[Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for March 4, 2010

Thu Mar 4 15:39:26 EST 2010

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            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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March 4, 2010

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

- ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan
- Public Service: Radio Club de Chile Active after Earthquake
- Public Service: Hawaii Hams Spurred to Action by Chilean Earthquake
- FCC News: FCC Seeks Comments for Blanket Waiver to Allow Amateur
Radio in Hospital Emergency Drills
-  FCC News : FCC Denies ARRL's Request for Declaratory Ruling
- FCC News: FCC Reaffirms Statement on ROS
-  Public Service : Amateur Radio Operators Wrap Up Communications
Support in Haiti
-  ARRL In Action : What Have We Been Up to Lately?
- ARRL Executive Committee Meeting Agenda Now Available
- Amateur Radio in Space: A Close Encounter for AMSAT-OSCAR 51	
- W1AW Announces New Schedule for Digital Bulletin Transmissions
- Solar Update
-  Silent Key : TAPR President Emeritus Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ (SK)
- This Week on the Radio
- ARRL Recognizes: Paul Christensen, W9AC, Wins February QST  Cover
Plaque Award

==> ARRL SEEKS INPUT FOR NEW IARU REGION 2 BAND PLAN

   The International Amateur Radio Region 2 conference -- held later
this year in El Salvador -- brings together delegations from the
national Amateur Radio Societies in the Western Hemisphere. One of the
topics on the agenda will be the Region 2 HF band plan. This band plan
is "harmonized with" -- spectrum management-speak for "very similar to"
-- the IARU Region 1 and Region 3 band plans. At this year's
conference, the IARU Member-Societies will consider possible changes to
the Region 2 band plan. The ARRL is cooperating with this procedure by
inviting input to be sent to the ARRL Board of Directors' Band Planning
Committee. The committee will review the existing Region 2 band plan,
consider input from the amateur community and make recommendations to
the ARRL Board for submission to IARU Region 2. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11374/?nc=1>.

==> PUBLIC SERVICE: RADIO CLUB DE CHILE ACTIVE AFTER EARTHQUAKE

   On Monday, March 1, IARU Region 2 <http://www.iaru-r2.org/>
President Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, spoke via telephone with Radio Club
de Chile (RCCH <http://www.ce3aa.cl/>) President Dr Galdino Besomi,
CE3PG, regarding the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the South
American nation on Saturday, February 27. "He informed me that soon
after the earthquake, an Emergency Net was activated in the whole
country -- first on VHF and then on HF. All the RCCH Board and club
members are actively working in close coordination with civil and
military authorities," Leandro posted to the IARU Region 2 e-mail
reflector. "Three days after the earthquake, the requests for news
about people in the affected areas is one of the main activities
occupying the Chilean radio amateurs."

==> PUBLIC SERVICE: HAWAII HAMS SPURRED TO ACTION BY CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE

   On Saturday, February 27 -- in reaction to a tsunami warning
triggered by the Chilean earthquake -- 60 Amateur Radio operators
participated in a tsunami radio net that operated throughout the island
State of Hawaii. More than 25 real-time reports from observers around
the state were relayed simultaneously to the State Emergency Operating
Center (EOC) and the four county EOCs, providing timely information via
Amateur Radio on sea level changes to emergency management officials.
Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/01/11368/?nc=1>.

==> FCC NEWS: FCC SEEKS COMMENTS FOR BLANKET WAIVER TO ALLOW AMATEUR
RADIO IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DRILLS

   In February 2010, the American Hospital Association (AHA) filed a
request with the FCC for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) of
the Commission's Rules "to permit hospitals seeking accreditation to
use Amateur Radio operators who are hospital employees to transmit
communications on behalf of the hospital as part of emergency
preparedness drills." On March 3, the FCC issued a Public Notice -- WP
Docket 10-54 -- seeking comments if the Commission "should grant AHA's
request for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) to permit amateur
operators who are hospital employees to participate in emergency drills
that are conducted by hospitals for accreditation purposes and that are
not government-sponsored."Section 97.113(a)(3) specifically prohibits
amateur stations from transmitting communications "in which the station
licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including
communications on behalf of an employer." Read more here.

