[CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 28 (Friday, July 17, 2009)
ARRL Letter Mailing List
letter-dlvy at arrl.org
Fri Jul 17 19:02:45 EDT 2009
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The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 28
July 17, 2009
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IN THIS EDITION:
* + New Vice Directors Visit HQ in Advance of Board Meeting
* + HR 2160 Gains More Support in Congress
* + WRC-11 Is Now WRC-12
* + Companion Bill to Senate Radio Spectrum Inventory Act Introduced in House
* + Space Shuttle Endeavour on Its Way to ISS with Hams on Board
* + ARRL Membership Newsletters, Bulletins and Notifications
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This Week on the Radio
ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
+ W1AW to Add New Digital Modes to Transmission Schedule
+ AMSAT to Mark First Lunar Landing
Jim Mullin, W8KKK (SK)
+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
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==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<k1sfa at arrl.org>
===========================================================
==> NEW VICE DIRECTORS VISIT HQ IN ADVANCE OF BOARD MEETING
Just prior to the ARRL Board of Directors 2009 Second Meeting
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/board.html>, three newly appointed Vice
Directors made their way to Newington for a day of orientation.
Pacific Division Vice Director Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT, Southeastern
Division Vice Director Jeff Beals, WA4AW, and West Gulf Division Vice
Director John Thomason, WB5SYT, came to learn the "ins and outs" of
the ARRL Board and ARRL Headquarters operation. The 2009 Second
Meeting is scheduled for July 17-18 in Windsor, Connecticut.
According to ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, "The
new Board members came to Newington to learn not only how the Board
functions, but to see what each department does and how it interacts
with and serves both Amateur Radio and ARRL members, through our five
pillars: Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology and
Membership. I am pleased they came to see how we support Amateur
Radio each and every day here at ARRL HQ."
One of the highlights of the group's visit to Headquarters was a tour
of the Membership and Volunteer Programs Department. Dave Patton,
NN1N, explained the function of the department and its staff. "We
showed them how we support Amateur Radio and our members through our
Field Organization, Ham Aid Program, emergency communications
support, operating events and awards," Patton said.
Beals, the former Southern Florida Assistant Section Manager, was
appointed Vice Director upon the death of then-Vice Director Sandy
Donahue, W4RU
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/06/04/10865/?nc=1>. "I haven't
been to Headquarters in about 15 years -- I'm just amazed at how much
things have changed," he said. "It never ceases to amaze me how much
we give our members for their membership dollars. What's available to
them, the services, the functions we perform for the members, it's
just incredible. I think if more hams out there could see what we do
here, we'd double our membership in about 5 minutes."
Thomason, the former Oklahoma Section Manager, was appointed Vice
Director <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/01/24/10586/?nc=1>
when then-Director Coy Day, N5OK, resigned and David Woolweaver,
K5RAV, moved up to Director from Vice Director
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/01/20/10574/?nc=1>. "It's been
quite a day -- it's been long, but it's been good," he said. "We have
had the good fortune to see so many wonderful League staffers and to
get together to help plan for the future. Departments here at
Headquarters were able to share some of the things they have done on
behalf of our members. It has definitely been a good day and it will
only get better."
Tiemstra, the former Section Emergency Coordinator in the East Bay
Section, was appointed to his position in June after then-Vice
Director Andy Oppel, N6AJO, submitted his resignation
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/06/16/10889/?nc=1>. "When we
got to Headquarters, we found that we had a full day planned," he
said. "We saw all aspects of the Headquarters operation and it is
quite an impressive operation -- much larger and much more
complicated than I expected. I am really looking forward to the Board
meeting on Friday. I am so fascinated by all the things that the
League is doing these days. I think that it will be a tremendous
learning experience and something I will probably never forget."
A report on the July meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors will be
available on the ARRL Web site and in The ARRL Letter.
==> HR 2160 GAINS MORE SUPPORT IN CONGRESS
This week, four more Congressmen -- John Boozman (R-AR-3), Bob Filner
(D-CA-51), Dennis Moore (D-KS-3) and David Wu (D-OR-1) -- pledged
their support for HR 2160, The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Enhancement Act of 2009
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2160:>. This brings
the total number of cosponsors to 18.
