[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for November 11, 2010

Tue Nov 16 00:34:27 EST 2010

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2010-11-11>http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2010-11-11

November 11, 2010
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
Page<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>ARRL 
Letter<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> 
Archive<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>Audio 
News<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2010-11-11&t=t>

    * + FCC News : FCC Issues Report and Order on 
Vanity and Club Station Call Signs
    * + Public Service : Indonesian Hams Continue 
to Support Communications as Volcano Stays Active
    * + The Doctor Is IN : Pacemakers and RF
    * + On the Air : W1AW Announces Winter Operating Schedule
    * + ARRL Says "Thank You" to Veterans
    * + Section News : New Section Manager Appointed in Western New York
    * Solar Update
    * + Silent Key : John W. Soderberg, W1AKV (SK)
    * + Silent Key : Milton A. Sullivan Jr, 
ex-K8YDO, Former Chief Engineer at R. L. Drake (SK)
    * This Week on the Radio
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

+ Available on <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news>ARRL Audio News
+ FCC News: FCC Issues Report and Order on Vanity and Club Station Call Signs

In November 2009, the FCC issued a Notice of 
Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) -- WT Docket No. 
09-209 -- seeking to amend the Commission's 
Amateur Radio Service rules to clarify and codify 
existing procedures governing the vanity call 
sign system. The NPRM also sought to revise 
certain rules applicable to club stations. The 
ARRL submitted its comments to the FCC on March 
26. On Monday, November 8, 2010, the FCC issued a 
Report and Order with its decisions. These new 
rules will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

In the Report and Order, the FCC amended and 
clarified its rules with respect to Amateur 
Service vanity call signs "in order to promote 
processes that are more equitable and 
administratively efficient." The FCC has amended 
its vanity call sign rules to clarify the date on 
which the call sign associated with a license 
that is canceled due to the licensee's death 
becomes available for reassignment. The R&O also 
clarifies the exceptions to the general rule that 
a call sign is unavailable to the vanity call 
sign system for two years after the license 
terminates. As for club stations, the FCC has 
placed limits on who can file applications on 
behalf of a club, how many vanity call signs a 
club can hold and how many clubs can have the 
same license trustee. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-issues-em-report-and-order-em-on-vanity-and-club-station-call-signs>here.
+ Public Service: Indonesian Hams Continue to 
Support Communications as Volcano Stays Active

As the dual natural disasters of an erupting 
volcano and the aftermath of a tsunami continue 
in Indonesia, the Organisasi Amatir Radio 
Indonesia (ORARI) -- that country's IARU 
Member-Society -- continues to provide 
communication support to relief and government 
agencies. According to ORARI International 
Affairs Coordinator Wisnu Widjaja, YB0AZ, ORARI 
members are still working in the field at the 
site of the Mount Merapi eruption and the 
Mentawai tsunami: "We are working on the 2 meter 
band and on HF at 7.065 MHz." He asked that the 
40 meter frequency and the IARU Region 3 
Emergency Center of Activity Frequencies be kept 
clear from regular use. These frequencies are 
3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz . 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/indonesian-hams-continue-to-support-communications-as-volcano-stays-active>here.
The ARRL On-Line Auction: Going Once, Going Twice, GONE!

With almost 200 items up for bid -- and almost 
1000 bids placed -- the Fifth Annual ARRL On-Line 
Auction closed on October 25 with winning bids on 
every auction item. ARRL Business Services 
Manager Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ, said that she was 
happy with the responses the Auction received 
during its run. The generosity of many donors, 
Jahnke says, made it possible for the Auction to 
offer a diverse list of items that included 
transceivers, ARRL Lab-tested and reviewed 
equipment, vintage gear, one-of-a-kind treasures, 
mystery "junque" boxes and more. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/the-arrl-on-line-auction-going-once-going-twice-gone-1>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-11-11&p=0>
+ The Doctor Is IN: Pacemakers and RF

Schley Cox, W4AMW, of Owensboro, Kentucky, told 
the Doctor that he's headed to see the 
cardiologist next week about a pacemaker. He's 
already started researching their use around RF 
and says he is happy to go all low power (QRP), 
if that's what's called for. Schley mentioned 
that he might also be able to operate his rig 
remotely -- perhaps 20 feet away, but he needs to 
know how to measure stray RF in the shack itself.

Here's what the Doctor had to say:

I haven't received actual reports of any 
pacemaker problems and that seems to go along 
with the <http://www.arrl.org/pacemaker>info on 
the ARRL Web site. Note that there are no power 
levels (or field strength) limits noted there, 
nor have I found any on manufacturers' Web sites. 
Thus knowing the actual field strength level in 
the station may not help. If it were me, I would 
start by talking to my physician. She won't be 
able to give you power limits, but perhaps could 
indicate symptoms to watch for while on the air 
so you could take appropriate action quickly if called for.

