From n1ist@arrl.net  Sat Oct  4 22:02:46 2003
From: n1ist@arrl.net (Michael L. Ardai)
Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 17:02:46 -0400
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 39
Message-ID: <03100417024665@maven.atb.teradyne.com>

From:	SMTP%"letter-dlvy@arrl.org"  3-OCT-2003 21:46:31.14
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Subj:	The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 39

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 39
October 3, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +"Logbook of the World" off like a rocket
* +Round 1 of Morse petition comments ends
* +Japanese students enjoy last scheduled Expedition 7 ARISS QSO
* +Future funding uncertain for Space Environment Center
* +Ham radio Hurricane Isabel support winds down
* +Young ham wins DXpedition trip
* +W1ZR joins ARRL Headquarters team
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
     ARRL hosts workshop for new section managers
     Corrections

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>ARRL "LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD" IS OFF LIKE A ROCKET

Logbook of the World" (LoTW) <http://www.arrl.org/lotw>--the League's new
QSL-cardless awards and contact credit system--has proven to be a huge hit
with the amateur community. Since opening September 15, LoTW has acquired
more than 2200 registered participants. Another 2400 or so applications
are pending, and the QSO database of 4900 uploaded logs had topped 8
million contacts at week's end.

"Certainly the number of Qs that we've gotten is well above what we
expected at this point," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne
Mills, N7NG, who has been sharing duties with Assistant to the CEO David
Patton, NN1N, as point man for LoTW. ARRL Web and Software Development
Department Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, has been handling software development
and updating for LoTW.

LoTW is open to all, and applying for a digital certificate is the first
step toward taking advantage of the system. The digital certificate
authenticates the user's identity.

ARRL will maintain the ballooning repository of log data from casual
operators, DXers, contesters and major DXpeditions. LoTW will be able to
provide quick QSO credit for awards programs by identifying contact
matches within submitted log data. There have been 51,000 such matches to
date. Registered participants then will be able to apply LoTW-confirmed
QSO credits toward ARRL awards, such as DXCC, WAS and VUCC.

Work continues on the last major LoTW component--the Web pages to apply
LoTW confirmations toward ARRL-sponsored awards. Mills expects that LoTW
also will one day provide contact credits for non-ARRL programs. "Major
award sponsors have expressed interest in using LoTW records, and details
are pending," he said.

The key to the ultimate success of LoTW is for users to upload as much log
data as possible. The more contacts in the database, the better the
chances of a QSO match.

LoTW eventually will be able to search users' DXCC records and find new
credits automatically. The program also will provide full viewing of
users' DXCC records, automatically alert users to new awards achieved and
offer comprehensive support for many other awards.

Mills cautioned new users that LoTW permits just one digital certificate
request per call sign. He advised that once users apply for a certificate,
they should not attempt to alter it or create another request. Any errors,
he points out, can be corrected later. For US users, the first certificate
has to be for a current call sign that's in the FCC database. After you
get the certificate, you can request additional certificates for formerly
held call signs.

While the digital certificate is free, LoTW will charge on a per-credit
basis to apply credits toward awards. "Logbook of the World is an
alternative to collecting QSL cards by mail," Mills said. Fees
<http://www.arrl.org/lotw/fees> range from 25 cents for a single credit to
15 cents per credit in lots of 500. Users may purchase credits in advance,
but LoTW fees do not also cover award fees.

"It turns out that this is a much cheaper way to collect credits for
DXCC," Mills asserted. "Overall, we are very happy with the progress and
user acceptance."

This week, EchoLink <http://www.echolink.org> announced that it would
accept ARRL's LoTW's digital certificates to authenticate new users as an
alternative to providing a copy of their amateur license.

News and announcements will be posted to the Logbook of the World Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/lotw/>.

==>HUNDREDS COMMENT ON MORSE PETITIONS

Although the bell has sounded ending Round 1 of the comment period on the
initial seven Morse code-related petitions for rulemaking, members of the
Amateur Radio community continue to post their opinions. Some of the
petitions called for altogether eliminating Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse
test, from the Amateur Service rules (Part 97). The FCC recorded a total
of nearly 2300 comments on the petitions, although the number of
commenters is likely much smaller since many individuals commented on more
than one petition. While some were content to express a brief comment pro
or con, a few put forth recommendations that were nearly petitions in
themselves. The tenor of many comments reflected the fact that Morse code
remains an emotional issue.

"The CW issue, as expected, is a very gut-wrenching issue for many hams,"
ARRL Great Lakes Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, observed recently. "Sometimes
we mortals let issues to which we have emotional ties get out of
perspective."

The ARRL did not comment on any of the seven initial petitions for rule
making and has no plans to comment on any future such petitions. ARRL
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, explained that there's no
particular urgency to the issue and ample reason for the League to devote
its attention to issues having more immediacy such as the Broadband over
Power Line (BPL) threat.

"There have been numerous proposals submitted to the FCC with regard to
amateur licensing qualifications and privileges," Sumner said. "No doubt
there will be more. There is no need for the ARRL to react to each and
every one."

The Petition for Rule Making filed by the National Conference of Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC), designated RM-10787, attracted the most
attention, logging more than 600 comments. The NCVEC reported the tally on
its proposals was 56 percent in favor of dropping Element 1 and 43 percent
opposed, with 1 percent of the comments either undecipherable or taking no
position.

Other Morse-related petitions were filed by Peter M. Beauregard, KI1I,
Pete V. Coppola, KG4QDZ, and family, Tina Coppola, KG4YUM, and Pete A.
Coppola, KG4QDY, Kiernan K. Holliday, WA6BJH, Dale Reich, K8AD, Eric Ward,
N0HHS, and No-Code International <http://www.nocode.org>.

The FCC has yet to put another five Morse code-related petitions for
rulemaking on public notice and invite comments. Sumner predicted it would
be "months, if not longer" before the FCC takes any action on any of the
petitions. In the meantime, he said, "there is plenty of time for the ARRL
to receive considered input from its members and either to formulate a
reasoned proposal for change or a rationale for maintaining the status
quo."

