[TCARC-NTX] Fw: The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 07

[Fred Muehlen]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ARRL Letter Mailing List" <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>
To: <n5wla@isp01.net>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 5:55 PM
Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 07


> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 23, No. 07
> February 13, 2004
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +FCC proposes to give the go-ahead to BPL
> * +More cosponsors for ham radio bills "an optimistic sign"
> * +Astronaut's wife, kids augment school group contact
> * +Musical chairs again for next ISS crew
> * +Former licensee gets second chance to renew
> * +WRC-07 planning already under way
> * +Jim White, K4OJ, SK
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
>      ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
>      Nominations for ARRL ham radio instructor awards due by March 1
>      President Bush thanks ham radio volunteer
>     +AMSAT announces ECHO launch delay
>      Six hams set to ride shuttle "Return to Flight" mission
>      Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award
>      Three ARRL awards discontinued
>      Department of State ham club on the air for Presidents' Day
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
> NOTE: ARRL Headquarters will be closed February 16: ARRL Headquarters
will
> be closed Monday, February 16, for the Presidents' Day holiday. There
will
> be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions that day. ARRL
> Headquarters will reopen Tuesday, February 17, at 8 AM Eastern Time.
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>FCC OKAYS BPL PROPOSAL
>
> The FCC has unanimously approved a Notice of Proposed Rule Making
(NPRM)
> to deploy Broadband over Power Line (BPL). The NPRM is the next step
in
> the BPL proceeding, which began last April with a Notice of Inquiry
that
> attracted nearly 5200 comments--many from the amateur community. The
FCC
> did not propose any changes in emission limits for unlicensed Part 15
> devices, but said it would require BPL providers to apply "adaptive"
> interference mitigation techniques to their systems. An ARRL
delegation
> that attended the February 12 FCC open meeting in Washington later
> expressed disappointment in the FCC action.
>
> "The Commission clearly recognized that the existing Part 15 emission
> limits are inadequate to stop interference," Sumner said," but it's
> placing the burden of interference mitigation on the licensed user
that's
> supposed to be protected," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.
>
> Sumner said that if the FCC really believed current Part 15 emission
> limits were sufficient, it would not have had to require that BPL
> providers institute interference mitigation systems. The FCC has not
yet
> released the actual NPRM, and a presentation by the FCC's Office of
> Engineering and Technology (OET) revealed only its broad outlines.
Sumner
> said the League would not take a formal position until it reviews the
full
> NPRM.
>
> Anh Wride of the OET staff spelled out the scope of the NPRM, which
only
> addresses so-called "access BPL"--the type that would apply radio
> frequency energy to exterior overhead and underground low and
> medium-voltage power lines to distribute broadband and Internet
service.
> She said the OET staff believes that interference concerns "can be
> adequately addressed." Wride said the FCC's BPL NPRM:
>
> * Applies existing Part 15 emission limits for unlicensed
carrier-current
> systems to BPL systems. Part 15 rules now require that BPL systems
> eliminate any harmful interference that may occur "and must cease
> operation if they cannot," she noted.
>
> * Requires BPL systems to employ "adaptive interference-mitigation
> techniques, including the capabilities to shut down a specific device,
to
> reduce power levels on a dynamic or remote-control basis and to
include or
> exclude specific operating frequencies or bands."
>
> * Subjects BPL providers to notification requirements that would
establish
> a public database that would include the location of BPL devices,
> modulation type and operating frequencies.
>
> * Proposes guidelines to provide for consistent and repeatable
measurement
> of the RF emissions from BPL and other carrier-current systems.
>
> Mirroring his colleagues' enthusiasm, FCC Chairman Michael Powell
called
> BPL "tremendously exciting," although he conceded that BPL has "a long
way
> to go." Powell also said the FCC's OET has worked very hard to try to
"get
> their hands around" the issue of interference and that the FCC would
> continue its vigilance in that area.
>
> The FCC has posted additional information, including a public notice
> <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-243879A1.doc>
on
> its Web site. The Commission is expected to issue the complete Notice
of
> Proposed Rule Making within a few days and will invite comments on it
> sometime after publication.
