[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 32

[Bill Marx]

\***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 25, No. 32
> August 11, 2006
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * IARU Region 3 elects new leadership
> * Amateur Radio license of convicted felon in jeopardy; hearing pending
> * MARS to support US Transportation Security Administration in emergencies
> * Greek space campers converse via ham radio with German astronaut
> * ISS ham radio "go-to" guy earns NASA's Silver Snoopy Award
> * ARRL on-line auction gearing up
> * ARRL HQ volunteer tour guides on the job
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>     This weekend on the radio
>     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>     ARRL HQ phone system to be disrupted August 16
>     New CQ WPX Award manager announced
>     Thirtieth Annual Tokyo Ham Fair August 19-20
>     Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN, SK
>     Robert M. Richardson, W4UCH, SK
>     Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, SK



> ==>IARU REGION 3 ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
>
> The 13th Conference of IARU Region 3 was held in Bangalore, India August
> 7-11. IARU Region 3 <http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/> consists of the
> member-societies of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) in the
> Asia-Pacific area. There were 13 IARU member-societies represented in 
> person
> with another five represented by proxy. Representing the ARRL, which has
> Full members in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, 
> were
> International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Chief Executive
> Officer and Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Chief Technology Officer 
> Paul
> Rinaldo, W4RI. The IARU International Secretariat was represented by Vice
> President Tim Ellam, VE6SH. All four also will attend a meeting of the 
> IARU
> Administrative Council in Bangalore on August 12-14.
>
> Conference arrangements were made by an outstanding team of volunteers of
> the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI), the IARU member-society for
> India.
>
> The conference considered more than 60 input documents containing reports
> and proposals from Region 3 member-societies, coordinators and committee
> chairmen, as well as from IARU Regions 1 and 2. The conference documents 
> are
> available on the Web <http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/13r3c/docs/docs.htm>.
>
> Two Working Groups dealing with policy and operational issues met in
> parallel. A third Working Group to consider constitutional issues met when
> the other two Working Groups were not in session. Proposals to amend the
> Constitution that had been proposed in advance by member-societies were
> considered, and modest amendments were adopted. Recommendations were 
> adopted
> addressing a wide range of Amateur Radio issues, including the 2007 World
> Radiocommunication Conference, BPL/PLC interference, international
> licensing, development of Amateur Radio in the Pacific Islands, 
> interference
> from unauthorized non-amateur stations operating in the amateur bands,
> emergency communications preparedness, and signal reporting for digital
> modes.
>
> A new slate of Directors was elected to manage the affairs of the Region
> between conferences. They are Michael Owen, VK3KI, who also was elected
> Chairman of Directors; Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI; Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN; Peter 
> B.
> Lake, ZL2AZ; and Prof. Rhee-Joong Guen, HL1AQQ. The contributions of
> retiring Directors Y. S. Park, HL1IFM, Chandru Ramchandra, VU2RCR, Yoshiji
> Sekido, JJ1OEY, and K. C. Selvadurai, 9V1UV were noted with great
> appreciation. Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB, continues as Secretary of the Region.
>
> The 14th Region 3 Conference is planned for Christchurch, New Zealand in
> 2009. -- David Sumner, K1ZZ
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE OF CONVICTED FELON IN JEOPARDY; HEARING PENDING
>
> The FCC has initiated a hearing proceeding against Robert D. Landis, 
> N6FRV,
> of Atascadero, California, who was convicted on two felony counts in 1991,
> fined $10,000 and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The hearing will
> determine whether Landis will be allowed to continue to hold his Advanced
> class license, which is due to expire on November 1. The Order to Show 
> Cause
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1570A1.pdf>
> released August 1 was in response to a complaint pointing out Landis's
> conviction for lewd behavior involving a minor. For several years now, the
> FCC has applied character standards once reserved for broadcast licensees 
> to
> Amateur Radio licensing and renewal cases.
>
> "Thus, felony convictions, especially those involving sexual assault on
> children, raise questions regarding an amateur licensee's qualifications,"
> the FCC said in this week's Order. Section 312(a)(2) of the Communications
> Act provides that the Commission may revoke any license if conditions come
> to its attention that would warrant refusal to grant a license on the
> original application, the FCC noted.
>
> "The foregoing makes plain that Mr Landis's felony convictions raise 
> serious
> questions as to whether he possesses the requisite character 
> qualifications
> to be and to remain a Commission licensee and whether his captioned 
> license
> should be revoked."
