[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 04

[Bill Marx]

> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 24, No. 04
> January 28, 2005
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +ARRL Board lays out 2005 legislative priorities
> * +International Humanitarian, Leonard Award winners announced
> * +Astronaut enthuses French elementary schoolers via ham radio
> * +FCC ramps up forfeiture total in Gerritsen case
> * +Pact facilitates international ham radio disaster communication
> * +DXCC standings now available daily via the Web
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>     +Nominations for ARRL ham radio instructor awards due by March 1
>     +Amateur Radio volunteer among train wreck victims
>      ISS RS0ISS packet system remains problematic
>      Special event station to commemorate Yalta Conference
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS OUTLINES AMBITIOUS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
>
> Frigid New England temperatures and a major snowstorm failed to chill
> enthusiasm as the ARRL Board of Directors met January 21-22 in Windsor,
> Connecticut, to tackle a lengthy agenda. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
> chaired the gathering. Among the highlights of the session was the Board's
> unanimous adoption of positions on six initiatives for the 109th Congress.
> Topping the list was a call for "consistent application" of the FCC's
> limited federal preemption policy--PRB-1--to Amateur Radio antenna
> systems. The League wants PRB-1 to apply to "all types of land use
> regulations," public and private. That would include deed covenants,
> conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs).
>
> "The American Radio Relay League seeks congressional instruction to the
> FCC to extend its limited preemption policy governing residential Amateur
> Radio antennas, so that private land-use authorities cannot preclude, but
> must reasonably accommodate, Amateur Radio communications in subdivisions
> and communities," the Board resolved. After the FCC declined to include
> CC&Rs under the PRB-1 umbrella, the League since 2002 has initiated bills
> in Congress to accomplish the same end.
>
> In addition, the Board expressed support for measures to improve federal
> management of telecommunications, including beefing up the FCC's ability
> to regulate transmitter, receiver and antenna issues and resolve
> electromagnetic interference. The Board also wants public service
> allocations, including Amateur Radio's, exempted from auction or
> commercial reallocation, and compensatory spectrum whenever the federal
> government reallocates existing public service spectrum to another
> service. The resolution reflected the essence of the "Amateur Radio
> Spectrum Protection Act of 2004," HR 713. An identical bill will be
> introduced into the 109th Congress.
>
> Calling amateur frequencies "the technological equivalent of a national
> park," the Board further resolved to support measures that "preserve and
> protect" primary Amateur Radio access to existing amateur spectrum "as a
> natural resource for the enjoyment of all properly licensed individuals,
> and protect against interference from unlicensed transmitters such as Part
> 15 devices" operating on amateur frequencies.
>
> Finally, the Board expressed support for requiring the FCC to develop
> effective, mandatory standards for radio frequency susceptibility of
> consumer electronic devices. And it expressed general opposition to
> expansion of current prohibitions against the reception of radio signals
> beyond those already on the books.
>
> In a related vein, the Board affirmed support for the ARRL Grassroots
> Legislative Action Plan and called for its immediate implementation.
> Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, says the Grassroots
> Legislative Action Plan will function mainly by direct contacts with
> lawmakers in their members' home districts and by motivating legislative
> support through letter writing by members.
>
> Working with the new Congress could prove more difficult than in the past,
> ARRL's congressional consultant John Chwat of Chwat & Co suggested to the
> Board. He expressed the belief that the 109th Congress is very contentious
> and advised that every League effort on Capitol Hill focus on Amateur
> Radio's role in emergency communication.
>
> Following recommendations of the ARRL Executive Committee, the Board
> adopted changes to the League's pending petition that would propose
> segmenting bands principally by maximum bandwidth rather than by emission
> type. Amendments to the plan, still in the draft stage, would call on the
> FCC to permit non-telephony emissions not exceeding 3 kHz at 10.135 to
> 10.150 MHz, prohibit "continuous" test transmissions on most frequencies
> above 51 MHz, and clarify the rules to specify that amateur stations may
> use any published digital code, as long as other rules are observed.
>
> The Board will consider the amended bandwidth petition at its July
> meeting. The League is not expected to file the petition with the FCC
> until later this year.
>
> Turning out for their first meeting of the ARRL Board were new
> Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Vice Director Ned
> Stearns, AA7A, both elected last fall. New on the "back bench" was Rocky
> Mountain Division Vice Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT. At 25, Mileshosky
> is believed to be the youngest vice director in League history. He
> succeeded Rev Morton, WS7W, who attended for the first time as Rocky
> Mountain Division Director.
