[LeArc] The ARRL Letter Vol. 21, No. 16 April 19, 2002

[Joseph L. Rossmiller]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 21, No. 16
April 19, 2002
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +Comments invited on Amateur Radio-related petitions
* +ARRL offers members expanded contest coverage on Web
* +Chalk up two more successful school contacts for NA1SS
* +ARISS International pledges cooperation with Canada
* +Ham radio manufacturers, dealers form trade group
* +Long Island club reports success with one-day Extra class
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
Corrections
     FCC okays geographic area AMTS licensing, agrees to consider ARRL
request
     Atlantic Division ARRL Director gets Scouting award
    +New Hampshire SATERN volunteers honored
     P5/4L4FN QSL cards imminent
     Signing antenna bill was his pleasure, governor says
     Evan Nepean, G5YN, SK
     International Marconi Day special events
     United Arab Emirates team invited to WRTC 2002
     Visalia DX dinner set

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>FCC INVITES COMMENTS ON NOVICE BAND, FIELD-REPAIRABLE GEAR PETITIONS

Comments are due by May 16 on two Amateur Radio-related Petitions for
Rule Making put on public notice this week by the FCC. An ARRL petition,
designated RM-10413, would eliminate the 80, 40 and 15-meter
Novice/Technician Plus CW subbands and reuse the spectrum in part to
expand the 80 and 40-meter phone allocations. Another petition filed by
Nick Leggett, N3NL, designated RM-10412, would require most commercially
manufactured Amateur Radio transmitters and transceivers to be
field-repairable "in some manner."

Amateurs may view and comment on these proposals via the FCC's
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS),
http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. (Click on "Search for Filed
Comments." In the "Proceeding" field enter the rulemaking number, with
"RM" in upper-case and the hyphen included.)

The ARRL's petition, filed in March, asks the FCC to eliminate the
Novice and Technician-Plus CW bands and reapportion these "inefficiently
deployed segments" to alleviate overcrowding elsewhere. If the FCC goes
along, current Novice and Technician Plus (ie, Technician with Element 1
credit) licensees would be permitted to operate on the 80, 40, 15 and
10-meter General-class CW allocations at up to 200 W output. For General
and higher class operators, the ARRL plan would implement changes in the
80, 40 and 15-meter phone bands, expanding phone segments for many
amateurs.

The League's petition also seeks FCC permission to use spread spectrum
on 222-225 MHz; to expand the pool of special event call signs beyond
the 1x1 format to include identifiers for US territories and possessions
that do not provide for mailing addresses; to clarify rules to indicate
that modulated CW (MCW) is permitted for repeater station
identification; and to incorporate into the rules a 1990 FCC waiver
authorizing amateurs in certain areas of Colorado and Wyoming to operate
on certain segments of the 33-cm band.

The Leggett petition was filed in February. "Field repair is important
to the Amateur Radio Service because it enhances emergency
communications preparedness and the growth of technical knowledge in the
Amateur Radio Service," Leggett said in his petition.

Leggett suggests that the FCC consider mandating easily replaceable
modules or circuit boards, minimum component spacings on circuit boards,
removable integrated circuits mounted in sockets and other requirements
for commercially made amateur transmitters and transceivers. He would
exempt ham radio receivers.

Leggett concedes that some manufacturers may drop out of the amateur
market if the FCC were to adopt his recommendations, but he suggests
that they would be replaced by other manufacturers, such as those making
QRP equipment.

Last December, Leggett and attorney Don Schellhardt petitioned the FCC
to require that all electronic equipment subject to FCC jurisdiction be
shielded against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) damage.

==>ARRL OFFERS MEMBERS EXPANDED CONTEST COVERAGE ON THE WEB

ARRL has expanded its on-line coverage of ARRL-sponsored contests. A new
membership service supplements contest coverage in QST and enhances
what's already available via the ARRL Web site. The augmented coverage
premiered April 19 with the results of the 2001 ARRL November
Sweepstakes (CW). Among the new features is an interactive, searchable
database of contest line scores.

