[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 20 (May 19, 2006)

[Bill Marx]

***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 25, No. 20
> May 19, 2006
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +FCC still mum on Morse code ruling
> * +Ham radio volunteers make a difference during New England flooding
> * +M2 to be Principal Awards Sponsor of June 2006 VHF Party
> * +Elementary school pupils in Japan use ham radio to talk with ISS crew
> *  ARRL EXPO 2006 at Dayton Hamvention to feature mini-forums
> * +Tragic tower accident claims life of well-known Oregon DXer
> * +Logbook of the World reaches another milestone
> *  IN BRIEF:
>     This weekend on the radio
>     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>    +Dayton 2006 Weblog to add personal touch to Hamvention experience
>     ARRL's next-generation ham radio study guides now available
>     JARL awards representative will be at Dayton
>     Position opening at ARRL Headquarters
>     Jambo Scoutfest 2006 Boy Scout special event set
>    +Tide comes in for SSTV
>     DXCC Desk approves operations for DXCC credit
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
===========================================================
> NOTE: Because of Dayton Hamvention travel schedules, the May 19 editions 
> of
> The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News are being distributed Wednesday, May 
> 17.
> K7RA's Solar Update will be available Friday, May 19. See you in Dayton!
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>FCC WON'T SAY PUBLICLY WHEN IT WILL ACT ON MORSE CODE ISSUE
>
> All bets appear to be off as to when the FCC might make a final decision 
> on
> deleting the Morse code requirement. Last July, an FCC Notice of Proposed
> Rule Making and Order (NPRM&O) in WT Docket 05-235 proposed to eliminate 
> the
> Element 1 (5 WPM) Morse code requirement for all license classes. Most
> observers expected the Commission to release a Report and Order (R&O) to
> that effect by the end of this year, but even that timetable could prove
> optimistic, based on what the Commission will say publicly. Before 
> tackling
> the Morse proceeding, the FCC wants to wrap up another important Amateur
> Radio proceeding, WT Docket 04-140, the so-called "omnibus" or "phone band
> expansion" proceeding. Responding to an ARRL inquiry, FCC personnel would
> not go on the record and declined even to hazard a ballpark guess on when
> the FCC might act on either Amateur Radio proceeding.
>
> "They're at different points in the process," an FCC staffer said,
> refraining from saying anything that might suggest a commitment. "One is
> farther along in the review chain than the other." The staff member
> indicated that the "omnibus" proceeding is "way ahead" of the Morse
> proceeding in the WTB pipeline.
>
> The FCC staffers attempted to assure ARRL that the WTB has not been 
> sitting
> on its hands. "It takes a while to plow through 4000 comments," one said,
> referring to the huge volume of opinions filed in the Morse docket. "It's
> not being neglected." The staff member did allow that WTB staff had
> completed its comment review in the Morse proceeding but wouldn't say when
> it might see the light of day. "I'd hesitate to say," one staff member
> demurred. Neither would even say whether the WTB expected to conclude 
> either
> proceeding by the end of 2006.
>
> "They should probably start learning code," one staffer advised those
> waiting for the FCC to drop the Morse requirement before upgrading, noting
> that a Certificate of Successful Completion of Exam (CSCE) for a written
> exam element is only good for a year. Even after the FCC goes public with
> its decision on Morse code, still more time is likely to pass before any 
> new
> rules go into effect, the staff member pointed out.
>
> Earlier this year an WTB staffer, speaking without attribution, told ARRL,
> "We certainly hope to release WT Docket 05-235 sometime this year, but 
> we're
> not making any predictions at this time. We certainly are not saving up 
> any
> big announcements for Dayton Hamvention."
>
> Bill Cross, W3TN, the FCC Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure 
> Division
> staff member who typically addresses Amateur Radio-related proceedings
> during Dayton Hamvention's FCC forum, won't be attending this year's show.
