[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 08

[Bill Marx]

***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 24, No. 08
> February 25, 2005
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +New Spectrum Protection bill introduced in US House
> * +Consent decree ends FCC enforcement action on interference
> * +Maine high schoolers speak with space station via ham radio
> * +2005 Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference draws a crowd
> * +Amateur Radio saves one of its own
> * +New section managers start this spring in three ARRL sections
> * +League honors Dayton Hamvention committee
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      ARRL to sponsor emergency communications seminar at SEA-PAC
>     +"Cardless" 5BDXCC testimony to Logbook of the World's value
>      WRTC 2006 Web site open
>      Microwave Update 2005 issues call for papers
>      Notable Silent Keys
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT OF 2005 INTRODUCED
>
> At the urging of the ARRL, Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced The
> Amateur Radio Spectrum Act of 2005 into the US House of Representatives.
The
> bill, designated HR 691, has been referred to the House Energy and
Commerce
> Committee where Bilirakis serves as vice chairman. Like previous versions
of
> the proposal, the current measure would require the FCC to provide
> "equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if the FCC reallocates
> primary amateur frequencies, reduces any secondary amateur allocations, or
> makes additional allocations within such bands that would substantially
> reduce their utility to amateurs. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
> expressed his appreciation to Bilirakis this week.
>
> "As president of the American Radio League and on behalf of the more than
> 670,000 federally licensed Amateur Radio operators throughout the country,
I
> would like to thank you for once again sponsoring the 'Amateur Radio
> Spectrum Protection Act,'" Haynie told the Florida Republican. "As you
know,
> this legislation is vital for ensuring that the Amateur Radio Service, the
> only 100-percent fail safe emergency communication capability, remains a
> viable public safety option."
>
> HR 691 references Amateur Radio's role in providing "voluntary,
> noncommercial radio service, particularly emergency communications," and
it
> points out that hams have "consistently and reliably" provided
communication
> support in the event of emergencies and disasters including tornadoes and
> hurricanes, chemical spills, forest fires and rail accidents. As the
measure
> notes, FCC actions already have led to the loss of at least 107 MHz of
> spectrum to radio amateurs.
>
> Rep Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) has signed on as the bill's first co-sponsor.
> Bartlett chairs the Projection Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services
> Committee. One of three scientists in the 109th Congress, Bartlett also is
a
> senior member of the House Science Committee.
>
> Efforts now will focus on attracting additional cosponsors for the
> legislation. The League is encouraging members to urge their congressional
> representatives to sign aboard HR 691. A sample letter is available on the
> ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr-691-sample-letter.html>.
> More than 100 lawmakers agreed to cosponsor similar legislation in the
108th
> Congress, where it was designated HR 713. Work is proceeding to have
> identical legislation introduced in the US Senate.
>
> The text of HR 691 is available on the Government Printing Office Web site
>
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&do
> cid=f:h691ih.txt.pdf>.
>
> For general guidance on the best methods of contacting your members of
> Congress, see "Communicating with Congress," by Derek Riker, KB3JLF, on
the
> ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/0304046.pdf>.
>
> ==>ARRL HOPES CONSENT DECREE WILL REDUCE INTERFERENCE COMPLAINTS
>
> The FCC has agreed to terminate enforcement action against an importer and
> marketer of heated mattress pads and blankets--and associated external
> switching power supplies--in exchange for the company's signature on a
> Consent Decree. The case involved numerous interference complaints from
> Amateur Radio operators and others related to consumer products marketed
by
> Perfect Fit Industries (PFI) of Charlotte, North Carolina.
>
> "The Enforcement Bureau and PFI have negotiated the terms of a Consent
> Decree that would resolve this matter and terminate the investigation,"
the
> FCC announced in releasing an Order in the proceeding February 10. The
Order
> includes a copy of the Consent Decree. PFI also will make a "voluntary
> contribution" of $7000 to the US treasury.
>
> ARRL Laboratory Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG,
> said the League has been receiving an increasing number of reports from
> radio amateurs about interference from modern switching-type power
supplies.
> Ironically, one complaint came from Gruber's boss--ARRL Lab Manager Ed
Hare,
> W1RFI, whose wife had purchased one of the blankets. Hare says a further
> irony involves the FCC's reaction in this case to an apparent Part 15
> emissions violation.
