[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 21

[bmarx at bellsouth.net]

Vol 23, No 21


> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 23, No. 21
> May 21, 2004
> ***************
> 
> IN THIS EDITION:
> 
> * +ARRL delegation visits the White House to discuss BPL
> * +Spectrum Protection bill cosponsors top 100
> * +Rocket carrying ham radio avionics reaches space
> * +BPL official discounts NTIA study in House hearing
> * +Number of ham radio enforcement cases dropping
> * +ARRL legend Byron H. Goodman, W1DX, SK
> * +Headquarters staff members aid Iraqi pupils
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
>      ARRL to sponsor Emergency Communications seminar in Connecticut
>      Eight section managers returned to office
>      Correction
>      Hams in Northern Virginia support airport disaster drill
>      NASA names new supercomputer after lost Columbia ham-astronaut
>      Submarine-based ham station to be on the air
> 
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
> 
> ===========================================================
> 
> ==>WHITE HOUSE GIVES ARRL DELEGATION ASSURANCES ON BPL INTERFERENCE
> 
> ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, headed an ARRL delegation during a May
> 20 White House visit to discuss concerns about broadband over power line
> (BPL). Haynie, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and Chief
> Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, met with Richard Russell, the White
> House associate director for technology in the Office of Science and
> Technology Policy. The ARRL officials asked the Bush administration to
> heed its own experts at the National Telecommunications and Information
> Administration (NTIA) and back away from its support of BPL in favor of
> less troublesome technologies. The NTIA's Phase 1 BPL study acknowledged
> BPL as an interference source. Haynie said the meeting was both revealing
> and encouraging.
> 
> "He assured us that based on the NTIA report, the interference issues
> would be addressed," Haynie said. "That was one of our main purposes for
> being there." Haynie said, however, that he remains "absolutely" convinced
> that a political agenda is driving the BPL proceeding. Russell told the
> ARRL contingent that the administration is "very excited" about BPL and is
> committed to finding ways to make it work.
> 
> Imlay said the League's problems were not with broadband access but with
> the "rush-to-judgment" approach the FCC seems to be taking in the BPL
> proceeding. As one example, he cited the timing between the release of the
> extensive NTIA study and the comment deadline on the BPL proceeding just a
> few days later. The Commission denied requests from the ARRL and others to
> extend the comment deadline. While somewhat sympathetic, Russell suggested
> that his office was in less of a position to influence the FCC than it was
> the NTIA.
> 
> After Rinaldo presented some of the ARRL's BPL interference test findings,
> Russell asked the League to provide a breakdown of the BPL systems and
> providers manifesting both lesser and greater degrees of interference.
> 
> Rinaldo also told Russell that representatives of the BPL industry have
> been double-talking their way around interference claims. Imlay pointed
> out that the FCC has yet to address dozens of BPL-related interference
> complaints from amateurs.
> 
> The administration does not want a flawed technology to result from the
> BPL proceeding, Russell said at the session's conclusion, and he offered
> assurances to the League visitors that the NTIA would work to address the
> interference.
> 
> "We did get listened to," Haynie said afterward. "Did I leave there
> feeling euphoric? No, I didn't, but at least I have a better feeling now
> of the overall big picture, of where BPL's coming from, and I hope that I
> can take to the bank the fact that they're going to address and continue
> to address aggressively the interference issues."
> 
> Derek Riker, KB3JLF, of Chwat & Company, the ARRL's legislative relations
> consultant, arranged the meeting and accompanied the delegation on the
> White House visit.
> 
> The ARRL already has asked the FCC to put its BPL proceeding on hold to
> allow more thorough research of its interference potential. The League
> contended in its comments on the February 23 Notice of Proposed Rule
> Making in ET Docket 03-47 that the FCC's "overly aggressive timetable" to
> proceed with BPL deployment will effectively preclude the development of
> cooperative interference avoidance and resolution mechanisms.
> 
> ==>SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT COSPONSOR LIST TOPS 100
> 
> The number of US House members from both sides of the aisle signed on as
> cosponsors of the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003--HR
> 713--has topped the century mark. The recent addition of three Republicans
> and three Democrats pushed the count to 103. Identical House and Senate
> versions of the measure, an ARRL initiative, are on their third try in
> Congress. Since January 1, the number of HR 713 cosponsors has grown by
> 26. The Senate version, S 537, has eight cosponsors.
