*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 48 December 9, 2005 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +Federal jury renders guilty verdicts in California jamming case * +Radio amateurs contribute to Ultra-Wide Band studies * +Amateur Radio lets youngsters in New England, Canada talk to ISS * +Donation deadline looms for ARRL 2005 Holiday Toy Drive * +ARRL Headquarters mourns staffer Bob Schetgen, KU7G * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio: Enjoy the ARRL 10-Meter Contest! ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration ARRL Web site offers Winlink 2000 page +World record claimed on relocated microwave band +Southeastern VHF Society conference issues call for papers ARRL Emergency Power for Radio Communications book now available Bruce Pontius, N0ADL, wins November QST Cover Plaque Award Former ARRL staff member Sally O'Dell, WB2E, SK +RSGB to get new president January 1 +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 =========================================================== ==>GERRITSEN CONVICTED ON ALL COUNTS IN RADIO JAMMING CASE A US District Court jury has found Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California, guilty on six counts that included transmitting without a license and willful and malicious interference with radio transmissions. Gerritsen, 69, who briefly held the amateur call sign KG6IRO, will face sentencing March 6, according to the office of Debra W. Yang, US Attorney for the Central District of California. He could receive up to 15 years in federal prison. "The Federal Communication Commission investigated illegal radio transmissions linked to Gerritsen for four years," said a statement from Yang's office. "According to court documents filed in this case, the FCC investigation revealed that Gerritsen transmitted his prerecorded messages, as well as real-time harassment and profanity, for hours at a time, often making it impossible for licensed radio operators to use the public frequencies." A federal grand jury indicted Gerritsen last spring. Turning down the offer of a public defender, Gerritsen served as his own attorney. The government's case, presented by Assistant US Attorney Lamar Baker, went to the jury December 8, and the jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning its verdict December 9. US District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner revoked Gerritsen's bond, and the defendant was taken into custody following the verdict. Gerritsen was found guilty of interfering with a Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) communication last March and interfering with American Red Cross communications last January--both misdemeanors--and with interfering with US Coast Guard communications in October 2004, a felony. He also faced three misdemeanor counts of transmitting without a license. Recordings of radio transmissions attributed to Gerritsen were played for the jury. Those familiar with this week's court proceedings said Gerritsen tended to focus on freedom of speech issues and sometimes confused those on the stand. Among those testifying at length on behalf of the government was FCC Senior Agent Steven Pierce, who discussed his use of mobile direction-finding equipment and techniques used to track the source of transmissions. Just days before the trial began, the FCC affirmed a total of $42,000 in additional fines it had levied on Gerritsen, releasing two $21,000 Forfeiture Orders (NOFs). In affirming the fines, the FCC rebuffed every argument Gerritsen had offered in responding to each Notice of Apparent Liability, including his insistent "freedom of speech" claim. "His unlicensed operation on amateur frequencies is not protected by the US Constitution as it is well established that the right to free speech does not include the right to use radio facilities without a license," the FCC said in a footnote in one of the NOFs. The federal court jury in California apparently agreed. In late November, Klausner denied Gerritsen's motion to dismiss the three unlicensed transmitting counts, turning away Gerritsen's argument that the FCC could not set aside his Amateur Radio license without a hearing. Klausner declared that the effect of the FCC's 2001 set aside of KG6IRO "was to treat the application as if it had never been granted." Since Gerritsen never held an Amateur Radio license, he never had the right to a hearing, the judge reasoned. Last March, the FCC upheld a $10,000 fine against Gerritsen for interfering with Amateur Radio communications. The government has yet to collect. FBI agents, accompanied by FCC staff, arrested Gerritsen without incident last May and seized his radio equipment. Released on $250,000 bond while awaiting trial, Gerritsen remained in home detention, barred from possessing any radio equipment. Gerritsen's history of radio-related legal problems go back to 2000 when