>
> "It's paradoxical that an electric blanket marketer is getting this level
of
> FCC attention for a conducted emission that's less than 1 percent of the
> power level BPL manufacturers have told the FCC they use in their
> installations," he commented.
>
> The ARRL Lab examined one of the offending blankets, which emitted a
ticking
> sound even while turned off but still plugged into the ac outlet. Gruber
> noted that many products of this type appear to be made overseas and do
not
> carry the required labeling described in Part 15 of the FCC's rules. Owing
> to negligence or ignorance of the FCC requirements for conducted and
> radiated emissions limits, he says, some of these devices may operate at
> levels significantly higher than the rules permit.
>
> "We hope this case will serve as a reminder to other manufacturers that
> their switching supplies need to be tested for compliance with the rules
and
> carry the proper labeling as required by Part 15," Gruber said. But, he
> added, FCC's Part 15 limits are not a cure-all for interference--an
> assertion borne out in other cases involving interference from unlicensed
> devices such as broadband over power line (BPL) interference or common
power
> line noise.
>
> "On the contrary, the limits are set high enough that interference--as was
> seen in cases involving these products--is likely," he pointed out. "Part
15
> requires that operators of unlicensed devices that cause harmful
> interference must take whatever steps are necessary to correct the
> interference or cease operation whenever interference occurs."
>
> As part of the Consent Decree, PFI will put into place an FCC "Regulatory
> Compliance Plan" with an eye toward ensuring future compliance. Among
other
> things, the company will have to designate a compliance officer to
> administer the plan. PFI further agreed to replace free of charge any
> noncompliant mattress pad or heated blanket with a compliant product upon
> receipt of an interference complaint.
>
> In addition, PFI will agree that its electric mattress pads and blankets
and
> associated external switching power supplies will comply with FCC Part 2
and
> Part 15 rules before they're imported and marketed. The Consent Decree is
> good for three years.
>
> Signing the Consent Decree for the FCC was Enforcement Bureau Chief David
H.
> Solomon. PFI President and CEO Louis R. Morris signed on the company's
> behalf.
>
> Sound recordings of the electric blanket and mattress pad RFI are
available
> on the RF Noise Identification Web site
> <http://ve3hls.tripod.com/noise/rfihome.html> operated by VE3HLS.
>
> ==>PINE TREE STATE LOGS FIRST SCHOOL GROUP QSO WITH SPACE STATION
>
> "Good to be talking to you all. Welcome Rockland District High School in
> Rockland, Maine, from the International Space Station!" With those words,
> ISS Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, kicked off an
approximately
> 10-minute Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact
> on February 14 between NA1SS and W1PBR--the call sign of the Pen Bay
Amateur
> Radio Club. It was the first ARISS school group QSO with a Maine school.
> Given that state's typically colder climate, it was perhaps no surprise
that
> one student wanted to know how the ISS is heated.
>
> "Space can be either very cold or very hot if you're in the direct
sunlight,
> and the station has several control systems that help regulate the
> temperature inside--and we can actually set that temperature," Chiao
> explained. He said because the onboard equipment generates heat in
addition
> to what the spacecraft absorbs from exposure to the sun, maintaining a
> comfortable living environment comes down to shedding heat to outside
> radiators. "So, depending on how much he we remove, we can control the
> temperature inside," he said.
>
> Responding to another student's question, Chiao said it's true that the
ISS
> crew sleeps in bunks that stand along the walls of the station. "We have
> what we call a 'sleep station,' and they're basically phone booth-size
> little boxes," Chiao said. There's one in the US segment and one in the
> Russian module. Their size isn't confining, however. "They're pretty
small,
> but it's enough for a little privacy at night. You can get in there with
> your sleeping bag and your computer and watch movies or listen to music or
> read an electronic book," Chiao added.
>
> With respect to the amount of room aboard the ISS, Chiao told another
> student that while there's not as much room in their space quarters as
there
> is on the ground, the crew members quickly get used to it. "Especially in
> weightlessness, you can get to all three dimensions," Chiao said. "You're
> not just confined to walking around on the floor." Being able to float
from
> place to place also makes more efficient use of the available space, he
> noted. "It's really not bad at all."
>
> Part of Maine School Administrative District 5, Rockland District High
> School, with an enrollment of approximately 500, draws students from that
> mid-coast Maine city as well as from the neighboring towns of Thomaston
and
> Owl's Head. Those participating in the ARISS contact are taking or have
> completed an integrated science course covering environmental and earth
> science, including astronomy. In all, the high schoolers got to ask 13
> questions before the ISS went out of radio range.
