[TCARC-NTX] ARRL Letter

[David Johnson]

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 45
November 14, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC Commissioner clarifies BPL comments
* +ARRL hosts BPL gathering
* +UO-14 is down for the count
* +Spectrum Protection Act cosponsor list expands
* +FCC reviews responses to interference complaints
* +ARISS special event to commemorate Roy Neal, K6DUE (SK)
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +First US QSO above 400 GHz claimed
     Kentucky Section leaders lobby for PRB-1 declaration
     Two wildlife tracking projects under way
     Former HQ staffer George Hart, W1NJM, turns 90
     Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================

==>FCC COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE CLARIFIES "BROADBAND NIRVANA" REMARKS

The office of FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy
<http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/abernathy/> has expressed regrets that
her remarks in a September speech may have failed to make Abernathy's
concerns sufficiently clear about potential interference from Broadband
over Power Line (BPL).

"We regret that the Commissioner's remarks may have been interpreted as
suggesting an absence of concern over harmful interference," said
Abernathy Senior Legal Adviser Matthew A. Brill, responding to
complaints from the ARRL and individual amateurs. From a policy
perspective, Brill said, Abernathy is "keenly interested" in seeing
multiple broadband platforms develop, but that she didn't intend to
suggest that BPL "necessarily will emerge as a viable platform or that
it does not present interference issues."

In her speech to the United Powerline Council's
<http://www.uplc.utc.org/> annual conference September 22, Abernathy
expressed unabashed enthusiasm for BPL and suggested it was a step along
the pathway to "Broadband Nirvana." Brill noted, however, that near the
end of her remarks, Abernathy--referring to the FCC's approach to PCS
regulation--said the Commission was "right to adopt strict interference
rules to prevent competitors from externalizing their costs. The same
principle will apply to BPL."

Brill assured the ARRL that "ensuring that BPL and all new technologies
avoid causing harmful interference to licensed RF users is a bedrock
position for Commissioner Abernathy." He issued similar responses on
Abernathy's behalf to several amateurs who had challenged her stance
(see "ARRL Rebukes FCC Commissioner's BPL-Related 'Broadband Nirvana'
Remarks" <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/09/25/100/>).

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, expressed delight at
Abernathy's recent clarification. "Commissioner Abernathy's affirmation
of this important principle as a 'bedrock position' is most welcome and
reassuring news," he said. From the outset of the FCC's BPL Notice of
Inquiry in ET Docket No. 03-104 last April, Sumner said, the League's
goal has been to hold the FCC to its statement in the NOI that "each of
these authorized services in the spectrum [including the Amateur and
Amateur-Satellite services] must be protected from harmful
interference."

"Since that time the presence of harmful interference at BPL test sites
has been thoroughly documented," Sumner noted, "confirming that our
original concerns were well founded."

ARRL's extensive comments, reply comments and technical exhibits are
available on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/>.
There are additional information and video clips on the ARRL "Power Line
Communications (PLC) and Amateur Radio" page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/>.

More than 5000 comments--many from the Amateur Radio community--have
been filed in response to the FCC's BPL NOI and are available for
viewing via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS)
<http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>.

==>ARRL SPONSORS BPL GATHERING FOR COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS

The interference potential of Broadband over Power Line (BPL) to
over-the-air radio services was the topic of an ARRL-sponsored meeting
of 25 communications professionals November 7. The National Association
of Broadcasters hosted the gathering at its headquarters in Washington,
DC.

"Listening to everyone introduce themselves and explain why they had
come made the trip to Washington worthwhile all by itself," said ARRL
CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, who offered opening remarks and guided the
discussion. Sumner showed excerpts from the ARRL BPL field test videos,
which graphically demonstrate that BPL's interference potential at HF is
real, not just theoretical.

During the meeting, representatives from the shortwave broadcasting,
public safety, aeronautical and scientific communities joined amateur
and amateur-satellite representatives to discuss the threat of BPL and
possible avenues to combat its interference potential to licensed HF and
low-VHF spectrum users. Military and consumer electronics
representatives participated as observers. Coming the farthest was Chip
Margelli, K7JA, who attended on behalf of the Yaesu Amateur Division of
Vertex-Standard.

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, reviewed the status of last
April's FCC's Notice of Inquiry on BPL and noted that more than 5000
comments were filed with the Commission--most of them from Amateur Radio
operators. Imlay said that proposed FCC rules changes could come as soon
as early next year.

Imlay added that a number of non-amateur organizations support ARRL's
position on BPL. Representing the National Association of Shortwave
Broadcasters, George Jacobs, W3ASK, affirmed their strong support for
the ARRL position.

ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, provided a
technical review of BPL. BPL delivery systems would use existing low and
medium-voltage power lines to distribute Internet and other broadband
services to homes and businesses.

Other points the group touched upon included:

* BPL emission measurements by government agencies are under way, but
the results have not yet been made public. The FCC denied an ARRL
Freedom of Information Act request on the grounds that their test
results represent work-in-progress.

* A government representative observed that concerned groups should be
wary of tying in the overused term "homeland security" with any anti-BPL
campaign, since it could be spun back against BPL opponents.

* Meeting attendees cited numerous and increasing instances of
interference from Part 15 devices, suggesting that such instances only
infrequently result in complaints to the FCC--and even less frequently
in any FCC action.

A follow-up meeting may be held early next year if it becomes clear that
the FCC intends to release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding
BPL. Some attendees indicated a willingness to accompany ARRL
representatives to meetings with federal officials to underscore that
concerns about BPL are not confined to radio amateurs.

"It's apparent that concerns about BPL run very deep and include nearly
every over-the-air radio service," Sumner remarked after the meeting.
"Now we can work together much more effectively to express our concerns
both inside and outside of government."--Derek Riker, KB3JLF, compiled
information for this report

==>UO-14 REACHES THE END OF THE TRAIL

UO-14 has officially ended its long run as an Amateur Radio satellite,
although it continues to transmit telemetry and respond to commands from
Earth. The Mission Control Centre at the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd
(SSTL) Center for Satellite Engineering Research announced this week
that the venerable and popular bird "has reached the end of its mission
after nearly 14 years in orbit." Launched in 1990, UoSAT-OSCAR-14
pioneered the PACSAT communication concept as the first 9.6 kbps Amateur
Radio data communications satellite, although it became best known in
recent years as an FM "easy sat."

"Since launch, UO-14 has completed over 72,000 orbits and as many
charge/discharge cycles of its on-board NiCd battery," said AMSAT-UK
Chairman Martin Sweeting, G3YJO. "However recently one of the battery
cells has become exhausted and can no longer support continuous
operation of the repeater." Sweeting said UO-14's transmitter shuts down
shortly after it is commanded "on" due to undervoltage, so the
microsatellite's mission has been terminated.

"Thank you UO-14 for your long service!" Sweeting concluded.

AMSAT-NA Board Member Bruce Paige, KK5DO, an enthusiastic UO-14 user,
called the AMSAT-UK announcement "sad news." He said the loss of UO-14
leaves amateurs with SO-41 and SO-50 as the only two LEO FM voice
satellites. He noted, however, that the planned 2004 launch of
OSCAR-ECHO would help to fill the void. OSCAR-ECHO is set to launch next
March 31.

The popular and heavily used FM satellite's repeater quit working in
August, but hope remained within the amateur satellite community that
UO-14 somehow could be revived. Ground controller Chris Jackson, G7UPN,
at one point was able to reset the satellite, but he later determined
that UO-14 had suffered a primary power system failure that was causing
the spacecraft to shut down during some eclipses.

During its active lifetime, UO-14 served several roles. After some 18
months as a PACSAT, UO-14 was switched to non-amateur frequencies for
humanitarian use by Volunteers In Technical Assistance, which used it
for messaging into Africa. After the store-and-forward communications
computer proved no longer able to perform that task, UO-14 was turned
back to amateur use as a single-channel FM voice repeater.

UO-14 again served a humanitarian role in early 2001 when hams assisting
with earthquake relief operations in the Indian State of Gujarat took
advantage of the satellite to provide communication from the stricken
region.

The beauty of UO-14 was that it required minimal gear to make
contacts--typically 5 W and modest antennas would do the trick.
Operators with dualband handheld transceivers and "rubber duckie"
antennas often could make QSOs via UO-14.

==>SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT COSPONSOR LIST TAKES A GIANT STEP

Encouraging news this week from Washington: The list of House cosponsors
for the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, HR 713, has reached 69.
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says he's pleased with the progress
since mid-October, when he'd expressed his frustration over a lack of
cosponsors. Since that time, the list has grown by 17 representatives.
The Senate version of the legislation, S 537, is holding at eight
cosponsors.

"I'm cheered up that we've got new representatives to sign on, but we
can't just stop," Haynie said. "We gotta keep at it." He said the League
has been concentrating its efforts on promoting HR 713 because the bill
has the best chance for success of any Amateur Radio-related legislation
now before Congress.