At its January 2001 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors reaffirmed the
League's position to retain the Morse code examination requirement for HF
access. World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) left it up to
individual countries to decide whether or not they want a Morse
requirement for HF privileges.

In the wake of WRC-03, the ARRL Executive Committee has been working on
its own comprehensive Amateur Radio licensing proposal, of which the Morse
requirement would be a part. Once completed, the proposal will go to the
ARRL Board of Directors for consideration and possible action at its
January 2004 meeting.

"There is simply no urgency to address it any sooner than that," Sumner
said.

The most recent countries to summarily drop the Morse requirement are
Ireland, Singapore and Luxembourg. Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, Germany,
Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, New Zealand and Australia also have
moved to drop their Morse requirements or are expected to do so this year.

==>ARISS QSO WITH SCHOOL IN JAPAN IS LAST SCHEDULED FOR EXPEDITION 7 CREW

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) QSO September
20 with youngsters at Kagawa Junior High School in Ube City, Japan, was
the last scheduled ARISS school group contact for the current crew. Now
that Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and NASA ISS Science
Officer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, are nearing the end of their duty tour aboard the
ISS, school group contacts are on hold until the next crew arrives. Lu was
at the controls of NA1SS for the direct 2-meter contact with 8N4ISS in
Japan. Responding to the now almost inevitable "food question," Lu told
the youngsters there's a "pretty decent selection" of food onboard the
ISS, but . . .

"That being said, it has been five months up here and I am looking forward
to some different kinds of food when I get back down to the ground," he
conceded. Lu expressed mixed feelings about his life in space as compared
with life on Earth. He told the students that while he missed his friends
and family on Earth, "up here it's a very special place."

One student wanted to know if the astronauts could use fire in space.

"Well, it's not something we typically use up here," Lu responded, but he
went on to say that the ISS is equipped with solid-fuel oxygen generators
that are burned to produce oxygen.

"That is an emergency means of producing oxygen if our normal
oxygen-generating systems all fail--as a last resort," he said. Lu said
the devices also are used on submarines, but they are not normally used
aboard the ISS.

Thirteen students at the Japanese school got in more than a dozen
questions during the pass, which ran just under ten minutes before the ISS
went out of range. Handling Earth-station duties at 8N4ISS was Hisao
Emoto, JG4OHX. An audience of approximately 150 and several news media
representatives were on hand for the occasion.

ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international project with support
from ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.--Some information provided by Satoshi Yasuda.
7M3TJZ/AD6GZ

==>SPACE ENVIRONMENT CENTER FUNDING IN JEOPARDY

With final action pending by the US House and Senate on a Fiscal Year 2004
appropriations bill, the fate of the Space Environment Center (SEC)
<http://www.sec.noaa.gov/> in Boulder, Colorado, hangs in the balance. The
FY 2004 Senate appropriations bill has eliminated funds for the SEC and
for all space weather-related activities in the center's parent agency,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The House
version of the appropriations bill holds the center's funding at $5.2
million. The White House requested $8.3 million for the SEC. Seattle-based
ARRL propagation bulletin editor Tad Cook, K7RA, says the possible loss of
SEC's funding has him very concerned.

"The NOAA SEC provides all of the data for our weekly propagation bulletin
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>," Cook said. "It is SEC staff that
prepares the forecasts that I rely on when I tell readers what the
geomagnetic and solar indices will be during a given forecast period."
Cook encourages ARRL members to contact their senators and representatives
in Congress <http://thomas.loc.gov/home/legbranch/legbranch.html>, urging
them to restore the SEC's funding.

The Space Environment Center provides real-time monitoring and forecasting
of solar and geophysical events (see the Space Weather Now Web site
<http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SWN/>). Those include solar flares and
geomagnetic disturbances that can affect radio wave propagation. The SEC
Radio User's Page <http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio/> includes data and
information specific to the current state of the ionosphere. The center
also conducts research in solar-terrestrial physics and develops
techniques to forecast solar and geophysical disturbances.

With the US Air Force, the SEC also operates the Space Weather Operations
Center <http://www.sec.noaa.gov/AboutSEC/swo_page.html>, which serves as
the national and world warning center for disturbances that can affect
people and equipment--such as astronauts and communications
satellites--working in the space environment.

"It is the government's official source for alerts and warnings of
disturbances," Center Director Ernest Hildner explained in a recent
posting to SEC clients.

A Senate Appropriations Committee Report included a terse explanation on
funding cut. "The 'Atmospheric' in NOAA does not extend to the astral,"
the report said. "Absolutely no funds are provided for solar observation.
Such activities are rightly the bailiwick of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration and the Air Force."

The Department of Defense, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration
are among the SEC's customers, which also include the airlines, electric
power grid operators, communications facilities, satellite operators, the
National Space Weather Program and commercial providers of value-added
space weather services.

Hildner said that unless the SEC's appropriation level is increased in a
House-Senate conference committee, the most optimistic outlook is that the
SEC will shrink to less than half its capability--the House funding
level--or go away altogether under the Senate bill.

"In this case," he concluded, "the nation's space weather service will
have to be reconstituted in some other agency, at greater cost and lesser
capability, to meet the nation's needs."

==>AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT WINDS DOWN AS ISABEL RECOVERY CONTINUES

Hurricane Isabel is long gone, but its effects linger in the US Southeast,
especially in North Carolina. Amateur Radio activities supporting the
storm response, relief and recovery have wound down for the most part, but
one disaster relief professional has suggested an additional role for
Amateur Radio in these kinds of disasters. In North Carolina, joint
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN)-Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) support for The Salvation Army's relief efforts
in the Morehead City area ended September 30. Well over a dozen ham radio
volunteers participated. Carteret County Emergency Coordinator Rich
Wright, KR4NU, said his ARES/RACES team helped in areas where ham radio
provided the only reliable communication.

