[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for March 4, 2010

Thu Mar 4 17:59:03 EST 2010

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March 4, 2010
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
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    * ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan
    * Public Service : Radio Club de Chile Active after Earthquake
    * Public Service : Hawaii Hams Spurred to Action by Chilean Earthquake
    * FCC News : FCC Seeks Comments for Blanket 
Waiver to Allow Amateur Radio in Hospital Emergency Drills
    * FCC News : FCC Denies ARRL's Request for Declaratory Ruling
    * FCC News : FCC Reaffirms Statement on ROS
    * Public Service : Amateur Radio Operators 
Wrap Up Communications Support in Haiti
    * ARRL In Action : What Have We Been Up to Lately?
    * ARRL Executive Committee Meeting Agenda Now Available
    * Amateur Radio in Space : A Close Encounter for AMSAT-OSCAR 51
    * W1AW Announces New Schedule for Digital Bulletin Transmissions
    * Solar Update
    * Silent Key : TAPR President Emeritus Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ (SK)
    * This Week on the Radio
    * ARRL Recognizes: Paul Christensen, W9AC, 
Wins February QST Cover Plaque Award
ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan

The International Amateur Radio Region 2 
conference -- held later this year in El Salvador 
-- brings together delegations from the national 
Amateur Radio Societies in the Western 
Hemisphere. One of the topics on the agenda will 
be the Region 2 HF band plan. This band plan is 
"harmonized with" -- spectrum management-speak 
for "very similar to" -- the IARU Region 1 and 
Region 3 band plans. At this year's conference, 
the IARU Member-Societies will consider possible 
changes to the Region 2 band plan. The ARRL is 
cooperating with this procedure by inviting input 
to be sent to the ARRL Board of Directors' Band 
Planning Committee. The committee will review the 
existing Region 2 band plan, consider input from 
the amateur community and make recommendations to 
the ARRL Board for submission to IARU Region 2. 
Read more <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11374/?nc=1>here.
Public Service: Radio Club de Chile Active after Earthquake

On Monday, March 1, <http://www.iaru-r2.org/>IARU 
Region 2 President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, 
spoke via telephone with Radio Club de Chile 
(<http://www.ce3aa.cl/>RCCH) President Dr Galdino 
Besomi, CE3PG, regarding the 8.8 magnitude 
earthquake that struck the South American nation 
on Saturday, February 27. "He informed me that 
soon after the earthquake, an Emergency Net was 
activated in the whole country -- first on VHF 
and then on HF. All the RCCH Board and club 
members are actively working in close 
coordination with civil and military 
authorities," Leandro posted to the IARU Region 2 
e-mail reflector. "Three days after the 
earthquake, the requests for news about people in 
the affected areas is one of the main activities 
occupying the Chilean radio amateurs."
Public Service: Hawaii Hams Spurred to Action by Chilean Earthquake

On Saturday, February 27 -- in reaction to a 
tsunami warning triggered by the Chilean 
earthquake -- 60 Amateur Radio operators 
participated in a tsunami radio net that operated 
throughout the island State of Hawaii. More than 
25 real-time reports from observers around the 
state were relayed simultaneously to the State 
Emergency Operating Center (EOC) and the four 
county EOCs, providing timely information via 
Amateur Radio on sea level changes to emergency 
management officials. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/01/11368/?nc=1>here.
FCC News: FCC Seeks Comments for Blanket Waiver 
to Allow Amateur Radio in Hospital Emergency Drills

In February 2010, the American Hospital 
Association (AHA) filed a request with the FCC 
for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) of 
the Commission's Rules "to permit hospitals 
seeking accreditation to use Amateur Radio 
operators who are hospital employees to transmit 
communications on behalf of the hospital as part 
of emergency preparedness drills." On March 3, 
the FCC issued a Public Notice -- WP Docket 10-54 
-- seeking comments if the Commission "should 
grant AHA's request for a blanket waiver of 
Section 97.113(a)(3) to permit amateur operators 
who are hospital employees to participate in 
emergency drills that are conducted by hospitals 
for accreditation purposes and that are not 
government-sponsored."Section 97.113(a)(3) 
specifically prohibits amateur stations from 
transmitting communications "in which the station 
licensee or control operator has a pecuniary 
interest, including communications on behalf of 
an employer." Read more 
here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-03-04&p=0>
FCC News : FCC Denies ARRL's Request for Declaratory Ruling

