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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 41
October 21, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +ARRL petition seeks to settle BPL standoff with FCC
* +Amateur Radio prepares for Hurricane Wilma
* +New ISS commander on the air for JOTA, casual QSOs
* +League, The Salvation Army team up for ARRL Toy Drive
* +USTTI a learning experience for all
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +ARRL Foundation scholarship application window open
    +ARES volunteers remain on duty during Eastern Massachusetts dam watch
    +Some Amateur Radio activity reported in earthquake's aftermath
     VO1MRC 60-meter experiments set
     June 2005 ARRL VHF Party results now available to ARRL members
     Correction

+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
===========================================================

==>NEW ARRL PETITION SEEKS TO RESOLVE BPL STANDOFF

Not all BPL systems are created equal. Some have far less potential to
interfere with Amateur Radio than others. That's the rationale behind a
petition the ARRL filed this week, asking the FCC to modify the Part 15 BPL
rules it adopted a year ago and sharply reduce BPL's interference potential.
In exchange, the League said it would withdraw its still-pending Petition
for Reconsideration in the BPL proceeding, ET Docket 04-37. The ARRL says
its suggested rule amendments--which take into consideration recent
advancements in BPL technology--will "resolve unsettled but substantial
interference issues" affecting Amateur Radio and other HF users.

"It is no longer the case that all BPL systems inherently radiate high
levels of RF energy on amateur allocations on overhead medium-voltage power
lines," the ARRL said. "Thus, not all BPL architectures have similar
potential for harmful interference to the Amateur Radio Service (and to
other licensed services). Some have inherently greater potential for
interference, as currently configured, than others."

The problematic systems, the League said, are those that make use of the HF
spectrum on unshielded overhead medium-voltage lines. BPL systems such as
those using DS2 or Main.net technology that lack fixed, permanent notches in
the ham bands, the ARRL noted, have been among those involved in
interference cases. "As detailed in ARRL's Petition for Reconsideration in
this proceeding, "this has resulted, in field tests and in deployments, in
substantial, extremely difficult-to-resolve incidents of interference to
fixed and mobile Amateur Radio facilities," the League said.

The ARRL said the FCC "has assisted not at all, or imperceptibly, in these
cases, and the BPL system operator has either been uncooperative or unable
to resolve the interference."

The League said its proposed additional regulations would permit those BPL
architectures that are "benign," while discouraging "first-generation
interference-causing BPL configurations, unless the latter modify their
systems in certain minor aspects." A "benign" system, the ARRL noted, would
not apply HF signals on overhead medium-voltage lines and would include
fixed, permanent notches in the amateur bands. 

Among the several BPL system designs that implement BPL without creating
harmful interference to amateur operations, the ARRL specifically cited the
Motorola Powerline LV BPL system. Motorola's system doesn't use
medium-voltage power lines, and it has been designed to preclude
interference to ham radio and other licensed services.

For several weeks, ARRL and Motorola have cooperated in a BPL test stand at
W1AW that has operated successfully without significant interference to
Amateur Radio. The League also cited BPL systems by Current Technologies,
IBEC and Corridor Systems as being among those that meet the additional
requirements it's proposing. Current Technologies' BPL deployment in the
Cincinnati, Ohio, area, for example, does not make use of medium-voltage
lines for transmission of HF signals and utilizes the HomePlug notching
protocol. Limited testing, the ARRL said, indicates that, as a result, the
interference potential "is minimal relative to Amateur Radio facilities."

Incorporating three elements into the BPL rules adopted last year would
essentially resolve all issues that the ARRL and the Amateur Service have
with access BPL, the League said: Prohibiting all access BPL systems from
using Amateur Radio allocations (except the five channels at 5 MHz, which
the current HomePlug system architecture does not notch); prohibiting access
BPL systems from using HF bands on medium-voltage power lines; and measuring
signal decay from access BPL systems using a more accurate 20 dB/decade
extrapolation factor rather than the 40 dB/decade factor the current rules
support.

Adopting its proposals, the League said, would result in a more robust
product that meets the Commission's stated goals of accommodating BPL as an
additional broadband option while protecting licensed radio services. "The
present BPL rules achieve the first of the goals, but they are woefully
inadequate to meet the second," the ARRL said.

