From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Mon Apr  3 09:57:19 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Mon Apr  3 20:56:47 2006
Subject: [FPARC] This won't ever happen again!
Message-ID: <443129BF.000001.02668@RADIOROOMSONY>

 
  
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Chaplain \(1LT\) Lonnie J. Potter
Date: 04/02/06 19:38:45
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:,
Subject: [veterans] This won't ever happen again!
 
On Wednesday of next week,
at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00
in the morning,
the time and date will be
 
01:02:03 04/05/06.
 
That won't ever happen again!
 
You may now return to your normal stuff.
Chaplain (1LT) Lonnie J. Potter
Aide-de-Camp
Kentucky Brigade, Third Division
United States Corps of Chaplains

 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 
 
 
 
 

From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Mon Apr  3 16:45:09 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Mon Apr  3 20:56:54 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Fw: AUCTION
Message-ID: <44318955.000001.03664@RADIOROOMSONY>

 
 -------Original Message-------
 
From: Carolyn Truesdale
Date: 04/03/06 16:00:08
To: W4ZEF@bellsouth.net
Subject: AUCTION
 
Hello, hello, hello it?s that time of the year again; yes it?s springtime!
Time to clean out the old ham shack and bring the stuff you don?t want or
need any more to the Daytona Beach Ham club Auction. Or maybe buy that item
you just can?t live with out! So hurry, hurry, hurry to the April 17th 2006
Daytona Beach ham club Auction. Lots of great stuff, lots of good people. Oh
yeah bring your money.
 
April 17th, 2006
DBARA Auction
@ The Presbyterian Church
620 South Grandview Avenue
Beachside Daytona Beach
 
For information call
Tom Davies President (386) 765-3976
Frank Haas Treasure (386) 677-3443
John Locicero Secretary(386) 226-4618
Or go to WWW.DBARA.ORG
 
 
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 
 

From kd4btdjoe at bellsouth.net  Mon Apr  3 22:10:33 2006
From: kd4btdjoe at bellsouth.net (Joe Lenartiene)
Date: Mon Apr  3 22:10:16 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Joe and Cheryl not available for te Net
Message-ID: <000601c6578c$f4692fd0$6802a8c0@OWNER84J1T8A8N>

Cheryl and I are going to an Easter Contata at Church tomorrow night. (April 4, 2006)  Cheryl will not be available to run the net. I can't cover.   Can someone else?
From wa4aw at juno.com  Mon Apr  3 22:04:36 2006
From: wa4aw at juno.com (wa4aw@juno.com)
Date: Mon Apr  3 22:21:47 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Fw: ARLB006 W1AW 2006 Spring/Summer Operating Schedule
Message-ID: <20060403.222018.1504.9.wa4aw@juno.com>


SB QST @ ARL $ARLB006
ARLB006 W1AW 2006 Spring/Summer Operating Schedule 

ZCZC AG06
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 6  ARLB006
>From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  April 3, 2006
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB006
ARLB006 W1AW 2006 Spring/Summer Operating Schedule 

Morning Schedule:

Time                  Mode     Days 
-------------------   ----     --------- 
1300 UTC (9 AM ET)    CWs      Wed, Fri 
1300 UTC (9 AM ET)    CWf      Tue, Thu 

Daily Visitor Operating Hours:

1400 UTC to 1600 UTC - (10 AM to 12 PM ET)
1700 UTC to 1945 UTC - (1 PM to 3:45 PM ET)

(Station closed 1600 to 1700 UTC (12 PM to 1 PM ET))

Afternoon/Evening Schedule:

2000 UTC (4 PM ET)      CWf      Mon, Wed, Fri 
2000  "      "          CWs      Tue, Thu
2100  "  (5 PM ET)      CWb      Daily
2200  "  (6 PM ET)      RTTY     Daily 
2300  "  (7 PM ET)      CWs      Mon, Wed, Fri 
2300  "      "          CWf      Tue, Thu
0000  "  (8 PM ET)      CWb      Daily
0100  "  (9 PM ET)      RTTY     Daily 
0145  "  (9:45 PM ET)   VOICE    Daily 
0200  "  (10 PM ET)     CWf      Mon, Wed, Fri 
0200  "      "          CWs      Tue, Thu
0300  "  (11 PM ET)     CWb      Daily
 
 
                         Frequencies (MHz) 
                         ----------------- 
CW:    1.8175 3.5815 7.0475 14.0475  18.0975 21.0675 28.0675 147.555
RTTY:     -   3.625  7.095  14.095   18.1025 21.095  28.095  147.555
VOICE:  1.855 3.990  7.290  14.290   18.160  21.390  28.590  147.555
  
Notes: 

CWs = Morse Code practice (slow) = 5, 7.5, 10, 13 and 15 WPM
CWf = Morse Code practice (fast) = 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 13 and 10 WPM  
CWb = Morse Code Bulletins = 18 WPM

CW frequencies include code practices, Qualifying Runs and CW
bulletins.

RTTY = Teleprinter Bulletins = BAUDOT (45.45 baud) and AMTOR-FEC
(100 Baud). ASCII (110 Baud) is sent only as time allows.

Code practice texts are from QST, and the source of each practice is
given at the beginning of each practice and at the beginning of
alternate speeds.

On Tuesdays and Fridays at 2230 UTC (6:30 PM ET), Keplerian Elements
for active amateur satellites are sent on the regular teleprinter
frequencies.

A DX bulletin replaces or is added to the regular bulletins between
0000 UTC (8 PM ET) Thursdays and 0000 UTC (8 PM ET) Fridays.

In a communications emergency, monitor W1AW for special bulletins as
follows: Voice on the hour, Teleprinter at 15 minutes past the hour,
and CW on the half hour.
  
FCC licensed amateurs may operate the station from 1400 UTC to 1600
UTC (10 AM to 12 PM ET), and then from 1700 UTC to 1945 UTC (1 PM to
3:45 PM ET) Monday through Friday.  Be sure to bring your current
FCC amateur license or a photocopy.

The complete W1AW Operating Schedule may be found on page 96 in the
March 2006 issue of QST or on the web at,
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html .
NNNN
/EX



From GBUNTING at stlucieco.gov  Thu Apr  6 15:31:29 2006
From: GBUNTING at stlucieco.gov (Greg  Bunting)
Date: Thu Apr  6 15:32:51 2006
Subject: [FPARC] New 444.800 repeater
Message-ID: <443534510200008C00000D1B@gwdm.stlucieco.gov>

Well, it's all done except for programming of the Cat 1000 and DVR.
(Hint to W4KKW!)
March of Dimes Walk a thon Saturday morning and see you Tuesday at the
meeting.
Greg

From GBUNTING at stlucieco.gov  Thu Apr  6 15:36:31 2006
From: GBUNTING at stlucieco.gov (Greg  Bunting)
Date: Thu Apr  6 15:37:26 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Change #2958366
Message-ID: <4435357F0200008C00000D1F@gwdm.stlucieco.gov>

Meeting is Wednesday and Net is Tuesday.
I knew that!
Greg
From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Thu Apr  6 16:34:29 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Thu Apr  6 16:35:04 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Fw: Breaking news in the SFL Section
Message-ID: <44357B55.000005.01244@RADIOROOMSONY>

 
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: ARRL Web site
Date: 04/06/06 09:07:08
To: w4zef@bellsouth.net
Subject: Breaking news in the SFL Section
 
Hello everyone,
 
This is a short message to tell you of some recent good news items.
The usual monthly reports and news will be coming your way in about a
week. I'm in the process of adding news to the section news page so
please check there for other items of interest and links for
information and reporting instructions.
 
On Tuesday, April 11, ARRL and Amateur Radio operators will host an
afternoon informational session at the National Hurricane Conference in
Orlando, Florida. You are invited to attend this meeting from 1:30 PM
to 5:00 PM at the Rosen Centre, 9840 International Drive. Amateur Radio
operators, including representatives from the ARRL Field Organization
and League Headquarters, are planning to discuss their experiences and
lessons learned during the unprecedented 2004 and 2005 hurricane
seasons. The forum expects to address current issues in Amateur Radio
emergency communications and provide a chance to highlight best
practices.
Details about the 28th Annual National Hurricane Conference may be
found at www.HurricaneMeeting.com
Conference registration is not necessary for Amateur Radio operators
who only wish to attend the Amateur Radio Session on Tuesday afternoon,
April 11.
 
Leon Katz, K2EWB, of Palm Beach Gardens has been recognized by ARRL for
50 years of continuous membership with the National Association for
Amateur Radio. In addition, Leon was named an honorary member of ARRL's
Diamond Club. On a personal note, Jeff Beals, WA4AW has known Leon over
40 years as he tested him for his Novice license in Woodmere, Long
Island, when Jeff was 12 years old. Our ongratulations to Leon on a
long and valued career as an amateur radio operator.
 
Two of our members are recipients of a 2006 Jeffersonian Award which
recognizes public service. Cheryl, N9SRO and Joe Lenartine, KD4BTD of
Fort Pierce were recognized for their work with the Treasure Coast's
blind community. Both are active members of several local radio clubs
and Joe is an ARRL Public Information Officer. If you've attended the
Fort Pierce Hamfest you know Cheryl -- she does the friendly talk-in
and the announcements on-site. Congratulations to Cheryl and Joe for
this well deserved award.
 
Also, check out Hello www.hello-radio.org
 
73,
Sherri, W4STB
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Southern Florida Section
Section Manager: Sharon T. Brower, W4STB
w4stb@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This message is being sent to you via the ARRL Members Only Web site.
If you do not want to receive further messages, go to the site at:
http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html?modify=1
Log in with your username and password and change your email options.
Unchecking the "News and information from your Division Director and
Section Manager" box will prevent messages such as this one from
being sent to you.
-- webmaster@arrl.org
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 

From W4RPE at aol.com  Thu Apr  6 21:17:32 2006
From: W4RPE at aol.com (W4RPE@aol.com)
Date: Thu Apr  6 21:18:10 2006
Subject: [FPARC] New 444.800 repeater
Message-ID: <250.979d935.316717ac@aol.com>

Greg; Wednesday instead of tues.
 
 
Keith
From kd4spw at aol.com  Fri Apr  7 17:26:32 2006
From: kd4spw at aol.com (kd4spw@aol.com)
Date: Fri Apr  7 17:26:58 2006
Subject: [FPARC] REMINDER SATURDAY WALK A THON
Message-ID: <8C828A11378D851-B90-3731@mblk-d25.sysops.aol.com>

  
  
 
      HI FROM PETE, KD4SPW.
 
           AS EACH YEAR, WE WILL BE SUPPORTING THE MARCH OF DIMES "WALK AMERICA WALK - A - THON" AGAIN. IT IS SATURDAY, APRIL 8TH. AGAIN IT WILL BE AT THE ST. LUCIE WEST CAMPUS OF IRCC/FAU, SAME AS LAST YEAR. THE WALKERS START AT 8:30AM. WE WILL START ARRIVING BETWEEN 7:30 ISH.       TALK-IN 147.240.
 
                                                      THANKS FROM PETE, KD4SPW.
 
 
From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Sat Apr  8 16:58:23 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Sat Apr  8 16:58:58 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Meeting
Message-ID: <443823EF.000003.03892@RADIOROOMSONY>

 Everyone
        Good Afternoon just a reminder about this weeks club meeting, we
will be spending the majority of time on the use of EchoLink & IRLP. Kevin
will be demonstrating the use of both & will have cheat sheets with codes
for both. We look forward to seeing everyone there. Wed. 4\12\06 IRCC radio
station  @ 7:30PM

 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 

From kd4spw at aol.com  Mon Apr 10 18:49:41 2006
From: kd4spw at aol.com (kd4spw@aol.com)
Date: Mon Apr 10 18:50:41 2006
Subject: [FPARC] MINUTES OF MARCH MEETING
Message-ID: <8C82B083039E85B-14BC-C2D7@MBLK-M23.sysops.aol.com>

           FORT PIERCE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB - MINUTES - 3/8/2006
 
      The regular monthly meeting of the Fort Pierce Amateur Radio Club was chaired by President, Art Lindell, W4ZEF. Attendance was 13. Visiting was Dave Case.
 
      MINUTES: The minutes of the February meeting were approved as distributed, after motion by Bill, N4XEO, seconded by Paul, KG4MCE.
 
      TREASURY: Treasurer Carl, KF4KCI's report was approved as distributed after motion by Bill, N4XEO, seconded by Paul, KG4MCE.
 
               Total funds:                       (designated for WQCS: $40)                          $3362.60.
               Total members:                                                                                                34.
 
                                                    OLD BUSINESS
 
      President Art, W4ZEF, said the Orlando Hamfest was very nice again this year. He said it is #2, in attendance and size, nationally, only behind Dayton. Art said that almost all of the 100 FPARC Hamfest flyers left on the table in Orlando were taken.
      
      REPEATER:    Art, W4ZEF, said that different 440 repeater is going to go on the air. Greg, KB4VVE, elaborated. He said it will be an MSR 2000 and CAT 1000. He said we will need to get an audio delay board if we want one.
      Greg said he now has a service monitor and there is now a 12 foot workbench in the EOC Doghouse. Greg said we can do FPARC or EOC projects now in the Doghouse. He said we could use a few stools at the workbench if anyone has extras. 
      Greg, KB4VVE, discussed, how, eventually, we should be able to link all the EOC repeaters with the FPARC repeaters. Greg said that an EOC UHF repeater is now on the air at the PSL High School at 290 ft, 443.775 MHz.
      We discussed using multi-band antennas for repeaters and antenna gain compared to single-band antennas.
      Carl, KF4KCI, said he has not yet discussed with Randy, again, about mounting one or more of the FPARC repeaters on the wall in the transmitter room.
 
       HAMFEST:    Kevin, W4KKW, said Hamfest tickets are ordered, but may not be in hand in time for the Stuart Hamfest because we are making changes to the design and size. Art, W4ZEF, said he has ordered the prizes for our Hamfest. The main prizes are a KENWOOD TM-D700A dual-band mobile and an MFJ ANTENNA ANALYZER. 
 
      IRLP/ECHOLINK:  Demo at the April meeting. Enter " * " to access IRLP. Enter just the node # for ECHOLINK.  Enter " 73 " to bring down both.
 
      Art, W4ZEF, said that we should get a new banner. We discussed a few options. Bill, N4XEO, suggested silk-screened letters instead of stick-on. Kevin, W4KKV, said he will check a banner company in Jensen Beach. 
 