>
> When the FCC does act , no one's expecting any major surprises: The
> Commission appears poised to simply drop the Morse requirement for all
> Amateur Radio license classes as it proposed last summer. Beyond that, the
> FCC turned away several other petitions, including proposals to create a 
> new
> entry-level license class.
>
> Any FCC decision to eliminate the 5 WPM Morse code requirement for HF 
> access
> would have no impact on either the current HF CW-only subbands or on the 
> CW
> privileges of Amateur Radio licensees. Current Technician licensees who 
> have
> not passed Element 1 will not gain HF access if the FCC drops the Morse
> requirement.
>
> The "omnibus" Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 04-140,
> released in April 2004, consolidated a dozen petitions for rulemaking, 
> some
> dating back to 2001. The Commission has proposed to go along with the 
> ARRL's
> Novice refarming plan aimed at reallocating the current Novice/Tech Plus
> subbands to expand portions of the 80, 40 and 15 meter phone bands. The 
> FCC
> also agreed with an ARRL proposal to extend privileges in the current
> General CW-only HF subbands to present Novice and Tech Plus licensees (or
> Technicians with Element 1 credit).
>
> Among other things, the FCC also proposed to essentially do away with its
> rules prohibiting the manufacture and marketing to Amateur Radio operators
> of amplifiers capable of operation on 12 and 10 meters. And it further
> proposed to adopt a rule to limit the number of applications a licensee 
> may
> file on a given day for the same vanity call sign.
>
> The NPRM&O in WT Docket 05-235 is on the FCC Web site
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-143A1.pdf>. More
> information on WT Docket 04-140 is on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/04/15/102/>, and the NPRM is on the
> FCC Web site
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-79A1.pdf>.
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO VOLUNTEERS HANDLE FLOOD DUTY IN NEW ENGLAND
>
> Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers at mid-week were 
> wrapping
> up operations in the wake of major flooding that occurred in southeastern
> New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. The flooding has been called
> New England's worst in 70 years. Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section
> Emergency Coordinator and SKYWARN Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, says 
> formal
> SKYWARN activation for the National Weather Service office in Taunton,
> Massachusetts, ended late on May 15.
>
> "We kept SKYWARN in a 'self-activated' mode at the discretion of local 
> ARES
> and SKYWARN coordinators to check out flooded areas and report updates as
> the flooding recedes," Macedo told ARRL. "Additional flood warnings were
> issued for a small part of central Massachusetts and parts of two counties
> in southern New Hampshire, but checks with Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters
> indicate no flood issues are occurring in those areas."
>
> The heavy rainfall caused several major New England rivers to rise above
> flood stage this week, in some cases setting new records.
>
> Macedo reports that Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) 
> volunteers
> were at Region 1 headquarters and the Massachusetts State Emergency
> Operations Center (WC1MA), supporting communication via Amateur Radio and
> other means. Massachusetts State RACES Radio Officer Tom Kinahan, N1CPE,
> said EOC operations would end as emergency managers shift from response to
> recovery phase.
>
> Total rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches occurred in the hardest-hit areas
> with isolated higher amounts, while 2 to 6 inches of rain fell over other
> parts of New England throughout a period of several days. ARES volunteers
> delivered several hundred reports of road closures, flood damage to homes,
> some evacuations and even a problem at a sewage treatment plant in
> Haverhill, Massachusetts, Macedo said. There were also reports of road and
> bridge washouts and, in one instance, a railroad bridge was knocked off 
> its
> foundation in Peabody, Massachusetts.
>
> According to Macedo, Amateur Radio volunteers used VHF/UHF repeaters as 
> well
> as 6 meters, HF and the New England VoIP Integrated Conference Reflector.
>
> Town EOCs had Amateur Radio and other communication support, but other 
> than
> the telephone Amateur Radio was the only direct link to the NWS-Taunton
> office. On May 15, the Ipswich EOC, through Emergency Management Director
> Charlie Cooper, K1CHC, requested information on the Ipswich River as it
> threatened businesses in the downtown area.
