[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 25

[Bill Marx]

 ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 23, No. 25
> June 18, 2004
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +ARRL joins battle on behalf of BPL "Poster Child"
> * +League, FCC largely agree on Part 97 proposals
> * +NA1SS Field Day operation possible
> * +Pending 40-meter changes benefit spectrum efficiency, FCC says
> * +ARES/RACES team assists with Reagan funeral procession
> * +"Sig Alert" inventor Loyd "Sig" Sigmon, ex-W6LQ, SK
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course registration
>     +Broadband over Power Line video available
>      Correction
>      Lap two for W9IMS
>      ARRL's 90th anniversary a "banner" occasion
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>IOWA HAM IS BPL INTERFERENCE "POSTER CHILD"
>
> The ARRL has weighed in on behalf of Iowa amateur and ARRL member Jim
> Spencer, W0SR, of Cedar Rapids, who has suffered severe broadband over
> power line (BPL) interference for more than two months. A formal complaint
> to FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David H. Solomon calls on the Commission
> not only to order Alliant Energy's BPL field trial system to shut down but
> to fine the utility $10,000 for violating the Communications Act of 1934
> and FCC Part 15 rules. Alleging "ongoing harmful and willful interference
> to one or more licensed radio stations," the ARRL asked Solomon to
> intervene "on an emergency basis." ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, who signed
> the letter of complaint, said Alliant Energy has been aware since March
> 30--the date it installed Amperion BPL equipment in Spencer's
> neighborhood--that the BPL system was causing harmful interference.
>
> "It's simply unacceptable for Alliant Energy to continue to cause
> interference while they're trying to solve the problem," Sumner said.
> While the utility has been cooperative, mitigation efforts have been only
> marginally successful. The BPL system continues in operation, Sumner
> notes, despite repeated requests to eliminate the interference or shut the
> system down.
>
> The complaint cites the Commission's own Part 15 rules prohibiting harmful
> interference from the operation of an unlicensed intentional,
> unintentional or incidental radiator to a licensed radio service. "If
> harmful interference is caused, the radiator may not operate," the
> complaint says. "There is simply no room for interpretation that would
> lead to such harmful interference being permissible for any period of
> time--certainly not 10 weeks."
>
> The letter of complaint summarizes and culminates a series of exchanges
> and actions in an unsuccessful effort to resolve Spencer's BPL
> interference. Sumner said the League got specifically involved in
> Spencer's case after United Power Line Council <http://www.uplc.org>
> President William R. Moroney invited the League in mid-March to keep his
> organization in the loop on any cases of BPL interference that were not
> being satisfactorily addressed. When Spencer's case arose, Sumner said,
> the League considered it "a good place to start."
>
> Among other approaches, Alliant Energy has tried notching out the HF
> amateur bands. After notching attempts in late May, Spencer--a retired
> engineer and former Collins Radio employee--still reported "significant
> levels" of BPL interference on some bands and power line noise on 160
> meter and 80 meters.
>
> An Amperion contractor indicated that the notching--or "power masking"
> remains a "beta procedure" as well as "somewhat labor intensive." The
> contractor, Tom Luecke, indicated to Spencer in early April that he had
> cranked down the BPL system's gain "a notch below where I would like to
> have them" on three units closest to Spencer's home.
>
> Although claiming Amperion's equipment to be FCC Part 15 compliant, "We
> are not a radio silent technology, nor do we claim to be," Luecke
> conceded. "Put another way, you can hear our signal, but we strive not to
> interfere with ham operators on the ham bands." He said his company has a
> good track record with the amateur community and "would like to think that
> the majority of apprehension about Amperion's technology lies in
> misinformation."
>
> Sumner said UPLC representatives have made good-faith efforts to persuade
> Alliant Energy to comply with the FCC rules. Spencer "has cooperated fully
> and patiently" with Alliant Energy's and Amperion's fruitless efforts to
> eliminate the interference, the complaint notes. The BPL partner
> companies' best efforts to date notwithstanding, Sumner said, the time had
> come to say enough is enough.
>
> "The situation in Jim's case is egregious, and it's been going on for 10
> weeks," he said. "If this is the best we can expect when a BPL system
> causes interference, then the only answer is to prevent them from being
> deployed."