>
> Handling Earth station duties were George Caswell, W1ME, and Norm Smith,
> NY1B, with help from members of the Pen Bay ARC. The contact also was
> retransmitted over a local repeater.
>
> The ARISS event had media coverage from at least two TV stations and one
> newspaper. Some 400 students and visitors were on hand in the audience.
>
> ARISS is an international educational outreach program with US
participation
> by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>STANDING ROOM ONLY AT 2005 AMATEUR RADIO HURRICANE CONFERENCE
>
> ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG,
represented
> the League at the 10th annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference February
5
> at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami <http://www.wx4nhc.org>.
He
> reports upward of 75 visitors--nearly all of them radio amateurs--turned
out
> for the event. Scheduled in conjunction with the Miami Tropical Hamboree,
> which Miller also attended, the conference provided an opportunity to
review
> the busy 2004 hurricane season and to discuss Amateur Radio's role to
> support emergency communication.
>
> "This was a phenomenal meeting," commented Miller, who delivered a
> presentation at the conference on ham radio's hurricane and
tsunami-related
> activities. "Because 2004 was one for the record books, comments, reports
> and pictures from the people who live in the islands and in the affected
> areas of Florida, were that much more meaningful."
>
> Miller said the consensus at the gathering was that despite the best
efforts
> to prepare, no one imagined the onslaught witnessed last year. Among
> featured speakers was Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) <http://www.hwn.org>
Manager
> Mike Pilgrim, K5MP. The HWN and the center's WX4NHC work hand-in-hand to
> funnel real-time weather data to NHC forecasters via Amateur Radio. The
HWN
> Web site recorded more than 55 million hits during September alone!
>
> The conference agenda also included reports from many areas affected by
the
> 2004 hurricanes, including the Cayman Islands; Grenada; Marsh Harbour,
> Abacos, and, of course, Florida. NHC Hurricane Specialist Stacy Stewart
told
> the gathering how each storm presented varied characteristics and
explained
> how computer modeling is not always right on the money in projecting a
> hurricane's path.
>
> Newly appointed Southern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Jeff Beals,
> WA4AW, spoke about the Holiday Hams video, which chronicled the
> overwhelmingly successful ARRL Holiday Toy Drive to benefit youngsters
> affected by the Florida hurricanes.
>
> NHC Amateur Radio Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG, and Assistant Coordinator
> Julio Ripoll, WD4R, served as conference hosts.
>
> ==>HAM RADIO SAVES A HAM IN ALASKA
>
> Two Alaskan hikers on a day outing in rugged mountains near Anchorage saw
> their afternoon turn into something entirely unexpected February 12. One
of
> them--Jesse Jones, KL1RK--slipped and fell more than 200 feet down a steep
> ravine, losing his snowshoes in the process. Jones found himself trapped
> between a low overhang on one side and a swift-moving stream on the other.
> Even worse was the fact that his descent could continue into the water at
> any moment, and almost certain death from hypothermia. With more than 10
> feet on the ground, the loss of his snowshoes meant he could not walk out.
> On the plus side, Jones had taken along his 2-meter handheld transceiver.
> After several unsuccessful tries, he finally was able to access the
> wide-area WL7CVG repeater atop Mt Susitna, almost 40 miles distant.
>
> "As a control operator for the repeater, I heard his weak 'Mayday! Mayday!
> Mayday!' call just a few minutes after 4 PM local time," reports Jim
Wiley,
> KL7CC. "I immediately called 911 and was placed in contact with the local
> fire department rescue coordinator. I was able to pass on Jesse's messages
> to the local rescue coordinator, including coordinates from a GPS unit he
> was carrying." Wiley says the rescue coordinator's office called out the
> local mountain rescue group and the Alaska State Troopers, who immediately
> left for the scene.
>
> The rescue team met with Jones's climbing partner, who had been able to
hike
> out to a place where he could assist the rescuers. Jones was able to keep
in
> touch via 2 meters to report his condition, but his signal into the
repeater
> was marginal. Although uninjured, the sub-zero cold was numbing his
> extremities to the point that he was having trouble operating his
> transceiver.
