[Ham-News] The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 8 - February 29, 2008

Sun Mar 2 10:35:14 EST 2008

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 27, No. 8
February 29, 2008
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + ARRL, FCC, Department of Defense Review New Developments in PAVE PAWS
Interference Mitigation
* + Tennessee Agency Calls Army MARS into Action
* + Ducie Island, VP6DX: Making Contacts, Breaking Records
* + Two New Titles Join the ARRL Bookshelf
* + The March/April Issue of NCJ Now Available
* + FCC Denies Petitions to Bring Back Morse Code Testing
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
       This Weekend on the Radio
       ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
     + ARRL Gearing Up for Dayton Hamvention
     + W1HQ Now Up and Running -- on the World Wide Web
       Wisconsin Hams Assist Injured Driver
       Los Angeles County Hams Honored for Community Service
       500 kHz Distance Record Broken Again
       "Swiss Army Knife" Now Available for PIOs

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

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

==> ARRL, FCC, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REVIEW NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PAVE PAWS 
INTERFERENCE MITIGATION

The FCC, ARRL representatives and agents of the various US Air Force units 
working on developing a plan to mitigate alleged interference from 70 cm 
ham radio repeaters to PAVE PAWS radar systems on both coasts met February 
20 via conference call. The purpose of the conference was to review the 
status of the mitigation plans at both sites: the Massachusetts Military 
Reservation on Cape Cod and Beale AFB, north of Sacramento, California.

Thanks to the cooperation and assistance of the involved repeater owners on 
Cape Cod, ARRL Regulatory Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, said, "I am 
pleased to be able to pass along that at this time, the Department of 
Defense has determined that the levels of harmful interference to the PAVE 
PAWS radar site on Cape Cod have been sufficiently reduced. As part of this 
determination, they are not rescheduling additional follow-up testing for 
that area until sometime in 2009."

Henderson said that this decision doesn't mean New England is back to 
pre-mitigation repeater operation: "Any mitigation steps that have been 
taken should remain in place. A repeater that has gone off the air should 
not be simply turned back on at its original power level -- its previously 
determined mitigation standard still applies in order to protect the 
primary user from harmful interference."

Henderson stressed that the entire process is ongoing. "The high degree of 
voluntary cooperation shown by the owners of Air Force-identified repeaters 
has helped demonstrate to the DoD that the amateur community takes its 
responsibility seriously. This should help us retain access to the band in 
the long run."

During the discussion of the Cape Cod radar during the teleconference, the 
ARRL broached the topic of allowing the resumption of coordinating new 
repeaters on the 70 cm band in New England. The Air Force has agreed in 
principle to allow the New England Spectrum Management Council (NESMC) to 
resume coordination efforts under certain conditions. "These include that 
in addition to NESMC's normal coordination policies, Longley-Rice signal 
strength plots are prepared to determine expected signal strength at the 
radar site," Henderson said.

Henderson said that the ARRL has a "fairly good understanding of what 
strength level at the site should be workable, even though the DoD has not 
given us specific information on the sensitivity of the radar. The 
Longley-Rice plots should indicate if the operating parameters of the 
proposed repeater might be sufficient to prevent harmful interference to 
the radar site. The Longley-Rice plots are not the 'last word' in the 
process, but are a good tool giving the repeater owner and NESMC a 
reasonable assessment of possible problems."

Henderson reiterated that "any specific mitigation number from the Air 
Force is an exact measurement, not a 'predicted' number from a computer 
analysis."

Once NESMC approves a tentative coordination, Henderson explained that 
NESMC would forward the complete information on the new repeater to the Air 
Force for authorization on a case-by-case basis, as provided for in Title 
47 Â§2.106 Footnote US7. "During a 60 day trial period, the Air Force would 
contact NESMC for an immediate shut-down of a new repeater causing harmful 
interference. If that happens the new repeater would have to remain off the 
air until it can be successfully mitigated."

While this new process is a bit burdensome to NESMC and the repeater 
owners, it goes a long way toward keeping Amateur Radio in a position where 
70 cm operation can grow with careful attention to the effect of our 
operations on the primary users.

During the update discussion of the Beale AFB PAVE PAWS site in California, 
the DoD was able to report that there was a reduction in harmful 
interference at the radar, though work remains to be done to bring the 
situation at that site to a successful conclusion. DoD officials announced 
that a new round of testing is scheduled during the spring at Beale, and 
that they will share the results after the next round of testing is 
complete.

During the teleconference, the FCC reported that it has received excellent 
compliance in the wake of their phone calls and letters to repeater 
trustees and owners. This cooperation has made it unnecessary for the FCC 
to issue any mandatory shut down orders to date. The Commission will 
continue to be the initial point of contact with the DoD should further 
mitigation be required based on additional testing at Beale.

The ARRL will continue to work with the FCC, DoD, repeater coordinating 
groups and individual repeater owners as requested. "Because of the sheer 
number of 70 cm repeaters in that area, the Beale problem is taking longer 
to resolve," Henderson said. "We will continue to work toward a successful, 
constructive conclusion for as long as it takes."

==> TENNESSEE AGENCY CALLS ARMY MARS INTO ACTION

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) called Army Military 
Affiliate Radio System (MARS) into action as tornados swept across the 
Southeastern United States February 5-6. According to Army MARS Chief 
Stuart Carter, "For the first time as far back as we can remember, a state 
government called for MARS deployment in response to an actual emergency. 
The resulting teamwork and use of Army MARS Winlink capability gave TEMA 
its only e-mail link during President Bush's visit to the storm-stricken 
area." At least 70 messages were sent during the state operation ranging 
from casualty figure updates and signal reports to staff rosters and 
photos.

TEMA's Chief of Communications David Wolfe, WA4VVX (MARS call sign AAR4CY), 
said, "Although there was no commercial power at the deployment site, 
TEMA's communications infrastructure was fully operational. Both the VHF 
high band and 800 MHz repeater systems had good coverage for voice command 
and control. Our shortage was Internet connectivity, and our unmet needs 
were e-mail and the ability to send pictures. MARS Winlink provided exactly 
what was not available by any other means."

