[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 14 (Apr 7, 2006)

[Bill Marx]

\ ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 25, No. 14
> April 7, 2006
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +ARRL again targets New York BPL operation in FCC filing
> * +League's executive committee juggles full agenda
> * +Kids in Illinois, Australia reach space via ham radio
> * +New "Hello" campaign video now available
> * +Two-ham crew arrives safely on ISS
> * +Tornados prompt Amateur Radio response
> * +Take personal dispute off the ham bands, FCC tells Texas licensees
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>     This weekend on the radio
>     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>    +FCC invites comments on ARRL spread spectrum petition
>     N4S special event to mark silver anniversary of first shuttle launch
>     Markus Hansen, VE7CA, wins March QST Cover Plaque Award
>     RAC committee eyeing new entry-level license
>
> +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
> ===========================================================
> NOTE: Because ARRL Headquarters will be closed Friday, April 14, for the
> holiday weekend, The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will be distributed a
> day earlier.
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>ARRL ALLEGES MISREPRESENTATION BY BPL OPERATOR, INACTION BY FCC
>
> The ARRL once again has called for the immediate shutdown of the BPL pilot
> project in Briarcliff Manor, New York. In a March 29 letter that takes 
> both
> BPL operator Ambient Corporation and the FCC to task, the League 
> documented
> continued interference on amateur frequencies at various points of the
> Westchester County system. The ARRL has filed five previous interference
> complaints about the system, the first in October 2004. The system 
> operates
> under an FCC Part 5 experimental license.
>
> "In response to this interference, which has never been resolved or even
> substantively addressed by the Commission," the League wrote, "the
> experimental permittee, Ambient, has defiantly and consistently denied the
> interference, which Commission Enforcement Bureau staff personally 
> witnessed
> and confirmed."
>
> Copies of the League's latest complaint went to the FCC's Office of
> Engineering and Technology and its Experimental Licensing Division as well
> as to the FCC Secretary and Ambient Corporation.
>
> The ARRL disputed representations in a February 14 letter from Ambient
> counsel George Y. Wheeler to FCC Experimental Licensing Division Chief 
> James
> Burtle. Wheeler's letter "simply denies that there is interference, which 
> is
> patently untenable at this point," the League said. "However, the
> Commission's inaction has implicitly validated Ambient's inaction and
> repeated misrepresentations."
>
> Interference measurements ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, made
> February 20 revealed "no substantial changes" in the system's interference
> profile on amateur frequencies, the League pointed out.
>
> "The system is still operating un-notched on amateur bands at several
> separate locations, although notching of the amateur bands was evident at
> other locations in the system," the League said. Despite Ambient's claims
> that it had notched amateur bands, Hare found in several areas and ham 
> bands
> that "none of the system appears to be notched." A 20-page supplement
> detailing Hare's February 20 findings accompanied the League's further
> complaint.
>
> The findings show the Briarcliff Manor BPL system continues to cause 
> harmful
> interference to Amateur Radio communication "and it is not compliant with
> applicable FCC Part 15 regulations," the League contended. It also fails 
> to
> comply with the terms of its FCC Part 5 experimental authorization, nor is
> its operation consistent with Ambient's claims in progress reports it's
> filed with the FCC.
>
> The League said it is "beyond any reasonable dispute" that the Briarcliff
> Manor BPL system fails to comply with Part 5 rules requiring permittees to
> cease transmissions "if harmful interference to an established radio 
> service
> develops" and not resume transmissions until it's certain harmful
> interference will not recur. Part 15 rules contain similar provisions for
> unlicensed devices that may interfere with licensed services.
>
> In addition, the League said, information regarding the Briarcliff Manor 
> BPL
> system has yet to show up in the publicly accessible BPL database as Part 
> 15
> rules require. The ARRL took issue with Wheeler's assertions that the
> system's information does not have to appear in the database. "Section
> 15.615 of the rules makes no exception for Access BPL systems operating
> pursuant to an experimental authorization," the League stated.
>
> Given its failure to comply with both Part 5 and Part 15 rules governing 
> its
> operation, the Briarcliff Manor BPL system must be shut down, the ARRL
> demanded. "Alternatively, the Commission should rescind the experimental
> authorization and determine other appropriate sanctions against Ambient
> Corporation," the ARRL concluded.