"Absolutely no communications available except ham radio," is how Wright
described one especially hard-hit area of Carteret County. Wright and his
ARES-RACES team stepped in late last week after Salvation Army mobile
kitchens from New York needed communication support. Amateurs also were
able to assist at several other sites in the region as well as at the
command center in Morehead City.

Jay Wilson, W0AIR <jay.wilson@dhs.gov>--a Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) director from Colorado--was among the disaster-relief
professionals working in North Carolina in Isabel's aftermath. Wilson
suggested that Amateur Radio operators could play an important role in
post-disaster relief that goes beyond providing communication support to
relief agencies.

"Right now, if hams did nothing else, just driving back roads and stopping
to talk with people would mean more than you can imagine," he said this
week. "Just helping to spread the word about where canteens are, and where
the FEMA/state application trailers are would help tremendously."

Wilson, who toured Tyrrell, Hyde and Dare counties, reported many were
still without power, telephone service and drinkable water. He says he saw
clusters of homes that had been flattened and people living in their cars.

"One older woman told me that she and her son had been living on swamp
critters and drinking ditch water for a week," Wilson related. "The lady
did not know that Salvation Army had a canteen about five miles from her
house and that they would get food delivered to anyone who couldn't come
to them." He and his team subsequently asked The Salvation Army volunteers
to put the family at the top of their list.

In another area, Wilson said, his team kept a FEMA trailer open after
realizing that residents just a couple of miles away were unaware that
outside aid had been sent.

A FEMA HAZMAT officer, Wilson is executive director of Disaster
Preparedness-Emergency Response Association (DERA)
<http://www.disasters.org/dera/dera.htm>, a nonprofit international
service organization and an ARRL-affiliated club. He was among five
amateurs--also disaster professionals--working at the FEMA/state disaster
field office (DFO) in Raleigh, where he served as emergency services
branch chief. The team was expected to remain there until week's end.

Wilson said the team made extensive use of EchoLink via the DERA-provided
N3DAK portable repeater. The 20-meter SATERN Net (14.265 MHz) provided HF
liaison for travel into the primary disaster area.

"Strange, isn't it?" Wilson asked rhetorically. "The emergency is over and
now the real suffering begins just as the outside world loses interest."

Chesapeake Amateur Radio Service President Ruth Bigio, KB4LIF, reports
that more than 30 hams responded to an activation in Virginia's Tidewater
Area that lasted 12 days. "Hams took HF reports and passed traffic up to
the state EOC and worked the Hurricane Watch Net <http://www.hwn.org> from
their homes, while others worked UHF/VHF," she said. "SKYWARN reports from
all over Tidewater poured into our EOC and were passed on to Wakefield
NWS." Tidewater Area hams also supported communication at more than a
dozen shelters, provided damage assessments and assisted in clearing
roadways. Bigio says ARES members later helped The Salvation Army and
American Red Cross relief efforts.--some information provided via Bob
Dockery, WD4CNZ

==>YOUNG HAM WINS DXPEDITION TRIP

Fourteen-year-old Daniel Bradke, W2AU, of Niskayuna, New York, will
operate as part of the VP5X Contest Group for the CQ World Wide CW contest
November 29-30. Bradke was the winner of a competition sponsored by the
VP5X Contest Group, headed by David Kopacz, KY1V.

"Daniel's essay, operating skills and enthusiasm have moved our contest
team to select him to be our first annual VP5X Young Ham Team Member,"
said an announcement on the VP5X Contest Group Web site
<http://www.vp5x.com/>. That means an all expenses-paid trip for the
contest DXpedition.

An Amateur Extra class licensee since age 11, Bradke can handle CW at 30
WPM. He's a member of the ARRL, the Yankee Clipper Contest Club
<http://www.ycc.org/> and FISTS <http://www.fists.org> and regularly
operates during the ARRL Straight Key Night each New Year's Day (UTC).

The trip to Turks and Caicos will mark his first DXpedition.

His dad, John Bradke, W2GB, says he urged his son apply for the call sign
that had once belonged to Paul Wandelt of W2AU balun and antenna fame
(Unadilla Radiation Products). The elder Bradke says he met Wandelt a few
times in the 1960s and never dreamed he'd have a son who would one day
hold the well-known call sign.

There's more information on Daniel Bradke under his call sign listing on
the QRZ.com Web site <http://www.qrz.com/>.

==>W1ZR JOINS ARRL STAFF

Joel Hallas, W1ZR, has joined the ARRL staff as an assistant technical
editor. Hallas' primary responsibility is to oversee the process of
reviewing new Amateur Radio equipment and to edit the "Product Review"
column in QST. Hallas, 61, also serves as managing editor for NCJ
<http://www.ncjweb.com> and as a member of the team that reviews technical
articles submitted for QST publication. He arrived at ARRL Headquarters in
August.

"I've always wanted to be able to work here at Headquarters," Hallas said.
"It's really important to keep QST readers informed about the current
array of equipment available, to let them know what's out there and
provide meaningful information to help them in the selection process."

Hallas spent his early years in Garden City, New York, where he was first
introduced to Amateur Radio at age 11. It all began after he traded his
favorite cap pistol for a friend's crystal set. "I could hear a neighbor,
Bob Griffith, W2ZUC, a couple blocks away coming through on 20 meter AM,"
Hallas recalled. "I went and saw his station, and then built a little
one-tube regenerative receiver. He got his Novice ticket in 1954.

Hallas is a US Army veteran (he once operated as DL5HC while stationed in
Germany in the mid-1960s) and he holds degrees in electrical engineering.
He enjoys CW, collecting and operating vintage ham gear, PSK31 and marine
mobile while onboard his sailboat. He and his wife Nancy, W1NCY, live in
Westport, Connecticut.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Ra the sun god Tad "I'll Follow the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: This has been a good week for HF propagation. Not only have we
moved into fall with its associated good HF propagation around the
equinox, but this week also saw rising sunspot and solar flux values
coupled with quieter geomagnetic conditions.