>
> The FCC ordered Landis to show cause why his authorization for an Amateur
> Radio license should not be revoked, although the Enforcement Bureau will
> bear the burden of proof with respect to the issues raised. An
> Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presides at such hearings, at which 
> evidence
> and witnesses may be presented and heard.
>
> If Landis fails to respond to the Order within 30 days or otherwise waives
> his right to a hearing, the ALJ will issue an order terminating the 
> hearing
> proceeding and certifying the case to the FCC.
>
> The FCC served notice July 14 on two other Amateur Radio licensees that
> their respective applications would be designated for hearing. Both cases
> involve apparent misrepresentations to the Commission. Special Counsel in
> the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth told Gordon D.
> Young, WB6NKJ, that his Amateur Extra upgrade application would be
> designated for hearing to "determine whether you are qualified to remain a
> Commission licensee, and, if so, whether your Extra class application 
> should
> be granted."
>
> The FCC alleges that Young made misrepresentations to the Commission
> regarding repairs to his transmitter after he received a Warning Notice 
> for
> allegedly operating on a frequency not allowed to Advanced class 
> licensees.
>
> The Commission plans to designate the Amateur Radio Technician class
> application of Frank C. Richards of Mooers, New York, for hearing because 
> of
> unresolved circumstances surrounding his 2004 filing of applications to
> change the address and call sign on a license that apparently belonged to 
> a
> man of the same name in Florida.
>
> After Richards submitted the license for KG2IJ for cancellation in June
> 2004, the FCC said it contemplated no further enforcement action. The
> Commission said, however, that it would review the circumstances of the
> applications should Richards ever apply for an Amateur Radio license in 
> the
> future.
>
> Richards passed the Technician exam last March and applied for a license 
> in
> late June.
>
> ==>MARS TO SUPPORT US TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IN 
> EMERGENCIES
>
> Amateur Radio operators who are members of the Military Affiliate Radio
> System (MARS) will provide back-up communication for the US Transportation
> Security Administration (TSA) under a formal agreement announced in July 
> by
> Army MARS Chief Kathy Harrison, AAA9A. Protecting airports during the
> hurricane season will be the immediate focus, she said, adding that the 
> new
> MARS-TSA collaboration "is likely to expand to other Department of 
> Homeland
> Security (DHS) areas" in the future.
>
> "This is an extensive area and will require member support across the
> continental United States," Harrison said in a broadcast announcement to
> Army MARS participants. "We will need many volunteers to man teams 
> assigned
> to specific geographical areas, starting with airports throughout the
> hurricane corridor." She called for "physically capable" Amateur Radio
> operators to volunteer for the assignment.
>
> The first airport emergency support teams will be located at four airports
> in the Florida hurricane belt: Miami, Ft Myers, Jacksonville and 
> Pensacola,
> Harrison said. She added that recruiting will immediately follow for nine
> additional potential hurricane targets from Washington, DC to Houston. In 
> a
> later phase - but as soon as possible - additional teams will be recruited
> for other hurricane locations including Puerto Rico and the Virgin 
> Islands,
> and after that, the remainder of the continental US.
>
> The emergency support teams - each consisting of four members of MARS - 
> are
> being assembled under joint sponsorship of MARS and the TSA, with 
> deployment
> assignments determined by the TSA when and if the government's 
> communication
> systems fail. "Volunteers should be within a reasonable traveling distance
> to the airport. It will be their responsibility to get to the site when
> activated," said Harrison.
>
> The Memorandum of Understanding, which is already in place, calls for 
> using
> MARS networks, personnel and equipment to maintain communication during 
> the
> first 72 hours of incidents involving aircraft, mass transit and 
> pipelines.
> Seventy-two hours is considered the maximum time needed for federal 
> response
> organizations to deploy internal emergency communication systems.
>
> The MoU spells out the most extensive MARS support mission since the
> development of the Essential Elements of Information (EEI), which date to
> the 1994 Northridge earthquake that devastated parts of California's San
> Fernando Valley. EEIs are alerts to the Pentagon of a natural disaster or
> other incident that might require a federal response.
>
> In a memo to MARS personnel, Harrison included the following points:
>
> .  The Navy-Marine Corps and Air Force MARS organizations are included in
> the call for volunteers, via their separate chains of command.