==>  FCC NEWS : FCC DENIES ARRL'S REQUEST FOR DECLARATORY RULING

   In 2005, after the State of Florida adopted statutes aimed at pirate
broadcasters and making it a felony to make a radio transmission
without Commission authorization or to interfere with a licensed public
or commercial radio station, the ARRL -- through General Counsel Chris
Imlay, W3KD -- filed a Request for Declaratory Ruling (Request) with
the FCC, seeking a declaratory ruling on portions of that statute. The
ARRL argued that the statute was written so broadly that one could
infer that Commission-licensed Amateur Radio stations in Florida would
be subject to felony prosecution if their transmissions interfered with
broadcast or other radio receivers. In 2006, New Jersey adopted a
similar statute and the ARRL's Request was modified to include that
state. Five years and one day after the original Request was filed with
the Commission, the FCC denied the Request. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/02/28/11365/?nc=1>.

==> FCC NEWS: FCC REAFFIRMS STATEMENT ON ROS

In mid-February, European amateurs first used a new, experimental
digital mode known as ROS. On February 23, 2010 -- after FCC review of
the original documents provided from the developer's Web site -- the
FCC made a statement on ROS. The ARRL supports -- as one of the basic
purposes of Amateur Radio -- the experimentation and advancing the
technical skills of operators. The development and use of any new mode
is exciting to many amateurs, and the League encourage amateurs to
experiment within the parameters of the rules; however, the ARRL also
reminds US licensees that according to Section 97.307, spread spectrum
communications are only permissible in the US on frequencies above 222
MHz. Read more, including what the FCC had to say about ROS, here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11377/?nc=1>.

==>  PUBLIC SERVICE : AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS WRAP UP COMMUNICATIONS
SUPPORT IN HAITI

   After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti
on January 12, many Amateur Radio operators asked how they could
volunteer their time and service to assist with communications support.
When Project Medishare <http://projectmedishare.org/> -- a partnership
between the University of Miami Medical School (UM) and physicians and
health officials in Haiti -- needed help with their communications,
Amateur Radio operators were quick to respond. According to Jack
Satterfield, W4GRJ/AFA4DG, Medishare has constructed several health
clinics in Haiti over the years -- all of which were destroyed in the
earthquake. "Medishare was able to rapidly deploy medical teams and
assets to begin the overwhelming task facing the post earthquake
medical needs," he told the ARRL.

   "UM Vice President for Facilities and Operations Ron Bogue was the
Director in Charge of the Haiti operations. His concern about the
unreliable communications caused him to contact Julio Ripoll, WD4R,
with whom he has worked for years as the architect for UM Medical
facilities. Ron knew that Julio is a ham radio operator and very
involved with the National Hurricane Center in Miami and its Amateur
Radio station, WX4NHC. Ripoll then contacted ARRL to request help in
soliciting volunteers. ARRL immediately sent down an HF Go Kit --
through the ARRL's Ham Aid Program -- and put Ripoll in touch with ARRL
West Central Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and Navy MARS
Florida State Deputy Director Neil Lauritsen, W4NHL/NNN0TFH. Read more
here <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11371/?nc=1>.

==>  ARRL IN ACTION : WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO LATELY?

   This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information
-- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on
behalf of its members, including holding elections for and appointing
people to League leadership positions, preparing for WRC-12,
legislative actions, providing equipment for communications support in
Haiti through the ARRL's Ham Aid program, developing on-the-air events,
investigating power line noise and more. This installment covers the
month of February. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2010/03/01/11366/?nc=1>.

==> ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA NOW AVAILABLE

   At its January 2010 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors decided to
make the agendas of Board and Executive Committee meetings available on
the ARRL Web site. The first opportunity to do so is for the Executive
Committee meeting to be held March 13. The agenda is available here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/files/20100313_EC_agenda.pdf>.

==> AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: A CLOSE ENCOUNTER FOR AMSAT-OSCAR 51

   While many in North America were fast asleep Monday morning, March
1, the AMSAT-OSCAR 51 (AO-51) satellite had a potentially dangerous
encounter with another spacecraft known as Formosat 3D. OSCAR 51 is a
popular Amateur Radio satellite that often functions as a crossband FM
repeater, relaying brief conversations over hundreds of miles. Formosat
3D is part of a constellation of six remote sensing microsatellites
that collect atmospheric data for weather prediction and for
ionosphere, climate and gravity research. Both orbit at an altitude of
approximately 500 miles. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11373/?nc=1>.

