ARRL Weekly News Bulletitn



	P. O. Box 9852 Daytona "Beach, FL 32120-9852 Information "Hotline" (386) 226-4618 Home of K4BV "the big voice of Daytona Beach
	*"Since 1957 Giving 50 Years of Service to the Community"*

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The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 18 May 9, 2008

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IN THIS EDITION:

* + Leaving on a Jet Plane to Dayton Hamvention

* + Look for the June Issue of QST in Your Mailbox

* + FCC Denies Two Amateur Radio Petitions for Rulemaking

* + Veteran Wireless Operators Association Honors Two Hams

* + New NASA Tool Allows Exploration of Ionosphere from Inside

* + Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test to Be Conducted May 10

* Solar Update

* IN BRIEF:

This Weekend on the Radio

ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

+ No ARRL Audio News on May 16

+ ARRL to Blog from Dayton Hamvention

+ Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE, Wins April QST Cover Plaque Award

History Channel Show to Feature Nikola Tesla

Colorado Group Receives D-STAR Equipment

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>

==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, <k1sfa@arrl.org>

==> LEAVING ON A JET PLANE TO DAYTON HAMVENTION

"As the song says, 'All our bags are packed and we're ready to go' -- well, almost," said ARRL Hamvention Coordinator Katie Breen, W1KRB. "The ARRL EXPO area <http://www.arrl.org/expo> is packed up into seven shipping skids and they are in a truck on their way to Dayton. We here at headquarters are not only breathing a huge sigh of relief, but many of us are still wrapping up our individual final details." The Dayton Hamvention will run from May 16-18 at Hara Arena, just outside Dayton, Ohio <http://www.hamvention.org>.

Breen said that all around the Newington offices, ARRL staffers are putting the last-minute touches on their Dayton preparations: "Frankie Perez, KB1NQR, is finishing up his schedule for checking cards at the DXCC area. By late Saturday afternoon at Hamvention, there will be an area set up by the card checking just for DX Talk. We've named it the DXCC Discussion Zone."

Also new this year is the "Doctor Is IN" booth. This area, Breen said, is all about and just for technology enthusiasts: "QEX Editor Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, has been putting his creative genius to work and coming up with some great plans for that booth! ARRL Circulation Manager Amy Hurtado, KB1NXO, is finalizing details on what will be available in the bookstore and membership area. And me? Well, since this is my first year of coordinating the EXPO, I think I'm just worrying about everyone else at this point!"

Breen said that one thing she is really excited about with this year's EXPO is that the ARRL will host a larger number of volunteers from around the country: "Some of our newer Section Managers, some as far away as Northern California and Florida will be there. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, will be attending forums, meeting and greeting members and generally sharing the good stories of all that is happening here at the League. We're also going to have an international presence with the IARU; we are pleased to welcome IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, and IARU Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH."

"Amateur Radio is all about the people," Breen remarked. "Without people on the air in various modes, what would Amateur Radio be? Without hams invested in Public Service, what would Amateur Radio be? Without people in their communities volunteering their time, what would Amateur Radio be? I think the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) hit the nail on the head with this year's theme of 'People + Radio = Fellowship.' When it all comes down to it, we are communicating with each other, regardless of the mode being used. What better opportunity to come together and communicate than at Hamvention, the country's largest gathering of radio enthusiasts?"

==> LOOK FOR THE JUNE ISSUE OF QST IN YOUR MAILBOX

The June issue of QST, our annual Field Day issue, is jam-packed with all sorts of things today's Amateur Radio operator needs. From product reviews to experiments to contesting, the upcoming issue of QST has something for just about everyone.

Ride the waves this Field Day with the ARRL Field Day Cookbook, an eight page insert located near the center of the magazine. Learn how to succeed in Field Day by really, really trying. Did you know that bonus points are available when you conduct an educational activity at your Field Day site? Learn how to collect these bonus points and have fun at the same time. Once again, we have some delectable recipes to tempt your palate as you're making those contacts. Along with some tips to make your Field Day a memorable one, we have included a chart of the US Amateur Radio bands. The 2008 ARRL Field Day is June 28-29.

John Stanley, K4ERO, discusses how looking at signals can improve our ability to listen to them in the first of his two-part article "The Beauty of Spectrum Analysis -- Part 1." Kirk Kleinschmidt, NT0Z, takes a look at modern, portable power generators. Rick Littlefield, K1BQT, takes a practical approach for achieving excellent multi-band performance in his article "A No Compromise Off-Center Fed Dipole for Four Bands." And don't forget Kids Day on June 21.

June is a great month for radiosport, with both the ARRL June VHF QSO Party and Field Day. While Field Day is more of an operating event than a contest, it is modeled after a contest in that points are earned for making contacts. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, takes a look at these two events and gives his hints and helps for working this VHF contest that runs the weekend of June 14-15. The results of the 2007 ARRL 160 Meter Contest and the 2007 ARRL November Phone Sweepstakes are in. Did you top your score from last year? How did your closest rival do? Also, find out about upcoming contests in Contest Corral.

QST Product Review Editor Mark Wilson, K1RO, reviews Tokyo Hy-Power's HL-1.2KFX linear amplifier. According to Wilson, "This amplifier is a compact, easy-to-use 750 W solid state power amplifier for 160 through 10 meters. Its size, weight and flexible ac power requirements make it a good candidate for portable, as well as home station operation." Check out the reviews on the M-Cubed Electronix digital LCRZ meter kit and LDG Electronics RCA-14 transceiver accessory port breakout box, also in the June issue.

Of course, there are the usual columns you know and love in the June QST: Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is IN, How's DX, Old Radio, Hamspeak and more. This month also features Amateur Radio World, the Emergency Communications Course Honor Roll and the ARRL VEC Volunteer Examiner Honor Roll. Look for your June issue of QST in your mailbox. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio.

QST is just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. To join or renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL Web page <http://www.arrl.org/join>.

==> FCC DENIES TWO AMATEUR RADIO PETITIONS FOR RULEMAKING

On May 7, the FCC denied two separate Petitions for Rule Making (PRM) dealing with digital issues.

Mark Miller, N5RFX, of Arlington, Texas, sought to delete the FCC's 2006 addition to how it defines data, amend the rules to prohibit automatically controlled stations from transmitting on frequency segments other than those specified in Section 97.221(b), and replace the symbol rate limits in Section 97.307(f) with bandwidth limitations.

The FCC denied all three parts of Miller's PRM, saying he "did not set forth sufficient reasons for the Commission" to approve his petition and that "should future experience substantiate Miller's concerns, he may file a new, factually supported petition for rulemaking." The complete copy of the FCC's reply to Miller is on the FCC Web site <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1082A1.pdf>.

Ken Chafin, W6CPA, of La Crescenta, California, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR, of Los Angeles, California, also filed a PRM concerning additional spectrum for more repeaters, including digital systems, requesting that the FCC "propose to expand the frequencies on which an amateur station operating as a repeater (repeater station) may operate."

Chafin and Brown argued that additional spectrum is needed for repeater stations because some amateur repeater stations have begun using digital communications protocols" and "digital voice operation is incompatible with existing analog operations [because d]igital voice users are unable to determine if the desired frequency is in use by analog users and can inadvertently cause harmful interference to those users." The men pointed out that coordinating groups have been unable to separate analog and digital voice repeater operations to avoid harmful interference because the available repeater spectrum in the 2 meter band is "fully occupied by existing analog users in most metropolitan areas."

The FCC, after considering Chafin and Brown's PRM, concluded that the PRM did not present grounds for the Commission to amend its rules:

"Repeater stations are authorized to transmit on any frequency in the 2 meter band except the 144.0-144.5 MHz and 145.5-146.0 MHz frequency segments. These two segments were excluded to minimize the possibility of harmful interference to other amateur service stations and operating activities, including 'weak signal' operations. Allocating an additional three hundred kilohertz of the 2 meter band to repeater operation would not be consistent with that concern. Rather, it would likely result in increased interference to non-repeater stations." The complete copy of the FCC's reply to Chafin and Brown is on the FCC Web site <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1083A1.pdf>.

==> VETERAN WIRELESS OPERATORS ASSOCIATION HONORS TWO HAMS

At their annual awards banquet on April 26 in New York City, the Veteran Wireless Operators Association (VWOA) <http://www.vwoa.org> honored two Amateur Radio operators with two of the association's top awards: Fritz Raab, W1FR, and John "Jack" Curtis, K6KU. Raab gave the keynote address at the banquet. "The dinner speech was a wonderful presentation of the Amateur Radio Experiment domestically and that which is happening internationally. He explored what may happen, if things go well for the museum stations on 500 kHz and for radio amateurs," said VWOA Chairman Francis Cassidy. "Ever since the emergence of the Global Marine Distress and Safety System, professional radio officers have discussed the prior use of 500 kHz. They know the attributes in the oceans of the world where ground wave transmissions on the oceans provided their primary informational experience of these transmissions."

Fritz Raab, W1FR, of Burlington, Vermont, received the VWOA's De Forest Audion Gold Medal, honoring his "technical achievements in 35 years of radio engineering." Raab serves as the experimental project manager for The 500 KC Experimental Group for Amateur Radio <http://www.500kc.com>.

The ARRL 500 kHz experimental license, WD2XSH, was issued in September 2006 and has 20 active stations.

