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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 49
December 16, 2005
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +Hurricane volunteers may apply again for "Ham Aid" reimbursements
* +ARRL/Salvation Army 2005 Toy Drive convoy hits the road
* +Astronaut seeking WAC, WAS and maybe DXCC from space
* +League experimenting with D-Star digital technology
* +ARES and SKYWARN activate for Massachusetts nor'easter
* +Missouri dam break prompts ARES emergency net
* +On the ultra-highs: Another new 134 GHz DX record
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +Pennsylvania ARRL member honored
     Vintage receiver becomes musical instrument for tribute song
     W8STX is 2005 Allan Severson, AB8P, Memorial Award winner

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

==>ADDITIONAL "HAM AID" REIMBURSEMENTS AVAILABLE FOR HURRICANE VOLUNTEERS

Limited "Ham Aid" reimbursement funds remain available to help cover
out-of-pocket expenses both for prior and new applicants who provided
emergency communication support in communities devastated by hurricanes
Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The Ham Aid funding is due to expire at year's end,
and ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, urges all eligible
ham radio volunteers to request a reimbursement as soon as possible.

"If you haven't applied at all previously or even if you've already applied
for and received the maximum $100 reimbursement," Hobart said, "we urge you
to take advantage of the generosity of the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS), which is providing these Ham Aid funds."

Anyone filing an initial or additional application for the maximum $25 per
day reimbursements must follow the reimbursement procedures available on the
ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/cncs/>.

Hobart acknowledges that accepting a Ham Aid reimbursement is a personal
decision. Even so, she encourages those who served in the wake of the three
storms to put in for the reimbursement anyway--if for no other reason than
to honor those who have volunteered before them throughout the history of
Amateur Radio.

"These volunteers should consider applying and then donate the reimbursement
to their club or to another emergency communication-related project," she
said. "I'd like to see this money support ARES and our emergency response
capabilities in the field." Hobart called the CNCS grant "a tangible
expression of the value that the federal government puts on Amateur Radio as
an emergency communication asset."

In addition, Hobart says, CNCS grant funds are still available to help
replace Amateur Radio communication infrastructure damaged or destroyed by
the three devastating storms earlier this year. "We have seven grant
requests totaling approximately $20,000 so far to replace backbone equipment
from the Gulf Coast to Florida," she said. "We'd like to have all
applications by the end of the year."

Hobart says the goal is to restore critical Amateur Radio emergency
communication systems in hurricane-prone areas--and especially in cases
where equipment damage has compromised Amateur Radio's disaster-response
capability. Contact Hobart <k1mmh@arrl.org>;, 860-594-0397 for complete
application details and requirements.

CNCS has provided the League with $170,000 in grants to Ham Aid. Hobart says
there's still adequate funding to support the hundreds of hams who traveled
to the US Gulf Coast. The program will cover per-diem reimbursements
incurred between September 1 and December 31, 2005.

In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers and individual radio amateurs supplied
or supplemented the communication needs of emergency management and relief
agencies, including the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

Hobart points out that Amateur Radio volunteers will not be breaking FCC
rules by accepting the reimbursements. §97.113 prohibits "Communications for
hire or for material compensation, direct or indirect, paid or promised . .
." Hobart says Ham Aid reimbursements are not for providing "communications"
but to help with costs such as travel, meals, lodging and necessities.

"These out-of-pocket expenses can be a hardship for some Amateur Radio
volunteers," Hobart said. "If we can help one ham to serve where badly
needed, that's what this grant is intended to do."

"I hope people take advantage of the helping hand CNCS has extended," Hobart
says. "Let's put this funding to work as CNCS intended."

The CNCS grant is an extension of the ARRL's three-year Homeland Security
training grant, which has provided certification in emergency communication
protocols to nearly 5500 Amateur Radio volunteers over the past three years.

Cash donations from individuals are also being accepted from ARRL members to
support hams who volunteer for disaster relief and recovery activities. To
donate, go to the ARRL general donation form
<https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/basic/> and select "Ham
Aid" (this is a secure site).