I would start with a careful RF safety 
evaluation, as required by the FCC anyway. While 
the FCC guidelines were not based on pacemaker 
interference, they should result in a reasonably 
safe environment. If your station is properly set 
up -- without common mode feed line current, for 
example -- most radiation should surround the 
antenna and there should not be much RF within the shack.

Calibrated RF field strength meters are 
available, but are quite expensive. Relative 
measurement is pretty easy -- look at any recent 
ARRL Handbook. If you had a simple field strength 
meter running at all times in the station (I'm 
thinking the diode and microampmeter type that 
doesn't require power), you could see if anything 
changed, and diagnose and repair as needed.

Thanks Doctor! Do you have a question or a 
problem? Send your questions via 
<mailto:doctor at arrl.org>e-mail or to "The 
Doctor," ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 
(no phone calls, please). Look for "The Doctor Is 
IN" every month in <http://www.arrl.org/qst>QST, 
the official journal of the ARRL.
+ On the Air: W1AW Announces Winter Operating Schedule

With the switch from Daylight Saving Time to 
Standard Time, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, 
NJ1Q, has updated the W1AW operating schedule to 
reflect the change. The standard times have not 
changed, but the UTC times have. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/w1aw-announces-winter-operating-schedule>here.
+ ARRL Says "Thank You" to Veterans

On Thursday, November 11, here in the US and 
abroad, we celebrate Veterans Day, also called 
Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. Originally a 
holiday that marked the end of World War I -- the 
"War to End All Wars" -- this day has been set 
aside to honor all who have served their country. 
It was on November 11, 1918, on the 11th hour of 
the 11th day of the 11th month, that Germany 
signed the Armistice, formally ending the 
hostilities that had been ongoing since 1914.

The ARRL would like to take this opportunity to 
thank our service veterans. Whether they served 
on active duty or reserve, during peace time or 
time of conflict, they served their county with 
honor. We also would be remiss if we did not 
remember the families of those veterans who kept 
the homefires burning bright; without their love 
and support, our veterans would have indeed been alone.

ARRL Headquarters has its share of service 
veterans: Contributing Editor Al Brogdon, W1AB 
(Army); Publications Sales Associate Mark Dzamba, 
KB1FMY (Air Force); Assistant VEC Manager Perry 
Green, WY1O (Army); Technical Editor Joel Hallas, 
W1ZR (Army); News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, 
K1SFA (Coast Guard); DXCC Manager Bill Moore, 
NC1L (Army); Reprints Specialist Tony Nesta, 
AA1RZ (Navy); Membership and Volunteer Programs 
Manager Dave Patton, NN1N (Navy); Technical 
Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA 
(Army); Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck 
Skolaut, K0BOG (Air Force); Education & 
Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, 
WA8SME (Air Force), and Archivist Perry Williams, W1UED (Air Force).

Thank you for your service -- your sacrifice and 
the sacrifice of your fellow service members is 
not forgotten.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-11-11&p=1>
+ Section News: New Section Manager Appointed in Western New York

Steve Ryan, N2ITF, of Ashville, New York, has 
been appointed Section Manager of the ARRL 
Western New York Section, effective November 2. 
ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager 
Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment in 
consultation with Atlantic Division Director Bill 
Edgar, N3LLR, after Scott Bauer, W2LC, announced 
his resignation for personal reasons on October 
31. Bauer had served as Section Manager since 
January 2000. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/new-section-manager-appointed-in-western-new-york>here.
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, November 11, 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXyzDpLjMK0>Now 
I believe the Sun is gonna shine" Cook, K7RA, 
reports: The average daily sunspot numbers and 
solar flux increased over the past week, with 
sunspot numbers up 7.4 points to 33.1, and solar 
flux up 2.1 points to 84.2. Four new sunspot 
groups have appeared since November 4. The latest 
forecast shows predicted solar flux at 86 on 
November 11-12, 85 on November 13, 83 on November 
14-18 and 85 on November 19-25. The predicted 
planetary A index for the next week is 5. Last 
year, Steve Nichols, G0KYA, wrote the bulletin 
for us on October 30, and he has just published a 
free online book -- Understanding LF and HF 
Propagation -- with G3NYK. You can download it 
from Steve's 
<http://www.g0kya.blogspot.com/>blog. Look for 
more information on the ARRL Web site on Friday, 
November 12. For more information concerning 
radio propagation, visit the 
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>ARRL 
Technical Information Service Propagation page. 
This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by 
The Eagles' <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXyzDpLjMK0>No More Cloudy Days.
+ Silent Key: John W. Soderberg, W1AKV (SK)

John Soderberg, W1AKV (right), receives an award 
in 2004 from Richard Monahan, K4FPP, marking his 
50 years of QCWA membership and for being 
President of QCWA Chapter 149. [Photo courtesy of Jim Kyle, KC1SD]