Average daily sunspot numbers rose from the week previous by 33 points to
125. The average daily solar flux for the week was nearly 15 points higher
at 133.6. Excepting the first day of the reporting week, when the
planetary A index was 28, these numbers settled down to average only
12--nearly 15 points lower than the previous week. The quietest days were
Sunday through Tuesday, September 28-30. Even at high latitudes,
conditions were stable, with Alaska's college A index at four on two of
the days.

We are now within a solar wind, but it is moderate and probably won't
cause any upset, at least for the next few days. Predicted planetary A
index for Friday through Sunday, October 3-5, is 12, 10 and 10. On Monday
it could rise to 15, then higher numbers are predicted, a planetary A
index of 20 for October 7-8. Solar flux is expected around 120-125 over
the next week.

Sunspot numbers for September 25 through October 1 were 122, 127, 137,
139, 108, 116 and 126, with a mean of 125. The 10.7-cm flux was 132.6,
131.1, 129.7, 137, 135.1, 133 and 136.8, with a mean of 133.6. Estimated
planetary A indices were 28, 17, 9, 6, 7, 7 and 10, with a mean of 12.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The California QSO Party, the SARL 80-Meter
QSO Party, the TARA PSK31 Rumble, the Oceania DX Contest (SSB), the EU
Autumn Sprint (SSB), the QCWA QSO Party and the RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest
(SSB) are the weekend of October 4-5. JUST AHEAD: The YLRL Anniversary
Party (CW) is October 8-10. The North American Sprint (RTTY), 10-10 Day
Sprint, Oceania DX Contest (CW), Autumn Sprint (CW), Pennsylvania QSO
Party, FISTS Fall Sprint, Iberoamericano Contest are the weekend of
October 11-12. The YLRL Anniversary Party (SSB) is October 15-17. 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, October 6, 12:01 AM EDT (0401 UTC), for the on-line Level I
Emergency Communications course (EC-001). Registration remains open
through the October 11-12 weekend or until all available seats have been
filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, October 21. Thanks to
our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and
the United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon
enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
During this registration period, approximately 175 seats are being offered
to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. Senior amateurs are
strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Those
interested in taking an ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE)
course in the future can sign up to be advised via e-mail in advance of
registration opportunities. To take advantage, send an e-mail to
prereg@arrl.org. On the subject line, indicate the course name or number
(eg, EC-00#) and the month you want to start the course. In the message
body, provide your name, call sign, and e-mail address. Please do not send
inquiries to this mailbox. 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 Emergency Communications
Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, <dmiller@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340.

* ARRL hosts workshop for new section managers: Fifteen new or incoming
ARRL Section Managers, one Vice Director and one Vice Director-elect
visited ARRL Headquarters September 5-7 for a Section Manager training
workshop. The session offered a chance for SMs to become better acquainted
with ARRL programs and services, share ideas, explore common problems and
seek solutions and learn more about their responsibilities as ARRL Field
Organization leaders. "The SMs are truly the backbone of the ARRL Field
Organization," said Hudson Division Vice Director-elect Joyce Birmingham,
KA2ANF, who sat in on this year's workshop. "I salute them!" ARRL Field
Organization/Public Service Team Leader Steve Ewald, WV1X, led discussions
on a variety of topics as well as an open forum, and several ARRL staffers
shared duties describing their particular programs and activities. Some
individuals with prior SM experience also participated in the weekend
event. San Joaquin Valley SM Charles McConnell, W6DPD, had served
approximately 15 years as a section leader before returning as SM in July
2002. Pacific SM Bob Schneider, AH6J, who took over the reins there in
April 2002, was Pacific SM from 1992 until 1996, and Illinois SM Shari
Harlan, N9SH, returned to office in July 2002 after having served from
1990 to 1994. None of the three had ever attended a workshop before,
however. McConnell, Schneider and Harlan--along with Eastern Massachusetts
SM Phil Temples, K9HI, and New England Vice Director Mike Raisbeck--were
able to augment the discussions with their perspectives and experiences.
For West Texas SM John Dyer, AE5B, getting a chance to make his first
contact from W1AW--the "mother ship station," as he called it--was the
thrill of a lifetime and a big surprise. He managed to hook up with former
West Texas SM Clay Emert, K5TRW, now a West Texas Assistant SM. "Against
all odds and totally unplanned, Clay and I each had a 'first,'" Dyer
remarked afterward. "Life is good, and ham radio is fun!"

* Corrections: In "Court kicks New York ham's "police radio" case" in The
ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 36 (Sep 12, 2003), the call sign of attorney Susan
Terry was incorrect. It is KG4SUE. In "W1AW 160-meter transmission to QSY
slightly," in The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 37 (Sep 19, 2003), we reported
that W1AW would shift its 160-meter bulletin frequency from 1818 kHz to
1817.5 kHz starting September 29. This change affects only the CW bulletin
and code practice transmissions. W1AW's 160-meter phone bulletins continue
to be on 1855 kHz. In "Red Cross Unit Compliments Amateur Radio Assistance
During Isabel," in The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 38 (Sep 26, 2003), we
incorrectly characterized the number of field canteens the Salvation Army
was operating in North Carolina during its Hurricane Isabel relief
efforts. Salvation Army Team Emergency Network (SATERN) Greater New York
City Liaison Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, said The Salvation Army was operating
"many canteens" and various Salvation Army sites at the time of our story.