Carter said that this event illustrates the importance of detailed 
preparation and training that has taken place during realistic disaster 
response exercises over the past several years. "In the case of Tennessee, 
the story goes back a year and a half. Steve Waterman, K4CJX (MARS call 
sign AAA9AC) began working with Wolfe in late 2006, preparing for just such 
a deployment. At the time, Army MARS was just beginning to adopt the 
Winlink 2000 radio e-mail network system, and with the assistance of the 
then-Tennessee State Director Paul Drothler, WO4U (MARS call sign AAV4DJ), 
Army MARS had just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TEMA. This MOU 
just served to strengthen an already strong relationship between TEMA and 
Army MARS. Wolfe led TEMA staffers who were already hams to becoming MARS 
members and to become qualified MARS Winlink 2000 operators. The rest of 
Wolfe's team soon obtained their Amateur Radio and Army MARS licenses."

The next step, according to Carter, was joint training for TEMA staff and 
Tennessee Army MARS members. Some was classroom training followed up with 
extensive field training. The culmination of the field training was 
TNCAT07, a huge exercise that included the Central United States Earthquake 
Consortium (CUSEC), an eight-state alert consortium along the New Madrid 
fault line. This exercise also included the participation by ARRL Amateur 
Emergency Radio Service (ARES), Civil Air Patrol and other EmComm services 
that clearly demonstrated interoperability between TEMA, Tennessee Army 
MARS, the Amateur Radio community and other municipal communications 
services.

"To make a long story short," Carter said, "we now have seen a 
demonstration of seamless collaboration between Army MARS and one of our 
supported agencies under 'Real World' emergency conditions. This was the 
first Army MARS deployment since the Katrina/Rita disasters two years ago. 
Successfully meeting the challenge involved deployment readiness on the 
part of our members, and it required total Winlink 2000 mobility. First of 
all came the building of relationships with existing and potential 
customers, and then came meticulous training of state and federal staffers, 
and frequent exercising at home and in the field. With this pattern of 
established collaboration between our customers and MARS members, we enter 
the new era of Army MARS Emergency communications support."

==> DUCIE ISLAND, VP6DX: MAKING CONTACTS, BREAKING RECORDS

After 13 days, 7 hours and 37 minutes of continuous operation, the VP6DX 
Team on Ducie Island <http://ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/index. php> made their 
168,723rd contact. Valeri Koursov, RA0ALM, of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 
contacted the Ducie Island expedition on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 0437 
UTC on 30 meters. According to documents maintained by Jari Jussila, OH2BU, 
this contact breaks the record for the largest number of contacts made by 
any radio expedition. The previous record was held since February 8-28, 
2001 by the Five Star DX Association's DXpedition to the Comoros Island, 
D68C.

The Ducie Island DXpedition has broken other expedition records throughout 
the course of the DXpedition, including: * The largest number of RTTY 
contacts, previously held by the Swains Island N8S DXpedition in April 
2007. * The largest number of SSB (voice) contacts, previously held by the 
Comoros Island D68C DXpedition. * The largest number of contacts on 40 
meters, previously held by the Libya 5A7A DXpedition in November 2006. * 
The largest number of contacts on 30 meters, previously held by the St 
Brandon Island 3B7C DXpedition in September 2007. * The largest number of 
contacts on 17 meters, previously held by the Swains Island N8S DXpedition. 
* The largest number of contacts with North America, previously held by the 
Comoros Island D68C DXpedition. * The largest number of contacts with South 
America, previously held by the Peter I Island 3Y0X DXpedition in February 
2006. * The largest number of contacts with Africa, previously held by the 
Rodrigues Island 3B9C DXpedition in March-April 2004.

The Ducie Island crew received inquiries about the equipment and antennas 
used on Ducie Island. They reported that each operating position used: * 
Elecraft K3 radio. They said "The outstanding receiver and transmitter 
characteristics allowed us to run two positions simultaneously on any band 
-- even the very narrow 30 meter band -- with absolutely no interference. 
Good design makes the complex appear simple: the ins and outs of this 
sophisticated radio were quickly mastered by the operator team, none of 
whom had seen a K3 before the expedition." * Microham microKeyer II 
computer interfaces: plug in, turn on, call CQ and get to work. * Acom 
2000, 1000 or 1010 amplifiers: quietly getting the job done without 
trouble. The position used on 160 meters includes an OM 2500 HF amplifier. 
* 200 W W3NQN bandpass filters from Array Solutions and 2 kW bandpass 
filters from 4O3A. * WinTest logging software running on Durabook 
ruggedized laptops. * Honda EM65is and EM30is inverter supply, gasoline 
generators. The operators report that the generators offer "100 percent 
reliability to date. The inverter system has been very tolerant of the 
widely varying loads presented to the generators as multiple operating 
positions switch between transmit (high power consumption) and receive (low 
power consumption), a vast improvement over previous gasoline generator 
designs."

The seven operating positions were divided into two sites: East (four 
positions) and West (three positions). The operating sites stood about 1 
kilometer apart, a 15 minute walk over a coral shelf bordering the island's 
inner lagoon. Each site had its own WiFi network; a microwave link tied the 
two sites together. Sleeping tents and meals were located at the East camp.

The Ducie Island DXpedition closed down operations on Wednesday, February 
27. Amateurs who had QSOs with VP6DX can check the online logs 
<http://ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/onlinelog/index.php>.  -- Information provided 
by VP6DX Team

==> TWO NEW TITLES JOIN THE ARRL BOOKSHELF

The ARRL is pleased to announce two new books as part of the spring 
publications line-up: "ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook" and "ARRL's Hands-On 
Radio Experiments." These books complete the spring suite that includes the 
2008-2009 "ARRL Repeater Directory" and "TravelPlus for Repeaters" CD-ROM, 
both to be released in April.

"ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook," written by QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, 
looks at how today's Amateur Radio operators are using digital radio 
applications for fun, technical achievement and public service. And it's no 
wonder -- getting started often requires little more than a VHF radio and a 
computer. This new book includes such topics as packet radio, APRS, D-STAR, 
digital applications in public service and emergency communications and 
much more.

Without complicated "owner's manual" jargon, "ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook" 
presents the material through a unique how-to approach and friendly, 
conversational style. Readers will understand how to setup and operate 
their equipment and software and make the best use of their VHF digital 
station.

"ARRL's Hands-On Radio Experiments," written by H. Ward Silver, N0AX, is a 
compilation of the author's "Hands-on Radio" columns that appeared in QST 
from 2003-2008. The experiments cover a wealth of topics designed to 
educate today's radio experimenters, and inspire others who want to learn 
what makes their radios work. Even seasoned experts will encounter new 
approaches to practical methods, new explanations for familiar topics and 
new ideas that will enhance your understanding of the radio art. 
Step-by-step, Silver expertly leads you through each experiment -- and 
you'll make discoveries along the way.

