[CVRC] The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 21 (Friday, May 29, 2009)

Fri May 29 16:58:00 EDT 2009

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 21
May 29, 2009
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + FCC's Bill Cross: "Behave Yourselves!"
* + ARRL Donors Gather in Dayton
* + Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Receives ARRL President's Award
* + ARRL Field Day Tips and Techniques that Everyone Can Use
* + The ARRL Triple Play Award: A Worldwide Event!
* + Ham Radio DIY at Maker Faire
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
       This Week on the Radio
       ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
     + 2009 ARRL Photo Contest Ends Soon
     + ARRL DXCC Desk Approves Saudi Operation

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

===========================================================
==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ 
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail 
<letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA 
<k1sfa at arrl.org>
===========================================================

==> FCC'S BILL CROSS: "BEHAVE YOURSELVES!"

Bill Cross, W3TN, a staff member in the FCC's Mobility Division 
<http://wireless.fcc.gov/index.htm?job=md>, and Laura Smith, FCC 
Special Counsel for Amateur Enforcement, spoke at the FCC Forum on 
Saturday, May 16 at the 2009 Dayton Hamvention. Cross opened by 
explaining just where Amateur Radio falls in the FCC's bureaucracy: 
"In the Mobility Division [part of the Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau <http://wireless.fcc.gov/>], we handle the day-to-day 
administration of the Amateur Service and some of the rulemaking 
activities that affect Amateur Radio. The Division also has staff 
members in our Gettysburg, Pennsylvania office. Our Gettysburg staff 
handles most of your applications and the licensing matters and deals 
with the Universal Licensing System, or ULS" 
<http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home>.

Cross offered some general comments on the Commission and its 
priorities, then went on to discuss topics that he said "keep coming 
up in questions we receive in articles that appear on Web sites and 
in columns in newsletters and the like. I'm not going to spend a lot 
of time talking about Commission decisions that have been issued, 
because most of these have been reported on the ARRL or other Web sites."

Cross went on to say that he does hear from Riley Hollingsworth, who 
retired as Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division in 
July 2008; Smith replaced Hollingsworth earlier this year. Saying he 
received an e-mail from Hollingsworth that asked his opinion whether 
he should get an amplifier or 260 feet of hardline, Cross said that 
was an easy question to answer: "Get both! Two hundred and sixty feet 
of hardline. Okay. Thirty feet through the house, 30 feet out to the 
tower and 200 feet straight up. That sounded pretty reasonable. But 
then I found out that what he was thinking about was 230 feet across 
the back yard and 30 feet up. So, I've still got some work to do there."

As for the FCC Administration, Cross said that "the relationships 
between the Commissioners are very collegial." Cross pointed out that 
earlier this year, President Obama nominated two people to fill 
Commissioner vacancies: Julius Genachowski for Chairman 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/03/10684/?nc=1> and Mignon 
Clyburn <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/04/30/10795/> to fill 
the seat held by Jonathan Adelstein. Adelstein has been nominated to 
head up the Rural Utilities Service, of the United States Department 
of Agriculture 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/23/10716/?nc=1>. "The last 
I read was that their confirmation hearings would be held after 
Memorial Day, and beyond that, we really don't know what's planned," 
Cross told the crowd. "So maybe by the end of the summer, sometime 
during the summer, the Commission will be back up to its complement 
of five Commissioners and we will have a new Chairman, too."

RACES

Cross said that he has been getting questions concerning RACES 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RACES>, asking what plans the FCC has 
to rejuvenate the organization. "The questions have been from a 
couple of FEMA guys who also happen to be hams," he said. "Now, in 
RACES, stations are certified by a civil defense organization and 
persons who hold an FCC-issued Amateur Radio operators license are 
certified by that civil defense organization as enrolled in it. I 
know that the term 'civil defense organization' is way out-of-date -- 
'emergency management agencies' is probably a more current term. But 
the terminology used in the rules reflects that RACES was created in 
the Cold War era when there was a concern that everyone would be 
ordered off the air."

Cross pointed out that RACES "seems to be used for local, state and 
regional events and it is administered by FEMA. The rules require 
that communications transmitted in RACES be approved by the 
organization that certified people and that they're enrolled with. 
Fundamentally, RACES is there to serve whatever purpose that the 
emergency management agency has for it. Because the emergency 
management agency decides whether it has a use for a RACES group, the 
rejuvenation, if it is even necessary, will have to come from the 
local or state organizations. They will have to get people interested 
in joining their groups if they have a use for them. Some of the 
people I have talked to in different government agencies wonder why 
we still have this service, given the way that emergency 
communications are run and managed today."