      STUART HAMFEST: Our club will have a booth at the Stuart Hamfest. We'll bring our club banner. Greg, KB4VVE, wondered if he should bring the EOC CSV ambulance to the Hamfest. Everyone thought it was a good idea.
 
      FIELD DAY: Joe, KD4BTD, said that the Field day dates have been secured with IRCC. 
                                       Fri - Sun, June 23-25. 
 
                                                     NEW BUSINESS
 
      We discussed the benefits of incorporating our club.
 
      Kevin, W4KKW, said he would like to get the OK to purchase a CAT link box for $180.      
       
 
      ATTENDANCE:    KD4SPW, WA4NGR, KG4MCE, KC0KAC, KD4BTD, W4RPE, WB4NOZ, DAVE CASE, W4ZEF, KF4KCI, KB4VVE, N4XEO, W4KKW.
 
                                                Submitted by Secretary Peter Amar, KD4SPW.
From W4kkw at aol.com  Sat Apr 15 08:40:11 2006
From: W4kkw at aol.com (W4kkw@aol.com)
Date: Sat Apr 15 08:41:28 2006
Subject: [FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 15 April 14, 2006 
Message-ID: <3cf.13632b.317243ab@aol.com>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 15
April 14,  2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +Despite claims to the  contrary, Virginia BPL system still interfering
* +ARRL urges more support  for BPL resolution in US House
* +League inaugurates vanity license renewal  program
* +It's a wrap for ISS Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR
* +ISS crew  swap is successful
* +ARES, SATERN participate in major New York City  disaster drill
* +Activity from top-10 most-wanted DXCC entity VU4 to start  April 18
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and  Continuing Education course registration
+It's a photo  contest!
World Amateur Radio Day 2006  certificate
FCC statistics suggest minuscule market share  for BPL
VUCC basic operating area expanded for 50 through  1296 MHz
First call for presenters, papers for 2006  AMSAT-UK Colloquium
DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC  credit

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

===========================================================
==>Delivery  problems (ARRL member direct delivery  only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick  Lindquist, N1RL,  n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
NOTE:  ARRL Headquarters is closed Friday, April 14. There will be no W1AW
code  practice or bulletin transmissions that day. This week's editions of
The ARRL  Letter, ARRL Audio News and the propagation bulletin are being
distributed  Thursday, April 13. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, April
17, at 8 AM  EDT. We wish all our members a safe and enjoyable  holiday
weekend!
===========================================================

==>MANASSAS  BPL SYSTEM STILL INTERFERING DESPITE CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY

Interference  from the Manassas, Virginia, BPL system persists on ham radio
frequencies,  radio amateurs there say. Their reports fly in the face of an
April 7 news  release from system operator COMTek that a recent engineering
survey found  "no interference unique to BPL" in the amateur bands. On April
6, COMTek  filed a report
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/files/COMTek.pdf>  with the FCC in
response to an earlier interference complaint from Dwight  Agnew, AI4II.
COMTek said it does not believe the Manassas BPL system caused  the
interference Agnew and other Manassas ham radio operators have heard.  Agnew
told the ARRL this week that the BPL interference  continues.

"Yes, it's still there," Agnew said. "Some days it will blow  your ears off,
other days not," he explained. "It varies. That's what's so  aggravating
about it."

Another Manassas amateur, George Tarnovsky,  K4GVT, who's also complained to
the FCC of BPL interference, echoed Agnew's  report. He told the ARRL the BPL
signal still can be heard along "miles of  road" on 40 meters as well as 20,
17 and 15 meters. "It's everywhere,"  Tarnovsky said. He points out the
interference level varies based on how  heavily the system's approximately
900 customers are using the  system.

In its April 6 filing with the FCC, COMTek--which operates the  BPL system
for the city--said it takes interference complaints seriously and  is
conducting "an ongoing investigation" to determine whether the  "alleged
interference" is coming from its equipment. The Manassas system  uses
Main.net equipment on frequencies between 4 MHz and 30 MHz, according to  the
BPL database.

On March 7, FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief  Joseph P. Casey
requested the city and COMTek to follow up on Agnew's January  19 complaint
citing harmful BPL interference along Virginia Business Route  234. The
Commission told the city to test its system to be sure it complies  with FCC
Part 15 rules and to "resolve any continuing harmful  interference."

COMTek's FCC filing included a test report by Product  Safety Engineering Inc
of Dade City, Florida, outlining BPL system  measurements made on 40 meters
at one location on Route 234. Product Safety  Engineering tempered its
report, however, by saying its measurements "were  not intended to qualify
the system or BPL equipment with respect to  compliance with the FCC rules."
They were intended to "assist the client in  gaining an understanding of the
interference potential" of the BPL equipment  at "a specific location," the
engineering firm said. 

Conceding that  the engineering firm's report was interim and "not fully
compliant with the  FCC's new measurement guidelines," COMTek told the FCC it
would supply a  complete survey by April 14.

The ARRL already has called on the FCC to  shut down the Manassas system
until it complies with FCC Part 15 rules. ARRL  CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, says
COMTek's April 6 FCC filing failed to provide  what Casey had requested last
month. That included making measurements at  multiple locations Agnew
described in his January complaint. The engineering  report also gives no
indication that the tests were performed during peak  system usage hours, as
the FCC had required.

"No explanation was  provided as to why COMTek was unable to comply with the
FCC requirement to  resolve the interference complaint and to report within
30 days," Sumner  said. "Yet on April 7, COMTek issued a news release that
claimed 'rigorous  FCC-mandated testing' had been completed. In fact, the
testing completed as  of that date failed to comply with FCC requirements, as
acknowledged by  COMTek itself."

Sumner said "the test results are meaningless" as a  measure of the radio
interference emanating from the Manassas BPL system.  "Using the test
equipment described in the test report to check for radio  interference is
like using an oven thermometer to check for a  fever."

Sumner reiterated the League's request that the FCC order the  Manassas BPL
system disabled "until its operation is able to comply fully  with the FCC
rules and instructions."

ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare,  W1RFI, charged COMTek with "trying to fix
interference problems with press  releases." ARRL's technical analysis of the
testing indicates COMTek cannot  show that it's able to meet FCC-required
emission limits, Hare said, and  doesn't even demonstrate that its system is
not causing harmful  interference.

Hare said BPL manufacturers and providers whose technology  can operate
compatibly with Amateur Radio have been working closely with the  ARRL and
local amateurs. "Those that cannot are taking preliminary test  results and
turning them into 'everything-is-wonderful now' news releases,"  he said.
"From a technical point of view, that moves us further from  solutions, not
toward them."

==>SUPPORT STILL NEEDED FOR HOUSE  RESOLUTION 230

The ongoing BPL battles in Manassas, Virginia, and  Briarcliff Manor, New
York, underscore the need for better FCC rules to  protect radiocommunication
systems from BPL interference. House Resolution  230 (H Res 230), introduced
by Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, of Arkansas, calls on  the FCC to "conduct a full
and complete analysis" of radio interference from  BPL, particularly with
regard to public safety radio systems.  

"Members of Congress need to hear constituents' concerns about  BPL
interference while they are in their home districts this week and  next,"
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, observed this week.  "Rep
Ross has been joined by six co-sponsors, but more support is needed to  move
this legislation along." 

H Res 230 recently received a boost  when the March issue of NPSTC Spectrum,
the newsletter of the National Public  Safety Telecommunications Council,
carried an article, "Ham Radio and Public  Safety Ask for FCC Reevaluation of
Broadband over Power Lines." The article  notes "significantly high levels of
potential interference in the VHF low  band 30 to 50 MHz range" in several
test locations.

A sample  letter
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230-SampleLtr.doc
>  is available for ARRL members to use as a starting point in contacting
their  congressional representatives. ARRL members logging onto the
Members-Only  portion of the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/> will  see contact information for their
Member of Congress. Alternatively, visit  http://www.house.gov/. 

When writing, please send a copy of your letter  to ARRL's Government
Relations firm: Chwat & Company Inc, ATTN: Eric  Heis, KI4NFC, 625 Slaters
Ln--Suite 103 Alexandria, VA 22314; Fax  703-684-7594;
<eric.heis@chwatco.com>.

==>ARRL VEC ANNOUNCES  VANITY CALL SIGN LICENSE RENEWAL PROGRAM

The ARRL VEC now can process  license renewals for vanity call sign holders
for a modest fee. The service  is available to ARRL members and nonmembers,
although League members will pay  less. Routine, non-vanity renewals continue
to be processed at no cost for  ARRL members. In addition, ARRL VEC Manager
Maria Somma, AB1FM, points out  that trustees of club stations with vanity
call signs may renew either via  the Universal Licensing System (ULS) or
through a Club Station Call Sign  Administrator, such as ARRL VEC.

"2006 is an appropriate year for the  ARRL VEC to implement this service,
since the licenses of the many radio  amateurs who obtained their vanity call
signs as a result of the FCC program  that went into effect in 1996 will
expire this year," Somma said. The first  of those licenses are due to expire
in June.

"As the FCC has already  noted, licensees who want to keep their vanity call
signs must pay the  regulatory fee, currently $21.90 for the 10-year license
term, when renewing  their licenses," Somma noted. "Licensees who don't want
to pay the mandatory  regulatory fee to retain a vanity call sign may request
a sequentially issued  call sign at the time of renewal."

The FCC has proposed to reduce the  vanity call sign regulatory fee to $20.10
for the 10-year license term. The  new fee, if adopted, would go into effect
in August or  September.

Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90  days of their
license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCC  Registration
Number (FRN) before filing any application with the Commission.  Applicants
can obtain an FRN by going to the ULS  <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/> and
clicking on the "New Users Register"  link. You must supply your Social
Security Number to obtain an  FRN.

Those holding specifically requested call signs issued prior to 1996  are
exempt from the vanity call sign regulatory fee. That's because Congress  did
not authorize the FCC to collect regulatory fees until 1993. Such  heritage
call sign holders do not appear as vanity licensees in the ULS  Amateur Radio
database.

Somma says the ARRL's new license  renewal/modification Web pages contain
complete information on license-filing  procedures, including step-by-step
instructions on how to renew or update a  license using the FCC's ULS site
and a schedule of fees.

League  members should visit the "ARRL Member Instructions for License
Renewals or  Changes" page
<http://www.arrl.org/fcc/memberlicenseinstructions.html>.  The "Instructions
for License Renewals or Changes"  page
<http://www.arrl.org/fcc/licenseinstructions.html> covers general  renewal
procedures for nonmembers. There's additional information on the ARRL  VEC's
"FCC License Renewals and ARRL License Expiration Notices"  page
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/renewals.html>.

==>McARTHUR  CALLS IT A WRAP; BRAZIL'S PONTES COMPLETES ONE QSO

Even as he was  preparing to depart the International Space Station April 4,
Expedition 12  Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, took time out to talk one
last time from  NA1SS with some excited students on Earth. The following day,
McArthur's  traveling companion on his April 9 trip home--Brazil's first
astronaut Marcos  Pontes, PY0AEB--answered questions put to him via ham radio
in two languages  by youngsters in Rio de Janeiro. McArthur told students at
Robert McQueen  High School in Reno, Nevada, that ISS Expedition 12 would be
his last space  mission.

"This will be my last flight into space, and I hope to work to  help folks
with future missions," McArthur explained, "and I would very much  like to be
involved with supporting the first mission to go back to the moon  and the
first mission to Mars." The Amateur Radio on the International Space  Station
(ARISS) contact was the 38th and final QSO during Expedition 12,  which began
last October. McArthur handled 37 of the school contacts--a  mission record.

McArthur said his time aboard the ISS has been "awfully  exciting" and he's
never gotten bored. But, besides his family, he does miss  some things.

"What I miss most are beverages with ice in them," McArthur  said. "We have
no ice up here, and so our beverages are never that cold--I  miss that quite
a bit." He said he also misses the smell of coffee, since the  crew must
drink beverages from a bag to keep the liquid from dispersing in  the
microgravity environment.

Darrell Upson, W6ADZ, served as the  control operator for the Reno event.
Upson said student Jordan Anise, KD7OAT,  approached him more than 3 years
ago about arranging a contact with the ISS.  The event attracted some media
coverage, including at least one TV news  report.

Despite his busy research schedule, Brazil's Pontes--who arrived  aboard the
ISS April 1 with Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS,  and Flight
Engineer Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ--was able to talk with youngsters  April 5 at
The American School in Rio. The contact was conducted in English  and
Portuguese, and Pontes answered 17 questions.

"We use our free  time mostly to view the earth," Pontes told the students.
"Very beautiful!  It's really beautiful!"

Pontes said he'd thought about becoming an  astronaut since he was a child,
"but my chance was when I was in Monterey  studying for my PhD," he said. All
of his mission was "very exciting," he  added, especially getting to talk to
students on Earth via ham  radio.

Because of his hectic schedule, Pontes was unable to make a second  scheduled
contact with youngsters at a school in Portugal.  

ARISS-Brazil Team coordinator Tadeu Fernandes, PY1KCF, served as the  control
operator for the contact with PY0AEB. The contact attracted  considerable
media attention in addition to a sizeable audience. Contact  audio was
retransmitted via ham radio on HF and VHF as well as via EchoLink.  

ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational  outreach,
with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and  NASA.

==>EXPEDITION 12 CREW PLUS ONE RETURN SAFELY TO  EARTH

After orbiting Earth more than 3000 times during their six months  aboard the
International Space Station, Expedition 12 Commander Bill  McArthur, KC5ACR,
and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev have returned to the  planet. With them on
the return trip was Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes,  PY0AEB, who had been
the third passenger onboard the Soyuz "taxi flight" that  carried Expedition
13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, and Flight Engineer  Jeff Williams,
KD5TVQ, to the ISS April 1.

The Soyuz spacecraft with  McArthur, Tokarev and Pontes onboard landed in
central Kazakhstan just before  midnight UTC April 8. McArthur and Tokarev
will remain in Star City for  post-flight debriefings.

The most active radio amateur ever to serve  aboard the ISS, McArthur worked
all continents--including Antarctica--on both  VHF and UHF from NA1SS during
is nearly 190 days in space. He also racked up  QSOs with 130 DXCC entities
and worked all states. The last QSL he needed to  confirm WAS--from
Wyoming--arrived at ARRL Headquarters not long before the  end of McArthur's
duty tour. In all, he put more than 1750 contacts into the  NA1SS log. Since
the WAC, WAS and DXCC programs don't provide for space  contacts, his
certificates will be honorary.

