From n1ist@arrl.net  Fri Jan  3 22:28:32 2003
From: n1ist@arrl.net (Michael L. Ardai)
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 17:28:32 -0500
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 01
Message-ID: <03010317283280@maven.atb.teradyne.com>

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Subj:	The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 01

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 01
January 3, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL's 5-MHz experimental operation ends
* +New crew resumes ARISS school contacts
* +FCC poised to renew Kevin Mitnick's ham ticket
* +Hams fill communication gap during telephone emergency
* +McGan Award nominations open
*  ARRL offering license renewal, other application services to nonmembers
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
     ARRL to sponsor emergency communications course seminar in
Mississippi
     Correction
     Packet users requested to not send e-mail messages to ISS crew
    +ARRL QSL Service ends 2002 just shy of 2 million cards shipped
    +League volunteers help at public TV pledge drive
     IARU presents Amateur Radio Administration Course in Kenya

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>ARRL CONCLUDES 5-MHz EXPERIMENTS, AWAITS FCC DECISION ON NEW BAND

Without fanfare, the ARRL allowed its WA2XSY 5-MHz experimental license to
lapse January 1 rather than request renewal for another year. Last May,
the FCC proposed going along with the ARRL's 2001 request for a new
domestic (US-only), secondary HF allocation at 5.25 to 5.4 MHz.
Discussions with various governmental agencies--including the
Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) and the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)--continue on how
to accommodate amateur operation in the band, which is primary for several
governmental agencies including the military. The NTIA regulates radio
spectrum allocated to the federal government.

"At this point, we have every reason to believe the FCC will act on its
proposal early this year," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner,
K1ZZ. "As to what the outcome will be as far as 5 MHz is concerned, we
cannot predict."

In a December 24 letter, Sumner thanked the 15 Amateur Radio clubs and
individual amateurs who took part in the 5-MHz experimental operation that
began in January 1999 and largely concluded in 2002. "You assisted in
providing an important part of the groundwork for our petition for a
domestic allocation to the Amateur Radio Service in this frequency range
by demonstrating the desirability and feasibility of a shared allocation,"
he wrote. "We hope it will not be long before amateurs throughout the
country are able to enjoy the fruits of your efforts."

Sumner said the ARRL chose not to request another renewal of the WA2XSY
license because it already had obtained sufficient information to justify
its petition for the band.

Until surprise opposition surfaced last fall from the NTIA, the FCC had
the League's request for a new 60-meter band on the proverbial fast track.
In a letter filed with the FCC last August--after the comment deadline had
passed--the NTIA recommended that the Commission not go forward with the
5-MHz proposal. The NTIA said several government agencies with allocations
in the proposed spectrum had expressed reservations about allowing
amateurs to use the band, even on a non-interference basis.

The ARRL has been working with the federal agencies involved to resolve
the impasse the NTIA letter raised. The NTIA said critical federal
agencies, including the Department of Justice, the US Coast Guard and the
Department of Defense, were making extensive use of 5 MHz frequencies. The
FCC's May 2002 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) fails to adequately
protect these "critical government operations" from harmful interference,
the NTIA asserted.

The ARRL has called the 5 MHz allocation "an urgent priority of the
Amateur Service." In its July 2001 petition, the League told the FCC that
a new band at 5 MHz would aid emergency communication activities by
filling a "propagation gap" between 80 and 40 meters.

Experimental operations on 5 MHz continue on a very limited basis in the
United Kingdom and in Canada. In Newfoundland, the Marconi Radio Club's
VO1MRC has been operating under experimental authority from Industry
Canada and an endorsement from Radio Amateurs of Canada to conduct
experiments on 5 MHz. On December 21, VO1MRC completed a cross-band (5
MHz/7 MHz) CW contact with VK7RO in Tasmania.

==>CHICAGO YOUNGSTERS ENJOY END-OF-YEAR ARISS QSO

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school and
educational contacts resumed in late December after a hiatus to change
crews. Expedition 6 Crew Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, spoke December 29
via NA1SS with a dozen youngsters visiting Adler Planetarium and Astronomy
Museum <http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/index.html> in Chicago. It marked
the 81st ARISS contact and the first contact for Bowersox' crew with
youngsters in the US. Expedition 6 crew members also conducted successful
ARISS contacts on New Year's Eve with participants at the World Scout
Jamboree in Thailand and with students in France.

"I'd say the most important thing that I have learned in space is that
people are very, very strong and flexible, and we can adapt to all types
of different environments," Bowersox told a youngster who had asked the
space veteran to describe the most interesting or important thing he'd
learned in space.

Other youngsters were curious about food and eating in space. Bowersox
said he missed pizza most of all aboard the ISS. His favorite space food,
he said, was bread pudding. "And I can just open a packet and eat straight
out of the packet with a spoon," he said. Bowersox also explained that the
human body still digests food very well in zero gravity. He also noted
that the crew was trying to grow some tomatoes and herbs in space. "We're
not sure how they'll turn out," he said, "but we're hoping they'll be very
tasty."

An audience of some 200 people, including TV and newspaper reporters, were
on hand to watch the youngsters interview Bowersox via Amateur Radio.
Participating youngsters ranged between five and ten years old. Organizing
the ARISS event were ARISS mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, and the
planetarium's Geri Smith.

Audio and video (Quicktime) clips of the Adler Planetarium ARISS contact
are available via the Adler Planetarium Web site
<http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/education/events/iss/>.

On December 31, 15 Scouts at the 20th World Scout Jamboree
<http://www.worldscout.pacific.net.th/> in Thailand spoke with Expedition
6 crew member Don Pettit, KD5MDT, via special event station E20AJ. Among
other questions, the Scouts asked Pettit if he wanted his own kids to grow
up to become astronauts, how the crew members bathe in space, and how the
lack of gravity affects the human body.

Also on December 31, Pettit spoke with students at the Rene Mure school in
Commelle-Vernay, France. ARISS International Vice Chairman Gaston Bertels,
ON4WF, said some 60 schoolchildren and their parents assisted in the
contact. The French youngsters wanted to know if Pettit believed in
extraterrestrial life, whether the crew could feel the speed of the ISS
through space, and if microgravity made it difficult for crew members to
find their way in the space station.

==>FCC POISED TO RENEW COMPUTER HACKER'S HAM TICKET

An FCC Administrative Law Judge has recommended that the FCC grant the
Amateur Radio license renewal application of convicted computer hacker
Kevin D. Mitnick, N6NHG. The Initial Decision
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02D-02A1.pdf> by
Chief Administrative Law Judge Richard L. Sippel released December 23
comes approximately one year after the FCC designated Mitnick's license
renewal application for hearing.

"Right now, my goal in life is to live a productive life and to earn a
living and try to make up for all the time that I lost and try to be a
productive citizen," Mitnick told an FCC hearing last June 18. The
Commission had cited character issues stemming from Mitnick's history of
illegal computer-related activity--which included several convictions and
prison sentences and two years on the run.

Mitnick testified that he's decided to turn his life around and dedicate
himself to a career in broadcast radio, public speaking, and writing to
help government, businesses, and individuals minimize the risks associated
with computer intrusions. Following his release from prison, Mitnick said,
he has been law-abiding and has no desire to return to his former life.

In his Initial Decision, Sippel wrote, "There is reliable evidence that
Mr. Mitnick has focused on becoming an honest, productive citizen and that
he has the means to continue to do so." Sippel said that Mitnick has been
on the amateur bands since his release from prison and there have been no
complaints regarding his on-the-air behavior. "The evidence in its
totality shows Mr. Mitnick to have an overall record of compliance with
Commission rules," Sippel concluded.

Unless exceptions are raised within 30 days or the FCC reviews the ruling
on its own motion, Sippel's decision becomes effective 50 days after its
release.

First licensed in 1976, Mitnick, 39, filed with the FCC through his
attorney to renew his General ticket not long after his US District Court
conviction in August 1999. His ham license was due to expire in December
1999, but the FCC extended his operating authority while his renewal
application was pending. Mitnick reportedly spent some $16,000 in legal
fees to retain his ham ticket.

Following a similar hearing earlier this year on character issues, the FCC
recently granted the Amateur Radio license application of Herbert
Schoenbohm. Last month, Schoenbohm regained his previously held KV4FZ call
sign via the vanity call sign system. Upon his return to ham radio after a
nearly two-year absence, he initially was issued NP2MJ as a sequential
call sign.

==>HAMS HELP OUT DURING OKLAHOMA TELEPHONE EMERGENCY

Hams responded to fill a communication gap December 23 after the town of
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, experienced a city-wide telephone outage that left
telephone customers unable to call outside their local exchange. Broken
Arrow implemented its Telecommunications Failure Plan as a result. A
request went out for amateurs to assist at the local emergency operations
center (EOC) and at three area hospitals.

Several hams in and around the town of 75,000 residents responded to the
call. Four Broken Arrow Amateur Radio Club members staffed positions at
the Broken Arrow EOC and at three hospital emergency rooms. Tulsa Amateur
Radio Emergency Service member Joe Iverson, KD5KKZ, reported to the City
of Tulsa EOC.

"All in all, things went smoothly," said Broken Arrow ARC president Steve
Bradley, KB5ZSD. "The city officials were again very impressed and
appreciative with the amateur community's commitment to service and
response to the emergency. It is times like these that such partnerships
between local government and the local hams become invaluable."

The operation lasted about five hours. In addition to passing traffic
between the EOC and the hospitals, lines of communication also were opened
with the Oklahoma State Department of Civil Emergency Management in
Oklahoma City via the EOC's HF amateur station.

The telephone system troubles were traced to the loss of a digital
protocol needed for call routing.

==>NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR THE 2003 PHILIP J. MCGAN MEMORIAL SILVER ANTENNA
AWARD

Nominations are open for the ARRL 2003 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver
Antenna Award. Throughout the year, ARRL PICs, PIOs and other PR
volunteers in the ARRL field organization strive to keep Amateur Radio
visible in their communities. Among other valuable activities, they
publicize special events, write press releases, and maintain solid working
relationships with their local media--radio, TV, newspapers.

"If you know someone who has achieved public relations success on behalf
of Amateur Radio, nominating him or her for the McGan Award is the perfect
way to bestow much deserved recognition," said ARRL Public Relations
Manager Jennifer Hagy, N1TDY. "The 2003 McGan Award will go to a ham who
has demonstrated success in Amateur Radio public relations and best
exemplifies the volunteer spirit of Phil McGan, the award's namesake."

A journalist, Philip J. McGan, WA2MBQ (SK), served as the first chairman
of the ARRL's Public Relations Committee, which helped reinvigorate the
League's commitment to public relations. Hagy notes the award honors
contributions in public relations, not in public service.

"Public relations activities for which the McGan Award is given include
efforts specifically directed at bringing Amateur Radio to the public's
attention--and most often the media's--in a positive light," she
explained.