>
> Unable to execute the rescue themselves, the team called an Air National
> Guard unit, which flew a helicopter to the scene. While the presence of
> high-voltage power lines just above Jones' position complicated matters,
the
> chopper was able to lower some para-rescue jumpers to a nearby location,
> from which they could rappel to his position and, after a few hours,
> extricate him.
>
> Briefly hospitalized for a checkup, Jones was released just before
midnight,
> cold and a bit hungry, but otherwise okay. Wiley says several local hams
> also assisted the effort, either directly or by their connection with
local
> emergency service groups.
>
> Additional details of the rescue and photos are available on the ARRL Web
> site <http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2005/02/24/1/>.
>
> ==>NEW SECTION MANAGERS START APRIL 1 IN ARKANSAS, NORTH TEXAS AND ARIZONA
>
> The ARRL North Texas, Arkansas and Arizona sections will get new Section
> Managers this spring. Ballots cast in the two contested races of the
current
> Section Manager (SM) election cycle were counted and verified February 22
at
> ARRL Headquarters. New terms of office for successful candidates begin
April
> 1.
>
> In the North Texas Section, Tom Blackwell, N5GAR, outpolled incumbent SM
Roy
> Rabey, AD5KZ, 853 to 586. Rabey has served as SM since 2003. A resident of
> Dallas, Blackwell has served as State Government Liaison for eight years
> under previous SMs.
>
> In Arkansas, David Norris, K5UZ, won the open SM slot 353 to 199 over
Terry
> Busby, W5ARS. Norris, who lives in Batesville, has served as an ARRL
> Assistant SM for eight years, is active in ARES and RACES and is an avid
> DXer and contester. He'll succeed Dennis Schaefer, W5RZ, who has served
> since 2003 and did not seek a new term.
>
> In Arizona, Tom Fagan, WB7NXH, will take over the reins from Cliff Hauser,
> KD6XH, who did not seek a new term after serving for 12 years. Fagan, who
> had no opposition, now serves as Technical Coordinator and has served as
> Arizona Section Emergency Coordinator for the past two years. He also has
> held Emergency Coordinator and District Emergency Coordinator positions.
>
> Incumbent SMs in four other ARRL sections also ran unopposed and will
> continue in office for new two-year terms. They are Jim Lasley, N0JL,
Iowa;
> John Meyers, NB4K, Kentucky; Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Mississippi, and Carl
> Gardenias, WU6D, Orange.
>
> Since no candidates have sought to run for the Montana, Puerto Rico and
> Wyoming SM positions, nominations will be resolicited in the April issue
of
> QST.
>
> ==>ARRL RECOGNIZES DAYTON HAMVENTION COMMITTEE
>
> The ARRL has recognized members of the 2005 Dayton Hamvention Committee.
> ARRL Great Lakes Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, presented a special award
during
> the committee's February 8 planning session in Dayton. Reading from the
> citation, Weaver said,
>
> "This award is presented to the 2005 Hamvention Committee and Gary Des
> Combes, N8EMO, General Chairman, in appreciation of your invitation to
host
> the 2005 ARRL National Convention." Des Combes, who's serving his second
> year as general chairman, accepted the award on the committee's behalf.
>
> Celebrating its 54th show, Dayton Hamvention, May 20-22, has set aside a
> large area in the Hara Arena complex--the Ballarena near the 400-number
> booths--for "ARRL EXPO 2005," a special exhibit dedicated entirely to the
> ARRL National Convention. ARRL EXPO 2005 will showcase ARRL programs and
> services. Hamvention admission will include access to ARRL EXPO 2005. The
> official ARRL National Convention Web site <http://www.arrl.org/expo> has
> more information.
>
> Sponsored by Dayton Amateur Radio Association, Dayton Hamvention is the
> world's largest Amateur Radio gathering and trade show. Tickets and
> additional information are available via the Dayton Hamvention Web site
> <http://www.hamvention.org>.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Solar flash Tad "Walking on the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
> reports: Average daily geomagnetic indices for the week were slightly
> higher, and the average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux were down
> markedly. Average daily sunspot numbers dropped nearly 30 points to 45.4,
> and average daily solar flux slipped nearly 19 points to 97.3.
>
> This weekend is the CQ World Wide 160 Meter Contest (SSB), and for 160
> meters we hope for quiet geomagnetic conditions. The latest forecast for
> February 25-27 is for a planetary A index of 15, 20 and 20. The Prague
> Geophysical Institute projects active geomagnetic conditions for February
> 26, and unsettled to active for February 25 and 27. Sunspot numbers and
> solar flux should remain quite low. Predicted solar flux for February
25-27
> is 80, and flux values are not expected to rise above 100 until around
March
> 9, and then only slightly.
