[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 12

[bmarx@bellsouth.net]

> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 23, No. 12
> March 19, 2004
> ***************
> 
> IN THIS EDITION:
> 
> * +BPL comment deadlines set
> * +ARRL on-line Technician course debuts
> * +NA1SS makes first school group contact with Scotland
> * +Hamvention 2004 award winners include past ARRL president
> * +Iowa ham club is "Daily Point of Light" for March 29
> * +Ice destroys R0PA site; scientists rescued
> * +Les Moxon, G6XN, SK
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      Bogus ARRL.net messages still circulating
>      FCC proposes to correct VEC filing errors
>      Amateur Radio represented at National Hurricane Conference
>      AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting set
> 
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
> 
> ===========================================================
> NOTE: Because of vacation schedules, the March 26 editions of The ARRL
> Letter and ARRL Audio News will be distributed Thursday, March 25.
> ===========================================================
> 
> ==>ARRL URGES "THOUGHTFUL, CONSIDERED COMMENTS" ON PROPOSED BPL RULES
> 
> Comments on the FCC Broadband over Power Line (BPL) Notice of Proposed
> Rule Making (NPRM) in ET Dockets 03-104 and 04-37 are due by Monday, May
> 3. The deadline for reply comments--comments on comments filed by
> others--is Tuesday, June 1. The ARRL will comment by the deadline on the
> FCC's proposals to amend its Part 15 rules to adopt new requirements and
> measurement guidelines for so-called "Access BPL" systems that provide
> broadband access via electric utility power lines. ARRL CEO David Sumner,
> K1ZZ, says the League recommends that members read the NPRM and develop
> their own thoughtful, considered comments that specifically address the
> FCC's BPL proposals, reflect positively on the amateur community and, if
> possible, offer alternative recommendations. He asked amateurs to keep
> four things in mind, however.
> 
> "First, this is not a proceeding to 'permit' or 'authorize' BPL," he said.
> "BPL is already permitted under the existing Part 15 rules."
> 
> Second, Sumner pointed out, the NPRM reaffirms that licensed services must
> be protected from harmful interference and are not required to protect BPL
> systems. "This is good, but we can't take it for granted that the
> principle will be honored in practice," he said.
> 
> "Third," Sumner went on, "the NPRM proposes additional, new constraints on
> BPL to protect licensed services. The FCC did not go far enough, but at
> least the proposals aim in the right direction."
> 
> Finally, while the League continues to believe firmly that BPL is "a very
> bad idea," arguing that the FCC should ban BPL "will not get us anywhere,"
> he concluded. Instead, Sumner says, amateurs must document beyond any
> doubt the levels of protection that must be given to over-the-air
> services, then leave it for others to decide whether BPL is feasible
> within those limits. "We need to prove that the risk of interference is
> significantly greater than the BPL proponents say it is," Sumner said.
> 
> He also asserted that the FCC's proposed "interference mitigation"
> requirements fall far short of providing real protection from harmful
> interference, and that the Commission is ignoring the practical problems
> that will arise when Amateur Radio transmissions disrupt BPL systems.
> 
> Carrier current systems like BPL are subject to the FCC's Part 15 rules
> governing unlicensed devices, and the FCC has acknowledged that "amateur
> operations are likely to present a difficult challenge" to BPL deployment,
> especially in the case of hams--an estimated 150,000 of them--who use
> high-gain antennas sited near power lines. The proposed rules remain
> silent on the issue of mitigating BPL interference to the estimated 70,000
> Amateur Radio HF mobile stations.
> 
> Interference mitigation for mobile stations "is clearly impractical,"
> Sumner asserted. "Since BPL systems operating at the present Part 15 limit
> cause harmful interference to mobiles, the only solution is an absolute
> limit on radiated emissions that is lower than the present limit." He said
> the ARRL was in the process of determining scientifically what the limit
> must be.
> 
> Sumner further noted that the NPRM does not mandate a publicly accessible
> BPL database to facilitate interference mitigation for fixed stations. In
> addition, the League wants the FCC to establish performance standards for
> BPL interference mitigation. "There must be severe enforcement penalties
> for failure to resolve a complaint in real time and for failure to
> maintain the database," he said.
> 
> The League encourages anyone, particularly radio amateurs, who has
> actually experienced BPL interference to file detailed comments
> documenting the interference. "BPL proponents claim they are not getting
> interference complaints," Sumner noted. "If we let them claim their
> systems are 'clean' when we know they aren't, shame on us."
