[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 23

[Bill Marx]

> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 24, No. 23
> June 10, 2005
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +President Haynie calls House resolution "a fair request"
> * +First global emergency communications conference set
> * +California youngsters talk with ISS via ham radio
> * +Kid's Day II for 2005 is June 18
> * +Dayton Hamvention attendance up slightly for 2005
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio: The ARRL June VHF QSO Party and more!
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
>     +NWS meteorologist praises ARES, SKYWARN
>     +FCC invites comments on BPL database manager proposal
>     +CY9SS DXpedition on the air after rough landing
>      Reminder: Armstrong commemorative FM broadcast is June 11
>      ARRL accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO cards for DXCC credit
>      DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit
>      Israeli stations to honor Maccabiah Games June 21-July 21
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
>
> ===========================================================
> ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
> letter-dlvy at arrl.org
> ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl at arrl.org
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>HOUSE RESOLUTION 230 "A FAIR REQUEST," ARRL PRESIDENT SAYS
>
> ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says House Resolution 230 (HRes 230)
> represents "a fair request" to the FCC and deserves the support of the US
> House of Representatives. Sponsored by Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, of Arkansas,
> HRes 230 calls on the FCC to comprehensively evaluate BPL's interference
> potential incorporating "extensive public review and comment," then to
> "reconsider and review" its new BPL rules in the light of that public
input.
> Renewing his call for League members to contact their congressional
> representatives to sign on as cosponors of the non-binding measure, Haynie
> said Ross's resolution only asks the FCC to do what it should have done in
> the first place regarding BPL.
>
> "What this basically asks the FCC to do is to take another look at their
> methodology and how they arrived at the conclusions they did," Haynie
said.
> The FCC adopted rules to govern so-called Access BPL last October 14 in ET
> Docket 04-37. "I think that's a fair request and something that we should
do
> as amateurs to make sure this is done right and without a lot of haste."
> Haynie says Motorola's announcement of its Powerline LV system suggests
the
> FCC rules can provide much greater protection to radicommunication
services
> without preventing properly engineered BPL systems from going forward.
>
> Ross, who is one of two amateur licensees in the US Congress (the other is
> Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI, of Oregon), introduced HRes 230 on April 21. He
told
> Broadband Over Power Line World (BPLW) recently that he's concerned about
> potential interference that BPL deployment could generate. (The interview
is
> on the BPLW Web site
> <http://www.etopiamedia.net/bplw/pages/bplw33-5551212.html>.)
>
> "Based on my own knowledge of the unique nature of the high-frequency
radio
> spectrum, I was concerned about the evidence submitted to the Federal
> Communications Commission that I believe demonstrates the need to postpone
> any rules regarding BPL deployment," Ross said. He explained that passage
of
> HRes 230 would put the House on record as "supporting a more careful study
> by the FCC of the radio interference issue, especially as it relates to
> public safety communication, and reconsideration of the adequacy of the
> rules in light of this study."
>
> While HRes 230 does not specifically address the BPL concerns of the
Amateur
> Radio community, Ross said those concerns were what led him to look more
> closely at BPL's implications for the public safety community. He noted
that
> the federal interagency emergency SHARES (SHAred RESources) network uses
HF,
> and many states and localities still use the 30-50 MHz "low-VHF" band for
> public safety communications--spectrum that some BPL pilot projects also
> have occupied.
>
> Ross said BPL interference on HF would be proportional to the extent of
the
> technology's deployment using medium-voltage power lines. "Broadband
energy
> cannot be put on these lines without causing interference to radio
receivers
> using the same frequencies," he explained to BPLW's Marc Strassman. He
also
> said the existing emission limits are "much too high" and never were
> intended to apply to systems like BPL. Existing BPL systems should be made
> to conform to future limits, he added.
>
> He said BPL's potential to disrupt aviation operations is so great that
the
> National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
> successfully argued to prohibit Access BPL via medium-voltage power lines
on
> frequencies used by commercial aeronautical communications.
>
> Ross also wants the Commission to address "without further delay" the
> "substantial number" of BPL interference complaints now pending at the
FCC.
> And while he'd like to see his colleagues eventually approve HRes 230, he
> hopes the FCC will "take the interference issue to heart, whether or not
the
> resolution is adopted."
