*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 05 February 4, 2005 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +ARRL's Community Education Project under way * +Some new rules in place for Field Day 2005 * +Long wait pays off in space QSO for New Mexico school * +Analog Electronics course is latest ARRL on-line offering * +Pennsylvania town decides against BPL project * +President recognizes Ohio amateur's volunteer service * +ARRL extends best wishes to Emma Berg, W0JUV, at age 100 * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration The ARRL Letter and HTML ARRL to be well represented at Miami Tropical Hamboree Echo (AO-51) satellite Kid's Day reset for Saturday, February 5 +QSL output down in 2004 +Available on ARRL Audio News =========================================================== NOTE: To accommodate vacation schedules, this week's editions of The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News are being published one day earlier than normal. =========================================================== ==>COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROJECT HOLDS INAUGURAL SESSION Even a blizzard didn't stop several hearty Mainers from attending the first meeting of the ARRL Community Education Program (CEP). The Saturday, January 26, session was held in the southern Maine city of Saco. Coordinated by Bill Barrett, W1WJB, the CEP is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to explore the best ways Amateur Radio can work with local emergency managers and with Citizen Corps councils. The CEP has targeted a dozen communities from Maine to Oregon to learn about the value of Amateur Radio to community safety and security between now and August. "Even though a blizzard was well under way in Saco--only 'essential government employees' were to report to work that day--emergency management officials from a number of area agencies trekked to the town hall auditorium," Barrett recounted. "A sizeable group of 11 radio amateurs also slogged through the snowstorm, while 20 others were standing by on the air." Barrett said those participating from home served as the "other end" for the program's demonstrations and assisted in clarifying various points of his program. Created by Barrett to be much more "conversation" than "presentation," the lively exchange of questions and answers gave the Maine emergency officials a much better idea of what Amateur Radio is and what sorts of applications it can be put to. It also helped acquaint the emergency officials with the community of local radio amateurs. Indeed, Barrett kept the program's spotlight focused on the true stars of the show--the local hams, who also fielded the vast majority of questions. In addition to repeater basics and an explanation of the very large territory covered by linked repeater systems, demonstrations included digital text communications and APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System). Each served-agency attendee got specially a created booklet aimed at the non-ham, non-technical audience as well as a companion resource CD--both produced by ARRL through the CNCS grant. The materials are intended to be shared with other personnel at the served agencies, spreading the word on ham radio even wider. Before and after surveys helped to gauge attendees' reactions and, more important, how the ham radio presentations may have altered their thinking. One objective of the CEP is to facilitate the networking of hams and municipal leaders to foster greater understanding and new relationships. The ARRL last fall received new CNCS funding of nearly $90,000 to execute the pilot program to enlighten localities about the value of Amateur Radio to community safety and security. For his visits, Barrett enlists local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams, the ARRL Field Organization and ARRL-affiliated ham radio clubs to demonstrate Amateur Radio's expertise as a source of trained volunteer communicators--equipped and ready to serve. ==>SOME NEW WRINKLES IN 2005 FIELD DAY RULES Those planning to participate in this year's Field Day will need to bone up in advance on a few changes in the rules for the ever-popular operating event. Field Day this year takes place June 25-26. The 2261 Field Day entries for 2004 were the most ever. While similar in format to a contest, Field Day is primarily a means to exercise and demonstrate Amateur Radio's emergency operating capabilities while having fun at the same time. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says that among other things rule changes for 2005 expand eligibility for bonus points. "All groups will be eligible for some kind of bonus points," Henderson said. "Make sure you carefully read Field Day Rule 7.3." That rule spells out how to qualify for such bonus points as 100 percent emergency power, media publicity, message handling, making satellite contacts, using an alternative power source and copying the W1AW bulletin, among other things. Many bonus point categories are available to all entry classes. Henderson notes that some large clubs often compete among themselves to see who can claim the highest number of transmitters. Under the revised rules, all transmitters must be on the air with an operator to count toward a club's entry class. "You have to actually have individual people and sufficient equipment capable of operating simultaneously," Henderson emphasized, referencing Rule 4. "The key word there is 'simultaneously.'" The