[Letter-List] The ARRL Letter for May 13, 2010

Thu May 13 18:33:47 EDT 2010

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            The  ARRL Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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May 13, 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

- FCC News: FCC Proposes Additions, Changes to Amateur 5 MHz Allocation
- Hamvention: FCC Forum at Dayton Hamvention to Feature FCC Emergency
Communications Expert
- Public Service: National Hurricane Center's WX4NHC Sets On-The-Air
Station Test
- ARRL Foundation: ARRL Foundation Awards 66 Scholarships in 2010
- ARRL Field Day: ARRL Atlantic Division to Host Field Day Webinar
- International: Canadian Hams Make Use of New Privileges
- Solar Update
- This Week on the Radio

==> FCC NEWS: FCC PROPOSES ADDITIONS, CHANGES TO AMATEUR 5 MHZ
ALLOCATION

Acting on a 2006 Petition for Rulemaking filed by the ARRL, the FCC has
issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), ET Docket No 10-98 to
modify the rules that govern amateurs' secondary use of five

   channels in the 5 MHz frequency range known as 60 meters. The
proposed changes would substitute a new channel for one that is seldom
available because of occupancy by the fixed service, which is primary
in this range. Also proposed is an increase in power from 50 to 100 W
effective radiated power (ERP) and the addition of CW, PSK31 and
PACTOR-III modes with provisions to ensure that such operations would
be compatible with the primary service. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-proposes-additions-changes-to-amateur-5-mhz-allocation>.

==> HAMVENTION: FCC FORUM AT DAYTON HAMVENTION TO FEATURE FCC EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT

The annual FCC forum at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention is scheduled for
Saturday, May 15 9:15-10:15 AM in Forum Room 3 at the Hara Arena.
Moderating again for 2010 will be Bill Cross, W3TN, of the FCC's
Mobility Division. Cross's portfolio of responsibilities includes the
Amateur Radio Service rules. Also speaking at this year's forum will be
Curt Bartholomew, N3GQ, of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland
Security Bureau. Missing from this year's program will be Laura Smith,
FCC Special Counsel who is responsible for Amateur Radio enforcement
issues. She is unable to attend due to a previously scheduled family
commitment.

==> PUBLIC SERVICE: NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER'S WX4NHC SETS ON-THE-AIR
STATION TEST

The annual WX4NHC On-the-Air Station Test from the National Hurricane
Center (NHC) in Miami will take place Saturday, May 29, 1300-2100 UTC.
"The purpose of this annual station test is to test all of our radio
equipment, computers and antennas using as many modes and frequencies
as possible," said WX4NHC Assistant Amateur Radio Volunteer Coordinator
Julio Ripoll, WD4R. "This is not a contest or simulated hurricane
exercise." WX4NHC also will be testing new computers and software, as
well as conducting operator training, and NHC Director Bill Read,
KB5FYA, will be at WX4NHC making contacts. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/national-hurricane-center-s-wx4nhc-sets-on-the-air-station-test-2>.

==> ARRL FOUNDATION: ARRL FOUNDATION AWARDS 66 SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2010

The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the
scholarship recipients for 2010. Each year, the Foundation's Directors
have the honor and privilege of selecting Amateur Radio operators who
will receive monetary assistance to further their undergraduate or

   graduate education. For 2010, the Foundation awarded 65 annual
scholarships to young Amateur Radio operators valued at $71,450, almost
$17,000 more than awarded in 2009. Four new scholarships were added for
2010: The Ted, W4VHF, and Itice, W4LVV Goldthorpe Scholarship; The
Magnolia DX Association Scholarship and The Gwinnett Amateur Radio
Society Scholarship. A second scholarship for the Bill, W2ONV and Ann
Salerno Memorial Scholarship was also added this year.

The application period for ARRL Foundation Scholarships opens October 1
each year and closes on February 1 the following year, with awards
announced in May. Descriptions of all the available scholarships and
selection criteria, as well as application instructions and forms can
be found on the ARRL Foundation pages of the ARRL Web site. Beginning
fall 2010, the application process for ARRL Foundation scholarships
will "go green," with application forms and transcripts accepted via
electronic means only. Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-awards-66-scholarships-in-2010>
for a list of the scholarship recipients.

==> ARRL FIELD DAY: ARRL ATLANTIC DIVISION TO HOST FIELD DAY WEBINAR

Periodically, the ARRL's Atlantic Division hosts a "webinar" -- an
interactive Web-based seminar, designed to facilitate communication
between a small number of presenters and a large remote audience using
the Internet. On Wednesday, May 19 at 9 PM EDT, Atlantic Division

   Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR -- along with some "Field Day Experts" --
will present a Field Day-oriented webinar entitled "Making the Most of
Field Day." Moderated by ARRL Regulatory Information Branch Manager and
Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, the webinar will share
information, hints and tips to individuals and groups to maximize their
Field Day experience -- not just in terms of points, but in gaining
valuable experience and knowledge to help groups and individuals to
help maximize their Field Day fun! Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-atlantic-division-to-host-field-day-webinar>.

