[Ham-News] Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1538 - February 2nd, 2007

Sun Feb 4 08:53:00 EST 2007

Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1538 - February 2nd, 2007

The following is a Q-S-T.  The FCC says yes to a long-time hams license 
renewal, the next space tourist gets his ham ticket, the ARRL Board 
says yes the Report of the National Emergency Response Planning 
Committee and New York City will involve the public in emergency 
communications using wireless.  All this and more on Amateur Radio 
Newsline report number 1538 coming your way right now.

**

RADIO LAW:  FCC SAYS YES TO HAM WHJO MADE MISTAKE IN RENEWAL

Some good news for a Michigan ham.  The FCC does have a heart!  And the 
regulatory agency says that it will let David H. Norris file a renewal 
for his station license and his old W8WLU call sign.  This, even though 
his was not a timely filing.  It's a great way to start this weeks 
newscast and Amateur Radio Newsline's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, has a 
story that will make everyone feel pretty good about the agency that 
regulates the hobby:

--

The story goes like this.  Way back On September 7, 1993, the 
Commission renewed Havid H. Norris's license and W8WLU call sign.  The 
expiration date was set as September 7, 2003.  On that date, Norris 
license expired by its own terms due to the absence of a timely-filed 
renewal application.  

But under Section 97.21(b) of the Commission's rules, a person whose 
Amateur station license grant has expired may apply for renewal during 
a two-year filing grace period.  The only caveat is that the 
application must be received before the end of that time.  

On September 6, 2005, one day before the end of the grace period, the 
Commission received an application form Norris completed by hand.  But 
the "Application Purpose" was incorrectly marked as Administrative 
Update.  On September 9, 2005, the staff dismissed that application 
stating the license had already expired,  and thus could not be 
updated. 

In his filing seeking reconsideration of the dismissal order, Norris 
told the FCC that his intention was to apply for renewal before the end 
of the grace period.  That he had mistakenly marked the Form 605 
application as "Administrative Update" based on his reading of a 
General Direction Sheet published by the American Radio Relay League.  
Norris claims that was misleading.   

Norris told the FCC that he had held call sign W8WLU for over fifty 
years.  That during this period of time he has been an active radio 
amateur during emergencies and weather alerts.  Norris also said that 
he is a special education teacher in Michigan and uses Amateur Radio to 
help cognitively impaired youth broaden their experiences and help 
spread goodwill to others around the world.

In deciding to permit Norris to file a late renewal, the FCC said that 
he had  demonstrated a strong interest in retaining his license.  This, 
by filing an application form completed by hand and referencing the 
correct call sign on the  application which the Commission received 
before the grace period ended.

The FCC concluded that though Norris incorrectly coded his application, 
he did use the correct form and that, in other respects, the 
application appeared to have been complete. 

Based on the specific facts of this case, the FCC found that the public 
interest would be served by allowing David Norris to reapply for the 
renewal of his Amateur service license and W8WLU callsign.  The only 
proviso is that he must do so within 60 days.  

We say -- welcome back.

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

--

In its order allowing Norris to renew his ham ticket, the Commission 
took time to remind all Amateur Radio Service licensees that it is 
their responsibility to be aware of and compliant with the applicable 
rules and regulations governing their FCC authorizations.  (FCC)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  ARRL BOD SAYS TES TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE REPORT

The ARRL Board of Directors has accepted the Report of the National 
Emergency Response Planning Committee.  This, when it met January 19th  
and 20th  in Windsor, Connecticut.  Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, has an in-
depth look at the suggestions being made:

--

ARRL First Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN, chaired the 13-member 
National Emergency Response Planning Committee.  It had been charged 
with developing comprehensive recommendations to improve the League's 
response to regional, national and international disasters.  Now its 
report was ready for presentation and the Leagues Board of Directors 
seemed to like what it heard.

The ARRL Letter says that among the report's recommendations was to 
enhance both ARRL and ARES training in basic message handling.  Also 
suggested was to develop a continuing education course covering 
installation, configuration, and use of the Winlink 2000 enhanced 
digital messaging system for e-mail.