>
> The letter of complaint calls on the FCC to notify Alliant Energy
> "immediately to cease operation of their BPL devices in accordance with
> §15.5(c), and to follow up that notification with a Notice of Apparent
> Liability."
>
> For additional information, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and
> Amateur Radio" page on the ARRL Web site. To support the League's efforts
> in this area, visit the ARRL's secure BPL Web site.
>
> ==>ARRL IN SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT WITH FCC ON WIDE-RANGING PROPOSALS
>
> The ARRL told the FCC this week that it substantially agrees with the
> Commission's proposed wide-ranging changes to Part 97 Amateur Service
> rules. The League filed comments June 15 in the so-called "omnibus" Notice
> of Proposed Rule Making and Order (NPRM&O) in WT Docket 04-140, released
> April 15. The proceeding addresses several largely unrelated Amateur Radio
> petitions for rule making, including some filed by ARRL. Although the
> NPRM&O does not take up comprehensive Amateur Radio restructuring, the
> League said it sets the stage for the FCC to act on a far-reaching
> restructuring plan. While complimenting the Commission for a
> well-considered document, the League pointed out that some petitions will
> have been on the table for between three and four years before the FCC
> concludes the proceeding.
>
> "It is hoped that other petitions filed subsequent to those addressed in
> the instant Notice and which are pending before the Wireless
> Telecommunications Bureau can be more expeditiously addressed," the ARRL
> commented.
>
> In a significant item related to license restructuring, the NPRM&O
> recommended adoption of the ARRL's "Novice refarming" plan, spelled out in
> RM-10413. The League's later license restructuring petition, RM-10867,
> incorporates refarming--a realignment of HF subbands. Noting that the
> approaching low point of the sunspot cycle typically means a migration to
> the "substantially overcrowded 80 and 40-meter bands," the ARRL urged the
> FCC to act swiftly on the ARRL-proposed band realignments.
>
> "The proposed changes will assist greatly in redistribution of some of
> this overcrowding," the ARRL told the FCC. The League said its refarming
> proposals "will benefit all licensees," and it expressed gratification
> that the FCC agreed with the petition.
>
> Under the now FCC-endorsed ARRL plan, current Novice and Technician Plus
> (ie, Technician with Element 1 credit) licensees could operate on the 80,
> 40, 15 and 10-meter General-class CW allocations at up to 200-W output.
> The plan also would mean changes in the 80, 40 and 15-meter phone bands
> for General and higher class operators.
>
> The ARRL strongly favors the proposed FCC adoption of a rule to limit the
> number of applications a licensee may file on a given day for the same
> vanity call sign. Some amateurs have filed multiple applications for the
> same call sign on the same day to greatly enhance their chances of getting
> their first call sign choice.
>
> "This manipulative practice clearly should be discouraged," the ARRL said.
> "While it is unclear to ARRL why this practice has not been prohibited by
> Order, it should be prohibited now." The League further suggested the FCC
> expand the scope of its proposed rule change to preclude the filing of
> more than one application on a single day for the same call sign
> choice(s). The FCC's proposed rule addressed only the first choice. The
> ARRL further recommended that the FCC dismiss the vanity applications of
> any violators.
>
> The League advised the FCC against adopting a Quarter Century Wireless
> Association petition to let amateurs to designate a specific Amateur Radio
> club to acquire their call sign in memoriam after they die. The ARRL said
> such as change would effectively give licensees property rights over their
> FCC-assigned call signs. "Vanity call signs are not assignable, and the
> Commission's rules do not permit trafficking in call signs," the League
> commented.
>
> The ARRL praised the FCC for proposing to essentially eliminate its rules
> prohibiting manufacture or marketing of Amateur Radio Service power
> amplifiers capable of operating between 24 and 35 MHz. "The proposed
> amendments are welcome and will enhance amateur use of the 10 meter and 12
> meter amateur bands," the League commented. "It will also allow amateurs
> to enjoy the benefits of construction projects without unnecessary
> restrictions."
>
> Although in opposition to an earlier, broader proposal, the League now
> says it supports an amendment to permit auxiliary operation on 2 meters
> above 144.5 MHz--with the exception of the satellite subband 145.8 to
> 146.0 MHz--in addition to frequency segments already authorized. Kenwood
> Communications had asked for the change in 2001 as part of an effort to
> make legal the use of its Sky Command system, which permits users to
> operate certain Kenwood equipment remotely via a VHF/UHF handheld
> transceiver. The ARRL said the proposal would "enhance the development of
> sophisticated amateur communication systems."
