[FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 32 August 11, 2006

[W4kkw at aol.com]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 32
August 11,  2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* IARU Region 3 elects  new leadership
* Amateur Radio license of convicted felon in jeopardy;  hearing pending
* MARS to support US Transportation Security Administration  in emergencies
* Greek space campers converse via ham radio with German  astronaut
* ISS ham radio "go-to" guy earns NASA's Silver Snoopy Award
*  ARRL on-line auction gearing up
* ARRL HQ volunteer tour guides on the  job
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
This  weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing  Education course registration
ARRL HQ phone system to be  disrupted August 16
New CQ WPX Award manager  announced
Thirtieth Annual Tokyo Ham Fair August  19-20
Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN, SK
Robert M. Richardson, W4UCH, SK
Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR,  SK


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

==>IARU  REGION 3 ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP 

The 13th Conference of IARU Region 3 was  held in Bangalore, India August
7-11. IARU Region 3  <http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/> consists of the
member-societies of  the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) in the
Asia-Pacific area. There  were 13 IARU member-societies represented in person
with another five  represented by proxy. Representing the ARRL, which has
Full members in Guam,  the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, were
International Affairs  Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Chief Executive
Officer and Secretary  David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Chief Technology Officer Paul
Rinaldo, W4RI. The IARU  International Secretariat was represented by Vice
President Tim Ellam, VE6SH.  All four also will attend a meeting of the IARU
Administrative Council in  Bangalore on August 12-14.

Conference arrangements were made by an  outstanding team of volunteers of
the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI),  the IARU member-society for
India. 

The conference considered more  than 60 input documents containing reports
and proposals from Region 3  member-societies, coordinators and committee
chairmen, as well as from IARU  Regions 1 and 2. The conference documents are
available on the Web  <http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/13r3c/docs/docs.htm>.

Two Working  Groups dealing with policy and operational issues met in
parallel. A third  Working Group to consider constitutional issues met when
the other two  Working Groups were not in session. Proposals to amend the
Constitution that  had been proposed in advance by member-societies were
considered, and modest  amendments were adopted. Recommendations were adopted
addressing a wide range  of Amateur Radio issues, including the 2007 World
Radiocommunication  Conference, BPL/PLC interference, international
licensing, development of  Amateur Radio in the Pacific Islands, interference
from unauthorized  non-amateur stations operating in the amateur bands,
emergency communications  preparedness, and signal reporting for digital
modes. 

A new slate of  Directors was elected to manage the affairs of the Region
between  conferences. They are Michael Owen, VK3KI, who also was elected
Chairman of  Directors; Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI; Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN; Peter B.
Lake, ZL2AZ;  and Prof. Rhee-Joong Guen, HL1AQQ. The contributions of
retiring Directors Y.  S. Park, HL1IFM, Chandru Ramchandra, VU2RCR, Yoshiji
Sekido, JJ1OEY, and K.  C. Selvadurai, 9V1UV were noted with great
appreciation. Keigo Komuro,  JA1KAB, continues as Secretary of the Region.

The 14th Region 3  Conference is planned for Christchurch, New Zealand in
2009. -- David Sumner,  K1ZZ

==>AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE OF CONVICTED FELON IN JEOPARDY; HEARING  PENDING

The FCC has initiated a hearing proceeding against Robert D.  Landis, N6FRV,
of Atascadero, California, who was convicted on two felony  counts in 1991,
fined $10,000 and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The  hearing will
determine whether Landis will be allowed to continue to hold his  Advanced
class license, which is due to expire on November 1. The Order to  Show  Cause
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1570A1.pdf>
released  August 1 was in response to a complaint pointing out Landis's
conviction for  lewd behavior involving a minor. For several years now, the
FCC has applied  character standards once reserved for broadcast licensees to
Amateur Radio  licensing and renewal cases. 

"Thus, felony convictions, especially those  involving sexual assault on
children, raise questions regarding an amateur  licensee's qualifications,"
the FCC said in this week's Order. Section  312(a)(2) of the Communications
Act provides that the Commission may revoke  any license if conditions come
to its attention that would warrant refusal to  grant a license on the
original application, the FCC noted.

"The  foregoing makes plain that Mr Landis's felony convictions raise  serious
questions as to whether he possesses the requisite character  qualifications
to be and to remain a Commission licensee and whether his  captioned license
should be revoked."