> 
> Interested individuals and organizations may file comments via the
> Internet, using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS)
> <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>. In an unusual move, the FCC has added
> another docket number to the BPL proceeding. That could complicate filing
> comments and may lead to some confusion. Although the original FCC BPL
> Notice of Inquiry last April bore ET Docket 03-104, the recent BPL NPRM
> carries an additional docket number--ET Docket 04-37. The ARRL advises
> those posting comments to use the main ECFS page and file their comments
> on both proceedings--ET Docket 03-104 and ET Docket 04-37.
> 
> When submitting a comment or viewing filed comments, ECFS users should
> type "03-104" or "04-37" (without quotation marks but including the
> hyphen) in the "Proceeding" field of the ECFS on-line form. Do not use the
> NPRM's FCC document number when filing or searching for comments. The ECFS
> permits attaching a file containing detailed comments prepared off-line.
> 
> ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, will discuss the various implications of
> BPL with overnight radio talk show host Art Bell, W6OBB, on the Saturday,
> March 20, edition of the syndicated interview and call-in program Coast to
> Coast AM <http://www.coasttocoastam.com/>. Their interview is scheduled to
> air during the show's first hour (Sunday, March 21, 0600 UTC). The
> toll-free call-in number for Western US listeners is 800-618-8255. For
> Eastern US listeners it's 800-825-5033. First-time callers may use
> 775-727-1222. The "Wild Card Line"--for any caller--is 775-727-1295. The
> popular program, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks, airs live nightly
> from 10 PM until 2 AM Pacific Time on 430 stations and is available in
> every state. It's also available via the Web
> <http://www.coasttocoastam.com/streamlink/about.html>.
> 
> ==>ARRL LAUNCHES ON-LINE TECHNICIAN CLASS
> 
> Thanks to the League's new on-line Technician Class Course for Ham Radio
> Licensing (EC-010) <http://www.arrl.org/cce/Tech.html>, prospective hams
> can study for their ticket wherever they can connect to the Internet and
> on their own schedule. The course is offered through the ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) program. Two new classes
> will open each month, and students may sign up anytime via the ARRL Web
> site <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html#ec010> or by calling the New
> Ham Hotline, 800-326-3942. Class sessions begin April 6 and April 20. ARRL
> On-line Course Development Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, says the new
> on-line Technician course will include everything needed to successfully
> pass the examination plus help with getting a foothold in ham radio.
> 
> "The on-line approach to learning provides students a way to prepare for
> the exam at their own pace over an eight-week period with 24/7 access to
> the material," Robins said. The assignment of a very experienced "Elmer"
> or mentor to all students is one benefit of the on-line learning method.
> Another is a post-graduation on-line support group that's only available
> to course graduates. "This group will provide Elmering as the new ham gets
> started, as well as help with equipment and antenna questions or anything
> pertaining to Amateur Radio," Robins explained.
> 
> Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH, and Larry Wolfgang, WR1B,
> developed the class material. The Technician course takes 20 to 25 hours
> to complete, and those finishing the class will take their tests at a
> volunteer examiner test session
> <http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml>.
> 
> Believed to be the first on-line Technician licensing class of its kind in
> the US, the course will closely follow the popular ARRL license manual Now
> You're Talking! The course fee--$99 for ARRL members and $139
> non-members--includes a copy of the book. (Regular ARRL membership
> <http://www.arrl.org/join.html> is $39 per year, which includes QST, the
> official journal of ARRL--the national association for Amateur Radio.)
> 
> Students taking the class will be introduced to everything from casual
> operating to emergency and public service communication and to radio
> technology. Students also will learn about the role of radio clubs and of
> the ARRL Field Organization. A course syllabus
> <http://www.arrl.org/cce/syllabus.html#ec010> and a list of student
> activities <http://www.arrl.org/cce/student-activities.html#ec010> are on
> the C-CE Web site.
> 
> The Technician Class Course for Ham Radio Licensing and the virtual ham
> radio campus are available through ARRL's partnership with the Connecticut
> Distance Learning Consortium, a nonprofit organization that specializes in
> developing on-line courses for Connecticut colleges and universities. For
> additional details, e-mail cce@arrl.org.
