[Ham-News] The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 5 - February 8, 2008

[ham-news at mailman.qth.net]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 27, No. 5
February 8, 2008
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + Amateurs Lend a Hand as Deadly Storms Sweep across Southern United 
States
* + "Source" Disavows Inflated NTIA BPL Figure
* + Field Day 2008 Rules and Forms Now Available
* + Get Ready To Go the Distance with the ARRL International DX Contests
* + Look For the March Issue of QST in Your Mailbox
* + Indiana Television Reporter Receives Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional 
Media Award
*   Solar Update
*   IN BRIEF:
     This Weekend on the Radio
     ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
   + ARRL to Offer Award for 6 Meter Operations
   + Heil Sound Donates Microphones, Accessories to W1AW and W1HQ
     DXCC Pushes to Get Ahead
     Rob Brownstein, K6RB, Wins January QST Cover Plaque Award
     Dates for ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Announced
     ARISS to Conduct Simulation QSO between Astronauts and Students
     European Reciprocal Licenses Now Limited to Advanced and Extra Class 
Licensees
     Clarification

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

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


==> AMATEURS LEND A HAND AS DEADLY STORMS SWEEP ACROSS SOUTHERN UNITED 
STATES

At least 54 people were killed and hundreds injured Tuesday and Wednesday 
by dozens of tornadoes that plowed across Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, 
Kentucky and Alabama in the nation's deadliest barrage of twisters in 
almost 23 years. In spite of the disasters, state and local emergency 
management officials once again discovered that they could call on Amateur 
Radio operators to help out and get communications up and going again after 
the infrastructure failed.

According to ARRL Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, "Four 
people were killed in Alabama as the storms damaged homes, caused flooding 
and downed trees and power lines. North Alabama SKYWARN, ARES and scores of 
Amateur Radio operators were up all night long, providing vital 
communications to the National Weather Service and Emergency Management 
Agencies all across the region. Once again, Amateur Radio operators played 
a critical role before, during and after the storms. I am proud of the 
level of professionalism and critical information that these operators 
provided our served agencies."

Hundreds of houses were damaged or destroyed across the region. Authorities 
had no immediate cost estimate of the damage. The storms flattened entire 
streets, smashed warehouses and sent tractor-trailers flying. Houses were 
reduced to splintered piles of lumber. Some looked like life-size 
dollhouses, their walls sheared away. Crews going door-to-door to search 
for bodies had to contend with downed power lines, snapped trees and 
flipped-over cars. Near hard-hit Lafayette, Tennessee, cattle wandered 
through the debris. At least 12 people died in and around the town; more 
than 30 were killed in Tennessee alone.

"It looks like the Lord took a Brillo pad and scrubbed the ground," 
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen said as he surveyed the damage from a 
helicopter. "I don't think that I have seen, since I've been governor, a 
tornado where the combination of the intensity of it and the length of the 
track was as large as this one," he said. "That track had to be 25 miles 
long. [The twister] didn't skip like a lot of them do...It's just 25 miles 
of a tornado sitting on the ground."

Most communities had ample warning that the storms were coming. Forecasters 
had warned for days that severe weather was possible. The National Weather 
Service issued more than 1000 tornado warnings from 3 PM Tuesday-6 AM 
Wednesday in the 11-state area where the weather was heading. The 
conditions for bad weather had lined up so perfectly that the Storm 
Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma put out an alert six days in advance.

Tennessee Section Emergency Coordinator Lowell Bennington, WD4DJW, said 
that approximately 25 hams in Madison County had participated in SKYWARN 
activities before the storm arrived; one ham actually spotted the twister. 
"Two hams reported to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency-West, 
assisting in passing radio communication. A couple of hams assisted Madison 
County EMA in setting up their Mobile Command Post. On Wednesday, 10 teams 
were dispatched to do Damage Assessment. These teams were composed of three 
individuals, one of whom was an Amateur Radio operator," he said.