"It is the Commission's obligation to recognize and utilize this opportunity
and to amend its rules to protect licensed radio services for the first time
in this proceeding," the ARRL concluded. "It can be done without significant
system redesign by any BPL provider."

A copy of ARRL's petition is on the League's Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/BPL-FNPRM.pdf>.

==>"UNCOOPERATIVE" HURRICANE WILMA ALTERS ACTIVATION PLANS

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on 14.325 MHz was still readjusting its
activation plans at week's end to bring them into line with revised
forecasts for Hurricane Wilma, which slowed its forward motion October 20.
In addition, Florida ARES teams were considering several contingency plans
based on various forecast scenarios. Wilma was expected to make landfall on
the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula the evening of October 21.

"Wilma simply is not being very cooperative," HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim,
K5MP, said Thursday evening. "Plans laid over the past couple of days just
don't adequately respond to the need." 

The HWN activated at 1300 UTC October 21 for coverage on the Yucatan
Peninsula with its bilingual support team on hand to assist in providing
essential advisory information to the affected area and to collect any
locally observed or measured weather data for relay to the National
Hurricane Center (NHC) via the center's WX4NHC. As of week's end, the HWN
would take a breather October 22, resuming operations the next day at 1700
UTC, staying on until the band shuts down to identify potential reporting
stations "including EOCs, Red Cross and Salvation Army shelters," Pilgrim
said.

The HWN plans to pick up again Monday, October 24, at 1300 UTC and remain
active as long as hurricane Wilma remains a threat over the US mainland.
Pilgrim reiterated, however, that the net's plans were subject to further
change.

Once clears of the Yucatan Peninsula, Wilma was forecast to make a sharp
right-hand turn toward a second landfall sometime early October 24 along the
southwestern Florida coast. The storm was expected to traverse the South
Florida peninsula before emerging into the Atlantic around midday.

The NHC has been advising all interests in the Florida Keys and the Florida
Peninsula to "closely monitor the progress of extremely dangerous Hurricane
Wilma," which, at week's end, was packing maximum sustained winds near 145
MPH. Even though the storm was considered likely to weaken to a Category 1
or 2 hurricane over the Florida Peninsula, huge tidal surges and heavy
rainfall were expected.

The HWN and WX4NHC work together to gather ground-level weather data to
assist NHC meteorologists to fine tune their forecasts. WX4NHC Assistant
Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, says the station also will
provide back-up communication to National Weather Service (NWS) field
offices in the affected area. He also requested that stations give 14.325
MHz a wide berth when the HWN and WX4NHC are active. 

In addition to the HWN, WX4NHC will monitor VoIP modes, including the
EchoLink WX-Talk Conference Room and IRLP node 9219
<http://www.voipwx.net/>, plus CWOP APRS and MADIS/MESONET automated weather
stations in the affected area. Amateur weather enthusiasts and ON-NHC
volunteers may report directly to WX4NHC on-line
<http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html>.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams in Southern Florida were
getting ready too. ARRL Southern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Jeff
Beals, WA4AW, told ARRL at week's end that Wilma's erratic behavior had
changed plans in his section too. "Most Southern Florida counties will begin
activations on Sunday," he said. The Southern Florida ARES Net (SFAN) on
7.242 MHz days/3.940 MHz evenings was set to start special sessions once the
NHC had issued a hurricane warning that included the Section, he said.

Beals said several counties have reported activation plans, shelter
openings, Red Cross and hospital deployments. They include Miami-Dade,
Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie, Indian River, Collier, Lee,
Okeechobee and Glades counties. Florida Navy Military Affiliate Radio System
(MARS) will activate nets for Wilma as well, he said.

All Amateur Radio volunteers must obtain a tracking number from the Florida
Emergency Operations Center before deploying. ARES/RACES volunteers--whether
or not they reside in Florida--should contact ARRL Northern Florida Section
Manager Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP <wa4pup@bellsouth.net>;, or Section Emergency
Coordinator Joe Bushel, W2DWR <w2dwr@arrl.net>;, to coordinate their
activities. Volunteers should not self deploy.

