[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1532 - December 22nd, 2006

Sat Dec 23 07:58:10 EST 2006

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1532 -  December 22nd, 2006

The following is a QST.  The FCC acts and Morse testing will soon be 
gone.  Also, a Coronal Mass Ejection on the sun brings great Aurora 
propagation to Earth and Australian hams get ready to help fight a 
raging brush fire.  Find out the details on Amateur Radio NewslineT 
report number 1532 coming your way right now.

**

RADIO RULES:  MORSE CODE TESTING - R.I.P.

Call it an early Christmas present from the FCC.  This, as the 
regulatory agency announces that it is going to phase out Morse 
proficiency testing to get a ham license here in the United States.  
Amateur Radio Newsline's Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, reports:

Also record:  We have the details in this report.

--

It was released after hours on Friday, December 15th.  That's when the 
Federal Communications Commission announced the adoption of a Report 
and Order and Order on Reconsideration that modifies the rules for the 
Amateur Radio Service by eliminating all Morse proficiency testing.  

The FCC made this happen by revising the examination requirements for 
obtaining a General Class or Amateur Extra Class amateur radio operator 
license and revising the operating privileges for Technician Class 
licensees. In its release, the FCC said that prior to this action and 
in accordance with international radio regulations, it required 
applicants for General Class and Amateur Extra Class operator licenses 
to pass a five words-per-minute Morse code examination.  

Now, that requirement is being eliminated.  The FCC says that doing so 
reflects revisions to international radio regulations made at the 
International Telecommunication Union's 2003 World Radio Conference.  
It was at that gathering of nations that each country was authorized to 
determine whether to require that individuals demonstrate Morse code 
proficiency in order to qualify for an amateur radio license with 
transmitting privileges on frequencies below 30 MHz.  

And now the United States telecommunications regulating body has done 
just that.  It says that Morse code testing will very soon be a thing 
of the past.

Why is the United States going the no-code route?  The FCC says that 
this change eliminates what it sees as an unnecessary regulatory 
burden.  One that may discourage current amateur radio operators from 
advancing their skills and participating more fully in the benefits of 
the service.

The same Order also revises the operating privileges for Technician 
Class licensees.  This, by eliminating a disparity in the operating 
privileges between the Technician Class and Technician Plus Class 
licensees. 

Technician Class licensees are authorized operating privileges on all 
amateur frequencies above 30 MHz.  The Technician Plus Class is an 
operator license class that existed prior the FCC's simplification of 
the amateur license structure in 1999.  It was grandfathered after that 
time, authorized operating privileges on all amateur frequencies above 
30 MHz, as well as frequency segments in four H-F bands below 30 MHz 
after the successful completion of a Morse code examination.  

But with the elimination of the Morse code exam requirements, the FCC 
has concluded that the disparity between the operating privileges of 
Technician Class licensees and Technician Plus Class licensees should 
not be retained.  Therefore, the FCC has now afforded Technician and 
Technician Plus licensees identical operating privileges.

Finally, the FCC has quickly resolved a petition filed by the ARRL a 
week or so ago.  This, for partial reconsideration of the FCC ham radio 
restructuring order released on October 10th.  

October 10th was when the FCC authorized Amateur Service stations to 
transmit voice communications on additional frequencies in certain 
bands, including the 75 meters down to 3.6 MHz.  In its petition. the 
ARRL argued that the 75 meter band should not have been expanded below 
3.635 MHz, in order to protect automatically controlled digital 
stations operating in the 3.62 to 3.635 MHz portion of the adjacent 80 
meter band.  

But the FCC has now concluded that these stations can be protected by 
providing alternate spectrum in the 3.585 to 3.6 MHz frequency segment 
and that's what it has done.  When this latest Report and Order takes 
effect, the digital folks will be required to move to these new, 
protected frequencies for their opertations.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR.

--

The rules change dropping Morse testing is effective 30 days after it 
is published in the Federal Register.  We will let you know when that 
will be.  We will also have an editorial comment on the decision to 
drop Morse testing at the end of this weeks newscast.  (FCC)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  GENSAT 1 LAUNCHED

Amateur Radio has a new star in the sky.  This, after GeneSat-1, the 
latest satellite carrying Amateur Radio was launched on Saturday, 
December 16th.  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has more in this report:

--

GenSat-1 was a secondary payload aboard a Minotaur rocket launched from 
the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA Wallops Flight Facility.  
It's a tiny cubesat spacecraft with a planned orbit of 410 by 412 km 
with a 40 degree inclination.  The birds primary mission is to conduct 
a cellular biology technology demonstrations.