Pontes flew to the space  station as part of a commercial agreement with the
Russian Federal Space  Agency, Roscosmos and conducted experiments during his
eight days on the  ISS.

Vinogradov and Williams will spend this week getting better  acquainted with
their new home for the next six months. No ARISS school  contacts are on the
NA1SS schedule until the week of April 24. During their  duty tour,
Vinogradov and Williams will perform two spacewalks and--if all  goes
according to plan--greet two space shuttle crews.

Scheduled to  join Expedition 13 this summer on the shuttle Discovery's
STS-121 mission  will be European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter,
DF4TR, of Germany.  He'll also be flying under a commercial agreement with
Roscosmos. Reiter will  remain aboard the ISS when Expedition 14 begins in
October, to help provide  some crew continuity aboard the ISS.--some
information from NASA and  ARISS

==>ONLY A TEST: NEW YORK CITY ARES, SATERN TAKE PART IN DISASTER  DRILL

Members of the New York City District Amateur Radio Emergency  Service (ARES)
team and the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network  (SATERN)
participated in a mass casualty disaster drill March 26. Dubbed  "Operation
Trifecta," the exercise got under way with the mock explosion in  Maspeth,
Queens, of a chemical bomb aboard a freight train that occurrs just  as a
commuter train passes. The scenario called for 100 people dead or  wounded.
Police academy recruits covered in blood acted as victims. The  elaborate
simulation involved 1500 emergency workers. ARES supported the  American Red
Cross.

"We were an integral part of the Red Cross  response, and the folks in charge
were duly impressed with our capabilities  and deeply grateful for our
participation," said NYC ARES District Emergency  Coordinator Mike Lisenco,
N2YBB. ARES' role was to provide communication  support for the Red Cross at
its emergency operations center, its on-site  command vehicle--making its
inaugural run--and a shelter set up to care for  area residents affected by
the incident. ARES also maintained liaison with  SATERN, Lisenco said, "and
we had additional volunteers standing by had there  been a request for more
operators."

Operation Trifecta referred to the  fact that, during the seven-hour drill,
responders not only had to deal with  the explosion and hazardous materials
but potential saboteurs hiding in the  railroad freight cars.

Roger Rischawy, who directs The Salvation Army's  Greater New York
Division-Emergency Disaster Services with assistance from  Carlos Varon,
K2LCV, reports the division assembled two canteen crews, three  staff
vehicles and a SATERN emergency communications van. Greater New York  SATERN
Amateur Radio Liaison Officer Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, managed  communication
activities for The Salvation Army's response.

In the  wake of Amateur Radio's emergency communication role following last
summer's  Gulf Coast hurricanes, emergency responders once again are looking
to ham  radio volunteers as "a resource that is desperately needed in a
disaster  situation," Lisenco said. "To that end, the Red Cross here in New
York City  has redoubled its efforts to maintain a strong working
relationship with  ARES." He said NYC District ARES also has strengthened its
relationship with  The Salvation Army.

"We have become an important cog in the response  wheel, acting as the
communications provider for our clients," Lisenco said.  "That is what we
train to do. Nothing more, nothing less. We are ready when  all else fails."

==>ANDAMANS (VU4) TO BE ACTIVATED IN A BIG WAY  STARTING APRIL 18

Enthusiasm and anticipation have been building within  the DX community this
week as the radio window is about to open once again on  the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands (VU4). The National Institute of Amateur  Radio (NIAR) in
Hyderabad, India, will sponsor a first-of-its-kind event,  "Hamfest - (VU4)
India - 2006," April 18-20 in Port Blair on South Andaman  Island. Dozens of
VU4 stations are expected on the air. 

India's  telecommunication authorities have issued a number of short-term
licenses to  both nationals and foreigners, and operations reportedly will
extend beyond  the three-day festival to April 26. The most recent VU4
DXpedition, led by  Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, in December 2004, turned into a
disaster  communication operation after the devastating South Asia earthquake
and  tsunami. Prasad and others involved in the 2004 VU4 DXpedition are
expected  to be active during the Andamans hamfest activity. 

All call signs for  this event will bear the VU4AN prefix followed by an
India mainland call  sign. There will be no operation from Nicobar Island
and, so far, no  operation on 30 meters.

According to The DX Magazine's 2005 survey of  DXers Andaman and Nicobar
Islands was the 10th most-wanted DXCC entity.  There's more information on
the NIAR Web site  <http://www.niar.org>.--The Daily  DX
<http://www.dailydx.com>

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Sunspot  seeker Tad "Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington,  reports: Average daily sunspot numbers for the week were up more
than 12  points to 70.7. March 30 through April 5, the daily sunspot number
at the  start of the period was 35, and it rose to 88 by the seventh day.
April 6 it  rose to 105, dropping the next day way down to 65, then 57, then
46 last  Sunday. By Wednesday, April 12, it had risen again to 79.

Geomagnetic  disturbances accompanied the rising solar activity. A solar
windstream from a  coronal hole met the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF)
which was pointing  south, and this leaves Earth vulnerable. On April 9 the
mid-latitude A index  was 27, and the K index rose to 4 and 5. The planetary
A index was 39, with  the planetary K index reaching 5 and 6.

A condition similar to that of  April 9 occurred four days earlier on April
5. But at that time Sunspot 865  was still visible. This is the biggest
sunspot seen the year, and it has  since rotated out of view.

There is a nice peppering of sunspots on the  side of the sun facing Earth,
but they are small. We could see another period  of geomagnetic disturbance
Saturday, April 15. Planetary A index predicted  for the next few days,
Thursday, April 13, through Sunday, April 16, is 10,  25, 40 and 25.

Sunspot numbers may rise again later in the month--perhaps  over 100 again.
This would most likely occur around April 24 through May  4.

Sunspot numbers for April 6 through 12 were 105, 65, 57, 46, 70, 73  and 79,
with a mean of 70.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 98.9, 94.5, 91, 89.2, 88.7,  89.7,
and 81.1, with a mean of 90.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 10,  3, 5,
39, 18, 5 and 2, with a mean of 11.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices  were
6, 2, 3, 27, 11, 3 and 1, with a mean of  7.6.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

*  This weekend on the radio: The TARA Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest,  the
Holyland DX Contest, the ES Open HF Championship, the EU Spring  Sprint
(SSB), the Michigan and Ontario QSO parties, the EA-QRP CW Contest and  the
YU DX Contest are the weekend of April 15-16. The ARLHS Annual Spring  Lites
QSO Party is April 15-23. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest and the  Low
Power Spring Sprint are April 17. The 432 MHz Spring Sprint and the  RSGB
80-Meter Club Championship (Data) are April 20. The Thursday NCCC  Sprint
Ladder is April 21. JUST AHEAD: The DX Colombia International Contest,  the
SP DX RTTY Contest, and the Florida and Nebraska QSO parties are the  weekend
of April 22-23. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is April 28 (UTC).  See the
ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and  the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar  <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for  more
info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course  registration:
Registration remains open through Sunday, May 7, for these  ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line  courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur  Radio
Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004),  HF
Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF--Life Beyond the Repeater  (EC-008),
and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011). Classes begin Friday, May  19. To
learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing  page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE  Department
<cce@arrl.org>.

* It's a photo contest! Have you ever  wanted to see a photo of yours in QST,
the annual ARRL Amateur Radio calendar  or another ARRL publication? Well,
here's your chance! Not only will your  photographic skill be propagated far
and wide, but we're offering a $100  prize to the winning entry. The winning
photo and three runners-up will be  published in QST. All submitted photos
will also be considered for the 2007  ARRL calendar. Photos must be received
at ARRL Headquarters by May 31, 2006.  Subject matter must relate to Amateur
Radio and be in good taste. Photos will  be judged on overall quality and
composition. Digital images or color prints  are acceptable, but digital,
images must have at least 300 dpi resolution.  E-mail <upfront@arrl.org>
digital images of up to 2 MB or copy to a CD  and mail to ARRL Photo Contest,
225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. All entries  must include caption
information describing where the photo was taken, along  with the names and
call signs of anyone appearing in the photograph. Photos  submitted become
the exclusive property of the ARRL, and decisions of the  judges (QST
editorial and production staff) are final. Only one entry per  person is
allowed. Good luck in the contest!

* World Amateur Radio Day  2006 certificate: World Amateur Radio Day,
Tuesday, April 18, commemorates  the founding of the International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) in Paris in  1925. The 2006 theme is "Amateur Radio: A
gateway to information and  communications technologies for today's youth."
With support from PZK, the  Polish Amateur Radio Union, MK QTC, the Polish
radio amateurs' journal again  will sponsor the World Amateur Radio Day
(WARD) certificate  <http://ward-award.prv.pl/>. To qualify, stations must
complete 10 HF  contacts or 5 VHF contacts on April 18 between 0000 and 2400
UTC. To obtain  the full-color certificate, send a log extract including the
list of QSOs and  $6 US (?5) to: The Radio Amateurs' Journal MK QTC,
Suchacz-Zamek - Wielmozy  5b, 82-340 Tolkmicko, Poland, on or before May 31,
2006. The World Amateur  Radio Day certificate also is available to SWLs who
log the same number of  reports. 

* FCC statistics suggest minuscule market share for BPL: The  latest FCC
statistics on the status of high-speed Internet services indicate  a
minuscule market share for broadband over power line (BPL). The FCC  Wireline
Competition Bureau report, "High-Speed Services for Internet Access:  Status
as of June 30, 2005," puts at 4872 the number of business and  residential
"Power Line and Other" connections that deliver at speeds greater  than 200
kbps in at least one direction. The total number of high-speed lines  for all
technologies is 42,866,469--the vast majority DSL, cable and  traditional
wireline connections. This puts the share for "Power Line and  Other" at a
bit more than 0.01 percent of the total. The number of  residential BPL
"advanced services" lines--greater than 200 kbps in both  directions--is 3916
out of 34,259,411, the FCC report indicates. Although  some data have been
withheld as proprietary, the FCC report indicates there  are 18 "Power Line
and Other" high-speed providers nationwide.  Facilities-based broadband
providers must report the number of high-speed  connections in service to the
FCC twice a year.

* VUCC basic operating  area expanded for 50 through 1296 MHz: The ARRL
Membership Services  Department has announced an increase in the size of the
basic operating area  for VUCC contacts made between 50 MHz and 1296 MHz.
Effective immediately  VUCC rules allow stations to submit confirmations for
contacts made from  different locations, provided no two locations are more
than 200 km (124  miles) apart. The VUCC operating area for SHF operation
remains unchanged.  The change results from a recommendation of an ad hoc
VHF/UHF Study  Committee, appointed by the then-Membership Services
Committee, chaired by  ARRL New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI.
The ARRL Awards  Committee recently added its approval to the change. 

* First call for  presenters, papers for 2006 AMSAT-UK Colloquium: AMSAT-UK
has issued a first  call for speakers and papers for its 21st Colloquium,
July 28-30, at Surrey  University, Guildford, Surrey, UK. AMSAT-UK seeks
presentations about Amateur  Radio space activities and related topics.
Speakers/authors also are also  invited to submit papers for publication in
the conference Proceedings.  Submit complete documents by June 15 to David
Johnson, G4DPZ,  <g4dpz@amsat.org>. AMSAT-UK also invites suggestions for
program  topics. More information on this year's event will be available on
the  AMSAT-UK Web  site
<http://www.uk.amsat.org/Colloquium/default.php>.--AMSAT-UK

*  DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved  this operation for DXCC credit: TT8PK, Chad, March 15 to May 27,
2004, and  December 27, 2005, to October 3, 2006. For more information, visit
the DXCC  Web page <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. "DXCC Frequently  Asked
Questions" can answer most questions about the DXCC program. ARRL  DX
bulletins are available on the W1AW DX Bulletins  page
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.

===========================================================  
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Radio Relay League--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  news of interest
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<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a  weekly "ham radio newscast"
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cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via  this listserver.) 



From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Sun Apr 16 09:54:35 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Sun Apr 16 09:55:48 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Easter
Message-ID: <44424C9B.00000A.03236@RADIOROOMSONY>

 Happy Easter Everyone!

    Art & Jenny
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 

From n4xeo at flbb.net  Sun Apr 16 17:29:29 2006
From: n4xeo at flbb.net (Bill Sinbine)
Date: Sun Apr 16 17:30:48 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Log into Linux FPAC
Message-ID: <6.2.3.4.2.20060416172919.01ef93e0@mail.flbb.net>

Hi All

For anyone that would like to use the internet to see what you can do 
with the Linux FPAC that we are working on you can use your  computer 
with a SSH program like Putty to get into my switch.

All you have to do is ssh to n4xeo.no-ip.com port 22.
There you will be greeted by the command prompt.
Just type fpacuser for login and fpac for password.
Then you will have to use your callsign at the prompt and you are in.
Do a ? for the list and have at it.
If you do a n (for node) you will get a node list. Then you will be 
able to connect to one of the nodes.
Try connecting to c k4gbb-8 This will connect you to Charlie's node. 
Once you disconnect from Charlie
you can connect to Bernard f6bvp in France. c f6bvp-10 is all there is to it.

Remember, you can't hurt the system so have some fun!!!!

Once you see what you can do them maybe some of you will turn your 
tnc's on and connect to your local linux fpac switch. There is so 
much that you can do right now that you couldn't do before that you 
really need to give it a try.

If you can't remember what your local packet frequency is just ask 
someone in your area.

To get "Putty" program go to 
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ for a free 
download. Get the version 0.57. That is the latest release as 0.58 is 
still in beta.



Think about it .....
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?

73, Bill Sinbine
n4xeo@flbb.net  


From W4kkw at aol.com  Mon Apr 17 18:01:15 2006
From: W4kkw at aol.com (W4kkw@aol.com)
Date: Mon Apr 17 18:02:50 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Southern Florida Section News
Message-ID: <3a7.ae0216.31756a2b@aol.com>

Hello everyone,

North America. National Volunteer Week this year is  April 23-29. Therefore, I
am sending a big THANK YOU to all who volunteer,  whether it be with ARES,
your local radio club, local civic group, local  government agency, animal
shelter, school, or other organization.   Without volunteers many
organizations would not be able to function.  A  special THANK YOU goes to our
ARRL appointees that are active, radio club  presidents and AECs.  Tell them
THANK YOU yourself - they do a lot of  work that you never see, you only see
the results.