With more than 60 experiments ranging from Radio and Electronic 
Fundamentals to Semiconductor Basics to Transmission Lines and Impedance 
Matching to Power Supplies, these projects are designed to increase your 
understanding of basic radio fundamentals, components, circuits and design.

Order your copy of "ARRL's Hands-On Radio Experiments" and "ARRL's VHF 
Digital Handbook" today at the ARRL Online Store 
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/>.

==> THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE OF NCJ NOW AVAILABLE

NCJ, The National Contest Journal is what everyone interested in radiosport 
needs to have in their shack. Filled with the latest news from the 
contesting world, this is a definite must-have. Whether you are new to 
contesting or are a seasoned pro (or somewhere in the middle), you will 
find something in NCJ just for you.

In the March/April issue, David Robbins, K1TTT, ruminates on a "Real-Time 
Contest Scoreboard." Julius Fazekas, III, N2WN, discusses "Top Band 
Contesting: My 80/160 Meter Receive Antenna Evolution." Tom Menas, K3WT, 
remembers the "The 5J0A San Andres Island 2007 CQ WW CW Contest Operation," 
and Scott Robbins, W4PA, profiles Rick Lindquist, N1RL, in this issue's 
"NCJ Profiles." Bob Neece, K0KR, concludes his "virtual tour" of the CAC in 
his article, "Update: The ARRL Contest Advisory Committee -- Part 2."

If you've been waiting to see how you did in the October 2007 RTTY Sprint, 
you definitely don't want to miss this issue! Ed Muns, W0YK, give readers 
the rundown on this popular contest. Was your log one of three "Golden 
Logs" received? Check out your scores and see if you can beat it for the 
March Sprint.

A new regular column appears in this issue: "Contesting 101." Each issue, 
Kirk Pickering, K4RO, takes contesters, novice and expert alike, around the 
"nuts and bolts" of radiosport. This issue, he looks at why people get 
started in contesting, as well as an explanation of why people participate 
in contests.

Of course, there are all the regular columns and features you expect from 
NCJ: "Workshop Chronicles," by Don Daso, K4ZA; "Contest Tips, Tricks & 
Techniques," by Gary Sutcliffe, W9XT; "Propagation," by Carl Luetzelschwab, 
K9LA; "VHF-UHF Contesting," by Jon Jones, N0JK; "Contesting on a Budget," 
by Paul Schaffenberger, K5AF; "DX Contest Activity Announcements," by Bill 
Feidt, NG3K; "RTTY Contesting," by Don Hill, AA5AU, and "Contest Calendar," 
by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM.

All this and more in the March/April issue of NCJ. NCJ is published six 
times a year by the ARRL; it is edited by Al Dewey, K0AD. Subscribe today 
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj/>!

==> FCC DENIES PETITIONS TO BRING BACK MORSE CODE TESTING

In a "Memorandum Opinion and Order" (MOO) 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-59A1.pdf> 
released February 28, the FCC denied two petitions calling for General or 
Amateur Extra license applicants to demonstrate proficiency in Morse code. 
In December 2006, the FCC released a "Report and Order" (R&O) 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-178A1.pdf> in the 
"Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 05-235, that eliminated Morse code 
testing as of February 23, 2007.

The "R&O" amended Section 97.501 to remove the telegraphy requirement. In 
reaching this decision, the FCC noted in the R&O that "one of the 
fundamental purposes underlying our Part 97 rules is to accommodate amateur 
radio operators' ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art, 
and that the Commission had previously concluded that an individual's 
ability to demonstrate Morse code proficiency is not necessarily indicative 
of his or her ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art." 
The FCC also noted that another fundamental purpose underlying Part 97 
rules is "to enhance the value of the amateur service to the public, 
particularly with respect to emergency communications, and that the 
Commission had previously concluded that most emergency communication today 
is performed using voice, data, or video modes, because information can be 
exchanged much faster using modes of communication other than telegraphy."

The Commission therefore concluded that requiring an individual to 
demonstrate Morse code proficiency as a licensing requirement "did not 
further the purposes of the Part 97 rules." The Commission also found that 
this reasoning applied equally to the General Class and the Amateur Extra 
Class, so "it rejected suggestions that the Morse code requirement be 
eliminated for the General Class license but retained for the Amateur Extra 
Class license."

In the wake of the FCC's actions in WT Docket 05-235, two amateurs 
submitted separate petitions to the FCC, asking them to bring back the 
testing. Anthony R. Gordon, KG6EQM, of West Covina California, objected to 
the FCC eliminating the telegraphy examination element as an examination 
requirement for the Amateur Extra Class operator license. Russell D. Ward, 
W4NI, of Nashville, Tennessee, requested the FCC reconsider their decision 
for "'strictly procedural'" reasons.

Gordon asserts that "'the failure to keep the Morse code telegraphy 
requirement intact, at least as a required examination element for the 
Amateur Extra Class operator license, fails to take into consideration the 
significant national security implications that require retaining adequate 
examination safeguards to insure the viability that Morse code telegraphy 
provides, not only to the Amateur service, but the nation as well.'" Gordon 
argues that the requirement should be retained so that amateur operators 
can act as "a 'strategic reserve,'" because there is "no assurance 
that...voice or digital modes will even be operationally viable in future 
emergency communication environments."

The FCC was not persuaded, however, that eliminating the Morse code 
examination element will affect national security or emergency 
communications. "We agree with the commenters who point out that requiring 
applicants to pass a one-time telegraphy examination did not and would not 
guarantee a supply of skilled telegraphy operators. Moreover, nothing in 
the Commission's decision prevents an interested amateur radio operator 
from pursuing Morse code proficiency."

The FCC reiterated their prior conclusion that "an individual's ability to 
demonstrate Morse code proficiency does not further the underlying purposes 
of the Part 97 rules, i.e., to accommodate individual contributions to the 
advancement of the radio art and to enhance the value of the amateur 
service to the public. Accordingly, we deny the petition."

In the MOO, Ward states that he "encountered difficulty" in submitting his 
comments and reply comments to the NPRM electronically and that his filings 
were not posted on the ECFS (the Commission's electronic filing system) 
until after the deadlines had passed. He asserts that "there is no 
certainty that the Commission considered his comments and reply comments, 
that the late posting of his comments prevented others from replying to 
them, and that it is 'quite likely that other comments were treated 
improperly.'" As a result, Ward requested that the FCC "stay the 
proceeding, reopen the record and reconsider the NPRM after the close of 
the extended comment period."

