[South Florida DX Association] The ARRL Letter for March 4, 2010

Fri Mar 5 08:18:45 EST 2010

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The ARRL Letter

March 4, 2010
Editor: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA <mailto:k1sfa at arrl.org>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/> 	
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    * ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan <#toc01>
    * /Public Service/ : Radio Club de Chile Active after Earthquake
      <#toc02>
    * /Public Service/ : Hawaii Hams Spurred to Action by Chilean
      Earthquake <#toc03>
    * /FCC News/ : FCC Seeks Comments for Blanket Waiver to Allow
      Amateur Radio in Hospital Emergency Drills <#toc04>
    * / FCC News/ : FCC Denies ARRL's /Request for Declaratory Ruling/
      <#toc05>
    * /FCC News/ : FCC Reaffirms Statement on ROS <#toc06>
    * / Public Service/ : Amateur Radio Operators Wrap Up Communications
      Support in Haiti <#toc07>
    * / ARRL In Action/ : What Have We Been Up to Lately? <#toc08>
    * ARRL Executive Committee Meeting Agenda Now Available <#toc09>
    * // /Amateur Radio in Space/ : A Close Encounter for AMSAT-OSCAR 51
      <#toc10>
    * W1AW Announces New Schedule for Digital Bulletin Transmissions
      <#toc11>
    * Solar Update <#toc12>
    * / Silent Key/ : TAPR President Emeritus Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ (SK)
      <#toc13>
    * This Week on the Radio <#toc14>
    * ARRL Recognizes: Paul Christensen, W9AC, Wins February /QST /
      Cover Plaque Award <#toc15>

ARRL Seeks Input for New IARU Region 2 Band Plan

The International Amateur Radio Region 2 conference -- held later this 
year in El Salvador -- brings together delegations from the national 
Amateur Radio Societies in the Western Hemisphere. One of the topics on 
the agenda will be the Region 2 HF band plan. This band plan is 
"harmonized with" -- spectrum management-speak for "very similar to" -- 
the IARU Region 1 and Region 3 band plans. At this year's conference, 
the IARU Member-Societies will consider possible changes to the Region 2 
band plan. The ARRL is cooperating with this procedure by inviting input 
to be sent to the ARRL Board of Directors' Band Planning Committee. The 
committee will review the existing Region 2 band plan, consider input 
from the amateur community and make recommendations to the ARRL Board 
for submission to IARU Region 2. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11374/?nc=1>.

/Public Service/: Radio Club de Chile Active after Earthquake

On Monday, March 1, IARU Region 2 <http://www.iaru-r2.org/> President 
Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, spoke via telephone with Radio Club de Chile 
(RCCH <http://www.ce3aa.cl/>) President Dr Galdino Besomi, CE3PG, 
regarding the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the South American 
nation on Saturday, February 27. "He informed me that soon after the 
earthquake, an Emergency Net was activated in the whole country -- first 
on VHF and then on HF. All the RCCH Board and club members are actively 
working in close coordination with civil and military authorities," 
Leandro posted to the IARU Region 2 e-mail reflector. "Three days after 
the earthquake, the requests for news about people in the affected areas 
is one of the main activities occupying the Chilean radio amateurs."

/Public Service/: Hawaii Hams Spurred to Action by Chilean Earthquake

On Saturday, February 27 -- in reaction to a tsunami warning triggered 
by the Chilean earthquake -- 60 Amateur Radio operators participated in 
a tsunami radio net that operated throughout the island State of Hawaii. 
More than 25 real-time reports from observers around the state were 
relayed simultaneously to the State Emergency Operating Center (EOC) and 
the four county EOCs, providing timely information via Amateur Radio on 
sea level changes to emergency management officials. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/01/11368/?nc=1>.

/FCC News/: FCC Seeks Comments for Blanket Waiver to Allow Amateur Radio 
in Hospital Emergency Drills

In February 2010, the American Hospital Association (AHA) filed a 
request with the FCC for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) of the 
Commission's Rules "to permit hospitals seeking accreditation to use 
Amateur Radio operators who are hospital employees to transmit 
communications on behalf of the hospital as part of emergency 
preparedness drills." On March 3, the FCC issued a /Public Notice/ -- WP 
Docket 10-54 -- seeking comments if the Commission "should grant AHA's 
request for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) to permit amateur 
operators who are hospital employees to participate in emergency drills 
that are conducted by hospitals for accreditation purposes and that are 
not government-sponsored."Section 97.113(a)(3) specifically prohibits 
amateur stations from transmitting communications "in which the station 
licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including 
communications on behalf of an employer." Read more here.