>
> ==>ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WORKS THROUGH WIDE-RANGING AGENDA
>
> ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, presided over his first meeting of the
> ARRL Executive Committee March 11 in St Louis. During the session, the EC
> reviewed ARRL's Washington advocacy efforts and regulatory matters.
>
> Discussion items included pending FCC regulatory action on the "omnibus"
> proceeding, WT 04-140; the "Morse code" proceeding, WT 05-235; and whether
> the FCC will issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in response to the
> League's petition (RM-11306) to regulate subbands by emission bandwidth.
>
> Also noted was a meeting of the ARRL's "Washington Team" February 16 to
> review strategy, particularly with regard to legislative goals. House
> Resolution 230 concerning BPL interference is the principal focus. Efforts
> in support of H.Res. 230 have helped to educate key congressional offices
> about the issue but have not yet netted any new co-sponsors.
>
> ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, also reviewed the status of 
> pending
> complaints filed with the FCC in response to BPL interference complaints 
> and
> accessibility problems with the BPL Interference Resolution Web site.
>
> In other matters, the EC: directed ARRL staff to develop a plan to provide 
> a
> vanity call sign license renewal service to League members; learned of 
> ARRL
> efforts to build federal agency support for a relaxation of some
> restrictions on amateur operation in the vicinity of 5 MHz; is working 
> with
> other Board members to identify obstacles to effective grassroots action 
> by
> ARRL members in support of the League's legislative goals, and reviewed
> draft terms of reference for an ARRL MF/HF Band Planning Committee and
> agreed to circulate a final draft for a mail vote.
>
> Minutes of the March 11 EC meeting are on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/announce/ec_minutes_479.html>.
>
> ==>FIXING A FLAT, PLAYING THE DIDGERIDOO: KIDS GET ANSWERS FROM SPACE
>
> Curious students in Bradley, Illinois, and Briar Hill, Australia, recently
> got answers about many facets of life in space from ISS Expedition 12
> Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR. The Amateur Radio on the International
> Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the contacts between NA1SS and 
> K9BIG
> on March 28 and with VK5ZAI on March 31. McArthur, who wraps up his ISS 
> duty
> tour this weekend, told students at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High
> School that the absence of gravity "affects everything we do." Changing a
> flat tire "or something similar" would be relatively easy to do on Earth 
> but
> not in space, he said, especially when it came to retrieving the lug nuts
> you've set aside.
>
> "When you need them, you reach for them again," McArthur said. "Well, in
> space, if you do that, they're gone, they just will have floated away, and
> that's how working with everything is in space. If it is not attached to
> something, it's very easy to lose." On the other hand, McArthur pointed 
> out,
> jacking up the car would be very easy in space.
>
> The microgravity environment also can affect the physiology of humans 
> living
> in space, he explained.
>
> "It really does not have an adverse effect," McArthur said. "Of course 
> there
> are some subtle changes in lung capacity, cardiac output--but those things
> return to normal pretty quickly on the ground."
>
> Teacher Jim Schreiner, K9BIG, was the master of ceremonies and Earth 
> station
> control operator for the event which, in addition to attracting a large
> audience also garnered significant news media attention. Members of the
> Kankakee Area Radio Society (W9AZ) set up the Earth station for the direct
> VHF contact.
>
> During a scheduled contact a few days later with youngsters at Briar Hill
> Primary School in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, McArthur answered 
> the
> burning question, "What does a didgeridoo sound like in space?"
>
> "As a matter of fact, Don Pettit on Expedition 6 carried a didgeridoo into
> space," McArthur replied, "and he said it sounded the same as it did on 
> the
> ground, because the air on board is at the same pressure."
>
> McArthur said the ISS crew also would be able to listen to music on the 
> ISS
> stereo system, if it were working.
>
> "We do have a stereo here," he said. "It's just a regular automobile 
> stereo.
> Unfortunately it's broken, so we play music on our computers." McArthur 
> said
> he also enjoys playing games on his computer in his spare time. He drew 
> the
> line at playing tennis aboard the ISS, however, because there's not enough
> room.
>
> "Valery [Tokarev, his crewmate] is a very good tennis player, and I would
> not let him play tennis because he serves the ball so hard it might hit 
> some
> of our equipment and break it," he replied, tongue in cheek.
>
> As he's done before, McArthur told the kids Down Under that living in 
> space
> has been great fun. "It is so much fun I can't believe this is a job for
> which I get paid," he enthused.