"Contesting has come a long way since the old paper logs, broken
pencils, and hand-scored results," said ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan
Henderson, N1ND. "The addition of expanded ARRL contest results on our
Web site takes contest reporting to the next level."

Access to the new services is limited to ARRL members, who must first be
logged onto the ARRL Web site with user name and password. All expanded
coverage is linked from the ARRL Contest Results page
<http://www.arrl.org/contest/results/>.

In addition to the information normally presented in QST, the new
searchable database will include band-by-band QSO breakdowns for all
participants, as well as hours operated and any club affiliation. The
database will be searchable by call sign and entry class as well as by
ARRL section, division or club. Results can be sorted by several
criteria.

Another new feature is a more extensive Soapbox for each contest that
will allow entrants to share their observations and photographs right
after a contest.

Largely freed of the limitations of print media, the upgraded Web-based
coverage will treat ARRL members to a contest narrative that includes
more detailed analysis, more sidebar stories and more visual images than
what typically appears in QST. Updated contest category records also
will be part of the expanded coverage, with details for each entry
category and ARRL division and section plus overall category records.

ARRL continues to offer members and nonmembers a downloadable Adobe PDF
of the QST article for each contest as it becomes available, plus
contest rules and forms, the ARRL contest calendar, and the "Contest
Corral" from QST. ARRL members also may subscribe to the ARRL Contest
Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/>, the new biweekly
e-mail newsletter for contesters that debuted in March.

Initially, the ARRL's expanded Web coverage will be a "work in
progress," Henderson said. "Formats of the on-line portion of our
contest coverage will be flexible, allowing us to improve its
presentation as we try to keep it as user-friendly as possible." The
Contest Branch welcomes feedback from members via e-mail,
contests@arrl.org, or telephone, 860-594-0232.

==>ARISS LOGS TWO MORE SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CONTACTS

Astronaut Dan Bursch, KD5PNU, aboard the International Space Station
this week took time out of a busier-than-usual schedule to answer
questions via ham radio from an enthusiastic throng of elementary
schoolers. The April 16 contact with Quogue School on New York's Long
Island gave 10 youngsters a chance to pose 17 questions to Bursch. On
April 11, astronaut Carl Walz, KC5TIE, was interviewed via ham radio by
youngsters at Caribbean Preparatory School in Puerto Rico. Both contacts
with NA1SS were arranged through the Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station--or ARISS--program.

"We don't get a whole lot of free time," Bursch acknowledged in response
to a question from Emily Hubbard at Quogue School. "Right now the
shuttle's docked, and we pretty much have no free time." A crowd of some
120 classmates and some 100 parents and other guests gathered in the
school's auditorium to witness the Earth-to-space ham radio interview.

Sixth grader Colleen McKennet wanted to know how the crew got streaming
video from Earth. Bursch replied that the crew used ProShare
teleconferencing software aboard the ISS. Jared Carpenter wanted to know
what DVDs the crew liked to watch. "Probably a mixture of comedy and
action films," was Bursch's reply.

Third grader Sara Garcia asked what foods would not be good in space.
Bursch explained that the worst foods were "anything that's crumbly"
like cookies, because the crumbs float around and get into everything.

Shouts and cheers erupted from the audience after signals from the ISS
faded over the North Atlantic horizon. "We did it!," coordinating
teacher Roberta Keis, N2RBU, said after the excitement died down a bit.
Keis said when the contact was over, the kids enjoyed one of the very
foods not on the ISS menu--cookies! The post-contact celebration
concluded several-months of classroom emphasis on space-related topics.

Members of the Peconic Amateur Radio Club set up the ground-station and
antennas. ARRL Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, was on hand
for the event. A WorldCom teleconferencing circuit carried audio to
various listeners; ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO,
listened in while from Washington, DC. Audio also went out via the IRLP
(Internet Repeater Linking Project).