>
> "We were able to facilitate third-party traffic between Cooper and Bob
> Thompson, the meteorologist-in-charge at NWS-Taunton, so he could get the
> information directly," Macedo said. "Charlie was very happy that we could
> perform this function."
>
> Macedo reported at least one communication infrastructure issue May 16. 
> The
> Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Region 1 headquarters 
> found
> that while its outgoing telephone service was working okay, it could not
> receive incoming calls. RACES operator Dennis Brothers, N1DB, on duty at 
> the
> MEMA EOC, was able to get a message through to Region 1 via ham radio.
> Kinahan said state emergency managers complimented RACES on its efforts to
> back up the overloaded telephone circuits.
>
> Rumors of dam failures abounded over the course of the flooding. Using
> Amateur Radio NWS-Taunton worked with the MEMA EOC to dispel the gossip. 
> "We
> had no fewer than four instances of possible dam failures reported by
> various sources," Macedo said. "Through Amateur Radio at NWS-Taunton and 
> at
> the MEMA EOC, we were able to learn the facts--that the dams were not
> failing but were being monitored for stress, and action was being taken to
> regulate the stress the significant rainfall had caused."
>
> Due to the severity of the flooding, Eastern Massachusetts ARES was on
> standby starting May 14, but there were no calls for ARES assistance to
> backup RACES or to staff shelters for towns or Red Cross were received as 
> of
> May 17. In addition ARES backed up SKYWARN by checking out flooded areas.
>
> Eastern Massachusetts ARES was scheduled to stand down May 17. "More than
> 100 Amateur Radio volunteers took part in ARES/RACES operations and 
> weather
> spotting across the region," Macedo said. "Everyone did a tremendous job
> during this stressful time in our region."
>
> ==>ANTENNA MAKER M2 TO BE 2006 JUNE VHF QSO PARTY PRINCIPAL AWARDS SPONSOR
>
> M2 Antenna Systems <http://www.m2inc.com/> has generously agreed to be
> Principal Awards Sponsor for the 2006 ARRL June VHF QSO Party
> <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2006/june-vhf.html>. For many years, 
> the
> Fresno, California, company has been a popular source of high-performance
> antennas for VHF/UHF/microwave contesters and DXers and especially
> customized array systems--although M2 also makes antennas for HF work.
>
> "As M2 Antenna Systems continues to capture more of the Amateur Radio and
> commercial antenna markets, we are delighted it has agreed to support an
> operating event that so many of its customers pursue with a great deal of
> passion," said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B.
>
> M2 Antenna Systems Sales and Marketing Manager Wyatt Lyzenga, KF6VMW, says
> Amateur Radio makes up nearly two-thirds of his company's business. "M2 is 
> a
> family owned and operated business with old-time values," he says. Its
> owners are Mike and Myrna Staal, K6MYC and K6MYM. "We enjoy our work and 
> the
> time we spend designing and building products and finding solutions to
> customers' requirements. We're one of the last customer-oriented
> manufacturers."
>
> After 32 years in the antenna business, M2 has a good handle on both
> technical expertise and real-world experience, Wyatt says. "Our goal is to
> produce the best, highest performance products possible within cost and 
> time
> limits," he adds. "We strive for customer satisfaction in our products."
>
> M2 Antenna Systems will be Principal Awards Sponsor for all unsponsored
> plaques for the June event. As Principal Awards Sponsor, M2's name will
> appear on all plaques it sponsors, and its name and logo on all 
> certificates
> that go out to top scorers in the various event categories.
>
> Agreeing to be Principal Awards Sponsor for the 2006 ARRL June VHF QSO 
> Party
> is one way to let the amateur community know that M2 is interested in
> contests and let participating hams "know that we're there for them and 
> can
> help them out," Wyatt says. "Over the long haul, it helps us help our
> customers better."