> 
> ==>ISS COMMANDER TALKS VIA HAM RADIO WITH SCOTTISH SCHOOL
> 
> It might have been St Patrick's Day, but the accents of the youngsters
> questioning International Space Station Commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC, on
> March 17 definitely were Scottish. Nonetheless, the "luck of the Irish"
> was with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
> contact between the British-born Foale at NA1SS and Nancy Rocheleau,
> WH6PN, at Sacred Heart Academy in Honolulu. An MCI teleconference link
> provided the two-way audio for pupils at the Sgoil a' Bhac
> <http://www.sgoilabhac.org.uk/>--the School of Back--on the Isle of Lewis
> in the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwestern coast. Responding to one
> question, Foale explained that the ISS crew is not truly "weightless" in
> space.
> 
> "What's actually happening is that we're all falling together," Foale
> explained, pointing out that the space station is continuously falling as
> it circles Earth. Because the spacecraft is moving rapidly horizontally,
> it misses Earth because of its curve. "So, we're falling around the
> earth--all of the things inside the space station are falling," he
> continued. "We actually think that we're weightless, but, in fact, the
> weight is still there, and gravity is still working on us."
> 
> Apparent weightlessness in space has its pros and cons, Foale told the
> youngsters in response to another question. "In general, weightlessness
> causes problems because nothing stays put," Foale said. "You have to
> always have something sticky to hold things down." But, he went on to say,
> weightlessness does let the crew store things just about anywhere on the
> ISS.
> 
> Foale said he was able to see some features of northern
> Scotland--including the Isle of Skye--when the ISS passed over that part
> of the world. "Yours is pretty easy to pick out too," he added. As he's
> said during past school group QSOs, one of his favorite leisure-time
> activities is to look at Earth.
> 
> Other planets also were on the minds of the primary and secondary
> schoolers who attend the School of Back. The astronaut also told the
> Scottish students that he believes scientists may one day discover
> evidence of fossilized life on Mars. He also estimated that it would be
> "maybe 15 years" before humans are able to land on Mars.
> 
> Sgoil a' Bhac has an enrollment of 190--the majority at the primary school
> level. Dating back to 1878, the school is committed to Gaelic language and
> culture. Foale visited the school last summer.
> 
> The School of Back QSO--the first for a school in Scotland--marked the
> 130th ARISS school group contact since the arrival of the first ISS crew
> in late 2000. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international
> educational outreach with participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
> 
> ==>PAST ARRL PRESIDENT IS AMONG HAMVENTION 2004 AWARD WINNERS
> 
> Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org> has named ARRL President Emeritus
> George S. Wilson III, W4OYI, of Owensboro, Kentucky, the recipient of its
> 2004 Special Achievement Award. The Hamvention Awards Committee selected
> Wilson based on his decades of service to Amateur Radio through the ARRL,
> his public service and emergency communications work and his determination
> to overcome the debilitating effects of a 1995 stroke that left him
> partially paralyzed.
> 
> A ham since age 16, Wilson--an attorney by profession--has remained active
> in Amateur Radio for more than 50 years. The ARRL's 11th president, Wilson
> suffered a stroke on February 11, 1995. During his rehabilitation in July
> of that year, he stepped down after serving just over three years in the
> League's top volunteer position. Wilson's legacy includes a near lifelong
> involvement in the League's emergency and public service communications
> programs. He remains active in public service and emergency communication,
> and he continues his League service as a Great Lakes Division Assistant
> Director.
> 
> Honored with Hamvention 2004's top award--Amateur of the Year--is Dave
> Kopacz, KY1V/VP5X, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. An ARRL member, Kopacz
> created and funded a program that gives young hams an opportunity each
> year to win an expenses-paid DXpedition trip to North Caicos Island.
> 
> "The Awards Committee feels that it is this kind of support for young
> people that will assure the future of Amateur Radio," Hamvention's said in
> announcing the 2004 award winners.
> 
> Kopacz developed the "Young Ham Contest Program" last year, and
> 14-year-old Daniel Bradke, W2AU, was the first DXpedition trip winner. As
> the selected applicant, Bradke operated as part of the VP5X Contest Group
> <http://www.vp5x.com> for the CQ World Wide CW contest last November. "I
> hope to get other hams involved in the program and eventually sponsor kids
> for every major contest," he said.
> 
> Barry Sanderson, KB9VAK, of Indianapolis has been named as recipient of
> the Hamvention 2004 Technical Excellence Award. The Awards Committee
> selected Sanderson for developing a multi-channel, multiphase slow-scan
> television modulation scheme known as Redundant Digital File Transfer
> (RDFT), formerly known as HDSSTV.