On April 11, students attending the Caribbean Preparatory School in San
Juan, Puerto Rico, successfully completed Puerto Rico's first ARISS
contact. Earth-station support came from the Puerto Rico DX Club and
local amateurs, including Gladys Mu�oz, NP3BY, a physics teacher at the
school, Oscar Resto, KP4RF, and Angel Padilla, WP4G.

During the contact, 10 students were able to talk with Walz. As
newspaper and TV reporters, fellow students and teachers looked on, the
Caribbean Prep students asked questions that ranged from serious
inquiries about space exploration to "What do you do with your dirty
underwear?"

"Carl answered every question with great enthusiasm," said ARRL Puerto
Rico Section Manager Victor Madera, KP4PQ, who added that downlink audio
was easy to copy. "During the approximately 10-minute contact, you could
hear a pin drop in the packed auditorium." Students and visitors
concluded the event with a standing ovation, Madera said.

ARISS is an international project, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT
and NASA.--Gene Chapline, K5YFL; Victor Madera, KP4PQ

==>ARISS BOARD RESOLVES GREATER COOPERATION WITH CANADA

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station International Group
and the Canadian Space Agency have agreed in principle to cooperate in
areas of mutual interest such as educational outreach, public relations
and Amateur Radio licensing of Canadian astronauts. The announcement
during the ARISS committee meeting at the Canadian Space Agency in Ste
Hubert, Quebec, April 4-6 prompted applause from delegates and
observers. ARISS and CSA will hammer out the specifics of an umbrella
agreement in the coming weeks.

Marilyn Steinberg of the CSA's Education Office outlined CSA's
educational outreach programs and successful Canadian ARISS QSO
activity. She told the gathering she sees a lot of potential in the
ARISS program and that she'd like to see expanded Canadian participation
in future ARISS school contacts. Steinberg also said she planned to
explore ways to have more Canadian astronauts become licensed.

ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, serves
as ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer and also represented ARRL at
the session. She chairs the Educational Outreach School Selection
Committee. "No matter how many times I monitor ARISS school QSOs, it
still excites me when the connection is successful," White said.

Those attending the meeting, moderated by Roy Neal, K6DUE, learned that
the remaining two Amateur Radio antennas are scheduled for installation
on the ISS Service Module. ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO, said the antennas would be installed during spacewalks either
this summer by the Expedition 5 crew or in late 2002 or early 2003 by
the Expedition 6 crew. The flexible tape antennas are designed for
either VHF or UHF use. The gathering also heard updates on so-called
Phase 2 Amateur Radio hardware. Crews continue to use the ARISS initial
station hardware, which consists primarily of 2-meter and 70-cm
hand-held transceivers.

An ARISS slow-scan television system called SpaceCam also may be in the
offing, although no installation timetable has been set. At this point,
testing and development of SSTV system components continues. ARISS
delegates also said they would welcome a proposal for an Amateur Radio
external payload to be developed by the US Naval Academy and ARISS, with
US Navy sponsorship.

==>AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RADIO ENTHUSIASTS FORMED

A new ham industry trade organization, the American Association of Radio
Enthusiasts (AARE), has been formed to promote Amateur Radio and
emergency communications outside traditional amateur circles. The
nonprofit corporation also hopes to serve as a conduit for ham radio
equipment dealers and manufacturers to exchange ideas and work together
on projects. Its stated goal is to help ham radio grow and to double the
number of hams in five years.

"We look forward to encompassing all aspects of the Amateur Radio
industry--retail dealers, manufacturers and distributors," said ICOM's
Ray Novak, KC7JPA, who was chosen to serve as AARE's first president.
"This umbrella organization will provide an important focal point
leading to a great future."

Members of the Amateur Radio industry decided to create the trade group
during an informal annual meeting of Amateur Radio manufacturers held
April 5 in Milwaukee in conjunction with AES Superfest 2002. The
organization says it hopes to serve as "the voice of the manufacturers
and dealers in radio," much as ARRL speaks for Amateur Radio operators.

