[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 01

[Bill Marx]

 ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 25, No. 01
> January 6, 2006
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +ARRL renews interference complaint against Ambient Corp BPL
installation
> * +Sole surviving West Virginia miner KC8VKZ still critical
> * +Hams aid fight against Texas grass fires
> * +Bill Sawders, K7ZM, appointed NW Division Vice Director
> * +Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, named QEX Managing Editor
> * +Weekends best time to catch NA1SS on the air
> * +Canadian amateurs to lose 220-222 MHz
> * +Nominations sought for 2006 Dayton Hamvention awards
> * +ARRL Foundation approves more new scholarships
> * +Astronaut Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, goes out on top
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      On the radio: ARRL RTTY Roundup, January 7-8; ARRL Kid's Day, January
> 8!
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>
> +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 RENEWS INTERFERENCE COMPLAINT AGAINST AMBIENT CORP BPL
INSTALLATION
>
> In the wake of continued FCC inaction in response to several previous
> complaints, on January 5 the ARRL filed a renewal of the complaint against
> the Ambient Corporation's Broadband over Power Line system in Briarcliff
> Manor, New York. The BPL system is operated by Ambient, on power lines
owned
> and operated by Consolidated Edison, under an experimental FCC
> authorization.
>
> The latest communication points out that the FCC, without adjudicating
> ARRL's repeated complaints about interference throughout the amateur 20
> meter band, renewed Ambient's experimental license for an additional term,
> from August 1, 2005 to August 1, 2007. "The Briarcliff Manor BPL system
> currently (still) causes harmful interference to Amateur Radio
> communications and it is not compliant with applicable FCC part 15
> regulations," according to the ARRL complaint. "Neither," it continues,
"is
> it compliant with the terms of the experimental authorization granted by
the
> Commission, most recently on August 1, 2005."
>
> It continues: "ARRL reiterates its request, now more than a year old, that
> the BPL facility.be instructed to shut down immediately; and that it not
> resume operation unless the facility is shown to be in full compliance
with
> Commission rules regarding radiated emissions and with the
non-interference
> requirement.of the Commission's Rules and the terms of the experimental
> authorization. Finally, information about it must be listed in the BPL
> publicly accessible database."
>
> Appended to the January 5 complaint letter was a 25 page engineering
report
> entitled "Additional Testing of BPL System in Briarcliff Manor, NY." ARRL
> Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, wrote the report after conducting
further
> tests at the site December 5, 2005. The report points out that he had
> conducted similar tests twice before during 2005, and three times during
> 2004. In this earlier testing, Hare found significant violations of FCC
> rules regarding Part 15 emissions limits.
>
> The January 5 ARRL complaint, entitled "Continued Request for Immediate
> Cessation of Operation," was signed by ARRL Counsel Christopher D. Imlay,
> W3KD, and was sent to the FCC's Joseph Casey, Bruce Franca and James
Burtle.
> Casey is Chief, Spectrum Enforcement Division, while Franca serves as
Acting
> Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, and Burtle is Chief,
> Experimental Licensing Division. A copy was also sent to the counsel for
> Ambient Corporation.
>
> For more about BPL, see the BPL pages on the ARRLWeb
> <http//www.arrl.org/bpl>.
>
> ==>SOLE SURVIVING WEST VIRGINIA MINER KC8VKZ STILL CRITICAL
>
> The only survivor of the January 3 mine explosion in Tallmansville, West
> Virginia is Randal McCloy Jr, KC8VKZ, of Philippi, West Virginia. At press
> time, he was listed in critical condition at Allegheny General Hospital in
> Pittsburgh, where he is undergoing specialized treatment. Hams may wish to
> send a note of support on a QSL card to Randal McCloy Jr, KC8VKZ, PO Box
> 223, Philippi, WV 26435. -- tnx Randy Padawer, K7RAN
>
> ==>HAMS AID FIGHT AGAINST TEXAS GRASS FIRES
>
> Amateur Radio Emergency Service and other Amateur Radio operators from the
> West Texas Section, and especially the Abilene vicinity, were called to
> assist with communications during the last week of 2005 when the wildfires
> struck Cross Plains, Texas, in the southeastern portion of neighboring
> Callahan County.
>
> "There was no cell service because the connection to the cell tower was
> burned," said Bill Shaw, KJ5DX, the ARRL Emergency Coordinator in nearby
> Taylor County. "There was one landline phone working at the church where
the
> Cross Plains Red Cross shelter was set up."
>
> Amateur Radio operators established communication via UHF and VHF radios
> between the Cross Plains Shelter, Brownwood Red Cross Shelter, and Abilene
> Red Cross headquarters. A team of 14 radio amateurs was on hand during
this
> emergency.
