[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 44

[Bill Marx]

 ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 24, No. 44
> November 11, 2005
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +Indiana, Kentucky hams respond to killer tornado
> * +White House taps two for FCC seats
> * +ISS commander logs 200th ARISS school contact
> * +ARRL Holiday Toy Drive TV announcement available
> * +Dedicated LFers ply the nether spectrum
> * +It's Frequency Measuring Test time again!
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>     +ARRL "Public Service Stories" page proves popular
>     +Hurricane volunteers to be honored in QST
>      Hurricane Wilma ARES/RACES Southern Florida activation praised
>      Improved search capability debuts on ARRL Web site
>      ARRL represented at USA Freedom Corps briefing
>      Foundation for Amateur Radio announces scholarships
>      SSETI Express is now OSCAR 53
>      George Steber, WB9LVI, wins October QST Cover Plaque Award
>      Darrell L. Thomas, N7KOR, SK
>      DXCC Desk accredits operations
>
> +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
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>INDIANA TORNADO "LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT," HAM RADIO VOLUNTEER SAYS
>
> Amateur Radio volunteers continue to assist relief and recovery efforts in
> the wake of a November 6 tornado that left 22 people dead and hundreds
> injured. The twister, with winds of up to 200 MPH, originated within a
line
> of thunderstorms that struck during the early morning hours. It cut a more
> than 40-mile swath through part of Kentucky and extreme southwestern
> Indiana, wiping out a section of a trailer park in Vanderburgh County
where
> 18 of the fatalities occurred.
>
> "It was like a thief in the night, striking and having no mercy for anyone
> or anything in its path," said Amateur Radio volunteer and police officer
> Bob Pointer, N9XAW. For the first couple of days after the tornado,
Amateur
> Radio assisted Red Cross emergency response vehicles (ERVs) in the field
to
> communicate with their headquarters, a new facility in Evansville where
the
> communication system was not yet up and running.
>
> At week's end, Pointer was expecting ham radio support for Red Cross
> recovery and feeding operations to pick up again. "We'll have to set up
> units at a warehouse and a couple of outlying cities," he told ARRL.
>
> During most of the week, Amateur Radio volunteers have been supporting
> relief activities of The Salvation Army. The need was to set up
> communication between mobile field and canteen units and The Salvation
Army
> headquarters in Evansville.
>
> "The Salvation Army is very, very pleased with the ham radio service,"
> Pointer said. "We have units in areas where the cell phones cannot
function
> or they're so busy, it's hard to get a line." Amateur Radio has been able
to
> get messages through when they otherwise wouldn't, Pointer added, "and
it's
> helping make things go much more smoothly."
>
> Calls came from prospective volunteers as far away as New York. "It was
> truly a rewarding feeling," Pointer said. "Thanks to the ARRL for putting
> out the call so quickly." Local hams calling in on the repeater to offer
> assistance soon found themselves assigned to field stations. "This was a
> good exercise in trying out the grab-it-and-go kits," Pointer said.
>
> Pointer says that within hours of setting up, ARRL Section Manager Jim
> Sellers, K9ZBM, called to offer assistance and got the ball rolling. ARRL
> Indiana Section Emergency Coordinator David Pifer, N9YNF, contacted ARRL
> Headquarters to spread the word.
>
> "ARRL Headquarters even called to check on us," Pointer said. "You see,
your
> membership is more than a magazine a month. It is hams from all over the
> world ready to support you."
>
> Three Salvation Army mobile kitchens and three field units have been
> deployed in Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. The daily routine involves
> moving food from a warehouse to mobile kitchens to feed tornado victims as
> well as the hundreds of volunteers deployed in several locations across a
> wide area. Ham radio volunteers have been handling requests for supplies,
> messages to workers and notices to staff volunteers.
>
> Pointer said he expected the Amateur Radio tornado relief support
operation
> to continue into early next week. "I am privileged to work with a great
> bunch of people down here," Pointer concluded.
>
> Kentucky SEC Ron Dodson, KA4MAP, says SKYWARN was active as the storms
moved
> in. "I had our Amateur Radio net going with National Weather Service (NWS)
> Louisville and monitored those in the counties west of me as it
approached,"
> he told ARRL. SKYWARN nets were active in Daviess and Hancock counties.
> Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties west of Louisville were active
with
> the linked Wide Area Repeaters Net (WARN), Dodson said. NWS Louisville's
> amateur station WX4NWS was on the air for three hours as the storms moved
> across counties on both sides of the Ohio River.
