[FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 50 December 22, 2006

[W4kkw at aol.com]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 50
December 22,  2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC drops Morse  requirement for all license classes
* +League challenges FCC's dismissal of  BPL interference complaints
* +"Hello" campaign concludes with voices on the  air December 29-30
* +ARES volunteers muster in wake of weather  emergencies
* +ESA astronaut conducts first ARISS school QSO in  Swedish
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and  Continuing Education course registration
+ARRL Kids Day is  Sunday, January 7
AO-51 "Echo" is now  carrier-access
New DX record claimed for 300+ GHz  "traditional RF" operation
New 2-meter EME world record  claimed
Reminder: "Beijing model 1" IRCs expire at year's  end
Dale Hatfield, W0IFO, named Spectrum Advisory  Committee chairman
Angus Tait, ZL3NL, is 2006 Fred M.  Link Award winner
We stand corrected!

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

===========================================================
NOTE:  ARRL Headquarters will be closed Christmas Day, Monday, December 25,
and New  Year's Day, Monday, January 1, reopening the following day at 8 AM
Eastern  Time in both instances. There will be no W1AW code practice or
bulletin  transmissions on those days. In addition, there will be no editions
of The  ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News for Friday, December 29. Both will
return  Friday, January 5, 2007. We wish everyone a safe and happy  holiday
season!
===========================================================
==>Delivery  problems: First see  FAQ
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then  e-mail
<letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
==>Editorial questions or comments  only: Rick Lindquist,  N1RL,
<n1rl at arrl.org>
===========================================================

==>FCC  ELIMINATES MORSE CODE AS EXAM REQUIREMENT!

Early next year, the US will  join the growing list of countries that no
longer require Amateur Radio  applicants to pass a Morse code test as the
entry ticket to HF. Announcement  of the pending historic rule change arrived
with no fanfare December 15 in an  FCC public notice. A full-blown Report and
Order (R&O) in the proceeding,  WT Docket 05-235, followed December 19. The
best estimate of when the Morse  code requirement will go away officially is
sometime in February -- 30 days  after the R&O appears in the Federal
Register.

"We . . . believe  that the public interest is not served by requiring
facility in Morse code  when the trend in amateur communications is to use
voice and digital  technologies for exchanging messages," the FCC said in its
R&O. "Rather,  we believe that because the international requirement for
telegraphy  proficiency has been eliminated, we should treat Morse code
telegraphy no  differently from other Amateur Service communications
techniques."

The  FCC says it deems the current regime of written examinations "sufficient
to  determine whether a person is qualified to be issued an Amateur  Radio
operator license."

The FCC cast aside arguments that Morse  ability is advantageous in
emergencies, concluding that most emergency  communication is handled using
voice, data, or video techniques. The  Commission also turned away assertions
that retaining a Morse requirement  would help keep out the bad apples.

"The record is devoid of a  demonstrated nexus between Morse code proficiency
and on-the-air conduct,"  the FCC observed. It concurred with one commenter's
observation that  "maintaining the code requirement does not purge Amateur
Radio of bad  operators. Education and self-policing does."

The FCC also ordered that  all Technician licensees present and future --
whether or not they've passed  a Morse code test, will get privileges on 80,
40, 15 and 10 meters identical  to those of Novice licensees. "In eliminating
this disparity between  Technician and Technician Plus licenses, we are
simplifying the Amateur  Service licensing structure and promoting regulatory
parity," the FCC  said.

The FCC took advantage of the occasion to act on the League's  Petition for
Partial Reconsideration in the "omnibus" proceeding, WT Docket  04-140,
calling on the Commission to retain 3620 to 3635 kHz for  automatically
controlled digital stations by moving the Extra class phone  band edge to
3635 kHz. The FCC decided instead to authorize 3585 to 3600 kHz  for such
operations, and leave the newly expanded phone band  intact.