A committee of volunteers knowledgeable about Amateur Radio public
relations will pick the winner, subject to approval by the ARRL Board of
Directors. Information on nominating someone for this award is available
on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/12/30/1/call-for-nominations.html>.
To obtain an entry form, call ARRL HQ at (860) 594-0328 or e-mail Jennifer
Hagy, N1TDY, jhagy@arrl.org.

==>ARRL PROVIDING FCC LICENSE RENEWAL, ADDRESS CHANGES, MODS TO NONMEMBERS

The ARRL has announced that it's now providing FCC Amateur Radio license
renewals, address changes and other license modification services to
nonmembers. For a $12 fee, the League will renew a nonmember's Amateur
Radio ticket (the license must be within 90 days of expiration), file an
application to change address or name or request issuance of a new
sequential call sign. The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator is
processing these applications.

"The $12 is in line with our calendar year 2003 exam application fee,"
said ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. For several years, the ARRL has
been handling renewals, address and name changes and modifications free of
charge for members and has directed nonmembers to the FCC's free Internet
or hard-copy application options or to other providers of such services.

Jahnke suggests that nonmembers who now choose to employ the League's
application handling service also consider adding $27 (based on the
current under-65 full term member rate of $39) for a full ARRL membership
that includes free application handling and other services--not to mention
QST.

Members or nonmembers taking advantage of this service should submit NCVEC
Form 605 <http://www.arrl.org/fcc/forms.html> to ARRL VEC, 225 Main St,
Newington CT 06111 USA for processing. Nonmembers should make the $12 fee
payable to "ARRL." For more information, contact ARRL VEC, vec@arrl.org.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Wave bender Tad "Who can make the sun shine, on a cloudy day?" Cook,
K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: Last week we reported sunspot numbers
dropping dramatically. This week it became a trend. Average daily sunspot
numbers for the past three weeks were 206.1, 164.4 and 55.3. Average solar
flux was 188.7, 169.1 and 117.1. The real shocker though was Monday, with
a sunspot number of only 44! I thought it possible that the sunspot number
had not been that low since the other side of the solar cycle (before the
peak), but we actually saw lower values of 27 and 38 on September 11 and
September 12, 2000. On September 26, 1999, it was also 44--and that was
probably on the other side of the peak of the current cycle.

Last year was surprisingly good in terms of high sunspot activity. The
average daily sunspot number for Calendar Year 2002 was actually slightly
higher than any of the three previous years. Average daily sunspot numbers
for the years 1997 through 2002 were 30.7, 88.7, 136.3, 173, 170.3 and
176.6. Note the 176.6 value is lower than the 178.3 reported in last
week's bulletin as the average sunspot number for the first 359 days of
the year. The drop in sunspot numbers over the past week was so dramatic
that it actually dropped the yearly average by nearly two points! Average
daily solar flux for the same six years was 81, 117.9, 153.7, 179.6, 181.6
and 179.5.

What is the trend? Let's look at quarterly averages.

Average daily sunspot numbers for the past eight quarters were 147.3,
164.8, 170.4, 198.1, 178.3, 165.3, 193.5 and 152.7. Average daily solar
flux for those same quarters was 164.4, 166.7, 175.5, 219.1, 203.9, 156.4,
178.1 and 164.2. As you can see, there is quite a bit of variability in
the values. Solar cycles only appear smooth when looking backward and
doing a moving average of the data.

Currently Earth is entering a solar wind from a small coronal hole on the
sun. Conditions could be unsettled on Friday and Saturday. The projected
planetary A index for Friday through Monday is 15, 15, 10 and 8. The
projected solar flux for those same days is 120, 125, 125 and 130.

Sunspot numbers for December 26 through January 1 were 62, 63, 70, 51, 44,
50 and 47, with a mean of 55.3. The 10.7-cm flux was 127.4, 116.5, 116.9,
114.8, 113.8, 115.1 and 115, with a mean of 117.1. Estimated planetary A
indices were 15, 37, 19, 13, 15, 11 and 10, with a mean of 17.1.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: Kid's Day, the AGCW QRP Winter Contest, the
ARRL RTTY Roundup and the EUCW 160-Meter Contest are the weekend of
January 4-5. JUST AHEAD: The North American QSO Party (CW), Hunting Lions
in the Air, the East Asia 160/80 DX Contest, the Midwinter Contest (CW),
the NRAU-Baltic Contest (CW and SSB are separate events), the Midwinter
Contest (SSB) and the DARC 10-Meter Contest  are the weekend of January
11-12. 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 Emergency Communications course registration: Registration opens
Monday, January 6, at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (0500 UTC) for the on-line
Level I Emergency Communications course (EC-001). Registration remains
open through the January 11-12 weekend or until all available seats have
been filled--whichever comes first. The class begins Tuesday, January 21.
Thanks to the federal homeland security grant from the Corporation for
National and Community Service, the $45 registration fee paid upon
enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
During this registration period, approximately 200 seats are being offered
to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit
the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page and the C-CE
Links found there. For more information, contact Emergency Communications
Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* ARRL to sponsor emergency communications course seminar in Mississippi:
The ARRL will offer a free Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course
(ARECC) seminar January 31, in conjunction with the 2003 Capital City
Hamfest in Jackson, Mississippi. The seminar will not include the Level I
course itself. This program is designed to explain in greater detail the
duties of volunteer certification mentors, instructors and examiners of
the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications courses and provide additional
information for those considering these volunteer positions. "With Level I
emergency communications training being offered nationwide under the
homeland security grant from the Corporation for National and Community
Service, we hope to have all ARECC team players reading from the same page
to ensure success under the federal grant guidelines," said ARRL Emergency
Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. The seminar will be held
Friday, January 31, 1 until 5 PM, at the Trade Mart Building, located on
the Mississippi State Fairgrounds northeast of the coliseum. Seating may
be limited. If you plan to attend or need more information, contact Dan
Miller, K3UFG, k3ufg@arrl.org; 860-594-0340; fax 860-594-0259. For
registered CMs, CIs and CEs who attend, mileage may be reimburseable up to
a total of $35. Seminar attendance does not include admission to the
hamfest, which is January 31-February 1. For more information on the 2003
Capital City Hamfest, visit the sponsoring Jackson Amateur Radio Club Web
site <http://www.jxnarc.org/>.

* Correction: In the report "FCC Seeks Comments on Amateur Radio-Related
Petitions" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 21, No 50 (Dec 27, 2002), we erred in
attempting to synopsize the rule making petition designated RM-10620
offered by Dale Reich, K8AD. Reich notes that his proposal would require
current veteran, rule-abiding Novice and Advanced ticket holders to apply
for an upgrade in license class through a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator.

* Packet users requested to not send e-mail messages to ISS crew: Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Chairman
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, has requested that amateurs refrain from sending
e-mail to the ISS crew via the onboard RS0ISS Personal Message System
(PMS). "The crew is not answering the e-mail, and we really don't expect
them to." he said. "If things change, we'll let you know." Reports have
indicated that the ISS packet mailbox is filling up with unread messages,
many of them greetings to the crew or holiday greetings. The all-ham
Expedition 6 ISS crew consists of Crew Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP,
cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, and astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT.

* ARRL QSL Service ends 2002 just shy of 2 million cards shipped: With
sunspot numbers slowly starting to decline, it may be a while before the
ARRL QSL Service <http://www.arrl.org/qsl/qslout.html> again sees the sort
of activity it dealt with in 2002. During the past year, the service
mailed out 1,963,165 cards from ARRL members to DX stations. That's up by
30,850 over 2001--or approximately 1.6 percent. The final day's QSL card
shipment to exotic and rare entities--done every 90 days--was 148,050
cards alone. "Overall, it's been a pretty good year for the bureau," said
ARRL QSL Service Manager Martin Cook, N1FOC. "We got the cards sorted on
time with no backlog this year." Cook said most members have been sorting
their cards properly before sending them to the ARRL QSL Service for
shipping. "Unsorted cards really slow things down," he said.

* League volunteers help at public TV pledge drive: Amateur Radio got a
bit of TV exposure December 30 as several ARRL Headquarters staffers
represented the League during a Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) fund
drive. ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, who organized
the group of HQ volunteers, said that with more than 300 public radio and
television stations in the country, volunteering a ham radio club for a
pledge drive phone bank is a tidy way to gain some visibility. "Just call
the station's volunteer coordinator," Hobart suggested. "Several people
called in and said they were hams, or that their father was a ham, and
donated because they saw our banner in the background." ARRL Electronic
Publications Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, even helped a caller with an
"out-of-sync" audio problem on her TV (the SAP channel was
engaged)--something most volunteers probably could not do. The 17 HQ
staffers and family members helped raise more than $45,000 for CPTV during
a University of Connecticut women's basketball game and received high
praise from the station's volunteer coordinator for their professionalism
and above-average results during their segment.

* IARU presents Amateur Radio Administration Course in Kenya: The
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has announced the successful
presentation of the Amateur Radio Administration Course (ARAC) in Nairobi,
Kenya. The course, conducted jointly by IARU and the African Advanced
Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI), was taught December 9-13,
2002, to a class of 22 telecommunications officials from English-speaking
African countries. Support for the course was provided by the
International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Development Bureau
(ITU-D), the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the Communications
Commission of Kenya (CCK). Students were from administrations and
telecommunications operators from Ghana, Kenya, Sudan and Zambia.
Presenters were Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, for IARU; Mohamed K. Noorani of
AFRALTI; and Gideon Mwakatobe of ATU. AFRALTI Director Edward Mallango
participated in the opening ceremony and ATU Secretary-General Jan Mutai
officiated at the closing ceremony. Amateur Radio Society of Kenya (ARSK)
Chairman E H M (Ted) Alleyne, 5Z4NU, set up an HF station at the training
site. "The presentation of the course in Nairobi was made possible by a
strong sense of partnership that exists between ITU, ATU, and IARU," said
IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ. "IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, has
assigned a high priority to the development of Amateur Radio in Africa. We
are most gratified that ITU-D Director Hamadoun Touri as well as ATU
Secretary General Mutai and his colleagues in Nairobi share our conviction
that Amateur Radio can contribute to human resource development for the
improvement of telecommunications in Africa." The course included
instruction in subjects such as the ITU, Radio Regulations, spectrum
management, the IARU, domestic and international regulations, Amateur
Radio operations and technology, disaster communications and the
Amateur-Satellite Service.