he was convicted for intercepting, obstructing and/or interfering with California Highway Patrol radio communications. In November 2001, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued, then quickly rescinded, Gerritsen's Technician license, KG6IRO, because of his earlier conviction. While transmitting on various Los Angeles-area repeaters, Gerritsen continued to identify as KG6IRO, however. Radio amateurs on the West Coast complained for months about the slow pace of enforcement action in the Gerritsen case. Los Angeles-area repeater owners had taken to shutting down their machines to avoid the nearly constant barrage of malicious interference and lengthy political tirades attributed to Gerritsen. ==>ARRL, IARU CONTRIBUTE TO ITU ULTRA-WIDE BAND STUDIES The ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) have contributed to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) studies of Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) short-range RF technology and its potential to interfere with licensed radio services. UWB devices operate by employing very narrow or short-duration RF pulses that result in very sizeable, or wideband, transmission bandwidths. In February 2002, when the FCC released its 122-page Report and Order (R&O) in the UWB proceeding, WT Docket 98-153, it expressed its belief the technology "offers significant benefits for government, public safety, businesses and consumers." But the Commission also allowed that UWB's "substantial benefits" could be outweighed if UWB devices interfered with licensed services and "other important radio operations." "ITU-R Task Group 1/8 struggled to characterize UWB emissions, such as what frequency ranges, pulse characteristics and power levels," said ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI. Rinaldo and ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Walt Ireland, WB7CSL, served on TG 1/8, took part in many of the Task Group's US studies and preparatory meetings and served as part of the US delegations to ITU-R TG 1/8 international meetings. The League and the IARU also provided the characteristics of Amateur Radio systems. "The FCC Report and Order on UWB was a starting point for the world body to accept it, reject it or modify it," Rinaldo explained "Whatever was submitted by ARRL had to be consistent--or at least not in disagreement--with the FCC R&O, as well as survive the vetting process for all US contributions to ITU." Prospective UWB applications include ground-penetrating radars, through-wall imaging, medical imaging and vehicle collision-avoidance systems. The FCC says its analysis indicates that UWB devices can operate on an unlicensed basis without causing harmful interference "provided appropriate technical standards and operational restrictions" are in place. "Having described the characteristics of UWB devices," said Ireland, "then the problem was to determine how UWB emissions propagate from the device to a radio system that might be interfered with." The wide frequency range over which UWB operates made that task more difficult, he noted. Peter Chadwick, G3RZP, represented the IARU throughout the life of TG 1/8 and made substantial on-the-spot contributions to the technical work. "The ARRL Laboratory provided basic characteristics of Amateur Radio systems--in this case related to bands between 3.1 and 10 GHz," Ireland added. Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, also contributed to the task group's work. In the final analysis, the US did not get the rest of the world to accept the FCC's UWB R&O without question. "The Europeans in particular came up with their own ideas on UWB systems and potential interference to systems they want to protect," said Rinaldo. "As a radio service, amateurs didn't get everything they desired either, but got the characteristics of our radio systems on record." He says four Draft New Recommendations (DNRs) on UWB characteristics, compatibility, framework and measurement and a report with radio systems gained approval at the Task Group and Study Group levels and soon will circulate to individual administrations for their approval. "The bottom line? UWB is capable of interfering with radio services," Ireland concluded. "If the UWB device and the radio system--including antenna--are in the same room and so forth, interference is likely." Walls or distance between a UWB device and a radio system make interference less likely, he added. "In other words, for Amateur Radio stations, UWB interference most likely would be a self-inflicted wound," Rinaldo suggested. "That is, a computer wireless UWB mouse would probably interfere with receivers in the shack operating in the same bands." ==>NEW ENGLAND, CANADIAN YOUNGSTERS LOG SUCCESSFUL SPACE CONTACTS Youngsters in Alberta, Canada, and in Massachusetts, USA, learned more about the International Space Station and living in space recently