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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 21, No. 38
September 27, 2002
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +HR 4720 cosponsor list continues to grow
* +Ham-Congressman tapped for key US House panel
* +Astronaut, nieces chat via ham radio
* +Amateurs assist as Isidore comes ashore
* +Prose Walker, W4BW, SK
* +W3ZZ to take reins of "World Above 50 MHz"
* +Newest Handbook sports slightly different name
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Emergency Communications course registration opens October 1
     Correction/clarification
     Job opening at ARRL Laboratory
     ARRL requesting JOTA activity registration
     ARRL International DX Contest phone results now available
     Lester E. Kendall, W1ABE, SK
     Paul Knupke Jr, N4PK, SK
     Argentina to get 136-kHz band
     Western States Weak Signal Society schedules VHF/UHF conference

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================

==>COSPONSOR LIST FOR CC&R BILL, HR 4720, CONTINUES TO GROW

Four new cosponsors have signed aboard HR 4720, the bill in Congress aimed
at providing relief to amateurs faced with private deed covenants,
conditions and restrictions--CC&Rs--in erecting antennas. The latest
additions make a total of nine new cosponsors in the past month alone. HR
4720 has been referred to the House Telecommunications and Internet
Subcommittee.

To date, 27 members of the US House of Representatives have agreed to
cosponsor the measure. The list includes two amateurs--Oregon Republican
Greg Walden, WB7OCE--one of the two original cosponsors of HR 4720 with
Texas Republican Pete Sessions--and Arkansas Democrat Mike Ross, WD5DVR.
Walden and Ross are believed to be the only Amateur Radio licensees in the
US House of Representatives.

Arkansas Section Manager Bob Ideker, WB5VUH, credits the Fort Smith
Amateur Radio Club with influencing one of the most recent
cosponsors--Arkansas Republican John Boozman--to sign onto the bill as a
cosponsor. A third Arkansas congressman, Democrat Marion Berry, also is
new to the list. "Three congressmen from Arkansas down, one to go!"
exclaimed Ideker.

Other recent arrivals include representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Zoe
Lofgren (D-CA), Constance Morella (R-MD), Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Mike
McIntyre (D-NC), Michael McNulty (D-NY), and Neil Abercrombie (D-HI).

On Capitol Hill for a visit September 19, ARRL President Jim Haynie,
W5JBP, said his meetings with members of Congress and their staff in
general and with House Internet and Telecommunications Subcommittee
members in particular were very favorable. "All my work on The Hill on HR
4720 was extremely encouraging," Haynie said. "I felt real good about it."

New York Democrat Steve Israel introduced HR 4720--the "Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Consistency Act"--on May 14. The measure would
require private land-use regulators--such as homeowners' associations--to
"reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication consistent with the
PRB-1 limited federal preemption. PRB-1 now applies only to states and
municipalities.

For more information, visit the HR 4720, The Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Consistency Act of 2002 page on the ARRL Web site,
www.arrl.org/govrelations/hr4720. The ARRL requests those writing or
e-mailing members of Congress--whether or not they are supporting this
legislation--to copy ARRL on their correspondence--via e-mail to
ccr-bill@arrl.org or via US Mail to CC&R Bill, ARRL, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111. Correspondents should include the bill number, HR
4720, as well as their name and address on all correspondence.

==>HAM-CONGRESSMAN APPOINTED TO KEY HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE

Oregon Republican Congressman Greg Walden, WB7OCE, has been appointed to
fill a vacancy on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the
Internet. Walden is one of two amateurs in the US House of
Representatives, and his appointment to the key House panel is considered
good news for the amateur community. Walden's appointment was announced by
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin, a Republican
from Louisiana.

"With his extensive background in broadcasting, Greg has a world of
experience and expertise in telecommunications issues," Tauzin said. "His
knowledge of the issues will help the Subcommittee address digital
television, spectrum management, broadband deployment and other
telecommunications matters."

For his part, Walden said he was elated to become a subcommittee member.
"I intend to work diligently to help invigorate the economic engine in
Oregon and across the country," he said. "I am anxious to roll up my
sleeves for Chairman Tauzin and Chairman Upton and work hard under their
very effective leadership." Walden, who represents Oregon's second
congressional district, was elected to Congress in 1998.

