[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 13 (Mar 31, 2006)

[Bill Marx]

***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 25, No. 13
> March 31, 2006
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +ARRL sponsoring five free Teachers Institutes in 2006
> * +Ham club has role in getting BPL "out of Dodge"
> * +Students take part in the space program via ham radio
> * +FCC imposes $21,000 in fines on Maine amateur licensee
> * +Cost of vanity call sign application to drop slightly
> * +New Mexico funds emergency communication network
> * +Miner Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, returns home
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>     This weekend on the radio
>     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>     Low-frequency experimenters seek reports, crossband skeds
>    +TAPR/ARRL Digital Communications Conference issues call for papers
>    +Cubesats get OSCAR numbers
>     DXCC Desk approves operations for DXCC credit
>     Correction
>
> +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
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>ARRL SPONSORING FIVE FREE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHERS INSTITUTES
>
> Gifts from generous donors will help the ARRL Education and Technology
> Program (ETP--also known as "The Big Project") to expand the number of
> Teachers Institutes (TIs) it's offering this year. Now in their third 
> year,
> the free, weeklong workshops provide educators with hands-on experience in
> electronics and wireless technology. ETP Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME,
> says the five Teachers Institutes will expand upon what he learned during
> the 2004 and 2005 sessions.
>
> "I was hands-on before," Spencer says. "I'm just going to make it even 
> more
> hands-on." Those participating in this year's TIs will get to use various
> pieces of test equipment and electronic devices early in the class 
> session.
> In past years, students first built the project boards from kits, then 
> used
> them in experiments.
>
> "They still will leave the institute with the boards in kit form," Spencer
> explained. "I think it's important for the teachers to smell rosin smoke 
> in
> their faces. They need to build the boards." That do-it-yourself aspect, 
> he
> said, "is a basic part of learning about electronics, but they already 
> will
> have used the completed boards in the classroom."
>
> The 2006 classes also will place a greater emphasis on space-related
> technology including Amateur Radio satellites. "My slant on that is you
> don't need to have thousands of dollars of sophisticated equipment to
> operate the satellites today," Spencer said. "You can use the current
> generation of satellites with some very simple equipment." The curriculum
> also includes material on weather satellites.
>
> Two of the 2006 Teachers Institutes will be held at ARRL Headquarters. The
> other three will take place in New Jersey and California (see schedule
> below). The program hopes to serve 60 educators this year, about twice as
> many as in 2005.
>
> The 12 seats available for each institute are filled on a first come, 
> first
> served basis. The ETP TI scholarship grant includes travel, room and 
> board,
> and a modest per diem stipend to help out with incidentals. Attendees also
> leave with instructional resources for the electronics, microcontroller 
> and
> robotics segments and a resource library of relevant ARRL publications.
>
> ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, says the Teachers
> Institutes have been beneficiaries of the Brandenburg Life Foundation
> established by David Brandenburg, K5RQ, and his wife Diana. Other donor
> partners wish to remain anonymous. For 2006, appeals went out to 
> additional
> donors to fund the added course sessions.
>
> "The TI program has become a keystone of ARRL's invigorated commitment to
> education," said Hobart. "These have been universally well-received, and
> there's been a lot of positive feedback from the teachers who attended."
>
> Hobart and Spencer point out that the impact of the sessions on each 
> teacher
> ultimately will touch thousands of their students. "It's an ooze," Spencer
> described the process. He says his experience has shown that teachers who
> attend the TIs don't necessarily start applying what they learned until 
> well
> after the institutes have adjourned.
>
> "Because there's a lot of material, it takes them a good nine months to 
> see
> where it fits and start feeding it into the curriculum," he said, "but 
> it's
> happening."
>
> The deadline to apply for an Education and Technology Program Teachers
> Institute grant is May 15, 2006. Contact ETP Coordinator Mark Spencer,
> WA8SME, 530-495-9150 (Pacific Time zone) or via e-mail <mspencer at arrl.org>
> for more information.