The FCC claims that all comments in the ECFS "were considered before the 
Commission adopted the Report and Order, regardless of the how or when they 
were filed. Moreover, many of the 3900 comments and reply comments 
expressed the same view as Mr. Ward, so the substance of his views 
unquestionably was replied to and considered. Finally, he provides no 
evidence that ECFS mishandled other comments. No other party has complained 
that his or her comments were not received. We conclude, therefore, that 
reopening the proceeding for additional comments is not justified, and we 
deny the petition."

In summary, the FCC said neither petition asserted "any grounds for 
reconsidering" the decision in the Report and Order. "We believe that the 
actions taken therein will allow amateur service licensees to better 
fulfill the purpose of the amateur service, and will enhance the usefulness 
of the amateur service to the public and licensees."

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory" Cook, K7RA, this 
week reports: A sunspot emerged a few days ago, a welcome sight at Cycle 
minimum. Sunspot numbers for February 25-28 were 12, 13, 12 and 12, but 
that spot (number 983) is now gone over the eastern horizon of our Sun. If 
the February 29 sunspot number is zero, this means our three-month moving 
average of sunspot numbers centered on January will be 8.5, slightly higher 
than the last reading. Our moving average centered on June 2007-January 
2008 is 18.7, 15.4, 10.2, 5.4, 3, 6.9, 8.1 and 8.5, with the minimum 
centered on October 2007. Sunspot numbers for February 21-27 were 0, 0, 0, 
0, 12, 13 and 12 with a mean of 5.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 71.8, 72.4, 71.6, 
70.7, 71.4, 70.7 and 70.7 with a mean of 71.3. Estimated planetary A 
indices were 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3 and 12 with a mean of 5. Estimated 
mid-latitude A indices were 3, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2 and 6 with a mean of 2.9. 
Remember that a sunspot number does not represent the actual number of 
sunspots. The minimum non-zero sunspot number is 11, because a value of 10 
is counted for each cluster of sunspots; a value of one is added for each 
individual spot. So the February 26 sunspot number of 13 represents one 
group containing three sunspots. 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/>. This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you 
courtesy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, the ARRL International DX 
Contest (Phone) is March 1-2. The NCCC Sprint is February 29 and the 
Wake-Up! QRP Sprint is March 1. The low band portion of the Open Ukraine 
RTTY Championship is March 1 and 2; the high band portion is March 2. The 
DARC 10 Meter Digital Contest is March 2 and the RSGB 80 Meter Club 
Championship (Data) is March 3. The ARS Spartan Sprint and another running 
of the NCCC Sprint are March 4. Next weekend starts with the NCCC Sprint on 
March 7. The AGCW QRP Contest and SOC Marathon Sprint are March 8. The RSGB 
Commonwealth Contest, the Oklahoma QSO Party, the EA PSK31 Contest and the 
Idaho QSO Party are March 8-9. The North American Sprint (RTTY), the SKCC 
Weekend Sprintathon, the UBA Spring Contest (CW) and the NSARA Contest are 
March 9. The Wisconsin QSO Party is March 9-10 and the CLARA and Family HF 
Contest is March 11-12. The RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (CW) is March 
12. 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, March, 9, 2008, for these online course sessions beginning 
on Friday, March, 21, 2008: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 
(EC-002); Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003R2); 
Antenna Modeling (EC-004); HF Digital Communications (EC-005); VHF/UHF -- 
Life Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), and Radio Frequency Propagation 
(EC-011). 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 Gearing for Up Dayton Hamvention: ARRL EXPO returns to Dayton 
Hamvention, to be held May 16-18, 2008 at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. 
The huge ARRL exhibit area is a showcase of displays, activities and 
program representatives to enhance your ham radio experience. The ARRL EXPO 
is open to all Hamvention attendees. Meet ARRL President Joel Harrison, 
W5ZN, other ARRL officials, volunteers and staff knowledgeable on a wide 
variety of topics. Among the highlights of the exhibit space will be a card 
checking area for operating awards, activities for young hams, the ARRL 
bookstore and more. ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, is the ARRL 
EXPO coordinator. "We are looking at some new and exciting venues within 
EXPO, but I'm not ready to spill the beans quite yet! We are focusing our 
attention this year on the theme of technology and on Hamvention's theme 
celebrating ham radio fellowship -- stay tuned for more news. We sincerely 
thank the 2008 Dayton Hamvention Committee and their volunteers for all 
they do to make this a signature convention; we are so pleased to 
participate." Keep an eye on the ARRL EXPO Web site 
<http://www.arrl.org/expo> for updates.

* W1HQ Now Up and Running -- on the World Wide Web: ARRL Membership Manager 
Katie Breen, W1KRB, has started a blog <http://www.arrl.org/ 
blog/The%20Rebirth%20of%20W1HQ> chronicling the rebirth of the ARRL 
employee's club station, the Laird Campbell Memorial Station, W1HQ. "I've 
created this blog as a method of tracking our activities at the ARRL 
employee's club station," Breen said. Along with Contest Branch Manager 
Sean Kutzko, KX9X, she has led the charge to spiff up the station by giving 
the room a much-needed coat of new paint. Ed Hare, W1RFI, constructed 
all-new desks and cabinets. Building Manager Greg Kwasowski, W1GJK, 
installed new carpet and ceiling tiles. Test Engineer Mike Tracy, KC1SX, 
and Lab Assistant Anthony Nesta, AA1RZ, ran new antenna cables to the roof 
and rewired the entire room with a new antenna patch panel to accommodate 
all the new antenna feed lines. Lab Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, built a 
trap vertical. Read along as Breen, Kutzko and the rest of the W1HQ Crew 
bring W1HQ back to life and back on the air. You can also check out blogs 
<http://www.arrl.org/blog/> from past ARRL events, such as Dayton 
Hamvention and ARRL Expo, the 2007 ARRL National Convention and Field Day. 
DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, also keeps a blog discussing news and notes 
concerning the DXCC program.