In 2005, after the State of Florida adopted 
statutes aimed at pirate broadcasters and making 
it a felony to make a radio transmission without 
Commission authorization or to interfere with a 
licensed public or commercial radio station, the 
ARRL -- through General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD 
-- filed a Request for Declaratory Ruling 
(Request) with the FCC, seeking a declaratory 
ruling on portions of that statute. The ARRL 
argued that the statute was written so broadly 
that one could infer that Commission-licensed 
Amateur Radio stations in Florida would be 
subject to felony prosecution if their 
transmissions interfered with broadcast or other 
radio receivers. In 2006, New Jersey adopted a 
similar statute and the ARRL's Request was 
modified to include that state. Five years and 
one day after the original Request was filed with 
the Commission, the FCC denied the Request. Read 
more <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/02/28/11365/?nc=1>here.
FCC News: FCC Reaffirms Statement on ROS

In mid-February, European amateurs first used a 
new, experimental digital mode known as ROS. On 
February 23, 2010 -- after FCC review of the 
original documents provided from the developer's 
Web site -- the FCC made a statement on ROS. The 
ARRL supports -- as one of the basic purposes of 
Amateur Radio -- the experimentation and 
advancing the technical skills of operators. The 
development and use of any new mode is exciting 
to many amateurs, and the League encourage 
amateurs to experiment within the parameters of 
the rules; however, the ARRL also reminds US 
licensees that according to Section 97.307, 
spread spectrum communications are only 
permissible in the US on frequencies above 222 
MHz. Read more, including what the FCC had to say 
about ROS, <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11377/?nc=1>here.
Public Service : Amateur Radio Operators Wrap Up 
Communications Support in Haiti

After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the 
island nation of Haiti on January 12, many 
Amateur Radio operators asked how they could 
volunteer their time and service to assist with 
communications support. When 
<http://projectmedishare.org/>Project Medishare 
-- a partnership between the University of Miami 
Medical School (UM) and physicians and health 
officials in Haiti -- needed help with their 
communications, Amateur Radio operators were 
quick to respond. According to Jack Satterfield, 
W4GRJ/AFA4DG, Medishare has constructed several 
health clinics in Haiti over the years -- all of 
which were destroyed in the earthquake. 
"Medishare was able to rapidly deploy medical 
teams and assets to begin the overwhelming task 
facing the post earthquake medical needs," he told the ARRL.

WX4NHC Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG (seated), Dr 
Dale Botwin, KR4OR, and WX4NHC Assistant 
Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, helped to 
coordinated the Amateur Radio communications 
support in Haiti for Project Medishare. [Louis Cruz, N4LDG, Photo]

"UM Vice President for Facilities and Operations 
Ron Bogue was the Director in Charge of the Haiti 
operations. His concern about the unreliable 
communications caused him to contact Julio 
Ripoll, WD4R, with whom he has worked for years 
as the architect for UM Medical facilities. Ron 
knew that Julio is a ham radio operator and very 
involved with the National Hurricane Center in 
Miami and its Amateur Radio station, WX4NHC. 
Ripoll then contacted ARRL to request help in 
soliciting volunteers. ARRL immediately sent down 
an HF Go Kit -- through the ARRL's Ham Aid 
Program -- and put Ripoll in touch with ARRL West 
Central Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and 
Navy MARS Florida State Deputy Director Neil 
Lauritsen, W4NHL/NNN0TFH. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11371/?nc=1>here.
ARRL In Action : What Have We Been Up to Lately?

This feature -- including convenient Web links to 
useful information -- is a concise monthly update 
of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of 
its members, including holding elections for and 
appointing people to League leadership positions, 
preparing for WRC-12, legislative actions, 
providing equipment for communications support in 
Haiti through the ARRL's Ham Aid program, 
developing on-the-air events, investigating power 
line noise and more. This installment covers the 
month of February. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2010/03/01/11366/?nc=1>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-03-04&p=1>
ARRL Executive Committee Meeting Agenda Now Available

At its January 2010 meeting, the ARRL Board of 
Directors decided to make the agendas of Board 
and Executive Committee meetings available on the 
ARRL Web site. The first opportunity to do so is 
for the Executive Committee meeting to be held 
March 13. The agenda is available 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/files/20100313_EC_agenda.pdf>here.
Amateur Radio in Space: A Close Encounter for AMSAT-OSCAR 51

While many in North America were fast asleep 
Monday morning, March 1, the AMSAT-OSCAR 51 
(AO-51) satellite had a potentially dangerous 
encounter with another spacecraft known as 
Formosat 3D. OSCAR 51 is a popular Amateur Radio 
satellite that often functions as a crossband FM 
repeater, relaying brief conversations over 
hundreds of miles. Formosat 3D is part of a 
constellation of six remote sensing 
microsatellites that collect atmospheric data for 
weather prediction and for ionosphere, climate 
and gravity research. Both orbit at an altitude 
of approximately 500 miles. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11373/?nc=1>here.
W1AW Announces New Schedule for Digital Bulletin Transmissions

Beginning Monday, March 15, 
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html>W1AW, the Hiram 
Percy Maxim Memorial Station, will alternate the 
digital modes used for its digital bulletin 
transmissions. While Baudot, PSK31 and MFSK16 
still make up the digital mode complement, W1AW 
Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says that the 
schedule will be altered to give more exposure to 
PSK31 and MFSK16. "Because of time constraints 
and the varying lengths of digital bulletins, 
there were many instances where only Baudot was 
used," he said. "With the new schedule, amateurs 
preferring either PSK31 or MFSK16 will no longer 
find these modes secondary." Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/02/16/11343/?nc=1>here.
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 
<http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>NASA's 
SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This 
image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright 
material is at 60,000 to 80,000 Kelvin.