The FCC ordered Landis to show  cause why his authorization for an Amateur
Radio license should not be  revoked, although the Enforcement Bureau will
bear the burden of proof with  respect to the issues raised. An
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presides at  such hearings, at which evidence
and witnesses may be presented and heard.  

If Landis fails to respond to the Order within 30 days or otherwise  waives
his right to a hearing, the ALJ will issue an order terminating the  hearing
proceeding and certifying the case to the FCC.

The FCC served  notice July 14 on two other Amateur Radio licensees that
their respective  applications would be designated for hearing. Both cases
involve apparent  misrepresentations to the Commission. Special Counsel in
the FCC Spectrum  Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth told Gordon D.
Young, WB6NKJ, that  his Amateur Extra upgrade application would be
designated for hearing to  "determine whether you are qualified to remain a
Commission licensee, and, if  so, whether your Extra class application should
be granted."

The FCC  alleges that Young made misrepresentations to the Commission
regarding  repairs to his transmitter after he received a Warning Notice for
allegedly  operating on a frequency not allowed to Advanced class licensees.

The  Commission plans to designate the Amateur Radio Technician class
application  of Frank C. Richards of Mooers, New York, for hearing because of
unresolved  circumstances surrounding his 2004 filing of applications to
change the  address and call sign on a license that apparently belonged to a
man of the  same name in Florida.

After Richards submitted the license for KG2IJ for  cancellation in June
2004, the FCC said it contemplated no further  enforcement action. The
Commission said, however, that it would review the  circumstances of the
applications should Richards ever apply for an Amateur  Radio license in the
future.

Richards passed the Technician exam last  March and applied for a license in
late June.

==>MARS TO SUPPORT US  TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IN EMERGENCIES

Amateur Radio  operators who are members of the Military Affiliate Radio
System (MARS) will  provide back-up communication for the US Transportation
Security  Administration (TSA) under a formal agreement announced in July by
Army MARS  Chief Kathy Harrison, AAA9A. Protecting airports during the
hurricane season  will be the immediate focus, she said, adding that the new
MARS-TSA  collaboration "is likely to expand to other Department of Homeland
Security  (DHS) areas" in the future.

"This is an extensive area and will require  member support across the
continental United States," Harrison said in a  broadcast announcement to
Army MARS participants. "We will need many  volunteers to man teams assigned
to specific geographical areas, starting  with airports throughout the
hurricane corridor." She called for "physically  capable" Amateur Radio
operators to volunteer for the assignment.

The  first airport emergency support teams will be located at four airports
in the  Florida hurricane belt: Miami, Ft Myers, Jacksonville and Pensacola,
Harrison  said. She added that recruiting will immediately follow for nine
additional  potential hurricane targets from Washington, DC to Houston. In a
later phase  - but as soon as possible - additional teams will be recruited
for other  hurricane locations including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,
and after  that, the remainder of the continental US.

The emergency support teams -  each consisting of four members of MARS - are
being assembled under joint  sponsorship of MARS and the TSA, with deployment
assignments determined by  the TSA when and if the government's communication
systems fail. "Volunteers  should be within a reasonable traveling distance
to the airport. It will be  their responsibility to get to the site when
activated," said  Harrison.

The Memorandum of Understanding, which is already in place,  calls for using
MARS networks, personnel and equipment to maintain  communication during the
first 72 hours of incidents involving aircraft, mass  transit and pipelines.
Seventy-two hours is considered the maximum time  needed for federal response
organizations to deploy internal emergency  communication systems.

The MoU spells out the most extensive MARS support  mission since the
development of the Essential Elements of Information (EEI),  which date to
the 1994 Northridge earthquake that devastated parts of  California's San
Fernando Valley. EEIs are alerts to the Pentagon of a  natural disaster or
other incident that might require a federal  response.

In a memo to MARS personnel, Harrison included the following  points:

.  The Navy-Marine Corps and Air Force MARS organizations  are included in
the call for volunteers, via their separate chains of  command.

.  Army MARS state directors will be responsible for  formation of the joint
teams.

.  All deployments will be by team,  each with a combination of equipment and
operator capabilities and members  ready to work 12-hour shifts. Some
locations may ultimately require more than  one team.

.  Required equipment for each team will include HF and  VHF radios with
voice and digital capability, Pactor/Airmail digital  messaging, phone
patching and emergency power.