>
> Additional information about BPL and Amateur Radio is on the ARRL Web
site
> <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/>.
>
> ==>NEW AMATEUR RADIO BILL COSPONSORS "AN OPTIMISTIC SIGN," HAYNIE SAYS
>
> ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says he's encouraged to see
additional
> members of the US House of Representatives agreeing to cosponsor The
> Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003, HR 713, and the Amateur
> Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2003, HR 1478--also
> known as "the CC&R bill." In Washington this week with an ARRL
delegation,
> Haynie called it "an optimistic sign" for Amateur Radio that League
> members are continuing to urge their lawmakers to sign aboard the two
> pieces of legislation, which are ARRL initiatives.
>
> "House members have proven to be very responsive to entreaties from
the
> amateur community to get behind these bills," an elated Haynie said
this
> week. "The campaign continues to pay off in terms of additional
cosponsors
> for our bills." As of this week, 84 House members have gone on record
as
> HR 713 cosponsors. An identical companion bill in the US Senate, S
537,
> has attracted eight cosponsors.
>
> Among recent House cosponsors of HR 713 are representatives Chris Bell
> (R-TX), Candice S. Miller (R-MI), Jim Turner (D-TX), Jay Inslee,
(D-WA),
> Ray LaHood (R-IL), Stevan Pearce, (R-NM) and Baron Hill, (D-IN).
>
> Sponsored in the House by Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and in the
Senate
> by Sen Michael Crapo (R-ID), the bill 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. The Senate
version, S
> 537, has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science,
and
> Transportation.
>
> Meanwhile, the cosponsor count on the CC&R bill, HR 1478, rose to 32
this
> week with the addition of Rep Jim DeMint (R-SC), who was approached by
> ARRL South Carolina Section Manager Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, to consider
> cosponsoring both HR 1478 and HR 713. Introduced by Rep Steve Israel
> (D-NY), the CC&R bill would require private land-use regulators such
as
> homeowners' associations to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio
> antennas consistent with the PRB-1 limited federal preemption.
>
> Recent HR 1478 cosponsors also include representatives Donald Manzullo
> (R-IL) and Anibal Acevedo-Vila (D-PR). HR 1478 also has been referred
to
> the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
>
> Although buoyed by the bills' recent cosponsorship progress, Haynie is
> continuing to encourage ARRL members to send cards and letters to
their
> House of Representatives member urging them to cosponsor HR 713 and HR
> 1478, and to their state's two US senators to cosponsor S 537.
>
> "There's a long way to go, and that's what it's going to take," Haynie
> said. "Cards and letters from individual voters do make a difference."
>
> Meanwhile, Louisiana Republican Billy Tauzin's announcement that he'll
> step down as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and
not
> run for re-election has set off a political sideshow. On February 6,
> nearly every committee member urged House Speaker Dennis Hastert to
> appoint Rep Joe Barton (R-TX) to replace Tauzin as chairman. Barton
also
> serves on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the
Internet,
> but he has not yet signed on as a cosponsor of either HR 713 or HR
1478.
>
> Additional information--including the bills' texts, sample letters and
> information on how to write members of Congress--is on the ARRL "The
> Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003" Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html> and on the "HR 1478, The
> Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2003" Web
page
> <http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr1478/>.
>
> Those writing their lawmakers on behalf of the Spectrum Protection Act
are
> asked to copy their correspondence to the League via e-mail
> <specbill03@arrl.org>. Those writing their House member on behalf of
the
> Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act, HR 1478, are
asked
> to copy their correspondence to <ccr-bill@arrl.org>.
>
> ==>ASTRONAUT CHATS WITH HIS SON, TEXAS YOUNGSTERS VIA HAM RADIO
>
> Ian Foale, the son of International Space Station Expedition 8
Commander
> Mike Foale, KB5UAC, was among several other youngsters attending his
> school who got to ask questions of his dad February 4 via Amateur
Radio.
> The contact with James F. Bay Elementary School in Houston, Texas, was
> arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS)
> program. The third-grader first lobbed a softball question at his
> dad--"How far is the space station from Earth in miles and
> kilometers?"--but followed up with a more challenging query about
whether
> the ISS crew could detect changes in land forms on Earth.