>
> He further expressed the hope that BPL companies will "realize it's in
their
> interest to treat the interference issue as a technical and engineering
> challenge, not as a political issue."
>
> Speaking at Dayton Hamvention in May, Haynie urged individual amateurs to
> begin participating in the political process. "We've got to ratchet up our
> presence," he told a forum audience. Haynie said that while ARRL can serve
> as the unified voice of the national association for Amateur Radio,
> individual licensees are voters, and lawmakers are quite aware that there
> are radio amateurs in their districts.
>
> Regarding HRes 230 specifically, Haynie said this week that the task at
hand
> is to encourage other House members to sign on as cosponsors of the
> resolution as the first step toward House adoption. And that's where
League
> members come in, he said.
>
> "I really encourage you to contact your congressional representative,"
> Haynie said. "It's listed in the front of almost every phone book who your
> congressman is. If not, you can go to the United States House of
> Representatives Web site <http://www.house.gov/> and find out by typing in
> your ZIP code. I really encourage you to do this because it's important to
> the future of Amateur Radio."
>
> The full text of HRes 230
> <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230.pdf> and a
> sample letter
>
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230-SampleLtr.doc
> > are available on the ARRL Web site. Haynie called on members to express
> their support for the resolution in their own words.
>
> To expedite delivery, send all correspondence bound for Members of
> Congress--preferably as an attachment--to <hres230 at arrl.org> or fax it to
> 703-684-7594. The ARRL will bundle correspondence addressed to each Member
> of Congress for hand delivery.
>
> ==>ARRL, IARU TO BE REPRESENTED AT FIRST GLOBAL EMCOMM CONFERENCE
>
> The ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) will be
> represented June 13 and 14 at the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency
> Communications conference (GAREC 2005)
<http://kotisivu.mtv3.fi/garec2005/>
> in Tampere, Finland. ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod
Stafford,
> W6ROD, will represent both the League and IARU Region 2.
>
> Chairing the gathering will be IARU International Coordinator for
Emergency
> Communications Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS. Conference participants will
> explore all aspects of Amateur Radio's emergency communication role, then
> prepare and adopt a statement to the International Telecommunication Union
> 2005 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
>
> An initiative of the Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL), the
conference's
> location in part pays homage to the Tampere Convention on the Provision of
> Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations.
> The convention, which became effective January 8, largely eliminates
> roadblocks to moving telecommunications personnel and equipment across
> international borders into and within disaster-stricken areas.
>
> The conference will include presentations by the Amateur Radio emergency
> communication services of various countries as well as reports of
> involvement in recent major disasters, including last December's
earthquake
> and tsunami in South Asia.
>
> GAREC 2005 will be held under the patronage of Former ITU
Secretary-General
> Pekka Tarjanne.
>
> The RSGB reports that a remotely controlled MT63 HF station will be on the
> air from the conference site using OH2PO or OH3AG. There's additional
> information on GAREC 2005 on the IARU Web site
> <http://www.iaru.org/emergency/garec.html>.
>
> ==>SAN DIEGO AREA YOUNGSTERS ENJOY CONTACT WITH NA1SS
>
> During a May 24 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
> contact, students in Susan Singleton's class at Coronado Village
Elementary
> School near San Diego asked Expedition 11 flight engineer John Phillips,
> KE5DRY, about his view of Earth from orbit and the end of the world.
>
> "When the sun collapses into itself and becomes a black hole, will it have
> enough gravity to suck in the other planets?" one student wanted to know.
> Phillips replied, reassuringly, "Our sun is not big enough to become a
black
> hole." Asked about his view of Earth, he told the students, "Earth is
very,
> very beautiful. In the daytime you see the blue of the ocean, the white
snow
> and tan deserts, and in the night you can see lights and lightning. Just
the
> other day I flew over Coronado and saw the beach and the big hotels."
>
> One student asked if the space station's living quarters looked like an
> apartment. Phillips replied, "It's sort of like an apartment. We have a
> kitchen, a bathroom and two tiny bedrooms." In view of the fact that ISS
> astronauts are in space for months at a time, Adam Phillips, the
astronaut's
> nephew, asked, appropriately, how Phillips kept in touch with his family.
