[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 24

[Bill Marx]

 ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 25, No. 24
> June 16, 2006
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +FCC tells BPL system to resolve hams' interference complaints
> * +First named storm of 2006 hurricane season "a false alarm"
> * +ISS Field Day pass times announced
> * +South Pole to be on the air for Field Day
> *  ARRL Kids Day is Saturday, June 17
> * +Take your handheld to work June 20!
> * +DXCC announces rule change
> * +New York ARRL member marks 100 years and counting
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>     This weekend on the radio: Kids Day is Saturday, June 17!
>     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>    +Courtesy urged on 6 meter "DX window"
>     "Zulu stations" stand down in Indonesia
>     San Diego SM Tuck Miller, NZ6T, stepping down
>     Amateur Radio CubeSat launch postponed
>     Ukraine soccer star is radio amateur
>     QST "Old Radio" editor honored
>
> +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
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>FCC DIRECTS MANASSAS BPL SYSTEM TO RESOLVE AMATEURS' INTERFERENCE
> COMPLAINTS
>
> In two strongly worded letters, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has directed
> the Manassas, Virginia, BPL system to take appropriate steps to eliminate
> harmful interference to Amateur Radio operators. Several hams in the
> Manassas area have complained, some repeatedly, about severe interference
> from the BPL system, operated by COMTek on the city-owned power grid. The
> FCC minced no words in detailing what it wants the city and BPL operator
> COMTek to do to ensure its system complies with Part 15 rules governing 
> BPL
> systems and even hinted that it may shut down all or part of the system. 
> One
> of the FCC letters followed up on a complaint from Dwight Agnew, AI4II, of
> BPL interference to his mobile operations.
>
> FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Joseph Casey told the city and
> COMTek June 16 that within 20 days he wants a "detailed report on the
> actions you have taken and the progress you have made in resolving the
> interference complaint or reducing the emissions in the area referenced in
> Mr Agnew's complaint to 20 dB below the Part 15 limit," a level the FCC
> maintains generally is sufficient to eliminate BPL interference to mobile
> operations. Additionally, Casey said the Commission wants to know "the
> specific steps you will take to inform customers of a cessation of service
> in the event you are directed to cease operations, either in part or
> system-wide."
>
> ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the League is "especially gratified" 
> that
> the Enforcement Bureau's Spectrum Enforcement Division has ordered the 
> City
> of Manassas to take steps to prepare for a cessation of BPL services.
> "Clearly, the FCC has lost patience with COMTek's reliance on misleading
> news releases as a substitute for meaningful solutions to the ongoing
> interference," he said.
>
> In an April 7 news release COMTek Vice President Walt Adams called the
> Manassas BPL system "a real success story" and said its testing showed "an
> almost identical" level of interference whether or not the system was in
> operation. It made a similar claim to the FCC in Agnew's case.
>
> COMTek has indicated it expects emissions can be reduced to 20 dB below 
> the
> Part 15 limit once second-generation BPL equipment is in place along the
> Virginia Business Route 234 corridor by the end of July. Casey said that's
> not good enough. "We note that a failure to respond until the end of July 
> to
> any complaint alleging harmful interference in an effort to determine if 
> the
> new equipment resolves the matter is not sufficient," he pointed out in a
> footnote.
>
> Casey said Manassas and COMTek must address and "reach a resolution" with
> regard to Agnew's interference complaint "as soon as practicable."
>
> Based on the engineering reports the FCC received from the city and COMTek
> in response to the Agnew complaint, Casey said, "it appears that the BPL
> system is not in compliance with the Commission's emission requirements at
> several frequencies," although none were in the amateur bands.
>
> Manassas and COMTek must detail within 30 days steps taken to clean up the
> system as well as any additional actions necessary for the system to 
> remain
> in compliance with Commission rules.
>
> In a second letter, Casey requested Manassas and COMTek to examine and
> address specific longstanding interference complaints from George 
> Tarnovsky,
> K4GVT; Donald Blasdell, W4HJL; Bill South, N3OH; Jack Cochran, WC4J, and
> Arthur Whittum, W1CRO. Manassas and COMTek must "take appropriate remedial
> steps to eliminate any instances of harmful interference" or reduce
> emissions in the areas cited in the complaints to 20 dB below the Part 15
> limit, he instructed. He also reiterated his call for system compliance.
>
> Casey said the FCC wants a report within 30 days on steps taken to address
> the five radio amateurs' specific interference complaints and eliminate
> excessive emissions.