Of particular interest to the amateur radio satellite community, is the 
GeneSat-1 beacon. Operating at 437.067 MHz FM,  the beacon sends an 
AX.25 packet at 1200 baud every 5 seconds.  The packet contains data 
about the spacecraft systems operation.  Due to Doppler shift the 
beacon frequency will vary +/- 9 kHz during any given pass.

The GeneSat-1 team would like to receive reports of the beacon messages 
and issue a QSL confirmation of your reception. Your report can be 
submitted at http://genesat1.engr.scu.edu/beacon/beaconsubmission.htm

More about the satellite is at the GeneSat1 Home Page.  Its on-line at 
www.genesat1.org

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the 
studio in Los Angeles.

--

To foster support for Amateur Radio and space technology outreach to 
secondary and higher education student groups, the GeneSat University 
Mission Ops Team is sponsoring a contest with recognition and awards.  
Full details is on-line at http://www.crestnrp.org/genesat1/ahc.html 
(GenSat)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  VK HAMS ON BRUSHFIRE ALERT

Australia's Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network -- better known 
as WICEN --  is expecting to be deployed.  This, as Victoria state 
faces the worst bush fire conditions since the Black Friday disaster in 
1939.

Two weeks after the alpine country in north-east Victoria was hit by 
multiple lightning strikes, sparking 14 major fires, the situation has 
only steadily worsened.  Television news reports here in the United 
States show acre upon acre upon acre of burn area, with nothing left 
standing in the fires path.  

Now the WIA News says that based on what occurred during the major 
Bogong fires in 2003, WICEN operators were not deployed in the first 
three weeks.  Once they were, Australia's Department of Sustainability 
and Environment relied on WICEN operators in 2003 to operate its 
communications network.

In preparation for a callout, WICEN ran training courses for its 
members on the operation of State Mobile Radio Trunked equipment that 
they are likely to use when they are eventually deployed.  (WIA News)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  HAM RADIO ACTIVATES FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST STORMS

Back here in the U-S-A word that ARES and RACES were activated in 
Washington State.  This, following a series of early winter storms that 
brought gale force winds and blinding rain to the Pacific Northwest 
starting late on December 14th..  

According to news reports, winds in excesss of 75 miles an hour were 
recorded at Seattle Sea Tac Airport.  Across the region, four people 
are confirmed dead, and a number have been injured and upward of two 
million lost power.  Sporadic wireline telephone outages were reported 
and in many areas cellular phones proved useless.

During the storms, hams were reported to have been involved in sever 
weather reporting.  Afterward several groups were reported to be taking 
on post storm damage assessment.  

More on what hams did in an upcoming Amateur radio Newsline report.  
(WS7A, Listener reports, published news reports)

**

ON THE AIR:  CME LEADS TO GREAT AURORA

As predicted in last weeks newscast, the Aurora Borealis or Northern 
Lights appeared over Alaska and much of North America on December 14th 
and 15th.  This after a Coronal Mass Ejection or C-M-E originating on 
the sun hit our Earth causing a severe geomagnetic storm. 

While the storm caused a virtual radio blackout, the V-H-F bands were 
ablaze with Aurora induced propagation.  VHF DX'ers like Paul Kelly, 
N1BUG, in grid-square FN55 announced over the VHF reflector that he 
planned to concentrate on the 222 MHz band and possibly 432 as well.  
And on Thursday the 14th, at 6:30 p.m. Central time, Jim Shaffer, 
WB9UWA, reported hearing weak Aurora propagation signals on 144.200.  
And it mounted from there.  

Another coronal mass ejection took place on the 15th and was due to 
arrive on December 16th. This C-M-E was not heading directly for Earth, 
and so it delivered  only a glancing blow.