> 
> The Spectrum Protection Act bills would require the FCC to provide
> "equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if the Commission were
> to reallocate primary amateur frequencies, reduce any secondary amateur
> allocations, or make additional allocations within such bands that would
> substantially reduce their utility to amateurs.
> 
> Signing aboard HR 713 so far this month were representatives Jo Ann Davis
> (R-VA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), C. A. "Dutch"
> Ruppersberger (D-MD), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA).
> Florida Republican Michael Bilirakis sponsored the House bill, while Idaho
> Republican Michael Crapo introduced S 537.
> 
> Ruppersberger this month also became the 35th cosponsor of HR 1478, the
> Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2003--the
> so-called CC&R bill. Sponsored by New York Democrat Steve Israel, the CC&R
> bill would require private land-use regulators such as homeowners'
> associations to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio antennas consistent
> with the PRB-1 limited federal preemption.
> 
> HR 713 and HR 1478 have been referred to the House Subcommittee on
> Telecommunications and the Internet. S 537 has been referred to the Senate
> Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
> 
> ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, reiterated that the key to passage of
> the measures is letters from constituents. He called upon League members
> to take the effort to write, call or e-mail their representatives and
> senators to explain the bills' importance and encourage them to consider
> cosponsoring the measures. "Letters from ARRL members--who also are
> voters--are crucial to getting the spectrum bills through Congress, and
> that won't happen without support from our members," he said.
> 
> Sample letters and additional information--including the bills' texts and
> information on how to write members of Congress--is on the ARRL's "The
> Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003" Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html> and on the "HR 1478, The
> Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2003" Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr1478/>.
> 
> Those writing their lawmakers on behalf of the Spectrum Protection Act are
> asked to copy their correspondence to the League via e-mail
> <specbill03 at arrl.org>. Those writing on behalf of the Amateur Radio
> Emergency Communications Consistency Act, HR 1478, are asked to copy their
> correspondence to <ccr-bill at arrl.org>.
> 
> ==>HAM RADIO-CARRYING ROCKET MAKES IT TO MARGIN OF SPACE
> 
> Following its May 17 launch from Nevada's Black Rock Desert, a solid-fuel
> amateur rocket carrying a ham radio avionics package easily exceeded its
> primary goal of attaining an altitude of 100 km--62 miles--considered the
> boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space, its sponsors say. An
> Amateur Radio direction finding team later recovered the rocket's avionics
> package intact. Avionics Team Leader Eric Knight, KB1EHE, told ARRL that
> the 21-foot, 10-inch diameter Civilian Space Xploration Team (CSXT)
> <http://www.civilianspace.com/> GoFast vehicle reached an altitude of 77
> miles according to its onboard instruments, making it the first civilian
> rocket to do so.
> 
> "We well shattered any definition of space, and everybody's jubilant
> here," Knight told ARRL from Nevada. "Within two seconds into the flight
> we were already supersonic." An ARRL member, Knight said 75 to 100
> people--many of them radio amateurs--witnessed the launch, and some asked
> how they could become licensed. The launch itself, Knight reported, "went
> like clockwork."
> 
> During the vehicle's descent to Earth, a ballistic parachute deployed to
> keep it from tumbling, slow its velocity and make it hit the ground nose
> first. "The avionics package looks pristine," Knight said. "It could fly
> again." That's not likely however, since the CSXT team is hoping the
> avionics will end up in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
> 
> A volunteer aerospace tracking and recovery team of Silicon Valley Amateur
> Radio operators calling itself Stratofox <http://www.stratofox.org> zeroed
> in on signals from the fallen rocket, which came down in rugged,
> mountainous terrain some 25 miles from the launch site. Tiny bird-tracking
> transmitters operating in the 224-MHz range were embedded into the
> parachute shroud lines solely for tracking purposes.
> 
> The avionics team's homebuilt patch-type antennas served the 33-cm
> telemetry downlink and 2.4 GHz Amateur TV transmitters as well as the
> onboard GPS units. The color ATV system was able to provide some photos
> during the first several seconds of the flight, but Knight said the
> rocket's spin--about nine cycles per second--caused the video to blur
> after that.
> 
> The avionics team includes eight Amateur Radio licensees, most of whom
> also were involved in an unsuccessful 2002 CSXT launch attempt. The entire
> 18-member CSXT team is headed by CSXT founder and Program Director Ky
> Michaelson, a retired Hollywood stunt man.
