[TCARC-NTX] Fw: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 38

[Fred Muehlen]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ARRL Letter Mailing List" <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>
To: <n5wla@isp01.net>
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 6:00 PM
Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 38


> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 22, No. 38
> September 26, 2003
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +ARRL rebukes Commissioner's "Broadband Nirvana" comments
> * +Ham radio enforcement "the Riley way" marks fifth anniversary
> * +ARISS chalks up its 115th school group contact
> * +Kind words for Amateur Radio hurricane assistance
> * +Morse petitions' comment deadline is September 29
> * +Digital Communications Conference 2003 gives a glimpse of the
future
> * +Rohn files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      Reputed "oldest ham in the US" turns 103
>      New ARRL Section Manager named in Idaho
>      Shooting for the moon yields first-ever US-Czech Republic EME QSO
on
> 24-GHz
>      EarthLink delay to ARRL E-Mail Forwarding Service addressees
> continues
>      ARRL Foundation Scholarships available for application starting
> October 1
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>ARRL REBUKES FCC COMMISSIONER'S "BROADBAND NIRVANA" REMARKS
>
> The ARRL has strongly objected to FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q.
Abernathy's
> suggestion that Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology will
contribute
> to what she described as "broadband Nirvana." Addressing the United
> Powerline Council's annual conference September 22 in Arlington,
Virginia,
> Abernathy expressed unabashed enthusiasm for BPL and recommended a
> combination of regulatory restraint and the elimination or substantial
> modification of existing rules as steps along the "path to
Enlightenment,"
> as she put it. In a terse response faxed September 25 on behalf of the
> League's 155,000 members, ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner,
K1ZZ,
> asserted that Abernathy overlooked some significant issues in her
Nirvana
> analogy.
>
> "Nightmare is more like it," Sumner declared. "The technical showings
> submitted by the ARRL and others in response to the Commission's
Notice of
> Inquiry (NOI) in ET Docket No. 03-104 clearly establish that BPL is a
> significant source of radio spectrum pollution. It cannot be
implemented
> without causing harmful interference to over-the-air radio services."
>
> Sumner told Abernathy that while BPL industry groups, such as the one
she
> addressed this week, prefer to deny the evidence, the FCC is obliged
to
> work to a higher standard.
>
> In its comments in response to the FCC NOI, the League characterized
BPL
> as "a Pandora's Box of unprecedented proportions" and said the
> Commission's Part 15 rules "should be modified so as to prevent
> interference to users of the HF and low VHF spectrum" from the outset.
>
> Abernathy's speech, "Reaching Broadband Nirvana," never broached the
topic
> of BPL's potential to interfere with other radio services. Recently,
the
> National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
> <http://www.ntia.doc.gov>--which regulates spectrum allocated to
federal
> government users--expressed "broad concerns" about interference to
> government users and launched an extensive modeling, analysis and
> measurement program for BPL. In his letter, Sumner reminded Abernathy
that
> the radio spectrum is a precious natural resource.
>
> "To squander that resource simply to add a redundant, unnecessary, and
> relatively poorly performing 'last mile' connection for consumers, is
> unconscionable," he said. Sumner expressed the hope that Abernathy
will
> give the League an early opportunity to explain its BPL concerns to
her in
> person.
>
> In her remarks to the UPLC gathering, Abernathy contended that it's
been
> regulatory restraint rather than heavy-handed regulation that has
allowed
> nascent platforms such as direct broadcast satellite (DBS) to become
> competitively viable. "When the Commission completes this rulemaking,"
she
> said, "I expect that we will eliminate many existing rules and
> substantially modify others; the central question is the degree of
> regulation that will remain during the transition to a more robustly
> competitive market."
>
> Individuals may e-mail Abernathy via her FCC Web site
> <http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/abernathy/mail.html> or directly
> <kabernat@fcc.gov>. The text of her prepared remarks also is available
on
> the FCC Web site
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-239079A1.doc>.