Some other key points are for the ARRL to formally establish a national 
ARES volunteer database for use during major disasters.  One likely 
similar to that put together by Joe Tomasone, A-B-2-M, in response to 
both the 911 terror attacks and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  

Also recommended was the establishment of training criteria and the  
institution of a Major Disaster Emergency Coordinator function.  The 
latter  to coordinate responses to large-scale national or regional 
disasters or emergencies

The report also says that the ARRL should become better acquainted with 
the emergency response needs of distant ARRL sections, such as Pacific, 
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Alaska.  Last but by no means least, 
the League should work to improve relationships with national-level 
served agencies.

The ARRL will also be tak,ing a hard look into one aspect of serving in 
emergency situations that has become a bone of contention with many 
communications volunteers.  That of a demand for background checks on 
hams that include giving carte blanch permission to delve into an 
operators private financial affairs.    

So far only the American Red Cross is making such a demand but in this 
day and age of high security its reasoinable to think others will 
follow.  But a lot of hams have been vocal in saying that they will not 
serve if forced into that type of a disclosure situation.  Now ARRL 
President Joel Harrison, W-5-Zed-N, has appointed an ad hoc committee 
to study issues relating to background investigations and to recommend 
a background investigation policy.  At least as they apply to ARRL 
Amateur Radio volunteers which is a definitely a very good first step.  

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

--

Also included in the report was a suggestion to ensure ARRL staff 
training in the Incident Command and National Incident Management 
System.  Also, as necessary to adapt ARRL's emergency response 
structure to the Unified Command model.  (ARRL, ARNewsline)

**

RESCUE RADIO:  NYC TO INVOLVE THE WIRELESS PUBLIC

New York City is embarking on some new rescue radio technology to help 
protect all who live there.  This, by getting them more involved in the 
process by using the communications technology they already have at 
hand.  Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports:

--

In the not-too-distant future, callers to New York City's emergency 9-
1-1 and non-emergency 3-1-1 centers will be able to send digital photos 
and videos to augment the activities being reported.  

John Feinblatt, the mayor's criminal justice coordinator, could not say 
how long it will take to implement the plan, but said it would be 
fairly inexpensive because the technology already exists.  Feinblatt 
said that the popularity of text and photo messaging and Internet 
services like Google and YouTube made this initiative a natural next 
step for emergency services.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who built his fortune on innovations in 
information technology, called the video addition a "revolutionary 
innovation in crime fighting."  The mayor added that New Yorkers who 
see a crime in progress or a dangerous building condition will be able 
to transmit images to 911, or online to nyc.gov.

--

No date has been announced for the rollout of this new wireless video 
reporting technology to go into use.  (CGC)

**

RADIO LAW:  PROPOSED CELLPHONE LAW COULD END AR MOBILE OPERATIONS IN 
NEW MEXICO

A proposed new driving law aimed primarily at banning all cellphone use 
while a vehicle is in motion could also mean an end to ham radio mobile 
operation in New Mexico.  This, because it prohibits the use of any and 
all two-way mobile communication devices while operating a motor 
vehicle, even if the communications device can be operated hands free.  

Introduced to the legislature by Representative Antonio Lujan, the law 
would define a mobile communication device as being a cellular 
telephone or any other device that enables a person to transmit to and 
receive signals from another person or device.  The only people 
excepted from the ban are those reporting an emergency situation, or 
commercially in the performance of ones job duties.   

The proposed law is very narrow in defining an emergency.  It calls it 
a situation in which a person has reason to fear for his or her life or 
safety or believes that a criminal act may be perpetrated against that 
person or another.  The also includes reporting a fire, a traffic 
accident in which one or more injuries are apparent, a serious road 
hazard, a medical or hazardous materials emergency or a person who is 
driving in a reckless, careless or otherwise unsafe manner.  

So far, there is no exemption for radio amateurs, even during times of 
emergency communications training exercises.  A first time conviction 
of using a two-way device while in motion in New Mexico would bring 
with it a $30 fine.  (K5FSB)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  FLORIDA ARRL OFFICIAL IN HOT WATER OVER ATTEMPT TO 
UNILATERALLY TRANSFER CALL

An FCC finding that a Florida ARRL official tried to unilaterally 
transfer a club call from one organization to another has brought a 
call for punitive action from part of his constituency.  Amateur Radio 
Newsline's Warren Elly, W1GUD, is in Tampa Bay with the rest of the 
story:

--

The FCC had to step into a long running and bitter turf war here in the 
ARRL West Central Florida Section last month, after rival groups 
wrestled over club station license K4WCF. 