Field Day exchange consists of the number of transmitters on the air followed by the participation category (A through F). Operators would send "3A," for example, for a club or non-club portable setup with three transmitters on the air at the same time. Rule 4 also specifically prohibits switching and simulcasting devices. The 2005 Field Day rules also modify the number of transmitters eligible for bonus points that a group can claim for its operating class. "You can only claim the emergency power bonus points for up to 20 transmitters," Henderson explains. "That's a maximum of 2000 emergency power bonus points." There no limit on the number of transmitters eligible participants may have on the air, however. Field Day rules already generally prohibit the use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single band-mode. In addition, Field Day 2005 will introduce a new "Youth Element" bonus category (Rule 7.3.15). Clubs or groups operating in Class A, C, D, E or F now can claim 20 bonus points--up to a maximum of 100--for each person aged 18 or younger, who completes a valid Field Day contact. Single-operator Class B stations can earn a 20-point bonus if the operator is age 18 or younger. Two-person Class B setups can claim a 20-point bonus for each operator age 18 or younger, for a maximum of 40 points. The maximum number of participants for Class B entries remains at two. Another rule change clarifies that Get On The Air (GOTA) stations--instituted a few years ago to encourage new or comparatively inexperienced operators to gain operating practice--use the same exchange as the "parent" station. The maximum transmitter output power for GOTA stations is 150 W, and GOTA stations may only operate on the Field Day HF bands. Free transmitters do not count toward a group's total, and GOTA stations and free VHF stations for Class A entries do not qualify for bonus point credits. Henderson encourages Field Day participants to submit their Field Day summaries electronically using the Web applet form <http://www.b4h.net/cabforms>. "You may input your summary information at that site for a 50-point bonus," Henderson points out. The Maritime Radio Historical Society's K6KPH, comprised of former operators of the KPH commercial shore station, now an historic site, again will augment W1AW Field Day CW and RTTY bulletin transmissions for West Coast participants. The complete 2005 Field Day packet now is available on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/05-fd-packet.pdf>. ==>NEW MEXICO YOUNGSTERS FINALLY GET CHANCE TO TALK TO ISS A dozen pupils who attend Piñon Elementary School in Los Alamos, New Mexico, are all smiles this week after getting the chance to speak via Amateur Radio with International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. The January 27 contact was arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Los Alamos Amateur Radio Club Communications Officer Bill Boedecker, NM5BB, handled Earth station duties for the direct VHF contact with NA1SS. Piñon's application had been in the queue for an ARISS school contact for more than four years. "Luckily we had a good nine-minute window, and all the students were able to ask at least one question," he commented. Before the contact actually got under way, Boedecker spent some time with the school's sixth graders describing how the ham radio gear on the ground works to communicate with the ISS. The kids also did some practice runs. In all, the 12 youngsters asked 14 questions, and Chiao responded to some of them at length. On hand for the event were some 60 fellow students, who observed along with a few parents and teachers. Principal James Telles called the ARISS contact "an incredible experience" for his students, one they'd remember it for the rest of their lives. Among other topics, the youngsters' questioned Chiao about how the ISS is powered. He explained that solar power was the only type of power aboard the ISS. Another wanted to know about how Chiao and his crewmate, Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, keep physically fit. The ISS Commander explained that the crew needs to exercise for at least two hours daily, using a variety of exercise equipment especially designed for the zero-gravity environment. Youngsters also wanted to know what kinds of experiments the crew was conducting, and if the ISS residents were able to view space phenomena such as meteors heading into Earth's atmosphere. Chiao said the crew actually looks down, not up, to see meteors from the ISS. Boedecker, an ARRL Life Member and a retiree of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, had help from Los Alamos ARC members Dave Haworth, N9KYP, and Anne Browning, KD5NLN. Boedeker said all the gear worked flawlessly, despite bad weather at the time. A local newspaper sent a reporter and photographer to cover the event, and University of California TV recorded the contact for future use in a program to air in several weeks as part of the Behind the White Coat series, produced at Los Alamos National Labs and distributed by UCTV. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international outreach, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.