>
> The League's initial 120-page package of comments and technical
exhibits
> <http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-104/> and its reply
comments
>
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-104/reply-comments-index.h
tm
> l> are available on the ARRL Web site. Additional information and BPL
> video clips are on the ARRL "Power Line Communications (PLC) and
Amateur
> Radio" page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/>.
>
> To support the League's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure
BPL
> Web site <https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/>.
>
> To date, more than 4600 comments--many from the Amateur Radio
> community--have been filed in response to the FCC's BPL NOI. They are
> available for viewing via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System
> (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>.
>
> ==>AMATEUR RADIO ENFORCEMENT "THE RILEY WAY" MARKS FIVE YEARS
>
> Close to 1000 Amateur Radio enforcement cases have crossed his desk
since
> Riley Hollingsworth was tapped five years ago to resurrect the FCC's
> Amateur Radio enforcement efforts. That doesn't include countless ham
> radio "situations" he's resolved through informal counseling on the
> telephone or through an exchange of e-mails. At the time he took the
job
> in the fall of 1998, Hollingsworth--whose official title is Special
> Counsel for Enforcement--called it "a new day for Amateur Radio" after
> years of amateur enforcement neglect on the Commission's part. As he
sees
> things today, rules compliance and on-air behavior have improved since
the
> new sheriff rode into town, but there's still lots to do.
>
> "I'm fairly satisfied with the progress that we've made in five
years,"
> Hollingsworth said in modest acknowledgment of the milestone, "but I
think
> we need at least five more years of this type--of this level--of
> enforcement, because the bands have quite a long way to go. It's no
time
> to rest."
>
> Five years ago, Hollingsworth began with a "top-10" list of alleged
> high-profile Amateur Radio offenders. By and large, he's slowly--and
most
> would say successfully--worked his way to the point that many of
today's
> cases appear comparatively mundane. But they get the same level of
> attention.
>
> "The biggest problem we have now, I think, stems from conduct-type
> problems--lack of courtesy, taking serious offense and reacting to
what is
> perceived as deliberate interference," Hollingsworth said this week.
> "Ninety percent of the interference that's reported to me is not
> deliberate." As he regards all enforcement cases, the remaining 10
percent
> are "serious."
>
> "I think a lot of the 'radio rage' has subsided, but I wish that
people
> would be a little more aware of just how valuable Amateur Radio is and
how
> they sound on the air," said Hollingsworth. That's a message he's
repeated
> often on the hamfest circuit.
>
> "Maintenance mode" is a goal he'd like to see enforcement achieve.
> Hollingsworth explained that's when the number of enforcement cases is
> perceived to be in balance with the number of licensees. "I don't
think
> we're there yet in the Amateur Service, but I think that we can get
> there," he said. Hollingsworth credits the amateur community's desire
for
> strong, even stern, enforcement for his program's success.
>
> "Probably 99 percent of the reason it's worked is everybody wants it,"
he
> said. "In this service they plead for enforcement. In every other
service,
> they don't want to see you coming." This attitude, he believes, stems
from
> a sincere desire by licensees to keep Amateur Radio a self-policing
> service. He counts keeping the support of the amateur community among
his
> major accomplishments.
>
> Looking out on the Amateur Radio enforcement horizon, Hollingsworth
said
> he'll "keep pedaling" and chipping away at the enforcement workload.
He'll
> also continue to look to the assistance and cooperation of his fellow
> radio amateurs, whom he called "just good people."
>
> Amateurs "have got to stick together and cooperate and stay away from
the
> infighting because they've got some very serious external threats,"
> Hollingsworth said, citing BPL as just one example. "To the extent
that
> they're not rowing together, it makes those threats more dangerous."
>
> In his many public appearances--including several at
> Hamvention--Hollingsworth has stayed "on message" over the five years
of
> his amateur enforcement tenure. "I just want everyone to realize what
they
> have," he said. "We have incredible frequencies, power, modes, and so
> forth." He said a realization of the value of Amateur Radio itself is
a
> deterrent to potential rule breakers, but he said Amateur Radio
> enforcement is "permanently ensconced" at the FCC.