===========================================================
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Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 39
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2003 18:45:09 -0400
To: ardai@maven.atb.teradyne.com
From: "ARRL Letter Mailing List" <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>

From n1ist@arrl.net  Mon Oct 20 13:06:46 2003
From: n1ist@arrl.net (Michael L. Ardai)
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 08:06:46 -0400
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 41
Message-ID: <03102008064601@maven.atb.teradyne.com>

From:	SMTP%"letter-dlvy@arrl.org" 18-OCT-2003 01:50:08.91
To:	ardai@maven.atb.teradyne.com
CC:	
Subj:	The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 41

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 41
October 17, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +President Haynie says letters are key to legislation
* +Ham yields license following alleged police radio interference
* +New, two-ham crew ready to take over ISS reins
* +Brazil will host next WRTC
* +More details released on 3C0V team's ouster from Annobon
* +First statewide SET in Florida deemed a success
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course registration
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     JOTA! JOTA! JOTA!
     Papua New Guinea latest to drop Morse requirement
     Hams honored at Montana forest fire volunteers appreciation picnic
     DCC Proceedings available from ARRL
     Ham radio news is as close as your cell phone

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>HAYNIE: LETTERS=VOTERS=SUPPORT ON AMATEUR RADIO LEGISLATION

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says the good news is that the number of
House cosponsors for the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, HR 713,
has topped 50. The Senate version of the legislation, S 537, now has eight
cosponsors. The downside, Haynie says, is that the Spectrum Protection
Bill as well as the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency
Act, HR 1478, will need many more cosponsors if either is to succeed.

"I'm frustrated," Haynie said this week. "Neither one of these bills is
ever going to see the light of day unless we get more cosponsors." While
thanking those who already have done so, Haynie again encouraged ARRL
members to not only urge their senators and representatives to cosponsor
the bills but to write and ask them to actively support them.

"It's going to take 10,000 letters, it's going to take 50,000 letters or
contacts," Haynie said. "To me, this is a no-brainer. This is something
that's important to the future of Amateur Radio."

Sponsored in the House by Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and in the Senate
by Sen Michael Crapo (R-ID), the Spectrum Protection Act would require the
FCC to provide "equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if the
FCC reallocates primary amateur frequencies, reduces any secondary amateur
allocations, or makes additional allocations within such bands that would
substantially reduce their utility to amateurs.

The latest House members to sign aboard HR 713 include representatives Jo
Bonner (R-AL); John Peterson (R-PA); Albert Wynn (D-MD); George Nethercutt
(R-WA); Jim Ramstad (R-MN); Barney Frank (D-MA); Todd Tiahrt (R-KS); and
Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-CA). The latest Senate members to sign aboard S
537 are Carl Levin (D-MI) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT).

HR 713 has been referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the
Internet. In June, Haynie testified before that panel, telling lawmakers
that that hams have lost more than 100 MHz of VHF and UHF spectrum over
the past 15 years and that another nearly 360 MHz of VHF and UHF spectrum
"has been substantially compromised." S 537 has been referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act, HR 1478--known
informally as "the CC&R bill"--would require private land-use regulators
such as homeowners' associations to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio
antennas consistent with the PRB-1 limited federal preemption. PRB-1 now
applies only to states and municipalities. Introduced by Rep Steve Israel
(D-NY), the bill has been referred to the House Commerce Subcommittee on
Telecommunications and the Internet and now has 29 cosponsors.

Among the latest to get onboard HR 1478 are JD Hayworth (R-AZ); David
Price (D-NC); Rep Mike McIntyre (NC); Anna G. Eshoo (CA-14); and Mark
Udall (D-CO). No equivalent bill yet exists in the Senate.

Haynie says that if ARRL members value Amateur Radio and want these
proposals to succeed, they'll make the time to write letters or send
e-mails pushing for support of the three measures. "Peoples' own words and
their own expressions are what's going to count, not some canned letter
from Newington," Haynie said, while conceding that a form letter "is
better than nothing." Haynie said a personally crafted letter or e-mail
"adds a lot of weight."

Sample letters on the ARRL Web site for the Amateur Radio Spectrum
Protection Act of 2003
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html#sample> and for the Amateur
Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr1478/sample-letter.html> cite Amateur
Radio's role in public safety and emergency communication.

"We'll do our part to get more organizations to support these bills,"
Haynie said. The League has been contacting other organizations involved
in public safety that have firsthand knowledge of the value of ham radio
to the public and advocating their support. But, Haynie said, letters from
individual voters get the most attention.

Cosponsorship is important while a bill is in committee, and Haynie
suggests that a representative or senator who gets 40 or 50 letters from
on a topic is going want to sign on to that bill.

"I can't emphasize enough the importance of that contact to the member of
Congress from the constituents out there in the district," Haynie
concluded, "because that's the ticket."

For guidance on the best methods of contacting your members of Congress,
see "Communicating with Congress," by Derek Riker, KB3JLF, on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/0304046.pdf> or in the April
2003 issue of QST (p 46).

Additional information--including the bills' texts and information on how
to write your congressperson or senators--is on the ARRL's "The Amateur
Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003" Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html> and on the "HR 1478, The
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2003" Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr1478/>.

Those writing their lawmakers on behalf of either bill are asked to copy
their correspondence to the League via e-mail: Spectrum Protection Act, HR
713/S 637 <specbill03@arrl.org> or Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Consistency Act, HR 1478 <ccr-bill@arrl.org>.

==>AMATEUR TO TURN IN TICKET IN POLICE RADIO INTERFERENCE CASE

The FCC says an Indiana amateur has agreed to relinquish his Amateur Radio
operator license for two years as a result of allegations that he
interfered with local police department radio transmissions. FCC Special
Counsel Riley Hollingsworth outlined the terms of the agreement in a
September 23 letter to Technician licensee Justin L. Whaley, KC9DCP, of
Columbia City. According to the letter, the FCC notified Whaley last March
that close-proximity direction finding evidence indicated that the
licensee had interfered with the operation of the Columbia City Police
Department radio system early this year.