--some information provided by Gene Chapline, K5YFL ==>ARRL TO INTRODUCE ON-LINE ANALOG ELECTRONICS COURSE The ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program (C-CE) will introduce a new on-line course, Analog Electronics, EC-012, this month. Registration for the first session will remain open through Sunday, February 13, and the class will begin Friday, February 25. In 16 learning units students will learn about the use of instrumentation, Kirchoff's Laws--two laws necessary for solving circuit problems, diodes, rectifier circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various amplifier configurations, filters, timers, op amps and voltage regulators. Most lessons include a design problem and optional construction project. The course run 12 weeks and earns 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). This course is designed for those who feel at home with basic electrical and electronic components. Prospective students should be able to read simple schematics; know Ohm's Law and the relationship between power, voltage, current, and resistance; own and be able to use basic test equipment and be competent in simple algebra. Those who feel they need a refresher course might consider browsing the first few sections of Chapter 6, AC Theory and Reactive Components, in The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications or pick up a copy of Understanding Basic Electronics, by Larry Wolfgang, WR1B. EC-012 tuition is $65 for ARRL members and $95 for nonmembers. Additional details are in the course introduction <http://www.arrl.org/cce/intro-012.html>. Information on all ARRL C-CE courses is on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. ==>PENNSYLVANIA TOWN DROPS BPL PLANS The Borough of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has decided against plans to offer broadband Internet service via broadband over power line (BPL) technology, according to a January 18 report in Public Opinion. The Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC) spearheaded ham radio opposition to the plan in the eastern Pennsylvania community of some 17,000 residents through an informational campaign. "We were lucky, but only because many members of the local amateur community put time in to fight BPL right up front, before the municipality had thrown so much money at it that it had a stake in it succeeding," CVARC President David Yoder, KB3HUC, told ARRL. "I can't emphasize that enough--putting people in front of the decision-makers, working with the press and so forth paid off because we jumped in as soon as we heard BPL was being considered." The Public Opinion article by Cathy Mentzer, quoted Chambersburg officials as saying there wasn't enough money in the municipality's Electric Department budget to go forward with a BPL deployment this year. Borough officials also cited state legislation effective last year that encourages telecommunication companies to provide broadband to consumers. While the BPL initiative is off the borough's 2005 projects agenda, Public Opinion quoted Borough Council President Bill McLaughlin as saying, "As far as I'm concerned, it's dead." Public Opinion also noted that CVARC members were pleased by the outcome. "That is good news," the article quoted Yoder as saying. "All Amateur Radio operators in the area are relieved to learn that apparently our concerns were taken into account, along with the recent legislation." Among other things, CVARC members had told the Borough Council last year that BPL would interfere with Amateur Radio and its ability to provide emergency communication. Chambersburg officials had been looking into leasing the borough's power lines to an Internet service provider as a way to generate revenue, and a consultant had recommended Chambersburg look into BPL. There's more information on CVARC's actions in the BPL matter on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/CVARC_plan.html>. ==>OHIO AMATEUR RECEIVES PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD President George W. Bush has presented the President's Volunteer Service Award to Thomas J. "T. J." Powell, N8UIR, of Northfield, Ohio. Powell, 38, is an active volunteer with the Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps (NEOMRC), a partner program of Citizen Corps <http://www.citizencorps.gov/>. The president has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and he created USA Freedom Corps <http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/> to help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. NEOMRC provides medical support services for public events and emergency situations. As chief of NEOMRC and a certified emergency medical technician, Powell volunteers 800 to 1000 hours per year, helping with logistics, planning, Amateur Radio operations and first-aid for charitable fundraising events throughout Northeast Ohio. In addition, he assists local fire departments and emergency medical service agencies during incidents that impact public health. President Bush made the presentation during a January 27 visit to Cleveland. Powell, also a former American Red Cross volunteer and volunteer firefighter, greeted the President at Cleveland's Hopkins Airport. For more information on the Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps, visit the NEOMRC Web site <http://www.neomrc.org/index.php>.