Introduced by Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX-18) in April
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/30/10792/?nc=1>, if passed,
HR 2160 would "promote and encourage the valuable public service,
disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer
basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the
Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of Amateur
Radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by
identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment
of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by
making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions
so as to expand the uses of Amateur Radio communications in Homeland
Security planning and response." The bill has been referred to the
House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
If enacted into law, HR 2160, would instruct the Secretary of
Homeland Security to undertake a study and report its findings to
Congress within 180 days. The study would spell out uses and
capabilities of Amateur Radio communications in emergencies and
disaster relief. The study shall:
* Include recommendations for enhancements in the voluntary
deployment of Amateur Radio licensees in disaster and emergency
communications and disaster relief efforts.
* Include recommendations for improved integration of Amateur Radio
operators in planning and in furtherance of the Department of
Homeland Security initiatives.
* Identify unreasonable or unnecessary impediments to enhanced
Amateur Radio communications -- such as the effects of private land
use regulations on residential antenna installations -- and make
recommendations regarding such impediments.
* Include an evaluation of Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act
of 1996 (Public Law 104-104, 110 Stat 56 [1996]).
* Recommend whether Section 207 should be modified to prevent
unreasonable private land use restrictions that impair the ability of
amateurs to conduct, or prepare to conduct, emergency communications
by means of effective outdoor antennas and support structures at
reasonable heights and dimensions for the purpose in residential areas.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall utilize the expertise of the
ARRL and shall seek information from private and public sectors for the study.
"HR 2160 presents the Amateur Radio Service with a unique opportunity
-- but also carries with it the important responsibility of making
your voice heard," said ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan
Henderson, N1ND. "HR 2160 stands as the first step in trying to
address the long standing problem of extending the protections
afforded Amateur Radio operators under PRB-1
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/PRB-1_Pkg/prb-1.pdf>to
deed restrictions and covenants. To be clear, passing HR 2160 is not
going to achieve that goal right away. But it will help lay the
ground work by assessing the impact such restrictions have on our
ability to train for and respond to disasters and other emergencies."
HR 2160 is also sponsored by W. Todd Akin (R-MO-2), Michael Arcuri
(D-NY-24), Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD-6), Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam),
Bart Gordon (D-TN-6), Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2), Michael Honda
(D-CA-15), Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH-15), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-16), Blaine
Luetkemeyer (R-MO-9), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI-11), Charlie Melancon
(D-LA-3), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2) and Peter Welch (D-VT).
Check the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/12/10818> for information
on how to encourage your Congressional representative to sponsor HR 2160.
==> WRC-11 IS NOW WRC-12
The ITU Council, the 46-nation administrative oversight body of the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has agreed to move the
next World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) to 2012. Originally
scheduled for October 24-November 18, 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland,
the Council has proposed January 23-February 17 as the new dates
<http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/oth/0C/04/R0C040000030001PDFE.pdf>.
According to ARRL Technical Relations Manager Brennan Price, N4QX,
the full ITU membership is now being consulted on the dates;
responses are due by August 3. "The ITU Council had previously
proposed dates for fall 2011, but various scheduling conflicts and
the lack of available facilities during some weeks made this schedule
impractical," he said.
Held approximately every three years, these periodic conferences of
the Member States of the ITU consider allocations to the various
radio services -- including the Amateur Radio Service -- and evaluate
what new technologies and applications should be addressed by future
conferences.
The agenda for WRC-12, developed by the delegates at the last WRC in
Geneva in 2007 (WRC-07), was formally adopted by the ITU Council in
2008. There are 25 agenda items addressing potential new or revised
spectrum allocations to existing services. Of most interest to
amateurs is agenda item 1.23, "to consider an allocation of about 15
kHz in parts of the band 415-526.5 kHz to the amateur service on a
secondary basis, taking into account the need to protect existing services."
"This agenda item is the highest item on my long term priority list,"
said Price. "We are fortunate that this upcoming WRC presents an
opportunity for a new secondary allocation in the medium waves. While
the outcome is far from certain, our experience in other bands --
most notably 30 meters -- indicates Amateur Radio's compatibility
with certain other services as a secondary user."
Price said that some WRCs have posed great challenges for Amateur
Radio, with blocks of spectrum potentially at risk. "This was the
case at WRC-03 and WRC-07, which posed a very real potential
reallocation of portions of the 40 meter band in Region 2 to HF
broadcasting," he said. "The agenda for WRC-12 does not pose any
threats to Amateur Radio as clear or as overt as those faced in prior
years." Price and ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling,
WB3ERA, are monitoring developments on a number of other agenda items
that could affect Amateur Radio if they take unanticipated turns, including:
* Agenda item 1.14, considering requirements for and implementation
of the radiolocation service (radar) between 30-300 MHz.