In addition to Novak, officers named to guide AARE through its first
year include Vice President Rick Ruhl, W4PC, of Creative Services
Software, and Secretary-Treasurer Evelyn Garrison, WS7A, who represents
Alinco.

The AARE Web site <http://www.aaregroup.org>, now under construction,
will provide additional information. Dealers and manufacturers of radio
products interested in joining AARE should contact Evelyn Garrison,
evelyn@aaregroup.org.

==>LONG ISLAND CLUB "ONE-DAY EXTRA" COURSE A HIT

New York's Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club--LIMARC--reports its
first "one-day Extra" licensing upgrade class was such a success that
it's scheduled additional sessions for later this spring. LIMARC
recently attracted two dozen students to its first Extra class license
study short course, and nearly all who attended walked away with their
Extra tickets.

ARRL New York City-Long Island Section Manager George Tranos, N2GA, is
LIMARC's education co-chair. He says the session involves seven hours of
intensive study. Five instructors taught the nine Extra examination
subelements, which include FCC rules, operating procedures, radio
propagation, Amateur Radio practices, electrical principles, circuit
components, practical circuits and antennas and feedlines.

When the session ended, 20 of the 24 applicants had passed Element 4.
Students ranged from a veteran with 50 years' experience as a licensee
to newcomers licensed only about one year. Many said they'd studied for
months prior to the class, but some had spent just a couple of days
reviewing the material.

LIMARC has previously run one and two-day courses for Technician and
General. "Amateur Radio is a wonderful hobby and important national
resource," said Tranos, who helped coordinate the response of amateurs
in his section to the September 11 World Trade Center attack. "Each of
us has an opportunity to learn as much or as little as we want. There
are many subject areas to investigate, and a lifetime of learning is
possible."

LIMARC has scheduled another weekend Extra class for June 15. For more
information, visit the LIMARC Web site <http://www.limarc.org>.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar sage Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily
sunspot number was up slightly and the average solar flux was down a
couple of points this week, but the big news was the high geomagnetic
activity. On Wednesday the planetary A index was 41, and K indices over
several reporting periods were six, which is very high. The high
latitude College A index was 73, and the College K index reached 7.

On April 15 at 0400 UTC a full halo coronal mass ejection blasted away
from the sun. At 1100 UTC on April 17 energy from that coronal mass
ejection struck Earth's magnetosphere, triggering a geomagnetic storm.
Several hours earlier another coronal mass ejection left the sun, and
effects from it may be felt on Friday or Saturday.

On Thursday the prediction from the US Air Force was for a planetary A
index of 40 on Friday, 50 on Saturday and 20 on Sunday. It also shows
solar flux bottoming out for the short term around 170 on Sunday or
Monday, then rising above 200 after April 29.

With a predicted geomagnetic storm this weekend, expect particularly bad
propagation over polar paths, conditions worsening for higher latitudes,
and some transequatorial propagation--but only because that may be the
only HF propagation available, not because TE propagation (signals
crossing the equator) is enhanced during geomagnetic storms.

Sunspot numbers for April 11 through 17 were 235, 263, 257, 236, 243,
172 and 137, with a mean of 220.4. The 10.7-cm flux was 197.4, 211.9,
226, 210.3, 203.3, 195.7 and 193.5, with a mean of 205.4. Estimated
planetary A indices were 13, 13, 14, 13, 7, 10 and 41 with a mean of
15.9.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: YLRL DX to NA YL Contest (SSB), the 432 MHz
Spring Sprint, the Holyland DX Contest, the TARA Spring Wakeup PSK31
Rumble, the ES Open HF Championship, the YU DX Contest, the GACW CW DX
Contest, the EU Spring Sprint (CW), and the Michigan and Ontario QSO
parties are the weekend of April 20-21. The Harry Angel Memorial Sprint
is Apr 25. JUST AHEAD: The SP DX RTTY Contest, the Helvetia Contest, the
QRP to the Field event, and the Florida and Nebraska QSO parties are the
weekend of April 27-28. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the Level III Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Course (EC-003) will remain open over the April 20-21 weekend or until
all seats are filled. Registration for the Level I Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Course (EC-001) opens Monday, May 6, and
registration for Level II (EC-002) opens Monday, May 13, at 4 PM on both
days. Emergency communications courses must be completed in order,
starting with Level I. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> and the C-CE
Links found there. Don't miss the ARRL Course Listing Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html>. For more information, contact
Certification and Continuing Education Coordinator Dan Miller, K3UFG,
cce@arrl.org.

