From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Fri Oct  1 17:03:57 2004
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Fri Oct  1 17:59:35 2004
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 39
Message-ID: <20041001211611.27299.qmail@mailer.remote.arrl.org>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 39
October 1, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +North Carolina utility shuts down BPL trial
* +Amateur Radio volunteers confront fourth hurricane in six weeks
* +ARISS logs two firsts during school group contact
* +ARRL member to head radiocommunication relief mission to Haiti
* +Get ready for JOTA 2004
* +Federal employees can designate CFC pledges to ARRL
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
    +MARS members asked to assist in hurricane health-and-welfare traffic
    +Saudi Arabia's HZ1AB is history
     Amateur microsat model on display at Smithsonian
     Supreme Court case involves radio amateur but not amateur antennas
     Santa Clara Valley gets new Section Manager
     UK amateurs poised to get bigger 40-meter band

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE: To accommodate travel schedules, The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News
for Friday, October 8, will be distributed a day early. The Solar Update
will be available via the ARRL Web site and as a W1AW bulletin.
===========================================================

==>NORTH CAROLINA UTILITY DECOMMISSIONING BPL FIELD TRIAL

Progress Energy Corporation (PEC) this week shut down its BPL field trial
in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area and began removing system hardware.
The utility's action came just as local amateur Tom Brown, N4TAB, had
filed a "Response and Further Complaint" about the system. His filing
disputes an FCC determination this summer that PEC's BPL system complied
with Part 15 rules--with notched BPL emissions averaging 24 dB below Part
15 emission limits--and that ham band notching was "effective." Brown, who
has an extensive background in RF engineering, says the FCC's findings
have nothing to do with defining--or excusing--harmful interference.

"I can find no reference that states that equipment operating under Part
15 with an emission level below some specified value is defined as being
'non interfering,'" Brown told Bruce Franca of the FCC's Office of
Engineering and Technology. Franca's July 22 report characterized the 24
dB average notch depths as "sufficient to eliminate any signals that would
be deemed capable of causing harmful interference, including interference
to amateur operations."

Brown disagreed. "This is a subjective leap of judgment that is
unsupported under Part 15 rules and without precedent," he responded. BPL
proponents have touted the FCC's conclusions in the Progress Energy field
trials to debunk findings by the ARRL and others that the technology can
and does generate harmful interference. The ARRL also took issue with
certain claims Franca made in his July 22 letter, but the Commission has
yet to respond.

Brown, who also asked the FCC to shut down the system, now has gotten his
wish. The utility announced nearly two months ago that it had
"successfully" completed Phase 2 of its BPL trial and would be
terminatiing the operation. At the same time, Progress indicated that it
"does not have plans for a large-scale commercial rollout of BPL in the
company's service territories." PEC has since backed away from that
statement and says it has not ruled out BPL.

Speaking at the United Power Line Council (UPLC) BPL conference in
mid-September, PEC's Matt Oja said that that while the utility had worked
with local amateurs to successfully quell interference, the amateurs kept
raising the bar until Progress had to put its foot down. Even after the
FCC study that essentially gave the system a clean bill of health, Oja
said, the amateurs still were unhappy.

Oja suggested that radio amateurs would never be happy about BPL, and he
advised utilities to simply move forward with their BPL programs.

Responding to Oja's comments--as reported in the newsletter BPL
Today--another amateur directly involved in the Progress Energy BPL field
trials, Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, offered a somewhat different version of
events.

"The only bar Progress Energy and Amperion need to meet is the one set by
Part 15," Pearce said. "No harmful interference to licensed services."
Amperion, PEC's BPL partner, ultimately was only partially successful in
"notching" amateur frequencies out of its BPL system, Pearce noted, and
interfering signals remained even after Progress announced it was ending
its BPL field trial. Pearce said the utility gave the amateur community
"no confidence in their ability to get it right in any reasonable time
frame."

Amperion Marketing Vice President Jeff Tolnar told the same BPL conference
that "all ARRL complaints have been mitigated and/or found to be invalid."


Franca, who also addressed the UPLC BPL convention, was quoted this week
in USA Today as saying that the FCC has tried to come up with rules to
ensure BPL can be deployed and that licensed radio operators are
protected. But, the article by Paul Davidson continued: "Banning power
companies from ham-radio bands outright could reduce the download speeds
of the high-speed Internet service or limit the number of customers who
could be served, Franca says."

A copy of Brown's filing also went to FCC Chairman Michael K Powell's
Legal Assistant Sheryl Wilkerson, with whom ARRL officials met this week
on the BPL proceeding, ET Docket 04-37. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay,
W3KD, said that one of Wilkerson's "many misconceptions" was that actions
such as notching by BPL systems to resolve interference have been
successful.

The FCC is expected to consider a draft Report and Order in the BPL
proceeding when the full Commission meets Thursday, October 14.--Anthony
E. "Goody" Good, K3NG, provided information for this report

==>STORM-WEARY AMATEUR RADIO VOLUNTEERS CONFRONT HURRICANE'S AFTERMATH

Amateur Radio this past week once again was part of a storm relief and
recovery effort in the wake of Hurricane Jeanne--the fourth storm in six
weeks to hit Florida. Jeanne made landfall September 25 some 5 miles
southeast of Stuart--not far from where Hurricane Frances struck September
5. Authorities blamed the storm--a Category 3 hurricane with 120 MPH
winds--for at least six deaths, and the state was declared a major
disaster area. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) <http://www.hwn.org>--whose
members tracked the storm up through the Caribbean--wrapped up three full
days of communication support September 26.

"Since the wind field was much larger than Frances', Jeanne knocked out
recently restored power to much of east and central Florida quite early
and easily," said HWN Assistant Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV. He noted
that since debris cleaned up after Hurricane Frances had not yet been
picked up, Hurricane Jeanne had an "abundance of projectiles" at her
disposal.

Other reports indicated that after Frances denuded much of the region's
vegetation, Jeanne came along and tore off roofs, then dumped heavy rain
into the vulnerable houses and buildings. The storm disrupted conventional
telecommunications and left some 2.5 million homes without electrical
power.

Over the storm's course, HWN members received reports throughout the
northwestern Bahamas and eastern and central Florida. Many areas of the
Bahamas also were still recovering from Hurricane Frances. As Marti Brown,
KF4TRG/C6A, reported to the HWN: "Let me tell you that this storm was
virtual hell."

During severe storms, the HWN works hand-in-hand with WX4NHC
<http://www.wx4nhc.org> at the National Hurricane Center in Miami to
gather ground-level weather data and damage reports from Amateur Radio
volunteers in a storm's path. The net relays these to forecasters via
WX4NHC, which regularly checks into the net and also disseminates weather
updates.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers were at the ready before
Hurricane Jeanne arrived, supplementing communication at emergency
operations centers and shelters set up for evacuees. ARRL Southern Florida
Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Goldsberry, KD4GR, said Indian River
County appeared to be the hardest hit. ARES teams in Palm Beach, Martin,
St Lucie, Brevard and Indian River counties also assisted American Red
Cross and Salvation Army relief and damage assessment efforts.

Northern Florida SEC Nils Millergren, WA4NDA, reported that operators
handled shelter duty in Flagler, Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia
counties.

The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14.265 MHz
handled health-and-welfare traffic in the aftermath of the storm on the
air and via its Web site. Special sessions of the Southern Florida ARES
Net were called up on 7242 kHz.

August and September have seen unprecedented activity, said the HWN's
Graves, who thanked all stations that participated in the recent
activation. Noting that four major tropical storms have not struck the
same state in the same year since 1886, Grave said, "Let us hope and pray
that record is not broken this year."

==>ARISS LOGS TWO "FIRSTS" IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL CONTACT

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program
marked two "firsts" during a September 23 school group contact with
students from an elementary school in Australia. The QSO with youngsters
from Kilburn Primary School was the first using the ARISS Phase 2 radio
gear aboard the ISS and the first in which an attempt was made to provide
contact audio worldwide via IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) nodes.
NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, took the controls of the
NA1SS Kenwood TS-D700 transceiver in the crew quarters for the occasion.
Responding to one youngster's question, Fincke described an ultrasound
experiment that he and Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, have
been running during their tour of duty.

"Ultrasound uses sound waves to look inside people's bodies," he
explained, "and we can see how our bodies have changed because we've been
exposed to this weightlessness--this microgravity--for a long time."
Fincke said he and Padalka already have noted some changes. "By being able
to tell how our bodies change in microgravity, we can figure out how to
keep us healthy and strong, so that when we go to the moon and Mars, we'll
be ready for it."

Fincke also fielded questions about how the ISS gets its electrical power,
sleeping in space, the ISS' onboard environment, space walks, how Earth
and the moon look from space and--of course--space food.

The Kilburn students were guests of the Investigator Science and
Technology Centre in Adelaide for the occasion, and 13 of them got to ask
Fincke questions about life in space before the ISS went out of range.
Serving as the Earth station for the contact was Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN,
in Honolulu. An MCI-donated teleconferencing circuit provided two-way
audio to the students. ARISS veteran Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, assisted at
the Investigator Centre.

Members of the Halifax Amateur Radio Club in Nova Scotia undertook the
IRLP experiment, which had limited success. ARISS International Chairman
Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said he'd like the program to explore future
opportunities to make ARISS school group contacts available to other
schools and the general ham radio population. One major issue this time
was the presence of timers on IRLP systems.

ISS crews have used the Phase 1 Ericcson handheld VHF radio for the 146
previous ARISS school group contacts. The Phase 2 station was not expected
to be used for a school group contact until the Expedition 10 crew arrives
later this month.

ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international educational outreach
with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.

==>RADIO AMATEUR TO SPEARHEAD DERA RELIEF MISSION TO HAITI

An ARRL member from Florida, Catherine Lawhun, KG4UKI, is heading to Haiti
with a small team to provide communication support for the relief effort
in the flood-ravaged city of Gonaives. The Disaster Preparedness and
Emergency Response Association (DERA) <http://www.disasters.org> is
sponsoring the project. Lawhun says she recognizes that while
storm-stricken communities in the US also need help in recovering, the
need in Haiti is especially urgent.

"Haiti is really in trouble," Lawhun said recounting DERA's rationale for
making Haiti a priority. "The US is probably going to recover. We have the
resources. Haiti might not."

While plans remain in flux, Lawhun says she'll fly to Haiti October 5 with
an Icom IC-706MkIIG HF/VHF/UHF transceiver to establish an HF link to the
US from Gonaives. The project still needs donations of General Mobile
Radio Service (GMRS) portables--which Lawhun's small team will transport
to Haiti--and Amateur Radio operators to serve as HF liaison stations in
the US.

Relief workers and medical personnel in the still-flooded city and at a
newly opened health center will use the GMRS transceivers to keep in touch
with her and with each other. The HF link will permit Lawhun to
communicate back to the US regarding the situation and any equipment or
supply needs. Doctors Without Borders is part of the relief effort in
Haiti.

"As many handheld devices as we can carry in can be given out to doctors
on the ground in the affected city," Lawhun said in an appeal for both
radios and cash donations on the DERA Special Projects Web site
<http://www.manywaters.org/haiti.htm>. The page contains a link to a
signup form for anyone wishing to volunteer for daily HF monitoring
shifts. "The need is huge. Please get involved!"

Many Waters Resource Network will provide free FedEx shipment of GMRS
units and batteries, she said, and donors can email teams@many-waters.com
to request the shipping information. The Special Projects Web site
includes plan details and a "Make a Donation" button for cash
contributions. Donors also may send checks to DERA c/o Haiti Relief
Support, 11445 Honey Jordan Pt, Inglis, FL 34449.

"When recovery is completed for the current disaster, the communications
station will remain on the island," said Lawhun, a radio amateur for about
five years. "This will give the entire island a leg up in the event of any
future catastrophes and establish a working relationship between DERA and
the entire network of missions currently active on the island."

Lawhun, who edits DERA's newsletter, also is a member of The Salvation
Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) and serves as DERA's SATERN
liaison.

While the DERA project initially had hoped to use local Amateur Radio
operators with VHF handhelds, Lawhun says she found few ham radio
operators in Haiti who were willing to risk entering the city, which not
only is ravaged by floodwaters but by disease and looting. She still hopes
that Amateur Radio emergency communication resources can be developed in
Haiti for future disasters.

"I'm one of those people who has just enough faith to get me in trouble,"
Lawhun quipped. "So, I decided that I would pursue this as long as doors
would open, and, lo and behold, they are, so here I am."

A wall of water and mud resulting from then-Tropical Storm Jeanne
inundated much of Gonaives September 18 as it lingered over the island of
Hispaniola for more than a day, dumping heavy rain. The densely populated
city of some 200,000 was the most severely affected region in Haiti. As of
this week, the death toll was nearly 1300, and hundreds more are still
missing.

==>JAMBOREE ON THE AIR (JOTA) 2004 IS OCTOBER 16-17

The 47th Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) takes place October 16-17. Details on
JOTA also appear in September QST, page 104. JOTA is an annual event in
which Boy and Girl Scouts and Guides from all over the world speak to each
other via Amateur Radio to share experiences and ideas. Since 1958, when
the first Jamboree On The Air was held, millions of Scouts have become
acquainted through this event.

Amateur Radio clubs and individual licensees make it possible for Scouts
to get on the air, and your club is invited to be a part of JOTA 2004. If
your club is planning a JOTA activity, register it on the ARRL Youth Skeds
Database page <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/youthskeds/>. There,
youngsters and parents can search for scheduled on-the-air activities in
which to participate. You also can contact your local Boy Scouts of
America Council <http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=xx&c=lc> and let
it know that you're planning a JOTA activity.

With assistance from ARRL HQ staff members, Education and Technology
Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, will operate Maxim Memorial
Station W1AW on Saturday, October 16, for JOTA. "This year the focus will
be on achieving the radio merit badge," he noted. Spencer has set up a
program that should allow Scouts participating at W1AW to walk away from
the JOTA experience with the merit badge, "with some preparation and a
little homework on the Scout's part," he added.

ARRL staffer Larry Wolfgang, WR1B--a veteran Scout leader--will be setting
up a station at the Mohegan District Fall Camporee at Waterford Beach in
Connecticut. "We will be operating WA1BSA," Wolfgang said, adding that
he's expecting some 400 to 500 Scouts to turn out for the campout.

The ARRL New Hampshire Section, the New Hampshire Amateur Radio Service
Club (WB1BSA) and the Lawrence L. Lee Scouting Museum
<http://www.scoutingmuseum.org/> have announced that the Max I. Silber
Memorial Station will be on the air during JOTA 2004 using special event
call sign N1S--primarily using SSB and SSTV on 20 and 40 meters.