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/ FCC News/ : FCC Denies ARRL's /Request for Declaratory Ruling/

In 2005, after the State of Florida adopted statutes aimed at pirate 
broadcasters and making it a felony to make a radio transmission without 
Commission authorization or to interfere with a licensed public or 
commercial radio station, the ARRL -- through General Counsel Chris 
Imlay, W3KD -- filed a /Request for Declaratory Ruling/ (/Request/) with 
the FCC, seeking a declaratory ruling on portions of that statute. The 
ARRL argued that the statute was written so broadly that one could infer 
that Commission-licensed Amateur Radio stations in Florida would be 
subject to felony prosecution if their transmissions interfered with 
broadcast or other radio receivers. In 2006, New Jersey adopted a 
similar statute and the ARRL's /Request/ was modified to include that 
state. Five years and one day after the original /Request/ was filed 
with the Commission, the FCC denied the /Request/. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/02/28/11365/?nc=1>.

/FCC News/: FCC Reaffirms Statement on ROS

In mid-February, European amateurs first used a new, experimental 
digital mode known as ROS. On February 23, 2010 -- after FCC review of 
the original documents provided from the developer's Web site -- the FCC 
made a statement on ROS. The ARRL supports -- as one of the basic 
purposes of Amateur Radio -- the experimentation and advancing the 
technical skills of operators. The development and use of any new mode 
is exciting to many amateurs, and the League encourage amateurs to 
experiment within the parameters of the rules; however, the ARRL also 
reminds US licensees that according to Section 97.307, spread spectrum 
communications are only permissible in the US on frequencies above 222 
MHz. Read more, including what the FCC had to say about ROS, here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/04/11377/?nc=1>.

/ Public Service/ : Amateur Radio Operators Wrap Up Communications 
Support in Haiti

After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti on 
January 12, many Amateur Radio operators asked how they could volunteer 
their time and service to assist with communications support. When 
Project Medishare <http://projectmedishare.org/> -- a partnership 
between the University of Miami Medical School (UM) and physicians and 
health officials in Haiti -- needed help with their communications, 
Amateur Radio operators were quick to respond. According to Jack 
Satterfield, W4GRJ/AFA4DG, Medishare has constructed several health 
clinics in Haiti over the years -- all of which were destroyed in the 
earthquake. "Medishare was able to rapidly deploy medical teams and 
assets to begin the overwhelming task facing the post earthquake medical 
needs," he told the ARRL.

WX4NHC Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG (seated), Dr Dale Botwin, KR4OR, 
and WX4NHC Assistant Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, helped to 
coordinated the Amateur Radio communications support in Haiti for 
Project Medishare. [Louis Cruz, N4LDG, Photo]

"UM Vice President for Facilities and Operations Ron Bogue was the 
Director in Charge of the Haiti operations. His concern about the 
unreliable communications caused him to contact Julio Ripoll, WD4R, with 
whom he has worked for years as the architect for UM Medical facilities. 
Ron knew that Julio is a ham radio operator and very involved with the 
National Hurricane Center in Miami and its Amateur Radio station, 
WX4NHC. Ripoll then contacted ARRL to request help in soliciting 
volunteers. ARRL immediately sent down an HF Go Kit -- through the 
ARRL's Ham Aid Program -- and put Ripoll in touch with ARRL West Central 
Florida Section Emergency Coordinator and Navy MARS Florida State Deputy 
Director Neil Lauritsen, W4NHL/NNN0TFH. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11371/?nc=1>.

/ ARRL In Action/ : What Have We Been Up to Lately?

This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- 
is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on 
behalf of its members, including holding elections for and appointing 
people to League leadership positions, preparing for WRC-12, legislative 
actions, providing equipment for communications support in Haiti through 
the ARRL's Ham Aid program, developing on-the-air events, investigating 
power line noise and more. This installment covers the month of 
February. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2010/03/01/11366/?nc=1>.

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ARRL Executive Committee Meeting Agenda Now Available

At its January 2010 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors decided to make 
the agendas of Board and Executive Committee meetings available on the 
ARRL Web site. The first opportunity to do so is for the Executive 
Committee meeting to be held March 13. The agenda is available here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/files/20100313_EC_agenda.pdf>.

///Amateur Radio in Space/: A Close Encounter for AMSAT-OSCAR 51

While many in North America were fast asleep Monday morning, March 1, 
the AMSAT-OSCAR 51 (AO-51) satellite had a potentially dangerous 
encounter with another spacecraft known as Formosat 3D. OSCAR 51 is a 
popular Amateur Radio satellite that often functions as a crossband FM 
repeater, relaying brief conversations over hundreds of miles. Formosat 
3D is part of a constellation of six remote sensing microsatellites that 
collect atmospheric data for weather prediction and for ionosphere, 
climate and gravity research. Both orbit at an altitude of approximately 
500 miles. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11373/?nc=1>.