Paul Toth NA4AR filed formal complaints with the FCC challenging 
applications from WCF Section Manager Dee Turner N4GD to change K4WCF's 
trustee and mailing address. The FCC had already granted those changes, 
but rescinded them January 24th, after Turner admitted he had not 
obtained the signature of the previous Trustee. 

Turner did give Newsline an email from the previous trustee offering to 
tender the K4WCF callsign for the section, but Turner admits he should 
have gotten the signature. Said the FCC, "based on the information 
before us, we conclude that two applications to change the name of the 
club trustee and the name of the club were submitted without 
authorization". 

Toth told Newsline he doesn't want it to end there. He says the great 
call sign caper is a case of theft, and Toth adds that his West Central 
Florida Group board is deciding what to do next. Toth insists there 
were serious violations of the FCC regulations which he says ought to 
be investigated. 

WCF SCM Turner says the West Central Florida Section wanted the call 
for Field Day and other operating events. "I thought I was doing the 
right thing", Turner told NewsLine. He says he accepts the FCC order, 
and believes the fight over a call sign is "an embarrassment not only 
to the WCF section, but to amateur radio itself." Its unclear tonight 
whether Toth's West Central Florida Group will 
keep both its club call signs, NI4CE, and now K4WCF.

Reporting for Newsline from Tampa bay, I'm Warren Elly W1GUD

--

Whether or not the FCC will carry this matter further is not known as 
we go to air.  (Various sources)

**

ENFORCEMENT:  $1500 CB FINE WITH A ZINGER FOR HAM RADIO

Robery Spiry, of Tacoma, Washington, has been ordered to pay a $1500 
fine for operating an unlicensed transmitter on 11 meters that 
interfered with other electronic gear.  But the matter goes way beyond 
another C-B operator being fined.  It also upholds the FCC's right to 
impose cross service punitive measures.  Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce 
Tennant, K6PZW, has more:

--

On December 30, 2002, the FCC's Seattle Office issued Robert Spiry a 
Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $10,000.  
This, for operating an unlicensed transmitter that took the form of an 
over power 11 meter CB rig.  The FCC considers use of unauthorized and 
non certified equipment as voiding a persons blanket authority to 
operate a CB station. 

In his January 15, 2003 response, Spiry admitted that he caused the 
offending interference.  Spiry stated that he had ceased CB radio 
transmissions and had obtained an amateur radio license.  The FCC 
database shows him as K-D-7-T-R-B.

Spiry also stated that he was unable to pay the proposed forfeiture  
The FCC rejected all of his argument and affirmed the fine.  They also 
apparently suggested that he might want to consider turning in his 
newly acquired Amateur service license.  

On November 16, 2004, Spiry sought reconsideration of the Forfeiture 
Order.  He claimed that there are no more interference complaint and 
that he received only one notice for unauthorized operation.  

Spiry also stated his opinion that Commission agents acted improperly 
in discussing whether to reduce the forfeiture in return for his 
turning in his amateur license.  Lastly he again told the FCC that he 
did not have the ability to pay the $10,000.  In support of his claim 
Spiry submitted copies of tax returns covering a five year period.   

In its January 24th 2007 Memorandum, Opinion and Order reducing the fine 
to $1500, the FCC said that the fact that he had received no further 
complaints of interference does not mitigate his violation. Further, 
while Spiry claimed he received only one Notice of Unlicensed 
Operation, the record reflects that he actually was issued two, only 
one of which he signed. 

But here is what might be the most important aspect of the FCC's 
decision.  The Commission says that contrary to Spiry's claim, there 
was no impropriety in the agents discussing his case and considering 
possible surrender of his Amateur license.  This is because of his 
unauthorized CB operation in violation of Section 301 of the 
Communications Act and that it is well established that a violation in 
one service can impact on other licenses that an individual may have.  
And while not a new legal precedent, it is definitely a decision that 
reinforces legal precedent that has been invoked in the past.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, reporting.

--

The finding was made public on January 26th.  Spiry was given the normal 
30 days to pay or to file a further appeal.  (FCC)

**

RADIO ON THE WWW:  WIKIPEDIA HAM LIS NEEDS UPDATE

Your help is needed to save a very valuable reference source on 
Wikipedia.com.  The page is the Amateur Radio organizations list 
included in the on-line open source encyclopedia.