"I'm kind of excited to see how we can apply modern technology to a 'classic part' of the radio spectrum," Raab told ARRL in 2006 when the experimental license was issued. He pointed out that 500 kHz -- the traditional maritime emergency frequency -- is roughly geometrically halfway between the 136 kHz experimental band and the 160 meter amateur allocation. "In contrast to 160 meters, 500 kHz is low enough to offer good ground wave propagation," Raab said, "but in contrast to 137 kHz, it is high enough to allow us to engage in real communication with realistic equipment."

Raab said he would eventually like to see at least a secondary 600 meter amateur allocation from 495 to 510 kHz. "Besides the opportunities for experimenting at low frequencies, that frequency is well suited to regional groundwave communication," Raab said. He said he envisions the eventual use of the spectrum to provide Amateur Radio emergency communication via groundwave, without having to deal with the vagaries of the ionosphere or causing interference to any other services.

Additional information on the 500 KC Experimental Group for Amateur Radio can be found at the experiment's Web site and also in the July/August 2007 issue of QEX <http://www.arrl.org/qex/2007/07/raab.pdf>.

Raab said that it was "a real honor for me to receive an award named after one of the most important inventions in radio, and given by an organization whose members have included a number of the legends in the field. As a newcomer to 500 kHz through our experimental license, it is especially nice to be recognized by a group of people who have actually used 500 kHz for communication."

Raab is chief engineer and owner of Green Mountain Radio Research, a consulting firm that he founded in 1980. He received his BS, MS and PhD in electrical engineering from Iowa State University. Raab is co-author of "Solid State Radio Engineering" and author of more than 100 technical papers; he has been issued 12 patents. Raab's professional activities include RF power amplifiers, radio transmitters and radio-communication/navigation systems. He is a fellow of IEEE and a member of ARRL, Sigma Xi, Association of Old Crows, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Radio Club of America.

Jack Curtis, K6KU, of Granite Bay, California, received the VWOA's Marconi Memorial Award Plaque "for his lifetime efforts of perfecting electronic circuits to generate Morse code as exemplified by the development of the Curtis Keyers."

In an article Brad Mitchell, N8YG, wrote for the ARRL Web site in 2002 <http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2002/02/042/>, he said, "Modern transceivers incorporate many features that not long ago were considered accessories: CW keyers and SWR meters come to mind. John Curtis, K6KU, created an electronic iambic-keyer circuit and subsequently offered an IC chip to do the job. He revolutionized keying, as we know it."

Mitchell wrote that Curtis, when studying for his Amateur Extra ticket, "decided to get a feel for the requirements of the Extra Class test by undertaking a circuit design project. John built a keyer circuit and learned about digital electronics." This keyer worked so well that Curtis's ham friends told him he should market it. Curtis followed the advice, and in 1969, he placed an ad in "Ham Radio Magazine" announcing the Curtis Electronic Devices EK-38. The -38 and its follow-up, the -39, became so successful that Curtis quit his day job and formed Curtis Electro Devices.

Curtis had established a lot of contacts while working at a semiconductor manufacturing company in the 1960s. These paid off for him when he decided that a keyer circuit could be implemented on a chip. He started with two designs: The 8043 and the 8044. "The 8043 was designed as a completely custom integrated circuit in CMOS," Mitchell wrote. "At the same time, International Microcircuits was looking for a chip in which to test their gate array technology. The first chip down the line was the 8044, produced for Curtis. The 8043 worked first try. It was limited to dit memory, and sold for $7.95 in quantities of 50 or more in 1973. The 8044 also worked right off the bat. It offered dah memory in addition and sold for $24.95 in 1975. The 8044M was introduced in 1980. M stood for meter. A meter could be hooked up to a pin of the 8044M to indicate sending speed."

In 1981 Curtis added mode B keying characteristics to his keyers. Mode B simply added an extra dit or dah when the operator stopped sending, depending on which was sent last. If a dit was sent last, an extra dah would be sent. If a dah were sent last, a dit followed. Curtis added this feature to his 8044B. He introduced several keyers incorporating his new full-featured ICs. The first was the EK430 incorporating the 8043 chip. Curtis also introduced a fully integrated keyboard chip called the 8045. In June 1982, Curtis Electro Devices produced its last keyer, the Lil' Bugger. Offered as the K5 or K5B, it incorporated the 8044 or the 8044B chip, respectively. Both models sold for $39.95 and were quite popular.

In spring of 1986, Curtis introduced the 8044ABM chip. It incorporated selectable A or B modes and the speed meter, becoming an industry standard. In the 1980s, however, microcontrollers were making serious headway and Curtis chips were no longer in demand. MFJ took over part of the line and Curtis Electro Devices ceased operations in April 2000.

The Veteran Wireless Operators Association was founded in 1925 to foster fellowship among wireless operators aboard ship, in the military, and in the shore stations. Through the years, the ranks of the VWOA have included most of the executives and innovators of the broadcasting and communication industry, as well as thousands of radio operators.

Today, in its 83rd year, the VWOA serves as both a link to the history or radio, as well as a bridge to the future. Its members have been, and continue to be, on the front lines of the development of radio and television broadcasting, satellite communications, and the entire digital revolution. Current membership is approximately 300 men and women. Members are concentrated along both US coasts, but members also reside in almost every state as well as Canada and several other countries. For more information on the VWOA, please visit the VWOA Web site <http://www.vwoa.org>.

==> NEW NASA TOOL ALLOWS EXPLORATION OF IONOSPHERE FROM INSIDE

Last week at the Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, NASA released a 4D live model of the Earth's ionosphere <http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30apr_4dionosphere.htm?list212589>. Without leaving home, anyone can fly through the layer of ionized gas that encircles Earth at the edge of space itself. All that is required is an Internet connection and a free copy of Google Earth <http://earth.google.com/>. NASA calls the ionosphere the "last wisp of Earth's atmosphere that astronauts leave behind when they enter space.

The realm of the ionosphere stretches from 50 to 500 miles above Earth's surface where the atmosphere thins to near-vacuum and exposes itself to the fury of the sun. Solar ultraviolet radiation breaks apart molecules and atoms creating a globe-straddling haze of electrons and ions."

Using a Google Earth interface, users can fly above, around and through these regions getting a true 4D view of the situation. "The fourth dimension is time. This is a real-time system updated every 10 minutes,"

said W. Kent Tobiska, president of Space Environment Technologies and chief scientist of its Space Weather Division. The proper name of the system is CAPS, short for Communication Alert and Prediction System.

Earth-orbiting satellites feed the system up-to-the-minute information on solar activity; the measurements are then converted to electron densities by physics-based computer codes. It is important to note, Tobiska said on the NASA Web site, that CAPS reveals the ionosphere not only as it is now, but also as it is going to be the near future.

According to propagation specialist Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, this model "can provide Amateur Radio operators a broad view of what the ionosphere is doing 'now.' This broad view is due to the fact that the resolution in the color coding schemes only gives coarse estimates of the six parameters available." Luetzelschwab, former editor of "National Contest Journal" (NCJ) <http://www.arrl.org/ncj/>, writes a propagation column in NCJ and other publications.

"This is an exciting development," said NASA solar physicist Lika Guhathakurta on the NASA Web site. "The ionosphere is important to pilots, ham radio operators, earth scientists and even soldiers. Using this new 4D tool, they can monitor and study the ionosphere as if they're actually inside it." Guhathakurta made his comments on the NASA Web site.

NASA understands that "[h]am radio operators know the ionosphere well.

They can communicate over the horizon by bouncing their signals off of the ionosphere -- or communicate not at all when a solar flare blasts the ionosphere with X-rays and triggers a radio blackout." As radio amateurs, we use -- and depend on -- the ionosphere to make contacts.

Tobiska agrees: "For ham radio operators, this is a great application because it enables them to figure out what frequencies that are going to be available for communicating with any part of the world they want to communicate with at that moment in time. So ham radio operators who are in South Carolina want to talk to someone in Europe or Africa, they can know exactly what frequencies to turn to on their dial."

Luetzelschwab said he personally believes that "The importance of this new product is the fact that this is likely the first physical model of the ionosphere available to the widespread Amateur Radio community. This is in contrast to the model in our current propagation predictions -- such as VOACAP, W6ELProp and the like -- that is based on years of measured ionospheric data correlated to a proxy for the true solar ionizing radiation (the proxies being sunspots and 10.7 cm solar flux)."

NASA explained that it appears that this new physical model takes satellite measurements of solar radiation at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths (the true ionizing radiation) and inputs this data, along with a geomagnetic field activity index, into a model of the atmosphere to determine electron densities. Luetzelschwab said "Yes, it only offers a broad view now -- but I think it is a sign of things to come."

More information on this tool for radio amateurs can be found on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/06/10081/>.

==> ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST TO BE CONDUCTED MAY 10

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual Military/Amateur Radio Crossband Communications Test in celebration of the 58th anniversary of Armed Forces Day (AFD).

Although the actual Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May -- May 17 in 2008 -- the AFD Military/Amateur Crossband Communications Test will be conducted on May 10 to prevent conflict with the Dayton Hamvention(r), scheduled for May 16-18.

The annual celebration features traditional military to amateur crossband communications SSB voice tests and copying the Secretary of Defense message via digital modes. These tests give Amateur Radio operators and short wave listeners an opportunity to demonstrate their individual technical skills and to receive recognition from the Secretary of Defense and/or the appropriate military radio station for their proven expertise. QSL cards will be provided to those stations making contact with the military stations. Special commemorative certificates will be awarded to anyone who receives and copies the digital Armed Forces Day message from the Secretary of Defense.