> 
> "Not only did Sanderson 'do the math,' but he also wrote the core software
> routines that allow RDFT to run on personal computers using sound card DSP
> capabilities," Hamvention said in its announcement. "This allows
> error-free transmission of computer files via standard Amateur Radio
> equipment." Sanderson has been a Hamvention forum presenter for the past
> three years.
> 
> Hamvention 2004 is Friday through Sunday, May 14-16, at Hara Arena near
> Dayton, Ohio. Awards will be presented at a recognition program Saturday,
> May 15.
> 
> ==>IOWA HAM CLUB DESIGNATED A "DAILY POINT OF LIGHT"
> 
> The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network
> <http://www.pointsoflight.org> has designated The Tri-State Amateur Radio
> Club (TSARC) <http://www.qsl.net/w0cvj/> of Cresco, Iowa, as the Daily
> Point of Light for Monday, March 29. The Foundation recognized the
> ARRL-affiliated club for voluntarily providing communication during
> emergencies and for supporting Red Cross and The Salvation Army relief
> efforts. President George W. Bush and former President George H. W. Bush,
> have endorsed the Daily Points of Light Award, and each will send a
> congratulatory letter to the club.
> 
> "Through your service you join the ranks of America's true unsung
> heroes--volunteers," said Points of Light Foundation President and CEO Bob
> Goodwin. "The spirit and energy of America's volunteers inspire us all,"
> he said. "Your work is a shining example of this spirit."
> 
> TSARC's designation as a Daily Point of Light did not escape the notice of
> ABC Radio Networks' commentator Paul Harvey <http://www.paulharvey.com>,
> who mentioned it during his noontime broadcast on March 12. Harvey said
> the nation still relies on Amateur Radio operators to get the message
> through in an emergency or disaster.
> 
> "For all of our sophisticated technology, in any real disaster, our
> country still relies heavily on its hams--Amateur Radio hobbyists," Harvey
> said in the approximately one-minute spot. Among citizen volunteers in the
> US, he concluded, there are "none more unsung and certainly none more
> unpaid, than the hams--standing by around the clock."
> 
> TSARC's Ernie Martin, WA0AUU, said it marked the first Point of Light
> Award to an Amateur Radio club. TSARC serves as a Community Emergency
> Response Team (CERT) <http://www.citizencorps.gov/programs/cert.shtm>--a
> Citizen Corps program. A small club with just over a dozen members, TSARC
> still has managed to equip itself with two mobile emergency communication
> units and even a couple of parasail units--used in search-and-rescue work.
> 
> While the club is in Iowa, its "tri-state" label derives from the fact
> that it serves parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin as well. The TSARC
> communications van--which the club resurrected from an aged auto junkyard
> candidate--contains equipment for both Amateur Radio and public safety
> frequencies. The unit can even beam a UHF Amateur TV signal from a
> disaster scene to a remote post--giving incident command personnel a
> firsthand look at what's happening.
> 
> In 2002, TSARC was the beneficiary of a $1500 ARRL Foundation
> <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf> grant to assist its emergency communication
> efforts. The money helped to supplement the club's own fund-raising
> efforts toward covering the approximately $6500 cost of a 16-foot
> equipment trailer. Martin says TSARC's communications trailer is packed
> with everything the participating amateurs will need when they get to a
> disaster site. "We take everything five people will need for five days,"
> he said.
> 
> The Daily Point of Light Award is given by The Points of Light Foundation
> & Volunteer Center National Network in partnership with the Knights of
> Columbus and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
> <http://www.cns.gov/>, which currently subsidizes ARRL Amateur Radio
> Emergency Communications course <http://www.arrl.org/cce> training. The
> Award honors individuals and organizations "who have made a commitment to
> connect Americans through service to help meet critical needs in their
> communities and in the nation."
> 
> ==>RESEARCHERS RESCUED FROM ICY OUTPOST, SITE OF R0PA
> 
> A dozen Russian scientists were rescued March 6 from an Arctic research
> station near the North Pole that was nearly destroyed by what's being
> described as "a freak wall of ice." The North Pole Drifting Station SP-32
> had been the site of the R0PA Amateur Radio operation.
> 
> Russian news media said helicopter teams facing frigid sub-zero conditions
> managed to reach the stranded researchers and saved all 12 explorers and
> two dogs. Hams around the world have reported working R0PA, for which
> DL5EBE is listed as QSL manager. The station's researchers reportedly were
> unharmed after being forced to huddle for three days in the remains of the
> outpost, some 450 miles from the nearest solid ground.