==> W1AW ANNOUNCES NEW SCHEDULE FOR DIGITAL BULLETIN TRANSMISSIONS

   Beginning Monday, March 15, W1AW <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html>,
the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, will alternate the digital
modes used for its digital bulletin transmissions. While Baudot, PSK31
and MFSK16 still make up the digital mode complement, W1AW Station
Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says that the schedule will be altered to
give more exposure to PSK31 and MFSK16. "Because of time constraints
and the varying lengths of digital bulletins, there were many instances
where only Baudot was used," he said. "With the new schedule, amateurs
preferring either PSK31 or MFSK16 will no longer find these modes
secondary." Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/02/16/11343/?nc=1>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

   Tad "The Sun shines hot and the wind blows cold
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations>" Cook, K7RA, reports:
The sunspots just keep coming: Two new sunspot groups appeared on March
1, numbered 1052 and 1053. This brings the total number of sunspot
groups appearing over the last month at 11. Looking at our 3-month
moving average of daily sunspot numbers, the latest for
December-January-February is 22.4, for the period centered on January.
The 3-month moving averages for the periods centered on July through
January were 4, 4, 4.64, 7.1, 10.16, 15.15 and 22.4. The average
sunspot number for the month of February was 31, up from 21.3 for
January and 15.7 for December. The February average being 8.6 points
higher than the trailing three month average (22.4) is a good trend.
Look for more information on the ARRL Web site on Friday, March 5,
including more news from happy radio amateurs commenting on improved
conditions on the higher part of the HF spectrum. The vernal equinox
occurs in a little over two weeks, ushering in good spring conditions.
For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL
Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" brought to you by Charles Dickens' Great Expectations
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations>.

==>  SILENT KEY : TAPR PRESIDENT EMERITUS DR DAVID TOTH, VE3GYQ (SK)

   Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ -- President Emeritus of Tucson Amateur Packet
Radio (TAPR) -- passed away Friday, February 26 after a long battle
with cancer. He was 55. A resident of Spencerville, Ohio, Toth served
as a Director and Executive Vice President of TAPR in the 1980s and was
elected President of the organization in September 2005. With his
advancing illness, he decided not to stand for re-election last October
and was instead named President Emeritus with Steve Bible, N7HPR,
taking the reins as TAPR President. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/01/11367/?nc=1>.

==> W1AW NEWS: MARCH W1AW/WEST COAST QUALIFYING RUN SCHEDULE

The March schedules for the W1AW and West Coast Qualifying Runs were
inadvertently left out of the March issue of QST. The March schedules
for W1AW are as follows: Friday, March 5 at 10 PM EST (Saturday, March
6 at 0300 UTC) for 10-25 WPM and Tuesday, March 16 at 7 PM EDT (2300
UTC) for 10-40 WPM. The West Coast Qualifying run will be transmitted
by station K6KPH on Saturday, March 13 at 2 PM PDT (2200 UTC) for 10-35
WPM. The run will be transmitted simultaneously on 3581.5, 7047.5,
14047.5, 18097.5 and 21067.5 kHz.

==> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO

This week, look for the ARRL International DX Contest (SSB)
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2010/intldx.html> on March 6-7. The
Wake-Up! QRP Sprint is March 6 and the DARC 10 Meter Digital Contest is
March 7. The CLARA HF Contest is March 9-10 (continuing on March 13-14)
and the CWops Mini-CWT Test is March 10-11. Next week, the Feld Hell
Sprint is March 13. The RSGB Commonwealth Contest, the Elecraft QSO
Party and the Idaho QSO Party are March 13-14. The North American
Sprint (RTTY) and the SKCC Weekend Sprint are March 14. The Wisconsin
QSO Party is March 14-15 and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is March
18. 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 RECOGNIZES: PAUL CHRISTENSEN, W9AC, WINS FEBRUARY QST	COVER
PLAQUE AWARD

   The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for February is Paul
Christensen, W9AC, for his article "An SWR Null Meter." Congratulations
Paul! 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 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 March issue by Wednesday, March 31.

==> ARRL CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE REGISTRATION

   Registration remains open through Sunday, March 21, 2010, for these
online course sessions <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student/> beginning on
Friday, April 2, 2010: 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 <cce at arrl.org>.

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