[KCDXC] Fw: The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 11 (Friday, March 20, 2009)

[Alex, KU1CW]

Read * + ARRL Youth Editor: Young People Can Help with Emergency
Communications, Too!-by KU0DM


--- On Fri, 3/20/09, ARRL Letter Mailing List <letter-dlvy at arrl.org> wrote:

> From: ARRL Letter Mailing List <letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
> Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 11 (Friday, March 20, 2009)
> To: ku1cw at yahoo.com
> Date: Friday, March 20, 2009, 12:55 PM
> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 28, No. 11
> March 20, 2009
> ***************
> 
> IN THIS EDITION:
> 
> * + Hams Assist Woman Injured in Desert 
> * + ARRL Youth Editor: Young People Can Help with Emergency
> Communications, Too! 
> * + ARRL Releases Revision of "Experimental Methods in
> RF Design" 
> * + FCC Denies Petition to Increase Size of Amateur Radio
> Question Pools
> 
> * + Global Simulated Emergency Test Scheduled for April 
> * + African Radio Organization Applies for IARU Membership 
> *  Solar Update 
> *  IN BRIEF: 
>       This Week on the Radio 
>       ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration 
>     + W1AW QSYs on 160 Meters 
>     + Addressing Change Coming to ARRL Magazines 
>       Rich Beebe, N0PV (SK) 
>       Burghardt to No Longer Sell Amateur Radio Equipment 
>       Eighth Annual VoIP Conference Scheduled for April 18 
> 
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
> <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> 
> 
> ===========================================================
> ==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ
> <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>,
> then e-mail
> <letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
> ==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne
> Keane, K1SFA
> <k1sfa at arrl.org>
> ===========================================================
> 
> ==> HAMS ASSIST WOMAN INJURED IN DESERT 
> 
> It was a sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, when Hal
> Whiting, KI2U, Todd
> Kluxdal, Kluxdal's father and Whiting's two sons
> decided to go out to
> the Poverty Mountain area in Arizona to search for airplane
> crash sites.
> Whiting, who lives in St George, Utah, and Kluxdal, who
> lives in
> Mesquite, Nevada, took two vehicles that day. According to
> Whiting, they
> always take two vehicles, just in case a problem pops up:
> "We always
> have two spare tires, extra gasoline and a tow rope. We
> take enough food
> and supplies to stay two or three days." In addition
> to the extra
> equipment, Whiting took the one thing he never goes without
> -- his ham
> radio.
> 
> "It was a bit after lunch, about 73 miles into our
> trip," Whiting told
> the ARRL," when we were flagged down by a man wanting
> to know if we had
> a satellite phone, since he couldn't get coverage on
> his cell phone."
> Whiting didn't have a satellite phone, but he asked the
> man if this was
> an emergency. Whiting said that the man told him that one
> of his friends
> had been injured when her ATV rolled on top of her. "I
> told him I could
> call for help on my ham radio," he said. The injured
> woman was knocked
> unconscious by the fall, but had regained consciousness and
> was speaking
> coherently, but was in pain.
> 
> "I picked up my mic and put out a call on the 146.910
> repeater, one of
> four repeaters run by Dean Cox, NR7K," Whiting said.
> "I called for
> assistance a couple of times when Mac Magee, N6LRG, in the
> Arizona Cane
> Beds, answered."
> 
> "Mac lives about 50 miles away from the accident
> site," Whiting said.
> "It's funny -- it's usually Washington County
> hams who are on the
> repeaters, since that's the direction they're
> pointed in. But Mac lives
> in Mohave County. And the accident happened in Mohave
> County. We were
> lucky, since if the call was answered by a ham in
> Washington County,
> there would have been a delay in them getting the info to
> the proper
> authorities in Mohave County, but with Mac answering, all
> our
> information went right to the proper place."
> 
> That morning, Magee told the ARRL that he came into my
> shack "and for
> some reason, turned on the 2 meter rig and it happened to
> be on the
> 146.910 repeater. I usually have a problem with the
> repeater 'hearing'
> me, so I rarely use it. About 11:20 Arizona time, I heard
> someone call
> and say they had emergency traffic and needed help. I fully
> expected a
> bevy of hams to answer the call, since so many are in range
> of that
> machine, but after his second call, and no answer, I took
> it."
