[TCARC-NTX] ARRL Letter

[David Johnson]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 27
July 11, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +"BPL is a Pandora's Box," ARRL tells FCC
* +WRC-03 records radio history in 40-meter compromise
* +Astronauts still drinking Tang--or something like it
* +See you on 60!
* +ARRL Board to meet in Connecticut
* +Dean of ARRL Section Managers steps down
* +FCC accepting comments on petition to set bandwidth limits
*  FCC attempting to rectify call sign goof
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Hurricane Watch Net activates for Claudette
     California antenna bill reaches governor's desk
     Astronaut works dozens of stations from ISS during Field Day
     Museum Ships Special Event set
     Top 40-meter DXer Al Hix, W8AH, SK

+Available on ARRL Audio News

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=3D=3D>"BPL IS A PANDORA'S BOX OF UNPRECEDENTED PROPORTIONS," ARRL TELLS =
FCC

Citing the potential for interference to and from Amateur Radio, the
ARRL has called on the FCC to "take no steps" to permit Broadband over
Power Line (BPL)--a form of power line carrier (PLC) technology. In
response to the FCC's BPL Notice of Inquiry (NOI) published May 23, the
League this week filed a 120-page response--including studies. The NOI,
which asked how the FCC should regulate the delivery of broadband
services to homes and businesses using electrical wiring to conduct
high-speed digital signals, attracted some 1900 comments--many from the
amateur community--by the July 7 comment deadline.

"ARRL is unwilling to have the Amateur Service gored with the
double-edged sword of an incompatible service that will at once (1)
cause widespread interference, and (2) preclude any future changes in
the amateur HF allocations," the ARRL said. The League said that based
on "diligent and exhaustive research," it's concluded that BPL must
avoid any and all amateur MF, HF and VHF allocations without exception.

The League said that while it's aware that current Part 15 rules permit
BPL, its interference potential remains untested and unrealized, since
no access BPL systems are in operation. BPL proponents would prefer that
the FCC authorize even higher power levels for such systems, however.

"BPL is a Pandora's Box of unprecedented proportions," the ARRL
declared. It asked the FCC to modify its Part 15 rules to prevent
interference to users of the HF and low-VHF spectrum from the start and
"to prevent consumers' reliance on BPL as an interference-free broadband
delivery system."

Studies appended to the League's comments suggest received signal levels
of BPL broadband noise at typical amateur stations would be anywhere
from 34 dB to 65 dB higher than typical ambient noise levels in the
worst-case situations. "BPL cannot be deployed using amateur allocations
in the MF, HF and VHF bands without severely high interference
potential," the ARRL reiterated.

Electric utility companies would operate many, if not most, BPL systems.
ARRL pointed out that some power companies have demonstrated a
less-than-stellar record of cooperation in resolving complaints of power
line noise to hams. "It is a very substantial problem now for the
Amateur Service, without the addition of BPL to the mix," the League
said.

The ARRL concluded by urging the FCC to ensure that BPL "is not
permitted to operate in or near any Amateur Radio allocations" and that
any future changes in ham allocations would "trigger retroactive
modifications to BPL facilities" to avoid amateur frequencies.

ARRL's comments and additional information are available on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-104/>.

The ARRL has initiated an important Spectrum Defense Fund campaign to
support activities to educate government officials on the potential
threat that BPL poses to Amateur Radio. To find out more, or to support
ARRL's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure BPL Web site
<https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/>

=3D=3D>RADIO HISTORY IS MADE AT WRC-03 WITH 7-MHZ REALIGNMENT COMPROMISE

In a historic move, delegates to World Radiocommunication Conference
2003
(WRC-03) agreed to move broadcasters out of 7100 to 7200 kHz in Regions
1 and 3 to make room for the Amateur Service. International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) Secretary--and ARRL CEO--David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the
"carefully crafted compromise" calls for broadcasters to vacate 7100 to
7200 kHz by March 29, 2009. Amateurs in the US and the rest of Region 2
will continue to enjoy the 7000 to 7300 kHz band they now have, and
eventually with greatly reduced broadcasting interference.