"I
> can send and receive e-mail," he replied. "I have weekly video conferences
> with my wife and two children, and I can even make phone calls some of the
> time. In fact I'm going to call my brother Nathan and your family one of
> these days."
>
> One envious student asked how to become an astronaut. "Well," Phillips
> replied, "you start by doing well in school and then going to college and
> start a career as a scientist, engineer, pilot or a medical doctor."
>
> The last question belonged to Mrs Singleton, who was filling in for an
> absent student. She asked Phillips whether he dreams in space. "I haven't
> remembered any dreams in space yet," he replied, "but that's normal for me
> because I hardly ever remember them on Earth, either."
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach
> with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>W1AW, K1D, AO-51, TO BE ON THE AIR FOR KID'S DAY(S)
>
> It's the second 2005 running of Kid's Day Saturday, June 18
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html>. ARRL Maxim Memorial
Station
> W1AW and perennial Kid's Day special event station K1D will be ready.
> AMSAT-NA will sponsor its own Kid's Day event Saturday, June 11, on the
> AO-51 "Echo" satellite. With help from some area youngsters and fellow
ARRL
> staffers, ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big Project")
> Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, will be at the helm of W1AW for the ARRL
> Kid's Day event, which runs June 18 from 1800 until 2400 UTC.
>
> "Kid's Day is one way that you can share the fun, excitement and learning
> opportunities of ham radio," Spencer says. "Many hams participate with
their
> own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews." But while Kid's Day can
be
> a family affair, he encourages radio amateurs to consider inviting
families
> with children from the neighborhood or some of the people you work with
and
> their kids. "Inviting adults and youth may result in future ham radio
> operators," he points out.
>
> The point of Kid's Day, which originated in 1994, is to encourage young
> people--licensed or not--to enjoy Amateur Radio. Additionally, Kid's Day
> offers a mentoring opportunity for experienced amateurs while giving
> youngsters some firsthand ham radio experience and perhaps sparking a
> lifelong interest.
>
> "The personal touch is the most effective way to gain someone's interest
in
> ham radio," Spencer says. "Many of us became involved in the hobby because
> of a family member, relative or close friend."
>
> Participants exchange name, age, location and favorite color. Call "CQ
Kid's
> Day." Suggested frequencies are 14.270-14.300, 21.380-21.400 and
> 28.350-28.400 MHz, plus 2-meter repeaters with permission from
> owner/sponsor. Control operators should observe third-party traffic
> restrictions when making DX contacts.
>
> Kid's Day veteran Peter Schipelliti, W1DAD, of Atkinson, New Hampshire,
has
> been operating special event station K1D since June 4. Sponsored by the
> Atkinson Amateur Radio Club, K1D recognizes Kid's Day and Amateur Radio
> Awareness Month. K1D will be on the air through 0359 on Sunday, June 19,
on
> or about 14.270, 21.370 and 28.370 MHz. Schipelliti and his wife Jeanne,
> K1MOM, hope to have their kids on the air for the occasion too. QSL to
> W1DAD, 7 Dearborn Ridge Rd, Atkinson, NH 03811.
>
> All participants are eligible to receive a colorful certificate. Visit the
> ARRL Kid's Day Survey page
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kids-day-survey.html> to complete a short
> survey and post your comments. You will then have access to download the
> certificate page. Or you can send a 9x12 SASE to Boring Amateur Radio
Club,
> PO Box 1357, Boring, OR 97009.
>
> Kid's Day typically attracts more than 1000 youthful participants. It
takes
> place each year on the first Sunday in January and the third Saturday in
> June.
>
> This weekend the AO-51 "Echo" satellite will be on the air and specially
> configured for AMSAT Kid's Day. AO-51 ground controller and AMSAT-NA Vice
> President-Operations Mike Kingery, KE4AZN, says the satellite will be
> available from approximately 1420 UTC on June 11 until approximately 0450
> UTC on June 12.
