[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 01

[Bill Marx]

 ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 24, No. 01
> January 7, 2005
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +Amateur Radio gains high profile in tsunami's wake
> * +FCC releases extensive BPL-related documentation
> * +Oklahoma, Brazil youngsters QSO the ISS
> * +Homeowners cited for interfering with ham radio
> * +ARRL public service announcement available
> * +Ham antenna bill in Vermont legislative hopper
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
>     +Southern Florida SEC Jim Goldsberry, KD4GR, SK
>     +Arkansas club announces Field Day 2A plaque, 2004 winners
>      Club announces "Project Diana" special event
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO PRAISED AS LIFELINE IN SOUTH ASIA
>
> As the tsunami relief and recovery effort continues in South Asia, Indian
> Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has joined those paying tribute to Amateur
> Radio's ongoing emergency communication role. Director and Executive Vice
> Chairman S. Suri, VU2MY, of India's National Institute of Amateur Radio
> (NIAR), noted January 5 that the PM "was all praise for hams in India and
> the entire world who helped us in this hour of need." Suri said the
> administrator of hard-hit Car Nicobar Island has asked NIAR to keep on
> duty Rama Mohan, VU2MYH, and five other radio amateurs who have been
> providing communication with the island since shortly after the December
> 26 disaster.
>
> "The district administration chief of Car Nicobar Island spoke to me this
> morning to say even now it is only the ham communication that is aiding
> them for relief and rehabilitation measures," Suri said in an e-mail to
> Jay Wilson, W0AIR, of the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response
> Association (DERA) and shared with ARRL. Mohan, who had received DERA
> training in the US, was part of NIAR's VU4NRO/VU4RBI DXpedition to Andaman
> and Nicobar Islands. When the earthquake and tsunami struck the region,
> DXpedition team leader Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, promptly shifted the
> operation to handle emergency traffic and health-and-welfare inquiries
> between the island and the Indian mainland. More than 20 Indian radio
> amateurs are said to be involved in providing emergency communication
> support in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Ironically, until the recent
> NIAR DXpedition the Indian government did not allow Amateur Radio
> operation from the islands. It's since cleared the way for all Indian hams
> to operate from VU4.
>
> In the disaster's immediate aftermath, Suri said, Mohan and other
> DXpedition team members risked their lives to alert the chief of
> administration on Andaman Island, since tsunami waves later overran the
> road they'd traveled. NIAR staff member Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, was providing
> emergency communication remote Hutbay Island.
>
> Now back on the Indian mainland, Bharathi Prasad has reported that the
> VU4NRO/VU4RBI logs are safe and at NIAR headquarters, and QSLing will
> commence once the emergency operation concludes. DXer Charly Harpole,
> K4VUD/HS0ZCW, now in Bangkok, Thailand, told The Daily DX
> <http://www.dailydx.com> that QSL cards already are showing up at NIAR.
>
> Harpole, who was visiting the DXpedition in Port Blair on Andaman Island
> when the earthquake and tsunami hit, has since been helping to handle
> emergency traffic from Thailand, where his wife's family lives. "I have
> been listening to the traffic from VU4 back to the India mainland, and by
> now it is smooth as silk with lots of H&W and some government messages
> running almost constantly," he said in an e-mail made available by QRZ DX
> <http://www.dxpub.com/> Editor Carl Smith, N4AA. Harpole advised amateurs
> worldwide to avoid the primary emergency traffic frequency of 14.190 MHz.
>
> In Thailand, Harpole reports, hams have been using mostly 2 meters for
> their emergency traffic "and doing a huge job." He said he's heard very
> little from Bangladesh, and nothing from Sumatra and Burma (Myanmar). The
> earthquake's epicenter was some 100 miles off Sumatra, a part of
> Indonesia.
>
> Just three days after the calamitous tsunami, Radio Society of Sri Lanka
> (RSSL) President Victor Goonetilleke, 4S7VK, declared that "uncomplicated
> short wave" radio had saved lives.
>
> "Ham radio played an important part and will continue to do so," he said
> in an e-mail relayed to ARRL. Goonetilleke said Sri Lanka's prime minister
> had no contact with the outside world until Amateur Radio operators
> stepped in. "Our control center was inside the prime minister's official
> house in his operational room," he recounted. "[This] will show how they
> valued our services."