>
> Tarnovsky said the complainants are encouraged by the FCC's response to
> COMTek's reports and are looking forward to the results of the
> Commission-directed testing.
>
> "I think I can speak for all parties in saying that we're looking forward 
> to
> a BPL interference-free Manassas," he said.
>
> ==>ALBERTO PROVIDES TRIAL RUN FOR AMATEUR RADIO WEATHER NETS, VOLUNTEERS
>
> While Tropical Storm Alberto didn't turn into a hurricane as first 
> forecast,
> the first named storm of the 2006 hurricane season did serve as a valuable
> trial run for weather spotters, weather nets and ham radio emergency
> communication volunteers. In the early going, the Hurricane Watch Net 
> (HWN)
> <http://www.hwn.org> anticipated activating June 12 on 14.325 MHz. When it
> became obvious that Alberto was losing strength with no potential to
> intensify prior to landfall, HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, told net
> members they could relax for the time being.
>
> "Thank you all for your assistance as we attempted to gear up for our 
> first
> test of the year," Pilgrim said. "Thank goodness it was a false alarm."
>
> The HWN works in cooperation with WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.org> at the
> National Hurricane Center (NHC) to gather real-time, ground-level weather
> data during storms. NHC forecasters use the reports to help fine-tune 
> their
> predictions of a storm's behavior.
>
> Amateur Radio emergency communication volunteers in northern Florida also
> stood by as Alberto approached landfall on the Gulf Coast. The storm came
> ashore the afternoon of June 13 at Keaton Beach. Apparently not taking any
> chances, the NHC maintained a hurricane warning along the Florida Gulf 
> Coast
> until late that same morning.
>
> ARRL's North Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Joe Bushel, W2DWR,
> notified District Emergency Coordinators June 12 to put Amateur Radio
> Emergency Service (ARES) jump teams on alert and to advise all Emergency
> Coordinators to pay close attention to the storm. No nets activated,
> however.
>
> North Florida West Central District Emergency Coordinator Dixie Steinberg,
> K2BEV, reported that shelters for possible storm evacuees were set to open
> in Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties, and ARES and RACES personnel, as
> well as CERT and SKYWARN teams, were standing by. West Central Florida SEC
> Neil Lauritsen, W4NHL, said Pinellas County had three shelters on standby.
>
> Rob Macedo, KD1CY, the director of operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
> <http://www.voipwx.net/> says his organization activated Monday evening on
> predictions that Alberto would attain Category 1 hurricane strength.
>
> "The net was a good dress rehearsal for more significant tropical systems
> later in the 2006 hurricane season," Macedo said.
>
> Alberto's maximum sustained winds peaked out at almost 70 MPH with higher
> gusts--not quite a Category 1 hurricane--but decreased to about 50 MPH as
> the storm hit the coast and dropped even further as it passed over land.
> Nonetheless, it generated coastal storm surge flooding along Florida's 
> Gulf
> Coast and spawned torrential rainfall as it passed up the southeastern US
> coastline.
>
> The storm came just weeks after the State of Florida's annual Emergency
> Management Hurricane and Terrorism Exercise, May 22-26. The exercise
> scenario was a hurricane-spawned F4 tornado striking a power plant.
>
> ==>NASA RELEASES ISS NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA PASS TIMES FOR FIELD DAY
>
> NASA ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, has released a
> list of International Space Station Field Day pass times for North and 
> South
> America (see http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/06/15/1/ for pass times
> and any updates). The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
> (ARISS) Phase 2 ham station will be in crossband repeater mode over Field
> Day weekend, June 24-25. The chances of actually talking to one of the 
> crew
> members appear to be minimal, however.
>
> "Keep in mind that these are not scheduled times for the crew to be 
> active,"
> Ransom points out. He says crew members Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, and Pavel
> Vinogradov, RV3BS, may work some stations personally, but they're already
> booked pretty heavily during FD weekend.
>
> "They will try to participate as time permits, but the pass times for 
> North
> America are not favorable," Ransom noted. The crew should be on its normal
> sleep schedule of 2130-0600 UTC during Field Day weekend. When they're
> awake, however, Williams and Vinogradov will have their hands full 
> preparing
> for the arrival of the Progress 22 supply vehicle on Monday, June 26, when
> the crew will deactivate the crossband repeater.
>
> The crossband repeater uplink is 437.800 MHz. The downlink is 145.800 MHz.