> 
> Magee said that the calling station had been flagged down
> by another
> motorist. "He told me there had been an accident in
> the vicinity of
> Poverty Mountain," he said. "I really had no idea
> where that was, but I
> began to write down details. As soon as I had basic info, I
> called 911.
> The Mohave County Sheriff Office answered; I explained who
> I was and
> what the call was about."
> 
> The dispatcher asked Magee for the coordinates to the site,
> and Magee
> relayed the request to Whiting. "I looked at my GPS
> and gave Mac my
> coordinates, but he said the dispatcher wanted the
> coordinates from the
> accident site," Whiting said. "So I got in my
> 4-wheel drive and drove
> down the ridge to the site, about 5600 feet above sea
> level, and got the
> coordinates. I had to drive back to the ridge, another 1000
> feet up, to
> call Mac back, because I couldn't get a signal down
> there."
> 
> Whiting told the ARRL that in addition to his ham radio, he
> also carries
> a set of FRS radios. "I gave one of the FRS radios to
> Todd and he drove
> his Jeep down the ridge to the accident site," he
> said. "I kept the
> other one and Todd was able to relay me information about
> the injured
> woman's condition and I was able to relay that
> information to Mac who in
> turn relayed it to the 911 dispatcher. Mac put the mic
> right up to the
> phone so the dispatcher could hear exactly what was going
> on."
> 
> Magee said the 911 dispatcher requested more information:
> "While Hal was
> replying, I held the phone up to my radio speaker. When he
> finished with
> the details, I asked them if they copied that. The
> dispatcher said he
> did, and they held me on the line. Hal and I talked a while
> as he gave
> more data. When the dispatcher returned, they said a
> chopper was being
> dispatched from Phoenix! Well, we finished that call after
> they had the
> actual accident site GPS coordinates that Hal had passed
> on."
> 
> With emergency help on the way, Kluxdal returned to the
> ridge and he and
> Whiting and his group went on their way to go check out an
> airplane
> crash site, the original intent of their trip. "The
> family members told
> us to go on and get on with our trip, so we did, after
> making sure they
> were all okay," Whiting said. "So we left to go
> to the crash site, about
> 3-4 miles away. As we were getting ready to return, we saw
> the
> helicopter overhead, taking the injured woman to the
> hospital in Las
> Vegas. We returned to the top of the ridge and a
> sheriff's deputy was
> there and he told us that our GPS coordinates were off, but
> only by 20
> feet! He said that the helicopter crew was real happy that
> they were so
> on-target."
> 
> Whiting said they were glad to have been able to help.
> "This is a remote
> area," he said. "There's only one way in, one
> way out with no shortcuts
> to get in and out. There are only dirt roads, and it can
> get very muddy
> when it rains a lot. I was out that way two weeks ago and
> got stuck in
> the mud there, but it was all dry this past weekend."
> 
> Whiting said he learned a few things after this trip:
> "I am glad I had
> my radio equipment with me, and I am glad there was someone
> listening on
> the repeater to take the emergency call. Having the spare
> FRS radios
> created an efficient means for relay with a non-ham person,
> and having
> the GPS equipment provided a very effective means for the
> helicopter
> rescue team to locate the accident, since they did not want
> the road
> designation information but the exact patient coordinates.
> It would have
> been useless to have my equipment if there had not been
> someone
> listening. This proves that there is a good reason to keep
> your radios
> with you and in good operating condition."
> 
> Whiting, who was first licensed in 1976, is the ARES
> Assistant Emergency
> Coordinator for Washington County. A CAD Manager and Aerial
> Photographer
> for Bulloch Brothers in Mesquite, Nevada (he and Kluxdal
> are
> co-workers), he is currently teaching an Amateur Radio
> licensing class
> to 13 prospective hams at the Dixie Regional Medical Center
> in St
> George.
> 
> Magee said that before this incident he had never been
> involved in an
> actual emergency. "I have established emergency
> communications networks,
> in particular for the LDS Church in Newbury Park,
> California, where I
> was the Stake Emergency Communications Coordinator."
> He told the ARRL:
> "Our communications group won the first worldwide test
> of the system
> back in the late 1980s. This is like ARRL Field Day, but
> involved mostly
> LDS members and facilities, then under the name of Mercury
> Amateur Radio
> Association (MARA) <http://www.mara.net/>. I feel
> very pleased in
> knowing that I had the opportunity to serve in this rescue
> incident and
> that every penny I spent on my system, radio and antenna
> was certainly
> worth it. In these days of extensive cell phone service and
> coverage,
> isn't it satisfying to know that ham radio can still be
> of use for
> public service?"