Bennington said that hams in Middle Tennessee "utilized our vast networks 
of linked 2 meter repeater systems as well as our UHF-linked system in 
support of the National Weather Service, Tennessee Emergency Management, 
law enforcement agencies and participating local EMA offices. Operators 
from Wilson County were dispatched to the Nashville NWS office and they 
operated from there until around 3:30 AM Thursday, giving and taking 
weather reports."

Alabama ARES District 6 Emergency Coordinator Doug Hilton, WD0UG, said his 
area was hit hard by a fast-moving line of severe weather; District 6 
covers the northern counties of Alabama. Hilton contacted the NWS office in 
Huntsville early Wednesday regarding possible SKYWARN activation. "After 
discussing the situation with NWS personnel, it was decided that since this 
was going to be a long event, that would probably last all night, it was 
best not to tie up the local repeaters early on. I opened an informal 
SKYWARN net to get weather information out to the amateur community during 
the afternoon, and several Madison County hams participated in the net. We 
closed the net after about an hour and re-opened it that evening at 7," he 
said. Madison County ARES was activated that evening and other hams in the 
area joined in. Hilton said Northern Alabama has a linked-repeater system 
that covers all 10 counties during emergency conditions.

The storm churned into Western Alabama from Mississippi about 9 PM. The 
main part of the storm started its destruction at 3 AM. Hilton said, "The 
storm was a killer, and the extra lead time that people got from the great 
staff at NWS probably led to a reduction in casualties. A very large 
long-track EF-3 tornado hit Lawrence County and caused 3 fatalities and 
more than 20 people were injured." Hilton said the NWS estimated the 
twister to be 1/2 mile wide with a path length of 18.7 miles, causing 
"extreme destruction of property." An EF-4 tornado with peak winds of 180 
MPH went through Jackson County, causing one fatality.

Hilton said hams were able to provide many timely situation reports, "and 
'ground truth' is always the best indicator of reality. Many of the hams 
who stayed up all night were also prepared to leave their homes at a 
moment's notice to go anywhere in the District, if needed. The incredible 
teamwork of this ARES/SKYWARN team and the level of professionalism was 
something to behold."

Chris Shaw, W4BGN, Kentucky District Emergency Coordinator, said several 
confirmed tornadoes touched down throughout his state. "Kentucky hams 
activated weather nets, while others were out and about spotting for severe 
weather. Allen and Monroe Counties in South Central Kentucky were 
especially hard hit. Some repeaters lost power and hams quickly adapted, 
going to emergency simplex frequencies on 2 meters. The communications went 
very smooth and seemed to be beneficial to many. Hams worked throughout the 
night to help provide communications, especially to those areas without 
power."

President Bush gave assurances that his administration stood ready to help. 
Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were sent to the 
region and activated an emergency center in Georgia, Homeland Security 
Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday. "We're going to keep watching 
this."

"Loss of life, loss of property -- prayers can help and so can the 
government," Bush said. "I do want the people in those states to know the 
American people are standing with them." On Wednesday, Bush called the 
governors of the affected states to offer help and to tell them that "the 
American people hold those who suffered up in prayer."

While the weather was unusually severe, winter tornadoes are not uncommon. 
The peak tornado season is late winter through midsummer, but the storms 
can happen at any time of the year with the right conditions. "All the 
clues were there. It was just unfortunate that it came out the way it did," 
prediction center director Joseph Schaefer said. Greg Carbin, warning 
coordination meteorologist at the Oklahoma center, said there were 67 
eyewitness accounts of tornadoes, but some of those were probably twisters 
that were counted more than once; the actual number is probably more like 
30 or 40, he said.