>
> While he's had some very interesting assignments and enjoyed nearly
every
> day of his tenure with the FCC, he says the past five years have been
the
> highlight of his 30-year FCC career.
>
> "My greatest satisfaction is thinking that I may have paid back a
debt,"
> said Hollingsworth, who's been licensed since age 13. "It's the most
> rewarding thing I've ever done with the Commission."
>
> ==>HAWAII SCHOOL CONTACT MARKS 115TH ARISS QSO
>
> Students from second grade through high school at Punahou School in
> Honolulu, Hawaii, quizzed NASA International Space Station Science
Officer
> Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, on September 15 about how he's faring aboard the ISS.
The
> early morning contact between NA1SS on the ISS and WH6PN in Honolulu
> marked the 115th Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS)
> school group contact. Lu told the students that living in space makes
him
> appreciate life on Earth.
>
> "One of the things about living in space is it makes you appreciate
the
> things you have on the ground," Lu said, "a lot of little things that
you
> never think about--for instance, we don't take showers up here." The
other
> side of the coin, though is being able to see how beautiful Earth
looks
> from space, Lu added. In response to a later question, Lu noted that
> living in space is not as isolating as it once was, since the crew now
has
> access to e-mail and telephone.
>
> Lu and Expedition 7 crew commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, will
return
> to Earth in October after having been aboard the ISS since April.
> Malenchenko and Lu became the first primary ISS crew to travel to the
ISS
> via a Russian Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft instead of arriving on a US space
> shuttle. With NASA's shuttle fleet still grounded, the crew will
return on
> a Soyuz vehicle as well. Astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC,
> <http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/foale.html> and cosmonaut
Alexander
> Kaleri, U8MIR
<http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kaleri-ay.html>--both
> veterans of the Russian Mir space station--have been named as the ISS
> Expedition 8 crew.
>
> In responding to another question, Lu pointed out that ISS crews are
> quarantined for about a week before launch, in part to make sure they
are
> not sick or coming down with something. But the quarantine period also
> provides some needed quiet time, "to keep you away from all of the
> hullabaloo that surrounds the launch," he said. "At that point you
just
> need to study and prepare and think about your mission and get ready."
> Without the quarantine period, he said, "you wouldn't have any time to
> yourself."
>
> "Aloha to everybody down there!" Lu said in wrapping up the contact.
He
> said he hoped to visit Hawaii and possibly the school within the next
> year.
>
> Punahou School science center co-director Gail Peiterson said the
> questions asked were a representative sample chosen through a student
> competition.
>
> Handling Earth station duties for the contact was Nancy Rocheleau,
WH6PN,
> who operated from the Sacred Heart Academy station. ARISS School
Contact
> Coordinator Tim Bosma, W6ISS, moderated the contact. Two-way audio for
the
> QSO was provided by an MCI-WorldCom teleconferencing link.
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international project with
support
> from ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.
>
> ==>RED CROSS UNIT COMPLIMENTS AMATEUR RADIO ASSISTANCE DURING ISABEL
>
> Amateur Radio assistance in the Hurricane Isabel relief and recovery
stage
> has continued this week in the Southeast. Ham radio's role has drawn
> compliments from the American Red Cross of Central Maryland, which
praised
> the amateurs' dedication.
>
> "I want to thank the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the
> amateur radio community for coming out and supporting the American Red
> Cross over the critical 72 hours when Hurricane Isabel passed over
> Maryland," said Frank M. Eilbacher, KC0EKL, a Red Cross disaster
> communications lead. "We recognize you took time away from your
families
> and, for some of you, your own personal disasters to support us."
>
> During the storm's peak on September 18, Eilbacher said, electrical
power
> and telecommunication problems abounded, but ham radio operators
"filled
> the gap providing a crucial communication link between Red Cross
chapters
> and shelter locations." Amateurs in the storm-struck region staffed
state
> and county emergency operating centers and shelters, as well as the
> Maryland/Delaware American Red Cross Hurricane Watch Center.
