[FPARC] The ARRL Letter Vol. 26, No. 05 February 2, 2007

[W4kkw at aol.com]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 26, No. 05
February 2,  2007
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +League faults FCC  chair on BPL comments
* +"Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through is new  PR campaign theme
* +Ham-astronaut visits Florida school for ISS contact
*  +Leonard, Knight award winners announced
* +FCC gives lapsed licensee 60 days  to renew
* +Telephone outage prompts ARES activation
*  Solar  Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
This weekend on the  radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course  registration
ULS announces February 3 maintenance  outage
+New ARRL department gets official name
+FCC issues "show cause" order to Washington licensee
ISS  crew members swear in US Navy re-enlistees
ARRL  Foundation Board of Directors meets
DXCC Desk approves  operation for DXCC credit
Amateur Radio volunteers needed  for Boston Marathon
Portugal now BPL-free, radio amateur  reports

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

===========================================================
==>Delivery  problems: First see  FAQ
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then  e-mail
<letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
==>Editorial questions or comments  only: Rick Lindquist,  N1RL,
<n1rl at arrl.org>
===========================================================

==>LEAGUE  CRITICIZES FCC CHAIRMAN FOR PERPETUATING BPL RURAL SERVICE MYTH

The ARRL  this week took FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin to task for telling the
US Senate  Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that broadband
over power  line (BPL) technology is the answer to broadband deployment in
rural areas.  Martin and the other four FCC commissioners testified February
1 during a  committee hearing, "Assessing the Communications Marketplace: A
View from the  FCC." In his prepared remarks, the chairman described BPL as a
"potentially  significant player due to power lines' ubiquitous reach,
allowing it to more  easily provide broadband to rural areas." ARRL Chief
Executive Officer David  Sumner, K1ZZ, criticized Martin for repeating
"specious BPL industry claims"  that suggest BPL has anything to offer rural
dwellers.

"The assertion  that BPL can 'more easily provide broadband to rural areas'
is one of the big  lies about BPL," Sumner said. "It has been debunked time
and time again, and  it is beyond comprehension to hear it parroted by the
federal government's  senior telecommunications regulator at this late date."

Martin's remarks,  Sumner added, "should demonstrate to the committee why
legislation is needed  to force the FCC to use technical studies, rather than
outdated industry  propaganda and wishful thinking, as the basis for making
BPL-related  decisions."

Martin cited United Power Line Council (UPLC) "reports" that  there are now
at least 38 trial BPL deployments plus 7 commercial trials,  apparently
deriving his figures by counting the dots on a UPLC map, since  updated. The
most recent edition, dated January 19, appears to indicate just  25 BPL
trials, but that list includes some systems that do not appear in the  BPL
industry database. The map also shows 9 commercial deployments,  including
one in Pennsylvania believed to have been shut down.

The  FCC's "High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of June 30,
2006"  report -- the most recent available -- shows that the number of
high-speed  "lines" grew by nearly 13.5 million in the first six months of
last year. Of  that number, nearly 640 were listed as "power line and other,"
an increase of  some 14 percent in that category but about half the overall
growth in  high-speed services.

"These latest FCC figures underscore just how far  out of touch the
Commission itself is with marketplace reality," Sumner  remarked. "How much
longer will the Commission continue to tout BPL as a  viable consumer
broadband option in the face of its own contrary data?"  

In joint comments to the FCC in 2003 on the then-pending BPL rule  making
proceeding, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC)  and the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) cited  studies
indicating BPL would "not be a viable solution for most Americans in  truly
rural areas any time soon."

"To date, no BPL system has been  demonstrated to work, much less been
commercially deployed, on a long,  sparsely populated rural electric power
line," the NRTC/NRECA comments said.  "Even if BPL technology proves to be
reliable and does not cause unacceptable  radio frequency interference in
rural deployment, the economics will likely  be prohibitive for some time to
come. This is because signal repeaters or  regenerators will be required at
intervals as small as one-fourth to  three-fourths of a mile along lengthy
rural power lines" in addition to the  numerous and necessary network access
points and backhaul lines. 

More  recently, the NRTC last fall cited studies by Chartwell Inc, a  research
company specializing in electric power topics, that found only 5  percent of
utilities were moving ahead with BPL projects while 13 percent  were planning
or "considering" them. On the other hand, two utilities with  more than a
million customers between them reported discontinued existing BPL  programs,
according to a Chartwell member newsletter.