As more ARES groups relay information to ARRL, we will update these reports 
on the ARRL Web site. -- Some information provided by The Weather Channel


==> "SOURCE" DISAVOWS INFLATED NTIA BPL FIGURE

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, writes:

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) 
report Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007 
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2008/NetworkedNationBroadbandinAmerica2007.pdf> 
that was released on January 31, 2008 includes the following: "Reliable BPL 
[broadband over power lines] subscribership figures are difficult to find. 
The FCC's most recent data identify fewer than 5,000 BPL customers as of 
yearend 2006. That figure appears low, however. TIA [The Telecommunications 
Industry Association] estimates 200,000 current BPL subscribers..."

Five years of experience in dealing with BPL systems as a radio 
interference source have given the ARRL, the national association for 
Amateur Radio, considerable insight into the BPL industry. Based on that 
experience, the ARRL has concluded that the FCC's figure of fewer than 5000 
BPL customers is entirely credible. Therefore, the ARRL set out to 
determine the source of the "estimate" of 200,000 current BPL subscribers.

We contacted TIA <http://www.tiaonline.org/> and were advised that the 
figure came from a market study prepared by Wilkofsky Gruen Associates Inc 
and based on research conducted by In-Stat, a unit of Reed Business 
Information.

So we contacted In-Stat and asked how the figure was derived. They 
responded: "The 200,000 number for BPL subs did not come from In-Stat. In 
our US broadband forecast, we estimate about 231,000 broadband subscribers 
in the 'other' category besides DSL, cable, satellite. Other includes BPL, 
but is not solely BPL."

We then contacted Wilkofsky Gruen Associates. They responded: "Our source 
for the BPL figures was In-Stat." When In-Stat's denial was shared with 
them, they responded, "It was our understanding that BPL was the principal 
component as it was the first item listed by In-Stat."

TIA was invited to comment but declined to do so.

In other words, here is what we have learned: In-Stat does not claim to 
know how many BPL subscribers there are, but provides an estimate of 
231,000 broadband subscribers who receive service via delivery systems 
other than DSL, cable, and satellite. Wilkofsky Gruen Associates, on the 
basis of nothing more than that BPL is listed first, assumes that the bulk 
of these 231,000 are BPL subscribers and arbitrarily attributes 200,000 of 
them to BPL. In turn, NTIA -- not satisfied with an FCC figure that is 
derived from required reports from service providers -- cites this 
arbitrarily chosen figure -- a figure that is entirely unsupported by any 
data whatsoever -- as evidence that the FCC's figure -- which is fully 
supported by data -- "appears low."

On February 1 we called upon the NTIA to issue a corrected report 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/02/01/101/?nc=1>. We renew that call 
now.


==> FIELD DAY 2008 RULES AND FORMS NOW AVAILABLE

It's that time of year again -- time to start gearing up for Field Day, 
ARRL's flagship operating event. Field Day, held the fourth full weekend in 
June, brings together new and experienced hams for 24 hours of operating 
fun. ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says there are several 
rules changes this year, mainly concerning "Get on the Air" (GOTA) stations 
and the elimination of the Demonstration Mode Bonus Category. The complete 
Field Day Packet can be downloaded from the ARRL Web site 
<http://www.arrl.org/fieldday>. A full 2008 Field Day page on the ARRL Web 
site will be coming in the next few weeks.

GOTA (Get on the Air) stations are those stations set aside by Field Day 
teams designed to get non-hams or newly licensed hams on the air. Unlike in 
past years where GOTA stations were limited to only one band, the 2008 
rules state that these stations may operate on any authorized HF or VHF 
Field Day band. Keep in mind that only one signal may be transmitted from 
the GOTA station at any time.

Henderson said the eligibility for operating the GOTA station has changed 
slightly: Anyone who has been licensed since Field Day 2007 is eligible to 
operate the GOTA station, regardless of license class.

For 2008, the Demonstration Mode Bonus category has been eliminated and 
replaced by an Educational Activity Bonus worth 100 points. "This bonus is 
intended to encourage clubs and groups to do some more formal educational 
activity during their Field Day operation," Henderson said. If you have any 
questions concerning what activities might be appropriate for this bonus, 
Henderson said you should submit them via e-mail <fdinfo at arrl.org>;.