by speaking directly via ham radio with ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the contacts between NA1SS in space with N1CSH at Hawthorne Brook Middle School in Townsend, Massachusetts, and, a few days later, with VE6JBJ at the Ralph McCall School in Airdrie, Alberta. McArthur, 54, told a youngster at the Massachusetts school November 29 that he doesn't expect this mission--probably his last trip into space--to be particularly life-changing. "This will probably be my last flight, so I kind of look at this as the end of a chapter and not necessarily . . . but maybe . . . it's the beginning of the next chapter," McArthur responded. "I don't think it changes exactly the things I believe, but perhaps I believe them more strongly." Asked why he'd want to go back into space knowing the risks involved, McArthur said space travel is just like any other endeavor. "It's the same reason that people take risks for just about anything," he told the students. "We think the benefits significantly outweigh the risk, and besides, it's such a thrill. Its so much fun to be in space!" Teacher Marilyn Richardson, N1CSH, served as control operator during the almost 10-minute contact. The middle schoolers asked 19 questions although the Earth station could not copy NA1SS beyond the 17th question. There was some dropout near the start of the contact too. "NA1SS then called me, and we continued asking 19 questions and hearing clear, complete answers to about 16 and partial answers up to number 19," Richardson told ARRL. "I understand from others listening on the downlink that Bill heard and replied to all 19 questions." Also on November 29, McArthur's crewmate, cosmonaut Valery Tokarev, took the RS0ISS microphone to speak with RK3DZB at the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center in Star City Russia. On December 2, McArthur answered 18 questions via ham radio put to him by youngsters attending the Ralph McCall and Chestermere Lake schools in Airdrie, Alberta. McCall fifth-grade teacher Brian Jackson, VE6JBJ, was the control operator. The Amateur Radio contact attracted national media attention, including a report on CBC TV and radio. McArthur told the first through eighth graders that having Amateur Radio onboard the ISS not only provides a way to answer questions for youngsters like themselves but serves as a means of backup communication and a source of recreation. He also described what he likes about long-term space travel and what happens when astronauts return to Earth. "What I really like about being in space a really long time is that you develop habits," McArthur said. "The way you work, the way you play, everything you do is adjusting for having no gravity, and for a short period of time [in space], that's hard to do." Long-term space travelers feel very weak and their sense of balance may be disturbed when they return to Earth's gravity, he added. "You can be very dizzy." McArthur explained to both groups of students that ISS crew members have been trained and equipped to handle many medical emergencies that might occur in space. "We have a lot of medicines on board and a lot of medical equipment," he told the Canadian students. If push comes to shove, however, the crew can return to Earth via the Russian Soyuz transporter that's attached to the ISS. In addition to the CBC, two other TV affiliates as well as reporters from two Calgary newspapers, three local newspapers and Reuters news service attended the ARISS event. Audio also was streamed to the Internet and via IRLP and EchoLink. Besides the approximately 700 students in the audience, regional and local dignitaries also were on hand for the occasion. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE DONATION DEADLINE LOOMS LARGE! In less than two weeks, trucks carrying gifts donated to the ARRL/The Salvation Army 2005 Holiday Toy Drive <http://www.arrl.org/pio/toy> will head south from the Memphis, Tennessee, warehouse that's been the drive's collection point. As of this week, generous radio amateurs and others across the US have contributed more than 3000 toys to help brighten the holiday season for youngsters displaced or left homeless in the wake of this year's devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes. More donations continue to arrive as the deadline rapidly approaches. "We received 99 toys--12 small boxes--December 5, so we are over 3000," said warehouse volunteer coordinator Joe Lowenthal, WA4OVO. "The 3000 toys have come from 31 states and the Virgin Islands." ARRL Delta Division Vice Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q, obtained use of the warehouse, helped to organize the crew of ham radio volunteers and has been working with them throughout the drive. The ARRL has partnered with The Salvation Army for this year's campaign, and country music artist Patty Loveless, KD4WUJ, is the drive's national chairperson. MFJ President Martin Jue, K5FLU, graciously donated the use of his firm's truck to help provide the transportation. MFJ is headquartered in Starkville, Mississippi. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, reports that League members have given more than $4000. The money will be used to purchase even more toys, especially for older youngsters, and transport them to the Gulf Coast. Impressed by an electronics experimenter's kit that one radio amateur had contributed, Pitts used a portion of the cash donations to purchase 150 more kits. "The kits not only are appropriate for older children, but they may well spark a greater interest in electronics," he remarked. Supplementing the donations from ARRL members, the Memphis Wal-Mart has given the Mid-South Amateur Radio Association (MARA) $1000 to be split between the kids on the Gulf Coast and youngsters from the Gulf Coast at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. When the toy-laden trucks--there could be as many as three--head south Thursday, December 15, a celebration will mark the occasion. Expected to be on hand are Loveless and her husband and manager Emory Gordy, W4WRO; Shelby County (Tennessee) Mayor A C Wharton Jr, representatives from the offices of US Rep Harold Ford and US Sen Lamar Alexander; regional leaders of The Salvation Army and ARRL representatives, including Leggette, Pitts and ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK. The Salvation Army's Gulf Area headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi, will serve as the distribution center. Radio amateurs are invited to send new unwrapped toys for boys and girls aged 1 to 14 to: ARRL Toy Drive/The Salvation Army, 1775 Moriah Woods Blvd--Suite 12, Memphis, TN 38117-7125. Include a QSL card or a card bearing your call sign. ARRL invites its members to send checks if they prefer, made out to "ARRL Toy Drive." Send these donations to: ARRL Toy Drive, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. ==>ARRL STAFF MEMBER BOB SCHETGEN, KU7G, SK The ARRL Headquarters staff is mourning the loss of Senior Assistant Technical Editor Bob Schetgen, KU7G, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, who died unexpectedly December 5. He was 54. An ARRL Life Member, Schetgen had worked at Headquarters for nearly 23 years. A member of the editorial staff for the past 16 years, he was perhaps best known as the editor of the "Hints & Kinks" column in QST and as managing editor of the League's technical and experimenter's journal QEX. "Bob was a loyal, long-term member of the ARRL staff, but more significant than that, he was universally well liked and respected," said QST Managing Editor Joel Kleinman, N1BKE, for whom Schetgen worked for several years. Kleinman says Schetgen brought "a high level of technical expertise and a great sense of humor" to each of the positions he held at HQ. "Whether he was working on a QST column or a 10-page technical article for QEX, Bob added his special touch to the material he prepared for publication. We will miss him a great deal." After joining the ARRL Headquarters staff in 1983, Schetgen served as a technical information specialist in the Technical Department, as assistant to the executive vice president, as an assistant technical editor on the Book Team and as handling editor for "Technical Correspondence" and "Hints & Kinks" in QST. From 1987 until 1989, Schetgen was assistant to Executive Vice President (now CEO) David Sumner, K1ZZ. "The attention to detail that would make him so valuable as a technical editor was very evident in that role," Sumner said. "Bob's patience, loyalty, and general good humor will be greatly missed." As a member of the ARRL Book Team from 1989 until 1995, Schetgen had a hand in preparing several popular ARRL publications. He was assistant editor of The ARRL Handbook in 1991 and 1992 and editor from 1993 until 1996. He also contributed to the Handbook from 1985 until 1995 and authored the "Troubleshooting" chapter. Over the years, he also prepared several product reviews for QST. Schetgen compiled and edited Vertical Antenna Classics and The ARRL Radio Buyer's Sourcebook (vols 1 and 2) among other books, and he and ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, share credit for Radio Frequency Interference. Schetgen served as editor for additional ARRL titles, including QRP Classics, Hints & Kinks and Packet: Speed, More Speed and Applications. First licensed in the early 1960s as WN6LCT when he resided in Los Angeles, Schetgen left Amateur Radio for about 15 years after his first Novice ticket expired. He returned to Amateur Radio in 1980 as a "Novice retread" (KA7KWA) while living in Vancouver, Washington, soon upgrading to Advanced class (KC7OC) and, a year later, to Amateur Extra class as KU7G. Born in Indiana, Schetgen attended California Polytechnic State University in Pomona. Before coming to work at ARRL Headquarters, he was employed in the roof truss industry as a designer, plant manager and salesperson. Survivors include his wife, Ellen, a stepdaughter, Becky Carr, and a sister Dorothy Pacquin. A memorial service will be held December 10. An online guestbook is on the Courant.com Web site <http://www.legacy.com/HartfordCourant/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&Perso nId=15892760>. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Propagation prognosticator Tad "Sunny Claus is Coming to Town" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: This weekend is the ARRL 10-Meter Contest <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/10-meters.html>. The event this year, as well as the ones in 2006 and 2007, probably will have very few sunspots, but sometimes 10 meters opens when we least expect it Sunspot numbers and solar flux declined as Sunspot 826 moved to the edge of the visible solar disk. Sunspot numbers peaked after the beginning of the month. Average sunspot numbers for the past week were almost 39 points above the previous week, at 72.6. Geomagnetic conditions were very quiet for the past few days. For this weekend, the predicted planetary A index from December 9-12 is 7, 12, 10 and 5. Predicted solar flux for December 9 is 85, with 80 predicted for the following five days. There is a low probability of disruptive solar flares this weekend, although conditions are expected to be slightly unsettled compared with those of the past few days. Sunspot numbers for December 1 through 7 were 79, 98, 75, 91, 85, 58 and 22, with a mean of 72.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 98.2, 106.3, 101.3, 95.2, 91.7, 89.1, and 89, with a mean of 95.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 13, 12, 11, 5, 2, 3 and 0, with a mean of 6.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 12, 10, 9, 3, 2, 2 and 1, with a mean of 5.6. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: Get on the air for the ARRL 10-Meter Contest! Also, the CQC Great Colorado Snowshoe Run is the weekend of December 10-11. The NAQCC 80-Meter Straight Key/Bug Sprint is December 14. The Russian 160-Meter Contest is December 16. The NA High Speed Meteor Scatter Winter Rally continues through December 18. JUST AHEAD: The MDXA PSK DeathMatch, the OK DX RTTY Contest, the RAC Winter Contest, the Croatian CW Contest, the Stew Perry Topband Challenge, the International Naval Contest and the ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint are the weekend of December 17-18. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is December 19, the RAEM Contest is December 25 and the DARC Christmas Contest is December 26. 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, December 25, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE). Program on-line courses: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001) Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Technician Licensing (EC-010), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Digital Electronics (EC-013) and Analog Electronics (EC-012). Classes begin Friday, January 6. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * ARRL Web site offers Winlink 2000 page: The ARRL now has a Web page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/winlink.html> devoted to Winlink 2000 <http://www.winlink.org/>, the software and hardware system that links Amateur Radio to the Internet and allows sending and receiving e-mail messages via Amateur Radio. The League's new Winlink 2000 resource page contains general information about Winlink 2000, including articles, reprints, links and other useful information. A worldwide radio digital messaging system, Winlink 2000 also offers position reporting, weather bulletins and graphics, and emergency communication capabilities. It's already being used extensively by radio amateurs in the sailing and cruising communities as well as by recreational vehicle travelers, missionaries, scientists and explorers. The ARRL Board of Directors in 2004 encouraged the deployment within the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) of e-mail via Amateur Radio "as exemplified by Winlink 2000" to meet the needs of served agencies and others involved in providing disaster communications. Amateur Radio volunteers responding to help in the wake of Hurricane Katrina utilized Winlink 2000 with great success. * World record claimed on relocated microwave band: Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, who enjoys plying the microwave spectrum, is claiming a new world DX record for the 134 GHz band. Justin says the December 8 contact between W2SZ/4 (WA1ZMS operating) and W4WWQ (WA4RTS assisting) was possibly a first on that band for the US. The QSO between W2SZ/4 in FM07fm and W4WWQ in FM06hx (both in Virginia) spanned a distance of 60.1 km (approximately 37.3 miles). The mode was FSK