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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 29
July 29, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + Canada drops Morse code requirement, with conditions
* + The NCVEC gathers in Gettysburg
* + Educators talk to the ISS via ham radio
* + VoIP modes aid WX4NHC mission
* + Bioterrorism incident is scenario for Oklahoma exercise
* + Ham-volunteers help in ValuJet 592 Memorial cleanup
* + WG4Y is Newsline's Young Ham of the Year
* + Still time to register for ARRL/TAPR digital confab
*   Solar Update
*   IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
     FCC fines amateur licensee for transmitting on government frequency
     Field Day "logs received" list expected in mid-August
     On-line registration available for 2005 AMSAT Symposium

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

===========================================================
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================

==>CANADA DROPS MORSE REQUIREMENT AS SOLE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR HF
ACCESS

Industry Canada (IC) has adopted elements of the Radio Amateurs of Canada
(RAC) "Proposal on Morse Code and Related Matters" and has essentially
removed the requirement for Amateur Radio applicants in that country to
obtain a "Morse Qualification" for access to bands below 30 MHz.

"Morse code will no longer be the sole additional requirement by which
Canadian radio amateurs will gain access to the HF bands, but it will remain
as one valid criterion," Industry Canada said in its Notice announcing the
regulatory change. Industry Canada said it will continue to include Morse
code as a consideration in granting access to the HF bands. "However, this
is only one criterion and the measure of HF operator abilities should not be
limited to this one facet of operator skills," IC added.

Effective immediately, amateurs certified with the Basic Qualification prior
to April 2, 2002, and amateurs certified with both Basic and Advanced
Qualifications may operate on the HF amateur bands. Licensees holding only
the Basic Qualification who were certified after April 1, 2002, and who
achieved a passing grade of at least 80 percent also are allowed to operate
on HF.

Amateurs certified with the Basic Qualification after April 1, 2002, who did
not achieve a score of at least an 80 on the examination will either have to
attain the Morse Qualification, write the Advanced test or rewrite the Basic
examination and obtain at least an 80 percent grade to obtain HF privileges.


This last requirement is related to a decision to increase the passing grade
for the Basic examination to ensure that candidates have been tested in all
areas of the syllabus. Details of the Industry Canada decision are in the
Canada Gazette Notice
<http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf08435e.html> and
on the Latest News page of the RAC Web site <http://www.rac.ca/>.

FCC Amateur Service rules in §97.107(b) grant Canadian control operators
"the operating terms and conditions of the amateur service license issued by
the Government of Canada" but, in any case, not to exceed the control
operator privileges of an FCC-licensed Amateur Extra class operator. §97.107
does not apply to US citizens who may hold Canadian amateur licenses,
however.

==>NCVEC TAKES NO ACTION IN RESPONSE TO FCC RULE MAKING PROPOSALS

Meeting July 22 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the National Conference of
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) <http://www.ncvec.org/> offered no
public reaction to the FCC's recent Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order
(NPRM&O) in WT Docket 05-235. The NCVEC also took no action at the gathering
on whether to file formal comments with the FCC in the proceeding. The FCC
NPRM&O endorsed eliminating the Morse code requirement for all amateur
license classes--something the NCVEC sought in a 2003 Petition for Rule
Making--but it turned away a 2004 NCVEC proposal to create a new
"Communicator" entry-level license class with expanded HF privileges and
upgrade all Novices to that level. Acting on a motion focusing on whether
the Conference should get involved in rule makings, the NCVEC voted to
dissolve its Rules Committee--the panel that had prepared the Conference's
rule making petitions. Outgoing Rules Committee Chairman Fred Maia, W5YI,
later encouraged individual VECs to review the FCC document and comment to
the Commission on their own.

"After we voted to dissolve our Rules Committee, I sensed that the group was
not interested in pursuing this matter any time soon," NCVEC Chairman Tom
Fuszard, KF9PU, told ARRL this week. "Unless I receive a clear indication
from the VECs that they want the Conference to offer a response, I won't
proceed further."

The NCVEC voted 10-2 to abolish its Rules Committee "until it decides on a
clear need and purpose for such a committee," Fuszard explained. "We had
neither the time then--nor, I felt, the inclination--to discuss the matter
further."