>
> "Yes, we can detect changes," his father responded. "They happen
slowly
> over many months, but we can see the snow building up on mountains,
and we
> can see the glaciers developing in the Patagonia area." The elder
Foale
> also said the crew is able to see erosion of earth and mud down rivers
> into the sea. What the crew cannot see, Foale said in reply to another
> question, are the great pyramids or the Great Wall of China. While
these
> should be visible, Foale said, they blend in too much with their
> surroundings.
>
> Foale conceded that living aboard the ISS with only one crewmate can
be a
> lonely experience for both of them. "My hardest adjustment to life
here is
> being away from lots of nice people," Foale said. "I have one
crewmate,
> Sasha, and we are good friends, but we miss other people."
>
> The youngsters let loose with a hearty round of applause as the
> approximately 10-minute-long contact ended.
>
> Visiting the school for the event and taking part in pre-contact
> activities were Foale's wife, Rhonda, and his 12-year-old daughter,
Jenna,
> who attended James Bay Elementary in her younger years. Rhonda Foale
> presented a "video post card" from her husband that offered the
elementary
> schoolers additional insights into daily life aboard the ISS.
>
> Daughter Jenna, meanwhile, told the youngsters about her Aibo
> <http://www.us.aibo.com/> robotic dog, for which Foale writes programs
> while aboard the ISS. Astronauts Scott Kelly and Julie Payette also
> attended the event and answered questions from the pupils about space
> travel.
>
> ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational
outreach
> project with participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
>
> ==>IT'S MUSICAL CHAIRS AGAIN FOR NEXT ISS CREWS
>
> After replacing the commander of the next International Space Station
crew
> less than a month ago, NASA and its ISS partners now have announced
the
> assignment of an altogether new crew. The Expedition 9 crew now will
> consist of astronaut Mike Fincke and cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, RN3DT.
> Padalka, 45, will serve as Expedition 9 commander and Soyuz commander,
> while Fincke, 36, will be the NASA ISS science officer and flight
> engineer. They have been training together as a space station crew for
> nearly two years, NASA said. Their experience as a team was cited as a
> primary reason for the personnel shift. Expedition 10 crew assignments
> also will change.
>
> "After a very thorough evaluation by our partners, I'm confident that
> these assignments make the very best use of our crew resources and
skills
> and will ensure the flights' full success," NASA Chief Astronaut Kent
> Rominger said.
>
> Fincke passed his Amateur Radio Technician class exam this week--in
plenty
> of time for Expedition 9's April 18 launch from Russia aboard a Soyuz
> vehicle. Having an US Amateur Radio licensee aboard is necessary if
the
> Amateur Radio on the International Space Station--or ARISS
> <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>--program is to continue its schedule of
school
> group contacts via NA1SS.
>
> Last November, NASA and Russia had decided on William McArthur Jr,
KC5ACR,
> as Expedition 9 crew commander and cosmonaut Valery Tokarev as flight
> engineer for the six-month mission. Last month, however, NASA swapped
> McArthur for Leroy Chiao, due to a temporary medical issue affecting
> McArthur. Chiao and Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov now have been
> assigned to Expedition 10. Chiao also has been studying for his ham
radio
> license while undergoing training in Russia.
>
> This will mark Fincke's first space flight. It's the second for
Padalka,
> who lived aboard the Russian Mir space station for 198 days in
1999.--NASA
>
> ==>FCC GIVES SECOND CHANCE TO FORMER LICENSEE
>
> The FCC has given a former Indiana radio amateur another chance to
renew
> his General ticket, which expired in 2000. In an Order on
Reconsideration
> released February 3, the Commission granted a waiver to Frank R.
Michalak,
> ex-KA9EMU, permitting him to submit a late-filed renewal application.
> Michalak has 60 days from the Order's release to do so.
>
> In its Order, the FCC dismissed Michalak's petition seeking
> reconsideration of a December 1999 FCC action that dismissed his
license
> renewal application. Michalak initially ran afoul of the requirement
to
> provide a taxpayer identification number--typically a Social Security
> number--with his application. Later, he encountered problems using the
> Universal Licensing System (ULS) and with illness.