===========================================================
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
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Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 01
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 15:46:53 -0500
To: ardai@maven.atb.teradyne.com
From: "ARRL Letter Mailing List" <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>

From n1ist@arrl.net  Sun Jan 12 02:17:11 2003
From: n1ist@arrl.net (Michael L. Ardai)
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 21:17:11 -0500
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 02
Message-ID: <03011121171117@maven.atb.teradyne.com>

From:	SMTP%"letter-dlvy@arrl.org" 10-JAN-2003 23:53:39.71
To:	ardai@maven.atb.teradyne.com
CC:	
Subj:	The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 02

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 02
January 10, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL Board of Directors to meet in Connecticut
* +FCC threatens amateur with revocation hearing
* +French youngsters rendezvous with astronaut via ham radio
* +New Jersey lawmakers honor Amateur Radio's 9/11 role
* +KD5MDT to replace RV3FB on spacewalk
* +New satellite gets OSCAR designation
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +ARRL seeks Repeater Directory listings from coordinators
    +Special event from former WCC to celebrate Marconi centennial
     FCC to hold open commission meeting
     California RACES team responds to gas leak
     Maritime Mobile Service Network celebrates 35th anniversary
     K6ZT elected president of engineering honor society

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>ARRL BOARD TO TAKE STRATEGIC TACK AT JANUARY MEETING

The ARRL Board of Directors will mull options for the next cycle of League
activities and deal with fiscal issues when it gathers January 17-18 in
Windsor, Connecticut. With ARRL and International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) positions established for most pending FCC and legislative issues
and for the upcoming 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03),
the Board is poised to tackle strategic planning for the next three to
five years as one of its top agenda topics.

"We need to look at our basic assumptions," said ARRL Chief Executive
Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We will do what we have to do to ensure that
Amateur Radio and the ARRL will be healthy 20 years from now." At the
January meeting, the Board will consider recommendations regarding how
strategic planning should be conducted later this year.

Sumner said ARRL Board members also are interested in how the ARRL can
stimulate the entry of prospective amateurs from among the adult
population. Board members also want to explore ways to entice previously
licensed individuals who have left the hobby to return to Amateur Radio.
"There are a lot of new things out there, like PSK-31 and Internet linking
that didn't exist a few years ago," he said. "We want to find a way to
effectively get the word out to those who don't know that there are 28
flavors of Amateur Radio now, not just vanilla, chocolate and strawberry."

He pointed out that the ARRL Education and Technology Program--"The Big
Project"--and the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
program emphasize radio and science instruction for schoolchildren. Both
activities are designed to yield long-term benefits for Amateur Radio from
within the younger generation.

The Board also will be asked to ratify the ARRL budget for 2003, which is
expected to be the last year in a three-year period of planned deficit
spending. With the League's Development Office firmly established and
tapping into nontraditional revenue sources, the plan for 2003 is to
greatly reduce the deficit compared to 2002 and to look toward again
presenting a balanced budget in 2004, Sumner said.

The Board also will hear from invited guests, including IARU President
Larry Price, W4RA, and Radio Amateurs of Canada President Bill Gillis,
VE1WG. In addition to reports from ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, other
ARRL officers and standing committees, the Board is expected to hear from
technical, ad hoc and advisory committees.

Prior to the Board meeting, newly elected Great Lakes Division Director
Jim Weaver, K8JE, and Vice Director Dick Mondro, W8FQT, will be at ARRL
Headquarters January 14-15 for an orientation program.

==>FCC THREATENS NEW YORK AMATEUR WITH HEARING

The FCC has told a Technician-class operator from New York to stay off 20
meters or risk having to defend his license at a hearing. FCC Special
Counsel Riley Hollingsworth wrote Alexander Sandbrand, N2NNU, of Yonkers
December 12 notifying him that the FCC plans to designate his ham ticket
for revocation and suspension proceedings if it learns of additional
incidents of out-of-band operation.

"This serves as notice that if you engage in any additional incident of
out-of band operation, the Enforcement Bureau intends to designate your
Amateur station license N2NNU for a revocation hearing before an
Administrative Law Judge," Hollingsworth wrote, "and, further, that we
intend to designate your Technician-class operator license for suspension
for the remainder of the license term, August 26, 2011."

An initial Warning Notice regarding alleged operation on the 20-meter
phone band went out to Sandbrand in August 2001, but the FCC has reports
that Sandbrand has operated on HF phone since then.

"Information before the Commission indicates that on at least nine
occasions subsequent to receipt of that warning letter, you operated out
of band," Hollingsworth wrote. He cited reports that N2NNU had operated at
various times on 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters between September 2001 and June
2002.

Hollingsworth told ARRL that after the first Warning Notice, Sandbrand
called him to complain that it wasn't fair that he had to pass additional
examination elements to operate on HF phone. "I told him if he wants to
operate on HF, he has to take the test like everybody else," Hollingsworth
said.

In the latest Warning Notice, Hollingsworth informed Sandbrand that the
FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will not process any upgrade
applications from him until the matter is resolved. He said this week that
he has not heard anything further from Sandbrand.

==>FRENCH STUDENTS RENDEZVOUS WITH ASTRONAUT VIA HAM RADIO

Students at the Immaculate Conception Elementary School in Brest, France,
spoke January 8 via Amateur Radio with US astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT. A
member of the Expedition 6 crew, Pettit is the chief science officer on
board the International Space Station. The contact was arranged by the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.

Some 30 schoolchildren, their teachers and parents gathered in the room
where the local Amateur Radio club had set up the satellite station. Once
contact was established between NA1SS and ground station F6KPF and
season's greetings exchanged, Pettit began answering questions, which
included one asking if the crew celebrated Christmas in space. Other
youngsters wanted to know about how the ISS was supplied with food and
where the crew's drinking water came from. Pettit and his fellow crew
members commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, and Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, will
remain in space until March.

"The signal was strong, and Don's voice sounded as if he was addressing
the audience from the floor," said ARISS Vice Chairman Gaston Bertels,
ON4WF. By the end of the pass, 18 questions had been asked and answered.
Those on hand for the early-morning contact included the mayor of Brest.
The event received radio, TV and print media coverage.

Bertels reports that the 10 and 11-year-old pupils--students of Anne
Jaouen--have been studying radio telecommunications throughout the school
year with support from the Brest Amateur Radio Club. "Hands-on experience
consisted of building a crystal radio set, and the children also have
communicated from their classroom with French Amateur Radio stations,"
Bertels said.

The youngsters also were actively involved in preparing the questions for
the ARISS contact. "They studied some basics of astronomy, made models of
the solar system, showing lunar phases, the sky, the sun and the earth,"
Bertels explained. "They also saw pictures taken on board the ISS and
transmitted on television."

In addition to the scientific side of space study, the children wrote
poems on the theme and illustrated these with paintings--now decorating
the walls of the school--that represent the adventure of space exploration
and the planets, Bertels said.

ARISS is an international program with support from ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.

==>NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE HONORS AMATEUR RADIO'S 9/11 ROLE

The New Jersey Legislature has honored the role of Amateur Radio operators
in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. On hand in
Trenton to witness a joint proclamation December 12 were ARRL Hudson
Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, Hudson Division Vice Director Steve
Mendelsohn, W2ML, Northern New Jersey Section Manager Bill Hudzik, W2UDT,
and Bergen County District Emergency Coordinator Mike Adams, WA2MWT, who's
also a member of the New Jersey PRB-1 Task Force.

"I would like to take this opportunity to commend you for your hard work
and efforts," said Assembly Speaker Albio Sires. "During times of
disaster, your group has displayed superior service and dedication to the
safety of our citizens. I applaud the efforts of the independent radio
operators and thank you for your selfless actions on September 11, 2001.
Allow me to express my sincere gratitude for your participation with the
New Jersey General Assembly on this day, December 12, 2002."

On behalf of the amateur contingent, Hudzik thanked the 80 members of the
Assembly. Among the cosponsors of the resolution was Assemblyman Matthew
Ahearn, KB2PNN, a Democrat from Fair Lawn and sponsor of an Amateur Radio
antenna bill, Assembly Bill 3065, in the Garden State.

While in the state capital, the ham radio delegation took the opportunity
to promote A3065, "The Amateur Radio Antenna Bill." The measure would
codify the limited preemption known as PRB-1 into New Jersey's statutes.
In addition, it would preclude local ordinances or regulations that
effectively prohibit an antenna support structure of 70 feet or less above
ground level exclusive of any antenna upon the structure. The measure has
been assigned to the Housing and Local Government Committee chaired by
Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield). The text of the proposed
legislation <http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/> is available on the New Jersey
Legislature Web site. Search on "A3065" in the "Bill Search" engine.

Ahearn will be seeking cosponsors in the New Jersey General Assembly and
Senate. Interested New Jersey amateurs may contact him via e-mail
<asmahearn@njleg.org>. Amateurs may contact their state lawmakers to
express their opinions on the bill or to urge their cosponsorship. Visit
the New Jersey Legislature page <http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/> and look
under "Members--Find Your Legislator."--Michael Adams, WA2MWT

==>PETTIT TO SUB FOR BUDARIN DURING SPACEWALK

International Space Station astronaut and Science Officer Don Pettit,
KD5MDT, will fill in for Russian cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Nikolai
Budarin, RV3FB, on a January 15 spacewalk or extra-vehicular
activity--EVA. Pettit and Expedition 6 mission commander Ken Bowersox,
KD5JBP, will spend more than six hours in space working on the ISS.

"Pettit replaced Budarin because on-orbit medical data raised concerns
among US flight surgeons responsible for medical certification of
spacewalk activity," NASA said this week in a statement. "This decision
does not affect Budarin's other on-orbit duties. Both NASA and the Russian
Aviation and Space Agency have agreed to the personnel change for the
EVA." NASA said that because of privacy concerns, no further information
would be made public. Associated Press has quoted Russian space officials
as saying that Budarin failed to meet US standards in tests on a
stationary bicycle. Budarin, 49, is a veteran of eight spacewalks.

AP quoted Russian officials as saying that they were aware of the
"peculiarities" of Budarin's cardiovascular system and that he is healthy
enough to do the spacewalk. Until US flight surgeons delayed it, the EVA
was scheduled to take place last month.

Pettit, 47, himself was a last-minute fill-in for Don Thomas, KC5FVF, who
was pulled from the Expedition 6 crew because flight surgeons worried
about his exposure to radiation in space. During the EVA, Bowersox and
Pettit will continue outfitting the newly delivered Port One truss
segment. Expedition 6 was launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour last
November 23. The crew will remain aboard the ISS until March.

The Expedition 6 crew also will be the first to not host any
guests--either from Soyuz taxi missions or the space shuttle. Pettit has
been filling some of his free time conducting casual QSOs from NA1SS on 2
meters.

==>NEW SAUDISAT GETS OSCAR DESIGNATION

A third satellite in the SaudiSat series has earned an OSCAR designation
from AMSAT. SaudiSat-1C now will be known as SO-50. The Amateur Radio
payload was successfully placed into orbit December 20 from Russia's
Baikonur Cosmodrome by a modified Soviet-era ICBM. The German-made SAFIR-M
Amateur Radio payload
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/12/24/3/#German> went into orbit
during the same launch, as part of the RUBIN-2 scientific satellite.
SAFIR-M has been designated as AO-49. SaudiSat-1C is a project of the
Space Research Institute of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology (KACST) <http://saudisat.kacst.edu.sa/>, an independent
scientific organization of the Saudi Arabian government.