>
> Horey Majumdar, VU2HFR, in Calcutta, said improvisation was "the name of
> the game" in the emergency's aftermath. "Hams had to switch to good old CW
> and switch frequencies from 14.190 and 14.160 MHz to 7.090 MHz," he said.
> Majumdar noted that hams from all over "have been checking into the VU
> emergency nets and extending their fullest cooperation in the truest
> spirit of Amateur Radio."
>
> According to the latest estimate, more than 150,000 people died as a
> result of the tsunami, about one-third of them children.
>
> Although the US does not have third-party traffic agreements with any of
> the countries affected by the disaster, international emergency and
> disaster relief communications are permitted unless otherwise provided.
> While FCC Part 97 has not yet been updated to reflect revisions to
> third-party traffic rules at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003, FCC
> staff has told ARRL that if the government agencies responsible for the
> Amateur Service in affected countries do not object to their amateur
> stations receiving messages from US amateur stations on behalf of third
> parties, the US has no objection to its amateur stations transmitting
> international communications in support of the disaster.
>
> Additional information on Amateur Radio and the tsunami disaster is on the
> ARRL Web site.
>
> ==>FCC RELEASES HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF BPL TEST DATA, FILINGS
>
> The FCC has made public more than 650 pages of technical presentations,
> correspondence and filings that it says it used in making its decision on
> the BPL Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37. The Commission adopted new
> rules to govern so-called Access Broadband over Power Line systems on
> October 14, but they have not yet become effective. The ARRL subsequently
> filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that called on the FCC
> to release any studies the Commission had relied upon in deciding to
> embrace the technology. Some information contained in the documents has
> been blanked out or redacted.
>
> "Certain portions of those presentations have been redacted, as they
> represent preliminary or partial results or staff opinions that were part
> of the deliberative process," FCC Office of Engineering and Technology
> Associate Chief Bruce Romano said in a cover letter releasing the
> documentation December 22. "Moreover, the redacted information was not
> relied on by the Commission in making its decision," Among the FCC
> Laboratory presentation charts the FCC redacted was one titled "New
> Information Arguing for Caution on HF BPL."
>
> The documentation includes presentations and graphs resulting from field
> tests of BPL trials in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and North
> Carolina. The tests, conducted by the FCC Laboratory's Technical Research
> Branch, looked BPL technology by Amperion, Current Technologies, Ambient
> Technologies and Main.Net.
>
> The ARRL is continuing to review the extensive documentation in detail.
> ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, maintains that the FCC documents
> tend to back up assertions the League made in its filings.
>
> "The FCC reports clearly show that BPL operating at the FCC Part 15
> emission limits generates a strong RF signal for long distances along
> overhead power lines," Hare said. "The FCC data showed noise that was many
> decibels above otherwise quiet ambient noise levels." Hare said that even
> in spectrum notched out by BPL system providers, the FCC-provided reports
> indicate a measurable increase in noise levels on amateur frequencies.
>
> Approximately 150 pages of the documentation consisted of technical
> material and presentations by FCC staffers. The remaining 500-plus pages
> include correspondence, technical reports and interference complaints from
> radio amateurs to the FCC. Falling into the last category is extensive
> correspondence involving the Alliant Energy BPL field trial in Cedar
> Rapids, Iowa. That pilot project was abandoned after difficulties in
> resolving interference issues with local radio amateurs proved
> insurmountable.
>
> The FCC just this week provided additional spreadsheet data to ARRL under
> separate cover. By releasing the information, the FCC made it part of the
> official record in the proceeding. Some, but not all, of the BPL-related
> material is on the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System under ET Docket
> 04-37.
>
> In an interview January 3, OET Deputy Chief Bruce Franca asserted there's
> enough spectrum to permit Amateur Radio and BPL to coexist. Franca, who
> heads the Commission's BPL Task Force, spoke with Broadband over Power
> Line World's Marc Strassman
> <http://www.etopiamedia.net/bplw/pages/bplw16-5551212.html>.
>
> "There are enough frequencies that amateurs can operate and BPL can
> operate in a compatible mode," Franca told Strassman. Franca also
> expressed confidence in technological solutions to any Amateur Radio-BPL
> interference issues that might arise. "I'm very optimistic at the end of
> the day," he said. "Technology is going to solve this problem."