Scouts and scouters worldwide also can participate in JOTA via Internet
Radio Linking Project (IRLP) Reflector 9205. There's more information on
the IRLP Web site <http://www.irlp.net>.

If you hear any participating JOTA stations on the air, be sure to make a
contact--and don't forget to QSL. There's more information about JOTA on
the Web <http://www.scouting.org/international/jota.html> and
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html>.

==>FEDERAL EMPLOYEES CAN DONATE TO ARRL THROUGH COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN

Employees of the US government can designate their Combined Federal
Campaign (CFC) pledges to the ARRL. (The League is CFC No 9872.) Federal
employees who participate in the CFC can donate all or part of their CFC
contribution to the League to support ARRL's efforts on behalf of Amateur
Radio. Some private-sector employers also match donations their employees
make to ARRL, while others will donate to the League if you volunteer your
time--as an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteer, for example.


"ExxonMobil gives ARRL a donation of $500 for every 25 hours that I
volunteer for ARES activities, including training, exercises and
preparation--with a max of $2000 per year," says ARRL member Alan
Isaachsen, KB2WF. ARRL is a qualifying §501(c)(3) organization, and
contributions may be tax deductible for both employer and employee.

To learn how to donate to various ARRL funds, visit the Support Amateur
Radio and ARRL Web page <http://www.arrl.org/development/#top>. For
additional information, contact ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary
Hobart, K1MMH, mhobart@arrl.org; 860-594-0397; fax 860-594-0259.--thanks
to Alan Isaachsen, KB2WF, and Walt Dubose, K5YFW

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Sunspot seeker Tad "You Are My Sunshine" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: The sun was quiet this week. Average daily sunspot numbers fell
by more than 31 points to 20.9, and average daily solar flux declined by
more than 11 points from last week to 89.7.

Geomagnetic conditions were very stable, and conditions for the near term
look the same, but with a slowly increasing solar flux and sunspot
numbers: 90 is the predicted solar flux for October 1-2, 95 for October
3-4 and surpassing 200 around October 7. Quiet geomagnetic conditions
should prevail over the next two days, with a rise to only slightly
unsettled conditions for October 3-5.

Sunspot numbers for September 23 through 29 were 19, 15, 24, 22, 22, 22
and 22, with a mean of 20.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 90.2, 89.4, 89.5, 89.5,
89.8, 89.9 and 89.8, with a mean of 89.7. Estimated planetary A indices
were 12, 6, 5, 4, 5, 8 and 5, with a mean of 6.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 10, 5, 2, 2, 2, 5 and 3, with a mean of 4.1.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The TARA PSK Rumble, the Oceania DX Contest
(SSB), the EU Autumn Sprint (SSB), the California QSO Party, the UBA ON
Contest (SSB), the RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest (SSB) and the German Telegraphy
Contest are the weekend of October 3-4. The ARS Spartan Sprint is October
5, the 432 MHz Fall Sprint is October 6 and the SARL 80-Meter QSO Party is
October 7. JUST AHEAD: The Pennsylvania QSO Party, the YLRL Anniversary
Party (CW), the Makrothen RTTY Contest, the Oceania DX Contest (CW), the
EU Autumn Sprint (CW), the FISTS Fall Sprint, the North American Sprint
(RTTY), the 10-10 International 10-10 Day Sprint and the UBA ON Contest
(CW) are the weekend of October 9-10. The YLRL Anniversary Party (SSB) is
October 13-15. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL RFI (EC-006) and Antenna Design and Construction
(EC-009) courses remains open through Sunday, October 3. Classes begin
Friday, October 15. Antenna Design and Construction students will, among
other things, learn about basic dipoles and ground planes and how to
assemble combinations of these into more complex antennas. Students also
learn about transmission lines, standing wave ratio, phased arrays and
Yagis. Students participating in the RFI course will learn to identify
various interference sources. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification
and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program Department
<cce@arrl.org>.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course
(EC-001) opens Monday, October 4, 1201 AM EDT, and remains open through
the October 9-10 weekend or until all available seats have been filled.
Class begins Friday, October 22. Radio amateurs over age 55 are strongly
encouraged to participate. 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, 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 <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* MARS members asked to assist in hurricane health-and-welfare traffic:
Army MARS Eastern Area Coordinator Robert Hollister, AAA9E/N7INK, has
asked Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) stations and nets to assist
in handling health-and-welfare traffic related to the recent hurricanes.
"MARS stations in Florida and other affected areas should coordinate with
ARES/RACES and local ham radio operators and see if MARS can help handle
some of this workload for them," Hollister said in a message to MARS
members in the Eastern US. "This is another opportunity for MARS to
demonstrate our capabilities and provide a service to the people stricken
by these storms." Hollister said that Army MARS stations not supporting
the disaster response in the stricken areas should continue to monitor
regional net frequencies and remain available to assist as needed in
handling traffic. He also encouraged Army MARS members to work with their
Air Force and Navy counterparts "to get the traffic out of the affected
area."

* Saudi Arabia's HZ1AB is history: The HZ1AB club station in Saudi Arabia
now is history. Originally the United States Military Training Mission
station and more recently known as the Dhahran Amateur Radio Club, HZ1AB
was a well-known DX call sign for almost six decades. Club Secretary
Thomas Carlsson, SM0CXU/AB5CQ, said this week that new station license
requirements in Saudi Arabia made it necessary to shut down the station,
and the call sign has been reissued to a Saudi national. QSL manager Leo
Fry, K8PYD, has the HZ1AB logs to handle any late QSL requests. Earlier
this year, Saudi Arabia licensed 18 new Amateur Radio operators. Details
about licensing there are available on the Saudi Arabia Communications and
Information Technology Commission Web site
<http://www.citc.gov.sa/CITC/EN/SpectrumManagement/generalservices/?sm=9>.
--The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com> and Thomas Carlsson, SM0CXU/AB0CQ

* Amateur microsat model on display at Smithsonian: AMSAT's Perry Klein,
W3PK, reports that the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in
Washington, DC, has put the microsat mechanical test model on display,
just in time for AMSAT's 35th anniversary celebration and its Symposium
and Annual Meeting October 8-13. "They suspended it from the ceiling
outside the NN3SI Smithsonian Amateur Radio Club station, located at 'The
Information Age' exhibit on the first floor, west end of the American
History Museum," Klein said. "It's been a number of years since an OSCAR
satellite has been on continuous display at the Smithsonian." An OSCAR 1
model was in the Hall of Satellites at the National Air and Space Museum
for several years, Klein notes, although it's now in storage. But, OSCAR 1
and PCSat models currently are being readied for display at the Air and
Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. The center's space
exhibit hangar is expected to open soon.

* Supreme Court case involves radio amateur but not amateur antennas: The
US Supreme Court this week agreed to hear a case that involves ARRL Life
Member Mark J. Abrams, WA6DPB, of Rancho Palos Verdes, California. While
the case does not involve Amateur Radio antennas, it got started several
years ago when Abrams began diplexing his commercial Land Mobile Radio
Service facilities into his Amateur Radio repeater antennas--something the
city said he needed an additional permit to do. The city years earlier had
okayed the 45-foot Amateur Radio antenna support structure at Abrams'
residence, and its legality was never in question. The city denied him a
conditional use permit for the commercial application, but the California
Supreme Court eventually ruled that Abrams didn't need one anyway. In the
meantime, Abrams filed suit in US District Court asserting the denial of
the conditional use permit violated the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Again, Abrams prevailed, but the District Court denied Abrams monetary
damages and attorneys' fees. The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
reversed the US District Court, but the 3rd and 7th Circuits ruled
otherwise. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes then took the case to the US
Supreme Court on the issue of damages and attorneys' fees, and the high
court agreed to hear the case because of the disparity in findings at the
Circuit Court level.

* Santa Clara Valley gets new Section Manager: Kit Blanke, WA6PWW, of
Milpitas, California, has assumed the office of Santa Clara Valley Section
Manager, effective October 1. He took over the reins from Glenn Thomas,
WB6W, the SCV SM since March 1999, who has moved out of the section. “I’ve
had a blast being SM!” Thomas said. “I’ll be seeing you all on the air.”
Blanke is no stranger to the section’s top job. He headed up the Santa
Clara Valley Section from 1995 until 1998 and still has his SM certificate
from his earlier tenure on the wall of his ham shack. He’s served as the
SCV Section’s Technical Coordinator since last December. Blanke is a
self-employed RF engineering consultant involved in the design of Part 15
devices.

* UK amateurs poised to get bigger 40-meter band: Amateur Radio operators
in the United Kingdom hope to soon have a bigger 40 meter band. UK
telecommunications regulator Ofcom has announced plans to extend 40 meters
by an additional 100 kHz to 7000-7200 kHz for Foundation, Intermediate and
Full Amateur Radio licensees in the UK. Ofcom says the band extension
would be a secondary allocation to the Amateur Service on the basis that
amateurs not cause interference to other services within or outside the
UK. Allowable modes would include CW, phone, RTTY, data, facsimile and
SSTV. Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) Spectrum Forum Chairman and HF
Manager Colin Thomas, G3PSM, says that barring the unlikely event of an
objection, the additional 100 kHz should become available to UK amateurs
Sunday, October 31. Ofcom has invited comments on the proposal until
October 23.--The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>; RSGB

===========================================================
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From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Thu Oct  7 16:48:47 2004
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Fri Oct  8 00:28:01 2004
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 40
Message-ID: <20041007212501.18420.qmail@mailer.remote.arrl.org>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 40
October 8, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +NTIA edges closer still to FCC's BPL stance
* +IARU Administrative Council okays three-year plan, BPL resolution
* +ISS crew hails private space venture's success
* +500 kHz amateur allocation sought down under
* +Nominations open for 2004 ARRL International Humanitarian Award
* +Astronaut Carl Walz, KC5TIE, to be AMSAT Symposium speaker
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
     Correction
    +Radio Amateurs of Canada President, First VP resign
    +Sputnik I anniversary noted
     EMA getting new Section Manager; six incumbents gain new terms
     Deadline is December 31 for ARRL WAS/90 Award
     Van Field, W2OQI, wins September QST Cover Plaque Award
     DXCC Desk accredits DX operation
     Larry Kayser, VA3LK/WA3ZIA, SK

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE: To accommodate travel schedules, The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News
for Friday, October 8, are being distributed a day early. The Solar Update
will be available via the ARRL Web site and as a W1AW bulletin.
===========================================================

==>NTIA'S BPL POSITION STILL A MOVING TARGET

The position of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) with respect to BPL appears to be a moving target.
>From expressing "broad concerns" about BPL in August 2003 to claiming BPL
could help alleviate power line noise this past June, the NTIA now has
aligned its position even more closely with that of the FCC--already an
unapologetic BPL proponent. At the same time, the agency's recently
amended recommendations recognize the reality of BPL's interference
potential and suggest a "not-in-my-backyard" attitude toward BPL
deployment near government radio systems.

In a cover letter to one of two separate filings last month, NTIA Office
of Spectrum Management Associate Administrator Fredrick R. Wentland says
the agency believes its "less burdensome proposals" will "adequately
protect federal radio communication systems from locally generated BPL
emissions while minimizing restrictions on BPL."

An agency of the US Department of Commerce, the NTIA now says it "fully
supports" the FCC's proposed method to extrapolate the level of BPL
emissions from power lines. It's also dropped its call for a "height
correction" for measurements below 30 MHz. Based on the NTIA's own earlier
studies, the method the agency now supports could result in measurements
that fail to accurately reflect actual emission levels by as much as 20
dB.

Additionally, the NTIA says it now prefers the FCC's proposal to measure
BPL field strength "at various specific locations along a power line"
instead of along the length of the line. "NTIA's extensive further
analysis shows that the overall peak field strength that would be found in
an exhaustive search along the power line would not significantly exceed
the peak level measured using the streamlined approach proposed in the
NPRM [Notice of Proposed Rule Making]," the agency said. In its earlier
comments, however, the NTIA had advised determining field strength by
tracking the entire line because its modeling demonstrated that interval
measurements "may not consistently reveal the peak level of radiated
emissions."

The NTIA also has reconsidered its earlier proposals to exclude certain
frequency bands and geographical zones and to provide for voluntary
coordination to prevent BPL interference to critical government radio
systems. Since filing its comments on the BPL Notice of Proposed Rule
Making (NPRM) last June, Wentland said, the NTIA has narrowed the scope of
specific bands and areas where "special protection mechanisms" regarding
BPL should apply.

"Federal radio communications not specifically addressed in the proposed
restrictions should be, for the most part, adequately protected in the
near term by the baseline interference prevention mechanisms specified in
the NPRM (eg, field strength limits, compliance measurement guidelines,
and the prohibition of harmful interference)," Wentland concluded in a
cover letter.

The NTIA says its revised recommendations would exclude Access BPL
operation nationwide from some 2.2 percent of the HF and low-VHF spectrum
and from a minuscule portion--0.0007 percent--of the HF spectrum "in
limited geographic areas." That's less than half the spectrum the NTIA
initially suggested protecting from BPL interference.

The NTIA says excluded bands primarily should be those used for safety
communications "in situations where co-channel emissions from numerous BPL
devices may be received via line of sight and ionospheric interfering
signal paths." Exclusion zones would include "sensitive radio astronomy
sites," generally located in remote, sparsely populated areas where there
would be "little or no actual constraint on Access BPL market
penetration," NTIA said.

Coordination areas, the NTIA says, should apply to receivers "at known
locations that must operate with very weak desired signals and where
harmful interference must be prevented" beforehand with a high degree of
certainty rather than "after discovery."

Prior coordination of BPL deployment using certain frequencies, the NTIA
now says, should apply "in limited geographic areas wherein BPL deployment
will not necessarily be constrained, depending on details of the planned
BPL deployment." The NTIA also said it could no longer support a
requirement for BPL systems to transmit identification codes.

The agency does not appear to have backed away from its recommendation
that the FCC apply its more stringent certification, rather than
verification, procedures, to authorize BPL systems that, NTIA's comments
said, "pose relatively high interference risks."

The ARRL also supports certification, which would require independent
testing or review of test results, as opposed to having a BPL operator
merely attest that its system complies with FCC rules. The League asserts
that certification offers a higher degree of confidence that deployed BPL
systems will not continue to exceed Part 15 limits.

The FCC is expected to consider a Report and Order in the BPL Proceeding,
ET Docket 04-37, when it meets Thursday, October 14.