>
> "We kept up 24 hour communications for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
until
> noon via ham radio," Shaw explained. "The fire started as a grass fire
about
> noontime on December 27, and quickly escalated into a raging wildfire that
> was fed by 45 mph winds."
>
> Unfortunately, the fire quickly spread toward town about 3 miles away, and
> it burned the area that is about 4 to 6 miles east-west and 2 to 3 miles
> north-south in size.
>
> "About 31 fire departments fought fires until about 5:00 the next
morning,"
> Shaw said. As a result of this fire, almost 8,000 acres burned, 152 homes
> were damaged, and that represents 25 to 30 per cent of the homes in Cross
> Plains. Over a hundred of those homes were completely destroyed.
>
> Wildfires have also been burning in drought-stricken Oklahoma and New
> Mexico.
>
> ==>BILL SAWDERS, K7ZM, APPOINTED NORTHWESTERN DIVISION VICE DIRECTOR
>
> ARRL President Jim Haynie has appointed William J. Sawders, K7ZM, of Bend,
> Oregon, to fill the remaining year of the current term of Northwestern
> Division Vice Director. The Election and Ethics Committee has verified his
> eligibility.
>
> A former Oregon Section Manager, Sawders was appointed to the position
> vacated by Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF, who became Director upon the sudden
> passing of Greg Milnes, W7OZ, on December 17. Sawders's term ends at noon
on
> January 1, 2007.
>
> First licensed in 1957 at the age of 12, Sawders has held an Amateur Extra
> class license since 1968. Previous call signs were K6ZMZ and W7KWK. He
> received the call sign K7ZM in 1977. His wife, Vicki is a licensed General
> class operator and holds the call sign K7VKI.
>
> Bill was the ARRL Oregon Section Manager from 1998 to 2002, and is Past
> President of the San Diego DX Club (1968), Central Oregon Radio Amateurs
> (1992) and Central Oregon DX Club (1989-1998). He is currently President
of
> the Central Oregon Contest Club. Bill is also the owner of the 145.490
> repeater on the south end of Bend.
>
> ==>LARRY WOLFGANG, WR1B, NAMED QEX MANAGING EDITOR
>
> Long-time ARRL HQ staffer Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, is the new managing editor
> of QEX, the ARRL's magazine for communications experimenters.
>
> Editor of ARRL license study materials since 1985, Larry has been employed
> at ARRL Headquarters since 1981. He holds a bachelor's degree in physics
> from Susquehanna University, and taught high school science prior to
coming
> to ARRL. Larry edited the popular QST Hints and Kinks column as well as
QST
> technical articles before moving over to the Book Team to take on the ARRL
> license manuals series. He has served as a technical consultant on the
ARRL
> video license courses and produced ARRL's Morse code training materials,
> including Your Introduction to Morse Code. Larry was the editor of the
1990
> edition of The ARRL Handbook and was the handling editor for a number of
> books in the ARRL Radio Amateur's Library. First licensed as WN3JQM in
1968,
> at the age of 15, Larry also held WA3VIL for many years.
>
> Readers can find more information about QEX, published six times a year,
at
> the QEX Web site <http//www.arrl.org/qex. The Table of Contents for each
> issue is listed there, along with a sample article for free download.
>
> ==>WEEKENDS BEST TIME TO CATCH NA1SS ON THE AIR
>
> The best time to catch International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 12
> Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, on the air from NA1SS is during a
weekend.
> Now about halfway through his six-month duty tour, McArthur already has
more
> than 300 casual contacts in his log, and he's eager to up the count.
>
> "Weekends seem to be Bill's favorite time to operate," says Amateur Radio
on
> the International Space Station (ARISS) Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth
> Ransom, N5VHO. "The weekend has few scheduled activities, so the crew may
> operate anywhere from 0800 until 2200 UTC."
>
> But Ransom says McArthur also operates in his free time on weekdays, and
> that includes his lunch hour, scheduled around 1200 to 1400 UTC. "Bill has
> occasionally operated in this time during the week," he told ARRL.
>
> The crew's work day ends about 1930 UTC, but McArthur and crewmate Valery
> Tokarev usually stay up for another couple of hours. The crew sleeps from
> 2130 until 0630 UTC.
>
> McArthur recently completed Worked All Continents (WAC) from space,
> including the "traditional ARISS" requirement to work Antarctica.
>
> "We clearly share a lot in common," McArthur told Chuck Kimball, N0MHJ, at
> Palmer Station's KC4AAC during their 2-meter contact December 17. "You
know,
> we have this bond. Just our hostile environments are a little bit
> different."
>
> McArthur's still trying to earn Worked All States (WAS) and DXCC from
space
> and as 2005 drew to a close already had logged 37 states and 38 DXCC
> entities.