.  Some locations  may have TSA radio gear and emergency power supply to
augment the hams'  personal equipment.

A particular MARS responsibility will be to provide  communication
interoperability with local, state and national networks, such  as the Radio
Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and Shared Resources  (SHARES). A
separate web of national and regional HF radio networks, SHARES  links
federal agencies under the DHS's National Communications System (NCS),  of
which MARS already is a primary participant.

The pact calls for a  reliable back-up solution "to ensure the continuity of
TSA's command and  control function during the first 72 hours following any
incident interfering  with normal communications channels and to provide
local, regional and  nationwide TSA communications during that time." The
existing Army MARS  emergency communication network offers such a solution
immediately and at no  additional cost to the TSA, the MoU points out.

Under the MoU, the TSA  agrees to provide MARS volunteers with access to its
facilities and space for  radio equipment. It further agrees to integrate
MARS capabilities into its  emergency planning and exercises. The Army's
commitment includes providing  "volunteer MARS radio operators, equipment,
and use of the MARS radio  networks" and developing "alert procedures and a
communications support plan"  that "will identify specific frequencies, call
signs, and radio operator  level duties." Harrison stressed that the decision
to volunteer rests with  the individual. "The Army has no liability over a
member who reports to a  disaster site; members will be responsible to TSA
personnel."

Harrison  told the Army MARS membership that she's "very excited" about the
new  agreement. "This will be a fast-moving recruitment/development action,
and I  request your support in filling these teams."

The chiefs of Air Force and  Navy-Marine Corps MARS also are onboard with the
new agreement and have  messaged their respective memberships to signify
their participation and  cooperation with Army MARS. Air Force MARS Chief Don
Poquette, AGA3C/KE9XB,  has pledged his members' support. "AF MARS will
assist to accomplish this  mission," he said, pending working out logistical
details.

Harrison  says she and her headquarters staff met recently with TSA and  DHS
representatives to formalize the details of the cooperative arrangement.  She
said MARS area coordinators will provide specific requirements to state  MARS
directors to recruit members and equipment capabilities to support  TSA.

Signing the MoU on behalf of the Army was Col Mary Beth Shively,  chief of
staff, Network Enterprise Technology Command/Ninth Army Signal  Command.
James Schear, General Manager, Operational Plans and Programs,  endorsed it
for the TSA. Headquartered at Ft Huachuca, Arizona, the Ninth  Army Signal
Command oversees the Army MARS mission. -- Bill Sexton, N1IN  

==>GREEK SPACE CAMPERS CONVERSE VIA HAM RADIO WITH GERMAN  ASTRONAUT

It was a truly international event July 29, when a Greek  official and two
youngsters attending a European Space Agency (ESA) space  camp in Patras,
Greece, spoke with German astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR,  aboard the
International Space Station. 

The radio contact was  performed by an ARISS ground station at Sacred Heart
Academy, Honolulu,  Hawaii, operated by Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN. Signals were
relayed to Greece by  telebridge courtesy of Verizon Teleconferencing. 

Participating in this  ESA-organized event was Mrs Marietta Giannakou,
Minister of National  Education and Religious Affairs, who asked the first
questions, inviting  Reiter to address a message to the youth and to comment
on experiments that  are being conducted onboard the International Space
Station. 

Thomas  said there is so much we can gain for the benefit of mankind by going
to  space and exploring other planets. He encouraged young people to engage
in  careers related to space flight. One of his experiments is to study  the
behavior of fluids of different densities in microgravity.  

Answering students' questions, Thomas insisted on the importance  for
candidate astronauts to first study hard and acquire a solid background  in
sciences such as biology, physics or medical science. About future  space
exploration, he predicted that we will go back to the Moon within a  few
years and possibly to Mars 25 years from now. 

The Patras event  was highlighted on Greek national TV evening news and
publicized widely in  several newspapers. 

The ARISS school contact was also distributed on  EchoLink and IRLP. 

ARISS is an educational outreach with US  participation by ARRL, AMSAT and
NASA. -- tnx Gaston Bertels,  ON4WF

==>ISS HAM RADIO "GO-TO" GUY EARNS NASA'S SILVER SNOOPY  AWARD

NASA has honored ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom,  N5VHO, with
its prestigious "Silver Snoopy"  Award
<http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/sfa/snoopy.html>. Ransom was tapped  to receive
the award for his role in helping International Space Station  Expedition 12
Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, complete and confirm Worked  All States
(WAS) and Worked All Continents (WAC), including Antarctica, from  NA1SS, as
well as logging some 130 DXCC entities. McArthur's duty tour ended  in April.