> 
> ==> ARRL YOUTH EDITOR: YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HELP WITH
> EMERGENCY
> COMMUNICATIONS, TOO!
> 
> ARRL Youth Editor Duncan MacLachlan, KU0DM, of Prairie
> Village, Kansas,
> says many young hams want to help out with Emergency
> Communications and
> ARES activities, but really don't know where to start.
> "One disadvantage
> of being younger hams is the fact that legal guardians are
> a must for
> most situations," MacLachlan said. "While a young
> ham may not be able to
> go out and save the day with a handheld transceiver after a
> large storm,
> there are many ways they can aid in emergency
> operations."
> 
> MacLachlan said that the first step in helping to support
> Emergency
> Communications is to join the Amateur Radio Emergency
> Service (ARES) or
> a local club that works with city or county to provide
> emergency
> communications services. "When you approach your EC --
> the Emergency
> Coordinator, basically the president of that ARES group --
> I recommend
> that you have discussed with your parents what you can and
> can't do in
> an emergency in terms of Amateur Radio response. If your
> parents are
> like mine, chances are they're not fond of the idea of
> having their kid
> running around a disaster zone in the name of emergency
> communications.
> I'd recommend asking your EC if there is a position you
> could fulfill
> from home, or even in the EOC (Emergency Operations Center)
> where
> operations are carried out."
> 
> One example of a duty that a young ham could fulfill at the
> EOC would be
> Net duty. In an emergency response effort, MacLachlan said
> that hams
> establish a Net to relay emergency traffic or other
> information to the
> people responsible for responding to the event:
> "Chances are the Net
> will last longer than 10 hours, and since hams are human,
> the primary
> Net Control (NC) will need a break at least several times
> in that time
> period -- you could help as back-up. Another duty that
> could be
> performed is shadowing various emergency response personnel
> for the
> city. Believe it or not, not a lot of Emergency Managers
> have their
> Amateur Radio license. If they go out to drive around and
> survey damage,
> they need to have a link to the ham radio Net in case they
> hear anything
> they need to respond to."
> 
> MacLachlan recommends that young hams contact their EC and
> ask what
> roles there are that they could perform for the group in an
> emergency.
> "If you know your parents' threshold of what you
> can and can't do, let
> the EC know upfront that you do have limits," he
> cautions. "Make sure
> you participate in as many emergency communication drills
> as you can and
> consult with your EC and other members." 
> 
> According to ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response
> Manager Dennis
> Dura, K2DCD, young hams also need to check with their local
> government
> officials, as well. "Due to legal considerations, not
> all emergency
> management officials can have young people in their
> domains, such as an
> EOC," Dura explained. "While you can still help
> out with your ARES
> group, you might not be allowed to help out in the
> EOC."
> 
> MacLachlan strongly encourages local Emergency Coordinators
> to think of
> ways of creating positions that younger hams could fulfill
> in an
> emergency. "We're the next generation,"
> MacLachlan said, "and starting
> emergency response at a young age is the best training for
> when we're
> ready to take the helm."
> 
> ==> ARRL RELEASES REVISION OF "EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
> IN RF DESIGN" 
> 
> The revised first edition of "Experimental Methods in
> RF Design" is now
> available from the ARRL
> <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9239>.
> Co-written and updated by Wes Hayward, W7ZOI, Rick
> Campbell, KK7B, and
> Bob Larkin, W7PUA, "Experimental Methods in RF
> Design" explores wide
> dynamic range, low distortion radio equipment, the use of
> direct
> conversion and phasing methods and digital signal
> processing. Use the
> models and discussion included in the book to design, build
> and measure
> equipment at both the circuit and the system level. 
> 
> Readers are immersed in the communications experience by
> building
> equipment that contributes to understanding basic concepts
> and circuits.
> The updated version of "Experimental Methods in RF
> Design" is loaded
> with new, unpublished projects. Presented to illustrate the
> design
> process, the equipment is often simple, lacking the frills
> found in
> current commercial gear. The authors understand that
> measurement is a
> vital part of experimentation. Readers are encouraged to
> perform
> measurements on the gear as they build it. Techniques to
> determine
> performance and the measurement equipment needed for the
> evaluations are
> discussed in detail and include circuits that the reader
> can build.