"On behalf of AMSAT-NA I wish to congratulate you and your associates at
Space Research Institute of KACST on the successful culmination of this
project and hope that amateurs all over the world will have an opportunity
to use SO-50," said AMSAT-NA Board Chairman Bill Tynan, W3XO, in making
the announcement this week.

SaudiSat-1C follows by a little more than two years the launch of
SaudiSats 1A and 1B. Now in a 650-km (400 miles) orbit, SaudiSat-1C
carries several experiments, including a new Mode J FM amateur repeater.
The downlink frequency is 436.775 MHz. The uplink frequency is 145.850
MHz. A 67.0-Hz CTCSS tone is required for on-demand access to the
satellite, which shares the same frequencies as AO-27 and SaudiSat-1A.

Space Research Institute Director Turki Al Saud reports that the
SaudiSat-1C repeater was activated and tested this past week. Its
receiving antenna is a quarter-wave whip atop the spacecraft. The 250-mW
UHF transmitter is coupled to a quarter-wave antenna on the bottom of the
spacecraft. He said the repeater will be available to amateurs worldwide
as power permits.

AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, has pointed out that
SaudiSat-1C will require activation on each pass by a designated control
operator. "A worldwide network of designated control operators is now
being developed so that radio amateurs may begin using the satellite
immediately," he said.

For tracking, the NORAD identifier for two-line Keplerian elements is
27607.

According to a report in Arab News
<http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=21335>, the new satellite is
equipped with capabilities to provide "vital data" concerning weather
conditions and oil exploration as well as to monitor the movement of
vehicles in remote regions of Saudi Arabia.

Turki Al Saud told AMSAT-NA that SaudiSat-1A (SO-41) recently has been
used to conduct some tests and will return to service soon. SO-41 has been
configured for FM voice repeater operation. SaudiSat-1B (SO-42) still is
being used to conduct some experiments but could be made available for
amateur use in the future.--AMSAT News Service; King Abdulaziz City for
Science and Technology

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Heliophile Tad "You Might As Well Be Walkin' on the Sun" Cook, K7VVV,
Seattle, Washington, reports: After last week's big drop in activity,
sunspots are back. The average sunspot number for this week was more than
twice what it was last week, and average daily solar flux was up by more
than 32 points. Solar flux is expected to rise over the next few days to
190 on Saturday and 195 on Sunday, peaking on Monday around 200. But
helioseismic images show no major spots on the sun's far side.

Right now we are inside a weak solar wind, and geomagnetic indices have
been quiet since last Friday and Saturday. The planetary A index has been
in the single digits, but is expected to rise slightly to 15 on Friday,
and then drop back again.

The recent variation in solar activity shows that there is still life in
this sunspot cycle, although over time we should expect a downward trend.
We have passed the longest night of the year, and this is a good season
for lowband work on 160 and 80 meters, particularly when K and A index
values are low. As the days get longer, the higher bands will improve as
we head toward the spring equinox.

Sunspot numbers for January 2 through 8 were 74, 108, 117, 128, 141, 199
and 198, with a mean of 137.9. The 10.7-cm flux was 118.3, 137.6, 143,
148.1, 162.1, 163.2 and 173.7, with a mean of 149.4. Estimated planetary A
indices were 8, 13, 13, 9, 7, 9 and 7, with a mean of 9.4.
__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The North American QSO Party (CW), Hunting
Lions in the Air, the East Asia 160/80 DX Contest, the Midwinter Contest
(CW), the NRAU-Baltic Contest (CW and SSB are separate events), the
Midwinter Contest (SSB) and the DARC 10-Meter Contest are the weekend of
January 11-12. JUST AHEAD: The North American QSO Party (SSB), the ARRL
January VHF Sweepstakes, the LZ Open Contest (CW), the Michigan QRP
January CW Contest, and the Hungarian DX Contest are the weekend of
January 18-19. 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 ARRL Level II Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
(EC-002) and Antenna Modeling (EC-004) courses opens Monday, January 13,
12:01 AM Eastern Standard Time (0501 UTC). Registration will remain open
through Sunday, January 19. Classes begin Monday, January 20. A new
service now allows those interested in taking an ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education (C-CE) course in the future to be advised via e-mail
in advance of registration opportunities. To be included, send an e-mail
to prereg@arrl.org. On the subject line, include the course name or number
(eg, EC-00#) you'd like to take. In the message body, provide your name
and call sign and the month you want to start the course. To learn more,
visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce> and the C-CE links found there. For more
information, contact Certification and Continuing Education Program
Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, hrobins@arrl.org. [C-CE logo]

* ARRL seeks Repeater Directory listings from coordinators: The deadline
for repeater coordinating entities to submit repeater listing information
for the 2003 edition of The ARRL Repeater Directory is Friday, February 7.
According to League policy, the ARRL only accepts repeater listings from
recognized frequency-coordinating bodies. "All information on repeaters
intended for The ARRL Repeater Directory must come through a recognized
repeater coordinating body," said Brennan Price, N4QX, who compiles and
edits the annual publication for the League. "With the exception of the
Pacific Insular Territories, the Canadian Territories, and Nunavut, there
is currently a coordinator serving all parts of the US and Canada." Price
urges repeater owners to provide their coordinators with updated
information as soon as possible for inclusion in the 2003 edition. For
more information, contact Brennan Price, N4QX, n4qx@arrl.org.

* Special event from former WCC to celebrate Marconi centennial: Special
event station WA1WCC will be on the air during "Marconi Week," January
11-19, from the former WCC Marconi-RCA-MCI shore station operations center
in Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Look for WA1WCC on or about 7.040
and 14.040 MHz on CW and 7.260 and 14.285 MHz SSB. The event, sponsored by
the WCC Amateur Radio Association, marks the 100th anniversary of
Guglielmo Marconi's first successful wireless transmission between the US
and Europe. A message was sent by the Marconi station in Wellfleet,
Massachusetts, on January 18, 1903. By 1914, Marconi had built a new safer
and more up to date station in nearby Chatham. The former WCC facility
will be open to the public from 9 AM until 5 PM Eastern Time. Plans are
under way for Marconi's daughter, Princess Elettra Marconi, to visit
Chatham January 16. She is scheduled to visit another special event,
KM1CC, at the former Eastham Coast Guard station on January 18. At one
time, WCC was described as the busiest ship-to-shore station on the US
eastern seaboard. The Chatham Marconi Maritime Center is sponsoring a
series of educational events for the public during Marconi Week.--Chatham
Marconi Maritime Center Inc newsletter

* FCC to hold open commission meeting: The FCC will hold an open meeting
Wednesday, January 15, at 9:30 AM in Washington, DC. The Meeting will
focus on presentations by senior agency officials regarding
implementations of the agency's strategic plan and a comprehensive review
of FCC policies and procedures. Presentations will be made in four panels:
Panel One consisting of the managing director. Panel Two consisting of the
chiefs of the Enforcement and Consumer and Governmental Affairs bureaus.
Panel Three consisting of the chiefs of the Office of Engineering and
Technology, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the International
Bureau. Panel Four consisting of the chiefs of the Wireline Competition
and the Media bureaus. The audio portion of the meeting will be broadcast
live on the Internet via the FCC's Internet audio broadcast page at
<http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/>.--FCC

* California RACES team responds to gas leak: The Huntington Beach,
California, Fire Department called upon the Huntington Beach Radio Amateur
Civil Emergency Service (RACES) group <http://www.hbraces.org> December 11
after a natural gas leak occurred. Nine fire companies responded to the
alarm. The Huntington Beach RACES team established a controlled net and
initiated the RACES incident command system. Twenty RACES members
responded to the incident command center at the scene of the leak, to the
Huntington Beach emergency operations center and to a care and reception
center for displaced residents. Tim Sawyer, WD6AWP, served as net control
operator. Huntington Beach RACES Chief Radio Officer Steven Graboff,
W6GOS--a physician--responded to the care and reception center and
provided cellular, Amateur Radio, American Red Cross and fire department
radio communication. RACES communications were utilized exclusively
throughout the event, since as the city's cell phone system was not
functioning. "Between the RACES communicators and the CERT [Community
Emergency Response Team] shelter team, no additional city or Red Cross
personnel were needed, and the incident was handled very well," said
Huntington Beach Fire Department Emergency Services Coordinator Glorria
Morrison, KE6ATG. "This is an example of how volunteers can be utilized to
provide emergency services to the City of Huntington Beach at no cost and
no drain to city resources." Other RACES members maintained radio watch on
the net and prepared for a 12-hour deployment. Within 90 minutes, the fire
department advised RACES that the problem was under control and the
emergency was over, and residents were allowed to return to their homes.
No injuries were reported. The Huntington Beach Fire Department Emergency
Services Office administers the RACES team.

* Maritime Mobile Service Network celebrates 35th anniversary: The
Maritime Mobile Serice Network (MMSN) marked its 35th anniversary on
January 3. The net now operates on 14.300 MHz. According to Bobby Graves,
KB5HAV, the net's original purpose was to assist those serving in the US
military during the Vietnam War. In its early years, the MMSN saw a lot of
phone patch traffic. "Our primary purpose now is that of handling legal
third-party traffic from maritime mobiles, both pleasure and commercial,
and overseas deployed military personnel," said Graves, who serves as the
nets schedule coordinator and Webmaster. He said the net also helps
missionaries in foreign countries. The MMSN has grown from its original
nine founding members to nearly 60 net control stations and relief
operators. It's recognized by the US Coast Guard and has been instrumental
in handling hundreds of incidents involving vessels in distress. During
severe weather, the net also acts as a weather beacon for ships and relays
weather warnings and bulletins from the National Weather Service and the
National Hurricane Center. "The Maritime Mobile Service Network has a
legacy of serving people and will continue to do so," Graves said.

* K6ZT elected president of engineering honor society: ARRL Life Member
Tom Rothwell, K6ZT, of Los Alamitos, California, has been elected
president of Eta Kappa Nu <http://www.hkn.org/>, the national honor
society for electrical and computer engineering. Rothwell was elected to
membership in 1953 while attending the University of Southern California.
He is a retired Hughes Aircraft Company group vice president and division
manager. First licensed in early 1947, he spent three years in the US Air
Force, much of it in postwar Japan, where he held the call signs J5AAL,
J2AAL and JA3AA. (He won the CQ World Wide DX CW contest for Japan in 1948
and the ARRL International DX Contest--Phone and CW--for Japan in 1949.)
An Extra class licensee, Rothwell still enjoys chasing DX on CW. Founded
in 1904, Eta Kappa Nu has some 100,000 members and chapters at more than
200 colleges with accredited curricula in electrical or computer
engineering.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
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***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 03
January 17, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +High-speed hamming via the "Hinternet" could be next big thing
* +2002 a banner year for ARRL contests
* +Astronaut brightens kids' day at Montana school
* +New ARRL brochure targets youngsters
* +Nominations invited for ARRL awards
* +Amateur Radio emergency communications training on target
* +Comments sought on draft WRC-03 proposals
*  FCC launches "express" comment-filing system
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     ARRL Foundation scholarship deadline looms
     Second Ducie DXpedition set for March
     Poptronics ceases publication

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>HIGH SPEED MULTIMEDIA HAMMING COULD BE THE NEXT BIG THING

High-speed multimedia hamming via the "Hinternet" could be the next big
thing for Amateur Radio. That's the hope of the ARRL High Speed Multimedia
(HSMM) Working Group, which is adapting the highly popular IEEE 802.11b
Part 15 wireless Internet protocol to Part 97 amateur operating.