>
> The Board also elected a new ARRL chief operating officer. He's Harold R.
> Kramer, WJ1B, of Cheshire, Connecticut, now a vice president with
> Connecticut Public Broadcasting. When he officially joins the ARRL staff
> February 15, Kramer will succeed former COO Mark Wilson, K1RO, who left
> the ARRL Headquarters staff last September. Board members got a chance to
> greet Kramer at the January Board meeting.
>
> Additional details on the January Board meeting are on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/01/27/1/>. The minutes of the Board
> meeting also are on the ARRL Web site <
> http://www.arrl.org/announce/board-0501/>.
>
> ==>ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS NAMES HUMANITARIAN, LEONARD AWARD WINNERS
>
> The ARRL Board of Directors has named the winners of the 2004 ARRL
> International Humanitarian Award and the 2004 Bill Leonard, W2SKE,
> Professional Media Award.
>
> Veteran radio amateur and ARRL Life Member Dr Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, of
> Bemidji, Minnesota, will receive the 2004 ARRL International Humanitarian
> Award. The award recognizes Dr Johnson's contributions as a medical
> emissary to the Kingdom of Bhutan and the numerous times he has practiced
> and taught Amateur Radio in that developing country.
>
> Among the first to bring Amateur Radio back to Bhutan during a visit in
> 2000, Dr Johnson learned firsthand during that trip that the country had
> very limited resources to deal with those needing orthopedic treatment.
> The following year, he went to Bhutan as an orthopedic surgeon on behalf
> of Orthopaedics Overseas, a group of physicians and health-care
> professionals dedicated to improving basic orthopedic care in developing
> countries through training and education. Dr Johnson was able to treat a
> wide variety of injuries and conditions by working with local physicians,
> enabling them to augment their own skills and knowledge.
>
> During Dr Johnson's 2000 visit, Bhutan's director of telecommunications
> and the chief engineer of the Bhutan Telecommunications Authority asked
> W0GJ to help teach a ham radio course. Using his 25-plus years experience
> as an ARRL-certified instructor, Dr Johnson adapted material for an
> Amateur Radio class, taking Bhutan's licensing and operating regulations
> into account. In less than a month, seven local students finished the
> course, passing the examination on the first try. Dr Johnson subsequently
> helped set up ham radio club stations at three high schools.
>
> In recognition of his many contributions, the Bhutan government has
> designated Dr Johnson as an honorary citizen, and he's been granted the
> call sign A51B for life.
>
> As the recipient of the 2004 International Humanitarian Award, Johnson
> will be presented with an engraved plaque.
>
> Named the recipient of the 2004 Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media
> Award was Randall D. Larson of San Jose, California. Larson's six-page
> article "Ham Operator Assistance" appeared in the July 2004 issue of
> Homeland Protection Professional magazine.
>
> "Thank you," Larson told ARRL when being notified that his submission had
> won. "I am both humbled and pleased to have this article recognized by
> your organization!"
>
> A San Jose Fire Department senior dispatcher and director of an incident
> dispatcher team since 1993, Larson is very familiar with emergency
> communications. He's also been a Communications Academy instructor since
> 1995.
>
> Larson's byline also has appeared in publications that include Firehouse,
> Fire Engineering, American Fire Journal, 9-1-1 Magazine--for which he
> currently serves as editor--and Public Safety Communications.
>
> The Leonard Award goes annually to a media professional or group who does
> the best job during the previous calendar year of covering Amateur Radio
> in print, photo essay, audio or video forms. As 2004 winner, Larson will
> receive a $500 check and an engraved plaque.
>
> ==>"MANY MILLIONS" OF KILOMETERS TRAVELED TO DATE, ASTRONAUT TELLS FRENCH
> PUPILS
>
> International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, estimated that
> he and his Expedition 10 crewmate, cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, have
> traveled "many millions" of kilometers through space since their mission
> began last October. The Expedition 10 crew marked its 100th day in space
> January 21. Chiao made the comment in response to a question put to him
> January 19 during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
> (ARISS) contact between NA1SS on the ISS and F6KFA at Robespierre School
> in Rueil Malmaison, France.