>
> "We ask all amateur radio stations to give this short time window to
promote
> satellite operations with kids by actually showing a kid how to make
> contacts via AO-51, providing a station to contact, or stepping aside to
> allow others to make contacts with the kids," he said
>
> AO-51 will be configured with an uplink frequency of 145.880 MHz, FM voice
> (note change in frequency for this event) with a 67-Hz tone, and a
downlink
> of 435.300 MHz, FM voice.
>
> A free certificate--no SASE needed--is available to any youngster making a
> successful AMSAT Kid's Day contact. Send a QSL card (or other suitable
> verification) to Kid's Day Certificate, c/o Michael Kingery, KE4AZN, 1251
> County Rd 445, Enterprise, AL 36330 USA.
>
> More information on AO-51 and AMSAT Kid's Day is available on the AMSAT
Web
> site <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/ControlTeam.php>.
>
> ==>DAYTON HAMVENTION REPORTS ATTENDANCE UP SLIGHTLY FOR 2005
>
> Dayton Hamvention 2005 General Chair Gary Des Combes, N8EMO, told ARRL
this
> week that attendance was up by 542 this year over last. The total
"official"
> attendance was 20,411, compared to 19,869 for 2004.
>
> "We heard from many exhibitors who sold out of everything they had and
were
> taking orders as early as Saturday noon," Des Combes said. "In fact I was
> told by several exhibitors that this was their best show ever." The ARRL
> 2005 National Convention, which Dayton Hamvention hosted, "pushed the bar
> way up," he added.
>
> "Virtually everywhere I turned, people were happy," Des Combes continued,
> while conceding that the vacancy level in the exhibits area and the flea
> market "were not what we wanted." He chalked that up in part to high
> gasoline prices--something beyond the control of Hamvention's
planners--and
> a dearth of smaller computer vendors who no longer can compete with the
big
> box stores.
>
> But Des Combes said he was heartened that the vast majority of his e-mail
> since the show has been positive, "thanking me and expressing how great
the
> show was and they will be definitely be coming back next year," he said.
Des
> Combes expressed confidence that 2006 General Chairman, Jim Nies,
WX8F--this
> year's assistant general chair--will work hard to promote Dayton
Hamvention
> and ARRL and Amateur Radio as well.
>
> "I sincerely will miss it, but it is time for me to pass the torch to a
new
> leader," said Des Combes, who stepped into the top job two years ago and
> guided Hamvention back to an all-volunteer show. "I have accomplished all
> the goals I set out to do and feel I am going out on top, so now is a good
> time."
>
> Dayton Hamvention 2000--the last year Hamvention hosted an ARRL National
> Convention--logged 28,804 attendees, up modestly from the previous year.
The
> all-time attendance record for Dayton Hamvention reportedly was 1993, when
> 33,669 showed up.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Solar Seer Tad "When I Wanted Sunshine, I Got Rain" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
> Washington, reports: Sunspot and solar flux readings were up this week,
> while geomagnetic K and A indexes were down a bit. No big events triggered
> geomagnetic storms this week, but two big new sunspots--775 and 776--are
> rotating into a position to affect Earth. Solar flux for June 10-12 is
> expected to be in the vicinity of 110 to 115. Geomagnetic conditions
should
> be quiet, although the new sunspots are magnetically complex and could
hold
> a surprise.
>
> The ARRL June VHF QSO Party is this weekend. The object is to get as many
> contacts in as many grid squares as possible. Many transceivers these days
> have 6-meter capability, so it isn't much of a stretch for HF operators
> lacking a 6 meter antenna to just toss up a dipole at the last minute. A
> half-wave dipole is only about 9 feet, 3 inches long on 6, and when the
band
> opens up, a simple antenna can do quite well.
>
> We're now two weeks away from ARRL Field Day
> <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/rules-fd-2005.html>. The
long-range
> forecast from the US Air Force shows a planetary A index of 20 (a bit
high)
> for both Saturday and Sunday of Field Day weekend, June 25-26. This is
> probably predicted because of coronal holes and solar wind from the most
> recent rotation of the sun. More details when we're a bit closer to the
> event.
>
> Sunspot numbers for June 2 through 8 were 69, 55, 74, 77, 89, 94 and 100,
> with a mean of 79.7. 10.7 cm flux was 93.3, 95.3, 96.9, 105.4, 106, 109.1
> and 115.7, with a mean of 103.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 8,
> 18, 20, 13, 18 and 6, with a mean of 12.9. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices
> were 7, 10, 12, 14, 7, 11 and 3, with a mean of 9.1.