>
> ==>WHITE HOUSE NOMINATES NEW FCC COMMISSIONER, COPPS TAPPED FOR NEW TERM
>
> President George W. Bush has nominated Deborah T. Tate of Tennessee, a
> Republican, to serve out the remainder of the term of former FCC Chairman
> Michael K. Powell, which expires June 30, 2007. Powell announced his
> resignation one day into President Bush's second term, and he departed the
> FCC last March. Under FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin, a Republican who
> succeeded Powell, the FCC has been operating with four members ever since.
> The White House this week also reappointed Commissioner Michael J. Copps,
a
> Democrat, for a new five-year term, starting last July 1. Both
appointments
> are subject to US Senate confirmation.
>
> "If confirmed, Debi Tate will be an excellent addition to the Commission,"
> said Martin. "She has a distinguished career in state government, and she
> has worked closely with the Commission in her role as Director of the
> Tennessee Regulatory Authority."
>
> Martin said he also looked forward to continuing to work closely with
Copps,
> who has served on the FCC the past four years. "I respect his insight and
> thoughtfulness on issues before the Commission," Martin added.
>
> Since Martin, a member during the Powell regime, took over the
chairmanship,
> the political balance on the Commission has been split evenly between two
> Republicans and two Democrats. Members of a president's political party
hold
> a majority on the FCC.
>
> Another FCC opening is looming. Republican Kathleen Q. Abernathy is
obliged
> to step down when the current session of the US Senate expires, probably
> later this year. She's been on the FCC since 2001.
>
> Copps said he was "deeply honored" to be reappointed. "I look forward to
> working with Congress, the Administration, the Chairman of the FCC and my
> fellow Commissioners to help bring the best, most accessible, and
> cost-effective communications system in the world to all of our people,"
> Copps said in a statement. Jonathan Adelstein is the other Democrat on the
> Commission.
>
> ==>NEARLY EVERY DAY IS "CASUAL FRIDAY" ABOARD ISS, JAPAN YOUNGSTERS LEARN
>
> ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, completed the 200th
> Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school group QSO
> November 3. ARISS arranged the direct VHF QSO between 8J4ISS on behalf of
> the Kawachi Citizen's Committee for Youths in Japan and NA1SS onboard the
> ISS. McArthur told the participating youngsters that the climate aboard
the
> ISS permits the crew to dress lightly.
>
> "It is very, very comfortable," McArthur said. "Normally we just wear
short
> pants and short-sleeve shirts and socks." And, when those clothes get
dirty,
> he said in response to another youngster's question, the crew simply
throws
> them out and puts on fresh clothing.
>
> Some of the youngsters were curious about how well the ISS crew could spot
> landmarks on Earth from their perch 220 miles high in space. "We cannot
see
> the Tokyo Tower with just our eyes," McArthur responded to one questioner,
> "but sometimes we can see such objects through a telephoto lens on a
camera
> or with binoculars." He also told the kids that he had not yet seen the
> Great Wall of China from the ISS but "we have taken pictures of the Great
> Wall of China from space."
>
> McArthur and crewmate Valery Tokarev this week completed their mission's
> first spacewalk to install a new camera on the station's exterior. Onboard
> the ISS for a little more than a month, they'll return to Earth in April
> after 182 days in space, McArthur told the youngsters.
>
> McArthur was able to answer 19 of the youngsters' questions during the
> nearly 10-minute contact. An audience of more than 100 parents and
relatives
> and representatives from five TV stations--including national network
> NHK--and three newspapers was on hand for the occasion.
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach
> with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS NOW AVAILABLE
>
> A video public service announcement (PSA) now is available to promote the
> ARRL/The Salvation Army 2005 Holiday Toy Drive. Offered in three formats,
> these clips feature 2005 Holiday Toy Drive National Chairperson and
country
> music artist Patty Loveless, KD4WUJ.
>
> "Patty caught the feeling of the Toy Drive perfectly in the video," said
> ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, the ARRL
> Headquarters point person for the drive. "She expresses her concern,
> compassion and a deep pride in being an Amateur Radio operator." Pitts
says
> Loveless and producer Richard Lubash, N1VXW, joined forces to produce the
> high-quality public service video for the drive.
>
> PSA versions are available for television broadcasters as well as for Web,
> club and meeting presentations. There's a 3 MB MP4 file, a 9 MB .wmv file
> and a 480 MB .mov file (for TV broadcasters). Visit
> <http://www.hello-radio.org/> to download.