> 
> According to Russian TV reports, a wall of ice pushed up from the
> surrounding ice floe March 3. Little now remains of the scientific and
> educational facility, set up last April by the non-profit Center Pole
> organization with support from the Russian government and the Russian
> Academy of Sciences. It had been expected to remain in operation for
> several years.
> 
> Information on SP-32 is available on the Polus Arctic and Antarctic
> Expedition Centre Web site
> <http://www.polus.org/cgi-bin/sborka.cgi?name=sp2003>.
> 
> ==>LESLIE A. MOXON, G6XN, SK
> 
> Leslie A. "Les" Moxon, G6XN, of Surrey, England, died March 3. He was 95
> and among the oldest Amateur Radio operators in the UK. Licensed in 1928,
> Moxon was well-known among the amateur community for his writings on
> antennas, in particular his 1982 book HF Antennas for All Locations, now
> in its second edition. ARRL antenna specialist Dean Straw, N6BV, called
> Moxon a "radio pioneer" and said he'd been a fan of his work for years.
> 
> "His insights into the effects of terrain were one of the factors that got
> me interested years ago in this aspect of HF radio work," Straw said.
> During World War II Moxon was involved in top-secret work to develop
> radar. He worked for the government as a radio specialist after the war,
> retiring in 1969.
> 
> ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said Moxon's book "set the standard for
> practical antenna books and remains a classic."
> 
> Moxon's son, David, recalls that his father's gardens grew antennas the
> way others grew plants and shrubs, and a new antenna design was always
> taking shape. "He always liked to live on the top of a hill--good for
> propagation of radio waves," he said. "And when moving to their final
> house in Hindhead, real estate agents were bemused to be asked about 'the
> long path to Australia.'"
> 
> Moxon authored a July 1952 QST article, "Two-Element Driven Arrays."
> Several other of his articles appeared during the 1970s and 1980s in Ham
> Radio magazine. "A 6 Meter Moxon Antenna" by Allen Baker, KG4JJH, is among
> the antenna articles featured in April 2004 QST.
> 
> In later years, Moxon developed an interest in theology, and he was not
> active on the air in the months prior to his death. A service was held
> March 10. Survivors include his wife Nancy and his son.
> 
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
> 
> Ra the Sun god Tad "Sunny Boy" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
> Average daily sunspot numbers rose nearly 13 points March 11-17 to 66.1.
> Average daily solar flux rose by a negligible amount from 106.3 to 106.8.
> A solar wind stream caused geomagnetic disturbance from the last reporting
> week into the early part of this week, but conditions quieted. Mildly
> unsettled conditions may return over the weekend, with Friday through
> Monday, March 19-22, planetary A index predicted at 8, 12, 15 and 10.
> Solar flux is expected to moderately peak this weekend around 120 on both
> March 19 and 20, then 115 and 110 on March 21 and 22.
> 
> Remember that huge solar flare that occurred last November 4? Estimated at
> the time as an X28 flare, it now appears to have been more than twice as
> large as the previous record and has been adjusted upward to X45. See the
> report "Sun's massive explosion updated" on the BBC News Word Edition Web
> site <http://tinyurl.com/22tpk>.
> 
> Sunspot numbers for March 11 through 17 were 67, 71, 61, 61, 49, 53 and
> 101, with a mean of 66.1. The 10.7 cm flux was 113.2, 107.5, 103.8, 102.5,
> 101.4, 109.6 and 109.8, with a mean of 106.8. Estimated planetary A
> indices were 26, 23, 15, 16, 13, 8 and 6, with a mean of 15.3.
> 
> __________________________________
> 
> ==>IN BRIEF:
> 
> * This weekend on the radio: The RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB) is
> March 18. The Virginia QSO Party, the 10-10 International Mobile Contest,
> the BARTG Spring RTTY Contest, the SARL VHF/UHF Contest, the Russian DX
> Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the CLARA and Family HF Contest, the
> UBA Spring Contest (6 M), the 9K 15-Meter Contest, the Spring QRP
> Homebrewer Sprint are the weekend of March 20-21. JUST AHEAD: The CQ World
> Wide WPX Contest (SSB), the Spring Break RTTY Sprint. and the UBA Spring
> Contest (2 meters) are the weekend of March 27-28. 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 VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) and HF
> Digital Communication (EC-005) courses remains open through Sunday, March
> 21. Classes begin Tuesday March 30. Registration for the ARRL Radio
> Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009)
> and the Technician Class for Ham Radio Licensing (EC-010) courses is open
> through Sunday, March 28. Classes begin Tuesday April 6. Students taking
> Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006) will learn how to identify and take
> steps to cure various kinds of interference. Antenna Design and
> Construction (EC-009) covers basic antenna theory and practical
> construction techniques. With the assistance of a mentor students in the
> Technician Licensing course will learn everything they need to learn to
> pass the FCC Technician license class test. To learn more, visit the ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/cce/>. For more information, contact Certification
> and Continuing Education Program Department, cce@arrl.org.