>
> In another BPL-related development, Electric Broadband LLC reportedly has
> dropped out of the Cottonwood, Arizona, BPL field trial, and project
> oversight has shifted to Mountain Telecommunications Inc (MTI), which had
> been handling system operations for EB. The FCC issued a Part 5
> Experimental license to MTI on January 3.
>
> On the same day, the Verde Valley Amateur Radio Association (VVARA) asked
> the FCC to hold up the swap and instead dismiss the pilot project's WD2XMB
> Part 5 license "with prejudice," alleging the operator had "failed to live
> up to the terms of the instrument." The VVARA also said it wanted the BPL
> field trial shut down.
>
> "Mountain Telecommunications Inc has been involved in the field with the
> Cottonwood BPL trial since its start and has not complied with the
> requirements of the existing license by promptly mitigating harmful
> interference on the 60 meter Amateur Radio band," VVARA Vice President
> Robert Shipton, K8EQC, told the FCC, noting that six weeks have passed
> since the interference report was filed.
>
> The Cottonwood Experimental license stipulates that the licensee "must
> establish and maintain a liaison relationship with the Verde Valley
> Amateur Radio Association" and respond to interference complaints "in a
> timely manner."
>
> ==>OKLAHOMA, BRAZIL YOUNGSTERS VISIT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION VIA HAM
> RADIO
>
> Youngsters in Oklahoma and Brazil got a chance over the holidays to
> question International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 10 Commander Leroy
> Chiao, KE5BRW, about life in space. Both direct 2-meter contacts with
> NA1SS came off largely without a hitch, and Chiao answered all questions
> posed by each group. Sponsoring the contacts was the Amateur Radio on the
> International Space Station (ARISS) program. Students in grades 3 through
> 12 from schools in Oklahoma and Texas gathered December 22 at the Tulsa
> Air and Space Museum (TASM) for their contact.
>
> "The kids were able to work in all 20 questions as well as wish the ISS
> crew a merry Christmas," said Tulsa Repeater Organization (TRO) President
> and ARRL Oklahoma Public Information Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO.
> "Wow!" Participating students had attended TASM's summer aerospace camps.
>
> Among other things, the kids asked Chiao whether the G-forces from leaving
> Earth's atmosphere cause you to have little red spots on your
> face--G-measles, how far along the ISS construction was and the space
> station's expected life, and what are the benefits of civilian space
> travel.
>
> The museum cooperated with TRO and AMSAT to arrange the contact. TRO's
> Bill Griffin, NI5X, and AMSAT's Keith Pugh, W5IU, set up the Earth station
> at TASM. Pugh served as the control operator, and the station used the TRO
> WA5LVT call sign for the QSO.
>
> Among those looking on were several news media representatives, including
> three Tulsa TV stations, two newspapers and CQ magazine.
>
> On December 27, a Scout group in Brazil participated in the first ARISS
> school group contact with that country. Scouts from Rio de Janeiro and
> elsewhere gathered at the Forte de Copacabana military base where the
> contact took place. ARISS-Brazil member Tadeu Fernandes, PY1KCF, served as
> the control operator at PY1ERR.
>
> Chiao answered all 20 questions the scouts posed during the approximately
> 10-minute contact. The Expedition 10 commander took the opportunity during
> his answers to describe the beautiful view from the ISS.
>
> "The Earth looks wonderful from space," he told one Scout. "It is the most
> fantastic view, everything is very brightly colored and that's one of our
> favorite things to do--to look at the earth." The fact that space walks
> can be tiring is offset by the beautiful view of Earth, Chiao told another
> youngster.
>
> He also told the scouts that the crew enjoys viewing the stars--provided
> the ISS is pointed the right way. The sun is "extremely bright," but the
> moon is "very fascinating too."
>
> Chiao told another Scout that the crew had not yet spotted any
> unidentified flying objects yet, but he promised to keep looking.
>
> Some 50 onlookers and news media turned out for the occasion. More than
> 200 amateur stations around Brazil were able to listen in on the contact
> via HF and EchoLink outlets.