Amateur Radio and Pecuniary Interests

A topic that keeps popping up, Cross said, is business use of Amateur 
Radio, specifically transmitting messages on behalf of an employer. 
"Section 97.113 
<http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/octqtr/pdf/47cfr97.113.pdf> 
answers this question straight on: 'No amateur station shall transmit 
communications for hire or for material compensation, direct or 
indirect, paid or promised, except as otherwise provided in these 
rules.' There are two exceptions. There are exceptions for teachers 
who are using Amateur Radio as the control operator of a station in 
an educational institution as part of a classroom thing and control 
operators of club stations in certain cases. A station is also not 
allowed to transmit communication in which the station licensee or 
control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications 
on behalf of an employer. There is an exception to that rule that 
allows you to transmit communications that are commonly referred to 
as "swap nets," but eBay see
  ms to have reduced the need for these nets. And you're not allowed 
to transmit communications on a regular basis which could reasonably 
be furnished through other radio services."

Cross said that Section 97.113 is in the rules for two reasons: It 
meets a statutory requirement and it is there to protect your 
frequencies from becoming the business radio alternative voice 
overflow, or "'BRAVO Service.' Because your spectrum is so valuable, 
if you let users such as businesses, TV stations, the National 
Weather Service or other users -- be they for-profit or non-profit -- 
use your frequencies to meet their communications needs, your 
frequencies will become their frequencies. All it takes is an 
allocation proceeding with the FCC, and your spectrum is gone. And 
you will be left whining about it in Internet chat rooms."

Cross pointed out the ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, 
K1ZZ, "had an editorial on this on April 1, 2009 [on the ARRL Web 
site and in the April 2009 edition of QST] ["It Seems to Us: Keeping 
the 'Amateur' in Amateur Radio," page 9]. That's probably not the 
best day to date something, but you should read it. And I have 
plagiarized from that greatly because it is very elegant and spot on" 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/04/01/10668/>.

The bottom line, Cross said, is "that when any of us are on the air 
as amateurs in the ham bands, we are not pursuing financial gain for 
ourselves or our employers. The 'no pecuniary principle' has been 
reflected in the FCC regulations since 1928. It distinguishes us from 
commercial services. In 1993, the Commission, at your request, 
dropped the 'no business communications' language and simply 
prohibited communications on behalf of an amateur's employer or in 
which the amateur has a pecuniary interest. The Commission stated 
that any amateur-to-amateur communications is permitted unless 
specifically prohibited or unless transmitted for compensation or 
done for the pecuniary benefit for the station control operator or 
his or her employer."

Cross said that it does not matter what type of technology -- be it 
SSB, digital, slow scan TV or CW -- is used to transmit that 
communications: "It boils down to a simple four part test that you, 
as the control operator of the station, must ask yourself before you 
cause the station to transmit a message. One, is the communications 
expressly prohibited in the rules? For instance, is it music, is it 
obscenity, something like that. Two, is the communications 
transmitted for compensation? Whether it's paid or compensation in 
some other way, such as, 'If you get this message to a friend of mine 
who's on a sailboat in the middle of nowhere, I'll pay your light 
bill.' Or, 'Get this message to someplace and I'll buy you a new 
radio.' That's indirect compensation. Three, does the control 
operator have a pecuniary interest in the communications? That is, 
could he or she benefit financially? Stock trades on ham radio 
benefit you financially. And four, does the control operator's employ
  er have an interest in the communications? If the answer to each of 
these questions is 'no,' then the communications is acceptable with 
the caveat that it is not on a regular basis, one which could be 
furnished alternatively through other radio services."

There are limits to what an amateur can do on behalf of his or her 
employer, Cross said, as well as limits to the extent that Amateur 
Radio can be used for the purpose for which other radio services were 
created. "'No communications on behalf of an employer' means just 
that," he said. "There's no exception for the 15 minutes you're on 
break. There's no exception for 'Gee, it's the weekend,' or there's 
no exception because you want to do it. If it's your employer, you 
cannot transmit communications on their behalf. That is a commercial 
communications."

Public Service Communications

The last topic Cross addressed concerned public service 
communications. "There's no rule about public service communications 
as such in Part 97, because most of the messages you transmit that 
you think of as public service communications are allowed by Section 
97.111 
<http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/octqtr/pdf/47cfr97.111.pdf>. 
Paragraph (a) authorizes an amateur station to transmit two-way 
communications including, among other things, exchanging messages 
with other stations in the Amateur Service and communications 
necessary to meet essential communications needs and to facilitate 
relief actions." Cross noted that most of these transmissions -- the 
essential communications needs and facilitating relief actions -- are 
two-way exchanges with messages with other amateur stations. "The 
rule also authorizes you to transmit one-way communications, such as 
transmissions necessary to make adjustments to the station -- these 
are your tests, your tones, tossing the carrier to s
  ee what the SWR is, that sort of thing -- and brief transmissions 
necessary to establish two-way communications with other stations."