The Commission further amended Part 97 "to authorize Amateur  Extra class
privileges to all individuals who have been issued a CEPT  radio-amateur
license by their country of citizenship, and who satisfy other  requirements
in the Commission's rules."

Although the FCC's Morse code  decision came as no surprise, it nonetheless
revived debate on the issue. The  FCC had proposed more than a year ago to
drop the Morse code requirement for  all license classes. The record in the
proceeding, the FCC said, "reflects a  division of views in the Amateur Radio
community." After reviewing the more  than 3500 comments and
counter-proposals radio amateurs had filed, the  Commission stuck with its
initial proposal.

ARRL President Joel  Harrison, W5ZN, had this reaction: "While the
Commission's decision to delete  the Morse code requirement for an Amateur
Extra Class license departs from  the ARRL's recommendation, it is helpful to
have the matter resolved so we  can move forward."

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, expressed a similar  viewpoint. "Now that the
debate is over, we can focus on learning Morse code  simply for its own
sake," he said. Sumner pledged that the League would  maintain its
traditional support of Morse code as an operating mode and would  continue to
offer Morse training materials as well as such incentives as  bonus credit
for CW contacts in ARRL-sponsored operating events. ARRL's Hiram  Percy Maxim
Memorial Station W1AW will keep its schedule of Morse code  practice and
bulletin transmissions.

Since World Radiocommunication  Conference 2003, the UK, Canada, Germany and
other countries have dropped  their Morse requirements. Sumner said other
countries have successfully made  the transition to a codeless testing
regime, and he doesn't anticipate  problems in the US.

The pending disappearance of the Morse code  requirement seems to have
rejuvenated the urge to upgrade. ARRL Sales and  Marketing Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, says distribution of General Class  license training
materials have skyrocketed in the week after the FCC  announcement.

The pending disappearance of the Morse code requirement  seems to have
rejuvenated the urge to upgrade. ARRL Sales and Marketing  Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, says sales of General Class license training  materials
have skyrocketed in the week after the FCC announcement.

The  ARRL has posted information relevant to the FCC action in WT Docket
05-235,  including an FAQ, on its Web site  <http://www.arrl.org/fcc/morse/>.

==>ARRL CHALLENGES FCC  DISMISSAL OF VIRGINIA BPL INTERFERENCE COMPLAINTS

The FCC has told five  Manassas, Virginia, radio amateurs that its testing
showed the city's BPL  system complies with FCC Part 15 rules, and it
dismissed their interference  complaints. The League is questioning the
Commission's conclusions, however.  Six Manassas radio amateurs earlier this
year complained of BPL interference  to their mobile operations. FCC
engineers took measurements at several  locations in Manassas on October 25
and 26. Spectrum Enforcement Division  Chief Kathryn S. Berthot reported the
results December 14.

"These  measurements demonstrate that the Manassas BPL system is in
compliance with  the radiated emission limits specified in Section 15.611(b)
of the  Commission's rules at the two sites in areas we tested where
emissions appear  to be the highest," Berthot wrote, adding that the
measurements showed the  system is notching at 20 dB or greater to protect
the 40-meter band.  "Accordingly, based on the results of our investigation,
we conclude that the  Manassas BPL system is in compliance with the FCC's
requirements, and the  complaints are hereby dismissed." BPL proponent The
United Power Line Council  called the letter "complete and total vindication"
of the Manassas BPL  system.

Not so fast, says ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, who  responded
December 21 on behalf of the League and the  complainants
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/BPL-Manassas-2006-12-21.pdf>.  Imlay
maintained that Berthot's letter raises more questions than it  answers.
Because the "alleged testing" took place in the presence of BPL  operator
COMTek and equipment maker Main.net but without the complainants,  Imlay
said, there's no independent means to evaluate the FCC's  conclusions.