>
> The FCC said it had reviewed his request anew using all information it
> currently had before it in the proceeding. The Commission agreed with
> Michalak that his situation was sufficiently exceptional to permit him
to
> refile for renewal if he's still interested in being a radio amateur.
> "Based on such review, we conclude that Michalak should be granted a
> waiver to permit the filing of a late-filed renewal application," the
> Commission said.
>
> ==>ARRL TECHNICAL RELATIONS OFFICE EYES WRC-07
>
> While it may seem like World Radiocommunication Conference 2003
(WRC-03)
> was just yesterday, the ARRL Technical Relations Office in Washington
> already is participating in a new cycle of meetings to prepare for
what's
> tentatively being called WRC-07.
>
> ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, says ARRL's
involvement
> is in two arenas--the FCC WRC-07 Advisory Committee and its informal
> working groups (IWGs), and regular meetings of various International
> Telecommunication Union <http://www.itu.int/home/index.html> "working
> parties." ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Walt Ireland, WB7CSL,
has
> been especially active as vice chairman of the IWG 4, which is dealing
> with broadcasting and Amateur Radio WRC-07 agenda items. Ireland also
is
> the convener of US Working Party 6E, which deals with terrestrial
delivery
> in the broadcasting service.
>
> Both groups are focusing on the possible allocation of additional
> broadcast spectrum in the 4 to 10 MHz band, which, Rinaldo points out,
> could impact amateur allocations. Additional information on WRC-07
> preparations is on the FCC Web site <http://www.fcc.gov/wrc-07/>.
>
> ==>JIM WHITE, K4OJ, SK--J7A OPERATION DEDICATED TO POPULAR CONTESTER
>
> The Amateur Radio contesting community is mourning the death of James
A.
> "Jim" White, K4OJ, (ex-K1ZX and ex-WA1NNC), of Seffner, Florida. The
> well-known ham radio contesting enthusiast underwent heart valve
surgery
> February 11, but succumbed to liver failure the following day. The J7A
> operation from Dominica during the ARRL International DX Contest (CW)
> <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/intldx.html> February 21-22
will
> be dedicated to White.
>
> "Jim White, K4OJ, was a dear friend and a continual inspiration to
> contesting," said George Wagner, K5KG, in announcing the planned
> on-the-air tribute. "OJ, as we affectionately called him. was always
> positive and ready to help, inspire, learn, tease, quip, pontificate
and
> challenge all of us."
>
> A member of The Florida Contest Group (FCG)
> <http://www.floridacontestgroup.org/> which White organized, Wagner,
> fellow FCG member John Colyard, W4IX, and John Bednar, K3TEJ,  will be
the
> J7A operators. Wagner says FCG members will always remember White as
the
> father of the organization, which he founded a decade ago, serving as
its
> first president. "When you see that sea of orange shirts at Dayton,
you
> will remember OJ," he said, referring to the group's brightly hued
> signature apparel.
>
> An ARRL Life Member and a Headquarters employee during the 1970s,
White
> was the son of Ellen White, W1YL, and the late Bob White, W1CW, both
> well-known amateurs and former ARRL staff members. Not surprisingly,
Jim
> White worked in the ARRL Contest Branch. Over the years, he also
authored
> articles for National Contest Journal as well as for QST.
>
> After Bob White died in 2002, Jim White established the R. L. White
> Memorial Operators' Club to keep his father's W1CW call sign active
during
> various operating events. Always sporting a big signal out of South
> Florida, Jim White shared a multiop contest station with his mother.
Ellen
> White said K4OJ was on the air during the First Class CW Operators'
Club
> <http://www.firstclasscw.org.uk/> Marathon just this past weekend.
"His
> operating abilities were manifest, and he almost always was the first
one
> to volunteer his help, in spite of his declining physical abilities,"
she
> said.
>
> White once said he was bitten by the contest bug after being enlisted
as
> the Novice op for the Connecticut Wireless Association's Field Day
effort.