Cross said that the rules cover everything we do as Amateur Radio 
operators: "Ragchewing, DX, contests, DXpeditions, county hunting, 
tuning up, everything. Ninety-nine percent of our communications fall 
under the rules that are there."

Emergency communications, by their nature, involve an element of 
immediacy, immediate safety of property and life. "Reporting where 
damage is, what happened after a tornado goes through or where power 
lines are down, is certainly public service communications and it's 
allowed under 97.111, but it may not involve an immediate safety of 
life and property," Cross explained. "A bridge washed out, for 
example, may need a more immediate response than downed trees, and 
reporting that is already allowed as just two-way communications 
between stations. A car with occupants floating down a river is 
clearly an emergency situation. In cases like that, the rules already 
provide that at all times and on all frequencies, each control 
operator must give priority to stations providing emergency 
communications. I have never heard of a case where a ham station has 
come on a repeater or a frequency and said, 'I have an emergency 
message,' and someone said, 'Wait your turn.' That's not your style
  ."

Laura Smith

The Dayton Hamvention was one of the first events Smith has attended 
in her role as Special Counsel. Cross introduced Smith, explaining 
that he used to work for her and that she was "one of the best people 
that we possibly could get for this job, because before she came to 
the Wireless Bureau, she had worked in mass media. After she had been 
in the Wireless Bureau, Laura had been the president of a trade 
association in Washington. Many of the issues that come up with other 
entities using amateur spectrum are entities that are either in mass 
media services or in land-mobile services and they are basically 
lusting after your bands. So we are fortunate now that when someone 
calls up, Laura has this breadth of knowledge of not only what the 
amateur stuff is, but where [land-mobile and mass media services] 
actually really should belong. And she can counsel them very gently 
that they need to get licensed here and not, you know, where they 
think they are. This is something you don't
   see. Believe it or not, this is a tremendous help to you."

He mentioned that Smith plans to stay in this position for the long 
haul: "So if you have any ideas about a short-timer or think you're 
going to get away with it, plan on about 15 years down the road. In 
the meantime, behave yourselves!"

Smith explained that when she took over the amateur enforcement 
position earlier this year, the job had changed a bit from when 
Hollingsworth was in the office. "This job used to be in the Spectrum 
Enforcement Division down in DC; it was a remote position in a DC 
office," she explained. "It is no longer in that Division. I am 
actually a Field Agent. I'm attached to the FCC Field Office, I'm in 
the Northeast Region and my supervisor is the Regional Director for 
the Northeast Region." She told the crowd that she has spent a large 
portion of her time going through all the files that had accumulated, 
about 430 cases, while the position was vacant.

She explained the different types of complaints her office receives, 
such as complaints dealing with criminal investigations, technical 
violations, harassment and language complaints, malicious 
interference complaints and unlicensed users.

Smith also handles RFI complaints. Saying that these complaints are 
"ultimately going to be the most troublesome," she explained that 
there are two kinds of RFI complaints. "The first type of RFI 
complaint I get are the ones where your neighbors are complaining 
about you. You guys are causing interference to their television or 
to their radios or their telephone. The Commission generally tells 
them if you are a licensed amateur operator operating in the 
parameters of your license, then the Part 15 device that you are 
causing interference to is subject to that interference, and the 
rules state that very clearly. We suggest that they either work with 
you or they get a filter; those are the two suggestions."

Smith, in cooperation with the ARRL Lab, also handles utility line 
interference complaints. "This one, you would think, would be easy to 
resolve -- the power line is causing interference, the utility will 
come out and fix it and everything will be fine. Not quite so easy," 
she explained. "Those of you that have been experiencing it for 3, 4, 
5, 10, 12 years know that in fact, that is not what happens. What I 
am discovering is that the utilities quite simply don't know how to 
fix the problem. They can't identify the noise. What they will do is 
they will go out and will find 15 sources of noise. They will fix 
these 15 sources of noise and then they will come back to me with 
this detailed list of these 15 sources of noise that they have fixed. 
Yea! We're all done. No -- they haven't fixed your noise. So they 
don't quite understand the concept of 'Don't just run out and fix 
everything you see, that's irrelevant to the amateur.' The amateur 
wants you to fix their noise."

Smith described that the first step the utilities need to do is to go 
to the amateur's house and listen to the noise and determine exactly 
what they're hearing. "This way, when they fix it, you can ultimately 
figure out if you have in fact fixed their noise. I'm trying to 
figure out a way with the Lab as to how we can best tell the 
utilities that they really need to think about how their processes 
work and what we can do to educate them so they can get out and fix this."