ARRL Southern Florida SM Sherri Brower, W4STB, said the only news at week's
end was "sit and wait and wonder." Brower said all areas were holding
resource nets in preparation for the storm's arrival. ARES would staff
American Red Cross shelters, health department special needs shelters,
hospitals and Red Cross chapter houses, she added. "Post-storm we'll need
relief ops and an unknown number of shelter ops." SKYWARN teams also were
expected to be on alert.

ARRL Headquarters continues to monitor the Hurricane Wilma situation and is
maintaining regular contact with Field Organization leadership in all three
Florida Sections. 

==>ISS ASTRONAUT ADDS SOME ZEST TO JOTA 2005

International Space Station Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR,
has wasted no time in getting on the air from NA1SS as he settles in for his
six-month stay in space. McArthur, who arrived at the ISS early this month
with crewmate Valery Tokarev, has been on the air making casual contacts on
2 meters. He also thrilled several scout groups during the 2005 Jamboree On
The Air (JOTA) over the October 15-16 weekend. Al Lark, KD4SFF ("scouting
for fun"), worked NA1SS while waiting for scouts to arrive at his JOTA
operation at Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville, South Carolina.
McArthur obliged Lark by sending his greetings to all scouts.

"Greeting to all the scouts worldwide. It's a thrill for us today to be
participating in JOTA!" McArthur said.

Lark, who's South Carolina AMSAT Area Coordinator, says he recorded his QSO
and replayed it to his scout group as well as to others he contacted during
JOTA. "Everyone was thrilled to hear Bill's message from the ISS!" he said.

Steve, KB9UPS, was among the others lucky enough to snag a contact with
NA1SS during JOTA weekend, Lark said. He also heard several other stations
work McArthur. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Ham
Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, said McArthur's JOTA
participation "wowed scouts and other hams." Among others, NA1SS also worked
stations in Ontario, Virginia, New York and Texas.

Ransom said he heard McArthur work special event station W4J on the second
pass over the central part of North America. "He was active over the West
Coast on Sunday but didn't work to many folks then," Ransom said. Outside of
JOTA, Ransom noted, NA1SS was heard October 17 over the US just after 1400
UTC--the start of McArthur's lunch break.

Ransom said he activated W5RRR at Johnson Space Center for JOTA on HF and
satellite and worked a few stations, including K2BSA/5 and K5S, via AO-51.
"I talked to scouts in the UK and Canada via HF," he added.

ARRL Education and Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME,
observed that this year's JOTA was the best he'd heard in a number of years.


"Admittedly the bands were in pretty good shape," he said, "but what I
observed was increased activity levels, more youthful voices on the radio,
patient hams taking the time to encourage the mike-shy to get on the air and
courteous hams clearing some frequency space to allow the scouts to get some
solid contact. Kudos to all who participated, and to all who listened in."

K2BSA/5 reported a very successful operation at Camp Wisdom in Dallas, says
Frank Krizan, KR1ZAN, who oversaw the event. "K2BSA made several successful
contacts on AO-51 QRP," he said. "The crew at K2BSA held their first Radio
merit badge clinic under the leadership of James Alderman, KF5WT."

Scott Avery, WA6LIE, reported having an enjoyable QSO with NA1SS during a
pass west of California during JOTA weekend. "He was also calling CQ for
JOTA and worked one other station," Avery said. "I told him to get on the
air more often. He said he plans on it." Avery was so excited about working
NA1SS he called his wife into the shack to listen in on the contact. 

Patrick McGrane, N2OEQ, on Long Island, New York, said he heard NA1SS during
two passes over the US on October 15. "I made a brief contact during a
one-degree elevation pass as he passed over the New Orleans area," he
reported. McGrane said McArthur also told him he planned to get on the air
more often for routine contacts.

The worldwide downlink frequency for NA1SS is 145.800 MHz. The voice uplink
is 144.49 MHz for Regions 2 and 3 (The Americas, and the Pacific) and 145.20
MHz for Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa). There's more information
on the ARISS Web site <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>.