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The ARRL June VHF QSO Party, the ANARTS WW
RTTY
> Contest, the Portugal Day Contest, the Asia-Pacific Sprint, SSB, the GACW
> WWSA CW DX Contest, and the REF DDFM Contest are the weekend of June
11-12.
> JUST AHEAD: The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW) is June 15. SARL
Kid's
> Day is June 16. The NCC Thursday Sprint is June 17. Kid's Day, The All
Asian
> DX Contest (CW), the SMIRK Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the West
> Virginia and Quebec QSO parties are the weekend of June 18-19. The RSGB
> 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) is June 23. The NCC Thursday Sprint is
June
> 24. 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, June 12. Classes begin Friday, June 24. 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 Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/>
> 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, June 13, at 1201 AM EDT and will remain open until
> all available seats have been filled or through the June 18-19
> weekend--whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, July 1. ***ACT NOW!
> THIS IS THE FINAL MONTH TO OBTAIN FEDERAL GRANT REIMBURSEMENT!*** Radio
> amateurs 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate. Thanks to
the
> Corporation for National and Community Service, the $45 registration fee
> paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed to students who complete the
course
> requirements and are granted "Passed" status by their mentors on or before
> August 31. 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, cce at arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
>
> * NWS meteorologist praises ARES, SKYWARN: ARRL Minnesota Section
Emergency
> Coordinator Don Franck, AD0F, says he was grateful that Amateur Radio
> Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN teams were on the job this week when
> severe weather struck his area. Franck, who's also an ARRL Emergency
> Communications Course instructor and mentor, says it got personal for him
> after a severe storm dropped a wall cloud right into the field next to his
> home and later spawned a tornado. "Through it all, local ARES members gave
> freely of their time and vehicles," he said, "driving many miles across
> three counties to get the best spotting of the super cell thunderstorms."
> Observers endured one-inch diameter hail, 70 MPH winds and 7 inches of
rain.
> Franck was at the Olmsted County emergency operations center for the
> occasion. The work of ARES and SKYWARN also drew praise from National
> Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Todd Shea in La Crosse,
> Wisconsin, who offered another example of how storm spotters made a
> difference during the severe weather June 4. "A storm spotter in Clark
> County, Wisconsin, correctly reported to us a rotating wall cloud from a
> cluster of storms moving across central Wisconsin," he said. Shea says the
> report enabled NWS radar to focus on that storm, leading directly to the
> issuance of tornado warnings. "We were able to warn the rest of the
> downstream communities and neighboring county during the approximately
> 20-mile intermittent tornado path," he said. "A spotter can make a
> difference. Be proactive, organized, correct, and timely. I can't tell you
> how much it does make a difference and how much we appreciate the
> information."
>
> * FCC invites comments on BPL database manager proposal: The FCC's Office
of
> Engineering and Technology (OET) is seeking comments on a proposal by the
> United Telecom Council (UTC) to serve as the Access Broadband over Power
> Line (BPL) database manager. When the FCC adopted new Part 15 October 14,
> 2004, in a Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37, it included a requirement
to
> provide a centralized publicly accessible BPL database. Comments are due
by
> June 27. Reply comments are due by July 5. According to an FCC, the BPL
> database manager must maintain complete, accurate and timely records of
> FCC-mandated information that Access BPL operators must provide. The
> database should include the name of the Access BPL provider, frequencies
of
> operation, the postal ZIP codes the BPL operation serves, equipment
> manufacturer and type, a point of contact for interference inquiries and
> resolution, and the proposed or actual date of Access BPL operation. The
BPL
> database manager must provide the National Telecommunications Information
> Administration (NTIA), the Commission and any member of the public access
to
> the database free of charge at all times. Acknowledging that BPL
technology
> "raises concerns of potential interference with incumbent users of the
> spectrum, and heightens the need for agile and timely interference
> mitigation techniques," the FCC stipulated establishment of the national
BPL
> database. UTC told the FCC on May 17 that it has designed and implemented
a
> database that will enable Access BPL operators to comply with the
> notification requirements of the new Part 15 BPL rules, the FCC said.