Within the amateur community, he's best known as one of the original
cosponsors--with Texas Republican Pete Sessions--of HR 4720. That's the
bill pending in Congress aimed at providing relief to amateurs faced with
private deed covenants, conditions and restrictions--CC&Rs--in erecting
antennas.

==>NIECES QUESTION "AUNT PEGGY" DURING ARISS SCHOOL CONTACT

Two of astronaut Peggy Whitson's young nieces were among the youngsters at
St Mary's School in Martensdale, Iowa, who got to ask questions of their
Aunt Peggy via Amateur Radio on September 19. Kelsey and Megan Whitson
each got a chance to ask two questions apiece during the contact, arranged
via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.

At one point, Megan Whitson asked her aunt if she would return to space
again if she had the chance. "Yes, Megan, in a heartbeat. I would go
again," came back the reply from Peggy Whitson, KC5ZTD, who--as part of
the Expedition 5 ISS crew--has been in space since early June. Whitson
said she's most looking forward upon her return to seeing her husband and
taking a shower. The reply drew laughter from the youngsters at the
kindergarten through grade 6 school.

Kelsey Whitson wanted to know how her aunt was going to get back to Earth.
"Kelsey, I'm gonna come down on a shuttle in November, so I'll see you
then," said Whitson, who that same week was named by NASA as the first
International Space Station science officer. Whitson holds a doctorate in
biochemistry from Rice University.

Another youngster, Michaela McIlravy, asked about doing laundry and
bathing aboard the ISS. "Once our clothes smell bad, we throw them in the
trash," Whitson said. Blasts from the onboard Amateur Radio packet system
punctuated the contact and covered an occasional word.

Whitson saved what was perhaps her most eloquent reply for Dustin Loyd's
question about what it was like to take a space walk.

"As much it is absolutely phenomenal to be on the space station, going
outside was even more impressive," Whitson responded. "Being in the
spacesuit is like being in your own little space ship, and it's just
around you and your body, and being outside made me feel like I was flying
over the Earth like a bird. It made me feel like I had wings."

The contact with St Mary's was handled via Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN, in
Hawaii. Two-way audio for the contact was provided courtesy of a WorldCom
teleconferencing circuit.

Earlier in the month, Whitson completed a successful ARISS contact with
students at Glen Waverley Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia.
Despite the evening hour of the September 12 QSO, more than 130 people
turned out for the occasion.

ARISS mentor Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, noted "a few antenna problems" in the
hour before the contact, but Whitson managed to answer 13 questions put to
her by the students. Their questions reflected concerns over the cost of
the space program as well as curiosity about the physical effects of
living in space and the prospects of space tourism.

"The event was well followed by Amateur Radio operators in several states
of Australia," said Joe Magee VK3BKI, of the Eastern and Mountain
Districts Radio Club, which assisted with the contact. "Many were
listening to the downlink, and the contact was the major point of
discussion on the Melbourne VHF/UHF repeaters for many hours after the
event and the next day."

ARISS is an international project, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT
and NASA.

==>AMATEURS ASSIST IN ISIDORE RESPONSE

Amateurs in Mississippi rallied to help deal with the effects of former
tropical storm Isidore, which came ashore September 26. According to
Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Isidore dumped at least
nine inches of rain on the state and caused power outages, tree damage and
lowland flooding.

Keown said Louisiana, Mississippi and South Texas joined forces according
to a previous agreement and, earlier this week, activated the West Gulf
Amateur Radio Emergency Service Net (7285 kHz in the daytime and 3873 kHz
at night) in preparation for the storm's arrival. The net remained in
operation all week.

Jackson Metro Emergency Coordinator Ben Jones, AC5SU, organized an Amateur
Radio Red Cross net, and all five Red Cross shelters in the area were
equipped with ham radio communication and prepared to keep in touch with
one another as well as with the Red Cross Emergency Operations Center in
Jackson. "Red Cross officials were very excited about this" Keown said.

At week's end, the FCC rescinded a general communications emergency that
had included Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. "Amateurs
may resume using the frequencies 3873, 3965, 7247 and 7285 kHz (plus or
minus 3 kHz)," said Joe Casey, deputy chief of the FCC Enforcement Bureau.
"The Federal Communications Commission wishes to thank everyone for their
cooperation and dedicated amateur service."

