Fw: [SMCARA] The ARRL Letter Vol. 26, No. 11

[Larry E.Norris]

Larry E.Norris
St.Mary's Co. REACT
Unit-922
Kae-4617
N3JTN
Leonardtown,Md


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J D Delancy" <W1JD at drix.net>
To: "SMCARA" <smcara at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 8:45 AM
Subject: [SMCARA] The ARRL Letter Vol. 26, No. 11


> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 26, No. 11
> March 16, 2007
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +WRC-07 preparations take a giant step forward
> * +Field Day 2007 planning already under way
> * +Food fights? In school QSO astronaut describes games in space
> * +Application avalanche continues in ARRL VEC
> * +Ham radio shut down in Iraq
> * +FCC begins posting ham radio enforcement actions on its site
> * +Army MARS updates its mission
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>     This weekend on the radio
>     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>    +AMSAT and TAPR to hold joint Dayton Hamvention banquet
>     CQ introduces HF Operator's Survival Guide
>     Special events commemorate Jamestown's 400th anniversary
>     Swain's Island is most-wanted DXCC entity on German list
>     Cushcraft Corporation acquired by Laird Technologies
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
>
> ===========================================================
> ==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ
> <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail
> <letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
> ==>Editorial questions or comments only: Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
> <n1rl at arrl.org>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO-RELATED WRC-07 TEXT SURVIVES CONFERENCE PREPARATORY 
> MEETING
>
> Technical report text on two World Radiocommunication Conference 2007
> (WRC-07) agenda items of interest to Amateur Radio has survived the WRC-07
> Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM-07). The nearly 600-page Conference
> Preparatory Meeting Report (CPM Report) contains "methods" that satisfy 
> the
> International Amateur Radio Union's (IARU) desired options for allocations
> in the vicinity of 136 kHz, 5 MHz and 7 MHz, thanks to the efforts of the
> IARU delegation.
>
> "The IARU was successful in retaining these options in the official 
> report,"
> said IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, who headed the IARU delegation to
> CPM-07 February 19 until March 2. "Of course, it is a long step to 
> actually
> get an allocation at the WRC." Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, also served on the IARU
> delegation.
>
> Sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), CPM-07 drew 
> to
> Geneva some 1100 delegates from more than 100 countries to finalize and
> adopt the massive technical report, in preparation over the past four 
> years.
> The CPM Report will guide the work of delegates attending WRC-07 October 
> 22
> through November 16. It provides background information on each WRC-07
> agenda item, various methods of addressing the agenda items and the
> advantages and disadvantages of each.
>
> Agenda Item (AI) 1.13 addresses the allocation of HF spectrum between 4 
> and
> 10 MHz, including the possibility of allocation changes in the 40 and 60
> meter bands, while AI 1.15 opens the possibility of a secondary ham radio
> allocation in the vicinity of 136 kHz. IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ,
> concedes that AI 1.13 is "one of the most complex and controversial items"
> on the WRC-07 agenda.
>
> "It's anyone's guess as to how the dust might settle come November," he
> commented. The CPM Report presents eight methods to satisfy specific parts
> of AI 1.13. Methods 6 and 7 are favorable to the Amateur Radio Service.
>
> Method 6 would provide a worldwide secondary amateur allocation of 5.260 
> to
> 5.410 MHz "to allow communications at times when propagation conditions do
> not permit the use of the presently allocated bands at 3.5 and 7 MHz." On
> the down side, the CPM Report said, such a 5 MHz amateur allocation could
> impact spectrum available for the Fixed and Mobile and the Broadcasting
> services.
>
> Method 7 provides a primary allocation at 7.200 to 7.300 MHz in Regions 1
> and 3 "to globally harmonize the Amateur Service allocations." Among 
> Method
> 7's disadvantages, the CPM Report said it could reduce spectrum now
> allocated to HF broadcasting in Regions 1 and 3 and "significantly
> complicates the problem of identifying" additional Broadcasting Service
> spectrum.