John Soderberg, W1AKV, of Weston, Vermont, passed 
away on November 7. He was 90. Soderberg, an ARRL 
member, was one of the inventors of the spherical 
array and its associated electromechanical 
compensator that was the primary acoustic (sonar) 
sensor subsystem on three generations of Navy 
nuclear attack and fleet ballistic submarines. He 
was also a key member of the Underwater Sound 
Laboratory (USL) engineering team that developed 
sonar and related systems for the submarines. 
According to friends, he was walking the hills 
for miles with his German shepherd and working CW 
just days before his 
death.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2010-11-11&p=2>
+ Silent Key: Milton A. Sullivan Jr, ex-K8YDO, 
Former Chief Engineer at R. L. Drake (SK)

Milt "Buddy" Sullivan, ex-K8YDO (SK)

Milton A. "Buddy" Sullivan Jr, ex-K8YDO, of 
Washington, DC -- the former chief engineer at 
the 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._L._Drake_Company>R. 
L. Drake Company -- passed away from a stroke on 
October 28. He was 85. Sullivan designed and 
oversaw the designs of all the most significant 
Drake Amateur Radio products, including the 1A, 
2B and 2NT transmitter, all the 4 lines and the 
beginning of the 7 line. After retiring from 
Drake in 1984, Sullivan ran his own business 
selling and setting up satellite television 
systems, an offshoot of his later projects at 
Drake that involved designing satellite 
equipment. After that, he went back to work full 
time as chief engineer for Lytton Electronics, 
where he worked until his final retirement in 
1990. In 1993, he and his wife Judith moved to 
South Carolina where Sullivan worked for Alpha 
Delta, the small company owned by his former 
Drake colleague and long time friend, Don 
Tyrrell, W8AD. Sullivan donated his body to 
science. A US Navy veteran, he will be interred 
at Arlington National Cemetery after a term with 
the Georgetown University Medical School. -- 
Thanks to John Sullivan and Don Tyrrell, W8AD, for the information
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * November 13-14 -- Kentucky QSO Party; WAE 
DX Contest (RTTY); OK/OM DX Contest (CW)
    * November 13-15 -- CQ-WE Contest
    * November 14 -- SKCC Weekend Sprint
    * November 17 -- QRP Fox Hunt
    * November 18 -- NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint

Next week:
    * November 19 -- YO International PSK31 Contest; QRP Fox Hunt
    * November 20 -- Feld Hell Sprint
    * November 20-21 -- LZ DX Contest; All 
Austrian 160 Meter Contest; RSGB Second 1.8 MHz Contest (CW)
    * November 20-22 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>ARRL Sweepstakes 
Contest (SSB); North American Collegiate ARC Championship (SSB)
    * November 21 -- EU PSK63 QSO Party; Homebrew and Oldtime Equipment Party
    * November 22 -- Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
    * November 24 -- SKCC Sprint; QRP Fox Hunt

All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See 
the <http://www.arrl.org/contests>ARRL Contest 
Branch page, the 
<http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-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/special-event-stations>ARRL 
Special Events Station Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    * November 13 -- 
<http://www.w4ap.org/modules.php?name=Hamfest>ARRL 
Alabama Section Convention, North Montgomery, Alabama
    * November 13-14 -- 
<http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>ARRL Indiana 
State Convention, Ft Wayne, Indiana
    * December 4-5 -- 
<http://www.fgcarc.org/>ARRL West Central Florida 
Section Convention, Palmetto, Florida

To find a hamfest near you, click <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>here.

ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
    * <http://www.arrl.org/join>Join or Renew 
Today! ARRL membership includes 
<http://www.arrl.org/qst>QST , Amateur Radio's 
most popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
    * Subscribe to 
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>NCJ<http://www.arrl.org/ncj> 
-- the National Contest Journal . Published 
bi-monthly, features articles by top contesters, 
letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO Parties.
    * Subscribe to 
<http://www.arrl.org/qex>QEX<http://www.arrl.org/qex> 
-- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. 
Published bimonthly, features technical articles, 
construction projects, columns and other items of 
interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
    * Free of charge to ARRL members: 
<http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions>Subscribe 
to the ARES E-Letter (monthly public service and 
emergency communications news), the ARRL Contest 
Update (bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division 
and Section news alerts -- and much more!
    * Find us on <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>Facebook!
    * ARRL offers a wide array of 
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store>products to 
enhance your enjoyment of Amateur Radio
    * 
<https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form>Donate 
to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!

Click <mailto:ads at arrl.org>here to advertise in this newsletter.

----------
The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times 
each year. ARRL members and registered guests may 
subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing 
their <http://www.arrl.org/Users/edit#!/edit-info-email_subscriptions>profile.