[MIham] Fw: 2006 ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund - Solicition

[FSK Lists]

To: Members of ARRL Affiliated ARCs in Michigan

        I have decided to take-on the task of trying to raise $1,000 from
Michigan Amateur Radio Operators in support of the ARRL Spectrum Defense
Fund.  If just 50% of the ( 93 ) ARRL Affiliated Clubs in Michigan
participate in this offer (and buy one Pin), I will achieve my goal.  I
requested Mary Hobart, K1MMH of the ARRL to send me ( 50 ) of the Gold and
Black 2006 ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund Pins [see below] -- which I am
authorized to distribute in exchange for a $20 donation.  All contributors
will be acknowleged by the ARRL for their donation.  If you have not already
contibuted to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund, you may send your $20 donation
check made payable to A.R.R.L. to:

                Bobby Corr N8CY
                2205 Michele Ct
                Troy, MI  48085-3826

        Your pin(s) [orders for up to five will be accepted] will be
returned via First Class Mail.  To receive this Pin normally requires a $50
donation [which also includes a Personalized a Certificate of Appreciation],
but you may take advantage of this offer [without the Certificate] until the
Pins are gone!!!  Please see additional information (below) about the ARRL
Spectrum Defense Fund.

            73s,


            Bobby Corr N8CY
            Cell: 248.346.2733
       Did you know that there are only two Radio Amateurs in the US House
of Representatives.  This fact highlights how important it is for each of us
to be RadioActive and continue to write to our elected representatives to
assure that our spectrum is preserved and unwarranted interference (in
violation of FCC Rules & Regulations) is not tolerated.  I know that many of
you have written to your congressional representatives in support of
Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR), WD5DVR's H Res 230 and helped to achieve the
success with the COPE Act amendment which was approved by The US House
Energy and Commerce Committee on April 28, 2006.

With the support of Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), the Committee
agreed by voice vote to include WD8DVR's amendment in the bill.  This puts
the House Energy and Commerce Committee on record as having significant
concerns about BPL interference.  A statement released by Rep. Ross's office
noted that his amendment, which received unanimous Committee support, "would
guarantee that valuable public safety communications and Amateur Radio
operators are not subject to interference."  Ross said interference-free
Amateur Radio is "often overlooked in favor of flashier means of
communication, and can maintain communication in disasters that bring more
vulnerable technology to its knees".  Ham Radio Operators "are often the
only means of communication attainable in a devastated area", Ross said.

        If you have not made a donation to the ARRL Spectrum Preservation /
BPL Defense Fund, please go to this link to learn more...

            https://www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense/2006/spring/

            The GM Amateur Radio Club has made special arrangements for our
members to support the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund at a reduced level of
contribution.  Normally a minimum donation of $50 is required to receive the
Gold and Black 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund Pin, which features the words
"When All Else Fails. AMATEUR RADIO".  Through this exclusive offer, you can
obtain a Spectrum Defense Fund Pin for a minimum donation of $20, and it is
still tax deductible, and you will be acknowledged by the ARRL for your
donation.



          If you are interested in this offer, Pins will be available at the
June 20th GMARC meeting - so you can "walk out of the meeting" with your Pin
for a mere $20 donation.  David Sumner, K1ZZ - Chief Executive Officer of
the ARRL - wrote the following letter to ARRL members back in March of this
year, noting the importance of the Spectrum Defense Fund in protecting the
Amateur Spectrum from unwarranted interference by Broadband over Power Lines
(BPL).

          This is a great opportunity to "show your colors" and support the
Spectrum Defense Fund while receiving acknowledgment of your donation from
the ARRL.


Dear ARRL Member:

I am pleased to be able to send you this progress report on one of the most
important efforts the ARRL has ever undertaken to protect and enhance
Amateur Radio spectrum: the battle against interference from Broadband over
Power Lines (BPL).

Touted by some as the "third wire" for bringing broadband connectivity into
American homes, BPL is a massive potential source of radio spectrum
pollution.  Imagine every power line in your neighborhood radiating RF
energy on your favorite ham bands - not line noise, which is enough of a
problem in itself - but energy deliberately put there!

Imagine that 40 years ago the FCC told cable TV system designers, "Don't
bother using shielded coaxial cable - any old wire will do."  Amateur Radio
would be a distant memory.  BPL is that kind of threat.