>
> ==>ISS ASTRONAUT FIELDS QUESTIONS FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOLERS IN JAPAN
>
> Thanks to the magic of Amateur Radio, ISS Expedition 13 Flight Engineer 
> Jeff
> Williams, KD5TVQ, on May 11 helped to satisfy the curiosity of youngsters
> attending Yoneda-Nishi Elementary School in Tagasako, Japan, about life in
> space. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) 
> program
> arranged the direct VHF contact between NA1SS in space and 8N3Y at the
> school. Williams told the Yoneda-Nishi pupils that it's "quite an honor 
> and
> a privilege" to be an astronaut. But he noted that it can be dangerous 
> work,
> even aboard the ISS.
>
> "Well, of course, space has a lot of dangers, and we have a good team on 
> the
> ground and we are well prepared in our training to mitigate the risks
> associated with spaceflight," Williams said.
>
> Responding to another youngster's question, Williams said he'd love to be
> one of the astronauts to return to the moon or to travel to another 
> planet.
> Asked why he decided to become an astronaut in spite of the possible
> dangers, Williams said he does it for the exploration.
>
> "It's very exciting work to explore new frontiers and new things that we
> haven't done before, and it's something I think we want to do throughout
> the history of mankind."
>
> Williams said he can see Japan from the ISS, and it "looks wonderful day 
> or
> night" from 220 miles up in space.
>
> "It's got fabulous views during the day of course with the terrain, and at
> night all the major cities are lit up--the islands of Japan are all lit up
> where there are cities and where people live," he said. "It is absolutely
> breathtaking."
>
> The astronaut allowed that it took a good deal of training in several 
> fields
> to prepare for life aboard the ISS. That included learning Russian, 
> becoming
> familiar with both the US and Russian segments of the space station, doing
> spacewalks, learning how to use the Canadarm2 remote manipulator, and all
> about the Russian Soyuz transporter.
>
> The hardest job for an astronaut, Williams said, is doing spacewalks, 
> which
> can run six hours or longer. Williams is scheduled to do a spacewalk in a
> few weeks.
>
> "It's very difficult, very hard work," he explained. "You get very tired,
> especially in the hands and the arms."
>
> In all, the youngsters had 19 questions asked and answered during the 
> event,
> which attracted about 215 parents and fellow pupils as well as one TV and
> one newspaper reporter. Control operator for the ARISS contact was Yoshio
> Maeda, JG3RWX. ARISS-Japan veteran Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ, served as 
> mentor
> for the contact, which was Williams' third since he came aboard the ISS in
> April, and the 240th since the first ISS crew arrived in late 2000.
>
> ARISS is an educational outreach of a nine-nation consortium, with US
> participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>ARRL EXPO 2006 STAGE TO FEATURE WIDE RANGE OF MINI-FORUMS
>
> Visitors to ARRL EXPO 2006 at Dayton HamventionR Friday, May 19, through
> Sunday, May 21, will be treated to a wide variety of mini-forums on the 
> ARRL
> Stage. Topics will range from the educational to the entertaining. These
> live presentations will begin every half hour on the ARRL Stage, located 
> in
> the ARRL EXPO in the Ballarena of Hara Arena.
>
> "The wide array of short presentations lined up for the ARRL stage depicts 
> a
> showcase of League programs and services," says ARRL Marketing Manager Bob
> Inderbitzen, NQ1R, who's overseeing much of the League's Hamvention
>presence. "This is opportunity for ARRL members and prospective members to
> experience, firsthand, the very best of ARRL and Amateur Radio."
>
> Kicking off the schedule of approximately 15-minute presentations will be
> QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, talking on "Getting Started with HF 
> Digital."
> Other presentation topics (see the full schedule on the ARRL EXPO 2006 Web
> site <http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2006/Dayton-2006-ARRL-Stage.pdf>)
> include "A New Look for QST Product Review" by QST Technical Editor Joel
> Hallas, W1ZR, "DXing for Beginners" by ARRL Affiliated Club/Mentor Program
> Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, and "QSL! QSL! How to Send Them So You'll Get
> Them" by ARRL First Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN.