>
> "If you figure we orbit Earth once every one and a half hours, and we're
> going to be up here six months, you can figure it out. It's going to be
> many millions," Chiao said, inviting the youngsters to do the math for
> themselves.
>
> As hard as he worked to become an astronaut and earn a place on an ISS
> crew--he and Sharipov trained for more than three years for their mission,
> and Chiao described getting into the astronaut program as "pretty
> competitive"--Chiao said he had no desire to spend his life off the
> planet.
>
> "I really love being in space, I love being on space missions, but I miss
> my family and friends and other things about the earth," Chiao said. "I
> miss nature and fresh fruits and vegetables, so while I like being in
> space, I do want to come back to Earth."
>
> While he's in space, however, Chiao said looking at Earth is one of his
> and Sharipov's favorite pastimes, and he said they can see a lot with the
> naked eye, including continents and cities. "I'm still looking for the
> Great Wall [of China]," Chiao said. "I haven't seen it yet."
>
> An audience of more than 300 turned out for the event at the primary
> school near Paris, more than 200 of them students. The enthusiastic crowd
> erupted into loud applause as the QSO drew to a close, and cheers broke
> out after Chiao offered his now-traditional parting comment to "follow
> your dreams and reach for the stars."
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international educational outreach
> with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>FCC FINES CONTINUE TO MOUNT IN GERRITSEN CASE
>
> Briefly licensed radio amateur and alleged jammer Jack Gerritsen,
> ex-KG6IRO, of Bell, California, now faces a total of $52,000 in
> FCC-imposed or proposed fines. In a January 21 Notice of Apparent
> Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) the FCC proposed to levy another $21,000
> forfeiture on Gerritsen--this time for apparently violating Section 333 of
> the Communications Act by interfering with a US Coast Guard rescue effort
> last October 29 on amateur frequencies. Part 97 Amateur Service rules also
> require that control operators "give priority to stations providing
> emergency communications," the FCC noted.
>
> "Gerritsen's apparent willful and malicious interference with the radio
> communications of the Coast Guard Auxiliary officer who was attempting to
> communicate with a ship in distress is egregious," said the most recent
> NAL, signed by FCC Los Angeles District Office District Director Catherine
> Deaton. "According to the evidence, Gerritsen knowingly operates, without
> a license, radio transmission equipment." In the NAL, the FCC alleged that
> Gerritsen continued to transmit "despite repeated warnings and requests to
> vacate the frequency."
>
> The latest proposed forfeiture factors in an "upward adjustment" from the
> $7000 base fine for causing interference to licensed stations, the NAL
> said. The FCC already has affirmed a $10,000 fine levied against Gerritsen
> last year for interfering with Amateur Radio communications. In December,
> the Commission proposed another $21,000 fine, citing additional instances
> of alleged interference on amateur frequencies.
>
> Gerritsen has been accused of bombarding numerous Los Angeles-area
> repeaters with verbal tirades, often identifying with his now-deleted
> amateur call sign. The FCC in 2001 granted Gerritsen a Technician ticket,
> then promptly set it aside when it learned of Gerritsen's state conviction
> for interfering with public safety radio communications. He spent some
> time in jail as a result of that case, which he's appealing.
>
> According to the FCC, the October 29, 2004, incident involved efforts by a
> member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary to contact the sailing vessel
> Elke-Marie after a storm  had knocked out the boat's VHF marine radio. The
> vessel had working Amateur Radio gear, however. When the USCGA officer
> attempted to contact the S/V Elke-Marie on behalf of the Coast Guard using
> the Catalina Island Amateur Radio Association (CARA) VHF repeater,
> "Gerritsen began speaking and transmitting a prerecorded message," the
> officer and the complainant in the case--the wife of a passenger on the
> sailboat--alleged.
>
> Although the officer asked him to stand down, Gerritsen continued to
> transmit, accusing the officer of declaring a sham emergency in an effort
> to jam Gerritsen's transmissions, the NAL recounts. The FCC said the
> transmissions, which continued for some 40 minutes, included the repeated
> playing of a recording and ultimately ended with the perpetrator's saying,
> "If you jam me, I'll jam you."
>
> FCC agents promptly tracked a signal on the repeater's input frequency to
> Gerritsen's residence, but attempts to contact him by telephone proved
> unsuccessful. Later that day, FCC officials tracked to Gerritsen's
> residence a transmission on another 2-meter frequency during which the
> operator identified as KG6IRO. Although the agents reported hearing a
> voice from inside the dwelling that "synchronized with the voice" on their
> scanner, the NAL said, no one answered the door.