* Agenda item 1.15, considering possible allocations between 3-50 MHz
for oceanographic radar applications.
* Agenda item 1.19, considering regulatory measures to enable
software-defined and cognitive radio systems.
* Agenda item 1.22, examining the effect of emissions from short-range devices.
"Oceanographic radar is perhaps our biggest defensive issue," Price
said. "Fortunately, its proponents have acknowledged that sharing
with Amateur Radio would be problematic."
==> COMPANION BILL TO SENATE RADIO SPECTRUM INVENTORY ACT INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
In March, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) introduced the Radio Spectrum
Inventory Act (S 649)
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.649:> in the Senate
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/25/10725/>. Earlier this
month, that bill passed the Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee. Last week, Representative Henry Waxman
(CA-30) introduced a companion bill -- HR 3125 -- in the House of
Representatives
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3125.IH:>; the bill
has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The
bills, if passed, would mandate an inventory of radio spectrum bands
managed by the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission. The
Senate version calls for an inventory of frequencies between 300
MHz-3.5 GHz managed by the two agencies, while the House bill would
mandate an inventory of 225 MHz-10 GHz.
S 649
Senate Bill 649 states that the NTIA and the FCC would be required to
inventory the spectrum no later than 180 days after the bill becomes
law; after the initial survey, follow-ups would be required every two
years. Both agencies would need to prepare a report listing the
licenses or government user assigned in the band, the total spectrum
allocation, by band, of each licensee or government user (in
percentage terms and in sum) and the number of intentional radiators
and end-user intentional radiators that have been deployed in the
band with each license or government user.
Additionally, if the information is applicable, the report would be
required to show the type of intentional radiators operating in the
band, the type of unlicensed intentional radiators authorized to
operate in the band, contour maps that illustrate signal coverage and
strength and the approximate geo-location of base stations or fixed
transmitters. The report would then be sent to the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science and Transportation and to the House Committee on
Energy and Commerce.
The bill also mandates that both agencies create a centralized portal
or Web site that lists each agency's band inventories. This
information would then be made available to the public via an
Internet-accessible Web site. Both agencies would also be required to
make all necessary efforts to maintain and update the inventory
information "in near real-time fashion and whenever there is a
transfer or auction of licenses or change in allocation or assignment."
"Our public airwaves belong to the American people, and we need to
make certain we are putting them to good use in the best interests of
those citizens," Senator Kerry said when he introduced the bill in
March. "Last year's 700 MHz auction resulted in $20 billion for the
treasury and will create greater opportunity and choice for consumers
and businesses that need broadband service. We also took a great step
forward when the FCC established a way for unlicensed devices to
operate in white spaces. These two initiatives are evidence of how
valuable spectrum is and how it serves as fertile grounds for
innovation. We need to make sure we're making as much of it available
to innovators and consumers as possible."
HR 3125
Like S 649, HR 3125 calls for the NTIA and the FCC to issue a report
on the inventory of spectrum no later than 180 days after the bill
becomes law; after the initial survey, follow-ups would be required
every two years. The House bill goes a bit further than S 634,
however, calling for the two agencies to work with the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) <http://www.ostp.gov/>; this
office advises the President on the effects of science and technology
on domestic and international affairs.
The agency reports called for in HR 3125 would include the same
information called for in the Senate version. Like the Senate bill,
the House bill calls for the reports to be made available on the
Internet and update the reports as needed. Both bills include an
exemption for licensees or users if they can demonstrate that
disclosure would be harmful to national security.
"The [bill] represents a significant step in making available more
spectrum for commercial and wireless services. The more efficient use
of our nation's airwaves will increase innovation for wireless
products and services and improve the connectivity of the American
people," said bill cosponsor Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA-9).
"As more people use wireless devices and as advanced applications
require higher data rates over time, additional spectrum will be
needed to accommodate growth. Wireless technologies can also play a
critical role in bringing broadband to more consumers, particularly
in rural areas."