>
> Returning again to microgravity, McArthur noted its effect on blood flow 
> in
> the human body. "The blood that is normally down in your legs and feet,
> because there's no gravity, your body doesn't know that, and so that blood
> tends to move up into your chest and head," he said.
>
> Despite the low-elevation pass over the station of ARISS veteran Tony
> Hutchison, VK5ZAI, the contact lasted the better part of nine minutes, and
> the youngsters squeezed in 22 questions. The ARISS event also attracted 
> some
> news media attention. Teacher Natalie Will, who called the contact
> "fantastic," was interviewed on local and national radio outlets.
>
> Members of the North East Radio Group assisted in setting up for the
> contact. Verizon Conferencing donated the two-way audio teleconference 
> link
> for the event between VK5ZAI and the school.
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach
> with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>ARRL "HELLO" CAMPAIGN VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE
>
> A 30-second video public service announcement (PSA) to promote the ARRL's
> "Hello" campaign--"Celebrating 100 Years of Voice over Radio 
> Worldwide"--has
> been released. A radio spot has been available since March. Hello's
> architect, ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, 
> says
> the spot is available on disk in either DVD format--which plays on 
> standard
> players--or in two larger broadcast-quality DV formats.
>
> "We want to celebrate 100 years of people talking over the radio but not
> just look backward," he said. "In just 30 seconds, this video takes us on 
> a
> rollercoaster through time and electronics, into today, when we find
> friendly people still ready to say 'Hello' all over the world."
>
> Richard Lubash, N1VXW, of 2K-Plus in Atlanta, produced the new PSA. He had
> musical help from Emory Gordy, W4WRO, and voicing by New York City radio
> personality Johnny Donovan.
>
> The video includes clips from all over, shot especially for the PSA, plus
> video of radio amateurs from IARU member-societies in Italy and Japan. 
> Among
> the radio amateurs appearing in the video spot are Associazione 
> Radioamatori
> Italiani (ARI) President Luigi Belvederi, I4AWX/AB1FJ, and Japan Amateur
> Radio League International Affairs Manager Jay Oka, JA1TRC/KH2J. Others
> include: Jack Parker, W8ISH; Kevin O'Dell, N0IRW, and his son Chris, 
> N5CMO;
> Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, and wife Cyndy, KD4ACW; Nick Esposito, KC2ONP; Halley
> Orshan, KC2LYJ; and Emily Shaffer, KF4SUV.
>
> A low-resolution version is viewable on the ARRL Public Relations Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/pio/#pubserviceannouncements> (scroll down to "Video
> Files"). A special high-definition television (HDTV) version is available 
> if
> needed.
>
> Because copies are individually duplicated depending on the needs of the
> station and because of the costs of the disks, Pitts asks that "at least
> initially" requests be voluntarily limited to those who have contacts with 
> a
> cable, TV or similar broadcast outlet and can get them shown to the 
> public.
>
> To request a disk, e-mail the Hello campaign <hello at arrl.org> your name,
> mailing address, the station or location in which you will be placing the
> video and the video format you need (DVD, DV or uncompressed-DV).
>
> Hello campaign brochures, bumper stickers pins and other paraphernalia 
> also
> are available. There's more campaign information on the "Hello" Web site
> <http://www.hello-radio.org/>.
>
> Pitts will be on the road this month to show off (and market) the new 
> audio
> and video PSAs at the annual conventions of the National Association of
> Broadcasters (NAB) and the Radio and Television News Directors Association
> (RTNDA) April 22-27 in Las Vegas, and at a regional RTNDA convention April
> 8-9 in Boston.
>
> ==>BREAD AND SALT: TWO-HAM EXPEDITION 13 CREW ARRIVES SAFELY ON ISS
>
> The International Space Station Expedition 13 crew of Commander Pavel
> Vinogradov, RV3BS, and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, arrived 
> safely
> aboard the International Space Station early on April 1. Once airlocks 
> were
> opened, the new crew--accompanied by Brazil's first astronaut Marcos 
> Pontes,
> PY0AEB--greeted the Expedition 12 crew of Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR,
> and Valery Tokarev with handshakes and hugs. In accordance with a
> traditional Russian ceremony of welcome and hospitality, the Expedition 12
> crew presented the newcomers with bread and salt. Williams told reporters
> this week that he and Vinogradov were ready to take the ISS reins.
>
> "Handover's gone very well," he said, adding that and McArthur and Tokarev
> did a good job of showing him and Vinogradov the ropes. "So I fell we will
> be very prepared to take over the space station."