The League has  suggested that potential investors in rural broadband
delivery would be  better off considering wireless LAN or satellite
technology as more promising  possibilities.

==>LEAGUE ROLLS OUT EMERGENCY RADIO PUBLIC RELATIONS  CAMPAIGN, WEB SITE

"Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through for your  family and community"
is the theme of the League's 2007 public relations  campaign. The "Emergency
Radio" Web site  <http://www.emergency-radio.org/> debuted this week. ARRL
Media and  Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says the 2007 PR
initiative  picks up the momentum ARRL public information officers started
during the  just-ended "Hello" campaign.

"As we begin launching the new emergency  communications campaign, the
friendships and good will developed in Hello  will aid in future promotions
of Amateur Radio," Pitts said. "For 100 years,  radio in its many forms has
saved lives and aided in crises. We have a great  legacy and a bright
future."

The new Web site is a partner to the "Ham  Radio . . . Getting the message
through for your family and community"  brochure now available and, in fact,
already starting to make the rounds. "If  an emergency or disaster should
happen, the new 'Ham Radio . . . Getting the  message through' site has the
capability to quickly upload current  information, providing PIOs with words
and pictures to circulate to the media  while the event is still news," Pitts
explained.

As both the brochure  and the "Ham Radio . . . Getting the message through"
Web site note: "Amateur  Radio . . . has consistently been the most reliable
means of communication in  emergencies when other systems failed or were
overloaded." The campaign  stresses that ham radio works and works well and
it doesn't require any  external infrastructure, such as telephone lines or
even the Internet, to get  the message through.

The Web site provides page space for emergency  communication and disaster
relief organizations to tell about their work. "So  far, SKYWARN, MARS,
SATERN and RACES have taken advantage of our offer,  showing the versatility
of ham radio in disasters and emergencies," Pitts  says, "and more are
expected."

The campaign also emphasizes that ham  radio is fun and a good way to keep in
touch with friends or family. "You can  have this capability for yourself and
your family," the campaign points out,  inviting members of the general
public to get an Amateur Radio license and  become active in emergency
communication through the Amateur Radio Emergency  Service (ARES) or other
organization. A "How to Get Started" tab on the Web  site offers step-by-step
instructions.

==>ASTRONAUT'S VISIT  ENHANCES SCHOOL'S HAM RADIO CONTACT WITH ISS

Having a real, live  astronaut on hand for the occasion helped to make a
contact with the  International Space Station's NA1SS even more special for
11 fourth and fifth  graders at Romeo Elementary School in Dunnellon,
Florida. When the contact  with Mission Specialist Suni Williams, KD5PLM, was
done, NASA Educator  Astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR, joined the students in
their enthusiasm. Acaba,  who once taught at Dunnellon Middle School, made
several informational  presentations to the entire school before and after
the January 17 event,  says Larry Phelps, K4OZS, of the Silver Spring Radio
Club (SSRC), which  handled Earth station duties.

"As he spoke to the student body after the  contact, he conveyed the
excitement that everyone was feeling: 'How awesome  was that?!'" Phelps
recounted. The Amateur Radio on the International Space  Station (ARISS)
program arranged the direct VHF contact between K4OZS and  NA1SS.

All of the participating youngsters -- one from each fourth and  fifth grade
classroom -- had the chance to ask two questions over the course  of the
approximately 7-1/2 minute, 20 degree pass. During the QSO,  Williams
explained the role of the ISS in long-range plans for a human  spaceflight to
Mars. 

"Well, the ISS is sort of like a test bed," she  responded. "We can live up
here in microgravity and try out new processes  like how to take care of each
other in case we have a medical problem, how to  work out so, when we go to
Mars we can actually walk around and be  productive."

Williams told another youngster that there is weather in  space. "I would
have thought 'no,' but actually there is weather in space,"  she said. "We
got hit by a solar activity the other day, and it changed the  attitude of
the space station." 

She also told the Romeo Elementary  pupils that the ISS is constructed of
aluminum, and her favorite thing is  being able to float in microgravity --
"being a bird without having to flap  your wings."

All of the school's fourth and fifth graders got to witness  the contact
firsthand in the school's cafeteria, while the school's other 800  youngsters
watched the proceedings via closed-circuit TV.

Reporters  from two television stations and a local newspaper covered the
event for  their viewers and readers.