>
> In all, the ARRL stage will offer presentations on upward of two dozen
> different topics. Speakers will do encore performances throughout the
> weekend.
>
> The ARRL EXPO 2006 mini-forums complement the schedule of ARRL Hamvention
> forums. "ARRL: Main Street USA," Friday, 10 AM in Room 1, will give
> Hamventioneers the opportunity to meet and hear ARRL's new President Joel
> Harrison, W5ZN. Harrison says he'll focus his remarks on how we have to
> change our approach toward today's prospective radio amateurs because of 
> the
> demographic changes on the Main Street of today.
>
> "I believe Amateur Radio's future is at least as bright as its past,"
> Harrison said in the March 2006 QST , "It Seems to Us . . ." editorial.
> "Radio is still magic, and always will be. But Main Street USA has 
> changed.
> The Average Joe changed. And so Amateur Radio, too, must change if we are 
> to
> share our passion for the magic of radio with future generations."
>
> In all, the League will sponsor 10 Hamvention forums, with topics ranging
> from antennas, public relations and ham radio in the classroom to 
> broadband
> over power line, grassroots legislative lobbying and League membership. 
> The
> complete schedule of ARRL forums and a brief description of each is
> available on the ARRL EXPO 2006 Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2006/> (scroll down to "ARRL Forums").
>
> See you at Dayton Hamvention!
>
> ==>OREGON RADIO AMATEUR DIES IN TOWER MISHAP
>
> Well-known DXer Ron J. Spears, W7IX, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, died May 14
> when an Amateur Radio tower he was working on in Northern California broke
> and toppled. He was 44.
>
> News accounts say Spears, an ARRL DXCC Honor Roll member (CW), was
> attempting to retrieve a 40-meter beam from atop a 170-foot tower near
> MacDoel, California, when the structure collapsed and fell to the ground
> with Spears still attached by his safety belt. He was pronounced dead at 
> the
> scene. His father, Aubrey, was assisting on the ground and witnessed the
> accident.
>
> Spears had built the tower for its previous owner, Ray Balch, K6VX (SK), 
> and
> used to do all of Balch's antenna work, so he had prior experience working
> on the structure. According to his father, Spears had first inspected the
> tower for safety. Spears earlier had bought the antenna from the current
> property owner and was attempting to bring it down in pieces. The 
> heavy-duty
> support structure broke as Spears was about 10 feet from the top.
>
> One unofficial report says that when Spears removed the antenna, it 
> slipped
> and struck one of the top guy wires, starting the tower swaying until the
> guy broke. Another account says the beam "got away from" Spears and its 
> huge
> boom struck and broke the tower guy. All but the lower 40 feet of the
> structure reportedly fell.
>
> In addition to his father, survivors include his mother, Oletta, N7OHO, 
> and
> a sister. Spears was a member of the ARRL and of the Southern Oregon 
> Amateur
> Packet Radio Association.--News media reports; The Daily DX; Rod Ingram,
> WC7N
>
> ==>LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD REACHES 100 MILLION QSO MARK
>
> ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, has announced that the
> Logbook of the World (LoTW) now contains more than 100 million individual
> QSO records.
>
> "With the end of the solar cycle upon us, I think this is just great,"
> Kramer said. "It is exciting to see this level of activity in what is
> supposed to be a 'dead' period. It is gratifying to see so many people
> uploading their QSOs, and we hope it continues."