Tad 
"<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations>The 
Sun shines hot and the wind blows cold" Cook, 
K7RA, reports: The sunspots just keep coming: Two 
new sunspot groups appeared on March 1, numbered 
1052 and 1053. This brings the total number of 
sunspot groups appearing over the last month at 
11. Looking at our 3-month moving average of 
daily sunspot numbers, the latest for 
December-January-February is 22.4, for the period 
centered on January. The 3-month moving averages 
for the periods centered on July through January 
were 4, 4, 4.64, 7.1, 10.16, 15.15 and 22.4. The 
average sunspot number for the month of February 
was 31, up from 21.3 for January and 15.7 for 
December. The February average being 8.6 points 
higher than the trailing three month average 
(22.4) is a good trend. Look for more information 
on the ARRL Web site on Friday, March 5, 
including more news from happy radio amateurs 
commenting on improved conditions on the higher 
part of the HF spectrum. The vernal equinox 
occurs in a little over two weeks, ushering in 
good spring conditions. For more information 
concerning radio propagation, visit the 
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>ARRL 
Technical Information Service Propagation page. 
This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you by 
Charles Dickens' 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations>Great Expectations.
Silent Key : TAPR President Emeritus Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ (SK)

Dr David Toth, VE2GYQ (SK)

Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ -- President Emeritus of 
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) -- passed away 
Friday, February 26 after a long battle with 
cancer. He was 55. A resident of Spencerville, 
Ohio, Toth served as a Director and Executive 
Vice President of TAPR in the 1980s and was 
elected President of the organization in 
September 2005. With his advancing illness, he 
decided not to stand for re-election last October 
and was instead named President Emeritus with 
Steve Bible, N7HPR, taking the reins as TAPR 
President. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/01/11367/?nc=1>here.
W1AW News: March W1AW/West Coast Qualifying Run Schedule

The March schedules for the W1AW and West Coast 
Qualifying Runs were inadvertently left out of 
the March issue of QST. The March schedules for 
W1AW are as follows: Friday, March 5 at 10 PM EST 
(Saturday, March 6 at 0300 UTC) for 10-25 WPM and 
Tuesday, March 16 at 7 PM EDT (2300 UTC) for 
10-40 WPM. The West Coast Qualifying run will be 
transmitted by station K6KPH on Saturday, March 
13 at 2 PM PDT (2200 UTC) for 10-35 WPM. The run 
will be transmitted simultaneously on 3581.5, 
7047.5, 14047.5, 18097.5 and 21067.5 kHz.
This Week on the Radio

This week, look for the 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2010/intldx.html>ARRL 
International DX Contest (SSB) on March 6-7. The 
Wake-Up! QRP Sprint is March 6 and the DARC 10 
Meter Digital Contest is March 7. The CLARA HF 
Contest is March 9-10 (continuing on March 13-14) 
and the CWops Mini-CWT Test is March 10-11. Next 
week, the Feld Hell Sprint is March 13. The RSGB 
Commonwealth Contest, the Elecraft QSO Party and 
the Idaho QSO Party are March 13-14. The North 
American Sprint (RTTY) and the SKCC Weekend 
Sprint are March 14. The Wisconsin QSO Party is 
March 14-15 and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint 
is March 18. All dates, unless otherwise stated, 
are UTC. See the 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/>ARRL Contest 
Branch page, the 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/>ARRL 
Contest Update and the 
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>WA7BNM 
Contest Calendar for more info. Looking for a 
Special Event station? Be sure to check out the 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>ARRL Special Event Station Web page.
ARRL Recognizes: Paul Christensen, W9AC, Wins February QST Cover Plaque Award

The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for 
February is Paul Christensen, W9AC, for his 
article "An SWR Null Meter." Congratulations 
Paul! 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 
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>QST<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html> 
Cover Plaque Poll Web page. Cast a ballot for 
your favorite article in the March issue by Wednesday, March 31.
ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

Registration remains open through Sunday, March 
21, 2010, for these 
<http://www.arrl.org/cep/student/>online course 
sessions beginning on Friday, April 2, 2010: 
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. To learn 
more, visit the 
<http://www.arrl.org/cep/student>CEP Course 
Listing page or contact the 
<mailto:cce at arrl.org>Continuing Education Program 
Coordinator<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2010-03-04&t=r&p=0>.

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