>
> ARISS is an educational outreach program with US participation by ARRL,
> AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>FCC CITES HOMEOWNERS FOR CAUSING INTERFERENCE TO RADIO AMATEUR
>
> Things aren't all that friendly in one Friendswood, Texas, neighborhood,
> where a dispute over interference from one couple's battery chargers to a
> neighboring radio amateur has resulted in an official FCC Citation to the
> couple. The December 10 Citation is the latest chapter in a long-running
> dispute that FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth has described as "an
> unfortunate neighborhood situation." The Citation sprang from complaints
> by ARRL member William Cooper, W5ZAF, that his next-door neighbors'
> battery chargers were interfering with his ham radio activities. The FCC
> concurred.
>
> "Investigation by the FCC's Houston Office revealed that on December 7,
> 2004, you were operating battery charging devices at your residence," the
> Citation said. "These devices were observed to be generating radio
> frequency pulses on various high-frequency radio bands. These radio
> frequency pulses were determined to be causing harmful interference to the
> Amateur Radio Service." Only after FCC agents visited the couple's home
> did the interference cease. The FCC did not make the couple's names public
> nor did it post the Citation on its Web site.
>
> The ARRL Laboratory has been working with the FCC and Cooper to help
> broker a resolution to the interference issue.
>
> FCC Part 15 rules regulating "unintentional radiators" require that the
> operator of such devices must cease operation upon FCC notification that
> it's causing harmful interference. "Operation may not resume until the
> condition causing the harmful interference has been corrected," the FCC
> said.
>
> Since it began about a year ago--when Cooper first suspected the
> interference he was hearing came from his neighbors' Christmas lights--the
> squabble has escalated beyond the interference issue. Both parties have
> hired attorneys, and volumes of correspondence have changed hands. Last
> September, the couple complained that Cooper's antenna support structure
> violated homeowners' association covenants.
>
> After notices from the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau went
> unanswered, Hollingsworth issued warning notices to the couple last June
> and September alleging that the battery chargers--apparently used to
> charge some electric scooters--were causing interference. Cooper provided
> his neighbors with free toroid core devices that resolved the
> interference, but the couple subsequently removed them. The couple told
> Hollingsworth they'd initially been willing to work with Cooper but took
> out the filters after he allegedly made disparaging remarks about them to
> another neighbor and took photos of their house and property.
>
> Hollingsworth responded by emphasizing that it's the couple's
> responsibility to correct the interference--whether or not they accept
> Cooper's help. Simply unplugging the chargers when not in use--as they had
> suggested--was not an acceptable solution, he told them in his final
> Warning Notice. Cooper claimed the chargers had been operating 24 hours a
> day.
>
> The FCC Citation, which does not require a response from the couple,
> warned that subsequent violations could lead to fines, equipment seizure
> and even possible criminal sanctions.
>
> ==>ARRL MAKES RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABLE
>
> The ARRL has released a topical public service announcement (PSA) for use
> by radio stations. The 30-second PSA may be downloaded free from the
> League's Web site in either .wav
> <http://www.arrl.org/pio/Allen-PSA0105.wav> or .mp3
> <http://www.arrl.org/pio/Allen-PSA0105.mp3> formats.
>
> "Ham radio works when other communications don't," is its central message.
> Conceived, written and voiced by ARRL Media and Publications Manager Allen
> Pitts, W1AGP, the PSA focuses on Amateur Radio's role in emergency
> communication--including activity by South Asia amateurs in the wake of
> the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
>
> "It is directed at getting people who are community-minded to look into
> becoming hams," Pitts commented. He urged ARRL Public Information
> Coordinators and Officers to aid in distributing the announcement to
> broadcasters. The PSA invites anyone interested in becoming a radio
> amateur to contact ARRL via its toll-free number, 800-326-3942.
>
> For additional information contact Allen Pitts, W1AGP.
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA BILL RE-INTRODUCED IN VERMONT
>
> Radio amateurs in Vermont have renewed efforts to get a ham radio antenna
> bill signed into law in the Green Mountain State. Introduced in the 2005
> session of the Vermont House of Representatives, the bill, H.12, would
> require Vermont municipalities to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio
> communications with "minimum practicable regulation"--in line with the
> limited federal preemption PRB-1. It also includes a schedule of minimum
> regulatory heights for antenna structures.