>
> The goal of the ARRL/The Salvation Army 2005 Holiday Toy Drive is to
> brighten the holidays for youngsters displaced or left homeless by
> hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Between now and December 10, radio amateurs
> from all across the US will be collecting new unwrapped toys for boys and
> girls aged 1 to 14 and sending them with a QSL card (or a card bearing
their
> call sign) to: ARRL Toy Drive/The Salvation Army, 1775 Moriah Woods
> Blvd--Suite 12, Memphis, TN 38117-7125. Gifts already have begun to show
up
> in Memphis from all over the US.
>
> ARRL invites its members to send cash donations, if they prefer, to: ARRL
> Toy Drive, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. The League is asking all
radio
> amateurs to make the holiday season a little bit brighter for kids
affected
> by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
>
> "The hams who were in the Gulf Coast returned with stories of devastated
> families and children," Pitts noted. "Perhaps we cannot save the whole
> world, but as the holiday season gets closer, we are showing the best
traits
> of a long history of service to others when we remember those children.
> Sending a new toy is a minor inconvenience and expense to most of us, but
to
> the child on the other end it can mean everything."
>
> ==>LF EXPERIMENTATION BY RADIO AMATEURS CONTINUES QUIETLY
>
> Experimentation by radio amateurs in the nether regions of the radio
> spectrum continues quietly and largely unnoticed outside of the LF
> community. Since the FCC turned down the ARRL's 1998 petition to create an
> Amateur Radio "sliver band" in the vicinity of 136 kHz, some US amateur
> licensees have obtained FCC Part 5 Experimental licenses to research the
> possibilities of LF, including transatlantic and transpacific propagation.
A
> few hams in Canada have obtained special permission from Industry Canada
to
> operate on LF using Amateur Radio call signs. The latest noteworthy
> accomplishment was a 137 kHz QSO <http://www.w1tag.com/XDWQSO.htm> October
> 29 between US Experimental licensees Laurence Howell, KL1X--operating as
> WD2XDW--and John Andrews, W1TAG--operating as WD2XES.
>
> "This is the second two-way between US Experimental licensees in that
> frequency range, the first being a 25-mile CW contact between K2ORS/WD2XGJ
> and myself last year," said Andrews. The QSO between Andrews, in
> Massachusetts, and Howell, in Oklahoma, spanned some 1340 miles.
>
> In 2001, Larry Kayser, VA3LK (SK), and Laurie Mayhead, G3AQC, received a
> special Transatlantic Challenge plaque for completing the first two-way
> Amateur Radio LF contact between the UK and Canada earlier that year.
> Another plaque went to Dave Bowman, G0MRF, John Currie, VE1ZJ, and Jack
> Leahy, VE1ZZ, for completing a crossband (HF/LF) transatlantic QSO in
2000.
>
> A year ago, New Zealand LFer Mike McAlevey, ZL4OL, copied Howell's WD2XDW
> 137 kHz carrier "bursts" over a path of more than 13,000 km (8000 miles),
> while Jim Moritz, M0BMU, copied LF signals from WD2XDW, Andrews' WD2XES
and
> Joe Craig, VO1NA, in Newfoundland. Craig and Alan Melia, G3NYK, described
> their LF exploits and experiences in "The Transatlantic on 2200 Meters,"
in
> July 2005 QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst/2005/07/craig.pdf>.
>
> More recently, the first confirmed transpacific reception of Canadian
> Amateur Radio LF signals occurred October 4 when the very slow speed
(QRSS)
> CW signals of VA7LF were heard by ZM2E in New Zealand. "Signals from the
> ZM2E club station were heard in Canada as well, but propagation was not of
> sufficient duration to enable a QSO to be completed," said Steve McDonald,
> VE7SL, one of the VA7LF operators. ZM2E and UA0LE hold the current Amateur
> Radio two-way LF world record at a distance of 10,311 km (6393 mi). The
> distance between VA7LF and ZM2E is approximately 11,700 km (7254 mi).
>
> LFers typically use very low data rates and process the incoming
sound-card
> audio in real time using DSP software like WOLF or ARGO.
>
> During the October 29 contact, which took more than two hours to complete,
> Andrews was running 200 W output into a large, tree-supported vertical
loop.
> Howell was running 1 kW into a tree-supported vertical loop.