Haynie continues to encourage ARRL members to not only urge their
senators and representatives to cosponsor HR 713 and S 537 but to write
and ask them to actively support them. "This is something that's
important to the future of Amateur Radio," Haynie reiterated.

Sponsored in the House by Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and in the Senate
by Sen Michael Crapo (R-ID), the Spectrum Protection Act would require
the FCC to provide "equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if
the FCC reallocates primary amateur frequencies, reduces any secondary
amateur allocations, or makes additional allocations within such bands
that would substantially reduce their utility to amateurs.

HR 713 has been referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and
the Internet. Haynie testified before that panel in June. S 537 has been
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

For the convenience of those writing their representatives and senators
to urge cosponsorship of the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of
2003, sample letters are on the ARRL Web site. For guidance on the best
methods of contacting your members of Congress, see "Communicating with
Congress," by Derek Riker, KB3JLF, on the ARRL Web site or in the April
2003 issue of QST (p 46).

Additional information--including the text of the Spectrum Protection
Act and information on how to write members of Congress--is on the
ARRL's "The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003" Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html>.

Those writing their lawmakers on behalf of the Spectrum Protection Act
are asked to copy their correspondence to the League via e-mail to
specbill03@arrl.org.

==>FCC MULLS RESPONSES TO COMPLAINTS ALLEGING INTERFERENCE

The FCC is considering the explanation of a Maryland ham in the wake of
complaints that he disrupted an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
net in September during Hurricane Isabel. FCC Special Counsel for
Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote Charles E. Cox Sr, WA3AE, on
October 16, enclosing complaints alleging deliberate interference to
emergency communications conducted on 2 meters by W3AAC at the Anne
Arundel County emergency operations center.

"The allegations, if true, raise serious questions about your
qualifications to be a Commission licensee and warrant enforcement
action," Hollingsworth told Cox. The US Postal Service returned the
FCC's certified letter to Cox as undeliverable. Commission personnel
eventually tracked him down to a residence in Laurel, Maryland.

In a handwritten note, Cox told the FCC that he was on the air, but he
asserted that he was only trying to help and didn't believe he was
interfering with the emergency net. "There is a major misunderstanding,"
Cox wrote, adding that he felt the situation was being blown out of
proportion. Cox also said he would change his mailing address with the
FCC.

Several complainants--two off-duty FCC employees among them--tell a
different story. A station identifying as WA3AE came on the net and
uttered "irrelevant comments many times," according to one net control
station, who also said that the operator was rude, "seemed intoxicated"
and used inappropriate language. Cox told the FCC he has a speech
impediment that makes him sound inebriated. The NCS contended that Cox
ignored numerous requests to keep the frequency open for emergency
communications, but Cox disputes that.

Hollingsworth said the FCC has Cox's response to the complaints under
review.

The FCC also is reviewing a response from a California licensee. On
October 15, Hollingsworth wrote Angel Carballo, KG6QKR, of Fremont
enclosing a complaint alleging interference on 2 meters during a
two-hour period. The complainant told the FCC that two repeaters in the
south San Francisco Bay area "were being kerchunked." The amateur who
complained said he was able to track the source of the interfering
signal to an unoccupied vehicle sitting in a corporate parking lot. He
said the transceiver appeared to be in cross-band mode, and he was able
to spot the transceiver's display blink momentarily each time the
repeaters were accessed.

After the complaining amateur approached corporate security and
threatened to report the incident to the FCC, security personnel asked
him to hold off while they tried to "solve the problem internally." The
complainant, whom the FCC did not identify, said security subsequently
brought out a man who went to the vehicle and shut down the transceiver.
The FCC apparently was able to locate Carballo through the license plate
and vehicle description the complainant provided.

In an October 25 reply to the Commission, Carballo told the FCC he
believes he "made a mistake" setting up his radios and did not intend to
maliciously interfere. He indicated that he had set up his mobile
transceiver as a cross-band repeater on VHF and UHF frequencies--one of
them 146.94 MHz--and monitored both frequencies from a handheld
transceiver in his office.

Carballo said his transceiver is not capable of transmitting on two
frequencies within the same band, so he could not explain the
interference to the 146.23 machine. He also offered his apologies and
asked the FCC to extend them to the complainant as well.

==>ARISS ANNOUNCES ROY NEAL, K6DUE, ISS COMMEMORATIVE EVENT

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
<http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> international team has announced an
on-the-air event to commemorate Roy Neal, K6DUE, who died August 15.
Neal--born Roy N. Hinkel--chaired the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment
(SAREX)/Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Working
Group. ARISS has requested that the ISS Expedition 8 crew of commander
Mike Foale, KB5UAC, and Alex "Sasha" Kaleri, U8MIR, communicate from
space with earthbound radio amateurs during the November 29-30 weekend.

