakis serves as vice chairman. Like previous versions of
the proposal, the current measure would require the FCC to provide
"equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if the FCC reallocates
primary amateur frequencies, reduces any secondary amateur allocations, or
makes additional allocations within such bands that would substantially
reduce their utility to amateurs. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
expressed his appreciation to Bilirakis this week.

"As president of the American Radio League and on behalf of the more than
670,000 federally licensed Amateur Radio operators throughout the country, I
would like to thank you for once again sponsoring the 'Amateur Radio
Spectrum Protection Act,'" Haynie told the Florida Republican. "As you know,
this legislation is vital for ensuring that the Amateur Radio Service, the
only 100-percent fail safe emergency communication capability, remains a
viable public safety option."

HR 691 references Amateur Radio's role in providing "voluntary,
noncommercial radio service, particularly emergency communications," and it
points out that hams have "consistently and reliably" provided communication
support in the event of emergencies and disasters including tornadoes and
hurricanes, chemical spills, forest fires and rail accidents. As the measure
notes, FCC actions already have led to the loss of at least 107 MHz of
spectrum to radio amateurs.

Rep Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) has signed on as the bill's first co-sponsor.
Bartlett chairs the Projection Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services
Committee. One of three scientists in the 109th Congress, Bartlett also is a
senior member of the House Science Committee.

Efforts now will focus on attracting additional cosponsors for the
legislation. The League is encouraging members to urge their congressional
representatives to sign aboard HR 691. A sample letter is available on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr-691-sample-letter.html>.
More than 100 lawmakers agreed to cosponsor similar legislation in the 108th
Congress, where it was designated HR 713. Work is proceeding to have
identical legislation introduced in the US Senate.

The text of HR 691 is available on the Government Printing Office Web site
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&do
cid=f:h691ih.txt.pdf>.

For general guidance on the best methods of contacting your members of
Congress, see "Communicating with Congress," by Derek Riker, KB3JLF, on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/0304046.pdf>.

==>ARRL HOPES CONSENT DECREE WILL REDUCE INTERFERENCE COMPLAINTS

The FCC has agreed to terminate enforcement action against an importer and
marketer of heated mattress pads and blankets--and associated external
switching power supplies--in exchange for the company's signature on a
Consent Decree. The case involved numerous interference complaints from
Amateur Radio operators and others related to consumer products marketed by
Perfect Fit Industries (PFI) of Charlotte, North Carolina.

"The Enforcement Bureau and PFI have negotiated the terms of a Consent
Decree that would resolve this matter and terminate the investigation," the
FCC announced in releasing an Order in the proceeding February 10. The Order
includes a copy of the Consent Decree. PFI also will make a "voluntary
contribution" of $7000 to the US treasury.

ARRL Laboratory Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG,
said the League has been receiving an increasing number of reports from
radio amateurs about interference from modern switching-type power supplies.
Ironically, one complaint came from Gruber's boss--ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare,
W1RFI, whose wife had purchased one of the blankets. Hare says a further
irony involves the FCC's reaction in this case to an apparent Part 15
emissions violation.

"It's paradoxical that an electric blanket marketer is getting this level of
FCC attention for a conducted emission that's less than 1 percent of the
power level BPL manufacturers have told the FCC they use in their
installations," he commented.

The ARRL Lab examined one of the offending blankets, which emitted a ticking
sound even while turned off but still plugged into the ac outlet. Gruber
noted that many products of this type appear to be made overseas and do not
carry the required labeling described in Part 15 of the FCC's rules. Owing
to negligence or ignorance of the FCC requirements for conducted and
radiated emissions limits, he says, some of these devices may operate at
levels significantly higher than the rules permit.

"We hope this case will serve as a reminder to other manufacturers that
their switching supplies need to be tested for compliance with the rules and
carry the proper labeling as required by Part 15," Gruber said. But, he
added, FCC's Part 15 limits are not a cure-all for interference--an
assertion borne out in other cases involving interference from unlicensed
devices such as broadband over power line (BPL) interference or common power
line noise.

"On the contrary, the limits are set high enough that interference--as was
seen in cases involving these products--is likely," he pointed out. "Part 15
requires that operators of unlicensed devices that cause harmful
interference must take whatever steps are necessary to correct the
interference or cease operation whenever interference occurs."