>
> The League said the FCC should retain its rule requiring a public
> announcement of test locations and times as a means to prevent abuses. The
> ARRL also called on the Commission to require volunteer examiners and
> Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, such as ARRL-VEC, to submit or forward
> exam session paperwork within 10 days. The FCC proposed eliminating both
> requirements.
>
> The ARRL proposed in RM-10413 and the FCC supported a rule change to
> permit spread spectrum (SS) emissions in the 222-225 MHz band. Current
> rules prohibit SS emissions below 420 MHz. However, the League disagreed
> with an FCC proposal to also permit SS on 2 and 6 meters.
>
> The League further asked the FCC to make two changes relating to World
> Radiocommunication Conference 2003 actions to bring the language of Part
> 97 into line with the international Radio Regulations.
>
> A copy of the League's comments in WT 04-140 is available on the ARRL Web
> site.
>
> ==>SPACE STATION FIELD DAY 2004 OPERATION POSSIBLE
>
> The crew of the International Space Station--astronaut Mike Fincke,
> KE5AIT, and cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, RN3DT--could be on the air for
> Field Day 2004. ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth G. Ransom, N5VHO,
> says he's sent Field Day operating instructions and pass times to the ISS
> support team at Johnson Space Center for relay to Fincke this week.
>
> "Those instructions state that Mike should be operating as NA1SS, '1 Alfa
> ISS,'" Ransom said. "Mike was also notified that anytime he is over North
> or South America would be a chance to operate." Ransom says that if
> Padalka gets on the air, he'll identify as RS0ISS and give the same
> exchange. Fincke and Padalka would use the Amateur Radio on the
> International Space Station (ARISS) radio gear aboard the spacecraft.
>
> Since most ISS passes over North America will already have occurred by the
> time Field Day gets under way at 1800 UTC on June 26, the ideal pass times
> sent to Fincke are for the following day. Here's the pass schedule for
> Sunday, June 27--all times UTC: Southern and northeastern US: 0753-0811;
> Western US: 0927-0947; Northwestern US: 1103-1123; Northeastern US:
> 1415-1435; Central US: 1551-1611; and Southwestern US: 1727-1743.
>
> "As with any Amateur Radio operation aboard the ISS, the crew gives of
> their free time to participate, and, as such, may not be available on
> every pass," Ransom said, adding that it's also possible that "more
> pressing events" may preclude Field Day participation altogether.
>
> Ransom pointed out that a space walk is scheduled for just a few days
> before Field Day, and the crew "will still be in the process of getting
> back to a normal schedule when Field Day is in full swing," he said.
>
> The tentative plan calls for Fincke to be on FM using the standard ISS
> voice frequencies for contacts in ITU Region 2--144.49 MHz up and 145.80
> MHz down. Ransom said that if Padalka also participates, he would operate
> on the same 2-meter frequency pair, and the Expedition 9 crewmates would
> likely trade off on passes.
>
> Since ARISS has two radios aboard, it's possible that both Fincke and
> Padalka could get on the air at the same time. If that happens, one would
> be on 2 meters while the second would operate 437.55 MHz FM simplex.
> Ransom cautions, however, that Doppler shift in the 70-cm band is
> significantly greater than on 2 meters.
>
> If it turns out that the Expedition 9 crew cannot participate in Field Day
> 2004, Ransom says the RS0ISS packet station should be on and available for
> ground stations to work each other via the packet digipeater using "ARISS"
> as the alias for the call sign in UNPROTO mode. Frequencies are 145.99 MHz
> up and 145.80 MHz down.
>
> ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says he was happy to hear
> that hams aboard the ISS may once again be on the air for Field Day. "We
> look forward to seeing lots of reported QSOs with Mike--and perhaps
> Gennady--during Field Day 2004."
>
> Henderson notes that ISS voice or packet contacts do not count for bonus
> satellite contact points because the ISS is not an "Amateur Radio
> satellite," as event rules specify. Field Day has no specific rules
> relating to ARISS operation because there's no guarantee that the crew
> will be able to get on the air for the annual exercise.
>
> In 2001, astronaut Susan Helms, KC7NHZ, thrilled Field Day participants by
> showing up unexpectedly on the air and working several dozen stations. ISS
> crew members have participated in the event each year since.