In addition, stations contacting the ISS by voice (NA1SS) or packet
(RS0ISS) through the end of December will be eligible for a special
anniversary event certificate.

"Our good friend and noted NBC news correspondent Roy Neal, K6DUE (SK),
had a vision--to make Amateur Radio a permanent feature on human
spaceflight missions," said ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and
Sergej Samburov, RV3DR, in making the announcement.

A retired NBC News science correspondent, producer and executive, Neal
was key to convincing NASA management to fly Amateur Radio onboard the
space shuttle, Bauer said. He also cited Neal's involvement in forming
the ARISS international team and moderating its gatherings.

Human spaceflight took the first step to Neal's vision on November 28,
1983, with the launch of the first Amateur Radio station aboard the
space shuttle Columbia. A few days later, astronaut Owen Garriott,
W5LFL, became the astronaut to speak from space via ham radio.

In October 1988, a Russian Amateur Radio team led by Sergej Samburov,
RV3DR, and Larry Agabekov, UA6HZ/N2WW, launched and deployed the first
amateur station on the space station Mir. During the AMSAT-NA symposium
the following month, Leo Labutin, UA3CR (SK), communicated with
cosmonaut Musa Manorov, U2MIR, aboard Mir.

Amateur Radio communication from the ISS began three years ago this
month. On November 13, 2000, Expedition 1 crew members Sergei Krikalev,
U5MIR, and Bill Shepherd, KD5GSL, spoke with R3K, the Energia amateur
station in Russia, and with NN1SS, the ISS ground station at Goddard
Space Flight Center in Maryland. The successful deployment and use of
the ARISS gear marked the first permanent Amateur Radio station in
space--and the fruition of Neal's vision of some two decades earlier.

"On behalf of the ARISS international team, we congratulate the
international Amateur Radio community on these exceptional
accomplishments and commemorate Roy Neal, K6DUE, for his vision and
tremendous support to ARISS team," Bauer and Samburov said.

Frequencies: Worldwide voice and packet downlink (RS0ISS): 145.80 MHz;
worldwide packet uplink: 145.99 MHz; voice uplink (NA1SS) for Regions 2
and 3 (the Americas and the Pacific): 144.49 MHz; voice uplink for
Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa): 145.20 MHz.

ARISS request that participants in the special event keep all contacts
short. A subsequent announcement will provide details on QSLing and how
to obtain certificates.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Sun watcher Tad "I'm a Sol Man!" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: With big sunspots rotating out of view, sunspot numbers and
solar flux values have plummeted. The daily sunspot number was 330 on
October 29. A little more than a week later it was hovering around 12.
The average daily sunspot number two weeks ago was 201.4. The next week
it was 171 the next week, and last week it has sunk to 32.6. Similarly,
average daily solar flux numbers for the past three weeks have been 249,
195.7 and 94.8.

On November 6, sunspot 495 was still visible. It disappeared by the
following day, leaving a spotless disk. The sunspot number that day was
11. In the following days some tiny sunspots emerged--498, 499 and 500.
Sunspot 498 was disappearing from view by November 13. Now on November
14 sunspot 484 again is emerging on the visible disk from its trip
around the other side of the sun. It was very active when last visible,
but is now smaller. Sunspots 486 and 488 should follow, and we should
see a rise in solar activity.

Based on the previous solar rotation solar flux and sunspot numbers
should peak again around November 23-25.

This weekend is the ARRL November Phone Sweepstakes. Right now, the
interplanetary magnetic field points south, again leaving Earth
vulnerable to flares and solar wind. A solar wind stream is currently
affecting Earth, and this weekend should experience unsettled to active
geomagnetic conditions with a slowly rising solar flux. Predicted
planetary A index for Friday through Monday is 30, 30, 25 and 25. Solar
flux values for those same days are expected to be 105, 110, 115 and
120.