Florida QSO party  is coming up on April 22 & 23. I hope to work many of you
during this  contest.  This is a good opportunity for everyone to try
contesting so  get on the air and give the county hunters and contesters  some
points.

Here is a great tool for new hams, and the rest of us.  Jeremy Briggs, K4OCD,
authored this guide for new hams. He has given us  permission to use  it.
http://www.piccentric.com/amateur/publications/practicalradioapplication4nd.pd
f

REPORTS
ARES  Members 977 Change +7 in the counties reporting
ECs reporting 9
Nets 9  Liaison 5
ECs reporting: WA4GUK, AG4AN, AD4RZ, KF4IHX, N4LEM,  AA4BN,
N5KFR, KF4MJJ & WA4ASJ
Drills, tests & training 14 Total  ARES ops  44
So FL ARES Net Report -- No report this month

SAR:  KA4FZI 504, KE4UOF 117, AI4GE 70, K4FQU 54,
WA4EIC 51, N3OZP 40, AA4BN 37,  WA2YL 34,
KG4MLC 13, W4WYR 8, K9GZT 4, K3QC 3, KI4KQQ  1
==================
PSHR: KE4UOF 130, KA4FZI 120, K4FQU 116, WA4YL  104,
WA4EIC 100, N3OZP 100, AI4GE 90, AA4BN 85, W4DKB  18
==================
NET Reports
NET ABB. SESS QNI QTC MGR
Florida  Amateur SSB Traffic Net FAST 31 280 59 KC4ZHF/K4SCL
Florida Medium Speed Net  FMSN 31 215 38 AG4RJ/AB4XK
Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group JTRG 4 68 19  KF4NJB
Martin County Amateur Radio Association MCARA 4 50 4 KE4UEI
Saint  Lucie Repeater Association SLRA 4 47 4 KE4UEI
Southeast Florida Traffic Net  SEFTN 62 719 92 AG4RJ/AI4GE
Southwest Florida Traffic Net SWFTN 27 404 53  K4FQU




SOAPBOX
Currently we can expect brush fires, or  tornadoes, or severe thunderstorms. 
In a few short weeks we can expect  tropical disturbances ranges from mild to
CAT #? and we need to ask  ourselves: ARE WE PREPARED?

Preparedness takes on additional meanings for  hams.  Food, batteries,
flashlights, etc that your neighbors are  gathering should be on your mind
also.  But there other things we need  to do to prepare.  First -- connectors,
emergency power sources, rigs  that are not used daily, more batteries,
portable antennas, feedline,  etc.

Second, your local ARES organization.  Are you a member of your  local ARES
organization?  Yes.  When was the last training session  or meeting you
attended?  Who is your EC? Who are the assistant  ECs?  Can't answer those
questions? You are not prepared.  Not a  member of your local ARES?  Why not? 
Active in local ARES?  If  not, why not?  Have you ever been NCS for the
weekly training net?   No weekly training net?  Offer to help organize one.

Want to be more  active in ARES?  Get out of that chair and contact your EC  -
http://www.sflarrl.org/ARES,%20SOUTH%20FLORIDA.htm -- and offer to assist.  
Your EC has volunteered for a huge job.  He/she is responsible  for
organizing, training and helping deploy responders.  This entails  phone
calls, record keeping, training plans, meeting with county and  municipal
officials, meeting with served agency officials, and long hours at  EOC during
an emergency event.  Pitch in and help out.  Organize  the phone call-up tree.
Keep a record of training completed by individual  members, teach a subject
needed by ARES members. Pick up the net control one  week a month. Offer to be
an assistant in the event that the EC is ill, at  work, or out of town when
the emergency occurs.  There are tasks you can  do without leaving the comfort
of your home.  Your EC will thank you,  your fellow hams will thank you, your
community will thank you, and Jeff  WA4AW, our Section EC and I will thank
you.

Check out the section news  at www.arrl.org/sections/SFL.html. I done several
updates  recently.

Stay safe and stay on the air.
73
Sherri,  W4STB


--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL  Southern Florida Section
Section Manager: Sharon T. Brower,  W4STB
w4stb@arrl.org
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From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Wed Apr 19 09:03:15 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Wed Apr 19 09:04:45 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Fw: SPECIAL INVITATION TO SOUTHERN FLORIDA ARRL-AFFILLIATED
	CLUBS:
Message-ID: <44463513.000001.02472@RADIOROOMSONY>

 
 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: FRANK BREWER
Date: 04/18/06 17:12:35
To: wd4ahz@gte.net; k1to@aol.com; fperkins@htn.net
Cc: t0ad@juno.com
Subject: SPECIAL INVITATION TO SOUTHERN FLORIDA ARRL-AFFILLIATED CLUBS:
 
SUBJECT : FLORIDA QSO PARTY
DATE : APRIL 22nd and 23rd 2006
REFERENCE : http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/
 
 
As an ARRL-AFFILLIATED Florida CLUB, the Florida Contest Group (FCG) takes
this pleasure of introduction, and is pleased to personally invite all
members of your Club in the ARRL Southern Florida Section to join with
us this weekend by actively participating in the FLORIDA QSO PARTY.
 
A full run-down of this weekend?s activities can be seen at the
http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/ website.
 
I ask that you would, if possible, distribute this Special Invitation to all
members of your Club, using your email-based distribution list, or via your
local 2 meter or local club meeting if it happens to occur before this
weekend.
 
The Florida QSO party is geared to all types of operators, both SSB and CW.
We realize some of your clubs may be more ?social? than ?operational? but we
certainly DO NOT want you to miss out on the radio fun that this activity
generates each year toward the end of April.
 
Being in the ARRL Southern Florida Section, your Clubs? cover the
following counties:
 
Southern Florida (SFL)
 
Brevard
Broward
Collier
Miami-Dade
Glades
Hendry
Indian River
Lee
Manatee
Martin
Monroe
Okeechobee
Osceola
Palm Beach
St. Lucie
 
A major goal of the FLORIDA QSO PARTY is to assure activation from all
sixty-seven (67) Florida counties, from as many home stations as possible.
Many of these counties have sparse amateur representation, so your Club
members taking time to listen mainly on 15, 20 and 40 meters, answering
those from around the country calling for Florida stations, or even more
fun, calling ?CQ FLORIDA QSO PARTY? followed by their call sign and home
station Florida county, will be a tremendously fun surprise and a super
opportunity to ?hone up? on HF operation. Besides being as much fun as any
June Field Day, the sponsors of the Florida QSO Party realize that our
special wealth of radio operators with emergency communication capability
and experience have, and will continue, to pay off large dividends in our
State. As HAMS, we know what a special resource we are.
 
We encourage all Florida home stations to participate this weekend on both
Saturday AND Sunday. We also encourage each station keep a log, and we
welcome receipt of that log after the contest is over to let us know that
you were on and have demonstrated your communications capability. If ALL of
your Club members do that 
 I personally can guarantee that ALL of your Club
members will have a fun, memorable weekend participating in the most popular
State QSO Party in the United States.
 
Many of us try to ?work all states? during the Florida QSO Party, and it?s
not uncommon for each of us to compete, quite gentlemanly I might add,
against our friends in the Club to see ?who?s da Man? 
 we often come to our
next Club meeting and each of us ?brags? on how many stations we contacted
and how many different States we put in our logs! It gives us something
other than our arthritis to talk about!
 
 
The 2006 FQP starts in just a little over 3 DAYS at noon EST on
 
APRIL 22nd and 23rd 2006
 
The 2005 results have been posted on the FQP web site at 

http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/
 

 along with any rules, forms and a wealth of other facts about this
exciting annual event.
 
While browsing our website, check out the awards this Club hands out for
successful participation. Of the 30 awards listed at
http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/plaque.html - about half of them are given
for In-State achievements. In addition, you are likely to receive a
certificate of appreciation for your participation and accomplishment from
your particular Florida County.
 
We'll have both SSB operators and CW operators handing out counties all
across the State. The list of declared mobile plans already posted 
 and
still growing daily 
 speaks for itself. If you?ve never taken the
opportunity to be part of the ?mobile militia? or might wonder why guys
travel from states far away just to be part of this thing during FQP
weekend, then ask any of the guys who have 
 they?ll tell you straight away
that being in the FQP, either as an in-state mobile, or operating from their
in-state home stations is definitely one of the ?funnest" weekend events
that they've ever gotten into.
It's going to be an absolute BLAST this weekend. The hit counter on our
website at http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/ is peaking in the high hundreds
each day now. If fun was worth money, you'll be Millionaires this weekend
if your Club comes together as a Force and every member, to the one, comes
up on mainly 20 and 40 meters to let the rest of the country know that we
are hearing them. If I can answer any questions at all, I am Frank, K4EJ,
and always near at t0ad@juno.com .
 
 
73 and thanks for your FQP support!
 
Dan/K1TO
President, Florida Contest Group
(N4M/m during the 2006 FQP)
 
Frank/K4EJ (ex KA0GGI)
(2005 FCG Contest Season official Score Keeper)
 
-----------------------------------------------
 
FLORIDA QSO PARTY - April 22-23, 2006
http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/
 
_________________________________________________________________
On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to
get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF

From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Fri Apr 21 08:21:21 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Fri Apr 21 08:23:04 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
Message-ID: <4448CE41.000003.03700@RADIOROOMSONY>

 Everyone
    We have some very bad news Bill Sinbine passed away in his sleep last
night, he will be missed. We will keep everybody posted as to funeral and
where to send cards.

 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 

From kf4kci at bellsouth.net  Fri Apr 21 17:30:55 2006
From: kf4kci at bellsouth.net (kf4kci)
Date: Fri Apr 21 17:32:51 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
References: <4448CE41.000003.03700@RADIOROOMSONY>
Message-ID: <000301c6658a$e20fb410$1bf04ed8@KF4KCI>

>From KF4KCI -The current plan for services for Bill is for a viewing Tuesday 
night at Yates Funeral Home and service on Wednesday if the coroner 
finiishes up.  I will let you know if any thing changes.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arthur Lindell" <w4zef@bellsouth.net>
To: "FtPierce Radio Club" <fparc@mailman.qth.net>; <w4slc@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 8:21 AM
Subject: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine


> Everyone
>    We have some very bad news Bill Sinbine passed away in his sleep last
> night, he will be missed. We will keep everybody posted as to funeral and
> where to send cards.
>
>
> If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
> you are reading it in
> English thank a Veteran.
> Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
> 73 Art W4ZEF
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> FPARC mailing list
> FPARC@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fparc
> 


From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Fri Apr 21 17:35:43 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Fri Apr 21 17:37:28 2006
Subject: Fw: Re: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
Message-ID: <4449502F.000001.03848@RADIOROOMSONY>

 
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: kf4kci
Date: 04/21/06 17:31:07
To: Fort Pierce ARC; w4slc@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
 
>From KF4KCI -The current plan for services for Bill is for a viewing
Tuesday
night at Yates Funeral Home and service on Wednesday if the coroner
finiishes up. I will let you know if any thing changes.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Arthur Lindell" <w4zef@bellsouth.net>
To: "FtPierce Radio Club" <fparc@mailman.qth.net>; <w4slc@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 8:21 AM
Subject: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
 
 
> Everyone
> We have some very bad news Bill Sinbine passed away in his sleep last
> night, he will be missed. We will keep everybody posted as to funeral and
> where to send cards.
>
>
> If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
> you are reading it in
> English thank a Veteran.
> Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
> 73 Art W4ZEF
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> FPARC mailing list
> FPARC@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fparc
>
 
 
_______________________________________________
FPARC mailing list
FPARC@mailman.qth.net
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fparc

From wa4aw at juno.com  Fri Apr 21 19:37:37 2006
From: wa4aw at juno.com (wa4aw@juno.com)
Date: Fri Apr 21 19:39:26 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
Message-ID: <20060421.193800.4300.1.wa4aw@juno.com>

Hi Everyone,

I am very saddened to hear of Bill's passing. Bill spearheaded many of
the amateur radio
activities in SLC over the years. He definitely will be missed by all.

73,

Jeff Beals, WA4AW

ARRL Southern Florida Section
Assistant Section Manager
Affiliated Club Coordinator
Section Emergency Coordinator
P. O. Box 1584
Loxahatchee, FL 33470-1584
Phone: (561)791-0956
Cell: (561)252-6707
E-mail: wa4aw@juno.com
Alternate E-mail: wa4aw@arrl.net



On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:21:21 -0400 (Eastern Standard Time) "Arthur
Lindell" <w4zef@bellsouth.net> writes:
>  Everyone
>     We have some very bad news Bill Sinbine passed away in his sleep 
> last
> night, he will be missed. We will keep everybody posted as to 
> funeral and
> where to send cards.
> 
>  
> If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
> you are reading it in
> English thank a Veteran.
> Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
> 73 Art W4ZEF
>  
> 
> _______________________________________________
> FPARC mailing list
> FPARC@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fparc
> 

From W4kkw at aol.com  Sat Apr 22 06:29:12 2006
From: W4kkw at aol.com (W4kkw@aol.com)
Date: Sat Apr 22 06:31:06 2006
Subject: [FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 16 April 21, 2006 
Message-ID: <386.15d5003.317b5f78@aol.com>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 16
April 21,  2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* ARRL Documents Flaws in  Manassas BPL Interference Report
* Severe Weather Ravages Tennessee, Hams  Heed the Call to Help
* Fires and Local Events Keep New Mexico Hams Busy
*  Iowa Hams Support Tornado Recovery
* New SM Named in Western  Pennsylvania
* Three-Time World Champions Not Participating in WRTC 2006
*  Major Marconi Exhibit Opens April 24 in the UK
* Boy Scout Special Event  April 22
* ARRL Staffer Demos "Magic Trick" for Science Teachers
*  Honoring Excellence in Ham Radio PR: McGan Award Deadline Looms
* Army, Air  Force MARS Announce Leadership Changes
* Solar Update
* IN  BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
ARRL Headquarters hosts SKYWARN training session
Austria verifies BPL complaints
Paul  Flaherty, N9FZX, SK
YX0A operator reported SK, DXpedition  adopts memorial call sign
Transceiver designer Michael F.  Elliott, W8KRR, SK
David F. Mangels, AC6WO, SK
Ralph Saroyan, W6JPU,  SK


===========================================================
==>Delivery  problems (ARRL member direct delivery  only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick  Lindquist, N1RL,  n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
NOTE:  Because of vacation schedules, there will be no edition of our
Web/podcast  ARRL Audio News today, Friday, April 21. ARRL Audio News will
resume April  28. We apologize for any  inconvenience.
===========================================================


==>ARRL  DOCUMENTS FLAWS IN MANASSAS BPL INTERFERENCE REPORT

In response to a  report from BPL operator COMTek that claims its BPL system
in Manassas,  Virginia cannot be shown to be the cause of ongoing
interference complaints  by local amateurs, the ARRL has documented the
report's shortcomings and  again has demanded that the FCC shut down the
system until the interference  problems are solved.