On September 25, Jackson County Civil Defense/Emergency Management
Director Todd Adams, KD5POK, requested activation of the local ARES/RACES
team to support the American Red Cross and Jackson County government
agencies. Jackson County EC and RACES Officer Ira Groff, NN5AF, says the
Jackson County Emergency Net was called up on a local VHF repeater, and 24
ARES/RACES members and 11 other operators checked in to provide support.

Meanwhile, Sheryl Mathieu, KB5ZIB, Groff, and his wife, Evelyn, KB5ZIA,
staffed the emergency operations center in Pascagoula. "We were in direct
communications with the National Hurricane Center in Miami and the
National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, on HF," Groff said. Thanks
to the fact that Adams is a certified meteorologist, Groff added, the
Mississippi amateurs were able to provide vital weather data to the NHC
and the NWS.

The Red Cross opened four shelters in the county, and some 180 people took
refuge during the emergency. Seven amateurs were deployed to support
shelter communications, while two others maintained contact from at the
American Red Cross building in Pascagoula, Groff said. The emergency
activation wrapped up around 7:30 AM on September 26.

Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Nils Millergren, WA4NDA,
reported this week that ARES members were activated in three counties and
on standby in another. ARES members staffed both the EOC and two shelters
in Okaloosa County and one shelter in Walton County. ARES was active in
the EOC in Escambia County and remained on standby in Santa Rosa County.

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) <http://www.hwn.org> and W4EHW
<http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/w4ehw/> at the National Hurricane Center in Miami
secured September 26 after eight hours effort in support of tropical
storms Isidore and Lili, neither of which developed into hurricane status
as had been predicted but did produce heavy rains and serious flood
threats.

==>FORMER FCC OFFICIAL A. PROSE WALKER, W4BW, SK

Former FCC official A. Prose Walker, W4BW, the man some consider the
godfather of the so-called "WARC bands"--30, 17 and 12 meters--died August
8 following a brief illness. He was 92. Word of his death reached ARRL
Headquarters this month.

Walker, who headed the FCC Amateur and Citizens Division from 1971 until
1975, made the initial proposal for three new amateur allocations at 10,
18 and 24 MHz during an International Amateur Radio Club (4U1ITU) meeting
in Geneva in 1972. Later, he organized and chaired the US preparatory
committee for the Amateur Service--the Advisory Committee of Amateur
Radio--which took the initial steps to turn the idea into reality at the
1979 World Administrative Radio Conference. The committee also included
former ARRL General Manager Richard L. Baldwin, W1RU, who said this week
that he was greatly saddened to learn of Walker's passing.

"One of my fondest memories of WARC 79 was the pleasure and the challenge
of working with Prose in preparing for that conference," Baldwin said. "He
was a stalwart supporter of the Amateur Service, and few amateurs realize
how very much they owe to him."

Walker's most recent recognition came at Dayton Hamvention 2000, when he
was recognized with a special achievement award, an honor his daughter,
Helen Herman, said he coveted among many other more prestigious awards.
The award recognized his work in obtaining the new amateur allocations
more than two decades earlier.

An ARRL Life Member and a licensee since the 1920s, Walker was an
enthusiastic amateur who remained quite active on the air until shortly
before his death. Only a few months before he died, he bought a
state-of-the-art transceiver and reveled in becoming acquainted with its
many features. Walker's favorite operating mode was CW, and he was a
frequent visitor on the bands he'd helped to create.

A native of Ohio, Walker's career took a number of turns, including a
stint as a high school teacher, but his primary contributions were in the
fields of communications and engineering. He did two tour with the FCC and
also worked for the National Association of Broadcasters  and Collins
Radio Company.

During his career, Walker earned a global reputation for participation and
leadership within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). He was
the leading member of the US delegation at more than 20 international
conferences.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, knew Walker and
occasionally encountered him on the air. "The careers of some radio
amateurs are so long and so rich that they bridge generations," Sumner
said. "Prose was among these."

Walker retired to Florida, but after his wife Ellanie died in 1999, he
moved to Rochester, New York, to be near his daughter, Helen. A memorial
service will be held later this year.

==>W3ZZ, TO BECOME NEW "WORLD ABOVE 50 MHZ" EDITOR

A venerable QST institution is getting a new editor. Starting with the
December issue, Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, will take
over the reins of "The World Above 50 MHz" from Emil Pocock, W3EP, who has
handled the column for the past 10 years.

