[Ham-News] The ARRL Letter, Vol. 21, No. 13
Tim Miller
tmiller at nethawk.com
Fri Mar 29 00:20:57 EST 2002
***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 21, No. 13
Mar 29, 2002
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* +Amateur comments support ARRL's position in SAVI proceeding
* +FCC chipping away at vanity backlog, proposes higher vanity fee
* +All-ham ISS crew will spend an extra month in space
* +K7BV to join ARRL HQ staff
* +Hams summon help to aid stranded sailboat
* +FCC proposes changes to repetitive application rule
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
Certification and Continuing Education Program registration
ARISS school contact report set to air on NBC
ARRL Development wants to know
+Ducie Island DXpedition is a wrap
Hams help transport injured passenger from sailboat
ARRL will attend NTIA spectrum summit
ARRL represented at annual NVOAD conference
German vote favors retention of Morse requirement
DXCC Yearbook set for late spring publication
B&W co-founder John F. "Jack" Williamson, W3GC, SK
Gene R. Willbanks, N5BLK, SK
+Available on ARRL Audio News
===========================================================
EDITOR'S NOTE: ARRL Headquarters is closed Friday, March 29, for the
holiday weekend. There will be no W1AW transmissions March 29. The March
29 editions of The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News are being posted and
distributed on Thursday, March 28. ARRL Headquarters reopens, and W1AW
resumes its normal schedule Monday, April 1.--Rick Lindquist, N1RL
===========================================================
==>COMMENTS IN SAVI PROCEEDING BOLSTER ARRL POSITION
The ARRL says the large number of comments filed by amateurs in
opposition to SAVI Technology's plans to operate RF identification
(RFID) tags on 70 cm support the League's position that the proposed
rules are flawed and should not be adopted. The ARRL took note of the
amateur community's response in its reply comments filed in the
proceeding, ET Docket 01-278, on March 12. SAVI wants the FCC to
authorize operation of the RFID system at 425-435 MHz at much higher
field strengths and duty cycles than current Part 15 rules permit for
such devices.
"There were approximately 132 comments filed by radio amateurs or
Amateur Radio organizations in this proceeding," the ARRL pointed out,
"all of which are opposed to the proposal to allow high-power,
continuous-duty RFID tags and interrogators in the weak-signal portion
of the most popular and heavily-occupied UHF amateur band."
RFID tags are used for tracking shipments and packages, among other
applications. The ARRL said that while package tracking using RFID
technology "is a beneficial application as a general matter," it belongs
elsewhere. The ARRL maintained that if the proposed rules were enacted
as proposed, the inevitable result would be severe and harmful
interference. Some commenters from the amateur community predicted
interference from--and to--the RFID tags as a result of amateur TV
operation in that portion of 70 cm. Others worried about the tags'
effects on weak-signal work.
"The only way to mitigate the interference in this case would be for
SAVI to select another band and abandon its plan for high-power,
high-duty-cycle operation at 425-435 MHz," the ARRL declared.
The ARRL admonished the FCC to "not create Part 15 rules to accommodate
a single company's product or even one type of RF device." The League
also asserted that FCC approval of SAVI's proposal would undermine the
regulatory philosophy underlying the current Part 15 rules governing
unlicensed intentional radiators. The ARRL reiterated its argument that
the RFID tags cannot be operated in the US under current Part 15 rules
for unlicensed devices, and in numerous European and Asian countries
they cannot be operated at all.
The ARRL's reply comments also characterized SAVI's tests and
interference studies as "flawed" and not representative of real-world
conditions.
Concluded the League, "Operation of near-continuous duty devices at
Section 15.231(a) power levels at 433.92 MHz and the surrounding band
segment is fundamentally incompatible with incumbent amateur operation
and cannot be permitted." The ARRL again urged the FCC not to adopt the
proposals.
