[CVRC] The ARRL Letter for April 21, 2011

Thu Apr 21 17:48:16 EDT 2011

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April 21, 2011
Editor: <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
<http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Home 
Page<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>ARRL 
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Archive<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>Audio 
News<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&i=2011-04-21&t=t>

    * + FCC News: ARRL Scores Partial Victory in ReconRobotics Proceeding
    * + California Supreme Court Declines to Hear Antenna Zoning Case
    * Spectrum Defense: "Eternal Vigilance" Is 
the Price We Pay for Our Spectrum
    * + On the Air: Find an ARRL Field Day Station Near You
    * On the Air: Transatlantic Amateur Radio Balloon Launch
    * + ARRL West Gulf Division to Host Webinar on Antenna Zoning
    * + HQ News: ARRL HQ to Close in Observance of Good Friday
    * + Postage Price Increase Now in Effect
    * Voting Now Open for May QST Cover Plaque Award
    * Solar Update
    * ARRL Seeks Book Editor
    * + Silent Key: World Radio Labs Founder Leo Meyerson, W0GFQ (SK)
    * On the Air: DXCC Approves Two Tristan Da Cunha and Gough Operations
    * This Week on the Radio
    * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events

+ Available on ARRL Audio News
+ FCC News: ARRL Scores Partial Victory in ReconRobotics Proceeding

The FCC has given radio amateurs a partial 
victory in response to the ARRL's challenge, in a 
Petition for Reconsideration, of a rules waiver 
that permits the certification and licensing of 
the Recon Scout -- a remote-controlled, 
maneuverable surveillance robot operating in the 
430-448 MHz band. The device is marketed to 
public safety agencies and certain security personnel by ReconRobotics Inc.

In an Order on Reconsideration released on April 
15, the FCC granted the ARRL's request for 
changes in the labeling and instruction manual 
requirements to ensure that users of the device 
are aware of its limitations, with regard to 
interference. Noting that no applications for 
individual licenses to operate the Recon Scout 
had been granted, the FCC's Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau, the Public Safety and 
Homeland Security Bureau, and the Office of 
Engineering and Technology deferred to the 
Commission's Enforcement Bureau with regard to 
complaints that ReconRobotics has been marketing 
uncertified devices and that the devices have 
been operating without authorization. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-scores-partial-victory-in-reconrobotics-proceeding>here.
+ California Supreme Court Declines to Hear Antenna Zoning Case

The California Supreme Court refused to hear the 
antenna zoning case brought forth by Alex 
Zubarau, WB6X, of Palmdale, California -- with 
the assistance of his ARRL Volunteer Counsel Len 
Shaffer, WA6QHD -- after receiving a mixed 
decision by the California Court of Appeals 
earlier this year. The Supreme Court -- 
California's highest court -- handed down their 
decision on April 20. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/california-supreme-court-declines-to-hear-antenna-zoning-case>here.
Spectrum Defense: "Eternal Vigilance" Is the Price We Pay for Our Spectrum

The first edition for 2011 of 
<http://www.arrl.org/spectrum-defense-matters-newsletter>Spectrum 
Defense Matters -- a newsletter aimed at keeping 
ARRL members updated on issues related to the 
protection of Amateur Radio frequencies -- was 
recently released on the ARRL website. This 
newsletter covers both domestic and international 
topics related to the Amateur Radio spectrum. As 
ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, said in a 
recent ARRL Legislative Update newsletter, 
"Eternal vigilance is the price of spectrum." 
Sometimes the threats are minimal; sometimes 
their impact can be devastating if not addressed. 
Regardless of the degree of severity, any threat 
to our Amateur Radio spectrum must be a top 
priority of the ARRL. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-we-pay-for-our-spectrum>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-04-21&p=0>
+ On the Air: Find an ARRL Field Day Station Near You

First introduced in 2008, the ARRL's 
<http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator>Field Day 
Station Locator Service has proved a popular 
addition to the Field Day toolbox. This service 
-- an interactive map that helps amateurs or 
those interested in Amateur Radio find a 
<http://www.arrl.org/field-day>Field Day site 
near them -- is free to clubs or individuals who 
will be operating public Field Day stations. 
Stations can also be listed by state or province. 
So far, hams in all 50 states and Puerto Rico 
have listed Field Day sites on the Field Day 
Locator. If your group would like to be a part of 
the Station Locator Service, it's easy to get 
started -- just go to the Field Day Station 
Locator 
<http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator>website 
and follow the instructions. ARRL Field Day is 
the most popular on-the-air operating event in 
Amateur Radio. On June 25-26, join tens of 
thousands of Amateur Radio operators as they 
gather for a public demonstration of the Amateur Radio Service.
On the Air: Transatlantic Amateur Radio Balloon Launch