As part of the Consent Decree, PFI will put into place an FCC "Regulatory
Compliance Plan" with an eye toward ensuring future compliance. Among other
things, the company will have to designate a compliance officer to
administer the plan. PFI further agreed to replace free of charge any
noncompliant mattress pad or heated blanket with a compliant product upon
receipt of an interference complaint.

In addition, PFI will agree that its electric mattress pads and blankets and
associated external switching power supplies will comply with FCC Part 2 and
Part 15 rules before they're imported and marketed. The Consent Decree is
good for three years.

Signing the Consent Decree for the FCC was Enforcement Bureau Chief David H.
Solomon. PFI President and CEO Louis R. Morris signed on the company's
behalf.

Sound recordings of the electric blanket and mattress pad RFI are available
on the RF Noise Identification Web site
<http://ve3hls.tripod.com/noise/rfihome.html> operated by VE3HLS.

==>PINE TREE STATE LOGS FIRST SCHOOL GROUP QSO WITH SPACE STATION

"Good to be talking to you all. Welcome Rockland District High School in
Rockland, Maine, from the International Space Station!" With those words,
ISS Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, kicked off an approximately
10-minute Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact
on February 14 between NA1SS and W1PBR--the call sign of the Pen Bay Amateur
Radio Club. It was the first ARISS school group QSO with a Maine school.
Given that state's typically colder climate, it was perhaps no surprise that
one student wanted to know how the ISS is heated.

"Space can be either very cold or very hot if you're in the direct sunlight,
and the station has several control systems that help regulate the
temperature inside--and we can actually set that temperature," Chiao
explained. He said because the onboard equipment generates heat in addition
to what the spacecraft absorbs from exposure to the sun, maintaining a
comfortable living environment comes down to shedding heat to outside
radiators. "So, depending on how much he we remove, we can control the
temperature inside," he said.

Responding to another student's question, Chiao said it's true that the ISS
crew sleeps in bunks that stand along the walls of the station. "We have
what we call a 'sleep station,' and they're basically phone booth-size
little boxes," Chiao said. There's one in the US segment and one in the
Russian module. Their size isn't confining, however. "They're pretty small,
but it's enough for a little privacy at night. You can get in there with
your sleeping bag and your computer and watch movies or listen to music or
read an electronic book," Chiao added.

With respect to the amount of room aboard the ISS, Chiao told another
student that while there's not as much room in their space quarters as there
is on the ground, the crew members quickly get used to it. "Especially in
weightlessness, you can get to all three dimensions," Chiao said. "You're
not just confined to walking around on the floor." Being able to float from
place to place also makes more efficient use of the available space, he
noted. "It's really not bad at all."

Part of Maine School Administrative District 5, Rockland District High
School, with an enrollment of approximately 500, draws students from that
mid-coast Maine city as well as from the neighboring towns of Thomaston and
Owl's Head. Those participating in the ARISS contact are taking or have
completed an integrated science course covering environmental and earth
science, including astronomy. In all, the high schoolers got to ask 13
questions before the ISS went out of radio range.

Handling Earth station duties were George Caswell, W1ME, and Norm Smith,
NY1B, with help from members of the Pen Bay ARC. The contact also was
retransmitted over a local repeater.

The ARISS event had media coverage from at least two TV stations and one
newspaper. Some 400 students and visitors were on hand in the audience.

ARISS is an international educational outreach program with US participation
by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.

==>STANDING ROOM ONLY AT 2005 AMATEUR RADIO HURRICANE CONFERENCE

ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, represented
the League at the 10th annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference February 5
at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami <http://www.wx4nhc.org>. He
reports upward of 75 visitors--nearly all of them radio amateurs--turned out
for the event. Scheduled in conjunction with the Miami Tropical Hamboree,
which Miller also attended, the conference provided an opportunity to review
the busy 2004 hurricane season and to discuss Amateur Radio's role to
support emergency communication.

"This was a phenomenal meeting," commented Miller, who delivered a
presentation at the conference on ham radio's hurricane and tsunami-related
activities. "Because 2004 was one for the record books, comments, reports
and pictures from the people who live in the islands and in the affected
areas of Florida, were that much more meaningful."

Miller said the consensus at the gathering was that despite the best efforts
to prepare, no one imagined the onslaught witnessed last year. Among
featured speakers was Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) <http://www.hwn.org> Manager
Mike Pilgrim, K5MP. The HWN and the center's WX4NHC work hand-in-hand to
funnel real-time weather data to NHC forecasters via Amateur Radio. The HWN
Web site recorded more than 55 million hits during September alone!