>
> .  Army MARS state directors will be responsible for formation of the 
> joint
> teams.
>
> .  All deployments will be by team, each with a combination of equipment 
> and
> operator capabilities and members ready to work 12-hour shifts. Some
> locations may ultimately require more than one team.
>
> .  Required equipment for each team will include HF and VHF radios with
> voice and digital capability, Pactor/Airmail digital messaging, phone
> patching and emergency power.
>
> .  Some locations may have TSA radio gear and emergency power supply to
> augment the hams' personal equipment.
>
> A particular MARS responsibility will be to provide communication
> interoperability with local, state and national networks, such as the 
> Radio
> Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and Shared Resources (SHARES). A
> separate web of national and regional HF radio networks, SHARES links
> federal agencies under the DHS's National Communications System (NCS), of
> which MARS already is a primary participant.
>
> The pact calls for a reliable back-up solution "to ensure the continuity 
> of
> TSA's command and control function during the first 72 hours following any
> incident interfering with normal communications channels and to provide
> local, regional and nationwide TSA communications during that time." The
> existing Army MARS emergency communication network offers such a solution
> immediately and at no additional cost to the TSA, the MoU points out.
>
> Under the MoU, the TSA agrees to provide MARS volunteers with access to 
> its
> facilities and space for radio equipment. It further agrees to integrate
> MARS capabilities into its emergency planning and exercises. The Army's
> commitment includes providing "volunteer MARS radio operators, equipment,
> and use of the MARS radio networks" and developing "alert procedures and a
> communications support plan" that "will identify specific frequencies, 
> call
> signs, and radio operator level duties." Harrison stressed that the 
> decision
> to volunteer rests with the individual. "The Army has no liability over a
> member who reports to a disaster site; members will be responsible to TSA
> personnel."
>
> Harrison told the Army MARS membership that she's "very excited" about the
> new agreement. "This will be a fast-moving recruitment/development action,
> and I request your support in filling these teams."
>
> The chiefs of Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps MARS also are onboard with 
> the
> new agreement and have messaged their respective memberships to signify
> their participation and cooperation with Army MARS. Air Force MARS Chief 
> Don
> Poquette, AGA3C/KE9XB, has pledged his members' support. "AF MARS will
> assist to accomplish this mission," he said, pending working out 
> logistical
> details.
>
> Harrison says she and her headquarters staff met recently with TSA and DHS
> representatives to formalize the details of the cooperative arrangement. 
> She
> said MARS area coordinators will provide specific requirements to state 
> MARS
> directors to recruit members and equipment capabilities to support TSA.
>
> Signing the MoU on behalf of the Army was Col Mary Beth Shively, chief of
> staff, Network Enterprise Technology Command/Ninth Army Signal Command.
> James Schear, General Manager, Operational Plans and Programs, endorsed it
> for the TSA. Headquartered at Ft Huachuca, Arizona, the Ninth Army Signal
> Command oversees the Army MARS mission. -- Bill Sexton, N1IN
>
> ==>GREEK SPACE CAMPERS CONVERSE VIA HAM RADIO WITH GERMAN ASTRONAUT
>
> It was a truly international event July 29, when a Greek official and two
> youngsters attending a European Space Agency (ESA) space camp in Patras,
> Greece, spoke with German astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, aboard the
> International Space Station.
>
> The radio contact was performed by an ARISS ground station at Sacred Heart
> Academy, Honolulu, Hawaii, operated by Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN. Signals 
> were
> relayed to Greece by telebridge courtesy of Verizon Teleconferencing.
>
> Participating in this ESA-organized event was Mrs Marietta Giannakou,
> Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs, who asked the first
> questions, inviting Reiter to address a message to the youth and to 
> comment
> on experiments that are being conducted onboard the International Space
> Station.
>
> Thomas said there is so much we can gain for the benefit of mankind by 
> going
> to space and exploring other planets. He encouraged young people to engage
> in careers related to space flight. One of his experiments is to study the
> behavior of fluids of different densities in microgravity.
>
> Answering students' questions, Thomas insisted on the importance for
> candidate astronauts to first study hard and acquire a solid background in
> sciences such as biology, physics or medical science. About future space
> exploration, he predicted that we will go back to the Moon within a few
> years and possibly to Mars 25 years from now.
>
> The Patras event was highlighted on Greek national TV evening news and
> publicized widely in several newspapers.