Be sure to read the Field Day rules and FAQs in the 2008 Field Day Packet 
for details of these changes. There are also numerous small changes in the 
FAQs and support materials in the packet that should help groups and 
individuals as they plan their Field Day activities, Henderson said.

The 2008 Field Day Packet also includes an expanded Press Kit, thanks to 
the work of ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. 
Included in this expanded portion of the packet is a sample "Field Day 
Proclamation" for those groups who work with local city or town officials 
toward getting a Field Day Week declared in their location.

"We are excited that historic station K6KPH will once again participate 
transmitting the W1AW special Field Day Bulletin on the West Coast," 
Henderson said. More details are available in the Field Day Packet.

Information concerning the popular Field Day pins and T shirts will be 
announced in the next few weeks.

Henderson said that those wishing to obtain a complete Field Day Packet via 
US mail need to send a 9 x 12 inch self-addressed, stamped manila envelope 
with 5 units of postage to Field Day Packet Request, ARRL, 225 Main St, 
Newington, CT 06111. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

If people wish to order display kits for their tables at Field Day, please 
contact Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, ARRL Education Manager, 225 Main St, 
Newington, CT 06111, tel 860-594-0296. The cost for the display kit ranges 
from $8-$12 depending on shipping. To ensure having the kits in time for 
Field Day, you are encouraged to order them no later than June 13.

==> GET READY TO GO THE DISTANCE WITH THE ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTESTS

Are you ready to work some DX? The ARRL International DX Contest is coming 
up! This is one of the ARRL's oldest operating events, going back to the 
days of the International Relay Party in 1928.

The objective is simple: US and Canadian stations work only DX and DX 
stations work only US and Canadians. See how many different stations you 
can contact in as many different geographical entities as possible. US and 
Canadian stations try to work different DX countries, while DX stations try 
and work US states and Canadian provinces. For this contest, Alaska, Hawaii 
and all US possessions and territories are considered DX. US/Canadians send 
a signal report and their state or province; DX stations send a signal 
report and their transmit power.

You don't need a big station to compete. You can work many stations in this 
contest with 100 W and a simple dipole or vertical antenna. This event is 
also a good way to improve your DXCC Award totals with a small investment 
of time. Many contesters will be traveling to foreign locales to 
participate, so listen for lots of good DX countries on the bands. The ARRL 
will once again be offering participation pins for those who make more than 
100 QSOs in the event. Pins are $7 (including shipping) and are a nice 
memento of your achievement in the contest.

The CW portion of the ARRL DX Contest begins at 0000 UTC on Saturday, 
February 16 and goes until 2400 UTC Sunday, February 17. The Phone portion 
runs from 0000 UTC Saturday, March 1 until 2400 UTC Sunday, March 2. 
Complete rules can be found online <http://www.arrl.org/contests>. If you 
are new to the ARRL DX Contests, look for a primer on the event by ARRL 
Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, in the Radiosport area of the 
March issue of QST.


==> LOOK FOR THE MARCH ISSUE OF QST IN YOUR MAILBOX

The March issue of QST, our annual antenna issue, is jam-packed with all 
sorts of things today's Amateur Radio operator needs. From product reviews 
to experiments to contesting, the upcoming issue of QST has something for 
just about everyone.

ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, discusses what to 
consider when picking out your first vertical antenna for 20 and 40 meters. 
L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, and Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT, tell about a new take on a 
three dipole array for 2 meters. Dick Jansson, KD1K, gives advice on how to 
"downshift" to stealth operating on the HF bands when you are restricted in 
your living arrangements.

If you've never participated in a contest but wondered what all the fuss 
was about, or if you are the type to plan family vacations around the 
contest calendar, you won't want to miss "This Month in Contesting" by ARRL 
Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X. This month, Sean features a 
primer on the ARRL International DX Phone Contest; this contest runs from 
0000 UTC March 1-2400 UTC March 2. The results of the 2007 ARRL September 
VHF QSO Party, the 2007 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest and the 2007 IARU HF 
World Championship are in. Did you top your score from last year? How did 
your closest rival do? Also, find out about upcoming contests in the 
Contest Corral.

Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, Assistant Manager for ARRL's Membership and Volunteer 
Programs Department, reviews the Yaesu FT-950 HF and 6 meter transceiver. 
According to the ARRL Lab test results, "The FT-950 transceiver fills a 
void in Yaesu's product line. It should appeal to radio amateurs looking 
for big rig performance in an economical package." ARRL Product Review 
Editor Mark Wilson, K1RO, reviews the Array Solutions AS-AYL-4 receiving 
antenna, saying this antenna "is an effective way to improve your listening 
experience on the low bands, especially if space is limited."

Of course, there are the usual columns you know and love in the March QST: 
Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is IN, How's DX, Old Radio, Hamspeak and more. 
This month also features Amateur Radio World, the Emergency Communications 
Course Honor Roll and the ARRL VEC Volunteer Examiner Honor Roll. Look for 
your March issue of QST in your mailbox. QST is the official journal of 
ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. QST is just one of the 
many benefits of ARRL membership. To join or renew your ARRL membership, 
please see the ARRL Web page <http://www.arrl.org/join>.


==> INDIANA TELEVISION REPORTER RECEIVES BILL LEONARD, W2SKE, PROFESSIONAL 
MEDIA AWARD

On the recommendation of the ARRL Public Relations Committee, the ARRL 
Board of Directors voted at its meeting last month to confer the 2007 Bill 
Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award to a Fort Wayne, Indiana 
television reporter.

Alyssa Ivanson, of WANE-TV News brought public attention to Amateur Radio 
by producing and reporting a television story 
<http://www.wane.com/Global/category.asp?C=124439&nav=0RYb> on the efforts 
of Emery McClendon, KB9IBW, also of Fort Wayne, to create and promote 
Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day. McClendon traveled to Washington, 
DC and met with First Lady Laura Bush as part of his promotion of Amateur 
Radio.

The annual award honors a professional journalist whose outstanding 
coverage in TV, radio, print or multimedia best reflects the enjoyment, 
importance and public service value of Amateur Radio. The award was created 
as a tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard, W2SKE. He was an 
avid Amateur Radio operator, and most active on the air during the 1960s 
and 1970s.

As the winner of the Bill Leonard Award, Ivanson will receive a plaque and 
a cash prize of $500. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, 
W1AGP, said, "There were nine excellent nominations for the award this 
year, and voting was tight. Submitted materials were judged by the ARRL's 
national Public Relations Committee and their final recommendation was 
approved by the Board of Directors at the January 2008 meeting." Ivanson 
said, "I am honored to win the Bill Leonard Award. It was a privilege to 
meet Emery and tell the public about his efforts to bring a little bit of 
'home' to the troops through Ham radio and ARMAD."

Ivanson, the weekend anchor at WANE, graduated from Ball State University's 
Honors College with a degree in telecommunications; she joined WANE in 
January 2006. "The news business is exciting; each day presents new 
challenges and rewards. I love meeting so many new people and never knowing 
what each day holds," she said.

Ivanson is no stranger to journalism awards. In her first year at WANE-TV, 
she was awarded third best reporter in the state by the Indiana Associated 
Press. In college, she was awarded the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award 
for her work on a morning radio program. She was the first recipient of the 
Jack McQuate Associated Press Scholarship and a three-time winner of the 
Indiana Broadcasters Association Scholarship.

When she's not at work, Ivanson, a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority, 
enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to the theater, 
hosting dinner parties and cave exploring. According to Emery McClendon, 
there are two hams in the WANE newsroom who will be "encouraging" Ivanson 
to add Amateur Radio operator to her list of accomplishments very soon.