==>IT'S A CONVOY! 2005 HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE TRUCKS HIT THE HIGHWAY

A convoy carrying contributions to the ARRL/Salvation Army Holiday Toy Drive
set off December 15 from the Memphis warehouse where the toys have been
collecting for several weeks. Seeing them off were representatives of the
ARRL and The Salvation Army, country music singer Patty Loveless, KD4WUJ,
Amateur Radio volunteers, the news media, dignitaries and, of course, Santa
Claus. Loveless, who served as national chairperson for the campaign,
expressed her thanks to Amateur Radio clubs and individual hams who gave to
the drive.

"I think it's just amazing! For those who couldn't be here, I'm sure they're
here in spirit and giving from their hearts, and I just want to thank
them--from all around--for collecting," Loveless told ARRL. "Love is a word
that truly everybody knows."

It took three trucks to contain the 4500 toys bound for youngsters along the
US Gulf Coast displaced or left homeless as a result of this year's
devastating hurricanes.

ARRL Delta Division Vice Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q, ARRL Media and
Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, The Salvation Army's Bill
Feist, WB8BZH, and Loveless headlined a send-off ceremony as ham radio
volunteers wearing Santa hats, coordinated by Joe Lowenthal, WA4OVO, packed
up the trucks for the late-afternoon departure. Lowenthal says the Holiday
Toy Drive received donations from upward of three dozen states plus the US
Virgin Islands.

At the warehouse, Delta Amateur Radio Club members began a W1AW/4 special
event operation December 15. That was expected to continue for another day,
possibly longer. A W1AW mobile station also is on the air from a vehicle
shadowing the truck convoy, first headed to The Salvation Army's Gulf Area
headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi, which will serve as the distribution
center--and then to Biloxi. The convoy may be trackable via APRS.

The ARRL partnered with The Salvation Army for this year's campaign. Feist,
The Salvation Army's disaster services director for the
Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi division, said it was an exciting occasion and
he was glad to see ham radio get some positive publicity too.

"As The Salvation Army's representative, we are certainly very appreciative
of what all the Amateur Radio operators around the country and the ARRL have
done for the people of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi," Feist said.

League members gave more than $4000 in cash donations 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
contributed, Pitts purchased 150 more. "The kits not only are appropriate
for older children, but they may well spark a greater interest in
electronics," he remarked.

The ARRL thanks everyone who contributed to--and who volunteered to
assist--in making the 2005 Holiday Toy Drive a success.

==>ISS COMMANDER SHOOTING FOR WAC, WAS AND MAYBE DXCC FROM SPACE

ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, has proven to be one of
the more active Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
operators among ham radio operators who have occupied the space station.
Early in his ISS duty tour, McArthur got on the air from NA1SS for
Scouting's Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) event in October, but he's also been
available during his off hours to make some quick, casual QSOs on 2 meters
as well. In fact, McArthur's having so much fun operating from space that
he's hoping to complete Worked All Continents (WAC), Worked All States (WAS)
and maybe even DXCC from space.

"Bill McArthur continues to be active on voice and now has a couple of
personal goals he is trying to achieve," says ARISS Ham Radio Project
Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO. "He is trying to talk to someone in every
state in the United States. According to his log, he has managed to work 37
states so far." In addition, Ransom says, McArthur wants to work as many
countries as he can.

"He's off to a good start with 28 DXCC entities in his log as of December
12," he said. "These contacts have been with amateur stations on every
continent with the exception of Antarctica." That contact could happen this
weekend, however. Although the IARU does not require WAC applicants to have
worked Antarctica, Ransom says that ARISS tradition calls for an Antarctica
QSO to achieve WAC from space "since the astronauts seem to have an unfair
advantage."

Expedition 9 astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, became the first ISS crew member
to contact all seven of the world's continents via Amateur Radio from NA1SS.
Fincke worked KC4AAC at Antarctica's Palmer Research Station for his last
contact.