>
> Adoption of Method 7 at WRC-07 would achieve the IARU's goal of a 
> worldwide,
> 300-kHz Amateur Radio allocation at 7 MHz, however. It essentially
> implements the second phase of the work begun at WRC-03, which expanded 
> the
> Amateur Radio allocation at 7 MHz by 100 kHz (7.100 to 7.200 MHz) by March
> 2009. It would have no impact on the current 7.000 to 7.300 MHz 40-meter
> allocation in Region 2 (the Americas).
>
> AI 1.15 Method A would establish a secondary amateur allocation at 135.7 
> to
> 137.8 kHz in all three Regions "with footnotes ensuring protection of 
> other
> services operating in the same band." One alternative footnote would set a
> maximum radiated power limit of 1 W EIRP and would require that stations 
> not
> cause harmful interference to radionavigation stations in certain 
> countries.
> A second alternative footnote doesn't include the 1 W EIRP power limit.
> Method B would make no changes to the allocations table. The CPM Report
> lists no "foreseen" disadvantages to Method A.
>
> The CPM Report notes that more than 20 countries have established either
> domestic amateur allocations or authorized experimental and amateur
> communication in the low-frequency range, including 135.7 to 137.8 kHz.
>
> "We were able to achieve at CPM-07 the methods that would result in the
> allocations we seek," Sumner explains. "However, it remains for
> administrations to propose them if they are to be considered this fall at
> WRC-07."
>
> Radio amateurs served on some national delegations to CPM-07. Jon 
> Siverling,
> WB3ERA, and Walt Ireland, WB7CSL -- both of the ARRL's Technical Relations
> Office near Washington, DC -- represented the League on the US delegation 
> to
> CPM-07. Jim Dean, VE3IQ, represented Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) on
> Canada's delegation, while Jay Oka, JA1TRC represented the Japan Amateur
> Radio League (JARL) on Japan's delegation.
>
> ==>FIELD DAY 2007 OFFERS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR HF NEWCOMERS
>
> Although Field Day 2007 is still more than three months away, many ham 
> radio
> clubs and groups already have begun making plans for this year's event,
> Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24. Field Day has always been an ideal time 
> for
> new hams to become more proficient operators and for prospective licensees
> to get "bitten by the Amateur Radio bug." That may be even more the case
> during Field Day 2007, as many radio amateurs gain new HF operating
> privileges because of the rule changes that went into effect February 23.
>
> "This is an opportunity to get new or upgraded licensees on the air for 
> some
> active mentoring and active learning," says ARRL Regulatory Information
> Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND. "Field Day 2007 will be a chance to learn
> and grow, but above all, it will be a lot of fun -- and for many there is
> perhaps nothing more fun in ham radio than ARRL Field Day."
>
> The numbers support that claim. Last June, more than 32,500 operators took
> part in ARRL Field Day -- some as individuals but many more as part of a
> club or group. The League saw some 2200 Field Day log submissions for the
> 2006 event, during which nearly 1.24 million completed contacts went into
> the log -- not a record but up a little from the previous year.
>
> While no longer a licensing requirement, Morse code (CW) remains a very
> popular Field Day operating mode, perhaps because CW QSOs are worth twice 
> as
> much as phone contacts. Last year some 56 percent of Field Day contacts 
> took
> place on SSB, while nearly 42 percent were on CW (the rest were digital
> contacts).
>
> Henderson points out two small changes in the Field Day rules starting 
> this
> year. First, participating stations may only complete one satellite 
> contact
> for bonus points via a single-channel FM-mode spacecraft (Rule 7.3.7.1), 
> and
> it must be an Earth-satellite-Earth contact. "This will allow more 
> stations
> to access this very limited resource," he says.
>
> Second, an individual Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) station operators will earn 20
> points for each 20 contacts, up to a maximum of 100 per GOTA operator.
> Henderson notes that no partial point credit is available, and GOTA
> operators may not "pool" contacts toward any 20-QSO GOTA station bonus.