Phelps described the entire undertaking an  "amazing project" and "an
experience that will not be forgotten" by all  involved. "Having Joe Acaba
present for the contact was a real knockout," he  commented afterward, and
having the ham radio station, antennas and computers  at the school helped to
raise the level of excitement.

"The students'  faces told it all," he concluded. "Wow!"

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

==>ARRL BOARD NAMES LEONARD,  KNIGHT AWARD WINNERS

The ARRL Board of Directors has named the recipients  of the 2006 Bill
Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award and the Knight  Distinguished
Service Award.

The Board selected ARRL member RJ Harris,  W3HP, of Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania, to receive the Leonard Award, which  goes annually to a media
professional or group doing the best job of covering  Amateur Radio in print,
photo essay, audio or video formats. Harris was  recognized for "professional
coverage of Amateur Radio" on WHP Radio, in  Harrisburg. As the 2006 winner,
Harris will receive a $500 check and an  engraved plaque.

Licensed as WA3LIV in 1968, Harris is operations manager  at WHP and the host
of its morning show. Harris said he was honored to  receive the Leonard
Award. 

"Amateur Radio has been an important part  of my life for nearly 40 years and
a catalyst for my career as a professional  broadcaster, he said. "I'm
blessed to have a 5 kW signal with 148,000  listeners to be able to highlight
the fine work of a great group of Americans  -- radio amateurs. Hams truly
are our country's stealth first  responders."

Harris said he'll use a portion of his cash award to  purchase a new 2-meter
transceiver to be the prize in an essay contest for  students at the Trinity
High School Amateur Radio Club, N3THS. He says the  club has been responsible
for helping more than 50 young people to earn their  Amateur Radio licenses.
One lucky ham will win his first radio.

The  award honors the late Bill Leonard, a former president of CBS News and
an  avid Amateur Radio operator who was most active on the air during the
1960s  and 1970s. In 1958, Leonard's contribution to Sports Illustrated, "The
Battle  of the Hams," covered the "sport" of DX contesting. Leonard was
inducted into  the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1996. 

The ARRL Board named Jettie Hill,  W6RFF, of Roseville, California, to
receive the Knight Distinguished Service  Award, named for long-time New
Mexico Section Manager Joe Knight, W5PDY (SK).  

An active contester and DXer, Hill sports a long record of service  within
the ARRL Field Organization. One of the few individuals to serve as an  SM in
two different ARRL sections, Hill was Santa Clara Valley  Section
Communications Manager from 1978 until 1982. Subsequently he held the  post
of Sacramento Valley SM from 1989 until 2000 and again from 2002 until  he
stepped down last December 1. Hill was ARRL Pacific Division Vice  Director
from January 1982 through December 1983.

The Board recognized  Hill for "his long and distinguished career, including
his years as an SM/SCM  and his numerous contributions to the amateurs of his
community, section and  the ARRL."

==>FCC LETS FORMER LICENSEE RE-APPLY FOR RENEWAL; REDUCES,  AFFIRMS FINES

The FCC has cut a Michigan man a break. If he acts within  60 days, David H.
Norris of White Lake, who was W8WLU, may re-apply to the  Commission to renew
his General class ticket, which expired in 2003. The FCC  on January 29
released an Order on Reconsideration in the case, which dates  back to
September 2005 when Norris attempted to renew his license at the  eleventh
hour of the two-year grace period. The Commission dismissed his  application,
however, because Norris checked the wrong box on the hard-copy  FCC Form 605
that arrived in Gettysburg one day before the grace period  expired. This
week, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB)  reversed its stance
and granted Norris's Petition for Reconsideration to let  him re-apply for
renewal.

"We believe such an outcome is consistent  with previous actions regarding
amateur renewal applications," the FCC noted,  citing a 2004 case. In its
Order, the Commission said that Norris  "demonstrated a strong interest in
retaining his license by filing an  application form, completed by hand, and
referencing the correct call sign on  such application which the Commission
received before the grace period  ended."

According to the FCC, Norris incorrectly marked the "purpose" of  his Form
605 application as "Administrative Update" instead of "Renewal Only"  or
"Renewal/Modification." Commission staff turned down the  application,
however, because the license already had expired and couldn't be  modified.
Norris told the FCC he completed his application based on his  interpretation
of an ARRL information sheet that he claimed was misleading.  In its Order,
the FCC reminded all Amateur Radio licensees that it's their  responsibility
to be aware of and to comply with FCC rules and  regulations.