* Corrections: The Turkish Amateur Radio Club--Telsiz Radyo Amatorleri
Cemiyeti--or TRAC--marked WTDC-02 with an Amateur Radio special event
station, TA1KA/ITU, at the conference site. The call sign was incorrect
in a report in The ARRL Letter, Vol 21, No 15 (Apr 12, 2002). The ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Program added its first technical
offering, a class in Antenna Modeling (EC-004), in February. The month
was incorrect in a report in The ARRL Letter, Vol 21, No 15 (Apr 12,
2002).

* FCC okays geographic area AMTS licensing, agrees to consider ARRL
request: The FCC has approved proposed rules allowing geographic-based
licensing of coast stations in the Automated Maritime Telecommunications
Service (AMTS), the primary user of the 219-220 MHz band. The Commission
also agreed to consider an ARRL petition for changes in the rules
governing the secondary amateur allocation at 219-220 MHz. Amateur use
of the band within 80 km of an AMTS coast station is currently requires
permission from the AMTS licensee, and industry practice has been to
routinely deny such requests, regardless of channel separation. The FCC
will consider whether AMTS licensees denying permission should be
required to give a technical justification for the denial in conjunction
with the ongoing 3G proceeding (ET Docket 00-221) that's considering use
of 216-220 MHz for new technologies.

* Atlantic Division ARRL Director gets Scouting award: ARRL Atlantic
Division Director Bernie Fuller, N3EFN, has received the District Award
of Merit from the French Creek Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Fuller was recognized for his work with the Venturing program of the Boy
Scouts in his capacity as Venturing Chairman of the council's Oliver
Perry District. The District Award of Merit is the highest award that a
district  can bestow upon a volunteer. The Venturing program of the
French Creek Council was recognized recently as second in the nation
during the past year in terms of increased participation and number of
new Venturing Crews. Fuller also has been elected Vice
President-Venturing of the French Creek Council Executive Board. In his
new volunteer position, he is responsible for the Venturing program for
the entire Council, one of the largest in the US. The Venturing arm of
the Boy Scouts of America is composed of young men and women ages 14
through 20. A number of Venturing Crews who have chosen to concentrate
their activities around Amateur Radio.

* New Hampshire SATERN volunteers honored: Salvation Army Team Emergency
Radio Network volunteers Steve and Kim Merrill, KB1DIG and KB1GTR, have
received a certificate of appreciation from their state's chief
executive, New Hampshire Gov Jean Shaheen. The Merrills were among the
amateurs who turned out in New York City to help in the wake of the
September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. "We are proud
of your representation of New Hampshire following the tragedy of
September 11th," the certificate reads. "You are among the many Amateur
Radio operators from around the country whose participation in the
rescue efforts will never be forgotten."

* P5/4L4FN QSL cards imminent: Bruce Paige, KK5DO, the QSL manager for
Ed Giorgadze, P5/4L4FN in North Korea says he expects to receive the
first printing run of P5/4L4FN QSL cards this week and hopes to have all
QSLs out by May 1. Paige said that any stateside operator who mails for
a QSL after May 15 must include 37 cents postage to cover the new
first-class mail rate going into effect June 30. "I have 2900 requests
for cards," he said. P5/4L4FN has made more than 6000 QSOs, and his stay
in North Korea has been extended until June 2003. Only SSB contacts with
P5/4L4FN have been approved for DXCC credit. He said P5/4L4FN continues
to frequent 21.225 MHz. Paige said P5/4L4FN will be on a trip to Vietnam
and Thailand from April 23 until May 4 and may also be on the air from
those countries.