"We expect it to be nothing less than revolutionary!" says John Champa,
K8OCL, who chairs the ARRL HSMM Working Group--a subset of the League's
Technology Task Force. The Working Group's new "High-Speed Digital
Networks and Multimedia" page <http://www.arrl.org/hsmm/> recently
premiered on the ARRL Web site.

Champa's team is calling the specific techniques, software and hardware
involved "the ARRL 802.11b protocol" to distinguish it from the
unlicensed, commercial protocol. Systems employ direct-sequence spread
spectrum techniques and operate in the 2.4 GHz range. The term "Hinternet"
(ham + Internet), Champa says, is a user-friendly way to refer to the
development of high-speed Radio Local Area Networks (RLANs) capable of
simultaneously carrying audio, video and data signals.

"The development of the ARRL 802.11b protocol will significantly enhance
Amateur Radio, especially with respect to emergency communication and
support of public service activities," Champa predicted. He and his HSMM
Working Group colleagues also expect that it will attract many technically
oriented users of the Internet and wireless LANs to get their amateur
tickets.

In addition to emergency communication, Hinternet applications could
include two-way streaming video, full-duplex streaming audio, Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications such as eQSO, EchoLink, iLink and
IRLP, and digital voice. As on the wired Internet, communication can be
point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and multicast at high bandwidth.

"An emergency volunteer equipped with a laptop or a wireless PDA (personal
digital assistant) with a microphone and a small video camera now has the
tools to be a mobile set of eyes and ears in the midst of a communications
emergency," says Working Group member Kris Mraz, N5KM.

In Michigan, the Livingston County HSMM Experimenters Team already has
three HSMM access points--called "APs" in the commercial world--and about
a dozen stations on the air centered on 2437 MHz. Another group of Amateur
Radio 802.11b enthusiasts has recently organized in the San Antonio,
Texas, area.

Although other amateur allocations also would be appropriate for Hinternet
operation, the use of 2.4 GHz was an easy choice, since Part 15 WiFi
(wireless fidelity) devices already operate in that part of the spectrum,
and inexpensive commercial equipment is widely available. Acting on an
ARRL petition, the FCC has proposed elevating amateurs to primary at 2400
to 2402 MHz.

The ARRL publications catalog now includes the book 802.11 Wireless
Networks: The Definitive Guide
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=&words=802.11> by Matthew S. Gast.
The book covers the topics of creating and administering wireless
networks.

Champa says that taken in a nationwide context, the meaning of the term
Hinternet goes deeper than just an amalgamation of words. "In nautical
terms the word hinterland is 'the land beyond the coast,'" he said. "And
so it is with us. 'The Hinternet' is the radio net beyond the Internet."

==>2002 A GROWTH YEAR FOR ARRL CONTESTS

The year 2002 was a banner year for ARRL's Contesting Branch. Manager Dan
Henderson, N1ND, reports a record number of total entries for
ARRL-sponsored operating events.

"The total of 18,817 beats 2001's 18,505, a nearly 1.7 percent increase!"
Henderson said. Despite the downward slope of Cycle 23, the 2002 ARRL
10-Meter Contest saw a more than 18 percent jump in log submissions over
the previous year, he added, even as logs continued to arrive.

"Activity is up across the board for almost all contests, and I think we
would have seen more than 19,000 logs returned," Henderson said, "but the
World Radiosport Team Championships (WRTC 2002) in Finland last July
affected numbers for the IARU HF World Championships, as several hundred
of the world's top contest operators were there." Henderson notes that
since WRTC 2002 used slightly different rules, the logs from those
operators could not be entered in the IARU event, which ARRL administers.

The 2002 ARRL 10-Meter Contest, proved to be record-setter in several
ways. According to Henderson, not only was the December 14-15, 2002,
operating event the most active 10-meter contest on record, it had the
single highest number of participants returning logs of any single contest
in League history. As of January 16, the Contest Branch had logged 3051
entries and was still counting. "That's the very first time a
single-weekend ARRL contest has topped the 3000 mark in entries,"
Henderson said.

Other ARRL operating events that also saw increased numbers of logs over
2001 were Straight Key Night, up 22 percent; the ARRL 160-Meter Contest--a
CW event--up 19 percent; the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, up 11 percent;
and ARRL Field Day, up by one-half of one percent. For the first time
ever, the 160-meter event topped 900 entries.

ARRL November Sweepstakes entries jumped between two and three percent for
the CW and SSB weekends in 2002, Henderson said. Entries received for the
ARRL international DX Contest remained approximately level for each mode
last year as did submissions for the ARRL's four major VHF-UHF-SHF events
in 2002.

Henderson said the move to require Cabrillo-format electronic logs has
proved a major boon to the Contest Branch. The elimination of most manual
log entry has moved up the posting of contest results by about a month, he
said. He said he expected the Contest Branch would be fine tuning
electronic log-processing during 2003.

Rules for all ARRL-sponsored operating events are available on the ARRL
Web site <http://www.arrl.org/contests/calendar.html>.

==>MONTANA ARISS CONTACT "A GRAND SUCCESS"

Youngsters at Sacajawea Middle School in Bozeman, Montana, conversed via
ham radio on January 8 with International Space Station resident Don
Pettit, KD5MDT. The contact between NA1SS and the school club station's
K7BZN was the first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) QSO this year with a US school.

"I am happy to say that it was a grand success," said Vivian Linden,
K7CUB, a retired science teacher who continues to serve as advisor to the
school's Amateur Radio club. "The contact was crystal clear, the kids did
a great job with their questions, and the adult ham club--the Gallatin Ham
Radio Club--put it all together."

Some young radio amateurs were among the student questioners. Arianna
Haines, KD7RHA, wanted to know if Pettit had any radio experience before
becoming an astronaut and if it influenced his decision to become one.
Pettit explained that he became a ham only after joining the astronaut
corps.

Jeff Nickelson, KD7TQL, asked Pettit how he was chosen to be an ISS crew
member. "You get chosen for the ISS program partly based on interest and
partly based on who they happen to need for the mission involved," Pettit
replied. "So they look at background, and they look at interest."

Nickelson later expressed a desire to become an astronaut and asked
Pettit's advice on what he should do now. "What you need to do is to
follow what you want to do in your heart," Pettit responded. He also
advised the youngsters to do their best in school and to keep up their
grades.

Food is never far from the minds of most youngsters, and so it was with
the kids at Sacajawea Middle School. One student wanted to know how the
crew ate and how the food was cooked. Pettit explained that it's not that
much different from pre-packaged food on Earth. "We eat with spoons, just
like you eat with spoons on Earth," said Pettit. Most of the crew's food
is freeze-dried. You add hot water and mix, then "just dig in with your
spoon," Pettit said.

Pettit also told the youngsters that the crew doesn't have too much time
for "fun" activities. "There's really not much spare time up here," he
said. "We're always working." But, he added, the crew does get enjoyment
out of the work it does, which sometimes includes just observing Earth
through one of the ISS portholes.

Some 50 youngsters, teachers and a handful of reporters were on hand for
the contact. Linden said audio was piped throughout the school. "I was
told later that the school was in a buzz the rest of the day," she said.
Students from Morning Star Elementary School also attended.

ARISS is an international project with support from ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.
For more information, visit the ARISS Web site
<http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov>.

==>NEW LEAGUE BROCHURE TARGETS KIDS

A colorful, new, kid-tested ham radio brochure is available from ARRL
Headquarters. "Leap into Amateur Radio" aims at an elementary school
audience and introduces youngsters to the hobby.

"Amateur Radio is an exciting hobby that lets you meet new people of all
ages--and have a great time!" the full-color, tri-fold flier emphasizes.
"Getting started is easy!"

Field and Educational Support Team Leader Mary Lau, N1VH, headed the team
that produced the flier. She cited two objectives in its design. "There
was a desire to specifically target 8 to 11 year olds," she said, "as well
as the need to supply a youth-oriented handout to replace the Archie's Ham
Radio Adventure comic book that is no longer published."

The brochure is comprised of colorful graphics, photos of kids operating
and several boxes of basic text explaining what Amateur Radio is and does.
There's also space on the back for local clubs or organizations to affix
their contact information, so that children and their families can get
more information about the hobby. The back panel also includes a blurb
about ARRL and gives its e-mail address.

On the "What is Amateur Radio" page right inside the tri-fold brochure is
a brief explanation of what Amateur Radio is. "Anyone can be a ham--no
matter what age, sex or physical ability," the flier points out.
Accompanying the text are photos of youngsters--a boy and a girl--on the
air. Fully open, the flier presents four capsules of information about
Amateur Radio:

* How ham radio and wireless technologies fit into lives that include cell
phones and the Internet.

* The several modes hams use to communicate with each other--including
voice, computer, and even telegraph key.

* The various types of operating activities available--including public
service and the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
program.

* How simple it is to get started in Amateur Radio and whom to contact.

Assisting the in the project were ARRL Educational Program Coordinator
Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS; Educational Correspondent Marjorie Bourgoin,
KB1DCO, and Field and Educational Services Assistant Linda Mullally,
KB1HSV.

After assembling the material for the flier and putting together a
prototype, Lau and her staff got the brochure into the hands of a number
of area youngsters for some product testing. The children offered a few
ideas to make the handout even more appealing, she said. Arizona-based
graphic artist Cameo Hill did the final layout and design.

"Leap into Amateur Radio" will become available in mid-February--free of
charge and in limited quantities of up to 25 fliers--to any Amateur Radio
operator or amateur club. Lau said the only cost will be for shipping. The
brochure is now available as an Acrobat PDF file via the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/materials/Leap-into-AR.pdf>.

To order copies of the brochure, interested clubs or individuals should
contact Linda Mullally, KB1HSV, lmullally@arrl.org; 860-594-0292.