The compromise marked the first time in the history of internationally
coordinated radio spectrum allocation that an HF broadcasting band was
shifted to accommodate the needs of another service. It cuts in half the
incompatibility between amateur and broadcasting use of the 7 MHz band
and doubles the 40-meter spectrum available to amateurs in Regions 1 and
3.

While the result falls short of the IARU's goal of a 300-kHz worldwide
exclusive band for amateurs, the cooperation of broadcasters, opposing
delegates and many others was required to make a positive step for ham
radio. Spectrum between 4 and 10 MHz is on the agenda for WRC-07, but
the next conference will not consider further changes to 7000-7200 kHz.

As expected, WRC-03 also dropped the international Morse code
requirement for HF access, leaving individual countries to decide if
they want to retain a code proficiency requirement (Switzerland already
has dropped the requirement). In addition, the conference adopted a
number of improvements to other international regulations for the
Amateur Service. Delegates also agreed to allow a secondary allocation
for satellite borne synthetic aperture radars at 70 cm and, in an
Article 19 change, made amateur call sign assignments more flexible.

Michael Owen, VK3KI, a member of the IARU team at Geneva, has provided a
detailed explanation of Article 25 changes in the article "New
Regulations for the Amateur Services." It's available on the IARU Web
site <http://www.iaru.org/rel030703att3.html>.

More than 2600 delegates and other participants attended the
four-week-long conference, chaired by Dr Veena Rawat of Canada. For
WRC-03, the IARU fielded its largest team of observers at an ITU
conference in more than a decade. In addition to Sumner and Owen, the
team--led by IARU President Larry Price, W4RA--included Bob Jones,
VE7RWJ; Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM, and Ken Pulfer, VE3PU. More than a
dozen other amateurs were present on national delegations or in other
roles for the IARU, its regional organizations and member-societies.

Changes to Articles 19 and 25 took effect on July 5, 2003. In general,
the other Final Acts take effect on January 1, 2005.

=3D=3D>TANG--OR SOMETHING LIKE IT--STILL A SPACE DRINK

Despite some technical problems, youngsters at the Challenger Learning
Center of Northwest Indiana
<http://pucinfo.calumet.purdue.edu/challenger_nwi/welcome.htm> got
answers to more than a dozen questions via ham radio from NASA
International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer Ed Lu,
KC5WKJ. The direct 2-meter contact took place June 26 between Lu, at the
controls of NA1SS, and W9PUC, the call sign of the Purdue Calumet
Amateur Radio Society, whose members assisted in setting up the Earth
station equipment. The contact was arranged as part of the Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.

One youngster asked Lu if astronauts still drink Tang--the orange drink
made from powder--while in space. "Actually, we do have an orange drink,
I'm not sure if it's actually Tang or not--actually, I think it might
be--but it's labeled as 'orange drink.'" Lu said. "When you add water to
it, it tastes pretty good."

Despite the February 1 shuttle Columbia disaster, Lu told another
Challenger Center camper that he was not worried about having to pass
through Earth's atmosphere when the crew returns from space in October.
"Obviously, space flight can be risky, but our ship is totally different
than the shuttle," he said, noting that the Russian Soyuz now being used
to transport ISS crew members doesn't even have wings. "I think it will
go just fine," Lu predicted.

The Expedition 6 crew experienced a bit of a bumpy landing this spring
in its Soyuz spacecraft and also undershot their landing zone. The NASA
shuttle fleet remains grounded.

Taking off from Earth was quite an experience, Lu told another
youngster, saying it felt as if "a giant hand" were pushing him back
into his seat aboard the Soyuz. Lu has been maintaining a Web site
<http://www.edlu.com/> that describes his perspective on life in space.

The Expedition 7 crew of Lu and Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko,
RK3DUO, has another four months left on its duty tour. Lu--who turned 40
in space July 1--told the grade three through eight youngsters that the
two-man crew has been involved in hundreds of experiments, some of which
involve observing the Earth and others the crew members themselves, he
said.