In an April 14, 2006 letter to two FCC officials,  ARRL General Counsel
Christopher D. Imlay, W3KD, concluded: "In light of the  record of
long-standing interference to licensed stations in Manassas, and  the failure
of COMTek and the City of Manassas to comply with Section  15.615(d), the
Commission should require that the BPL system be shut down  immediately, and
not resume its operation until the facility is shown to be  in full
compliance with Commission rules regarding radiated emissions and  the
non-interference requirement of Section 15.5 of the Commission's  rules."

The 10 page letter, addressed to Joseph Casey, Chief, Spectrum  Enforcement
Division, and Katherine Power, of the Spectrum Enforcement  Division, sets
forth in detail the "tortured history of interference  complaints involving
the BPL system." COMTek's report was submitted to the  FCC in response to a
letter from Casey to the City of Manassas and COMTek  requiring a "report of
system compliance and your report of actions taken to  address the alleged
harmful interference." The report states, "COMTek  believes that the current
configuration of the Manassas BPL System is not the  source of interference
to amateur radio licensees." The ARRL response, citing  ongoing interference
complaints, called the study "fatally and obviously  flawed."

Appended to the ARRL letter to the FCC was a detailed analysis  of the
technical study prepared by ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI. The  analysis
concluded: "?the testing that was performed in no way is sufficient  to reach
any general conclusions about emissions levels." The analysis goes  on to
criticize the methodology and conclusions of the tests, which were  performed
by Product Safety Engineering, Inc. Hare's analysis found a number  of
deficiencies in the PSE report, including:
The testing  was not done in accordance with the FCC's recommended
test  guidelines;
The test equipment used -- a spectrum analyzer and  a passive loop
antenna -- was not sufficient to measure notch depth nor to  measure the
ambient noise levels;
PSE tested only one  amateur band at a single location, which was
insufficient to establish  compliance or non-interference; and
The testing does not follow  good engineering practice and is not
sufficient to have met the requirements  set forth by the FCC for this
testing.

The ARRL letter to the FCC  concluded:

"?The Manassas and COMTek non-responses to the Commission's  directive; their
vague assurances to work with the Amateur Radio operators in  the future; and
their stonewalling on the cause of the harmful interference  should not be
tolerated by the Enforcement Bureau and will not be further  tolerated by the
Amateur Radio community in Manassas, or by  ARRL."


==>SEVERE WEATHER RAVAGES TENNESSEE, HAMS HEED THE CALL TO  HELP

On Friday, April 7, Western Tennessee was ravaged by tornadoes, and  once
again, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers were called on  to
help provide emergency communication. According to Tennessee  Section
Emergency Coordinator Jimmy Floyd, NQ4U, more than 70 counties  experienced
the heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes that swept the western part  of the
Volunteer State. In all, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued  more than
130 weather watches and warnings and reported at least 26  tornadoes. Nearly
two dozen counties suffered property damage and loss of  life. Twelve people
died, and more than 160 others were injured as a result  of the severe
weather.

By 1 PM local time, the Middle Tennessee  Emergency Amateur Radio Society
(MTEARS) repeater system carried numerous  reports of severe weather and
damage to many areas of the state. According to  Floyd, the MTEARS UHF system
spans most of Tennessee, with Nashville as its  hub. Both the National
Weather Service (NWS) and the Tennessee Emergency  Management Agency (TEMA)
monitor the system. Local television stations  monitor ARES and SKYWARN
traffic, as well, he said.

The first tornado  watches began in the early afternoon, and by 4:15 PM local
time, the  Tennessee Section ARES was placed on Alert condition "Charlie."
Within 20  minutes, the entire state activated, and hams were monitoring HF
and local  repeaters, remaining on the air to assist in any way until  almost
midnight.

During the storms, the NWS in Old Hickory lost power  as well as telephone
service. NOAA Weather Radio and radar also were  unavailable for a time.
Amateur Radio volunteers stepped up to the plate,  and--thanks to their
emergency/disaster training--were able to relay needed  information.

Wilson County Emergency Coordinator Pete Navarra, K4IWX,  works for the
county's emergency management agency. He said that because of  information
relayed via Amateur Radio, his county was able to dispatch three  ambulances,
two rescue trucks, one fire engine and a host of Community  Emergency
Response Team (CERT) search-and-rescue responders and their mobile  command
post to hard-hit Sumner County.

Amateur Radio also helped to  dramatically decrease emergency personnel
response times, Navarra said. "It  was interesting to hear several calls from
the Metro Nashville Office of  Emergency Management, Tennessee Emergency
Management Agency and other local  agencies trying to communicate," he
recounted. "Conventional methods of  communication did not work--even cell
phone service in Wilson County had gone  out. Amateur Radio is needed and it
works!"

Floyd agreed. "This has  been a big test of the ARES system in Tennessee, but
rest assured, we will be  ready to go when needed."


==>FIRES AND LOCAL EVENTS KEEP NEW  MEXICO HAMS BUSY

With a dry spring underway, fire season is in full swing  in New Mexico, and
Amateur Radio operators have been on the front lines. What  started out as a
small 150 acre fire near Mora on April 12, roared into a  10,000 acre blaze
overnight. ARES personnel in Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos and  Sandoval
Counties were place on alert in the afternoon of April 13. Mora  County was
in danger, as well, but does not have an ARES support  group.

Winds were gusting to more than 35 miles per hour and the humidity  hovering
under 10%. The fire spread rapidly and evacuations were ordered for  Ojo
Feliz, Los Hueros, Ocate and numerous ranches in northern New Mexico  for
what is now called the Ojo Feliz Fire. Investigators believe the fire  was
human-caused.

Once Gov Bill Richardson signed an Emergency  Declaration Order for the
affected area, local hams jumped into action. Mike  Scales, K5SCA, Gary
Surad, K5BIQ, Andrew Parker, KC5ZYF, Jay Miller, WA5WHN,  and Don Scott,
N5UJT, all from the Sandoval County ARES, went to assist Mora  County Rd
Cross shelters and the New Mexico State Police Mobile Command  Center. All
traffic was handled via voice through the 147.30 MHz Elk Mountain  Repeater,
allowing direct communications with Santa Fe and Rio Rancho, or VHF  simplex.

By noon on Friday, April 14, the shelters had closed and Amateur  Radio
operations were suspended, but once again, ARES groups were placed on  alert
for yet another fire that began near Vaughn, New Mexico (Guadalupe  County).
Fortunately, fire crews were able to jump on that fire and get it  under
control quickly.

In addition to the fire, ARES groups from Taos  and Los Alamos assisted with
safety communications for the annual Pilgrimage  to Chimayo. Starting in the
darkness before Good Friday (April 14), pilgrims  line the highways north of
Santa Fe carrying crosses and glow sticks. By  Easter Sunday, 65,000
worshipers pass through the doors of El Santuario de  Chimayo, a little
chapel built almost 200 years ago on a site that is sacred  to many Pueblo
Indians and descendants of Spanish settlers. Many walked more  than 100 miles
on the pilgrimage carrying crosses and other religious items.  ARES
volunteers monitored the pilgrims along the journey that  traditionally
follows US highway 84/285. Due to construction, the pedestrians  had to be
detoured through Village of Tesuque.

Grants County Amateur  Radio operators were involved in a Search and Rescue
mission on April 14, and  Sandoval County ARES was involved the week before
in a Hazmat spill in Cuba,  New Mexico. -- Charlie Christmann, K5CEC, ARRL
PIO, New Mexico  Section


==>IOWA HAMS SUPPORT TORNADO RECOVERY

Multiple  tornadoes struck Iowa City on April 13, and local Amateur Radio
operators put  their emergency and disaster training to use. Hams from the
Iowa City Amateur  Radio Club's HamRad group provided communications between
the Johnson County  Emergency Management Agency (JCEMA) Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) and Red  Cross shelters set up in the area. HamRad is organized
to work with Johnson  County in emergencies.

Over 25 hams were in action as weather spotters,  managed by Rich Bingham,
WW0Q, and Jeff Dodd, KI0JP. Regis Johanns, KB0VDO,  and Jim Meade, NO0B,
established a net control station at the EOC, sending  two communications
teams to shelters, with Robert Seemuth, KC0TIK, and Dodd  leading these
teams.

Once the tornadoes had passed through the area,  HamRad teams stayed on the
job until the next day, when National Guard units  could take over
responsibility, ensuring that shelter management and the EOC  could keep in
touch and serve those in need.


==>NEW SECTION  MANAGER NAMED IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

Larry O'Toole, K3LBP, has been  appointed as the new ARRL Section Manager of
Western Pennsylvania effective  April 20.

Larry takes over the Section Manager reins from Rich Beaver,  N3SRJ, who
recently stepped down because of increasing work demands and  personal
reasons.  Rich will continue to remain active as a District  Emergency
Coordinator.

O'Toole, who lives in Mt. Pleasant,  Pennsylvania, was appointed by ARRL
Field and Educational Services Manager  Dave Patton, NN1N.  His background
has been in public service and  emergency communications where is presently
the ARRL Emergency Coordinator  for Westmoreland County and has served as a
District Emergency Coordinator.  Larry also holds the Official Relay Station
and Official Emergency Station  appointments. For May QST's Public Service
column, O'Toole was the author of  the article describing Amateur Radio's
role in last summer's large-scale  emergency exercise in Western
Pennsylvania.


==>THREE-TIME WORLD  CHAMPIONS NOT PARTICIPATING IN WRTC 2006

The sponsors of World Radiosport  Team Championship 2006 (WRTC 2006) in
Brazil this week announced team  pairings
<http://www.wrtc2006.com/release42.html> for the event this  summer. Last
held in Finland in July 2002, the WRTC is a competition among  two-person
teams drawn from among the world's top Amateur Radio contest  operators.
Among the missing for this year's running, however, will be the  team that
topped the field in the last three WRTCs--Dan Street, K1TO, and  Jeff
Steinman, N5TJ.

"We have prior work commitments," Street told  ARRL. "We certainly wish them
well and hope that the WRTC continues on  successfully both this time and
well beyond." Street and Steinman took home  the WRTC gold for the third time
at the 2002 event in Finland. They also  placed first among some 50 teams in
WRTC 2000 in Slovenia as well as at WRTC  96 in the San Francisco Bay area.

The team pairings in the six WRTC 2006  categories contain many familiar call
signs. This year's world competition  will take place July 8-9 in the
vicinity of Florianopolis, capital of the  state of Santa Catarina in
southern Brazil. The on-the-air portion of the  event is held in conjunction
with the International Amateur Radio Union  (IARU) HF World Championship,
although WRTC rules differ in some respects  from those of the IARU event,
and scoring is separate.

The event  brings competitors together in a single geographical area. The
guiding  concept is to minimize the variables associated with radio
contesting and  instead emphasize each team's operating skills.

Among other changes, WRTC  2006 also has created a new "Multi-National
Multi-Single" category as well as  three positions for younger operators.

Brazil's IARU member-society LABRE  (Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Radio
Emiss?o) and the Arauc?ria DX Group  are coordinating WRTC 2006 all with
support from DX groups and contesters.  Atilano de Oms, PY5EG, heads the WRTC
2006 Steering Committee. For more  information, visit the WRTC 2006 Web  site
<http://www.wrtc2006.com/>.


==>MAJOR MARCONI EXHIBIT  OPENS APRIL 24 IN THE UK

Guglielmo Marconi's grandson Guglielmo and his  daughter Princess Elettra
will attend the opening of a major new Marconi  exhibition at the Museum of
the History of Science in Oxford, England on  April 24. The exhibition --
called "Wireless World: Marconi and the Making of  Radio" -- covers the
history of radio from Marconi's early demonstrations in  the 1880s to the
beginning of regular public broadcasts in the 1920s. It will  be open until
October 1, 2006.


==>BOY SCOUT SPECIAL EVENT APRIL  22

The Sierra Amateur Radio Club (SARC) in Ridgecrest, California, will  be
offering an Amateur Radio demonstration at the Kern Area Boy Scout  Camporall
on Saturday, April 22. They will be using call sign  K2BSA/6.

SARC plans to set up a solar-powered low power HF station with a  multi-band
antenna. They will be using the 40 and 20 meter bands, and if  conditions
permit, the 17 meter band, along with the SO-50 and VO-52  satellites.

Boys ages 11-18 will be participating, as well as adults, and  for many of
them this will be their fist exposure to ham radio. With your  help and
participation, this is a great way to get the younger generation  involved in
Amateur Radio.

QSLs can be sent via WA6ARA. -- Mike Herr,  WA6ARA


==>ARRL STAFFER DEMOS "MAGIC TRICK" FOR SCIENCE  TEACHERS

ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big  Project")
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/> Coordinator Mark Spencer,  WA8SME (left),
shone the spotlight on Amateur Radio and the ARRL during the  National
Science Teachers Association (NSTA) 54th national conference April  6-8 in
Anaheim, California. Spencer reports some 15,000 teachers stopped by  the
ARRL booth, and most picked up a brochure.

"I talked with probably  300 educators specifically about ARRL-related
programs such as the Teachers  Institutes, 'The Big Project' and Amateur
Radio on the International Space  Station (ARISS)," he said.

After he'd demonstrated what happens when you  drop a magnet through a length
of non-ferrous metal pipe, one teacher  returned the next day with his wife
"so I could show her the 'magic trick,'"  said Spencer.

The magic trick demonstrates two fundamentals Spencer uses  when teaching
electronics and electricity: (1) Moving magnetic fields cause  electrons to
move, and (2) Moving electrons create magnetic fields. "When the  magnet
falls through a non-ferrous metal pipe, the moving magnetic field  causes the
electrons in the conductor to move," Spencer explains. "Those  moving
electrons in turn create an opposing magnetic field that prevents the  magnet
from falling right through, giving it a 'slow motion'  effect."