>
> Responding to questions regarding the legitimacy of a DXCC earned from a
> spacecraft circling 220 miles above Earth, ARRL Membership Services
Manager
> Wayne Mills, N7NG, concedes that while McArthur's efforts don't have that
> much to do with traditional DXCC, they won't devalue the efforts of those
> earning the award from Earth either.
>
> "While rules are very important, particularly in defining the DXCC
program,
> other concepts can, and often do, transcend mere rules," he said. "Think
of
> this as more of a public relations opportunity."
>
> In addition, McArthur has been averaging two ARISS school group contacts
as
> his schedule permits. Not since Expedition 3--when there were three people
> aboard the ISS for each crew increment--has a crew member done this on a
> regular basis.
>
> The NA1SS worldwide voice and packet downlink frequency is 145.800 MHz. In
> Regions 2 and 3 (the Americas, and the Pacific), the voice uplink is
144.49
> MHz. In Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa), the voice uplink is
> 145.20 MHz. The worldwide packet uplink is 145.99 MHz.
>
> When NA1SS is in crossband FM repeater mode, the worldwide downlink is
> 145.80 MHz, and the uplink is 437.80 MHz. All frequencies are subject to
> Doppler shift. The Science at NASA Web site provides location information for
> the ISS <http//science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html>.
>
> ==>CANADIAN AMATEURS TO LOSE 220-222 MHz
>
> Barring an outpouring of "compelling arguments to the contrary," Industry
> Canada will reallocate the 220-222 MHz portion of 220-225 MHz from the
> Canadian amateur service to the mobile and fixed services. Under the
> provisional reallocation, which will take effect January 25, the amateur
> service will be allocated the 219-220 MHz subband on a secondary basis.
> Additionally, the amateur service may be permitted use of 220-222 MHz "in
> exceptional circumstances on a secondary basis to assist in disaster
relief
> efforts."
>
> ==>NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2006 DAYTON HAMVENTION AWARDS
>
> The Dayton Hamvention is accepting nominations for its 2006 awards for
Radio
> Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement and Technical Excellence. The
> deadline for nominations is February 20, 2006.
>
> All Amateur Radio operators are eligible. The winners will be recognized
at
> the 2006 Hamvention, which runs May 19-21.
>
> Nominations are due by February 20, 2006. Additional details on these
awards
> and a nomination form are available on the Dayton Hamvention Web site
> <http//www.hamvention.org/nominate>. Nominations also are accepted via US
> mail to Dayton Hamvention Awards, PO Box 964, Dayton, OH 45401.
>
> For more information, please send e-mail to media at hamvention.org. -- 
Dayton
> Hamvention
>
> ==>ARRL FOUNDATION APPROVES MORE NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
>
> The ARRL Foundation has announced the addition of new scholarships for the
> 2006-2007 academic year. The ARRL Foundation Board recently approved
> additions to the 43 scholarship awards it now offers. The Yasme Foundation
> will fund five $2000 scholarship awards in 2006 for students pursuing
> undergraduate studies in the sciences and engineering. Two of the five
> scholarships are designated as renewable for up to three additional years
> depending on student performance. The ARRL Foundation also approved The
Seth
> Horen, K1LOM, Memorial Scholarship to honor Horen, a native of Stratford,
> Connecticut and avid ham radio operator. The Horen Scholarship award of
$500
> is currently funded by contributions of family and friends.
>
> To be eligible for an ARRL Foundation scholarship, an applicant must be an
> Amateur Radio licensee attending or accepted at an accredited two or four
> year college or university. Information and application forms for all ARRL
> Foundation-administered scholarships are available on the ARRL Foundation
> Web site <http//www.arrl.org/arrlf/>. The application period for ARRL
> Foundation scholarships closes February 1, 2006.
>
> ==>ASTRONAUT LEROY CHIAO, KE5BRW, GOES OUT ON TOP
>
> Veteran International Space Station commander, spacewalker and three-time
> space shuttle flier Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, has retired from NASA.
>
> "Leroy's been a valued team member and has provided extensive expertise to
> the nation's space flight program," said Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP--who headed
> ISS Expedition 6 and now serves as flight crew operations director. "We
wish
> him continued success in his future."
>
> During an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school
> group QSO in late 2004 while heading ISS Expedition 10, Chiao told
> youngsters that the most exciting thing about being an astronaut is flying
> in space and looking at "our beautiful Earth." Chiao spoke via ham radio
> with students at 23 schools while he was aboard the ISS.
>
> Selected as an astronaut in 1990, Chiao flew his first mission four years
> later, becoming the first Asian-American and ethnic Chinese to fly in
space
> and perform a spacewalk. He subsequently conducted four spacewalks in 1996
> and 2000 to demonstrate tools, hardware and techniques for space station
> assembly and to configure space station hardware just prior to human
> occupancy.