The ARRL's reply comments include a summary of the League's ex parte
presentation in the proceeding delivered to FCC Office of Engineering
and Technology staff members February 26. The ARRL submitted a third ex
parte rebuttal presentation on March 22.
==>FCC CHIPS AWAY AT VANITY BACKLOG, PROPOSES VANITY FEE HIKE
The FCC continues to whittle away the vanity backlog. Another 268 call
sign grants were issued this week. The latest run includes applications
received by the FCC as of January 25, 2002.
Among the recent happy campers was Randy McAlister, W7CWW (ex-KD6AQB),
of Ventura, California, who wrote ARRL to say that he and his family
were pleased that he now holds the call sign once held by his
grandfather, Eugene Brounty--something he'd wanted since his grandfather
died in 1963.
Meanwhile, the FCC is proposing to raise the regulatory fee it charges
vanity call sign applicants from $12 to $14.50 for the 10-year license
term. The FCC included the proposed new fee in a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (MD Docket No. 02-64) released March 27 to set Fiscal Year
2002 fees. The effective date will be announced in the Report and Order
that terminates the proceeding. If it's approved, the new fee likely
will become effective sometime in September. The FCC has estimated that
8000 applicants would apply for vanity call signs in FY2001.
Applicants for amateur vanity call signs will continue to pay the $12
regulatory fee per call sign (per 10-year license term) until the FY2002
fee schedule becomes effective. The vanity fee is paid at the time of
application for a new, renewal or reinstated vanity license.
Comments are due April 23; reply comments are due May 3.
==>ALL-HAM ISS CREW'S DUTY TOUR EXTENDED
The Expedition 4 International Space Station crew of Commander Yuri
Onufrienko, RK3DUO, and flight engineers Dan Bursch, KD5PNU, and Carl
Walz, KC5TIE, will be spending an extra month in orbit. Problems with
the Canadarm 2 robotic arm on the ISS will result in extending their
mission to 189 days--a new record for the US crew members. March 29
marks 114 days in space for the current crew, which came aboard in
December.
Late last week NASA decided to bump the launch of the Expedition 5 crew
aboard the shuttle Endeavour (STS-111) from May 6 to May 31 in order to
permit more training time for the shuttle crew to deal with the
mechanical arm repair. Shuttle astronauts will replace a wrist joint in
the space station's mechanical arm. The Endeavour won't be returning to
Earth until June 12, which means the astronauts on the Expedition 4 crew
will beat NASA's current space endurance record by one day.
US astronaut Shannon Lucid, who spent 188 days aboard the Russian Mir
spacecraft in 1996, is the current American record holder, and she will
still hold the women's space endurance record.
Onufrienko, however, will not come close to topping the Russian 438-day
endurance record set aboard Mir in 1994 and 1995 by cosmonaut Valery
Polyakov.
For more information about the ISS, visit NASA's Human Space Flight Web
site, <http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/index.html>.--NASA, news accounts
==>DENNIS MOTSCHENBACHER, K7BV, TO JOIN ARRL HEADQUARTERS STAFF
Noted contester and DXpeditioner Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, will join
the ARRL Headquarters staff April 1 as sales and marketing manager. In
that role, he'll oversee ARRL's publication and advertising sales as
well as membership recruitment activities.
"We're pleased to have someone with Dennis's Amateur Radio and
professional experience and international stature to take on this
critical management role," said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Mark
Wilson, K1RO. "We expect that he will be a major asset in helping the
ARRL to meet its goals for the future."
An ARRL Life Member and a Minnesota native, Motschenbacher, 54, has been
licensed since 1962 and is no stranger to the ARRL family. For the past
four years, he has been the editor of National Contest Journal,
published by ARRL. Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, is replacing K7BV as NCJ
editor starting with the May/June issue.