> Ransom says the crossband repeater should be up and running sometime after
> 1900 UTC on Thursday, June 22. He said this will give stations a couple of
> days to practice working through it and learn how best to deal with the
> Doppler on the uplink, which can be considerable. The crossband repeater
> will be available only to low-power (QRP) stations following AMSAT 
> criteria,
> Ransom said. A QRP station may run no more than 10 W to a vertical or
> handheld antenna.
>
> US pass times are not especially ideal for contacts with the crew members.
> The only one on Saturday, June 24 (UTC) - over Mexico and the Eastern US -
> falls during the crew's sleep period. Passes on Sunday, June 24 - from 
> 0046
> to 0105 UTC and from 0708 to 0728 UTC over the Central US - may offer a
> better opportunity. Stations in the US Southwest might look for crew
> activity on Sunday from 0844 to 0900 UTC, while those in Hawaii should 
> check
> Sunday from 1152 to 1200 UTC and again from 1327 to 1335 UTC.
>
> If Williams or Vinogradov do find time to get on the air, Ransom says, 
> they
> also will use the crossband repeater mode. Williams will give a report of
> "NA1SS, 1 Alpha ISS," while Vinogradov will give a report of "RS0ISS, 1
> Alpha ISS."
>
> Contacts made via the ISS crossband repeater count as satellite contacts 
> for
> Field Day bonus points. Contacts with the crew do not count for Field Day
> bonus points.
>
> AMSAT is making its ECHO (AO-51) satellite available for Field Day. One of
> AO-51's FM transponders (145.880 MHz up/435.150 MHz down, no CTCSS tone
> needed) will be QRP only (10 W) for Field Day.
>
> Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, says PCSat2, which is mounted on the outside of the
> ISS, will be in packet mode and operating on 145.825 MHz simplex over 
> Field
> Day weekend.
>
> ==>ANTARCTICA'S KC4AAA TO BE ON THE AIR FOR FIELD DAY
>
> KC4AAA at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica, has announced 
> plans
> to participate in ARRL Field Day 2006. The station's Satellite
> Communications Technician Robert Reynolds, N0QFQ, will head up the effort.
> Operations from KC4AAA will commence at 1800 UTC on June 24 and continue
> through 2100 UTC on June 25.
>
> Experience has shown that the best opportunity for North and South 
> American
> stations to contact KC4AAA appears around 2300 UTC on the Eastern 
> Seaboard,
> moving westward with time until the window closes around 0400 UTC. Given
> South Pole's location right under the auroral oval, propagation can make
> South Pole intercontinental HF radio communications a challenge, so listen
> carefully!
>
> The primary operating frequency will be on or about 14.243 MHz. KC4AAA
> operators will monitor and exploit other bands, but 20 meter SSB will be 
> the
> primary operating mode.
>
> South Pole will operate as a "home" station with supplied power (Class 
> 1D).
> Reynolds plans to have a team of up to 10 operators staffing the station,
> most of whom are in a ham radio licensing class at the station. KC4AAA 
> will
> be running 1 kW and will mainly use a pair of log-periodic antennas aimed
> toward the US.
>
> KC4AAA plans to upload its Field Day log to Logbook of The World (LoTW)
> <http://www.arrl.org/lotw>. QSL cards will go out later in the year. For
> more information, contact Nick Powell, NH6ON, <nick.powell at usap.gov>.
>
> ==>ARRL KIDS DAY IS SATURDAY, JUNE 17
>
> The next opportunity to bring Amateur Radio into the lives of young people
> is Saturday, June 17, when ARRL's second Kids Day of 2006 takes place
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html>.
>
> "It's their special day, so make the most of it," says ARRL Education and
> Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME. "Why not join in the
> fun and invite some kids to experience the 'magic of radio' in your shack
> June 17?" Kids day begins at 1800 UTC and continues until 2400 UTC. 
> There's
> no limit on operating time. Suggested exchanges are first name, age,
> location and favorite color. Call "CQ Kids Day" to elicit contacts.
>
> Suggested frequencies are 14.270 to 14.300 MHz, 21.380 to 21.400 MHz and
> 28.350 to 28.400 MHz, plus local VHF repeaters with the sponsor's
> permission. Licensees should observe third-party traffic restrictions
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/io/3rdparty.html> when 
> making
> DX contacts. These apply when unlicensed individuals communicate via ham
> radio. More information on Kids Day is in June QST, p 53.