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

==>ARRL PARTNERS WITH THE SALVATION ARMY FOR HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE 

The ARRL and The Salvation Army (TSA) have partnered up for the 2005 ARRL
Holiday Toy Drive. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts,
W1AGP, is the League's point man behind the effort to brighten the holidays
for youngsters displaced or left homeless by the Gulf Coast hurricanes. He
points out that TSA's distribution network throughout the region remains
intact. In addition, Pitts says, TSA can screen recipients and ensure that
the gifts go where they are truly needed the most.

"We are asking hams from all over the country to begin gathering new toys
and shipping them to Memphis, Tennessee," Pitts said this week. "ARRL Delta
Division Vice Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q, has secured a receiving
warehouse and is coordinating ham-elves volunteering there." Toys go to:
ARRL Toy Drive/The Salvation Army, 1775 Moriah Woods Blvd--Suite 12,
Memphis, TN 38117-7125. There volunteers will sort and stock them. Early in
December, the toys will be transported to Salvation Army facilities in
hurricane areas that need help the most at that time. 

National Toy Drive Chairperson and award-winning country music artist Patty
Loveless, KD4WUJ, has joined with family and friends--including producer
Richard Lubash, N1VXW--to make three videos promoting the drive.

Loveless says caring and helping are a big part of what ham radio is all
about. "Those things are the major traits of our tradition," she said, "and
we, as Amateur Radio operators and ARRL members, can continue the true
spirit of that tradition by supporting this wonderful and much needed
effort." The ARRL is asking Amateur Radio operators to put a QSL card into
the box with their donated toys.

Pitts says many ham radio clubs already are gathering toys for this year's
drive. "Please check with your local club and see if they are planning a
mass shipment," he suggested. "If not, perhaps you can help organize one for
your area."

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, noted that last year, hams from all over
the country brought smiles to children during the holidays. "We made a lot
of friends, and we did a lot of good," he said. "No one expected that we
would need to do it again, but the recent hurricanes' destruction has
changed the plans of a lot of people. I hope you will help in this effort to
bring a smile to children hurt by these disasters." 

Unwrapped new toys for boys and girls of ages 1 to 14 should be collected
and shipped to the Memphis facility between now and Thanksgiving for
distribution over the holidays. Non-hams are also encouraged to join in this
effort to provide for the thousands of children left homeless or displaced
due to the Gulf Coast hurricanes. 

Cash donations from ARRL members also are welcome to help cover such Toy
Drive expenses as truck rentals and purchasing toys for special age groups.
Send donations to: ARRL Toy Drive, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. 

==>USTTI COURSE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR INSTRUCTOR

ARRL Headquarters hosted seven international students in late September for
the 2005 United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) Amateur
Radio Administration course. Although none of this year's students were
radio amateurs, all work in government telecommunications offices that deal
with Amateur Radio testing, licensing and monitoring. As a result, ARRL
Technical Relations Specialist Walt Ireland, WB7CSL, who coordinated the
weeklong session, said this year's students taught him some things that he
hopes to incorporate into future USTTI sessions.

"It was a very interesting group, and I learned a few things about their
respective rules and regulations that would hamper the promotion of Amateur
Radio," Ireland said. "For example, one country charges an annual license
renewal fee of $25, and another charges $50. In one administration, an
Amateur Radio applicant must be at least 18 years of age."

Ireland said although he hadn't initially planned to, he took every
opportunity to zero in on the types of regulations that squelch the
promotion of Amateur Radio. Some can be fairly restrictive. "In one
administration the amateurs, depending on the level of license, are limited
in the number of pieces of radio equipment they can own," he explained, "and
the equipment that an amateur owns must be listed on the license along with
serial numbers." Ireland says government administrative officers in the
country, which he didn't identify, actually visit amateurs' homes to inspect
the equipment.

The seven students came from the Bahamas, Barbados, Ethiopia, Grenada,
Senegal and two from the Philippines. One of the Philippines' students was
sponsored by ARRL. Ireland says he put a lot of emphasis on disaster
communications and the Amateur Radio operator as a national asset during
disasters, using the South Asia tsunami and hurricanes Katrina and Rita as
examples.

ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, KB1KJC, and Assistant VEC Manager Perry Green,
WY1O, covered US Amateur Radio Licensing Structure, the VEC program, and
international operating from a US perspective for the USTTI attendees. The
students expressed a lot of interest in VEC processes and procedures and
asked a lot of questions, Ireland said.

Members of the ARRL Laboratory staff contributed to the training effort.
Mike Gruber, W1MG, delivered presentations on RFI and RF safety as well as
on radio regulation, while Zack Lau, W1VT, demonstrated 10-GHz equipment. In
addition, Gruber and Mike Tracy, KC1SX, assisted the students in assembling
40-meter receivers. ARRL Publications Manager and QST Editor Steve Ford,
WB8IMY, spoke on HF digital and Amateur Radio satellites.

The curriculum also covered--among other topics--the International
Telecommunication Union and ITU regulations, the International Amateur Radio
Union, spectrum management, disaster communication, international licensing
and the future of Amateur Radio.

During a luncheon at the end of the week, Administrative Assistant to the
CEO Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, presented certificates to each USTTI course
participant and congratulated them for completing the course.

Now in its 23rd year, USTTI is a nonprofit venture. It involves leading
US-based communications and information technology corporations and leaders
of the federal government who cooperate to provide tuition-free management,
policy and technical training for talented professionals from the developing
world. 

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar flash Tad "Sunshine Superman" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Solar activity continues at low levels. During the reporting week,
every day but Wednesday, October 19, had a sunspot number of 11. Average
daily sunspot numbers were down 8 points. Geomagnetic conditions were also
quiet.

Conditions for the near term look the same, with solar flux around 78 and
geomagnetic conditions quiet to unsettled. Geophysical Institute Prague
predicts quiet conditions October 21 and 23, quiet to unsettled October
25-27, and unsettled conditions October 22 and 24. A forecast from the US
Air Force shows planetary A index for today, October 21, at 5, and a
planetary A index around 12 for October 22-29.

Sunspot numbers for October 13 through 19 were 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11 and
30, with a mean of 13.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 78, 78.4, 79.6, 79.2, 78.1,
78.3, and 77.9, with a mean of 78.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 4,
2, 2, 8, 13, 5 and 7, with a mean of 5.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 2, 1, 2, 5, 7, 5 and 3, with a mean of 3.6.
__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The ARCI Fall QSO Party, the CIS DX Contest and
the 50 MHz Fall Sprint are the weekend of October 22-23. JUST AHEAD: The CQ
Worldwide DX Contest (SSB), the eXtreme CW World-Wide Challenge, the 10-10
International Fall Contest (CW) and the F.I.S.T.S. Coast to Coast Contest
are the weekend of October 29-30. 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 remains open through Sunday, October 23, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) on-line courses: Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference
(EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Technician Licensing
(EC-010), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013).
Classes begin Friday, November 4. To learn more, visit the CCE Course
Listing <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or e-mail the CCE Department
<cce@arrl.org>;.

* ARRL Foundation scholarship application window open: The application
period for ARRL Foundation scholarships will remain open until February 1,
2006. The Foundation has announced the addition of the Northern California
DX Foundation (NCDXF) scholarship to the list of those available. This award
will provide $1000 to a student attending a junior/community college,
college, university or trade school in the US. Preference goes to students
showing interest and activity in DXing, but there is no limitation on the
field of study. The ARRL Foundation is offering this scholarship for the
first time this year, and the initial award will be made in spring 2006. The
NCDXF award brings the total number of ARRL scholarships to 41. Following
its evaluation of all applications, the ARRL Foundation scholarship
committee will announce the 2006-2007 school year ARRL Foundation
scholarship recipients next spring. Information on all ARRL scholarships is
available on the League Web site <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html>.