ARRL VEC Assistant Manager Perry Green, WY1O, says some disappointment with
the FCC's failure to endorse the NCVEC's proposal to establish a new
entry-level license was apparent among the 12 VECs attending the Gettysburg
meeting. The NCVEC's 2004 petition also asked the FCC to upgrade Technician
licensees to General and Advanced holders to Extra, but the FCC rejected
that idea too. Some members expressed pleasure, however, that the FCC is
poised to eliminate the Morse code requirement.

In other matters, Green reports that as a result of the recently released
FCC proposal, the NCVEC Question Pool Committee (QPC)--the body that
formulates Amateur Radio examination questions--is considering surveying
individual VECs to review the Technician class question pool out of its
usual sequence. The most recent Technician question pool went into effect in
2003, and it normally would not undergo another review until 2007. The NCVEC
held up implementing a new Amateur Extra class question pool this year in
anticipation of FCC action on various regulatory issues and possible further
restructuring.

The NCVEC elected Green and Larry Pollock, NB5X, of the W5YI VEC to join QPC
Chairman Jim Wiley, KL7CC, of the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club VEC. Others
attending from ARRL Headquarters were Interim ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma,
KB1KJC, and ARRL Affiliated Club/Mentor Program Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ.

Bill Cross, W3TN, of the FCC's Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure
Division within the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau reviewed the July 19
NPRM&O with the NCVEC delegates and answered questions. FCC Special Counsel
for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth also addressed the gathering and
reminded the VECs to remain vigilant in spotting apparent problems that crop
up during examination sessions and reporting them to the FCC for handling.

The NCVEC also elected officers for 2005-2006. They are Chairman Tom
Fuszard, KF9PU, of the Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club, who chaired the 2005
NCVEC gathering; Vice Chairman: Larry Pollock, NB5X, of the W5YI VEC, who
succeeds Wiley; Secretary: Steve Sternitzke, NS5I, of the W5YI VEC, and
Treasurer: Ray Adams, W4CPA, of the Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society
VEC.

==>EDUCATORS QUERY ISS ASTRONAUT VIA HAM RADIO

Some 35 educators attending a NASA Explorer School (NES) program workshop
July 20 got the chance to speak via ham radio with astronaut John Phillips,
KE5DRY, aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Acting on very short
notice, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program
was able to arrange the contact between NN1SS at Maryland's Goddard Space
Flight Center, where the workshop was being held, and NA1SS on the space
station. ARISS International Team Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, reports the
contact went very well, and the group got in 15 questions asked and
answered.

"The educators derived a lot of benefit from this activity, which they will
bring into the NASA Explorer School program," he said. To accommodate the
group's size, the Earth station actually used two locations and two sets of
equipment, Bauer explained.

"The two-station event was closely choreographed using 70-cm radios, while
the two stations could simultaneously hear the full set of questions being
asked and the answers from Astronaut John Phillips," Bauer said. Before the
QSO, Bauer briefed the educators on the ARISS program.

The contact started and finished at the NN1SS ground station in Goddard's
Building 11, where about half of the educators were located. Halfway through
the contact, however, with the ISS closer to Goddard, another station a few
hundred feet outside Building 11 was put on the air to handle questions from
the other half of the group. The second station consisted of a hand-held
transceiver and an Arrow antenna to successfully ask six questions. AMSAT
President Rick Hambly, W2GPS, aimed the dualband antenna at the ISS, while
Dave Taylor, W8AAS, took care of the handheld transceiver.

"The educators, several with tears in the eyes, said this was one of the
best events they have experienced." He noted that the QSO took place on the
36th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Several educators' questions
focused on human physiology issues involved with space travel, while others
asked about human exploration of Mars and long-distance space travel.

The NN1SS-NA1SS QSO represented a role reversal of sorts. During most ARISS
school group contacts, the students--not the teachers--ask the questions.

ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach
with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.