> 
> * Bogus ARRL.net messages still circulating: E-mail messages purporting to
> be from the ARRL E-Mail Forwarding Service
> <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/emailfwd.html>, "The ARRL.net team" or
> some variation continue to show up in members' inboxes. The messages,
> which often carry a subject line along the lines of "Warning about your
> e-mail account," indicate that the recipient's ARRL E-Mail Forwarding
> Service <call sign>@arrl.net address will be closed within three days
> because of an alleged violation of acceptable practices. These messages
> are false and did not come from The ARRL Forwarding Service. They are the
> result of one of the variants on a number of viruses now permeating the
> Internet. A file usually is attached to these messages. As always, do not
> open any attachments that you cannot identify. Opening the file could
> result in your computer being infected by a virus. This is only one of the
> several virus-laden messages currently propagating across the Internet.
> The ARRL advises its members to be cautious in opening any message and/or
> attachment, even if it appears to be from someone you know. All of these
> viruses use e-mail addresses from the address book of an infected computer
> to falsify the "From:" address in the header to make it appear that the
> message is from someone the recipient knows.
> 
> * FCC proposes to correct VEC filing errors: The FCC plans to correct
> inadvertent filing errors on the part of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators
> (VECs). In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) released March 4, the FCC
> said it would reinstate the former call sign of Clifford S. Zipnick of
> Boynton Beach, Florida. A Technician class operator, Zipnick now holds
> KI4BSJ, a call sign issued in response to an application filed via the
> ARRL-VEC that erroneously asked the FCC to assign Zipnick the next
> available sequential call sign. Zipnick says he only wanted to modify his
> mailing address, not request a new call sign. The FCC has proposed to
> modify Zipnick's license to reflect his original call sign, KE4FGA. In
> another MO&O released March 4, the FCC has proposed modifying the license
> of Robert W. Rhodes, KG4RTN, of Hixson, Tennessee, from General to
> Technician class. Following a volunteer examination session in which
> Rhodes was an examinee, the Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society VEC
> (WCARS VEC) inadvertently filed an application indicating that Rhodes had
> qualified for General. It later realized that Rhodes had passed Element 3,
> the written exam, but not Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse code exam. WCARS VEC
> notified the FCC of the error. Unless Rhodes protests within 30 days, the
> FCC said it will issue a modification order to return his license to
> Technician class. The FCC blamed the situation on "an error made in
> reviewing the license examination data," and not on any wrongdoing by
> Rhodes.
> 
> * Amateur Radio represented at National Hurricane Conference: The 26th
> annual National Hurricane Conference <http://www.HurricaneMeeting.com>
> this year will again feature a training session involving Amateur Radio.
> The National Hurricane Conference is the nation's forum for education and
> professional training in hurricane preparedness, and programs are
> scheduled April 5-9. The Amateur Radio session will be Tuesday, April 6,
> at the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Amateur
> Radio operators may attend the Amateur Radio session at no charge and
> without registering for the full conference. ARRL section leadership from
> Northern Florida, Southern Florida and West Central Florida will be among
> the guest speakers to explore the role of Amateur Radio in hurricane
> communications. Representatives from WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at
> the National Hurricane Center, and the Hurricane Watch Net will be on
> hand. ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, will
> represent the League at the session, and, for the first time, an ARRL
> Amateur Radio booth will be included with other displays. Thanks to ARRL's
> grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, hams will
> be present to answer questions and provide information about the benefits
> of Amateur Radio, with a focus on emergency communications.
> 
> * AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting set: The 22nd annual
> AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and Annual Meeting will take place October 8-10,
> 2004, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Additional details
> will be available on the AMSAT-NA Web site <http://www.amsat.org>.
> 
> ===========================================================
> 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
> the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and
> columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a
> weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter.
> 
> Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
> in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
> The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
> 
> ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
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> ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
> ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org>
> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
> 860-594-0384
> 
> ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
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> 
> The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
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> 
> * ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will
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> 
> * The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur
> Radio Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
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> cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this
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> 
> 
>