==>ARRL INSTRUCTOR, EDUCATOR, RECRUITING AWARD NOMINATION DEADLINE LOOMS

Nominations close Friday, January 31, for ARRL awards that recognize
excellence in teaching Amateur Radio classes, using Amateur Radio in the
classroom, and recruiting others to Amateur Radio. Completed nominations
forms must be sent to your ARRL Section Manager
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/smlist.html> in time for the SM to
meet the nomination deadline.

The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award goes each year to a
volunteer Amateur Radio instructor. The ARRL Professional Educator of the
Year Award goes to a professional teacher who has incorporated Amateur
Radio into his or her class curriculum. The ARRL Professional Instructor
of the Year Award is presented to a paid, non state-certified ham radio
instructor--such as those teaching classes offered through adult education
programs. The ARRL Excellence in Recruiting Award goes to a ham who
exemplifies outstanding recruiting enthusiasm and technique and has gone
the extra mile to introduce others to Amateur Radio.

All winners receive engraved plaques and $100 gift certificates redeemable
for ARRL publications. Full information and nomination forms are available
on the ARRL Educational Awards page
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/>. For more information, contact
Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, jwolfgang@arrl.org.

==>AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING ON TARGET

The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Communications training effort is right
on target. Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, says
that as of January 17, 661 students had completed the Level I emergency
communications on-line course (EC-001) under the Corporation for National
and Community Service (CNCS) federal grant. Enrollment for the
grant-funded classes stands at 1277.

"We're pleased with the success of the program to date and with how far
we've come," Miller said. "We're right where we should be under the
federal grant guidelines."

The nearly $182,000 federal grant, announced last July, will subsidize
online  training for up to 1700 amateur licensees during its first year.
The CNCS grant permits students successfully completing the Level I
program to be reimbursed for the cost of tuition.

Miller says another 200 students registered this month and will begin
classes January 21. "Interest in the on-line classes remains high," Miller
said. "Registration for this month's classes filled within the first few
hours, leaving many potential students frustrated."

The good news, Miller says, is that there's still plenty of room in future
classes to allow interested amateurs to take advantage of the program.
Senior hams are encouraged to enroll in these classes.

The ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce> has additional information.

==>FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON WRC-03 DRAFT PROPOSALS

The FCC is seeking comments on draft recommendations that the World
Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee (WRC-03 Advisory
Committee) adopted January 8. The FCC established the WRC-03 Advisory
Committee in January 2001 to assist the agency in developing WRC-03
proposals.

"Based upon our initial review of the recommendations forwarded to the
Commission," the FCC said this week in a Public Notice, "the International
Bureau, in coordination with other Commission Bureaus and Offices,
tentatively concludes that we can generally support the proposals
recommended by the WRC-03 Advisory Committee."

The FCC said the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) has submitted letters to the FCC containing draft
proposals developed by Executive Branch agencies, and the FCC requests
comment on those draft proposals as well. The FCC will consider the draft
proposals and comments during upcoming consultations with the US
Department of State and NTIA in the development of US proposals to WRC-03.
Once agreed to by these agencies, proposals will be used by US delegations
at bilateral, regional and international meetings.

"The draft proposals attached to this Public Notice may evolve as we
approach WRC-03 and during the course of interagency discussions," the FCC
said. "Therefore, they do not constitute the final national position on
these issues."

The Public Notice includes proposals concerning WRC-03 agenda items 1.35,
7.1, 7.2, 2.16, 1.8.2, 1.13, 1.20, 1.22 and 1.36. Agenda item 1.20
concerns the so-called "Little LEOs." Item 1.36 involves examining the
adequacy of the frequency allocations for HF broadcasting in the vicinity
of 4-10 MHz. Complete texts of draft proposals are available via the FCC's
WRC-03 Web site <http://www.fcc.gov/wrc-03>.

Interested parties may file comments via e-mail to wrc03@fcc.gov.
Commenters also may submit an original and one copy of comments to the
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. Provide a courtesy copy to FCC WRC-03
Director Alex Roytblat, Room 6-A738. Comments should refer to specific
proposals by document number. The deadline for comments on draft proposals
and NTIA letters is January 31, 2003. WRC-03 takes place in Geneva,
Switzerland, from June 9 until July 4, 2003.

==>FCC LAUNCHES "CONSUMER-FRIENDLY" ELECTRONIC COMMENT FILING SYSTEM

The FCC has launched "ECFS Express," an updated electronic system that the
Commission says will make it easier for at least some members of the
public to file comments on FCC proceedings. ECFS Express is a simplified
version of the popular Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), but it is
not available for all FCC proceedings.

ECFS Express is accessible from the FCC home page <http://www.fcc.gov>.
Users just click on the "File Comments" logo--which is on the left-hand
side of the page about one-third of the way down under the words "Filing
Public Comments." To comment, users click on a topic, fill in their
personal information, write their comments and hit "SEND."

"ECFS Express will highlight the proceedings most likely to generate
consumer interest," the FCC said this week in a Public Notice. "The topics
will change periodically as new issues emerge."

The downside is that if the particular issue you want to comment upon is
not listed among the ECFS Express topics, you'll have to use the "expert
version" of ECFS to comment, the FCC said. At the moment, the EFCS Express
list includes no Amateur Radio-related petitions. The FCC says the
original Electronic Comment Filing System--which includes all docketed FCC
proceedings--will remain accessible on its Web site
<http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html>.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar-powered Tad "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Cook, K7VVV, Seattle,
Washington, reports: Solar flux and sunspot numbers peaked early in the
week and are headed downward again. Average daily solar flux rose to 173.6
this week from 149.4 last, and sunspot number averages went from 137.9 to
200.9. Activity should continue declining, with Friday through Monday
values of 140, 135, 135 and 125, reaching a minimum around 115 from
January 25-28. Geomagnetic activity for the near term is predicted to be
quiet to unsettled.

You can see the general downward trend in activity in the charts on the
Web site of Mark Downing, WM7D
<http://www.wm7d.net/hamradio/solar/past_cycle.shtml>. There is tremendous
variability, but the overall trend is pretty clear. Over the next few
years we'll see a dramatic drop. Current projections from NOAA show the
minimum solar flux between September 2006 and April, 2007, and sunspot
minimum around December 2006 to January 2007.

Sunspot numbers for January 9 through 15 were 206, 199, 238, 232, 182, 176
and 173, with a mean of 200.9. The 10.7-cm flux was 182.9, 184.7, 188.8,
173.4, 171.8, 164 and 149.9, with a mean of 173.6. Estimated planetary A
indices were 7, 10, 10, 11, 8, 10 and 8, with a mean of 9.1.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The North American QSO Party (SSB), the ARRL
January VHF Sweepstakes, the LZ Open Contest (CW), the Michigan QRP
January CW Contest, and the Hungarian DX Contest are the weekend of
January 18-19. JUST AHEAD: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (CW), the REF Contest
(CW), the BARTG RTTY Sprint and the UBA DX Contest (SSB) are the weekend
of January 25-26. 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 ARRL Level III Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
(EC-003) and HF Digital Communications (EC-005) courses opens Monday,
January 20, 12:01 AM Eastern Standard Time (0501 UTC). Registration will
remain open through Sunday, January 26. Classes begin Monday, January 27.
No seats remain in the January registration period for the ARRL Level II
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (EC-002). Registration for the
Antenna Modeling (EC-004) course remains open through Sunday, January 19.
A new service now allows those who may be interested in taking an ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) course in the future to be
advised via e-mail in advance of registration opportunities. Send an
e-mail to prereg@arrl.org, and include the course name or number (eg,
EC-00#) on the subject line as well as your name, call sign, email
address, and the month you want to start the course in the body. To learn
more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce> and the C-CE Links found there. For more
information, contact Certification and Continuing Education Program
Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, hrobins@arrl.org.

* ARRL Foundation scholarship deadline looms: The deadline is fast
approaching to apply for ARRL Foundation-sponsored scholarships.
Individual awards range from $500 to $5000. Don't delay! Send scholarship
applications with academic transcripts to The ARRL Foundation, 225 Main
St, Newington CT 06111. The February 1, 2003, postmark deadline is
firm--there are no exceptions! The annual application window opens October
1 and closes the following February 1. For an application and additional
information, visit the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Programs Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html>.

* Second Ducie DXpedition set for March: The second DXpedition to the
newest DXCC entity, Ducie Island, is expected to take place in March,
according to an announcement this week. Ducie Island DXpedition leader
Yuichi Yoshida, JR2KDN, reports he will depart from Narita, Japan, on
March 3 heading for Tahiti, French Polynesia, and then on to Gambier
Island. Presumably this is where the vessel Braveheart will meet up with
the DXpedition team members. They expect to arrive at Pitcairn Island to
pick up the remaining team members on March 5 and then head for Ducie
Island. Plans are to begin operations March 8 from VP6DI2 (yes, that's a
"2" at the end of that call sign) and continue about a week. The operator
list includes Dieter, DJ9ON; Hans, DK9KX; Philippe, FO3BM; Hiro, JA1SLS;
Yuichi, JR2KDN; Doug, N6TQS; Dave, VP6DB; Mike, VP6AZ; and Meralda, VP6MW.
Activity is being planned for 6 through 160 meters on CW, SSB, RTTY and
AO-40. QSL via JR2KDN (bureau or direct). Pilot stations for this
DXpedition are JE2EHP, DJ8NK and WA2MOE. The initial Ducie Island
DXpedition in March of 2002 racked up some 50,000 contacts. A
2.5-square-mile Pacific atoll, Ducie was approved for DXCC credit in
November 2001.--The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>

* Poptronics ceases publication: Poptronics magazine--which evolved from
the former Popular Electronics and Electronics Now magazines--ceased
publication with the January 2003 edition (Vol 4, No 1). "After 94 years
of publishing electronics magazines Gernsback Publications is no longer in
operation," said Larry Steckler, Poptronics' editor in chief and
publisher. "Negotiations are under way to provide an alternative
publication to Poptronics subscribers." Steckler says a new on-line
edition of Poptronics will soon be available. Poptronics Interactive, a
separate on-line, paid subscription site announced in the October issue of
Poptronics, also is scheduled to return soon, Steckler said. The company
plans to post the latest information on its Web site
<http://www.Poptronics.com>. The site has been undergoing "remodeling,"
but Steckler said it should be back in operation by the end of January.
Many veteran amateurs may recall the "Carl and Jerry" stories by John T.
Frye, W9EGV (SK), which appeared in Popular Electronics in the 1950s and
1960s. The tales involved the ham radio-related exploits of a couple of
teenaged hams.