Motschenbacher told his NCJ readers in his farewell editorial that he
considers the opportunity to work at ARRL Headquarters a dream come
true. "I feel like a kid who has just been granted his fondest wish," he
said. In addition to serving at the NCJ helm, Motschenbacher has been
actively involved in the fundraising and promotion for World Radiosport
Team Championship 2002 (WRTC 2002) and will be a referee at the event in
Finland this summer. In WRTC 2000, he teamed with Ralph Bellas, K9ZO, at
S566Z in Slovenia. He's also operated from various exotic locales.
Moving to the East Coast from Nevada, he says, will rejuvenate Amateur
Radio for him. He and his wife Lieska have arranged to purchase a house
in Eastern Connecticut that has a convenient hill on the property, and
he's already got a permit from the town to erect an 80-foot tower. Four
towers and associated antennas are being transported from Nevada as
well. Motschenbacher says he's never operated from the East Coast--with
the sole exception of the CY9AA DXpedition--and he's eager to experience
propagation from his new location. One down side, he noted, is that
Nevada is a lot more rare as an ARRL section multiplier than
Connecticut.
On the professional side, Motschenbacher brings 30 years of sales,
marketing and business experience to ARRL HQ, primarily in the fire
protection and safety business. Most recently he was president and co
owner of ESG Inc of Reno, which specializes in fire protection systems
for the telecommunications industry worldwide. He says he's eager to put
his sales acumen and entrepreneurial spirit to work on behalf of the
ARRL and Amateur Radio. "I view it as a very strong personal
responsibility to help see Amateur Radio into the future," he said.
==>AMATEURS SUMMON HELP AFTER SAILBOAT RUNS AGROUND
Vigilant members of the Maritime Mobile Service Net on 20 meters relayed
calls for help from a sailing vessel that ran aground March 26 off the
northern coast of Cuba. Aboard the sailing vessel Tao were Dave Beane,
G0TAG, and his wife, Sara, whose frantic calls on the Net frequency got
a quick response. The couple subsequently was rescued by Cuban
authorities and their sailboat refloated.
"She was in a big panic, and then they just stopped transmitting,"
reported Ed Petzolt, K1LNC, in South Florida, who said he happened onto
the situation when he turned on his transceiver.
US Virgin Islands ARRL Section Manager John Ellis, NP2B, said that less
than an hour earlier, Beane had checked into the MMSN to say the couple
had enjoyed a visit to Cuba and was planning to sail around to the south
side. "There was no indication of any problem," he added. Since Ellis
had the best copy, he managed the incident.
"It turned out that Dave and Sara had run upon a reef, had called for
help from the Cuban authorities, but had received no response," he said.
"Sara was rather frantic when she came on 14.300. We immediately gave
her a clear frequency." Ellis said a net slightly higher in frequency
yielded to give the Net a wide berth.
Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, in Texas notified the US Coast Guard. At about the
same time, Petzolt contacted the Swiss Embassy--the US has no diplomatic
relations with Cuba, and Switzerland often serves as an intermediary.
The Swiss Embassy put him in touch with the Cuban mission in Washington,
which, in turn, contacted authorities in Havana by radio. The US Coast
Guard was only able to contact the Cuban authorities via telex.
"We tried to determine if they were in danger of sinking, but that is
when we lost communication," Ellis said. "We never heard from them for
the remainder of the evening."
Ellis said G0TAG checked into the Net later in the week to say that
Cuban authorities were able to float the vessel off the reef and get the
couple under way again. "Dave, G0TAG, had nothing but good words to say
about the Cubans," Ellis said. "The authorities were very nice and
helpful, they even sent two divers down to inspect the bottom of the
boat--all at no charge!"
The MMSN had "excellent cooperation and assistance" during the incident
from net control Frank Kelly, N3FK, Petzolt, Pilgrim and Dave Dalziel,
N4ICE, Ellis said. "There were a number of others on frequency available
to help, but all maintained top-notch order and control," Ellis
added.--thanks to Brandon Horn, KC2HFG, for alerting ARRL to this
incident
==>FCC PROPOSES TO STRENGTHEN RULES AGAINST REPETITIVE APPLICATIONS
The FCC has proposed changing its application rules for all wireless
radio services--including the Amateur Radio Service--in an effort to
expand the scope of its current ban on repetitious applications. In a
Notice of Proposed Rule Making released March 20, the FCC seeks to
modify §1.937 of its rules to prohibit all applications that are
"substantially similar" to applications denied or dismissed with
prejudice within the previous 12 months.