>
> The ARISS school contact was also distributed on EchoLink and IRLP.
>
> ARISS is an educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and
> NASA. -- tnx Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
>
> ==>ISS HAM RADIO "GO-TO" GUY EARNS NASA'S SILVER SNOOPY AWARD
>
> NASA has honored ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, 
> with
> its prestigious "Silver Snoopy" Award
> <http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/sfa/snoopy.html>. Ransom was tapped to receive
> the award for his role in helping International Space Station Expedition 
> 12
> Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, complete and confirm Worked All States
> (WAS) and Worked All Continents (WAC), including Antarctica, from NA1SS, 
> as
> well as logging some 130 DXCC entities. McArthur's duty tour ended in 
> April.
>
> "I am honored to have received the award and honored again by Bill
> McArthur's thoughtfulness at selecting such an Amateur Radio-appropriate
> Silver Snoopy," Ransom told ARRL. He explained that every Silver Snoopy 
> has
> flown on a space mission. "The one that was awarded to me was flown on
> STS-58, which was Bill's first shuttle flight." The STS-58 mission, he 
> said,
> not only was a SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment) flight but
> McArthur's introduction to Amateur Radio from space. SAREX was the
> predecessor to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station 
> (ARISS)
> program <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>.
>
> In his role as ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer, Ransom helps ARISS arrange
> opportunities for students to speak via Amateur Radio with the space 
> station
> crew at NA1SS. He also coordinates with the ISS crew on the configuration
> and operation of the two ham radio stations aboard the space station.
>
> At some point during Expedition 12, Ransom realized that McArthur had
> already logged 25 states, and he figured, "Why stop there?" Pretty soon, 
> he
> was lining up contacts for McArthur in the other 25.
>
> "It was an, 'I know a friend who knows a friend who knows a friend' sort 
> of
> thing," Ransom explained. "There are a lot of folks eager to talk to an
> astronaut."
>
> And the feeling was mutual.
>
> "Different crews do different things as pastimes," Ransom said. "Bill
> enjoyed talking on the radio. It gave him someone else to talk to besides
> CAPCOM, the voice of mission control."
>
> By the end of the mission, McArthur not only became the first astronaut to
> earn WAS from space but put lots of DX -- routine and exotic -- in the 
> NA1SS
> log on both VHF and UHF. Overall, he made more than 1800 contacts during 
> his
> approximately six months in space. He also established a new ARISS 
> milestone
> by completing 37 school group contacts.
>
> "None of that would have been possible without the work Kenneth did,"
> McArthur said. "He alerted radio operators in some pretty obscure 
> places --
> places that rarely have contact with the space program."
>
> To show his gratitude, McArthur recently presented Ransom with the Silver
> Snoopy Award -- a silver lapel pin featuring the famous "Peanuts" comic
> strip character Snoopy in a spacesuit. NASA's Astronaut Office presents 
> the
> award to those who have significantly enhanced the space agency's goals 
> for
> human exploration and development of space. Fewer than one percent of the
> space program's workforce receives it annually.
>
> McArthur is still working to confirm DXCC from space. So far, he has
> approximately one-third of the necessary contacts confirmed.--NASA 
> provided
> some information for this report
>
> ==>ARRL ON-LINE AUCTION GEARING UP
>
> A big "Thank You" goes to the hundreds of ARRL members who have already
> contacted us about the first ARRL On-Line Auction, expressing their 
> support
> for and interest in this exciting event. We have already begun receiving
> some very generous donations that will surely make the first ARRL On-Line
> Auction an event to remember.
>
> The auction will run from Monday, October 23 through Friday, November 3.
> Individuals who wish to participate will need to register on-line
> approximately one week prior to the event. An update announcement will
> appear on the ARRL Web site when the ARRL On-Line Auction site "goes 
> live."
>
> ==>ARRL HQ TOUR GUIDES ON THE JOB
>
> Now when you arrive at the ARRL for a tour, your host will be one of our 
> new
> Volunteer Tour Guides. It might be Bob, or it could be Bob -- depending on
> the day, you might just luck out and get Bob!
>
> No, we're not re-creating The Newhart Show; our first three Volunteer Tour
> Guides, while not brothers, are all named Bob!