>
> The Echo AO-51 satellite will be available for Kids Day with an uplink of
> 145.920 MHz FM voice (67 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink of 435.300 MHz. The
> digital transponder on 435.150 will be turned off.
>
> ==>SECOND ANNUAL "TAKE YOUR HANDHELD TO WORK DAY" SET FOR JUNE 20
>
> The ARRL apparently struck a chord in 2005 when it initiated "Take Your
> Handheld to Work Day." Radio amateurs who participated last year report 
> they
> were able to introduce many new people to Amateur Radio. Whether any of
> those co-workers became hams themselves as a result isn't known, but this
> simple activity offers a great opportunity to demonstrate and describe
> Amateur Radio to others and to talk up its benefits. So, the League is 
> doing
> it again this year.
>
> "On Tuesday, June 20, we encourage every ham radio operator across the
> country who owns a handheld transceiver to take their little radios to 
> work
> if they can," says ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts,
> W1AGP. "By wearing it on their belt, setting it on a desk or just making
> your radio visible, the goal is to have co-workers ask, 'What's that?' In
> this way, the hams will be able to share about the fun they have with
> Amateur Radio."
>
> Pitts encourages hams not only to show the capabilities of their handheld
> radios, but to invite co-workers to actually give them a try -- under the
> licensee's supervision, of course -- as the Amateur Radio rules allow.
>
> ARRL member Ted Homan, WB8WFG, says he tried the idea on his own about 15
> years ago. One of his co-workers, Pete Engel, saw his handheld-an Icom
> IC2-AT--and "had to have one," Homan said. "Now he is N8OGW, and several
> members of his family are also hams now. In addition, Homan reports, 
> several
> inactive hams at his workplace were inspired to get back on the air.
>
> "This is a very good way to show off Ham Radio," he concludes.
>
> "Take Your Handheld to Work Day" is a chance to have a lot of fun, recruit
> new hams, invite people to Field Day, get publicity and show off Amateur
> Radio," Pitts points out. "Many people would like to have the capabilities
> of ham radio in a crisis, but don't know where to start. The best 
> recruiter
> is another ham. I hope you have fun and make the most of it!"
>
> A heads up: On June 20 between noon and 1 PM in your local time zone, be 
> on
> the lookout for surprise messages from ARRL. By using modern digital radio
> technology, EchoLink and a few other tricks, random participants from
> locations around the country might be spotted on the air by W1AW and win a
> prize.
>
> ==>DXCC ANNOUNCES RULE CHANGE
>
> The ARRL DXCC Desk has announced new language to replace the wording of a
> previously removed DXCC rule pertaining to political entities. The change
> adds a Paragraph 1(c) under Section II, DX List Criteria, in the DXCC 
> Rules.
>
> "Upon request of the Programs and Services Committee (PSC), the DX 
> Advisory
> Committee (DXAC) has studied the impact of a change to the DXCC rules," 
> said
> the announcement. The DXAC, the Awards Committee and the PSC have 
> concurred
> in the rule change, which became effective June 15, 2006.
>
> The new text at Section II, Paragraph 1(c) reads: "The Entity contains a
> permanent population, is administered by a local government and is located
> at least 800 km from its parent. To satisfy the 'permanent population' and
> 'administered by a local government' criteria of this subsection, an 
> Entity
> must be listed on either (a) the US Department of State's list of
> 'Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty' as having a local
> 'Administrative Center,' or (b) the United Nations' list of
> 'Non-Self-Governing Territories.'"
>
> The DXCC Desk says Rule 1(c) is intended to recognize entities that are
> sufficiently separate from their parent for DXCC purposes but don't 
> qualify
> under Rule 1(a) or Rule 1(b). "The new rule will cause certain geographic
> separation entities to be reclassified as political entities," ARRL
> Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, explains. This, in turn, 
> will
> reduce the mileage for a first separation for these entities from 800 km 
> to
> 350 km.
>
> QSOs with any new entity resulting from this rule change will count for
> credit only for contacts made on or after the start date for that entity. 
> In
> no case will QSOs made prior to the date of this notice be considered for
> credit for any new entity created as a result of this rule.
>
> Applications for DXCC award credits resulting from this change will be
> accepted on or after October 1, 2006.
>
> ==>WESTERN NEW YORK HAM MARKS 100TH BIRTHDAY
>
> ARRL Member Horace Staley, KA2HDO, of Walton, New York, turned 100 years 
> old
> on June 6. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, took note of the occasion 
> to
> extend best wishes on behalf of the League.