* Wisconsin Hams Assist Injured Driver: On Wednesday, February 27, Brian 
Sprecher, KC9LCC, of Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin, received a radio call on 
the 147.150 Madison repeater requesting emergency help. Robert Stout, 
WB9ECK, of Monticello, Wisconsin, told Sprecher that a vehicle had gone off 
the road through a guard rail, stopping short of a creek. The driver was 
injured and trapped in his vehicle and an ambulance was needed at the 
scene. Sprecher called the Dane County sheriff's office to relay the 
information. Stout, via the repeater, kept Sprecher apprised of the 
driver's injuries; Sprecher, in turn, updated the sheriff's dispatch with 
the information. Stout remained at the scene providing aid until local 
police arrived. Sprecher relayed all information to the dispatcher until 
local authorities arrived and assumed control. "It sounds like the guy 
drove off the road through a guard rail and may have not been found had it 
not been for WB9ECK. It was also unknown how long the driver had been over 
the embankment before being found. This could have been a lot worse had 
WB9ECK not become involved," Sprecher said.  -- Information provided by 
Brian Sprecher, KC9LCC

* Los Angeles County Hams Honored for Community Service: On February 27, 
members of the Disaster Communications Service (DCS), based at the Carson 
Sheriff Station, received individual and group awards from the State of 
California, the County of Los Angeles, the Carson Sheriff Station Support 
Foundation and the City of Carson, California for their participation in a 
wide range of both planned and emergent events. These 27 Amateur Radio 
operators provided almost 8000 hours of service to the agencies, including 
assisting in providing assistance during a bicycle race, tactical alerts 
due to civil unrest, funerals for fallen deputy sheriffs and the fires that 
plagued Southern California. Members of their Rapid Deployment Team spent 
five days on Catalina Island, serving as the primary means of communication 
between the island and the mainland until telephone systems were restored. 
The service provided by the Carson Station DCS volunteers saved the 
taxpayers of Los Angeles County almost $320,000, "but more importantly, 
they selflessly provided an invaluable service that is a critical component 
to the safety of our communities and families," the DCS coordinator said. 
Thirteen deputies, a firefighter, two station volunteers and two citizens 
were also recognized in the second annual event that pays tribute to Carson 
sheriff's deputies and supporters for their work in the city. More 
information can be found at the Los Angeles County Disaster Communications 
Web page <http://lacdcs.com/carson- awards-endpage.html>.

* 500 kHz Distance Record Broken Again: On February 21, Neil Schwanitz, 
V73NS/WD8CRT, on Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands, received a signal from 
experimental station WD2XSH/6. This experimental station, operated by Pat 
Hamel, W5THT, is located in Long Beach, Mississippi -- 6679 miles away from 
the island in the Kwajalein atoll. This contact breaks the previous record 
for the longest 500 kHz contact. That record, set in January 2008, was for 
a distance of 4737 miles from Cottage Grove, Oregon to Roi-Namur. An 
article on Hamel's station appears in the March issue of QST. The ARRL 500 
kHz experimental license, WD2XSH, was issued in September 2006 and has 20 
active stations. Fritz Raab, W1FR, of Vermont, serves as experimental 
project manager for The 500 KC Experimental Group for Amateur Radio 
<http://www.500kc.com/>. Additional information can be found at the 
experiment's Web site and also in the July/August 2007 issue of QEX 
<http://www.arrl.org/qex/2007/07/ raab.pdf>.  -- Information provided by 
Fritz Raab, W1FR

* "Swiss Army Knife" Now Available for PIOs: The 2008 edition of the "Swiss 
Army Knife for PIOs" CD is now available. This "toolkit-on-a-disk" is 
designed to be a handy reference for Amateur Radio public relations 
officials. Topics on the disk include how to write press releases, give 
interviews and talk to groups; how to deal with legislative issues 
affecting Amateur Radio; audio, video and picture files; how to write 
articles for ARRL publications such as QST; how to connect with youth; 
information on ARRL public relations awards; how to promote Field Day in 
your community; FEMA course information, and more. To receive a copy, send 
a self-addressed stamped envelope (please make sure the envelope is large 
enough for a CD disk) with at least two units of postage and a note to 
Public Relations, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. This disk is 
available to anyone with an interest in spreading the word about Amateur 
Radio.

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

The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American 
Radio Relay League: ARRL--the National Association for Amateur Radio, 225 
Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; 
<http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and general news 
of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web site 
<http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news updates. 
The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features 
and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/ audio/> is a 
weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's 
also available as a podcast from our Web site.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or 
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to 
The ARRL Letter/American Radio Relay League.

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 27, No. 8
February 29, 2008
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + ARRL, FCC, Department of Defense Review New Developments in PAVE PAWS
Interference Mitigation
* + Tennessee Agency Calls Army MARS into Action
* + Ducie Island, VP6DX: Making Contacts, Breaking Records
* + Two New Titles Join the ARRL Bookshelf
* + The March/April Issue of NCJ Now Available
* + FCC Denies Petitions to Bring Back Morse Code Testing
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
       This Weekend on the Radio
       ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
     + ARRL Gearing Up for Dayton Hamvention
     + W1HQ Now Up and Running -- on the World Wide Web
       Wisconsin Hams Assist Injured Driver
       Los Angeles County Hams Honored for Community Service
       500 kHz Distance Record Broken Again
       "Swiss Army Knife" Now Available for PIOs

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

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

==> ARRL, FCC, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REVIEW NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PAVE PAWS 
INTERFERENCE MITIGATION

The FCC, ARRL representatives and agents of the various US Air Force units 
working on developing a plan to mitigate alleged interference from 70 cm 
ham radio repeaters to PAVE PAWS radar systems on both coasts met February 
20 via conference call. The purpose of the conference was to review the 
status of the mitigation plans at both sites: the Massachusetts Military 
Reservation on Cape Cod and Beale AFB, north of Sacramento, California.

Thanks to the cooperation and assistance of the involved repeater owners on 
Cape Cod, ARRL Regulatory Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, said, "I am 
pleased to be able to pass along that at this time, the Department of 
Defense has determined that the levels of harmful interference to the PAVE 
PAWS radar site on Cape Cod have been sufficiently reduced. As part of this 
determination, they are not rescheduling additional follow-up testing for 
that area until sometime in 2009."

Henderson said that this decision doesn't mean New England is back to 
pre-mitigation repeater operation: "Any mitigation steps that have been 
taken should remain in place. A repeater that has gone off the air should 
not be simply turned back on at its original power level -- its previously 
determined mitigation standard still applies in order to protect the 
primary user from harmful interference."