"I am honored to have received the award and honored again by  Bill
McArthur's thoughtfulness at selecting such an Amateur  Radio-appropriate
Silver Snoopy," Ransom told ARRL. He explained that every  Silver Snoopy has
flown on a space mission. "The one that was awarded to me  was flown on
STS-58, which was Bill's first shuttle flight." The STS-58  mission, he said,
not only was a SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment)  flight but
McArthur's introduction to Amateur Radio from space. SAREX was  the
predecessor to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station  (ARISS)
program <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>.

In his role as ISS  Ham Radio Project Engineer, Ransom helps ARISS arrange
opportunities for  students to speak via Amateur Radio with the space station
crew at NA1SS. He  also coordinates with the ISS crew on the configuration
and operation of the  two ham radio stations aboard the space station.

At some point during  Expedition 12, Ransom realized that McArthur had
already logged 25 states,  and he figured, "Why stop there?" Pretty soon, he
was lining up contacts for  McArthur in the other 25.

"It was an, 'I know a friend who knows a friend  who knows a friend' sort of
thing," Ransom explained. "There are a lot of  folks eager to talk to an
astronaut."

And the feeling was  mutual.

"Different crews do different things as pastimes," Ransom said.  "Bill
enjoyed talking on the radio. It gave him someone else to talk to  besides
CAPCOM, the voice of mission control."

By the end of the  mission, McArthur not only became the first astronaut to
earn WAS from space  but put lots of DX -- routine and exotic -- in the NA1SS
log on both VHF and  UHF. Overall, he made more than 1800 contacts during his
approximately six  months in space. He also established a new ARISS milestone
by completing 37  school group contacts.

"None of that would have been possible without the  work Kenneth did,"
McArthur said. "He alerted radio operators in some pretty  obscure places --
places that rarely have contact with the space  program."

To show his gratitude, McArthur recently presented Ransom with  the Silver
Snoopy Award -- a silver lapel pin featuring the famous "Peanuts"  comic
strip character Snoopy in a spacesuit. NASA's Astronaut Office presents  the
award to those who have significantly enhanced the space agency's goals  for
human exploration and development of space. Fewer than one percent of  the
space program's workforce receives it annually.

McArthur is still  working to confirm DXCC from space. So far, he has
approximately one-third of  the necessary contacts confirmed.--NASA provided
some information for this  report

==>ARRL ON-LINE AUCTION GEARING UP

A big "Thank You"  goes to the hundreds of ARRL members who have already
contacted us about the  first ARRL On-Line Auction, expressing their support
for and interest in this  exciting event. We have already begun receiving
some very generous donations  that will surely make the first ARRL On-Line
Auction an event to remember.  

The auction will run from Monday, October 23 through Friday, November  3.
Individuals who wish to participate will need to register  on-line
approximately one week prior to the event. An update announcement  will
appear on the ARRL Web site when the ARRL On-Line Auction site "goes  live." 

==>ARRL HQ TOUR GUIDES ON THE JOB

Now when you arrive  at the ARRL for a tour, your host will be one of our new
Volunteer Tour  Guides. It might be Bob, or it could be Bob -- depending on
the day, you  might just luck out and get Bob! 

No, we're not re-creating The Newhart  Show; our first three Volunteer Tour
Guides, while not brothers, are all  named Bob! 

On July 28, ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B,  along with
Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, and Sales and Marketing  Coordinator
Jackie Cornell, presented framed certificates recognizing their  volunteerism
to the three new Volunteer Tour Guides: Bob Allison, WB1GCM, Bob  Burke,
KA1KOV, and Bob Stanwood, KB1EYZ. 

"We are very thankful and  appreciative of your enthusiasm for Amateur Radio
and the League. I know our  guests will enjoy their visit to Headquarters
even more now because of you --  thank you!" said Breen. 