==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Let not the Sun go down and disappear into darkness" Cook, K7RA, this 
week reports: After a solid week of sunspots -- January 29 to February 4 -- 
the following three days have been blank. February 2 was an active 
geomagnetic day with a solar wind stream spewing from a coronal hole near 
sunspot 982. Another solar wind stream from a coronal hole is expected to 
strike Earth on Sunday, February 10 causing unsettled conditions. The 
predicted planetary A index for February 8-15 is 8, 12, 15, 10, 10, 10, 10 
and 5. That was from NOAA and the US Air Force; Geophysical Institute 
Prague predicts unsettled conditions February 8, unsettled to active 
February 9-10 and unsettled again on February 11-14. The Australian Space 
Forecast Centre's geomagnetic forecast expects mostly unsettled to active 
conditions with storm periods possible at high latitudes on February 9, and 
mostly unsettled with isolated active periods and storm levels at high 
latitudes on February 10. Following this weekend, NOAA predicts the next 
active conditions around February 28-29. Their prediction for solar flux is 
flat at 70 for each of the next 45 days; this probably indicates little or 
no sunspot activity. Sunspot numbers for January 31-February 6 were 15, 19, 
16, 14, 14, 0 and 0 with a mean of 11.1. The 10.7 cm flux was 72, 71.1, 
71.8, 71, 71.3, 70.5 and 71.6 with a mean of 71.3. Estimated planetary A 
indices were 5, 18, 19, 12, 6, 3 and 4 with a mean of 9.6. Estimated 
mid-latitude A indices were 3, 10, 19, 10, 6, 2 and 2 with a mean of 7.4. 
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical 
Information Service Propagation page 
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's Solar 
Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin page 
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. The first 10 readers who correctly 
respond via e-mail <k1sfa at arrl.org>; correctly identifying the quote at the 
beginning of this week's Solar Report will receive a free 2008 ARRL 
calendar. Please include your call sign and mailing address in your e-mail; 
we will publish the winners' call signs in next week's ARRL Letter.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: Be sure to check out the ARRL School Club 
Roundup February 11-February 15. This weekend, the NCCC Sprint is February 
8. On February 9, look for the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the FISTS 
Winter Sprint and another running of the NCCC Sprint. The CQ WW RTTY WPX 
Contest, the Dutch PACC Contest, the KCJ Topband Contest, the YLRL YL-OM 
Contest (SSB), the Louisiana QSO Party, the OMISS QSO Party, RSGB 1st 1.8 
MHz Contest (CW) and the British Columbia QSO Challenge are all February 
9-10. The North American Sprint (SSB) and the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon are 
February 10. The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint and the RSGB 80 Meter Club 
Championship (Data) are both February 13. Next weekend is the ARRL 
International DX Contest CW on February 16-17. Look for the NCCC Sprint on 
February 15 and the Feld Hell Sprint on February 16. The Run for the Bacon 
QRP Contest is February 18, the AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening is February 
20 and the RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (CW) is February 21. See the 
ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL 
Contester's Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and the 
WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> 
for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open 
through Sunday, February 24, 2008 for these online course sessions 
beginning on Friday, March 7, 2008: Technician License Course (EC-010); 
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001); Radio Frequency 
Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009); Analog 
Electronics (EC-012), and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Each online course 
has been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives, 
informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are interactive, 
and some include direct communications with a Mentor/Instructor. Students 
register for a particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending 
on the course) and they may access the course at any time of day during the 
course period, completing lessons and activities at times convenient for 
their personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions, 
reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful 
feedback. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no 
appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility 
for the student to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, 
visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or 
contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>;.