CW. Justin says the previous 134 GHz DX record of 56.4 km was held by JA1KVN and JA1ELV. "The signal margin on both ends of our QSO was a few dB, so there is a chance we could better our DX," Justin said, adding that he first needs to check out some equipment issues. Justin notes that as a result of some microwave spectrum reshuffling the 134 GHz band last year replaced the 145 GHz Amateur Radio allocation. Last year, the ARRL Board of Directors honored Justin as a recipient of the 2003 ARRL Microwave Development Award, for his pioneering work in developing the Amateur Radio microwave bands above 30 GHz. * Southeastern VHF Society conference issues call for papers: The Southeastern VHF Society has issued its first call for papers and presentations for its tenth annual conference, April 28-29, 2006, in Greenville, South Carolina. Papers and presentations are invited on the technical and operational aspects of VHF, UHF and microwave "weak-signal" Amateur Radio activities and applications. Suggested topics of interest include transmitters, receivers and transverters; RF power amplifiers; low-noise pre-amplifiers; antennas; test equipment; construction projects and station accessories. Other possibilities include contesting, EME, propagation, digital modes and techniques, satellites and amateur television. In general papers and presentations on topics such as FM repeaters and packet will not be accepted but exceptions may be made if the topic is related to weak-signal work. The deadline to submit papers and presentations is March 3, 2006. All submissions should be Microsoft Word .doc or Adobe Acrobat .pdf files. The page format is 8-1/2 by 11 inches with a 1-inch bottom margin and 3/4-inch margins elsewhere. All content, including photographs, must be black and white (no color). Those submitting papers or presentations should indicate if they plan to attend the conference to present their papers or if they are submitting solely for publication in the conference Proceedings, which the ARRL will publish after the conference. Direct submissions, questions and comments to Technical Program Chair Jim Worsham, W4KXY <w4kxy@bellsouth.net>. * ARRL Emergency Power for Radio Communications book now available: When all else fails, how will you power your communication equipment? The ARRL's new Emergency Power for Radio Communications by Michael Bryce, WB8VGE, can provide the answer, with information on emergency or back-up power, energy independence, portable power and more. Emergency Power for Radio Communications explores the various means of electric power generation and shows you how to plan ahead to stay on the air when weather or other circumstances knock out conventional power--short-term or longer. It also examines how to go "off the grid" by employing alternative power-generation methods such as solar, wind and water power. There's a selection of emergency power projects and information from the pages of QST too. Emergency Power for Radio Communications is $19.95 plus shipping and handling. Order from the ARRL on-line catalog <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=&words=Emergency+9531> or call toll-free 888-277-5289. * Bruce Pontius, N0ADL, wins November QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for November is Bruce Pontius, N0ADL, for his article "Surprising Results with a Low, Hidden Wire Antenna." Congratulations, Bruce! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award--given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the December issue by Saturday, December 31. * Former ARRL staff member Sally O'Dell, WB2E, SK: Former ARRL staff member Sally O'Dell, WB2E (ex-KB1O, AE8P), of Roswell, Georgia, died November 9. She was 59. An ARRL member, O'Dell served on the ARRL Headquarters staff as assistant manager for club and youth groups from February 1980 until August 1984, and she edited the "Club Corner" column for QST among other duties. * RSGB to get new president January 1: Angus Annan, MM1CCR, will become the next president of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). The Society's National Council on November 19 elected Annan to the position for a two-year term. He will succeed Jeff Smith, MI0AEX, whom the Council had reappointed last May to continue serving through the new year because it wanted continuity of leadership in dealing with current challenges facing Amateur Radio in the UK. However, following a challenge based on the current wording of RSGB's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the RSGB Council, with the assent of President Smith, rescinded its earlier decision, leading to Annan's election. The RSGB Board plans to revisit its Memorandum and Articles with an eye toward updating the document. =========================================================== 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. 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