It seems that the page has been marked for possible deletion because 
there's been little added to it in some time.  In order to save it, you 
need to go to the page and using the Wikipedia edit tools add your 
radio clubs listing to it. 

You will find the page at the URL in this weeks printed Amateur Radio 
Newsline report. If the page gets edited or verified, it will likely 
stay.  (Various)

**

RADIO ON THE WWW:  NEW CARIBBEAN RADIO DATABASE

Version 2.0 of the Caribbean Radio Database is now available on line 
from Flavio Archangelo, PY2ZX. It is being released following several 
years of monitoring by PY2ZX from his home in Brazil and correlating 
that in formation with other material published in hobby radio 
magazines.  Its on line  at http://geocities.com/py2zx/caribe_2.0.xls  
and http://www.qsl.net/vhf-dx/caribe_2.0.xls (PY2ZX)

**

WITH HAMVENTION 2007:  CLUB DISCOUT ON FLEA MARKET SPACES

In keeping with theme of "Local Clubs: The Heart of Ham Radio" the 
planners of the 2007 Dayton Hamvention are making a group of flea 
market spots available to clubs at a special price.  Also for 
Hamvention 2007, there are other changes including flea market layout 
and multiple space pricing.  More information and other Flea Market 
info is on line at www.hamvention.org/fleamarket.htm  (Hamventionr)

**

HAMVENTION 2007: DX DINNER MAY 18TH 

The SouthWest Ohio DX Association will sponsor the 22nd annual DX 
Dinner.  This, to be held in conjunction with the 2007 Dayton 
Hamvention.  

The gathering will take place ob Friday evening, May 18th, at the Crown  
Plaza Hotel in Dayton City Center. Tickets are $36.00 each payable in 
U.S. funds only to the to The SouthWest Ohio DX Association. Further 
information may be obtained by e-mail to k4zle at yahoo.com  (Press 
release)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  BROOKSVILLE FLAMEFEST IN FLORIDA IN FEBRUARY

Turning to the ham radio social calendar, Florida's Hernando County 
Amateur Radio Association will host the Brooksville Flamfest on 
February 17th at the Hernando County Fairgrounds south of Brooksville.  
The event runs from. 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with licebnse exams to be 
held from 9:00 am, to 11:00 am. Talk-in is onb the 146.7 15 repeater.  
For more information please contact Jerry Mezzacapo, N8VTW, 5434 
Idleweise Ct., Spring Hill, Florida, 34606.  (Press release)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  BATAVIA NY IN FEBRUARY

The Genesee Radio Amateur 2nd Annual WinterHamfest will be held on 
Fgebruary  17 Feb 2 at St. Anthony's Community Center in Batavia. New 
York.  Testing will be available and breakfast served. For more 
information please contact Rob McLean, KC2MHH, at P0 Box 572, Batavia, 
NY 14020 or e-mail kc2mhh @ verizon.net.   You can also visit 
www.hamgate.net on the World Wide Web  (Press release)

** 

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  LA PORTE INDINA IN FEBRUARY

And Indiana's LaPorte Amateur Radio Club will hold its Cabin Fever 
Hamfest on February 24th at the LaPorte Civic Auditorium. Talk-in is on 
the local 146.61 repeater that requires a 131.8 hertz access tone.  For 
table reservations, contact John Rozinski, N9ROH, 3907 N. Fail Rd., 
LaPorte, Indiana, 46350 or e-mail to N9R0H at csfner.net .  More 
information is on line at www.K9JS1.org;   (Via e-mail)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE:  RAC SPRING GATHERING IN LONG BEACH, CA.

The fourth annual Radio Club of America Spring Gathering will take 
place , Tuesday, February 27 onboard The Queen Mary ocean liner in Long 
Beach, California.  The gathering will be held in the newly restored 
Verandah Grill restaurant at 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. 

New York Police Department Communications Officer Charles Dowd will be 
the featured speaker.  Dowd has been with the NYPD for more than 25 
years.  As Commanding Officer of the Department's Communications 
Division, Dowd is responsible for the world's busiest 9-1-1 telephone 
system and the NYPD police radio dispatching operation.