>
> On July 28, ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, along with
> Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, and Sales and Marketing Coordinator
> Jackie Cornell, presented framed certificates recognizing their 
> volunteerism
> to the three new Volunteer Tour Guides: Bob Allison, WB1GCM, Bob Burke,
> KA1KOV, and Bob Stanwood, KB1EYZ.
>
> "We are very thankful and appreciative of your enthusiasm for Amateur 
> Radio
> and the League. I know our guests will enjoy their visit to Headquarters
> even more now because of you -- thank you!" said Breen.
>
> And just who is the "Trio Bob"? Bob Allison, WB1GCM, has been a ham for 32
> years; he holds an Amateur Extra class license. His Amateur Radio hobby 
> led
> directly to an education in electronics and a 27 year career in broadcast
> television and radio. "Ham Radio opens many doors in life, and I've had 
> the
> opportunity to help people through this wonderful hobby," he said. Bob and
> his wife, ARRL staffer Kathy, KA1RWY, reside in Coventry, Connecticut. Bob
> also enjoys sailing and working on Model A Fords. "It's a privilege to be
> able to volunteer here at ARRL HQ," he said. "I am pleased to be your tour
> guide!"
>
> Bob Burke, KA1KOV, got into Amateur Radio, as he says, "by accident." When
> he was Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 29 in the early 1980s, another Scout
> leader had heard of a Novice class starting at the Newington Amateur Radio
> League (NARL). Since the Scouters had to travel to New York for their
> license upgrades, it was a long time between Tech and General, but Bob now
> holds an Amateur Extra class license, is a Volunteer Examiner, as well as 
> a
> past president of NARL.
>
> Bob Stanwood, KB1EYZ, has been involved with Amateur Radio since building 
> a
> crystal set when he was 10 years old; it led to his discovery of short 
> wave
> radio and experimenting with TV antennas in high school. After earning two
> degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell University and four years 
> of
> piloting C-130s for the US Air Force, Bob was hired by Pratt & Whitney,
> eventually in program management. He retired 13 years ago and worked 
> another
> four years as a consultant, and in full retirement, turned to Amateur 
> Radio.
> Since earning his Technician license in 2000, he has progressed to Amateur
> Extra, continuing to build antennas and participating in public service
> events. He and his wife Peggy have been married 42 years, and have two 
> adult
> children and two wonderful granddaughters, aged four and seven. In 
> addition
> to his family and Amateur Radio, Bob also volunteers at the New England 
> Air
> Museum.
>
> Tours are given every day the ARRL HQ is open, at 9, 10 and 11 AM, and 1, 
> 2
> and 3 PM. Part of the tour includes W1AW, so be sure to bring a copy of 
> your
> license, as you are encouraged to operate. While tour reservations are not
> necessary, large groups should notify Jackie Cornell at 860-594-0292.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Heliophile Tad "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
> Washington, reports: On four days this week the sun was spotless, so the
> average daily sunspot number for the week dropped over 11 points to 8.6.
> Sunspot numbers are now recovering and climbing, from zero on Monday to 
> 12,
> 25 and 37 on Tuesday through Thursday. Sunspot numbers and solar flux 
> should
> continue a modest recovery through next week. When the sunspots were zero,
> the solar flux (a measurement of 10.7 GHz energy from the sun, observed at 
> a
> station in British Columbia) was below 70. Now solar flux is expected to
> rise in the short term to 85 or more. Rising sunspot numbers and solar 
> flux
> mean higher MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency), although not a lot higher.
>
> Sunspot numbers for August 3 through 9 were 23, 0, 0, 0, 0, 12 and 25 with 
> a
> mean of 8.6. 10.7 cm flux was 71.3, 69.6, 69.5, 69.5, 69.8, 71.4, and 
> 74.1,
> with a mean of 70.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 3, 4, 4, 32, 12
> and 9 with a mean of 10. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 2, 2, 2,
> 19, 10 and 9, with a mean of 7.
>
> For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical
> Information Service at http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html. For 
> a
> detailed explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see
> http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/k9la-prop.html. An archive of past 
> propagation
> bulletins is at http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The WAE DX Contest (CW) and the Maryland-DC 
> QSO
> Party are the weekend of August 12-13. The ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, the
> North American QSO Party (SSB), the SARTG World Wide RTTY Contest, and the
> New Jersey QSO Party, as well as the International Lighthouse/Lightship
> Weekend are the weekend of August 19-20. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
> is August 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 begins Friday, August 11 for these ARRL Certification and
> Continuing Education (CCE) 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, October 6. 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>.