The agreement--which Whaley had not yet signed as of this week--calls on
him to resolve the enforcement issues he faces by relinquishing his
Amateur Radio operator license for two years. Whaley also must agree not
to maintain an amateur station nor to use anyone else's station.
Hollingsworth said that since Whaley shut down his station last March 28,
the agreement would remain in effect until March 28, 2005. Hollingsworth
requested that Whaley sign the letter and return it to the FCC along with
his Amateur Radio license.

The FCC meanwhile is seeking additional information from three other
licensees who allegedly used ham gear to transmit on police or emergency
frequencies.

Hollingsworth wrote General-class licensee Tom L. Christman, KB2NAV, of
Albany, New York, on September 22 regarding a complaint from the Albany
County Sheriff's Department's Office of Professional Standards. The FCC
asked Christman, a sheriff's department maintenance worker, to respond to
allegations that he used his ham radio transceiver to make transmissions
on sheriff's department frequencies last December "without a legitimate
purpose." The sheriff's department has requested that the FCC suspend or
revoke Christman's amateur license.

Hollingsworth also wrote two North Carolina Technician-class
amateurs--Daniel E. Buchanan, KF4LNE, of Montreat, and Joseph S. "Shannon"
Hutchins, KG4SXD, of Swannanoa--concerning complaints from the Black
Mountain Police Department alleging that both had transmitted on police
frequencies last February. The transmissions apparently were made using a
handheld transceiver while Buchanan and Hutchins were in the same vehicle.

Documents from the Asheville/Buncombe County District Attorney's Office
assert that the Black Mountain police channel had experienced "numerous
transmissions" earlier this year on a police frequency (156.01 MHz)
"including verbal profanity and racial slurs." A police officer who
questioned Buchanan and Hutchins said they admitted transmitting on police
frequencies. They later voluntarily signed statements to that effect in
which each blamed the other for making the racial slur.

The District Attorney's Office statement said that one transmission last
February 8, while police were attempting to respond to an auto accident
involving multiple injuries, "prevented officers from communication with
dispatch or each other."
Hollingsworth this month also heard from amateurs in the Los Angeles area
that some repeater owners are shutting down their machines due to alleged
ongoing interference from Jack Gerritsen, formerly KG6IRO. The FCC
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau set aside Gerritsen's license in 2001 a
few days after granting it after learning that he'd been convicted the
previous year on state charges of interfering with Los Angeles Police
Department radio transmissions.

Imprisoned, paroled and imprisoned again after breaking parole for
allegedly having and operating radio equipment without a license,
Gerritsen was released early due to jail overcrowding.

Hollingsworth said the FCC continues to work the case, but he expressed
frustration that Gerritsen was let out of prison again with no conditions
or restrictions "even regarding radio, which is what he was in there for
in the first place."

==>NEW TWO-HAM ISS CREW SET TO HEAD INTO SPACE

The International Space Station (ISS) crew is getting ready to have
company and to head back to Earth. Aboard the ISS since April, Expedition
7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu,
KC5WKJ, this week have been preparing for the arrival of their
replacements--the Expedition 8 team of Mike Foale, KB5UAC, and Alexander
Kaleri, U8MIR. This week, the Expedition 7 crew also took time to extend
wishes for good fortune to China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei.

"That is very good news. It's nice to see this happen," said Lu, during a
conversation with ground controllers in which he also expressed wishes in
Chinese that Yang Liwei "have a safe journey" in space. "From one
spacefaring nation to another, we wish them congratulations." After
sharing space with the ISS for 14 orbits, Yang's Shenzhou V space capsule
landed safely in Mongolia October 16.

Foale, Kaleri and European Space Agency Astronaut Pedro Duque, KC5RGG, are
set to head into space themselves Saturday, October 18, at 0538 UTC aboard
a Russian Soyuz transporter. They'll launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan. After docking with the ISS on October 20 and a week of
crew-change activity, Malenchenko, Lu and Duque will return to Earth
aboard the Soyuz vehicle that's now attached to the ISS.

While Duque is onboard the ISS, he will attempt Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> school
group contacts October 23 with Ceip Seixalbo School and October 26 with
the Casa de las Palabrabas museum, both in his native Spain. Duque will
use the special event ED4ISS call sign issued to him by his native
country.

The English-born Foale, 46, will serve as the Expedition 8 commander and
NASA ISS science officer. Kaleri, 47, will be the Soyuz commander and ISS
flight engineer. Both are Mir veterans with long-term spaceflight
experience.

With the NASA shuttle fleet still grounded for another year, two-person
crews will be the rule. The Soyuz, which carries three passengers, will
remain the prime crew transport system. Russian Progress rockets will
transport needed supplies. Foale and Kaleri will spend approximately six
months aboard the ISS.

ARISS Russian delegate Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, completed final Amateur
Radio training with the Expedition 8 crew on September 29 in Russia.
Several US amateurs recently enjoyed casual contacts with NA1SS, as
confirmed by Lu. They included KF4LGA, WB8OTH, N8DZM, and KG4IIE.

==>BRAZIL TO HOST NEXT WORLD RADIOSPORT TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

The next World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) will be held in 2006 in
Brazil. That announcement came October 11 from the World Radiosport Team
Championship Sanctioning Committee, the Liga de Amadores de Radio Emissco
(LABRE) <http://www.labre.org/> and the Araucaria DX Group (GADX)
<http://www.inepar.com.br/araucaria/radio.htm>. Steve Morris, K7LXC,
chairs the WRTC Sanctioning Committee.

Last held in Finland in July 2002, the WRTC is a competition among
two-person teams drawn from among the world's top Amateur Radio contest
operators. This event brings competitors together in a single geographical
area.

The on-the-air portion of the event is held in conjunction with the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF World Championship
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/rules-iaru.html>, although
WRTC rules differ in some respects from those of the IARU event, and
scoring is done separately.

WRTC stations run 100 W and have comparably modest antenna
systems--typically a dipole for the low bands and a triband Yagi for the
higher bands. The idea is to minimize the variables associated with radio
contesting, thereby emphasizing each team's operating skills.