>
> LoTW is a repository of log records submitted by users from around the
> world. When both participants in a QSO submit matching QSO records to 
> LoTW,
> the result is a "QSL" that can be used for ARRL award credit. There have
> been more than 5.6 million QSO matches since LoTW began operation on
> September 15, 2003.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The US Counties QSO Party (SSB), His Majesty
> the King of Spain Contest (CW), the EU PSK DX Contest, the Portuguese Navy
> Day Contest (PSK31 and CW/SSB), the Manchester Mineira CW Contest and the
> Baltic Contest are the weekend of May 20-21. The QRP Minimal Art Session 
> is
> May 25. JUST AHEAD: The CQ World Wide WPX Contest (CW), the 
> VK/Trans-Tasman
> 80-Meter Contest (CW), the ARCI Hootowl Sprint and the Michigan QRP 
> Memorial
> Day CW Sprint are the weekend of May 27-28. The Thursday NCCC Sprint 
> Ladder
> is June 2. 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, June 4, for these ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line courses:
> Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio
> Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004), HF
> Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF -- Life Beyond the Repeater
> (EC-008), and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011). Classes begin Friday,
> June 16. 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>.
>
> * Dayton 2006 Weblog to add personal touch to Hamvention experience: A new
> ARRL blog, "Dayton 2006 Weblog -- Notes and news from the 2006 Dayton
> Hamvention and ARRL EXPO," will be part of an experimental effort to 
> provide
> the day-to-day flavor of Dayton Hamvention, Friday through Sunday, May
> 19-21. QST Editor and ARRL Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY, will 
> be
> posting personal observations and impressions of the 2006 Hamvention, 
> which
> annually attracts upward of 25,000 visitors. "The idea is to put a more
> human face on the League," says Ford. "If it proves popular this year, we
> may expand the concept in the future." At least this time around, the 
> Dayton
> blog will not offer any means for readers to post their own comments. The
> blog is at <http://www.arrl.org/blog/Dayton%202006>.
>
> * ARRL's next-generation ham radio study guides now available: The keys to
> passing the Amateur Radio Technician license examinations starting July 1
> now are available. The ARRL has produced The ARRL Ham Radio License
> Manual--a brand-new publication that includes all the information a
> prospective ham needs to get licensed, including the significantly revised
> Technician class (Element 2) question pool going into effect at mid-year.
> Also just out: the fourth edition of ARRL's Tech Q & A. These new
> publications will supplant the popular and familiar Now You're Talking! 
> (5th
> edition) and ARRL's Tech Q & A (3rd edition) for those not planning to sit
> for the Technician examination any sooner than July 1. Both study guides
> will be available at Dayton Hamvention. The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual
> (Order No 9639) retails for $24.95. The new fourth-edition ARRL Tech Q & A
> (Order No 9647) sells for $15.95. Both are available via the ARRL online
> products catalog <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/>. Anyone aiming to take the
> Technician class (Element 2) Amateur Radio examination *before* July 1 of
> this year should study Now You're Talking! (5th edition) and ARRL's Tech Q 
> &
> A (3rd edition), which remain available. This summer, a new online class,
> "The ARRL Ham Radio License Course" will replace the current Technician
> License Course (EC-010). Along with a 100-percent risk-free guarantee,
> registration will include a copy of the new ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, 
> a
> one-year ARRL membership and post-graduate support.
>
> * JARL awards representative will be at Dayton: DXers working on Japan
> Amateur Radio League (JARL) awards take note: CQ DX Hall of Famer Masa
> Ebisawa, JA1DM, will be at Dayton Hamvention in the JARL booth (#483). The
> JARL will be checking the following awards: ADXA, ADXA-HALF, AJD, JCCs, 
> JCG,
> WAJA, WASA, Satellite-FUJI and others. In addition, he can check cards for
> ARRL DXCC. Ebisawa also will be available to answer questions on JARL
> activities as well as reciprocal licensing in Japan. For more information
> visit the JARL English-language Web site
> <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm> (URL
> is case-sensitive).
>
> * Position opening at ARRL Headquarters: ARRL is seeking a qualified radio
> amateur to fill the position of Contest Branch Manager within the 
> Membership
> Services Department. This is a full-time position at ARRL Headquarters in
> Newington, Connecticut. This individual will manage all activities of the
> Contest Branch, including employee supervision and volunteer coordination.