S 649 is co-sponsored by Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Amy Klobuchar
(D-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Olympia Snowe (R-ME),
John Thune (R-SD), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
HR 3125 already has 17 cosponsors: Joe Barton (R-TX-6), Rick Boucher
(D-VA-9), Steve Buyer (R-IN-4), Kathy Castor (D-FL-11), John Dingell
(D-MI-15), Michael Doyle (D-PA-14), Anna Eshoo (D-CA-14), Bart Gordon
(D-TN-6), Jay Inslee (D-WA-1), Edward Markey (D-MA-7), Doris Matsui
(D-CA-5), Jerry McNerney (D-CA-11), Zachary Space (D-OH 18), Cliff
Stearns (R-FL-6), Bart Stupak (D-MI-1), Fred Upton (R-MI-6) and Peter
Welch (D-VT). Gordon and Welch are also cosponsors of HR 2160, The
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h2160ih.txt.pdf>.
==> SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR ON ITS WAY TO ISS WITH HAMS ON BOARD
After lightning strikes and thunderstorms delayed the launch of the
space shuttle Endeavour (STS 127) this past weekend, the spacecraft
launched into space at 6:03 PM on Wednesday, July 15. Endeavour's 16
day mission to the International Space Station (ISS)
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html> will
feature five planned spacewalks and complete the construction of the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will
attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will
allow experiments to be exposed to space
<http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/362898main_STS127%20Mission%20Summary%20v4.pdf>.
Endeavour carries a crew of seven: Mark Polansky is commander and
Douglas Hurley is the pilot. Mission specialists are Christopher
Cassidy, Thomas Marshburn, KE5HOC, David Wolf, KC5VPF, and Julie
Payette, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut. The mission will deliver
Timothy Kopra, KE5UDN, to the ISS as a flight engineer and science
officer and return Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, to
Earth. Hurley, Cassidy, Marshburn and Kopra will be making their
first trips to space.
When Kopra arrives, there will six astronauts on board the ISS -- all
but one are licensed radio amateurs: Commander Gennady Padalka,
RN3DT; Flight Engineer Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ; Flight Engineer Frank
DeWinne, ON1DWN; Flight Engineer Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA, and Flight
Engineer Roman Romanenko.
While on the ISS, Kopra will help conduct scientific experiments on
human physiology. "We're going to look at all the different
components that correspond to the human body and the effect that
microgravity has on [astronauts]," he said in a NASA pre-flight
interview
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition20/kopra_interview.html>.
"It's very critical because, if we're going to spend time on the
moon, which has less gravity than the Earth, or transporting to Mars,
which could be a very long trip and then time on Mars, we need to
understand with a lot of detail what those effects will be. So we'll
be looking at the cardiovascular system, neurological system,
vestibular system and we'll also be looking at some of the behavioral
aspects of living in space. What happens to your sleep, for example:
Can you sleep soundly, because over time you definitely need to have
sound sleep to be an effective crew member? Those are some of the
examples of the things we'
ll be looking at that correspond to the human physiology side."
Kopra said he expects to "have a lot of fun" while on board the ISS:
"I just spoke with the [current ISS] crew members on board recently,
and after they had only been there for a couple weeks, you could tell
that they're just real excited about all the work that they do on
board. It's just like you talk to a kid about what they would like to
do on space station, they might tell you, 'Hey, I want to float
around, I want to look out the window.' You know, I intend to do a
lot of both of those just as my crew members like to do."
Kopra, a 1985 graduate of West Point and a colonel in the US Army,
was assigned to NASA at the Johnson Space Center in September 1998 as
a vehicle integration test engineer. In this position, he primarily
served as an engineering liaison for space shuttle launch operations
and ISS hardware testing. He was actively involved in the contractor
tests of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) interfaces for each of the
space station truss segments.
Selected as an astronaut in July 2000, Kopra began his initial
training the following month. He completed two years of intensive
space shuttle, space station and T-38 flight training. He then served
in the Space Station Branch of the Astronaut Office where his primary
focus involved the testing of crew interfaces for two ISS pressurized
modules, as well as the implementation of support computers and
operational Local Area Network on ISS. After completing a Russian
language immersion course in Moscow, Kopra began training for a long
duration space flight mission in July 2005. Since then, he has
completed training at each of the international partner training
sites and served as a backup crewmember to Expeditions 16 and 17.
Kopra will return to Earth on space shuttle Discovery (STS 128), due
to launch this August. That mission will bring mission specialist
Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, to the ISS. Discovery will carry the Leonardo
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and
science racks, as well as the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment
Support Structure Carrier. -- Information provided by NASA
==> ARRL MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTERS, BULLETINS AND NOTIFICATIONS
Did you know the ARRL offers more newsletters than just The ARRL
Letter? One of the many ARRL membership benefits includes other
newsletters, such as the ARRL Contest Update (a bi-weekly contest
newsletter), the ARES E-Letter (sent monthly, containing public
service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Club News and
the ARRL Instructor/Teacher E-Letter and the VE Newsletter.