>
> The Salvation Army also has responded to affected areas including
North
> Carolina, where Hurricane Isabel came ashore September 18. Salvation
Army
> Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) volunteer Carlos Varon, K2LCV,
from
> Flushing, New York, this week accompanied two Salvation Army canteen
units
> from New York City to Morehead City, encountering heavy rain and wind
on
> the way.
>
> Varon, who took along his "orange box" portable ham station, reports
the
> Salvation Army has been operating up to a half dozen field canteens.
> Carteret County Emergency Coordinator Rich Wright, KR4NU, and his ARES
> team have been supporting the SATERN operation. Operators were
deployed
> this week to provide communication between the canteens and the local
> command post. Plans call for expanding the operation to shadows some
> Salvation Army officers. Varon has been working out of a Salvation
Army
> warehouse facility, expediting the deployment of necessities bound for
> storm victims.
>
> The Salvation Army is providing relief to affected residents and
emergency
> response workers in North Carolina, Washington, DC, and Baltimore,
> Maryland, as well as in smaller communities.
>
> Earlier this week, ARRL North Carolina Section Manager John Covington,
> W4CC, reported that some ARES teams were providing communication
support
> for localities--most in the hard-hit northeastern portion of the
> state--that still lacked power and telephone service. Covington said
hams
> established point-to-point communication between shelters and
emergency
> operations centers in affected counties. In one community, hams helped
a
> fire dispatch center that lost its antennas in the storm.
>
> In keeping with the Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared," Venturing Crew 80
of
> Alexandria--in Northern Virginia just outside Washington,
DC--responded to
> requests for assistance from the Alexandria EOC and Fairfax ARES as
> Hurricane Isabel approached. The crew specializes in emergency
> communication and first aid and counts several ARES members among its
> membership and leadership. Some of the scouts remained on duty for
several
> days.
>
> Venture Crew members helped support communication at the Alexandria
and
> Fairfax EOCs, at the Alexandria American Red Cross chapter house and
at
> Red Cross shelters in both communities. While distributing bulk
bottled
> water to homes lacking running water, crew volunteers got to meet
Virginia
> Gov Mark Warner, who was visiting a shelter to thank volunteers.
>
> Members of the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club and the Alexandria
Radio
> Club also provided communications support to Alexandria and Fairfax
> operations. Repeaters operated by both clubs were used during the
> emergency response.
>
> "Things are still messy down here, and some of us are still
recovering,"
> said Bill Stewart, W2BSA, a Venture Crew 80 chartered organization
> representative and committee member. "Most of Northern Virginia has
power.
> The biggest problem we have had is flooding."
>
> Power has begun returning to the half-million or so residents who
still
> had none at the new week began. ARRL Virginia Section Emergency
> Coordinator Tom Gregory, N4NW, reports commercial power finally
returned
> to his home September 24. He'd spent 141 hours running his home from
an
> emergency back-up generator. Gregory, who lives in Stafford County,
lost
> power September 18. This week he strongly advised amateurs involved in
> public service communication to have a supply of emergency power
available
> for such situations, so they can remain on the air.
>
> ==>MORSE PETITIONS' COMMENT DEADLINE LOOMS
>
> The period for public comments on seven separate Morse code-related
> petitions for rule making--some of which would altogether eliminate
> Element 1, the 5 WPM Morse test, from the Amateur Service rules (Part
> 97)--ends Monday, September 29. US amateurs may comment on the
> petitions--RM-10781 through RM-10787--using the FCC Electronic Comment
> Filing System (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>.
>
> As of week's end, the seven petitions had attracted more than 1800
> comments from the amateur community. The FCC has yet to invite
comments on
> two other Morse-related rule making petitions. The petitions, both
filed
> in August, have not yet been put on public notice by the FCC.