> 
> The United Kingdom Rocketry Association this week conveyed congratulations
> to the US team. "It's certainly a major achievement," said John Bonsor, a
> UKRA founder.
> 
> ==>BPL INDUSTRY OFFICIAL DISPUTES NTIA REPORT IN CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
> 
> A BPL industry witness this week told a House Subcommittee on
> Telecommunications and the Internet hearing that the extensive National
> Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) broadband over
> power line interference study draws "generalized conclusions," some of
> which are "inaccurate." Jay Birnbaum, vice president and general counsel
> of BPL provider Current Communications Group LLC
> <http://www.currentgroup.com/> was among those answering lawmakers'
> questions during the May 19 hearing, "Competition in the Communications
> Marketplace: How Convergence Is Blurring the Lines Between Voice, Video,
> and Data Services." ARRL CEO David Sumner called it "interesting" that a
> BPL spokesperson would try to downplay the significance of the NTIA's
> findings.
> 
> "Clearly, the report has the BPL industry worried--as well it should,"
> Sumner said. "Anyone who gets past the introduction and actually reads the
> body of the NTIA study can only conclude that NTIA's findings are
> devastating to the case for BPL."
> 
> Among other observations, the NTIA acknowledged that BPL signals
> "unintentionally radiate" from power lines, but said there's "substantial
> disagreement as to the strength of the emissions and their potential for
> causing interference to licensed radio systems."
> 
> The subcommittee members questioning Birnbaum included Oregon Republican
> Greg Walden, W7EQI, one of two amateur licensees in the US House. Walden
> asked Birnbaum to address the BPL interference issues that the NTIA report
> and the amateur community have raised.
> 
> Birnbaum responded that he thinks interference concerns about BPL are
> unfounded and that the FCC agrees. BPL emissions from power lines, he
> asserted, are at very low levels and dissipate very quickly with distance.
> Current Technologies is field testing a BPL system in Potomac, Maryland
> and has a 50-50 partnership with Cinergy to deploy a full-blown BPL system
> in the Cincinnati area. The Maryland system employs the HomePlug Alliance
> standard, which notches all HF amateur bands except 60 meters.
> 
> The ARRL documented a visit to the Potomac test area on its Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/#Video>. The Potomac site is
> identified as "Trial Area #1" under "Video showing results of ARRL testing
> in MD, VA, PA and NY." BPL interference heard outside amateur bands at the
> Potomac site sounds like severe, irregular pulse-type noise.
> 
> Birnbaum also told Walden that BPL is "literally undetectable" tens of
> meters away, although he indicated that there's disagreement on the issue.
> Walden said he just wants the interference addressed
> technically--"especially driving under power lines."
> 
> The NTIA, which conducted measurements at three different BPL field trial
> sites, said that while radiated power "decreased with increasing
> distance," the decay was not always predictable. At one measurement
> location with a number of BPL devices, the NTIA said, "appreciable BPL
> signal levels (ie, at least 5 dB higher than ambient noise) were observed
> beyond 500 meters from the nearest BPL-energized power lines."
> 
> The NTIA study further calculated that interference "is likely" to mobile
> stations in areas extending to 30 meters and to fixed stations in areas
> extending to 55 meters from a single BPL device and the power lines to
> which it's connected. Interference to systems with "low to moderate
> desired signal levels," such as those common in ham radio, is likely
> within areas extending to 75 meters for mobiles and 460 meters for fixed
> stations, the NTIA study said.
> 
> Responding to a question from New Hampshire Republican Charles Bass,
> Birnbaum said the BPL industry would be pleased if Congress could provide
> tax or financial incentives, especially for improving the power grid.
> 
> Birnbaum suggested that while utilities have been slow to act on BPL, they
> will begin to deploy BPL systems over the next year or two. The biggest
> issue, he said, is the incentive for utilities to invest in broadband
> technology.
> 
> ==>AMATEUR ENFORCEMENT CASES DECLINING
> 
> The number of Amateur Radio enforcement cases has continued to drop since
> a five-year peak of 350 in 2001. FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley
> Hollingsworth told the Dayton Hamvention 2004 FCC Forum May 15 that 240
> ham radio enforcement cases crossed his desk last year. As his tenure in
> amateur enforcement enters its sixth year, he's estimating only 175 cases
> in 2004.