Henderson stressed that the entire process is ongoing. "The high degree of 
voluntary cooperation shown by the owners of Air Force-identified repeaters 
has helped demonstrate to the DoD that the amateur community takes its 
responsibility seriously. This should help us retain access to the band in 
the long run."

During the discussion of the Cape Cod radar during the teleconference, the 
ARRL broached the topic of allowing the resumption of coordinating new 
repeaters on the 70 cm band in New England. The Air Force has agreed in 
principle to allow the New England Spectrum Management Council (NESMC) to 
resume coordination efforts under certain conditions. "These include that 
in addition to NESMC's normal coordination policies, Longley-Rice signal 
strength plots are prepared to determine expected signal strength at the 
radar site," Henderson said.

Henderson said that the ARRL has a "fairly good understanding of what 
strength level at the site should be workable, even though the DoD has not 
given us specific information on the sensitivity of the radar. The 
Longley-Rice plots should indicate if the operating parameters of the 
proposed repeater might be sufficient to prevent harmful interference to 
the radar site. The Longley-Rice plots are not the 'last word' in the 
process, but are a good tool giving the repeater owner and NESMC a 
reasonable assessment of possible problems."

Henderson reiterated that "any specific mitigation number from the Air 
Force is an exact measurement, not a 'predicted' number from a computer 
analysis."

Once NESMC approves a tentative coordination, Henderson explained that 
NESMC would forward the complete information on the new repeater to the Air 
Force for authorization on a case-by-case basis, as provided for in Title 
47 Â§2.106 Footnote US7. "During a 60 day trial period, the Air Force would 
contact NESMC for an immediate shut-down of a new repeater causing harmful 
interference. If that happens the new repeater would have to remain off the 
air until it can be successfully mitigated."

While this new process is a bit burdensome to NESMC and the repeater 
owners, it goes a long way toward keeping Amateur Radio in a position where 
70 cm operation can grow with careful attention to the effect of our 
operations on the primary users.

During the update discussion of the Beale AFB PAVE PAWS site in California, 
the DoD was able to report that there was a reduction in harmful 
interference at the radar, though work remains to be done to bring the 
situation at that site to a successful conclusion. DoD officials announced 
that a new round of testing is scheduled during the spring at Beale, and 
that they will share the results after the next round of testing is 
complete.

During the teleconference, the FCC reported that it has received excellent 
compliance in the wake of their phone calls and letters to repeater 
trustees and owners. This cooperation has made it unnecessary for the FCC 
to issue any mandatory shut down orders to date. The Commission will 
continue to be the initial point of contact with the DoD should further 
mitigation be required based on additional testing at Beale.

The ARRL will continue to work with the FCC, DoD, repeater coordinating 
groups and individual repeater owners as requested. "Because of the sheer 
number of 70 cm repeaters in that area, the Beale problem is taking longer 
to resolve," Henderson said. "We will continue to work toward a successful, 
constructive conclusion for as long as it takes."

==> TENNESSEE AGENCY CALLS ARMY MARS INTO ACTION

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) called Army Military 
Affiliate Radio System (MARS) into action as tornados swept across the 
Southeastern United States February 5-6. According to Army MARS Chief 
Stuart Carter, "For the first time as far back as we can remember, a state 
government called for MARS deployment in response to an actual emergency. 
The resulting teamwork and use of Army MARS Winlink capability gave TEMA 
its only e-mail link during President Bush's visit to the storm-stricken 
area." At least 70 messages were sent during the state operation ranging 
from casualty figure updates and signal reports to staff rosters and 
photos.

TEMA's Chief of Communications David Wolfe, WA4VVX (MARS call sign AAR4CY), 
said, "Although there was no commercial power at the deployment site, 
TEMA's communications infrastructure was fully operational. Both the VHF 
high band and 800 MHz repeater systems had good coverage for voice command 
and control. Our shortage was Internet connectivity, and our unmet needs 
were e-mail and the ability to send pictures. MARS Winlink provided exactly 
what was not available by any other means."

Carter said that this event illustrates the importance of detailed 
preparation and training that has taken place during realistic disaster 
response exercises over the past several years. "In the case of Tennessee, 
the story goes back a year and a half. Steve Waterman, K4CJX (MARS call 
sign AAA9AC) began working with Wolfe in late 2006, preparing for just such 
a deployment. At the time, Army MARS was just beginning to adopt the 
Winlink 2000 radio e-mail network system, and with the assistance of the 
then-Tennessee State Director Paul Drothler, WO4U (MARS call sign AAV4DJ), 
Army MARS had just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TEMA. This MOU 
just served to strengthen an already strong relationship between TEMA and 
Army MARS. Wolfe led TEMA staffers who were already hams to becoming MARS 
members and to become qualified MARS Winlink 2000 operators. The rest of 
Wolfe's team soon obtained their Amateur Radio and Army MARS licenses."

The next step, according to Carter, was joint training for TEMA staff and 
Tennessee Army MARS members. Some was classroom training followed up with 
extensive field training. The culmination of the field training was 
TNCAT07, a huge  exercise that included the Central United States 
Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), an eight-state alert consortium along the 
New Madrid fault line. This exercise also included the participation by 
ARRL Amateur Emergency Radio Service (ARES), Civil Air Patrol and other 
EmComm services that clearly demonstrated interoperability between TEMA, 
Tennessee Army MARS, the Amateur Radio community and other municipal 
communications services.

"To make a long story short," Carter said, "we now have seen a 
demonstration of seamless collaboration between Army MARS and one of our 
supported agencies under 'Real World' emergency conditions. This was the 
first Army MARS deployment since the Katrina/Rita disasters two years ago. 
Successfully meeting the challenge involved deployment readiness on the 
part of our members, and it required total Winlink 2000 mobility. First of 
all came the building of relationships with existing and potential 
customers, and then came meticulous training of state and federal staffers, 
and frequent exercising at home and in the field. With this pattern of 
established collaboration between our customers and MARS members, we enter 
the new era of Army MARS Emergency communications support."

==> DUCIE ISLAND, VP6DX: MAKING CONTACTS, BREAKING RECORDS

After 13 days, 7 hours and 37 minutes of continuous operation, the VP6DX 
Team on Ducie Island <http://ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/index. php> made their 
168,723rd contact. Valeri Koursov, RA0ALM, of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 
contacted the Ducie Island expedition on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 0437 
UTC on 30 meters. According to documents maintained by Jari Jussila, OH2BU, 
this contact breaks the record for the largest number of contacts made by 
any radio expedition. The previous record was held since February 8-28, 
2001 by the Five Star DX Association's DXpedition to the Comoros Island, 
D68C.