==>VoIP MODES CRITICAL FOR HURRICANE CENTER SUPPORT, WX4NHC SAYS

Radio amateurs using voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) modes such as
EchoLink <http://www.echolink.org/> and IRLP <http://www.irlp.net/>are doing
an outstanding job of supporting forecasters tracking hurricanes. So says
WX4NHC Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R. The latest
example was during WX4NHC activations--in cooperation with the Hurricane
Watch Net (HWN) <http://www.hwn.org/> --for Hurricane Emily. Ripoll, says
VoIP-mode users have supported WX4NHC in collecting ground-level weather
data as well as relaying hurricane advisories to residents and agencies in
affected areas.

"The EchoLink and IRLP partnership created for hurricanes and severe weather
is unique," Ripoll told ARRL, adding that he's seen upward of 100 VoIP
connections during storm emergencies, many of which represent repeaters and
conference rooms "with untold numbers listening." Ripoll said VoIP modes
also have served to connect Red Cross headquarters stations, state emergency
operations centers (EOCs), National Weather Service offices and other
agencies.

"The VoIP-WX Net <http://www.voipwx.net/> has also added a large number of
Technician class operators who were not able to report on HF in the past,"
he noted. Although it has a defined and trained cadre of regular
member-operators, the HWN operates on 14.325 MHz--beyond reach of operators
lacking at least a General ticket. Ripoll said those connecting via VoIP
modes often do so using low-power VHF/UHF radios running on battery power
via an IRLP or EchoLink-equipped repeater.

Ripoll spotlighted WX-Talk Conference Net Manager Kevin Anderson, KD5WX, of
Texas, IRLP Reflector 9219 Net Manager Danny Musten, KD4RAA, of North
Carolina, and ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator and
SKYWARN Director Rob Macedo, KD1CY, for being "very supportive" of WX4NHC.

Ripoll reports that the VoIP Hurricane Net most recently generated "some of
the most important surface reports" as Hurricane Emily tracked over Grenada,
St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago. He cited specific information during Emily
that arrived via VoIP modes including a report from J73CI, relaying for
J39JQ, of a roof being blown from a hospital and damage to homes on Grenada
caused by strong winds. Other VoIP reports came via Julien Dedier, 9Z4FZ, in
Trinidad, of power outages. Reports relayed by the Trinidad EOC from Tobago
at one point indicated heavy rainfall and sustained winds of 60 MPH.

Reports such as these, Ripoll said, were "especially vital during the very
late evening hours, when there was a lack of HF propagation into the
affected area."

For additional information, visit the WX4NHC Web site
<http://www.wx4nhc.org/>.

==>OKLAHOMA HAMS PARTICIPATE IN BIOTERRORISM EXERCISE

"QST, QST, QST! This is only a exercise!" That was the call July 13 over
Amateur Radio systems in three Oklahoma counties--Comanche, Oklahoma and
Tulsa. More than two dozen ham radio volunteers took part in the ambitious
and complex "Operation Firework Fanfare," a large-scale effort to test
emergency response systems in a catastrophic public health event.

The scenario in this case was a bioterrorist release of contagious pneumonic
plague. Oklahoma is in the heart of tornado alley, and Amateur Radio and the
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) have long been a part of most
emergency management responses and exercises. In Tulsa, Oklahoma City and
Lawton, hams were deployed to various response locations, emergency
operations centers (EOCs), incident triage, staging and transportation areas
and the vaccination center.

Tulsa County ARES Emergency Coordinator Pete Mann, KF5RD, reported to the
EOC, deep in the basement of the Tulsa City-County Health Department,
equipped with high-tech, flat-screen monitors and TVs to display the latest
incident information plus "an Amateur Radio system to dream of," he said,
with HF, VHF and UHF capabilities. "We're right here in the heart of the
operations center, ready to respond when all else fails," Mann announced.

Although ARES was not called upon to handle a lot of traffic, Bob Sims,
W5KCB--stationed at the Lawton Unified Command Post--said ARES operators
provided communication support "wherever and whenever needed"--all of it on
VHF. Sims later learned that responders had told exercise evaluators they'd
been trained to rely on Amateur Radio if traditional lines of communication
went down.