>
> Sunspot numbers for February 17 through 23 were 51, 46, 51, 60, 33, 23 and
> 54, with a mean of 45.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 111.3, 104.2, 98.5, 95.7,
> 94.5, 92.3 and 84.6, with a mean of 97.3. Estimated planetary A indices
were
> 6, 25, 14, 12, 8, 4 and 4 with a mean of 10.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
> indices were 7, 14, 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2, with a mean of 6.3.
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (SSB), the REF
Contest
> (SSB), the UBA DX Contest (CW), the Mississippi and North Carolina QSO
> parties, the CZEBRIS Contest, the North American QSO Party (RTTY), the
High
> Speed Club CW Contest, and the CQC Winter QSO Party are the weekend of
> February 26-27. JUST AHEAD: The AGCW YL-CW Party is March 1. The ARRL
> International DX Contest (SSB), the Wake-Up! QRP Sprint and the Open
Ukraine
> RTTY Championship are the weekend of March 5-6. The DARC 10-Meter Digital
> Contest is March 6, the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Data) is March 7,
> the ARS Spartan Sprint is March 8, and the Pesky Texan Armadillo Chase is
> March 10. 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 HF Digital Communication (EC-005) and
> VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) courses remains open through Sunday,
> February 27. Classes begin Friday March 11. 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. To
> learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE)
Web
> page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL CCE Department
> <cce at arrl.org>.
>
> * ARRL to sponsor emergency communications seminar at SEA-PAC: The ARRL
will
> offer a free Amateur Radio Emergency Communications seminar Friday, June
17,
> 1-5 PM, in conjunction with SEA-PAC--the ARRL Northwest Division
> Convention--in Seaside, Oregon. This seminar is not an emergency
> communications course. It is about Amateur Radio emergency communications
> from a national perspective. ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager
> Dan Miller, K3UFG, says the seminar will focus on ways to better meet the
> increasing demand for ham radio operators to assist in emergency
> communication activities. ARES/RACES leadership, ARRL Amateur Radio
> Emergency Communications course graduates, mentors, instructors and
> prospective students are encouraged to attend this open, interactive
> presentation. Seating for this seminar may be limited. If you plan to
> attend, contact Dan Miller, K3UFG, k3ufg at arrl.org; 860-594-0340; fax
> 860-594-0259. Handouts and door prizes will be available to all attendees.
> Seminar attendance does not include admission to SEA-PAC
> <http://www.seapac.org/>, which runs June 17-19.
>
> * "Cardless" Five-Band DXCC testimony to Logbook of the World's value: New
> Hampshire contest station KC1XX (chief op Matt Strelow) recently achieved
> Five-Band DXCC solely through contact data submitted to the ARRL's Logbook
> of the World (LoTW). With more than 255,000 QSOs already in the worldwide
> contact database, KC1XX recently was able to confirm 100 DXCC entities on
80
> meters to qualify for the award. Because most participants have linked
their
> DXCC data into LoTW, it is not always possible to determine band totals
> derived solely from Logbook confirmations. Major contest stations like
KC1XX
> serve to demonstrate the value of participating in LoTW, however, because
> these stations frequently do not have DXCC, and their totals are due
> entirely to LoTW-verified contacts. The largely single-op contesting and
DX
> station of John Sluymer, VE3EJ, in Ontario also has qualified for 5BDXCC
> through LoTW-verified QSOs, while several others are closing in on
achieving
> 5BDXCC using the same route. Meanwhile, Brian Alsop, K3KO, in North
> Carolina, has already confirmed 221 DXCC entities entirely via LoTW.