===========================================================
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;
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The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
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==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
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***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 04
January 24, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL Board targets strategic planning, WRC-03
* +League to debut Amateur Radio Today CD-ROM presentation
* +Princess Marconi adds magic touch to 100th anniversary
* +Logbook of the World gets limited testing
* +G3YWX is Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award winner
* +New 145 GHz DX record set
* +Leonard award winners announced
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     FCC says power line communications technology shows promise
     President Haynie to visit Tropical Hamboree
     Contributing editor needed
     Official WRTC 2002 video now available

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>ARRL BOARD DISCUSSES STRATEGIC PLANNING, WRC-03

Establishing a timeline for future strategic planning, increasing ARRL
membership and raising the level of awareness of Amateur Radio issues at
World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) were the primary topics
as the ARRL Board of Directors met January 17-18 in Connecticut. Chief
Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, cited a cooperative spirit and said
the session's overall mood was upbeat. As a result of action taken at the
meeting, the Board plans to convene a leadership seminar in July and a
two-day strategic planning retreat in September.

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said strategic planning--especially
aimed at embracing new technologies--is vital for the League's health.
"We're interested in planning for the League on a long-term basis to
ensure that we're on the right track 5 to 10 years from now," he said. "We
have to keep up with emerging technology." Haynie said he's excited with
what the High-Speed Multimedia Working Group <http://www.arrl.org/hsmm/>
and the Digital and Software Defined Radio committees have come up so far.

The Board also created a new ad hoc committee, chaired by ARRL
International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, to focus on
recruiting and retaining members. "This committee is for the near term to
explore ways to entice people to join the organization," Haynie said. The
panel also will look at what the League can do to make the ARRL more
attractive to potential members.

The Board also discussed strategy for protecting Amateur Radio's interests
at WRC-03 <www.fcc.gov/wrc-03/>, to be held in Geneva from June 9 to July
4. The hottest ham radio topic is 7 MHz and the objective of a worldwide
300 kHz harmonized amateur allocation. Sumner said the immediate need is
to get the US Government to support a realignment of allocations for
amateurs and broadcasters in ITU Regions 1 and 3. "The National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA, which oversees
the federal government's use of radio spectrum) thinks that Region 1 and 3
administrators should take the leadership role on this issue and that we
in Region 2 should make no proposal," Sumner said. "We're trying to change
that view."

Sumner says the US has a responsibility to represent the interests of
amateur licensees whose 40-meter operation is severely impacted by
high-power broadcasting stations elsewhere in the world. "The US did so in
1979 and 1992 and should do so again in 2003," he said.

The Board also updated the League's legislative positions for the 108th
Congress. ARRL will work for a re-introduction of The Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Consistency Act
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr4720/>. Known last session as HR 4720,
the bill deals with deed covenants, conditions and restrictions. Also set
to be reintroduced is the Spectrum Protection Act.

In other business, the Board adopted a 2003 budget; resolved to honor the
Hospital Disaster Support Communications System
<members.aol.com/emcom4hosp/> (HDSCS) of Orange County, California, with
the ARRL National Certificate of Merit; and elected Tod Olson, K0TO, and
John Kanode, N4MM, as honorary vice presidents.

==>ARRL ANNOUNCES "AMATEUR RADIO TODAY" CD-ROM PRESENTATION

The ARRL soon will make available a new video presentation, Amateur Radio
Today, that tells Amateur Radio's public service story to nonhams.
Directed by Dave Bell, W6AQ, and narrated by former CBS news anchorman
Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, the presentation runs approximately six minutes.

"We wanted to have something for people to take to nonhams and civic
clubs," said ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP. Haynie also anticipates
that the CD-ROM production will come in handy during his visits to Capitol
Hill. Haynie recently wowed those attending the January ARRL Board meeting
by playing--and distributing--draft copies of the disk. A slightly
revised, final version is expected to be ready for distribution in early
February.

The presentation focuses on Amateur Radio's role in emergency
communications. Copyrighted by ARRL, the presentation is intended for
personal, noncommercial use as a tool to showcase Amateur Radio in a
manner that nonhams can relate to.

"Dozens of radio amateurs helped the police and fire departments and other
emergency services maintain communications in New York, Pennsylvania and
Washington, DC," narrator Cronkite intones in reference to ham radio's
response on September 11, 2001. "Their country asked, and they responded
without reservation." Amateur Radio Today also highlights ham radio's part
in helping various agencies respond to wildfires in the Western US during
2002 and mentions ham radio in space.

Haynie said he and Bell discussed the project, and Bell agreed to take it
on. Alan Kaul, W6RCL, authored the script, and Keith Glispie, WA6TFD,
edited the production. Haynie said Bell, Kaul and Glispie donated a lot of
their own time and effort in making the the video presentation a reality.

Amateur Radio "really is the best back-up communications system in the
world," Cronkite says in his concluding remarks, adding, "and that's the
way it is." That phrase was the one Cronkite always used to close out his
nightly newscasts during his tenure with CBS.

Individuals may order a copy of the Amateur Radio Today CD-ROM
(approximately 70 MB) from the ARRL on-line catalog
<https://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=8861>. Plans are under way to also
make Amateur Radio Today available in other video formats if there is
sufficient demand. ARRL will make the presentation available for
downloading from its Web site as soon as the final version is available.
All that's needed to show the presentation to a group is a laptop computer
with a CD drive plus a large monitor or a video projector and screen.

Bell, a Hollywood TV producer, is a past chairman of the ARRL Public
Relations Committee. Kaul is an NBC Television producer. Bill Pasternak,
WA6ITF, of Amateur Radio Newsline also assisted in the presentation's
production.

Because of copyright restrictions, Amateur Radio Today may not be
broadcast, multicast or cablecast in any manner. Those seeking to
distribute copies of Amateur Radio Today must contact ARRL for permission.
To request permission, send your name and contact information and a brief
description of the intended use to ARRL Editorial and Production Manager,
225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; permission@arrl.org.

==>AMATEUR RADIO BOOSTS MARCONI CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION INTO ORBIT

The magic touch of a princess helped to put Amateur Radio center stage
January 18 on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, during events marking the 100th
anniversary of the first transatlantic wireless message transmitted by
Guglielmo Marconi. For the occasion, Marconi's youngest daughter--Princess
Elettra Marconi--launched greetings into space via an Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) hookup to ISS crew commander Ken
Bowersox, KD5JBP.

"One hundred years ago today, my father, Guglielmo Marconi, sent the first
wireless message across the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod," Princess
Elettra said from a packed auditorium at the Cape Cod National Seashore
Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham. "In this same spirit of his
achievement and also from Cape Cod I send this wireless greeting to you in
space. Cordial greetings, good wishes and God bless you"

Replied Bowersox from NA1SS, "It's wonderful to hear your voice across the
radio waves. It's amazing how far our societies and radio communication
have come in the past 100 years."

On January 18, 1903, Marconi sent wireless greetings on behalf of
President Theodore Roosevelt to Great Britain's King Edward VII. Events
throughout the week leading up to the ARISS contact included two Amateur
Radio special event stations. KM1CC operated from a National Seashore site
not far from Marconi's original Cape Cod radio station, transmitting a
commemorative message from President George W. Bush and retransmitting
Marconi's original 1903 text. Another special event station, WA1WCC, was
on the air from the former WCC shore station in Chatham, where Marconi had
relocated operations after the ocean threatened to claim the antenna
support towers of his original station. Princess Elettra also visited the
WA1WCC special event site.

Following Princess Elettra's introductory remarks, eight students from
three Cape Cod high schools took turns firing a total of 18 questions at
Bowersox as hundreds of visitors and some two dozen news media
representatives looked on. Serving as mentor for the noontime Cape Cod
contact was ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. The students'
curiosity ranged from research goals to whether Bowersox had any desire to
undertake a trip deeper into space--perhaps to Mars.

Bowersox said his wife has forbidden him to go to Mars--a comment that
drew a chuckle from the audience--but said he'd volunteer for a deep-space
mission if he could bring his family along.

"I think someday we're going to leave Earth," Bowersox predicted in
response to one of the students' questions. "We're going to move on out of
our solar system out to the stars, and we're just taking the baby steps
now. Your generation will take us a lot farther, I hope."

Handling earth-station duties for the ARISS contact was Nancy Rocheleau,
WH6PN, in Honolulu. A WorldCom teleconferencing arrangement made two-way
audio available on Cape Cod. Students selected were from Provincetown High
School, Cape Cod Technical and Vocational School and Nauset Regional High
School.

"The ARISS contact at the Marconi centennial event was a tremendous
success," said Bauer. "I must say that this contact was one of the more
impressive and awe-inspiring ARISS contacts we have accomplished." ARISS
<http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov> is an international effort with support from
ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.

==>LIMITED "LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD" TESTING IS A HIT

The long-anticipated "Logbook of the World" (LoTW)--the ARRL's secure
electronic contact-confirmation system--took a major leap toward public
release this month with several weeks of limited--or "alpha"--testing.
Dozens of Amateur Radio operators checked out a preliminary version of the
LoTW software, which is still under development. Once it's ready, LoTW
will provide a means for participants to qualify for awards such as DXCC
or WAS without having to first collect hard-copy QSL cards.

"This is cool!" exclaimed one alpha tester. "Slick!" declared another
tester. "It's pretty neat so far. This looks like a good start."

ARRL staffer Dave Patton, NT1N, said the limited test run was extremely
helpful. "One of the main things that will come out of this phase of
testing is a good package that will be ready to give to logging program
developers to incorporate into their software," he said.

ARRL Web and Software Development Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, explained that
the League hopes that logging software vendors will choose to add value to
their products by integrating LoTW client-side functions. "But the
software we provide to individual amateurs will be sufficient for basic
use of LoTW," he added. ARRL will not be releasing the LoTW server code,
however.

Linked via e-mail, the LoTW testers spent two weeks registering their call
signs, uploading logs and attempting to push the system to extremes. One
tester was amazed at its robust nature after he uploaded a complete
station log of about 320,000 QSOs. "I sent this blob expecting it to croak
the server, but it didn't!" he said.

Logbook of the World Project Leader Wayne Mills, N7NG, says LoTW won't
spell the end of QSL cards. Instead, he says, it will provide an avenue
for increased speed and accuracy for hams chasing awards, as well as
remove some chances for human error that can occur in the traditional
process.

"This is really a system to offer credits for awards," said Mills, who is
also ARRL's Membership Services manager. Mills said LoTW will minimize
opportunities to "game the system" or otherwise cheat--something that's
not always possible to detect even with paper QSLs. He emphasized that the
League has no plans to do away with accepting traditional QSL cards as
it's been doing all along. "We're not replacing the whole paper QSL scheme
with Logbook of the World," he said.

Unlike electronic QSLing systems now in use, LoTW is not set up to
exchange QSL "cards" via the Internet. The main idea is that ARRL will
maintain a secure log database that will be constantly updated by DXers,
contesters, DXpeditions and thousands of individual amateurs. Registering
and uploading electronic logs cost nothing; the only time a user will
incur a charge is when applying accumulated contact credits toward an
award.

LoTW beta testing for the general Amateur Radio public is expected to
begin soon. The ARRL has not announced a specific inauguration date for
Logbook of the World.

