[FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 05

[W4kkw at aol.com]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 05
February 3,  2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:
* +SuitSat-1 is in  orbit!
* +League members in New York urged to protest state grant for BPL  pilot
* +Two hams will be next ISS inhabitants
* +ARRL asks FCC to deny  Part 15 rule waiver
* +Mississippi, Vermont considering ham radio antenna  bills
* +League invites nominations for 2005 technical awards
*   Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the  radio: The North American Sprint (SSB)!
ARRL  Certification and Continuing Education course registration
+ARRL Contest Advisory Committee releases white paper
Injured miner Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, moved to rehab facility
+Scarborough Reef tops The DX Magazine's 2005 "Most Wanted" list
AMSAT Space Symposium set for October
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 at arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick  Lindquist, N1RL,  n1rl at arrl.org
===========================================================

==>"SUITSAT-1"  LAUNCHED FROM ISS

"SuitSat-1" is orbiting Earth! ISS Expedition 13 flight  engineer Valery
Tokarev released the unique and enthusiastically anticipated  satellite into
orbit February 3 at 2303 UTC as he and ISS Expedition 12  Commander Bill
McArthur, KC5ACR, began a six-hour space walk. SuitSat-1  consists of a
discarded Russian Orlan spacesuit reconfigured to function as  a
free-floating Amateur Radio transmit-only satellite. Activated at 2259  UTC,
the satellite was programmed to come to life some 16 minutes later on  145.99
MHz. The 16-minute delay is said to be a crew safety measure.  SuitSat-1's
deployment over the south-central Pacific Ocean was the first  task of the
space walk.

"Dosvidanya! Good-bye, Mr Smith!" Tokarev said  in Russian as SuitSat,
unhooked from its tether and pushed away from the  space station, tumbled
slowly away into the void. "It's moving at the  specified acceleration." A
project of the Amateur Radio on the International  Space Station (ARISS)
program  <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>, SuitSat  drifted off until it appeared as
a mere speck silhouetted against brightly  illuminated Earth below.

The NASA trajectory operations officer at  Mission Control called it "a good
deploy within the cone for safety to ensure  no re-contact with the
International Space Station." NASA-TV provided live  coverage of the space
walk and SuitSat-1's release.

The Amateur Radio  community, students, scanner enthusiasts, space fans and
others have been  eagerly awaiting the launch of the most novel satellite
ever to orbit Earth.  SuitSat-1 will transmit its voice message "This is
SuitSat-1 RS0RS!" in  several languages plus telemetry and an SSTV image on
an eight-minute cycle  as it orbits Earth. The three batteries powering the
satellite are expected  to last about a week, and SuitSat-1 should re-enter
Earth's atmosphere after  several weeks of circling the globe.

SuitSat-1's 500 mW transmitter will  report mission time, suit temperature
and battery voltage (28 V is nominal)  down to Earth. Its single Robot
36-format SSTV image is said to be similar in  resolution to a cell-phone
quality picture. SuitSat-1's signal should be  strong enough to hear using a
VHF transceiver or scanner and a simple  antenna. Its payload also includes a
CD containing hundreds of school  pictures, artwork, poems and student
signatures. JH3XCU/1 in Japan posted the  first reception reports, noting a
weak signal.

Those who copy the  SuitSat-1 transmissions on 145.99 MHz are asked to post a
real-time report on  the SuitSat Web site <http://www.suitsat.org/>, which
contains  additional informational links. Initially, its orbit will
approximately  coincide with that of the ISS. Later, as SuitSat-1's orbit
begins to decay,  it may show up a few minutes earlier than the space
station. The AMSAT Web  site offers a listing of ISS  passes
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/> and a graph  showing the
position of the  ISS
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/satloc.php?lang=en&satellite=I
SS>.  ARISS invites schools and other educational groups--formal or
otherwise--to  post educational outreach reports and SSTV images via  e-mail
<suitsat at comcast.net>

ARISS International Chairman Frank  Bauer, KA3HDO, credits ARISS-Russia's
Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, and his  colleagues with coming up with the
spacesuit-cum-satellite concept.  SuitSat-1--called Radioskaf or Radio
Sputnik in Russian--is a first test of  that idea, he says. If successful,
there's another unneeded Orlan spacesuit  still aboard the ISS.