>
> Teachers Institutes 2006 schedule: June 19-23, Parallax Inc, Roseville,
> California; July 24-28, ARRL Headquarters, Newington, Connecticut; July
> 31-Aug 4, ARRL Headquarters, Newington, Connecticut; August 7-11, Liberty
> Science Center, Jersey City, New Jersey; August 14-18, Moorpark High 
> School,
> Moorpark, California,
>
> ==>ARIZONA BPL FIELD TRIAL ENDS
>
> A BPL field trial in Cottonwood, Arizona, that drew complaints from 
> Amateur
> Radio operators from 2004 until earlier this year apparently has shut down
> for good. The small system, which Mountain Telecommunications Inc (MTI)
> operated under an FCC Part 5 Experimental license WD2XMB, went silent in
> early March. The Part 5 license stipulates that the company "establish and
> maintain" a relationship with the Verde Valley Amateur Radio Association
> (VVARA), which called for the system's shutdown as recently as last
> December. According to VVARA BPL Committee Chair Bob Shipton, K8EQC, MTI
> initially took the system down for a firmware upgrade but subsequently 
> told
> him that it was discontinuing the experiment in Cottonwood and moving it,
> possibly to the Phoenix area, where MTI is headquartered.
>
> "There's no definitive statement from Arizona Public Service or Mountain
> Telecommunications that they have stopped BPL in the state of Arizona
> entirely," Shipton told ARRL this week. "It's just that they pulled out of
> the Cottonwood area."
>
> Not only did the VVARA determine the system was generating interference on
> the high end of 20 meters and elsewhere, Shipton said, the club 
> demonstrated
> that it could "break" the system's datastream while running as little as 
> 65
> watts from a mobile station.
>
> "I think that was a bit of a surprise to them," allowed Shipton, who noted
> that MTI remained helpful and lived up to its agreement to keep the VVARA 
> in
> the loop. At the same time, he said, MTI learned everything it wanted to
> learn in the Cottonwood area, "and they know we're not going to let this
> thing go."
>
> According to club measurements made in cooperation with MTI, the BPL
> interference in the vicinity of the system on the upper end of 20 meters 
> was
> 20 dB over S9, Shipton said, and even in the middle of the band, it was S7
> to S9. "On 17 meters, from 18.059 to 18.180 they were S9, on the 15 meter
> band they were S7," he added.
>
> In support of the VVARA effort, the ARRL twice asked the FCC to shut down
> the Cottonwood BPL field trial for interfering with Amateur Radio
> communication. The League's own testing of the Cottonwood system in the
> summer of 2004 indicated "extremely high" levels of radiated RF energy on
> amateur HF allocations--well in excess of the FCC Part 15 levels.
>
> Beyond the mere fact of the RF interference, Shipton continued, was the
> nature of the interference itself. "With the high-speed chipsets, the 
> sound
> is so obnoxious that you don't necessarily have to have a lot of RF 
> strength
> on an S meter to cause interference when you're trying to listen to a
> station--even if it's stronger," he said, describing it as an annoying
> "raspy, buzzing" noise.
>
> In December, the VVARA filed with the FCC what Shipton characterized as an
> "informal" interference report of ongoing interference on 20, 17 and 15
> meters and reiterated its request that the FCC shut down the system. While
> MTI's interactions with the VVARA may not have been the primary factor in
> its decision to take its BPL pilot elsewhere, Shipton believes his club at
> least played a role.
>
> "We feel at least we got 'em out of Dodge--they're out of Cottonwood," he
> said. "What they do in Phoenix will have to be taken up by the Phoenix
> amateur operators, if they do anything."
>
> Shipton said he believes efforts like those of the VVARA to raise the
> interference issue and keep it before the public are prompting the BPL
> industry to take a harder look at how to avoid the problem altogether. 
> "The
> issue of ham interference was one issue on their plate out of many, many
> issues," he said.
>
> ==>STUDENTS IN ITALY, CANADA, US EXPLORE SPACE VIA HAM RADIO
>
> Tuesday, March 21, was a banner day for schools in Italy, Canada and the 
> US,
> when students got the rare opportunity to hook up via Amateur Radio with 
> the
> commander of the International Space Station. The Amateur Radio on the
> International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged contacts between 
> NA1SS
> and IZ7EVR at the Giuseppe Settanni School in Rutigliano, Italy, and 
> VE6AFO
> at Sir James Lougheed Elementary School in Calgary, Alberta, in advance. A
> couple of contacts the same day with KG4EDK at Coloma Junior High School 
> in
> Michigan came about through luck and happenstance. During the Rutigliano
> contact, ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, predicted that
> humans one day will settle elsewhere in the universe.
>
> "I think that is the destiny of mankind to leave the earth and colonize 
> and
> settle other planets, and we will start by learning how to settle and live
> on the moon," McArthur said. In a similar vein, McArthur hypothesized in
> response to another question that the universe is larger than humans can
> fully understand. "And there are so many other stars and so many planets
> that the probability of life elsewhere in the universe is very, very high. 