Sunspot numbers for November 6 through 12 were 12, 11, 29, 47, 47, 43
and 39, with a mean of 32.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 97.8, 91, 92.7, 93,
94.6, 95.6 and 98.7, with a mean of 94.8. Estimated planetary A indices
were 14, 8, 10, 25, 30, 51 and 26, with a mean of 23.4.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
headlines the weekend activity. The North American Collegiate ARC
Championship (SSB) is held in conjunction with SS. Also, the All
Austrian 160-Meter Contest and the RSGB 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) are the
weekend of November 15-16. JUST
AHEAD: The LZ DX Contest is the weekend of November 22-23. The CQ World
Wide DX Contest (CW) is the weekend of November 29-30. See the ARRL
Contest 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: Registration opens
Monday, November 17, 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (0501 UTC), for the
Level III Emergency Communications on-line course (EC-003). Registration
remains open through the November 22-23 weekend or until all available
seats have been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday,
December 2. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National
and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45
registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after
successful completion of the course. During this registration period,
approximately 50 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 HF Digital Communications (EC-005) and UHF-VHF
Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) courses opens Monday, November 17, 12:01 AM
Eastern Standard Time (0501 UTC). Registration will remain open through
Sunday, November 23. Classes begin Tuesday November 25. Registration for
the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) course remains open through Sunday,
November 16. Those interested in taking an ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education (C-CE) course in the future can sign up to receive
advance notification 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)
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page and the C-CE Links found there. For
more information, contact Certification and Continuing Education Program
<cce@arrl.org>.

* First US QSO above 400 GHz claimed: Microwave enthusiast Brian Justin,
WA1ZMS, reports what he believes is the first QSO above 400 GHz in the
US. On November 11 at 0215 UTC, WA1ZMS/4 worked Peter Lascell, W4WWQ, on
a frequency of 403 GHz over a distance of approximately 1709 feet in
Virginia. WA1ZMS set new North American records on 241 and 322 GHz last
December, and he reports the pair used the same basic gear that had been
put into service for their then-record-making 241-GHz QSO last year
(recently beaten), but with new 30-cm parabolic dishes.

* Kentucky Section leaders lobby for PRB-1 declaration: ARRL Kentucky
Section Manager John Meyers, NB4K, and Assistant SM Fred Jones, WA4SWF,
visited September 17 with Kentucky Gov Paul Patton. "We were trying to
get the governor to enact a PRB-1 law by proclamation before he leaves
office, which is legal in Kentucky," Meyers explained. PRB-1 is the
limited federal preemption that requires local governments to
"reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication. "We still have
hope, be it slim to none, that he'll still come through," Meyers said.
He's encouraging Kentucky hams to contact Gov Patton by USPS mail (Gov
Paul Patton, 700 Capitol Ave, Suite 100, Frankfort, KY 40601) or e-mail
<governor@mail.state.ky.us> and "tell him what PRB-1 means to you as a
ham and how it would be helpful."

* Two wildlife tracking projects under way: Since 1998, ham radio and
VHF monitoring volunteers have helped scientists track the movements of
endangered and threatened species. ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding
(ARDF) Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, says that hams and monitoring
enthusiasts could make a valuable contribution by participating. "The
biggest volunteer monitoring project to date is now under way," Moell
said this week. He reports that Nick Myatt of the Arkansas Cooperative
Fish and Wildlife Research unit has radio-tagged 360 American woodcock
in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. "The woodcock migration has
begun, and he is seeking reports of tags heard so he can attempt to do
pinpoint tracking from a fixed-wing aircraft," Moell said. Possible
stopover and destination states for these birds range from southern
Minnesota and Wisconsin to Louisiana and eastern Texas. Moell says that
Dave Sherman, a biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, also has
requested monitoring assistance in tracking two radio-tagged sandhill
cranes that are now part of a larger flock migrating from Ohio.
Additional information, including frequencies, is available on the
Homing In Web site <http://www.homingin.com>.

* Former HQ staffer George Hart, W1NJM, turns 90: Retired ARRL
Communications Manager George Hart, W1NJM, celebrated his 90th birthday
November 1. A Charter Life Member of the League, Hart spent four decades
as a member of the ARRL Headquarters staff and continues to be an active
amateur and regular participant in Field Day as a member of the
Newington Amateur Radio League. First licensed in 1929 as W3AMR in
Pennsylvania, he began his ARRL career in 1938 as a second operator at
the then-new W1AW Maxim Memorial Station. He spent two years in the US
Army during World War II, during which the government silenced Amateur
Radio, and he retired in 1978 as communications manager. Hart has
contributed hundreds of articles to QST over the years. Well wishers may
contact him at 66 Highland St, Newington, CT 06111 or via e-mail
<w1njm@arrl.net>. Happy birthday, George!

* Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque
Award for October is Del Schier, K1UHF, for his article "The Ins and
Outs of a Sound Card." Congratulations, Del! 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. Voting takes place
each month 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 November issue of QST. Voting ends November 30.