For additional information, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and
Amateur Radio" page on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/bpl/>. To
support the League's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure BPL Web
site <https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/>.

==>IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL ADOPTS THREE-YEAR PLAN

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Administrative Council has
adopted a three-year plan to develop support for Amateur Radio frequency
allocations. The plan provides for the IARU to maintain and increase
contact with regional telecommunications organizations through its own
regional organizations. Meeting October 2-4 in Port of Spain, Trinidad &
Tobago, the Council also adopted positions on agenda items for World
Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07). The IARU will seek an a
future WRC agenda item looking toward a worldwide amateur allocation at 50
MHz. Six meters is not now available in all parts of the world. The
Council meeting followed the IARU Region 2 Conference in Port of Spain.

The Council also adopted a resolution calling attention to the obligation
of telecommunication administrations "to take all practicable and
necessary steps to avoid harmful interference to radiocommunication
services from power and telecommunication distribution networks, including
so-called Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems that use the HF
spectrum."

The Council also received a report from ITU Development Sector Study Group
2 outlining progress toward revising a Recommendation concerning effective
utilization of Amateur Radio in disaster mitigation and relief. Amendments
to the international Radio Regulations at World Radiocommunication
Conference 2003 placed additional emphasis on this role. The Council also
agreed to rename the position of IARU disaster communications adviser to
IARU international coordinator for emergency communications. Hans
Zimmermann, HB9AQS, will continue to serve the IARU in this capacity.

Focusing primarily on WRC-07, the Council worked up a list of
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meetings during the coming
year at which IARU representation will be required and reviewed plans for
staffing them.

The Council also charged the IARU leadership with drafting a "white paper"
to scope the environment and develop options for the IARU's long-term role
and structure. Council members also discussed issues relating to the
constitutions of the IARU and its regional organizations and agreed to
further consider these matters when the white paper was further developed.

The International Secretariat--ARRL--presented the 2005-2007 budget, which
includes provision for financial contributions from the three regional
organizations to defray a portion of the expenses, in accordance with
previously adopted policy.

In other action, the IARU Administrative Council:

     * selected "Radio Amateurs Expanding the World of Wireless
Communications" as the theme for World Amateur Radio Day 2005. Celebrated
each April 18, World Amateur Radio Day marks the anniversary of the
founding of the IARU in 1925 and provides an opportunity to present a
positive image of Amateur Radio to the general public.

     * reviewed and updated a working document describing the requirements
for radio spectrum allocations to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite
services.

     * received reports on successful IARU participation in ITU
telecommunication exhibitions in Europe, Africa and Asia and noted initial
preparations by IARU Region 2 to participate in the upcoming Americas
Telecom in Brazil.

     * reappointed Monitoring System International Coordinator R. E.
Knowles, ZL1BAD; International Beacon Project Coordinator Peter Jennings,
AB6WM/VE3SUN; Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV; and EMC
Adviser Christian Verholt, OZ8CY, for new three-year terms.

Attending the Port of Spain meeting were IARU President Larry Price, W4RA;
Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA; Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ;
regional representatives Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, Don Beattie, G3BJ, Panayot
Danev, LZ1US, Pedro Seidemann, YV5BPG, Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Noel Donawa,
9Y4NED, Peter Naish, VK2BPN, and Yoshi Sekido, JJ1OEY; and recording
secretary Paul Rinaldo, W4RI.

The next IARU Administrative Council meeting is set for September 17-18,
2005, in Switzerland following the IARU Region 1 Conference.

==>SHORT-TERM EXPEDITION 9 CREW CONGRATULATES SPACESHIPONE SUCCESS

The International Space Station (ISS) crew this week congratulated the
SpaceShipOne team on its third successful flight of a private human
spacecraft and for winning the $10 million X Prize competition. NASA ISS
Science Officer Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Russian Cosmonaut Gennady
Padalka, RN3DT, noted that for a few moments Monday morning, they were
joined in space by SpaceShipOne pilot Brian Binnie.

"From Gennady and myself and the International Space Station team,
congratulations on a job well done, and we're really glad SpaceShipOne
returned safely," Fincke said. He also discussed the private space flight
during an earlier news teleconference called to sum up their stay in
space, which is fast drawing to a close.

"For the most part," Fincke told reporters, "Gennady and I are pretty
lonely up here--just the two of us--and when somebody else comes up here,
even if it's 100 km, that still brings another person off of the planet,
and that's special, and we believe in the space program."

Fincke said he and Padalka were "really impressed" when they got to see
uplinked video of last week's successful SpaceShipOne flight to the edge
of space by test pilot Mike Melvill.

The news teleconference October 4 came as the Expedition 9 crew is
wrapping up its six-month stay aboard the ISS and getting ready to turn
over the reins to a new crew. Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW,
and Flight Engineer and cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov are scheduled to
launch on October 13 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They'll
arrive at the ISS two days later to begin their own tour of duty.

On other topics, Fincke and Padalka expressed confidence in the Russian
Elektron oxygen-generating system aboard the ISS. The system has
experienced some problems in recent weeks, but Fincke said he and Padalka
are optimistic that the repairs will hold. The ISS has spare oxygen on
board and "plenty of margin," Fincke added, if the Elektron were to
malfunction again. The system works by extracting oxygen from water and
venting off the hydrogen.

The Expedition 9 crew members also agreed that while efforts to make the
ISS work environment a lot quieter, they continue to wear hearing
protection to preserve their hearing from the constant thrum of equipment
and air circulation fans. "In the future, though, we should build quieter
spacecraft," Fincke recommended. Padalka allowed that the ISS is
"definitely more quiet than Mir," the former Russian space station on
which he served a duty tour in the 1990s.

Padalka this week attained a milestone of sorts by racking up a total of
one year in space. He's been aboard the ISS for 169 days. That time,
coupled with his Mir mission, put him over the 365-day mark.

Fincke said his family "is the reason why I'm returning to the planet"
later this month. He said the first thing on his agenda once he's back on
Earth will be to spend some time alone with his wife and son and an infant
daughter born while he was in space and whom he's never met. "My family
and I are going to go on another kind of ship," he said, suggesting an
ocean cruise was in the offing.

Fincke also said he and Padalka were looking forward to the arrival of the
Expedition 10 crew. They'll depart the ISS and return to Earth October 23,
accompanied by Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin, who will travel to the ISS
with the Expedition 10 crew.

After the news conference, Fincke called on ground controllers to help him
identify what he called an "unidentified floating object" aboard the ISS.
The piece--apparently a machined block of metal with rounded edges on both
sides and two protruding pins--was found in a plastic bag and lacks any
identifying marks.

"It's up to you guys to make it an IFO--an identified floating object,"
Fincke told the ground crew as he allowed the object to float within view
of the ISS camera.

==>AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS SEEK TO STAKE A CLAIM AT 500 KHZ

The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) has announced plans to request
the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to establish an experimental
amateur allocation at 500 kHz.

"The best way to do this is to establish a small slice of spectrum around
500 kHz--probably 495 to 510 kHz--as an Amateur Radio band," said WIA
Director Glenn Dunstan, VK4DU. "The band would also provide a unique
opportunity for experimentation with antennas, propagation, advanced
narrowband modulation techniques and receiver digital signal processing."

A former shipboard radio officer, Dunstan noted that 500 kHz was the
international maritime Morse code distress frequency for most of the 20th
century. Following the introduction of the Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System (GMDSS) in 1999, 500 kHz use has declined rapidly, Dunstan
said. China, the last official user of the frequency, plans to discontinue
operation there next year.

Dunstan concedes that since 500 kHz remains allocated to the Maritime
Service, gaining a permanent amateur foothold there is "some way off," but
the WIA is hoping that Australian authorities will grant access to some
spectrum there in the meantime for experimental use.

The ARRL and the RSGB have expressed some interest in a 500 kHz Amateur
Radio allocation. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1
and various US amateur long-wave groups also are actively pursuing
experimental use of 500 kHz. Additionally, the IARU favors a worldwide
Amateur Radio band at 135.7 to 137.8 kHz and is seeking support for such
an allocation at World Radiocommunication Conference 2007.

==>ARRL INVITES NOMINATIONS FOR 2004 INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Nominations are open for the 2004 ARRL International Humanitarian Award
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/awards/humanitarian.html>. The award is
conferred upon an amateur or amateurs who demonstrate devotion to human
welfare, peace and international understanding through Amateur Radio. The
League established the annual prize to recognize Amateur Radio operators
who have used ham radio to provide extraordinary service to others in
times of crisis or disaster.

The ARRL Board of Directors named Mike Young, KM9D, and Jan Heaton,
KF4TUG, of Naples, Florida, as joint winners of the 2003 Humanitarian
Award. In April of last year, Young and Heaton sailed from Kiribati
carrying medical supplies for a 16-year old girl--unconscious and bleeding
and in desperate need of medical attention--aboard a vessel adrift without
power some 100 nautical miles away. Along the way, they maintained Amateur
Radio contact with amateurs in the Seattle area. One of them notified the
US Coast Guard, which subsequently was able to intercept the drifting ship
to render additional assistance and take the injured party aboard.

A committee appointed by the League's President recommends the award
recipient(s) to the ARRL Board, which makes the final decision. The
committee is now accepting nominations from Amateur Radio, governmental or
other organizations that have benefited from extraordinary service
rendered by an Amateur Radio operator or group.

Amateur Radio is one of the few telecommunication services that allow
people throughout the world from all walks of life to meet and talk with
each other, thereby spreading goodwill across political boundaries. The
ARRL International Humanitarian Award recognizes Amateur Radio's unique
role in international communication and the assistance amateurs regularly
provide to people in need.

Nominations should include a summary of the nominee's actions that qualify
the individual (or individuals) for this award, plus verifying statements
from at least two people having first-hand knowledge of the events
warranting the nomination. These statements may be from an official of a
group (for example, the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, a local or
state emergency management official) that benefited from the nominee's
particular Amateur Radio contribution. Nominations should include the
names and addresses of all references.

All nominations and supporting materials for the 2004 ARRL International
Humanitarian Award must be submitted in writing in English to ARRL
International Humanitarian Award, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA.
Nomination submissions are due by December 31, 2004. In the event that no
nominations are received, the committee itself may determine a recipient
or decide to make no award.

The winner of the ARRL International Humanitarian Award receives an
engraved plaque and a profile in QST and other ARRL venues.

==>AMSAT SYMPOSIUM TO FEATURE ISS ASTRONAUT AS BANQUET SPEAKER

International Space Station Expedition 4 crew member Carl Walz, KC5TIE,
will be the speaker at the AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting banquet
Saturday, October 9. Walz, who has flown four space missions, and
Expedition 4 Commander Yuri Onufrienko, RK3DUO, installed and deployed the
first of the four Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
antennas during a January 2002 space walk.

Walz is expected to discuss his experiences aboard the ISS as well as
NASA's new "Journey to the Moon, Mars and Beyond" initiative.

The 22nd AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting October 8-10 in Arlington,
Virginia, will also feature presentations on a variety of Amateur Radio
satellite-related topics, including the latest on Echo and ARISS, the
plans for Eagle and P3E and presentations on some of the university-built
satellites.

This year's symposium will be held in conjunction with the ARISS
international delegates meeting October 10-13. ARRL Senior News Editor
Rick Lindquist, N1RL, will represent the League at the AMSAT Symposium and
attend the ARISS gathering as a member of the ARISS Public Relations
Committee.

AMSAT says it hopes to retire the Echo "thermometer" on its Web site
<http://www.amsat.org> during the weekend gathering. As of October 6, the
Echo launch fund was some $3000 shy of its $110,000 goal. Co-chairing this
year's AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting are Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and
Janet Bauer.--AMSAT
__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The Pennsylvania QSO Party, the YLRL
Anniversary Party (CW), the Makrothen RTTY Contest, the Oceania DX Contest
(CW), the EU Autumn Sprint (CW), the FISTS Fall Sprint, the North American
Sprint (RTTY), the 10-10 International 10-10 Day Sprint and the UBA ON
Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 9-10. The YLRL Anniversary Party
(SSB) is October 13-15. JUST AHEAD: Jamboree On The Air (JOTA), the JARTS
World Wide RTTY Contest, the Microwave Fall Sprint, the Worked All Germany
Contest, the Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW). the UBA ON 2-Meter Contest,
the RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest (CW) and the Illinois QSO Party are the weekend
of October 16-17. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the Technician Licensing course (EC-010) remains open
through Sunday, October 10. Class begins Friday, October 22. With the
assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn everything they need to know
to pass the FCC Technician license class examination. To learn more, visit
the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level II on-line
course (EC-002) opens Monday, October 11, at 1201 AM EDT and will remain
open through the October 16-17 weekend or until all available seats have
been filled. Class begins Friday, October 29. 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.
Amateurs aged 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate. During
this registration period, 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 <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, <cce@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340.

* Correction: The news brief "Santa Clara Valley gets new Section
Manager," The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 39 (Oct 1, 2004), contained
incorrect information regarding the tenure of new SM Kit Blanke, WA6PWW,
as SCV's Technical Coordinator. He has served in that volunteer position
since 1985. Our apologies for the error.

* Radio Amateurs of Canada President, First VP resign: Radio Amateurs of
Canada (RAC) has announced the resignations of President Daniel Lamoureux,
VE2KA, and First Vice President Bob Nash, VE3KZ. "Both officers have been
hospitalized with severe, heart-related problems," an RAC bulletin said
October 6. "The RAC Board of Directors and Executive thank them both for
their dedicated service to Amateur Radio and RAC and are confident that
all radio amateurs wish them a full recovery and fast return to the
amateur bands." Both resignations were effective immediately.
Lamoureux--who also serves as ARISS-Canada coordinator--was a guest at the
ARRL Board of Directors meeting in July. "We are distressed to hear this
news and wish Daniel and Bob rapid recoveries," said ARRL CEO David
Sumner, K1ZZ. The RAC Board will convene a special meeting as soon as
possible to deal with the vacancies.