The conference agenda also included reports from many areas affected by the
2004 hurricanes, including the Cayman Islands; Grenada; Marsh Harbour,
Abacos, and, of course, Florida. NHC Hurricane Specialist Stacy Stewart told
the gathering how each storm presented varied characteristics and explained
how computer modeling is not always right on the money in projecting a
hurricane's path.

Newly appointed Southern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Jeff Beals,
WA4AW, spoke about the Holiday Hams video, which chronicled the
overwhelmingly successful ARRL Holiday Toy Drive to benefit youngsters
affected by the Florida hurricanes.

NHC Amateur Radio Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG, and Assistant Coordinator
Julio Ripoll, WD4R, served as conference hosts.

==>HAM RADIO SAVES A HAM IN ALASKA

Two Alaskan hikers on a day outing in rugged mountains near Anchorage saw
their afternoon turn into something entirely unexpected February 12. One of
them--Jesse Jones, KL1RK--slipped and fell more than 200 feet down a steep
ravine, losing his snowshoes in the process. Jones found himself trapped
between a low overhang on one side and a swift-moving stream on the other.
Even worse was the fact that his descent could continue into the water at
any moment, and almost certain death from hypothermia. With more than 10
feet on the ground, the loss of his snowshoes meant he could not walk out.
On the plus side, Jones had taken along his 2-meter handheld transceiver.
After several unsuccessful tries, he finally was able to access the
wide-area WL7CVG repeater atop Mt Susitna, almost 40 miles distant.

"As a control operator for the repeater, I heard his weak 'Mayday! Mayday!
Mayday!' call just a few minutes after 4 PM local time," reports Jim Wiley,
KL7CC. "I immediately called 911 and was placed in contact with the local
fire department rescue coordinator. I was able to pass on Jesse's messages
to the local rescue coordinator, including coordinates from a GPS unit he
was carrying." Wiley says the rescue coordinator's office called out the
local mountain rescue group and the Alaska State Troopers, who immediately
left for the scene.

The rescue team met with Jones's climbing partner, who had been able to hike
out to a place where he could assist the rescuers. Jones was able to keep in
touch via 2 meters to report his condition, but his signal into the repeater
was marginal. Although uninjured, the sub-zero cold was numbing his
extremities to the point that he was having trouble operating his
transceiver.

Unable to execute the rescue themselves, the team called an Air National
Guard unit, which flew a helicopter to the scene. While the presence of
high-voltage power lines just above Jones' position complicated matters, the
chopper was able to lower some para-rescue jumpers to a nearby location,
from which they could rappel to his position and, after a few hours,
extricate him.

Briefly hospitalized for a checkup, Jones was released just before midnight,
cold and a bit hungry, but otherwise okay. Wiley says several local hams
also assisted the effort, either directly or by their connection with local
emergency service groups.

Additional details of the rescue and photos are available on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2005/02/24/1/>.

==>NEW SECTION MANAGERS START APRIL 1 IN ARKANSAS, NORTH TEXAS AND ARIZONA

The ARRL North Texas, Arkansas and Arizona sections will get new Section
Managers this spring. Ballots cast in the two contested races of the current
Section Manager (SM) election cycle were counted and verified February 22 at
ARRL Headquarters. New terms of office for successful candidates begin April
1.

In the North Texas Section, Tom Blackwell, N5GAR, outpolled incumbent SM Roy
Rabey, AD5KZ, 853 to 586. Rabey has served as SM since 2003. A resident of
Dallas, Blackwell has served as State Government Liaison for eight years
under previous SMs.

In Arkansas, David Norris, K5UZ, won the open SM slot 353 to 199 over Terry
Busby, W5ARS. Norris, who lives in Batesville, has served as an ARRL
Assistant SM for eight years, is active in ARES and RACES and is an avid
DXer and contester. He'll succeed Dennis Schaefer, W5RZ, who has served
since 2003 and did not seek a new term.

In Arizona, Tom Fagan, WB7NXH, will take over the reins from Cliff Hauser,
KD6XH, who did not seek a new term after serving for 12 years. Fagan, who
had no opposition, now serves as Technical Coordinator and has served as
Arizona Section Emergency Coordinator for the past two years. He also has
held Emergency Coordinator and District Emergency Coordinator positions.