* ARRL to Offer Award for 6 Meter Operations: Attention 6 meter operators 
-- there's a new award to work toward! The ARRL Board of Directors approved 
a new award honoring the late Fred Fish, W5FF, the only amateur who worked 
and confirmed all 488 grid squares in the 48 contiguous United States on 6 
meters. The Fred Fish Memorial Award will be granted to any amateur who 
duplicates Fish's accomplishment. Fish was a mainstay on the VHF+ bands for 
many years, having achieved Worked All States (WAS) on 6 meters through 432 
MHz, as well as DXCC for 6 meters. He is widely regarded as a gentleman 
operator and one of the finest amateurs in the VHF+ community. ARRL Contest 
Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, will oversee this award. Kutzko, an avid VHF+ 
operator himself, said, "We hope the new award will increase 6 meter 
activity throughout the US and the world. We also hope it will lead to the 
activation of rare grid squares in the US by encouraging the native ham 
population of a rare grid square to give 6 meters a try, as well as through 
so-called 'Grid DXpeditions.' We actively call on the 6 meter community to 
help educate VHF+ newcomers to the fun that is available on 6 meters." 
Complete details on the Fred Fish Memorial Award will be available soon.

* Heil Sound Donates Microphones, Accessories to W1AW and W1HQ: Thanks to 
the generosity of Bob Heil, K9EID, of Heil Sound Ltd, the Maxim Memorial 
Station W1AW and the Laird Campbell Memorial Headquarters Operators Club 
station W1HQ have some spiffy new audio gear. Heil Vice President for 
Amateur Sales and Marketing Chip Margelli, K7JA, visited ARRL HQ January 29 
to present the donations. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, commented: 
"We thank Bob Heil for the generosity he's always showed W1AW. All of our 
headsets and microphones in use in the visitors studios are Heil Sound 
products. They see a great deal of use by our visitors. So the donation of 
the ear pads/socks will greatly improve the appearance of the headsets. In 
addition, the modular pigtails will certainly look much more professional 
than the homebrewed pigtails we had been using." The recently renovated 
W1HQ, located near the ARRL Lab in the Headquarters building, now has two 
new Pro Set 4 mic/headsets, a PR781 Proline microphone and a topless boom.

* DXCC Pushes to Get Ahead: Due to several factors, including greater 
activity from new and reactivated DXCC entities, the ARRL DXCC Desk has 
been experiencing QSL card processing delays. According to ARRL DXCC 
Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, there are approximately 2300 applications 
currently on the list of received applications, resulting in a processing 
backlog of more than 12 weeks. Sharon Taratula, Membership and Volunteer 
Programs Supervisor, said that approximately 500 DXCC applications are 
processed each month. Even with the low sunspot numbers of the now defunct 
Solar Cycle 23, there has been an increase in DXCC activity, Dave Patton, 
NN1N, Manager of the ARRL Membership and Volunteer Services Department, 
said; DXCC is a division of this department. "We've added or reactivated 
new entities like Scarborough Reef, Swains Island and Montenegro," he said. 
"ARRL membership is up, and more people out there have HF privileges." ARRL 
Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, said that a new full-time 
person has just been added to the DXCC staff. "We are actively looking for 
an additional full-time employee for DXCC. By adding more staff, we can 
definitely cut down on the time it takes to process applications. While we 
are not happy with the delayed turnaround time for DXCC applications, I can 
assure everyone that we are maintaining our high level of concern for 
accuracy in processing and care for our customers QSLs and awards," Patton 
said. "I'm pleased that interest in operating awards is so high, and indeed 
there is evidence that new and returning ops are participating in ever 
increasing numbers. In the near future, as we continue to refine and 
improve LoTW and our processes, turnaround time will improve, the quality 
of our awards will improve and we can hopefully offer new and expanded 
awards programs like the brand new Fred Fish Memorial Award for confirming 
QSOs with the 488 grid squares in the continental US on 6 meters." Kramer 
said, "We take great care with people's DXCC applications. The DXCC crew is 
very diligent in handling and checking each applicant's cards. We don't 
rush the process because we don't want to make mistakes -- we know how 
important this program is to DXCC participants."