>
> "Amateur Radio stands at a juncture where we can embrace both the old and
> new," Henderson says. He notes, too, that the variety of available 
> operating
> modes -- traditional and experimental -- contributes toward Field Day's
> status as the most popular annual operating event.
>
> "Field Day is truly the time where we bring Amateur Radio to Main Street 
> USA
> -- a great time for 'the Bug' to bite as many people as it can," Henderson
> says. "Use Field Day 2007 to open up Amateur Radio to the next generation 
> of
> radio amateurs on your Main Street! It's up to us to make it happen."
>
> Complete information on Field Day 2007 packet is available on the ARRL Web
> site <http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/>.
>
> ==>GAMES ASTRONAUTS PLAY IN SPACE AMONG ISS HAM RADIO CONTACT TOPICS
>
> ISS Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and Flight 
> Engineer
> Suni Williams, KD5PLB, recently discussed their experiences in space with
> students at two schools. The Amateur Radio on the International Space
> Station (ARISS) program arranged the direct VHF contacts with Boulder Hill
> Elementary School in Montgomery, Illinois, March 6, and with Mission Viejo
> High School, in Mission Viejo, California, March 9. Williams told the
> youngsters at Boulder Hill that the dress code in space is strictly
> informal.
>
> "People don't understand that up here it's just like being in your house,"
> Williams explained, "so we can wear a T-shirt and shorts or a pair of 
> pants
> if it gets a little bit cool." She pointed out that crew members need to
> wear pressure suits during launch and spacesuits when working outside the
> space station.
>
> Among activities the crew engages in for recreation involves something
> resembling a food fight in microgravity. Williams said crew members "throw
> food and see how long we can throw it through one part of the module to 
> the
> next without hitting anything." Throwing in microgravity is interesting, 
> she
> said, because the tendency is to throw slightly upward "because you're 
> used
> to gravity." As a result, she added, "you usually hit the ceiling."
>
> As for the food, beyond its recreational value, Williams -- after a 
> moment's
> hesitation -- rated it as merely "okay," adding that the space cuisine 
> "sort
> of just gets old after a while because I've been up here three months, and
> the menu is starting to repeat." The Boulder Hill contact was Williams' 
> 12th
> ARISS event.
>
> As NA1SS and the school's club station W9BHB established communication,
> Williams surprised teacher Maureen Jorgensen, greeting the soon-to-be
> retiree by name. W9BHB control operator John Spasojevich, K9COE, said it
> marked the high point in Jorgensen's 35-year career. "Our retiring teacher
> is still in orbit," he remarked afterward.
>
> With between 600 and 700 parents, teachers and fellow pupils looking on,
> each of the 23 participating youngsters got to ask a question during the
> pass. At least one newspaper reported on the contact the following day.
> Assisting Spasojevich with Earth station duties were members of the Fox
> River Radio League (FRRL). Spasojevich and Greg Braun, N9CHA, mentored the
> youngsters in the school's ham radio club for the past year and a half.
>
> Commented School Superintendent David Behlow in a note to Spasojevich 
> after
> the event: "What a great day for our kids, Boulder Hill, the radio club,
> parents and the community!"
>
> On March 9, Lopez-Alegria took questions from students at his alma mater,
> Mission Viejo High School. After an abortive attempt to complete the 
> contact
> between NA1SS and K6UCI at the school a day earlier, ARISS was able to
> reschedule it promptly. Lopez-Alegria answered 13 questions during the
> approximately eight-minute pass, along the way offering some thoughts on 
> how
> he became an astronaut.
>
> "Y'know, I was a guy who was not really good at anything, but pretty good 
> at
> a lot of things, and I think that's what an astronaut is . . . is a
> generalist," Lopez-Alegria said. "And I feel I wasn't going to make my 
> mark
> in the world by inventing a cure for cancer or becoming a professional
> athlete or anything that took a lot of talent, but I thought I could 
> parlay
> some of my talents into something good, along with having a lot of fun. So
> that's what kind of did it for me."
>
> Lopez-Alegria told the high schoolers, "Space is better than I thought it
> would be," and he said he'd do it all over again if he had the 
> opportunity.