>
> In the NAL, Deaton said the Communications Act requirement that all radio
> stations give "absolute priority" to radio communications or signals
> relating to ships in distress "exemplifies one of the best uses for radio
> transmissions, the endeavor to save a human life."
>
> "Gerritsen's actions on October 29, 2004," she concluded, "exemplify the
> worst."
>
> Several hundred ARRL members from the Los Angeles area have complained to
> the League about Gerritsen. In mid-December, the League called upon FCC
> Enforcement Chief David Solomon to intervene with the US Attorney's office
> in the case, citing the urgency of the situation and suggesting "that
> procedures other than monetary forfeitures be brought to bear."
>
> ==>TAMPERE CONVENTION EASES INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS
>
> When an international disaster strikes, humanitarian organizations now
> will be able to provide telecommunications more quickly and effectively to
> help victims, thanks to a treaty that became effective January 8. The
> Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for
> Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations largely eliminates roadblocks to
> moving telecommunications personnel and equipment into and within
> disaster-stricken areas--such as those affected by the December earthquake
> and tsunami. Delegates to the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency
> Telecommunications (ICET-98) adopted the 17-article treaty in June of 1998
> in Tampere, Finland. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, attended on behalf of
> the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). ARRL Chief Technology
> Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, credits Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS, with being "a
> prime mover" behind the Tampere Convention.
>
> "The Tampere Convention has broader purposes but is an important building
> block in IARU's efforts to improve recognition of the Amateur Service in
> providing emergency communications for disaster relief," Rinaldo says.
> Zimmermann coordinated work on the Tampere disaster telecommunications
> treaty while Seppo Sisättö, OH1VR, chaired the convention's organizing
> committee.
>
> Rinaldo notes too that the IARU led the way for a revision of Article 25
> of the international Radio Regulations at World Radiocommunication
> Conference 2003 (WRC-03) to include an item enabling radio amateurs to
> handle third-party traffic during emergency and disaster relief
> situations. While FCC Part 97 has not yet been revised to reflect this
> change, ARRL understands from FCC staff that if governments of
> disaster-affected countries do not object to their amateur stations
> receiving messages from our amateur stations on behalf of third parties,
> the US has no objection to its amateur stations transmitting international
> communications in support of disaster relief.
>
> The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says that until the
> Tampere Convention, regulatory barriers often impeded the ability of
> humanitarian organizations to deploy telecommunications equipment across
> borders in an emergency, and delays have cost lives.
>
> "With this convention, relief workers can make full use of today's
> telecommunication tools, which are essential for the coordination of
> rescue operations," ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi said in a
> statement.
>
> The first treaty of its kind, the Tampere Convention calls on signatory
> countries to facilitate prompt telecommunication aid to mitigate a
> disaster's impact. It covers both installation and operation of
> telecommunication services and waives regulatory barriers such as
> licensing requirements and import restrictions as well as limitations on
> the movement of humanitarian teams. The pact also grants immunity from
> arrest and detention to those providing disaster assistance, and exempts
> them from taxes and duties.
>
> In his role as IARU's new International Coordinator for Emergency
> Communications, Zimmermann, in concert with IARU regional coordinators, is
> focusing on assisting IARU member-societies to fulfill "the expectations
> of the international community, of all those who rely on
> telecommunications when responding to emergencies, and of those affected
> by disasters." As a first step in this task, he's facilitating an exchange
> of information on training and cooperation on all levels.
>
> Addressing that in a broader forum will be the first Global Amateur Radio
> Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC-2005). An initiative of the
> Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL), GAREC 2005 will take place June
> 13-14 in Tampere, in recognition of the city's "long tradition in
> emergency telecommunications," Zimmerman says.
>
> Rinaldo also points to ITU Radiocommunication Sector Recommendation
> M.1042, "Disaster Communications in the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite
> Services" as another vehicle to formalize Amateur Radio's role in
> international emergency and disaster mitigation. It encourages the
> development of "robust, flexible and independent" Amateur Radio networks
> that can operate from emergency power and provide communication in natural
> disasters. The IARU, Rinaldo added, also had leading role in developing
> the ITU-D Emergency Telecommunications Handbook, recently edited under
> Zimmermann's leadership.
>
> "Together," Rinaldo observed, "the Tampere Convention, the Handbook,
> Article 25 and Recommendation M.1042 represent an improved environment in
> which Amateur Radio operators can conduct international emergency
> communications."
>
> ==>DXCC LISTINGS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE ARRL WEB SITE
>
> The ARRL Web site now features up-to-date listings of DXCC awards earned.
> The new system shows every issued DXCC award known to ARRL's computerized
> DXCC system, with the exception of individual standings for 5BDXCC. ARRL
> Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, says the Web site listing
> is even more complete than the DXCC Yearbook ever was, since the printed
> list did not list inactive band-accounts for the previous year.
>
> "This will list everything and everybody," Mills emphasized. "The new
> system makes available a separate listing for each DXCC award type--band
> or mode." Even more important, Mills notes, is that it essentially renders
> obsolete the manually generated monthly and yearly reports. "Under the new
> system, DXCC listings will updated daily," he emphasized.
>
> The DXCC standings of all ARRL members will remain in dark type. Call
> signs of non-members who have not submitted credits for 10 years or more
> are in grayed-out type.
>
> Each listing by band or mode is complete in a separate Adobe PDF file. The
> largest listing (DXCC Mixed) now runs to more than 50 pages, but the size
> of the PDF file is only about 150 kbytes because of file compression.
> Printing format options include US letter-sized or ISO A4 paper.
>
> The DXCC listings can be found at
> http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/#listings.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Sunspot seeker Tad "Sunshine of Your Love" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
> Washington, reports: Solar activity was down this week. Average daily
> sunspot numbers were off by nearly 36 points to 53.4, and average daily
> solar flux dropped 31 points to 101.7.
>
> On Friday, January 21, we were hit by a big blast of energy from an
> X7-class solar flare the previous day. The planetary A index went to 61,
> and the mid-latitude A index was 30. A severe geomagnetic storm lasted the
> next couple of days, but conditions really calmed down on Monday through
> Thursday, January 24-27. On Wednesday, January 26, the mid-latitude A
> index went clear down to zero because the K index, upon which it is based,
> was zero during all eight reporting periods. This is incredibly
> quiet--good for HF propagation, provided the sunspots are there to support
> it.
>
> We could hope for similar quiet conditions for this weekend's CQ World
> Wide 160-meter CW Contest, but the forecast doesn't look that great. The
> predicted planetary A indices for Friday through Monday, January 28-31,
> are 15, 30, 20 and 20. This isn't due to any flare activity, but Earth is
> about to move into a solar wind stream, and the most active conditions are
> expected on January 29. Conditions should be back to quiet by February 3.
>
> Flares, solar wind and geomagnetic storms aren't bad for all radio
> propagation. Six meters often gets interesting during active conditions,
> and a number of reports arrived this week concerning VHF. When HF
> operators thought their radios were dead on January 21, OZ1DJJ in Denmark
> worked Lefty Clement, K1TOL, in Maine on 6-meter CW via aurora during the
> Scandinavian Activity Contest.
>
> Sunspot numbers for January 20 through 26 were 61, 69, 60, 40, 42, 56 and
> 46, with a mean of 53.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 122.7, 113.5, 102.2, 95.8,
> 94.6, 94.1 and 89.3, with a mean of 101.7. Estimated planetary A indices
> were 12, 61, 28, 17, 6, 4 and 4, with a mean of 18.9. Estimated
> mid-latitude A indices were 10, 30, 23, 12, 5, 2 and 0, with a
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (CW), the REF
> Contest (CW), the UK DX Contest (RTTY) and the UBA DX Contest (SSB) are
> the weekend of January 29-30. JUST AHEAD: The North American Sprint (SSB),
> the Vermont, Delaware and Minnesota QSO parties, the 10-10 International
> Winter Contest (SSB), the YL-ISSB QSO Party, the YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW),
> the AGCW Straight Key Party, the Mexico RTTY International Contest and the
> ARCI Winter Fireside SSB Sprint are the weekend of February 5-6. The RSGB
> 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) is February 7, and the ARS Spartan Sprint
> is February 8. 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 RFI (EC-006) and Antenna Design and Construction
> (EC-009) courses remains open through Sunday, January 30. Classes begin
> Friday, February 11. Antenna Design and Construction students will, among
> other things, learn about basic dipoles and ground planes, and how to
> assemble combinations of these into more complex antennas. Students also
> learn about transmission lines, standing wave ratio, phased arrays and
> Yagis. Students participating in the RFI course will learn to identify
> various interference sources. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification
> and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact
> the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program Department,
> cce at arrl.org.
>
> * Nominations for ARRL ham radio instructor awards due by March 1: The
> deadline to submit nominations for ARRL's two Amateur Radio instructor
> awards for 2004 is March 1, 2005. The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the
> Year Award <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/herb-tor.html> is
> presented to a volunteer Amateur Radio instructor. Named in memory of
> long-time CQ Novice Editor Herb S. Brier, W9AD, the award honors Brier's
> spirit of effective, caring Amateur Radio instruction. The ARRL sponsors
> this award, in conjunction with the Lake County (Indiana) Amateur Radio
> Club to recognize the very best in volunteer Amateur Radio instruction and
> recruitment. The ARRL Professional Educator of the Year Award
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/pey-tor.html> is presented to a
> teacher who uses Amateur Radio as part of the curriculum or after-school
> program, or teaches it in an educational institution, such as a community
> college. These awards honor those hams who put in countless volunteer
> hours to seek out newcomers and teach them the standards and practices of
> Amateur Radio. Nominating forms for the Brier award and the Professional
> Educator award are available on the ARRL Web site. All nominations must be
> received at ARRL Headquarters by March 1. All nominees will be invited to
> confirm their interest in competing for the award and to submit material
> documenting their activities. Winners receive engraved plaques and up to
> $100 worth of ARRL publications.
>
> * Amateur Radio volunteer among train wreck victims: Amateur Radio
> volunteer Scott McKeown, KE6EMI, of Moorpark, California, was among the 11
> people who died after two Los Angeles Metrolink commuter trains collided
> January 26 in Glendale. More than 200 people were injured in the mishap,
> which occurred after one of the trains derailed after striking a motor
> vehicle left on the tracks. McKeown, 42, served as Ventura County
> ARES/RACES Area 8 Moorpark Assistant Emergency Coordinator. He also
> regularly volunteered to support communications for the Angeles Crest
> 100-Mile Endurance Run and had assisted during past runnings of the Baker
> to Vegas Relay Annual Challenge Run. A former City of Glendale employee,
> McKeown--a married father of two--was acting telecommunications manager
> for the City of Pasadena.
>
> * ISS RS0ISS packet system remains problematic: ISS Ham Project Engineer
> Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, at Johnson Space Center reports that the packet BBS
> portion (RS0ISS-11) aboard the International Space Station remains
> non-operational, and efforts to restore the BBS capability have been
> unsuccessful. "At this point it is unknown if this is a temporary or
> permanent state," Ransom said, adding that Amateur Radio on the
> International Space Station (ARISS) hopes the feature can be restored in
> the future, "once a computer becomes available." Meanwhile, the ARISS
> digipeater is working but exhibits difficulties in relaying data. "The
> digipeater appears to be listening for long periods of time and then
> transmitting all of the buffered information at once," Ransom explained.
> "This duration of this issue seems to vary depending on your location." A
> computer is tentatively scheduled to be delivered to the ISS later this
> year, but Ransom says the schedule could be pushed back to accommodate
> higher priority items. "Once a computer is available, troubleshooting of
> both packet systems can be performed and hopefully both restored to full
> functionality." The ARISS Phase 2 station handles RS0ISS packet system
> operation.
>
> * Special event station to commemorate Yalta Conference: Special event
> station EM60J will be on the air February 4-11 from Ukraine to mark the
> 60th anniversary of the Yalta Conference. The historic 1945 talks brought
> together the "Big Three" Allied leaders--(left to right in photo) Great
> Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Franklin D.
> Roosevelt and Russia's Joseph Stalin--to discuss post-World War II
> reorganization of Europe. The conference's primary purpose was to
> re-establish the nations that had been conquered by Nazi Germany, and one
> result was the partitioning of Germany into US, Russian, British and
> French zones. QSL via UU5JYA or direct to PO Box 378, Yalta 98600,
> Ukraine.--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.
>
> The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
> interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,
> accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org> for
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> 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 at arrl.org
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> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
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>
> ==>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
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>
>