> 
> "Two years ago at Dayton, I said that I hoped the day would come soon when
> enforcement would not be an issue in the Amateur Service," Hollingsworth
> said. While he doesn't believe amateur enforcement is in "maintenance
> mode" yet, it's well on its way, he said. But he urged his audience not to
> become complacent just because there's active FCC Amateur Service
> enforcement. Although the percentage of "hard-core" cases is very small
> and rapidly declining, the remaining cases include "some real nasty ones,"
> he said.
> 
> Hollingsworth said his main worry remains inappropriate or illegal
> on-the-air behavior and the sometimes-negative image it can present to
> decision makers at a time of broadband over power line (BPL) and other
> threats to amateur spectrum. He proposed that amateurs concentrate on
> improving how they conduct themselves on the air while letting him deal
> with the remaining bad apples that require his attention.
> 
> "No enforcement program in the world can save certain people from
> themselves or from being an embarrassment to the entire service," he
> said--reiterating a refrain that's now almost become his mantra. "If
> anything is the downfall of Amateur Radio, it will probably be the
> microphone. You have to focus on your image--what you sound like--all the
> time."
> 
> Hollingsworth also told the forum he's convinced that further Amateur
> Service restructuring is a necessity. He also suggested that amateurs be
> less concerned about any perceived "dumbing down" of the licensing
> requirements, because ham radio will continue to thrive in any event.
> "It's not really what you do to get into Amateur Radio that counts. It's
> what you do once you get on the air," he said.
> 
> ==>LONGTIME ARRL STAFFER, SSB PIONEER BY GOODMAN, W1DX, SK
> 
> Byron H. "By" Goodman, W1DX (ex-W6CAL, W1JPE), of East Hartford,
> Connecticut, died May 11 after a period of declining health. He was 93. A
> San Francisco native, Goodman was a member of the ARRL Headquarters staff
> for more than three decades, most of that time serving as a technical
> editor. Goodman authored and edited literally hundreds of QST articles and
> columns as well as other League publications, including The Handbook for
> Radio Amateurs. Former ARRL colleague and retired ARRL General Manager
> Dick Baldwin, W1RU (ex-W1IKE), best remembers Goodman for his pioneering
> efforts in SSB and for technical expertise. First licensed in 1930,
> Goodman joined the ARRL Headquarters staff a few years later.
> 
> "He was a man of many talents," Baldwin said. "He was in the forefront
> technically--antennas, receivers, single sideband." He said the technical
> challenge spurred Goodman's strong interest in SSB. Goodman initiated a
> series of columns about single sideband in QST in 1948--a decade or more
> before the mode eventually eclipsed AM.
> 
> Over the years, Goodman wrote numerous reviews of new equipment in QST,
> served as the first "How's DX?" editor from 1936 until 1947 and edited a
> column of International Amateur Radio Union news. While the author's
> identity was not widely known outside of the ARRL Headquarters family,
> Goodman wrote a series of QST April Fool parodies under the pseudonym
> Larson E. Rapp, WIOU.
> 
> "By had a very great sense of humor, a very dry sense of humor," said
> former colleague George Hart, W1NJM.
> 
> In 1989, Goodman received the Dayton Hamvention's Technical Excellence
> Award. He belonged to the ARRL, the Quarter Century Wireless Association
> and the A1 Operator Club. He was not active on the air in recent years,
> however.
> 
> Survivors include Goodman's wife, Barbara, a daughter and a sister. The
> family invites memorial donations to the American Heart Association, 2550
> US Rte 1, North Brunswick, NJ 08902-4301.
> 
> ==>LEAGUE STAFF AIDS IRAQI SCHOOLCHILDREN
> 
> Fourteen large boxes filled with school supplies, books and toys are on
> their way to needy schoolchildren in Northern Iraq, thanks to the generous
> spirit of ARRL Headquarters staff members.
> 
> Packages of pencils, paper, pens, crayons and other school supplies were
> shipped out of the ARRL warehouse, paid for with a private anonymous
> donation. ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV,
> spearheaded the Headquarters effort. His nephew, 2nd Lt Niles
> Motschenbacher, is serving with a US Army unit near the city of Mosul.
> 
> One of Niles Motschenbacher's jobs is regularly touring the schools. "He
> said he was shocked the first time he went into a school building and
> found 100 kids in a single room, sitting on the floor and sharing a few
> pencils," his uncle said.
> 
> Niles Motschenbacher wrote his sister Anna to ask if she could put the
> word out to the family--their mother is an elementary school teacher--to
> gather up a few school supplies and send them to him in Iraq.