The ARRL VEC says its instructions clearly state that  licensees using Form
605 should choose "RO -- Renewal Only" when renewing  without making other
changes or "RM -- Renewal/Modification" when renewing  and making other
changes. "AU -- Administrative Update" only applies when  filing a change of
address, ARRL VEC notes.

Ironically, had Norris  been an ARRL member, the League not only could have
reminded him when his  license was due for renewal, it could have renewed it
for him free of charge.  The ARRL does charge a fee to renew vanity call
signs, however.

In  other enforcement matters, the FCC agreed in a January 26 Memorandum
Opinion  and Order (MO&O) to reduce drastically a $10,000 fine, levied in the
case  of CB operator-turned-radio amateur Robert A. Spiry, KD7TRB, of  Tacoma,
Washington. The Commission cited Spiry for unauthorized operation on  11
meters that involved the use of uncertificated equipment and an illegal  RF
power amplifier. The alleged violations occurred in 2002, and the  FCC
affirmed the fine in an October 2004 Forfeiture Order (NOF). Responding  to
an FCC Notice of Apparent Liability in 2003, Spiry admitted the  violations
but said he'd sold his CB equipment and had obtained an Amateur  Radio
license, the FCC said. The Commission agreed to lower Spiry's fine to  $1500
after he demonstrated an inability to pay the original fine.

The  FCC said its agents committed "no impropriety" in discussing Spiry's
case and  considering its possible implications on his Amateur Radio license.
"It is  well established that a violation in one service can impact on other
licenses  that an individual may have," the MO&O said.

In an MO&O released  January 29, the FCC reduced from $1000 to $250 the
forfeiture it had levied  on Mark A. Clay, N8QYK, of Huntington, West
Virginia, for operating an  unlicensed FM broadcast station. The FCC's
Columbia, Maryland, Field Office  initially proposed a $10,000 fine. The
Enforcement Bureau subsequently  reduced it to $1000, but Clay had sought to
have the FCC dismiss the fine  altogether, based on his inability to pay. The
FCC further reduced it  instead. Clay holds a Technician class Amateur Radio
license.

In  another MO&O released January 29, the Commission declined to lower  the
$12,000 fine it had ordered a Portland, Oregon, taxi company to pay. The  FCC
alleges that spurious emissions resulting from Portland Taxicab  Company's
unauthorized operation resulted in harmful 70 cm interference to an  Amateur
Radio station, AB7F. The Commission also cited the firm, licensee  of
WPRJ576, for failing to properly identify. The taxi company did not  dispute
the violations but asked for a reduction in the fine based on  inability to
pay, the FCC said. 

==>AMATEUR RADIO STEPS IN  FOLLOWING TELEPHONE SERVICE INTERRUPTION

When telephone cables were  severed in two Texas locations January 29,
Amateur Radio Emergency Service  (ARES) volunteers activated to fill the
communication gap during repairs, if  necessary. ARRL South Texas Section
Emergency Coordinator Jerry Reimer,  KK5CA, told ARRL Headquarters that the
two unrelated incidents affected  public 911 and regular telephone service
from Midland to Alpine to El Paso.  

"The site near Alpine was cut by a road construction crew, not detected,  and
buried," Reimer reported. 

ARRL South Texas Section Manager Ray  Taylor, N5NAV, says an ARES net stood
by on 40 meters at the request of ARRL  Brewster County Emergency Coordinator
David Cockrum, N5DO, who was at the  Alpine Emergency Operations Center
(EOC). 

"West Texas has a great 2  meter linking system, but it didn't work in some
of the areas, so we  activated HF on 7.285," Taylor explained. Volunteers
also stood by on 2  meters and, Taylor said, stations at several other EOCs
also checked into the  net, with Roger Podsim, KD5OTH, serving as net control
station. 

At  first it was thought the outage might last up to 18 hours, but the system
was  back up and running in a little more than 90 minutes, and the ARES  net
closed. 

"I want to thank all those that turned out to help,"  Taylor remarked
afterward. "One thing about ham radio operators -- they are  always ready to
help when needed."

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Astral  aficionado Tad "Sunshiny Day" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Might  we see a high-bottom minimum at the end of this solar cycle?
January had a  higher monthly average sunspot number than nine of the
previous twelve  months. Looking at predicted smoothed sunspot numbers for
2007, they don't  really go any lower this year than what is predicted for
this month and  next.