Smith has also given utility companies time limits to fix the noise 
complaints. "I am telling them, 'If you go out and you can't fix it, 
every two weeks you have to report back to me in writing why you 
can't fix it.' Utilities are, generally speaking publicly traded 
companies, so what happens is that they have a Board of Directors 
that they answer to. Those people are not going to want them to waste 
time and energy writing this crazy woman in Gettysburg every two 
weeks a detailed report. And believe you me, if they miss their 
deadline, I call them and tell them 'You've missed your deadline. I 
need your report.' I have spoken to more heads of utilities in the 
last three weeks than I ever care to speak to again. They have no 
qualms about calling me, saying 'We can't meet the deadline.' And I 
explain to them that's fine, I'll just write up this nice little 
letter [saying] you can write your check to the federal government."

Smith suggested to the amateur community "that we as a collective -- 
you guys and me -- we can have a great relationship, we can do this 
the easy way. You guys can, in fact, follow the rules and remember 
that when you signed up to become an amateur, you actually committed 
to adhere to the Commission's rules. I'm going to strongly suggest 
that you hold to that. If you don't we can do this the difficult way, 
and I am more than willing to do that if it comes down to it."

Questions and Answers

Cross and Smith then took questions from the audience. They concerned 
grandfathering Advanced class license holders to Extra class, 
enforcing Amateur Radio rules on stations originating outside the US, 
what type of internal review is required before a Notice of Apparent 
Liability is issued, keeping undesired hams off a repeater system, 
issues with D-STAR repeaters allowing Internet content to be carried 
on amateur frequencies and establishments that sell 10 meter radios 
disguised as 11 meter radios.

Smith also told the crowd why she has not yet become a licensed 
Amateur Radio operator: "My father-in-law is Richard Smith. He is the 
former Chief of the Field Operations Bureau. The Field Operations 
Bureau was the precursor to the Enforcement Bureau. When Dick started 
his career at the FCC, he worked in the LA Field Office as an 
engineer; one of the duties that he had while he was out there was to 
administer the Amateur Radio tests. His expertise just so happened to 
be in the Code. He is an incredible operator. And so when I decided 
to take this job, I did not want to run out and get my license before 
I took the job for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is I felt 
it would be a sham -- I wasn't an amateur before I took the job, I 
didn't want you to think that I was selling you so short that I was 
going to run out and get my license to try and validate myself for 
this industry. Instead, I said that I would wait and take the exam 
later and become an amateur as I got to k
  now the community. When I told the story to Dick and I said I was 
thinking about getting my license, he said to me, 'You will not get 
your license until you can pass the code part of the test.' 
Unfortunately, he followed that up with a caveat, which was 'I will 
be there to oversee the administration of the test to determine 
whether or not you are competent and qualified to be an amateur.' So 
I have to learn code -- I obviously do not know it." Smith said she 
plans on learning CW this summer, along with her six year old daughter.

Cross closed the forum, quipping, "For those of you who are 
concerned, I made sure she went by the Vibroplex booth, and we also 
stopped by the Begali booth. So she got to see what the minimum 
requirements are for proper CW."

An audio feed of the FCC forum can be found on the ARRL Web site 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/files/FCC-Forum-2009.mp3>.

==> ARRL DONORS GATHER IN DAYTON

More than 100 ARRL donors gathered to mix and mingle at the ARRL's 
Eighth Annual Donor Reception on Thursday, May 14, just prior to the 
2009 ARRL National Convention and Dayton Hamvention. Hosted by the 
ARRL as a way to thank those who donated $1000 or more to the League 
in 2008, the reception -- held at the Meadowbrook Country Club -- 
featured a sumptuous buffet and a speech by new IARU President Tim 
Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/02/11/10645/?nc=1>.

"It is always great fun to see many of our good friends at the Annual 
Donor Reception," said ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, 
K1MMH. "I have a chance to catch up with the wonderful group of 
people share our dedication to ARRL and Amateur Radio. In the eight 
years that we've been holding this event, its popularity grows and we 
get to meet new donors, and in some cases, their spouses and 
children. We look forward to hosting this evening and having an 
opportunity to thank key donors in person for all they do to support ARRL."

One of the highlights of the evening was the introduction of three 
new members of the ARRL's Maxim Society 
<http://www.arrl.org/development/maxim.html>: Frank Donovan, W3LPL, 
of Glenwood, Maryland; Tom Hutton, N3ZZ, of Cupertino, California, 
and Tom Porter, W8KYZ, of Avon Lake, Ohio. With the addition of these 
three amateurs, there are now 61 members of the Maxim Society. Maxim 
Society donors are those amateurs whose lifetime giving exceeds $10,000.