>
> "Congratulations on reaching the one-century mark with your birthday on 
> June
> 6," Harrison, said this week in an e-mail greeting to Staley. "Your
> enthusiasm for life and your dedication to amateur are a great example we
> can all admire and be proud of. CU on the bands!"
>
> A longtime member of the Walton Radio Association, Staley is an active 
> ham,
> and he continues to run the Walton Radio Association Monday evening CW 
> net.
> His decades of experience make him a wonderful mentor, says his friend 
> John
> Hampel, AB2IC. Staley answers questions that club members e-mail, and he
> checks into the club's 2-meter net every Wednesday evening with
> well-thought-out questions or solutions, he said.
>
> A widower, Staley lives independently, is in good health and still drives 
> a
> car. While the ARRL does not keep statistics on the oldest radio amateur 
> in
> the US or even the oldest League member, Staley likely would be at or near
> the top of the list.
>
> The Walton Radio Association staged a surprise birthday party for Staley 
> on
> June 4, complete with a birthday cake bedecked with strawberry slices. He
> took the opportunity to talk about his life, starting with his time in 
> China
> and continuing through the last 75 years he's lived in New York.
>
> "It was fascinating; all were amazed," Hampel said. "It is an honor to be
> his friend."
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Sun watcher Tad "Let the Sunshine In" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
> reports: Solar activity continues at very low levels, wit sunspot numbers 
> in
> the 70s. We're probably not at the bottom of the cycle yet, however. 
> During
> long periods of zero sunspots at solar minima, we observe solar flux 
> values
> in the mid-60s.
>
> Wednesday, June 21, is "the longest day of the year" in the Northern
> Hemisphere, as we transition from spring to summer propagation. A couple 
> of
> things you might notice: 40, 60 and 80 meters will be open for shorter
> periods due to fewer hours of darkness. You can also look forward to
> long-distance 20-meter openings later into the evening. These effects 
> become
> more noticeable at northern latitudes.
>
> Six meters remains hot. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, reports he
> worked 123 Japanese stations in one recent evening. He says ARRL Vice
> President Rick Roderick, K5UR, worked 130 JAs in the same day recently.
>
> For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of the
> numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information Service
> Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
>
> Sunspot numbers for June 8 through 14 were 67, 42, 46, 46, 32, 23 and 35,
> with a mean of 41.6. 10.7 cm flux was 80, 77.6, 76.1, 74.4, 74.2, 77.1, 
> and
> 75.3, with a mean of 76.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 20, 10, 8, 
> 5,
> 4, 3 and 7, with a mean of 8.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 18, 
> 9,
> 7, 4, 2, 2 and 6, with a mean of 6.9.
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: ARRL Kids Day (see above), the Council of
> Europe Radio Club 20th Anniversary Challenge, the All Asian DX Contest 
> (CW),
> the SMIRK Contest, the West Virginia and Quebec QSO parties, the AGCW
> VHF/UHF Contest and the DIE Contest are the weekend of June 17-18. JUST
> AHEAD: The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is June 19 (UTC). The RSGB 
> 80-Meter
> Club Championship (SSB) is June 22. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is 
> June
> 23. ARRL Field Day, the ARCI Milliwatt Field Day, the His Majesty the King
> of Spain Contest (SSB) and the Ukrainian DX Digi Contest are the weekend 
> of
> June 24-25. The Marconi Memorial HF Contest has been cancelled. The 
> Thursday
> NCCC Sprint Ladder is June 30. 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 Friday, June 23, for these ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) program on-line 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,
> JULY 7. 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>.
>
> * Courtesy urged on 6 meter "DX window": Radio amateurs taking advantage 
> of
> recent openings on 6 meters are advised that the ARRL 6-meter band plan
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/6m> designates the segment
> 50.100 to 50.125 MHz as the "DX window." The idea behind this unofficial
> designation, which reflects a consensus of longtime band users, is to keep
> that area of the band clear for US-to-DX contacts on "The Magic Band."
> Veteran 6-meter operators report hearing many US stations working each 
> other
> when the band is open. Such complaints arise each year when the band first
> opens, says ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N.
> "Frequently the newcomers learn where to operate quickly enough, and often
> the veterans can be heard gently coaxing them up the band for a nice chat,
> at the same time making them aware of the band plan," he added. US 
> stations
> are asked to keep stateside operation above 50.125 MHz (the "SSB calling
> frequency") as a courtesy to those attempting to work DX during band
> openings.