For a SuitSat-1 QSL, send signal reports  accompanied by a large (9x12 inch)
self-addressed, stamped envelope to the  appropriate address:

* USA: ARRL, SuitSat QSL, 225  Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494 USA

* Canada: Radio  Amateurs of Canada, SuitSat QSL, 720 Belfast Rd--Suite
217, Ottawa, ON K1G  0Z5 Canada

* Europe: F1MOJ - Mr CANDEBAT Christophe,  SuitSat Europe QSL Manager, 7
Rue Roger Bernard, 30470 AIMARGUES  FRANCE

* Japan: SuitSat Japan QSL, JARL International  Section, Tokyo 170-8073
JAPAN

* Russia: Alexander  Davydov, RN3DK Novo-Mytishchinsky prospekt 52-111
Mytishchi 18, Moskovskaya  obl. 141018, RUSSIA

* Other countries: Use the US or  Canadian address above.

Students will receive a certificate commemorating  their reception. Those who
receive the SSTV picture or copy the "special  words" will get a special
endorsement on their certificate. The special  words--in English, French,
German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese--are  embedded in the pre-recorded
greetings in multiple languages from students  around the globe.

SuitSat-1 has piqued the imagination of the news media  over the past couple
of weeks. In addition to articles in The New York Times,  the Houston
Chronicle and Associated Press, National Public Radio, Fox News,  CNN, the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, MSNBC and others also produced  broadcast
or cable news reports. A magazine article is set to appear in  Aviation Week
and Space Technology.

Additional information about  SuitSat on the AMSAT Web  site
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/SuitSat/>. See "This is  SuitSat-1
RS0RS!" by Frank Bauer,  KA3HDO
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/BauerSuitsat/index.php>.

ARISS  is an international educational outreach with US participation from
ARRL,  AMSAT and NASA.

==>LEAGUE URGES NEW YORK MEMBERS TO PROTEST STATE  GRANT TO TROUBLESOME BPL
TRIAL

ARRL Directors Frank Fallon, N2FF, of  the Hudson Division and Bill Edgar,
N3LLR, of the Atlantic Division have  called on the League's New York
membership to protest a state grant to help  fund a problematic BPL pilot
project. ARRL learned this week that the New  York State Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA) has contracted  with electric utility
Consolidated Edison (ConEd) and BPL manufacturer  Ambient to provide up to
$200,000 in funding for a BPL pilot in the  Westchester County community of
Briarcliff Manor.

"If you share our  dismay that NYSERDA's funds are being used to support a
known source of radio  spectrum pollution, write to Gov Pataki and NYSERDA
President Peter Smith to  demand that the State of New York use its influence
to ensure that the  Briarcliff Manor BPL project is either brought into
compliance with the FCC  rules immediately or shut down," Fallon and Edgar
said in a joint statement  to New York ARRL members.

The Briarcliff Manor project has been the  subject of a string of complaints
to the FCC, including several requests from  the ARRL--the last filed just
last month--to shut down the project until it  complies with FCC rules.

Fallon and Edgar called on ARRL members in the  Empire State to write Gov
George E. Pataki, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224  and Peter R. Smith,
President, NYSERDA, 17 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY  12203-6399. Pataki is a
former Amateur Radio licensee, K2ZCZ (since  reissued).

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, points out that the League's  concerns regarding
the public grant have been on record with NYSERDA since  June 2004, when
Ambient prematurely announced a funding grant. Sumner said  John Love, the
NYSERDA project manager for the BPL grant, this week confirmed  that a
contract had been signed.

"I shared with him our disappointment  at Ambient's involvement, given their
miserable track record in Briarcliff  Manor," Sumner said. In his
conversation with Love, Sumner said he explained  that Ambient was violating
FCC rules in Briarcliff Manor by exceeding Part 15  emission limits, causing
harmful interference in the amateur bands and  failing to post required
information in the public BPL system  database.

Love "clearly didn't know much about the interference issue,"  Sumner said,
adding that the official indicated NYSERDA's interest in BPL was  as a means
to improve the quality of electric power delivery. "However, he  said the
contract requires the parties to monitor and report on interference  and its
mitigation," Sumner noted. "I offered ARRL's technical resources to  educate
him."

On January 5, citing FCC inaction in response to  previous complaints, the
ARRL renewed its complaint to the Commission about  the Ambient Corporation
BPL project in Briarcliff Manor. The BPL system uses  power lines owned and
operated by ConEd under a Part 5 Experimental FCC  authorization. The League
requested that the FCC instruct the BPL facility's  operators to shut it down
immediately and not resume operation until it can  demonstrate full
compliance with all applicable FCC rules.