States on McArthur's most-needed list are Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri,
New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

"The list of DXCC entities is just starting to grow, so he needs a lot right
now," Ransom conceded this week. "I figure he can get it if we are able to
add a handful of smaller entities." Ransom says he hasn't included ARISS
school group contacts in his counts and hopes McArthur will achieve his
goals without them. "We won't know the official results for months after the
mission," he added.

McArthur is about halfway through his approximately six-month duty tour
aboard the ISS. He and crewmate Valery Tokarev will return to Earth in
April.

During Thanksgiving week, McArthur reportedly made some three dozen casual
contacts, most of them over North America and a few over Europe and New
Zealand. Nine-year-old Mattie Clausen, AE7MC, of Oregon recently enjoyed her
third QSO with McArthur, and the two now are on a first-name basis. McArthur
made contacts with stations in the US on December 6. He also had QSOs with
Australia, New Zealand and the US on December 11.

The NA1SS worldwide voice and packet downlink frequency is 145.800 MHz. In
Regions 2 and 3 (the Americas, and the Pacific), the voice uplink is 144.49
MHz. In Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa), the voice uplink is
145.20 MHz. The worldwide packet uplink is 145.99 MHz. All frequencies are
subject to Doppler shift. The Science@NASA Web site provides location
information for the ISS <http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html>.

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
<http://www.rac.ca/ariss> program is an international educational outreach
with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.

==>ARRL EXPERIMENTING WITH ICOM D-STAR DIGITAL SYSTEM

Thanks to the generosity of Icom, MFJ and NCG (Comet), the ARRL has embarked
on a project to learn firsthand what D-Star
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/techchar/> digital technology
has to offer and to assess its capabilities in a real-world Amateur Radio
environment. Icom, so far the only ham radio manufacturer offering D-Star
equipment, has donated a D-Star voice repeater, data repeater and controller
to W1AW. Eight model ID-1 D-Star 10 W mobile transceivers are on loan from
the manufacturer.

"We appreciate Icom's cooperation and support as we explore D-Star's
capabilities and learn more about digital radio systems," ARRL CEO David
Sumner, K1ZZ, said in expressing the League's gratitude.

MFJ donated an MFJ-1532N Pulsar, which is serving as the transmitting
antenna, while NCG contributed a pair of Comet GP21 antennas to receive
digital data and voice for the 1.2 GHz (23 cm) multipurpose D-Star system.
The antennas have been installed on two of the W1AW antenna support
structures.

Although still in the early phase, the project plans to exercise the
technology's digital voice and data capabilities as well as its capability
to become part of a wider D-Star digital repeater network via an Internet
gateway.

Icom Amateur Products Division Manager Ray Novak, N9JA, says the D-Star
standard, first published four years ago, resulted from government-funded
research in Japan administered by the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) to
investigate Amateur Radio digital technologies. Novak emphasizes that D-Star
is an open protocol that's available for implementation by anyone, and Icom
is working with other manufacturers to get more D-Star compatible gear on
the market.

"Amateur Radio is again out there in the forefront of technology," Novak
says. Although he concedes there's a steep learning curve ahead, he predicts
Amateur Radio users will invent new ways to put D-Star technology to work as
they get better acquainted with its possibilities.

At this stage, the D-Star 23-cm repeater is up and running in digital voice
mode, and W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, and ARRL Web and Software
Development Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, enjoyed the first contact through the
repeater on November 30. In the meantime, Bloom has been working to
interface the D-Star system with a Linux server, which will serve as an
Internet gateway, to check out that aspect of the system.

Novak says the digital voice stream can simultaneously handle voice at 3600
bps with error correction and data at up to 1200 bps. Since a D-Star voice
signal occupies only 6.25 kHz, Novak says, the potential is there to make
more efficient use of available spectrum on 2 meters by squeezing up to four
D-Star repeaters into the same space as two analog channels. New repeater
modules are in development for 2 meters and 70 cm.

Working through a D-Star repeater is a bit different than using an analog
repeater. Your call sign is the key to a D-Star system, since it's
incorporated into every transmission you make. "Because of D-Star's call
sign-routed system," Novak explained, "registered users are able to
cross-communicate with stations registered on another network's D-Star
repeater, wherever it may be."