The WRTC 2006 competition will take place in the vicinity of
Florianopolis, capital of the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil.
"This event is open to everyone--competitor and spectator alike," said Oms
Atilano, PY5EG of GDAX. "Everyone is invited to attend WRTC 2006." Atilano
said a WRTC 2006 Web site is in the offing.

The contesting duo of Jeff Steinman, N5TJ, and Dan Street, K1TO, took home
the WRTC gold for the third time in the 2002 event in Finland. Steinman
and Street also topped the field of some 50 teams in WRTC 2000 in Slovenia
as well as at WRTC 96 in the San Francisco Bay area of California. There's
no word yet on whether they plan to compete in WRTC 2006.

==>3C0V TEAM WAS GIVEN JUST HOURS TO LEAVE

The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com> reports this week that the Annobsn
Island 3C0V DXpedition <http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/ea5yn/>
team was given just a few hours to leave October 4 after the island's
military commander reportedly objected to the Amateur Radio operators'
presence. The 3C0V operation commenced September 26, and--until its abrupt
and unceremonious termination--intended to continue until October 11.
Before the shutdown, the four-member group managed to log numerous
contacts on 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters. The Daily DX Editor Bernie
McClenny, W3UR, spoke October 12 with team member Franz Langner, DJ9ZB,
now safely home in Germany.

"Franz says the 3C0V crew first met with the governor of the island and
the head of the military on their arrival there," McClenny reports. "At
that time they had the approval to operate from both of these officials.
Gifts were even presented." McClenny says the group had a "proper license"
and a landing permit good for two years.

"On Saturday [October 4] at 10 AM local they were told they had two to
three hours to take everything down and be ready to leave," McClenny said,
adding that the demand came from the military commander of the island. A
news update on the 3C0V Web site said military authorities frequently had
interrupted the DXpedition.

After dismantling the equipment and antennas and leaving nothing behind,
all four operators boarded a plane to Malabo, the capital of Equatorial
Guinea. A part of Equatorial Guinea, Annobsn, is located in the Gulf of
Guinea off Africa's west coast. The other 3C0V operators also have since
returned home and are reported to be okay.

The 3C0V logs reportedly are safe and expected to eventually be loaded
onto the 3C0V Web page. The DXCC Desk has not yet approved the 3C0V
DXpedition for DXCC. EA5BYP kept open the possibility of a future attempt
to activate Annobsn Island.

==>HUGE POWER OUTAGE IS SCENARIO FOR FIRST STATEWIDE FLORIDA SET

For the first time, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members in all
three Florida ARRL sections participated in a Simulated Emergency Test
(SET) October 2-4. Appropriately enough--given the August 14 power outage
in the Northeast--the scenario was a three-day statewide electrical power
outage. A QNC ("All net stations copy!") went out to all Florida amateurs
October 2 to advise of the SET. Also sent was a request from the Florida
State Warning Point--which monitors for major incidents and
emergencies--for status information from all Red Cross chapters in
Florida.

"With no advance warning as to the nature of the emergency, amateurs
across the state quickly responded to the requests," reported ARRL West
Central Florida Section Manager Dave Armbrust, AE4MR. "Special nets were
called and scheduled with checkins from stations operating on emergency
power."

Armbrust said he was impressed by the number of stations that had
emergency power capability. "A large number had generators and large
quantities of fuel on hand," he said. "There is no question in my mind
that if we had a statewide power outage, it would not mean that Amateur
Radio would be off the air."

Armbrust said the SET clearly established that many Florida amateurs
consider it essential to continue to be able to communicate when
conventional power fails. "They have, at great expense to themselves, set
up stations that will remain on the air in all but the most extreme
circumstances," he said. "They will be there when we need them the most."

Armbrust reported "exceptional cooperation" among the three
sections--Northern Florida, Southern Florida and West Central Florida. "We
clearly proved that all ARES and National Traffic System (NTS) members in
the state can work together as a single large team if a statewide disaster
would require us to do so," he concluded.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Sun watcher Tad "Who can make the sun shine, on a cloudy day?" Cook, K7RA,
Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar flux and sunspot numbers were lower
this week, but the planetary A index was higher. In general, we like to
see the reverse for favorable HF propagation. The planetary A index was
low for October 9-12, but on October 14 and 15 conditions were quite
stormy. This is because a coronal hole on the sun was spewing a strong
solar wind, and the interplanetary magnetic field pointed south, leaving
Earth vulnerable. Planetary A index was 48 and 42 on October 14 and 15,
and Alaska's high-latitude college A index was 65 and 71.

When the sunspot count went to 24 on October 14, this was the lowest
sunspot number since May 10 of this year, when it was 22. We should expect
more days like this as the solar cycle declines.

Over the next few days, sunspot numbers and solar flux should rise, with
solar flux values peaking around October 25 at 130. Solar wind over the
next few days should cause more geomagnetic upset, with the October 17-22
planetary A index pegged at 25, 20, 15, 15, 30 and 25.