==>NASA,  INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TAP TWO HAMS AS NEXT SPACE STATION CREW

NASA and  its International Space Station partners have announced that
astronaut Jeff  Williams, KD5TVQ, and cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, will
be the ISS  Expedition 13 crew. They'll arrive aboard the orbiting outpost in
early April  to relieve the current crew of ISS Commander Bill McArthur,
KC5ACR, and  Valery Tokarev. Vinogradov will be the Expedition 13 commander,
while  Williams, a US Army colonel who's logged one space flight, will serve
as ISS  flight engineer and NASA ISS science officer.

Brazilian astronaut Marcos  Pontes will join Williams and Vinogradov aboard
the Russian Soyuz spacecraft  that will transport the new crew to the ISS.
Vinogradov and Williams will  spend six months on the station, while Pontes
will spend eight days  conducting research under a commercial agreement
between the Brazilian Space  Agency and the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Brazilian telecommunications  authorities have granted Pontes the call sign
PY0AEB for use on his space  journey, and there are plans for him to do
Amateur Radio on the International  Space Station (ARISS) school group
contacts during his mission. He will  return to Earth in April with McArthur
and Tokarev, who have been in orbit  since last October.

Scheduled to fly on the next NASA space shuttle  mission is German astronaut
Thomas Reiter, DF4TR. If NASA clears the shuttle  for flight by June, Reiter
would join Williams and Vinogradov aboard the ISS  for the remainder of
Expedition 13. It's considered likely that Reiter, who  had been scheduled to
be aboard the ISS for Expedition 12, will be active on  Amateur Radio.

Williams flew aboard the shuttle Atlantis in May 2000 on a  10-day space
station assembly mission. During that mission, he performed a  spacewalk
lasting almost seven hours.

Vinogradov, a veteran of one  long-duration spaceflight, flew aboard a Soyuz
spacecraft to the Russian Mir  space station as flight engineer for the 24th
resident crew in 1997. During  the 198-day mission he performed five
spacewalks.

ISS veteran Mike  Fincke, KB5UAC, and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin,
RN3FI, have been  designated as the Expedition 13 back-up crew.

==>LEAGUE CALLS ON FCC  TO DENY PART 15 RULE WAIVER REQUEST FOR 902-928 MHZ

Expressing concerns  about interference potential and increased noise levels,
the ARRL this week  asked the FCC to deny an industry request to waive three
sections of its Part  15 rules. Octatron Inc and Chang Industry Inc sought
the waivers last  November to accommodate unlicensed analog video and audio
surveillance  products they're developing that would operate in the 902-928
MHz band--an  Amateur Radio allocation. The FCC opened the proceeding, ET
Docket 05-356,  for comments in late December.

"The manufacturer here has made a choice  as to how to engineer its product,"
the League said in comments filed January  30. "It now seeks to avoid a
series of rules specifically intended to limit  interference potential of
analog devices in a band allocated to various  licensed radio services simply
because it deliberately engineered the device  in a particular manner."

The decision by Octatron and Chang Industry to  employ analog, rather than
digital, emissions at 1 W is at the heart of the  waiver request. Section
15.247(b)(3) permits a 1 W power level for digital  and spread-spectrum
devices, but not for analog. The companies say they need  1 W to ensure
reliable transmission. Digital devices still must meet the Part  15 power
spectral density limitation, the League pointed out.

"Neither  can either device meet the power spectral density requirement of
Section  15.247(e), applicable to digital intentional radiators which engage
in  continuous transmissions," the League contended. "Finally, the devices
cannot  meet the specifications for high-power, point-to-point operation in
certain  bands using highly directional antennas set forth in Section 15.249
of the  Commission's rules."

The League took issue with the manufacturers'  unsupported assertion that the
surveillance systems "will not create  significant interference."

"Since the petitioners have apparently failed  to determine, much less
explain, the interference potential of their devices,  it cannot be
determined whether or not the underlying purposes of the rules  limiting
power and power spectral density for analog and digital devices in  the
902-928 MHz band would be frustrated by a grant of the proposed waiver  in
this case," the League continued. "A waiver cannot be granted without such  a
finding."

The ARRL argued that given their potential to interfere  with licensed
services in the 902 to 928 MHz band, they should instead be  operated in a
Public Safety allocation, such as 2450 to 2483.5 MHz, and on a  licensed
basis.

"The precise purpose of the rules sought to be waived  here was to preclude
interference before it arises," the League said. "The  purpose of this rule
would be directly frustrated by permitting, without  rulemaking, high-power
analog devices that cannot meet the power spectral  density limitation of
Section 15.247(e)."