Novak says the 1.2 GHz D-Star system's high-speed (128 kbps) data capability
is another exciting feature. With the Ethernet jack on the Icom ID-1
transceiver, you now have the functionality of an ISDN (integrated services
digital network) line available in your vehicle," Novak said.

"We'll have to find new ways of using this technology," he continued. "That
will be where ham radio changes. This opens up an unbelievable array of
features for repeater systems--including graphics, schedules, tables,
photos, you name it!"

A D-Star Last Heard Report Web page <http://www.dstarusers.org/> lists
stations heard, their location and the date and time and, sometimes, type of
transmission. The K5TIT Dallas D-Star Web site <http://www.k5tit.org/>
includes a repeater listing and a discussion forum, and a promise of more to
come.

==>EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES AND SKYWARN ACTIVATE FOR MAJOR NOR'EASTER

Near-blizzard conditions and high winds December 9 in Eastern Massachusetts
prompted ARES and SKYWARN teams to activate in Eastern Massachusetts
December 9. The New England "nor'easter," initially predicted to drop only
moderate amounts of snow across the region, quickly and briefly turned ugly,
says Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo,
KD1CY, who also serves as SKYWARN Coordinator for the National Weather
Service (NWS) office in Taunton.

"We had a nor'easter intensify rapidly and bring hurricane-force winds to
Southeast New England with Cape Cod and the Islands hardest hit, causing an
ARES activation for shelter operations," Macedo told ARRL. "The storm also
brought near-blizzard conditions to the region and caused major travel
disruptions during the Friday evening commute."

Macedo says that as the storm made its closest approach to Eastern
Massachusetts, it strengthened rapidly, leading to widespread thunderstorms
coupled with extremely heavy snowfall over the region and whiteout
conditions. A plane arriving in Boston's Logan Airport from Baltimore was
struck by lightning, but the aircraft landed safely, and no one was injured.


"Portions of Eastern Massachusetts had snowfall rates in the 5 to
7-inch-per-hour range," he said, "resulting in up to 17 inches of snow in
the hardest-hit areas of the region." The National Weather Service said the
8.6 inches of snow that fell December 9 at Boston's Logan Airport exceeded
the previous record for that date--4.6 inches set in 1978.

NWS Taunton said the nor'easter became a severe short-term winter storm
affecting both eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "The extreme rapid
intensification of low pressure as it moved through Buzzards and Cape Cod
bays between 1 PM and 3 PM, then out to sea, created a short-term
near-blizzard scene during mid-afternoon like no other in recent memory with
damaging wind, whiteout conditions and about an hour of thunderstorms for
many within and just east of the Interstate 95 corridor," the weather
summary said.

SKYWARN operations at NWS Taunton got under way at 3:30 that afternoon
following reports of hurricane-force winds and excessive snowfall rates.
"Reports from Cape Cod ARES-SKYWARN told of downed trees, power lines and
utility poles," Macedo said. "Minor structural damage to homes was also
reported along with coastal flooding."

Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters on Cape Cod and the Islands reported winds as
high as 96 MPH in Eastham--before the wind instrument was struck by a fallen
tree. SKYWARN teams measured wind gusts of 50 to 70 MPH elsewhere in
Southeastern New England with damage to trees and power lines.

Power outages lasted between 18 and 36 hours over a good portion of Cape Cod
and the Islands. At the peak of the storm, 150,000 people were reported
without electricity on Cape Cod and the Islands and along Massachusetts'
South Shore. Up to 75,000 people remained without power for much of the
following day.

The foul weather caused huge traffic delays and dangerous travel conditions
during the Friday afternoon commute. But high winds posed the greatest
hazard. Because of the hurricane-force winds on Cape Code, Cape Cod ARES
activated at the request of the American Red Cross to provide support for
Red Cross shelters there. ARES members established communication paths
between the Cape Cod Red Cross chapter headquarters in Hyannis and shelters
Chatham, Eastham and Brewster through the next morning. In Brewster, cell
phone and landline phone coverage was spotty, and Amateur Radio operators
provided communication between that shelter and the Red Cross headquarters
from late Saturday morning through mid-morning Sunday.