Spencer says the magnet moves more slowly in a copper pipe than  in an
aluminum pipe because copper is a better conductor. It falls  straight
through a PVC pipe because PVC is an insulator. "All of electronics  and
radio boils down to how we manipulate these two fundamental principles,"  he
concluded.


==>HONORING EXCELLENCE IN HAM RADIO PR: McGAN  AWARD DEADLINE LOOMS

The ARRL is encouraging nominations for the 2006  Philip J. McGan Memorial
Silver Antenna Award. The annual honor goes to a  radio amateur who has
demonstrated excellence in Amateur Radio public  relations (PR). The deadline
to submit nominations is Monday, May 22. The  McGan Award recognizes an
individual who best exemplifies the volunteer  spirit of its namesake, Phil
McGan, WA2MBQ (SK). As the first chairman of the  ARRL Public Relations
Committee, he helped to reinvigorate the League's  commitment to public
relations.

"Our entire PR program, including the  "Hello" campaign, is based on the work
of the hundreds of ARRL volunteer  public information officers, who invest so
much time, effort and creativity  to advance Amateur Radio for everyone,"
says ARRL Media and Public Relations  Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "There's
only one McGan Award, however, and it's  reserved for the person determined
to be the best of the very best. It's a  major recognition to be nominated.
It's a great honor to be  named."

Pitts is careful to point out the distinction between  public
relations--essentially getting Amateur Radio's message to the  public--and
public service, which is Amateur Radio activity on behalf of the  public,
such as supporting emergency communication. The McGan Award  honors
achievement in public relations.

Public relations activities  the McGan Award recognizes include efforts
specifically directed at bringing  Amateur Radio to the public's
attention--and most often to the news  media's--in a positive light. These
may include such traditional methods as  news releases or less-traditional
methods as hosting a radio show or being an  active public speaker.

Unfortunately, McGan never got to see how well his  own PR efforts paid off.
In his honor, his friends in the New Hampshire  Amateur Radio Association
joined with the ARRL Board of Directors to pay a  lasting tribute to the
important contributions he made on behalf of Amateur  Radio by establishing
this annual award.

The individual chosen to  receive the McGan Award must be a full ARRL member
in good standing and may  not be regularly compensated for public relations
work involving Amateur  Radio--including payment for articles. A committee of
volunteers  knowledgeable about Amateur Radio public relations will pick the
winner from  among the nominees, subject to approval by the ARRL Board of
Directors at its  July meeting.

Pitts says recognizing someone's public relations  achievements by nominating
him or her for the McGan Award is "the perfect way  to say 'thank you.'"

Nominations must be received at ARRL Headquarters in  by 5 PM Eastern Time on
Monday, May 22, 2006. The committee will not consider  nominations that
arrive after the deadline or without an entry  form.

Complete details on McGan Award eligibility and how to nominate  someone,
plus a link to the official nomination form, are on the ARRL Web  site
<http://www.arrl.org/pio/mcgan/>. Return the completed entry forms  and
supporting materials to Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award,  c/o
Allen Pitts, W1AGP, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT  06111.


==>ARMY, AIR FORCE MARS ANNOUNCE LEADERSHIP  CHANGES

Past Army MARS Eastern Area Director Kathy Harrison has been  appointed to
take the reins of the Army Military Affiliate Radio System  (MARS) program.
She succeeds Bob Sutton, N7UZY, who is recuperating from an  illness. Lt Col
Gregory Harris had been named in January to fill in during  Sutton's absence;
now it appears that Sutton will not be  returning.

"While I will be getting up to speed on the MARS program over  the next few
weeks, I am hitting the ground running," Harrison said in an  announcement to
the MARS community. "I have been working with LTC Harris on  MARS issues for
the past few weeks and have not forgotten everything I  learned during my
tenure as eastern area director."

Harrison said MARS  faces "many new challenges" over the next year in meeting
its mission on a  reduced budget, but she said she believes the organization
is up to the task.  Harrison inherits the AAA9A MARS call sign. Her
appointment was effective  March 21. Army MARS is headquartered at Ft
Huachuca in Arizona.

Sutton  retired from federal service April 3. His long career as a US Air
Force  communicator and his subsequent employment as a Department of the  Army
civilian employee spanned 46 years. Sutton was chief of Army MARS for  16
years. He says he plans to remain active in the program.

Meanwhile,  Air Force Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) Chief Ray
Collins, AGA3C,  announced his retirement from federal service effective
March 31 and said  he'd be stepping down as chief of Air Force MARS.
According to Collins's  announcement, the chief's position will remain vacant
for a while.

In  the interim, Collins said, regional MARS directors will take over issuing
and  signing MARS licenses for new and renewing members as well as many  other
duties. The Air Force MARS office is located at the Headquarters of the  Air
Force Communications Agency (AFCA), Scott Air Force Base,  Illinois.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Astral aficionado Tad "Sunshine  Superman" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Geomagnetic activity was  higher over the past week, with the
average daily planetary A index rising  over six points to 18. The most
active days were Friday and Saturday, April  14 and 15, when the planetary A
index was 58 and 29.

Otherwise,  geomagnetic activity has been low and should stay that way.
Sunspot numbers  and solar flux should rise gradually, reaching a peak around
April 29 through  May 3.

Predicted planetary A index for April 21-25 is 8, 8, 10, 8 and  8.
Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet to unsettled conditions  for
April 21, unsettled conditions April 22-23, quiet to unsettled April  24-25,
and quiet conditions April 26-27.

Sunspot numbers for April 13  through 19 were 69, 62, 45, 45, 48, 46 and 38
with a mean of 50.4. 10.7 cm  flux was 80, 78.9, 78.4, 76.5, 77.9, 75.1, and
75.8, with a mean of 77.5.  Estimated planetary A indices were 13, 58, 29,
10, 6, 6 and 4 with a mean of  18. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 9,
32, 18, 8, 4, 5 and 2, with a  mean of 11.1.

__________________________________


==>IN  BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The DX Colombia International  Contest, the SP
DX RTTY Contest, and the Florida and Nebraska QSO parties are  the weekend of
April 22-23. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is April 28  (UTC). JUST AHEAD:
The North America High Speed Meteor Scatter Spring Rally  is April 29 until
May 7. The SBMS 2 GHz and Up World Wide Club Contest, the  Helvetia Contest
and the Alabama QSO Party are the weekend of April 29-30.  See the ARRL
Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and  the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar  <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

*  ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration  remains open through Sunday, May 7, for these ARRL
Certification and  Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency  Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Level  3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004), HF
Digital Communications (EC-005),  VHF/UHF--Life Beyond the Repeater (EC-008),
and Radio Frequency Propagation  (EC-011). Classes begin Friday, May 19. To
learn more, visit the CCE Course  Listing page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE  Department
<cce@arrl.org>.

* ARRL Headquarters hosts SKYWARN  training session: More than a dozen League
staffers completed SKYWARN  <http://www.skywarn.org> weather-spotter training
April 7 at ARRL  Headquarters. National Weather Service (NWS)
<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/>  Warning Coordination Meteorologist Glenn Field,
KB1GHX, and SKYWARN Program  Leader Bill Babcock--both of the NWS office in
Taunton, Massachusetts--led  the four-hour class. The ARRL and NWS have a
longstanding memorandum of  understanding, and the training session was just
one example of their mutual  cooperation. Coordinating the training session
with ARRL were Roger  Jeanfaivre, K1PAI, Hartford-Tolland County (CT) SKYWARN
coordinator, and Rob  Macedo, KD1CY, ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton
and ARRL Eastern  Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator. Training
session topics included  severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, winter storms and
hurricanes. Jeanfaivre  also briefed attendees on SKYWARN nets in
Hartford-Tolland county region,  pointing out that SKYWARN activates on a
moment's notice to support the NWS.  Macedo discussed how volunteers--many of
them radio amateurs--serve a  critical role as the eyes and ears of the NWS
SKYWARN program. Around 90  percent of the reports NWS-Taunton receives come
from Amateur Radio  operators. The NWS offers SKYWARN training through many
of its  offices.

* Austria verifies BPL complaints: Austria's Ministry for  Transport,
Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) has verified the interference  complaints
of HF users in Linz, where a BPL (PLC, or power line  communication) system
is being operated on a commercial basis. In a report  prepared for the
February 21-22 meeting of the CENELEC/ETSI Joint Working  Group on EMC of
Conducted Transmission Networks, the ministry said the  measured emission of
PLC installations in the Linz region is approximately 42  dB higher than the
relevant limit according to CEPT ECC Recommendation  (05)04, "Criteria for
the Assessment of Radio Interferences Caused by  Radiated Disturbances from
Wire-Line Telecommunication Networks"  [ECC/REC(05)04]. The report says
ECC/REC(05)04 "reflects the state of the art  in Austria." The limit used by
the ministry for the 1-30 MHz range, measured  3 meters from the source, is
40 dBuV/m peak at 1 MHz, decreasing to 27 dBuV/m  at 30 MHz. This is roughly
comparable to the FCC Part 15 BPL emission limit  lowered by 40 dB and
applying the 40 dB-per-decade distance factor FCC  measurements call for.
Other major differences between the Austrian  regulations and Part 15 include
distance between source and antenna, use of a  peak detector and a
logarithmic factor in the limit. The report is intended  to inform the Joint
Working Group about measurements of PLC systems and  harmful interference
they can cause in the HF bands, and to trigger a  discussion to adopt
ECC/REC/(05)04 as the document describing the  state-of-the-art for wireline
telecommunication networks such as PLC networks  within Europe. The BMVIT
report is available on the  Internet
<http://www.bmvit.at/telekommunikation/plt/download/etsijwg16td09.pdf>.

*  Paul Flaherty, N9FZX, SK: Paul A. Flaherty, N9FZX, of Belmont,  California,
died unexpectedly March 16. He had turned 42 just two days  earlier. A
co-inventor of the Alta Vista search engine, Flaherty, who was  born in
Milwaukee, developed his lifelong interest in computers and radio  after his
family moved to Minnesota. A summa cum laude graduate of  Marquette
University with degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics,  Flaherty
went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees at Stanford. In 1995,  while
working as a research scientist for Digital Equipment Corp, Flaherty  was
part of the team that developed the Alta Vista search engine, which  became
the most popular of the early Internet indexing utilities. (Its Babel  Fish
translation site remains popular.) In addition to Amateur Radio,  Flaherty
had an abiding interest in railfanning--train chasing--and had  earned a
reputation as a railroad photographer.--some information from the  San
Francisco Chronicle

* YX0A operator reported SK, DXpedition adopts  memorial call sign: YX0A Aves
Island DXpedition team member Jos? "Joe" Manuel  Vald?s Rodriguez, YV5LIX,
reportedly died on the tiny Caribbean island April  21. He was 57. A radio
amateur since 1987, Vald?s was well known around the  world as a DXer and
contester on HF and VHF. Esteban Romagni, W4DTA/YV5DTA,  reports in an e-mail
shared with ARRL that his longtime friend suffered a  heart attack, and the
two physicians with the DXpedition team were unable to  resuscitate him.
Vald?s' death, at around 0400 UTC, occurred shortly after  the YX0A
DXpedition got under way. The Aves Island DXpedition reportedly has  obtained
permission to use the memorial call sign YX0LIX until the DXpedition  ends on
or about May 1. Members of the Association of Radioamateurs of  Venezuela and
the Grupo DX Caracas are sponsoring the Aves Island (Isla de  Aves)
DXpedition. Vald?s was the DXpedition's digital modes coordinator  and
reportedly was planning to concentrate on digital modes during the last  few
days of operation.

* Transceiver designer Michael F. Elliott,  W8KRR, SK: The man behind the
development of the Heathkit SB-104 and Drake  TR-7 transceivers, Michael
Elliott, W8KRR, 66, of Centerville, Ohio, died  April 14. The Heathkit
SB-104, released in 1974, was the first transceiver to  incorporate
solid-state design, come with a digital frequency readout and be  priced for
the mass market. The SB-104 was a mainstay until 1982, when radios  that
covered the new WARC bands superseded it. It was one of the last  Amateur
Radio kits that Heathkit developed. Elliott was also influential in  the
design of the Drake TR-7, the standard for competition-grade transceivers  in
the late 1970s and early 1980s.

* David F. Mangels, AC6WO, SK:  Author and Amateur Radio instructor Dave
Mangels, AC6WO, of Temple City,  California, died March 24. He was 63. An
ARRL member, instructor and  volunteer examiner, Mangels taught Amateur Radio
licensing classes for a fee  at the Technician, General and Amateur Extra
levels. In 2001, CQ  Communications published his book The Mobile DXer--Your
Practical Guide to  Successful Mobile DXing. Mangels had 302 DXCC entities
confirmed on SSB, no  doubt many of them worked while he was operating mobile
or portable.  Survivors include his wife, Fran, AD6DC, and a son, Gary,
AD6CD.

*  Ralph Saroyan, W6JPU, SK: Former ARRL Section Communications Manager  Ralph
Saroyan, W6JPU, of Fresno, died April 5. He was 88. Saroyan served as  San
Joaquin Valley SCM (now called Section Manager) from 1955 until 1976.  An
ARRL Life Member, Saroyan was first licensed in 1934. During World War  II,
he served in the US Navy as an electronics technician. San Joaquin Valley  SM
Charles McConnell, W6DPD, says Saroyan was an Amateur Radio pioneer  who
promoted the adoption of single sideband and established the first  repeater
in the  valley.

===========================================================
The  ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio  Relay League--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  news of interest
to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,  accurate, concise,
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<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a  weekly "ham radio newscast"
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Material  from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
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==>ARRL Audio News:  <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or  call
860-594-0384

==>How to Get The ARRL Letter

The ARRL  Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
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cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via  this listserver.)





From W4RPE at aol.com  Sun Apr 23 07:17:58 2006
From: W4RPE at aol.com (W4RPE@aol.com)
Date: Sun Apr 23 07:19:55 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Bill Sinbine
Message-ID: <3e0.140199.317cbc66@aol.com>

According to the Fort Pierce paper this morning the Visitation will be 4-7  
PM at Yates Funeral Home, with Funeral services at the St. Lucie Cathalic 
church  in Port Saint Lucie at 9:30 am.
 