"This satisfied the evaluators, and they did not shut down their
communications," Sims said. "It was a very successful operation, and
amateurs were showered with accolades. Evaluators were obviously looking for
ARES operators and pleased to see our participation."--Mark Conklin N7XYO

==>RADIO AMATEURS AMONG VALUJET FLIGHT 592 MEMORIAL CLEANUP VOLUNTEERS

Some two dozen radio amateurs, boy scouts, firefighters, rescue squad
members, Florida Power and Light employees, Miccosukee Tribe Police and
local residents recently collaborated in doing a good turn for the families
of ValuJet Flight 592 victims. The ValuJet DC-9 airliner crashed in
Florida's Everglades on May 11, 1996, following an onboard fire, killing 110
passengers and crew members. Unfortunately, vandals recently defaced the
ValuJet Flight 592 Memorial, located near the crash site off the Tamiami
Trail. Volunteers from area Amateur Radio clubs and Boy Scout troops have
been routinely maintaining the site for a few years now, and they were among
those who turned out to erase spray-painted graffiti from the defaced stones
and give the memorial an overall sprucing up.

"We can be proud of the dedication of the citizens of Miami-Dade County to
this memorial," remarked ARRL Southern Florida Section Manager Sherri
Brower, W4STB, on the ARRL Southern Florida Section page
<http://www.arrl.org/sections/SFL.html>. "Thanks to all in the amateur
community who have been--and continue to be--part of the caretaking team of
the memorial. This truly shows that Amateur Radio operators give to their
communities in many ways."

Matt Ginn, KG4LGO, a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue radio installer, is credited
with getting the ball rolling on the graffiti cleanup effort. He approached
his department about borrowing a fire truck. A Coral Gables police officer
supplied a pressure washer. Word got around, others learned of the effort
and more got involved. "That's people's family that died out there," Ginn
explained to the Associated Press. "They don't have a gravestone except for
that monument."

As it turned out, solvents and three power washers made quick work of the
graffiti on July 16, so the volunteers proceeded to clean all 110 of the
memorial's stones. There's one for each victim, configured so they form an
arrow that points to the spot where the plane went down. They also washed
and polished the memorial's stone plaque listing the victims' names.

As volunteer Robert Cruz, KE4MCL, explained, it could be painstaking work.
"The granite tablet was cleaned by using a sock worn like a glove sprayed
with graffiti remover and lightly patting the tablet surface to dampen the
graffiti," he recounted on the South Florida FM Association (SFFMA) Web site
<http://sffma.net/graffitiremoval.htm>. "After giving it a few seconds to
work, then you carefully wipe the paint away, working around the edges of
the letters so as to avoid getting inside the black outlines."

In 2001, the Dade County Amateur Radio Public Service Corps organized a
group of active South Florida hams to spruce up the neglected Flight 592
Memorial for the first time. Many of the hams involved in that cleanup had
helped provide communication in the aftermath of the 1996 tragedy.

As the Amateur Radio volunteers did in 2001, the recent refurbishing went
beyond cleaning up the vandalism to weeding, killing ant colonies, cutting
grass, sweeping, refilling missing sand, re-leveling brick walkways and
piling up the debris--mostly natural overgrowth. As one volunteer noted
afterward, not only was the spray paint gone, but so were mold spots and
accumulated grime.

About 10 hams were among those who helped out during the July 16 community
work day. The project also attracted nationwide media coverage, from local
and regional newspapers and broadcast outlets to the Associated Press and
dozens of newspapers and TV stations from coast to coast.

==>REBEKAH DORFF, WG4Y, IS AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE'S YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR

Twelve-year-old Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, of Hoover, Alabama, has been named the
2005 Amateur Radio Newsline <http://www.arnewsline.org/> Young Ham of the
Year (YHOTY). Cited among her numerous accomplishments was her involvement
in a toy drive for Alabama victims of Hurricane Ivan. An ARRL Assistant
Section Manager for Youth, Rebekah not only took in donations of toys but
raised more than $1100 to purchase winter clothing and additional toys. She
also serves as net control for the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club (BARC)
weekly BARC Kids Net, which she originated in 2002. In addition, she helps
teach the club's ham radio classes and assists at examination sessions.
She's also worked to recruit newcomers to Amateur Radio.