>
> Experimentation under FCC Part 15 rules in the vicinity of 160 to 190 kHz
> has been going on for years by radio amateurs and non-amateurs alike.
> Amateur Radio licensees in Europe and elsewhere have an allocation at
135.7
> to 137.8 kHz, and most Amateur Radio experimentation takes place in this
> band.
>
> ==>ARRL 2005 FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST SET FOR NOVEMBER 17 UTC
>
> Returning to the airwaves November 17 at 0245 UTC (Wednesday, November 16
in
> US time zones), the 2005 ARRL Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) once again
will
> call on participants to measure the frequency of an audio tone modulating
> the carrier.
>
> "Measuring the tone frequency, as opposed to that of the carrier,
reinforces
> the understanding of the relationship between carrier frequency and the
> actual components of a transmitted signal," Engineer and ARRL Contributing
> Editor Ward Silver, N0AX, says in "Tune In the 2005 Frequency Measuring
> Test," in November QST (p 54), www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/2005/05fmtsilver.pdf.
> "With the carrier largely suppressed for SSB signals, only the sideband
> components remain. A single modulating tone results in a single
transmitted
> component." But, Silver notes, the frequency of the absent carrier is what
> the operator sees on the radio's display.
>
> The FMT signals will emanate from Maxim Memorial Station W1AW this year on
> 160, 80 and 40 meters. The 20-meter transmission has been dropped for 2005
> because of the generally poor conditions during evening hours on that
band.
> The frequencies will be 1855, 3990 and 7290 kHz, and all transmissions
will
> be on lower sideband (LSB). The FMT will replace the W1AW phone bulletin
> normally transmitted at 0245 UTC on November 17 (November 16 in US time
> zones).
>
> Participants may utilize either direct or indirect techniques to determine
> the tone frequency. "Direct measurements assume a carrier frequency and
> measure the audio tone frequency directly," Silver explains. "Indirect
> measurements obtain the transmitted frequency of the tone component at RF,
> then compute the difference between the published carrier frequency and
> measured frequency."
>
> Silver advises that since the W1AW exciters are independent units and not
> fed with a single local oscillator, participants can expect the measured
> tone frequency to differ slightly on each band.
>
> The test itself will consist of three 60-second tone transmissions on each
> band, followed by a station identification. The whole test will run for
> about 15 minutes and will end with a station ID.
>
> Submitted reports should include the participant's name, call sign and
> location plus the time of reception and the tone frequency. Those using an
> indirect measurement method should show how they calculated the tone
> frequency. Participants may submit separate reports for each band. A
> Certificate of Participation is available to all entrants.
>
> Those coming closest to the measured frequency as determined by the ARRL
> Laboratory will be listed in the test report and will also receive special
> recognition on their certificate. Entries must be received via e-mail
<fmt@
> arrl.org> or postmarked by December 16, 2005. Send hard-copy entries to
> W1AW/FMT, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Solar sage Tad "Tequila Sunrise" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
> We may be in another period of no sunspots. From October 24-28 there was a
> sunspot count of zero on each day. Three days at the beginning of the
month
> were no-sunspot days, and four months ago there were five days--July
> 18-22--with no spots. A year from now expect to see longer periods of zero
> sunspot readings--possibly up to several weeks--based on what the periods
> between previous sunspot cycles were like.
>
> Geomagnetic conditions should be fairly active today. Predicted planetary
A
> index for Friday through Monday, November 11-14, is 15, 8, 5 and 5. The
> Prague Geophysical Institute predicts unsettled to active conditions on
> November 11 and 12, unsettled conditions on November 13, quiet to
unsettled
> on November 14 and 15, and quiet conditions November 16-17.
>
> Sunspot numbers for November 3 through 9 were 24, 22, 18, 34, 31, 38 and
13,
> with a mean of 25.7. 10.7 cm flux was 76.8, 77.4, 79.3, 81.7, 79.4, 79.4,
> and 78.1, with a mean of 78.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 24, 20,
> 10, 10, 6, 3 and 3, with a mean of 10.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
> were 19, 16, 10, 12, 6, 2 and 1, with a mean of 9.4.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The WAE DX Contest (RTTY), the JIDX Phone
> Contest, the SARL Field Day Contest, the OK/OM DX Contest (CW), the CQ-WE
> Contest are the weekend of November 12-13. JUST AHEAD: The ARRL November
> Sweepstakes (SSB), the NA Collegiate ARC Championship (SSB), the LZ DX
> Contest, the EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party, the All Austrian 160-Meter
> Contest and the RSGB Second 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) are the weekend of
November
> 19-20. The CQ World Wide DX Contest (CW) is the weekend of November 26-27.