This elite group embodies the spirit of ARRL co-founder Hiram Percy 
Maxim, W1AW, who, in 1914, envisioned an organization dedicated to 
encouraging and developing Amateur Radio as a source of enjoyment for 
radio operators and as a public service to communities nationwide. 
Maxim Society donors nurture the legacy and leadership exhibited by 
"The Old Man" so many years ago. Their infectious enthusiasm and deep 
commitment to Amateur Radio and ARRL are evidence of their abiding 
loyalty. Their willingness to contribute generously to the work of 
ARRL is evidence of a remarkable dedication to the vision of Hiram Percy Maxim.

After a welcome from ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, ARRL CEO 
David Sumner, K1ZZ, introduced Ellam, whose remarks focused on the 
impact that the ARRL had on his introduction to Amateur Radio as a 
young man in Canada, telling the story of how the ARRL Handbook 
played a pivotal role in his effort to secure his first Amateur Radio 
license in 1976.

"One of the textbooks for the Amateur Radio class run by my local 
club was the 1976 version of the ARRL Handbook," Ellam told the 
group. "The club also paid for associate membership in the ARRL, 
Canadian Division, which had the benefit of allowing students to 
receive QST. When it came time to write my exam, I decided to be a 
rebel. Rather than using all of the approved schematics to memorize 
and draw for the exam, I made one change: I drew a simple key klix 
filter that I had memorized from the ARRL Handbook.

"Weeks later, my exam results came in the mail. I had failed. The 
Canadian government decided the ARRL version of the key klix filter 
would not work north of the border and gave me a zero. This meant I 
failed the entire test, with no possibility of retaking it for 
several months. My hopes of becoming an amateur were crushed. So off 
to the local office of the Department of Communications I marched, 
with my trusty ARRL Handbook under my arm. After a spirited debate, 
the person manning the desk at the office allowed me to speak to an 
examiner and review my results with him. He argued I had failed to 
draw a correct key klix filter. I showed him the one in the ARRL 
Handbook. He refused to accept it! I pushed the issue. We went to see 
the district director, who was an amateur. He took one look at the 
schematic and said, "This is from the ARRL Handbook -- it must be 
right!" and overruled the inspector and passed me on the spot.

"I was so impressed by the power of the Handbook that I have 
maintained my ARRL membership to this day. By doing that, I of course 
received QST and through that, I became aware of the work of the ARRL 
and IARU."

Ellam said that it was "an honor to speak at the ARRL Donor Reception 
in front of so many supporters of ARRL and the Amateur Service. The 
IARU appreciates the support of the ARRL as the International Secretariat."

For more information on giving opportunities, please visit the ARRL 
Development Office Web site <http://www.arrl.org/development/>.

==> FRANK BAUER, KA3HDO, RECEIVES ARRL PRESIDENT'S AWARD

On Saturday, May 16 during the forum featuring Richard Garriott, 
W5KWQ, at the Dayton Hamvention, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, 
presented former Amateur Radio on the International Space Station 
(ARISS) <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm> International Chairman 
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, with the ARRL President's Award. Bauer, who 
stepped down from ARISS 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/25/10724/> and Radio 
Amateur Satellite Corporation's (AMSAT) <http://www.amsat.org/> 
duties this past March, served as ARISS Program Leader and ARISS 
International Working Group Chair. Since 1991, he served as AMSAT 
Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs.

The ARRL Board of Directors voted to create the President's Award in 
2003. The President's Award is to go to an ARRL member or members who 
"have shown long-term dedication to the goals and objectives of ARRL 
and Amateur Radio," and who have gone the extra mile to support 
individual League programs and goals. Nominations for the award come 
from directors and are approved by the ARRL President and the 
Executive Committee.

Under Bauer's leadership, Amateur Radio activities have been on human 
spaceflight vehicles, including NASA-sponsored ham radio activities 
on the shuttle, Space Station Mir and the ISS. Starting in 1983, 
Bauer led the Goddard Amateur Radio Club team that provided 
around-the clock space shuttle retransmissions from the WA3NAN club 
station. These retransmissions provided the international ham radio 
community up-to-the-minute information during the flight of Owen 
Garriott, W5LFL, on STS-9 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-9.html> 
and subsequent SAREX flights. In the days prior to the Internet, 
these real-time bulletins and frequent orbital element updates could 
only be obtained through Amateur Radio.

"For well over a decade, I have been fortunate to be part of a group 
that has been leading international teams together to focus on 
Amateur Radio on the ISS," Bauer told the ARRL. "As AMSAT Vice 
President for Human Spaceflight since 1991, I have really worked to 
get this international team to work as one, focusing on Amateur 
Radio. It is very critical to get all the space agency partners to 
have a vested interest in making sure we do Amateur Radio right on 
the ISS. We need to keep the partnership we have with our 
international team in good stead."