>
> "Reasonable accommodation for Amateur Radio antenna heights shall be
> judged from the perspective of a particular applicant for a permit for an
> antenna structure," the bill states in part. It goes on to spell out what
> it means by "reasonable accommodation." H.12 further defines antennas and
> antenna support structures complying with the proposed statute as "an
> ordinary accessory use" and provides that applicants be granted a building
> permit upon application.
>
> "Antennas and antenna support structures shall not be subject to any
> conditions, special review, or other processes that may be applied on an
> exception basis to other types of permit applications," the draft
> legislation declares.
>
> ARRL Vermont Section Manager Paul Gayet, AA1SU, said the measure has three
> sponsors instead of one this time around. "I am so pleased to have the new
> legislators signed on this year!" Gayet said. "Having three
> representatives sponsoring the bill will give it more prominence." An
> identically worded measure failed to make it through the legislature last
> year.
>
> As drafted, H.12 would generally prohibit Vermont localities from
> restricting the overall height of an Amateur Radio antenna and associated
> support structure to less than 75 feet above ground level on lots smaller
> than one acre. On tracts an acre or larger, the measure would keep
> municipalities from restricting the height of an Amateur Radio antenna
> system to "less than that specified in 47 C.F.R. §97.15(a)"--which is
> where PRB1 is outlined within the FCC's Amateur Service rules.
>
> Presumably, that provision could permit antenna structures of 200 feet or
> more. While §97.15(a) does not specify a maximum height, it does require
> owners of structures "located at or near a public airport" to notify the
> Federal Aviation Administration and register their structures with the FCC
> if the structure will be more than 200 feet above ground level. Under the
> proposed legislation, municipalities could not restrict the number of
> antenna structures for any lot size.
>
> The measure makes provisions for a locality to accommodate amateur
> antennas in "a duly designated design control or historic district." In
> those situations, a municipal ordinance, bylaw, or rule could restrict
> amateur antennas and associated support structures to overall heights of
> less than 75 feet, but it could not prohibit them altogether. The bill
> also would grandfather all Amateur Radio antennas and support structures
> constructed prior to the effective date of the proposed law.
>
> If H.12 is approved by Vermont's House and Senate and signed by the
> governor, Vermont would become the 22nd state to enact such legislation. A
> copy of the bill is on the Vermont Legislature Web site
> <http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?url=/docs/2006/bills/intro/h-0
> 12.htm>.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Astral aficionado Tad "Shining Star" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
> reports: Happy New Year! A week ago it looked like the solar flux would
> stay above 100 over the following 10-12 days. Now the last of sunspot 715
> is disappearing around the edge of the sun, and it looks like solar flux
> should stay around 85 with sunspot numbers below 40 over the next week.
>
> Saturday, January 8, could experience some unsettled to active geomagnetic
> conditions, and January 13 could see unsettled conditions as well. Quiet
> days are expected January 10-11.
>
> Sunspot numbers for December 23 through 29 were 47, 42, 26, 16, 11, 27 and
> 27 with a mean of 28. 10.7 cm flux was 96.4, 97.2, 93, 91.7, 96.9, 105.2
> and 98.5, with a mean of 97. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 4, 12,
> 10, 7, 16 and 18 with a mean of 10.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
> were 5, 2, 6, 9, 6, 12 and 16, with a mean of 8.
>
> Sunspot numbers for December 30 through January 5 were 34, 60, 51, 52, 43,
> 30 and 15 with a mean of 40.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 100, 98.5, 98.9, 100,
> 94.2, 88 and 88, with a mean of 95.4. Estimated planetary A indices were
> 15, 8, 15, 33, 22, 23 and 21 with a mean of 19.6. Estimated mid-latitude A
> indices were 12, 5, 10, 20, 14, 16 and 11, with a mean of 12.6.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The North American QSO Party (CW), the ARRL
> RTTY Roundup, the WQF QRP Party, the Midwinter Contest (CW), the EUCW
> 160-Meter Contest, the NRAU-Baltic Contest (CW/SSB), the Midwinter Contest
> (SSB) and the DARC 10-Meter Contest, are the weekend of Jan 8-9. JUST
> AHEAD: The North American QSO Party (SSB), the Hunting Lions in the Air
> Contest, the LZ Open Contest, the Michigan QRP January CW Contest and the
> Hungarian DX Contest are the weekend of January 15-16. 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 Technician Licensing course (EC-010) remains open
> through Sunday, January 9. Classes begin Friday, January 21. With the
> assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn everything they need to know
> to pass the FCC Technician class license examination. To learn more, visit
> the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education <http://www.arrl.org/cce/>
> Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education
> Program Department <cce at arrl.org>.