* Sputnik I anniversary noted: The world changed this week 47 years ago
when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I on October 4, 1957.
The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball
and weighed just over 180 pounds. Sputnik I took about 98 minutes to orbit
Earth on its elliptical path, and radio amateurs around the world
enthusiastically tuned in to monitor its 20 and 40 MHz beacons. The
satellite's 1 W transmitter fed four antennas deployed at 35º angles, and
three silver-zinc batteries powered it for three weeks. In addition to
ushering in a new era of political, military, technological and scientific
development, Sputnik's launch marked the start of space exploration and
gave rise to the birth of NASA.--NASA

* EMA getting new Section Manager; six incumbents gain new terms: Mike
Neilsen, W1MPN, will take over January 1 as ARRL Eastern Massachusetts
Section Manager. He'll succeed current SM Phil Temples, K9HI, who decided
not to run for another term. Neilsen, who lives in Hudson, has served as
Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator for three years. He
was the sole nominee for the position. Six incumbent SMs also had no
opposition at the end of the nomination period in September and have been
declared elected. SMs continuing in office for new two-year terms starting
January 1 are Dale Bagley, K0KY, Missouri; Rich Beaver, N3SRJ, Western
Pennsylvania; Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, South Carolina; Tom Dick, KF2GC, Northern
New York; Jean Priestley, KA2YKN, Southern New Jersey; Dale Williams,
WA8EFK, Michigan.

* Deadline is December 31 for ARRL WAS/90 Award: There's still time to
make your 50 contacts to qualify for the ARRL Worked All States in the
90th Award. No QSLs are necessary. Just fill out the application showing
the contacts you've logged. To be valid for the award, all contacts must
be made between 0000 UTC on April 3, 2004, and 2359 UTC on December 31,
2004. WAS in the 90th applications will be accepted through 2005. For more
information, visit the WAS in the 90th Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/was-90>.

* Van Field, W2OQI, wins September QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of
the QST Cover Plaque Award for September is Van Field, W2OQI, for his
article "HF Antennas 101." Congratulations, Van! The winner of the QST
Cover Plaque award--given to the author or authors of the best article in
each issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members. Voting takes place
each month on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qstvote.html>. Cast a ballot for your
favorite article in the October issue of QST. Voting ends October 31.

* DXCC Desk accredits DX operation: The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the
YV0D, Aves Island, DXpedition of August 1-4, 2004, for DXCC credit. (The
YV0D logs have been uploaded to ARRL's Logbook of the World
<http://www.arrl.org/lotw>.) For more information, visit the DXCC Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc>. A new feature, "DXCC Frequently Asked
Questions <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/faq/>," can answer most
questions about the DXCC program. Current ARRL DX bulletins are available
on the W1AW DX Bulletins for 2004 page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.

* Larry Kayser, VA3LK/WA3ZIA, SK: Larry Kayser, VA3LK/WA3ZIA, of Westport,
Ontario, Canada, died unexpectedly October 5. He was 64. An ARRL
International Life Member, Kayser was widely known throughout the Amateur
Radio community for his technical expertise as well as his operating skill
and accomplishments. In February 2001, Kayser and Laurie Mayhead, G3AQC,
made ham radio history by completing the first two-way transatlantic
Amateur Radio exchange on 136 kHz. A consummate experimenter, Kayser in
recent years was very active in low-frequency work, but in earlier decades
he was involved in Amateur Radio satellites and contributed to the AMSAT
AO-7 project. A member of the First Class CW Operators Club (FOC), Kayser
for a time during the 1990s edited the "CW Today" column for The Canadian
Amateur, the journal of Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). In addition to
ARRL and RAC, Kayser belonged to the Quarter Century Wireless Association.
He was retired from Bell Canada. Survivors include his wife, Joyce,
VE3JAK.

===========================================================
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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<http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and
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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
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From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Fri Oct 15 19:42:05 2004
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Fri Oct 15 20:41:33 2004
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 41
Message-ID: <20041015234802.15059.qmail@mailer.remote.arrl.org>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 41
October 15, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC adopts rules for BPL
* +ARRL calls for shutdown of New York BPL system
* +AMSAT-NA Symposium gets greeting from space
* +ARRL invites input on digital systems
* +Repeater coordinator drops controversial all-tone policy
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
     ARRL Web site glitch
    +No news is . . . no news
    +RAC Board appoints new President, First Vice President
     New world record set on 47 GHz
     Amateurs join Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame
     Alan B. Caplan, K4AVQ, SK
     Former landline telegraphers to gather
     DXCC Desk accredits DX operations

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>FCC ADOPTS NEW BPL RULES, ACKNOWLEDGES ITS INTERFERENCE POTENTIAL

As expected, the FCC this week adopted revised Part 15 (unlicensed
services) rules to specifically regulate broadband over power line (BPL)
systems. Meeting October 14 in open session, the Commission adopted a
Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37. In comments before voting, three
members of the Commission, including Chairman Michael Powell, specifically
cited the concerns of Amateur Radio operators and expressed either
assurances or hope that the new BPL rules will adequately address
interference to licensed services. Republican FCC Commissioner Kevin
Martin mentioned Amateur Radio's and broadcasters' interference concerns
in a written statement. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said he was
encouraged to see the Commission acknowledge interference to amateurs as a
genuine issue in the proceeding.

"What the League has done in the last year and a half on this issue showed
in the Commission's public meeting today," Haynie said Thursday. He cited
the FCC's approval of three major points that the League had been pushing
for: Certification of BPL equipment instead of verification, a requirement
for a public BPL database--something the BPL industry did not want--and
mechanisms to deal swiftly with interference complaints. Haynie conceded,
however, that the devil is in the details of the R&O, which likely will
not be made public for at least a few weeks.

Anh Wride of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET),
acknowledged that Access BPL devices "pose a somewhat higher potential for
interference to licensed radio services than typical Part 15 devices."
But, Wride continued, "we believe the specific benefits of BPL warrant
acceptance of a small degree of additional risk, and that this
interference potential can be satisfactorily managed."

Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, said he remains concerned about
interference to Amateur Radio users. "I take the concerns of this
community very seriously and believe that the FCC has an obligation to
work hard to monitor, investigate and take quick action, where
appropriate, to resolve harmful interference."

Copps said if interference occurs, "we must have a system in place to
resolve it immediately," and he expressed the hope that the new rules
would include such "rapid turnaround" provisions. Copps, who dissented in
part with the R&O, raised the question of whether utility ratepayers
should have to "subsidize an electric power company's foray into
broadband."

The Commission's other Democrat, Jonathan Adelstein, said the interference
question made the proceeding a challenging one because it had to
accommodate concerns raised by Public Safety licensees, federal government
users and Amateur Radio operators. "These are important services that we
need to protect from harmful interference," Adelstein said.

Adelstein also said that while it's clear that some BPL systems can
co-exist with existing licensees, others "haven't fared so well." He said
those systems shouldn't be deployed commercially until it's assured that
they won't cause harmful interference.

Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, a Republican, said the FCC had to "make
some hard compromises" to deal with questions about interference. But she
expressed confidence in "technical solutions."

Chairman Powell called it "a banner day" for communications in the US
because, he said, BPL promises "ubiquitous service to all Americans at
affordable rates." The chairman, a Republican, conceded that BPL will
affect some spectrum users--including "all those wonderful Amateur Radio
operators out there." Powell said the FCC has taken Amateur Radio
interference concerns seriously from the start and has put protections in
place "to allow that service to continue." At the same time, Powell
implied that the FCC must balance the benefits of BPL against the relative
value of other licensed services.

Powell said BPL's potential for the US economy "is too great, too
enormous, too potentially groundbreaking to sit idly by and allow any
claim or any possible speculative fear" keep the Commission from promoting
adoption of BPL technology.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, suggested that Powell was overstating the
necessity of yet another broadband pipeline. "It's astonishing to me that
the chairman of the FCC can talk about needing a 'third way' to provide
broadband to consumers when multiple technologies already are available,
including wireless broadband," he said.

The United Power Line Council (UPLC) applauded the FCC's action, saying
the new rules should encourage BPL deployment while protecting licensed
services from harmful interference. "We didn't get everything we wanted,"
said UPLC President and CEO William R. Moroney, who called the R&O "the
result of close cooperation and compromise" with the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to address its
concerns about potential interference.

For more information on BPL, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
and Amateur Radio" page on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/bpl>.

==>ARRL ASKS FCC TO SHUT DOWN NEW YORK BPL FIELD TRIAL

The ARRL this week asked the FCC to shut down a BPL field trial system in
Briarcliff Manor, New York, that has been the subject of past interference
complaints. The ARRL says the system, operated by Ambient Corporation
under an FCC Experimental license, continues to cause "harmful
interference" to amateur stations and that the FCC must require it to
cease operation immediately.

"The operator of the system has attempted what it referred to as
'adjustments' in this system in order to reduce the severe interference
potential to licensed radio services such as the Amateur Service," said
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD. "These 'adjustments' have come to
be inaccurately referred to as 'notching' of certain bands, and as a
solution to interference to Amateur Service stations, they are incomplete
and inadequate."

The ARRL's October 8 letter of complaint asserts that the Briarcliff Manor
system not only is currently causing interference but fails to comply with
either applicable FCC Part 15 regulations or with the terms of its FCC
experimental authorization.

ARRL said the BPL facility at Briarcliff Manor should not be permitted to
resume operation until it can demonstrate "full compliance" with FCC
rules. The League also called on the FCC to impose "appropriate monetary
forfeitures" against Ambient.

Accompanying the League's complaint were technical exhibits substantiating
the degree of interference the League alleges. One exhibit shows the
results of frequency-shifting adjustments Ambient made to the system in
the wake of "multiple interference complaints from licensed radio
amateurs." The complaint maintains that the adjustments failed to reduce
interference on "a substantial portion" of the HF amateur allocations. The
ARRL study says Ambient has been trying for more than a year to mitigate
interference by using "notching" techniques, "but to no avail."

The ARRL said measurements taken at 14.3 MHz at one point in the system
"revealed 30 to 40 dB of degradation to Amateur Radio operations along a
stretch of road over a kilometer in length." A sweep at another location
showed that BPL signals occupying the entire 15-meter band remained strong
more than a quarter mile from the BPL injector.

"The levels of interfering BPL signals are sufficient to obscure virtually
all Amateur Radio received signals and preclude Amateur Radio
communications in the areas and on the bands identified in the report,"
the ARRL concluded.

ARRL member Alan Crosswell, N2YGK, a resident of the community, has
documented interference, complaints and related information on his "BPL in
Briarcliff Manor" Web site <http://www.columbia.edu/~alan/bpl/>.

The Briarcliff Manor BPL system, which is operated by the electric utility
Consolidated Edison, was the focus of a March 2004 front-page Wall Street
Journal article, "In This Power Play, High-Wire Act Riles Ham-Radio Fans,"
by technology writer Ken Brown. ARRL staff members accompanied Brown to
the BPL site so he could hear the interference firsthand.

==>GREETING FROM SPACE, CHANGE OF GUARD HIGHLIGHT AMSAT-NA GATHERING

A congratulatory greeting <http://www.ericsatcom.net/NN1SS%201st.wav> via
ham radio from the crew of the International Space Station was among the
highlights of the 2004 AMSAT-NA Symposium and Annual Meeting October 8-10
in Arlington, Virginia. The gathering--for the first time held in
conjunction with this week's Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) International delegates meeting--attracted upward of 200
attendees--among them some of the best-known names in the amateur
satellite world. Fincke joined the celebration vicariously by working
ARISS Ham Radio Technical Manager Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, during an ISS
pass October 9.

"I'd like to send a greeting to all the people attending the AMSAT
conference and congratulate you all on 35 years of Amateur Radio in
space," astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, said from NA1SS on behalf of
himself and Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT. "Wishing you
all the best from the International Space Station!" Fincke jumped in to
work Ransom and several other stations while the ARISS amateur gear was in
FM repeater mode.

"Thanks to you guys, people in the world are a little bit closer
together," Fincke added. In a second QSO
<http://www.ericsatcom.net/NN1SS%202nd.mp3> with WF5X, Fincke reiterated
his greeting and expressed gratitude to AMSAT--an ARISS partner--for the
amateur equipment aboard the space station. Fincke briefly switched to
Russian to also greet ARISS-Russia delegate Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, who
was with Ransom in Arlington during the QSO.

The annual gathering marked the official changing of the guard at AMSAT-NA
as Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, presided over his last Board of Directors
meeting October 8 before turning over the gavel to incoming president Rick
Hambly, W2GPS. At the board session, members agreed to file a Petition for
Reconsideration of the recent FCC Second Report and Order in IB Docket
02-54 dealing with orbital debris.

Haighton's four-year tenure spanned this year's success of the Echo/AO-51
satellite, which has helped the organization to rebound from the earlier,
less-than-successful outcome of the now-defunct Phase 3D/AO-40--the most
expensive and elaborate amateur satellite project in history. Planning for
the proposed Project Eagle satellite also got under way under Haighton's
AMSAT-NA leadership. That work will continue under Hambly.

Haighton had the pleasure of announcing that AMSAT finally was able to
recover the entire $110,000 Echo launch cost, thanks to donations from
individuals attending the AMSAT Symposium and matching funds.

Hambly hopes to proceed with new satellite projects already on the drawing
board as well as to expand AMSAT-NA's educational mission. He also faces
the challenge of finding a new home for the AMSAT Lab. The Orlando
building where Phase 3D was integrated was damaged beyond repair by
Hurricane Charley.

In addition to hearing updates on satellite projects present and future,
Symposium attendees were able to choose from a rich menu of presentations.
Among them, AMSAT-DL President Peter Gülzow, DB2OS, outlined plans for a
Phase 3 Express (P3E) satellite--essentially a scaled-down and
less-complex version of AO-40. AMSAT-NA is a partner in the P3E
high-altitude-orbit satellite, which will be a prelude to an ambitious
Mars-orbiting spacecraft. Other presentations covered such diverse topics
as Voice over Internet Protocol communication for the ARISS program, the
AMSAT-UK Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative (SSETI)
satellite, CubeSats, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and a
proposal for a satellite with an onboard robot to repair it.

ISS Expedition 4 crew member and astronaut Carl Walz, KC5TIE, keynoted the
October 9 banquet. Among the many high points of his duty tour was a 2002
space walk with Expedition 4 Commander Yuri Onufrienko, RK3DUO, to install
the first of four ARISS antennas on the ISS.

==>ARRL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS STUDY UNDER WAY

The ARRL Ad-Hoc Committee on Amateur Radio Emergency
Service--ARES--Communications (ARESCOM) is seeking the assistance of the
amateur community in documenting what digital communications systems now
are in use today on the VHF and UHF bands. While the majority of digital
communication is via packet, there are many different packet systems in
use, and they are interconnected using a variety of methods.

The ARRL Board of Directors resolved at its July 2004 meeting to encourage
the deployment of e-mail via Amateur Radio--"as exemplified by Winlink
2000"--to meet the needs of served agencies and others involved in
providing disaster communications.