"A born communicator, Rebekah has used her skills to influence other
youngsters to enter the hobby through presentations she has made at three of
the largest hamfests in Alabama and at Carole Perry's 'Youth in Amateur
Radio' forum at Dayton Hamvention," said a news release announcing the
award. At this year's Hamventon, Rebekah also was among those helping out at
the "ARRL Youth Activities" concession at ARRL EXPO 2005. Rebekah also has
sponsored Kid's Day events the past two years at the BARC club station,
W4CUE. ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, called Rebekah "a
very active amateur radio operator who deserves this award."

An ARRL Full Family Life Member, Rebekah got her license when she was eight,
upgrading to Amateur Extra a year later. An avid DXer, Rebekah achieved DXCC
by age 10. She also enjoys contesting.

Rebekah comes from a ham radio family. Her parents are Truman and Angela
Williams, NN4C and WN4C. Her older sister Christal is KG4WYN. She also has
two brothers, Jeffrey and Joey. She is a rising seventh grader at Homeland
Christian School, where she's on the honor roll and has received many
citizenship awards.

The Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award will be presented to
Rebekah Dorff Saturday, August 20, at the Huntsville Hamfest. As the 2005
YHOTY winner, Vertex-Standard (Yaesu) will cover Rebekah's hamfest stay and
present her with a piece of Yaesu ham gear. CQ magazine will treat her to a
week at Space Camp Huntsville and will present her with a variety of CQ
products. She'll also receive a plaque.

Now celebrating its 20th year, the Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the
Year Award goes each year to a radio amateur 18 years old or younger who has
provided outstanding service to the nation or community or for the
betterment of the state of the art in communication through Amateur Radio.

==>DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE SET FOR SEPTEMBER

There's still time to register for the 24th annual ARRL and TAPR Digital
Communications Conference, September 23-25 in Santa Ana, California.

Conference topics include--but are not limited to--software-defined radio
(SDR), digital voice, digital satellite communication, GPS, APRS, digital
signal processing (DSP), HF digital modes, Internet interoperability with
Amateur Radio networks, Linux in Amateur Radio and more. The three-day event
also will host the ninth annual APRS National Symposium.

The conference itself will include introductory sessions, a variety of
technical sessions for both beginners and experts, an in-depth Sunday
Seminar and a demonstration room for participants to show off their latest
projects.

The deadline to submit technical papers for presentation at the conference
and for publication in the conference Proceedings is August 9. Presentation
at the conference is not required for publication. Submit papers to Maty
Weinberg, KB1EIB, ARRL 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 or via e-mail to
maty@arrl.org.

Additional information on the 2005 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications
Conference is on the DCC Web site <http://www.tapr.org/dcc/>.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar sage Tad "Sun King" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: We're
coming to the end of a month of large contrasts in terms of solar activity.
Around July 4 there was a huge increase in sunspot numbers, followed by a
very quiet period in which no sunspots were seen. Although five days
following mid-July were devoid of any sunspots, our sun rotates relative to
Earth--so in a little less than four weeks that very active area of sunspots
is back again in the same position.

The popular figure of 27.5 days is regarded as the period of the sun's
rotation relative to our planet, but the actual figure varies according to
which latitude of the sun we are observing. If Earth were stationary and our
observations of the sun were from a fixed point, the rotation near the sun's
equator would be about 25.6 days, and 30.9 days at 60 degrees latitude. We
are most concerned with sunspots near the sun's equator, because they are in
the most "geoeffective" or Earth-affecting position compared to those at
higher latitudes.

Watch for sunspot and solar flux numbers to rise over the next few days,
peaking from August 1 until August 6 as the previous month's spotted region
returns to view. Geomagnetic indices should drop and stay low. Predicted
planetary A index for July 29 through August 2 is 15, 12, 10, 5 and 5.

Over the long term, the general direction of the cycle is down, although
variations such as the increased activity around July 4 are occasionally
observed. Sunspots are predicted to rise again to the current level around
December 2007.