 
Keith
From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Sun Apr 23 11:51:53 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Sun Apr 23 12:29:22 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Fw: N4xeo service times
Message-ID: <444BA299.000004.03420@RADIOROOMSONY>


 

 
From: kf4kci
Date: 04/22/06 19:35:03
To: w4zef@bellsouth.net
Subject: N4xeo service times
 
Visition will be on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 from 4 PM - 7PM. The Knights of
Columbus will be celebrating a Rosary Service at 6:30 PM. This will be at
Yates Funeral Home, 1101 S US 1 in Ft Pierce. Their phone number is
772-461-7000.
 
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 26, 2006
 at 9:30 AM at the St luciee Catholic Church, 290 SW Prima Vista Blvd, Pt St
Lucie, Fl 34987. Interment will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, 6026 N
US 1, Ft Pierce, Fl (North end of the county).
 
If anyone plans to take food to the family, They already have plenty of ham
and potato salad.
 
If you have any questions let me know. Carl.


 
 
 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF

From w4zef at bellsouth.net  Sun Apr 23 13:39:18 2006
From: w4zef at bellsouth.net (Arthur Lindell)
Date: Sun Apr 23 13:41:17 2006
Subject: [FPARC] Fw: Update on n4xeo
Message-ID: <444BBBC6.000001.01660@RADIOROOMSONY>

 
 
  
From: kf4kci
Date: 04/23/06 13:24:09
To: w4zef@bellsouth.net
Subject: Update on n4xeo
 
Sunday 1:00 PM - Barbara has indicated that after the cemetary service
everyone will be invited to their home for a meal. She knows FPL will be
bringing some food but she would be very appreciative if the "ham community"
could also provide some food.
 
So if any of you would like to provide food, you could get it to me (Carl
KF4KCI) at the Tuesday night viewing and I will bring it out to their
house(this will save you a trip). I'm making room in our refridgerator to
store items if needed. If you provide food in a non-disposable container, be
sure it is labeled with your name and I will get it back to you. If you are
bringing a hot dish of course you can bring it when you come to the house. I
m going to get some of the clubs throw away plates,etc and take them over
but anything else from drinks to deserts would be welcome. Again as in the
previous email , they have plenty of ham and Potato salad. Call me at
464-5084 with any questions.


 
If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If
you are reading it in
English thank a Veteran.
Thanks for reading this & have a great day!
73 Art W4ZEF

From W4kkw at aol.com  Sat Apr 29 08:28:31 2006
From: W4kkw at aol.com (W4kkw@aol.com)
Date: Sat Apr 29 08:31:11 2006
Subject: [FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 17 April 28, 2006 
Message-ID: <3d8.119433f.3184b5ef@aol.com>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 17
April 28,  2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +BPL study amendment  attached to House telecoms bill
* +Kevin Martin tapped for new FCC term
*  +Andamans operation helps slake VU4 demand
* +California adopts BPL  deployment regulations
* +KB0WZA is 2006 Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship  winner
* +West Mountain Radio to be RTTY Round-UP Principal Awards  Sponsor
* +European hams hear signal from far-distant Voyager 1  spacecraft
* +Long-lost QSL card finds its way back home
*  Solar  Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
This weekend on the  radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course  registration
Armed Forces Day 2006 military/amateur  activities set
SuitSat-1 still in orbit
Hugh L. Tinley, K0GHK, SK
DXCC Desk approves  operations for DXCC credit

+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@arrl.org>
==>Editorial questions or comments  only: Rick Lindquist,  N1RL,
<n1rl@arrl.org>
===========================================================

==>HOUSE  COMMITTEE OKAYS TELECOMS BILL WITH BPL-INTERFERENCE STUDY AMENDMENT

The  US House Energy and Commerce Committee's version of the  Communications
Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006  includes an
amendment requiring the FCC to study the interference potential  of BPL
systems. The panel voted April 26 to send the much-talked-about  "telecoms
rewrite" bill to the full House for its consideration. "Outstanding  news!"
was the reaction of ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.

"This is a  major victory for the ARRL," he exulted, noting that the
amendment "received  significant opposition" from utilities. Rep Mike Ross,
WD5DVR (D-AR),  proposed the amendment, and, with the support of Committee
Chairman Joe  Barton (R-TX), the committee agreed by voice vote to include it
in the bill.  

A year ago, Ross sponsored House Resolution 230 (H Res  230)
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230.pdf>,  which
calls on the FCC to "reconsider and revise rules governing broadband  over
power line systems based on a comprehensive evaluation of the  interference
potential of those systems to public safety services and other  licensed
radio services."

"Hundreds of ARRL members who wrote their  congressional representatives in
support of Rep Ross's H Res 230 helped to  achieve this week's success with
the COPE Act amendment," Sumner  observed.

A more-widely reported Internet "network neutrality" amendment  to the COPE
Act bill was defeated. The measure will get a number next  week.

A statement released by Ross's office notes that his amendment,  which
received unanimous committee support, "would guarantee that valuable  public
safety communications and Amateur Radio operators are not subject  to
interference." One of two radio amateurs in the US House, Ross  said
infrastructure-free Amateur Radio, "often overlooked in favor of  flashier
means of communication," can maintain communication in disasters  that bring
more vulnerable technology to its knees. Ham radio operators "are  often the
only means of communication attainable in a devastated area," he  said. 

"I believe it is imperative that the interference potential [of  BPL] is
thoroughly examined and comprehensively evaluated to ensure that  deployment
of BPL, which I do support, does not cause radio interference for  Amateur
Radio operators and first responders who serve our communities," Ross  added.

The COPE Act BPL amendment adds a section (under Title V) to the  proposed
legislation that would require the FCC to study and report on  the
interference potential of BPL systems within 90 days of the  bill's
enactment. "This puts the House Energy and Commerce Committee on  record as
having concerns about BPL interference," Sumner said. "If we are  vigilant in
protecting it against deletion on the House floor--assuming the  bill is
approved by the House--the BPL language will be included in the  legislation
that goes on to the Senate."

==>FCC CHAIRMAN NOMINATED  FOR NEW TERM

President George W. Bush has tapped FCC Chairman Kevin J.  Martin of North
Carolina for a second, five-year term on the Commission  starting July 1. The
White House this week submitted Martin's name to the US  Senate for
confirmation. Martin says he's honored to be nominated for a  second term as
a commissioner and as FCC chairman. 

"This is an  exciting time of growth and innovation in the communications
sector," Martin  said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the
Administration,  Congress, my fellow commissioners and the talented staff at
the FCC to  provide all Americans with the services and opportunities offered
by the best  communications system in the world today." 

Judging by their statements,  his three FCC colleagues have confidence in his
leadership. Martin succeeded  Michael Powell as FCC chairman in 2005. 

In the meantime, politics  reportedly is keeping the FCC from having a full
slate of commissioners. In  February, the White House nominated Republican
Robert M. McDowell of Virginia  to fill the still-vacant fifth FCC seat. The
Senate Commerce Committee okayed  the telecommunications attorney's
nomination, but US Senator Mary Landrieu  (D-La) reportedly has blocked any
of President Bush's non-judicial  nominations--including McDowell's--from
going forward to a vote by the full  Senate. Landrieu is said to be unhappy
with the pace of Hurricane Katrina  recovery assistance to the Gulf Coast. 

The situation leaves the FCC  split at two Republicans and two Democrats. If
the Senate stalemate  continues, Martin could continue to serve on the FCC
beyond his term's  expiration.

==>SUPPLY AND DEMAND: VU4AN ANDAMANS OPERATIONS CREATE A  CLAMOR

For several days this month, the tiny Andaman Islands became the  DX mouse
that roared--well, sort of. Just how loudly depended on your  position on the
globe and fickle propagation. A first-of-its-kind event,  "Hamfest - (VU4)
India - 2006," made rare VU4 (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)  widely available
worldwide April 18-25. With activities centered in Port  Blair on South
Andaman Island, more than 100 VU4AN stations made a joyful  noise on several
modes and bands. Despite the current ebb in the sunspot  cycle, many US radio
amateurs were able to take advantage.

"They  weren't rock-crushingly loud, but they seemed to be making a lot of
QSOs in  North America," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ--one of the lucky
ones.  Sumner said he worked VU4 on CW and SSB and noted that some of the
stations  were spotted quite a lot on RTTY.

Sumner expressed pleasure that one of  his QSOs was with Bharathi Prasad,
operating as VU4AN/VU2RBI. She led the  December 2004 VU4 DXpedition that
turned into a disaster-communication  operation after being cut short by the
devastating South Asia earthquake and  tsunami. As a result, Prasad and her
team won the 2005 ARRL International  Humanitarian Award, and she was named
Dayton Hamvention's Radio Amateur of  the Year.

Telecommunication authorities in India authorized the issuance  of short-term
licenses to some 40 Indian nationals and 70 foreigners. While  VU4AN signals
were dicey or non-existent in some North American locations,  many stations
in the US and elsewhere were able to add this rare one to their  DXCC
total--some on more than one band.

According to The DX Magazine's  2005 survey of DXers, Andaman and Nicobar
Islands was the 10th most-wanted  DXCC entity. This month's massive
operation--sponsored by the National  Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR)--may
have put a dent in the demand. The  NIAR offered certificates for stations
working more than four VU4AN stations  as well as awards for working the most
VU4AN stations in several  categories.

In addition to operating, several participants delivered  presentations at
the NIAR gathering that stressed the positive aspects of  Amateur Radio
operating as well as various technical topics. The intention  was to promote
ham radio and to invite more-friendly governmental  regulation.

"This VU4-Andaman Islands project took some eight months from  start to
finish and involved many hours and financial support by members of  NIAR,"
commented QST "Hows DX?" and The Daily DX Editor Bernie McClenny,  W3UR,
after returning from the Andamans where he operated as  VU4AN/VU3OHA.
"Heavy-duty negotiations between NIAR and the many different  government
branches took place for this activity to happen." McClenny also  reported
that there are now two newly licensed hams in Port Blair,  Andaman.

Unless otherwise announced for individual stations, VU4AN QSLs  go to Jose
Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, 6-3-1092/93,  Raj Bhavan
Rd, Somajiguda, Hyderabad 500082 INDIA.

==>CALIFORNIA  PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION APPROVES BPL REGULATIONS

Saying that  broadband over power line (BPL) will bring Internet access to
"underserved  communities," the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
has adopted  regulatory guidelines for electric utilities and companies that
wish to  develop BPL projects in that state. While the Commission's BPL
guidelines  include a requirement to maintain the safety and reliability of
the electric  distribution system, the state agency has no jurisdiction over
radio  frequency interference, which received no mention in the PUC's news
release.  ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, points out that the utility
industry  still must meet another tier of federal regulations that govern
permitted BPL  signal levels and interference issues.

"Although this action addresses  how BPL operators will be responsible to
state regulators, it does not  address any of the technical problems with BPL
in any way," Hare observed.  "Utilities will still have to carefully choose
BPL vendors with a proven  track record of preventing interference
complaints."

The CPUC said it  wants to foster BPL deployment to solve the "last mile"
problem of broadband  delivery and to increase consumer choice in broadband
providers. "BPL has the  potential to bring broadband Internet services to
communities who do not have  broadband service available today from the
telephone companies or cable  companies," said CPUC President Michael R.
Peevey.

One commissioner  suggested that BPL faces an uphill battle. "This is a
nascent technology with  technological, market, and financial hurdles before
it," commented CPUC  member John Bohn. "By removing unnecessary regulations
from its path, we free  BPL entrepreneurs to invest and take the risks they
want, while protecting  ratepayers from any downside."

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said that  while the League's concern is with
BPL interference and not with BPL's  viability in the broadband marketplace,
"it's odd to see the California PUC  echoing the pro-BPL rhetoric that was
coming out of the FCC two years ago and  that is so demonstrably wrong
today." Sumner points out that BPL has been  around for years now, and "after
all the hype," the most-recent FCC  statistics show no more than about 4000
BPL lines in service across the  US.

"The California PUC would better serve its citizens by focusing on  more
capable broadband technologies, such as fiber and wireless, that do not  have
the potential to disrupt radio communication," Sumner  concluded.

The policy the CPUC adopted April 27 stemmed from a draft  developed by CPUC
member Rachelle Chong, a former FCC  commissioner.

==>MISSOURI TEEN WINS PRESTIGIOUS GOLDFARB MEMORIAL  SCHOLARSHIP

Seventeen-year-old Mellissa Ann Meye, KB0WZA, of Camdenton,  Missouri, has
been named the recipient of the 2006 William R. Goldfarb  Memorial
Scholarship, the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee has  announced. Meye
is the first young woman to receive this generous award.  Licensed in 1996,
Meye has actively promoted Amateur Radio in her community,  was instrumental
in establishing the Osage Amateur Radio Club at her school  and serves as the
club's president.

"The establishment of this club  took many hours of work and convincing the
school administration of its  value," said Lloyd Wood, N0GYE, who recommended
Meye's selection. "Mellissa  was so successful in convincing school personnel
of Amateur Radio's value  that the high school principal and some of the
faculty members are presently  studying to take their exams."

The terms of reference of the generous  Goldfarb scholarship award require
that recipients demonstrate financial need  and significant involvement with
Amateur Radio, in addition to high academic  performance. "Ms Meye meets or
exceeds all of our criteria," the selection  committee said. A high school
senior and General-class licensee, Meye ranks  sixth in a class of 132
pursuing an advanced academic diploma course of  study. She plans to attend
the University of Missouri-Rolla to study  petroleum engineering.

Amateur Radio runs in the Meye family. Her father  David is KL7QW.

Beyond her academic accomplishments, Meye sports a  well-balanced and
impressive list of extracurricular and community  activities. She's a member
of her school's advanced concert chorale, Science  Research Team, the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Future Business  Leaders of America.
She also has participated in the Upward Bound Math and  Science Program held
summers at Northwest Missouri State University and was  selected two years
running.

Said one of her church leaders, Robert D.  Ashford: "She has led other young
women of her age group to be better people  and has conducted music for the
entire congregation."

The William R.  Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is intended to assist a
qualified student to  obtain a bachelor's degree at an accredited school in
one of the following  courses of study: business-related computers, medical
or nursing fields,  engineering or sciences. The four-year award to an active
radio amateur is  based on outstanding qualifications, need and other funding
sources.  