Military-to-Amateur crossband operations will take place on the dates and time in UTC on the frequencies listed for each station on the Army MARS Web site. Voice contacts will include operations in single sideband voice (SSB). Some stations, depending on propagation and manning, may not operate the entire period. Participating military stations will transmit on selected Military MARS frequencies and listen for Amateur Radio stations in the Amateur bands. The military station operator will announce the specific amateur band frequency being monitored. Duration of each voice contact should be limited to 1-2 minutes.

The newly updated list of schedules and frequencies <http://www.netcom.army.mil/MARS/docs/ARMEDFORCESDAYFinal.pdf> of participating military stations is published on the Army MARS Web site <http://www.netcom.army.mil/MARS/>.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Ne'er shall the Sun arise on such another" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: Again this week, we saw a new, but brief sunspot, sunspot 993.

Judging from the polarity of the spot, it looks to be from new Solar Cycle 24; this spot was south of the solar equator, so it has the same polarity as any Cycle 23 spot that was north of the equator. After two days it was gone, not from drifting over the edge of the visible solar disk -- it just disappeared. Geomagnetic indices were mostly quiet this week, except for some only slightly unsettled planetary A index numbers for May 2-3. The next active geomagnetic period is expected May 20, with a planetary A index of 25. For May 9-15, the predicted planetary A index is 8, 5, 5, 5, 12, 8 and 5. Sunspot numbers for May 1-7 were 0, 0, 0, 13, 15, 0 and 0 with a mean of 4. The 10.7 cm flux was 68.5, 68.1, 67.3, 68.3, 67.6, 67.2 and 66.5 with a mean of 67.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 9, 12, 12, 8, 11, 10 and 4 with a mean of 9.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 7, 9, 6, 8, 9 and 5, with a mean of 7.1.

For May 9-15, Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions May 9, quiet to unsettled May 10, unsettled May 11-13, quiet to unsettled May 14 and quiet again on May 15. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>.

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, the NCCC Sprint Ladder is May 9 and the Nevada Mustang Roundup is May 9-10. The VK/Trans-Tasman 80 Meter Contest (Phone) and the FISTS Spring Sprint are both on May 10. Be sure to check out the SBMS 2 GHz and Up WW Club Contest, the EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party, the CQ-M International DX Contest, the VOLTA WW RTTY Contest and the 50 MHz Spring Sprint on May 10-11. The SKCC Weekend Sprintathon is on May 11 and the RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (Data) is on May 14. Next weekend, look for another running of the NCCC Sprint Ladder on May 16. The Feld Hell Sprint is May 17. On May 17-18, be sure to make room in your schedule for the EU PSK DX Contest, His Majesty King of Spain Contest (CW), the Manchester Mineira All America CW Contest and the Baltic Contest. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is on May 19 and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is on May 22. All dates listed are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contester's Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, May 25, 2008, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, June 6, 2008: Technician License Course (EC-010), Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Each online course has been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives, informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are interactive, and some include direct communications with a Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the course) and they may access the course at any time of day during the course period, completing lessons and activities at times convenient for their personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions, reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful feedback. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility for the student to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce@arrl.org>.

* No ARRL Audio News on May 16: There will be no ARRL Audio News on Friday, May 16. The ARRL Letter will be released on that day. ARRL Audio News will return on Friday, May 23.

* ARRL to Blog from Dayton Hamvention: As in previous years, the ARRL will be blogging live <http://www.arrl.org/blog/Dayton%20and%20ARRL%20Expo> from Hara Arena, site of the Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org>. In addition to keeping everyone up with the latest and greatest at Dayton, this year's blog will feature video clips. QST Editor -- and Hamvention blogger extraordinaire -- Steve Ford, WB8IMY, said, "The video clips were such a big hit with last year's blog that we decided to do even more of them for this year!" Ford says he plans on featuring new products that are debuting at the Hamvention, as well as all the "fun stuff" that pops up: "Both I and the staff have a lot of fun with this, and we hope those who read the blog do, too." Look for the blog to go "live" Thursday, May 15 and continue throughout the Hamvention.

* Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE, Wins April QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for April is Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE, for his article "Outpost: Packet Radio for Emergency Messaging."

Congratulations, Jim! 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 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 May issue by Saturday, May 31.

* History Channel Show to Feature Nikola Tesla: Modern Marvels, a series on The History Channel, will feature electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla in an episode scheduled to air May 14 <http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=295798>.

Helping out with the program was Bob "Loby" Lobenstein, WA2AXZ; Lobenstein is General Superintendent, Power Operations for New York City's subway system. "We did 8 hours of taping interviews at my 1904 power substation," Lobenstein said. "In addition to the action scenes of me throwing the 100 year old switches and demonstrating the use of power, I did a 'Mr Wizard' talk, showing the various things that 'Mr T' envisioned and invented. Of course, radio had a part and I just had to put the D-104 mic with our club's K2IRT shield into view!" According to The History Channel, Tesla's "...bizarre vision of the future brought him failure, but his genius electrified the world. Travel to Niagara Falls, where in 1893, Tesla installed his new system of Alternating Electrical Current known as AC -- the same power we use today. Uncover the forgotten ruins of Tesla's dream experiment -- a huge tower on Long Island Sound he hoped would wirelessly power the world. Radar, death rays, invisibility devices and earthquake machines: Tesla claimed to have created them all. More than 100 years ago Tesla foresaw the need for alternative energies like geothermal and solar." Check the The History Channel Web site for show times <http://www.history.com/>.

* Colorado Group Receives D-STAR Equipment: The Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) recently teamed up with Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in Denver to donate a 2 meter, 70 cm and 23 cm D-STAR system stack. According to ARRL Colorado Section Manager and CCARC Board Member Jeff Ryan, K0RM, the two groups hit upon the idea of issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Colorado radio amateurs. "We received three excellent proposals," Ryan said, "and on March 21, CCARC and HRO awarded the D-STAR system to the Colorado D-STAR Association, a consortium of Denver area individuals, clubs and ARES groups." Ryan explained that the goal of the CCARC, which also serves as Colorado's frequency coordination body, was "to spur the interest and use of digital Amateur Radio technology. This is the first D-STAR system that will go on the air in Colorado. The hope is that it is the first of many such systems, ultimately linking the entire Amateur Radio community throughout Colorado and beyond." The 3-band D-STAR system, serving the Denver Metro area and the Front Range of Colorado from Ft Collins to Castle Rock and points east, will be installed this summer at a mountaintop site. The system will have a coverage area of more than 5400 square miles, nearly the size of Connecticut. Ryan said that the RFP placed "special emphasis" on the D-STAR systems being available to ARES groups in the served area, "and also requires the host group to link to any other requesting D-STAR system that comes on the air in Colorado."

The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League: ARRL--the National Association for Amateur Radio, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and general news of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news updates. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's also available as a podcast from our Web site.

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==>How to Get The ARRL Letter

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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.

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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.)

***************

The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 17 May 2, 2008

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IN THIS EDITION:

* + FCC Denies Utah Motorsport Park Use of Amateur Radio Frequencies

* + Newspaper Reports "BPL plan is dead in Dallas"

* + Eight Tornadoes Ravage Eastern Virginia

* + Spring 2008 W1AW Frequency Measuring Test Scheduled for May

* + ARRL Card Checking at Dayton Hamvention

* + Ten New Satellites in Orbit

* Solar Update

* IN BRIEF:

This Weekend on the Radio

ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

+ Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters

+ VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators

+ No ARRL Audio News on May 16

Notes from the DXCC Desk

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>

==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, <k1sfa@arrl.org>

==> FCC DENIES UTAH MOTORSPORT PARK USE OF AMATEUR RADIO FREQUENCIES

On Thursday, April 24, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, filed an Informal Objection with the FCC regarding a pending application for a Special Temporary Authority (STA) filed by Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. One day after filing the Objection, the FCC agreed with the ARRL, saying, "Due to the possibility of interference to Amateur operators and also the race teams utilizing the proposed frequencies, we feel that it is not in the public interest to grant [Miller Motorsports Park's] request."

The FCC also advised Miller Motorsports that if they "wish[ed] to pursue other frequencies, [they] should coordinate with the ARRL and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)."

Miller Motorsports requested the use of frequencies 448.525, 448.650, 448.060, 448.290 and 448.610 MHz at 4 W ERP. They proposed to use 100 mobile units on each of these and other channels at or above 450 MHz for a race event scheduled May 26-June 1, 2008. The application filed by Miller Motorsports stated that the radios would be used for "security, medical and maintenance for the entire event" and that communications service is "vital to the life and safety of the spectators and drivers of this race event." Miller Motorsports also implied that the NTIA had approved the use of the 448 MHz channels.

The League's Informal Objection pointed out that "Amateur Radio Service licensees make extremely heavy use of the band 420-450 MHz, and especially the segment 440-450 MHz for FM voice repeaters. There are repeater stations in Salt Lake City, of which Tooele is a close-in suburb, using frequencies throughout the 448 MHz range for outputs, including 448.525, 448.625, 448.050 and 448.075 MHz. In addition, there are repeater outputs in other areas of the greater Salt Lake City area which are in regular operation at all times of the day or night, and radio amateurs using mobile stations would be predictably interfered with by operation as proposed in the STA."

The Objection also stated that there was the possibility that some of the spectators at Miller Motorsports Park, or otherwise in the area, might be Amateur Radio operators who might be operating using their portable transceivers "on the precise channels sought by the STA."