* Amateur Radio involvement in Massachusetts dam watch winding down: At
week's end, ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob
Macedo, KD1CY, was reporting an improved situation on the Whittenton Pond
dam in Taunton. Large pumps from Hurricane Katrina operations were removing
water from the Mill River to relieve pressure on the century-old wooden dam
to allow for critical repairs. Macedo said Amateur Radio volunteers were
continuing to support a shelter and the Taunton emergency operations center,
and two ARES relief operators were deployed October 21, but ARES/RACES
operations appeared to be winding down. Some areas of Taunton, including the
downtown area, have reopened, and several closed streets were expected to
reopen soon. Macedo anticipated that the shelter would close before the
weekend but remain ready in case it's needed. Meanwhile, he was urging ARES
members and ARES SKYWARN spotters to monitor forecasts for significant
rainfall over the weekend and into early next week. He says if the area gets
three to four inches of rain within 24 hours, many areas will flood again.
He's also concerned that the remnants of Hurricane Wilma could affect
Eastern Massachusetts next week. Macedo, South Shore ARES District Emergency
Coordinator Carl Aveni, N1FY, and Region II RACES Radio Officer Bob Mims,
WA1OEZ, continue to monitor the situation. 

* Some Amateur Radio activity reported in earthquake's aftermath: Some
Amateur Radio emergency and health-and-welfare communication has been
reported in the aftermath of a severe and deadly earthquake that struck the
Kashmir region of Pakistan. Parts of India and Afghanistan also were
affected. Horey Majumdar, VU2HFR, says he has been in contact with Bharati
Prasad, VU2RBI, who informed him that there is no Indian Amateur Radio
operation involved in the earthquake response, due to security concerns.
"There has been some ham disaster communication from Pakistan, which has
borne the major brunt of the quake," Majumdar said. Hams from Turkey
reportedly are in Pakistan to assist in relief operations. VU2RBI reported
Pakistani hams have been relaying some earthquake-related traffic, but no
Amateur Radio stations have been established in the hardest-hit areas, some
of which are in very remote areas with difficult access. "Some earthquake
traffic has been monitored on 7.100 MHz," Majumdar reports, adding that
AP2NK and AP2MIZ are involved in the operations. A Pakistan disaster relief
net reportedly has been meeting daily at 1130 UTC on 14.290 MHz. The net
control is AP2MIZ, and a clear frequency has been requested. Steve Richards,
G4HPE, reports a "tenuous" communication route has been established into the
earthquake zone, using EchoLink to Delhi, then HF to near Pakistan, followed
by HF relay links to Turkish and Pakistani relief workers with ham stations.
Richards has offered to pass along any health-and-welfare inquiries and will
process any responses. The International Committee of the Red Cross has
established a link for locating missing persons
<http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/epi/locate>.

* VO1MRC 60-meter experiments set: The Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland
(MRCN) station VO1MRC will conduct experiments on 60 meters Saturday and
Sunday, October 22-23 from 0000 until 2400 UTC both days (this period begins
Friday, October 21 in North America). Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
Newfoundland-Labrador Section Manager Joe Craig, VO1NA, says, that during
this period, a CW beacon will operate on 5269.5 kHz to determine the diurnal
variations in propagation. Signal reports from local and distant stations
are welcome. VO1MRC will open briefly for two-way contacts with stations
authorized to transmit on 60 meters starting 0000 UTC both days of the
experiments, transmitting CW and listening on 5260.5 kHz as well as
receiving on 5346.5 kHz USB, which is US channel 2. US stations: For more
information on 60-meter operation, visit the "60 Meters - Frequently Asked
Questions" (FAQ) page on the ARRL Web site. The MRCN experiment has been
endorsed by RAC and authorized by Industry Canada. For further information,
visit the MRCN Web site <http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~jcraig/mrcn.html>.

* June 2005 ARRL VHF Party results now available to ARRL members: ARRL
members may now access the June 2005 ARRL VHF Party Web report and Scores
database via the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/results/2005/june-vhf/>(you must
log on to the ARRL Web site as a League member to view these pages).
Non-members will be able to download a PDF file detailing the results on or
about November 1. For more information, contact ARRL Contest Branch Manager
Dan Henderson, N1ND <n1nd@arrl.org>;.

* Correction: The news brief "Transpacific reception of Canadian amateur LF
signals confirmed" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 40 (Oct 14, 2005),
contained a busted call sign. Low-frequency enthusiast Steve McDonald is
VE7SL.

=========================================================== 
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.

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==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
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860-594-0384

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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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