>
> The two crews spent much of the week transferring cargo to the ISS and
> carrying out crew handover activities that included a safety briefing,
> training with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and detailed briefings on 
> scientific
> experiments. Besides conducting his own research over the past week, 
> Pontes
> spoke via Amateur Radio with a school in Brazil and was attempting to
> reschedule a contact with a school in Portugal. Williams says the crew
> handover has been a bit like moving into a new house that's still occupied
> by the former owners.
>
> "It never occurred to me how difficult that would be to move into 
> somebody's
> house with all their stuff in it and then pick up without a pause in the
> normal day-to-day operations," he said. "But overall, it's gone very well
> and we feel very prepared."
>
> A formal change-of-command ceremony was set for April 8, just before
> McArthur, Tokarev and Pontes board a Soyuz transporter for the return trip
> to Earth. Seeing off the retiring crew will be a "bittersweet experience,"
> Williams said this week.
>
> "We've really enjoyed our time on board together," he said. "We've had a 
> lot
> of fun, we've enjoyed accomplishing the work together. At the same time, I
> know these guys are ready to go home and rejoin their families."
>
> NASA ground controllers cut short an ISS experiment April 3 after some
> alarms sounded in error. The so-called "campout" in the slightly
> depressurized ISS Quest airlock by McArthur and Williams was intended to
> test a new procedure to reduce spacewalk preparation time. The experiment
> hoped to show that having spacewalkers spend the night in the airlock at a
> lower air pressure would help to purge nitrogen from their bloodstreams,
> preventing decompression sickness--commonly called "the bends."
>
> "There was never a problem with the atmosphere," McArthur assured an
> Associated Press reporter.
>
> Vinogradov and Williams will spend six months on the space complex,
> returning home in September. Vinogradov is a veteran of a nearly 200-day
> mission aboard the Russian Mir space station, where he did five 
> spacewalks.
> Williams, an Army colonel, flew on NASA space shuttle mission STS-101 to 
> the
> ISS in 2000 and did one spacewalk.
>
> Scheduled to join the Expedition 13 crew later this year is European Space
> Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, of Germany. His arrival, no sooner
> than July, depends on whether NASA declares the shuttle Discovery
> flight-ready. Reiter would remain on the orbiting laboratory through
> Expedition 13 and into the first part of Expedition 14.--some information
> from NASA and ARISS
>
> ==>RADIO AMATEURS BUSY AS DEADLY STORMS AGAIN HIT MIDWEST
>
> Amateur Radio volunteers in northwestern Tennessee and elsewhere were 
> active
> April 2 when a string of tornadoes struck the Midwest and South. The 
> severe
> weather left more than two dozen people dead and many injured, most of 
> them
> in Tennessee. ARRL Tennessee Section Emergency Coordinator Jimmy Floyd,
> NQ4U, reports SKYWARN volunteers relayed reports to the National Weather
> Service Office in Memphis as the twisters approached.
>
> "Several hams were active in the Dyersburg-Newbern area Sunday night 
> passing
> local traffic for the area folks needing to let relatives know that they
> were okay," Floyd told ARRL. "According to local hams, most of the
> communication infrastructure was intact after the storms."
>
> Authorities in Dyer County, where 15 people died, say some houses were
> totally destroyed by the storms, and large trees across highways hampered
> access by emergency crews. Severe damage reports emerged from Gibson 
> County
> where some 1200 houses and other structures--including the police
> station--were said to have been damaged. The NWS said it had received
> preliminary reports of more than 60 tornadoes April 2. Tennessee state
> police were continuing to search for additional storm victims and warning
> those "without legitimate business" to keep out of the affected areas and
> let first responders and law enforcement personnel do their jobs.
>
> In Illinois, Lawrence County Emergency Coordinator Gary Auerswald, WB9UDJ,
> found himself in the middle of "a horrendous storm" while returning home
> with his family from Indiana.
>
> "Trees were coming down, and people were getting blown off the road," he
> told ARRL Illinois Section Emergency Coordinator Pat Ryan, KC6VVT. "All
> electricity in the area went out." Fallen power lines prevented Auerswald
> from taking his usual route along Illinois Route 1. "We traveled by back
> roads and oil field roads and made it home," he said.
>
> Downed trees and power lines and other property damage greeted his 
> arrival.
> "A lightning burst gave me a clue to what else was missing: My antenna
> farm," he said. Auerswald said that until he can "piece something 
> together,"
> he's off the air. He was providing power to his home from a generator.
>
> Ryan reports the Illinois ARES HF Section Net on 75 meters secured early
> because of high atmospheric noise levels. The ARES Net on the Starved Rock
> Radio Club W9MKS repeater in Lenore yielded to an ongoing weather-spotter
> net activated earlier by Jim Morris, N9PLM, who served as net control.
> "Weather Net members monitored for storm activity and, at one point, the
> LaSalle County EOC was activated," Ryan said. One person died in Illinois.
>
> Other states affected by the tornadoes and high winds included Arkansas,
> Missouri, Indiana and Ohio. Kentucky Section Emergency Coordinator Ron
> Dodson, KA4MAP, reported "plenty of nets up and running" the evening of
> April 2. Dodson says the storms decreased in severity by the time they
> reached his state. "Trees, power and phones lines went down," he said, 
> "but
> there were no major structural incidents or injuries."
>
> The April 2 tornadoes came less than a month after a huge string of 
> tornados
> swept through the nation's midsection on another Sunday, killing 10 people
> in Missouri and Indiana and causing damage in several other states,
> including Illinois, Kansas and Arkansas.
>
> ==>FCC WARNS RADIO AMATEURS TO SETTLE PERSONAL DIFFERENCES OFF THE AIR
>
> The FCC has advised four Texas licensees to take an "ongoing dispute" off
> the Amateur Radio bands or face enforcement action. Special Counsel in the
> FCC Enforcement Bureau Riley Hollingsworth sent essentially identical
> warning letters February 28 to Luis A Caraballo, N7PLC, and Sharon E.
> Millhouse, KC5PRX--both of Floresville, and to Thomas O. Caldwell, WD5GXH,
> and Gary Sheets, WD5FWP--both of San Antonio. Hollingsworth said the 
> dispute
> has "led to allegations of slander and deliberate interference" on the ham
> bands.
>
> "The Commission is not concerned with the merits, or lack thereof, of any
> dispute between you or of how you settle such disputes," Hollingsworth
> wrote, "but any use of amateur frequencies to carry on the dispute is
> contrary to Section 97.1 of the rules and will lead to enforcement action
> against the licenses of each of you."
>
> Hollingsworth told ARRL that the personal squabble among the four radio
> amateurs has been going on for several years, eventually spilling over 
> onto
> 2 meters. FCC efforts to resolve the dispute have been unsuccessful, he
> said, adding, "it's degrading the Amateur Service."
>
> Sanctions could include license revocation or suspension as well as fines 
> of
> up to $10,000, Hollingsworth warned. "We may also consider proceedings to
> restrict or remove the voice privileges of your licenses," he added, 
> noting
> "this is the last warning you will receive before enforcement action is
> initiated."
>
> Hollingsworth this week said he'd heard back from all but one of the
> individuals who received his letters, but only one reply was in writing. 
> In
> a handwritten note, Sheets pledged to amend his attitude and practices.
> Hollingsworth said he's awaiting written responses from the other three
> recipients.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Astral aficionado Tad "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Cook, K7RA, 
> Seattle,
> Washington, reports: The general trend is down. An average daily sunspot
> number of 18.1 for the first quarter of the year easily compares to the
> minimum between cycles 22 and 23.
>
> For the near term, expect sunspot numbers and solar flux to decline
> gradually. For April 7-13, US Air Force Space Weather Operations predict a
> planetary A index of 10, 8, 20, 15, 12, 7 and 5. For the same period it
> shows a decline of solar flux values from 100 to 80. Geophysical Institute
> Prague predicts quiet to unsettled conditions on April 7, quiet conditions
> on April 8, unsettled conditions on April 9, active conditions on April 
> 10,
> unsettled to active conditions on April 11, unsettled on April 12, and 
> quiet
> to unsettled on April 13.
>
> Sunspot numbers for March 30 through April 5 were 35, 39, 39, 68, 79, 62 
> and
> 88, with a mean of 58.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 83.9, 86.3, 87, 91.1, 100.4,
> 99.5, and 99, with a mean of 92.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 
> 4,
> 2, 1, 1, 7 and 29, with a mean of 6.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices 
> were
> 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4 and 18, with a mean of 4.1.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: 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.
> JUST AHEAD: The YLRL DX-YL to NA-YL Contest (SSB) runs from April 11 to
> April 13. The NAQCC 80-Meter Straight Key/Bug Sprint, the 222 MHz Spring
> Sprint and the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) are April 12. The 
> TARA
> Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest, the Holyland DX Contest, the ES Open HF
> Championship, the EU Spring Sprint (SSB), the Michigan and Ontario QSO
> parties, the EA-QRP CW Contest and the YU DX Contest are the weekend of
> April 15-16. The ARLHS Annual Spring Lites QSO Party is April 15-23. The 
> Run
> for the Bacon QRP Contest and the Low Power Spring Sprint are April 17. 
> The
> 432 MHz Spring Sprint and the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Data) are
> April 20. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is April 21. 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 23, for these ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program online courses: 
> Amateur
> Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency
> Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog
> Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin 
> Friday,
> May 5. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page or contact the CCE
> Department <cce at arrl.org>. [C-CE logo]
>
> * FCC invites comments on ARRL spread spectrum petition: The FCC has 
> invited
> comments on the ARRL's Petition for Rule Making, designated RM-11325, 
> which
> seeks to modify a Part 97 rule governing spread spectrum (SS) operation on
> Amateur Radio frequencies. The League has asked the Commission to drop all
> but the first sentence of §97.311(d), which now requires the use of
> automatic power control (APC) for SS stations running more than 1 W, but
> retain the 100 W overall power limitation for SS. "The effect of the rule
> change would be to eliminate an automatic power control provision that has
> proven over time to be impractical" in terms of compliance, the League 
> said
> in its petition, filed March 13. Comments are due Wednesday, May 3; reply
> comments are due Thursday, May 18. Submit or view comments filed via the
> FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS)
> <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>. Click on "Submit a Filing" or "Search for
> Filed Comments," and type "RM-11325" in the "Proceeding" field. Be sure to
> type "RM" in upper case and include the hyphen, but omit the quotation
> marks. A copy of the petition is on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/SS-Rulemaking-Petition.pdf>.
>
> * N4S special event to mark silver anniversary of first shuttle launch:
> Members of the Titusville and the North Brevard Amateur Radio clubs in
> Florida will be on the air as special event station N4S Sunday, April 9,
> through Saturday, April 15, at the Florida Space Authority facility at the
> Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station complex. The N4S
> special event will celebrate the silver anniversary of NASA's successful
> space shuttle program, which began with the launch of the shuttle Columbia
> on April 12, 1981. Through contacts with stations around the globe, the
> special event hopes to increase awareness of the many NASA men and women 
> of
> space technology and note their accomplishments. A 25th anniversary
> certificate signed by Florida Lt Gov Toni Jennings on behalf of the 
> Florida
> Space Authority is available upon request and an SASE to Carl Zelich, 
> AA4MI,
> 1720 Old River Tr, Chuluota, FL 32766-8603. Full information is available 
> on
> the North Brevard ARC Web site
> <http://www.northbrevardradioclub.org/shuttleanniversary.htm>.
>
> * Markus Hansen, VE7CA, wins March QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of 
> the
> QST Cover Plaque Award for March is Markus Hansen, VE7CA, for his article 
> "A
> Homebrew High Performance HF Transceiver--the HBR-2000." Congratulations,
> Markus! 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 April issue by Sunday, April 30.
>
> * RAC committee eyeing new entry-level license: A seven-member Radio
> Amateurs of Canada (RAC) advisory committee is looking into whether to ask
> Industry Canada to institute a new entry-level Amateur Radio license north
> of the border. Under the leadership of Midwest Director Bj Madsen, VE5FX,
> the committee is studying the success of the Foundation License 
> implemented
> in the UK, Australia and Gibraltar to encourage youth to take an interest 
> in
> science and radio and to promote growth in Amateur Radio. "Amateur Radio 
> is
> not dying--it is changing, and we must be sure to change with it," Madsen
> says. The RAC panel is seeking the opinions of Canadian radio amateurs on
> the topic and will make a recommendation to the RAC Board of Directors.
> Canadian amateurs can learn more about the advisory committee's work and 
> how
> to contribute by reading "The Foundation License Concept" on the RAC Web
> site <http://www.rac.ca/news/foundation.pdf>. The ARRL and other 
> petitioners
> have so far been unsuccessful in convincing the FCC to establish a new
> entry-level Amateur Radio license in the US.
>
> ===========================================================
> 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>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, 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, 
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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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\