ARESCOM now wants to gather input on systems already in place. "We are
seeking input from packet System Administrators, not individual users, as
we need information on how the packet nodes are linked and what
connectivity methods the packet systems use with systems outside their
coverage area," said ARRL Ad-hoc ARESCOM Committee Chair Dick Mondro,
W8FQT. The committee plans to wrap up data collection December 31.

The study seeks detailed information on current packet infrastructure, and
one person may respond on behalf of several system operators if they all
approve. "We simply ask that the names and call signs of all involved be
listed," Mondro said.

To participate download the on-line form
<http://www.arrl.org/digtest/TestSurvey.pdf> or
<http://www.arrl.org/digtest/testSurvey.doc>. After providing all
applicable information, submit the survey form via e-mail <dcti@arrl.org>
or via surface mail to ARRL, DCTI Study, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.


Those interested in sharing comments and ideas are invited to subscribe to
the DCTI Reflector <DCTI-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>. For more information,
visit the ARRL Digital Communications Study Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/digtest>.

==>SOUTHEASTERN REPEATER ASSOCIATION RESCINDS CONTROVERSIAL REPEATER TONE
POLICY

The SouthEastern Repeater Association (SERA) Board of Directors has
rescinded a controversial policy that would have amended SERA's
coordination policy and guidelines to require CTCSS or DCS receive and
transmit tones on all new FM voice repeaters. Existing voice repeaters
would have had to comply by July 1, 2006. The Board adopted the "all tone,
all the time" policy during its summer meeting in June. SERA President
Roger Gregory, W4RWG, said the SERA Board repealed the policy "after much
discussion" on October 4.

"We may revisit this issue at a later date, but with input from the
membership," Gregory told ARRL. He said that while SERA received many
positive comments as well as negative ones, complaints from repeater
owners prompted the Board's change of heart on the tone policy.

"Some [repeaters] had been untoned for years without any interference
issues," he said. "They did not wish to tone. North Carolina, South
Carolina and Tennessee seemed to have more concerned repeater owners."

The largest Amateur Radio repeater coordinating body in the US, SERA
provides voluntary frequency coordination for repeaters in Georgia, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and parts of
Virginia and West Virginia. In a letter on the SERA Web site
<http://www.sera.org>, Gregory called the tone requirement "just another
tool we thought was needed to help us to continue to do our job." He noted
that SERA has been requiring tones on 10-meter, 6-meter and 70-cm
repeaters "for years."

Some of those upset with SERA's June decision to require tones tried to
get the FCC involved. The Amateur Repeater Society of East Tennessee
(ARSET) <http://arset.org>, which sprang up because of the controversy,
wanted the FCC to recognize it as the official coordinating body for
eastern Tennessee.

FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth said the
Commission does not recognize or certify specific coordinators in the
Amateur Service, as it does in the Land Mobile services, and had no plans
to get involved in the SERA controversy. But he said requiring tones is a
good idea.

"From a spectrum efficiency standpoint, tones will be the wave of the
future and have been in regular use in the Land Mobile services for
decades," said Hollingsworth, who oversees Land Mobile as well as Amateur
Radio Service enforcement. He said if tones will cure an interference case
in the Land Mobile services, he tells the parties to implement them.

"It is surprising that tone systems are not used more in the Amateur
Service, a service we expect to be on the leading edge of technology
instead of being wedded to old ways of doing things," Hollingsworth added.
"As for tones, it's only a matter of time, just as it was with transistors
and integrated circuits."

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Sunspot seeker Tad "You Are My Sunshine" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Solar activity has been very low. In fact, on Sunday and Monday,
October 10-11, the sunspot count was zero. Images of the sun on the
Spaceweather.com site ,http://spaceweather.com/> for those days show a
blank, spotless sun. Check the archive section by dialing in the dates on
the upper right of the Web page, and look at the sun images on the left.

October 10-11 were the first days with a sunspot count of zero since
January 27-28, 2004. To find another period before that with a zero
sunspot number, you have to go back six years to January 7-9, 1998. There
was one day prior to that with a zero sunspot number, October 23, 1997,
and there were several zero days in the summer of that year.

For the next week and through the end of the month, daily solar flux is
expected to hover around 90. A solar wind stream from a recurring coronal
hole may cause some unstable geomagnetic conditions today and tomorrow,
October 15-16. Geomagnetic conditions are expected to be very quiet for
the week of October 22-28.

Sunspot numbers for September 30 through October 6 were 36, 37, 35, 39,
41, 40 and 39, with a mean of 38.1. The 10.7 cm flux was 88.2, 88, 88, 89,
90.7, 90.8 and 92.1, with a mean of 89.5. Estimated planetary A indices
were 4, 4, 12, 15, 10, 5 and 5, with a mean of 7.9. Estimated mid-latitude
A indices were 2, 2, 8, 7, 8, 3 and 2, with a mean of 4.6.

Sunspot numbers for October 7 through 13 were 38, 28, 24, 0, 0, 14 and 41,
with a mean of 20.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 93.8, 90.6, 88, 89, 86.9, 87.6
and 88.5, with a mean of 89.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 7, 6,
8, 11, 11 and 35, with a mean of 11.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 4, 4, 3, 5, 9, 7 and 17, with a mean of 7.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html>, the JARTS World Wide RTTY
Contest, the Microwave Fall Sprint, the Worked All Germany Contest, the
Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW). the UBA ON 2-Meter Contest, the RSGB 21/28
MHz Contest (CW) and the Illinois QSO Party are the weekend of October
16-17. JUST AHEAD: The ARCI Fall QSO Party, the W/VE Islands QSO Party,
the 50 MHz Fall Sprint and the FISTS Coast to Coast Contest are the
weekend of October 23-24. The CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB) and the 10-10
International Fall Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 30-31. See the
ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) and Radio Propagation
(EC-011) on-line courses remains open through Sunday, October 17. Classes
begin Friday October 29. The Antenna Modeling course is an excellent way
to learn the ins and outs of computerized modeling of antenna designs.
Computer-modeling expert and noted author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined
the expertise of his long career as a college professor with his love and
antennas and antenna modeling to offer a comprehensive, yet practical,
course of study. Propagation students will study the science of RF
propagation, including the properties of electromagnetic waves, the
atmosphere and the ionosphere, the sun and sunspots, ground waves and sky
waves, and various propagation modes--including aurora and meteor scatter.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web
page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line
course (EC-003) opens Monday, October 18, 1201 AM EDT, and remains open
through the October 23-24 weekend or until all available seats have been
filled. Amateurs aged 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate.
Class begins Friday, November 5. 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, 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 <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* ARRL Web site glitch: Some updates to ARRL members' Web site records
made since October 1 may have been lost due to a server problem this week.
This affects updated e-mail addresses and automatic e-mail delivery
selections. It does not include changes to mailing addresses, call signs
or other membership data. If in doubt, check your record on the Member
Data page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html>. ARRL regrets
the inconvenience.

* No news is . . . no news: There have been no changes to the Amateur
Radio Part 97 rules nor any news to report regarding FCC action on
proposals that address the number of license classes, the 5 WPM Morse code
requirement (Element 1) to obtain a General or Extra license, or other
amateur licensing qualifications or privileges. The FCC continues to
review the thousands of comments it received on 18 petitions for rule
making--including a petition from the ARRL--that, in general, address
various facets of license restructuring and the Morse code requirement.
Prompting most of these petitions were actions taken during World
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03). The FCC first must issue a
Notice of Proposed Rule Making and assign it a docket number, then invite
comments on what it decides to propose, based on the petitions it has
before it. The ARRL estimates that the FCC is only about one-third of the
way through its review of the petitions, however, and does not anticipate
any final FCC action--in the form of a Report and Order--until sometime in
2006. The ARRL has posted answers to frequently asked questions on its own
restructuring initiative on its Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/restructuring2/faq.html>.

* RAC Board appoints new President, First Vice President: Radio Amateurs
of Canada <http://www.rac.ca> has announced that Earle Smith, VE6NM, is
the RAC's new president, and John Iliffe, VE3CES/VA3JI, is the
organization's new First Vice President. Smith and Iliffe will fill the
remaining terms of Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA, and Bob Nash, VE3KZ,
respectively, which run through next year. Lamoureux and Nash stepped down
recently for medical reasons. Smith and Iliffe were appointed by the RAC
Board of Directors during a special meeting October 12. Smith has been the
RAC Director for the Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut Region. The RAC
Board will announce a new director soon.

* New world record set on 47 GHz: On September 19 during the ARRL 10 GHz
and Up Cumulative Contest, Frank Bauregger, W6QI, and Gary Lauterbach,
AD6FP, claimed a new world distance record on 47 GHz after they completed
a contact over a distance of 290 km. W6QI operated from Shuteye Peak
(DM07gi) just south of Yosemite, while AD6FP operated from Frazier
Mountain (DM04ms) north of Los Angeles. Although it was officially still
summer, W6QI had to brave 30-degree temperatures and snow while modifying
the radio in order to complete the contact. Signal margins were 40 dB on
the W6QI end and about 8 dB on the AD6FP end. The contact was completed
using a combination of narrowband FM and CW. The two reported weather
conditions were quite unusual for September with scattered rain showers in
the central California Valley between Shuteye and Frazier.

* Amateurs join Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame: Two
League members have been inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile
Pioneers Hall of Fame. Rodney C. Pratt, K2AFK, of Holland Patent, New
York, and William O. "Bill" Troetschel, W7LVO, of Saratoga, California,
also will receive the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award, which
recognizes individuals who played a significant role in the history of Air
Force space and missile programs. Pratt and Troetschel were honored during
a September 1 ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. The Air
Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award consists of an engraved trophy.
There were six honorees in 2004.

* Alan B. Caplan, K4AVQ, SK: Alan B. Caplan, K4AVQ (ex-W0RIC), of Apple
Valley, Minnesota, died October 8. He was 63. Licensed as a young teenager
while living in Virginia, he eventually went to work in the Amateur radio
industry. Caplan was customer service and sales manager for Hy-Gain from
1976 through 1993 and more recently was sales manager at Timewave. "I am
deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Caplan," said Chip
Margelli, K7JA, of Vertex-Standard (Yaesu). "We both worked in the
manufacturing/distribution side of the Amateur Radio industry for a number
of years, and he was always a steady and knowledgeable person who
represented his company with dignity and distinction. And he was just one
of the nicest guys you'll ever know." Caplan was an ARRL member and a
veteran of the US Navy. Survivors include his wife Rebecca Harman, a son
and a daughter.--some information contributed by Randy Gawtry, K0CBH

* Former landline telegraphers to gather: Telegraphers from throughout the
US and Canada will gather in person at the Steam Railroading Institute in
Owosso, Michigan, Saturday, October 16, to formally dedicate the
Institute's newly constructed telegraph office and a national telegraph
hub. Others will participate "on-line" via a nationwide telegraph circuit.
Sponsors say the event will provide a rare glimpse into an earlier era, as
numerous telegraph operators will be on the wire exchanging telegrams and
conversing in American Morse Code. K8QMN will retransmit the proceedings
October 16 on 14,050 kHz (±3 kHz) from approximately 1600 to 2000 UTC,
providing radio amateurs throughout North America with a rare opportunity
to hear American Morse code being used by experienced telegraphers. This
code, developed by Morse and Vail, is the predecessor to the International
Morse Code that radio amateurs use. QSL with a business-size SASE to Morse
Telegraph Club, PO Box 457, Allegan, MI. 49010.

* DXCC Desk accredits DX operations: The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved these
operations for DXCC credit: 9U6PM, Burundi, effective August 20, 2004;
ZS8MI, Prince Edward & Marion Island, April 1-May 9, 2004. A new feature,
"DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/faq/>,
can answer most questions about the DXCC program. For more information,
visit the DXCC Web page <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc>. Current ARRL DX
bulletins are available on the W1AW DX Bulletins for 2004 page
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.

===========================================================
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From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Fri Oct 22 17:21:48 2004
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Fri Oct 22 17:26:40 2004
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 42
Message-ID: <20041022212525.14119.qmail@mailer.remote.arrl.org>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 42
October 22, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL Executive Committee focuses on digital petition, BPL
* +League repeats call for Arizona BPL system shutdown
* +Business decision forces end to California BPL pilot
* +ARRL hopes toy drive will brighten holidays for Florida kids
* +"SuitSat" is focus of ARISS International discussions
* +FCC affirms $10,000 fine in California interference case
* +League welcomes new Community Education Program Coordinator
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course registration
     Amateurs support hospital communications during telecommunications
outage
     Radio amateurs aid in tornado response
    +Oldest US ham, ARRL Member Bill Diaper, KJ6KQ, SK

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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

==>DRAFT BANDWIDTH PETITION, BPL FOCUS OF ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

Meeting October 16 in Dallas, Texas, the ARRL Executive Committee (EC)
devoted much of its fall session to a discussion of comments received on
ARRL's draft FCC petition seeking regulation of subbands by bandwidth
rather than by emission mode. The EC also authorized the filing of a
Petition for Reconsideration in response to the BPL Report and Order (R&O)
in ET Docket 04-37, which the FCC adopted October 14. Drafting and filing
the petition must await release of the actual R&O, which should happen in
a few weeks. Responding to a synopsis of the bandwidth petition and
proposed rule changes posted on the ARRL Web site, several hundred League
members and others in the ham radio community offered comments and
suggestions.

"The Executive Committee found considerable support for the concept of the
petition," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, "along with constructive
suggestions to reduce both the impact of the changes on current amateur
operations, as well as possible unintended consequences." Sumner's "It
Seems to Us . . ." editorial, "Regulation by Bandwidth," in September QST
addressed the bandwidth petition.

Earlier this year, the EC decided to make a synopsis and explanation of
the petition available to ARRL members before filing it with the FCC. At
this month's meeting, the EC agreed to submit several recommended
amendments to the proposed rules changes to the ARRL Board of Directors
for its consideration in January. These include:

* Retention of rules permitting automatically controlled digital stations
(packet and other digital modes) in narrow HF subbands. The draft petition
had proposed dropping these provisions.

* A rule prohibiting so-called semi-automatic digital operation (automatic
control in response to a communication initiated by a live operator) on
frequencies below 28 MHz where phone is permitted. This addressed a
concern that "robot" digital stations might take over the phone bands.

* A segment for 3 kHz bandwidth (no phone) emissions at 10.135-10.150 MHz
to accommodate existing and planned digital operations.

* Deletion of the word "continuous" from the description of test
transmissions authorized on most frequencies above 51 MHz.

* Simplification of proposed changes to §97.309 to clarify that
FCC-licensed amateur stations may use any published digital code as long
as other rules are observed.