"In ARRL's view, the Commission owes the complainants a far  more
comprehensive response to their two-year-old complaints than what is  set
forth in the terse and uninformative dismissal letter," Imlay wrote.  Copies
of his letter went to the five FCC commissioners and to the  complainants.
One complainant, George Tarnovsky, K4GVT, says neither he nor  the other five
complainants was alerted to the planned FCC testing. The  others are Donald
"Butch" Blasdell, W4HJL; William South, N3OH; Arthur  Whittum, W1CRO; Jack
Cochran, WC4J, and Dwight Agnew, AI4II. 

Imlay  says Berthot's December 14 letter overlooks Whittum's May 2006
interference  complaint, and, because of that, Whittum's complaint "remains
pending and  unadjudicated." Beyond that, Imlay contended, the Amateur Radio
complainants,  as FCC licensees, deserve better treatment and protection from
the  FCC.

Because the Commission -- and especially OET -- has exhibited  "an
overwhelming and obvious bias in favor of BPL" and "done everything  possible
to deny or obfuscate the substantial interference potential of BPL"  on HF,
Imlay wrote, the League is unwilling to accept what he called  "the
unsupported conclusions" in Berthot's letter. Those conclusions, he  noted,
vary substantially with the complainants' own observations and  measurements,
verified by the ARRL Laboratory staff.

Among other  things, the League wants to know if any of the complainants were
notified  prior to the FCC's October testing, whether the OET is "routinely
involved"  in enforcement-related field measurements, when COMTek and
Main.net learned  of the planned testing, precisely where the FCC tested and
how it determined  the sites and the system's status during the tests --
including system  loading. In addition, the League requested technical
details of the testing,  including measured emission levels. 

Imlay says the Amateur Radio  complainants "have been stonewalled by the City
and COMTek, and now they have  been stonewalled by the Commission, after
waiting patiently for two years for  some action." If the FCC seriously
intends to claim that the Manassas system  complies with the rules, he
continued, it "must be willing to provide the  information necessary to
support its dismissal order with documentation that  is objectively
verifiable."

==>HELLO" CAMPAIGN FINALE TO SHOWCASE  HAM RADIO'S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Amateur Radio past, present and  future will be the focus as the ARRL's
"Hello" campaign  <http://www.hello-radio.org/> concludes with on-the-air
events Friday  and Saturday, December 29 and 30. Aimed at putting a friendly
face on Amateur  Radio, "Hello" also has celebrated "100 years of voice over
radio worldwide."  In 1906, Canadian experimenter Reginald Fessenden
transmitted a program of  voice and music -- in essence the world's first
radio broadcast -- from Brant  Rock, Massachusetts. His original goal had
been to make voice radio contact  with a station in Machrihanish, Scotland,
but that plan fell through after a  storm felled the Scottish station's
antenna. ARRL Media and Public Relations  Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says,
Fessenden, "in true ham radio spirit,"  switched to "Plan B," broadcasting a
Christmas Eve program to ships at  sea.

"This month ham radio operators events will complete what Fessenden  was
unable to do in 1906 with special event stations and a lot more,"  Pitts
says. "Three primary centennial special events will take to the  airwaves
December 29 and 30, representing the past, present and future of  Amateur
Radio."

Special event stations W100BO/W1F at Brant Rock --  sponsored by the Peconic
Amateur Radio Club (PARC) with Steve Barreres, K2CX,  as team leader -- and
GB1FVT in Machrihanish -- with Duncan MacArthur,  GM3TNT, heading that effort
-- will epitomize Amateur Radio Past (Icom UK and  Icom America are supplying
equipment for both events). Hiram Percy Maxim  Memorial Station W1AW at ARRL
Headquarters will represent Amateur Radio  Future. The station will be on the
air with all voice modes for the  event.

"In addition to the sites showing the past and future of radio,  the
transmission modes used will also reflect both traditional as well as  new
and emerging technologies," Pitts says. "The stations will be operating  AM
-- an early 20th-century mode -- and SSB and FM -- both later  20th-century
modes. EchoLink and IRLP plus digital voice on HF will carry us  into the
21st century." The special event will commence at 2000 UTC on  Friday,
December 29, and continue through the next 24 hours.