> 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 remains open through Sunday, November 20, for these ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (CCE). Program on-line courses:
> Emergency Communication Level 1 (EC-001) Antenna Design and Construction
> (EC-009), Technician Licensing (EC-010), Radio Frequency Interference
> (EC-006), Digital Electronics (EC-013) and Analog Electronics (EC-012).
> Classes begin Friday, December 2. To learn more, visit the CCE Course
> Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE
> Department <cce at arrl.org>.
>
> * ARRL "Public Service Stories" page proves popular: Amateur Radio
> volunteers have posted dozens of reports on the ARRL's new "Public Service
> Stories" page <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/PublicServiceStories/>.
The
> League thanks those who have taken the time to share their experiences.
> Additional stories are welcome! At present, the site is open to reports
from
> radio amateurs who provided public service in the aftermath of hurricanes
> Katrina, Rita and Wilma and want to tell the world about their public
> service contributions. The Public Service Stories page accepts both text
and
> photos for all to see. Submissions from ARRL members who are logged onto
the
> League's Web site will be published immediately. Others' submissions will
be
> reviewed before posting.
>
> * Hurricane volunteers to be honored in QST: Amateurs who provided
> communication support during recovery efforts for hurricanes Katrina, Rita
> and Wilma will be honored with a special listing, including names and call
> signs, in the February issue of QST. To be eligible for the list, complete
> the ARRL Hurricane Relief Volunteer Service Report on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/agencies/vol-report.html>. The reporting
> deadline for the QST list is December 9. You do not have to be an ARRL or
> ARES member to be included in the list.
>
> * Hurricane Wilma ARES/RACES Southern Florida activation praised: ARRL
> Southern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Jeff Beals, WA4AW, reports
> that all Amateur Radio support in the Southern Florida Section in response
> to Hurricane Wilma secured Monday, October 31. All out-of-area operator
> assistance was released the next day. "Some shelters and feeding stations
> were still in operation through the week, and many affected areas are
still
> without power and telephone service," he told ARRL November 4. Beals said
> officials at the Broward and Palm Beach county emergency operating centers
> (EOCs) reported that Amateur Radio assistance was invaluable in conducting
> their tactical operations. In addition to volunteering to supplement
> communication at the EOCs, ham radio volunteers also assisted at American
> Red Cross shelters for hurricane evacuees and at staging areas.
>
> * Improved search capability debuts on ARRL Web site: A new search engine
> now is active on the ARRL Web site, Webmaster Jon Bloom, KE3Z,
> <jbloom at arrl.org> has announced. "The ARRL Web site's search capability
has
> long been a weak spot of the site," he allowed. "To address that problem,
> we've replaced the site's search engine with an entirely new search page
> that uses a Google <http://www.google.com> search appliance--a separate
> computer running Google's search system--that indexes and searches the
ARRL
> Web site." Bloom says the change means that those using the "Search" box
> atop any page on the site not only will obtain more comprehensive and
> accurate results but will get them much faster than previously. "We hope
our
> site users enjoy the new search capability, which was instituted largely
at
> the request of numerous ARRL members," Bloom added.
>
> * ARRL represented at USA Freedom Corps briefing: ARRL Chief Development
> Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, represented the League October 14 at a USA
> Freedom Corps post-Katrina briefing in Washington, DC. She was among
> representatives of some 120 representatives of nonprofit organizations
> attending the White House gathering. Deputy Assistant to the President and
> Director of USA Freedom Corps Desiree Sayle, Homeland Security Secretary
> Michael Chertoff, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso
Jackson,
> White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Corporation for National and
> Community Service (CNCS) CEO David Eisner were among those who addressed
the
> briefing, which focused on hurricane recovery and reconstruction. CNCS
> grants subsidized Amateur Radio emergency communications training for some
> 5500 completed courses as well as the League's "Ham Aid" program to assist
> Amateur Radio Gulf Coast hurricane volunteers with out-of-pocket expenses.
> Hobart said the team of Bush Administration representatives thanked
> nonprofits for their contributions and detailed plans to continue the Gulf
> Coast recovery effort, in which Amateur Radio volunteer involvement
> continues. "The ARRL was able to talk with CNCS leadership about future
> funding for Amateur Radio," Hobart added.