The petitioners fail to show  that the devices could not have been designed
to meet FCC rules, the League  said, adding that it appears the lower cost of
manufacturing analog devices  is apparently the reason why they're seeking
the waivers. "This is not a  valid basis for a waiver grant," the ARRL said.

Granting "repeated  waivers" for Part 15 analog devices that don't meet the
fundamental  interference-avoidance requirement of the power spectral density
limit, the  League concluded, "adds to the aggregate noise levels in the
subject bands  and contributes to the already prevalent 'tragedy of the
commons'  interference problems" in bands such as 902-928 MHz.

==>AMATEUR RADIO  ANTENNA BILLS IN PLAY IN MISSISSIPPI, VERMONT

Legislation is under  consideration in Mississippi and Vermont to incorporate
the essence of the  limited federal preemption known as  PRB-1
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/PRB-1_Pkg/prb-1.pdf>  into the
statutes of those two states. Echoing the language of PRB-1, the  measures
call on localities establishing ordinances regulating antenna  placement,
screening or height to reasonably accommodate Amateur Radio  communication
and impose the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish  the
municipality's legitimate purposes. ARRL Mississippi Section Manager  Malcolm
Keown, W5XX, reports similar bills were introduced this session in  the House
and Senate. The Senate version has already passed and been sent on  to the
House.

"Since 2001, Mississippi hams have been trying to get a  bill through the
Mississippi Legislature to provide for 'reasonable  accommodation for the
erection of antenna structures' by local zoning boards  and to separate us
from the cellular telephone tower interests," Keown says.  The Senate version
of the PRB-1 legislation, SB 2709, cleared the County  Affairs and
Municipalities committees January 31, and it passed the full  Senate February
1. The House version, HB 736, is on the House General  Calendar for a vote
there by February 9.

"We now have two horses in  this race," Keown said this week, urging
Mississippi ARRL members to urge  their state senators and representatives to
support the measures. "Keep your  fingers crossed!" Assuming one of the PRB-1
measures succeeds in the House,  minor differences in wording would be worked
out in committee, Keown  speculates. In past years, he says, a PRB-1 bill has
made it through one  legislative chamber only to die in committee in the
other.

Both  Mississippi PRB-1 bills leave it up to local governing authorities  to
determine "the types of reasonable accommodation to be made and the  minimum
practicable regulation necessary . . . within the parameters of the  law."
The House version includes an additional sentence: "This  legislation
supports the Amateur Radio Service in preparing for and providing  emergency
communications for the State of Mississippi and local emergency  management
agencies."

In Vermont, meanwhile, the House Government  Operations Committee on February
2 heard public testimony on a PRB-1 bill  introduced in the House, H.12.
Several Amateur Radio operators attended the  session along with
representatives from the Vermont League of Cities and  Towns, which opposes
such legislation, and several public safety  officials.

The proposed Vermont antenna bill not only calls for community  regulators to
"reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication, it  includes a schedule
of minimum regulatory heights, below which localities  could not impose
restrictions.

On lots smaller than one acre,  municipalities could not restrict the overall
height of an Amateur Radio  antenna and associated support structure to less
than 75 feet above ground  level "nor restrict the number of support
structures."

On parcels of  one acre or larger, the bill, as written, would prohibit
municipalities from  restricting the height of an Amateur Radio antenna "to
less than that  specified in 47 CFR §97.15(a) nor restrict the number of
support structures."  That section of the Amateur Service rules actually does
not specify a height,  but it does require antenna structures more than 200
feet above ground to  notify the Federal Aviation Administration and register
the structure with  the FCC.

In historic or design control districts, the Vermont bill would  permit
localities to restrict the height of antennas and associated  support
structures to less than 75 feet but would not allow them to prohibit  Amateur
Radio antennas and support structures altogether nor to limit their  height
to less than that of the tallest permitted structure within such a  district.

The measure would grandfather existing Amateur radio antennas  and support
structures and provide for their repair or replacement "with  comparable
components" without further permitting or review.

To date,  21 states have enacted Amateur Radio antenna bills that reflect the
PRB-1  limited federal preemption.

==>NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR 2005 ARRL  TECHNICAL AWARDS

The League is accepting nominations from ARRL members  and affiliated clubs
for its three technical awards for the year 2005. The  deadline is March 31
to submit nominations for the ARRL Technical Service  Award, the ARRL
Technical Innovation Award and the ARRL Microwave Development  Award.