"The VHF and above area has been an interest of mine since I was first
licensed," says Zimmerman, a ham since 1956.

Among other accomplishments, Zimmerman has logged several national top-10
finishes in the ARRL November Sweepstakes (both modes) as well as a
second-place North American finish in the CQ World Wide CW event (from
VP2MDD). He's also bagged several national top-10 finishes in ARRL VHF
parties and in the ARRL VHF Sweepstakes.

After his forays into HF DXing and contesting, Zimmerman returned to VHF
in the early 1980s. Operating from his home in Maryland, he's progressed
to a setup that covers 6 meters through 70 cm with full legal limit amps
plus gear for 903 MHz through 10 GHz--"when it all works," he quips.

Even in "the world above 50 MHz," Zimmerman says he's more of a DXer than
a contester. He holds VUCC on 50 through 1296 MHz with more than 800 grids
confirmed on 6 meters alone and 250 on 2 meters. He's also a frequent
participant on the VHF convention scene.

A Life Member of ARRL, Zimmerman has served on the ARRL Contest Advisory
Committee, edited the VHF contesting column for CQ Contest magazine during
its five-year lifespan and was director from 2000 until 2002 of the CQ VHF
Contest.

QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, credited Pocock, the retiring editor, with
popularizing VHF operating for the non-VHF community. "Emil used his
column as a forum to encourage interest among beginners," Ford said. He
also broadened the column's scope to embrace activities not often
described in the amateur press and described propagation phenomena in a
way that all hams could understand, he added.

==>NEWEST ARRL HANDBOOK EDITION SPORTS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NAME

Sharp-eyed QST readers will notice a slight difference in the title on the
cover of the 80th edition of The ARRL Handbook. The 2003 edition of the
famous reference book, dubbed "the most respected communications resource
for hams, engineers and technicians since 1926," is advertised for the
first time on page 7 of the October issue of QST and is now available for
ordering. Starting with the 2003 edition, it's now officially called The
ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications.

"The name change from The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs epitomizes the
Handbook's known appeal in non-amateur circles," says ARRL Marketing
Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. "The book remains largely written by radio
amateurs for radio amateurs."

Inderbitzen notes that for many years, the Handbook has enjoyed broad
appeal among electronic technicians and engineers, instructors and
students, and even government and private researchers, whether or not they
also happened to be Amateur Radio licensees. "We hope the small name
change will make it easier for users in our non-traditional markets to
locate this excellent ARRL resource," Inderbitzen said.

The cover of the 2003 Handbook sports a photograph of the high-power,
automatic "EZ-Tuner" project by Jim Garland, W8ZR. The project, which also
won the QST Cover Plaque Award for the April 2002 issue, is among those
included in the 2003 edition.

Among other things, the 2003 edition of the Handbook includes updated and
comprehensive chapters on modulation sources--including digital voice--and
on digital signal processing (DSP) technology. Other changes include a
revised chapter on safety practices.

The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications (2003) now is available for
ordering via the ARRL Web catalog <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/>. The
softcover edition <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1921>; is $34.95; the
hardcover edition <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1948>; is $49.95 and
available in limited supply. Orders are expected to ship in mid-October.

The Handbook CD for Radio Communications (2003) Version 7.0
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1956>; is $39.95 and includes the entire
2003 edition of The ARRL Handbook as a fully searchable, easy-to-use
CD-ROM. It will ship in November.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar seer Tad "Dancing in Sunshine" Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Over the seven-day period September 19-25 conditions were quiet
with no real geomagnetic activity except some unsettled conditions on the
September 19. The sun has also been quiet.

Average sunspot numbers were down slightly for the past week and average
solar flux was down quite a lot. Solar flux over the past two weeks has
declined from more than 200 toward 150. Over the next few days it is
expected to go below 140. After October 3 sunspots and solar flux are
expected to rise, based upon the previous solar rotation. Flux values are
expected to reach 200 again in the second week of October. Currently
holographic images show no substantial sunspots on the sun's far side.

We are now in the fall season, a great time for HF DX. Openings are better
and longer, particularly on the higher bands. Although solar activity is
still fairly high, we have passed the peak of the sunspot cycle, and this
fall will probably be far better for HF propagation than next fall.

The 10 and 12-meter bands now are open to parts of the world that were
unheard a couple of months back. For most of North America 10 and 12
should be open in the middle of the day toward Europe, during all daylight
hours toward South America, and to Asia and the Pacific late in the
afternoon to early evening. Twelve meters will generally open earlier and
close later than ten meters.