You can also elect to receive news and information from your Division
Director and Section Manager (keep in mind that not all
Divisions/Sections send notices), as well as W1AW bulletins that
relate to DX, propagation, satellites and Keplerian reports. The ARRL
also offers a free notification service to members, letting them know
when their membership and license are due to expire.
Sign up for these newsletters, bulletins and notifications on the
Member Data page of the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html>.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "Glorious with the Sun's returning march" Cook, K7RA, this week
reports: We saw a nice run of eight days with a large sunspot, but
none have emerged in the six days since. Unlike other recent spots,
this one did not appear just for one or two days and then vanish.
Sunspot numbers for July 9-15 were 15, 13, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a
mean of 4. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.1, 67.8, 68.2, 68, 67.2, 66.6 and
66.5 with a mean of 67.6. The estimated planetary A indices were 6,
7, 4, 5, 10, 8 and 5 with a mean of 6.4. The estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 6, 7, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 3 with a mean of 4.7. Geophysical
Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions for July 17-20, unsettled
July 21, quiet to unsettled July 22 and back to quiet on July 23. For
more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL
Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's
Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation B
ulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" brought to you by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Sunrise on
the Hills" <http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/3237/>.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This Week on the Radio: This week, an NCCC Sprint Ladder is on July
17. The North American QSO Party (RTTY), the DMC RTTY Contest and
the CQ Worldwide VHF Contest are July 18-19. The CQC Great Colorado
Gold Rush is July 19. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is July 20
and the SKCC Sprint is July 22. Next week, another NCCC Sprint Ladder
is on July 245 and the RSGB IOTA Contest is July 25-26. All dates,
unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more
info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Event Station Web page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>.
* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration remains open through
Sunday, July 26, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on
Friday, August 7, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and
Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation;
Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics. Each online course has
been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives,
informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are
interactive, and some include direct communications with a
Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that
may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the course) and they may
access the course at any time of day during the course period,
completing lessons and activities at times convenient for their
personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions,
reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful feed
back. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there
is no appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete
flexibility for the student to work when and where it is convenient.
To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page
<http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact the Continuing Education
Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>.
* W1AW to Add New Digital Modes to Transmission Schedule: Effective
August 17, W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, will replace
its AMTOR and ASCII transmissions with PSK31 and MFSK16,
respectively. RTTY (Baudot) will continue to be the first digital
mode used in the transmission schedule. The frequencies used by W1AW
for all its digital transmissions will remain the same. "All regular
6 PM and 9 PM (Eastern Time) digital transmissions will begin with
RTTY," said W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q. "PSK31 and MFSK16
will be sent as time allows. The Tuesday and Friday Keplerian data
bulletins will be sent using RTTY and PSK31." The W1AW operating
schedule -- complete with times and frequencies -- can be found on
the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html#w1awsked>.
* AMSAT to Mark First Lunar Landing: AMSAT-NA <http://www.amsat.org>
will mark the 40th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing with
a special event on AO-51 <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/>.
AO-51 will transmit a message commemorating the event Monday, July 20
during evening passes in the US and Europe. The message will be
transmitted on the 435.300 MHz FM downlink and will contain a Robot
36 SSTV image as well as a voice message. A special AO-51 QSL will be
available to those who copy the downlink. Send QSL requests marked
"Apollo 11" with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to AMSAT, 850
Sligo Ave, Ste 600, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
* Jim Mullin, W8KKK (SK): Jim Mullin, W8KKK, of Concord Township,
Ohio, fell to his death from atop his 100 foot tower on June 6,
reports Frank "Fritz" Hemrich, K8WLF, also of Concord Township.
According to a post Hemrich made on QRZ.com, Mullin, 69, was in the
process of dismantling his tower and antennas when his safety belt
"parted at one of the seams and just let go." Hemrich recounted that
Mullin had already been up on the tower twice that day: "It appears
as if he was on his third trip up to re-position his gin pole to
start taking apart and down the tower sections. His ground assistant
had just finished taking some pictures of the tower and was putting
his camera back in his car. As he turned away from the car he heard
Jim hit the ground." A service for Mullin was held June 11.
===========================================================
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==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy at arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, k1sfa at 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
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The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these sources:
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* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston
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