The predicted smoothed sunspot numbers for August 2006 through  December 2007
are 15.4, 15.2, 14.0, 12.4, 11.5, 11.2, 11.0, 10.9, 11.0, 11.1,  11.3, 12.0,
11.2, 13.3, 15.6, 18.3, and 21.3. As you can see, the lowest  value is March
2007, at 10.9. Notice that it rises rapidly at the end of this  year. 

A strong solar wind caused geomagnetic numbers to jump high  Monday, January
29, when the planetary A index rose to 36. We see quiet  geomagnetic indices
for next week, with higher activity centered on February  13 and again on
February 25-26. This is based on activity during the current  and previous
solar rotation.

Sunspot numbers for January 25 through 31  were 11, 11, 11, 13, 27, 33 and
32, with a mean of 19.7. The 10.7 cm flux was  79.9, 79.7, 80.5, 81.7, 86.7,
87.5, and 89.2, with a mean of 83.6. Estimated  planetary A indices were 1,
2, 3, 5, 36, 21 and 16, with a mean of 12.  Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 1, 3, 3, 2, 19, 17 and 13, with a mean  of 8.3.

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 Delaware, Minnesota and Vermont  QSO
parties, the 10-10 International Winter Contest (SSB), the AGCW Straight  Key
Party, the YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW), the Mexico RTTY International  Contest,
the North American Sprint (SSB) and the ARCI Fireside SSB Sprint are  the
weekend of February 3-4. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB)  is
February 5. The ARS Spartan Sprint is February 6. JUST AHEAD: The CQ WW  RTTY
WPX Contest, the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the KCJ Top Band  Contest,
the Dutch PACC Contest, the YLRL YL-OM Contest (SSB), the British  Columbia
QSO Challenge, the FISTS Winter Sprint, the RSGB First 1.8 MHz  Contest (CW)
and the North American Sprint (CW) are the weekend of February  10-11. The
ARRL School Club Roundup runs from February 12 until February 16.  The NAQCC
Straight Key/Bug Sprint, the AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening and  the RSGB
80-Meter Club Championship (Data) are February 14. 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 Monday, March 5, for these  ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education CCE online courses beginning  Friday,
March 16: 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, March 2, for classes  beginning
Friday, April. 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>.

* ULS announces February 3  maintenance outage: The FCC has announced that
the Universal Licensing System  (ULS) <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/> will be
offline for maintenance  Saturday, February 3, from 6 AM Eastern Time (1100
UTC) until 12 PM Eastern  Time (1700 UTC). The outage will affect the
application search, license  search, license manager and other ULS functions.

* New ARRL department  gets official name: As a result of an ARRL
Headquarters reorganization  announced in January, the Membership Services
Department and Field and  Educational Services combined into a single unit.
The new department now has  an official name: The Membership and Volunteer
Programs Department (MVP).  Dave Patton, NN1N, is the MVP manager. The
reorganization also established a  new position of Emergency Communications
Manager within MVP and created a new  Education Department.

* FCC issues "show cause" order to Washington  licensee: The FCC has asked
David L. Titus, KB7ILD, of Seattle, Washington,  to justify why his General
class Amateur Radio license should not be revoked.  The Commission
Enforcement Bureau's January 30 Order to Show Cause in EB  Docket No. 07-13
initiates a hearing process to determine whether Titus "is  qualified to
remain a Commission licensee" in light of a 1993 felony  conviction for
"communicating with a minor for immoral purposes." According  to the FCC
order, Titus received a 25-month prison sentence, and the Seattle  Police
Department identifies him as a registered sex offender. The FCC says  the
Communications Act of 1934 provides that it may revoke any license  if
conditions come to its attention that would warrant a denial of  the
licensee's original application. The Commission said felony  convictions,
"especially those involving sexual offenses involving children,"  raise
questions regarding a licensee's character qualifications. While  Titus's
conviction was some 14 years ago, "the nature of his criminal  misconduct and
the fact the Amateur Radio Service is particularly attractive  to children
call into serious question whether he should be permitted to  retain his
Amateur Radio authorization," the FCC said. Titus has 30 days to  respond.
The burden of proof in a hearing would be on the Enforcement Bureau.  The
show cause order is on the FCC Web  site
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-377A1.pdf>.