>
> Ireland (EI) and Singapore (9V) have become the latest countries to
remove
> the requirement for Amateur Radio applicants to pass a Morse code
> examination for HF access. Ireland's Commission for Communications
> Regulation (ComReg) announced September 15 that it took the action in
line
> with the outcome of World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03),
> which removed the requirement for prospective amateur licensees to
prove
> Morse proficiency to operate below 30 MHz. All Class B licensees now
have
> "Full License" privileges and may operate on HF.
>
> Singapore's iDA informed the Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting
Society
> earlier this month that it would no longer require a Morse test for
> General class applicants, although the test reportedly will continue
to be
> available to those wishing to take it. Restricted licensees will be
given
> an option of upgrading to General class.
>
> In addition, Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Norway, the
> Netherlands, Austria, New Zealand and Australia have moved to drop
their
> Morse requirements or are expected to do so this year.
>
> ==>DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE 2003 A HIT!
>
> Despite Southern New England's brush with Hurricane Isabel a day
earlier,
> more than 100 Amateur Radio digital enthusiasts showed up in Windsor,
> Connecticut, September 19-21 for the 2003 TAPR/ARRL Digital
Communications
> Conference (DCC). Friday and Saturday forums covered a wide range of
> topics--from APRS to software-defined radio (SDR). The Sunday seminar
by
> Matt Ettus, N2MJI, focused on SDR. This year's conference also
included a
> number of beginner-oriented sessions on PSK31, APRS, WSJT and
EchoLink.
>
> ARRL Web and Software Development Department Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z,
came
> away especially impressed by the SDR developments he observed at the
> conference. "There's something happening here that will affect ham
radio
> in the not-so-distant future," he said
>
> Alex Mendelsohn, AI2Q, was the Saturday evening banquet speaker. He
> discussed the occasionally forgotten fact that Amateur Radio is still
a
> source of inspiration for engineers and technicians throughout the
> communications industry. Many key individuals in industry today trace
> their technical and engineering roots to early involvement in Amateur
> Radio, he pointed out.
>
> At the banquet, ARRL New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI,
> presented the 2002 ARRL Technical Innovation Award to Jonathan Taylor,
> K1RFD, who created the popular EchoLink Amateur Radio/Voice Over
Internet
> Protocol network.
>
> This year's Digital Communications Conference was represented on the
air
> by the W1AW/1 HF-digital special event station. Despite poor band
> conditions, the W1AW/1 operators still managed more than 100 contacts
on
> several digital modes.
>
> Copies of the DCC 2003 conference Proceedings remain available from
the
> ARRL <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/>.
>
> ==>ROHN FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY
>
> Rohn Industries <http://www.rohnnet.com/> filed a voluntary petition
for
> Chapter 11 bankruptcy September 16 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the
> Southern District of Indiana. The best-known manufacturer of tower and
> tower hardware for the Amateur Radio community, the Peoria,
Illinois-based
> company manufactures towers, antenna support structures and
> "infrastructure equipment" for the telecommunications industry. In
> business since 1948, the firm also makes security fencing and provides
> design and construction services.
>
> "Our immediate goal is to stabilize the company's financial situation
and
> utilize the Chapter 11 process to enable the company to conduct normal
> business operations as the company works to complete a sale
transaction,"
> Rohn Industries President Horace Ward said in announcing the company's
> bankruptcy filing. Rohn says it's now in discussions with an unrelated
> third party regarding a proposed asset sale while it continues to
conduct
> business as usual. Ward told ARRL there is "no truth" to a rumor
> circulating on some Internet newsgroups that disgruntled workers had
> damaged manufacturing equipment beyond repair in reprisal for
> consolidating fabrication facilities last January into a single plant
in
> Frankfort, Indiana.
>
> The impact of Rohn's troubles on the Amateur Radio community is not
clear,
> but at least one major antenna products supplier reported earlier this
> summer that it was having problems getting Rohn products, although it
> continues to offer them. Ward told ARRL this week that Rohn intends
"to
> execute the orders we have and to continue to take orders in the
normal
> course of business."