> I
> do not think we have ever met any however."
>
> McArthur said he believes humans can remain in orbit as long as they have
> food, water and air and can get regular exercise, and he said he feels
> wonderful living in space.
>
> Princess Elettra Marconi, the youngest daughter of the wireless pioneer, 
> was
> on hand for the event and greeted McArthur. "My father was also very keen 
> to
> share his inventions with school children," she said in part. "I am sure
> that it will inspire these young adults to follow a path of scientific
> exploration."
>
> Responded McArthur: "We are able to do such grand things as explore space
> because of the inventions of your father. We are very grateful for the
> wonderful scientific work he did and are very honored to speak with you."
>
> In January 2003, Elettra Marconi greeted ISS Expedition 6 Commander Ken
> Bowersox, KD5JBP, during events marking the 100th anniversary of Marconi's
> first transatlantic wireless message.
>
> Later that day, a dozen pupils at Sir James Lougheed Elementary School in
> Alberta, Canada, quizzed McArthur on a variety of topics related to living
> in space. McArthur told the youngsters he believes there will be 
> commercial
> space travel in their lifetimes, and the space station is one key to 
> making
> that a reality.
>
> "We think we need a space station because people want to explore, they 
> want
> to learn new things, and many people would like us to go to other planets
> such as Mars," McArthur said. "And so, on the space station, we can learn
> how people can live and work in space and stay healthy."
>
> Becoming an astronaut involves a lot of schooling, he advised the
> youngsters. "I never stopped studying to be an astronaut," he said. "Part 
> of
> being an astronaut is you never stop learning."
>
> The Lougheed kids asked 14 questions before the ISS slipped over the 
> horizon
> and out of radio range. Past Radio Amateurs of Canada President Ken Oelke,
> VE6AFO, loaned his call sign for the occasion, while a team of radio
> amateurs coordinated through QCWA Wild Rose Chapter 151 set up the Earth
> station.
>
> Not long after the Lougheed QSO, teacher Matt Severin, KG4EDK, at Coloma
> Junior High School lucked out by briefly contacting McArthur while his 
> earth
> science students listened in. McArthur told the class that earth science 
> is
> an important topic. "We live it everyday as we observe the earth, and it's
> truly spectacular," he said.
>
> On a subsequent pass, Severin reports, 13 somewhat better-prepared Coloma
> students had the opportunity to question McArthur themselves. Responding 
> to
> a question, McArthur described the crew's work in space.
>
> "Our activities can range from anything from doing experiments--most of 
> our
> experiments are on ourselves--or we can do maintenance around the space
> station, replace components or take them apart and repair," McArthur said.
> "We also may spend several hours a day just cleaning the space station."
>
> Said Severin afterward: "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be 
> able
> to provide this opportunity to my kids. This was the ultimate teachable
> moment. I couldn't let it pass by." Severin's classroom station is
> remarkably modest--a handheld VHF transceiver and a homemade "copper 
> cactus
> antenna stuck in a bucket of sand on the roof of the school," he said.
>
> ARISS is an international educational outreach, with US participation by
> ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>FCC AFFIRMS $21,000 IN FINES LEVIED ON MAINE RADIO AMATEUR
>
> The FCC has affirmed a total of $21,000 in fines it proposed last year to
> levy on Glenn A. Baxter, K1MAN, of Belgrade Lakes, Maine. The FCC's
> Forfeiture Order (NoF), released March 29, comes nearly 10 months after a
> Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) in the case. The FCC has
> alleged that Baxter violated several sections of the Part 97 Amateur 
> Service
> rules.
>
> "The noted violations of the rules involve interference with the ongoing
> communications of other Amateur Radio stations, failure to exercise 
> station
> control, transmission of communications in which Baxter had a pecuniary
> interest, and transmission of communications that constituted 
> impermissible
> broadcasting," the FCC said. The NoF reiterates specific allegations
> outlined in the NAL last June.
>
> The FCC also has concluded that Baxter "apparently willfully and 
> repeatedly"
> failed to file required information pursuant to an Enforcement Bureau
> directive. In two warning notices in 2004, FCC Special Counsel in the
> Enforcement Bureau Riley Hollingsworth directed Baxter to provide
> information on how K1MAN was controlled and the identity of the station's
> control operator.