Nevertheless, NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of severe 
geomagnetic storms. Sky watchers should remain alert for more auroras.  
The spectacular display is documented in a new photo gallery at 
http://spaceweather.com  (Spaceweather, Southgate)

**

NEWSLINE FOLLOW-UP:  VINTAGE RADIO WELCOMES EXPANDED 75 METERS BAND

A follow up to last weeks story of how hams operating vintage gear 
ushered in the expanded 75 meter phone band.  One of those involved in 
the celebration was Newsline's own Paul Courson, WA3VJB.  He is among a 
growing number of hams who truly enjoys bringing the sound of full 
carrier AM back to the ham bands.  Paul was on for the big bandwarming 
and now has this first hand report:

--

There was a lot of vintage gear on the airwaves, and some modern 
electronic logbooks in the shack, and one ham discovered new problems 
from the old rules, right as he fired up for the Bandwarming Party:

--

W1IA:  "I noticed I've got to re-do my computerized database, it's 
putting in CW as a mode on the frequency when I keyed it in, so it's 
funny, I've gotta go and re-do my logbook now, on the computer!" 

--

Brent, W1IA in New Hampshire was on 3725 kilocycles AM with a MOSFET 
solid-state AM transmitter that he built himself:

--

W1IA: "I'm enjoying this, Paul, more than, neater than sliced bread." 

--

Extra Class Phone ops began using 3600-3800 under the new rules, with 
Advanced Class licensees like myself coming in at 3700-3800. The 3700s 
reminded a lot of people of the OLD DAYS and they took time to mark the 
frequencies.

--

K1J:  I'm probably 10, well maybe 8Kc above my Novice frequency, we 
were down on 36, uh, 3716 that was the first Novice frequency crystal, 
spent a lot of time there in 60-1965. So here we are again. 

--

That's Tom, operating as K1J from Connecticut for the Bandwarming 
party. A while later, Joe, WA2PJP on Long Island was ALSO reminded of 
his Novice days:

-- 

WA2PJP: You know when I was a Novice I used to operate on 3730 that was 
my crystal frequency, 3730 and I also had one for 3710 I think it was, 
and how strange it is to be working down here. I had a -- you know what 
I shoulda did -- I shoulda had my DX 60 on, cause that's what I ran as 
a Novice, a DX-60 and an HR-10 

--

But Joe was running a Collins KW-1 for the Bandwarming Party.

Word spread as people read about the nationwide event on the internet, 
another combination of new and old technology.  Here's  AF1Z stroke 4 
in Palm Beach Florida who got a heads up to power up his JOHNSON 500 
transmitter:

-- 

AF1Z:  "I just got a call from a friend of mine upstate, another AMer, 
and he said, 'you gotta get on !! ' it sounds like the early 60s again, 
1-on-1 QSOs and all kind of things going on, people dusting them off 
and turning the stuff on." 

--

And within a few hours of the opening of the 80 meter phone band, you 
had your choice of nostalgic AM QSOs to pick from to help celebrate as 
we hear from Ken W2DTC in New Jersey:

--

W2TDC:  "Been doing a little band-hopping here, working some guys on 
3640, 3680, 3715, 3625, all over the place, it's a lot of AM on here, 
and it's very pleasant indeed."

--

Propagation is a radio rule no one can control, and a solar disruption 
made itself well known in what a Canadian AM'er called cold water on 
the bandwarming party. The flutter was so bad it even affected the KW-1 
of Dale, KW1I in New Hampshire:

--

KW1T:  "It's kinda funny to hear you with uh, kind of a moderate 
siganal with a lot of QSB because normally you come in like 
gangbusters."

--

He was talking with Herb K2VH in upstate New York, who helps us wrap up 
this report  --

--

K2VH:  "It's been a lot of fun and yes, the AM Community is out in full 
force tonight. I've heard some fives coming through very nicely. But 
the old SUn isn't cooperating but we'll go and hit the band in spite of 
Old Sol. WA, no, you're not WA3VJB, you're K3V!"

--

That's right Herb, K3-Vintage -- at least for the AM Bandwarming Party. 

Paul Courson WA3VJB for Amateur Radio Newsline.

--

The bottom line.  Paul says that a fun time was had by all.  (WA3VJB, 
ARNewslineT)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  SUSPENSION ORDER RESCINDED BY FCC

Turning to FCC enforcement news, that regulatory agency has rescinded 
the license suspension issued earlier this year to Larry J. Maniag, 
KD7JTG, of  Payson, Arizona.  

Back on June 28th the FCC issued the suspension because Maniag did not 
have a valid mailing address on file with the regulatory agency.  The 
FCC had been trying to contact him on another matter but correspondence 
to him had been returned by the Postal Service and classified as 
"unclaimed" and "unable to forward."