>
> In the company's statement, Ward attributed the bankruptcy filing to a
> severe downturn in the telecommunications industry. In July, NASDAQ
> delisted Rohn Industries after it was unable to meet its minimum bid
price
> requirement. The company remains eligible for listing on the Over the
> Counter (OTC) Bulletin Board (OTC-BB: ROHN). During the past 52 weeks,
the
> company's stock has sold for as little as a penny a share.
>
> At the same time it filed for Chapter 11 protection, Rohn has
announced
> it's entered into a $9.5 million debtor-in-possession credit line with
its
> lenders. The bankruptcy court must approve that agreement.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Solar Sage Tad "SPF-15" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: At
last
> the sun is showing one large sunspot. Sunspot 464 is expanding rapidly
and
> now is part of an extended dark area about 13 Earth diameters wide. A
> helioseismic holography image shows a large sunspot currently on the
side
> of the sun that faces away from Earth.
>
> The emergence of this spot has raised the sunspot count, and solar
flux is
> some 20 points higher than predicted a week ago. Solar flux for the
past
> few days has edged above 130, and the prediction for Friday through
> Monday, September 26-29, is for flux values of 135, 130, 130 and 125.
>
> On September 23, wee transitioned from summer to fall in the Northern
> Hemisphere and from winter to spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
Around
> the equinox is a great time for worldwide DX, because all parts of
Earth
> are bathed approximately equally by the sun's energy.
>
> Sunspot numbers for September 18 through 24 were 92, 71, 72, 64, 91,
133
> and 121, with a mean of 92. The 10.7-cm flux was 109.2, 111.1, 111.9,
> 119.9, 122.6, 124.9 and 133.5, with a mean of 119. Estimated planetary
A
> indices were 40, 32, 25, 21, 18, 17 and 33, with a mean of 26.6.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The CQ/RJ Worldwide DX Contest (RTTY),
the
> Scandinavian Activity Contest (SSB) and the Texas and Alabama QSO
parties
> are the weekend of September 27-28. JUST AHEAD: The California QSO
Party,
> the SARL 80-Meter QSO Party, the TARA PSK31 Rumble, the Oceania DX
Contest
> (SSB), the EU Autumn Sprint (SSB), the QCWA QSO Party and the RSGB
21/28
> MHz Contest (SSB) are the weekend of October 4-5. 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.
>
> * Reputed "oldest ham in the US" turns 103: The man believed to be the
> oldest Amateur Radio operator in the US--Byrl "Tex" Burdick, W5BQU, of
El
> Paso--turned 103 on September 25. First licensed in the fall of 1930,
> Burdick is on the air every day--most recently on 15 meters (look for
him
> on or about 21.314 MHz), and he enjoys ragchewing. On behalf of the
> League, ARRL President fellow Texan and Jim Haynie, W5JBP, this week
wrote
> Burdick to extend congratulations and best wishes. Burdick is an ARRL
> member and a routine QSLer. Happy Birthday, Tex!
>
> * New ARRL Section Manager named in Idaho: Idaho has a new ARRL
Section
> Manager, effective September 23. ARRL Field and Educational Services
> Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, has appointed Doug Rich, W7DVR, of Boise
to
> take over from John Cline, K7BDS, who has stepped down. An Amateur
Extra
> class licensee, Rich will complete Cline's term, which runs through
next
> September. Cline submitted his resignation with regret this week
because
> he's changing jobs within the Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services (hence
his
> "BDS" suffix) and pursuing a master's degree. Cline called Rich
"highly
> respected with the ham radio community in southern Idaho." Rich is the
> Chief Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) Communications
Officer
> for the State of Idaho, Bureau of Disaster Services, and has served
two
> terms as president of the Voice of Idaho Amateur Radio Club. Idaho
ARRL
> members may contact Rich via e-mail w7dvr@arrl.org.