> 
> Contents of "Experimental Methods in RF Design"
> include:
> * Basic Investigations in Electronics
> * Amplifiers, Filters, Oscillators and Mixers
> * Superheterodyne Transmitters and Receivers
> * Measurement Equipment
> * Direct Conversion Receivers
> * Phasing Receivers and Transmitters
> * DSP Components
> * DSP Applications in Communications
> * Field Operation, Portable Gear and Integrated Stations
> 
> A follow-up to the widely popular "Solid-State Design
> for the Radio
> Amateur" (published in 1977), "Experimental
> Methods in RF Design"
> includes a CD-ROM with design software, listings for DSP
> firmware and
> supplementary articles. It is available from the ARRL for
> $49.95.
> 
> ==> FCC DENIES PETITION TO INCREASE SIZE OF AMATEUR
> RADIO QUESTION POOLS
> 
> 
> In April 2008, Michael Mancuso, KI4NGN, of Raleigh, North
> Carolina,
> filed a petition with the FCC, seeking to increase the size
> of the
> question pools that make up the Amateur Radio licensing
> exams
> <http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_do
> cument=6520001890>. Mancuso sought to increase the
> question pool from 10
> times the number of questions on an exam to 50 times more
> questions. On
> March 19, 2009, the Commission notified Mancuso that it was
> denying his
> petition
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-618A1.pdf>.
> 
> In his 2008 petition, Mancuso claimed that the current
> question pool is
> too easy to memorize and "that there has been a
> significant increase in
> the number of Amateur Radio operators receiving their
> licenses over at
> least the last decade or more who do not appear to possess
> the knowledge
> indicated by the class of license that they have received.
> Most
> discussion about this topic, both on the air and on
> Internet forums,
> generally refers to these widespread observations as the
> 'dumbing down'
> of Amateur Radio. It has been widely assumed that the cause
> of this
> observed situation is based upon the subject material
> addressed by the
> license examinations, that the material requirements
> specified for the
> examinations does [sic] not meet some minimum level of
> knowledge
> expected by some or many in the Amateur Radio
> community."
> 
> The FCC pointed out to Mancuso that each applicant for a
> new or upgraded
> Amateur Radio operator license "is required to pass a
> written
> examination in order to prove that he or she possesses the
> operational
> and technical qualifications required to perform properly
> the duties of
> an amateur service operator licensee, i.e., that he or she
> is qualified
> to be an amateur service licensee."
> 
> The Commission summed up Mancuso's petition, saying,
> "You argue that the
> current question pool size is no longer adequate, because
> online
> practice examinations enable examinees to memorize a
> question pool
> without fully comprehending the subject matter being
> tested.
> Consequently, you propose to increase the size of the
> question pools, in
> order to hinder memorization."
> 
> The Commission concluded that Mancuso did not present
> grounds for the
> Commission to amend its rules: "As noted above, the
> purpose of the
> examinations is not to demonstrate an applicant's
> comprehension of
> certain material, but rather to determine whether he or she
> can properly
> operate an amateur station. Moreover, your contention that
> there has
> been 'a significant increase in the number of Amateur
> Radio
> operators...who do not appear to possess the knowledge
> indicated by
> their class of license' is not supported by any data or
> facts."
> 
> The FCC pointed out to Mancuso that the Commission's
> Rules only dictate
> the minimum number of questions for each question pool for
> the three
> Amateur Radio license classes. This, the Commission told
> Mancuso, "does
> not prevent the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner
> Coordinators
> (NCVEC) from increasing the number of questions in a
> question pool
> should it decide that this is appropriate. We conclude,
> therefore, that
> the petition presents no evidence of an existing problem or
> other reason
> for a rule change."
> 
> ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said that
> while he
> agreed with the Commission's decision, he disagrees
> with the rationale
> behind it. "The International Radio Regulations
> require that
> administrations verify the operational and technical
> qualifications of
> prospective amateur licensees, using Recommendation ITU-R
> M.1544 for
> guidance," he said. "The present examinations
> confirm to this
> requirement."