* Rob Brownstein, K6RB, Wins January QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of 
the QST Cover Plaque Award for January is Rob Brownstein, K6RB, for his 
article "The Joy of Contesting." Congratulations, Rob! The winner of the 
QST Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best 
article in each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST 
Cover Plaque Poll Web page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qstvote.html>. 
Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the February issue by Friday, 
February 29.

* Dates for ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Announced: The 
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR) has announced that the 2008 
ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference will take place September 26-28 
at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a suburb of 
Chicago. The conference is an international forum for radio amateurs to 
meet, publish their work and present new ideas and techniques. Presenters 
and attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about 
recent hardware and software advances, theories, experimental results and 
practical applications. Forums will feature the latest developments in 
Amateur Radio digital communications, as well as demonstrations of emerging 
digital technology. More information is available on the ARRL/TAPR DCC Web 
site <http://www.tapr.org/dcc.html>.

* ARISS to Conduct Simulation QSO between Astronauts and Students: Before 
each trip to the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts who hold 
Amateur Radio licenses are trained by a team of Amateur Radio on the 
International Space Station (ARISS) members on ARISS procedures and how to 
use the onboard radios. To make this training more realistic for the 
astronauts, ARISS has arranged for crewmembers in training at Johnson Space 
Center to participate in two simulated ARISS contacts with a local Houston 
school. Students at Bay Area Charter Elementary in El Lago, Texas will 
conduct two sessions on Friday, February 8 between 1545 UTC and 1610 UTC. 
According to ARRL ARISS Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, these times 
may fluctuate somewhat depending on how well training is going and 
crewmember availability. Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, is scheduled to 
participate in the first event; Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, will participate in 
the second event. White said this is the first (and second) time a school 
contact simulation training session has been conducted live where students 
are at the other end of the session. If this proves successful, she said it 
might be possible to conduct a handful of these sessions each year: "If 
things go well, this can increase somewhat our opportunities for schools. 
In the past, we found that kids were equally excited when their school's 
QSO was done with an astronaut sitting at Johnson Space Center's Amateur 
Radio station W5RRR [as opposed to a contact from space]." Simulations are 
not as predictable as on-orbit operations, so there is a slight chance the 
event might be postponed.

* European Reciprocal Licenses Now Limited to Advanced and Extra Class 
Licensees: The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications 
Administrations (CEPT) has revised its table of equivalence between FCC 
amateur licenses and the CEPT license. Effective February 4, 2008, 
Recommendation T/R 61-01 (as amended) now grants full CEPT privileges only 
to those US citizens who hold an FCC-issued Amateur Extra or Advanced class 
license. This means that those US licensees who hold an FCC-issued General 
or Technician license are no longer eligible for full operating privileges 
in countries where CEPT-reciprocal operation had previously been permitted. 
US Novice class licensees have had no reciprocal operating privileges under 
the CEPT provisions. These changes are the result of a re-evaluation of US 
and CEPT license classes equivalence by the CEPT's Radio Regulatory Working 
Group at its meeting January 29-February 1, 2008 in Basel, Switzerland. The 
Working Group deals with numerous areas of concern including Amateur Radio, 
and is responsible for applications from countries to participate in T/R 
61-01, as well as other Amateur Radio related issues. "Changes in the US 
license structures and examinations often have ancillary implications 
beyond the immediate impact upon the US licensees," said Dan Henderson, 
N1ND, ARRL Regulatory Information Manager. "While this CEPT change affects 
several classes of US licensees when they visit Europe and other CEPT 
signatory countries, it has no effect on their operating privileges at 
home."

* Clarification: The February 1 edition of The ARRL Letter included an item 
about the replacement of some older 160 meter equipment at Maxim Memorial 
Station W1AW. Some readers may have reached the conclusion that we were in 
some way unhappy with the equipment being replaced. That's certainly not 
the case. In fact, the Ten-Tec OMNI VI+ transceiver and Hercules II 
amplifier have served the ARRL and W1AW's listeners well over the past 
decade or so. It was simply time to replace the gear.

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

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 
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