> Primary responsibilities include promotion and encouragement of Amateur
> Radio contest activity, receiving and processing contest logs, writing and
> preparing articles about contesting activity for ARRL publications,
> preparing results of ARRL contests for publication and Web posting,
> assisting in budget preparation and providing a high level of customer
> service. Candidates must have a college degree or equivalent and an 
> Amateur
> Radio license and be very familiar with ARRL's contest program (preference
> will be given to applicants with considerable personal contesting
> experience). Other requirements include solid interpersonal, writing and
> speaking skills; familiarity with the DXCC program and with ARRL sections
> and divisions, knowledge of the Microsoft Office software suite, and 
> strong
> attention to detail. As a representative of the ARRL, the Contest Branch
> Manager may need to undertake some weekday and weekend travel. ARRL is an
> equal opportunity employer. Send a resume and cover letter to LouAnn
> Campanello, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 or via e-mail
> <lcampanello at arrl.org>. ARRL is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
>
> * Jambo Scoutfest 2006 Boy Scout special event set: Boy Scout Venture Crew
> 59 in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, will offer more than 5000 Boy Scouts, Cub
> Scouts and Venture Crew members an up-close look at Amateur Radio during
> Jambo Scoutfest 2006, Friday through Sunday, May 19-21, on the campus of
> Kutztown University. ARRL Headquarters staffer Larry Wolfgang, WR1B--an
> enthusiastic scouting supporter and leader--will be among those on hand 
> for
> the occasion. The scouts will be operating under their KC3BSA call sign as 
> a
> special event station during Jambo Scoutfest. Battery-powered and
> solar-powered stations will be on the air on or near the World Scout
> Frequencies <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html#frequencies>. Look 
> for
> SSB and CW activity on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters as well as SSB on 6 
> and
> 2 meters and FM on 70 cm. The scouts also will demonstrate slow-scan
> television (SSTV), PSK31 and EchoLink. Visiting youth are invited to sit 
> in
> as guest ops. A certificate is available for a QSL to Edward R. Breneiser,
> WA3WSJ, ATTN: KC3BSA, 775 Moonflower Ave, Reading, PA 19606 (write "Jambo
> Scoutfest" on the envelope). There's more information on the Venture Crew 
> 59
> Web site <http://www.wa3wsj.com/VC59/VC59Home.html>.
>
> * Tide comes in for SSTV: Slow-scan television (SSTV) enthusiasts and fans
> of the world's largest ocean tides will have a unique opportunity to 
> combine
> those interests on Friday, May 26. QST author and mobile HF operator David
> Rosenthal, N6TST, will set up what he calls an "Interesting Event Station"
> at a dock beside Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy. There he plans to
> systematically photograph and transmit hourly SSTV images of one of the
> year's largest tides. He will be using the call sign N6TST/VE1. 
> Rosenthal's
> wharf-side location near Hantsport is known for the many super-high tide
> photos taken there. Propagation permitting, the progressive tide images
> should be copyable throughout North America on 20 meters; look for him on 
> or
> near 14.235 MHz. High tide is scheduled for 1559 UTC that day. Using an 
> ICOM
> IC-7000, a laptop and a 20 meter vertical antenna, he plans to shoot 
> photos
> throughout the day.
>
> * DXCC Desk approves operations for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
> approved these operations for DXCC credit: YI9AQ (Iraq), current 
> operation,
> effective September 21, 2004; YI9LZ (Iraq), current operation, effective 
> May
> 8, 2005; D6/WB4MBU (Comoros), operation from May 24 to October 27, 2001;
> D68JC (Comoros), operation from October 23 to November 8, 2001, and 4W2AQ
> (Timor-Leste), operation from June 18 to December 17, 2003. For more
> information, visit the DXCC Web page <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>.
> "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can answer most questions about the DXCC
> program.
>
> ===========================================================
> 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, 
> 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.)
>