>
> As Expedition 10 commander and NASA ISS Science Officer, Chiao performed
two
> more spacewalks to complete repair and installation tasks during his six
> months aboard the ISS in 2004-2005.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Solar Seer Tad "Dancing in Sunshine" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
> reports:
> Average daily sunspot numbers for the past week (December 29 through
January
> 4) were nearly 22 points below the previous period. Average daily solar
flux
> was about the same. Average daily mid-latitude geomagnetic indices (A and
K
> index) were exactly the same, and planetary A and K index were slightly
> lower.
>
> Sunspot numbers for December 29 through January 4 were 77, 67, 62, 41, 37,
> 39 and 25 with a mean of 49.7. 10.7 cm flux was 90.3, 89.9, 87.4, 87.4,
> 84.5, 84.9, and 84, with a mean of 86.9. Estimated planetary A indices
were
> 8, 7, 9, 4, 5, 3 and 2 with a mean of 5.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices
> were 7, 6, 9, 5, 5, 3 and 1, with a mean of 5.1.
>
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * On the radio: The ARRL RTTY Roundup, the Midwinter Contest (CW), the
> Original QRP Contest, the EUCW 160-Meter Contest, the Midwinter Contest
> (SSB), the DARC 10-Meter Contest are the weekend of January 7-8. ARRL
Kid's
> Day is Sunday, January 8 <http//www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html>.
JUST
> AHEAD: The North American QSO Party (CW), Hunting Lions in the Air, the
070
> Club PSKFest, the Michigan QRP January CW Contest and the NRAU-Baltic
> Contest (CW and SSB are separate events) are the weekend of January 14-15.
> The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is January 16. The NAQCC 80-Meter
Straight
> Key/Bug Sprint is January 19. 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. 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, January 8, 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),
> VHF/UHF Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011)
> and HF Digital Communications (EC-005). Classes begin Friday, January 20.
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>.
>
> * WRTC 2006 application deadline extended: The deadline for applications
to
> participate in WRTC 2006 <http//www.wrtc2006.com/html/web/> has been
> extended until January 20, 2006. So far, more than 80 participant
> applications have been received. WRTC 2006 will take place July 7-10 in
and
> around Florianopolis, Brazil. The global Amateur Radio contesting
> competition is held in conjunction with the International Amateur Radio
> Union (IARU) HF World Championship, although WRTC rules differ in some
> respects from those of the IARU event, and scoring is separate. Two-person
> teams from all over the globe will compete for gold, silver and bronze
> medals. WRTC stations run 100 W and have comparably modest antenna
> systems--typically a dipole for the low bands and a triband Yagi for the
> higher bands.
>
> * KB5AVY is winner of third annual Lynch Award: Dr Roberto Dabdoub,
KB5AVY,
> of Metairie, Louisiana, has been named the recipient of the W. Sandy Lynch
> (W7BX/7J1ABV) Memorial Award. Given annually by the Tokyo International
> Amateur Radio Association (TIARA), founded in 1972, seeks to exemplify
> Lynch's dedication to the hobby and his personality. For 20 years, Dr
> Dabdoub, a native of Honduras, has kept four repeaters on the air in the
New
> Orleans area, and one of them remained working in the metro area following
> Hurricane Katrina. The repeater was able to stay on the air because of the
> auxiliary power source at its location, Ochsner Clinic Foundation. "There
> were many ham radio operators and stations, both on HF and VHF, involved
in
> the response to the Katrina disaster," TIARA President Steven Herman,
> K7USJ/7J1AIL, said in announcing the award winner. "We want this year's
> award to symbolize what a single ham and our so-called old-fashioned
> communications systems can do for the public when disaster strikes." TIARA
> says Dr. Dabdoub lost his home in the disaster. Just last year, his
> insurance carrier discontinued his policy because of changes in flood zone
> regulations where he lives near Lake Pontchartrain.
>
> ===========================================================
> 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.
>
> 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,
concise,
> and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http//www.arrl.org> for the latest news,
> updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http//www.arrl.org/> offers
access
> to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News
> <http//www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast"
> compiled from The ARRL Letter.
>
> Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
> in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
> The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
>
> ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
> letter-dlvy at arrl.org
> ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl at arrl.org
> ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http//www.arrl.org>
> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http//www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
> 860-594-0384
>
> ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
>
> The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
> ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
> delivery:
> ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
> <http//www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during
> registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
> bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
> delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the
"Member
> Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership
> data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
> address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
> email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
> modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
> change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
> Members Only Web Site.)
>
> The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
> sources:
>
> * ARRLWeb <http//www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
> posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)
>
> * The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur
Radio
> Club: Visit Mailing Lists at QTH.Net
> <http//mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot
> assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)
>
>
>