Maniag has since responded.  He explained the address problem and told 
the FCC that he was again receiving mail at that address.  Based on 
Maniag's response, the FCC has terminated the June suspension order.  
It also thanked Maniag for his cooperation in resolving the matter.  
(FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FCC SETS ASIDE RENEWAL OF HAM THAT FAILED TO RESPOND

The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has notified the 
Enforcement Bureau that, on its own motion, it set aside the  license 
of  William E. Kuth, KB2GSQ of Whiteboro, New York.  This, based upon 
complaints about the operation of his station and  his failure to 
respond to Commission correspondence dated May 3rd of this year.

In its November 9th letter to Kuth, the FCC said that his application 
for renewal has reverted to a pending status.  Also, since his renewal 
application was filed on October 23, 2006, and his license expired in 
November 2004, he has no authority to operate until this matter is 
resolved.  (FCC)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  IF YOU HEAR THIS ON 2 METERS BLAME THE USB HUB

A new kind of interference may be coming to the two meter band near 
you.  Its already bothering hams down-under.  Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has 
more:

--

Recent investigations by  ACMA in Queensland, over the last fortnight,  
has detected a non approved computer device that emits a signal on  
144.600 MHz. The device is a cheap, Chinese made, Active USB Hub.

A sound file is available from the link on the email and internet  
editions of this broadcast.  Its at  
http://reast.asn.au/soundfiles/2Mnoise.wav

If anyone is experiencing the same type of noise, it is most likely one 
of these devices and is probably located within a few house blocks of 
the receiving station.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Graham Kemp, VK4BB, of the WIA News 
reporting from Biisbane, Australia.

--

Its unknown if any of these interference emitting hubs have reached U-S 
shores or if they ever will.  Should they, you will likely find out 
about it when your turn on your 2 meter base or H-T.  (WIA News)

**

HAM HAPPENINGS:  CAMBRIDGE G6UW TO TURN 75

The Cambridge University Wireless Society in the U-K will be 
celebrating the 75th anniversary of its G6UW callsign in 2007.  If you 
are a former member of that  club and would like to get involved with 
anniversary celebrations, e-mail the club's secretary, Hugo Scott 
Whittle, M0HSW.  You reach him at  hs366 at cam.ac.uk.  (Southgate)

**

HAM HAPPRENINGS:  HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY TO 4 METERS

The Europen-only 4 meter band is now 50 years old.  The United Kingdom 
was the first country to gain this valuable VHF allocation.  In recent 
years more countries across Europe have gained access to the band.

David Butler G4ASR ex-G8ASR has posted a brief history of this rather 
unique 70 MHz band.  You will finfd it on-line at www.70mhz.org  
(Southgate)

**

NAMES IN THE NEWS:  UK TEEN HAM CLIMBS FOR CHARITY

A U-K teen ham has climbed some mountains for charity.  RSGB news 
reader Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has the story of a very dedicated young ham 
and his dad:

--

14-year-old Jimmy Read, M3EYP, from Macclesfield in Cheshire Englad has 
raised almost 1,500 British Pounds for a charitable institution through 
the Summits on the Air program.

Earlier in the year Jimmy and his father, Tom Reed, M1EYP, set out to 
walk the full 266 mile length of England's Pennine Way.   During the 
epic journey, the pair activated each of the eight so-called Marilyn 
summits along the route.

The pair made contacts with radio amateurs from throughout the country.  
During these QSO's Jimmy asked radio amateurs to sponsor him during his 
radio trek.

The response was tremendous. As a result, Jimmy raised the 1500 Pounds 
for the Friends for Leisure charity, which provides leisure activities 
for disabled and able-bodied youngsters in East Cheshire. 

A check was presented to the charity at a special event on Sunday 
December 10th.  Among those in attendance was Sir Nicholas Winterton 
who introduced the presentation and formally thanked Jimmy for his 
efforts.

I'm Jeramy Boot, G4NJH and you are tuned to the Amateur Radio Newsline.