The Project Blue Horizon 5 high-altitude 
transatlantic balloon is scheduled for launch, 
weather permitting, on Wednesday, April 27, from 
Oswego, New York. The Project Blue Horizon team 
is attempting to break current Amateur Radio 
high-altitude balloon records for distance 
(3361.81 miles) and duration (49 hours, 45 
minutes). The payload will be carried beneath a 
54,000 cubic foot capacity helium-filled balloon 
cruising between 85,000 and 100,000 feet. Read 
more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/transatlantic-amateur-radio-balloon-flight-postponed>here.
+ ARRL West Gulf Division to Host Webinar on Antenna Zoning

Periodically, ARRL Divisions will host a 
"webinar" -- an interactive Web-based seminar, 
designed to facilitate communication between a 
small number of presenters and a large remote 
audience using the Internet -- for interested 
amateurs. On Wednesday, April 27 at 9 PM (EDT), 
ARRL West Gulf Division Director David 
Woolweaver, K5RAV -- along with ARRL General 
Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and noted antenna 
zoning lawyer Fred Hopengarten, K1VR -- will 
present Antenna Ordinances, You and the ARRL. 
Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-west-gulf-division-to-host-webinar-on-antenna-zoning>here.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-04-21&p=1>
+ HQ News: ARRL HQ to Close in Observance of Good Friday

ARRL Headquarters will be closed in observance of 
Good Friday on Friday, April 22. There will be no 
W1AW bulletin or code practice transmissions that 
day. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, April 
25 at 8 AM Eastern Daylight Time. We wish 
everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
+ Postage Price Increase Now in Effect

On Sunday, April 17, the US Postal Service 
increased the price to mail certain items within 
the US and abroad, affecting the price of sending 
a QSL card within the US. While the cost to mail 
a 1 ounce piece of first class mail within the US 
stays at 44 cents, the cost of mailing a postcard 
increased one penny, from 28 cents to 29 cents. 
Click 
<http://www.usps.com/prices/welcome.htm?from=home_lgpromo&page=NewMailingPricesApril2011>here 
for more information on all the postal increases.
Voting Now Open for May QST Cover Plaque Award

Now that you've thumbed through and read the May 
2011 issue of QST cover-to-cover, we're sure that 
an article -- or three -- sticks in your mind. So 
go ahead and 
<http://www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll>cast your 
vote for your favorite article in the issue. The 
article with the most votes will receive the QST Cover Plaque Award.

    * Supporting Portable Antennas Without Guy Wires by Dave Fisher, KG0D/7
    * A Transmitter for Fox Hunting by Mark Spencer, WA8SME
    * An Emergency Backup Solar Power System by Jim Talens, N3JT
    * A Junk Box Power Line Frequency Monitor by Arthur Glazar, W2NN
    * 3B8EME -- Moonbounce from the Indian Ocean 
by Eltje Veen, PA3CEE, Johan Meezen, PE9DX, and Rene Hasper, PE1L
    * Youth DX Adventure #1 by Don DuBon, N6JRL, and Dave Kalter, KB8OCP

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/cover-plaque-poll>QST<http://www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll> 
Cover Plaque Poll Web page. Headquarters staff 
members who write articles are not eligible to 
receive votes.<http://www.arrl.org/nladclick.php?n=al&t=i&i=2011-04-21&p=2>
Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, April 21, 2011 from 
<http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>NASA's 
SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This 
<http://soi.stanford.edu/>MDI (Michelson Doppler 
Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the 
Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent 
features are the sunspots. This is very much how 
the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.