> The contact marked his fourth ARISS event, which was mentored by Kerry
> Banke, N6IZW. Members of the South Orange Amateur Radio Association 
> (SOARA)
> and the University of California -- Irvine Amateur Radio Club (K6UCI)
> handled Earth station duties for the Mission Viejo QSO. Matt Bennett,
> KF6RTB, was the K6UCI control operator.
>
> A model United Nations School, Mission Viejo High School used its ARISS 
> QSO
> to help teach a module on negotiation, communication and conflict 
> resolution
> with others around the world.
>
> ARISS is an international educational outreach, with US participation by
> ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>ARRL VEC STILL "BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!"
>
> The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) reports business continues 
> to
> be brisk following the FCC's deletion of Morse code as a ham radio 
> licensing
> requirement.
>
> "Busy, busy, busy!" is how ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, described
> the situation in her department. She says nearly 800 exam sessions are on
> the schedule for March with another 600 for April, "and it doesn't look 
> like
> test session activity will be slowing down any time soon," she added.
>
> ARRL VEC hosts 450 exam sessions in a typical month. Despite the hectic
> pace, Somma says personnel have been able to process most test session
> paperwork promptly. "The majority of our VE teams are returning the 
> sessions
> in good order and with all the needed forms," she noted. "Thank you!"
>
> While new call signs or upgrades typically appear in the FCC's ULS 
> database
> within 15 days, processing times are down a bit, and for a variety of
> reasons, it may take longer than that. Somma advises applicants to allow 
> 15
> days from the testing date before checking on application status. To 
> follow
> up, first use the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS)
> <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/> "Search Licenses" tab, or check the ARRL 
> Web
> license search engine <http://www.arrl.org/fcc/fcclook.php3>. To contact 
> the
> FCC, call toll-free during business hours 888-225-5322.
>
> Anyone who tested at an ARRL VEC session and whose application has not 
> been
> granted within 15 days may call ARRL VEC, 860-594-0300 (this is not a
> toll-free number).
>
> As of week's end, there were approximately 320,000 Technician licensees in
> the US -- still more than any other license class but dipping a bit as the
> number of Generals rises due to upgrading under the new rules.
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO ACTIVITY SHUT DOWN IN IRAQ
>
> Iraq Amateur Radio Society (IARS) President Diya Sayah, YI1DZ, has 
> informed
> ARRL that all Amateur Radio activity in Iraq has been suspended until the
> security situation there improves. The ham radio blackout began this week.
>
> Sayah says the suspension affects both Iraqi citizens as well as any
> foreigners, including military personnel and contractors -- who have been 
> on
> the air from Iraq identifying with YI9-prefix call signs. It does not 
> affect
> the operation of Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) stations, however,
> since they operate on military frequencies, not amateur frequencies. The
> IARS is informing its member to stay off the air, although some Voice over
> Internet Protocol (VoIP) modes like IRLP and EchoLink still are okay to 
> use,
> as long as they don't involve transmitting a signal over the air.
>
> The request to halt all ham radio activity and the issuance of licenses in
> Iraq originated with a letter from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense to Iraqi
> Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as part of the new Baghdad security plan,
> Sayah said. He received subsequent confirmation via the Ministry of Higher
> Education and Scientific Research to shut down ham radio activity, 
> although
> he allows for a possible misunderstanding on the part of government
> officials as to the nature and purpose of Amateur Radio.
>
>"I'm waiting an answer from the Office of Prime Minister, because I
> requested a meeting with him through e-mail," Sayah told the League. He 
> said
> the government expressed concerns over the difficulty of identifying 
> "enemy"
> as opposed to "friendly" radio traffic, the potential for revealing 
> military
> movements via radio and eavesdropping.
>
> Sayah said the government also wanted radio amateurs in Iraq to send all 
> ham
> radio equipment to the IARS until the security situation improved, but 
> he's
> advising hams in Iraq to hang onto their gear. "Because we had the 
> security
> plan going, no one can carry his equipment, and all checkpoints belongs to
> the Ministry of Defense," he said. "Besides, the location of our Society 
> is
> not safe to keep members' equipment in one place."