Incumbent SMs in four other ARRL sections also ran unopposed and will
continue in office for new two-year terms. They are Jim Lasley, N0JL, Iowa;
John Meyers, NB4K, Kentucky; Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Mississippi, and Carl
Gardenias, WU6D, Orange.

Since no candidates have sought to run for the Montana, Puerto Rico and
Wyoming SM positions, nominations will be resolicited in the April issue of
QST.

==>ARRL RECOGNIZES DAYTON HAMVENTION COMMITTEE

The ARRL has recognized members of the 2005 Dayton Hamvention Committee.
ARRL Great Lakes Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, presented a special award during
the committee's February 8 planning session in Dayton. Reading from the
citation, Weaver said,

"This award is presented to the 2005 Hamvention Committee and Gary Des
Combes, N8EMO, General Chairman, in appreciation of your invitation to host
the 2005 ARRL National Convention." Des Combes, who's serving his second
year as general chairman, accepted the award on the committee's behalf.

Celebrating its 54th show, Dayton Hamvention, May 20-22, has set aside a
large area in the Hara Arena complex--the Ballarena near the 400-number
booths--for "ARRL EXPO 2005," a special exhibit dedicated entirely to the
ARRL National Convention. ARRL EXPO 2005 will showcase ARRL programs and
services. Hamvention admission will include access to ARRL EXPO 2005. The
official ARRL National Convention Web site <http://www.arrl.org/expo> has
more information.

Sponsored by Dayton Amateur Radio Association, Dayton Hamvention is the
world's largest Amateur Radio gathering and trade show. Tickets and
additional information are available via the Dayton Hamvention Web site
<http://www.hamvention.org>.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar flash Tad "Walking on the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Average daily geomagnetic indices for the week were slightly
higher, and the average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux were down
markedly. Average daily sunspot numbers dropped nearly 30 points to 45.4,
and average daily solar flux slipped nearly 19 points to 97.3.

This weekend is the CQ World Wide 160 Meter Contest (SSB), and for 160
meters we hope for quiet geomagnetic conditions. The latest forecast for
February 25-27 is for a planetary A index of 15, 20 and 20. The Prague
Geophysical Institute projects active geomagnetic conditions for February
26, and unsettled to active for February 25 and 27. Sunspot numbers and
solar flux should remain quite low. Predicted solar flux for February 25-27
is 80, and flux values are not expected to rise above 100 until around March
9, and then only slightly.

Sunspot numbers for February 17 through 23 were 51, 46, 51, 60, 33, 23 and
54, with a mean of 45.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 111.3, 104.2, 98.5, 95.7,
94.5, 92.3 and 84.6, with a mean of 97.3. Estimated planetary A indices were
6, 25, 14, 12, 8, 4 and 4 with a mean of 10.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 7, 14, 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2, with a mean of 6.3.

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (SSB), the REF Contest
(SSB), the UBA DX Contest (CW), the Mississippi and North Carolina QSO
parties, the CZEBRIS Contest, the North American QSO Party (RTTY), the High
Speed Club CW Contest, and the CQC Winter QSO Party are the weekend of
February 26-27. JUST AHEAD: The AGCW YL-CW Party is March 1. The ARRL
International DX Contest (SSB), the Wake-Up! QRP Sprint and the Open Ukraine
RTTY Championship are the weekend of March 5-6. The DARC 10-Meter Digital
Contest is March 6, the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Data) is March 7,
the ARS Spartan Sprint is March 8, and the Pesky Texan Armadillo Chase is
March 10. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>
and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL HF Digital Communication (EC-005) and
VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) courses remains open through Sunday,
February 27. Classes begin Friday March 11. Students participating in
VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) will enjoy exploring some of the
lesser-used and more intriguing aspects of VHF/UHF operation. HF Digital
Communication students will learn to use a variety of HF digital modes. To
learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Web
page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL CCE Department
<cce@arrl.org>.

