[Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for October 15, 2009

Thu Oct 15 14:50:06 EDT 2009

********************************************
            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************

October 15, 2009

Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA <k1sfa at arrl.org>

ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/>ARRL Letter Archive
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> IN THIS ISSUE

- + Three Killed While Erecting Antenna
- + Public Service: Ham Provides Rescue Support at Utah Marathon
- + Operating: Team Leaders Selected for WRTC 2010
- Operating: Get Ready for JOTA This Weekend!
- + Operating: After False Starts, Midway Island DXpedition off to Good
Beginning
-  Hints & Kinks : Altoids Times Two
- + Did You Know? The Wouff Hong
- + Events: Dayton Hamvention Crew Readies for 2010 Show
- This Week on the Radio:
-  The ARRL Letter : HTML vs Plain Text
- Organizational: ARRL Membership Newsletters, Bulletins and
Notifications

+ Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

==> + THREE KILLED WHILE ERECTING ANTENNA

At approximately 8:40 PM on October 12, a man, woman and their 15 year
old son were killed while trying to erect a 50 foot vertical antenna at
the home of the man's mother, Barbara Tenn, KJ4KFF, in Palm Bay,
Florida. The deceased were not licensed amateurs. According to police
reports, Melville Braham, 55, Anna Braham, 49, and their 15 year old
son Anthony were putting up an antenna -- Tenn's second -- at night
when they lost control of the antenna and it crashed into nearby
overhead power lines. The impact sent 13,000 volts of electricity
through the pole that the three were holding. A family friend, a 17
year old boy, was on the roof at the time of the accident. He and the
couple's daughter, who was in the house at the time, were not injured.
Click here <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/13/11135/?nc=1>
for more information.

==> + PUBLIC SERVICE: HAM PROVIDES RESCUE SUPPORT AT UTAH MARATHON

   While not as well known as the Boston and New York City Marathons,
Utah's St George Marathon <http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com/> draws more
than 7000 runners to the town of St George -- located 300 miles south
of Salt Lake City, near the Utah-Arizona-Nevada border -- each year.
The race, now in its 33rd year, uses shuttle vans equipped with Amateur
Radio operators and medical personnel to provide any help and support
needed along its course. On October 3 -- race day -- Brian Plumb,
KE7HNW, was driving Shuttle #3, with Kathy Hutchinson, a nurse at a
local hospital, by his side. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/15/11141/?nc=1> for more
information.

==> + OPERATING: TEAM LEADERS SELECTED FOR WRTC 2010

After a grueling selection process, the organizers of the 2010 World
Radiosport Team Championships (WRTC <http://www.wrtc2010.ru/>) have
selected team leaders representing all six continents. Of the 76
applications submitted, 44 were selected as Team Leaders; these Team
Leaders will now choose a partner. WRTC, held every few years, takes
place during the IARU HF World Championships, July 10-11. In 2010, WRTC
will be held just outside Moscow. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/13/11133/?nc=1> for more
information.

==> OPERATING: GET READY FOR JOTA THIS WEEKEND!

 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQIHdml8inU>	When Scouts want to
meet young people from another country, they usually think of attending
a quadrennial World Jamboree. But each year, more than 400,000 Scouts
and Guides "get together" over the airwaves for the annual
Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA). This year, JOTA celebrates its 52nd
anniversary. JOTA follows a 48 hour schedule beginning at 0000 local
time on Saturday, October 17, continuing through 2400 local time on
Sunday, October 18. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/15/11142/?nc=1> for more
information, including suggested frequencies, satellite operations,
available resources and more.

==> + OPERATING: AFTER FALSE STARTS, MIDWAY ISLAND DXPEDITION OFF TO
GOOD BEGINNING

After the airplane scheduled to take the K4M DXpedition team from
Honolulu to Midway Island developed engine trouble, there was doubt as
to if the team would even make it to the island. But Murphy didn't get
in the way -- mechanics found the necessary parts to get the plane in
the air safely. After a four hour flight, the team arrived on Midway at
0700 UTC on Monday, October 12 to start operations. Originally
scheduled to be on-the-air for 10 days (beginning October 9), the team
might not be able to extend their time on the island, due to US Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regulations. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/13/11137/?nc=1> for more
information.

==> + OPERATING: HAMS ON-THE-AIR TO SUPPORT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
WEEK

The KP1-5 Project -- organizers of the 2009 Desecheo Island DXpedition
-- is pleased to announce that Amateur Radio operators will be
operating in observance of the 2009 National Wildlife Refuge Week, on
the air October 10-18. This event features scores of festivals and
special events that help connect people with nature at the country's
547 National Wildlife Refuges. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/14/11139/?nc=1> for more
information.

==> + OPERATING: ARRL DXCC DESK APPROVES FT5GA OPERATION

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that the FT5GA operation on
Glorioso Island <http://glorieuses2008.free.fr/index-e.htm> --
September 14-October 8, 2009 -- has been approved for DXCC credit.
Until this operation, Glorioso sat at number 4 on DX Magazine
<http://www.dxpub.com/>'s Most Wanted list; five operators operating
for 23 days made more than 50,000 QSOs to make this rare one available.

==>  HINTS & KINKS : ALTOIDS TIMES TWO

Sam Green, W0PCE, of St Louis, Missouri, has a different take on those
ubiquitous Altoids tins:

   Many of us mount compact circuits in cases that previously contained
mint candies. My friend Matt, W0XEU, suggested packaging more complex
circuits in multiple Altoids tins by mounting them back to back, a
simple yet elegant idea.

I built this circuit in a "double-wide" arrangement because I needed
somewhere to put the

   batteries. This offered the added advantage of providing a means to
filter bench power during development and testing so I wouldn't leak
ambient RF signals into the main compartment with its very sensitive
circuitry. I simply drill a hole near each corner to screw the boxes
together. If you are careful with the placement of the holes you can
even turn the arrangement around later to reverse the way the covers
open. Otherwise, plan ahead. I feed power between compartments via a
threaded coaxial feed-through EMI
<http://www.mouser.com/tusonix>(electromagnetic interference) filter
<http://www.tusonix.com/filters.html>, with additional bypass
capacitors for this very sensitive application. The threaded filter

   serves in place of one of the screws that hold the cases together. I
use conductive adhesive-backed copper tape
<http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/1376464-tape-copper-foil-1-x-18yds-1245-x-1.html>
as a gasket to minimize leakage into the shielded compartment that
contains the sensitive circuitry.

You can extend this method to additional compartments where you might
want many stages of gain and you need to isolate and control the
coupling between them. This is a very simple and effective way to
prototype more complex circuits before you have to worry about
customizing the packaging. Matt and I hope you will find this method
useful. -- 73, Sam Green, W0PCE, 10951 Pem Road, St Louis, MO 63146,
w0pce at arrl.net

==> + DID YOU KNOW? THE WOUFF HONG

   Every amateur should know and tremble at the history and origins of
this fearsome instrument for the punishment of amateurs who cultivate
bad operating habits and who nourish and culture their meaner instincts
on the air. The Wouff Hong
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/history.html#hong> was invented -- or at
any rate, discovered -- by "The Old Man" himself, just as amateurs were
getting back on the air after World War I. The Old Man (who later
turned out to be Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, co-founder and first
President of ARRL) first heard the Wouff Hong described amid the howls
and garble of interference as he tuned across a band filled with
signals that exemplified all the rotten operating practices then
available to amateurs (considering the state of the art as they knew
it). As The Old Man heard it, the Wouff Hong was being used on some
hapless offender so effectively that he investigated. After further
effort, "T.O.M." was able to locate and identify a Wouff Hong. The Old
Man never prescribed the exact manner in which the Wouff Hong was to be
used, but amateurs need only a little imagination to surmise how
painful punishments were inflicted on those who stoop to liddish
behavior on the air. The Original Wouff Hong is on display at ARRL
Headquarters. Find out more about this dreaded instrument of torture
here <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/history.html#hong>.

==>  AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE : COLUMBUS	ANTENNAS TO TAKE TO THE SKIES

 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efXlL75dvA>	In February 2008, the
new Columbus module -- built by the European Space Agency (ESA) -- was
attached to the International Space Station (ISS). When ESA first
announced its intentions for the module a number of years ago, the
ARISS International team began planning how to get ham radio
integrated. While ESA's blueprints were being drawn, hams made serious
inquiries and gave presentations, eventually winning approval to have
antenna feed-through connectors added to the module. ARRL ARISS Program
Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, discusses the latest developments
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/10/05/11110/?nc=1>.

==> + EVENTS: DAYTON HAMVENTION CREW READIES FOR 2010 SHOW

Organizers of the 2010 Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org/>Â®
-- May 14-16 -- are gearing up for one of the largest Amateur Radio
gatherings in the world. According to Hamvention Assistant General
Chair Michael Kalter, W8CI, a new online program for taking and
tracking online orders has been implemented and all volunteer committee
chairs and assistants are in place. Kalter said that the theme of the
2010 Hamvention is Amateur Radio Clubs Worldwide: The Lifeline. "We all
recognize how much Amateur Radio clubs and organizations contribute to
the service, Kalter said. "We all see this in how clubs pull together
in disasters, Field Day, contests, working with youth, teaching classes
and sponsoring hamfests; in parts of the world, the club truly is the
communication link to the world." Kalter said that Hamvention
organizers are asking hams to submit photos of your Amateur Radio club
and the activities that the club participates in. "We would like to use
some of these on the front and back cover of the Hamvention program for
2010," he said. "We are also looking for stories of interest from your
club.".

==> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO:

   This week, look for the School Club Roundup
<http://www.arrl.org/SCR/> October 19-23. There's an NCCC Sprint
October 16. The Iowa QSO Party, the Feld Hell Sprint and the Microwave
Fall Sprint are October 17. On October 17-18, check out the New York
QSO Party, JARTS WW RTTY Contest, the Stew Perry Topband Challenge, the
Worked All Germany Contest and the W/VE Islands QSO Party. The Illinois
QSO Party is October 18-19 and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is
October 19. Next week, you'll find another NCCC Sprint on October 23.
The CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB), the CW and Digital runnings of
the10-10 International Fall Contest, and the 50 MHz Fall Sprint are
October 24-25. The SKCC Sprint is October 28. All dates, unless
otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.
Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL
Special Event Station Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>.

==>  ARRL PUBLICATIONS : CHECK OUT THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER ISSUE OF QEX

The November/December issue of QEX <http://www.arrl.org/qex> is coming
soon, and it is full of theoretical and practical technical articles
that you don't want to miss. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/10/14/11138/?nc=1> to discover
what's inside this upcoming issue. QEX is edited by Larry Wolfgang,
WR1B <lwolfgang at arrl.org>, and is published bimonthly.

==>  THE ARRL LETTER : HTML VS PLAIN TEXT

Many people have asked how they can continue to read The ARRL Letter in
a plain text format. ARRL IT Department Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, has
provided instructions
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/about.html#plaintext> to do just that.
According to Bloom, most e-mail reading programs provide some means of
accessing the plain-text version if you want it. Unfortunately, we are
not able to send out plain text versions (like the ones prior to
October 1) of The ARRL Letter. If you like the look of HTML (including
pictures and videos), but do not want to receive the Letter in HTML
format, you can access current and archived editions via the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>.

==> TAPR ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

At the recent ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC
<http://www.arrl.org/?artid=9182>) in Chicago, the TAPR
<http://www.tapr.org/> Board of Directors of selected a new slate of
officers and named Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ, President Emeritus of TAPR.
Dr Toth served as TAPR President from 2005-2009 and as a member of the
Board from 1987-1993 and 2004 to present. The new TAPR officers are:
Steve Bible, N7HPR, President; Scott Cowling, WA2DFI, Vice President;
Tom Holmes, N8ZM, Treasurer; and Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, Secretary. TAPR
recently elected three new members to their Board of Directors: Scott
Cowling, WA2DFI; John Koster, W9DDD, and Mark Thompson, WB9QZB. --
Thanks to Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, for the information

==> SILENT KEY: MATHIAS BJERRANG, LA5NM/JW5NM (SK)

Noted DXer Mathias Bjerrang, LA5NM/JW5NM, passed away October 11. He
was 67. While in Svalbard, Norway, Bjerrang slipped and fell while
walking, hitting his head and was later found Sunday morning, cold and
unable to speak. He was brought inside where he later stopped
breathing; he was unable to be resuscitated and died. A native of
Norway, Bjerrang went on many cold weather DXpeditions, including the
North and South Poles. Many times, he provided the sought-after double
multiplier of Zone 40 and Svalbard in contests. Bjerrang earned WAS
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/was/> as JW5NM and DXCC
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/> as both JW5NM and LA5NM; he was
previously on the DXCC Honor Roll as JW5NM. Thanks to The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/> for some information

==> ORGANIZATIONAL: ARRL MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTERS, BULLETINS AND
NOTIFICATIONS

Did you know the ARRL offers more newsletters than just The ARRL
Letter? One of the many ARRL membership benefits includes other
newsletters, such as the ARRL Contest Update
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> (a bi-weekly contest
newsletter), the ARES E-Letter
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/> (sent monthly, containing
public service and emergency communications news), the ARRL Club News,
the ARRL Instructor/Teacher E-Letter and the VE Newsletter, to name a
few. You can also elect to receive news and information from your
Division Director and Section Manager (keep in mind that not all
Divisions/Sections send notices), as well as W1AW bulletins that relate
to DX, propagation, satellites and Keplerian reports. The ARRL also
offers a free notification service to members, letting them know when
their membership and license are due to expire. Sign up for these
newsletters, bulletins and notifications on the Member Data page of the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html>.

==> ARRL CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE REGISTRATION

 <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student/>Registration remains open through
Sunday, October 25, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on
Friday, November 6, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
1; Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and
Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation;
Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics. To learn more, visit the
CEP Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact
the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cep at arrl.org>.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/.

 <http://www.arrl.org/>