Bauer said that through the years, the AMSAT and ARISS teams have 
developed a substantial amount of hardware and software systems on 
the ISS. "We have trained astronauts and cosmonauts to use the 
equipment that we have on many modules," he said. "We have two 
systems on the Russian module with five antennas, and two L/S band 
antennas on Columbus 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/02/14/101/>, with new ones 
going up later this year -- all of this is being done by a volunteer 
team. Both AMSAT and ARISS have done a tremendous job promoting 
Amateur Radio, allowing hams to talk with astronauts and encouraging 
children to pursue technical careers."

Bauer said that when a new crew of astronauts comes on board at NASA, 
ARISS gives them a briefing, familiarizing them with the ARISS 
program and Amateur Radio in general. "We are very fortunate that all 
of the US astronauts of late have received their Amateur Radio 
licenses," he said. "We emphasize to them how important it is to get 
their license early in their training, because as their training 
progresses, they get caught up in everything and it is hard to find 
the time to study and take the exam. From an astronaut perspective, I 
think it's a little easier for them to pass the test, since they know 
most of the theory stuff, but they do need to be trained on the rules 
and regulations that govern the Amateur Radio Service."

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, said he was very honored to 
present Bauer with his award. "I have had the pleasurable opportunity 
first hand to see Frank work with the international community to 
ensure Amateur Radio became and remained a part of manned space 
flight. Frank's ability to organize all parties to consensus 
regarding key issues was vital to the program. The amateur community 
owes a great deal of gratitude to Frank for his many years of 
dedication to service and education."

Bauer told the ARRL that he was "proud and humbled" to receive the 
ARRL President's Award. "It was a total surprise, I did not expect 
any of this. I want to thank the ARRL leadership for this very 
prestigious award. And thanks to the entire ARISS volunteer team for 
their outstanding support and diligence in inspiring our next 
generation of explorers through Amateur Radio contacts between school 
students and crew members on the ISS."

ARRL ARISS Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, who, together with 
Bauer, served as the USA delegates to ARISS, told the ARRL she was 
"very happy" for her colleague and friend: "Over the years, Frank 
continuously gave more to the ARISS project than anyone could ever 
expect of one person. He put his heart and soul into ARISS because he 
believed in its objectives: To introduce teachers and youth to 
Amateur Radio and the foundation of radio science, plus provide 
students with a way via radio to get involved in science, technology, 
engineering and math."

Bauer is currently the Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems 
Mission Directorate at NASA. This directorate is developing the next 
generation human spaceflight vehicles that will take NASA to the 
International Space Station (ISS) and then to the Moon, Mars and 
beyond. He is also providing some backup support to the Space 
Operations Chief Engineer who supports the space shuttle and ISS programs.

==> ARRL FIELD DAY TIPS AND TECHNIQUES THAT EVERYONE CAN USE

Many amateurs treat ARRL Field Day (June 27-28) as a contest, even 
though it isn't one <http://www.arrl.org/fieldday>. But if your idea 
of Field Day fun is to go for the highest score possible, ARRL 
Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, offered the following 
suggestions at the ARRL Field Day Forum at the 2009 Dayton Hamvention.

1) You will get many more stations in your log by calling CQ than by 
tuning the dial and answering CQs; however, if you're calling CQ and 
not getting any replies, keep calling. Most major contesters call CQ 
for several minutes at a time before giving up. Giving up after three 
or four CQs is giving up too soon.

2) Keep your CQs short and to the point: "CQ Field Day, CQ Field Day, 
Whiskey-One-Alfa-Whiskey, Field Day." Wait about 5 seconds between 
CQs -- this gives stations enough time to answer you.

3) Use standard phonetics. "Cute" phonetics don't always get through 
and they can confuse newer operators.

4) When working a station, you should give your exchange information 
only once and keep it simple. "Whiskey-One-Alfa-Whiskey, copy three 
Foxtrot Connecticut, QSL?" If they didn't get all of the exchange, 
they will ask for a repeat.

5) If you are running a pileup: Once you have pulled a call out of 
the pileup, give your exchange information first. Here's an example: 
"Whiskey-One-Alfa-Whiskey, copy 3F Connecticut, QSL?" Don't ask for 
the calling station's information first -- this will reduce any sense 
of rhythm and timing in the pileup.

6) If you get a pileup of stations and can't make out an entire call, 
listen for one letter and ask for it specifically: "The station with 
Delta only, go ahead."

7) When you get the other station's information, keep your 
acknowledgment simple. "QSL, thanks, QRZ Field Day from 
Whiskey-One-Alfa-Whiskey."