>
> Sayah also has reached out to the worldwide Amateur Radio community to use
> its influence to reverse the Iraqi government policy.
>
> ==>FCC NOW POSTING AMATEUR RADIO ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
>
> Amateur Radio enforcement correspondence -- with some exceptions -- now is
> available to the public on the FCC's "Amateur Radio Service Enforcement
> Actions" Web site <http://www.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/Welcome.html>. The
> listing will be cumulative, and Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum
> Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth anticipates updating it every 7 
> to
> 10 days.
>
> The site will not be a comprehensive listing of enforcement 
> correspondence.
> For example, it will not include letters requiring retesting pursuant to
> §97.519(d) of the FCC's rules, letters regarding radio frequency
> interference to amateur licensees and letters requesting an initial 
> response
> to a complaint.
>
> As a result of irregularities detected by ARRL VEC in examination sessions
> in Clinton, South Carolina, in June and July 2006, Hollingsworth has 
> issued
> retest orders to Technician licensees in Simpsonville, Greenwood, and
> Clinton, South Carolina, to an Amateur Extra licensee in Joanna, South
> Carolina (Elements 3 and 4), and to a General licensee in Laurens, South
> Carolina (Element 3).
>
> He also wrote to Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Azle, Texas; Northfork
> Electric Cooperative, Sayre, Oklahoma; Bit-by-Bit Horse Farms, Wind Gap,
> Pennsylvania, and to a resident of Gallipolis, Ohio, requesting they work
> with Amateur Radio licensees regarding RF interference generated by power
> line hardware and other devices.
>
> Direct all questions concerning the Amateur Radio Service Enforcement
> Actions Web postings via e-mail only to Riley Hollingsworth in the FCC
> Spectrum Enforcement Division <fccham at fcc.gov>.
>
> ==>KATRINA LESSONS LEARNED DRIVING UPDATED ARMY MARS MISSION
>
> Following an 18-month analysis of its performance in the wake of Hurricane
> Katrina, the US Army Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
> <http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars/> is reshaping its mission. Army MARS 
> Chief
> Stuart S. "Stu" Carter has told the MARS membership of some 2600 Amateur
> Radio volunteers that priorities and procedures have been reshuffled.
> Retraining and the building of tighter bonds with the federal and state
> agencies MARS supports in emergencies are getting special attention.
>
> "The challenges we face are new and more demanding than those we've 
> prepared
> for in the past," Carter told MARS members. "We need to know that all of 
> our
> members are well trained, ready, capable and willing to meet those
> challenges."
>
> Voicing his intent to make the organization relevant to the 21st Century,
> Carter assumed leadership of Army MARS last December, succeeding Kathy
> Harrison. In addition to his role as chief of Army MARS, Carter continues 
> as
> deputy director of current operations for the US Army Network Enterprise
> Technology Command (NETCOM), headquartered at Ft Huachuca, Arizona. As 
> MARS
> chief, he inherits the post's AAA9A call sign.
>
> Among other initiatives, Carter has ratcheted up MARS training 
> requirements
> to include National Incident Management System (NIMS)
> <http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/index.shtm> training courses. He's 
> also
> directed a doubling of the on-air drill requirement in regional and state 
> HF
> radio nets. Beyond that, he also plans an aggressive informational 
> campaign
> to make MARS better known within the federal establishment as an
> emergency/disaster resource.
>
> He also reiterated that Army MARS will seek a "defined relationship" with
> the ARRL. "We need to know each other better," said Carter, a retired US 
> Air
> Force lieutenant colonel with 30 years' service in communications and
> information technology. "The objective would be to enhance the amateur
> community's overall emergency readiness while minimizing duplication of
> effort." MARS sees its own regional and national HF capability as a 
> natural
> fit with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).
>
> The updated MARS program builds on the emergency readiness mission begun
> during the 16-year tenure of former Army MARS Chief Bob Sutton, N7UZY. 