There is good news. Contrary to the predictions of its shameless promoters,
2005 was not a big year for BPL.  The number of cities in which BPL service
was widely available to consumers was the same at the end of the year as at
the beginning: Two.  Nationwide, cable and DSL providers added more new
broadband customers this morning than have ever been served by BPL.  In
October 2005, PPL Corporation of Allentown, PA announced that it was ending
its residential BPL market trial.  In January 2006 it was Boise, Idaho-based
IDACOMM's turn to bail out of BPL.  Most utilities that have looked at BPL
have decided not to pursue it.

But the radio spectrum is a unique, priceless natural resource.  We can't
rely on BPL's likely failure in the marketplace to protect the radio
spectrum from pollution.

More than anyone else, the ARRL has raised the visibility of the BPL radio
interference issue.  We have kept after the FCC to correct ongoing spectrum
pollution from BPL, particularly from the much-ballyhooed system in
Manassas, Virginia.  At the same time we have been glad to cooperate with
BPL companies that take the interference problem seriously and design their
systems accordingly.  The ARRL is not opposed to BPL, but we remain
steadfastly opposed to interference caused by BPL systems.

With every passing day since the FCC adopted its BPL rules in October 2004,
it has become clearer that the FCC rules do not properly draw the line
between BPL systems that can be deployed without serious harm to radio
communication, and those that cannot.  The FCC rules allow both kinds!  The
ARRL has proposed rules to fix this.  If such rules were in place - and
properly enforced - we could relax.  BPL could be allowed to succeed or fail
on its merits.  Until then, we won't let the spectrum polluters and their
apologists off the hook.  Using every tool at our command, we will keep
after the FCC to do the right thing.

The battle against BPL interference is being waged on a number of other
fronts.  On the technical front, the ARRL Lab has become - reluctantly, but
of necessity - the foremost center of technical expertise on radio
interference from BPL systems.  Our field measurements are accurate.
Companies such as Motorola have sought our advice.

To the extent BPL is making any headway at all, the companies that take
interference seriously are gaining traction at the expense of those that
deny the problem exists.  This is no accident.  It's the result of the
ARRL's relentless media relations efforts to keep radio interference at the
center of the BPL discussion.  Today, only the most slipshod media reports
about BPL fail to raise a caution flag about the interference issue.

We have taken the message to Congress.  In April 2006 Congressman Mike Ross,
WD5DVR, introduced House Resolution 230 (H Res 230) which calls on the FCC
to "reconsider and revise rules governing broadband over power line systems
based on a comprehensive evaluation of their interference potential to
public safety and other licensed radio services".

[Update SB QST ARL ARLB007 - April 28, 2006: The US House Energy and
Commerce Committee's version of the Communications Opportunity, Promotion
and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 includes an amendment requiring the FCC
to study the interference potential of BPL systems.  The panel voted April
26 to send the much-talked-about "telecoms rewrite bill" to the full House
for its consideration.]

Finally, ARRL is monitoring developments at the state level as BPL
proponents lobby state legislatures and public utility commissions for
competitive advantages to overcome the economic shortcomings of BPL systems.
We make sure that policymakers at all levels of government know the truth
about BPL.

BPL has important implications for Amateur Radio's emergency communications
capabilities.  Some BPL proponents actually argue that in an emergency the
power will be off anyway, so there won't be any interference.  But if BPL is
polluting the radio spectrum in your neighborhood you will never hear the
weak signal calling for help from the disaster area.

As important as the BPL issue is, it is just one of many threats to our use
of the radio spectrum that the ARRL deals with every day.  A dedicated team
of volunteers and staff works constantly on your behalf.  There are
opportunities as well as threats.  For example, your ARRL team was able to
arrange for amateur access to five voice channels near 5 MHz.  Now we are
working to extend this toehold, useful as it is, into something more like a
traditional Amateur allocation.

Your support as an ARRL member is absolutely essential to our continued
success.  But we must ask you, if you can, to do more.  Membership dues
alone are not sufficient to fund everything that must be done for the
protection, promotion and advancement of the Amateur Radio Service.  If you
have not done so before, please consider making a voluntary contribution to
the Fund for the Defense of Amateur Radio Frequencies.  If you have in the
past, please renew your support.

Only you know how much Amateur Radio is worth to you, and how much you can
afford to contribute to its protection.  Please be as generous as you can -
knowing that we will use your contribution as carefully as we possibly can
to ensure that Amateur Radio is there for your enjoyment tomorrow - and
always.

Sincere 73,


David Sumner, K1ZZ
Chief Executive Officer

P.S. It will be our pleasure to recognize your contribution.


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