Sunspot numbers for July 21 through 27 were 0, 0, 20, 18, 23, 29 and 19,
with a mean of 15.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 72.8, 73.6, 80.1, 80.2, 83.9, 86.5
and 90.6, with a mean of 81.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 29, 13, 5,
5, 6, 6 and 17, with a mean of 11.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were
19, 8, 2, 3, 3, 4 and 15, with a mean of 7.7.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The RSGB IOTA Contest and the ARS Flight of the
Bumblebees are the weekend of July 30-31. JUST AHEAD: The North America QSO
Party, (CW), the ARRL UHF Contest, the TARA Grid Dip Shindig, the 10-10
International Summer Contest (SSB), the National Lighthouse Weekend QSO
Contest, the European HF Championship, the RSGB RoPoCo 2 and the SARL HF
Phone Contest are the weekend of August 6-7. See the ARRL Contest Branch
page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL RFI (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction
(EC-009) and Analog Electronics (EC-013) courses remains open through
Sunday, July 31. Classes begin Friday, August 12. Antenna Design and
Construction students will, among other things, learn about basic dipoles
and ground planes, and how to assemble combinations of these into more
complex antennas. Students also learn about transmission lines, standing
wave ratio, phased arrays and Yagis. Analog Electronics students will learn
about the use of instrumentation, Kirchhoff's Laws, diodes, rectifier
circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various amplifier
configurations, filters, timers, op-amps, and voltage regulators. Students
participating in the RFI course will learn to identify various interference
sources. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education (C-CE) Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Program Department cce@arrl.org.

* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course
(EC-001) opens Monday, August 1, at 1201 AM EDT and will remain open until
all available seats have been filled or through the August 6-7
weekend--whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, August 19. Thanks to
the United Technologies Corporation (UTC), the $45 registration fee paid
upon enrollment will be reimbursed to students who complete the course
requirements and are upgraded by their mentor to "Passed" within the 8-week
course period. 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.

* FCC fines amateur licensee for transmitting on government frequency: The
FCC has affirmed a $500 forfeiture against Raimundo P. Silva, KD6SXG, of
Brentwood, California, for "willful and repeated violations" involving
unauthorized operation on an unspecified US government frequency. In a
Forfeiture Order (NOF)
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2064A1.pdf>
released July 27, the FCC said its San Francisco Field Office had received a
complaint in April 2004 of harmful interference to a US government user. The
interference "obstructed and interfered with satellite communications," the
NOF said. Over the course of the next few months, FCC agents were able to
trace and document "numerous instances" of fixed and mobile operation by
Silva on the US government frequency. Last October, the FCC issued a Notice
of Apparent Liability (NAL) to Silva in the amount of $20,000. Subsequently
Silva voluntarily agreed to relinquish all of his radio equipment and
surrender his General class Amateur Radio license. Responding to the NAL,
Silva did not contest the FCC's findings, but he sought a cancellation or
reduction of the fine because he'd given up his equipment and ham ticket. He
also supplied tax records to support his assertion of inability to pay.
Given the record in the case, the FCC said in the NOF, a reduction of the
fine to $500 was warranted.

* Field Day "logs received" list expected in mid-August: Contrary to a
notice in the July 26 edition of The Contester's Rate Sheet, the complete
list of logs received for Field Day 2005 has not yet been posted. The
deadline to submit Field Day entries was July 26. ARRL Contest Branch
Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, says processing of Field Day submissions
continues, and he anticipates that the final list of logs received for Field
Day will be posted on the ARRL Web site around August 12.

* On-line registration available for 2005 AMSAT Symposium: Registration for
the 2005 AMSAT Space Symposium <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/>
is now available via the AMSAT Web site. The Symposium will be held October
7-9 at the Holiday Inn Holidome in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana. In
addition to being able to download the registration form, those planning to
attend for the first time can register online through the AMSAT store
<http://www.amsat-na.com/SymposiumReg.php>. Registration forms also will
accompany the annual ballots for AMSAT Board of Directors candidates that
will be mailed to AMSAT members. While you're signing up for the Symposium,
you can also register for the banquet, the Friday night "Shrimp Boil" and
the Sunday "Swamp Tour." The Symposium fee, which includes a copy of the
Symposium Proceedings, is $45 for those registering before September 15.

===========================================================
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
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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.)


 

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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