> Army
> MARS already has been realigned so regional boundaries coincide with 
> Federal
> Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) districts. Carter has appointed 10
> volunteer regional directors to facilitate responses to multi-state
> emergencies.
>
> Under Carter's leadership, MARS also is moving away from a paradigm where
> members mostly just relay emergency traffic from fixed stations. Under a
> more mobile MARS model, a few specially-trained volunteers also will be
> available to deploy to disaster areas along with the US Army and federal
> agencies, such as FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security and the
> Transportation Security Administration.
>
> In addition, Army MARS has replaced its longstanding digital message 
> network
> with a Winlink 2000 system that combines radio and Internet links to 
> ensure
> swift and dependable message delivery.
>
> Army MARS also will continue to emphasize collaboration among the Air 
> Force
> and Navy-Marine Corps MARS organization.
>
> Carter has tapped Lawrence Hays, WB6OTS, to fill the new post of chief of
> operations, with responsibility for planning, emergency activations 
> liaison
> with external agencies and training materials development. He's named 
> fellow
> NETCOM headquarters staffer James Banks as director of regional 
> operations.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Sun Dude Tad "SPF 15" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: We just 
> had
> more zero-sunspot days, followed by the brief emergence of small spots, 
> then
> more days with no sunspots. The average daily sunspot number for the past
> week was down nearly 70 percent from the previous week, to 5.9.
>
> A solar wind hit Earth Tuesday, March 13, resulting in a rise in 
> geomagnetic
> indices. The planetary A index went up to 26, while the A index measured 
> at
> Fairbanks, Alaska -- the college A index -- rose to 50. The next period of
> higher geomagnetic activity is predicted for March 27, then April 9 and
> April 23.
>
> The vernal equinox is coming up in a few days. On Wednesday, March 21, at
> 0007 UTC (Tuesday, March 20 in North America) the sunlight hitting the
> northern and southern hemispheres will be equal. With an equal measure of
> sunlight striking both hemispheres, the equinox is a good time for HF
> propagation, with the possible exception that we have very low sunspot
> activity.
>
> Sunspot numbers for March 8 through 14 were 0, 0, 16, 14, 11, 0 and 0, 
> with
> a mean of 5.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 72.5, 71.6, 71.2, 71, 71.2, 71.4, and
> 70, with a mean of 71.3. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 2, 4, 8, 9,
> 26 and 8, with a mean of 8.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3, 1, 
> 2,
> 6, 7, 18 and 9, with a mean of 6.6.
>
> For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL 
> Technical
> Information Service Propagation page
> <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The 10-10 International Mobile Contest, the
> BARTG Spring RTTY Contest, the Russian DX Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF 
> Contest,
> the Virginia QSO, the UBA Spring Contest (6 meters), the ARCI HF Grid 
> Square
> Sprint, and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest are the weekend of March
> 17-18. The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint and the RSGB 80-Meter Club
> Championship (SSB) are March 22. JUST AHEAD: The CQ World Wide WPX Contest
> (SSB), and the QRP Homebrewer Spring are the weekend of March 24-25. 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, March 25, for these ARRL
> Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) online courses beginning on
> Friday, April 6: The ARRL Ham Radio License Course (EC-010), 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). These courses will also open 
> for
> registration Friday, March 23, for classes beginning Friday, May 4. 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>.
>
> * AMSAT and TAPR to hold joint Dayton Hamvention banquet: TAPR and AMSAT 
> are
> teaming up to sponsor a joint banquet in conjunction with Dayton 
> Hamvention
> 2007. "Dinner Under the Wings" will take place Friday, May 18, at the
> National Museum of the United States Air Force. Doors open at 6 PM in the
> Air Power Gallery (World War II). A buffet dinner will be served at 7 PM 
> in
> the Cold War area. Attendees will have the opportunity to browse the 
> museum.
> Reservations *are* required. Tickets are $35 per person and will be
> available until May 14. Tickets will *not* be sold at the TAPR booth at
> Hamvention. To order tickets and for additional information, visit the 
> AMSAT
> Web site <http://www.amsat-na.com/item.php?id=100133>.