The ARRL Technical Service Award goes annually to a radio amateur  whose
service to the amateur community and/or society at large is of the  most
exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio technical  activities.
These include, but are not limited to:

* Leadership or participation in technically oriented organizational
affairs  at the local or national level.

* Service as an ARRL  technical volunteer.

* Service as a technical advisor  to clubs sponsoring classes to obtain
or upgrade amateur licenses.

The  Technical Service Award winner receives an engraved plaque. In addition,
the  winner may request ARRL publications of a value of up to $100.

The ARRL  Technical Innovation Award is presented each year to an Amateur
Radio  licensee whose accomplishments and contributions are the most
exemplary  nature within the framework of technical research, development  and
application of new ideas and future systems. These include, but are  not
limited to:

* Development of higher speed  modems and improved protocols.

* Promotion of  personal computers in Amateur Radio applications.

*  Activities to increase efficient use of the amateur spectrum.

* Digital voice experimentation

The technical innovation  award winner receives a cash award of $500 and an
engraved plaque.

The  ARRL Microwave Development Award is given each year to an individual
radio  amateur or group conducting research and activity and applying new  and
refined uses in the amateur microwave bands. This includes adaptation of  new
modes both in terrestrial formats and satellite techniques.

The  Microwave Development Award winner receives an engraved plaque. In
addition,  the winner may request ARRL publications of a value of up to $100.

Full  information on these awards appears on the ARRL Technical Awards  page
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/instructor/instructor/awards.html>.

Nominations  should thoroughly document the nominee's record of technical
service and  accomplishments. Include basic contact information for both you
and the  nominee when making nominations for any of these technical awards.
Submit all  supporting documentation or information along with a letter of
nomination  that includes endorsements of ARRL affiliated clubs and  League
officials.

Nomination forms for all three technical awards are  available on the ARRL
Web site  <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/application.html>. Send
completed  forms to ARRL Technical Awards, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Nominations  must be received at ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2006.
Supporting  information must be received at ARRL Headquarters by April 15.

For more  information, contact Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, <w3iz at arrl.org> at  ARRL
Headquarters.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Propagation  prognosticator Tad "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Cook, K7RA,
Seattle,  Washington, reports: Solar activity is very low! Average daily
sunspot  numbers for the week were down by more than 40 points to 9.1.
Average daily  solar flux dropped nearly 11 points to 80.6. Geomagnetic
conditions, with the  exception of January 26, were stable and quiet. On
January 26 the  interplanetary magnetic field, which can shield Earth from
solar wind if it  is pointing north, turned south, and the mid-latitudes
experienced some  moderate geomagnetic activity, with the A index for the day
at 15. Polar  regions saw a lot more activity, with the College A index in
Alaska going to  36.

The sun has been spotless since January 29, and daily readings of  zero
sunspots could continue for another week. We will observe more and  longer
periods such as this as we head toward the solar minimum, still  expected
about to occur about a year from now. Geomagnetic conditions should  remain
quiet and solar flux at around 77. It may not begin to rise again  until
February 10.

Sunspot numbers for January 26 through February 1  were 24, 29, 11, 0, 0, 0
and 0, with a mean of 9.1. The 10.7 cm flux was  86.9, 83.5, 80, 79.5, 78.8,
77.6, and 77.6, with a mean of 80.6. Estimated  planetary A indices were 29,
8, 6, 3, 1, 2 and 4, with a mean of 7.6.  Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 15, 7, 4, 1, 0, 1 and 3, with a mean of  4.4.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

*  This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (SSB), the  Vermont,
Delaware and Minnesota QSO parties, the YL-ISSB QSO Party, the  10-10
International Winter Contest (SSB), the YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW), the  AGCW
Straight Key Party and the Mexico RTTY International Contest are the  weekend
of February 4-5. JUST AHEAD: The ARCI Winter Fireside SSB Sprint is  February
6, the ARS Spartan Sprint is February 7 and the KCJ Topband Contest  is
February 9-10. The North American Sprint (CW), the YLRL YL-OM Contest  (SSB),
the CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest, the Louisiana and New Hampshire QSO  parties, the
SARL Field Day Contest, the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the  Dutch PACC
Contest, the OMISS QSO Party 1500Z, the FISTS Winter Sprint, the  British
Columbia QSO Challenge and the RSGB First 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) are  the
weekend of February 11-12. The ARRL School Club Roundup runs from  February
13 to February 17. 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, February 5, 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),
VHF/UHF Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), Radio Frequency Propagation  (EC-011)
and HF Digital Communications (EC-005). Classes begin Friday,  February 17.
To learn more, visit the CCE page  <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the
CCE Department  <cce at arrl.org>.