For the CQ/RJ Worldwide RTTY Contest this weekend expect good conditions
with no radio blackouts or solar flares likely.

Sunspot numbers for September 19 through 25 were 206, 237, 217, 218, 209,
240 and 230, with a mean of 222.4. The 10.7-cm flux was 165.3, 164.4,
158.6, 160, 153.8, 157.9, and 153.4, with a mean of 159.1. Estimated
planetary A indices were 13, 6, 9, 9, 5, 6, and 6, with a mean of 7.7.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The CQ/RJ Worldwide DX Contest (RTTY), the
Scandinavian Activity Contest (SSB). the Alabama, Louisiana and Texas QSO
parties, and the Anatolian DX Contest are the weekend of September 28-29.
JUST AHEAD: The SARL 80-Meter QSO Party is October 3. The TARA PSK31
Rumble, the Oceania DX Contest (SSB), the EU Autumn Sprint (SSB), the
California QSO Party, the QCWA QSO Party, the Pro CW Contest and the RSGB
21/28 MHz Contest (SSB) are the weekend of October 5-6. 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 Emergency Communications Course Registration Opens October 1:
Registration opens Tuesday, October 1, 4 PM Eastern Daylight Time (2000
UTC), for the ARRL Level I Emergency Communications course (EC-001)
supported by the recent federal homeland security grant from the
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). This class is
reserved for up to 200 ARRL members who now hold official ARRL field
appointments (ie, ACC, ASM, BM, DEC, EC, LGL, NM, OBS, OES, OO, OOC, ORS,
PIC, PIO, SEC, SGL, SM, STM, TC or TS). Members who hold an informal
Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) appointment will be eligible if
registered by their respective ARRL section managers or section emergency
coordinators. Registration will remain open until Monday, October 14, or
until all 200 seats have been filled--whichever comes first. Seating is on
a first-come, first-served basis. Students taking advantage of Level I
emergency communications training under the CNCS grant program will be
asked to pay for the course via credit card during registration. Upon
successfully completing the training and certification, students will be
reimbursed the $45 fee. For more information, visit the ARRL Certification
and Continuing Education Course Syllabi Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/syllabus.html> or contact Emergency
Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org;
860-594-0340.

* Correction/clarification: The correct link to the ICOM Digital Voice
system Web site mentioned in the article "Digital Aficionados Turn Out for
2002 ARRL/TAPR Conference" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 21, No 37, should be
http://www.tapr.org/tapr/dv/DStar%20brochure.pdf>. The audio sample file
mentioned is available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/09/16/1/audio.m3u>.

* Job opening at ARRL Laboratory: The ARRL Laboratory has a job opening
for an RFI/EMC specialist. The successful candidate will work at ARRL
Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, on a variety of technical projects
and programs relating to radio-frequency interference and its effect on
the Amateur Radio Service. An Amateur Radio license and experience is
required for this position. This job is a unique opportunity to work with
ARRL members, the FCC, industry groups and standards organizations to make
a real difference in this critical area for Amateur Radio. Some additional
duties of this position are: Works with amateurs to find solutions to RFI
problems; maintains and improves ARRL's RFI information; writes articles,
book material and papers about RFI; and develops and maintains a database
for tracking and documenting RFI problems. Send a resume and salary
expectations to Bob Boucher, Personnel Manager, ARRL, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111. Resumes may be sent via e-mail to rboucher@arrl.org.
No telephone calls, please. ARRL is an equal opportunity employer.

* ARRL requesting JOTA activity registration: Scouting's annual Jamboree
On The Air (JOTA) takes place Saturday October 19 through Sunday October
20 (local time and always the third weekend of October). For the first
time, ARRL is requesting that any club or individual planning to be active
during the 2002 JOTA activity register on the "Youth Skeds" page on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/youthskeds/>. (Set the
expiration for the day after JOTA, October 21.) The idea is to provide a
database of scheduled JOTA activity in advance of the event to help more
scouting groups to participate in JOTA 2002. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts,
Brownies and Venture Scouts soon will take to the airwaves in an effort to
communicate with each other via Amateur Radio. As many as 400,000 Scouts,
scouters and other youth have participated in JOTA in the past, and it's
become the world's largest scouting event! JOTA provides another way to
expose youth to Amateur Radio by showing them a great time as well as
helping them to meet new friends, share stories of past scout experiences,
and, ultimately, to light the spark that inspires them to pursue their own
Amateur Radio licenses. For more information, visit the JOTA page on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html>.