And just who is the "Trio Bob"? Bob Allison,  WB1GCM, has been a ham for 32
years; he holds an Amateur Extra class license.  His Amateur Radio hobby led
directly to an education in electronics and a 27  year career in broadcast
television and radio. "Ham Radio opens many doors in  life, and I've had the
opportunity to help people through this wonderful  hobby," he said. Bob and
his wife, ARRL staffer Kathy, KA1RWY, reside in  Coventry, Connecticut. Bob
also enjoys sailing and working on Model A Fords.  "It's a privilege to be
able to volunteer here at ARRL HQ," he said. "I am  pleased to be your tour
guide!" 

Bob Burke, KA1KOV, got into Amateur  Radio, as he says, "by accident." When
he was Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop  29 in the early 1980s, another Scout
leader had heard of a Novice class  starting at the Newington Amateur Radio
League (NARL). Since the Scouters had  to travel to New York for their
license upgrades, it was a long time between  Tech and General, but Bob now
holds an Amateur Extra class license, is a  Volunteer Examiner, as well as a
past president of NARL. 

Bob  Stanwood, KB1EYZ, has been involved with Amateur Radio since building  a
crystal set when he was 10 years old; it led to his discovery of short  wave
radio and experimenting with TV antennas in high school. After earning  two
degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell University and four years  of
piloting C-130s for the US Air Force, Bob was hired by Pratt &  Whitney,
eventually in program management. He retired 13 years ago and worked  another
four years as a consultant, and in full retirement, turned to Amateur  Radio.
Since earning his Technician license in 2000, he has progressed to  Amateur
Extra, continuing to build antennas and participating in public  service
events. He and his wife Peggy have been married 42 years, and have  two adult
children and two wonderful granddaughters, aged four and seven. In  addition
to his family and Amateur Radio, Bob also volunteers at the New  England Air
Museum. 

Tours are given every day the ARRL HQ is open, at  9, 10 and 11 AM, and 1, 2
and 3 PM. Part of the tour includes W1AW, so be  sure to bring a copy of your
license, as you are encouraged to operate. While  tour reservations are not
necessary, large groups should notify Jackie  Cornell at 860-594-0292.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Heliophile Tad "Don't  Let The Sun Catch You Crying" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: On  four days this week the sun was spotless, so the
average daily sunspot number  for the week dropped over 11 points to 8.6.
Sunspot numbers are now  recovering and climbing, from zero on Monday to 12,
25 and 37 on Tuesday  through Thursday. Sunspot numbers and solar flux should
continue a modest  recovery through next week. When the sunspots were zero,
the solar flux (a  measurement of 10.7 GHz energy from the sun, observed at a
station in British  Columbia) was below 70. Now solar flux is expected to
rise in the short term  to 85 or more. Rising sunspot numbers and solar flux
mean higher MUF (Maximum  Usable Frequency), although not a lot higher.

Sunspot numbers for August  3 through 9 were 23, 0, 0, 0, 0, 12 and 25 with a
mean of 8.6. 10.7 cm flux  was 71.3, 69.6, 69.5, 69.5, 69.8, 71.4, and 74.1,
with a mean of 70.7.  Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 3, 4, 4, 32, 12
and 9 with a mean of  10. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 2, 2, 2,
19, 10 and 9, with a  mean of 7.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the  ARRL Technical
Information Service at  http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html. For a
detailed explanation of  the numbers used in this bulletin,  see
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/k9la-prop.html. An archive of past  propagation
bulletins is at  http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.

__________________________________

==>IN  BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The WAE DX Contest (CW) and the  Maryland-DC QSO
Party are the weekend of August 12-13. The ARRL 10 GHz and Up  Contest, the
North American QSO Party (SSB), the SARTG World Wide RTTY  Contest, and the
New Jersey QSO Party, as well as the International  Lighthouse/Lightship
Weekend are the weekend of August 19-20. The Run for the  Bacon QRP Contest
is August 21. 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 begins Friday, August 11 for these ARRL  Certification and
Continuing Education (CCE) online courses: Amateur Radio  Emergency
Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference  (EC-006),
Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog Electronics  (EC-012) and
Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin Friday, October 6.  To learn
more, visit the CCE Course Listing  page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE  Department
<cce at arrl.org>.

* HQ telephone service to be  disrupted August 16: On Wednesday, August 16,
after the close of business (5  PM EDT), the ARRL HQ phone system will be
taken off-line for up to a couple  of hours so critical upgrades to the
software running the system can be  installed. During that time, anyone
calling an ARRL HQ number will hear a  ring tone, but the call will not be
answered. We regret any inconvenience  this may cause to our members. 

