[Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for March 11, 2010

Thu Mar 11 13:58:08 EST 2010

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            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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March 11, 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

- Legislative Affairs: ARRL Requests Support for S 1755
- FCC News: FCC Seeks Comments for Blanket Waiver to Allow Amateur
Radio in Hospital Emergency Drills
- ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan
-  Coming Up in QST : Look for Your April Issue to Arrive Soon!
-  FCC News : Administrative Law Judge Says Washington State Licensee
Can Keep Ham License
-  FCC News : FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Correspondence Posted
- Hints and Kinks: Painting Letters
- Solar Update
- This Week on the Radio

==> LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: ARRL REQUESTS SUPPORT FOR S 1755

 <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/10/11385/?nc=1>   Senate
Bill 1755 -- The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act
of 2009 introduced in October 2009 by Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)
and Susan Collins (R-ME) -- has unanimously passed the US Senate and
has been sent to the US House of Representatives for consideration and
now sits in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The ARRL is
asking its membership to contact the leadership of the Energy and
Commerce committee, requesting support and action on moving S 1755
through the committee. S 1755 accomplishes the same things as HR 2160;
HR 2160 was introduced in April 2009 by Rep Sheila Jackson Lee
(D-TX-18). Since S 1755 has already been approved by the Senate, moving
it forward in the House will simplify the process. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/10/11385/?nc=1> for more
information, including instructions on how to encourage the committee's
leadership to support S 1755.

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

 <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11375/?nc=1>   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." Instructions on how to paper
file or file electronically are listed in the Public Notice. Read more
here <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11375/?nc=1>.

==> ARRL RECOGNIZES: BOB SCHROEDER, N2HX, AWARDED 2009 BILL ORR, W6SAI,
TECHNICAL WRITING AWARD

 <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/08/11383/?nc=1>   H. Robert
"Bob" Schroeder, N2HX, of Ewing, New Jersey, has been named the winner
of the ARRL Foundation's 2009 Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award
for his article "Electromagnetic Pulse and Its Implications for EmComm"
that appeared in November 2009 issue of QST. The editorial staff
commented on Schroeder's article, saying that "the topic of nuclear EMP
is somewhat esoteric by itself, let alone discussing its impact on
Amateur Radio, yet the author did an outstanding job of making the
subject matter understandable even to the relatively non-technical ham.
His writing is clear and to the point, offering practical advice not
only for EMP mitigation as it applies to the unlikely event of a
nuclear burst, but also extending the same principles to mitigation for
lightning damage." Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/08/11383/?nc=1>.

==> 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>.

==>  COMING UP IN QST : LOOK FOR YOUR APRIL ISSUE TO ARRIVE SOON!

 <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/10/11387/?nc=1>   The April
issue of QST is jam-packed with all sorts of things today's Amateur
Radio operator needs. From product reviews to experiments to contesting
-- including the official ARRL Rookie Roundup announcement and a report
on how hams responded to the crisis in Haiti -- the upcoming issue of
QST has something for just about everyone. You'll find an abundance of
technical and general interest articles, as well as monthly columns
such as Happenings, How's DX, Hamspeak, Vintage Radio and more. Click
here <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/10/11387/?nc=1> to
discover what's in store for you in the April issue of QST, the
official journal of the ARRL.

==>  FCC NEWS : ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE SAYS WASHINGTON STATE LICENSEE
CAN KEEP HAM LICENSE

In January 2007, the FCC issued an Order to Show Cause
<http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7170> to David L. Titus, KB7ILD, of
Seattle, Washington, to justify why his General class Amateur Radio
license should not be revoked and initiated a hearing process to
determine whether Titus "is qualified to remain a Commission licensee"
in light of a 1993 felony conviction at the age of 18 for
"communicating with a minor for immoral purposes." According to the FCC
order, Titus received a 25-month prison sentence for this act, and the
Seattle Police Department has identified him as a registered sex
offender. On March 9, Administrative Law Judge Richard L. Sippel issued
his Initial Decision
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10D-01A1.pdf> --
saying that Titus " has been a law-abiding member of his community for
many years" and ordered that Titus' license should not be revoked based
on the evidence presented by the defendant and witnesses on his behalf,
as well as the FCC's Enforcement Bureau failure to meet the burden of
proof necessary for revocation. The FCC has said that The
Communications Act of 1934, as amended
<http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/1934new.pdf> provides that the Commission
may revoke any license if conditions come to its attention that would
warrant a denial of the licensee's original application. In the past,
the Commission has said that felony convictions, "especially those
involving sexual offenses involving children," raise questions
regarding a licensee's character qualifications. Sippel's Initial
Decision shall become effective "and this proceeding shall be
terminated 50 days after its release if exceptions are not filed within
30 days thereafter, unless the Commission elects to review the case on
its own motion."