Sunspot numbers for October 9 through 15 were 68, 79, 77, 35, 25, 24 and
29, with a mean of 48.1. The 10.7-cm flux was 110.8, 111.8, 105.8, 97.8,
94.4, 92.4 and 95.9, with a mean of 101.3. Estimated planetary A indices
were 8, 5, 5, 6, 13, 48 and 42, with a mean of 18.2.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: Jamboree On the Air (JOTA--see below), the
JARTS World Wide RTTY Contest, the ARCI Fall QSO Party, the Worked All
Germany Contest, the W/VE Islands QSO Party, the Asia-Pacific Sprint (CW),
the RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest (CW) and the Illinois QSO Party are the weekend
of October 18-19. JUST AHEAD: The CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB) and the
10-10 International Fall Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 25-26.
The ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW) is the weekend of November 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 Emergency Communications course registration: Registration opens
Monday, October 20, 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (0401 UTC), for the
Level III Emergency Communications on-line course (EC-003). Registration
remains open through the October 25-26 weekend or until all available
seats have been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday,
November 4. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and
Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45
registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful
completion of the course. During this registration period, approximately
50 seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served
basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education (C-CE) <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> 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 Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the HF Digital Communications (EC-005) and VHF/UHF--Life
Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) courses opens Monday, October 20, 12:01 AM
Eastern Daylight Time (0401 UTC). Registration remains open through
Sunday, October 26. Classes begin Monday, October 27. Registration for the
ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) course remains open through Sunday, October
19. Those interested in taking an ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education (C-CE) course in the future can sign up to receive advance
notification of registration opportunities. To take advantage, send an
e-mail to prereg@arrl.org. On the subject line, indicate the course name
or number (eg, EC-00#) and the month you want to start the course. In the
message body, provide your name, call sign, and e-mail address. Please do
not send inquiries to this mailbox. 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.

* JOTA! JOTA! JOTA! The 2003 Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html> begins Saturday, October 18, at
0001 local time and ends Sunday, October 19, at 2359 local time. JOTA
gives Amateur Radio operators and clubs a chance to let Boy Scouts and
Girl Scouts (Cub Scouts, Brownies and Girl Guides are welcome) share
experiences over the air with other scouts. It's also an opportunity to
take part in a worldwide scouting tradition that's now in its 46th year.
Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be on the air for JOTA the afternoon of
October 18. ARRL Educational Programs Coordinator Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS,
points out that ARRL has revamped the JOTA survey/log form
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jotalog/>. JOTA participants are
encouraged to complete and submit the form on the Web. Last year, more
than 10,000 Scouts from around the US took part in JOTA. Details are on
page 46 of the September issue of QST. Also see "Jamboree On The Air 2003
is October 18-19" <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/09/21/1/>. For
additional information, contact Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, jwolfgang@arrl.org.

* Papua New Guinea latest to drop Morse requirement: Rick Warnett, P29KFS,
reports that the Papua New Guinea Telecommunications Administration
(PANGTEL) has deleted Morse code as a requirement for HF access. The
decision came on October 6 and will be formally announced in the next few
days, said Warnett--the International Amateur Radio Union representative
for the Papua New Guinea Amateur Radio Society. "Some 30 to 40 new 'full
calls' will now have access to HF radio and the international
communication possible," Warnett said. In addition, Ireland, Switzerland,
Belgium, the UK, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, New Zealand,
Australia, Luxembourg and Singapore have moved to drop their Amateur Radio
Morse testing requirements. A recent Radio Amateurs of Canada survey
<http://www.rac.ca/news/mresults.htm> indicated that two-thirds of the
Canadian licensees responding to the survey want their country to drop the
Morse requirement. In the US, the comment period on another seven separate
Morse code-related petitions for rule making--some of which would
altogether eliminate Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse test, from the Amateur
Service rules (Part 97)--ends Friday, November 7. US amateurs may comment
on the petitions--RM-10805 through RM-10811--using the FCC Electronic
Comment Filing System (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>. See "FCC
Invites Comments on Additional Morse Code-Related Petitions"
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/10/08/1/> for more information.

* Hams honored at Montana forest fire volunteers appreciation picnic:
Amateur Radio's role in Montana's forest fires this past summer got
official recognition this month when the US Forest Service and Helena-area
businesses and organizations hosted an appreciation picnic. The event
honored firefighters, law enforcement officers and community
volunteers--including Amateur Radio operators--who assisted with
firefighting efforts in Lewis and Clark, Powell, Jefferson, and Broadwater
counties this summer. Individual hams recognized included Rollie Fisher,
KC7WBP, and Jim Haslip, W7CK. Fisher set up at Lincoln's Hooper Park every
day during the Lincoln Complex fires, providing current information to
residents and visitors. He and his wife, Eenie KC7WBO, were among the many
families forced to evacuate their homes because of the fire danger. Haslip
has been an aerial fire spotter for 40 summers. Amateur Radio's support of
Red Cross and other relief agencies during the fire emergency also
received recognition. Lewis and Clark County Emergency Coordinator Bob
Solomon, K7HLN, accepted a plaque on behalf of the Amateur Radio Emergency
Service and the Capital City Amateur Radio Club. An estimated 300 people
turned out for the event at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds. Dignitaries
on hand included Montana Gov Judy Martz, Montana congressional staffers,
county commissioners and others. Volunteer fire departments, county, state
and federal fire and law enforcement agencies, and supporting agencies
were recognized and awarded plaques that read, "United by Fire. The 2003
Montana fire season was marked by volatile fire behavior and overwhelming
response. We faced these challenges jointly as community members,
volunteers, fire and law enforcement officials. With our collective and
individual sense of pride, may we commemorate our efforts and remain
united."
* DCC Proceedings available from ARRL: So many amateurs contributed papers
to the 2003 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference the
Proceedings--at 248 pages--was among the largest in the history of the
event. Copies of the Proceedings of the 22nd ARRL/TAPR Digital
Communications Conference now are available for $20 plus shipping via the
ARRL on-line catalog <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9086>.

* Ham radio news is as close as your cell phone: With many major cellular
telephone calling plans largely eliminating roaming charges and offering
"free nights and weekends," ARRL Audio News dial-up Amateur Radio news
service now is more available than ever. Using your cell phone, you can
keep up with Amateur Radio news even if you're someplace where you don't
have Internet or e-mail access. Amateur Radio news is as close as your
cell phone! Have a few minutes while you're waiting for the train, bus car
pool or connecting flight too? Just call 860-594-0384 to stay informed.
ARRL Audio News remains available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>.

===========================================================
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 ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and
columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a
weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter.

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

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384

==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
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ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
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bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
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this yourself via the Members Only Web Site.)

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

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

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


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Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 41
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