>
> * WRTC 2006 Web site open: World Radiosport Team Championship 2006 (WRTC
> 2006), which will take place in Brazil in conjunction with the Liga de
> Amadores de Radio Emissão (LABRE) and the Araucaria DX Group (GADX), now
has
> an official Web site <http://www.wrtc2006.com/>. Although some sections
> remain under construction, the site does include draft rules, still
subject
> to final approval. Following in the footsteps of previous WRTC
competitions
> held in Seattle, San Francisco, Slovenia, and Finland, the WRTC showcases
> Amateur Radio competition at its highest level, pitting two-person teams
of
> the world's top operators for the gold, silver and bronze. WRTC 2006 will
> take place July 7-10 in the vicinity of Florianopolis, the capital of
Santa
> Catarina State in Southern Brazil. Atilano de Oms, PY5EG, heads the WRTC
> 2006 Steering Committee. The WRTC brings competitors together in a single
> geographical area. The on-the-air portion of the event is held in
> conjunction with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF World
> Championship, although WRTC rules differ in some respects from those of
the
> IARU event, and scoring is done separately. WRTC stations run 100 W and
have
> comparably modest antenna systems--typically a dipole for the low bands
and
> a triband Yagi for the higher bands. The idea is to minimize the variables
> associated with radio contesting, thereby emphasizing each team's
operating
> skills. The contesting duo of Jeff Steinman, N5TJ, and Dan Street, K1TO,
> took home the WRTC gold for the third time in the 2002 event in Finland.
> Teams have not yet been announced for the 2006 event.
>
> * Microwave Update 2005 issues call for papers: Microwave Update 2005 (MUD
> 2005) has issued its first call for papers. The conference will take place
> Thursday, October 27, through Sunday, October 30, at the Sheraton Cerritos
> Hotel in Cerritos, California--less than 10 miles north of Disneyland. The
> paramount conference on Amateur Radio experimentation above 1 GHz, MUD
2005
> will be sponsored jointly by the San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS)
and
> the Western States Weak Signal Society (WSWSS). It will include technical
> programs, a banquet and the opportunity to network with fellow microwave
> enthusiasts. MUD 2005 is a great opportunity to get your ideas and papers
> published, and you don't have to present your paper to have it included in
> the conference Proceedings. Electronic submissions via e-mail or on CD-ROM
> are welcome. The deadline to submit for publication in the Proceedings is
> September 5. Those interested in writing and/or presenting a paper for
> Microwave Update 2005 should submit an abstract or topic to Chip Angle,
> N6CA, PO Box 35, Lomita, CA 90717-0035; n6ca at ham-radio.com. Additional
> information on the conference is on the MUD 2005 Web site
> <http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/mud-2005/>.
>
> * Notable Silent Keys: Lavene Vorel, WA4AZE, of St Petersburg, Florida,
died
> January 14. He was 60. An ARRL member, Vorel was one of the engineers who
> designed the original Signal One amateur transceiver at Electronic
> Communications Inc. Dick Aspinwall, W7PV, of Seattle, Washington, died
> January 21. He was 90. An ARRL Life Member, Aspinwall founded Amateur
Radio
> Supply in Georgetown in 1956 and operated it until 1989. Bob Lewis, VO1BL
> (ex-W4CKZ), of St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, died January 28. He was 90.
> Born Clarence Louis Engelbrecht, he adopted the Lewis surname as a
> broadcaster. An active amateur for more than six decades, Lewis was a
> founding member of the Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs and of the
> Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland. Despite health problems, he remained
> active on the air up to the day of his death. John Willig, W8ACE, of
> Sarasota, Florida, died January 30. He's credited with being the spark
plug
> behind the Dayton Hamvention in the 1950s. Virginia ham radio pioneer Ted
> Mathewson, W4FJ, of Richmond died January 31. He was 100. An ARRL member,
> Mathews founded the Richmond Amateur Radio Club and served for many years
as
> Virginia Army MARS director. He also was well-known within the amateur
> satellite and VHF/UHF communities. SSB pioneer Bob Moren, K4CX (ex-W8LDR
and
> W4INL), of Boone, North Carolina, died February 3. He was 86. Licensed in
> 1932, Moren, an ARRL member, was among the first radio amateurs operating
> SSB in the late 1940s. He described his homebrew SSB gear in a March 1991
> QST article. As W4INL, Moren was on one end of the first transpacific
> two-way SSB QSO with VK7DH in 1950. Other QST articles by Moren appeared
in
> the 1950s and in 1991, the last describing his retirement center ham radio
> setup. His feature article, "Requiem for the Alligator Years," appeared on
> the ARRL Web site in 2001. Mary G. Dosland, W5DEW, of Moorhead, Minnesota,
> died February 8. She was 95. Mary Dosland was the widow of past ARRL
> President Goodwin L. Dosland, W0TSN (SK), who served from 1952 until 1962.
> He died in 1983.
>
> ===========================================================
> 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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>