==>  FCC NEWS : FCC AMATEUR RADIO ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENCE POSTED

   The FCC has posted new Amateur Radio enforcement correspondence on
its "Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions
<http://www.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/Welcome.html>" Web page. Laura
Smith, Special Counsel in the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, sent a letters
to the Sacramento (California) Municipal Utility District and to
Northwestern Energy of Helena, Montana; Northwestern Energy also
received letters voicing these same matters in March and September
2009. These letters concerned received complaints that equipment
operated by these utilities may be causing harmful interference to
Amateur Radio operators. Direct all questions about the Amateur Radio
Service Enforcement Actions Web postings via e-mail <fccham at fcc.gov>
only to the FCC Enforcement Bureau.

==> HINTS AND KINKS: PAINTING LETTERS

This idea comes to us from Dave Price, K4KDP <daveprice at nc.rr.com>, of
Goldsboro, North Carolina.

As I get older, I find it is harder to read some of the smaller print
on my radios. The ICOM 706 is a good example. The radio connectors are
marked ANT 1, ANT 2, MIC and DC 13.8V, just to name a few. These are
marked by either raised letters or letters that are indented into the
radio housing. I found that if I paint these letters white, they show
up much better on the black metal case. There is a fairly easy way to
paint the letters white using cotton swabs with wooded sticks.

 <http://www.arrl.org/news/files/Price_Paint.pdf>   Break off the
cotton tip on some of the swabs until you have about six of them with
sharp points at the break area. Throw away the cotton tip and use only
the wooden stick to paint with. Now spray a small puddle of white paint
onto a piece of cardboard. The cardboard will absorb some of the
moisture. Just as the paint starts to thicken dip the pointed end of
the stick into the paint and then gently tap the paint into the
indented area of the radio housing. On raised letters I use the blunt
end of the stick, repeating the same process. It is best to use very
little paint and repeat the process of dipping into the paint and
tapping the paint onto the letters many times (see Figure 1).

You will find you have to replace the stick several times and spray a
new puddle of paint when the old puddle gets too thick. You will also
need to have some small paper towels and rubbing alcohol close by to
quickly clean up any mistakes. I strongly recommend you practice this
on some junk metal before attempting this on your expensive radios. I
have also used this same trick on unpainted numbers for my Chevy truck
4 wheel drive shift mounted on the truck floor and for my watch bezel
to make the unpainted numbers easier to read.

Do you have an idea or a simple project that has improved your
operating? Maybe you've taken something commonly found around the home
and developed a ham radio use for it? Why not share your hints with
fellow hams in "Hints and Kinks," a monthly column in QST. If we
publish your hint in QST, you will receive $20. Send your hints via
e-mail <h&k at arrl.org> or to ARRL Headquarters, Attn: "Hints and Kinks,"
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111. Please include your name, call
sign, complete mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail
address.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

 <http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>
Tad "Here, as I point my sword, the Sun arises
<http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=juliuscaesar&Act=2&Scene=1&Scope=scene&LineHighlight=723>"
Cook, K7RA, reports: We experienced a bit of a scare this week when
four days went by with no sunspots. That's right -- for the first time
in three months, we saw more than a single day with a sunspot number of
zero. The previous period was back in 2009, November 23-December 8.
Until March 6, there were just three days since then with no sunspots,
each a bit less than two weeks apart, December 25, January 6 and
January 19. On Wednesday, sunspot 1054 emerged in the northeastern
quadrant of the visible solar disc, and just south of the center of the
field another sunspot is emerging. Observation via the STEREO mission
reveals possibly a third spot that may appear over the eastern limb on
Friday or Saturday. Currently STEREO can view a little more than 88
percent of the Sun. Sunspot numbers for March 4-10 were 40, 35, 0, 0,
0, 0 and 12, with a mean of 12.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 81.3, 79.5,
78.3, 76.6, 76.3, 77.9 and 80.3, with a mean of 78.6. Look for more
information on the ARRL Web site on Friday, March 12, including more
information on emerging spots, as well as some reported unseasonable
sporadic-E propagation. 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 William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (Act II,
Scene 1)
<http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=juliuscaesar&Act=2&Scene=1&Scope=scene&LineHighlight=723>.

==> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO

 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef23lvpmWro>	This 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. Next week, the 10-10 International Mobile Contest is March 20. The
Russian DX Contest, the Oklahoma QSO Party and the North Dakota QSO
Party are March 20-21. The Virginia QSO Party and the BARTG HF RTTY
Contest are March 20-22. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is March 22
and the SKCC Sprint is March 24. 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 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>.

The ARRL Letter is published Thursdays, 50 times each year. ARRL
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