The contact was plagued at various points by poor downlink signal
reception. Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, the ARISS mentor for the contact, said
some 150 to 175 people were in attendance for the event. Ed Perosky,
K9TZT, served as the Amateur Radio coordinator, while Mark Skowronski,
K9MQ, was control operator. Members of the Lake County Amateur Radio
Club also assisted. ARISS is an international program with participation
by NASA, ARRL and AMSAT.

=3D=3D>SEE YOU ON 60! FIVE CHANNELS NOW OPEN FOR USE

US amateurs had been counting down the weeks, days and hours. Now, the
five new 60-meter "channel center" frequencies--5332, 5348, 5368, 5373
and 5405 kHz--are available! Given the constraints imposed on the five
lightly used government frequencies, ARRL advises members to demonstrate
their best operating behavior and to use common sense when operating
under the new rules. The channelized domestic, secondary allocation at 5
MHz marks the first new HF amateur band since the 1980s.

The only legal mode is upper sideband voice (USB), with a maximum
bandwidth of 2.8 kHz (centered within each channel). On July 3, the
first day the band was available, hundreds of operators opened up on one
of the channels to grab their first contacts. The friendly free-for-all
took place on a fairly level playing field, however, since the FCC has
imposed a 50 W effective radiated power (ERP) limit. The new FCC
rules--=A797.303(s)--define this as the transmitter output in peak
envelope power (PEP) multiplied by antenna gain relative to a half-wave
dipole or the equivalent calculation in decibels. The Commission
presumes that a half-wave dipole on the 5 MHz allocation has a gain of 0
dBd.

Licensees using antennas other than a half-wave dipole must maintain in
their station records either manufacturer data on the antenna gain or
calculations of the antenna gain. The bottom line for most hams will be
to erect a wire dipole, set their transmitter to 50 W PEP output and
enjoy the new band.

For more information, see the 60-Meter FAQs posted on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/faq.html>.

Amateurs in the US and the United Kingdom share one 5-MHz channel--5405
kHz. While it's legal for US hams to work UK amateurs--and some
transatlantic contacts already have been reported--the RSGB 5 MHz
Working Group says UK hams are on the band specifically as part of
propagation and equipment experiments, not to make general contacts.

=3D=3D>ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO MEET IN CONNECTICUT

The consequences for Amateur Radio of the recently concluded World
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) will be among the top items
up for discussion when the ARRL Board of Directors meets July 18-19 in
Windsor, Connecticut. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, will chair the
session.

At WRC-03, which concluded July 4 in Geneva, delegates reached a
compromise on a 200-kHz worldwide allocation--7000 to 7200
kHz--effective in 2009, with no change to the existing 300-kHz
allocation in the US and elsewhere in Region 2. The conference also
eliminated the requirement that amateur applicants prove Morse code
proficiency to operate below 30 MHz, leaving it up to individual
administrations to retain or drop Morse code as an examination element.

Decisions made at WRC-03 also resulted in a wide variety of changes to
other sections of Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations
affecting international communications. Those changes, which must now be
reflected in US Amateur Service rules, include third-party traffic
rules, international recognition of the licenses of visiting amateurs
and communication with so-called "banned countries."

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ--who attended WRC-03 in his capacity of IARU
Secretary--anticipates that Board members also will start looking ahead
to Amateur Radio issues that are expected to surface at the next WRC,
now being called WRC-07. Those would include the issue of possible
worldwide amateur access to 7200 to 7300 kHz among other topics.

The FCC's Broadband over Power Line (BPL) initiative and Notice of
Inquiry in ET Docket 03-104 is another likely major topic at this year's
second Board session. The Board meeting discussion is expected to shift
focus to the League's next steps in confronting the potential BPL
threat.

Board members also will review a major ARRL Technical Relations Office
study--commissioned at last July's Board meeting--of the bands from 902
MHz to 24.25 GHz. The so-called "Minute 56" report evaluates spectrum
use policies in the upper-UHF bands with an eye toward developing
options to protect the allocations and to make greater amateur use of
those frequencies.

In addition, ARRL Board members will hear a report from the Ad Hoc HF
Digital Modes Committee. President Haynie last July appointed the panel
to study new HF data modes in the Amateur Service. The Committee was to
develop recommendations for introduction of voice-bandwidth data modes
and to advise the Board on amateur Internet HF linking and HF automatic
control.