The ARRL called the Miller Motorsports Park choice of channels "completely inappropriate. The radio amateurs who are licensed to use these frequencies are under no obligation to either tolerate interference or to cease their own operation, regardless of the interference that might be suffered at any time" by Miller Motorsports.

While the FCC has issued STAs on the amateur allocations from time to time, the ARRL wrote, "many, perhaps a majority, are of no concern to the ARRL due to the choice of frequency band, duty cycle or power level proposed," what Miller Motorsports is requesting is "a completely incompatible and inappropriate use of Amateur Radio allocations." Citing "harmful interference to and from the Amateur Radio Service on channels in the 448 MHz band," the ARRL requested that the FCC deny Miller Motorsports' STA application.

==> NEWSPAPER REPORTS "BPL PLAN IS DEAD IN DALLAS"

The Dallas Morning News has reported that "an ambitious plan for using power lines to deliver fast Internet service to 2 million Dallas-area homes collapsed Thursday." Current Group, LLC has announced plans to sell its Dallas BPL network to Oncor, a regulated electric distribution and transmission business, for $90 million. Oncor reportedly has no plans to offer Internet service but will use the network to detect distribution network issues <http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-current_02bu

s.ART.State.Edition1.460d413.html>. While Current originally touted the network as a way to offer Internet service to consumers and had entered into a marketing arrangement with DirecTV, the Houston Chronicle quotes Oncor spokesman Chris Schein as confirming that Oncor will use the network only for monitoring the power grid: "Our business is delivering electricity, not being an Internet provider or a television provider."

<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5747397.html>

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, observed that "This announcement underscores yet again that the Bush Administration made a fundamental error in judgment when it erroneously identified BPL as a potential 'third wire' delivering broadband to consumers. As the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit determined last week <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/25/10064/?nc=1>, the FCC then compounded the error by 'cherry-picking' from its staff studies and ignoring other studies that proved the FCC was underestimating the interference potential of BPL systems. One can only hope that this latest marketplace failure of BPL will send a clear message that the answer to expanding consumer broadband access lies with other, more promising technologies that do not have such a potential to pollute the radio spectrum."

ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, was quick to point out that BPL was not going away in Dallas. According to Oncor Vice President Jim Greer, Oncor will use the BPL network to spot grid problems to detect large power outages before they affect customers. Oncor will not offer Internet service through the system as Current had originally planned when they built it.

The ARRL has no issues with BPL as long as it does not cause harmful interference to the amateur bands. Current's Dallas system is a good example of that, Hare said, as it is "notched" so as not to interfere with the Amateur Radio Service: "The Current system in Dallas is probably not causing interference to ham radio. Their equipment doesn't use the ham bands. It is also quiet except when in use. For meter reading and other utility applications, nearby modems may make the occasional short burst of noise, but not the cacophony of sound we hear with some other systems. You would probably be able to tell that BPL is there if you tune outside the ham bands. From an EMC perspective, what is needed now to complete this progress are regulations and standards that match BPL's most successful models."

DirecTV customers who get Internet service through Current's network will probably lose service when the deal goes through. "Oncor is not in the telecommunications business, and it has no plans to get into the telecommunications business," said Schein.

Dallas and Houston are the only metropolitan areas in Texas with BPL. In the past, the City of Austin looked at incorporating a BPL system in their community, but decided not to do so. In a report <http://p1k.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/COAAE_BPL_Final_Report.pdf> on how the BPL trial it undertook worked for them, the City of Austin summarized its reasons for that decision.

==> EIGHT TORNADOES RAVAGE EASTERN VIRGINIA

When tornadoes swept across the state of Virginia on Monday, April 28, local Amateur Radio operators responded to the call for assistance.

According to Ken Murphy, KI4GEM, Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Portsmouth, an EF3 tornado touched down in Suffolk, Virginia around 4 PM local time, plowing its way east into Norfolk, damaging scores of homes, stores and cars and downing dozens of trees and power lines; Suffolk is about 20 miles from Norfolk, Virginia. Soon after the tornadoes touched down, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine declared a State of Emergency and directed state agencies to take all necessary actions to aid in the response to widespread damage from the severe weather. About 140 homes were destroyed, damaged or deemed uninhabitable.

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed eight tornadoes in Virginia: City of Suffolk (strong EF3), City of Colonial Heights (EF1), Brunswick County (EF1), Gloucester County (EF0), Mathews County (EF0), Halifax County (EF1), Surry County (EF1) and Isle of Wight County (EF1).

"The tornado produced severe damage to many structures, downed large trees, and destroyed power lines. Approximately 200 injuries were reported and several homes and businesses were destroyed. There were no fatalities," Murphy said. Upon spotting the tornado, Murphy placed a call on the Portsmouth repeater, asking for someone to notify the National Weather Service and the local EMS. A SKYWARN net was activated on another repeater; Portsmouth Emergency Coordinator Dave Livingston, K5SFM, and Bill Farmer, KI4GWC, served as Net control.

"This was an unusual activation in that an ARES AEC from one locality -- Portsmouth -- would not normally be on the scene of a tornado touching down in another locality -- Suffolk," said ARRL Virginia Section Manager Carl Clements, W4CAC. "Murphy requested that NWS be notified of the tornado and that the fire department and emergency teams be notified so they could respond. The Deputy Fire Chief of the Driver Volunteer Fire Department (who was the on-scene commander at the time) was concerned about the number of onlookers entering the disaster area. There were many power lines down and trees in the roadway and on buildings, as well as damaged natural gas mains. Some buildings were gone leaving a massive debris field."

The Driver VFD Chief requested that ARES activate in order to assist the local teams; 10 members of the Portsmouth ARES group responded. "The Chief had Murphy assign hams to the roadblocks at the major intersections to assist the police on the scene with traffic and crowd control. We also kept the Chief informed of the locations of other reported funnel clouds. At one point, the Fire Chief on the scene was advised that one of the team members was tracking the rapidly moving weather still in the area with the help of APRS," Clements said.

A spokesperson for the City of Suffolk said the area around Sentara Obici Hospital in Driver (a community within Suffolk) was hardest hit.

The hospital was damaged but still able to treat patients. A spokesperson for the hospital said about 60 injured people were being treated there, and he expected most to be released. "We have lots of cuts and bruises and arm and leg injuries," he said.

Clements said that no further assistance from ARES has been requested.

"All local police, fire, and EMS communications are intact and functioning. As in any disaster, the Emergency Management Officials are asking that unless you have a specific assignment from an on-scene agency (Red Cross, Salvation Army, official search and rescue teams and the like), please do not just show up at the stricken areas to offer assistance."

==> SPRING 2008 W1AW FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST SCHEDULED THIS MONTH

Capitalizing on the popular and effective automated online results reporting system developed by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, for the Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/> in November 2007, W1AW will conduct a spring FMT. This FMT will begin on Wednesday, May 21 at 9:45 PM (EDT) (that's the same as 0145 UTC on May 22), replacing W1AW's normally scheduled phone bulletin. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those planning to participate should listen to W1AW's transmissions prior to the event to determine which band -- or bands -- will be best for measurement purposes.

In this edition of the FMT, listeners will be asked to measure the frequency of an audio tone, given an exact frequency for the carrier signal. The tone will be between 1000-2500 Hz. The carrier frequencies will be 3990 kHz (LSB), 7290 kHz (LSB), 14290 kHz (USB) and 18160 kHz (USB).

Measuring audio frequencies of a modulated signal is a useful skill for those interested in digital modes. Proper tuning of these signals is important to obtain the highest quality performance. For non-digital users, it is also important to understand the relationship between the frequencies of the modulated signal's sidebands and its carrier. The techniques for measuring a modulating tone are described in the November 2004 QST in an article

<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/2004/04fmtsilver.pdf> on the Frequency Measuring Test by H. Ward Silver, N0AX. The FMT Web page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/> also has several interesting articles about measuring on-the-air signal frequencies.

The FMT will start with a general QST call from W1AW at exactly 0145 UTC, transmitted simultaneously on the frequencies listed above. The test will consist of three 60-second key down transmissions for each band, followed by a station identification. The test will last for approximately 15 minutes and will end with station identification. W1AW will identify before, during and after the transmissions. There are no plans at this time for a West Coast station.

As in the November 2007 FMT, your report should be submitted via the FMT Report form on the W1AW FMT Web site <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/>.

Along with your call sign and e-mail address, enter your most accurate measurement on each band. There will be a window to list your equipment, describe the method you used to make the measurements and enter any Soapbox comments. Participants have 14 days to input their data.

Participants may input their data more than once, although the final entry will be the one used for the results. W1AW will post the transmitted frequencies on the FMT Web site following the test. This will allow participants to quickly determine the accuracy of their equipment and methods. A complete package of results will be available via the FMT Web site after the 14-day reporting period is concluded. The results from the November 2007 FMT are available on the 2007 FMT Results Web site <http://www.b4h.net/fmt/fmtresults.php>.

==> ARRL CARD CHECKING AT DAYTON HAMVENTION

DXCC staff and volunteers will be checking cards at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention during all hours of operation on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Dayton Hamvention is May 16-18 at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, said, "Many hams travel from all over the world to attend Hamvention, so card checkers are especially busy." Card checkers will be checking cards for the following ARRL awards: DXCC, Worked All States (WAS), VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) and Worked All Continents (WAC). In order to help applicants and the card checkers through the process to avoid delays and allow the checkers to serve everyone, Moore offers the following tips:

Preparation

* There is a 120 card limit per applicant.

* Make sure that cards are in proper order -- band first, then mode.

Applicants should place cards with multiple QSOs at the end.

* The order on the record sheet must match the order of the cards. The latest forms are on the DXCC Web site <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>.

* Have all paperwork completed before coming to the table, and make sure everything is legible.

* List only those QSOs for which you want credit.

* Applicants planning to do a hybrid application (paper application with Logbook of The World) should do the LoTW portion just prior to leaving for Dayton.

Upon Arrival

* Take a number.

* Stay in line.

* Notify the card checker of anything important before they start checking cards. The card checker, upon finishing checking the cards, will review any problem(s) with the applicant.

* Stay with the card checker until completion.

* Vendors may drop off their application to a checker and return later for pickup.

Upon Completion

* The card checker will return your cards to you; DXCC staff will not keep any cards.

* The card checker will advise applicants of the final fees upon completion of the application.

* Payment is due upon completion of your application. Applicants may pay for their award in the following ways: Credit Card or Cash (US or Euro only), Check (from USA bank only), Money Order (US or International).

DXCC will not bill applicants.

* For the latest fee information, please see DXCC Rule 15 <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/rules.html>.

Moore advises that, if possible, applicants should bring a copy of their last credit slip. "Remember," Moore said, "if you are doing a hybrid application -- LoTW plus cards -- be sure you do the LoTW element prior to leaving for Hamvention."

If you have questions concerning the DXCC program, please contact DXCC desk via e-mail <dxcc@arrl.org>.

==> TEN NEW SATELLITES IN ORBIT

Ten satellites reached orbit April 28 aboard an Indian PSLV-C9 rocket launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center. The primary payloads were India's CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 satellites. In addition to the NLS-5 and RUBIN-8 satellites, the rocket carried six CubeSat <http://www.cubesat.org/> research satellites, all of which communicate using Amateur Radio frequencies. All spacecraft deployed normally and appear to be functional at this time.

The SEEDS satellite was designed and built by students at Japan's Nihon University. When fully operational, SEEDS will download telemetry in Morse code and 1200-baud FM AFSK packet radio at 437.485 MHz. The satellite also has Slow-Scan TV (SSTV) capability. Several stations have reported receiving SEEDS CW telemetry and the team would appreciate receiving more reports from amateurs at their ground station Web page <http://sat.aero.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp/gs/english/cardform_e.html>.

AAUSAT-II <http://aausatii.space.aau.dk/eng/> is the creation of a student team at Aalborg University in Denmark. It will downlink scientific telemetry at 437.425 MHz using 1200 or 9600-baud packet.

Can-X2 <http://www.utias-sfl.net/nanosatellites/CanX2/> is a product of students at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). Can-X2 will downlink telemetry at 437.478 MHz using 4 kbps GFSK, but the downlink will be active only when the satellite is within range of the Toronto ground station.

Compass-One <http://www.cubesat.de/> was designed and built by students at Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The satellite features a Morse code telemetry beacon at 437.275 MHz. Compass-1 will also provide a packet radio data downlink, which will include image data, at 437.405 MHz.

Cute 1.7 + APDII <http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cute1.7/index_e.html> is a satellite created by students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

This satellite will not only provide telemetry, it will also offer a 9600-baud packet store-and-forward message relay with an uplink at 1267.6 MHz and a downlink at 437.475 MHz.

Delfi-C3 <http://www.delfic3.nl/> was designed and built by students at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It includes an SSB/CW linear transponder. The satellite will be in telemetry-only mode for the first three months of the mission, after which it will be switched to transponder mode. Delfi-C3 downlinks 1200-baud packet telemetry at 145.870 MHz. The linear transponder, when activated, will have an uplink passband from 435.530 to 435.570 MHz and a corresponding downlink passband from 145.880 to 145.920 MHz.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "To dazzle when the Sun is down, and rob the world of rest" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: For several weeks we expected today, May 2, to have active geomagnetic conditions. For instance, if you look at a forecast from April 23, it shows an expected planetary A index for May 1-3 of 10, 20 and 15. The next day, April 24, this changed to 8, 20 and 15, and on April 25 it was 10, 15 and 15. For May 1, we see the actual planetary A index for that day was 9, and for the following two days, the predicted values are 10 and 12, which are much more moderate. So obviously as we moved closer to this date, the return of a solar wind stream seemed less likely, although earlier today the planetary K index rose as high as 4, indicating unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions. Sunspot numbers for April 24-30 were 11, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 1.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 70.4, 69.8, 69, 68.1, 68.5, 68.6 and 67 with a mean of 68.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 18, 8, 10, 10, 11, 8 and 9 with a mean of 10.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 13, 7, 5, 7, 9, 4 and 4, with a mean of 7. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>.

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, the NCCC Sprint Ladder is on May 2. On May 3-4, be on the lookout for the MARAC SSB QSO Party, the MARAC CW QSO Party, the 10-10 International Spring Contest (CW), the Microwave Spring Sprint, the 7th Call Area QSO Party, the Portuguese Navy Day Contest, the Indiana QSO Party, the ARI International DX Contest and the New England QSO Party. The RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB) is May 5. Next weekend, the NCCC Sprint Ladder is May

9 and the Nevada Mustang Roundup is May 9-10. The VK/Trans-Tasman 80 Meter Contest (Phone) and the FISTS Spring Sprint are both on May 10. Be sure to check out the SBMS 2 GHz and Up WW Club Contest, the EUCW Fraternizing CW QSO Party, the CQ-M International DX Contest, the VOLTA WW RTTY Contest and the 50 MHz Spring Sprint on May 10-11. The SKCC Weekend Sprintathon is on May 11 and the RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship

(Data) is on May 14. All dates listed are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contester's Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters: Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) announced that Japan's Table of Frequency Allocations and the Japanese Amateur Bandplan <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/6_Band_Plan/JAbandplan.pdf> have been amended, giving amateurs in that country more privileges on certain frequency blocks in the 75/80 meter band. Japanese amateurs are now allowed to operate the following additional frequencies on the 75/80 meters: 3.599-3.612 MHz, 3.680 to 3.687 MHz, 3.702-3.716 MHz,

3.745-3.747 MHz and 3.754-3.770 MHz. As of April 28, 2008, Japanese amateurs will have privileges on the following frequencies in the 75/80 meter band: 3.500-3.520 MHz (CW only), 3.520-3.525 MHz (Digital Mode and CW), 3.525-3.575 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.599-3.612 MHz (CW and Phone),

3.680-3.687 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.702-3.716 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.745-3.770 MHz (CW and Phone) and 3.791-3.805 MHz (CW and Phone). "This makes it a bit easier for US amateurs to make contacts with Japanese amateurs, especially in contests, since Japan does not have phone privileges on the 160 meter band," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "These new privileges will also make it easier for DXpeditions to work Japan." -- Information provided by JARL <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/>

* VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators: The VoIP Hurricane Net <http://www.voipwx.net/> is looking for Net Control Operators (NCOs) to assist with its weekly Hurricane Preparation Net and during Hurricane Net activations. The VoIP Hurricane Net, created in 2002, is a support net working with WX4NHC <http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/w4ehw/>, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The VoIP Net Management team is looking for NCOs from any geographic area to maintain a net for as long as emergency communications are required before, during and shortly after hurricanes; this could be up to 24 hours a day and sometimes for several days. Net Control Operators from the Pacific, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and other international areas can play a critical role in assisting net operations during the overnight hours of a North American activation during their local daytime, providing North American NCOs rest during their normal overnight hours. Fluent Spanish speakers are also encouraged to apply to become NCOs in order to further support operations in South and Central America, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The VoIP Net Management team will be offering NCO training in the coming weeks. If you're interested in becoming an NCO, please contact Director of VoIP Hurricane Net Operations Rob Macedo, KD1CY <rmacedo@rcn.com>, or VoIP Hurricane Net Weekly and Activation Net Control Scheduler Jim Palmer, KB1KQW <kb1kqw@voipwx.net>. -- Information provided by VoIP Hurricane Net

* No ARRL Audio News on May 16: There will be no ARRL Audio News on Friday, May 16. The ARRL Letter will be released on that day. ARRL Audio News will return on Friday, May 23.

* Notes from the DXCC Desk: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that the 2006 and 2007 YA/LY1Y operations in Afghanistan have been approved for DXCC credit. "If you had cards rejected for this operation, please send an e-mail <dxcc@arrl.org> to the ARRL DXCC Desk to have your DXCC record updated," Moore said.

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/American Radio Relay League.

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org

==>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:

(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 ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 16 April 25, 2008

***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + Court Finds FCC Violated Administrative Procedure Act in BPL Decision

* + Counting Down to Dayton Hamvention

* + ARRL Lab Test Engineer Leaves HQ Staff

* + Antenna Expert L. B. Cebik, W4RNL (SK)

* + What's Coming Up in the May/June Issue of QEX

* + Get Ready for the 2008 Hurricane Season

* Solar Update

* IN BRIEF:

This Weekend on the Radio

ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

+ Hamvention Traffic Update

+ New Section Manager Appointed in New Hampshire

ARRL to Discontinue Web Classifieds

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>
==>Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, <k1sfa@arrl.org>

==> COURT FINDS FCC VIOLATED ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE ACT IN BPL DECISION

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today released its decision <http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/200804/06-1343-1112979.pdf> on the ARRL's Petition for Review of the FCC's Orders adopting rules governing broadband over power line (BPL) systems. The Court agreed with the ARRL on two major points and remanded the rules to the Commission.

Writing for the three-judge panel of Circuit Judges Rogers, Tatel and Kavanaugh, Judge Rogers summarized: "The Commission failed to satisfy the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act ('APA') by redacting studies on which it relied in promulgating the rule and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its choice of the extrapolation factor for measuring Access BPL emissions."

The Court agreed with the ARRL that the FCC had failed to comply with the APA by not fully disclosing for public comment the staff studies on which it relied. The Court also agreed with the ARRL that the Commission erred in not providing a reasoned justification for its choice of an extrapolation factor of 40 dB per decade for Access BPL systems and in offering "no reasoned explanation for its dismissal of empirical data that was submitted at its invitation." The Court was not persuaded by the ARRL's arguments on two other points, on which it found that the Commission had acted within its discretion.

The conclusion that the FCC violated the APA hinges on case law. "It would appear to be a fairly obvious proposition that studies upon which an agency relies in promulgating a rule must be made available during the rulemaking in order to afford interested persons meaningful notice and an opportunity for comment," the Court said, adding that "there is no APA precedent allowing an agency to cherry-pick a study on which it has chosen to rely in part."

The Court continued, "The League has met its burden to demonstrate prejudice by showing that it 'ha[s] something useful to say' regarding the unredacted studies [citation omitted] that may allow it to 'mount a credible challenge' if given the opportunity to comment." Information withheld by the Commission included material under the headings "New Information Arguing for Caution on HF BPL" and "BPL Spectrum Tradeoffs."

The Court concluded that "no precedent sanctions such a 'hide and seek' application of the APA's notice and comment requirements."

With regard to the extrapolation factor, the Court ordered: "On remand, the Commission shall either provide a reasoned justification for retaining an extrapolation factor of 40 dB per decade for Access BPL systems sufficient to indicate that it has grappled with the 2005 studies, or adopt another factor and provide a reasoned explanation for it." The studies in question were conducted by the Office of Communications, the FCC's counterpart in the United Kingdom, and were submitted by the ARRL, along with the League's own analysis showing that an extrapolation factor closer to 20 dB per decade was more appropriate, as part of the record in its petition for reconsideration of the FCC's BPL Order. The Court said that the FCC "summarily dismissed" this data in a manner that "cannot substitute for a reasoned explanation." The Court also noted that the record in the FCC proceeding included a study by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that "itself casts doubt on the Commission's decision."

The briefs for the ARRL were prepared by a team of attorneys at WilmerHale, a firm with extensive appellate experience, with assistance from ARRL General Counsel Christopher D. Imlay, W3KD. Oral argument for the ARRL was conducted by Jonathan J. Frankel of WilmerHale. Oral argument was heard on October 23, 2007; the Court's decision was released more than six months later.

After reading the decision, General Counsel Imlay observed, "The decision of the Court of Appeals, though long in coming, was well worth the wait. It is obvious that the FCC was overzealous in its advocacy of BPL, and that resulted in a rather blatant cover-up of the technical facts surrounding its interference potential. Both BPL and Amateur Radio would be better off had the FCC dealt with the interference potential in an honest and forthright manner at the outset. Now there is an opportunity to finally establish some rules that will allow BPL to proceed, if it can in configurations that don't expose licensed radio services to preclusive interference in the HF bands."

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, added: "We are gratified that the Court decided to hold the FCC's feet to the fire on such a technical issue as the 40 dB per decade extrapolation factor. It is also gratifying to read the Court's strong support for the principles underlying the Administrative Procedure Act. Now that the Commission has been ordered to do what it should have done in the first place, we look forward to participating in the proceedings on remand, and to helping to craft rules that will provide licensed radio services with the interference protection they are entitled to under law."

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, concluded: "I am very pleased that the Court saw through the FCC's smoke screen and its withholding of valid engineering data that may contradict their position that the interference potential of BPL to Amateur Radio and public safety communications is minimal. The remand back to the FCC regarding their use of an inappropriate extrapolation factor validates the technical competence of Amateur Radio operators and especially of the ARRL Lab under the direction of Ed Hare, W1RFI. We are grateful for the work of our legal team and especially for the unflagging support of the ARRL membership as we fought the odds in pursuing this appeal."

==> COUNTING DOWN TO DAYTON HAMVENTION

With less than one month to go, everyone wants to know what's new in the ARRL EXPO <http://www.arrl.org/expo> at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org>. Who's going to be there? What's happening and when? We here at HQ are gearing up for an exciting time in the ARRL EXPO in Ballarena Hall at Dayton's Hara Arena, and mixing up a bit of the old and the new.

ARRL Membership Manager and ARRL EXPO Coordinator Katie Breen, W1KRB, said, "We have many new publications and apparel items that we are proud to introduce. A highlight is always in the annual release of the

'2008/2009 ARRL Repeater Directory' -- new to this year's edition are the handy indexing tabs on the cover so you can quickly find the listings you're looking for. The Directory has new easier-to-read listings because the pocket-sized book is one-half inch bigger."

If you are interested in learning about more tools with which to enjoy Amateur Radio, then the new "VHF Digital Handbook" or "HF Digital Handbook" by QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, should go home with you! If you'd like a terrific resource of materials spanning a variety of topics, then "Hands-On Radio Experiments" by H. Ward Silver, N0AX, is right up your alley. "We here at ARRL are very proud of Ward's selection as Hamvention's Amateur of the Year," Breen said. "Come meet him and have him autograph your new book."

Breen said that new ARRL mugs and clothing items will be introduced at Dayton this year: "Demonstrate your pride as a radio amateur in your office or your shack. While you're at it, show off being a ham in our new 'HAM' logoed apparel or 2008 Field Day apparel. And to top it all off, it will all go home with you in our new environmentally friendly, reusable bag." All those who purchase $10 or more in the ARRL EXPO will receive a complimentary reusable eco-friendly bag that you can take home and use when grocery shopping and more. All new and renewing ARRL members will also receive this new bag, Breen said.

A new area within the ARRL EXPO this year is the interactive "Doctor Is IN" booth. "You've read the column in QST for years and everyone always wants to know who is behind the costume. Here's your chance to stop by the booth, ask your question and have some one-on-one time with ARRL's Technical Experts. You might even be able to submit a stumper and get it published in QST," Breen added.

This year's Docs On Call will be QST Contributing Editor Ward Silver, N0AX; QEX Editor Larry Wolfgang, WR1B; ARRL Senior Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR; QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and ARRL RF Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG. On Saturday, automotive experts Mark Steffka, WW8MS, and Don Hibbard, W8DBH, will be on hand to answer your questions. They will be at the Doctor Booth, as well as providing an interactive session in the ARRL Movie Room about mobile Amateur Radio and ignition systems.

Breen said that the Movie Room, a new feature of this year's ARRL EXPO, will host a presentation on "40 Years of the Worked All Europe Contest" presented by Jorg Jahrig, DJ3HW, and Dennis M. Haertig, DL7RBI, of Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), the German equivalent of ARRL. The movie room will also host a variety of DXpedition videos, Breen said.

"The highlight of the video presentations will be with Bob Allphin, K4UEE. Bob will host an interactive session during the viewing of the video of the Peter I DXpedition to the Antarctic. Sit back, relax and enjoy in the new ARRL Movie Room."

The 2008 Dayton Hamvention is May 16, 17 and 18 at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Find out about activities within and in conjunction with Hamvention at the Dayton Hamvention's Web site <http://www.hamvention.org>.

==> ARRL LAB TEST ENGINEER LEAVES HQ STAFF

After more than 17 years at ARRL, Laboratory Test Engineer Mike Tracy, KC1SX, is leaving the HQ Family and moving to New Jersey to take on a position with Synergy Microwave <http://www.synergymwave.com/>, a company owned by Dr Ulrich Rohde, N1UL.

Tracy came to the League in 1991 as the night/weekend operator for W1AW.

It wasn't long before the W1AW Chief Operator recognized his talent for more technical applications; when a position in the ARRL Lab opened up in 1993, he recommended that Tracy apply. "I did, and was quickly accepted as the new Technical Information Services Coordinator where I handled many of the technical questions of members and referred others to those more knowledgeable on particular subjects. I also developed some databases and other resources to help in the process of answering members' questions," Tracy said. In 1997 when the Lab Test Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, stepped down, Tracy switched seats yet again, testing Product Review equipment.

ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, said, "When Mike came to the ARRL Lab, he was our Technical Information Coordinator where he helped maintain the TIS Web pages <http://www.arrl.org/tis/>, as well as helping to field technical questions for members. Over the years, Mike, as Lab Test Engineer, helped modernize the test process through new test equipment, new test software and new test methods. In between all that, he always found the time somehow to write articles, watch over the technical content of ARRL's advertising and help other staff more often than his job may have required.

"One of the most pleasant parts of any manager's job is to hear good things about his or her staff. When Mike was in the Lab, my job was pleasant, as staff often told me about how he had helped them above and beyond the call of duty," Hare said.

"Mike's shoes will be hard to fill," Hare said, "but we have hired Bob Allison, WB1GCM, to do just that." Allison, a ham for almost 35 years, most recently worked for a Hartford television station, WVIT, NBC 30, for the past 28 years. Over those years, he has done a lot of things at the station, from testing the television transmitter to day-to-day maintenance of the studio facilities; this, said Hare, "has prepared him to take over this important job in the Lab."

Allison, an ARRL member, has served as a volunteer tour guide at ARRL <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/07/2/>, offering members a friendly and informative tour of HQ that they will remember for a long time to come. "Although he is new at being an HQ employee, we all feel that he has been part of the family for a while," said Hare. Allison and his wife, Logbook of The World Specialist Kathy, KA1RWY, reside in Coventry, Connecticut. Allison also enjoys sailing and working on Model A Fords.

Allison said, "I have been active on the air since I was first licensed as WN1TDN in 1974, where I enjoy operating, experimenting and meeting people from around the world. I can't say what ham band I like best, except all of them. While I enjoy restoring old radios, I very much enjoy the new ones and digital modes such as PSK-31. I am honored and humbled to be part of the ARRL Laboratory Staff and I'm looking forward to serving our members and testing some really cool, new radios!"

Tracy, whose last day at ARRL is today, said, "The various responsibilities I have held over 17 years at ARRL have taught me volumes about the League's membership, Amateur Radio in general and many, many different technical topics related to the Service. The support I received from other HQ staff was invaluable, and I will long remember my time here."

==> ANTENNA EXPERT L. B. CEBIK, W4RNL (SK)

L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, ARRL Technical Advisor and antenna authority, passed away last week of natural causes. He was 68. An ARRL Life Member, Cebik was known to many hams for the numerous articles he wrote on antennas and antenna modeling. He had articles published in most of the US ham journals, including QST, QEX, NCJ, CQ, Communications Quarterly, Ham Radio, 73, QRP Quarterly, Radio-Electronics and QRPp. Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, QEX Editor, called Cebik "probably the most widely published and often read author of Amateur Radio antenna articles ever to write on the subject."

Cebik lived in Knoxville, Tennessee and wrote more than a dozen books on antennas for both the beginner and the advanced student. Among his books are a basic tutorial in the use of NEC antenna modeling software and compilations of his many shorter pieces. A teacher for more than 30 years, Cebik was retired, but served as Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Cebik served his country in the US Air Force from 1957-1961, specializing in air traffic control.

One of Cebik's last articles for QST, "A New Spin on the Big Wheel," appeared in the March 2008 issue. The article, co-written with Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT, looked at a three dipole array for 2 meters. This was a follow-up to their article in the January/February issue of QEX that featured omnidirectional horizontally polarized antennas. Cebik authored the "Antenna Options" column for QEX.

Former ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, and editor of "The ARRL Antenna Book," said: "LB will be greatly missed by the thousands of hams he's helped through his incredibly prolific -- and invariably proficient -- writing about antennas. LB helped me personally in numerous ways while I worked on antenna matters at the League, always communicating with a gentle, scholarly attitude and a real eye for detail. I'm in shock at the news of LB's passing. May his soul rest in peace."

Licensed since 1954, Cebik served as Technical Editor for "antenneX Magazine" <http://www.antennex.com>. According to Jack L. Stone, publisher of antenneX, he had not heard from Cebik for a few days and became worried: "I called the Sheriff in Knoxville to go check on him since I hadn't heard from him in over 5 days, either e-mail or phone, which is highly unusual. The Sheriff [went to Cebik's house to check on him and] called back to tell me the sad, devastating news. As his publisher of books, monthly columns, feature articles and software/models for more than 10 years, we communicated almost daily during that span of time. Not hearing from him for that long was unusual, causing my concern. He was like family to me and was loved and respected by so many."

Cebik maintained a Web site <http://www.cebik.com>, a virtual treasure trove to anyone interested in antennas. Besides a few notes on the history of radio work and other bits that Cebik called "semi-technical oddities," the collection contains information of interest to radio amateurs and professionals interested in antennas, antenna modeling and related subjects, such as antenna tuners and impedance matching. Cebik said that his notes were "geared to helping other radio amateurs and antenna enthusiasts discover what I have managed to uncover over the years -- and then to go well beyond."

His Web site also contains information on antenna modeling. His book, "Basic Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial" for Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Plus NEC-2 antenna modeling software, contains models in .NEC format for over 150 exercises. "Since the principles in the book apply to any modeling software," Cebik said, "I have also created the same exercise models in the EZNEC format. For more advanced modelers using either NEC-2 or NEC-4, I have prepared an additional volume, "Intermediate Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial," based on Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Pro and GNEC. The volume includes hundreds of antenna models used in the text to demonstrate virtually the complete command set (along with similarities and differences) used by both cores."

ARRL Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX, said, "LB typified generosity. He was always developing material that was published widely.

Furthermore, the quality of the articles and concepts was always high, but the writing was such that an audience with a wide range of technical backgrounds could understand it. His Web site is a Solomon's Treasure of solid antenna information -- available to all."

Wolfgang remembered Cebik, saying, "L. B. was an ARRL Technical Advisor, with expertise in antenna modeling and design. I learned that I could count on L. B. to offer clear, concise comments on any submitted article dealing with antennas. He was always a friendly voice on the other end of my phone line when I needed to talk to an expert, and I came to expect a quick e-mailed response to any antenna questions that I sent him. L. B. was so much more than an antenna author, though. He was one of the first ARRL Educational Advisors I ever had the pleasure of working with when I became editor of the ARRL study materials. He played a key role in helping develop the concept of online courses when ARRL began to study the idea of the Continuing Education program <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html>; his Antenna Modeling course has been one of the most popular offerings in the program. L. B. leaves a legacy of friendly advice and Amateur Radio wisdom. I will miss him as a friend and as an advisor."

Cebik's niece, Gina Robeson, also of Knoxville, told the ARRL that her uncle "was amazing to me in a different way than hams viewed him. But he was a legend to me and to the thousands of amateurs whose lives he touched with his work. To me he was my uncle, teacher, friend and confidant. He was a wonderful man, but his family did not really know about the ham side of him."

Robeson said her family spent each Christmas with Cebik and his wife Jean; Jean passed away in 2002 from cancer. "It was always the greatest fun with all the food and family getting together. It did not matter if we were getting together as a group or if it was just me and Uncle Roy, he always had the time to listen and offer advice. He will be sorely missed."

A memorial service for Cebik will be held Sunday, April 27 at 1 PM at Mynatt Funeral Home, 2829 Rennoc Road in Knoxville. Cebik will be cremated and his ashes scattered in his garden, the same place his wife's ashes were scattered. "They will once more be together," Robeson said.

==> WHAT'S COMING UP IN THE MAY/JUNE ISSUE OF QEX

The May/June issue of QEX is out, and it is full of theoretical and practical technical articles that you don't want to miss.

In this issue, James Ahlstrom, N2ADR, describes his software defined radio (SDR) transmitter in "An All-Digital SSB Exciter for HF." Juan Jose de Onate, M0MWA, and Xavier R. Junque de Fortuny present a useful accessory for software defined radios and analog receivers, with "A Software Controlled Radio Preselector." Cornell Drentea, KW7CD, concludes the series on his high performance "Star-10 Transceiver -- Part 3." After presenting schematic diagrams of the rest of the main sub-assemblies, KW7CD describes the outstanding test-lab performance of his radio.

James D. Hagerty, WA1FFL, updates his January 2002 QST project with "An Advanced Direct-Digital VFO." Contributing Editor L. B. Cebik, W4RNL (SK), looks at the physical operation of various antenna "reflectors" in "Antenna Options," and Contributing Editor Raymond Mack, W5IFS, tells about a new source for UHF and microwave semiconductors, unusual local sources for meter fuses and magnet wire, and describes some new Atmel microcontroller design tools in "Out of the Box."

Would you like to write for QEX? It pays $50 per printed page. Be sure to check out the Author's Guide <http://www.arrl.org/qex/#aguide> for more information. If you prefer postal mail, please send a business-size self-addressed, stamped envelope to QEX Author's Guide, c/o Maty Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494.

QEX is edited by Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, and is published six times a year. The subscription rate for ARRL members in the US is $24. For First Class US delivery, the rate is $37 for members, $49 for nonmembers. For international delivery via air mail, including Canada, the subscription rate is $31 for members, $43 for nonmembers. Subscribe to QEX today <http://www.arrl.org/qex>.

==> GET READY FOR THE 2008 HURRICANE SEASON

It's that time of year when preparation for the hurricane season ratchets up -- earlier this month, Orlando, Florida hosted the 30th annual National Hurricane Conference, and state and county Emergency Management Agencies are currently checking plans and assets for the upcoming season. Rick Palm, K1CE, editor of the ARRL's ARES E-Letter, said, "Now is the time for ARES members to assess their portfolio of communications equipment and disaster response knowledge." Hurricane season runs June 1-November 30.

Palm gives several tips for amateurs involved with hurricane operations:

* Monitor major HF hurricane networks during events this season. The Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz, is one of several key players. It serves either the Atlantic or Pacific during a watch or warning period and coordinates with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.

Frequent, detailed information is issued on nets when storms pose a threat to the US mainland. In addition to hurricane spotting, local communicators may announce that residents have evacuated from low-lying flood areas. Other amateurs across the country can help by relaying information, keeping the net frequency clear and by listening. See the Hurricane Watch Net's Web site <http://www.hwn.org/> for more information. The net works closely with the hams at the NHC's Amateur Radio station WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.com/>

* The SATERN Net (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network) provides emergency communication support to the Salvation Army and populations at large. They also handle health-and-welfare traffic. SATERN holds high profile nets on 20 meters (14.265 MHz) during major hurricanes and has a long history of excellence, discipline and service. Refer to the SATERN Web site <http://www.satern.org/> for more information.

* The Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN) meets on 14.300 MHz and is composed of hams who serve and assist those in need of communications on the high seas. According to its Web site <http://www.mmsn.org/>, the primary purpose of the net is for handling traffic from maritime mobile stations. The network is recognized by the United States Coast Guard and has an excellent working relationship with that agency. The MMSN has handled hundreds of incidents involving vessels in distress and medical emergencies in remote locations, as well as passing health and welfare traffic in and out of affected areas. They also work closely with the NWS and NHC by relaying weather reports from maritime stations.

* The VoIP SKYWARN and Hurricane Net operates by combining both the EchoLink and IRLP linked repeater networks, while handling critical wide area communications during major severe weather and tropical events.

These operations have gained national stature in recent years and provide excellent service. Whenever tropical weather is imposing a threat to the US mainland and certain other areas of interest, the VoIP WX-NET will be fully operational. See the VoIP SKYWARN and Hurricane Net Web site <http://www.voipwx.net/> for more information.

Palm said that during hurricane events, there are usually two or three regional nets (usually on 40 or 20 meters) that spring to prominence as major key assets to the disaster response on an ad hoc basis. "Watch for these nets, as well as the nationally recognized networks described above, this season. Don't transmit on their frequencies unless you are absolutely sure you have something substantive to add, and then only under the direction of the net control station," Palm advised.

If you are interested in Emergency Communications, please be sure to check out the monthly ARES E-Letter. You can elect to receive this newsletter via e-mail by going to the Member Data Page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html> on the ARRL Web site.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Great is the Sun, and wide he goes" Cook, K7RA, this week reports:

This week we had a couple of brief sunspot appearances -- 991 and 992 -- but they were both from Solar Cycle 23 and their emergence was fleeting.

On Wednesday, April 23, the planetary A index rose to 32 due to a solar wind and south-pointing Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). Expect geomagnetic conditions to stabilize this weekend, but to again become active on May 2. Sunspot numbers for April 17-23 were 0, 0, 13, 12, 0, and 13 with a mean of 7.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.2, 70.2, 71, 70.8, 70.9, 71.3 and 70.7 with a mean of 70.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 6, 5, 4, 4, 5 and 32 with a mean of 9.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 5, 6, 1, 3, 4 and 17, with a mean of 6.1. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>.

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, the SP DX RTTY Contest, the Helvetia Contest, the QRP to the Field contest, the Nebraska QSO Party and the Florida QSO Party are all scheduled for April 26-27. The AGCW QRP/QRP Party and the QRP Minimal Art Session are both May 1. Next weekend is the NCCC Sprint Ladder on May 2. On May 3-4, be on the lookout for the MARAC SSB QSO Party, the MARAC CW QSO Party, the 10-10 International Spring Contest (CW), the Microwave Spring Sprint, the 7th Call Area QSO Party, the Portuguese Navy Day Contest, the Indiana QSO Party, the ARI International DX Contest and the New England QSO Party.

The RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB) is May 5. All times listed are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contester's Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, May 4, 2008, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, May 16, 2008: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003R2), Antenna Modeling (EC-004), HF Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF -- Life Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011). Each online course has been developed in segments -- learning units with objectives, informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses are interactive, and some include direct communications with a Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on course) and they may access the course at any time of day during the course period, completing lessons and activities at times convenient for their personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions, reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful feedback. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility for the student to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce@arrl.org>.

* Hamvention Traffic Updates: With less than 20 days before the 2008 Dayton Hamvention, there is one small hitch, according to Hamventio organizers: road construction, and lots of it. "One of the main surface streets used by attendees of Hamvention every year is Needmore Road since it is almost a straight shot from I-75 (exit 58) to Hara Arena,"

said Hamvention Talk-In Chairman Rob Lunsford, KB8UEY. "Unfortunately, a rebuild project has begun on this roadway right in the travel path to Hara; it will be down to one lane each way for during Hamvention." There is also construction at the north end of the Downtown Dayton area (about the 53 to 56 mile markers on Interstate 75), Lunsford said. "In this area, the Ohio Department of Transportation has started a multi-year, multi-phase reconstruction of I-75 in which there are lane restrictions, bridge replacements and various other adjacent projects. These projects are much overdue and will, in the long run, drastically improve travel in the area. Unfortunately, for now we are faced with these projects in high volume areas that are already prone to trouble from even the slightest traffic issue. To assist everyone involved we are asking that those attending Hamvention please try to avoid these areas if possible.

Our hope is that if we minimize our traffic in the area, and a problem does occur, we do not make it worse with our increased traffic flow."

Lunsford said that individuals traveling on I-70 will not need to make any changes from years past. For more information or if you have questions feel free to contact Lunsford via e-mail <talkin@hamvention.org>. Once in the Dayton area and you find you need assistance, Lunsford advises tuning to 146.940- for further assistance.

Directions to Hara Arena can be found on the Dayton Hamvention Web site <http://www.hamvention.org/hv2008/accommodations/directions08.htm>.

* New Section Manager Appointed in New Hampshire: Al Shuman, K1AKS, of New Boston, New Hampshire, has been appointed Section Manager of the New Hampshire Section, effective April 21. ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, in consultation with New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, announced the appointment after Sterling Eanes, AK1K, of Hollis, Section Manager since July 2005, decided to step down due to mounting work responsibilities and other commitments. Shuman served as New Hampshire Section Manager for two previous terms: December 1992-June 1999 and October 2000-June 2005. His term of office continues through June 30, 2009.

* ARRL to Discontinue Web Classifieds: As of April 30, ARRL will cease listing classified ads in Radios On-Line, the classified ad section on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/RadiosOnline/>. According to ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, the ARRL has experienced an increased number of complaints by members and users regarding postings and practices that do not conform to the Radios On-Line Web site's original intent: "Despite our efforts to monitor the site regularly, these problems persist. These have included postings for guns and 'personal' ads. Our staff that administers this service has deleted items and notified the 'poster,' only to find the ad back two days later, placed in every category. We are spending a disproportionate amount of staff time dealing with this matter; it is no longer worth the cost of maintaining the service when other online services have been established to handle the specific need for online person-to-person sales."

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/American Radio Relay League.

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==>Editorial questions or comments: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, k1sfa@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:

(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 ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 15 April 18, 2008

***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + QST Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX, Named Hamvention "Amateur of the Year"

* + ARRL Teachers Institute off to a Great Start

* + ARRL Diamond Terrace Grows

* + Amateur Radio "Well Represented" at National Hurricane Conference

* + Forum Schedule Announced for Dayton Hamvention

* + International Marconi Day Event Is April 26

* Solar Update

* IN BRIEF:

This Weekend on the Radio

ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration

+ New Apparel Items Now Available from ARRL

+ JARL Operating Award Checking Available at Hamvention

Mexico Group On the Air for World Amateur Radio Day

Notes from the DXCC Desk

ARRL Discontinuing Web Classified Ads

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

==> QST CONTRIBUTING EDITOR H. WARD SILVER, N0AX, NAMED HAMVENTION "AMATEUR OF THE YEAR"

The 2008 Dayton Hamvention Awards Committee has named QST Contributing Editor and author H. Ward Silver, N0AX, as its 2008 Amateur of the Year.

The committee said Silver's "books and teaching materials have helped many become hams." Tom McDermott, N5EG, will receive Hamvention's Technical Achievement Award to recognize his technical contributions that helped digital ham radio expand. Emery McClendon, KB9IBW, was named the recipient of the Special Achievement Award for starting Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day (ARMAD) in 2003 as a way for Amateur Radio to express support and appreciation for our service men and women.

The winners will be feted at a dinner held May 17 at the Marriott Hotel in Dayton.

Silver, an ARRL Life Member, was first licensed at age 17 in 1972 as WN0GQP and upgraded to Amateur Extra and changed his call sign to N0AX in 1976. A contester and DXer, he is on the DXCC Honor Roll.

Silver's award nomination cited his "many contributions, including 'Ham Radio for Dummies,' his first effort to show that becoming a ham does not have to be a difficult challenge. His additional books, magazine articles and his 'Hands On Radio' column in QST have all helped many hams develop their knowledge and skills." Silver was awarded the ARRL's Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award in 2003. He is also the editor of the ARRL's Contester's Rate Sheet and the ARRL Antenna Design Course.

Silver has also written feature articles and product reviews for QST and compiles QST's "Contest Corral" column.

Silver, who lives on Vashon Island near Seattle, Washington, worked closely with community leaders and the Vashon-Maury Island Radio Club

(W7VMI) to provide effective emergency communications. According to the awards committee, radio club members, along with the fire district and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), have created one of the "best local communications systems in the state of Washington."

Calling it "really, really nice and a complete honor" to be named Amateur of the Year, Silver told the ARRL that "It's a humbling experience to even be nominated, much less be chosen. To whomever is responsible for the nomination and to the Hamvention Committee, thank you. Receiving the award would be impossible without readers, colleagues, mentors and friends -- so it's just as much for them as it is for me. Being recognized will keep my fires lit to go on producing, strive for better accuracy and clarity and figure out how to make it all be fun, too. I'll just try to act like I deserve it -- most of the time."

The Hamvention Technical Achievement Award goes to Thomas C. McDermott, N5EG, for his "more than 20 years of involvement in projects which further the development of Amateur Radio." According to the awards committee, McDermott co-developed the TexNet packet switching network in 1986; based on datagram routing, it covered much of the South Central United States in the 1990s.