>
> * Shooting for the moon yields first-ever US-Czech Republic EME QSO on
> 24-GHz: Amateur Radio moonbounce (Earth-Moon-Earth, or EME) and
microwave
> history was made September 24 at 1400 UTC when Josef Sveceny, OK1UWA,
and
> Al Ward, W5LUA, completed the first-ever 24-GHz EME QSO between the
Czech
> Republic and the US. "This was Josef's first 24-GHz EME QSO, and he
was my
> third initial on 24 GHz," said Ward. He noted the successful effort
marked
> the second scheduled attempt during September. OK1UWA has a 3-meter
Prime
> Focus dish with 35 W at the feed, vertically polarized. W5LUA's
station is
> a 3-meter Prime Focus dish with 70 W at the feed, horizontally
polarized
> to account for the spatial offset between NA and Europe. Previous
> international 24 GHz EME QSOs have take place between the US and
Canada,
> the US and Russia and Canada and Russia.
>
> * EarthLink delay to ARRL E-Mail Forwarding Service addressees
continues:
> Despite several discussions with EarthLink, the Internet Service
Provider
> continues to delay messages sent via the ARRL E-Mail Forwarding
Service
> <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/emailfwd.html> (@arrl.net) to
> @earthlink.net e-mail addresses. As a result of EarthLink's actions,
ARRL
> cannot guarantee timely delivery of messages forwarded via the ARRL
E-Mail
> Forwarding Service to its members' EarthLink e-mail addresses.
EarthLink
> contends that the @arrl.net domain is a spam source based on its
internal
> standards and analysis. While EarthLink appreciates the concept of a
> simple e-mail forwarding system like arrl.net and concedes that the
spam
> is not originating from the ARRL E-Mail Forwarding System, it
maintains
> its position that blocking all messages--including valid e-mail--from
this
> domain is an effective tactic in its efforts to fight spam. EarthLink
has
> told ARRL that it will continue to delay messages until the amount of
spam
> being sent through this system is reduced to a level EarthLink deems
> acceptable. ARRL advises affected members to consider changing the ISP
to
> which their ARRL E-Mail Forwarding System e-mail is forwarded. ARRL
> members logged onto the ARRL Web site can make necessary changes
through
> their Member Data page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html>
> (click on "Modify membership data"). Note that it may take up to 24
hours
> for changes in your e-mail address to take effect. Affected members
also
> may consider contacting EarthLink <abuse@abuse.earthlink.net
> <mailto:abuse@abuse.earthlink.net> on their own. ARRL apologizes for
any
> inconvenience and continues efforts to resolve this situation.
>
> * ARRL Foundation Scholarships available for application starting
October
> 1: The window opens October 1 to apply for ARRL Foundation
scholarships
> for the 2004-2005 academic year. The full listing of available
> scholarships is available on the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Programs
Web
> page <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html>. Use one application to
> apply for the main pool of scholarships. Applicants must fill out a
> separate application to apply for The William R. Goldfarb Memorial
> Scholarship <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/goldfarb.html>. The
application,
> transcript, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and
Student
> Aid Report (SAR) package must be received at ARRL Headquarters by
February
> 1, 2004.
>
> ===========================================================
> The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the
American
> Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225
Main
> St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
> <http://www.arrl.org>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President.
>
> The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
> interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,
> accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org>
for
> the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and
> columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a
> weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter.
>
> Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in
whole or
> in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be
given to
> The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
>
> ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
> letter-dlvy@arrl.org
> ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
n1rl@arrl.org
> ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org>
> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
> 860-594-0384
>
> ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
> The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly
from
> ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
> delivery:
> ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
> <http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during
> registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
> bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
> delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the
> "Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify
> membership data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change
> your e-mail address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all
> automatically sent email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.)
> Then, click on "Submit modification" to make selections effective.
(NOTE:
> HQ staff members cannot change your e-mail delivery address. You must
do
> this yourself via the Members Only Web Site.)
>
> The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
> sources:
>
> * ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter
will
> be posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)
>
> * The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur
> Radio Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
> <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
> cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this
> listserver.)
>
>
>