>
> * Foundation for Amateur Radio announces scholarships: The Foundation for
> Amateur Radio (FAR) plans to administer 54 scholarships for the 2006-2007
> academic year to assist Amateur Radio licensees attending institutions of
> higher education full-time. A non-profit organization headquartered in
> Washington, DC, FAR is composed of more than 75 area Amateur Radio clubs.
> FAR fully funds three of these scholarships, 10 are funded with income
from
> grants and FAR administers the remaining 41 without cost to the donors.
> Radio amateurs may compete for these awards if they plan to pursue a
> full-time course of studies beyond high school and are enrolled in or have
> been accepted for enrollment at an accredited university, college or
> technical school. The awards range from $500 to $2500 with preference
given
> in some cases to residents of specified geographical areas or to those who
> are pursuing certain courses of study. Clubs, especially those in
Delaware,
> Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, are
> encouraged to announce these opportunities. For additional information and
> an application form, send a letter or QSL card postmarked prior to April
30,
> 2006, to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. FAR is an
exempt
> organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
>
> * SSETI Express is now OSCAR 53: AMSAT-NA has designated the
now-problematic
> SSETI Express satellite as OSCAR 53--XO-53 for short. Launched October 27,
> the satellite, which carries an Amateur Radio package and deployed three
ham
> radio cubesats, went silent after about five orbits. Based on telemetry
> received during its short period of operation, SSETI Express Project
Manager
> Neil Melville has cited an apparent onboard power system anomaly. The
> spacecraft went into a "safe mode" due to an "undervoltage" condition
caused
> by battery charging problems, Melville has said, adding that ground-based
> hardware tests confirm the possibility of a further failure mode of the
> specific component that would allow the batteries to charge and the
> spacecraft to resume operation. In thanking AMSAT's Bill Tynan, W3XO, and
> the AMSAT Board for notifying the project of the designation, Melville
> remained upbeat. "As you are no doubt aware XO-53, to use its new
> designation, has some significant problems right now," he said. "However,
we
> remain vigilant and hopeful, perhaps it can be recovered." Graham
Shirville,
> G3VZV, says analysis of the actual cause of SSETI Express's problems
> continues, and a full review will take place later this month. Shirville
> says a number of automated ground stations have been set up in Europe to
> listen for SSETI Express on 437.250 MHz. He also invites valid reception
> reports via e-mail from the Amateur Radio community, "and if you do hear
it
> first we can promise you a bigger prize than just a special T-shirt!" he
> added. "We believe that there is a small but finite chance of recovery, so
> your efforts could be very worthwhile."
>
> * George Steber, WB9LVI, wins October QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner
of
> the QST Cover Plaque Award for October is George R. Steber, WB9LVI, for
his
> article "A Low Cost Automatic Impedance Bridge." Congratulations, George!
> The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award--given to the author or authors
of
> the best article in each issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members on
> the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>. Cast a ballot for your
> favorite article in the November issue by Wednesday, November 30.
>
> * Darrell L. Thomas, N7KOR, SK: Former Montana ARRL Section Manager
Darrell
> Thomas, N7KOR, died October 16. He was 69. Thomas served as SM for 10
years,
> from 1993 until 2003, when he stepped down because of ill health. "Darrell
> was an effective SM and, despite his battle with cancer, was always the
> optimistic sort.," said ARRL Northwestern Division Director Greg Milnes,
> W7OZ. " He will be missed." Thomas was a member of the ARRL and of the
Great
> Falls Area Amateur Radio Club. A retired fire chief for the Montana Air
> National Guard and the Great Falls International Airport, Thomas has also
> worked as a 911 dispatcher for the City of Great Falls. Survivors include
> his wife, Joanne, N7VTP, and a daughter and son. The family invites
memorial
> donations to the Animal Foundation of Great Falls, PO Box 3426, Great
Falls,
> MT 59403 or to the GFAARC Repeater Fund, PO Box 1763, Great Falls, MT
> 59403.--some information from the Great Falls Tribune
>
> * DXCC Desk accredits operations: The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved these
> operations for DXCC credit: 6O0JT, Somalia, September 30, 2004 through
April
> 30, 2005; 5X1W, Uganda, August 3-12, 2005; DX0K, Spratly Islands, February
> 1-April 30, 2005. For more information, visit the DXCC Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can
> answer most questions about the DXCC program. ARRL DX bulletins are
> available on the W1AW DX Bulletins page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.
>
> ===========================================================
> 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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>
> Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
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>
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>