* Signing antenna bill was his pleasure, governor says: Wisconsin Gov
Scott McCallum has acknowledged letters and e-mail messages he received
in support of the Amateur Radio antenna bill--Assembly Bill 368--which
he signed into law April 2. Based on the FCC's PRB-1 limited federal
preemption, the measure requires political subdivisions to "reasonably
accommodate" Amateur Radio communication and not unnecessarily hamper
the placement or height of Amateur Radio antennas and towers.
"Wisconsin's Amateur Radio operators . . . provide a valuable backup for
traditional public safety communications systems," the governor wrote.
He also noted that hams have worked closely with the Red Cross, The
Salvation Army, local emergency governments and law enforcement agencies
following emergencies and disasters. "It was my pleasure to sign AB 368
into law," McCallum concluded. "Thank you again for taking the time to
contact my office."

* Evan Nepean, G5YN, SK: The London Times reports that Sir Evan Nepean,
G5YN, ex-AC4YN, died March 11. He was 92. Nepean was active from Tibet
as AC4YN from 1936-1939. The Times said that Nepean was the
longest-serving member (75 years) of the Radio Society of Great Britain
(RSGB). According to the newspaper account, Nepean packed a transmitter
and home-built receiver across the 14,600-foot Natu La pass from India
into Tibet. The engine running the battery charger would not work at
Tibet's altitude, so a hand-cranked charger was built in India and
carried back to Tibet, the newspaper said. An AC4YN QSL card recently
sold on an Internet auction site for more than $1100.--John Warren, NT5C

* International Marconi Day special events: To commemorate International
Marconi Day April 27, the Maritime Radio Historical Society will operate
special event K6KPH (starting at 1700 UTC) using the original
transmitters, receivers and antennas of ex-RCA coast station KPH, and
Radio Austria International will operate special event station OE1M.
K6KPH transmitting frequencies will be 7050, 14,050 and 21050 kHz and
occasionally 3545 kHz. K6KPH QSLs and reception reports go to D.A.
Stoops, PO Box 381, Bolinas CA 94924-0381. For OE1M details visit the
Radio Austria International Web site <http://roi.orf.at/intermedia>.
Current working frequencies will be announced on the Web site. Operators
entering their call signs in the "QRZ" field will immediately get a call
on the band from OE1M. International Marconi Day
<http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~straff/> takes place each year on a
weekend close to the birthday of radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi.

* United Arab Emirates team invited to WRTC 2002: The WRTC 2002
Organizing Committee has invited a team from the United Arab Emirates to
be the representative of the contesting community in the Middle East.
While Team UAE will be led by Ali Al-Futtaim, A61AJ, the two team
members are well-known US operators--Jeff Briggs, K1ZM, and Phil Goetz,
N6ZZ. "In the spirit of the games, a team has been selected that is
representative of the current A61AJ operating roster," the committee
said in announcing the special team selection.--WRTC 2002

* Visalia DX dinner set: The Northern California Contest Club presents
the fourth annual International DX Convention Contest Dinner Friday,
April 26, 7 PM. The dinner is in conjunction with the 53rd International
DX Convention, April 26-28 in Visalia, California. Details are available
on the International DX Convention Web site
<http://www.qsl.net/visalia2002/events.html>.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the
American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur
Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax
860-594-0259; http://www.arrl.org. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,
accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb at http://www.arrl.org
for the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRLWeb Extra at
http://www.arrl.org/members-only/extra offers ARRL members access to
informative features and columns.

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 and The American Radio Relay League.

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@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

The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly
from ARRL HQ.

To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail delivery:
ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site,
http://www.arrl.org/members/. You'll have an opportunity during
registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the
"Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify
membership data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes, and click on
"Submit modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff
members cannot change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this
yourself via the Members Only Web Site.)

The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:

* ARRLWeb, http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will
be posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)

* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur
Radio Club: Visit http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list.
(NOTE: The ARRL cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter
via this listserver.)