The Goldfarb Scholarship is the result of a generous endowment from the  late
William Goldfarb, N2ITP. Before his death in 1997, Goldfarb set up  a
scholarship endowment of close to $1 million in memory of his  parents,
Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb.

More information on the Goldfarb  Scholarship is available on the ARRL Web
site  <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/goldfarb.html>. Applications for  the
Goldfarb Scholarship and other ARRL Foundation Scholarship applications  are
accepted each year beginning October 1 and ending February 1 for  the
academic year that starts the following  August/September.

==>WEST MOUNTAIN RADIO TO BE PRINCIPAL AWARDS  SPONSOR FOR ARRL RTTY ROUNDUP

West Mountain Radio, which manufactures the  popular RIGblaster digital modes
radio-to-sound card interfaces, has  generously agreed to be Principal Awards
Sponsor for the 2006 and 2007  runnings of the ARRL RTTY Round-Up. During the
annual event, which takes  place the first full weekend in January, radio
amateurs around the globe  contact and exchange QSO information using Baudot
RTTY, PSK31, ASCII, AMTOR  and attended packet operation. ARRL COO Harold
Kramer, WJ1B, said West  Mountain Radio's participation will provide the
events' top scorers with  plaques that might not otherwise be available.

"We are pleased that West  Mountain Radio has agreed to be the Principal
Awards Sponsor for the ARRL  RTTY Round-Up," Kramer said. "Participation in
the ARRL RTTY Round-Up has  been increasing every year, and we are grateful
to West Mountain Radio for  its support. It is particularly appropriate for
West Mountain Radio to  associate itself with this operating event because of
its continuing  commitment and technical contribution to digital
communication and support of  this interest group." West Mountain Radio will
be Principal Awards Sponsor  for all unsponsored plaques for the events.

West Mountain Radio's Dan  Gravereaux, N1ZZ, said he hopes the cooperative
arrangement will help to spur  more interest in digital mode contesting and
operating. "We are delighted to  be the Principal Awards Sponsor," he
commented. "We at West Mountain Radio  have worked very hard to make RTTY and
other digital modes more accessible to  the Amateur Radio community."

Gravereaux says he believes the League, the  various digital-mode software
developers and his company have made an effort  to promote more exciting
modes and "to keep ham radio really fun," and he  sees West Mountain Radio's
participation as Principal Awards Sponsor an  extension of that activity.

RTTY Round-Up plaques will go to the  top-scoring low and high-power entrants
in each overall contest category  within each ARRL Division and Canada. Entry
categories include  single-operator low power and high power and
multioperator  single-transmitter, low power and high power. Plaques that
West Mountain  Radio is underwriting will bear the company's logo, as will
all contest  certificates sent to contest category winners. Other plaques
already are  underwritten by clubs, individuals or other organizations. 

Based in  Norwalk, Connecticut, West Mountain  Radio
<http://www.westmountainradio.com/> produces several RIGblaster  models for
operating digital modes with a computer. It also makes the  RIGrunner for
distributing 12 V dc power, PWRgates for emergency backup,  RIGtalk for rig
control, and CBAs for battery testing. Gravereaux says the  West Mountain
Radio team plans to be on the air for the ARRL RTTY Round-Up  next January
using the company's K1WMR club station call  sign.

==>EUROPEAN HAMS HEAR SIGNALS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE

Hams  in Germany and Portugal reportedly have received signals from the US
Voyager  1 spacecraft <http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/> in March and April.  On
March 31, AMSAT-DL (Germany) radio amateurs at the Institute  for
Environmental and Future Research (IUZ) at Bochum Observatory used  a
20-meter radio telescope dish to detect Voyager 1's 8.4 GHz  signal.

Using Doppler shift and sky positioning, the German team received  the signal
from a distance of 8.82 billion miles (14.7 billion km)--nearly  100 times
the distance from the sun to Earth. This is the first recorded  reception of
signals from Voyager 1 by radio amateurs. 

Members of the  AMSAT-DL/IUZ team included Freddy de Guchteneire, ON6UG,
James Miller, G3RUH,  Hartmut Paesler, DL1YDD, and Achim Vollhardt,
DH2VA/HB9DUN. Assisting were  Theo Elsner, DJ5YM of IUZ, and Roger Ludwig of
Jet Propulsion Laboratory  (JPL), as well as the Deep Space Network (DSN)
tracking station in Madrid,  Spain.

Luis Cupido, CT1DMK, in Portugal reported April 15 that he spent  "two nights
without sleep" to hear Voyager I at his QTH using a 5.6-meter  dish. To
detect the signal, Cupido says he had to acquire and integrate  spectrograms
over an extended period.

"I did several acquisition  periods of 15 minutes (900 s), the minimum I
would expect to see something,"  he said on his Web site
<http://w3ref.cfn.ist.utl.pt/cupido/dsn.html>,  noting that any longer time
period would be incompatible with his  Doppler-shift correction scheme. "The
receiver is operated at fixed  frequency, and the Doppler variation was
corrected by skewing successive  spectrograms in software while accumulating
[images]." 

He based  positive identification of Voyager 1's signal on the fact that
signal is  "only visible for the right skew amount that corresponds to the
Doppler  variation as predicted by the relative velocity calculation."

Voyager 1  was launched in September 1977 to conduct close-up studies of
Jupiter and  Saturn, Saturn's rings and the larger moons of the two planets.
Designed to  last only five years, the probe is expected to send back
astronomical  information to NASA and JPL until at least 2020. Voyager 1 will
study  ultraviolet sources among the stars, and its fields and particles
instruments  will continue to search for the boundary between the sun's
influence and  interstellar space.

==>NON-DELIVERABLE CARD REMAINS IN "QSL LIMBO" FOR  50 YEARS

George Hitz, W1DA, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, can finally  account for one of
his QSL cards--one he sent in 1956. While a newly licensed  teenager living
in DeLand, Florida, Hitz, then KN4DPI, fired up his Johnson  Viking
Adventurer transmitter and made contact with Dave, KN6MSI, on 40  meters.
Like a good operator, Hitz sent off a QSL card, addressed only to  "Amateur
Radio--KN6NMI, Chief Op Dave, Address Unknown, Riverdale, Calif."  This
turned out to be David Leaven, later WI6J, who became a Silent Key in  2003.

"I was 14, and like me, Dave was a new ham, and he wasn't in the  call book,"
Hitz told ARRL. "I hoped there would be someone at the Riverdale  post office
that would know who Dave was, and it would get to him." But Hitz  made one
mistake: he addressed the card to Riverdale instead of to Dave's  actual QTH,
Riverside. That simple error left the card sitting in QSL limbo  from 1956
until now.

"In 1956, I was just a Novice operator with a  primitive station and even
more primitive operating skills," Hitz explained.  "Back then, with my radio
built from a kit and my BC-348 World War II Army  Air Corps surplus receiver
and a 60-foot long wire antenna that was 15 feet  high, California, was like
a whole other country. And I needed that  California QSL!" 

Hitz had put a return address on his card, but for  reasons perhaps best
known to the US Postal Service, it finally was returned  to his former
Florida address in early April. It turned up in the mailbox of  Mack
McCormick, a nonham now living in Hitz's childhood home.

"The  card apparently has been in the 'Twilight Zone' for 50 years,"
McCormick  said. "It's not wrinkled or anything." 

McCormick offered to return the  card to Hitz, but Hitz declined. "What would
I do with it?" he said. "I  understand the guy who found it is going to frame
it and place it on his  coffee table!"

The story of the long-lost QSL card received worldwide  attention. "The press
has run wild with this," Hitz said. "I heard this story  has been in
newspapers in India, Iceland, Ireland--all over the world, over  100
countries! It's almost like I could have DXCC from all the countries  that
have reported it." 

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar flash Tad  "That Lucky Ol' Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Geomagnetic  conditions were quiet this week in most places, but on
April 22 there was a  geomagnetic storm at high latitudes caused by solar
wind and a south-pointing  interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The College A
index in Fairbanks,  Alaska, reached 38, and the K index was 7 at its
highest. The Mid-Latitude A  index for the day was only 10--just slightly
unsettled.

On April 27  there was a strong, but brief, solar flare from Sunspot 875, but
this was not  expected to cause major geomagnetic activity. At the time of
the flare,  around 1552 UTC, X-rays caused a radio blackout of nearly  a
quarter-hour.

Sunspot numbers and solar flux have been rising, and  solar flux is expected
to remain around 100 over the next week. Geomagnetic  conditions may become
active again around May 2 and May 6, with a big  increase in activity
expected around May 10-13 because of similar activity  during the previous
solar rotation.

Sunspot numbers for April 20  through 26 were 30, 14, 15, 24, 38, 33 and 60,
with a mean of 30.6. The 10.7  cm flux was 78.7, 76.4, 82.4, 86.7, 92.8,
95.1, and 100, with a mean of 87.4.  Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 8,
18, 8, 7, 5 and 5, with a mean of 8.  Estimated mid-latitude A indices were
3, 6, 10, 8, 4, 1 and 2, with a mean of  4.9.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

*  This weekend on the radio: The North America High Speed Meteor Scatter
Spring  Rally is April 29 until May 7. The SBMS 2 GHz and Up World Wide Club
Contest,  the Helvetia Contest and the Alabama QSO Party are the weekend of
April  29-30. JUST AHEAD: The AGCW QRP/QRP Party and the RSGB 80-meter  Club
Championship (SSB) are May 1. The ARS Spartan Sprint is May 2. The  Thursday
NCCC Sprint Ladder is May 5 UTC. The New England, Seventh Call Area  and
Indiana QSO parties, the MARAC County Hunter Contest (CW), the  10-10
International Spring Contest (CW), the Microwave Spring Sprint, and the  ARI
International DX Contest are the weekend of May 6-7. The RSGB 80-meter  Club
Championship (Data) is May 10. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is May  12
(UTC). See the ARRL Contest Branch page  <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and
the WA7BNM Contest  Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more  info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course  registration:
Registration remains open through Sunday, May 7, for these  ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line  courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur  Radio
Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004),  HF
Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF--Life Beyond the Repeater  (EC-008),
and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011). Classes begin Friday, May  19. To
learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing  page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE  Department
<cce@arrl.org>.

* Armed Forces Day 2006  military/amateur activities set: The US Army, Air
Force, Navy, Marine Corps  and Coast Guard will cosponsor the annual
military/Amateur Radio  communications tests Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14
t56th Armed Forces Day.  Although the actual Armed Forces Day is Saturday,
May 20, the Armed Forces  Day on-the-air activities will take place earlier,
to avoid conflicts with  those who might be attending Dayton Hamvention, May
19-21. The annual  activity features traditional military-to-amateur
crossband (ie, hams  transmit on amateur frequencies and receive military
stations on nearby  military channels) SSB voice tests and copying the
Secretary of Defense's  annual Armed Forces Day message via digital modes
(RTTY, PACTOR, AMTOR,  PSK-31 and MT63). "These tests give Amateur Radio
operators and Short Wave  Listeners an opportunity to demonstrate their
individual technical skills and  receive recognition from the Secretary of
Defense and/or the appropriate  military radio station for their proven
expertise," the US Armed Forces Day  announcement says. QSL cards will be
provided to those making contact with  military stations. Commemorative
certificates will be awarded to those  receiving and copying without error
the digital Armed Forces Day message from  the Secretary of Defense. The
tentative schedule of on-the-air  events--including a list of participating
stations, the Secretary of  Defense's message transmission schedule and more
information--is available on  the US Army MARS Web  site
<http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars/news/ARMED%20FORCES%20DAY%20(2006).doc>.
The  schedule is subject to change without notice.

* SuitSat-1 still in orbit:  Tossed into orbit three months ago from the
International Space Station,  SuitSat-1 continues to orbit Earth--although
its batteries are long since  dead, Spaceweather.com reported this week that
skywatcher Kevin Fetter  videotaped SuitSat-1 as it passed over his
Brockville, Ontario, Canada, home  (the bright star in the movie is  Vega)
<http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/swpod2006/27apr06/fetter.wmv>.  A spare
Russian Orlan spacesuit equipped with a voice transmitter, slow-scan  TV
system, voice recordings and various sensors, SuitSat-1 was the  brainchild
of the Russian Amateur Radio on the International Space Station  (ARISS)
team. From the outset, radio signals from the unusual satellite were  very
weak due to an undetermined problem. Even so, SuitSat-1 remained  in
operation for more than two weeks, easily outlasting initial  predictions
that it would only transmit for about one week. The last  confirmed reception
of SuitSat-1's voice audio was on February 18. Calling  the project
"tremendously successful," ARISS International Chairman Frank  Bauer, KA3HDO,
says SuitSat-1 captured the imagination of people around the  world, despite
its much-lower-than-expected signal strength. Eventually,  SuitSat-1 will
sink into Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate in a flash of  fire. Another
surplus Orlan suit remains aboard the ISS, so SuitSat-2 could  be in the
offing.

* Hugh L. Tinley, K0GHK, SK: QST author and World  War II historical figure
Hugh Tinley, K0GHK, of Omaha, Nebraska, died April  27. He was 88. Tinley had
been suffering from bone cancer. His article,  "Riding the Magic Carpet," in
April QST about using EchoLink to put hospital  patients in touch with one
another proved very popular with readers. An  officer on the staff of Gen
Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II, Tinley  was one of the last
surviving individuals to have witnessed the signing of  the German surrender
documents that ended the war. In 2005, he appeared in an  ABC Evening News
segment, "Old Soldiers," marking the 60th anniversary of the  victory in
Europe. Retired as president of Farmers International, he had been  a radio
amateur for 46 years. During the 1960s, he was an active participant  in the
Military Affiliate Radio System's "Operation Hello," helping provide  phone
patches between servicemen in Vietnam and their families. He was a  member of
ARRL and the Heartland DX Association.

* DXCC Desk approves  operations for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved these operations  for DXCC credit: YI9AQ (Iraq), current operation,
effective September 21,  2004; D6/WB4MBU (Comoros), operation from May 24 to
October 27, 2001; D68JC  (Comoros), operation from October 23 to November 8,
2001, and 4W2AQ  (Timor-Leste), operation from June 18 to December 17, 2003.
For more  information, visit the DXCC Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc>.  "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can
answer most questions about the DXCC  program. ARRL DX bulletins are
available on the W1AW DX Bulletins page  <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.

===========================================================  
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the  American
Radio Relay League--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.

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