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ARRL Letter

 

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

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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.

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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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