> 
> "When I got Anna's note, I thought of the people here at ARRL Headquarters
> and how generous they are," Dennis Motschenbacher said. He put up flyers
> on bulletin boards and set up a donation box. "I was stunned to see all of
> the things that came in, much of it new materials."
> 
> ARRL Administrative Assistant to the CEO Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, donated a
> small mountain of toys to the shipment. "It's important for children to
> have time for other things beside school books," she said. "Toys let kids
> be kids, no matter where they are in the world."
> 
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
> 
> Sun watcher Tad "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
> Washington, reports: Solar flux values and sunspot numbers moved higher
> over the past week. Average daily sunspot numbers rose nearly 65 points to
> 113.6. Average solar flux rose more than 18 points. The sunspot number
> reached a peak of 148 Sunday, May 16.
> 
> We are currently within a weak stream of solar wind from a coronal hole,
> so some resulting geomagnetic activity is possible. The predicted
> planetary A index for May 21-24 is 15, 15, 12 and 10. Solar flux should
> stay around 100 during the next week. Seasonal noise levels should begin
> to rise as well.
> 
> Sunspot numbers for May 13 through 19 were 107, 98, 117, 148, 147, 91 and
> 87, with a mean of 113.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 100.8, 109.6, 115.3, 118.3,
> 111.1, 107.8 and 108.8, with a mean of 110.2. Estimated planetary A
> indices were 13, 8, 9, 4, 5, 4 and 6, with a mean of 7. Estimated
> mid-latitude A indices were 17, 4, 7, 4, 3, 4 and 6, with a mean of 6.4.
> 
> __________________________________
> 
> ==>IN BRIEF:
> 
> * This weekend on the radio: The 2 GHz and Up Contest, the VK/Trans-Tasman
> 80-Meter Contest (phone) the EU PSK DX Contest and the Baltic Contest are
> the weekend of May 22-23. JUST AHEAD: AGCW Activity Week is May 24-28. The
> CQ WW WPX Contest (CW), the Great Lakes QSO Party and the ARCI Hootowl
> Sprint are the weekend of May 29-30. The MI QRP Memorial Day CW Sprint is
> May 31-June 1. 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 Emergency Communications course registration: Registration for the
> ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line course
> (EC-003) remains open through the May 22-23 weekend or until all available
> seats have been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, June
> 1. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and
> Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45
> registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful
> completion of the course. During this registration period, approximately
> 50 seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served
> basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
> Education (C-CE) 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.
> 
> * ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
> Registration for the ARRL HF Digital Communication (EC-005), ARRL
> VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) and ARRL Technician Licensing
> (EC-010) courses remains open through Sunday, May 23. Classes begin
> Tuesday, June 1. Students participating in VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater
> (EC-008) will enjoy exploring some of the lesser-used and more intriguing
> aspects of VHF/UHF operation. HF Digital Communication students will learn
> to use a variety of HF digital modes. With the assistance of a mentor,
> students in Technician Licensing (EC-010) will learn everything they need
> to know to pass the FCC Technician class Amateur Radio license
> examination. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
> Education (C-CE) Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education Program Department <cce at arrl.org>.
> 
> * ARRL to sponsor Emergency Communications seminar in Connecticut: The
> ARRL will offer a free Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course
> (ARECC) seminar Saturday, June 12, in conjunction with the Newington
> Amateur Radio League Hamfest Weekend. The seminar will be held from 12
> noon until 4 PM at ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington,
> Connecticut and is open to all interested hams. The seminar will not
> include the Level I course itself. A PowerPoint presentation will include
> background information, group discussion of multiple disaster scenarios,
> comments from emergency communications leadership, ARECC mentors and
> students, discussion about the ARRL Amateur Radio emergency communications
> courses, the status of our federal grant from the Corporation for National
> and Community Service (CNCS) and the grant from our corporate partner
> United Technologies Corporation, updates on emergency communications tools
> being developed nationally and a quiz to determine personal preparedness.
> Senior citizens are strongly encouraged to participate. All ARES/RACES
> volunteers, ARECC course participants at every level, and ARRL Field
> Organization leadership are welcome. Course participants are invited to
> share their experiences. Field Organization Leadership--SMs, SECs, DECs
> and ECs--are encouraged to brainstorm ideas to motivate volunteers and
> coordinate activities. Attendees will receive handouts and be eligible for
> a prize drawing. Seating is limited. Anyone planning to attend should
> contact Dan Miller, K3UFG, <k3ufg at arrl.org>; 860-594-0340; FAX
> 860-594-0259. For more information on the NARL 2004 Hamfest Weekend, visit
> the NARL Web site <http://www.narl.net>.