* ARRL Contest Advisory Committee releases white  paper: The ARRL Contest
Advisory Committee (CAC) has released a white paper,  "HF Contesting--Good
Practices, Interpretations and  Suggestions"
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/hf-faq.html>. The document,  which discusses
common situations encountered during HF contesting, results  from CAC work
that arose over the course of an informal committee meeting at  Dayton
Hamvention. While not a comprehensive set of "Frequently Asked  Questions"
(FAQ), the white paper does address many issues that periodically  arise
related to HF contesting and even some that may apply to VHF/UHF  contesting.
The white paper operates from an HF perspective, however,  recognizing that
there are many differences between HF and VHF/UHF contest  practices. ARRL
Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, stresses that the  white paper's
interpretations do not supersede the rules for any contest but  are intended
to assist contesters by providing some interpretations and  operating
suggestions based on CAC members' accumulated experience.

*  Injured miner Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, moved to rehab facility: Randy  McCloy,
KC8VKZ, the sole survivor of the January 2 Upshur County, West  Virginia,
coal mine tragedy, has been transferred from the hospital to  a
rehabilitation center. McCloy, 26, was moved to HealthSouth  Mountainview
Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Morgantown on January 26.  McCloy's
condition remains fair. He is no longer in a coma, although he  remains
unable to speak, according to his physician, Dr Larry Roberts.  McCloy's
fever has dropped and he has not needed kidney dialysis in the past  few
days. The explosion at Sago Mine killed 12 other miners and left the  mine
filled with deadly carbon monoxide. McCloy has been hospitalized for  the
past three weeks at West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial  Hospital.
Well-wishers have been sending cards and QSLs to McCloy at PO Box  223,
Philippi, WV 26435. A fund has been set up to accept donations for  McCloy's
benefit: The Randal McCloy Jr Fund, c/o Clear Mountain Bank, 1889  Earl Core
Rd, Morgantown, WV 26505.

* Scarborough Reef tops The DX  Magazine's 2005 "Most Wanted" list:
Scarborough Reef (BS7H) has replaced  North Korea (P5) as the most-wanted
DXCC entity, according to The DX  Magazine's
<http://www.dxpub.com/dx_mag.html> 2005 survey of DXers. The  Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com> (and QST's "How's DX?") Editor Bernie  McClenny,
W3UR, says several groups are working toward activating Scarborough  Reef.
"The problem is not obtaining a license or transportation to the  rocks," he
reported this week. "There must be serious diplomacy between China  and the
Philippines in order for this one to be pulled off." The second  most-wanted
is Lakshadweep (VU7). Swapping spots with Scarborough Reef at  number three
is North Korea (P5), at four is Peter I (3Y/P), and at five is  Yemen (7O).
The 3Y0X DXpedition to Peter I <http://www.peterone.com/>,  expected to begin
as early as February 6, could move that entity down the  list for this year's
survey. McClenny notes that the imminent 3Y0X operation,  which received a
$7500 ARRL Colvin grant award, will be the most expensive  DXpedition ever.
Rounding out the top 10 most-wanted DXCC entities on The DX  Magazine's 2005
survey were: Navassa (KP1), Desecheo (KP5), South Sandwich  (VP8/S), Glorioso
(FR/G) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (VU4). The Andamans,  last activated
in late 2004 during the VU4RBI/VU4NRO DXpedition cut short by  the South Asia
tsunami, are scheduled to be on the air again this  April.

* AMSAT Space Symposium set for October: The 2006 AMSAT Space  Symposium will
take place October 5-11 in the San Francisco Bay area (Crowne  Plaza San
Francisco Mid-Peninsula Hotel in Foster City). Registration will  open and a
first call for papers and presentations will be issued  approximately April
1. This year's Symposium will include meetings of the  AMSAT-NA Board of
Directors, the AMSAT general membership, the Amateur Radio  on the
International Space Station (ARISS) international delegates,  the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Satellite Advisors Committee  and
the AMSAT international delegates. Additional information is available  on
the AMSAT Web site  <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/>.

* DXCC Desk approves  operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved this operation for  DXCC credit: YI9VCQ (Iraq), November 30, 2004
through November 5, 2005. 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/>.