[TCARC-NTX] Fw: The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 01

[Fred Muehlen]

> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 23, No. 01
> January 2, 2004
> ***************
>
> IN THIS EDITION:
>
> * +Comments augment BPL alarm
> * +A BPL tale of two cities
> * +ISS commander debuts new ham gear
> * +California ARES/RACES teams respond following earthquake
> * +Joe Knight, W5PDY, SK
> * +Washington state lawmakers hear from ARRL SM on BPL threat
> * +Hamvention 2004 award nomination deadline looms
> *  Solar Update
> *  IN BRIEF:
>      This weekend on the radio
>      Reminder: Kid's Day is Sunday, January 4!
>      ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
>      ARECC/ARES seminar set in New York City-Long Island Section
>      Amateur Radio assists in Iran earthquake relief
>      Emanuel G. "Manny" Papandreas, W4SS, SK
>      Canadian hams may lose 220-222 MHz segment
>      TO4E/TO4WW DXpedition racks up 34,000 Qs
>      CQ names Floyd Gerald, N5FG, as Worked All Zones awards manager
>
> +Available on ARRL Audio News
>
> ===========================================================
>
> ==>ORGANIZATIONS' COMMENTS AUGMENT ALARM OVER BPL
>
> Two organizations have filed comments with the FCC that augment
previously
> expressed worries about potential interference from and to Broadband
over
> Power Line (BPL) systems. Picking up on the "grave concerns" the
Federal
> Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) <http://www.fema.gov> expressed
over
> BPL December 4, the nonprofit Disaster Preparedness and Emergency
Response
> Association (DERA) <http://www.disasters.org> called on the FCC to
require
> impartial BPL field testing as well as additional public comment and
full
> and open public hearings.
>
> "DERA concludes that serious interference to and disruption of
critical
> emergency communications systems in several licensed services
throughout
> North America would almost certainly result from BPL implementation as
> currently proposed," DERA said. Endorsing the earlier FEMA remarks,
DERA
> said proposed BPL systems don't just pose a risk of interference,
they've
> already been shown to "actually cause harmful interference to licensed
> radio services."
>
> Meanwhile, the Amateur Radio Research and Development Corporation
(AMRAD)
> has filed additional test data with the FCC to support preliminary
> findings suggesting that BPL systems are susceptible to interference
from
> even modest Amateur Radio HF signals. AMRAD said its newest data
> demonstrated that amateur operation in the test neighborhood would
cause
> many homes to lose their Internet service.
>
> "At least an area out to a radius of 0.51 miles from the transmitting
> station could have their Internet connection interrupted," AMRAD said.
> "Closer-in homes would almost certainly have their Internet service
> interrupted."
>
> For its RF susceptibility experiment, AMRAD used the Potomac Electric
> Power Company system test site. It features a mid-1960s vintage home
with
> unshielded interior electrical wiring and overhead power lines.
>
> AMRAD found that at a distance of just over one-half mile, data
transfer
> ceased in the face of a 100-W signal on 3980 kHz from a mobile
> transmitter. Adjacent to the test property, AMRAD said data transfer
> ceased in all but one instance at a transmitter power of just 4 W in
the
> BPL operating band of from 4 to 21 MHz.
>
> The ARRL hopes to complete an independent BPL engineering study early
this
> year. It will explore how BPL might affect HF and low-VHF amateur
> operation as well as how Amateur Radio operation could affect BPL
systems.
>
> In related news, BPL equipment manufacturer Amperion Inc recently
> announced an "industry first" by successfully testing its high-speed
> "Connect" system on 69 kV transmission lines. Typical BPL systems have
> employed medium and low-voltage lines to deliver broadband and
Internet
> access. Amperion said its tests, performed in conjunction with
American
> Electric Power, demonstrated multi-megabit data transmission to a
distance
> of nearly one mile without the need for a repeater. There's more
> information on Amperion's Web site
> <http://www.amperion.com/press.asp?pid=89>.
>
> 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/>.