> 
> ==> GLOBAL SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 
> 
> IARU Region 1 has invited the HQ stations of IARU
> Member-Societies, as
> well as the EOCs of Emergency Communications Groups (ECGs),
> to
> participate in the 2009 Global Simulated Emergency Test
> (GlobalSET), on
> Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 1100-1500 UTC
> <http://www.arrl.org/news/files/2009GlobalSET.pdf>.
> The GlobalSET will
> take place on and near the emergency Center of Activity
> (CoA)
> frequencies on 80, 40, 20, 17 and 15 meters, +/- QRM. IN
> the US, ARES
> groups that will be representing EOCs need to register
> through their
> IARU International Emergency Communications Coordinator.
> Registrations
> should be e-mailed to ARRL Emergency Preparedness and
> Response Manager
> Dennis Dura, K2DCD <k2dcd at arrl.org>, and must include
> the call sign
> (this will be used as the name of the ECG) and the EOC that
> the ECG is
> representing, as well as a list of the names and call signs
> of all
> operators involved.
> 
> The intent of the 2009 GlobalSET is for established IARU
> Headquarters
> stations and EOCs to test their capabilities. Dura said
> that W1AW will
> be the official ARRL and ARES representative for this
> event. Other ARES
> groups that participate from EOCs (as per their established
> response
> plan) are also invited to participate. "While we
> appreciate individual
> interest in participating, the purpose of the GlobalSET is
> to allow IARU
> Member-Societies and other EOCs they support to test their
> infrastructures and procedures at the highest levels,"
> Dura said. "Other
> events, such as ARRL Field Day and the annual ARRL SET are
> available for
> individuals to test their preparedness."
> 
> According to IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications
> Coordinator Greg
> Mossop, G0DUB, the GlobalSET is not a contest, but an
> emergency
> communications exercise to develop skills needed to provide
> an
> international emergency network.
> 
> Mossop said that the GlobalSET has four objectives:
> * To increase the common interest in emergency
> communications.
> * To test how usable the CoA frequencies are across ITU
> regions.
> * To create practices for international emergency
> communications.
> * To practice the relaying of messages using all modes:
> Voice (SSB),
> Data or CW.
> 
> "The exercise will build on earlier GlobalSET
> exercises and will focus
> on generating and relaying messages in a common format
> across country
> borders, rather than the information gathering capabilities
> that we've
> done in the past," Mossop said. "We will pass
> messages in a format that
> we may have to use for the agencies we may serve. The
> message exchange
> will take longer than in previous exercises, and stations
> will have to
> be patient to transmit their messages across country and
> language
> boundaries."
> 
> Each participating station is to send messages to their
> Regional HQ
> station using the IARU International Emergency Operating
> Procedure
> <http://www.darc.de/referate/notfunk/info/emerg-ww.pdf>,
> using IARU
> message forms <http://www.iaru-r1.org/IARU-msg1.pdf>.
> Stations should
> relay the messages they receive to their Regional HQ
> station; the Region
> 2 station is TG0AA in Guatemala. To comply with license
> regulations in
> some countries, all messages should be addressed to Greg
> Mossop, G0DUB,
> and should come from a licensed radio amateur. Messages
> should contain
> fewer than 25 words and should not include anything that
> would be
> considered as a "real emergency" message by a
> listener. Mossop suggests
> constructing messages that include weather conditions, the
> number of
> operators at the station or even an interesting fact about
> the station.
> "There is no limit on the number of messages to be
> sent," he said, "but
> each one must have a unique message number." Regional
> HQ stations will
> not be sending messages, only receiving them.
> 
> Mossop recommends that in order to create "a more
> realistic situation,
> please limit your transmitting power during the exercise to
> 100 W. We
> are especially interested in stations operating
> mobile/portable and/or
> on emergency power."
> 
> Usually held in May, the 2009 GlobalSET was moved to April
> to tie into
> World Amateur Radio Day. The theme of the 2009 World
> Amateur Radio Day
> is "Amateur Radio: Your Resource in Disaster and
> Emergency
> Communication." "This is an ideal opportunity to
> showcase the work of
> emergency communications groups around the world,"
> Mossop said.
> 
> For more information on the 2009 GlobalSET, including a
> list of CoA
> frequencies for Regions 1, 2 and 3, please see the
> GlobalSET
> announcement
> <http://www.arrl.org/news/files/2009GlobalSET.pdf>. 