--

You can find out more about the Summits on the Air program at 
www.sota.org.uk  (GB2RS)

**

ON THE AIR:  SCOUTS BEGIN CENTENARY CELEBRATION DOWN-UNDER

Celebrations of the Scouting Movement founding 100 years ago will first 
happen via amateur radio at Scouts Australia's Jamboree.,  That event 
is slated for January 2nd through the 13th  with the special event call 
sign VI3JAM being activated.  Jim Linton, VK3PC, has more:

--

The Scout Radio & Electronics Service Unit (SRESU) of Victoria has 
rostered a  team of volunteers and secured sponsorship for this special 
event.

ICOM Australia has supplied ham radio equipment and Amateur Radio 
Victoria is contributing funding and other high level support, while 
the national WIA is  providing promotional pamphlets, posters, call 
books and some foundation licence manuals.

The Australian Jamboree is held every three years with organizers 
expecting 13,000 to attend AJ2007 - the 21st Australian Jamboree - at 
Elmore in northern VK3.

Also throughout the centenary year, at specially planned celebration 
days, the Scout  Radio and Electronics Service Unit will be activating 
VI3SAA.  

These will include massive displays in Melbourne's Treasury Gardens and 
breakfasts hosted by the Lieutenant Governor of Victoria at Government 
House, Melbourne.

I'm Jim Linton VK3PC for the Amateur Radio Newsline.

--

Two commemorative QSLs will be issued by VI3SAA reflecting the Scouting  
Centenary theme 'One World One Promise', and by VI3JAM in celebration 
of the 21st Australian Jamboree.   More will be posted on the web at 
www.vi3jam.com  (VK3PC)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  AMSAT-UK TO PUSH FOR REGION 1 MICROWAVE SAT BAND 

In news from around the world, Graham Shirville, G3VZV, has announced 
last that AMSAT-UK is working with the Radio Society of Great Britain 
on a proposal to establish access to the 3400 through 3410 MHz band .  
This, for the Amateur Satellite Service in IARU Region 1 at a meeting 
is scheduled for February, 2007.

At present only Regions 2 and 3 have such an ITU allocation.  In Region 
1, even terrestrial activity is only permitted by footnote to the Radio 
Regulations or by a given administrations national rule making. (G3VZV)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  NO POWER INCREASE ON 2.4 GHZ

License free devices in the United Kingdom's 2.4 GHz band will not be a 
granted a long sought after increase in power level.  This is welcome 
news to U-K radio amateurs, who have an allocation from 2.4 to 2.450 
GHz.  Hams opposed the power increase say that it would have adversely 
affected fast scan television and Amateur satellite operations.  
(Southgate)

**

DX

In D-X, listen out for, CE3FZL to be active as CE2P from Panul 
Lighthouse, Chile during the weekends for the rest of December, January 
and February.  His operation is on  40, 20, 15 and 10 meter SSB only. 

ON4AA, is expected to be active as ON4AA stroke HI8 from Hispaniola 
until 14th January.  QSL both of these operations as directed on the 
air.

Also, the Five Star DX'ers Association has released details about its 
planned 3B7C trip to St. Brandon in 2007.  The plan is to take to the 
air with 12 stations beginning on Friday September7th and operating to 
Monday September 24th.  Neville Cheadle, G3NUG, and Don Beattie, G3BJ, 
will jointly lead the DXpedition. They hope to make more than 100,000 
QSOs while activating this much-wanted entity.  You can find out more 
about the DXpedition and its progress on the web at www.3b7c.com. 

(Above from various DX news sources)

**

THAT FINAL ITEM:  RESTRUCTURING EDITORIAL -- WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN 
- PART 1

Lastly this week, unlike most of the vitriolic postings found on ham 
radio websites claiming that elimination of Morse testing means the end 
of ham radio, most observers we have spoken with do not see much of a 
change in the hobby.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennat, K6PZW, is 
here with a rare editorial comment that has our view:

--

Right now, there are primarily two groups that are making their 
feelings known.  Those angry with the FCC for deleting the Morse 
requirement and those who believe the abolition of Morse testing is 
long overdue.  Each side is very vocal, but they are, hopefully, the 
minority.  A loud minority, but a minority none-the-less.  Lets look 
this week at hams who are perturbed with the FCC action.  

Some of those who are upset are calling December 15th the "Day the Morse 
Music Died."  This, as reference to the old Don McLean pop tune 
"American Pie."  A song that tells the story of the tragic death of 
three Rock and Roll greats in a plane crash just outside Clear Lake, 
Iowa on February 3rd 1959.  