During  the W1AW "Hello" event operation, ARRL Membership Manager Katie
Breen, W1KRB,  will run a real-time blog -- called "Hello -- Live!" -- that
will include  both photos and  video
<http://www.arrl.org/blog/Hello%20-%20Live%21>.

"This blog  will be a way to find out and even see what's taking place at the
three  keystone stations," Breen said. She hopes to be able to include photos
and  video from all three sites. "I hope people will share their  thoughts
<w1krb at arrl.org> on what Amateur Radio has meant to them,  whether they're
longtime licensees or newcomers. I want this to be fun and  interactive, so
the amateur community can get a real picture of who we are  here in
Newington!"

Hundreds of other ham radio stations in the US and  around the globe are also
set to participate in the event. The special event  participants will use a
variety of modes, reflecting the advances that have  been made in radio
technology since 1906.

Pitts says Fessenden's 1906  broadcast inspired others to start playing with
radio, or "wireless" -- a  term that's come full circle over the decades. Ham
radio evolved from that  sort of early tinkering, and ham radio operators
have been in the forefront  of developing wireless technologies from the
start.

"They continue  their role in exploring new designs and applications," he
notes. "Today's  hams use satellites, computers, software defined radio,
microwave, voice over  Internet protocol systems and other technologies
undreamed of in 1906. But it  all started with the word 'Hello.'"

==>COLORADO, WESTERN WASHINGTON  ARES VOLUNTEERS RESPOND TO WEATHER
EMERGENCIES

ARRL Colorado Section  Emergency Coordinator Ben Baker, KB0UBZ, says Amateur
Radio Emergency Service  (ARES) volunteers activated this week after a
blizzard struck December 20 and  continued into the next day, paralyzing a
large part of the state and  stranding thousands of air and highway
travelers. Snowfall totals averaging  20 to 30 inches around the Front Range
of Denver and 40 inches or more in the  foothills west of Denver, Baker said.

"ARES districts all along the Front  Range are active, reporting snow totals
as well as responding to served  agency requests," Baker told ARRL
Headquarters December 21. "Amateur Radio  operators supporting the Red Cross
and The Salvation Army have been staffing  shelters, while other ARES members
have been using their four-wheel drive  vehicles to transport essential and
emergency personnel to their  assignments."

Colorado Gov Bill Owens declared a state of emergency and  activated the
Colorado National Guard to assist in rescuing stranded  motorists. The
Colorado Emergency Operations Center as well as county and  local EOCs were
opened By week's end, major highways and Denver's airport  were reopened to
traffic.

Elsewhere, ARES and Radio Amateur Civil  Emergency Service (RACES) teams
across Western Washington activated December  14 after severe weather struck
the Pacific Northwest, ARRL Western Washington  Section Manager Ed Bruette,
N7NVP told ARRL. Eight people died, and nearly  1.5 million homes and
businesses lost electrical power in the wake of the  strong winds and heavy
rainfall, although the communications infrastructure  "pretty well stayed
intact," Bruette said.

"The need for ARES/RACES  was to be staged and have circuits established at
the local EOCs and ECCs in  case of major communication outages, with a
secondary mission to support Red  Cross shelters," Bruette explained. "I'm
fairly certain every local  ARES/RACES team in Western Washington was
activated." Fifteen American Red  Cross shelters opened across the affected
region, and the state activated its  EOC at Fort Murray.

Winds approaching 70 MPH were clocked at SeaTac  Airport, Seattle's official
observation point, damaging the terminal and  canceling flights. Bruette
predicted it could take several days to restore  power in outlying areas.
Meanwhile, he noted, imprudent use of portable  generators and other devices
had caused at least two deaths and sent many  more to emergency rooms with
carbon monoxide poisoning. 

"The number  of CO poisonings in the area have been termed epidemic," Bruette
said. "In  one case, 30 apartment dwellers were burning charcoal indoors to
stay warm."  Gov Chris Gregoire urged Washingtonians to be aware of the
dangers of carbon  monoxide poising and to spread the word to those without
power or  heat.

