*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 11 March 17, 2006 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +Amateur Service to remain within FCC Wireless Bureau * +First ARRL "Hello" campaign tools now available * +German school marks successful space contact * +ARRL spring 2006 Spectrum Defense campaign under way * +Amateur Radio volunteers handle tornado duty in Midwest * +Mississippi's governor signs amateur antenna statute * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration +AMSAT names Director of Education CUTESats get OSCAR numbers +NASA honors TV journalist, anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit Correction +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =========================================================== ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org =========================================================== ==>AMATEUR RADIO POISED TO STAY WITHIN FCC WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU The FCC approved a proposal March 17 to create a new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PS&HSB) that would assume some functions now under the umbrella of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB). But it appears that the Amateur Radio Service--now within the WTB's Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, headed by Michael J. Wilhelm, WS6BR--will remain within the WTB, according to Anthony Dale, Acting Director of the FCC's Office of Managing Director (OMD). "The Critical Infrastructure piece--that's things like taxi cabs, Amateur Radio, chemical plants, all that type of thing--those are not public safety-specific functions," Dale said in response to a reporter's question following the FCC open meeting. "The plan is to keep those in the Wireless Bureau." Creation of the new bureau was a topic of some discussion during a meeting earlier this month of the ARRL Executive Committee. With the complete details of the reorganization still uncertain, however, the League is adopting a wait-and-see attitude for now. Mika Savir, an attorney advisor within the FCC's OMD, presented the proposal to the Commission. "By this action, the Commission would take an important step to better address public safety, homeland security, national security, emergency management and preparedness and disaster management," she said. "As you know, the Commission has a statutory mandate to assist in promoting the safety of life and property, as well as the national defense, through the use of communications." An official document spelling out just which functions and services will end up where has not yet been made public, and even Dale did not appear to be entirely clear on specifics. He and others stressed that some PS&HSB functions may overlap those of other bureaus. The FCC said the changes are subject to Congressional notification before they become effective. In addition, the Commission must work with the National Treasury Employees Union Local 209 to secure its approval for issues affecting the Commission's workforce. The last changes affecting the functions of the WTB occurred in 2003. This reorganization has been several months in the planning. Some observers had speculated that Amateur Radio would be shifted to the PS&HSB, thus removing it from the WTB's market-based approach to regulation. Moving some of the WTB's current responsibilities to the new bureau, however, could speed up the process of moving Amateur Radio-related proceedings through the Commission. The PS&HSB will have three divisions: Policy, Public Communications Outreach & Operations, and Communications Systems Analysis. In addition, the bureau will have a front office consisting of senior leadership and management staff. The new bureau would be the seventh within the FCC. Commissioner Michael Copps said the proposed reorganization goes beyond "reshuffling" of the bureaucracy. He expressed the hope that creation of the new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau would be viewed as "the first step in putting the FCC out front--where it long should have been--in providing communications security for all Americans in this dangerous age." The Commission voted unanimously to approve creation of the new bureau. ==>"HELLO" CAMPAIGN PROVIDES RALLYING POINT TO PROMOTE AMATEUR RADIO The first components of the ARRL's "Hello" Amateur Radio public relations campaign now are available. "This campaign will give hams the tools they need to reach out in their communities to non-hams and influence their perception of Amateur Radio," says ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, who conceived the campaign and is its principal Headquarters contact. The "Hello" campaign is aimed at recasting Amateur Radio in the light of the 21st century and focusing on its universal appeal. At the same time, it will mark the 100th anniversary of what many historians consider the first voice radio broadcast in 1906 by Reginald Fessenden. "For years, ARRL public information officers (PIOs) and others interested in promoting Amateur Radio have been looking for leadership and a rallying point from which we can join together in a major promotion for ham radio," Pitts said. This is it! Tools include a distinctive "Hello" Web site <http://www.hello-radio.org/> and radio and TV public service announcements. Based on the word "Hello," which Pitts calls "possibly the most pleasant word in any language," the coordinated campaign will set "a positive, upbeat tone that highlights the international capabilities of Amateur Radio," he explained. The "Hello" Web site is designed for non-hams to learn a little bit about Amateur Radio and to arouse more interest. The site points prospective Amateur Radio licensees to groups that have indicated they will provide a warm welcome to newcomers. The national "Hello" campaign can bring curious people into contact with ham radio groups, but it will be up to local radio amateurs to make them truly welcome, Pitts maintains. "The key to creating a new ham operator is to develop a relationship with a current ham operator," says Pitts. Behind the effort is "an army of dedicated, truly motivated PIOs and others who want to see ham radio flourish." A series of 30-second radio public service announcements (PSAs) <http://www.arrl.org/pio/pr.html> has been developed for the "Hello" campaign. "You can help by downloading the PSAs from the ARRL Web site onto a CD and taking it to your own local radio station," Pitts suggests. A broadcast-quality video for the "Hello" campaign will be available in April. Copies of the special four-page "Hello" brochure <http://www.arrl.org/pio/hello/Hello-Campaign-Brochure.pdf> are available from ARRL Headquarters for use during presentations to non-ham groups. (Full details on the "Hello" campaign plus a pull-out copy of the brochure are available in the April issue of QST.) The brochures are suitable for talks to schools, clubs, displays and other venues promoting Amateur Radio to the public. There is a space on the back page to add local club info. "For 100 years, the magic of the human voice over radio has brought imaginations to life. It opened a whole new era of human communication," the brochure declares, urging, "It's your world. Get on the radio and say "Hello." To obtain copies, e-mail the "Hello" campaign <hello@arrl.org>. Donations are welcome (make checks out to "ARRL") to help cover return postage to ARRL, Public Relations, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. "Hello" logo bumper stickers will be on sale through the ARRL on-line catalog <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9731>. Buttons for the "Hello" campaign will be available at Dayton Hamvention and at other major Amateur Radio events. Banners for the "Hello" campaign will be flying at Dayton Hamvention and at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in April. After that, they will be made available for use at major events in 2006. "ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, was correct in stating that the Main Street of today is not the same as the Main Street of yesteryear," Pitts says. "To reach out today, the very first requirement is that Amateur Radio operators be perceived as friendly and trustworthy. That's a true public relations goal and the primary focus of the campaign." ==>SPACE QSO HELPS INTRODUCE AMATEUR RADIO TO GERMAN STUDENTS Twenty-one soon-to-be radio amateurs attending the Evangelisches Gymnasium in Lippstadt, Germany, talked shop with ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, on March 8. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the direct VHF QSO between DN2LP at the school and NA1SS in space. The school incorporated ARISS lesson plans into its curriculum, and all of the participating students had already passed their Amateur Radio exams and are awaiting their new call signs. One student wanted to know if McArthur had ever taken an insect into space by accident. "Yes, on shuttle missions we would very often see mosquitoes, because Florida is a place that has so many," McArthur responded. "They seem very confused and die very quickly." Other students at the school--which accommodates youngsters and youth between the ages of 10 and 19--were curious about the effects of microgravity. One girl wanted to know if it was possible to have a runny nose in zero G. "Fortunately, we don't get sick on orbit very much and therefore don't get runny noses," McArthur explained. "But we do experience head congestion because of the shift of fluids from our legs to our upper body and head." McArthur also told the students that a candle cannot burn in space because microgravity prevents the necessary convection currents from forming, and if you were to cry, tears would not be shed but gather around the eye instead. All of the students at the church-run school have been studying physics. One of the QSO participants asked how much of the ISS depends on electricity. "Everything we have onboard is electrical," McArthur replied. "The primary uses of electricity are heater and our fans and pumps." The solar arrays on the ISS can produce approximately 18 kW of power right now. When the space station is completed, its power production will jump to 110 kW. One student stumped McArthur with his question, "Which state law is recognized on the ISS?" Responded McArthur to the amusement of the students and the audience: "You got me on that one. I just don't have an answer." Some 900 students attend the school, located in the state of North Rhine-Westfalia. Control operator Ralf Karrasch, DF4DC, and teacher Daniel Ahrens, DO7DAN, supported the participating students in preparing to take their ham radio license examinations, reports ARISS Mentor Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ, noting that everyone who took the test passed. "Congratulation to the new members of our worldwide radio ham family!" he commented. A team of radio amateurs from local clubs set up the satellite station at the school that included automatic antenna tracking on the primary station, Kofler said. The station equipment was located in the huge assembly hall, where an audience of 400 students, parents and teachers followed the contact. The NA1SS signal was loud and clear throughout the nearly 10-minute contact, which drew cheers and applause from students and audience as it ended. The QSO attracted the attention of German news media. Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) TV and radio and Hellweg Radio covered the ham radio event, which was broadcast live on the two radio channels. An article touting the successful ham radio contact appeared the following day in the local newspaper Der Patriot. The Lippstadt contact marked the 30th ARISS school QSO McArthur has handled--by far a record for any ISS crew member. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>DONATIONS HELP LEAGUE MAKE HEADWAY AGAINST BPL INTERFERENCE, OTHER THREATS Contributions to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund have helped the League to make significant progress in the battle against interference from Broadband Over Power Line (BPL). But the fight's not over, says ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, who calls the BPL effort "one of the most important" the ARRL has ever undertaken to protect Amateur Radio spectrum." Thanks in part to the generosity of League members, however, Sumner offered up some good news as the Spring 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund campaign kicks off <https://www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense/2006/spring/>. "Contrary to the predictions of its shameless promoters, 2005 was not a big year for BPL," Sumner said in a letter to League members. "The number of cities in which BPL service was widely available to consumers was the same at the end of the year as at the beginning: two." Cable and DSL providers add more new broadband customers in a single morning than have ever been served by BPL, he said. Sumner also pointed to shutdowns of BPL trials in Pennsylvania and Idaho. "Most utilities that have looked at BPL have decided not to pursue it," he said. But Sumner cautions that Amateur Radio cannot count on BPL's "likely failure in the marketplace" to keep the radio spectrum safe from pollution. The ARRL has been in the forefront of raising the visibility of the BPL radio interference issue, Sumner asserted. "We have kept after the FCC to correct ongoing spectrum pollution from BPL, particularly from the much-ballyhooed system in Manassas, Virginia." At the same time, the League has cooperated with BPL companies that take the interference issue seriously and design their systems to avoid it. "The ARRL is not opposed to BPL, but we remain steadfastly opposed to interference caused by BPL systems," Sumner stressed. Spectrum Defense Fund contributions have enabled the League to petition the FCC to "properly draw the line between BPL systems that can be deployed without serious harm to radio communication and those that cannot"--something the current BPL rules don't do. Until such rules are in place and properly enforced, "we won't let the spectrum polluters and their apologists off the hook," Sumner said, adding that the League also will keep after the FCC to "do the right thing." In the meantime, Sumner says, BPL companies that take interference seriously are gaining traction at the expense of those that deny the problem exists. "This is no accident," he said. "It's the result of the ARRL's relentless media relations efforts to keep radio interference at the center of the BPL discussion." While it's attracted much of the attention in recent years, BPL is just one of many threats to the Amateur Radio spectrum we enjoy. "A dedicated team of volunteers and staff works constantly on your behalf," Sumner said. He notes, for example, that the League is attempting to leverage the five-voice-channel "toehold" it obtained for Amateur Radio in the vicinity of 5 MHz into something more like a traditional amateur allocation. Sumner concluded by pointing out that membership dues alone don't cover the costs of protecting, promoting and advancing the Amateur Radio Service. Members may contribute to the Spectrum Defense Fund via the ARRL's secure donations Web page <https://www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense/2006/spring/fdefense.html>. ==>AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE ACTIVATES IN TORNADOS' AFTERMATH Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams in Missouri this week assisted emergency managers in that state with damage assessment after a huge string of tornados swept through the nation's midsection March 12. Nine people were reported dead in Missouri and one in Indiana in the aftermath of the severe weather. Missouri Section Emergency Coordinator Don Moore, KM0R, told ARRL that he and three other radio amateurs deployed March 13 as a "quick-response team" to Pettis County, Missouri, just south of Sedalia along US Route 65 to support the county's emergency operations center (EOC). "There was some major wind through here," Moore told ARRL. The severe weather damaged or took down utility lines along US Route 65 and elsewhere. The Pettis County Emergency Management Agency requested the ARES call-up. Nine ARES members ultimately activated to help seven damage-assessment teams. ARES stood down later the same day. ARES handled minimal voice traffic, Moore said. While the ARES group was prepared to pass damage assessments to the EOC via WinLink 2000, that turned out not to be necessary. The ARES team did communicate with the Missouri Emergency Management Agency to demonstrate Winlink from the field, he added. Missouri appears to have been the state hardest hit by the weekend storms, which generated hail said to have been the size of softballs. Damage in the Show-Me State stretched from west to east, with houses reportedly destroyed along a 20-mile path south of St Louis. Tornadoes also struck Kansas, where the University of Kansas canceled classes March 13 due to safety concerns. The school, located in Lawrence, reportedly suffered damage to nearly two-thirds of its buildings, but no serious injuries were reported. Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) members were requested to deploy the SATERN Mobile Generator Trailer when the storms knocked out power in Douglas County, Kansas. SATERN Kansas State Coordinator June Jeffers, KB0WEQ, reports that SATERN members moved the generator from Olathe to Lawrence, keeping in touch with the emergency nets along the way. SATERN and ARES members in eastern Kansas remained on standby in case they were needed. In Arkansas, Section Manager David Norris, K5UZ, reports Franklin County ARES/RACES and Sebastian County RACES activated SKYWARN nets over the weekend. "Northwest Arkansas was hammered late last night with quite a bit of damage in Centerton," he told ARRL March 13. He reported several people injured and considerable property damage. Arkansas SEC J.M. Rowe, N5XFW, reported SKYWARN nets were active as the severe weather approached. In Illinois, Section Manager Sharon Harlan, N9SH, noted that severe storms rolled across her state March 12. Houses and businesses throughout the capital city of Springfield were damaged or destroyed, and roads into the city had to be closed. The violent weather developed from a line of thunderstorms that stretched from the southern Plains and into the Ohio valley. Twisters also hit Oklahoma. ==>MISSISSIPPI BECOMES 22nd STATE TO ADOPT PRB-1 STATUTE After several earlier tries, Mississippi this week became the 22nd state to revise its statutes to incorporate the language of the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1. Mississippi Gov Haley Barbour signed the bill March 13, reports ARRL Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown, W5XX. Echoing the language of PRB-1, the new law calls on localities establishing ordinances regulating antenna placement, screening or height to "reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication. The Mississippi measure also takes note of Amateur Radio's communication support in emergencies and disasters. "This legislation supports the Amateur Radio Service in preparing for and providing emergency communications for the State of Mississippi and local emergency management agencies," the statute reads. The new PRB-1 provision became law when Barbour signed it. The new law provides that local land use regulation ordinances involving the placement, screening, or height of amateur radio antenna structures "must reasonably accommodate amateur communications and must constitute the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish local authorities' legitimate purposes" to address health, safety, welfare and aesthetic considerations. Under the new law, local authorities will determine the types of reasonable accommodation to be made and the minimum practicable regulation necessary to address these purposes "within the parameters of the law." "We now have a Mississippi PRB-1 Law on the books!" Keown exulted in a message to Mississippi League members. Keown this week called on his section's members to contact all those involved and thank them for contributing to the success of the PRB-1 legislation. Similar bills were introduced this session in the House and Senate, but the House version, HB 736, was the successful measure. The Senate version of the PRB-1 legislation, SB 2709, passed the full Senate but died in committee in the House. Keown says efforts have been under way since 2001 to get such legislation through the Mississippi Legislature. In past years, PRB-1 bills have made it through one legislative chamber only to die in committee in the other. A ceremonial signing of the PRB-1 legislation will be scheduled after the legislative session ends. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Solar swami Tad "I'll Follow the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux values were down just slightly this week when compared to last, and the geomagnetic indexes were up just a bit. We only saw one day with zero sunspots, and there weren't any really stormy days with high geomagnetic K and A indices. The prediction for the next few days is a solar flux value of 75, and, in fact, that continues in Thursday's prediction from the US Air Force for the next 45 days. The USAF also predicts Sunday, March 19, will be a day of geomagnetic activity, with a planetary A index projected to reach 20. The five-day projection for planetary A index from March 17-21 is 8, 8, 20, 15 and 12. This slightly higher activity is based on what was occurring in the area of the sun that will be facing us this weekend, looking back to February 19-22 when the planetary A index was 6, 20, 17 and 12. This projection for geomagnetic activity seems shared this week by Geophysical Institute Prague, which projects quiet conditions for March 17, 22 and 23, quiet to unsettled for March 18, unsettled for March 20 and 21, and unsettled to active on March 19. Sunspot numbers for March 9 through 15 were 12, 12, 0, 18, 14, 34 and 22, with a mean of 16. 10.7 cm flux was 72.9, 72.2, 74, 73.2, 72.6, 73.6, and 74.2, with a mean of 73.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 12, 12, 6, 3, 4 and 7, with a mean of 6.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3, 9, 9, 3, 2, 2 and 6, with a mean of 4.9. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The SARL VHF/UHF Contest, the 10-10 International Mobile Contest, the BARTG Spring RTTY Contest, the Russian DX Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the CLARA and Family HF Contest, the Virginia QSO Party, the UBA Spring Contest (6 meters), the 9K 15-Meter Contest and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest are the weekend of March 18-19. JUST AHEAD: The CQ WW WPX Contest (SSB), the UBA Spring Contest (2 meters), and the Spring QRP Homebrewer Sprint are the weekend of March 25-26. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. * ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, March 19, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE). Program on-line courses: Amateur Radio Emergency Communication Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Technician Licensing (EC-010), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin Friday, April 7. NOTE: Because Technician Licensing (EC-010) courses beginning in April are based upon the current question pool, students completing these April classes should take the FCC Technician class (Element 2) examination by June 30. A *new* Element 2 question pool goes into effect July 1. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * AMSAT names Director of Education: AMSAT-NA has named H. Paul Shuch, N6TX, as its Director of Education. An AMSAT Board of Directors member, Shuch received his doctorate from the University of California-Berkeley and has an extensive background in teaching, curriculum development, communications, and engineering. AMSAT says Shuch's highest priority will be integrated curriculum development at all educational levels, with an emphasis on using satellites in the classroom, to enhance the teaching of science, math, geography, social studies, technology, and the social sciences. "I will invite all teachers within AMSAT to share with me their current, past, or planned use of satellites in the classroom, their instructional materials, and their desires in terms of future curricular development," Shuch said. AMSAT already participates in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, which helps to educate about human spaceflight and offers youngsters a chance to speak with the ISS crew via ham radio. Shuch says he'll seek ways to encourage ARISS schools and teachers "to take the next step, with programs to leverage that enthusiasm into an ongoing interest in math, science and Amateur Radio." Among other initiatives, he also wants to bring satellite builders and satellite users together in an educational setting and get satellite developers "fired up about supporting the classroom use of their creations." * CUTESats get OSCAR numbers: AMSAT has issued OSCAR numbers to the CUTE (CUbical Tokyo Institute of Technology Engineering) satellites. CUTE 1, launched in June 2003, is Cubesat-OSCAR-55 (CO-55), and CUTE 1.7, launched in February 2006, is Cubesat-OSCAR-56 (CO-56). CO-56 now is transmitting a CW signal with housekeeping data. The downlink is 437.385 MHz, and the CW is about 50 WPM. The satellite's call sign is JQ1YGW. The command team asks anyone receiving the satellite to report any data collected for further study <http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cute1.7/ireceived_e.html>. The latest version of the CW telemetry decoder software is available on the Lab for Space Systems/Tokyo Institute of Technology Web site <http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cute1.7/software_e.html>. More information on CO-55 and CO-56 is on the CUTE Web site <http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cubesat/index_e.html>. * NASA honors TV journalist, anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD: NASA has honored legendary CBS TV news anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, for his coverage of the US space program. Cronkite, who has narrated two ARRL Amateur Radio videos, received the Ambassador of Exploration Award February 28. "His marathon, live coverage of the first moon landing brought the excitement and impact of the historic event into the homes of millions of Americans and observers around the world," NASA said in announcing the award. NASA is presenting the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the 38 astronauts and other key individuals who participated in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs for realizing America's vision of space exploration from 1961 to 1972. Cronkite is the first non-astronaut and only NASA outsider to receive the award, which consists of a small, encased sample of lunar material mounted for public display. Cronkite is the best-remembered journalist for his commentary and enthusiastic coverage of the historic progression of missions from the early Mercury launches, through the ground-breaking Gemini missions, to the Apollo 11 and subsequent moon landings. * DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved this operation for DXCC credit: YI/OM2DX, Iraq, operation commencing June 9, 2003. For more information, visit the DXCC Web page <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can answer most questions about the DXCC program. ARRL DX bulletins are available on the W1AW DX Bulletins page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>. * Correction: The story "Ohio, North Carolina Youngsters Help ISS Commander Boost His QSO Record" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 10 (Mar 10, 2006), contained some incorrect information. The name of the science teacher at Country Day School is Jan French. =========================================================== The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President. The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news, updated as it happens. 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