[InHam] INARRL BULLETIN 030-2003

[Brian Murrey]

INARRL BULLETIN 030-2003
21:45:00 EST 08/26/2003 de KB9BVN


August 2003

Dear Amateur Radio Club Members,

As summer fades and we anticipate a return to the rigors of fall, you
will be reinvigorating Amateur Radio club operations in your
communities.  But before you club launches its activities, I hope you
can take a moment at your next meeting and consider a disturbing and
critical topic - Broadband over Power Lines (BPL).

BPL is a devastating threat to the Amateur Radio spectrum - especially
the HF bands.  There has been a lot of publicity on this issue -
articles on the ARRL website ( www.arrl.org/bpl ) and other ham radio
sites.  Your ARRL is at the forefront of the campaign to defeat BPL and
will continue to work tirelessly to protect your Amateur Radio bands.
And you can help.

This summer individual hams - and clubs - have responded generously to
fund ARRL's efforts to fight BPL, and have filed comments to the FCC.
But we still need to raise an additional $55,000 to fund the field
measurements and document filings necessary to defeat this threat.
We're all in this effort together, so I hope your club will jump on the
bandwagon and support the campaign financially. We've received club
contributions ranging from $50 to $2000. If your organization has
already made a donation, thank you.

And if your club is considering a contribution, I hope you'll do so
right away.  With a contribution of $100, $250, $500 or more, your club
can join the roster of clubs that are joining the effort.  Your
commitment will make a tremendous difference.  And we'll put a list of
contributing clubs on the ARRL website this fall as our way of saying
thank you.

If you need more information on BPL for your club, go to the ARRL
website ( www.arrl.org/BPL ) for the full story, including copies of the
two FCC filings and a video that graphically demonstrates the
interference radio amateurs would experience from BPL.  The video can be
downloaded and played at your next club meeting, and there's a
PowerPoint presentation you can use. Just follow the link above to an
"Understanding the NOI" page and a resource page where you'll find the
presentation.

ARRL President Jim Haynie calls BPL the biggest threat to Amateur Radio
in decades - and hams have lent their voices to the cause. If BPL
becomes a reality, many Amateur Radio activities, like Field Day, will
be meaningless. Your club's support with a generous financial
contribution now will help fund this effort.

Thank you for considering this request.  Contributions can be made
on-line at www.arrl.org , or by mail to BPL Special Spectrum Defense
Campaign, ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111.

73,
Mary M. Hobart, K1MMH
Chief Development Officer

========================================
Brian Murrey - KB9BVN
KB9BVN@arrl.net
Indiana Section Bulletin Manager
(317)535-9887
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