Radio Amateurs of Canada President Bill Gillis, VE1WG, will be a guest
at this month's Board meeting.

=3D=3D>DEAN OF ARRL SECTION MANAGERS STEPS DOWN; SM APPOINTMENTS =
ANNOUNCED

The dean of ARRL Section Managers--New Mexico's Joe Knight,
W5PDY--stepped down July 2 as Section Manager there after serving for
nearly 27 years--longer than any other sitting SM. Knight cited poor
health in his decision to retire from the volunteer position. ARRL Field
and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, has named New
Mexico Assistant SM Bill Weatherford, KM5FT, of Albuquerque, to fill the
remainder of Knight's term, which ends December 31.

"It hurts me deeply to step down, but after almost 27 years in this
position, all good things must come to an end," said Knight, who urged
support for his replacement. A Life Member and an Assistant SM,
Weatherford is the trustee of Albuquerque Amateur Radio Club's N5VA.
White says Weatherford already has indicated plans to run for the SM job
in his own right later this year.

Among those praising Knight was Bernalillo County Emergency Management
Coordinator Don Scott, N5UJT, who cited Knight's many years of "tireless
effort" in coordinating and promoting Amateur Radio in New Mexico. "As
an emergency manager, the services of Joe and Amateur Radio as a whole
cannot go unnoticed," Scott said.

Knight was the focus of an article in the January 2003 issue of QST,
"The Luckiest Man Alive," which outlined the vast emergency
communication resources that Knight and hundreds of other dedicated
volunteers have built up over the years in New Mexico.

ARRL Field and Public Service Team Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, said
Knight provided a fount of valuable experience that he was happy to
share with others. "For several years, Joe has helped with the ARRL
Section Manager's Workshop for new SMs," Ewald said.

In other SM changes, White appointed Ti-Michelle Connelly, NJ6T, as East
Bay Section Manager. She replaces Dennis Franklin, K6DF, who stepped
down effective June 23 citing health reasons. Connelly will serve out
the remainder of Franklin's term, which ends December 31. She has served
as an Assistant SM and Affiliated Club Coordinator for about three years
and as Net Manager for two years.

White also has announced the appointment of Randy Stimson, KZ7T, as ARRL
Oregon Section Manager. Stimson replaces Marshall D. Johnson, KK7CW, who
was removed from office in a June recall election. Stimson had served
previously as Oregon SM from 1987 until 1998 and he remains active in
Amateur Radio public service activities. Stimson will remain in office
until the next SM term begins July 1, 2004.

=3D=3D>FCC ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON OCCUPIED BANDWIDTH PETITION

The FCC is accepting comments on a Petition for Rule Making from two
amateurs calling on the FCC to establish SSB and AM bandwidth standards.
The FCC has assigned RM-10740 to the petition, filed May 27 by Michael
Lonneke, W0YR, of Round Hill, Virginia, and Melvin Ladisky, W6FDR, of
Camarillo, California. The Lonneke-Ladisky petition had attracted some
100 comments by week's end. Comments are due by July 26.

Referencing four Enforcement Bureau letters (one of which was included
in the petition as an exhibit) sent to amateurs and alleging overly wide
SSB signals, the petition asks the FCC to "remove the ambiguity" in the
Part 97 rules and establish SSB and AM transmission bandwidth standards.
On HF frequencies below 28.8 MHz, it recommends a maximum 2.8 kHz
bandwidth for SSB (J3E) emissions and a maximum 5.6 kHz bandwidth for AM
(A3E) emissions.

Amateurs may read and comment on this petition via the FCC's Electronic
Comment Filing System (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>.

=3D=3D>FCC ATTEMPTING TO RECTIFY CALL SIGN GOOF

The FCC has issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) in an effort to
rescind a vanity call sign it issued in error to a Virginia amateur.
Last August, the FCC's Licensing and Technical Analysis Branch of the
Public Safety and Private Wireless Division (within the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau) erroneously granted the request of Richard L.
Smith of Chesapeake, Virginia, to have the call sign KC4USH. The Branch
is responsible for issuing all amateur license and call sign grants.