While the proposed rule would apply to the Amateur Service, it would
prohibit only a handful of applications filed by new and renewing hams.
Most dismissed amateur applications--such as vanity dismissals--are
turned down without prejudice because of procedural deficiencies. The
FCC now allows these applicants to correct the mistakes and file again,
and it will continue to do so if the proposed rule change is adopted.
Current FCC rules already prohibit repetitious applications for new
stations, modifications of services or facilities, or for licenses that
have been revoked. "Because [the current regulations] bar specific types
of applications, these provisions can be interpreted as permitting the
filing of other repetitious applications that are not specified in the
rule," the FCC said in the NPRM.
Among the types of applications that are not currently listed and
specifically barred are renewal applications. The FCC cited the pending
application of Herbert Schoenbohm, ex-KV4FZ, as an example of a
repetitious application for the same service less than 12 months after
the final denial of a previous application.
"Such cases can consume significant resources to re-litigate identical
issues involving the same applicants very close in time," the FCC said.
Schoenbohm's amateur license renewal was finally denied in 2000, when
the US Supreme Court refused to hear the case, and his authority to
operate expired in January 2001. Last April, Schoenbohm applied for a
new Amateur Radio license and passed the General exam. The FCC now has
designated that pending application for hearing, to determine, in part,
if Schoenbohm deserves to be a Commission licensee.
Comments in the proceeding, WT Docket No. 02-87, are due 30 days from
the publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register, which has
not yet occurred. Reply comments will be due 45 days after publication.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Heliophile Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily
solar flux was down 10 points this week. Average sunspot numbers were up
by 35 points. Sunday, March 24 was a very active geomagnetic day.
Planetary A index was 47, with several periods of five and six K index,
indicating a robust geomagnetic storm, the kind that causes dramatic
auroral displays. This activity was due to a coronal mass ejection on
Saturday.
The outlook for the CQ Worldwide SSB WPX Contest this weekend is rather
dicey, because there is the possibility of an eruption from sunspot
9878. The sunspot is Earth-facing, and magnetic fields above this area
have grown more complex recently. For the weekend, contesters will hope
that any solar eruptions are later, rather than early. Because there is
some delay (which can vary) with the different events that cause high
geomagnetic activity, any solar activity this weekend might miss the
contest.
The latest projection as of March 28 had solar flux around 170 for
Friday and Saturday, then flux below 170 until April 5-6. Geomagnetic
conditions will probably be stable through the weekend, but become at
least unsettled on Monday and Tuesday.
Sunspot numbers for March 21 through 27 were 160, 194, 176, 169, 162,
145 and 179, with a mean of 169.3. The 10.7-cm flux was 174.1, 171.6,
170.4, 175.3, 170, 165.7 and 169.1, with a mean of 170.9. Estimated
planetary A indices were 8, 8, 9, 47, 5, 11 and 5 with a mean of 13.3.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The CQ WW WPX Contest (SSB) is the weekend
of March 30-31.The 144 MHz Spring Sprint is Apr 1. JUST AHEAD: The MARAC
County Hunters Contest (SSB), the SP DX Contest, the EA RTTY Contest,
the Missouri QSO Party are the weekend of April 6-7. The 222 MHz Spring
Sprint is Apr 9. The YLRL DX to NA YL Contest (CW) is April 10-12. 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.
* Certification and Continuing Education Program registration:
Registration opens Monday, April 1, for the Level I Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications course (EC-001), Monday April 8, for the Level
II course (EC-002), and Monday, April 15 for the Level III course
(EC-003). Courses must be completed in order, starting with Level I.