>
> * CQ introduces HF Operator's Survival Guide: In response to recent 
> changes
> in licensing rules and operating privileges for all hams, the editors of 
> CQ
> Amateur Radio magazine have prepared an HF Operator's Survival Guide, a
> 16-page getting-started guide for newcomers to high-frequency (shortwave)
> Amateur Radio communications. Written by CQ Contesting Editor John Dorr,
> K1AR, Contributing Editor Gordon West, WB6NOA, and CQ Editor Rich Moseson,
> W2VU, the booklet is a practical, hands-on guide to success in HF ham 
> radio.
> "Starting out on HF can be pretty intimidating, especially now, at the
> bottom of the sunspot cycle, when DX opportunities are harder to find," 
> said
> Moseson, who also oversaw the guide's overall production. "This practical
> guide will help the new HF operator, regardless of license class, hit the
> air running." Among other topics, the book discusses the characteristics 
> of
> each HF ham band and explains which is best and when, basic HF operating
> practices, choosing your first HF transceiver, antenna basics, and various
> HF modes and operating activities. There's also an HF band chart. The HF
> Operator's Survival Guide is $2 (plus shipping), with discounts available
> for bulk purchases. To order, or for more information, contact CQ
> Communications Inc, 800-853-9797 (toll-free) weekdays 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern
> Time.
>
> * Special events commemorate Jamestown's 400th anniversary: Special event
> stations W4V, K4V and N4V will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the
> Jamestown Colony. On May 24, 1607, the Virginia Company of London
> established the first permanent English settlement in North America at
> Jamestown Island, near present-day Jamestown, Virginia. The Central 
> Virginia
> Contest Club (CVCC) says W4V will be on the air during the Virginia QSO
> Party <http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/QSOParty.htm> March 17-18
> and during the CQ World Wide WPX (SSB) Contest March 24-25 as well as May
> 12-27. CVCC members will use W4V at other times. QSLs for the March and 
> May
> operations go to NW4V (US stations, include an SASE). WA4PGM will operate 
> as
> K4V March 16-21, including the Virginia QSO Party (QSL to WA4PGM). N4V 
> will
> also be on during the Virginia QSO Party, mostly on RTTY and PSK-31 (QSL 
> via
> KT4U). These operations count toward The Virginia Quadricentennial
> Commemorative Amateur Radio Award
> <http://www.dxawards.com/inet2007.htm#Virginia>. -- The Daily DX
> <http://www.dailydx.com>
>
> * Swain's Island is most-wanted DXCC entity on German list: Cited by more
> than 83 percent of survey respondents, Swain's Island (KH8/S) tops the
> German DX Foundation (GDXF) 2006 "mixed" list of most-wanted DXCC 
> entities.
> Continuing down the Top 10: 2. Scarborough Reef (BS7H), 3. Navassa Island
> (KP1), 4. Bouvet Island (Y/B), 5. Lakshadweep Islands (VU7), 6. South 
> Orkney
> Islands (VP8/O), 7. Kermadec Islands (ZL8), 8. Desecheo Island (KP5), 9.
> North Korea (P5) and 10. Marquesas Islands (FO/M). North Korea, Swain's 
> and
> Scarborough were the top-three most wanted on the CW list. The GDXF
> conducted its poll <http://www.gdxf.de/mostwanted.html> in December. --  
> The
> Daily DX
>
> * Cushcraft Corporation acquired by Laird Technologies: Cushcraft
> Corporation, a manufacturer of antennas for Amateur Radio, commercial and
> industrial applications has been acquired by Laird Technologies. A 
> February
> 26 announcement put the purchase price at $89.75 million. Headquartered in
> St Louis, Laird Technologies designs and manufactures antenna systems,
> electromagnetic interference shielding products and wireless systems, 
> among
> other products. Cushcraft has design and manufacturing centers in New
> Hampshire, California and Utah.
>
> ===========================================================
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