"These recommendations are not intended to be the final word on the draft
petition, but are intended to address the major issues raised to date,"
Sumner emphasized.

The draft bandwidth proposals take into account the ARRL's prior "Novice
refarming" petition to expand some HF phone bands, included in the
"omnibus" FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making in WT Docket 04-140.

The EC also authorized ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, to "prepare
to pursue other available remedies as to procedural and substantive
defects" in the BPL proceeding.

==>ARRL REPEATS CALL FOR SHUTDOWN OF ARIZONA BPL FIELD TRIAL

The ARRL again has asked the FCC to immediately shut down a broadband over
power line (BPL) field trial in the Cottonwood, Arizona, area that it says
is interfering with Amateur Radio communication. The League's second
shutdown request, sent October 11, accuses the FCC of doing "absolutely
nothing" to enforce its rules or to protect licensed services from
interference. In an accompanying 12-page technical analysis, the ARRL also
cast serious doubt on the accuracy--and possibly the integrity--of the BPL
system's FCC-required six-month report, filed more than two months late.
Its review of the report from system operator Electric Broadband LLC (EB),
the League said, indicated inconsistent test results demonstrating that
ambient noise conditions at the test sites "were clearly misstated."

"To be blunt, as can be easily determined from the EB report itself," ARRL
General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, wrote in a cover letter to the ARRL's
technical analysis, "one of two things occurred: either (1) EB altered the
data to suit its false conclusion that the system is operating in
accordance with FCC rules; or (2) its technical consultants were not
qualified to conduct the tests and glaringly misinterpreted, among other
things, the source of noise generated internally in their own test
equipment."

Imlay called the EB test results "completely compromised" and said they
can't be used to determine whether or not the system is operating legally.
"ARRL has previously established that the system is operating
substantially in violation of Part 15 rules," he said, "and is causing
actual interference" on ham bands.

The ARRL said that EB's report further indicates that in the low-VHF
Public Safety allocation at 30-50 MHz, "the BPL system is operating at
radiated emission levels significantly in excess" of Part 15 limits.

In its report EB claimed to have spent "significant time and effort"
looking into interference complaints from hams, running tests and "taking
steps to mitigate any possible interference" the system was causing. It
even invited the FCC to come and see for itself.

EB and utility APS have been operating the BPL experiment at two Yavapai
County, Arizona, sites since June under a Special Temporary Authorization
(STA) the FCC granted EB in March. The League pointed out that the STA now
has expired "but the system apparently continues to operate nevertheless."


In its technical analysis, the ARRL said EB continues to deny any
interference issues associated with its system, despite continuing
complaints and "detailed and accurate" technical showings submitted by
Cottonwood-area amateur licensees. Testing done in early September shows
clearly "that BPL signals were present at various sites on frequencies
where APS and EB claim it was not," the ARRL analysis asserted. The League
also charges that EB's test methodology was flawed and not up to industry
or regulatory standards.

The FCC prompted release of EB's six-month report in a September 1 letter
that took note of "several complaints" alleging interference to amateur
operations from the experimental system. It also mentioned ARRL's August
request, filed on behalf of Cottonwood-area amateurs, that the FCC shut
down the system, revoke its STA and fine the system's operators.

The first Amateur Radio complaint, filed in June, cited testing by the
Verde Valley Amateur Radio Association (VVARA) in the 1.8-30 MHz range. It
asserted that BPL interference makes attempts at ham radio communication
useless. VVARA submitted a comprehensive report to the two companies and
the FCC in late July detailing interference issues.

In late September, the VVARA BPL Interference Committee met with
representatives of APS and Mountain Telecommunications (MTIO, which
handles system operations. According to VVARA, APS and MTI indicated that
the BPL system operators had decided to proceed with "notching" amateur HF
frequencies. A representative from Electric Broadband was not at the
meeting, VVARA says.

==>AT&T, PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC DISSOLVE BPL PARTNERSHIP

A BPL field trial in Menlo Park, California, where FCC Chairman Michael K.
Powell had extolled the technology's virtues earlier this year, has been
aborted before getting very far off the ground. The demonstration of BPL
technology was co-sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and
AT&T. ARRL learned this week that AT&T has decided to direct its business
energies elsewhere, however, and pole-mounted BPL equipment has been
dismantled. PG&E Director of Business Development Toby Tyler confirmed
that his company and AT&T no longer were involved in the Menlo Park BPL
pilot.

"AT&T pulled out as a result of their strategic shift away from consumer
markets," Tyler told ARRL. "Without a telecom partner, it didn't make
business sense for PG&E to continue with a trial."

AT&T spokesperson Michael Dickman said his company had "redirected its
focus on serving enterprise customers," and, under the circumstances, has
"limited involvement with BPL."

When Powell visited the Menlo Park BPL pilot project in July, he applauded
AT&T and PG&E for "leading the way for this innovative technology" that he
claimed "holds the great promise to bring high-speed Internet access to
every power outlet in America." The chairman reiterated those sentiments
October 14, when the FCC adopted new Part 15 rules to govern the
deployment of BPL.

ARRL Santa Clara Valley Section Official Observer Coordinator Andy Korsak,
KR6DD, told ARRL that AT&T pulled down the Main.net BPL boxes that he and
his team had been monitoring in Menlo Park. "We heard only sparse Geiger
counter-like clicks, indicating only perhaps system housekeeping between
the four Main.net boxes I identified up on power poles," Korsak said.

When Powell spoke at Menlo Park this past summer, he said the future was
bright for BPL. His optimism, at least in the case of the PG&E-AT&T BPL
partnership, now appears to have been ill-advised.

==>ARRL ANNOUNCES HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE FOR FLORIDA YOUNGSTERS

The ARRL is coming to the aid of children in Florida displaced or left
homeless in the wake of three hurricanes, by sponsoring a nationwide
holiday toy drive. Clubs and individuals from across the US already have
indicated they'll be taking part.

Joanne Ramsey, KB1KWJ, one of the hurricane relief/recovery volunteers
working in Central Florida, saw the devastation and the need following
Hurricane Ivan.

"This is really going to make a difference for those children," she said.
"I still see the images of hungry little faces I was not able to feed. The
sadness in their eyes was very hard for me to deal with."

Thousands of families are without a permanent place to live, and that
situation could well extend into the holiday season.

"For a child suddenly living out of a tent, or car, or someone else's
home, the 2004 holiday season will be anything but jolly," said ARRL
Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "But hams across the country
are coming to their rescue in a second new way through the League's
program."

Between now and Thanksgiving, hams radio operators throughout the US are
invited to send new children's toys, accompanied by a QSL card, to Ham
Radio, The United Way White Dove Project, 50 Kindred St - Suite 207,
Stuart, FL 34994.

Carol Hodnett, of Martin County United Way, said the hurricanes and their
aftermath have been especially traumatic for children. "In addition to the
frightening experience of going through the hurricanes," she pointed out,
"youngsters are coping with a great deal of stress felt within their
families and at school." Martin County United Way will handle the
distribution end of the program. Pitts said the focus is on Central
Florida communities because they took the brunt of the three storms.

Additional details about the Hams for Toys program are on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/pio>.

==>ARISS INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES PONDER "SUITSAT" POSSIBILITIES

If plans come together in time, an outdated Russian spacesuit could become
the most unusual Amateur Radio satellite ever put into orbit. Being called
"SuitSat" for now, the idea--from ARISS-Russia's Sergei Samburov,
RV3DR--sparked wide-ranging discussion among delegates to the Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Team
meeting October 11-13 in Alexandria, Virginia. With diminishing stowage
space aboard the ISS, several Orlan spacesuits used for space walks have
been declared surplus. Samburov's notion is to have an ISS crew equip one
of them as an Amateur Radio satellite--possibly including a camera in the
helmet area--and launch it during a space walk. ARISS International
Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, says the project is on a fast track because
it must be ready to roll in less than a year.

"It is on a very short schedule," Bauer said. "They're talking about
launching in November of 2005, and to launch then, it really has to be
ready in June of next year. It's going to be a big challenge," Bauer said.
A second Orlan suit is expected to be available in 2007.

Bauer says the fact that SuitSat will have to be integrated in orbit by
cosmonauts adds even more to the complexity. And after all that, SuitSat
might float in space just a month or two before deorbiting. As a result,
delegates tried to keep the "KISS" principle in mind during their
brainstorming on how to equip SuitSat. "We've got to keep it simple, and
we've got to keep the costs down," Bauer commented.

In addition to an onboard camera and a downlink transmitter, other ideas
floated included the installation of temperature and radiation sensors, a
beacon, a text-to-speech voice synthesizer so SuitSat could "speak" to
students from data uplinked via packet, a full-duplex repeater and a GPS
receiver to track SuitSat as it orbits Earth. The Orlan suits are
pressurized and thermally protected, and have ample room inside.

"I think we're doing a good job of engineering this thing on the fly,"
Bauer remarked during the discussions. "This has excited a lot of people."
ARISS delegates agreed that the project might pique the interest of
students, teachers and the news media. The ARISS Project Selection and Use
Committee is studying the proposal, and ARISS is soliciting ideas from the
Amateur Radio community on what to include.

The ARISS delegates also heard updates on ISS hardware projects already in
the pipeline, including launch of a multiband, multimode Yaesu FT-100D
transceiver and a slow-scan TV system to the ISS, possibly within the next
year.

Re-elected during the session were Bauer as ARISS International Chairman,
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, as Vice Chairman, and Rosalie White, K1STO, as
Secretary-Treasurer. Following the meeting, Bauer said he was pleased to
see the ARISS team--now in its eighth year--"on the same page" and working
smoothly.

"Every time we have an ARISS meeting, the camaraderie, the teamwork
internationally get better and better," he said.

Samburov offered similar sentiments. "It seems to me we have become more
than just colleagues," he said. "We have become friends, with a great deal
of trust among ourselves."

==>FCC AFFIRMS FINE FOR FORMER CALIFORNIA AMATEUR LICENSEE

In an October 5 Forfeiture Order, the FCC has affirmed a $10,000 fine it
proposed earlier this year to levy on Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO, of Bell,
California. The FCC asserts that Gerritsen doesn't have an Amateur Radio
license but continues to operate. The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau (WTB) promptly rescinded its 2001 Amateur Radio license grant to
Gerritsen after learning of his California court conviction a year earlier
for interfering with police communications. The fine is the next step in a
case that eventually could lead to criminal prosecution.

Responding to a July FCC Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL), Gerritsen
maintained that he still has a ham ticket. He asserted that the NAL failed
to show that his interference conviction is under appeal, that the
set-aside of his amateur license was unfounded and is only a claim made by
Commission personnel; that he holds a valid license and that any possible
suspension of his license is pending a hearing, making the NAL moot until
a suspension actually occurs.

Not so, said the FCC, citing chapter and verse to back up its Forfeiture
Order. Section 1.113(a) of its rules gives the WTB 30 days from
publication to modify or set aside an action, such as a license grant, on
its own motion. As a result, the FCC said, Gerritsen's amateur application
has reverted to pending status, and no license exists.

Gerritsen also argued that he preserved his license by seeking a hearing
under §1.85 of the FCC's rules and, further, that he'd been told by FCC
personnel that he would get a hearing. Wrong again, the FCC concluded. The
Commission pointed out that §1.85 spells out when the FCC may suspend an
operator license, but since Gerritsen has no license, just a pending
application, there is no license to suspend, and §1.85 doesn't apply. A
Hearing Designation Order for Gerritsen is said to be working its way
through the FCC bureaucracy.

Reports from Los Angeles area hams indicate that Gerritsen continues to
use KG6IRO, although the call sign appears in the FCC's Universal
Licensing System as "terminated." Recent letters have implored the ARRL to
somehow intervene in the situation.

"Imagine BPL--a million times worse," one radio amateur recently wrote the
League. For some time now, repeater owners have been shutting down their
machines rather than let an unlicensed user transmit through them.

The FCC said in its Forfeiture Order that agents who tracked transmissions
to Gerritsen's house and interviewed him said he admitted to transmitting
on various Amateur radio frequencies as well as on various business radio
frequencies.

In a handwritten letter Gerritsen wrote while in jail last March on a
federal trespassing conviction to the president of one repeater
association, he suggested that repeater owners should tolerate his
commentaries "a few times a day."

==>ARRL WELCOMES W1WJB AS COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Bill Barrett, W1WJB, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, is the newest member of
the ARRL Headquarters family. He joined the ARRL Field and Educational
Services (F&ES) staff October 18 as ARRL Community Education Program
Coordinator. In that position, he'll execute a pilot program to enlighten
a dozen US localities about the value of Amateur Radio to community safety
and security. And he'll be exploring the best ways Amateur Radio can work
with Citizen Corps councils to show them what ham radio can do. Barrett
plans to make the most of his experience as an ARES District Emergency
Coordinator, more than 40 years of Amateur Radio experience, and his work
producing video and film projects for corporate clients.

"I enjoy bringing a message to groups that expands their capabilities,"
Barrett said. As an emergency coordinator, he developed a PowerPoint
presentation that local officials could view right at their desks. "A new
presentation will grow out of that, with a lot of new material better
suited to the new audience," he added.

The one-year position Barrett is filling is new at ARRL HQ. Both the
position and the program are funded by a grant from the Corporation for
National and Community Service (CNCS). The funding of nearly $90,000 will
enable the League to develop the Community Education Project (CEP) and
carry ham radio's message to communities.

ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, says now that more
amateur licensees have been trained in how to handle emergency
communications, they have some educating to do. "Hams can contribute so
much to Citizen Corps council members," she said, "not just to served
agencies like the Red Cross and The Salvation Army, but also when
communication problems confront grassroots community institutions such as
hospitals, utilities, blood banks, shelters and even schools."

F&ES Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, says Amateur Radio is fortunate that
many hams newly trained in emergency communications are getting involved
in ARES groups and ARRL-affiliated clubs. "ARES groups and affiliated
clubs and Citizen Corps councils haven't necessarily started working
together in many US communities," she said. "The new CEP hopes to start
connecting the dots."

Barrett said his plan is to share the message about ham radio and
emergency communications with community leaders, and have local ARES and
ARRL-affiliated club members demonstrate their expertise to Citizen Corps
councils.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Propagation maven Tad "Sunrise, Sunset" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Solar activity made a comeback this week. Average daily sunspot
numbers from last week to this week rose nearly 45 points, and solar flux
was up by more than 6 points.