* ARRL to sponsor emergency communications seminar at SEA-PAC: The ARRL will
offer a free Amateur Radio Emergency Communications seminar Friday, June 17,
1-5 PM, in conjunction with SEA-PAC--the ARRL Northwest Division
Convention--in Seaside, Oregon. This seminar is not an emergency
communications course. It is about Amateur Radio emergency communications
from a national perspective. ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager
Dan Miller, K3UFG, says the seminar will focus on ways to better meet the
increasing demand for ham radio operators to assist in emergency
communication activities. ARES/RACES leadership, ARRL Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications course graduates, mentors, instructors and
prospective students are encouraged to attend this open, interactive
presentation. Seating for this seminar may be limited. If you plan to
attend, contact Dan Miller, K3UFG, k3ufg@arrl.org; 860-594-0340; fax
860-594-0259. Handouts and door prizes will be available to all attendees.
Seminar attendance does not include admission to SEA-PAC
<http://www.seapac.org/>, which runs June 17-19.

* "Cardless" Five-Band DXCC testimony to Logbook of the World's value: New
Hampshire contest station KC1XX (chief op Matt Strelow) recently achieved
Five-Band DXCC solely through contact data submitted to the ARRL's Logbook
of the World (LoTW). With more than 255,000 QSOs already in the worldwide
contact database, KC1XX recently was able to confirm 100 DXCC entities on 80
meters to qualify for the award. Because most participants have linked their
DXCC data into LoTW, it is not always possible to determine band totals
derived solely from Logbook confirmations. Major contest stations like KC1XX
serve to demonstrate the value of participating in LoTW, however, because
these stations frequently do not have DXCC, and their totals are due
entirely to LoTW-verified contacts. The largely single-op contesting and DX
station of John Sluymer, VE3EJ, in Ontario also has qualified for 5BDXCC
through LoTW-verified QSOs, while several others are closing in on achieving
5BDXCC using the same route. Meanwhile, Brian Alsop, K3KO, in North
Carolina, has already confirmed 221 DXCC entities entirely via LoTW.

* WRTC 2006 Web site open: World Radiosport Team Championship 2006 (WRTC
2006), which will take place in Brazil in conjunction with the Liga de
Amadores de Radio Emiss?o (LABRE) and the Araucaria DX Group (GADX), now has
an official Web site <http://www.wrtc2006.com/>. Although some sections
remain under construction, the site does include draft rules, still subject
to final approval. Following in the footsteps of previous WRTC competitions
held in Seattle, San Francisco, Slovenia, and Finland, the WRTC showcases
Amateur Radio competition at its highest level, pitting two-person teams of
the world's top operators for the gold, silver and bronze. WRTC 2006 will
take place July 7-10 in the vicinity of Florianopolis, the capital of Santa
Catarina State in Southern Brazil. Atilano de Oms, PY5EG, heads the WRTC
2006 Steering Committee. The WRTC brings competitors together in a single
geographical area. The on-the-air portion of the event is held in
conjunction with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF World
Championship, although WRTC rules differ in some respects from those of the
IARU event, and scoring is done separately. WRTC stations run 100 W and have
comparably modest antenna systems--typically a dipole for the low bands and
a triband Yagi for the higher bands. The idea is to minimize the variables
associated with radio contesting, thereby emphasizing each team's operating
skills. The contesting duo of Jeff Steinman, N5TJ, and Dan Street, K1TO,
took home the WRTC gold for the third time in the 2002 event in Finland.
Teams have not yet been announced for the 2006 event.

* Microwave Update 2005 issues call for papers: Microwave Update 2005 (MUD
2005) has issued its first call for papers. The conference will take place
Thursday, October 27, through Sunday, October 30, at the Sheraton Cerritos
Hotel in Cerritos, California--less than 10 miles north of Disneyland. The
paramount conference on Amateur Radio experimentation above 1 GHz, MUD 2005
will be sponsored jointly by the San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) and
the Western States Weak Signal Society (WSWSS). It will include technical
programs, a banquet and the opportunity to network with fellow microwave
enthusiasts. MUD 2005 is a great opportunity to get your ideas and papers
published, and you don't have to present your paper to have it included in
the conference Proceedings. Electronic submissions via e-mail or on CD-ROM
are welcome. The deadline to submit for publication in the Proceedings is
September 5. Those interested in writing and/or presenting a paper for
Microwave Update 2005 should submit an abstract or topic to Chip Angle,
N6CA, PO Box 35, Lomita, CA 90717-0035; n6ca@ham-radio.com. Additional
information on the conference is on the MUD 2005 Web site
<http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/mud-2005/>.