==> ARRL FIELD DAY MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE

How can you be the best-dressed ham at your Field Day site this year?
When you wear the official 2010 ARRL Field Day shirt -- accompanied by
the 2010 ARRL Field Day hat -- of course! Field Day -- Amateur Radio's
largest on-the-air operating event -- is just a little more than six
weeks away, so be sure to get your shirts, hats and pins, as well as
the new ARRL Field Day Handbook for Radio Amateurs and coffee mugs
before they run out. Field Day shirts are offered in sizes Small-4XL
and are royal blue with the 2010 Field Day logo on the left chest; the
back of

      the shirt says "Amateur Radio -- Goodwill • Service • Fun!" with
www.arrl.org underneath. Fulfill all your Field Day apparel needs at
the Field Day Supplies section of the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/shop/Field-Day-Supplies/>.

==> INTERNATIONAL: CANADIAN HAMS MAKE USE OF NEW PRIVILEGES

After several years of hard work by the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
and Industry Canada (IC) -- Canada's equivalent to the FCC -- Canadian
amateurs received privileges on 2200 meters (135.7-137.8 kHz) at the
first of the year. Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, of Roberts Creek, British
Columbia, and John Gibbs, VE7BDQ, of Delta, British Columbia, completed
the first official Canadian two-way 2200 meter QSO on April 24. Using
CW, the Canadian amateurs reported strong signals during daylight QSO
on 137.100 kHz. Roberts Creek and Delta are about 41 miles (66 km)
apart. Gibbs used a homebrew tube transverter at 100 W output into a
short top-loaded backyard wire vertical, while Tilley was running 400 W
from a homebrew FET transmitter into a 60 foot top-loaded wire antenna.
"As well as heralding the arrival of a new 'top band,' the QSO
demonstrates that even amateurs located in typically small city-sized
lots can enjoy the challenges that 2200 meters has to offer," Tilley
told the ARRL. "Hopefully many other Canadian amateurs will soon be
melting solder to join the fun on our new band!" More information on
Canadian 2200 meter activity may be found on Tilley's Web site
<http://www3.telus.net/sthed/argo/> and at the VE7SL Radio Notebook Web
site <http://members.shaw.ca/ve7sl/136.html>.

==> GOOD NEWS FROM RADIO KUWAIT: 7150 KHZ AND 7190 KHZ BOTH FREE!

The IARU Region 1 Monitoring System is ever vigilant in monitoring the
amateur bands for intruders. It is ably led by Coordindators Wolf
Hadel, DK2OM, and Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR. To aid in their work they
initiated an online reporting system via intruderalert at iaru-r1.org last
year. On April 12, Uli first observed a shortwave station on 7150 and
7190 and alerted the monitoring group to listen and send reports to
their appropriate authorities. Through combined efforts, Uli identified
the station as Radio Kuwait. Once the station was identified, Uli
immediately informed the German Federal Net Agency (Bundesnetzagentur)
to monitor the QRGs and to send an official complaint to KWT. Also he
sent a FAX and an e-mail to the Embassy of KWT in Berlin and e-mails to
Radio Kuwait (radiokuwait at radiokuwait.org
<http://us.mc506.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>)
and to the Ministry of Telecoms in Kuwait. Read more here
<http://www.arrl.org/news/good-news-from-radio-kuwait-7150-and-7190-khz-both-free>.

==> SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "The Sun does not shine upon this fair earth to meet frowning eye
<http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/d/dickens/charles/d54nn/>s" Cook, K7RA,
reports: Sunspots disappeared again. After a strong

   showing and nine days of sunspots, there have been four days with no
sunspots. No indication when they will return, although the STEREO
image <http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/> shows an active area coming next
week. With no sunspots again, perhaps our focus should return to low
frequencies. Tom V. Segalstad, LA4LN, reports from Norway that a new
temporary beacon on 509 kHz will be transmitting from grid-square
JP20LL using a 35 meter (115 feet) tall vertical and 5 W until the
middle of June. Look for more information on the ARRL Web site on
Friday, May 14. For more information concerning radio propagation,
visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" brought to you by Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of
Nicholas Nickleby
<The%20Life%20and%20Adventures%20of%20Nicholas%20Nickleby> (Chapter 6).

==> THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO

This week, the Portuguese Navy Day Contest is May 15. The His Majesty
King of Spain Contest (CW) and the Manchester Mineira All America

   CW Contest are May 15-16. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is May
17. Next week, the Baltic Contest is May 22-23. 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/The-ARRL-Contest-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/special-events>.

==> ARRL CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE REGISTRATION

Registration remains open through Sunday, May 23, 2010, for these
online course sessions <http://www.arrl.org/online-course-registration>
beginning on Friday, June 4, 2010: Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Level 1; Antenna Design and Construction; Propagation;
Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics. To learn more, visit the
CEP Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/online-courses> or contact
the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>.

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