* ARRL International DX Contest phone results now available: The ARRL has
posted the results of the 2002 ARRL International DX Contest (Phone)
event, held last March 2-3. The results are now on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/results/>. Some of the information--such as
an Adobe PDF document of the QST contest article and the search
database--is accessible only by ARRL members, nonmembers are able to
access the online Soapbox. The QST contest article will be available to
all in about one month.

* Lester E. Kendall, W1ABE, SK: One of the ARRL's oldest members has died.
Lester Kendall, W1ABE, of Newport, Rhode Island, died September 1. He was
100 years old. Last March, The Newport County Radio Club honored Kendall
on his 100th birthday. Kendall was licensed in 1927 and still held his
original call sign 75 years later.

* Paul Knupke Jr, N4PK, SK: Paul Knupke Jr, N4PK, of Largo, Florida, died
unexpectedly September 24. He was 31. The cause of death has not been
determined. An ARRL Life Member, Knupke was an Assistant Section Manager
and Webmaster for the West Central Florida Section. He also was president
of the Tampa Bay Hamfest, president of the Florida Gulf Coast Amateur
Radio Council and District 4 Director for the Florida Repeater Council. He
was a past president of the Clearwater Amateur Radio Society and served as
its secretary, Webmaster and newsletter editor. "He was an active
contester and had a real passion for Amateur Radio," said West Central
Florida Section Manager Dave Armbrust, AE4MR, who called Knupke "one of
Amateur Radio's shining stars." Survivors include his father, Paul E.
Knupke, K4PEK. Knupke's family invites contributions in his memory to the
Paul Knupke Jr Memorial Scholarship Fund, care of Alan J. Pickering, 720 N
Shore Boulevard NE, St Petersburg, FL 33701-2623. The James Reese Funeral
Home <http://www.reesefuneral.com> is handling arrangements. A funeral
mass will be said October 1.

* Argentina to get 136-kHz band: Radio Club Argentino
<http://www.lu4aa.org> President Roberto Beviglia, LU4BR, reports that
Argentinian amateurs will be the next to gain access to the 136-kHz LF
band. As a result of a rule proposal the club made to federal officials,
he reports, a portion of the 136-kHz band has been allocated to the
Amateur Service on a secondary basis in Argentina. The segment 135.7 to
137.8 kHz will be coordinated by the Radio Club Argentino until it is
finally assigned on a primary basis within a year.

* Western States Weak Signal Society schedules VHF/UHF conference: The
Western States Weak Signal Society will host a VHF/UHF conference October
12 at the Cerritos Sheraton, 12725 Center Court Drive, Cerritos,
California. Activities will include demonstrations of weak-signal
operating on Friday, Oct 11, as well as a swap event on Sunday, Oct 13.
The Saturday evening banquet will feature ARRL First Vice President Joel
Harrison, W5ZN, a long-time VHF/UHF enthusiast. ARRL Southwestern Division
Director Art Goddard, W6XD, also is scheduled to be on hand. More
information and a registration form are available on the Western States
Weak Signal Society Web site <http://www.wswss.org>. Proceedings will be
available via the ARRL online catalog for $20. Order Item 8748.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main
St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
http://www.arrl.org. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,
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the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRLWeb Extra at
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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 and The American Radio Relay League.

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"Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify
membership data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes, and 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 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

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL Audio News.

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 and The American Radio Relay League.

Back issues published since 2000 are available on this page. If you wish to subscribe via e-mail, simply log on to the ARRL Web site, click on Edit Your Profile at the top, then click on Edit Email Subscriptions. Check the box next to The ARRL email newsletter, the ARRL Letter and you will receive each weekly issue in HTML format. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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

Editorial questions or comments: John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, at news@arrl.org.

Plain-Text

The ARRL E-Letter e-mail is also available in plain-text version:

Outlook Express

1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box.  When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Thunderbird

Use the menu item "View/Message Body As/Plain Text" or "View/Message Source" options.

OS X Mail (Mac)

Use the "View/Message/Plain Text Alternative" menu item.

GMail

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...

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