The solar flux Wednesday, October 20, was 111. The next day it was 112 and
through the October 22-24 weekend, it is predicted to be 115, 120 and 115.
Less than two weeks ago the sunspot count was zero for two days straight,
but on October 20 it stood at 129.

Sunspot numbers for October 14 through 20 were 38, 26, 43, 51, 86, 86 and
129, with a mean of 65.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 90.7, 89.2, 91.7, 91.9,
96.2, 99.1 and 111.3, with a mean of 95.7. Estimated planetary A indices
were 27, 9, 5, 3, 4, 4 and 12, with a mean of 9.1. Estimated mid-latitude
A indices were 12, 6, 3, 0, 4, 3 and 9, with a mean of 5.3.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The ARCI Fall QSO Party, the W/VE Islands QSO
Party, the 50 MHz Fall Sprint and the FISTS Coast to Coast Contest are the
weekend of October 23-24. The CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB) and the 10-10
International Fall Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 30-31. JUST
AHEAD: The ARS Spartan Sprint is November 2. The ARRL November Sweepstakes
(CW), the North American Collegiate Amateur Radio Club Championship (CW),
the IPARC Contest (CW/SSB), the Ukrainian DX Contest, the High Speed Club
CW Contest and the DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest are the weekend of
November 6-7. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL HF Digital Communication (EC-005), Technician
Licensing (EC-010) and VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) courses
remains open through Sunday, October 24. Classes begin Friday November 5.
HF Digital Communication students will learn to use a variety of HF
digital modes. With the assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn
everything they need to know to pass the FCC Technician license
examination. Students participating in VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater
(EC-008) will explore some of the lesser-used and more intriguing aspects
of VHF/UHF operation. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/ > or contact the
ARRL CCE department, cce@arrl.org.

*Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Seats are
still available for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
III on-line course (EC-003). Registration will remains open through the
October 23-24 weekend. Amateurs aged 55 and older are strongly encouraged
to participate. Class begins Friday, November 5. 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, 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 <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.

* Amateurs support hospital communications during telecommunications
outage: When construction equipment accidentally severed two
telecommunications trunk lines serving Tustin Hospital and Medical Center
(THMC) in California on October 6, the hospital knew just whom to call.
Members of the Orange County Hospital Disaster Support Communication
System (HDSCS) responded promptly to fill in, as the 177-bed facility
suddenly found itself without telephone, e-mail, fax, fire alarms or
paging service. The initial seven HDSCS responders eventually grew to two
dozen over the course of the 16-hour outage that began in the late
afternoon and continued until the following morning. April Moell, WA6OPS,
and two other fixed-stations handled incoming and outgoing telephone calls
on behalf of THMC. Message traffic began to flow as soon as HDSCS
operators got to their assigned stations, and hospital staffers
re-established links with patients' physicians on the outside. "Although
we have participated in numerous drills at THMC in the past, some newer
employees were unfamiliar with Amateur Radio's capability," said Moell,
who founded the 80-member ARES group in 1980. "They seemed amazed that
HDSCS support has been completely free of cost to them. It's a true
community service." HDSCS has agreements to provide backup communication
to 34 acute-care medical facilities in Orange County. This month's
activation marked the 85th in HDSCS' history for a hospital communication
failure and the fifth emergency activation this year.

* Radio amateurs aid in tornado response: After severe weather rumbled
through the Missouri Bootheel October 18, radio amateurs from three states
rushed to help however they could. More than 60 possible tornadoes were
reported to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Memphis,
Tennessee. Pemiscot County Emergency Coordinator Loyd Avis, KC0MWU,
reports three people died near the small community of Cooter, when a
tornado destroyed their homes. Dunklin County also suffered storm damage,
while hail and high winds were reported elsewhere. A tornado touched down
in extreme southeastern Missouri then jumped the Mississippi River into
Dyer County, Tennessee, causing considerable damage there. Throughout the
storm period, Missouri District E Emergency Coordinator Larry Anthony,
WB0VAM, supplied information on hail, damage to homes and power outages to
public service operators in the Missouri Bootheel and in northeastern
Arkansas as well as to local broadcasters.

* Oldest US ham, ARRL Member Bill Diaper, KJ6KQ, SK: William F. "Bill"
Diaper, KJ6KQ, of Union City, California, died October 10. He was 104 and
apparently the oldest radio amateur in the US--if not the world--as well
as the oldest member of the ARRL. A native of Great Britain, Diaper had
been living in a long-term care facility and occasionally was able to get
on the air from a ham shack in the facility's basement. ARRL Pacific
Division officials had invited Diaper to attend Pacificon--the Pacific
Division convention--this past weekend. "The response was 'ill and unable
to travel,'" said Pacific Division Vice Director Andy Oppel, N6AJO. "We
had planned to offer a toast in his honor at the convention banquet."
Instead, Oppel said, he asked those attending the ARRL Forum to remember
and honor all of the seniors in Amateur Radio. An acquaintance, Thomas
"Fergy" Ferguson, N6SSQ, said Diaper had been a radio amateur for a
relatively short time, first becoming licensed when he was around 75 years
old and upgrading to Advanced when he was in his early 90s. Robert
Galbasin, W0MHN, of Lakewood, Colorado, apparently succeeds Diaper as the
oldest ham in the US. He will turn 104 on December 27.

===========================================================
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
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From letter-dlvy at arrl.org  Fri Oct 29 18:12:14 2004
From: letter-dlvy at arrl.org (ARRL Letter Mailing List)
Date: Sat Oct 30 04:33:40 2004
Subject: [Letter-List] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 43
Message-ID: <20041030001603.26766.qmail@mailer.remote.arrl.org>

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 43
October 29, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC drops the other shoe on BPL
* +State utility officials discuss BPL
* +KE5BRW aboard ISS as Expedition 10 commander
* +Some amateur 2.3 GHz spectrum involved in FCC spectrum relocation
* +40 meter band to double in UK
* +Digital signal on 75 meters attracting attention
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
     QRV to vote?
     Icom America to power W1AW during ARRL November Sweepstakes
     Club commissions for membership renewals are back!
    +RSGB proposes 500 kHz amateur band for UK
     First Australia-US QSO took place 80 years ago
     Halloween special event set
     N4MC's Vanity HQ Web site to go dark

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE: Due to travel schedules, the Friday, November 5, editions of The
ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will be distributed a day early. The
normal Friday distribution schedule will resume November 12.
===========================================================

==>FCC BPL REPORT AND ORDER STRESSES INTERFERENCE AVOIDANCE, RESOLUTION

The FCC this week released the full BPL Report and Order (R&O) in ET
Docket 04-37 that it adopted just two weeks ago. While extolling the
purported benefits of broadband over power line technology, the 81-page
document also declares the FCC's intention to protect licensed services
from harmful interference.

"We recognize that some radio operations in the bands being used for
Access BPL, such as those of Amateur Radio licensees, may occur at
distances sufficiently close to power lines as to make harmful
interference a possibility," the FCC conceded in its R&O. "We believe that
those situations can be addressed through interference avoidance
techniques by the Access BPL provider such as frequency band selection,
notching, or judicious device placement."

Notches would have to be at least 20 dB below applicable Part 15 limits on
HF, 10 dB below on VHF. The FCC called the ability to alter a system's
operation to notch out transmissions on specific frequencies where
interference is occurring "a necessary feature for resolving interference
without disrupting service to BPL subscribers."

In line with remarks made at the October 14 open meeting where the FCC
adopted the R&O--then still in draft form--the FCC declined to reduce the
Part 15 radiated emission limit for BPL systems. It maintained that
emissions from BPL systems are very localized and at low enough levels to
generally preclude harmful interference.

The FCC said it had no evidence before it that BPL operation would
significantly contribute to generally raising background noise levels. At
the same time, it seemed to put some of the onus on Amateur Radio
licensees to take steps to avoid power-line interference--and, by
inference, BPL interference--in advance.

"In addition, because power lines inherently can radiate significant noise
emissions as noted by NTIA and ARRL, good engineering practice is to
locate sensitive receiver antennas as far as practicable from power
lines," the FCC said.

In a footnote, the FCC took pains to advise ARRL that in cases where its
members experience RF noise, "such noise can often be avoided by carefully
locating their antennas; in many instances an antenna relocation of only a
relatively short distance can resolve noise interference."

BPL operators would be required to avoid certain bands, such as those used
for life and safety communications by aeronautical mobile or US Coast
Guard stations. The FCC R&O makes clear, however, that similar rules will
not apply to the Amateur Service.

"We similarly do not find that Amateur Radio frequencies warrant the
special protection afforded frequencies reserved for international
aeronautical and maritime safety operations," the Commission said. "While
we recognize that amateurs may on occasion assist in providing emergency
communications," the FCC added. It described typical amateur operations as
"routine communications and hobby activities."

Although some cases of harmful interference may be possible from BPL
emissions at levels up to Part 15 limits, the FCC said, "we agree with
NTIA [National Telecommunications and Information Administration] that the
benefits of Access BPL service warrant acceptance of a small and
manageable degree of interference risk." The Commission reiterated in the
R&O its belief that BPL's public benefits "are sufficiently important and
significant so as to outweigh the limited potential for increased harmful
interference that may arise."

Among other specific provisions, the FCC's new rules mandate certification
of BPL equipment instead of the less-stringent verification, a public BPL
database--something the BPL industry did not want--and mechanisms to deal
swiftly with interference complaints. BPL systems will have to incorporate
the ability to modify operation and performance "to mitigate or avoid
potential harmful interference" and to deactivate problematic units, the
R&O says.

Further, the new rules spell out the locations of "small geographic
exclusion zones" as well as excluded bands or frequencies--concessions
made primarily at the insistence of the NTIA, which administers radio
spectrum for federal government users--and "coordination areas" where BPL
operators must "precoordinate" spectrum use. The rules also detail
techniques to measure BPL emissions from system equipment and power lines.


The FCC said it expects "good faith" on both sides in the event of
interference complaints. While the Commission said it expects BPL
operators to take every interference complaint seriously and to diagnose
the possible cause of interference quickly, it also suggested that
complainants have responsibilities.

"At the same time, we expect the complainant to have first taken
reasonable steps to confirm that interference, rather than a receiver
system malfunction, is occurring and, to the extent practicable, to
determine that the interference source is located outside the
complainant's premises," the Commission said.

Shutting down a BPL system in response to a valid interference complaint
"would be a last resort when all other efforts to satisfactorily reduce
interference have failed," the FCC said.

League officials are studying the R&O and considering possible responses.
The ARRL Executive Committee (EC) already has authorized filing a Petition
for Reconsideration. The EC also authorized ARRL General Counsel Chris
Imlay, W3KD, to "prepare to pursue other available remedies as to
procedural and substantive defects" in the BPL proceeding.

For more information on BPL, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)
and Amateur Radio" page <http://www.arrl.org> on the ARRL Web site.

==>STATE UTILITIES COMMISSIONERS' BPL TASK FORCE SESSION YIELDS SOME
INSIGHTS

ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, represented the League
this week at a meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utilities
Commissioners (NARUC) Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) Task Force.
Michigan Commissioner Laura Chappelle chaired the October 24 gathering in
Alexandria, Virginia. Its aim was to give NARUC BPL Task Force members an
overview of federal regulations, an industry perspective, and insight into
potential state regulatory issues related to BPL. NARUC consists of state
utility regulators who have no jurisdiction over RFI issues, Rinaldo
explained after the meeting.

"However," he said, "it's good that they are aware that there's a
potential interference problem that could complicate life at the local
level when hams complain to utilities about interference." On the other
hand, he noted during his presentation, "BPL may be a distraction from a
utility's main function of delivering reliable power to customers." During
a question-and-answer session, the state utility commissioners posed no
questions regarding BPL interference, Rinaldo said.

Rinaldo's presentation, "BPL--Amateur Radio Perspective," pointed out a
paradox in the new regulations: "The R&O excludes frequency bands for
those facilities typically away from BPL installations," he said.
"However, it does not exclude frequency bands for those stations, such as
Amateur Radio, typically closest to residential BPL installations."
Rinaldo noted that ARRL and National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) BPL measurements "are consistent" with each other.
The NTIA had determined that even at Part 15 emission limits for reception
of low to moderate-strength signals, BPL interference extends out 460
meters (approximately 1509 feet) for fixed stations.

Among suggested BPL "best practices," Rinaldo recommended that BPL
providers exclude Amateur Radio bands "by design" rather than awaiting
complaints. If complaints do arise, BPL providers should "promptly
eliminate interference," he said. Rinaldo also stressed Amateur Radio's
emergency communication role.

Precursor Group CEO Scott Cleland spoke on "The Alchemy of Broadband over
Power Lines." While focused primarily on investments, Cleland's
presentation also asserted that that technical alchemy "has finally
overcome the heretofore insurmountable barrier of noise interference in an
economically viable way."

The United Power Line Council's Brett Kilbourne told the gathering that
all technical problems confronting BPL had been solved and that it was
time to roll it out. "I bit my tongue," Rinaldo remarked later.

During a discussion on "open access," Rinaldo said, the mood of the
Commissioners was not to regulate how many BPL providers might have access
to a given utility system, "which logically means that only one provider
would be practical," he concluded. "That is, if one provider hogs all the
bandwidth and/or time on the bands not notched, it would be virtually
impossible to have the original provider back out just to let a competitor
in."

Franca and Current Technologies' Jay Birnbaum allowed that there wasn't
much bandwidth to begin with, and, Rinaldo said, subdividing it wouldn't
make much sense.

Discussion also touched on the timing of BPL rollouts and competition from
well-established cable and DSL as well as growing wireless system
providers. "From the discussion, I got the impression that rollout would
take about 4-1/2 years," Rinaldo said. "Over that time, cable, DSL, fiber,
wireless and satellite broadband providers will provide strong
competition."

==>EXPEDITION 9 CREW BACK ON EARTH; EXPEDITION 10 BACK IN THE SADDLE

"I hereby accept command of the International Space Station." With those
words and the traditional ringing of the ISS bell, Expedition 10 Commander
Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, and ISS Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov marked the
change of command during an October 22 ceremony aboard the space station.

The International Space Station Expedition 9 crew of Commander Gennady
Padalka, RN3DT, and NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, now is
back on Earth after spending nearly 188 days in space and traveling more
than 78 million miles on the ISS. Padalka, Fincke and Russian Space Forces
Test Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin landed safely in Kazakhstan early October 24.
Shargin had accompanied Chiao and Sharipov to the ISS earlier in the
month.