>
> * Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
> for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level II on-line
> course (EC-002) opens Monday, January 10, at 1201 AM EST and will remain
> open until all available seats have been filled or through the January
> 15-16 weekend. Class begins Friday, January 28. 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.
> Radio amateurs 55 and up are strongly encouraged to participate. During
> this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a
> first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>.
> For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
> Miller, K3UFG, 860-594-0340; <cce at arrl.org>.
>
> * Southern Florida SEC Jim Goldsberry, KD4GR, SK: ARRL Southern Florida
> Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Goldsberry, KD4GR, of Sunrise, died
> December 27. He was 60. An ARRL Life Member, Goldsberry also served as an
> ARRL Assistant Section Manager, District Emergency Coordinator and
> Official Emergency Station. "Jim was an invaluable asset to the ham radio
> community in South Florida," said Frank Marques, KG4EQY. "His passing will
> leave a void that will be difficult to fill." Marques said Goldsberry
> worked long hours to ensure that the Amateur Radio community was fully
> trained and prepared to handle any emergency, especially during hurricane
> season. "This hard work was well rewarded this year, when Jim worked
> tirelessly to coordinate communication assistance teams to the west and
> east coasts of Florida in response to hurricanes Charley, Frances and
> Jeanne." Goldsberry assumed his first leadership role in Amateur Radio
> public service in 1990 when he became an Emergency Coordinator. Earlier
> this year, he stepped down as net manager of the 2-meter Southeast Florida
> Traffic Net, a position he'd held for some time. "Jim Goldsberry was
> always there whenever anyone was trying to find his/her place in the
> amateur radio structure," commented Ford Beach, KB4WBY. "Jim welded the
> SEFTN into a training and traffic net that became the envy of many who
> checked in from other areas." Beach said Goldsberry also encouraged
> members to upgrade and promoted Amateur Radio classes. A service was held
> December 31 in Sunrise.
>
> * Arkansas club announces Field Day 2A plaque, 2004 winners: The
> Batesville Amateur Radio Club in Arkansas has announced the 2004 winners
> of its W5VAE Memorial Trophy. The new award recognizes the highest class
> 2A ARRL Field Day score. The award honors the memory of Dr Myrlas
> Matthews, W5VAE, who died shortly after operating with the club during
> ARRL Field Day 2003. "Myrlas was an Elmer to many hams in Arkansas and a
> pioneer in many aspects of the hobby," said BARC President David Norris,
> K5UZ. "Myrlas loved Field Day, and we could not think of a better tribute
> and memorial to a great Elmer." The club presented the 2004 trophy to Joel
> Harrison, W5ZN, and Matthews' son Douglas, WB5OAQ. ARRL Contest Branch
> Manager commended the club for coming up with an outstanding way to honor
> a deserving member of the amateur fraternity. "I am sure Myrlas' love for
> the hobby will live on in part because of the club's efforts," he said.
> "Congratulations to all involved."
>
> * Club announces "Project Diana" special event: The Ocean Monmouth Amateur
> Radio Club (OMARC) in New Jersey will operate a special event station
> January 15-16 to commemorate "Project Diana," the first-ever successful
> moonbounce experiment, conducted January 10, 1946, by the US Army Signal
> Corps. OMARC will operate N2MO on CW, SSB and possibly other modes in the
> General and Novice-Technician subbands of 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters. An
> article on the Project Diana accomplishment, "A DX Record: To the Moon and
> Back--How the Moon-Radar Feat was Accomplished," appeared in the April
> 1946 issue of QST. Special event QSL information and more on Project Diana
> is on the OMARC Web site <http://www.omarc.org>.--Steve Hajducek, N2CKH
>
> ===========================================================
> 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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>
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> ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl at arrl.org
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