>
> * "Zulu stations" stand down in Indonesia: The Amateur Radio "zulu 
> stations"
> activated to handle emergency communications in the wake of the magnitude
> 6.3 earthquake in late May Indonesia's main island of Java, have now stood
> down. Indonesia's International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society,
> the Organization of Amateur Radio for Indonesia (ORARI) coordinated an
> emergency communication network comprised of zulu-suffix emergency
> communication stations on HF and VHF. Radio amateurs involved with the
> emergency effort now say West Java provincial emergency managers have
> declared the emergency phase at an end and that a recovery or
> "rehabilitation" phase has begun. Wyn Purwinto, AB2QV, an Indonesian 
> native
> who's been keeping tabs on the Amateur Radio response, says all "zulu
> stations" that have been supporting the emergency response effort in the
> disaster areas of his home country were deactivated effective June 12. The
> action includes YE1ZAB, a zulu station that had been supporting the
> provincial health department's disaster relief unit. Purwinto says all
> emergency radio volunteers who came to hard-hit Yogyakarta area following
> the quake will return home, although local club stations and emergency
> volunteers will remain on standby.
>
> * San Diego SM Tuck Miller, NZ6T, stepping down: ARRL San Diego Section
> Manager Tuck Miller, NZ6T, of National City, California, has announced 
> that
> he's resigning his post effective July 1. Miller suffered a massive heart
> attack June 11 and now is recovering from surgery. He says he's stepping
> down to take control of his health. Miller previously served as San Diego 
> SM
> from 1998 to 2002 before being elected ARRL Southwestern Division Vice
> Director. Earlier this year, he was re-elected as San Diego SM and took
> office April 1. In consultation with ARRL Southwestern Division Director
> Dick Norton, N6AA, ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Dave 
> Patton,
> NN1N, has named past San Diego SM Pat Bunsold, WA6MHZ, of El Cajon to
> complete the remainder of Miller's term, which ends in April 2008.
>
> * Amateur Radio CubeSat launch postponed: The launch and deployment 13
> Amateur Radio "CubeSats," originally set for June 28, has been postponed
> until July 26 (UTC), reportedly due to a technical issue during launch
> vehicle preparation. The backup date is July 27, one CubeSat group told
> ARRL. A Dnepr-1LV rocket is scheduled to carry the CubeSats into space 
> from
> the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A fourteenth satellite in the 
> package
> will not carry an Amateur Radio payload. The CubeSat project is a
> collaboration between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis
> Obispo and Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratory. All
> of the CubeSats were designed and built by students at various 
> universities
> in the US and elsewhere in the world. Twelve of the satellites have
> downlinks in the Amateur Radio satellite allocation between 435 and 438 
> MHz,
> and one will operate on 145.980 MHz. None of the spacecraft will carry a
> transponder. Transmitter power outputs range from 10 mW to 2 W.
>
> * Ukraine soccer star is radio amateur: If you've been following FIFA 
> World
> Cup football (soccer) matches from Germany, you may know the name Sergei
> Rebrov, a midfielder on the Ukraine team. What you might not know is that
> Serge, 32, is UT5UDX and an active CW contester and DXer when he's not on
> the playing field (he wears number 11). Although Spain beat Ukraine 4-0 in
> their June 14 match, Ukraine is still considered a favorite to advance 
> from
> Group H. Rebrov and his teammates next face off against Saudi Arabia on 
> June
> 19 at 1800 CEST. Rebrov also has operated as M0SDX, TA2ZF and other call
> signs.--thanks to Osten, SM5DQC; Michael Keane, K1MK
>
> * QST Contributing Editor John Dilks, K2TQN, honored: QST Contributing
> Editor John Dilks, K2TQN, has received the Marconi Memorial Award from the
> Veteran Wireless Operators Association (VWOA) <http://www.vwoa.org/> "for
> his persevering efforts over the past 15 years in collecting, restoring,
> displaying and demonstrating the operation of vintage radio equipment," 
> the
> award plaque reads. "His published writings of radio history preserve the
> memories of all radio and wireless pioneers." VWOA President Alan Ehrlich,
> WA2GDQ, presented the award to Dilks on May 20. Dilks has written the
> popular monthly "Old Radio" column <http://www.eht.com/oldradio/arrl/> for
> QST since January 2000.--Mike Shaw, K2LRE
>
> ===========================================================
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