The Expedition 10 crew returned to a full schedule October 27 after three
days of light duty following the hectic week of crew handover activities.
Despite the busy week before departure, Fincke did manage to slip in a few
casual QSOs on 2 meters, according to postings on the ISS Fan Club Web
site <http://www.issfanclub.com/>.

In addition to conducting science experiments during his eight days aboard
the ISS, Shargin participated in Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) school group contacts with students in Finland and
Belgium. The Expedition 10 crew is not expected to begin its own series of
ARISS school group contacts until the week of November 11. Among other
locations, ARISS school group contacts are penciled in for Italy, New
York, Quebec, and Ontario. Specific dates for those QSOs have not yet been
established. The RS0ISS packet system, which was down for a short time
earlier this week, now is back in operation.

Padalka and Fincke are in Star City, Russia, for a few weeks of
post-flight debriefings and medical exams. They'll return to Houston in
mid-November, NASA says. Expedition 10 officially took command of the ISS
Expedition 9 when the hatches between the departing Soyuz vehicle and the
ISS closed at 1800 UTC October 23.

Chiao and Sharipov are expected to spend the next six months continuing
ISS science operations and maintaining station systems. They will also
prepare the ISS for the space shuttle's return to flight and conduct two
space walks. Expedition 10 is scheduled to return to Earth next April
25.--some information from NASA

==>FCC RELOCATION OF FEDERAL USERS INCLUDES SOME AMATEUR 2.3 GHz SPECTRUM

The FCC has acted to include the first five 5 megahertz of the 2390-2417
MHz Amateur Radio Service primary allocation among spectrum it's opened up
to accommodate federal users shifted from other bands. The spectrum
relocations, which also involved nonamateur spectrum at 2 GHz, are aimed
at making room for advanced wireless services (AWS), including so-called
"third-generation" (3G) wireless systems.

After voting unanimously October 14 to adopt a Seventh Report and Order
(R&O) in ET Docket 00-258 and WT Docket 02-8, the FCC called the action
"an important step towards the future auction of 90 MHz of spectrum for
AWS." The Commission said it worked with the US Department of Defense and
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to
reallocate spectrum to allow for relocation of critical military and other
operations into the 2360 to 2395 MHz band.

The FCC says its action will make room available to shift federal
government aeronautical mobile flight test telemetry (AMT) operations from
the 1.7 GHz band to the 2.3 GHz band by extending the primary allocation
for AMT to include an additional 10 megahertz from 2385 to 2395 MHz.
"Making the additional spectrum available for non-federal AMT will
accommodate the higher data rates needed for non-federal flight testing,"
the FCC said.

The Commission similarly extended the existing secondary spectrum
allocations for federal and non-federal non-aeronautical mobile telemetry
operations in the 2360-2385 MHz band to include the 2385 to 2395 MHz band.
In addition, it extended the existing federal primary radiolocation and
secondary fixed allocations from 2360 to 2385 MHz to include 2385 to 2390
MHz.

Last December, the ARRL announced that it had agreed in principle with the
Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) to develop
coordination procedures. The League told the FCC it could support Amateur
Radio sharing of 2390 to 2395 MHz on a co-primary basis with flight test
telemetry operations. But it has insisted that 2395 to 2400 MHz remain an
exclusive amateur primary allocation.

==>BRITISH AMATEURS GET ADDITIONAL 100 kHz ON 40 METERS OCTOBER 31

Starting at 0100 UTC October 31, the 40 meter band in the British Isles
will effectively double in size when radio amateurs there gain access to
7100 to 7200 kHz. Ofcom, the UK telecommunications regulatory authority,
announced the Notice of Variation October 26.

The change, in the works since last year, is a result of actions taken
during World Radiocommunication Conference 2003, where conferees agreed to
move broadcasters out of 7100 to 7200 kHz in Regions 1 and 3 to make room
for the Amateur Service. Coincidentally, the UK band expansion, which also
includes independently governed regions where Ofcom regulates
telecommunications, will occur just about halfway through the CQ World
Wide Contest (SSB) this weekend. Contesters take note!

The Ofcom NOV makes the segment available on a secondary basis, and
amateur stations in the UK and affected regions may not cause interference
to stations operating in other radio services inside or outside the UK.

The UK and Ofcom-administered regions join the Republic of Ireland--which
reportedly gained access October 20--as well as Croatia, Norway and San
Marino among Region 1 countries that have authorized access to the
additional spectrum on a secondary basis. The WRC-03 change does not
formally go into effect until 2009.-thanks to Lawrence Woolf, GJ3RAX; RSGB

==>DIGITAL BROADCAST TROUBLESOME TO SOME, EXPERIMENTAL OPPORTUNITY FOR
OTHERS

A digital broadcast signal on 3995 kHz has prompted some members of the
amateur community to contact ARRL to say it's QRMing the top 10 kHz of 75
meters and asking what can be done about it. Not much, as it turns out.
The signal, from Deutsche Welle in Germany, is legal since radio amateurs
share that part of the band with broadcasters in Region 1 (which includes
Europe). The international Radio Regulations do leave the door open to
request that the station reduce power or change its antenna pattern,
however.

"Digital shortwave will revolutionize cross-border broadcasts and will
initiate a worldwide renaissance of radio," Deutsche Welle Director
General Erik Bettermann said this month during a panel discussion at
Munich Media Days. Deutsche Welle plans to gradually shut down its analog
shortwave transmissions, he said, as DRM receivers became more available
globally--something not anticipated until late 2005.

Although the station has been broadcasting for some time on the same
frequency in conventional AM, it's attracted more notice from hams since
July, when it began testing using digital format--also referred to as
"DRM," (Digital Radio Mondiale, French for "Digital Radio Worldwide"). Of
course, the vagaries of propagation will be a big factor as to the amount
of interference US hams experience at any given time.

Radio amateurs meanwhile have been experimenting with programs such as
HamDream <http://www.qslnet.de/member/hb9tlk/>, a DRM program adapted for
Amateur Radio use by HB9TLK. It enables digital voice and data
transmissions using bandwidths on the order of 2.3 to 2.5 kHz.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Astral aficionado Tad "Shooting Star" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: This week has been fantastic for HF propagation! The sun has been
peppered with spots, and--best of all--there have been no geomagnetic
upsets. This is an unusual combination, to have geomagnetic indices so low
while sunspot numbers are up. What could be better just ahead of the CQ
World Wide DX SSB Contest this weekend?

>From last week to this week, the average daily sunspot number more than
doubled--rising by more than 75 points to 140.7. The sunspot number was
highest on Sunday, October 24, when it was 178. It hasn't been that high
since last November 30!

Expect great conditions for the CQ WW, and you can expect the higher HF
bands to yield plenty of DX. Average solar flux for this week was about
131, and you can expect continuing solar flux between 130-135 through the
weekend. Saturday, October 30, may have some mildly unsettled geomagnetic
conditions, with a planetary A index of 12.

Sunspot numbers for October 21 through 27 were 112, 134, 141, 178, 146,
124 and 150, with a mean of 140.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 112.1, 122.5,
131.6, 140.2, 141.4, 136.7 and 129.5, with a mean of 130.6. Estimated
planetary A indices were 8, 6, 4, 9, 13, 3 and 3, with a mean of 6.6.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 5, 1, 6, 9, 0 and 2, with a mean
of 4.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB) and the
10-10 International Fall Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 30-31.
JUST AHEAD: The ARS Spartan Sprint is November 2. The ARRL November
Sweepstakes (CW), the North American Collegiate Amateur Radio Club
Championship (CW), the IPARC Contest (CW/SSB), the Ukrainian DX Contest,
the High Speed Club CW Contest and the DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest are
the weekend of November 6-7. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration --
Registration for the ARRL RFI (EC-006) and Antenna Design and Construction
(EC-009) courses remains open through Sunday, October 31. Classes begin
Friday, November 12. Antenna Design and Construction students will, among
other things, learn about basic dipoles and ground planes, and how to
assemble combinations of these into more complex antennas. Students also
learn about transmission lines, standing wave ratio, phased arrays and
Yagis. Students participating in the RFI course will learn to identify
various interference sources. Radio Propagation students will study the
science of RF propagation, including the properties of electromagnetic
waves, the atmosphere and the ionosphere, the sun and sunspots, ground
waves and sky waves, and various propagation modes--including aurora and
meteor scatter. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education (C-CE) Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Program Department, cce@arrl.org.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course
(EC-001) opens Monday, November 1, 1201 AM EST, and will remain open
through the November 6-7 weekend or until all available seats have been
filled. Class begins Friday, November 26. Radio amateurs age 55 and older
are strongly encouraged to participate. 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, 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 <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, <cce@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340.

* QRV to vote? "I'm a ham radio operator, and I vote!" Make sure you can
say this to your elected officials by getting out to vote Tuesday,
November 2. Voting is a precious right. As a citizen of a democracy,
informed participation in the electoral process is also your duty.

* Icom America to power W1AW during ARRL November Sweepstakes: Icom
America <http://www.icomamerica.com> is sponsoring a team of operators to
activate Maxim Memorial Station W1AW during both 2004 ARRL November
Sweepstakes weekends <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/novss.html>.
The CW event is the weekend of November 6-7, while the SSB event is the
weekend of November 20-21. The CW weekend crew will include Mike Mraz,
N6MZ, Ward Silver, N0AX, Dick Dievendorff, K6KR, ARRL Sales and Marketing
Director Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, ARRL Contest Manager Dan Henderson,
N1ND, and Icom Division Manager-Amateur Products Ray Novak, N9JA. Team
members for the SSB weekend will be announced later. The Icom America
operators will put Icom's flagship IC-7800 and its newly introduced
IC-756PROIII transceivers through their paces in concert with W1AW's
amplifiers and antennas (photo)--a potentially killer combination. If
you're not a contest regular but want to give SS a try? See "A Contest
Primer," by Ward Silver in October 2003 QST, which discusses operating in
ARRL November Sweepstakes.

* Club commissions for membership renewals are back! Responding to the
wishes of many ARRL-affiliated clubs, the League has reinstated the Club
Commission Membership Recruitment Program, which benefits affiliated clubs
by helping them to bolster the bottom line. For the past couple of years,
ARRL-Affiliated clubs have earned $15 commissions for each new or lapsed
(over two years) membership they submit. Effective immediately, affiliated
clubs now will also earn $2 for each ARRL membership renewal they send in.
This program applies to regular and senior membership dues. (Commissions
do not apply to family or blind memberships, and this program may not be
combined with any other special offer or discount program.) The program is
just one of the many benefits of ARRL club affiliation. Affiliated clubs
might consider taking advantage by scheduling an ARRL membership
recruitment/renewal night. For full details, see the ARRL Club Commission
Membership Recruitment Program Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/forms/club-commission-program.html>
.

* RSGB proposes 500 kHz amateur band for UK: The Radio Society of Great
Britain (RSGB) has proposed allowing radio amateurs in the UK to operate
either 501-504 kHz or 508-515 kHz at a power of 10 W EIRP. "The
allocation, if accepted, would extend amateurs' experimental work on other
low and medium frequencies and thus aid understanding of propagation in
those parts of the spectrum," the RSGB said. The RSGB proposed the two
band options since they are no longer used for maritime telegraphy in the
Western Hemisphere, their usage for nondirectional aeronautical beacons is
being phased out and the frequencies also are not likely to be reallocated
to another service anytime in the near future. The Wireless Institute of
Australia (WIA) recently announced plans to request the Australian
Communications Authority (ACA) to establish an experimental amateur
allocation at 500 kHz. The RSGB says its proposal was drafted in
consultation with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1
500 kHz Working group, formed following World Radiocommunication
Conference 2003 (WRC-03) by the RSGB and chaired by the Union of Belgian
Radio Amateurs UBA. The Working Group includes representatives from all
three IARU regions. The IARU also favors a worldwide Amateur Radio band at
135.7 to 137.8 kHz and is seeking support for such an allocation at
WRC-07. Further details of the RSGB 500 kHz proposal are on the RSGB
Spectrum Forum Web site <http://www.rsgb-spectrumforum.org.uk/mf.htm>.

* First Australia-US QSO took place 80 years ago: The Wireless Institute
of Australia (WIA) notes that the first direct two-way radio communication
between Australia and the US occurred 80 years ago on November 3, 1924.
Walter Francis Maxwell "Max" Howden, A3BQ (later VK3BQ), contacted William
L. Williams, U6AHP, of  Pomona, California, using Morse code. (A 1924 US
Department of Commerce call book indicates Williams could run up to 300
W.) The contact took place in the vicinity of the current 80-meter band.
Located near Melbourne, A3BQ ran 130 W using a single-tube transmitter.
His antenna consisted of six wires, 65 feet long and 80 feet in the air.
"The first transpacific QSO was a very significant achievement at a time
when radio amateurs were seeking to prove that long-distance communication
was possible on short wavelengths that governments had considered to be
useless," said the WIA's Jim Linton, VK3PC. Nine days later, Howden
achieved the first Australia-to-Great Britain two-way wireless telegraphy
contact by working E. J. Simmonds, G2OD, in Buckingham, England. The
following February, A3BQ again worked G2OD for the first two-way Amateur
Radio phone contact between Australia and the UK--another world first.
"The efforts of the late Max Howden, VK3BQ, and many other pioneering
radio amateurs of that era, both the southern and northern hemispheres,
significantly added to the knowledge of communications." Linton remarked.
"It led to the rapid development of radio in terms of inter-continental
and global communications and opened up the short waves for broadcasting,
international wireless telegraph and many other uses over long distances."


* Halloween special event set: Listen for special event station W0O (get
it?) in Frankenstein, Missiour, starting at 0000 UTC on October 31 and
continuing into 0400 UTC November 1. Operation will be on or about 3.943,
7.233, 14.312, 21.378 and 28.378 MHz. A "super cool" QSL card is
available. QSL to WE0G, 70 NW 601, Centerview, MO 64019.

* N4MC's Vanity HQ Web site to go dark: Mike Carroll, N4MC, has announced
that he no longer is supporting his Vanity HQ Web site
<http://www.vanityhq.com> "At some point in the near future, the
www.vanityhq.com domain will no longer be active," he said in an
announcement on the site. "This is not an action based upon lack of
funding, but a shift in my priorities. Thanks to all!" Over the past
several years, the Vanity HQ site often has been the first stop for those
interested in obtaining an Amateur Radio vanity call sign. Among other
information, it has provided a list of recently issued vanity call signs
as well as available call signs and active vanity call sign applications.
Carroll announced in February that the popular site's future viability was
hanging by a thread, and he indicated then that he'd eventually have to
pull the plug on the site.

===========================================================
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.

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