The Ducie Island DXpedition has broken other expedition records throughout 
the course of the DXpedition, including: * The largest number of RTTY 
contacts, previously held by the Swains Island N8S DXpedition in April 
2007. * The largest number of SSB (voice) contacts, previously held by the 
Comoros Island D68C DXpedition. * The largest number of contacts on 40 
meters, previously held by the Libya 5A7A DXpedition in November 2006. * 
The largest number of contacts on 30 meters, previously held by the St 
Brandon Island 3B7C DXpedition in September 2007. * The largest number of 
contacts on 17 meters, previously held by the Swains Island N8S DXpedition. 
* The largest number of contacts with North America, previously held by the 
Comoros Island D68C DXpedition. * The largest number of contacts with South 
America, previously held by the Peter I Island 3Y0X DXpedition in February 
2006. * The largest number of contacts with Africa, previously held by the 
Rodrigues Island 3B9C DXpedition in March-April 2004.

The Ducie Island crew received inquiries about the equipment and antennas 
used on Ducie Island. They reported that each operating position used: * 
Elecraft K3 radio. They said "The outstanding receiver and transmitter 
characteristics allowed us to run two positions simultaneously on any band 
-- even the very narrow 30 meter band -- with absolutely no interference. 
Good design makes the complex appear simple: the ins and outs of this 
sophisticated radio were quickly mastered by the operator team, none of 
whom had seen a K3 before the expedition." * Microham microKeyer II 
computer interfaces: plug in, turn on, call CQ and get to work. * Acom 
2000, 1000 or 1010 amplifiers: quietly getting the job done without 
trouble. The position used on 160 meters includes an OM 2500 HF amplifier. 
* 200 W W3NQN bandpass filters from Array Solutions and 2 kW bandpass 
filters from 4O3A. * WinTest logging software running on Durabook 
ruggedized laptops. * Honda EM65is and EM30is inverter supply, gasoline 
generators. The operators report that the generators offer "100 percent 
reliability to date. The inverter system has been very tolerant of the 
widely varying loads presented to the generators as multiple operating 
positions switch between transmit (high power consumption) and receive (low 
power consumption), a vast improvement over previous gasoline generator 
designs."

The seven operating positions were divided into two sites: East (four 
positions) and West (three positions). The operating sites stood about 1 
kilometer apart, a 15 minute walk over a coral shelf bordering the island's 
inner lagoon. Each site had its own WiFi network; a microwave link tied the 
two sites together. Sleeping tents and meals were located at the East camp.

The Ducie Island DXpedition closed down operations on Wednesday, February 
27. Amateurs who had QSOs with VP6DX can check the online logs 
<http://ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/onlinelog/index.php>.  -- Information provided 
by VP6DX Team

==> TWO NEW TITLES JOIN THE ARRL BOOKSHELF

The ARRL is pleased to announce two new books as part of the spring 
publications line-up: "ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook" and "ARRL's Hands-On 
Radio Experiments." These books complete the spring suite that includes the 
2008-2009 "ARRL Repeater Directory" and "TravelPlus for Repeaters" CD-ROM, 
both to be released in April.

"ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook," written by QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, 
looks at how today's Amateur Radio operators are using digital radio 
applications for fun, technical achievement and public service. And it's no 
wonder -- getting started often requires little more than a VHF radio and a 
computer. This new book includes such topics as packet radio, APRS, D-STAR, 
digital applications in public service and emergency communications and 
much more.

Without complicated "owner's manual" jargon, "ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook" 
presents the material through a unique how-to approach and friendly, 
conversational style. Readers will understand how to setup and operate 
their equipment and software and make the best use of their VHF digital 
station.

"ARRL's Hands-On Radio Experiments," written by H. Ward Silver, N0AX, is a 
compilation of the author's "Hands-on Radio" columns that appeared in QST 
from 2003-2008. The experiments cover a wealth of topics designed to 
educate today's radio experimenters, and inspire others who want to learn 
what makes their radios work. Even seasoned experts will encounter new 
approaches to practical methods, new explanations for familiar topics and 
new ideas that will enhance your understanding of the radio art. 
Step-by-step, Silver expertly leads you through each experiment -- and 
you'll make discoveries along the way.

With more than 60 experiments ranging from Radio and Electronic 
Fundamentals to Semiconductor Basics to Transmission Lines and Impedance 
Matching to Power Supplies, these projects are designed to increase your 
understanding of basic radio fundamentals, components, circuits and design.

Order your copy of "ARRL's Hands-On Radio Experiments" and "ARRL's VHF 
Digital Handbook" today at the ARRL Online Store 
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/>.

==> THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE OF NCJ NOW AVAILABLE

NCJ, The National Contest Journal is what everyone interested in radiosport 
needs to have in their shack. Filled with the latest news from the 
contesting world, this is a definite must-have. Whether you are new to 
contesting or are a seasoned pro (or somewhere in the middle), you will 
find something in NCJ just for you.

In the March/April issue, David Robbins, K1TTT, ruminates on a "Real-Time 
Contest Scoreboard." Julius Fazekas, III, N2WN, discusses "Top Band 
Contesting: My 80/160 Meter Receive Antenna Evolution." Tom Menas, K3WT, 
remembers the "The 5J0A San Andres Island 2007 CQ WW CW Contest Operation," 
and Scott Robbins, W4PA, profiles Rick Lindquist, N1RL, in this issue's 
"NCJ Profiles." Bob Neece, K0KR, concludes his "virtual tour" of the CAC in 
his article, "Update: The ARRL Contest Advisory Committee -- Part 2."

If you've been waiting to see how you did in the October 2007 RTTY Sprint, 
you definitely don't want to miss this issue! Ed Muns, W0YK, give readers 
the rundown on this popular contest. Was your log one of three "Golden 
Logs" received? Check out your scores and see if you can beat it for the 
March Sprint.

A new regular column appears in this issue: "Contesting 101." Each issue, 
Kirk Pickering, K4RO, takes contesters, novice and expert alike, around the 
"nuts and bolts" of radiosport. This issue, he looks at why people get 
started in contesting, as well as an explanation of why people participate 
in contests.