> In the years since, his call sign has turned up regularly in the
results
> of various contests--often at or near the top of the pile.
>
> "I love contesting," he said in his call sign listing on QRZ.com.
"There
> is something about the camaraderie, discipline and knowledge
contesting
> demands that fits me; it doesn't fit everyone . . . but it sure fits
me."
>
> In addition to his mother, White's survivors include his wife Theresa
and
> five stepchildren. Per his wishes, there will be no formal service.
The
> family invites memorial donations to the Florida Contest Group White
> Memorial Fund--now honoring both W1CW and K4OJ--care of Fred Perkins,
> K4LQ, 3437 Lake Josephine Dr, Lake Placid, FL 33852.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Propagation guru Tad "(The Sun is Shining Like a) Red Rubber Ball"
Cook,
> K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar flux and sunspot numbers
were up
> slightly this week, and average planetary A index was down a little.
> Unfortunately, this isn't likely a trend, at least over the long term.
>
> Over the next few days expect solar flux to stay around 110, then
> gradually decline toward 100, where it should stay until around
February
> 22. Due to a coronal hole and a solar wind stream, geomagnetic
conditions
> should remain unsettled to active.
>
> For more information about propagation and an explanation of the
numbers
> used in this bulletin see the Propagation page on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
>
> Sunspot numbers for February 5 through 11 were 109, 98, 92, 74, 81, 78
and
> 91, with a mean of 89. The 10.7 cm flux was 105.5, 106.7, 111.1,
116.2,
> 117.8, 116.5 and 114.2, with a mean of 112.6. Estimated planetary A
> indices were 14, 21, 11, 8, 8, 9 and 26, with a mean of 13.9.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The ARRL School Club Roundup, the KCJ
Topband
> Contest, the CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest, SARL Kid's Day, the SARL Field
Day
> Contest, the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the Dutch PACC Contest,
the
> OMISS QSO Party, the FISTS Winter Sprint and the RSGB First 1.8 MHz
> Contest (CW) are the weekend of February 14-15. The AGCW
Semi-Automatic
> Key Evening is February 18. JUST AHEAD: The ARRL International DX
Contest
> (CW), the YL-ISSB QSO Party (CW) and the CQC Winter QSO Party are the
> weekend of February 21-22. The CQ 160-Meter Contest (SSB) is the
weekend
> of February 28-29. 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 for the ARRL VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater (EC-008) and
ARRL
> HF Digital Communication (EC-005) courses opens Monday, February 16,
12:01
> AM Eastern Time (0501 UTC). Registration remains open through Sunday,
> February 22. Classes begin Tuesday February 24. To learn more, visit
the
> ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE)
> <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page. For more information, contact
> Certification and Continuing Education Program Department
cce@arrl.org.
>
> * ARRL Emergency Communications course registration: Registration
opens
> Monday, February 16, 12:01 AM Eastern Time (0501 UTC), for the Level
III
> Emergency Communications on-line course (EC-003). Registration remains
> open through the February 21-22 weekend or until all available seats
have
> been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, March 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. For more information, contact
> Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG,
> dmiller@arrl.org, 860-594-0340.
>
> * Nominations for ARRL ham radio instructor awards due by March 1: The
> deadline to submit nominations for ARRL's two Amateur Radio instructor
> awards in March 1. The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/herb-tor.html> is presented to a
> volunteer Amateur Radio instructor, while the ARRL Professional
Educator
> of the Year Award <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/pey-tor.html>
is
> presented to a teacher who uses Amateur Radio as part of the
curriculum or
> after-school program, or teaches it in an educational institution,
such as
> a community college. These awards honor those hams who put in
countless
> volunteer hours to seek out newcomers and teach them the standards and
> practices of Amateur Radio. Nominating forms for the Brier award
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/edunom.html?aw_id=7> and the
Professional
> Educator award <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/edunom.html?aw_id=9>
are
> available on the ARRL Web site. Nominations must be received at ARRL
> Headquarters by March 1. All nominees will be invited to confirm their
> interest in competing for the award and to submit material documenting
> their activities. Winners receive engraved plaques and up to $100
worth of
> ARRL publications.
>
> * President Bush thanks ham radio volunteer: Shortly after stepping
off
> Air Force One February 5 during a visit to South Carolina, President
> George W. Bush took a few moments to express his appreciation to ARRL
> member and Charleston County ARES Emergency Coordinator Charlie Hall,
> K4AOT. "For all Charlie has done for ham radio and the community, he
> certainly deserves to be put in the spotlight," said his friend Alex
> Krist, KR1ST. A member of the Charleston Amateur Radio Society and a
> retired US Army sergeant, Hall, 64, volunteers with a newly formed
> Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
> <http://www.citizencorps.gov/programs/cert.shtm>, a Citizen Corps
> <http://www.citizencorps.gov/> program. The president shook Hall's
hand
> and thanked him for his efforts on behalf of the community. ARRL is a
> Citizen Corps affiliate, and in a growing number of localities,
Amateur
> Radio emergency response activities are being incorporated into CERTs.
> Hall, who also volunteers with the American Red Cross and a SKYWARN
team,
> was tapped as Charleston County's "official greeter" for the
presidential
> visit mainly because of his Citizen Corp/CERT activity.--some
information
> from Alex Krist, KR1ST, and Jim Boehner, N2ZZ
>
> * AMSAT announces ECHO launch delay: AMSAT-NA President Robin
Haighton,
> VE3FRH, has announced that due to a delay in the delivery of the
primary
> payload to the launch site in Kazakhstan, the launch of the ECHO
satellite
> has been delayed by some three months. "The 'official' launch date is
now
> June 29, 2004," Haighton said. "I assume that this new date is the
start
> of the new launch window, which may last several weeks."--AMSAT-NA
>
> * Six hams set to ride shuttle "Return to Flight" mission: Six Amateur
> Radio licensees will be aboard when the shuttle Atlantis returns to
> space--something NASA now says might not happen until 2005. The
mission,
> STS-114--which NASA is calling the "Return to Flight" mission--will be
the
> first since Columbia broke apart February 1, 2003, during reentry
> following a 16-day science mission. The mishap claimed the lives of
seven
> astronauts--three of them Amateur Radio licensees. NASA has announced
the
> STS-114 crew members as Mission Commander Eileen Collins, KD5EDS;
Pilot
> James Kelly, KC5ZSW; Mission Specialist Charles Camarda, KC5ZSY;
Mission
> Specialist Wendy Lawrence, KC5KII; Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi,
> KD5TVP; Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, and Mission Specialist
Andy
> Thomas, KD5CHF/VK5MIR. A veteran of three space flights, Collins has
> logged more than 530 hours in space. During the Return to Flight
mission,
> the crew will test and evaluate new procedures for flight safety and
> shuttle inspection and repair techniques.--NASA
>
> * Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque
Award
> for January is Rod Vlach, NN0TT, for his article "The Challenge of
Being a
> Little Pistol." Congratulations, Rod! 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 February issue of QST. Voting ends February
29.
>
> * Three ARRL awards discontinued: Effective immediately, the ARRL
Awards
> Branch has discontinued the Rag Chewer's Club, the Old Timer's Club
and
> the Friendship Award. ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills,
N7NG,
> says that the number of amateurs applying for awards in general has
> declined significantly over the years, and interest in these three
awards
> had slowed to a trickle. DXCC and WAS remain among the most popular
ARRL
> Awards, he said, but the eliminated awards "had outlived their
interest
> level." For more information on ARRL awards, visit The ARRL Awards
Program
> page <http://www.arrl.org/awards/>.
>
> * Department of State ham club on the air for Presidents' Day: The
Daily
> DX <http://www.dailydx.com> reports that the Department of State
Amateur
> Radio Club's W3DOS will be on the air February 14-16 to celebrate
> Presidents' Day. Approximate operating frequencies will be CW: 3.530,
> 7.030, 10.130 14.030, 18.080, 21.030, 24.910 and 28.030 MHz. SSB:
3.880,
> 7280, 14280, 18150, 21380, 24.980 and 28.480 MHz.
>
> ===========================================================
> 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.
>
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