The gathering is invitational only to Radio Club of America members.  
It is being held in conjunction with APCO's Western Regional Conference 
nearby at the Long Beach Convention Center.  (RCA)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  UPCOMING SPACE TOURIST IS NOW A HAM

Two newly licensed hams will be heading tro space in the not to distant 
future though not together.  Back on December 14th, astronaut Tim Kopra 
and future space tourist Charles Simonyi took and passed their Amateur 
Radio license exams. As a result, Simonyi received the callsign KE7KDP 
and Kopra was issued KE5LUT.

And the latest word on Simonyi is that he is slated to blast off to the 
International Space Station in April and does plan to operate while on-
orbit.  All communications will be using the ARISS sponsored ham 
stations on board the ISS.  You listen on 145.9 MHz on F-M and transmit 
to him on the frequencies designated for your part of the world.

By way of background, Charles Simonyi is an architect of Microsoft's 
Word and Excel programs.  He is rumored to have paid Russia more than 
$20 million for his round-trip ride to the station and a stay aboard 
the orbiting lab.  (Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  A YOUNG VOICE FOR SUMBANDIASAT

A young South African's Voice could soon be heard from space.  This 
after South Africa's second satellite is launched in May 2007. 

The bird is called SumbandilaSat and it includes an amateur radio 
payload that carries a voice identification beacon.  And to find that 
special I-D voice, South Africa AMSAT and the South African Amateur 
Radio Development Trust have joined forces and are inviting students in 
South Africa who are 16 years of age and younger to take part in 
writing this message.  The person whose message is selected will win a 
state of the art laptop computer from by the Trust.  He or she will 
also get to record the message which will be programmed into the 
satellites speech processor's memory.

The amateur payload was built by South Africa AMSAT and integrated into 
the satellite by the University of Stellenbosch and SunSpace.  Once 
SumbandilaSat is launched and switched on, the message will be the 
first signal to be heard from the satellite.  (SARL)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  PCSAT-1 DIGIPETER OFF TILL MARCH

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, reports the end of  the P C SAT One packet 
digipeater operations for the time being.  This, as the most rececnt 
full sun period for the bird comes to a conclusion.  

Bruninga says that the number of users of P C SAT One is so high these 
days that that there was no way the satellites batteries would survive 
the next eclipse if the bird was in full operation. P C SAT One should 
return to full operation during the next full recovery period the 
second week in March.  (WB4APR)

**

WORLDBEAT - NRETHERLANDS:  DUTCH NATIONAL CONVENTION ON MARCH 17

The Dutch national Amateur Radio society VERON will open the doors to 
its 32nd annual National Radio Flea Market and Amateur Radio show on 
March 17.  This years event is being held at the 'Autotron' in Rosmalen 
which is a heated exposition hall of more then 9000 square meters in 
size.  Details can be found in cyberspace at www.radiovlooienmarkt.nl  
In 2006, the number of attendees exceeded 4500 and with some 320 
exhibitors and vendors on had to serve them.  (RN)

**

WORLDBEAT - UK:  GB2CW SLOW MORSE BACK ON THE AIR

The GB2CW slow Morse transmissions have been resurrected by the Radio 
Society of Great Britain.  This, in the hope of encouraging more 
instructors
to take advantage of GB2CW for Morse broadcasts on the air.

Roger Cooke, G3LDI, has been appointed as coordinator of the revived 
services for an initial trialperiod of six months. Roger is the author 
of the popular book Morse Code for Radio Amateurs and regularly 
organizes Morse classes from his home.  RSGB)

**

ON THE AIR:  CELEBRATING THE 64TH ANNIVERARY OF THE USS KIDD

The USS Kidd Amateur Radio Club will commemorate the 64th anniversary 
of the launching of tbe USS Kidd on February 28th with an on the air 
event from  9 am, to 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.  Operating 
frequencies will be inside the General Class bands most likely be 20 
Meters around 14.250 to 14.320. Other bands possible. CW activity will 
be near QRP calling frequencies.  QSL witg a number 10 self addressed 
stamped envelope to the USS Kidd Amateur Radio Club, W5KID, % the USS 
Kidd Museum, 305 South River Rd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802  (Press 
rerlease)

**

DX DOWNER:  OPERATION CANCELLED BECAUSE LICENSE LAPSED

If you have been waiting for a QSL card from LU2ERA slash Z on South 
Orkney Island, you will have to keep on waiting and hoping.  Hoping 
that another operator will some day come on the air and bring this rare 
one to the waiting D-X community.