>
> * HQ telephone service to be disrupted August 16: On Wednesday, August 16,
> after the close of business (5 PM EDT), the ARRL HQ phone system will be
> taken off-line for up to a couple of hours so critical upgrades to the
> software running the system can be installed. During that time, anyone
> calling an ARRL HQ number will hear a ring tone, but the call will not be
> answered. We regret any inconvenience this may cause to our members.
>
> * N8BJQ is new CQ WPX Award manager: Steve Bolia, N8BJQ, has been named to
> succeed Norm Koch, WN5N (ex-K6ZDL), as manager of the CQ WPX Award 
> program,
> CQ Publisher and President Dick Ross, K2MGA, has announced. The WPX awards
> are issued for confirmed contacts with stations having different call sign
> prefixes. Koch is retiring after 25 years in the position. "We thank Norm
> for his many years of devoted service to the WPX program, to CQ and to
> Amateur Radio," said Ross, "We wish him all the best in the future." A CQ
> Contesting Hall of Famer and Contest Committee member, Bolia was CQ WPX
> Contest director from 1982 until 2003. He holds CW, SSB and mixed Worked 
> All
> Zones awards, is on the DXCC Honor Roll (mixed and CW), and holds 5-Band
> DXCC, RTTY DXCC and 160-Meter DXCC. He's also made several DXpeditions. 
> The
> September issue of CQ will include updated address information to submit
> award applications.
>
> * Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN, SK: Don Newcomb, W0DN, of Henderson, Nevada, 
> died
> July 27. He was 71. Newcomb founded the Butternut Company, manufacturer of 
> a
> series of highly regarded antennas, and he held several patents in antenna
> design. A bit of a renaissance man, Newcomb also was an accomplished
> musician, held a doctorate in French and was a university professor in
> Minnesota before he started Butternut in the late 1970s. In 1994, Newcomb
> sold Butternut to Bencher, Inc and retired to Nevada. -- tnx Bob Locher,
> W9KNI
>
> * Robert M. Richardson, W4UCH, SK: Robert M. "Bob" Richardson, W4UCH, of 
> Ft
> Lauderdale, Florida, died June 29. He was 79. An aviation executive, 
> fighter
> pilot and inventor, Richardson contributed several articles to QST and to
> Ham Radio magazine between 1959 and 1986. He also authored The Gunnplexer
> Cookbook, published in 1981 by Ham Radio Publishing. Following World War 
> II
> service as a fighter pilot, he was assigned to work on "Operation Ivy"
> hydrogen bomb test in the Marshall Islands. He holds several patents
> including one for a "battery-free remote radio transmitter," a precursor 
> to
> today's RF identification tags used in retail security and inventory
> control. He also holds a patent for the first bacteria-powered radio
> transmitter, an accomplishment featured by Life magazine in a 1961 
> article,
> "Will Bugs Generate Our Future Power?" In 1962, Richardson's contribution
> "First Biological Cell Application Powers Six-Meter Transmitter" appeared 
> in
> QST's "Technical Correspondence." The family invites memorial donations to
> the Robert Merz Richardson Memorial, Chautauqua Foundation, PO Box 28,
> Chautauqua, NY 14722.
>
> * Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, SK: Long-time Project OSCAR and AMSAT member
> Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, of Morro Bay, California, died July 30. An ARRL
> Life Member, he was 75. Just days before Buttschardt's death, the Project
> OSCAR Board of Directors awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award - its
> highest honor -- for contributions to Amateur Satellite Radio. "In March 
> of
> 2006 the Board of Project OSCAR voted to recognize Cliff with an award for
> his achievements and his lifetime of contributions to amateur satellite
> programs," said Project OSCAR Vice President Emily Clarke, N1DID. "Over 
> the
> years Cliff contributed much to Project OSCAR and AMSAT, and was one of 
> the
> guiding forces behind the CubeSat program at Cal Poly, where he has been
> working quietly behind the scenes as an advisor." Unfortunately, a
> much-heralded attempt to launch 14 university CubeSats -- one renamed in
> Buttschardt's honor -- failed July 26. It is requested that in lieu of
> flowers a contribution to AMSAT or the ARRL be made in Cliff's name.
>
> ===========================================================
> The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
> Radio Relay League: ARRL--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.
>
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>