>
> ==>A BPL TALE OF TWO CITIES
>
> A Virginia community is preparing to go forward with plans to deploy a
> city-owned BPL network, while a California city has decided against
BPL
> for its own municipal broadband system.
>
> The city council in Lompoc, California
<http://www.cityoflompoc.com/>--a
> community of some 42,000--opted December 16 to go with a wireless and
> fiber optic cable-based broadband network, rejecting BPL and other
> possible options. ARRL Santa Barbara Section Technical Coordinator
Paul
> Andreasen, K1JAN, said he and other members of the local Amateur Radio
> community lobbied hard to ensure that Lompoc would not pick BPL.
>
> After contacting Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWesse to spell out the downside
of
> BPL, Andreasen said he subsequently received assurances from City
Manager
> Gary Keefe that Lompoc's consultants would not entertain technology
that
> would radiate in the HF/low-VHF spectrum. The report from McKibben
> Consulting noted the "ongoing controversy" about BPL and cited a 2003
> British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) study that, McKibben said,
"made it
> clear that there is very good reason to be concerned about RF
> interference." The consultant concluded that BPL's advantages failed
to
> outweigh its disadvantages.
>
> The Washington, DC, suburb of Manassas, Virginia, meanwhile, indicates
it
> will go ahead this month with plans to inaugurate BPL service in four
> subdivisions--a total of some 2100 homes. Manassas--with a population
of
> nearly 35,000--hopes to be the first community in the US to deploy BPL
> citywide.
>
> Amateurs in the Manassas vicinity have pointed to FEMA's "grave
concerns"
> that BPL could interfere with HF communications systems critical to
> national security and public safety. They've also cited Japan's
banning of
> BPL deployment in the wake of Amateur Radio pressure as well as the
BBC
> study, where the BPL system used the same Main.net technology Manassas
> plans to employ.
>
> City officials seem unimpressed. "Nobody has proven it's a problem,"
City
> Councilman Ulysses X. White told Potomac News
> <http://www.potomacnews.com>. "If it is a problem, then we re-evaluate
it.
> There's no reason not to go forward with it." The same article quotes
City
> Utilities Director Allen Todd, W4VUB, as saying that the city will
monitor
> the system and rectify any problems that crop up. No field testing for
RF
> interference took place during the system's pilot program.
>
> Potomac News also quoted ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, saying that the
risk
> of disrupting worldwide and emergency communications for BPL is
> shortsighted and, as FEMA aleady has noted, carries potential national
> security implications.
>
> ==>ISS COMMANDER GETS ON THE AIR WITH NEW HAM GEAR
>
> Astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC, fired up the new Phase 2 Amateur Radio
on
> the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment December 21 to make
a
> number of 2-meter contacts with amateurs around the world. The
Expedition
> 8 commander completed QSOs with amateurs in Australia, Europe and
North
> America from 1100 to approximately 1700 UTC.
>
> "I heard him at approximately 1100 UTC and also on the next pass."
> commented Ib Christofferson, OZ1MY, on the SAREX reflector. "He had a
> large pileup."
>
> A new Kenwood TM-D700E VHF-UHF dualband transceiver was installed late
> last fall in the ISS Zvezda Service Module--the crew's living
quarters.
> ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said official
permission to
> use the new gear came December 17. The RS0ISS packet system also is
back
> in operation.
>
> "This equipment, including antennas, radios, hardware and software
were
> developed and provided by a diverse set of team members located around
the
> world," Bauer said in a year-end statement. "This was quite a
challenge to
> make happen."
>
> Activation of the new gear means a power boost from 5 W to 25 W for
the
> NA1SS downlink signal. It also means the ISS now has two functional
ham
> stations. Additional Phase 2 equipment--which could go into space this
> month--is to include a slow-scan television (SSTV) system and a Yaesu
> FT-100 HF/VHF/UHF transceiver.
>
> "I was able to hear him from as far out as 1200 miles," reported
Arthur
> Rowe, N1ORC, of Lawrence, Massachusetts. "I guess that the new output
> power was helping."