> 
> ==> AFRICAN RADIO ORGANIZATION APPLIES FOR IARU
> MEMBERSHIP 
> 
> In the IARU Calendar, No 188 dated March 11, 2009, IARU
> Secretary David
> Sumner, K1ZZ, reported that the Union des Radioamateurs du
> Congo (URAC)
> in the Republic of the Congo has applied to become an IARU
> Member-Society (IARU Proposal No 245)
> <http://www.iaru.org/cal188.html>.
> 
> Sumner said that the Republic of the Congo (whose capital
> is
> Brazzaville) is not to be confused with the Democratic
> Republic of the
> Congo (whose capital is Kinshasa); that country's
> amateurs are already
> represented in the IARU by the Association des Radio
> Amateurs du Congo
> (ARAC). The Republic of the Congo was formerly a part of
> French
> Equatorial Africa and became independent in 1960. Its
> ITU-allocated call
> sign prefix is TN.
> 
> URAC was formed in Brazzaville on October 8, 2008. Its
> officers are
> President Mao Monguimet, TN5MM; Secretary General Ulysse
> Yinda, and
> Treasurer Chynauldat Bangue. The URAC lists 15 members on
> its roster,
> including three licensed radio amateurs. 
> 
> Sumner said that the URAC has stated to the IARU that it
> has the ability
> to meet its financial obligations as a member of the IARU
> through fees
> from members; that it is legally able to act in the
> furtherance of IARU
> objectives within the Republic of the Congo; that it will
> adequately
> represent the interests of radio amateurs throughout the
> country, and
> that it will adhere to the Constitutions of the IARU and of
> IARU Region
> 1. The IARU Region 1 Executive Committee has examined
> URAC's application
> and has found it to be in order.
> 
> In accordance with Bylaw 3 of the Bylaws of the
> International Amateur
> Radio Union <http://www.iaru.org/iarucnst.html>, it
> is proposed that
> Union des Radioamateurs du Congo be elected to IARU
> membership. A voting
> sheet for Proposal No 245 was sent to all IARU
> Member-Societies.
> Member-Societies need to submit their votes no later than
> August 11,
> 2009; votes received after this date cannot be counted.
> 
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE 
> 
> Tad "By banks where Sun beams earliest rest"
> Cook, K7RA, this week
> reports: This reporting week -- March 12-18 -- there were
> no sunspots,
> but we saw a couple of promising magnetic anomalies which
> faded away
> before ever emerging as sunspots. Sunspot numbers for March
> 12-18 were
> 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux
> was 68.7,
> 68.2, 68.5, 68.4, 69.4, 68.8 and 68.4 with a mean of 68.6.
> The estimated
> planetary A indices were 6, 16, 9, 7, 5, 3 and 1 with a
> mean of 6.7. The
> estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 10, 7, 5, 4, 3 and
> 0 with a
> mean of 5. 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 by John Clare's "May"
> <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/may-2/>. 
> 
> __________________________________
> 
> ==>IN BRIEF:
> 
> * This Week on the Radio: This week, the Feld Hell Sprint
> and the 10-10
> International Mobile Contest are on March 21. On March
> 21-22, be sure to
> tune in for the the Russian DX Contest, the Oklahoma QSO
> Party and the
> North Dakota QSO Party. The BARTG HF RTTY Contest and the
> Virginia QSO
> Party are March 21-23. The 9K 15 Meter Contest and the QRP
> Homebrewer
> Sprint are March 23. The SKCC Sprint is March 25. Next
> week, look for
> the CQ WW WPX Contest (SSB) and the EU EME Contest on March
> 28-29. All
> dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL
> Contest Branch
> page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL
> Contest Update
> <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM
> Contest Calendar
> <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for
> more info. Looking
> for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL
> Special Event
> Station Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>. 
> 
> * ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration:
> Registration remains
> open through Sunday, March 22, 2009, for these online
> course sessions
> beginning on Friday, April 3, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency
> Communications Level 1, Radio Frequency Interference,
> Antenna Design and
> Construction, Ham Radio (Technician) License Course, Analog
> Electronics,
> and Digital Electronics. 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/cep/student> or contact the
> Continuing Education
> Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>.