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international educational outreach
> with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>FCC SAYS PENDING 40-METER CHANGES WILL ENHANCE SPECTRUM EFFICIENCY
>
> The FCC says pending changes in the 40-meter amateur band as a result of
> World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) will improve spectrum
> efficiency. The Commission's remark came in a Notice of Proposed Rule
> Making (NPRM) in ET Docket 04-139, which seeks public comments on proposed
> rule changes to complete domestic implementation of various WRC-03
> allocation decisions. The NPRM primarily affects Parts 2, 25 and 73 of the
> FCC's rules.
>
> "We anticipate that administrations in Regions 1 and 3 will in the near
> future authorize phone emissions in the segment 7150-7200 kHz," the FCC
> predicted in the NPRM, "and we note the ARRL has requested that the [US]
> frequency segment for phone emissions be expanded to 7125-7300 kHz." The
> FCC said authorizing phone in the 7150-7200 kHz segment of the band would
> permit same-frequency US-to-DX contacts, resulting in increased spectrum
> efficiency. Amateurs in the Region 1 countries of Norway, Croatia and San
> Marino already have been granted access to 7100 to 7200 kHz on a
> secondary, non-interference basis.
>
> Under the present regime, most amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 use
> 7075-7100 kHz for phone. Since the US phone band is 7150 to 7300 kHz, this
> means most US-to-DX operation requires "split" operation. The band
> 7000-7300 kHz is allocated to the Amateur Service on a primary, exclusive
> basis in Region 2, but that is not the case in much of the rest of the
> world.
>
> Effective next January 1, WRC-03 allocated the band 7100-7200 kHz to the
> Amateur Service in Regions 1 and 3 on a co-primary basis with
> broadcasting. After March 29, 2009, 7100-7200 kHz will be allocated to the
> Amateur Service on an exclusive basis throughout the world, except in some
> Region 1 and Region 3 countries.
>
> "As such, Amateur Service use of this 100 kilohertz will be on a de facto
> secondary basis in Regions 1 and 3 until the broadcasting service vacates
> the band 7100-7200 kHz at the conclusion of Schedule B in 2009," the FCC
> noted. "This means that amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 will shortly
> be permitted to transmit in the band 7100-7200 kHz, if they can find a
> frequency that is not being used by an international broadcast station."
>
> The FCC said it doesn't think it needs to update its Part 97 Amateur
> Service rules until administrations in Regions 1 and 3 implement changes
> to allow amateurs to transmit in the 7100-7200 kHz segment.
>
> "As a practical matter, we do not believe that the Amateur Service can
> make use of the band 7100-7200 kHz in Regions 1 and 3 in advance of HF
> broadcasting stations vacating the band because of the great power
> disparity between amateur stations and international broadcast stations,"
> the FCC concluded.
>
> The NPRM also addresses the deployment of Earth Exploration Satellite
> Service-Active (EESS-Active) spacecraft in the 70-cm band. The FCC said it
> "tentatively" finds that any secondary EESS-Active allocation at 432-438
> MHz should be limited to federal government use. The Commission said
> operation in that allocation "should not cause harmful interference to,
> nor claim protection from, any other services allocated in the band in the
> United States, including the Amateur-Satellite service."
>
> Comments in the proceeding are due July 16, with reply by August 2.
> Interested parties may view the entire NPRM, file comments and view
> comments filed in ET Docket 04-139 via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing
> System (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>.
>
> ==>CALIFORNIA ARES/RACES TEAM HELPS WITH REAGAN FUNERAL CORTEGE
>
> California's Ventura County ARES/RACES group assisted June 11 in the
> funeral activities for former President Ronald Reagan. Due to the large
> number of people wanting to view the Reagan funeral procession when the
> former president's body was returned to California for burial, law
> enforcement agencies asked the Amateur Radio volunteers to serve as
> additional eyes and ears along the 18-mile procession route.
>
> "Operators were stationed on freeway overpasses, road intersections and
> other key locations on the route," said David Gilmore, AA6VH, who's
> Ventura County's ARES District Emergency Coordinator and RACES Radio
> Officer. He says some 50 radio amateurs participated.