8) Find a comfortable pace for you and maintain that pace. You will 
tire quickly if you are screaming into the microphone or trying to 
work stations too quickly. This leads to inefficiency.

9) Use a headset with a boom microphone and a foot switch -- this 
frees up your hands to log QSOs. Writing or typing with a mike in 
your hand slows you down.

10) Go for as many bonus points as you possibly can. Numerous 
opportunities exist, from copying the Field Day message to sending 
traffic to using natural power for QSOs.

These tips should help maximize your score on Field Day. Remember: No 
matter how you choose to enjoy Field Day, maximize your fun, however 
you define it.

==> THE ARRL TRIPLE PLAY AWARD: A WORLDWIDE EVENT!

The ARRL Triple Play Award (TPA) -- introduced January 1, 2009 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/05/10490/> -- is available 
to all amateurs worldwide who confirm QSOs with each of the 50 states 
on voice, CW and digital modes via Logbook of the World (LoTW) 
<http://www.arrl.org/lotw>. Not even six months since its inception, 
the Triple Play Award has been awarded to 269 hams around the world.

The first recipient was Dave Strout, W2YC, of Williamstown, New 
Jersey. Strout achieved this milestone on January 15. The very next 
day, Jeff Wheeler, W7JW, of Plymouth, Michigan, received TPA #2.

But the TPA is not limited to US hams. On February 11, Scotland's 
Cris Henderson, GM4FAM, was the first ham outside the US to receive 
the TPA award, #158. Jose Vicente Pinto, YV6BTF, of Venezuela, 
received TPA #163, making him the first South American amateur to 
achieve the award. Hams in many countries, such as Brazil, France, 
Belgium, Spain, Germany, Poland, Colombia and Mexico, have claimed 
the Triple Play Award.

"An side effect of the Triple Play Award has been the increased 
issuance of basic Worked All States (WAS) 
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/was/> awards for Phone, CW, Digital and 
Basic modes," said ARRL Awards Manager Bill Moore, NC1L. "Comments on 
the Triple Play Award have been very positive, reflecting a renewed 
interest in the challenge -- and of course, the fun! -- that ARRL 
awards continue to provide. The Triple Play Award is the first of 
what we hope to be many more LoTW-only awards in the future."

The Triple Play Award is a one-time award -- once you have made the 
required 150 confirmed contacts via LoTW, you're done. "Even so," 
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said, "there are 
many possible variations on the theme. You can try to be the first 
(or at least the first on your block) or you can set your own pace. 
Think it's too easy? Limit yourself to QRP while operating your 
favorite mode (or all three). Maybe you prefer to be the quarry; it 
will quickly emerge which states are the most difficult to find, 
offering opportunities to earn the gratitude of your mates by 
activating the ones you can get to with your portable or mobile rig."

If you haven't yet begun trying for the Triple Play Award, why not 
start? There are still quite a few State QSO Parties this year, and 
the DX contest season starts in a few months. According to Sumner, 
contesters are among the most loyal devotees of LoTW. Once you begin, 
you might find that the pursuit can be terribly addictive.

The rules for the Triple Play Award state that two-way communication 
must be established on the amateur bands with each state on each mode 
(the District of Columbia may be counted for Maryland). There is no 
minimum signal report required. Contacts must be made from the same 
location, or from locations no two of which are more than 50 miles 
apart. Club station applicants must include their club name and call 
sign of the club station or trustee on their application. The Triple 
Play Award will be issued on sequentially numbered certificates, 
starting with #1, as determined by the time stamp of the electronic 
application as submitted via LoTW. There are no endorsements for this award.

Contacts made through repeater devices or any other power relay 
method may not be used for WAS confirmation (a separate WAS award is 
available for satellite contacts). All stations contacted must be 
land stations; contacts with ships, anchored or otherwise, and 
aircraft, cannot be counted. The only exception to this rule is 
permanently docked exhibition ships (such as the Queen Mary) and 
other historic ships will be considered land based.

Triple Play Award applicants who reside in the US must be ARRL 
members to be eligible to receive the award. DX stations do not need 
to be ARRL members. All bands -- with the exception of 60 meters -- 
may be used in pursuit of the Triple Play Award.

==> HAM RADIO DIY AT MAKER FAIRE

Ham radio demonstrations and displays are in the works for Maker 
Faire, May 30-31, the world's largest do-it-yourself (DIY) festival 
<http://www.makerfaire.com/>. This year, the festival will take place 
at the San Mateo County Expo Center in California. According to ARRL 
Sales and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R -- who is attending 
the fair along with dozens of San Francisco Bay Area hams -- this 
annual event showcases the country's best innovations in science and 
technology, engineering, arts and crafts, food and music. "It's no 
surprise that such an event has captured the attention of the ham 
radio community. Do-it-yourself, or DIY, has always been a signature 
of the Amateur Radio Service," he said.