> 
> * W1AW QSYs on 160 Meters: On Monday, March 9, the Hiram
> Percy Maxim
> Memorial Station, W1AW
> <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html>, began using a
> new 160 meter frequency for its CW transmissions. According
> to W1AW
> Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, there was
> "increasing activity" near
> the previous bulletin frequency of 1817.5 kHz. "In
> order to reduce the
> possibility of interference, W1AW has moved to 1802.5
> kHz," Carcia said.
> 
> 
> * Addressing Change Coming to ARRL Magazines: A change in
> the postal
> regulations for flat mail processing takes effect March 29
> that will
> require the addressing area on the front of any flat,
> bulk-processed
> mail (such as magazines) be positioned to new
> specifications. According
> to ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R,
> QST, QEX and
> NCJ magazines will all have the delivery address imprinted
> upside down,
> but positioned in the same area on the front covers. 
> 
> * Rich Beebe, N0PV (SK): South Dakota Section Manager Rich
> Beebe, N0PV,
> of Sioux Falls, passed away March 16. He was 46. Beebe had
> served as
> Section Manager since October 2002, running unopposed for
> each two-year
> term of office. According to the ARRL Field Organization
> Rules and
> Regulations, ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager
> Dave Patton,
> NN1N, in consultation with Dakota Division Director Jay
> Bellows, K0QB,
> will appoint a new Section Manager to fulfill Beebe's
> remaining term of
> office that ends March 31, 2010. 
> 
> * Burghardt to No Longer Sell Amateur Radio Equipment: On
> March 16, Jim
> Smith, W0MJY, owner of Burghardt Amateur Center in
> Watertown, South
> Dakota <http://www.burghardt-amateur.com/>, announced
> that the company
> will no longer sell Amateur Radio transceivers and
> accessories. The
> company, now called Burghardt Radio Repair, has canceled
> all backorders.
> In an e-mail, Smith blamed the current economic conditions
> for the
> change that forced the company "to re-evaluate our
> goals and direction.
> We will continue to provide radio repair service as it has
> become a very
> busy business. Our technicians are very experienced and
> parts
> inventories are good. Thank you for your support in the
> past and we look
> forward to continuing our relationships through our
> servicing facility."
> Jim Smith's son, Mike Smith, KC0FTM, told the ARRL that
> even though the
> company has had to lay off employees in the past couple of
> months,
> "Burghardt will concentrate on service, just like we
> have been doing
> since 1973." Burghardt was founded in 1937 by Stan
> Burghardt, W0IT (SK),
> as Burghardt Radio Supply. He sold the company to Smith in
> 1982,
> remaining active in the company until January 2002.
> Burghardt passed
> away in 2004 at the age of 93.
> 
> * Eighth Annual VoIP Conference Scheduled for April 18:
> Each spring
> since 2002, the Nevada Amateur Radio Repeaters, Inc (NARRI)
> has
> sponsored the Annual VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
> Conference in
> Las Vegas. Attendees have discussed such protocols as the
> Internet Radio
> Linking Project (IRLP). IRLP System Designer David Cameron,
> VE7LTD, was
> the keynote speaker for the first six years of the
> conference. The 2009
> conference is open to discuss all forms of VoIP
> communications. This
> year's meeting encompasses a broader scope, including
> all major VoIP
> systems in use by the Amateur Radio community such as IRLP,
> EchoLink,
> EchoIRLP, All Star, D-Star and DV Dongle; VoIP for
> emergency
> communications will also be on the agenda. According to
> Conference Chair
> Kent Johnson, W7AOR, there will be plenty of presentations
> and
> demonstrations at the conference. The conference is from
> 8:30-5 on
> Saturday, April 18 in Las Vegas in the conference area of
> the Circus
> Circus Hotel, under the North High Rise; enter from
> northeast side of
> the swimming pool. There will be plenty of presentations
> with
> demonstrations. For more information, please contact
> Johnson via e-mail
> <w7aor at narri.org> or visit the VoIP Conference Web
> site
> <http://www.narri.org/Annual_VoIP_Conference.html>. 
> 
> ===========================================================
> 
> 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.
> 
> ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery
> only!):
> letter-dlvy at arrl.org
> ==>Editorial questions or comments: S. Khrystyne Keane,
> K1SFA,
> k1sfa at arrl.org
> ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org>
> ==>ARRL Audio News:
> <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
> 860-594-0384
> 
> ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
> 
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> 
> Copyright 2009 American Radio Relay League, Inc.
> All Rights Reserved