==>G3YWX WINS 2002 BILL ORR, W6SAI, TECHNICAL WRITING AWARD

Ian Poole, G3YWX, is the winner of the 2002 Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical
Writing Award, which is sponsored and administered by the ARRL Foundation.
Poole was chosen as the award's first recipient on the basis of his
article "Understanding Solar Indices," which appeared in September 2002
QST. The award's namesake, Bill Orr was an engineer, educator and
communicator of extraordinary ability and a frequent contributor to QST
and other ham radio magazines from the 1940s through the 1980s.

"I was extremely delighted to be told I had won the award, and I feel that
it is a great honor, especially as the award is named after such a great
name in Amateur Radio," Poole said. "I also feel really privileged to have
articles accepted by QST, because the magazine has a tremendous
reputation." He will receive an engraved plaque and a check for $250,
thanks to a fund established by Steve Cornell, K4AHA.

"Understanding Solar Indices" looks at the three main solar
indexes--10.7-cm solar flux, Ap and Kp--and shows how all hams interested
in DX can use these numbers to their advantage. Poole's winning article is
available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/0209038.pdf>.

QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, pointed out that the award criteria mandate
that the winning article must exemplify the writing philosophy of Orr, who
died two years ago. "The article should tell a technical story that
appeals to a broad audience extending beyond those individuals who have a
particular interest in the topic," Ford said. "In the opinion of the QST
editorial department, 'Understanding Solar Indices' was a top choice."

 An engineer, Poole has been a ham for more than 30 years and spends much
of his time on HF SSB and CW. In addition to having written several books
on propagation, VHF antennas and other topics, he has published more than
400 radio and electronics magazine articles. He's a long-time Radio
Society of Great Britain (RSGB) member.

==>VIRGINIA AMATEUR GROUP SETS NEW 145 GHz DX RECORD

Four amateurs from the Lynchburg, Virginia, area celebrated the new year
January 12 by breaking their own distance record on 145 GHz and by
confirming a fifth grid for VUCC <http://www.arrl.org/awards/vucc/> on yet
another microwave band. Brian Justin, WA1ZMS; Pete Lascell, W4WWQ; Hal
DeVuyst, KA4YNO; and G. P. "Geep" Howell, WA4RTS, spanned a nearly 80-km
path to set a new North American and world DX record.

"This claim should be the very first VUCC for that band, and it took two
years of hard work to make it happen," said Justin. Both stations
exchanged contact information using FSK-CW. All participants are members
of the Lynchburg Amateur Radio Club (K4CQ), of which Justin is president.
The group already has earned the first-issued VUCC awards on the 47 and 76
GHz bands.

Justin, who designed and built all of the equipment, set up his station in
grid square EM96wx in Southwest Virginia. On the other end of the circuit
was the W2SZ/4 station, with Howell, Lascell and De Vuyst. W2SZ/4 was at
approximately 4000 feet above sea level in Virginia's Bedford County in
grid square FM07fm. Lascell said while the team was setting up, he was
able to snag a 20-meter contact with KM1CC, the Marconi special event
station on Cape Cod. "A neat way to tie the bottom of the spectrum and the
beginning of radio to a new frontier 100 years later," he said.

Weather conditions were just right for the QSO to take place with little
wind and an extremely low dew point and no haze. Both stations ran about 4
mW of power and used one-foot dish antennas, which must be precisely
aimed.

Additional information is available on the Mt Greylock Expeditionary Force
Web site <http://www.mgef.org>.

==>BILL LEONARD, W2SKE, PROFESSIONAL MEDIA AWARD WINNERS NAMED

The ARRL 2002 Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award honors a group
project. The winners are Assistant News Director Jill Valley and News
Director Greg Schieferstein of KPAX-TV in Missoula, Montana. The Leonard
award is given annually to a professional journalist (or group) for
outstanding coverage of Amateur Radio in TV, radio, print or multimedia.
The winners will receive an engraved plaque and a check for $500.

KPAX-TV's winning submission was a news segment featuring Jenna
Rettenmayer, KD7MAD, a Missoula high school senior on the air making a
moonbounce (EME) contact. Rettenmayer decided to get her Amateur Radio
license as her senior project.

Members of the ARRL's Public Relations Committee, who judge the
nominations each year, said they were especially impressed with the
KPAX-TV piece. Not only did it feature a young woman who is interested in
Amateur Radio, it captured a moonbounce contact--a communication mode
that's outside the mainstream of typical hamming. The ARRL Board of
Directors ratified the PR Committee's decision this week.

In Amateur Radio circles, Bill Leonard is perhaps best remembered for his
1958 contribution to Sports Illustrated, "The Battle of the Hams," which
describes the "sport of DXing." In November of 1996, Leonard was inducted
into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. Leonard died in 1994.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2003 Professional Media Award.
For more information, including rules for entry and nomination forms,
contact ARRL Media Relations Manager Jennifer Hagy, jhagy@arrl.org;
860-594-0328.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar seer Tad "That Lucky Ol' Sun" Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Daily sunspot numbers and solar flux were down again this week.
Average daily sunspot numbers for the week were down by more than 43
points, and average daily solar flux dropped by more than 37 points.
Current geomagnetic conditions are unsettled to active, with planetary A
index for the past four days of the reporting period (through January 22)
at 16, 17, 17 and 17. On Thursday it rose to 19, and it should stay
unsettled for a few more days. Planetary A index for Friday through Monday
is predicted at 20, 15, 20 and 15.

Solar flux should decline for a few more days. Flux values predicted for
Friday through Monday are 135, 130, 125 and 125. Sunday and Monday should
have the minimum solar flux, and sunspot numbers for the near term then
are expected to rise to a short-term peak around February 6 or 7.

Sunspot numbers for January 16 through 22 were 135, 150, 148, 168, 184,
167 and 152, with a mean of 157.7. The 10.7-cm flux was 144.6, 141.7,
137.4, 130.2, 138, 133.6 and 129.5, with a mean of 136.4. Estimated
planetary A indices were 7, 8, 12, 16, 17, 17 and 17, with a mean of 13.4.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (CW), the REF
Contest (CW), the BARTG RTTY Sprint and the UBA DX Contest (SSB) are the
weekend of January 25-26. JUST AHEAD: The  North American Sprint (SSB),
the 10-10 International Winter Contest (SSB), the Delaware and Minnesota
QSO parties, the FYBO Winter QRP Field Day and the Mexico RTTY
International Contest are the weekend of February 1-2. 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 first class in Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006)
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/11/26/2/> and for the Satellite
Communications (EC-007) course opens Monday, January 27, 12:01 AM Eastern
Standard Time (0501 UTC). Registration will remain open through Sunday,
February 2. Classes begin Monday, February 3. Registration for the ARRL
Level III Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (EC-003) and HF Digital
Communications (EC-005) courses remains open through Sunday, January 26. A
new service now allows those interested in taking an ARRL Certification
and Continuing Education (C-CE) course to be advised via e-mail in advance
of registration opportunities. Send an e-mail to prereg@arrl.org. On the
subject line of your message, include the course name or number (eg,
EC-00#) in which you're interested. In the message body, include your
name, call sign, e-mail address and the month you want to start the
course. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> and the C-CE Links found
there. For more information, contact Certification and Continuing
Education Program Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, hrobins@arrl.org.

* FCC says power line communications technology shows promise: According
to an Associated Press report, the FCC's Office of Engineering and
Technology has found that power line communications (PLC), which can
enable high-speed Internet access over electric power lines, shows
promise. The OET has said that PLC is "beginning to look like a viable
alternative to cable and DSL connections to the Internet," AP reported. At
present, no regulations prevent the use of electric power lines to provide
Internet connections. The FCC wants to ensure that the technology does not
cause interference problems with other services, however. Some PLC devices
use digital signals that occupy spectrum into the upper HF range. These
signals can be radiated efficiently by some electrical wiring, so there
can be a significant potential impact on Amateur Radio. ARRL Lab
Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI, chairs an IEEE C63 "RFI" ad hoc working group
on the topic. "The problem with PLC is that if a company wants to supply
Internet service via PLC, it's going to happen at HF, and it will
radiate," Hare said. Last fall, the International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) Administrative Council noted the growing use of PLC for high-speed
data and expressed concerns that PLC radiation could interfere with
Amateur Radio reception. As a result of strong opposition from the Japan
Amateur Radio League (JARL), Japan's government said last summer that it
was too soon to allow PLC devices in that country between 2 MHz and 30
MHz, due to its interference potential to other HF users. AP says two
utilities, PPL of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Ameren of St Louis,
Missouri, are working with consumers to test Internet access over power
lines. PLC devices use overhead power lines and/or residential electrical
wiring to communicate digital signals--for networking within a home or to
provide Internet services to entire neighborhoods.

* President Haynie to visit Tropical Hamboree: ARRL President Jim Haynie,
W5JBP, will head the contingent of ARRL officers and staffers heading
south to sunny Florida February 1-2 for the 43rd annual Tropical Hamboree
in Miami. Haynie will hold an Amateur Radio forum at the event, held in
conjunction with the ARRL Florida State Convention. ARRL International
Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, will be on hand to discuss ham
radio on the international level--including this summer's World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03). RFI will be a hot topic as well.
ARRL Lab staffer Mike Gruber, W1MG, will talk to Hamboree attendees about
the causes and cures of RFI. ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, will
attend the South Florida DX Association forum and be available for
questions. Sponsored by the Dade Radio Club of Miami, the Hamboree is one
of the largest regional Amateur Radio gatherings in North America. It
kicks off Saturday, February 1 at 9 AM at the Fair-Expo Center in Miami
and continues through the next day. Complete information is available on
the Hamboree Web site <http://www.hamboree.org>, which also has contact
information for Spanish-speaking attendees.

* Contributing editor needed: The ARRL seeks a contributing editor with a
strong interest in and dedication to Amateur Radio and youth to produce a
monthly Web-based column on that topic consisting of text and photographs.
The individual selected will be compensated on a per-column basis.
Candidates should hold an Amateur Radio license, be active on the air and
be familiar with ham radio activities, programs and projects that appeal
to youthful amateurs or prospective amateurs. The preferred individual is
a younger amateur who possesses PC word processing skills, demonstrates a
flair for written expression, understands grammar and style requirements
and can regularly meet monthly deadlines. Contact Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
n1rl@arrl.org; 860-594-0222, for additional information.

* Official WRTC 2002 video now available: The official video of World
Radiosport Team Championship 2002 (WRTC 2002) held in Finland now is
available in DVD and VHS formats. Three camera crews covered as many teams
and events as they could during the actual 24 hour competition. An ESPN
announcer narrates the video, which is said to have been produced from "a
sports perspective." Running time is 60 minutes. Information on how to
obtain a copy is available on the DX & Contest Videos by 9V1YC Web site
<http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~jamesb/>.

===========================================================
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 <http://www.arrl.org> for
the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRLWeb Extra
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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
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To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail delivery:
ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
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