Amateur Radio volunteers handled requests for cots, blankets and food. By
the evening of December 10, a temporary base station was set up at the
shelter to provide easy communication between the shelter and Red Cross
headquarters via the 146.955 repeater in Barnstable.

About a dozen repeaters across Eastern Massachusetts played a role in the
operation, including EchoLink and IRLP-linked repeaters and stations through
the use of the New England Network.

"The quick-hitting nature of the storm tested the ability of Eastern
Massachusetts ARES and SKYWARN to react quickly to a rapidly intensifying
winter storm that brought hurricane force winds and near blizzard conditions
to the region," Macedo said. "ARES and SKYWARN in Eastern Massachusetts came
through by providing timely severe-weather reporting to NWS Taunton for the
protection of life and property and support for Cape Cod Red Cross in
shelter operations."

The National Weather Service, which included several reports from radio
amateurs in its forecast summaries, extended its appreciation to SKYWARN
spotters among others.

==>ARES EMERGENCY NET ESTABLISHED AFTER MISSOURI DAM BREAK

When millions of gallons of water breached the wall of a mountaintop
hydroelectric reservoir in rural Reynolds County, Missouri, December 14, an
ARES emergency net was quickly established on the Van Buren repeater. The
deluge washed down the mountainside, sweeping away homes and vehicles and
flooding the valley below.

A dwelling occupied by a park superintendent, his wife and three children
was among those washed away. The family was found a half-mile away, and the
children all were hospitalized, at least one of them in serious condition.
The town of Lesterville was under a voluntary evacuation order.

ARRL District G Emergency Coordinator Dave Hannigan, KN0D, reports stations
checked into the net from Poplar Bluff, Piedmont, Eminence, Elsinore, Van
Buren, Redford and Koshkonong. The net also heard from mobile stations near
Leper, Piedmont, Van Buren and Ironton.

The reservoir breach reported occurred after a pump failed to shut down at
utility Ameren UE's Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant, which stores water from
the Black River in an upper reservoir, releasing it to a lower reservoir to
generate electricity. Hannigan said HF and VHF stations activated at
emergency operations centers in Shannon and Carter counties.

"I was contacted by the Shannon County sheriffs dispatcher through the NPS
[National Park Service] dispatch," Hannigan said. "The various net
controllers kept me updated as I was working but had a 2 meter [equipment]
with me. No emergency traffic was passed but it was a good exercise, and I
was really proud of the rapid wide-area VHF radio coverage."

In all, 16 stations responded to the emergency callup.--Missouri SM Don
Moore, KM0R

==>MICROWAVE RECORD-BREAKER TOPS OWN NEW RECORD; 134 GHZ VUCC CLAIMED

No sooner had microwave enthusiast Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, set a new world DX
record on 134 GHz than he topped it less than a week later.

"Several of you must have seen this coming," quipped Justin, who'd reported
his earlier 134 GHz world distance record of 60.1 km (approximately 37.3
miles) on December 8. "I'd like to claim what should be a new and latest
world DX record of 79.6 km [approximately 49.35 miles] for the 134 GHz band
as well as the very first ARRL VUCC claim."

Justin says his latest DX record QSO occurred December 14 (UTC) between
W2SZ/4 and WA1ZMS/4. WA1ZMS/4, roving alone at the time in EM96wx, worked
W2SZ/4 (with Pete Lascell, W4WWQ, operator) in FM07fm--both in Virginia.

"The gear was the same equipment that was used for last week's former 134
GHz DX record," Justin explained, "but this time the noisy Gunn source was
cleaned up, and the resulting improvement in phase noise allowed us to copy
the FSK CW signals down into the noise floor by ear."