>
> "We in Ventura County have always felt a connection to President Reagan,"
> Gilmore. The county is home to the Reagan Presidential Library as well as
> Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, where Air Force One often landed
> when Reagan visited his ranch in neighboring Santa Barbara County. Gilmore
> said the ARES/RACES members "were grateful to be able to participate in
> this historic occasion, and to uniquely serve and honor President Reagan
> for the last time."
>
> He also noted that Ventura County ARES/RACES members had undergone law
> enforcement background checks during the past year. "This was fortuitous,
> as the United States Secret Service--responsible for overall
> security--felt comfortable in having our participation," he said. The
> ARES/RACES team members worked side by side not only with the Secret
> Service but the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation
> Administration, the US Coast Guard, the California Highway Patrol and
> various local law enforcement agencies.
>
> "At the end of the day we received compliments from a number of persons in
> various capacities to the effect that our reports of the position of the
> motorcade were invaluable," Gilmore concluded. One especially gratifying
> comment came from an FAA representative who complimented the team on its
> skill and professionalism.
>
> ==>"SIGALERT" DEVELOPER LOYD C. SIGMON, EX-W6LQ, SK
>
> "Sig Alert" inventor Loyd "Sig" Sigmon, ex-W6LQ, of Bartlesville,
> Oklahoma, died June 2. He was 95.
>
> According to the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), the
> SigAlert got its name and its start in the 1940s when the Los Angeles
> Police Department were in the habit of alerting Sigmon--then a radio
> reporter--of bad traffic accidents. His on-the-air bulletins, initially
> called "Sigmon Traffic Alerts," soon became known as SigAlerts.
>
> The SigAlert apparatus came about when Sigmon, a partner with Gene Autry
> in Golden West Broadcasting in the 1950s, came up with an electronic
> system using a tape recorder and a radio receiver to let LAPD dispatchers
> send bulletins to broadcasters over the regular police radio
> frequency--then 1730 kHz--alerting them to traffic conditions and
> emergencies. Activated by the dispatcher, the SigAlert
> transmission--accompanied by a special receiver-activation tone--would
> notify stations via a red light or a buzzer.
>
> The first such SigAlert, broadcast in 1955, urged medical personnel to
> respond to an LA train derailment--reportedly causing a traffic jam when
> so many doctors and nurses showed up to help.
>
> Now in use throughout California, the system--which has since become
> computerized--has been duplicated in other areas of the US. CalTrans says
> SigAlerts today are limited to any unplanned event that causes the closing
> of one lane of traffic for at least 30 minutes. For the invention Sigmon
> was honored by the National Safety Council, among others.
>
> An Amateur Radio licensee from the age of 14, Sigmon started his
> broadcasting career in the 1930s. During World War II he served on Gen
> Dwight Eisenhower's staff as head of non-combat radiocommunications in
> Europe. He retired in 1969 and moved back to his native Oklahoma in the
> late 1990s. Sigmon had not been active as a radio amateur for several
> years, and his ham ticket expired in 2003.--CalTrans; news reports
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Heliophile Tad "I'll Follow the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
> reports: Several large sunspot groups now pepper the Earth-facing side of
> the sun, and sunspots also have been detected on the sun's far side. Daily
> sunspot numbers rose to a high of 113 this week, although the weekly
> average was down a few points from last week. Average daily solar flux
> numbers rose this week more than eight points. Geomagnetic conditions were
> fairly quiet. The most active day was Tuesday, June 15.
>
> The current forecast shows solar flux up around 110 over the weekend, June
> 18-20, then dropping to 100 by June 25. Conditions don't look bad for this
> weekend's All Asian DX CW Contest.
>
> Sunspot numbers for June 10 through 16 were 50, 45, 28, 55, 77, 87 and
> 113, with a mean of 65. The 10.7 cm flux was 82.5, 83.9, 88, 95.2, 99.9,
> 109.4 and 111.5, with a mean of 95.8. Estimated planetary A indices were
> 11, 10, 7, 4, 11, 16 and 7, with a mean of 9.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
> indices were 8, 5, 5, 3, 9, 14 and 7, with a mean of 7.3.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: ARRL Kid's Day is Saturday June 19. The All
> Asian DX Contest (CW), the SMIRK Contest, the West Virginia and Quebec QSO
> parties, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest and the DIE Contest are the weekend of
> June 19-20. JUST AHEAD: ARRL Field Day, the UK DX Contest (CW), the
> Ukrainian DX DIGI Contest, the Marconi Memorial HF Contest, ARCI Milliwatt
> Field Day and His Majesty the King of Spain Contest (SSB) are the weekend
> of June 26-27. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
> <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
> <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.