Registration for the Antenna Modeling course (EC-004) opens Monday,
April 8. On all dates, registration will begin at 4 PM Eastern Time. To
learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web
page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> and the C-CE Links found there. For more
information, contact Certification and Continuing Education Coordinator
Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce at arrl.org.
* ARISS school contact report set to air on NBC: NBC Weekend Nightly
News tentatively plans to air a report Saturday, March 30, on the recent
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with
students at the Deep Creek Elementary School in Boring, Oregon. Check
local listings for time and station. The report could be "bumped" to
accommodate breaking news, however. On March 6, astronaut Carl Walz,
KC5TIE, at NA1SS answered youngsters' questions during the scheduled
2-meter contact via facilities provided by the Boring Amateur Radio
Club. Noted contester and DXer Tree Tyree, N6TR, handled ground-station
duties using the BARC's K7RAT call sign. The contact lasted nearly eight
minutes, and all 380 Deep Creek pupils were on hand for the big event.
The Nightly News piece was written and produced by Alan Kaul, W6RCL.
* ARRL Development wants to know: In support of an ARRL funding
proposal, the ARRL Development Office would like to know if you are a
current employee or a retiree of any United Technologies business unit
nationwide. If so, please visit the UTC Survey Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/utcsurvey.html> and enter your call sign by April
5. This information will not be used for any purpose except to convey
raw data in support of ARRL's request to UTC as a potential funding
partner. If you make a contribution to ARRL, United Technologies may
match your donation. Information about the UTC Matching Gift Program is
available on the UTC Web site
<http://www.utc.com/profile/community/contribut.htm> (scroll down to
"UTC Matching Gift Program").
* Ducie Island DXpedition is a wrap: The inaugural VP6DI DXpedition to
the newest DXCC entity--Ducie Island--came to an end March 26. A
2.5-square-mile Pacific atoll, Ducie was approved for DXCC credit last
November, but it took three trips, many months of planning and a big
budget to make this operation a reality. The DXpedition was sponsored by
the Pitcairn Island Amateur Radio Association. The VP6DI team was on the
air for just over nine days, logging something on the order of 40,000
contacts. VP6DI HF QSLs go via VE3HO, and 6-meter QSLs go to JA1BK. More
information is available on PIARA's DXpedition to Ducie March 2002 Web
site <http://www.qsl.net/wd4ngb/ducie.htm>.--The Daily DX
* Hams help transport injured passenger from sailboat: Marc Weinberg,
K9PET, says amateurs on the Manana Net on 14.340 MHz recently were
confronted with a medical emergency. On March 13, it was reported that a
man suffered a back injury aboard a sailboat off the Pacific side of
Baja near Rosario, Mexico. Amateurs alerted appropriate authorities. By
the next day, however, seas were too high--more than 20 feet--and there
was no nearby sheltered harbor. The Mexican Navy was standing by to
assist, and an ambulance was available on the shore, but weather
conditions prevented airlifting the injured man from the vessel.
Weinberg says the March 15 Net session brought the happier news that the
man had been taken off the boat by a US Coast Guard helicopter and was
in a San Diego hospital. It turned out that the man had aggravated a
previous injury to his spine while aboard the boat. The man was able to
travel to San Francisco for surgery.
* ARRL will attend NTIA spectrum summit: ARRL Technical Relations
Coordinator Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, will attend the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) spectrum summit
April 4-5 in Washington DC. The session is aimed at identifying more
efficient ways to manage the nation's airwaves. The demand for radio
spectrum from both commercial industries and the government has
increased tremendously in recent years. The goals of the summit will be
to develop policies to increase efficient use of the spectrum; provide
spectrum for new technologies; and improve the effectiveness of domestic
and international spectrum management. The keynote speaker will be
Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans. Other speakers include FCC
Chairman Michael Powell and NTIA Assistant Secretary for Communications
and Information Nancy Victory. For more information, visit the NTIA Web
site <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/>.--NTIA
* ARRL represented at annual NVOAD conference: ARRL Field & Educational
Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, represented ARRL at the annual
meeting and national conference of the National Volunteer Organizations
Active in Disaster. The gathering was held March 18-19 in Oklahoma City.