* N8BJQ is new CQ WPX Award manager:  Steve Bolia, N8BJQ, has been named to
succeed Norm Koch, WN5N (ex-K6ZDL), as  manager of the CQ WPX Award program,
CQ Publisher and President Dick Ross,  K2MGA, has announced. The WPX awards
are issued for confirmed contacts with  stations having different call sign
prefixes. Koch is retiring after 25 years  in the position. "We thank Norm
for his many years of devoted service to the  WPX program, to CQ and to
Amateur Radio," said Ross, "We wish him all the  best in the future." A CQ
Contesting Hall of Famer and Contest Committee  member, Bolia was CQ WPX
Contest director from 1982 until 2003. He holds CW,  SSB and mixed Worked All
Zones awards, is on the DXCC Honor Roll (mixed and  CW), and holds 5-Band
DXCC, RTTY DXCC and 160-Meter DXCC. He's also made  several DXpeditions. The
September issue of CQ will include updated address  information to submit
award applications.

* Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN,  SK: Don Newcomb, W0DN, of Henderson, Nevada, died
July 27. He was 71. Newcomb  founded the Butternut Company, manufacturer of a
series of highly regarded  antennas, and he held several patents in antenna
design. A bit of a  renaissance man, Newcomb also was an accomplished
musician, held a doctorate  in French and was a university professor in
Minnesota before he started  Butternut in the late 1970s. In 1994, Newcomb
sold Butternut to Bencher, Inc  and retired to Nevada. -- tnx Bob Locher,
W9KNI

* Robert M.  Richardson, W4UCH, SK: Robert M. "Bob" Richardson, W4UCH, of Ft
Lauderdale,  Florida, died June 29. He was 79. An aviation executive, fighter
pilot and  inventor, Richardson contributed several articles to QST and to
Ham Radio  magazine between 1959 and 1986. He also authored The Gunnplexer
Cookbook,  published in 1981 by Ham Radio Publishing. Following World War II
service as  a fighter pilot, he was assigned to work on "Operation Ivy"
hydrogen bomb  test in the Marshall Islands. He holds several patents
including one for a  "battery-free remote radio transmitter," a precursor to
today's RF  identification tags used in retail security and inventory
control. He also  holds a patent for the first bacteria-powered radio
transmitter, an  accomplishment featured by Life magazine in a 1961 article,
"Will Bugs  Generate Our Future Power?" In 1962, Richardson's contribution
"First  Biological Cell Application Powers Six-Meter Transmitter" appeared in
QST's  "Technical Correspondence." The family invites memorial donations to
the  Robert Merz Richardson Memorial, Chautauqua Foundation, PO Box  28,
Chautauqua, NY 14722.

* Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, SK: Long-time  Project OSCAR and AMSAT member
Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, of Morro Bay,  California, died July 30. An ARRL
Life Member, he was 75. Just days before  Buttschardt's death, the Project
OSCAR Board of Directors awarded him its  Lifetime Achievement Award - its
highest honor -- for contributions to  Amateur Satellite Radio. "In March of
2006 the Board of Project OSCAR voted  to recognize Cliff with an award for
his achievements and his lifetime of  contributions to amateur satellite
programs," said Project OSCAR Vice  President Emily Clarke, N1DID. "Over the
years Cliff contributed much to  Project OSCAR and AMSAT, and was one of the
guiding forces behind the CubeSat  program at Cal Poly, where he has been
working quietly behind the scenes as  an advisor." Unfortunately, a
much-heralded attempt to launch 14 university  CubeSats -- one renamed in
Buttschardt's honor -- failed July 26. It is  requested that in lieu of
flowers a contribution to AMSAT or the ARRL be made  in Cliff's  name.

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

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and  general news
of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web  site
<http://www.arrl.org> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news  updates.
The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers  informative features
and columns. ARRL Audio News  <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a
weekly "ham radio  newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's
also available as a  podcast from our Web site.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be  republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional  permission. Credit must be given to
The ARRL Letter/American Radio Relay  League.

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery  only!):
letter-dlvy at arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick  Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl at arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web:  <http://www.arrl.org>
==>ARRL Audio News:  <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or  call
860-594-0384

==>How to Get The ARRL Letter

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ARRL  members first must register on the Members Only Web  Site
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The ARRL Letter also is available to  all, free of charge, from these
sources:

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* The  QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
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