The Commission says that since the KC4USA through KC4USZ call sign block
has been made available to the US Navy for the use of amateur stations
in Antarctica, the KC4USH call sign should not have been issued to
Smith, a General-class licensee who used to be KG4UKV. The FCC now wants
Smith to take back his former call sign (along with a refund of his
vanity application fee, of course).

The MO&O was released July 3 and signed by D'wana Terry, Chief of the
Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. The FCC will not issue a
modification order until Smith has received notice of the proposed
action and has a chance to protest, something he must do in writing
within 30 days.

=3D=3D>SOLAR UPDATE

Sun seeker Tad "Sunshine On My Shoulders" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington,
reports: This has been quite an interesting week for propagation and a
fruitful one for DXers on both HF and VHF.

This weekend is the IARU HF World Championship. Predicted planetary A
index for Friday through Monday, July 11-14, is 25, 20, 15 and 15. Solar
flux is expected to slowly drift down to a minimum of 115, where it is
expected to stay from around July 17-22.

Sunspot numbers for July 3 through 9 were 147, 130, 88, 114, 140, 149
and 125, with a mean of 127.6. The 10.7-cm flux was 132.2, 140, 141.9,
129.6, 133.3, 131.3 and 126, with a mean of 133.5. Estimated planetary A
indices were 17, 25, 17, 12, 14, 5 and 6, with a mean of 13.7.

__________________________________

=3D=3D>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The IARU HF World Championship, the FISTS
Summer Sprint, the QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint are the weekend of
July 12-13. JUST AHEAD: The North American QSO Party, RTTY, the Pacific
160-Meter Contest, the CQ World Wide VHF Contest and the CQC Great
Colorado Gold Rush events are the weekend of July 19-20. 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 Emergency Communications course registration: A few seats may
remain for the Level I ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
on-line course (EC-001) that begins July 22 and is sponsored by the
United Technologies Corporation. Registration opens Monday, July 14,
12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (0401 UTC), for the Level II Emergency
Communications on-line course (EC-002). Registration remains open
through the July 12-13 weekend or until all available seats have been
filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, July 29. Thanks to
United Technologies Corporation, the $45 registration fee paid upon
enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the Level
II course. During this registration period, approximately 75 seats are
being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To
learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE)
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page and the C-CE Links found there. For
more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, <dmiller@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) course opens Monday,
July 14, 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (0401 UTC). Registration will
remain open through Sunday, July 20. Class begins Tuesday, July 22.
Those interested in taking an ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education (C-CE) course in the future can sign up to be advised via
e-mail in advance of registration opportunities. To take advantage, send
an e-mail to prereg@arrl.org. On the subject line, indicate the course
name or number (eg, EC-00#) and the month you want to start the course.
In the message body, provide your name, call sign, and e-mail address.
Please do not send inquiries to this mailbox. To learn more, visit the
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce> and the C-CE links found there. For more
information, contact Certification and Continuing Education Program
Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, hrobins@arrl.org.

* Hurricane Watch Net keeping a close eye on Claudette: The Hurricane
Watch Net <http://www.hwn.org> secured operations on 14.325 MHz at 0130
UTC on July 11 for Tropical Storm Claudette. The storm had been
predicted to reach hurricane status, but it was diminishing in strength
over the Yucatan Peninsula at week's end. The activation for Claudette
at 1800 UTC on July 10 was the first of the 2003 hurricane season. HWN
members share storm information with forecasters via WX4NHC at the
National Hurricane Center in Miami. Net Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, has
cautioned that once the storm clears the Yucatan and heads into the warm
waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it again could become a major threat to
Gulf Coast communities. "We will continue to monitor progress of this
storm and will advise if activation of the Hurricane Watch Net might
again be called for," Pilgrim said. "In the meantime, interested parties
should access the weather advisories available at on the Net's Web site
<http://www.hwn.org> or otherwise monitor the Maritime Mobile Service
Net <http://www.mmsn.org/> on 14.300 MHz for frequent updates of the
tropical weather outlook." Meanwhile, Salvation Army Team Emergency
Radio Network (SATERN) National Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E, was
asking SATERN personnel in its Southern Territory to remain alert to
further HWN activation and to support net activities if needed. "If
Claudette becomes a hurricane and makes landfall, it is likely that
SATERN will activate to pass emergency traffic and handle health and
welfare," McPherson said. The SATERN net operates on 14.265 kHz.