What happened is that the operator who came on using that call and 
giving his name as Hugo was not a licensed radio amateur.  Only he did 
not know it.  It seems that Hugo originally held the call sign LU2ERA 
but forgot to renew it.  As a result, the call LU2ERA call letters were 
reissued to another ham in Argentina.  

According to Henry Ledo, LU4DXU, who broke the story via the O-P-D-X 
newsletter, as soon he received this information, he spoke with Hugo 
and advised him to cancel the South Orkney operation.  Ledo says that 
all QSL cards received will be returned to the senders. He also hopes 
that Hugo will eventually renews his  license and is able to activate 
other rare locations in the not to distant future.  (OPDX)

**

DX

In other D-X news, 9M2TO says that the callsign 9M4SIX has been issued 
to the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitter Society.  This for 6 meter 
operations.  Already a beacon signing 9M4SIX is transmitting on 
50.005MHz.

And, word that DS4DRE, is currently active portable 4 from Hong Island.  
He will be there until the 30th June. Activity is on 80 through 10 
meters on  CW and SSB.

Lastly, be sure top  keep an ear open for CE3FZL, to be active as CE2P 
from Panul Lighthouse, in Chile.  He will operate weekends during 
February on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter SSB only.  QSL all operations as 
directed on the air.  

Various DX Sources

**

ARNewsline NEWS:  2007 YHOTY AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

And finally this week, the nominating period is now open for the 2007 
Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award.  With the details 
here's the Awards Committee Chairman, Mark Abramovich, N-T-3-V:

--

If you know a young ham age 18 or younger who has done something very 
special in the hobby, this is the time to consider nominating him or 
her for the 2007 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award.  

Here are some of the things you should be thinking about it in a 
nominee.

First off,  it should be a young person up to the age of 18 residing in 
any of the 50 states that make up the United States or any of the 
Canadian provinces.  He or she must hold a valid FCC issued Amateur 
service license or the Canadian government's equivalent.  

Also, your nominee should be someone who has done something outstanding 
as an Amateur Radio operator.  Perhaps it was something special he or 
she did for his community through the Amateur service.  Maybe it was 
some outstanding achievement that led to an improvement in the amateur 
radio service or hobby in his or her area.

Or perhaps he or she was successful in recruiting a lot of new hams.  
Whatever it was or is, we want to hear about it.  

If you're looking at what makes a good candidate, let me suggest you
check out our special Young Ham of the Year website at www.yhoty.org 
and look at the credentials of past award winners. 

It's very important that you, as a nominator, fill out the on-line or 
downloadable and printable application as required.  If you're sending 
it by way of the regular mail, please make sure it reaches us at 
Amateur Radio Newsline by May 30. That's the deadline for all 
applications. 

And, we need as much documentation as you can give us so the committee 
can carefully evaluate each nominee.  When I say documentation, I'm 
talking about letters, e-mails, magazine articles, videos and other 
kinds of endorsements that would accompany the application. In the 
past, we've even had photos e-mailed in with some of the applications. 

How is the winner selected? 

As chairman, I preside over an independent panel of judges who review 
all the nominations. It's a process that involves lots of communication 
and discussion before the winner emerges. 

As in years past, the 2007 Young Ham of the Year will receive an 
expense paid trip to the Huntsville Hamfest and a gift of Amateur Radio 
gear compliments of Vertex-Standard corporation.  Those are the folks 
who manufacture the famed Yaesu line of ham radio gear.  And from our 
other primary corporate sponsor -- CQ Magazine -- the winner gets a 
week at Spacecamp Huntsville where he or she can learn first hand about 
man's conquest of the final frontier.

But none of this can happen without you.  Now is the time to get on 
line, go to www.yhoty.org and fill out that on-line nominating form or 
download it and send it in.  Either way, you and some worthy young ham 
will be glad that you did.  

In Philadelphia, for the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, 
NT3V, chairman of the Young Ham of the Year committee. 

--

Once again, ore information along with on-line and downloadable 
nominating forms are on-line at www.yhoty.org.  (ARNewsline(tm))

**

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 W-I-A News, that's all 
from the Amateur Radio Newsline.  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 Newsline, P.O. 
Box 660937, Arcadia, California 91066. 