Inderbitzen said that this year's Maker Faire theme -- ReMake 
America: Building a Sustainable Future -- is based on President 
Obama's call to action to participate in a new era of DIY. "The 
Amateur Radio community fits this mold perfectly," Inderbitzen said. 
"Hams represent the very best of service-to-country and community. 
We're both doers and makers of things."

A large exhibit area at Maker Faire is planned to help spotlight ham 
radio. The Foothills Amateur Radio Society is the primary sponsor of 
the Amateur Radio exhibit, but volunteers from many participating ham 
radio clubs and other related groups -- including the Silicon Valley 
Amateur Television Group, the Palo Alto Amateur Radio Association, 
the Mad Scientist Amateur Radio Club, the Kings Mountain Amateur 
Radio Club, the Burlingame Red Cross, BAERS Ham Cram and Ham Radio 
Outlet are going to be there, as well. The coordinating effort is 
being lead by ARRL Santa Clara Valley Assistant Section Manager 
Michael Pechner, KI6QNZ, of Palo Alto.

Inderbitzen said that the exhibit will include equipment 
demonstrations, a basic radio station setup intended for beginners, 
home brew project displays, an emergency communications van, live 
amateur television demonstrations and ham radio and radio control 
planes, as well as a demonstration pairing APRS 
<http://www.aprs.net/> and model rocketry. Club representatives will 
be on hand to discuss public service opportunities and to assist 
newcomers with information for getting started in Amateur Radio. 
Teachers and students who attend the Maker Faire on May 29 will get 
to see ham radio educational demonstrations on the day before the 
official Faire opening.

Started in California in 2006, Maker Faire is held annually in San 
Mateo, California and Austin, Texas. Maker Faire is supported by Make 
Magazine, craftzine.com and O'Reilly Media. Additional details about 
ham radio at Maker Faire, including special event operating 
frequencies, are posted on the Foothills Amateur Radio Society's Web 
site <http://www.fars.k6ya.org/>.

For more information on the 2008 Maker Faire in Austin, Texas, check 
out this article by ARRL Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2008/06/21/10175/>.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "The marvel of Earth and Sun" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: 
Sunspot numbers for May 21 through 27 were 0, 0, 13, 0, 0, 0 and 0, 
with a mean of 1.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 71.8, 72.1, 70.4, 69.2, 
68.9, 68.1 and 66.7, with a mean of 69.6. The estimated planetary A 
indices were 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 4 and 3 with a mean of 4. The estimated 
mid-latitude A indices were 2, 4, 3, 4, 1, 2 and 2 with a mean of 
2.6. Conditions have been quiet, with many days showing zeros for the 
planetary K index. The US Air Force and NOAA predict a planetary A 
index of 5 until June 3-5 when it goes to 12, then 8 for the 
following two days. Solar flux is predicted at 68 until June 5, when 
it goes to 70, then 71 June 6, and 72 for June 7-14. Perhaps we will 
see sunspots return during this period. Geophysical Institute Prague 
has a slightly different view for geomagnetic activity, predicting 
quiet conditions for May 29 to June 1, quiet to unsettled June 2-3 
and active on June 4. For more information concerni
  ng 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 Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. This 
week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you by William Ernest Henley's 
"Between the Dusk of a Summer Night" 
<http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/between-the-dusk-of-a-summer-night/>.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Week on the Radio: This week, the CQ WW WPX Contest (CW) and 
Kids Roundup are May 30-31. Look for the ARCI Hootowl Sprint on May 
31 (local time). Next week, the SEANET Contest, IARU Region 1 Field 
Day and the Alabama QSO Party are all June 6-7. 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: Registration remains 
open through Sunday, June 7, 2009 for these online course sessions 
that begin on Friday, June 19, 2009: Antenna Modeling and Radio 
Frequency Propagation. 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 feedback. 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>.

* 2009 ARRL Photo Contest Ends Soon: There's still time -- but not 
much -- to enter your high-resolution digital image in the 2009 ARRL 
Photo Contest. Entries must be received by May 31 via e-mail 
<upfront at arrl.org> (subject line: 2009 Photo Contest). Details appear 
on page 20 of the April 2009 issue of QST.

* ARRL DXCC Desk Approves Saudi Operation: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill 
Moore, NC1L, reports that the current 7Z1CQ operation in Saudi Arabia 
has been approved for DXCC credit. "If you had cards that were 
recently rejected for this operation, please send an e-mail 
<dxcc at arrl.org> to the ARRL DXCC Desk and you will be placed on the 
list for update," Moore said.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the 
American Radio Relay League: ARRL--the national association for 
Amateur Radio, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; 
fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and 
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