At the same time, W2SZ/4 picked up the last three needed grids for the first
ARRL VUCC claim on the 134 GHz band. "I'd like to really thank Pete, W4WWQ,
for pushing me to 'go for it' last night in an attempt to get the VUCC
effort completed during the cold night air," Justin said after all was said
and done. "It was a long and late night."

Justin received the 2003 ARRL Microwave Development Award, for his
pioneering work in developing the Amateur Radio microwave bands above 30
GHz.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Solar flash Tad "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers were down more than 18
points for the week (compared to the previous seven days), and average solar
flux values were down nearly six points. Geomagnetic indices indicate quiet
for the most part, although the days of the contest were unsettled.

Don't expect any big changes over the next week. Solar activity should stay
about the same. RWC Prague expects geomagnetically quiet conditions December
18 and 19, quiet to unsettled conditions December 17, 20 and 21, and
unsettled December 16 and 22.

Sunspot numbers for December 8 through 14 were 51, 61, 55, 51, 41, 67 and
55, with a mean of 54.4. The 10.7 cm flux was 89.6, 89.1, 91.4, 93.1, 88.3,
87.9, and 89.6, with a mean of 89.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 1,
4, 12, 22, 9, 5 and 2, with a mean of 7.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 1, 3, 17, 10, 7, 4 and 2, with a mean of 6.3.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: 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>;.

* Pennsylvania ARRL member honored: Carl Stevenson, WK3C, of Emmaus,
Pennsylvania, has been named by Scientific American magazine a policy leader
within the 2005 "Scientific American 50." The magazine's annual list, which
appears in each December's issue, recognizes outstanding acts of leadership
in science and technology during the past year. An ARRL Life Member,
Stevenson is president and CTO of WK3C Wireless LLC, which provides
consulting services in the areas of wireless standards, regulatory affairs
and design. His designation as a policy leader stemmed from his work in
developing improved wireless networking standards. Stevenson also was named
a recipient of the 2005 IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) International
Award, which he received in a December 4 presentation. The honor goes
annually to an IEEE-SA member for extraordinary contributions to the
advancement of the association's goals. Stevenson was recently elected to
the IEEE Standards Association's Board of Governors for a two-year term that
begins January 1. A fellow of the Radio Club of America and a senior IEEE
member and chair of the IEEE 802.22 Working Group on Wireless Regional Area
Networks, Stevenson has been involved in RF communications systems design
and development for more than 35 years.

* Vintage receiver becomes musical instrument for tribute song: Dave
Glawson, WA6CGR, "played the radio"--a military surplus BC-348-Q--for the
recording of "Johnny's Gone Away, a Tribute to John Lennon." Audio from the
vintage radio was "acoustically coupled" to the microphone. The CW in the
song was produced by an MFJ keyer and a Bencher paddle. The musical tribute
was featured December 8 in front of Capitol Records in Hollywood at an event
marking the 25th anniversary of the death of the former Beatles member who
was shot and killed by a deranged fan in December 1980 in New York City. The
gathering concluded with a visit to Lennon's star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame. More information is available on the Tribute to John Lennon Web site
<http://www.lennontribute.com/>.

* W8STX is 2005 Allan Severson, AB8P, Memorial Award winner: He had to wear
a chef's hat like a dunce cap, hold a rubber chicken and suffer repeated
assaults with a squirt gun, but Ohio Assistant Section Manager John Haungs,
W8STX, took it all in stride. Haungs was first "roasted" then honored as the
12th recipient of the Allan Severson, AB8P, Memorial Award for 2005.
Organizer of the ribbing, Ohio Section Manager Joe Phillips, K8QOE,
presented the plaque to Haungs during the Cincinnati FM Club Christmas
party. Named for the late Great Lakes Division Director, the Severson award
formerly was known as the "Ohio Ham of the Year." Haungs was honored for his
nearly 40 years of service to Cincinnati-area ham radio clubs, the
Cincinnati Hamfest and the Great Lakes Division conventions held in the
area. He also served a term as Ohio Section Manager, and in 1983 he was
inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Amateur Radio Association Hall of Fame.


===========================================================
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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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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