Tad "The Sun came out today" Cook, K7RA, reports: 
Both the average daily sunspot numbers and solar 
flux were both higher for the week, with sunspot 
numbers up more than three points to 93.1 and the 
solar flux up by 8 points to 117.2. Geomagnetic 
activity was a bit lower -- with April 20 being 
the most active day -- after a coronal hole on 
the Sun spewed a solar wind at high speed. 
Currently, there are four sunspot groups visible, 
and we could see a geo-magnetic disturbance today 
from a slow-moving coronal mass ejection. Look 
for more information on the ARRL website on 
Friday, April 22. 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 
John Fogerty's 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centerfield_%28song%29>Centerfield.
ARRL Seeks Book Editor

The ARRL is seeking a Book Editor to manage the 
production of ARRL books and other publications, 
ensuring that they meet ARRL standards. The 
successful applicant will be responsible for 
managing the progress of all book materials 
through the production process, tracking current 
book inventory and scheduling reprints or new 
editions as needed, authoring new books and other 
materials, and editing and formatting manuscript 
materials provided by authors to ensure correct 
grammar, punctuation and style. Applicants must 
hold an Amateur Radio license, a Bachelor of Arts 
degree in English, Journalism or equivalent, and 
5 to 10 years of experience as a professional 
newspaper, book or magazine editor, or corporate 
technical writer. For more information, including 
a complete job description and application 
details, please see the 
<http://www.arrl.org/employment-opportunities>Employment 
Opportunities page on the ARRL website.
+ Silent Key: World Radio Labs Founder Leo Meyerson, W0GFQ (SK)

Leo Meyerson (SK)

Leo Meyerson, W0GFQ, of Omaha, Nebraska, passed 
away on April 13. He was 100. In 1935, Meyerson, 
an ARRL Life Member, founded Wholesale Radio 
Laboratories -- the forerunner to World Radio 
Labs -- in Council Bluffs, Iowa. For his 
contributions to Amateur Radio, Meyerson was 
named the 1997 Ham of the Year at the Dayton 
Hamvention. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/world-radio-labs-founder-leo-meyerson-w0gfq-sk>here.
On the Air: DXCC Approves Two Tristan Da Cunha and Gough Operations

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that 
two operations on Tristan Da Cunha and Gough -- 
the 2010 ZD9AH operation and the 2010-2011 ZD9T 
operation -- have been approved for DXCC credit. 
"If you had these operations rejected in a recent 
application, please send an 
<mailto:dxcc at arrl.org>e-mail to the ARRL DXCC 
Desk," Moore said. "Please note that due to heavy 
e-mail volume, you may not receive a reply. 
Results will appear in Logbook of The World 
(<https://p1k.arrl.org/lotwuser/default>LoTW) 
accounts, as well as online on the <http://www.arrl.org/dxcc>daily listings."
This Week on the Radio

This week:
    * April 22 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder 0230Z-0300Z, Apr 22
    * April 23-24 -- South Dakota QSO Party; 
10-10 International Spring Contest (Digital); SP 
DX RTTY Contest; Helvetia Contest
    * April 25 -- Low Power Spring Sprint
    * April 27 -- SKCC Sprint; 432 MHz Spring Sprint (local time)
    * April 27-28 -- CWops Mini-CWT Test

Next week:
    * April 29 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder
    * April 30 -- BARTG Sprint 75
    * April 30 May 1 -- Nebraska QSO Party; 
Florida QSO Party; SBMS 2 GHz and Up WW Club 
Contest (local time); QRP to the Field
    * May 1 -- AGCW QRP/QRP Party
    * May 3 -- ARS Spartan Sprint
    * May 4-5 -- MIE 33 Contest

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 Event Stations Web page.
Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events
    * April 22-24 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/idaho-state-convention-1>ARRL 
Idaho State Convention, Boise, Idaho
    * April 23 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/louisiana-state-convention-twin-city-ham-radio-fest>ARRL 
Louisiana State Convention, Monroe, Louisiana; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/north-carolina-state-convention-raleigh-hamfest>ARRL 
North Carolina State Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina
    * May 7 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/south-carolina-state-convention-upstate-hamfest>ARRL 
South Carolina State Convention, Spartanburg, South Carolina
    * June 3-5 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/northwestern-division-convention-seapac-1>ARRL 
Northwestern Division Convention (SeaPac), 
Seaside, Oregon; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/wyoming-state-convention>ARRL 
Wyoming State Convention, Cheyenne, Wyoming
    * June 4 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/atlantic-division-convention-rochester-hamfest-1>ARRL 
Atlantic Division Convention, Rochester, New 
York; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/east-bay-section-convention>ARRL 
East Bay Section Convention, Berkeley, 
California; 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/georgia-state-convention-atlanta-hamfest>ARRL 
Georgia State Convention, Marietta, Georgia
    * June 10-11 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/arrl-national-convention-ham-com-2011>ARRL 
National Convention, Plano, Texas
    * June 11 -- 
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/tennessee-state-convention-1>ARRL 
Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, Tennessee

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

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