> Comments may be filed using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System
> (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html>, and all comments will be
> available for public inspection.--FCC
>
> * CY9SS DXpedition on the air after rough landing: The Daily DX
> <http://www.dailydx.com> relays a report from Robby Robertson, VY2SS, that
> the CY9SS St Paul Island DXpedition crew had a very rough landing this
week.
> While coming ashore, the team lost a generator and three tower sections
> overboard, and the landing craft's captain hurt his leg. High wind and
rain
> also hampered efforts to set up camp, but CY9SS has been up and running
> since early on June 8, with early activity on 80, 40 and 20 meter SSB
> (listening up). The DXpedition, scheduled to continue until July 7, is
> expecting to be active on all bands. Logs will be posted to the Internet
> <http://logs.cy9ss.info/>. A second wave of CY9SS operators is currently
> working its way north. CY9SS plans 6-meter operation. Listen on or about
> 50.103 MHz. QSL CY9SS via VY2SS, 57 Tranquility Ln, Bloomfield, PEI C0B
1E0
> CANADA. There's more info on the CY9SS Web site <http://www.cy9ss.com/>.
>
> * Reminder: Armstrong commemorative FM broadcast is June 11: A special
> commemorative FM broadcast Saturday, June 11, at noon (EDT) will mark the
> 70th anniversary of Maj Edwin H. Armstrong's first public demonstration of
> wideband frequency modulation (FM). The transmission, from Experimental
> Station WA2XMN (reminiscent of Armstrong's W2XMN call sign) will be on
> Armstrong's original 42.8 MHz frequency and will emanate from his landmark
> 400-foot Alpine Tower on the Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. The
> broadcast will be carried both on the air and on the Web
> <http://www.wfdu.fm/>. Rebroadcasts will take place on the Web June 14 and
> 16 at 7 PM (EDT), and a recording will be made available for download.
> Additional information about the commemorative broadcast and the Alpine
> Tower site is available on the CSC Management Web site
> <http://www.cscmgt.com/index.html>.
>
> * ARRL accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO cards for DXCC credit: ARRL DXCC Manager
Bill
> Moore, NC1L, says that despite reports to the contrary, the League is
> accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO Andaman and Nicobar Islands DXpedition QSL cards
for
> DXCC credit. "A few cards have been rejected on the basis of incomplete
> information on the cards," he notes. "We apologize for any
> misunderstanding." Moore says that in the case of QSL cards bearing
> less-than-complete data (call sign only, missing time and/or date, etc)
DXCC
> must see the actual card at ARRL Headquarters. "This is usual procedure,"
he
> explains. "Blank cards and cards missing information are always subject to
> inspection at Headquarters." He advises operators holding such cards to
not
> attempt to fill in the missing information themselves. "Simply send us the
> card, and we will try to obtain the fill," he said. DXpedition team leader
> Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, has agreed to supply additional VU4RBI/VU4NRO log
> information to DXCC. "As always we strive to maintain the highest
integrity
> possible in the DXCC program," Moore said. He advises patience to those
> expecting a direct QSL.
>
> * DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
> approved this operation for DXCC credit: HZ1EX, Saudi Arabia, October 27,
> 2004, through December 31, 2005. For more information, visit the DXCC Web
> page. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can answer most questions about
the
> DXCC program. ARRL DX bulletins are available on the W1AW DX Bulletins
page.
>
>
> * Israeli stations to honor Maccabiah Games June 21-July 21: The Israel
> Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring a special Amateur Radio operation
honoring
> the largest Jewish sport event in the world--the 17th Maccabiah Games--to
be
> held in Tel-Aviv July 10-21. Fourteen Israeli stations with letters in
their
> suffix from which MACCABIAH can be spelled will be active for 30 days
> starting June 21. A special Award will be available for stations having at
> least six valid QSOs with the participating special event stations. The
> operation is valid for all radio amateurs and SWLs around the world. More
> details can be found at the Maccabiah Games page
> <http://www.iarc.org/~4z4tl/Maccabiah17_main.htm> or via the IARC Web site
> <http://www.iarc.org>.--IARC
>
> ===========================================================
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