W1AW Announces New Schedule for Digital Bulletin Transmissions

Beginning Monday, March 15, W1AW <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html>, the 
Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, will alternate the digital modes 
used for its digital bulletin transmissions. While Baudot, PSK31 and 
MFSK16 still make up the digital mode complement, W1AW Station Manager 
Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says that the schedule will be altered to give more 
exposure to PSK31 and MFSK16. "Because of time constraints and the 
varying lengths of digital bulletins, there were many instances where 
only Baudot was used," he said. "With the new schedule, amateurs 
preferring either PSK31 or MFSK16 will no longer find these modes 
secondary." Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/02/16/11343/?nc=1>.

Solar Update

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from NASA's SOHO Extreme 
Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope 
<http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/realtime-update.html>. 
This image was taken at 304 Angstrom; the bright material is at 60,000 
to 80,000 Kelvin.

Tad "The Sun shines hot and the wind blows cold 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations>" Cook, K7RA, reports: 
The sunspots just keep coming: Two new sunspot groups appeared on March 
1, numbered 1052 and 1053. This brings the total number of sunspot 
groups appearing over the last month at 11. Looking at our 3-month 
moving average of daily sunspot numbers, the latest for 
December-January-February is 22.4, for the period centered on January. 
The 3-month moving averages for the periods centered on July through 
January were 4, 4, 4.64, 7.1, 10.16, 15.15 and 22.4. The average sunspot 
number for the month of February was 31, up from 21.3 for January and 
15.7 for December. The February average being 8.6 points higher than the 
trailing three month average (22.4) is a good trend. Look for more 
information on the ARRL Web site on Friday, March 5, including more news 
from happy radio amateurs commenting on improved conditions on the 
higher part of the HF spectrum. The vernal equinox occurs in a little 
over two weeks, ushering in good spring conditions. For more information 
concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information 
Service Propagation page 
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. This week's "Tad 
Cookism" brought to you by Charles Dickens' /Great Expectations 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations>./

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/ Silent Key/ : TAPR President Emeritus Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ (SK)

Dr David Toth, VE2GYQ (SK)

Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ -- President Emeritus of Tucson Amateur Packet 
Radio (TAPR) -- passed away Friday, February 26 after a long battle with 
cancer. He was 55. A resident of Spencerville, Ohio, Toth served as a 
Director and Executive Vice President of TAPR in the 1980s and was 
elected President of the organization in September 2005. With his 
advancing illness, he decided not to stand for re-election last October 
and was instead named President Emeritus with Steve Bible, N7HPR, taking 
the reins as TAPR President. Read more here 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/01/11367/?nc=1>.

/W1AW News/: March W1AW/West Coast Qualifying Run Schedule

The March schedules for the W1AW and West Coast Qualifying Runs were 
inadvertently left out of the March issue of /QST/. The March schedules 
for W1AW are as follows: Friday, March 5 at 10 PM EST (Saturday, March 6 
at 0300 UTC) for 10-25 WPM and Tuesday, March 16 at 7 PM EDT (2300 UTC) 
for 10-40 WPM. The West Coast Qualifying run will be transmitted by 
station K6KPH on Saturday, March 13 at 2 PM PDT (2200 UTC) for 10-35 
WPM. The run will be transmitted simultaneously on 3581.5, 7047.5, 
14047.5, 18097.5 and 21067.5 kHz.

This Week on the Radio

This week, look for the ARRL International DX Contest (SSB) 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2010/intldx.html> on March 6-7. The 
Wake-Up! QRP Sprint is March 6 and the DARC 10 Meter Digital Contest is 
March 7. The CLARA HF Contest is March 9-10 (continuing on March 13-14) 
and the CWops Mini-CWT Test is March 10-11. Next week, the Feld Hell 
Sprint is March 13. The RSGB Commonwealth Contest, the Elecraft QSO 
Party and the Idaho QSO Party are March 13-14. The North American Sprint 
(RTTY) and the SKCC Weekend Sprint are March 14. The Wisconsin QSO Party 
is March 14-15 and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is March 18. All 
dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch 
page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the /ARRL Contest Update 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/>/ and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar 
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. Looking 
for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event 
Station Web page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>.

ARRL Recognizes: Paul Christensen, W9AC, Wins February /QST / Cover 
Plaque Award

The winner of the /QST /Cover Plaque Award for February is Paul 
Christensen, W9AC, for his article "An SWR Null Meter." /Congratulations 
Paul!/// The winner of the QST/ / Cover Plaque award -- given to the 
author or authors of the best article in each issue -- is determined by 
a vote of ARRL members on the/ //QST/ Cover Plaque Poll Web page 
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>. Cast a ballot for your 
favorite article in the March issue by Wednesday, March 31.

ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

Registration remains open through *Sunday, March 21, 2010*, for these 
online course sessions <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student/> beginning on 
*Friday, April 2, 2010*: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1; 
Antenna Modeling; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and 
Construction; Ham Radio (Technician) License Course; Propagation; Analog 
Electronics, and Digital Electronics. To learn more, visit the CEP 
Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact the 
Continuing Education Program Coordinator <mailto:cce at arrl.org>.

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