>
> "The Boston [FCC] Office found that Mr. Baxter's statements that '[n]o
> correction actions are necessary' and '[n]o changes are needed with regard
> to station control' failed to comply with the Bureau's demand for station
> information, the FCC said in the NoF.
>
> Replying to the June 2005 NAL, Baxter denied any liability for the
> forfeiture amount, the FCC said. According to the Commission, Baxter cited
> the fifth and sixth amendments to the US Constitution and requested "all
> documentation regarding the alleged apparent liability" and "a trial like
> hearing before the full Commission." Baxter did not submit "any 
> substantive
> responses" to the alleged violations recited in the NAL, the Commission
> said.
>
> The FCC denied Baxter's request for a hearing. According to the
> Communications Act, the FCC said, providing a hearing is at the 
> Commission's
> discretion, and a hearing is "not normally utilized when only monetary
> forfeiture matters are involved."
>
> Its procedures, the FCC noted, do not deprive Baxter of his right to due
> process, because the Communications Act provides that any forfeitures 
> issued
> in accordance with its procedures are "ultimately subject to a trial de 
> novo
> in federal district court" should Baxter not pay the fine beforehand. A
> licensee's decision to forego presentation of arguments and evidence in
> response to an NAL "does not create a right to a hearing," the Commission
> contended in the NoF.
>
> The FCC further noted that the fifth and sixth amendments to the US
> Constitution "address the rights of defendants in criminal cases" and said
> Baxter's reliance on those amendments to support his hearing request "is
> misplaced."
>
> "Baxter received notice regarding the legal and factual bases for the
> apparent violations and proposed forfeiture and has been afforded an
> opportunity to respond 'why no such forfeiture penalty should be 
> imposed,'"
> the FCC said. According to the NoF, Baxter, while denying any liability,
> "has chosen not to present any specific exculpatory arguments or evidence 
> in
> response to the violations set forth in the NAL."
>
> Baxter has 30 days from the release of the order to pay the $21,000 or
> appeal. If the forfeiture is not paid within that time, the FCC can refer
> the case to the US Department of Justice for collection. A copy of the NoF
> is on the FCC Web site
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-663A1.pdf>.
>
> Baxter's Amateur Radio license expired last October 17, but according to 
> the
> FCC, he has continuing operating authority since he filed a timely 
> renewal.
> His renewal application remains under review based on complaints filed and
> on FCC correspondence regarding the operation of his station. The 
> forfeiture
> action is separate.
>
> ==>VANITY CALL SIGN FEE POISED TO DROP SLIGHTLY LATER THIS YEAR
>
> The FCC wants to reduce the Fiscal Year 2006 regulatory fee to obtain an
> Amateur Radio vanity call sign by $1.80 to $20.10 for the 10-year license
> term. The current vanity call sign fee is $21.90. The Commission proposed
> the new fee in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), "Assessment and
> Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2006, in MD Docket 06-68,
> released March 27. If ordered as proposed, the new vanity fee would become
> effective in August or September. The FCC is obligated to collect nearly
> $289 million in regulatory fees during FY 2006 to fund its operations.
>
> "Consistent with our established practice, we plan to collect these
> regulatory fees in the August-September 2006 time frame in order to 
> collect
> the required amount by the end of the fiscal year," the FCC said in its
> NPRM. Comments on the proposed fee schedule are due Friday, April 14. 
> Reply
> comments are due Friday, April 21. The FCC has projected collecting 
> $171,188
> in vanity call sign fee receipts from 8500 applications in FY 2006.
>
> The vanity call sign fee has assumed somewhat greater significance this 
> year
> as the renewal window is about to open for the first Amateur Radio vanity
> call sign licenses granted in 1996. Applicants wishing to keep their
> post-1995 vanity call signs must pay the regulatory fee in effect at the
> time the renewal application reaches the FCC, currently $21.90. Any 
> Amateur
> Radio renewal application may only be filed within 90 days of the license
> expiration date.
>
> Vanity call sign holders are not obliged to keep their current call signs,
> however, and can request that it be changed to a sequentially assigned 
> call
> sign.
>
> Amateur Radio licensees holding vanity call signs granted prior to 1996 do
> NOT have to pay a regulatory fee when renewing. This is because Congress 
> did
> not begin requiring the FCC to annually recover its regulatory costs until
> 1993. Additionally, such licensees are not specifically tagged as vanity
> call sign holders in the ULS.
>
> To renew via the Universal Licensing System (ULS)
> <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/>, licensees should log into ULS License
> Manager Online Filing (click on "Log In") using their FCC Registration
> Number (FRN) and Commission Registration System (CORES) password. Anyone
> doing business with the FCC must supply an FRN on any application.
>
> Licensees wishing to keep a vanity call sign should select "Renew" under 
> the
> "Work on this License" option. Fees for electronically filed applications
> may be paid online or mailed to Federal Communications Commission,
> Regulatory Fees, PO Box 358835, Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5835.
>
> The ARRL plans to inaugurate a vanity call sign renewal service for its
> members in the near future.
>
> ==>NEW MEXICO FUNDS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION NETWORK
>
> New Mexico has allocated $500,000 to design, construct and install a
> statewide Amateur Radio emergency communication network. Rep Tom Anderson
> (R-Bernalillo), KB5YSG, sponsored the funding bill in the 2006 New Mexico
> legislative session.
>
> "After hurricane Katrina, we've seen firsthand just how valuable Amateur
> Radio can be in a disaster," Anderson said. "The Gulf Coast hurricanes
> destroyed communications infrastructure and overwhelmed government
> resources. It was Amateur Radio operators who helped to save the day."
>
> The state Department of Public Safety will pay for the equipment for 
> Amateur
> Radio volunteers to use in disasters and emergencies. All of the equipment
> will be state-owned. Early plans call for the installation of 
> strategically
> located, interlinked VHF and UHF repeaters to handle both voice and 
> digital
> communication.
>
> In New Mexico, the potential exists for disastrous wildfires, tornadoes 
> and
> floods. This year, when range fires broke out near Hobbs, Amateur Radio
> Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers provided communication support. Over 
> the
> past several years, radio amateurs in New Mexico have been called upon to
> support communication during fires, for severe weather spotting (SKYWARN),
> during public service events and to assist Albuquerque with Hurricane
> Katrina refugees.
>
> ==>INJURED MINER RANDY MCCLOY, KC8VKZ, GOES HOME
>
> Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, the sole survivor of the January 2 Sago Mine 
> disaster
> in West Virginia, left a Morgantown rehabilitation center March 30 and
> returned to his home on newly named Miracle Road in Simpson, West 
> Virginia.
>
> "I'd just like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers," McCloy
> remarked on his departure. Neurologist Julian Bailes told reporters that 
> he
> believes McCloy, 26, has a great potential for "a possibly complete"
> recovery. McCloy did require some assistance walking as he left the
> Morgantown facility.
>
> West Virginia Gov Joe Manchin announced the new street name at a press
> briefing this week, and he presented McCloy with a Miracle Road street 
> sign.
> Earlier this month McCloy visited his home in for the first time since the
> mine tragedy.
>
> On March 2, McCloy's wife Anna told CBS The Early Show co-anchor Hannah
> Storm that her husband has told her he remembers "bits and pieces" of the
> mining disaster that left 12 of his co-workers dead of carbon monoxide
> poisoning. McCloy this week told the Associated Press that he doesn't
> understand why he was the only one to survive. He also said he will not go
> back to work in the mines.
>
> Well-wishers have been sending cards and QSLs to McCloy at PO Box 223,
> Philippi, WV 26435. A fund has been set up to accept donations for 
> McCloy's
> benefit: The Randal McCloy Jr Fund, c/o Clear Mountain Bank, 1889 Earl 
> Core
> Rd, Morgantown, WV 26505.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Propagation maven Tad "Might As Well Be Walkin' on the Sun" Cook, K7RA,
> Seattle, Washington, reports: Sunspots continue to be scarce, although
> numbers have risen the past couple of days. March 25-27 had zero spots, 
> but
> then they rose over the next few days to 11, 31 and 35, respectively.
> Geomagnetic conditions have been nice and stable and should continue that
> way until April 6.
>
> Sunspot numbers for March 23 through 29 were 36, 44, 0, 0, 0, 11 and 31,
> with a mean of 17.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 76.6, 75.8, 75.6, 73.6, 74.3,
> 79.3, and 81.7, with a mean of 76.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 5,
> 4, 7, 7, 9, 6 and 6, with a mean of 6.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
> were 2, 2, 4, 5, 8, 4 and 4, with a mean of 4.1.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: Kids Roundup, the SP DX Contest, the EA RTTY
> Contest, the QCWA Spring QSO Party and the Missouri QSO Party are the
> weekend of April 1-2. JUST AHEAD: The ARS Spartan Sprint is April 4. The
> YLRL DX-YL to NA-YL Contest (CW) takes place from April 4 until April 6. 
> The
> SARL 80-Meter QSO Party is April 6. The ARCI Spring QSO Party, the JIDX CW
> Contest, the EU Spring Sprint (SSB), the Georgia and Montana QSO parties,
> the Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest, the UBA Spring Contest (SSB), 
> and
> the SARL Hamnet 40-Meter Simulated Emergency Contest are the weekend of
> April 8-9. The YLRL DX-YL to NA-YL Contest (SSB) runs from April 11 to 
> April
> 13. 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, April 16, for these ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line courses:
> Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio
> Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004), HF
> Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF Beyond the Repeater (EC-008),
> Technician Licensing (EC-010) and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011).
> Classes begin Friday, April 28. NOTE: Because Technician Licensing 
> (EC-010)
> courses beginning in April are based upon the current question pool,
> students completing these April classes should take the FCC Technician 
> class
> (Element 2) examination by June 30. A new Element 2 question pool goes 
> into
> effect July 1. 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>.
>
> * Low-frequency experimenters seek reports, crossband skeds: The next 
> round
> of LF transpacific testing between ZM2E, Quartz Hill, New Zealand, and
> VA7LF, S Pender Island, British Columbia, will take place April 3, 4 and 
> 5.
> Testing will begin shortly after sunset at VA7LF (approximately 0630 UTC)
> and will continue until sunrise (approximately 1400 UTC). The frequency 
> will
> be 137.7890 / 137.7886 kHz (0.4 Hz shift) using FSK90. Following a 
> schedule
> with VA7LF, ZM2E will continue with R6L until sunrise in New Zealand.
> Reception reports via the reflectors are encouraged, and the VA7LF site 
> will
> be Internet equipped. "If we are able to get things set up smoothly, we 
> may
> be on the air for testing on Sunday night, April 2," said Steve McDonald,
> VE7SL. "Since we will be at our maximum ERP limit, we hope to have some 
> time
> available to attempt some crossband HF-LF CW-CW QSOs or QRSS-CW contacts 
> in
> our early evening hours (0300-0600 UTC)." Interested stations should 
> contact
> McDonald via e-mail, <jsm at gulfislands.com>.
>
> * TAPR/ARRL Digital Communications Conference issues call for papers: The
> 2006 TAPR/ARRL Digital Communications Conference (DCC) has issued a call 
> for
> papers. The event is slated for September 15-17 at the Clarion Airport 
> Hotel
> in Tucson, Arizona. This year's conference celebrates the 25th anniversary
> of the founding of Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) 
> <http://www.tapr.org>.
> The deadline to submit conference papers is July 31. Authors do not need 
> to
> attend the conference to have their papers included in the conference
> Proceedings. Submit papers and presentations via USPS or e-mail to Maty
> Weinberg, KB1EIB, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 <maty at arrl.org>.
>
> * Cubesats get OSCAR numbers: AMSAT-NA has issued OSCAR designations for 
> two
> Japanese cubesat Amateur Radio satellites. XI-IV (pronounced "sai four"),
> launched in 2003, will be known as CUBESAT-OSCAR-57 or CO-57. XI-V
> (pronounced "sai five"), launched with SSETI Express in 2005, will be 
> known
> as CUBESAT-OSCAR-58 or CO-58. "AMSAT-NA and I wish to congratulate you and
> your entire team for the successful construction, testing and launching of
> these innovative spacecraft," said AMSAT's Bill Tynan, W3XO, in announcing
> the designations. "Your pioneering work certainly inspires others to 
> follow
> your lead." The satellites were built and launched by the University of
> Tokyo Cubesat Team. Both satellites have similar payloads. CO-57 has a CW
> beacon on 436.8475 MHz and a 1200 bps AFSK packet downlink on 437.490 MHz.
> CO-58 has a CW beacon on 437.4650 MHz and a 1200 bps AFSK packet downlink 
> on
> 437.3450 MHz.
>
> * DXCC Desk approves operations for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
> approved these operations for DXCC credit: 3Y0X (Peter I Island), February
> 8-19, 2006; 6O0N (Somalia), January 18-February 18, 2006; YI/OM2DX (Iraq),
> July 27-September 21, 2003; YI3SRA (Iraq), commencing October 3, 2003. 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/>.
>
> * Correction: The article "Logbook of The World Now Supports Worked All
> States Award" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 12 (Mar 24, 2006) contained 
> an
> error. Logbook of the World was inaugurated in 2003.
>
> ===========================================================
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