>
> * ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
> Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) on-line course remains
> open through Sunday, June 20. Classes begin Tuesday June 29. This course
> is a excellent way learn the ins and outs of antenna modeling.
> Computer-modeling expert and noted author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined
> the expertise of his long career as a college professor with his passion
> for antennas and antenna modeling to offer a comprehensive, yet practical,
> course of study. Registration for the Technician Licensing course (EC-010)
> also remains open through Sunday, June 27. Classes begin Tuesday, July 6.
> With the assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn everything they
> need to know to pass the FCC Technician license class test. To learn more,
> visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education
> <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and
> Continuing Education Program Department <cce at arrl.org>.
>
> * ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course registration:
> Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III
> on-line course (EC-003) opens Monday, June 21 at 1201 AM EDT (0401 UTC)
> and remains open through the June 26-27 weekend or until all available
> seats have been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, July
> 6. Thanks to our grant sponsor--the United Technologies Corporation--the
> $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after
> successful completion of the course. During this registration period,
> seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served
> basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
> Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/>. For more information,
> contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG,
> dmiller at arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
>
> * Broadband over Power Line video available: A video that clearly and
> concisely explains and depicts the threat of Broadband over Power Line
> (BPL) to Amateur Radio now is available for downloading free of charge
> from the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/06/18/8/BPL-and-HF-web.mpg>. The
> video, BPL and HF: A Primer, runs approximately three and one-half minutes
> (including credits). It's suitable for Amateur Radio club presentations as
> well as for non-ham audiences, such as the news media, civic clubs, local
> governments and emergency response agencies. A suitable "companion piece"
> for the video presentation is the ARRL brochure "Broadband over Power
> Line: Why Amateur Radio is Concerned about Its Deployment,"
> <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/bpl-deployment.html> which makes an
> ideal informational handout. Members of the North Carolina BPL Action
> Team--Frank Lynch, W4FAL; Tom Brown, N4TAB; and Gary Pearce, KN4AQ--with
> assistance from Cyndi Pearce, KD4ACW; Danny Musten, KD4RAA; and SoundTrax
> Studios in Raleigh, North Carolina, shot and narrated the video. It was
> produced and edited by Flint.Ridge Productions. The file is approximately
> 18 MB. A high-speed Internet connection is strongly advised for those
> wishing to download BPL and HF: A Primer.
>
> * Correction: VE7SL's last name was incorrect in the story "Virginian is
> first US ham to accomplish 'Tuna Tin II' WAS" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 23,
> No 24. VE7SL is Steve McDonald.
>
> * Lap two for W9IMS: The W9IMS Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio
> Club (IMSARC) United States Grand Prix special event operation will
> continue through Sunday, June 20, the date of America's only Formula One
> race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
> <http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/>. IMSARC is the first-ever
> official Amateur Radio club of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stations
> working or logging W9IMS will receive an official Indianapolis Motor
> Speedway QSL card--the second in the three-card series for 2004. Look for
> W9IMS from 1500 to 0300 UTC during the June 19-20 weekend on or near 1840,
> 3840, 7240, 14,070 (PSK31), 14,240, 21,340, 28,340 and 50,140 kHz plus
> 144.240 MHz SSB and 146.52 MHz simplex FM. Include a #9 or #10 SASE with
> QSL/certificate requests to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio
> Club, PO Box 18495, Indianapolis, IN 46218-0495. Contact David Spoelstra,
> n9kt at arrl.net, for more information. W9IMS also will be on the air
> starting July 31 leading up to the Brickyard 400 (NASCAR) race on August
> 8.
>
> * ARRL's 90th anniversary a "banner" occasion: Visitors to ARRL
> Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, now are greeted by this huge
> birthday banner to commemorate the organization's 90th anniversary. The
> same banner provided a backdrop to the ARRL booth at Dayton Hamvention
> 2004. Thanks to ARRL Building Manager Greg Kwasowski, KB1GJF, it now hangs
> proudly from the front portico for all to enjoy.
>
> ===========================================================
> The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
> Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main
> St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
> <http://www.arrl.org>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President.
>
> The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
> interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,
> accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org> for
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