These hams see only doom and gloom, predicting that all of ham radio 
will quickly become a wasteland invaded by CB operators and 10 1/2 
meter Freebanders.  What those espousing this knee-jerk reaction fail 
to realize is that these two groups together outnumber the worlds ham 
radio community by an estimated 10 or 12 to 1.  

If there was going to be a CB or Freeband takeover of the ham bands, it 
would have taken place back in the 1960's.  It didn't.  Nor did it 
happen in the 1970's or 1980's or 1990's or early 2000's.  The reason 
for this is simple.  These folks are having a lot of fun where they 
are. Most legal CB ops are happy where they are on 11 meters.  And 
except for a few forays now and again into 10 meters, the number of 
Freebanders showing up in the ham bands is very small.  Likely there 
are a lot more shortwave broadcasters than Freebanders messing up the 
Amateur H-F spectrum.  

The bottom line here is that Freebanders really do not want to bring a 
lot of attention to their unlicensed operations.  The full scale 
invasion envisioned by some disgruntled hams is just not going to 
happen.  Its pure myth and nothing more.

Another myth to dispel is that of dropping the code meaning that tens 
of thousands or even millions of people will line up to be tested for 
ham licenses.  That could happen -- a long time in the future -- but 
only if ham radio as a class of citizens commits to spending tens of 
millions of dollars in advertising to let the world know that it 
exists.  

The truth be known, ham radio is not well known outside of the hobby 
and the money to advertise it prime time on television does not exist.  
So as word slowly leaks out of this change, we may get a small trickle 
of new, technically minded folks entering the hobby.  But don't expect 
to see long lines outside of V-E Test sessions.  Like the mythical 
Freeband invasion it too is not going to happen.

Nor is any mass exodus from the VHF bands onto the High Frequency bands 
going to take place.  That already happened several years ago when 
Technicians who had previously passed a 5 word per minute code test and 
the old Technician slash General class theory exam were grandfathered 
to General.  

But there is no such paper upgrade this time around.  Sure Technicians 
will soon have Tech Plus privileges on 10 meters, but that's likely not 
enough of an incentive to get many folks whose only investment has been 
an H-T to fork out $1000 to $2000 or more for a complete H-F station.  

More likely you will soon hear more repeaters being equipped with High 
Frequency remote base systems showing up.  Remote relay systems that 
afford multiple users the ability to get onto 10 meters at almost no 
cost to them.

Last but by no means least, there are those hams who are threatening to 
sell off their gear and leave the hobby.  Again, this is more knee jerk 
reaction than it is reality.  The chances are that a year from now, 
when all the dust has settled, these same operators will be on the air, 
holding QSO's with all who come along, having long ago forgotten their 
words said or posted in the heat of the debate.  

And to that very small number who actually may make good on that threat 
-- we say -- have a good life in whatever new hobby you take up  We, 
and most others will still be here.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los 
Angeles.

--

As we view it here at Amateur Radio Newsline, there will likely be 
little if any impact on ham radio as a result of the FCC dropping Morse 
testing.  All the negativity lives only in the minds of those who 
believe that everyone coming to the hobby needs to pass a C-W test 
because they and we for forced to do so, many years ago.  And that ends 
the newscast and editorial comment for this week.  (ARNewslineT)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ 
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, 
the RSGB, the Southgate News and Australia's WIA News, that's all from 
the Amateur Radio NewslineT.  Our e-mail address is 
newsline at arnewsline.org.  More information is available at Amateur 
Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.  
You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT, P.O. 
Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. 

A reminder that the digitalization of ham radio is the topic for the 
next Amateur Radio Newsline produced Ham Radio Town meeting.  Its 
slated for Saturday, May 19th from 1 to 3 p.m. local time at the at 
Dayton, Ohio's Hara Arena in conjunction with the Hamvention 2007.

And starting right now we are looking for presenters who want to share 
their opinion, their technological know how or both with those 
attending the session.  If you plan on attending Hamvention 2007 and 
would like to be part of the Ham Radio Town Meeting, e-mail us to 
newsline at arnewsline.org and include a bio on whom you are and a short 
outline of your presentation.  We will look it over and get back to 
you.  

Again, that e-mail address is newsline at arnewsline.org  We look forward 
to hearing from you.

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Jim 
Davis, W2JKD, saying Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and the very best 
of seasons greetings from our home to yours.  