* California antenna bill reaches governor's desk: Proponents of
California's Amateur Radio antenna bill, AB 1228, are encouraging
California amateurs to contact Gov Gray Davis to urge him to sign the
measure, which is now on his desk. On June 30, the California Assembly
on a 77-0 vote concurred with changes in language that the Senate had
made in the legislation. The bill went to the governor for his signature
on July 3. AB 1228 would incorporate the essence of the limited federal
preemption known as PRB-1
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/local/prb-1.html> into
California law. ARRL Pacific Division Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG, and
Southwestern Division Director Art Goddard, W6XD, are asking that
members consider sending a message either via e-mail
<governor@governor.ca.gov> or via the US Postal Service similar to this
sample letter <http://www.kkn.net/Sample_Letter_AB_1228.html>. Send mail
to Gov Gray Davis, ATTN: Armand Feliciano, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA
95814. All correspondents should include their name and address. The
governor's office does not accept e-mail attachments. "Amateurs also may
wish to send a QSL card with the message, 'Please sign AB 1228,'" Vallio
said. "That may also prove to be effective." Davis vetoed a similar
Amateur Radio antenna bill three years ago. The most ham-populated state
in the US, California is home to some 100,000 licensees--almost 15
percent of the US total.

* Astronaut works dozens of stations from ISS during Field Day: US
astronaut Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, worked more than three dozen stations from
NA1SS aboard the International Space Station during Field Day 2003 June
28-29. The contacts appear to have been made during at least two ISS
passes over North America. Operating the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station equipment, Lu managed to contact 39 stations
in the US, Canada and Mexico on 2-meter FM simplex. For more information
on ARISS, visit the ARISS Web site <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>.

* Museum Ships Special Event set: The USS Cassin Young Radio Club will
sponsor the annual Museum Ships Special Event July 19-20 (UTC). Seventy
museum vessels--including everything from aircraft carriers and
battleships to submarines and tugboats--are poised to participate in the
event. While most vessels are in the US, several are in Europe. Stations
set up onboard participating vessels will use SSB and CW (as well as
other modes, including AM, PSK31 and IRLP) on various HF amateur
frequencies. All of these museum ships are open to the public. More
information, including suggested frequencies and a list of participating
vessels, is available on the USS Cassin Young Radio Club Web site
<http://www.qsl.net/ww2dd/event.html>, which will be updated as new
information is available. The destroyer USS Cassin Young in Boston
Harbor will be on the air during the Museum Ships Special Event as
WW2DD.

* Top 40-meter DXer Al Hix, W8AH, SK: Albert H. "Al" Hix, W8AH, of
Charleston, West Virginia, died June 25, after a brief illness. He was
85. A DXCC Honor Roll member with 388 entities confirmed, Hix also was
at the top of the worldwide 40-meter DXCC pile with 362 entities. ARRL
West Virginia Section Manager Hal Turley, KC8FS, said Hix could be
tenacious in a DX pileup, but called him "a true gentleman" who loved to
share his love for ham radio. Licensed in the 1930s, Hix was an
electrical engineering graduate of West Virginia University and World
War II US Army Signal Corps veteran. A past president of the West
Virginia State Radio Council and of the West Virginia Quarter Century
Wireless Association, Hix was voted West Virginia Outstanding Amateur
Radio Operator of the Year in 1986. He was a member of ARRL and of the
Kanawha Amateur Radio Club. The family invites donations to the ARRL
Foundation's pending Albert H. Hix Memorial Scholarship Fund, 225 Main
St, Newington, CT 06111-1484.

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Computer and Internet Services
David Johnson
(817)444-6163
(817)829-2564 ** note my new mobile number!

david@justcalldavid.com
www.justcalldavid.com
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