>
> Foale's operation was part of a special event to honor SAREX/ARISS
Working
> Group Chairman Roy Neal, K6DUE, who died last August. Stations
contacting
> or monitoring the ISS on voice (NA1SS) or packet (RS0ISS) through the
end
> of 2003 are eligible for special event certificates. See "K6DUE ISS
> Commemorative Event Certificates" on the ARISS Web site
> <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> for details.
>
> ARISS is an international educational outreach program with
participation
> by ARRL, NASA and AMSAT.
>
> ==>CENTRAL CALIFORNIA HAMS RESPOND TO EARTHQUAKE
>
> Amateur Radio operators aided the American Red Cross after a magnitude
6.5
> earthquake struck California's Central Coast region Monday, December
22.
> Amateurs in San Luis Obispo County provided radio links between
shelters
> and the Red Cross San Luis Obispo Chapter office. Santa Barbara
Section
> Manager Robert Griffin, K6YR, said the San Luis Obispo County Office
of
> Emergency Services requested the assistance of the Amateur Radio
Emergency
> Service (ARES)/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) teams.
> Griffin said San Luis Obispo ARES/RACES operators helped staff the
county
> emergency operations center and backed-up communication for the Red
Cross
> after cell phone service proved unreliable.
>
> "About 24 operators were involved," Griffin said. "By 10 PM Monday
night,
> the primary American Red Cross communication resources were again
> reliable, and the ARES net secured." Griffin says a few operators
> continued communications support at the EOC.
>
> Griffin said the American Red Cross quickly established three shelters
for
> quake victims--one in hard-hit Paso Robles, another in Morro Bay and a
> third in the southern part of the county. Hams staffed shelters to
> maintain contact with the Red Cross chapter office. Two people died in
> Paso Robles, some 25 miles from the epicenter.
>
> Force 12 President Tom Schiller, N6BT, reports the antenna
> manufacturer--located in Paso Robles--suffered "minimal damage" from
the
> December 22 quake.
>
> "Most of it was confined to the front office, with ceiling tiles
falling
> down, books and computers being tossed around," Schiller said in an
update
> on the company's Web site. "Those who had a view out the front glass
doors
> watched the cars and trucks in the street leave the ground as the
shock
> waves rolled through." He said the quake took out electric power,
> telephone and cell service within less than a minute, although the
power
> returned and telephones became sporadically operative within a few
hours.
>
> Schiller reports his own house--about a mile away--was "trashed,"
although
> his towers and the plumbing and electrical systems survived. Standing
> outside while checking the house, Schiller said he noticed that there
was
> no wildlife at all. "No birds, no deer, no dogs barking. Not even a
> breeze," he said. "Thankfully, we made it through."
>
> ==>DEAN EMERITUS OF ARRL SECTION MANAGERS JOE T. KNIGHT, W5PDY, SK
>
> Former ARRL New Mexico Section Manager Joe Knight, W5PDY, of
Albuquerque
> died December 28. He was 76. Until he stepped down last July after his
> health began to fail, Knight had provided leadership to the New Mexico
> Section for nearly 27 years--longer than any of his peers. ARRL
President
> Jim Haynie, W5JBP, called Knight an exemplary amateur and volunteer
and
> said he was saddened to said to learn of his passing.
>
> "You couldn't ask for anybody who was more dedicated to Amateur Radio
and
> to the League than Joe Knight," Haynie said. "He was the consummate
ham."
>
> An ARRL Life Member, Knight had belonged to the League for 55 years.
For
> several years through 2002, Knight was a regular participant at the
New
> Section Manager workshops each fall, at which he would share the
wealth of
> expertise derived from his many years of Field Organization leadership
> experience.
>
> Knight was the subject and chief narrator of an article, "The Luckiest
Man
> Alive," which appeared in the January 2003 issue of QST. In it Knight
> said, "Amateur Radio will exist as long as there are people who love
the
> art and science of communicating by radio." The article also outlined
the
> vast emergency communication resources that Knight and hundreds of
other
> dedicated volunteers built up over the years in New Mexico.
>
> During Knight's tenure as SM, New Mexico amateurs convinced state
> lawmakers to pass The Emergency Communication Preservation Act--an
Amateur
> Radio antenna bill--signed into law in 2002. Knight also was at the
helm
> as amateurs in New Mexico assisted in response and relief efforts
during
> devastating wildfires in 2000 and in 2002.
>
> Last July, the ARRL Board of Directors created the Knight
Distinguished
> Service Award and named Knight as its inaugural recipient. The award
> honors "exceptionally notable contributions" to the health and
vitality of
> the League by an SM.
>
> With Knight's blessing, then-New Mexico Assistant SM Bill Weatherford,
> KM5FT, of Albuquerque, was appointed fill the remainder of Knight's
term.
> Weatherford, who recently was elected to a new two-year term in his
own
> right, appointed Knight in September as an Assistant SM.
>
> Official Observer (and former ARRL Web youth columnist) Brian
Mileshosky,
> N5ZGT, said Knight "served as a great example that each of us should
> follow every day to keep our beloved hobby alive and healthy."
>
> In addition to his lengthy service as New Mexico's SM, Knight was a
past
> president and long-time member of the Upper Rio FM Society. He also
> belonged to the Albuquerque Amateur Radio Club, the Albuquerque DX
> Association and the A1 Operator Club, and he served on the board of
the
> Duke City Hamfest. He also was active in the Quarter Century Wireless
> Association.
>
> Survivors include his wife, Lois, KC5CXO, who often accompanied Knight
on
> his hamfest and convention visits and was a tireless recruiter for new
> ARRL members.
>
> A memorial service was held January 2 in Albuquerque. The family has
> invited memorial contributions to the Knight Distinguished Service
Award
> or to the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Fund. Memorials may be made to
> either fund on the ARRL Memorial Gifts Web page
> <http://www.arrl.org/development/memorial.html> or to ARRL, 225 Main
St,
> Newington CT 006111-1494.
>
> ==>ARRL SECTION MANAGER REPRESENTS HAM RADIO IN STATE SENATE BPL
INQUIRY
>
> ARRL Western Washington Section Manager Ed Bruette, N7NVP, testified
> December 9 before the Washington Senate Technology and Communications
> Committee during an informational inquiry on Broadband over Power Line
> (BPL). The committee invited Bruette to speak after Gloria Sharp,
WA7GYD,
> of Ellensburg, contacted a senior committee staffer to ask if Amateur
> Radio would be represented at the hearing. As a result, the panel
added
> Bruette to the list of spokespersons.
>
> "My presentation outlined the Part 15 device limitations, the
interference
> issues both to and from Amateur Radio, BPL trials in Europe and Japan,
and
> the other users of the HF and VHF spectrum who will be impacted by
> interference by BPL," Bruette said in summing up his 15-minute
> presentation. "I included the first 37 seconds of the BPL video made
by
> ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, along with an NTIA spectrum
allocation
> chart that I modified to show the potential loss of spectrum."
>
> Bruette followed remarks by two industry representatives. He said the
> committee's feedback was positive, as was the reaction from the four
radio
> amateurs in the audience.
>
> Bruette said he was surprised to hear one industry representative
> characterize power lines as antennas. He also said he was pleased to
learn
> that the Chelan County Public Utility District had received letters
from
> local hams expressing concern about BPL.
>
> ==>HAMVENTION 2004 SEEKS AWARD NOMINEES
>
> Nominations close January 31 for the Hamvention 2004 Radio Amateur of
the
> Year, Technical Excellence and Special Achievement awards.
>
> The Radio Amateur of the Year is an individual with a long term
commitment
> to the advancement of Amateur Radio--a well-rounded amateur who has
> contributed in an exceptional manner to Amateur Radio.
>
> The Technical Excellence award goes to an amateur who has made an
> outstanding technical contribution to advance Amateur Radio. This
could
> include, but is not limited to, a revolutionary equipment design or
> operational mode that has positively influenced the day-to-day
operation
> of many amateurs.
>
> The Special Achievement award honors an outstanding contribution to
the
> advancement of Amateur Radio and typically recognizes an amateur who
has
> spearheaded a significant project.
>
> All amateurs are eligible for any of these awards, and the Hamvention
> Awards Committee makes the final decision on recipients, based in part
on
> the information submitted on the nominee's behalf (and not on the
number
> of nominations). Documentation to support a nomination is essential.
This
> could be in the form of magazine articles, newsletters, newspaper
> clippings or videos. All materials become the property of Hamvention
and
> will not be returned.
>
> Submit nominations by mail to Awards Committee, Hamvention 2004, PO
Box
> 964, Dayton OH 45401, or complete the on-line Nominating Form on the
> Hamvention 2004 Web site <http://www.hamvention.org> (click on "Award
> Nominations"). Nominees are responsible for submitting substantiating
> documentation via mail by January 31, 2004.
>
> Hamvention 2004 is May 14-16.
>
> ==>SOLAR UPDATE
>
> Sun watcher Tad "I stayed up to watch that glittery ball drop" Cook,
K7RA,
> Seattle, Washington, reports: This is the first "Solar Update" for
> 2004--time to review averages from 2003 and compare them to previous
> years.
>
> From the third quarter of 2002 through the last quarter of 2003, the
> average daily sunspot numbers were 193.5, 152.7, 120.3, 107.3, 110.2
and
> 99.2. Average daily solar flux for the same six quarters were 178.1,
> 164.2, 134.3, 124.2, 120.8 and 137.4.
>
> Average daily sunspot numbers for 1997 through 2003 were 30.7, 88.7,
> 136.3, 173, 170.3, 176.6 and 109.2. Average daily solar flux for the
same
> seven years was 81, 117.9, 153.7, 179.6, 181.6, 179.5 and 129.2. By
> averaging the daily numbers on an annual basis, we certainly can see a
> decline in the solar cycle over the past few years.
>
> Over the next week, expect solar flux numbers between 120 and 125. A
> geomagnetic forecast for January 1 predicted planetary A index values
for
> January 2-8 of 20, 15, 35, 30, 35, 35 and 25. With the exception of
this
> Saturday, January 3, those numbers portend rough conditions with
> geomagnetic storms--especially in those cases where the A index is
above
> 30. This should be the result of a big blast of solar wind beginning
on
> Sunday, January 4.
>
> Remember that the long winter nights are great for 160, 80, 60, 40 and
30
> meters. The typically higher summertime noise is long gone, and long
hours
> of darkness are great for the lower frequencies--at least when there
isn't
> a major geomagnetic storm.
>
> Sunspot numbers for December 25 through 31 were 58, 65, 47, 47, 56, 15
and
> 25, with a mean of 44.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 139.1, 137.2, 161.5,
119,
> 114.5, 107.7 and 105.6, with a mean of 126.4. Estimated planetary A
> indices were 6, 9, 12, 12, 6, 8 and 17, with a mean of 10.
>
> __________________________________
>
> ==>IN BRIEF:
>
> * This weekend on the radio: The ARRL RTTY Roundup, the EUCW 160-Meter
> Contest, and Kid's Day (Sunday, January 4--see below) are the weekend
of
> January 3-4. JUST AHEAD: The North American QSO Party (CW), the
Hunting
> Lions in the Air Contest, the East Asia 160/80 DX Contest, the UK DX
> Contest (SSB), the Midwinter Contest (CW), the NRAU-Baltic Contest
> (separate CW and SSB events), the Midwinter Contest (SSB) and the DARC
> 10-Meter Contest are the weekend of January 10-11. 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.
>
> * Reminder: Kid's Day is Sunday, January 4! The first 2004 running of
this
> popular operating event will be Sunday, January 4, 1800 to 2400 UTC,
with
> no limit on operating time. This marks the first time this event will
take
> place on a Sunday. Kid's Day offers a "mentoring opportunity" for
> experienced amateurs while giving youngsters--licensed or not--some
> firsthand hamming experience and perhaps sparking a lifelong interest.
> "Kid's Day is an opportunity to introduce your own youngsters,
> neighborhood kids and nieces and nephews to participate in the magic
of
> ham radio," suggests Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, of ARRL Field and
Educational
> Services. Now entering its tenth year, each running of Kid's Day
typically
> attracts more than 1000 participants. The suggested exchange is name,
age,
> location and favorite color. Stations may work the same station again
if
> an operator has changed. Call "CQ Kid's Day." Suggested frequencies
are
> 14.270-14.300, 21.380-21.400 and 28.350-28.400 MHz plus 2 meter
repeater
> frequencies, with permission from the repeater's sponsor). Guidelines
for
> this event are available on the ARRL Web site
> <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html>. All participants are
> eligible to receive a colorful certificate. Visit the ARRL Kid's Day
> Survey page <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kids-day-survey.html> to
> complete a short survey and post your comments. Kid's Day participants
are
> invited to post logs and comments on the Internet
> <http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/kids/>.
>
> * ARRL Emergency Communications course registration: Registration
opens
> Monday, January 5, 12:01 AM Eastern Time (0501 UTC), for the on-line
ARRL
> Level I Emergency Communications course (EC-001). Registration remains
> open through the January 10-11 weekend or until all available seats
have
> been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, January 20.
> 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 175 seats are
being
> offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. Senior
> amateurs are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this
opportunity. To
> learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web
page
> <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> and the C-CE Links found there. For more
> information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller,
> K3UFG, <dmiller@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340. [ARECC logo]
>
> * ARECC/ARES seminar set in New York City-Long Island Section: The
ARRL
> will offer a condensed version of its free Amateur Radio Emergency
> Communications seminar Sunday, January 18, 8-10 AM, in conjunction
with
> the New York City-Long Island Section Convention (Ham Radio University
> 2004) at East Woods School in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The seminar
does
> not include the Level I course itself. This program is designed to
explain
> in greater detail the duties of all Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications
> Course participants and how their volunteer efforts are essential to
the
> ARES Field Organization. Senior Citizens are strongly encouraged to
> participate. "This seminar will explain the importance of every team
> player with emphasis on using lessons learned to effectively move
Amateur
> Radio emergency communications to the next level," said ARRL Emergency
> Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. The seminar is open
to
> all interested hams. Field Organization leaders and course
participants at
> every ARECC level--mentors, certification instructors, certification
> examiners and current students--are encouraged to attend and share
their
> experiences. The seminar will focus on coordination between ARECC
> volunteers and students and their integration into the Field
Organization.
> Seating may be limited. If planning to attend, contact Dan Miller,
K3UFG,
> <k3ufg@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340; FAX 860-594-0259. Seminar attendance
does
> not include admission to the convention. For convention information,
visit
> the New York City-Long Island Web site
> <http://www.hudson.arrl.org/nli/hru2004.htm>.
>
> * Amateur Radio assists in Iran earthquake relief: Turkey Amateur
Radio
> Club President Aziz Sasa,TA1E, reports that three Amateur Radio
operators
> joined the Turkish Relief Team that departed for the incident
> location--the city of Bam, some 600 miles south of Tehran--from
Istanbul
> December 27 aboard a military aircraft. Local communications will be
> carried out on 2-meter simplex with HF operation on 14.270 MHz during
the
> day and on 7092 kHz or 3777 kHz during hours of darkness. Soyhan Erim,
> TA2IJ, will handle HF operations at the Turkish Incident Command Post.
He
> is part of the Ministry of Health team. Erdin� Sarimusaoglu, TA2RJ, is
> part of the AKUT Search and Rescue Team, while Mustafa Yuceturk,
TA1CAN,
> is a member of the Istanbul Civil Defense Search-and-Rescue team. Also
on
> site is Serdar Demirel, TA2NO, a member of the Ankara Civil Defense
SAR
> team, who arrived earlier.
>
> * Emanuel G. "Manny" Papandreas, W4SS, SK: Former long-time ARRL
Southern
> Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Manny Papandreas, W4SS, of Lake
> Worth, died December 26. He was 80. Papandreas served as Southern
> Florida's SEC for 20 years--longer than any of his predecessors. He
also
> was an ARRL Southeastern Division assistant director. During his
tenure as
> SEC, he oversaw the Amateur Radio emergency communications in the wake
of
> Hurricane Andrew in 1992. A life member of both the ARRL and the
Quarter
> Century Wireless Association, Papandreas was first licensed in 1941 as
> W8VKS. After a career in appliance sales and service, he became
operations
> coordinator for the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency
Management.
> There he assisted in designing a new Emergency Operations Center.
> Papandreas also founded and led the Palm Beach Amateur Radio Council,
> which coordinated the county's ARES/RACES activities. Southern Florida
> Assistant Section Manager Jeff Beals, WA4AW, called Papandreas a good
> friend and mentor who was "a staunch supporter of the League and its
> programs." A service was set for Saturday, January 3, 10 AM until
noon, at
> Dorsey Memorial Gardens, 10th Avenue N and Kirk Road, Lake
> Worth.--information supplied by Jeff Beals, WA4AW
>
> * Canadian hams may lose 220-222 MHz segment: After studying the
spectrum
> needs of various services over the past 18 months, the Radio Advisory
> Board of Canada (RABC) plans to recommend to Industry Canada (IC) that
the
> 220-222 MHz band segment be transferred from the Amateur Service to
the
> Mobile Service. The RABC recommended allocating 219-220 MHz to
amateurs in
> Canada on a secondary basis, in harmony with a similar allocation for
US
> amateurs, who lost the 220-222 MHz band segment in 1991. In addition,
the
> RABC asked that IC continue 222-225 MHz as a primary exclusive amateur
> allocation. It also recommended grandfathering amateur repeaters in
the
> 220-222 MHz segment, to continue operation for a period of time that
the
> IC would determine, and designating 150 kHz of spectrum for the
Amateur
> and Mobile services to share for certain public safety and disaster
> communication applications. Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) has
vigorously
> opposed the proposed changes without success. The RAC has posted
> additional information on its Web site
> <http://www.rac.ca/news/canada.htm>.--RAC bulletin
>
> * TO4E/TO4WW DXpedition racks up 34,000 Qs: TO4E/TO4WW Europa Island
> DXpedition member Dany Prevostat, F5CW, reports the team arrived
safely
> back home December 24. "TO4E/TO4WW is over!" he declared in a message
> posted on the DXpedition Web site <http://europa2003.free.fr/>. He
> suggested that while the team's 34,000 QSO total was below
expectations,
> it was greater than sporadic operations to Europa over the years had
been
> able to generate. F5CW said the team was "very, very frustrated" by a
lack
> of power on the island. As a result, he said, many stations were left
> waiting in vain for TO4E to show up on the low bands. The team also
> endured some severe weather from Tropical Storm Cela that took TO4E
off
> the air and damaged equipment and antennas. "Even in such
uncomfortable
> conditions, we managed to be on air as much as possible, and few hours
> were made barefoot on battery--an old battery found there--and a
> candlelight upon the FT-100D." At one point, he said, team member
Pascal
> Roha, F5PTM, managed to work a pileup with the power output meter
sitting
> at zero--an estimated 100 mW! The team had diesel generators but,
because
> Europa is a wildlife preserve, available fuel supplies were limited.
> On-line logs for TO4E and TO4WW
<http://europa2003.free.fr/searchlog.php>
> are available on the DXpedition's Web site.
>
> * CQ names Floyd Gerald, N5FG, as Worked All Zones awards manager: CQ
has
> named Floyd Gerald, N5FG, as CQ Worked All Zones (WAZ) awards manager.
He
> succeeds Paul Blumhardt, K5RT, who is stepping down after four years
due
> to increased work and family commitments. Licensed since 1972, Gerald
is
> an accomplished DXer and the holder of many Amateur Radio operating
> awards. An ARRL member, he also has served as a CQ awards and ARRL
DXCC
> card checker. After February 1, WAZ applications and cards go to Floyd
> Gerald, N5FG, 17 Green Hollow Rd, Wiggins, MS 39577-8318.
>
> ===========================================================
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