Of course, there are all the regular columns and features you expect from 
NCJ: "Workshop Chronicles," by Don Daso, K4ZA; "Contest Tips, Tricks & 
Techniques," by Gary Sutcliffe, W9XT; "Propagation," by Carl Luetzelschwab, 
K9LA; "VHF-UHF Contesting," by Jon Jones, N0JK; "Contesting on a Budget," 
by Paul Schaffenberger, K5AF; "DX Contest Activity Announcements," by Bill 
Feidt, NG3K; "RTTY Contesting," by Don Hill, AA5AU, and "Contest Calendar," 
by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM.

All this and more in the March/April issue of NCJ. NCJ is published six 
times a year by the ARRL; it is edited by Al Dewey, K0AD. Subscribe today 
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj/>!

==> FCC DENIES PETITIONS TO BRING BACK MORSE CODE TESTING

In a "Memorandum Opinion and Order" (MOO) 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-59A1.pdf> 
released February 28, the FCC denied two petitions calling for General or 
Amateur Extra license applicants to demonstrate proficiency in Morse code. 
In December 2006, the FCC released a "Report and Order" (R&O) 
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-178A1.pdf> in the 
"Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 05-235, that eliminated Morse code 
testing as of February 23, 2007.

The "R&O" amended Section 97.501 to remove the telegraphy requirement. In 
reaching this decision, the FCC noted in the R&O that "one of the 
fundamental purposes underlying our Part 97 rules is to accommodate amateur 
radio operators' ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art, 
and that the Commission had previously concluded that an individual's 
ability to demonstrate Morse code proficiency is not necessarily indicative 
of his or her ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art." 
The FCC also noted that another fundamental purpose underlying Part 97 
rules is "to enhance the value of the amateur service to the public, 
particularly with respect to emergency communications, and that the 
Commission had previously concluded that most emergency communication today 
is performed using voice, data, or video modes, because information can be 
exchanged much faster using modes of communication other than telegraphy."

The Commission therefore concluded that requiring an individual to 
demonstrate Morse code proficiency as a licensing requirement "did not 
further the purposes of the Part 97 rules." The Commission also found that 
this reasoning applied equally to the General Class and the Amateur Extra 
Class, so "it rejected suggestions that the Morse code requirement be 
eliminated for the General Class license but retained for the Amateur Extra 
Class license."

In the wake of the FCC's actions in WT Docket 05-235, two amateurs 
submitted separate petitions to the FCC, asking them to bring back the 
testing. Anthony R. Gordon, KG6EQM, of West Covina California, objected to 
the FCC eliminating the telegraphy examination element as an examination 
requirement for the Amateur Extra Class operator license. Russell D. Ward, 
W4NI, of Nashville, Tennessee, requested the FCC reconsider their decision 
for "'strictly procedural'" reasons.

Gordon asserts that "'the failure to keep the Morse code telegraphy 
requirement intact, at least as a required examination element for the 
Amateur Extra Class operator license, fails to take into consideration the 
significant national security implications that require retaining adequate 
examination safeguards to insure the viability that Morse code telegraphy 
provides, not only to the Amateur service, but the nation as well.'" Gordon 
argues that the requirement should be retained so that amateur operators 
can act as "a 'strategic reserve,'" because there is "no assurance 
that...voice or digital modes will even be operationally viable in future 
emergency communication environments."

The FCC was not persuaded, however, that eliminating the Morse code 
examination element will affect national security or emergency 
communications. "We agree with the commenters who point out that requiring 
applicants to pass a one-time telegraphy examination did not and would not 
guarantee a supply of skilled telegraphy operators. Moreover, nothing in 
the Commission's decision prevents an interested amateur radio operator 
from pursuing Morse code proficiency."

The FCC reiterated their prior conclusion that "an individual's ability to 
demonstrate Morse code proficiency does not further the underlying purposes 
of the Part 97 rules, i.e., to accommodate individual contributions to the 
advancement of the radio art and to enhance the value of the amateur 
service to the public. Accordingly, we deny the petition."

In the MOO, Ward states that he "encountered difficulty" in submitting his 
comments and reply comments to the NPRM electronically and that his filings 
were not posted on the ECFS (the Commission's electronic filing system) 
until after the deadlines had passed. He asserts that "there is no 
certainty that the Commission considered his comments and reply comments, 
that the late posting of his comments prevented others from replying to 
them, and that it is 'quite likely that other comments were treated 
improperly.'" As a result, Ward requested that the FCC "stay the 
proceeding, reopen the record and reconsider the NPRM after the close of 
the extended comment period."

The FCC claims that all comments in the ECFS "were considered before the 
Commission adopted the Report and Order, regardless of the how or when they 
were filed. Moreover, many of the 3900 comments and reply comments 
expressed the same view as Mr. Ward, so the substance of his views 
unquestionably was replied to and considered. Finally, he provides no 
evidence that ECFS mishandled other comments. No other party has complained 
that his or her comments were not received. We conclude, therefore, that 
reopening the proceeding for additional comments is not justified, and we 
deny the petition."

In summary, the FCC said neither petition asserted "any grounds for 
reconsidering" the decision in the Report and Order. "We believe that the 
actions taken therein will allow amateur service licensees to better 
fulfill the purpose of the amateur service, and will enhance the usefulness 
of the amateur service to the public and licensees."

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory" Cook, K7RA, this 
week reports: A sunspot emerged a few days ago, a welcome sight at Cycle 
minimum. Sunspot numbers for February 25-28 were 12, 13, 12 and 12, but 
that spot (number 983) is now gone over the eastern horizon of our Sun. If 
the February 29 sunspot number is zero, this means our three-month moving 
average of sunspot numbers centered on January will be 8.5, slightly higher 
than the last reading. Our moving average centered on June 2007-January 
2008 is 18.7, 15.4, 10.2, 5.4, 3, 6.9, 8.1 and 8.5, with the minimum 
centered on October 2007. Sunspot numbers for February 21-27 were 0, 0, 0, 
0, 12, 13 and 12 with a mean of 5.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 71.8, 72.4, 71.6, 
70.7, 71.4, 70.7 and 70.7 with a mean of 71.3. Estimated planetary A 
indices were 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3 and 12 with a mean of 5. Estimated 
mid-latitude A indices were 3, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2 and 6 with a mean of 2.9. 
Remember that a sunspot number does not represent the actual number of 
sunspots. The minimum non-zero sunspot number is 11, because a value of 10 
is counted for each cluster of sunspots; a value of one is added for each 
individual spot. So the February 26 sunspot number of 13 represents one 
group containing three sunspots. 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/>. This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you 
courtesy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF: