*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 28, No. 13 April 3, 2009 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * ARRL Comments on FCC's Proposed Establishment of Rural Broadband Plan * New Videos Promoting Field Day, Amateur Radio Technology, Available from ARRL * Hams Still on Alert as Red River Flood Danger Lessens * FCC Denies New York Ham's Request for PRB-1 Ruling * German AMSAT Team Transmits, Receives Signals from Venus * Australian, British RTTY Contests to Merge * ARRL Releases 2009-2010 Repeater Directory * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This Week on the Radio ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration Byron Black, W4SSY, Wins March QST Cover Plaque Award 2009 National Hurricane Conference Has Amateur Radio Focus ARRL to Close in Observance of Good Friday +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> NOTE: There will be no ARRL Audio News April 3 or April 10. The ARRL Letter will be distributed one day early on Thursday, April 9, as ARRL HQ is closed Friday, April 10 in observance of Good Friday. =========================================================== ==>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 <k1sfa@arrl.org> =========================================================== ==> ARRL COMMENTS ON FCC'S PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL BROADBAND PLAN On March 10, 2009, the FCC invited comments via a Public Notice <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-561A1.pdf> concerning the establishment of a comprehensive rural broadband strategy as part of the Department of Agriculture's Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, commonly known as the 2008 Farm Bill. Per the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), Congress required the FCC to develop a "comprehensive national broadband plan." According to the FCC, they, Congress, and the Secretary of Agriculture "have repeatedly recognized the importance of ensuring access to advanced telecommunications and information services to all Americans, with a special focus on rural and hard-to-serve areas." The proceeding provided an opportunity for the ARRL to express its concerns about broadband over power lines (BPL) <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/> that the FCC has yet to satisfactorily address. In the comments submitted by ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD <http://www.arrl.org/news/files/09-29_Rural_Broadband_Comments_03_2009.p df>, the ARRL reaffirms its support of broadband opportunities in rural areas. "ARRL is in agreement that broadband is critical to the health of agricultural and other businesses, and to the educational interests of Americans who live in rural areas," Imlay stated. Imlay commended the FCC in looking for broadband solutions on both the short and long term, as well as identifying how Federal programs "might overcome obstacles that currently impede rural broadband development." Imlay pointed out that while the FCC and various power utilities have touted BPL as a promising means of providing rural broadband service, the ARRL contends that there are "prohibitive limitations (notable among these being the large number, and the cost, of repeaters and couplers required on overhead, medium voltage power lines for what amounts to a limited number of subscribers' homes in rural areas)." The ARRL maintains that before BPL could ever be considered as a long-term source of broadband in rural America, the FCC must adopt rules that provide against BPL interference to the licensed radio services. Imlay said that studies have pointed out that BPL systems cause interference to licensed radio services in "certain configurations," such as international broadcasting, aeronautical, maritime, disaster relief, military and the Amateur Radio Service. "Of particular concern in rural areas is that low-band VHF radio systems are still common among state police, volunteer fire departments and other 'First Responder' public safety agencies," Imlay told the Commission, adding, "BPL systems using this frequency range can and would, without additional rules, likely block communications between dispatch centers and emergency response vehicles." Imlay said that Amateur Radio is a "continuous, intensive user of the high-frequency bands in residential areas," and as such, "is arguably the most pervasively affected" by deployment of BPL in rural areas. "Amateur mobile operation is a particularly notable victim of BPL interference, since medium-voltage power lines run parallel to roadways." The Commission's BPL rules "include no effective protection." Imlay reminded the Commission that the ARRL, as well as broadcast industry representatives, challenged the adequacy of the FCC's BPL interference rules: "On appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Court remanded the ET Docket 04-37 proceeding to the Commission <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/25/10064/?nc=1> with some very specific instructions, including reconsideration of assumptions relating to interference mitigation and disclosure of studies that had previously only been released in redacted form." Imlay pointed out that almost a year after the Court's decision, the Commission has done "literally nothing" to comply with the mandated instructions <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/04/10685/>. In the six years that the BPL rules have been on the Commission's docket, Imlay said that there has been "continuous and extensive debate about the interference potential of BPL." This, he told the FCC, has created "some uncertainty" amongst the various utilities and municipalities that have been eyeing BPL as a broadband delivery mechanism, with the Commission's inaction since the Court's decision contributing to the uncertainty and "creating a dampening effect on the marketplace's interest in BPL." Before the FCC can implement a BPL policy for rural America, Imlay said that this "regulatory uncertainty" would need to be resolved. The cost of implementing interference resolution must be considered by any rural broadband provider, Imlay said. While there is nothing in the FCC rules concerning this, Imlay reminded the Commission that the ARRL, "some eight months ago, offered a plan to the Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology in this regard <http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8341>. The revised regulation suggested by ARRL would be sufficient to reduce the potential interference from BPL to the point that it would be practical to address such instances on a case-by-case basis. Compliance is achievable with present BPL technology without significant limitation on BPL deployment, rural or otherwise. However, the absence of such rules is an obstacle to any consideration of BPL as a rural broadband mechanism and makes an evaluation of interference mitigation difficult or impossible." The deployment of a BPL system with a high potential for interference would require expensive mitigation afterwards, whereas if the potential is reduced to an acceptable level at the time of deployment, the need for mitigation -- and therefore the cost -- will be greatly reduced. Imlay told the FCC that more than four years ago, the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) <http://www.usda.gov/rus/> recognized "the need and willingness to utilize agency resources to remove interference concerns as an obstacle to rural broadband rollout (at least via BPL)." In a January 2005 letter from then-RUS Administrator Hilda Gay Legg to ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, regarding the RUS's Community Connect Grant Program <http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/commconnect.htm>, the RUS acknowledged that the cost of interference mitigation from BPL systems was a "significant" issue, and told the ARRL that "whenever a loan or grant application proposes broadband service delivery via BPL, the RUS will 'consider the cost of interference mitigation in [its] financial analysis.'" On March 20, current FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein was nominated by President Barack Obama <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/03/23/10716/?nc=1> to become the next Administrator of the RUS. Imlay told the Commission that "[i]f the means by which a grantee would comply with the Commission requirements for interference avoidance are not clear (which as of now they are not), it is unlikely that any applicant for a grant for broadband service using BPL could address the RUS's concern about interference." Therefore, Imlay said that it is necessary for the FCC to address the BPL interference issues on remand from the Court of Appeals "in order to remove this additional obstacle to an assessment of rural broadband opportunities via BPL." The ARRL is "constrained" to note that the FCC has, over the past six years, "acted not as a dispassionate technical agency in the evaluation of certain broadband mechanisms, including BPL," Imlay noted, "instead acting as a self described 'cheerleader' for certain technologies, also including BPL." By these actions, Imlay said that the Commission "has ignored technical evidence that is contrary to its predisposition," and urged the FCC that "those same mistakes" not be repeated here. Imlay reminded the Commission that President Barack Obama, on his inauguration day earlier this year, placed a series of goals on the White House Web site. "Among these," Imlay said, "was the following, obviously laudable goal: 'Restore Scientific Integrity to the White House: Restore the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically valid evidence and not on ideological predispositions.' The Commission has the opportunity to implement this goal in this Docket proceeding." Saying that rural broadband opportunities should be "evaluated in terms of the scientific realities of the technologies on the table, and not on the basis of what the Commission wants to believe about them," the ARRL asked the FCC to fulfill "without further delay the obligations placed upon it by the United States Court of Appeals in ET Docket 04-37, and adopt such revised and additional rules for BPL so as to eliminate the extant interference potential of the technology." With the regulatory uncertainty and unresolved interference issues that continue to surround BPL, the resolution of ET Docket 04-37 is a "prerequisite for the development" of a plan for a complete evaluation of rural broadband opportunities and the development of a rural broadband plan. ==> NEW VIDEOS PROMOTING FIELD DAY, AMATEUR RADIO TECHNOLOGY, AVAILABLE FROM ARRL Two new video Public Service Announcements (PSAs) -- one promoting ARRL Field Day and another showing the technical side of Amateur Radio -- are now available from the ARRL Web site. "These videos are great for PIOs <http://www.arrl.org/pio>, clubs and hams in general to use in promoting the fun side of Amateur Radio," said ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP. "The Field Day PSA is meant to be posted on Web sites, added to e-mails and shared via the Internet," Pitts explained. "While not broadcast quality resolution, it was intentionally made small enough to go through almost all e-mail systems and able to be seen on almost every computer. The PSA spotlighting Amateur Radio technology is meant for broadcast and cable TV; it is more general than the Field Day video and media outlets can use it all year long. This video complements the WeDoThat-Radio campaign <http://www.wedothat-radio.org/> and the Technology Pillar, one of the ARRL's five pillars." Pitts said that the Field Day video is the League's first experiment in "viral" video. "We've seen how a good video can spread quickly via the Web and reach people. So we created a special Field Day Internet video for this year. Let's see what happens." Amateurs can download the video from the Field Day Web page <http://www.arrl.org/fieldday> and then send it to friends, e-mail lists, Web sites -- just about anywhere! "Please do not modify it or change the ending!" Pitts requests. "Since the files can go all over the country -- and world -- the ending needs to be able to direct anyone, anywhere to the closest Field Day site near them. Just be sure your local group is listed on the ARRL Field Day Locator <http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php> and they will find you." Since the technology PSA is targeted for commercial TV uses, it is a high resolution, 43 meg, MOV type file; it can be downloaded from the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/pio/videos/ARRL30secPSA2009.mov>. Because this version is meant for professional use, it has a formal 60 second lead-in followed by the 30 second PSA. A very low resolution preview version (not meant for distribution) is also available <http://www.arrl.org/pio/videos/LowRes2009.wmv>. To get a copy of the technology video on a disc, please send Pitts an e-mail <mailto:apitts@arrl.org>, letting him know which TV stations or cable systems will be showing the video, and which format is needed. Special thanks go to the volunteers of the national ARRL PR Committee who took the concept and helped bring it to reality. For the Field Day video, Kevin Pauley, KB9WVI, did the excellent video editing (right down to synchronizing shots with the music); Don Carlson, KQ6FM, did the voiceover work. Staff creativity came from Pitts -- who produced and created the video -- and ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, who did the music. The Delta DX Association in Louisiana, W5RU, with Bob McBride, AE5RN, and Albert DuPont, W5AFD, were a major help, providing action video clips and permissions from their last Field Day. The technology video was also designed by Pitts with extensive volunteer help. Special thanks go to Matt Aaron, KG4WXX, who guided the extensive video editing and to Don Carlson, KQ6FM, who did the audio work. ==> HAMS STILL ON ALERT AS RED RIVER FLOOD DANGER LESSENS Since March 22, a group of ham radio volunteers has been providing communications during the Red River flood emergency that continues to threaten Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota and surrounding areas. Hams from those cities, as well as surrounding areas, have been manning hospitals, Emergency Operations Centers and Salvation Army shelters. Mark Johnson, KC0SHM, President of the Red River Radio Amateurs (RRRA), reports that operations have wound down as water levels continue to recede. The ham volunteers remain on alert, however, as flooding still threatens the area. As of April 3, the Red River was at 35.4 feet in Fargo. Flood stage is 18 feet. ==> FCC DENIES NEW YORK HAM'S REQUEST FOR PRB-1 RULING On March 27, the FCC notified Thomas Morrison, AB2PP, of Yonkers, New York, that it was denying his petition concerning an Amateur Radio antenna support structure Morrison had installed at his home <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-680A1.pdf>. In his December 2008, petition, Morrison requested the Commission rule that the City of Yonkers did not provide "reasonable accommodation" in its building permit requirements per PRB-1 with regard to the installation of the support structure <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/PRB-1_Pkg/prb-1.pdf>. This is the second time Morrison has sought assistance from the FCC in this matter. In 2006, he filed a request with the Commission asking for a declaratory ruling regarding the tower; the FCC denied his request in January 2007. "In that letter [denying your request]," the FCC reminded Morrison in its 2009 letter, "we explained that the Commission's PRB-1 decision requires that local regulation of Amateur Radio facilities must be the minimum practicable to accomplish the local authority's legitimate purpose, but permits the local authority to determine in the first instance what constitutes a 'reasonable accommodation' based on the its [sic] legitimate purposes, policies and concerns." The Commission's 2007 letter also noted that the FCC does not have the resources to review all state and local laws that affect Amateur Radio operations and that local tribunals have authority to review local zoning decisions. In his 2008 letter, Morrison told the Commission that since the FCC failed to act in his favor in his earlier petition, the Yonkers City Planning Board denied his request for a special use permit for his antenna support structure. The City of Yonkers has also indicted him for installing a tower without a building permit, a misdemeanor. Morrison also told the FCC that he has filed litigation in US District Court, requesting that it delay his criminal trial. "We conclude that these intervening events do not affect our conclusion that, under the Commission's PRB-1 decision, you have not presented an appropriate matter for Commission involvement," the FCC told Morrison. "Because your dispute with the City fundamentally involves whether its building code complies with PRB-1, and PRB-1 recognizes that local tribunals have the authority to handle appeals of local decisions regarding antenna structures, we believe that the matter you inquire about is in the appropriate forum. We therefore decline to act upon your petition." ==> GERMAN AMSAT TEAM TRANSMITS, RECEIVES SIGNALS FROM VENUS On March 25, a group from AMSAT-DL bounced radio signals off the surface of Venus, marking the first time Amateur Radio operators have bounced radio signals off another planet <http://www.amsat-dl.org/pic/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem &g2_itemId=7561>. According to AMSAT-DL President Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, the Earth-Venus-Earth (EVE) transmission is another step in preparing for a mission to Mars. According to an AMSAT-DL press release, the team's transmitter was generating about 6 kW CW on 2.4 GHz. Guelzow said that signals were sent from a ground control station at the IUZ Sternwarte observatory in Bochum: "After traveling almost 100 million kilometers and a round trip delay of about 5 minutes, they were clearly received as echoes from the surface of Venus. This was the first German success to receive echoes of other planets. In addition, this is the farthest distance crossed by radio amateurs, over 100 times further than echoes from the moon (EME reflections)." The EVE experiment was repeated on March 26 for several hours with "good echoes" from Venus, Guelzow said. "Morse code was used to transmit the well-known 'HI' signature known from the AMSAT OSCAR satellites." For receiving the EVE reflections, Guelzow said that the team used a fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis with an integration time of 5 minutes. "After integrating for 2 minutes only, the reflected signals were clearly visible in the display," he said. "Despite the bad weather, signals from Venus could be detected from 1038 UTC on until the planet reached the local horizon." Guelzow explained that with the EVE reflections, the high power amplifier "has therefore passed this crucial test as a final key component for the planned P5-A Mars mission. By receiving generated echoes from Venus, the ground and command station for the Mars probe has been cleared for operational use and the AMSAT-DL team is now gearing up for building the P5-A space probe. AMSAT-DL wants to show that low-budget interplanetary exploration is possible with its approach." Development, design and construction of this first German Mars mission have been achieved by AMSAT-DL and its partner organizations, Guelzow explained. "Already a third of the total project costs were performed. More work shall follow during the mission. AMSAT-DL would like to demonstrate that their approaches to low-cost space missions are feasible." -- Information provided by AMSAT-DL ==> AUSTRALIAN, BRITISH RTTY CONTESTS TO MERGE John Barber, GW4SKA, of the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group (BARTG) <http://www.bartg.org.uk/index.htm>, announced that 2009 will be the last running of the Australian National Amateur Radio Teleprinter Society (ANARTS) RTTY Contest <http://www.anarts.com.au/index.htm>. Citing the failing health of ANARTS Secretary and Contest Manager Pat Leeper, VK2JPA, Barber said that BARTG, with help toward expenses from ANARTS, will manage June's 2009 ANARTS Contest. "BARTG have had close links with ANARTS over the years," Barber said, "and we felt that we should help in some way. After discussions between Pat and the BARTG committee, we have decided on a course of action." Barber said that he briefly considered moving the BARTG HF Contest from the third weekend in March to the second weekend in June, the date ANARTS held their RTTY contest, but based on input from the RTTY contest community, decided against the move. "The general opinion seems to be that moving to a June date would be a bad idea, both for propagation and because there are better things to do in June," he said. "The contest calendar is very crowded and there are few options open if we were to consider a new date at the beginning or end of the year." Saying that the Russian DX Contest is also the third weekend in March, Barber said that "The RDXC contesters will just have to work round us and be tolerant if space gets tight, as we are to them." Barber said that Leeper had "made every effort to find someone else in Australia to take over the contest, but with no success. My thanks go to Pat for her cooperation and hard work in running the previous contests." Calling the BARTG HF Contest "a well liked and supported contest," Barber said that the March 2009 BARTG HF Contest attracted "around 2500 participants. I have no wish to change the character by messing around with the rules, so they will remain the same for next year." The ANARTS rules <http://www.anarts.com.au/rules2009.htm> will not change, but logs must be submitted to BARTG <mailto:anarts@bartg.org.uk>. The rules are currently on the ANARTS Web site, but he said they will be posted to the BARTG Web site soon. BARTG runs two contests each year <http://www.bartg.org.uk/contests.htm>. The BARTG Sprint Contest is in January and the BARTG HF Contest is in March. ==> ARRL RELEASES 2009-2010 REPEATER DIRECTORY With more than 20,000 listings for VHF/UHF repeaters across the US and Canada, "The ARRL Repeater Directory 2009-2010" is a must have. Once again, the ARRL is offering two sizes of the "Repeater Directory" --pocket size <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1288> and desktop <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1318>. The pocket-sized Repeater Directory boasts a larger font size, making for easier reading. Both editions feature handy indexing tabs on the cover, easier to read listings and a "Key to Repeater Notes" located right up front in the Directory. Along with these new features, both editions have the features you know and enjoy from prior years: Repeater operating practices, repeater lingo and hints for newly licensed hams; Frequency Coordinator contact information; listings for D-STAR and APCO 25 repeaters; a guide to using CTCSS tones and Digital Coded Squelch (DCS); VHF/UHF band plans and a 2 meter channel-spacing map; IRLP (Internet linked) nodes; tips for handling interference; listings for IRLP, WIRES-II and EchoLink (Internet linked) nodes; emergency message handling procedures, and a transceiver memory log. Order your copy of "The ARRL Repeater Directory 2009-2010" today at the ARRL Online Store <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=What%27s%20New>. ==> SOLAR UPDATE Tad "The warm Sun thaws the benumbed Earth" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: Our Sun is in the news again, unfortunately not due to any hoped-for activity, but for the eerie quiet instead. The Sun is surprisingly calm by several measurements, including the large number of spotless days, with an average 10.7 cm solar flux and low solar wind pressure. Right now there are no sunspots, but the 10.7 cm solar flux is up a bit lately. The latest prediction has the usual quiet planetary A index at 8 for April 3-4, then back to 5, then 15 and 10 for April 9-10. Predicted solar flux is 71 for April 3-9, then back to 70 for April 10-22 then to 72 for April 23 and into May. Sunspot numbers for March 26-April 1 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 69.1, 71.6, 70.6, 70.9, 70.9, 71.2 and 70.8 with a mean of 70.7. The estimated planetary A indices were 7, 4, 4, 5, 4, 4 and 4 with a mean of 4.6. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2 and 3 with a mean of 3.1. 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/>. This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you by Thomas Carew's "The Spring" <http://www.poetry.com/greatestpoems/poem.asp?id=508>. __________________________________ ==> IN BRIEF: * This Week on the Radio: This week, the NCCC Sprint Ladder is April 3. On April 4-5, check out the Montana QSO Party, the Missouri QSO Party, the QCWA Spring QSO Party, the ARCI Spring QSO Party, the SP DX Contest and the EA RTTY Contest. The 144 MHz Spring Sprint is April 6 (local time). Next week is the NCCC Sprint Ladder on April 10 and the PODXS 070 Club PSK 31 Flavors Contest on April 11. On April 11-12, look for the Georgia QSO Party, the Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest and the JIDX CW Contest. The SKCC Weekend Sprint and the UBA Spring Contest (SSB) are April 12. The Low Power Spring Sprint is April 13. The 222 MHz Spring Sprint is April 14 (local time) and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is April 15. All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contest Update <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Station Web page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>. * ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, April 5, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, April 17, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2; Antenna Modeling, and Radio Frequency Propagation. 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/cep/student> or contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce@arrl.org>. * Byron Black, W4SSY, Wins March QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for March is Byron Black, W4SSY, for his article "The W4SSY Spudgun." Congratulations, Byron! 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 April issue by Thursday, April 30. * 2009 National Hurricane Conference Has Amateur Radio Focus: The 31st Annual National Hurricane Conference <http://www.hurricanemeeting.com/> will take place April 6-10 in Austin, Texas. This annual event brings together many disciplines in the Emergency Management field to address tropical events that impact the United States. According to ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, the conference will feature several Amateur Radio presentations catering to Amateur Radio operators, Emergency Management and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) officials. "This will be Amateur Radio's most significant presence at a National Hurricane Conference," Dura said. On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 7, Dura said an Amateur Radio Training Workshop will be offered free of charge to Amateur Radio operators, Emergency Management and NGO staff and volunteers attending the Conference. "This has been a yearly tradition at the conference," he said. "In addition, on Wednesday morning, April 8, an Amateur Radio Workshop on Situational Awareness and Disaster Intelligence, as well as an Amateur Radio 'Rap Session,' will be held. For the Wednesday presentation, the conference registration fee is required." * ARRL to Close in Observance of Good Friday: ARRL Headquarters will be closed in observance of Good Friday on Friday, April 10. There will be no W1AW bulletin or code practice transmissions that day. "The ARRL Letter" will be posted a day early on Thursday, April 9; there will be no "ARRL Audio News" on April 3 or April 10. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, April 13 at 8 AM Eastern Daylight Time. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. =========================================================== 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. 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 ==>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: ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site <http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the Members Only Web Site.) The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these sources: * ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.) * The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.) Copyright 2009 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved