*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 10 March 10, 2006 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +FCC wants BPL system to ensure compliance, resolve harmful interference * +Ham radio praised as "part of the solution" at FCC Katrina hearing * +Via ham radio, ISS commander tells kids he's enjoying life in orbit * +FCC advises California licensee to take two years off to avoid enforcement * +ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist John Hennessee, N1KB, SK * +Commission spells out vanity call sign renewal procedures * +Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration ARRL CCE program issues Technician Course advisory +Motorola white paper epitomizes BPL-Amateur Radio rapprochement IARU represented at World Telecommunication Development Conference 2006 DXCC Honor Roll deadline looms DX still king for 90-year-old radio amateur Yet another DX record claimed on 134 GHz +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 =========================================================== ==>FCC DIRECTS MANASSAS BPL SYSTEM TO ACT FOLLOWING HAM'S INTERFERENCE COMPLAINT The FCC this week directed the City of Manassas, Virginia, and its BPL system operator COMTek to conduct measurements to ensure its system complies with FCC Part 15 rules. FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Joseph P. Casey called on the city and COMTek March 7 to follow up on a report of suspected BPL interference filed January 19 by ARRL member Dwight Agnew, AI4II. The Commission also instructed the city to "resolve any continuing harmful interference." Agnew, who frequently travels through Manassas and operates mobile, alleges harmful BPL interference along Virginia Business Route 234. "I had been talking to a friend in Ohio while on my way home from work," Agnew told Casey via e-mail. "I could no longer hear him over the interference on 40 meters (7.2 MHz) while driving through the city." Agnew, who says the interference went away once he left the city, characterized its effect as "like a giant, fuzzy mute." COMTek operates the Manassas BPL system using Main.net equipment on frequencies between 4 MHz and 30 MHz over a city-owned power grid. The FCC wants the city to take measurements during peak BPL usage hours at locations Agnew cited in his complaint and submit them within 30 days. Casey made it clear that the city "must either eliminate any continuing harmful interference" to Agnew's operations or reduce BPL emissions in the area to 20 dB below the Part 15 limit. The League challenges the assumption that this level of attenuation necessarily will resolve interference issues. To date, the FCC itself has not taken any measurements on any part of the Manassas BPL system. When radio amateurs have filed interference complaints involving BPL systems elsewhere, the Commission typically has tended instead to rely on measurements made by system operators. In January, after COMTek failed to meet its own commitment to resolve longstanding interference complaints from local radio amateurs dating back nearly two years, the ARRL again demanded the system's immediate shutdown. Agnew's complaint is a new one, however. In a separate letter March 7, Casey told four Manassas hams with complaints already on file that they must provide "further information" within 30 days or the FCC "will take no further action" on their complaints. The FCC, which has yet to respond to any of the earlier ham radio complaints, concedes that it continues to receive reports of harmful interference. To expedite the information-gathering process, the ARRL on March 8 alerted all radio amateurs living in ZIP code 20110 (Manassas) that "now is the time" to submit harmful interference complaints relating to the city's BPL system. "The first step is to verify that BPL is actually the source of the interference," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, advised. He stressed, however, that the League does not want amateurs to file complaints unless they have actually experienced BPL interference. "With the FCC finally taking official notice of the presence of harmful interference in Manassas, the tide finally is beginning to turn," Sumner concluded. ==>VOLUNTEER RADIO AMATEURS "PART OF THE SOLUTION," FCC KATRINA PANEL TOLD Addressing the FCC independent panel reviewing Hurricane Katrina's impact on communication networks, ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, praised Amateur Radio's ability to get the job done. Speaking before the panel March 7 in Jackson, Mississippi, Sarratt said Amateur Radio volunteers were tremendously effective in their ability to re-establish communication links using their own gear or by building systems from scratch. "Amateur Radio operators themselves were part of the solution, providing experienced communications operators to replace and supplement local public service communications personnel in the devastated area," Sarratt said. The volunteer radio amateurs and their equipment proved "very effective" in supporting emergency management, the Red Cross, the Southern Baptist Convention, The Salvation Army and many other organizations, he told the panel. For 37 days following Hurricane Katrina, Sarratt--working at an American Red Cross disaster relief staging area in Montgomery, Alabama--headed the volunteer effort to process Amateur Radio volunteers headed to the Gulf Coast to assist recovery operations. Sarratt told the FCC panel that his operation processed and deployed more than 200 ham radio volunteers from 35 states and Canada to devastated communities in Mississippi. Volunteers set up communication facilities at kitchens, shelters, emergency operations centers, distribution centers, warehouses and various command and control centers, he said. "In each town we set up a high frequency (HF) Amateur Radio station to communicate out of the area to Montgomery and the outside world," Sarratt explained. "We also set up a communications network connecting every Red Cross facility in a town on a local short-range radio frequency. Our network included fixed and mobile disaster vehicle stations." Sarratt told the FCC panel that interoperability is the most important thing Amateur Radio can bring to the table in emergency and disaster communications. "Amateurs demonstrated their adaptability by communicating successfully with a multitude of amateur, commercial, public service, EMA, Salvation Army and Red Cross radio systems and personnel," he said. "Radio amateurs bring a wealth of resources to the public service and emergency communications table," Sarratt summed up. "The ARRL and Amateur Radio will continue to prepare, train, practice and test ourselves for the next event," he told the FCC panel. "Public service is a large component of the charter of the Amateur Radio Service." He suggested installing permanent Amateur Radio stations in federal, state and local emergency operations centers as well as at selected public service, Red Cross chapters and other served agencies. Sarratt offered some recommendations for the FCC panel to consider, suggesting that the Commission and the ARRL: * collaborate to issue FCC credentials to the ARRL for Amateur Radio responders. * be key partners in an Amateur Radio awareness program for multiple government agencies and the first-responder community. * continue working together on critical frequency spectrum protection and interference-avoidance issues. "The disasters of 2005 have proven the worth of Amateur Radio Service and its selfless cadre of operators; we were tested as never before," Sarratt concluded, adding "we must assume the next 'big one' is just around the corner." ARRL provided a written report to the independent FCC review panel. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, recently named Sarratt to serve on the ARRL National Emergency Response Planning Committee. Dave Vincent, the station manager of WLOX-TV in Biloxi, Mississippi, also praised ham radio in his remarks before the FCC panel. He said WLOX was lucky to have a ham operator at its studio. Without the help of Amateur Radio, Vincent said, "it probably would have been a couple of days before we would have known whether the persons in our two bureaus had survived the storm." He said ham radio also enabled the station to contact EOCs in the three hardest-hit coastal counties. "Without this link we would not have had any way to communicate with officials along the coast," he said. ==>OHIO, NORTH CAROLINA YOUNGSTERS HELP ISS COMMANDER BOOST HIS QSO RECORD Speaking via NA1SS, Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, this month told youngsters in Ohio and North Carolina that he's been really been enjoying his International Space Station duty tour. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged both contacts. During a March 1 QSO with students at Country Day School in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, McArthur described his delight at being in space for his first long-term visit. "I think the biggest surprise was how much fun it was to be in space," McArthur said. "I thought I would enjoy the work, but what I found was that everything about being in space is delightful." Lifting off from Earth also was "another really cool thing to experience," McArthur explained in response to one student's question. "You're lying on your back, and then all of a sudden you're gone, and it's a very thrilling, exciting thing," he said. "When you come back, you realize how wonderful zero gravity is, because gravity is just a lot of work--you feel tired, you feel heavy and, very often, dizzy." Later in the contact, McArthur said the best part of being an astronaut is being able to tell people how exciting it is to explore space "and what an important thing that is for humankind." In all the third, fourth and fifth graders at Country Day managed 19 questions asked and answered during the approximately 10-minute pass. Science teacher John French led the effort. A few days later on March 3, McArthur chatted with youngsters at Harry Hallyburton Elementary School in Drexel, North Carolina--his home state. McArthur told the third graders in Deborah Childers' class that some of the ISS crew's scientific research could directly benefit people. "We're doing scientific research every day to help to understand the human body better, and that can lead to new discoveries in medicine," McArthur said. "But the real focus of our flight is to learn how people can live and work in space for a very long time, because we think someday, human beings will colonize other planets." Responding to another question, McArthur told the youngsters that brushing one's teeth in space does present a dilemma regarding what to do with "all the foamy toothpaste" when you're done. "We have two choices," he said. "We can either swallow it, which is what I usually do, or if you don't like to do that, then you just hold a towel up to your mouth and spit it directly into a towel." Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, served as the Earth station for both ARISS school group contacts, and Verizon Conferencing provided a two-way teleconference link between Australia and the schools. McArthur now has logged a record 30 ARISS school QSOs. ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>FCC OFFERS DEAL TO CALIFORNIA LICENSEE TO AVOID ENFORCEMENT ACTION, FINES The FCC has offered a California licensee a deal: Give up your Amateur Radio license for two years or face further enforcement action and possible fines. Special Counsel in the FCC Enforcement Bureau Riley Hollingsworth wrote Steve L. Wingate, KG6TXH (ex-AE6QD), of Corte Madera on February 22 to review a history of enforcement correspondence to Wingate dating back to April 2004. "The Enforcement Bureau has continued to receive complaints about the operation of your station since January 2005," Hollingsworth told Wingate. Conceding that while not all of the complaints were valid or recordings genuine, Hollingsworth said evidence the FCC determined was legitimate showed a pattern of similar alleged violations "for which you were warned twice, and for which you twice gave assurances of future compliance," Hollingsworth pointed out. Complaints about Wingate's alleged misdeeds led the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to set aside Wingate's vanity call sign and renewal applications, Hollingsworth noted, "and now warrant enforcement action against you." Sanctions could include license revocation and fines of from $7500 to $10,000 "or both," Hollingsworth warned. Wingate's responses to Enforcement Bureau letters coupled with continued complaints, including recordings, and telephone conversations between the FCC and Wingate "indicate that by your own admission you have a serious problem with an impairment that prevents you from maintaining control over your station," Hollingsworth said. Hollingsworth emphasized that if Wingate declines to "accept this opportunity to resolve this matter," the Commission would proceed with enforcement action against his Amateur Extra class license. Wingate has not yet taken the deal, Hollingsworth told ARRL this week, but he did request copies of recordings that accompanied complaints of his most recent alleged on-air behavior. ==>ARRL STAFF MEMBER JOHN C. HENNESSEE, N1KB, SK The ARRL and the wider Amateur Radio community are mourning the loss of long-time Headquarters staff member John Hennessee, N1KB (ex-KJ4KB), of Newington, who died March 2. He was 42. Hennessee was a regulatory information specialist in ARRL Field and Educational Services. In that role, he answered a seemingly never-ending stream of members' questions about FCC rules and regulations and other legal issues pertaining to ham radio. He also was the primary editor for The ARRL FCC Rule Book. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, described Hennessee as "a valued member of the Amateur Radio community far outside the walls of Headquarters" who achieved a lot in his brief lifetime. "John came to Newington 20 years ago, fresh out of college, and quickly became an expert in FCC rules and local land-use regulations affecting radio amateurs," Sumner commented. "His death leaves a hole in the fabric of the ARRL family." First licensed at age 14 as KA4AUR in his hometown of Cheraw, South Carolina, Hennessee joined the ARRL Headquarters staff as in 1986 following graduation from Wingate College in North Carolina. To handle hundreds of questions each year regarding how to interpret the FCC rules required Hennessee to keep abreast of ongoing Amateur Radio legal and regulatory matters and proceedings. That task became increasingly difficult for him as his eyesight and general health continued to fail. Nonetheless, he persevered in keeping on top of what was happening in areas ranging from the PRB-1 limited federal pre-emption and covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) affecting ham radio antennas to new Amateur Radio rules and privileges, license restructuring, reciprocal licensing and licensing rules and procedures in other countries. He also maintained the regulatory pages on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/>. Earlier in his Headquarters tenure, Hennessee for several years edited the "Washington Mailbox" and "Happenings" columns in QST. He also contributed to The ARRL Handbook, the ARRL Operating Manual and Now You're Talking! Over the years, Hennessee was a Handi-Ham camp volunteer. "Campers loved his gentle Southern manner." said Handi-Ham Manager Patrick Tice, WA0TDA. "Unfailingly polite and ever so patient, John made each Handi-Ham member feel like a long-lost friend!" In addition to ARRL, Hennessee also belonged to the Quarter Century Wireless Association and was an active member of the Newington Amateur Radio League, where he was a Field Day regular. Over the years, he enjoyed operating various bands and modes, and he enjoyed CW and low-power operating (QRP). Those who knew or worked with Hennessee remember him as consistently friendly, selfless, loyal, gracious, upbeat, willing and eager to help whenever and wherever needed and, above all, as an asset to Amateur Radio in general and to the ARRL in particular. "The world is a better place because of John, and a sadder place without him," said Senior Assistant Technical Editor Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, who worked with Hennessee on numerous publications. Former ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, was Hennessee's supervisor during much of his HQ tenure. "John gave his all to ARRL Headquarters and to the League's members," she said. ARRL staff members gathered this week at Headquarters to reminisce about Hennessee. "I like to think ARRL provided him with an outlet to share his gifts with the world," Sumner observed. "Let's celebrate that this South Carolina boy improbably found a home in Connecticut." Survivors include his mother, Carole Hennessee, two sisters and his beloved cat, Darlene. A service was held March 9 in Cheraw. The family invites memorial gifts to the First United Methodist Church, PO Box 129, Cheraw, SC 29520. Condolences sent to ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 will be forwarded to the family. ==>FCC CLARIFIES RENEWAL PROCEDURES FOR VANITY CALL SIGN HOLDERS With the renewal window about to open for the first Amateur Radio licenses assigned vanity call signs in 1996, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) has attempted to clarify filing procedures. The WTB says vanity call sign holders whose licenses expire on or after June 4, 2006, must file electronically or on paper via the Universal Licensing System (ULS) <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/> to renew their licenses. Amateur Radio renewal applications may only be filed within 90 days of the license expiration date. "Licensees of stations assigned vanity call signs have the option of keeping the vanity call sign or requesting that it be changed to a sequentially assigned call sign," the WTB points out. Those opting to keep their vanity call signs for the new 10-year license term must pay the current regulatory fee, now $21.90, when renewing (the vanity call sign regulatory fee may change in August or September). If the licensee no longer wants to keep a vanity call sign, no fee is required, and the applicant should request a sequentially assigned call sign instead. Amateur Radio licensees holding vanity call signs granted prior to 1996 do not have to pay a regulatory fee when renewing. This is because Congress did not begin requiring the FCC to annually recover its regulatory costs until 1993. Additionally, such licensees are not specifically tagged as vanity call sign holders in the ULS. To renew electronically via the ULS, licensees should log into ULS License Manager <http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/> Online Filing (click on "Log In") using their FCC Registration Number (FRN) and Commission Registration System (CORES) password. Anyone doing business with the FCC must supply an FRN on any application. To keep a vanity call sign, licensees should select "Renew" under the "Work on this License" option. Fees for electronically filed applications may be paid online or mailed to Federal Communications Commission, Regulatory Fees, PO Box 358835, Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5835. Online filers choosing not to renew a vanity call sign should select the "Systematic Call Sign Change" option from the "Work on this License" list. To obtain a new call sign, licensees should answer "No" to the question "Your license is eligible for renewal. Renew call sign (vanity call sign)?" Doing this will result in the issuance of a renewed license bearing a sequentially assigned call sign. Licensees filing on paper must use FCC Form 605 (main form), and--if a fee is required--Form 159 (remittance advice). Licensees wishing to keep their vanity call signs should enter "Renew" under "Purpose" on Form 605 and enter the present call sign in item 5. Manual filers choosing not to renew their vanity call signs must file Form 605 (main form) Schedule D in order to obtain a new systematic call sign. The "Purpose" on the main form must be "Renewal/Modification," and the "Systematic Call Sign Change" question on Schedule D must be answered "Yes." If no FRN is provided on the main form, an FCC Form 160 (registration) is also required for manual filing. All forms are available via the FCC Forms page <http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html>. For more information on how to renew an Amateur Radio vanity call sign, visit the FCC Help & Support page <http://esupport.fcc.gov/index.htm> or call the ULS Customer Support Hotline, 877-480-3201 (TTY 717-338-2824). The ARRL handles routine non-vanity renewals for members free of charge. At this time, it does not process renewal applications for post-1995 vanity call sign holders, but ARRL plans to add that capability in the near future. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Sun Gazer Tad "I'll Follow the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: BIG news! A new computer model of solar dynamics produced by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) predicts the next solar cycle to begin a bit later than previously thought, but to be as much as 30 to 50 percent more intense than the current solar cycle just ending. The model claimed to "predict" cycles 16-23 with 97 percent accuracy using earlier data. The NCAR news page has a report <http://www.ucar.edu/news/releases/2006/sunspot.shtml>. So does the NASA Web site <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/solar_cycle.html>. Another article from Science@NASA claims the Cycle 23 solar minimum is already here <http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/06mar_solarminimum.htm>. A news story also appears on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/03/07/5/>. Current propagation: Solar activity remains low, with many recent days of zero sunspots and even more ahead. March 10 could have unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions, with unsettled conditions March 11, quiet to unsettled March 12, and quiet March 13. Sunspot numbers for March 2 through March 8 were 0, 0, 13, 28, 27, 25 and 24, with a mean of 16.7. 10.7 cm flux was 76.1, 75.5, 75, 74.2, 73.6, 74.4, and 72.4, with a mean of 74.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 4, 4, 3, 2, 8, 12 and 4, with a mean of 5.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 2, 1, 1, 8, 6 and 3, with a mean of 3.6. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (RTTY), the RSGB Commonwealth Contest, the Idaho, Oklahoma and Wisconsin QSO parties, the AGCW QRP Contest, the UBA Spring Contest (CW) and the NSARA Contest are the weekend of March 11-12. JUST AHEAD: The SARL VHF/UHF Contest, the 10-10 International Mobile Contest, the BARTG Spring RTTY Contest, the Russian DX Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the CLARA and Family HF Contest, the Virginia QSO Party, the UBA Spring Contest (6 meters), the 9K 15-Meter Contest and the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest are the weekend of March 18-19. 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. JUST AHEAD: 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, March 19, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE). Program on-line courses: Amateur Radio Emergency Communication 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, April 7. 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 CCE program issues Technician Course advisory: The ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) program reminds prospective radio amateurs that a new Technician (Element 2) question pool goes into effect July 1. The two Technician License courses (EC-010) the CCE program will offer in April will reflect the current question pool. The first class begins April 7 and continues through June 2 (registration ends March 20); the second begins on April 28 and continues through June 23 (registration ends April 17). Because these online courses are based upon the current question pool, CCE advises students completing these April classes to take the FCC Technician class (Element 2) examination by June 30.For more information contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * Motorola white paper epitomizes BPL-Amateur Radio rapprochement: A new Motorola white paper, "Practical, Proven Broadband over Power Line," describes how its Powerline LV BPL system "passes muster with Amateur Radio operators." Motorola and ARRL have cooperated in tests of the system, which the League has cited in FCC filings as one that minimizes radio frequency interference--both from and to the system--by design. "Motorola's white paper bears out that the ARRL is not opposed to the deployment of well-engineered BPL systems designed with interference avoidance in mind," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, commented. "We are opposed to BPL interference." Sumner said the League remains opposed to deployment of BPL technology having "an inherently high probability of causing harmful interference to radio communication." The Motorola white paper includes a summary of the company's experiences after installing a Powerline LV system at ARRL Headquarters and W1AW, as reported in November 2005 QST <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/0511085.pdf>. The Powerline LV system avoids putting digital signals on medium-voltage power lines and incorporates enhanced ham band notching. * IARU represented at World Telecommunication Development Conference 2006: An International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) delegation is representing Amateur Radio at World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) 2006. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference got under way March 7 in Doha, Qatar. IARU Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmermann, F5VKP/HB9AQS, and IARU Region 1 Vice Chairman Tafa Diop, 6W1KI, are attending. WTDC 2006 will focus on development priorities aimed at bridging the "digital divide." Following in the footsteps of the recently concluded World Summit on the Information Society, the resulting Doha Action Plan will focus on utilizing the full potential of information and communication technologies to "connect the unconnected and accelerate the pace of social and economic development," the ITU says. Approximately 1000 delegates from government, the private sector and international and regional organizations were expected to attend WTDC 2006, which continues through March 15. ARRL Technical Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, tracked US preparations for the conference. * DXCC Honor Roll deadline looms: The deadline for the next ARRL DXCC Honor Roll list is rapidly approaching. In order to appear in next list, which will be published in August 2006 QST, operators must be current on the DXCC Honor Roll as of March 31, 2006--the last day applications may be postmarked. To qualify for the DXCC Honor Roll, operators must be within the numerical top 10 of the overall entities on the DXCC List. Since there are 335 current entities on the DXCC List, the minimum level to make the Honor Roll is 326 current entities. Deleted entities do not count toward DXCC Honor Roll. Wall plaques remain available for those currently or previously on the Honor Roll. The DXCC Web site has the order form and more information <http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. * DX still king for 90-year-old radio amateur: Veteran DXer and contester John Thompson, W1BIH, has been largely out of the game since disposing of his tower, antennas and linear and moving into a retirement community in Massachusetts last year. But the DXCC Honor Roll member held onto his transceiver and his desire to work the few rare ones he lacked. When the 3Y0X Peter I DXpedition got under way in February, Don Greenbaum, N1DG, did his older friend a good turn by taking Thompson to his station February 9 for a crack at 3Y0X. During the last two Peter I Island DXpeditions, Thompson was at his winter home, PJ9JT, so Peter I has been among his most wanted. It only took about 30 minutes for W1BIH to make himself heard through the fray on 15-meter SSB and exchange reports. "We got him!" Thompson exclaimed seconds after the quick QSO. Greenbaum captured the occasion on video <http://005d89a.netsolhost.com/videos/videos/w1bih.wmv>. Once confirmed and submitted to DXCC, the 3Y0X QSO will elevate W1BIH into a tie for second place in the DXCC standings at 390 entities--including deleted entities--or 335 current entities. W1BIH subsequently worked 3Y0X from his retirement community station on 20-meter CW while running 100 W into a G5RV strung from his window some 20 feet above ground. * Yet another DX record claimed on 134 GHz: Inveterate microwave enthusiast Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, says he's once again topped his own claimed world DX record on the 134-GHz band. On February 26, Justin, operating as WA1ZMS/4 in EM96ur, and Pete Lascell, W4WWQ, in FM07fm--both in Virginia--exchanged reports on FSK-CW (copied by ear) over a distance of 114.4 km (approximately 70.9 miles). That beats his previous world DX record of 79.6 km (approximately 49.35 miles) set in December. =========================================================== 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/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, 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. 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