*  ISS crew members swear in US Navy re-enlistees: International Space
Station  (ISS) Expedition 14 crew members Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and
Suni  Williams, KD5PLB, swore in 16 re-enlisting sailors aboard the USS
Dwight D.  Eisenhower during a special live link-up with the space station
January 29.  Lopez-Alegria and Williams, both US Naval Academy graduates,
conducted the  long distance ceremony as the ISS orbited 220 miles above the
southern Indian  Ocean. Lopez-Alegria has been in orbit since last September
2006 and will  return to Earth in April. Williams has been aboard the ISS
since December and  will return to Earth in July. The Eisenhower is the
Navy's flagship for the  Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. The Expedition 14
crew is continuing  preparations for the first of three spacewalks beginning
Wednesday  morning.

* ARRL Foundation Board of Directors meets: The ARRL Foundation  Board of
Directors met January 23 for the Foundation Annual Meeting. During  the first
six months of fiscal year 2007, contributions totaled $91,775,  including
$375 in memorial contributions from eight donors, two  unrestricted
contributions and contributions supporting the K2TEO  Scholarship, The Dayton
Amateur Radio Association Scholarships, The Tom and  Judith Comstock
Scholarship, The Seth Horen K1LOM, Memorial Scholarship, The  Challenge Met
Scholarship, The Chicago FM Scholarship, The Mary Lou Brown  Scholarship and
The Metzger Scholarship. New scholarship funding was received  for the
Zachary Taylor Stevens Scholarship, The Richard W. Bendicksen  Scholarship
and The Peoria-Amateur Radio Club Scholarship. FY 2007 operating  expenses
through December 31, 2006, totaled $11,852, which was allocated  to
scholarship funds for the first time. In 2006 the ARRL Foundation awarded  53
scholarships, including the William R. Goldfarb Memorial  Scholarship,
totaling $67,402. Goldfarb winners to date are Ben Schupack,  NW7DX, set to
graduate from Whitman College in May; Jon Krenzel, KC0AMG; Tim  O'Donnell,
AB2LE, and Mellissa Meye, KB0WZA. During the first half of FY  2007, the
Foundation awarded grants totaling $3530 to the Otsego County  Amateur Radio
Association and the Walt Whitman ARC. The Foundation also  awarded a
challenge grant to the Pentagon ARC to match local funding raised  to install
a D-Star system at the Pentagon.

* DXCC Desk approves  operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved this operation for  DXCC credit: VU7LD - Lakshadweep Islands,
operation December 1-20, 2006. For  more information, visit the DXCC Web  page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. "DXCC Frequently Asked  Questions" can
answer most questions about the DXCC program.

* Amateur  Radio volunteers needed for Boston Marathon: Marathon Amateur
Radio  Communications (MARC) is seeking Amateur Radio volunteers to  provide
communication during the Boston Marathon, which takes place Monday,  April
16. MARC is a consortium of the Boston Amateur Radio Club, the  Framingham
Amateur Radio Association, and the Minuteman Repeater Association.  These
organizations are working together to provide radio communication  support
for the annual Hopkinton-to-Boston run, sponsored by the Boston  Athletic
Association (BAA). This year marks the 111th running of the Boston  Marathon,
which is expected to attract some 20,000 runners. Visit the MARC  Amateur
Radio Volunteer Signup page to  register
<http://mtfort.vh.primushost.com/marc/access.html>. -- Richard  H. Wheeler,
N1KXR 

* Portugal now BPL-free, radio amateur reports:  Citing news media accounts
in his country, Carlos Mourato, CT4RK, in Portugal  says the
telecommunications corporation Oni withdrawn its investment in  broadband
over power line (BPL), known in Europe as PLC (power line carrier  or power
line communications). "With this fantastic news we are proud to  proclaim
Portugal a free BPL/PLC country!" Mourato exclaimed. Oni reportedly  has said
its decision was not a matter of technology but strictly a matter of  good
business. The company says BPL/PLC performed well but failed to attract  the
customer base the company felt it needed in the face of competition  from
other broadband services. Utility EDP, which closely cooperated with Oni  in
the BPL/PLC effort, now has severed its fiscal relationship with  the
company.

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

The ARRL  Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
ARRL HQ. To  subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
delivery: 
ARRL  members first must register on the Members Only Web  Site
<http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity  during
registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter,  W1AW
bulletins, and other material. To change these  selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should  click on the "Member
Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on  "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or  change your e-mail
address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all  automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then,  click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff  members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself  via the
Members Only Web Site.)

The ARRL Letter also is available to  all, free of charge, from these
sources:

* ARRLWeb  <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will  be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)

* The  QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club:  Visit Mailing  Lists at QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>.  (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via  this listserver.)