> 
> * Eight section managers returned to office: Oregon Section Manager Randy
> Stimson, KZ7T, overcame a challenge from Kevin Hunt, WA7VTD, 549 to 461
> votes. ARRL Field and Educational Services staffers counted the ballots
> and verified the results May 18 at League Headquarters. A veteran ARRL
> Field Organization leader who previously served as Oregon SM from 1987
> until 1998, Stimson, of Beaverton, accepted appointment as SM last July
> after Oregon Section ARRL members voted to recall then-SM Marshall
> Johnson, KK7CW. Seven other sitting ARRL SMs faced no opposition in this
> election cycle and were declared re-elected. They are Sharon Harlan, N9SH,
> Illinois; Jim Sellers, K9ZBM, Indiana; Bill Woodhead, N1KAT, Maine; Rudy
> Hubbard, WA4PUP, Northern Florida; Glenn Thomas, WB6W, Santa Clara Valley;
> Paul Gayet, AA1SU, Vermont, and Don Michalski, W9IXG, Wisconsin. New
> two-year terms of office began July 1, 2004.
> 
> * Correction: A news brief, "FCC designates former amateur's latest GMRS
> application for hearing" appearing in The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 18, (Apr
> 30, 2004) contained erroneous information regarding the identity of the
> applicant. The FCC has advised ARRL that the Richard A. Burton of Wyoming,
> who applied to the FCC for a GMRS license, was not Richard Allen Burton,
> ex-WB6JAC, of California. Acting on the belief that the application had
> come from the latter Burton, the FCC mistakenly designated it for hearing,
> based on the former amateur's lengthy enforcement history with the FCC.
> Richard Allen Burton of California had filed for a GMRS license last year
> but subsequently withdrew his application.
> 
> * Hams in Northern Virginia support airport disaster drill: After months
> of planning and preparation, more than 100 Amateur Radio Emergency Service
> (ARES) volunteer from Northern Virginia's Fairfax, Prince William and
> Loudoun counties provided emergency communication support May 8 for a mock
> disaster drill at Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC. The
> drill scenario consisted of an airplane crash with a fire and included
> treatment--at the "crash site" and at several area hospitals--and
> transport of simulated victims. The ARES volunteers set up several
> portable repeaters on and around the airport grounds to provide
> communications among agencies attending the crash site, those transporting
> the injured and participating hospitals. The volunteer radio operators
> also provided a live Amateur TV link between the crash site and the
> airport operations center--allowing airport management to monitor the
> drill's progress. Handheld transceiver-equipped amateurs shadowed selected
> officials at the crash site to provide instant communications to other
> temporary operational areas on and around the airport. Amateur Radio
> volunteers also accompanied the buses transporting ambulatory "victims" to
> local hospitals, providing voice communications and real-time position
> data via the Automatic Position Reporting System. Additional ARES members
> deployed to 10 area hospitals to help coordinate the arrival and departure
> of simulated victims.--Larry Hughes, K3HE
> 
> * NASA names new supercomputer after lost Columbia ham-astronaut: NASA
> will dedicate a new supercomputer in memory of Kalpana "KC" Chawla,
> KD5ESI. She was one of the seven shuttle Columbia STS-107 mission crew
> members lost February 1, 2003, as the vehicle was returning to Earth. The
> May 12 dedication ceremony was held at NASA Ames Research Center in
> California. The first Indian-born woman to fly in space, Chawla served as
> a flight engineer and mission specialist aboard Columbia. NASA's naming of
> the new "Kalpana" supercomputer follows a long tradition at the research
> center of naming its new supercomputers after pioneers in the
> supercomputer industry or others in recognition of their achievements. The
> Columbia STS-107 crew, headed by Commander Rick Husband, also included
> Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel
> Clark, KC5ZSU; Michael Anderson and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, the
> first Israeli astronaut.
> 
> * Submarine-based ham station to be on the air: A ham station aboard the
> Swedish submarine HMS Uppland, SL8SUB, will be on the air this weekend to
> mark the 100th anniversary of the Swedish Navy's submarine service.
> Operation will be on CW and SSB, HF and VHF. This will mark the first-ever
> ham operation from a Swedish sub.--The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com>
> 
> ===========================================================
> 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.
> 
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> 
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>