* Notable Silent Keys: Lavene Vorel, WA4AZE, of St Petersburg, Florida, died
January 14. He was 60. An ARRL member, Vorel was one of the engineers who
designed the original Signal One amateur transceiver at Electronic
Communications Inc. Dick Aspinwall, W7PV, of Seattle, Washington, died
January 21. He was 90. An ARRL Life Member, Aspinwall founded Amateur Radio
Supply in Georgetown in 1956 and operated it until 1989. Bob Lewis, VO1BL
(ex-W4CKZ), of St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, died January 28. He was 90.
Born Clarence Louis Engelbrecht, he adopted the Lewis surname as a
broadcaster. An active amateur for more than six decades, Lewis was a
founding member of the Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs and of the
Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland. Despite health problems, he remained
active on the air up to the day of his death. John Willig, W8ACE, of
Sarasota, Florida, died January 30. He's credited with being the spark plug
behind the Dayton Hamvention in the 1950s. Virginia ham radio pioneer Ted
Mathewson, W4FJ, of Richmond died January 31. He was 100. An ARRL member,
Mathews founded the Richmond Amateur Radio Club and served for many years as
Virginia Army MARS director. He also was well-known within the amateur
satellite and VHF/UHF communities. SSB pioneer Bob Moren, K4CX (ex-W8LDR and
W4INL), of Boone, North Carolina, died February 3. He was 86. Licensed in
1932, Moren, an ARRL member, was among the first radio amateurs operating
SSB in the late 1940s. He described his homebrew SSB gear in a March 1991
QST article. As W4INL, Moren was on one end of the first transpacific
two-way SSB QSO with VK7DH in 1950. Other QST articles by Moren appeared in
the 1950s and in 1991, the last describing his retirement center ham radio
setup. His feature article, "Requiem for the Alligator Years," appeared on
the ARRL Web site in 2001. Mary G. Dosland, W5DEW, of Moorhead, Minnesota,
died February 8. She was 95. Mary Dosland was the widow of past ARRL
President Goodwin L. Dosland, W0TSN (SK), who served from 1952 until 1962.
He died in 1983.

===========================================================
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From dick at twohams.com  Sat Feb 26 18:06:52 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Sat Feb 26 18:12:23 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Nevada ARES Redistricting
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050226143133.046c04a8@mail.greatbasin.net>

The Nevada ARES organization has gone through a redistricting.  The new 
district structure is:

NORTHWEST DISTRICT	
Map - http://www.cvrc.net/ares/northwest/
DEC - Doug Abramson KA7FOO <damail@775.net>
Counties: Carson City, Washoe, Pershing, Humboldt, Lyon, Storey, Churchill, 
Douglas, Mineral

NORTHEAST DISTRICT
Map - http://www.cvrc.net/ares/northeast/
DEC - Joe Giraudo N7JEH <n7jeh@arrl.net>
Counties: Elko, Lander, Eureka, White Pine

SOUTH DISTRICT
Map - http://www.cvrc.net/ares/south/
DEC - Glenn Hale KB7REO <kb7reo@arrl.net>
Counties: Clark, Nye, Esmeralda, Lincoln

For additional information contact the DECs listed above, SEC Don Carlson 
KQ6FM <kq6fm@arrl.net> or myself.

73, Dick
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
E-mail: k7vc@arrl.org


From dick at twohams.com  Sun Feb 27 18:46:28 2005
From: dick at twohams.com (Dick Flanagan)
Date: Sun Feb 27 18:47:04 2005
Subject: [CVRC] Reminder: General Upgrade Class in Carson Valley
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20050227154149.04781518@mail.greatbasin.net>

Carson Valley radio clubs will be holding an upgrade class for Technician
licensees wanting to upgrade to General Class.

The free class will be held at the Sierra Front Dispatch Center Training
Room at 2311 Firebrand Road, Minden. This is at the Minden/Tahoe Airport,
half-way between Minden and Carson City. A map to the facility can be found
at http://www.cvrc.net/images/SierraFrontMap.gif.

The textbook will be the ARRL "General Class License Manual," 5th Edition.
The retail price of the textbook is seventeen dollars. It can be purchased
from various local dealers, directly from the ARRL by telephone at
1-888-277-5289 or through their online Publication Catalog at
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9205. A limited number of copies will
also be available for sale at the first class session.

The class will run for six Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. and
will be followed by a Friday evening VE examination. The class will begin
this coming Thursday, March 3rd and run until the final VE examinations
on Friday, April 8th.

For more information contact Dick Flanagan K7VC, telephone 775-267-4900
or e-mail k7vc@arrl.org.