--contributed by Joe Phillips, K8QOE ==>EMMA BERG, W0JUV/AAR7AX, STILL ON THE AIR AT 100 At age 100, ARRL member Emma Berg, W0JUV/AAR7AX, of Lawrence, Kansas, remains active daily in the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS). Berg achieved centenarian status on Sunday, January 16. The occasion elicited greetings this week from ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, who extended best wishes to Emma Berg and congratulated her on more than four decades as a member of both Army MARS and the ARRL. "You should be proud of your continuing service to the Military Affiliate Radio System, which informs us that you have been a member for more than 40 years and remain active on a daily basis," Haynie wrote. "We also were happy to hear that you still write articles for Sunflower Seeds, the Kansas MARS quarterly newsletter. Keep up the good work!" On the Friday, January 14, MARS net session she always checks into--the last before the weekend of her birthday--fellow operators likewise extended birthday wishes. Berg also received a beautiful bouquet from Western Area MARS coordinator James Banks, KK7RV/AAA9W, and from Membership Administrator Martha Smith at Ft Huachuca, Army MARS headquarters in Arizona. A retired teacher, Emma Berg lives by herself in a Lawrence condominium. She and her late husband George, who was a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University and also a radio amateur, had to give up HF operation when they moved from their farm to deed-restricted quarters in town. Fortunately, the retirement home was within range of a VHF net. The Bergs had been active in MARS--in Emma's case since 1961. "She is very spry for her age," said Kansas State MARS Director John Halladay, AAA7KS. "Always busy--a person we could be proud to emulate in our own aging." Over the years Berg has served as net control operator on Kansas CW nets and was a first lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol. Berg, who edited the Sunflower Seeds newsletter in her younger years--when she was in her 90s--now pens the publication's "Fun & Relaxation" articles. Her column is described as "a genial collection of aphorisms and witticisms." The philosophy she expressed in the lead item of her New Year's Day 2005 column may sum up her view of retirement, if not of human existence in general. "Bread may be the staff of life," she wrote, "but this is no reason anyone's life should be a continual loaf." Emma Berg certainly has no plans for loafing. She recently renewed her Amateur Radio license for another 10 years.--contributed by Bill Sexton, N1IN ==>SOLAR UPDATE Heliophile Tad "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers were down by nearly 17 points over the Thursday through Wednesday reporting week. Over the same days the average daily solar flux also was down by nearly 17 points. The daily geomagnetic indices showed much greater stability, with all of the K and A indices down when compared with the previous seven days. Look for quiet geomagnetic conditions over the next few days, with the Friday through Sunday, February 4-6, planetary A index around 8, 5 and 5. The A index is expected to rise again after this weekend probably due to the return of sunspot 720, which caused so much recent activity. It returns into view on its 27.5 day rotation, and the planetary A index prediction for February 7-9 is 15, 25 and 15. Sunspot numbers and solar flux should also rise, with solar flux values rising above 100 after February 5, staying relatively high (for this point in the declining sunspot cycle) at 130 or above around February 7 and continuing for about a week. Sunspot numbers for January 27 through February 2 were 43, 43, 30, 38, 49, 27 and 28, with a mean of 36.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 86.9, 84.9, 86.4, 85.5, 86.2, 83.7 and 81.8, with a mean of 85.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 6, 20, 16, 19, 6 and 8, with a mean of 11.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 5, 16, 10, 15, 4 and 7, with a mean of 8.4. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (SSB), the Vermont, Delaware and Minnesota QSO parties, the 10-10 International Winter Contest (SSB), the YL-ISSB QSO Party, the YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW), the AGCW Straight Key Party, the Mexico RTTY International Contest and the ARCI Winter Fireside SSB Sprint are the weekend of February 5-6. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) is February 7, and the ARS Spartan Sprint is February 8. JUST AHEAD: The North American Sprint (CW), the KCJ Topband Contest, the CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest, SARL Kid's Day, SARL Field Day Contest, the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the Dutch PACC Contest, the YLRL YL-OM Contest (SSB), the Louisiana QSO Party, the OMISS QSO Party, the FISTS Winter Sprint, the British Columbia QSO Challenge and the RSGB First 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) are the weekend of February 12-13. The ARRL School Club Roundup is February 14-19. The AGCW Semi-Automatic Key Evening and the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Data) are February 16. 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. * Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course (EC-001) opens Monday, February 7, 2005, at 1201 AM EST, and will remain open until all available seats have been filled or through the February 12-13 weekend. Class begins Friday, February 25. Radio amateurs 55 and up are strongly encouraged to participate. THIS IS THE FINAL YEAR OF GRANT-SUBSIDIZED COURSES! Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course. During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340. * The ARRL Letter and HTML: A common question regarding The ARRL Letter is, "Why don't you put it out as an HTML document that includes hyperlinks from the table of contents directly to story headlines?" The primary reason is the "KISS" principle. The ARRL Letter arrives at subscribers as a plain ASCII text e-mail document because this method reduces production and editing overhead, offers a common-denominator format that all subscribers should be able to read without problem and minimizes the load on the e-mail server as the Letter goes out to its approximately 66,000 subscribers, thus speeding delivery. There is a workaround, however, albeit not as elegant as a hyperlink. Undoubtedly, regular readers have seen the "==>" that precedes each headline and wondered why it was there. Not only is it a visual cue, this set of characters (two "equals" symbols plus a "greater than" symbol) also provides a unique search target, so subscribers can step through major story headlines in each edition. Try it! Such a search also takes readers to important information in the masthead, which appears at the end of each edition, such as the e-mail address to report delivery problems, letter-dlvy@arrl.org. For "In Brief" items, search for an asterisk plus a space [* ]. For those who just prefer to scroll through each edition, major story headlines are in ALL CAPS to make them easier to spot. * ARRL to be well represented at Miami Tropical Hamboree: Representatives of the ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) will be on hand February 5-6 for the 45th Tropical Hamboree at the Fair Expo Center, 10905 SW 24 Street (Coral Way) in Miami, Florida. Gates open both days at 9 AM, and parking is free. In addition to the vendors, flea market offerings and various presentations, ARRL Lab Director Ed Hare, W1RFI, will update attendees on broadband over power line (BPL) and radio frequency interference issues. IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, and ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, will offer an IARU Report. The ARRL Forum gets under way at Sunday at 11 AM, led by ARRL Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler, W4RH, Vice Director, Sandy Donahue, W4RU, and Southern Florida Section Manager Sherri Brower, W4STB. ARRL Emergency Communications Course Coordinator Dan Miller, K3UFG, will attend the 10th annual Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference, held at the National Hurricane Center in association with the Hamboree. He'll talk on Amateur Radio participation in the Florida hurricanes and tsunami. ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, also will visit Hamboree. The South Florida DX Association hosts the DX Forum February 5, where ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, will give a brief presentation on DXCC and Logbook of the World. He'll also be available during the Hamboree to check cards. Additional speakers include QST "How's DX?" Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, who also edits The Daily DX. The DX Dinner will take place Saturday evening. More information is available on the South Florida DX Association Web site <http://www.qsl.net/k4fk> or stop by the SFDXA booth. The Miami Tropical Hamboree is sponsored by the Dade Radio Club of Miami. Complete details are on the Hamboree Web site <http://www.hamboree.org/>. * Echo (AO-51) satellite Kid's Day reset for Saturday, February 5: AMSAT has announced that it has rescheduled its Echo satellite (AO-51) Kid's Day activity for Saturday, February 5 (US time zones). The activity will begin Saturday, February 5, at approximately 1415 UTC and continue until Sunday, February 6, at 0300 UTC. "We ask that all Amateur Radio stations give this short time window to promote satellite operations with kids," said Mike Kingery, KE4AZN, of the AO-51 control team. He says regular satellite operators can help by demonstrating to youngsters how to make contacts via AO-51, by providing a station to contact or by refraining from using Echo so other stations can make contacts with the kids. "During the event, please limit contacts to stations that are operating with kids at the microphone," he requests. "This should allow the kids to have a nice QSO and pass some information." For the exchange, youngsters can give their name, age and location and tell who's helping them operate on Echo. AO-51 will be configured with a different uplink frequency for the Kid's Day event--145.880 MHz FM voice with a 67-Hz CTCSS tone. The downlink is 435.300 MHz FM voice. Kingery believes the AMSAT Kid's Day activity on Echo not only offers AMSAT an educational opportunity but might inspire youngsters to become the Amateur Radio satellite operators of the future.--AMSAT News Service * QSL output down in 2004: The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service shipped 1,100,535 cards to overseas QSL bureaus, reports QSL Service Manager Martin Cook, N1FOC. That's down by nearly 258,000 over the total logged during 2003, when the QSL Service had a staff of two and handled 1,358,474 cards. "Currently processing time is seven days from receipt," Cook says. He attributes the downturn to a greater backlog of cards, less-favorable propagation conditions and greater use of Logbook of the World (LoTW) to confirm contacts for awards. =========================================================== 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, accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter. 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. ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@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.)