Downed trees closed several major highways, while others fell  victim to
flooding. Blocked roads affected public safety agencies' ability to  respond,
Bruette said.

After weathering the worst of the storm at his  fire district headquarters,
Bruette says he returned home to find he still  had power -- and "all my
antennas are unharmed." Other radio amateurs in the  region were not so
lucky, he added.

==>SWEDISH FROM SPACE VIA HAM  RADIO DELIGHTS ARISS QSO AUDIENCE

The first Amateur Radio on the  International Space Station (ARISS) school
contact in Swedish delighted both  students and onlookers this past weekend.
European Space Agency astronaut  Christer Fuglesang, SA0AFS/KE5CGR, chatted
in his native tongue Sunday,  December 17, with youngsters at Thunman School
in Knivsta, Sweden.  ARISS-Europe Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, said
everyone enjoyed hearing  the Swedish language from space.

"Christer answered 13 questions from the  students," Bertels noted.
"Funglesang is the first Swedish astronaut and  enthusiasm in Sweden is
topmost. The audience was delighted with hearing  Swedish spoken from space."

Students and an estimated audience of 500  gathered in Kvistna's sport hall
for the event, Bertels said. Verizon  Conferencing provided a teleconference
circuit to bridge the gap from Earth  station VK4KHZ in Australia to Sweden.

Among other things, the grade 5  through 9 students wanted to know if birds
can fly in the microgravity of the  ISS, how the ISS crew disposes of its
trash, whether crew members have to  wear spacesuits all the time, if they
saw flashes of light in their vision  due to cosmic rays and did Fuglesang
believe there was intelligent life in  space.

For the contact, which attracted generous media coverage --  including TV and
newspaper reports -- students wore shirts bearing a special  logo
commemorating the contact. Bertels said the students who took part in  the
contact plan to sign one of the shirts and present it personally  to
Fuglesang when he's back on Earth. Fuglesang arrived aboard the ISS as  part
of the shuttle Discovery STS-116 crew. Discovery returned December  22.

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

==>STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT IS JANUARY 1, 2007 (UTC)

ARRL once  again will sponsor Straight Key Night  (SKN)
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2007/skn.html> starting at  0000 UTC
January 1 (New Year's Eve in US time zones) and continuing for the  next 24
hours. 

SKN is *not* a contest. It's an opportunity for CW  enthusiasts -- veterans
or novices -- to dust off their straight keys and  enjoy socializing and "rag
chewing" on the air. Some 350 participants posted  entries for SKN 2006. SKN
2007 entries via e-mail  <straightkey at arrl.org> or to SKN, ARRL, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT  06111 must be received by January 31, 2007. 

"Best Fist" and "Most  Interesting QSO" votes will appear in April 2007 QST.
"Soapbox" posts  <http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/> also are welcome. 

During  the same time period, AMSAT invites radio amateurs worldwide to
participate  in Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2007. The AMSAT event is
dedicated to the  memory of Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, an enthusiastic and
longtime SKN  participant on both OSCAR and HF. 

No rules, no scoring and no logs,  AMSAT says. Just operate CW through any
OSCAR between 0000 and 2400 UTC on 1  January 2007 using a straight key. 

SKN on OSCAR 2007 participants also  may nominate a "Best Fist" from among
stations worked. Nominations go to Ray  Soifer, W2RS <w2rs at amsat.org>. A list
of nominees will appear in AMSAT  News Service and in The AMSAT Journal.

==>SOLAR  UPDATE

Propagation prognosticator Tad "Who Let the Spots Out?" Cook,  K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: More stormy space weather showed up this  week! At the
same time, sunspot activity was lower. Average daily sunspot  numbers dropped
17 points to 10.4 for December 14-20, but on December 15, the  planetary A
index -- an indicator of global geomagnetic activity from  magnetometers
around the globe -- rose to 104. That's a very high number and  indicates a
severe geomagnetic storm.

The cause was a large coronal  mass ejection (CME) that happened to be
Earth-directed. It arrived on  December 14, and aurora borealis -- the
northern lights -- were visible as  far south as Arizona. During the hours of
darkness in North America December  14 and 15, the planetary K index rose to
eight for three successive  three-hour periods. That's very big.

A paper, "Geomagnetic activity  indicates a large amplitude for sunspot cycle
24"  <http://tinyurl.com/yewboz> presented at the fall meeting of  the
American Geophysical Union, proposes that the next sunspot cycle could  be
one of the most intense ever seen. Also, see "The World Above 50 MHz"  in
December 2006 and January 2007 QST.

Currently we've seen several  days of zero sunspots. Expect few or no
sunspots over the short term and  planetary A indices December 22-27 of 15,
15, 10, 5, 5 and 15. The next  predicted period of higher geomagnetic
activity is around January 2, with a  planetary A index of 25. 

Sunspot numbers for December 14 through 20 were  23, 19, 20, 11, 0, 0 and 0,
with a mean of 10.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 93.4,  87.1, 82.3, 81.3, 74.7,
72.9, and 71.5, with a mean of 80.5. Estimated  planetary A indices were 63,
104, 11, 4, 8, 14 and 24, with a mean of 32.6.  Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 30, 48, 10, 3, 7, 9 and 16, with a mean  of 17.6.

For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the  ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation  page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.

__________________________________

==>IN  BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The RAEM Contest is December 24. The  DARC
Christmas Contest is December 26. The RAC Winter Contest is December 30.  The
Feld Hell QSO Party and the Stew Perry Topband Challenge are the weekend  of
December 30-31. The SARTG New Year RTTY Contest, the AGCW Happy New  Year
Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest are January 1, 2007. The ARS  Spartan
Sprint is January 2. The ARRL RTTY Roundup, the Original QRP Contest  and the
EUCW 160-Meter Contest are the January 6-7 weekend. ARRL Kid's Day  is
Sunday, January 7. 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, January 7, for these  on-line
courses beginning Friday, January 19. Amateur Radio Emergency  Communications
Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level  3 (EC-003R2),
Antenna Modeling (EC-004), HF Digital Communications (EC-005),  VHF/UHF --
Life Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), and Radio Frequency Propagation  (EC-011).
These courses will also open for registration Friday, January 5,  for classes
beginning Sunday, February 18. 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>.

* ARRL Kids Day is Sunday,  January 7: The next chance to provide youngsters
with a fun, hands-on radio  experience is Sunday, January 7, when the first
ARRL Kids Day of the new year  takes place
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html>. ARRL  Education and
Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, offers  some Kids Day
2007 thoughts and suggestions on p 45 of December QST. Kids Day  begins at
1800 UTC and continues until 2400 UTC. There's no limit on  operating time.
Suggested exchanges are first name, age, location and  favorite color.
Suggested frequencies are 14.270 to 14.300 MHz, 21.380 to  21.400 MHz and
28.350 to 28.400 MHz, plus local VHF repeaters with the  sponsor's
permission. Licensees should observe third-party traffic  restrictions when
making DX  contacts
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/3rdparty.html>.  These apply
when unlicensed individuals communicate via ham radio.

*  AO-51 "Echo" is now carrier-access: AO-51 "Echo" satellite users no  longer
need to transmit a 67-Hz CTCSS subaudible tone to enable the  satellite's
transponder. AMSAT Vice President of Operations Drew Glasbrenner,  KO4MA,
reports AO-51 is now a carrier-access satellite. The change was aimed  at
improving worldwide access to AO-51, especially from those areas  where
CTCSS-equipped transceivers are less common. Check the AO-51  operating
schedule  <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/ControlTeam.php> *before*
using  the satellite! -- AMSAT News Service

* New DX record claimed for 300+ GHz  "traditional RF" operation: Microwave
enthuiasts Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, and  Pete Lascell, W4WWQ, in Virginia are
claiming a new DX record for  "traditional RF operation above 300 GHz." The
December 10 QSO on 322 GHz  spanned 7.3 km (4.53 miles) and was accomplished
using slow-speed FSK CW and  Spectran software. "This latest QSO exceeds our
former DX of 1.4 km (0.87  mile) as well as makes a claim for best DX on any
amateur frequency above 300  GHz, except for visible light," said Justin, who
also welcomes competition on  the millimeter wavelengths. "I hope other hams
come to know that the bands  above 47 GHz are ripe for the picking when it
comes to DX and other firsts."  

* New 2-meter EME world record claimed: Moonbounce enthusiasts in  New
Zealand and Portugal are claiming a new EME (Earth-Moon-Earth)  distance
record on 2 meters. The December 6 contact, using digital JT65B  mode, was
between Nick Wallace, ZL1IU, in New Zealand (RF64vr) and Joe  Kraft,
CT1HZE/DL8HCZ, (IM57nh) in Portugal. Wallace was running 500 W to  4-by-12
Yagis, while Kraft was putting 1.5 kW into 4-by-11 Yagis. The EME  contact
spanned a terrestrial distance of 19,685 km (12,204 mi). 

*  Reminder: "Beijing model 1" IRCs expire at year's end: Check  any
International Reply Coupons (IRCs) <http://www.upu.int/irc/en/>  you've got
on hand for an expiration date! As of January 1, 2002, UPU-issued  IRCs bear
expiration dates, after which the coupons *have no value*. The  so-called
"Beijing model 1" IRC expires on December 31. The newest IRC, the  "Beijing
model 2," expires December 31, 2009. Many DXers still use IRCs,  issued by
the Universal Postal Union (UPU)  <http://www.upu.int/index.html>, to cover
return postage for QSL cards.  The UPU says IRCs are exchangeable in all
member countries for the minimum  postage of a priority item or an
unregistered air mail letter sent to a  foreign country. An IRC costs $1.85
in the US. Although US post offices are  not obliged to sell IRCs, it is
mandatory for post offices in UPU member  countries to *exchange* the
coupons.

* Dale Hatfield, W0IFO, named  Spectrum Advisory Committee chairman: ARRL
member Dale Hatfield, W0IFO, of  Boulder, Colorado, has been named to chair
the Commerce Department's Spectrum  Advisory  Committee
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/advisory/spectrum/index.html>. The  former chief of
the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology, Hatfield now  is an
independent consultant and adjunct professor in the University of  Colorado
Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program. The Commerce Spectrum  Advisory
Committee is part of the President's Spectrum Policy  Initiative.

* Angus Tait, ZL3NL, is 2006 Fred M. Link Award winner: The  Radio Club of
America (RCA) has honored Sir Angus Tait, ZL3NL, as the  recipient of the
2006 Fred M. Link (W2ALU) Award. The RCA recognized Tait  "for his
substantial contributions to the advancement and development of land  mobile
radio and communications." The managing director of Tait Electronics  in
Christchurch, New Zealand, Tait, 87, was unable to attend RCA's  awards
banquet in mid-November, and Tait Communications President Bill  Fredrickson
accepted the award in his stead. -- Don Bishop, W0WO, provided  some
information for this report

* We stand corrected! In The ARRL  Letter, Vol 25, No 49 (Dec 15, 2006), the
news brief "New Jersey club boosts  Spectrum Defense Fund" contained
incorrect information. Hudson Division  Assistant Director Jim Joyce, K2ZO,
filled in for Bergen Amateur Radio  Association (BARA) President Tony Izzo,
K2AMI, who could not make the trip to  ARRL Headquarters. The news brief
"Radio Club of America honors Frank  Clement" should have said: Clement
worked for Hughes Aircraft and was part of  the engineering team that
designed and built the Hughes Flying Boat (the HK-1  Hercules), the  "Spruce
Goose."

===========================================================  
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