White reports she was able to network with delegates from groups such as
the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Friends Disaster Service,
International Relief Friendship Foundation and National Emergency
Response Teams. She also had the opportunity to present a luncheon talk
to 350 attendees on the contribution of Amateur Radio operators in the
aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. White reports that
several other conference attendees also were ham radio operators.
* German vote favors retention of Morse requirement: The results of a
mail-in vote of Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) members on whether
to retain a Morse code requirement as an examination criterion for HF
access indicates DARC members almost split on the issue. Of the 17,455
votes cast, 8530 (48.8%) favored retaining the existing 5 WPM
requirement in Germany while 7781 (44.6%) favored abolishing the
requirement. DARC said 1133 ballots were nullified (for a variety of
reasons that included ballots from nonmembers and duplicate ballots),
and 11 took no position.--Hans Berg, DJ6TJ/DARC
* DXCC Yearbook set for late spring publication: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
announced that the 2001 DXCC Yearbook is currently being assembled and
should be ready for mailing sometime in late May or early June. The
period for the Annual List in this issue is from October 1, 2000, to
September 30, 2001. "If you submitted an application postmarked during
this period and you are a current ARRL member, you are entitled to one
free copy," said ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L. "You are also
entitled to one free copy if you qualified for the DXCC Honor Roll
during this period and were an ARRL member, even if you did not submit
an application." Those not eligible for a free copy may order one (or
more) from the DXCC Branch after June 1. Copies are $5 each, postpaid.
For more information, contact the DXCC Desk, dxcc at arrl.org.
* B&W co-founder John F. "Jack" Williamson, W3GC, SK: Jack Williamson,
W3GC, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, died March 19. He was 95.
Williamson was the co-founder of Barker & Williamson--B&W--once a
well-known US manufacturer of Amateur Radio equipment. First licensed in
1921, Williamson in his youth earned a widespread reputation for his
radio knowledge, and even radio manufacturer Atwater Kent and his
engineers sought Williamson out for his technical advice. After leaving
his electrical engineering studies at Drexel Institute when the
Depression hit, he and long-time friend Barrie Barker, W3DGP, then out
of work, launched a new business to manufacture RF coils for amateurs.
B&W did so well in the pre-World War II years that Hallicrafters
engineers, frustrated in their attempts to design an antenna tuner for
the BC-610 that could match short antennas to Signal Corps
specifications, approached the fledgling company. B&W's prototype was
accepted, and a production contract was awarded for the tuner, known as
BC-939. That led to additional contracts. After WWII, the company was
successful in both the military and ham radio sectors. Most notable in
the B&W amateur line were their coils and transmitter variable capacitor
products and the model 5100 all-band transmitter. While Barker retired,
Williamson continued operating B&W until its sale in 1964. He had been
an ARRL member for 22 years and had continued as an active amateur until
recently.--Bob Thomas, W3NE
* Gene R. Willbanks, N5BLK, SK: Gene Willbanks, N5BLK, of Pollock,
Louisiana, died March 21. He was 59. As an International DX
Association--INDEXA--staff member, Willbanks participated daily in the
INDEXA information session on 14.236 MHz. Along with his fellow staff
members, he provided QSL routes and DX information to the Amateur Radio
community. An ARRL member, Willbanks also was an active county hunter
and especially enjoyed HF mobile operation and helping amateurs to
contact new counties for the USA-County Award program. Visit the INDEXA
Web site <http://165.166.141.20/indexa/welcome.html>.
===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the
American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur
Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax
860-594-0259; http://www.arrl.org. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President
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