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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 36
September 8, 2006
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IN THIS EDITION:

* +Hams want broadcasters' battle off amateur frequencies
* +League accepts Golden Antenna Award
* +SuitSat-1 deorbits; a SuitSat-2 is possible
* +Astronaut's niece, classmates talk to ISS via ham radio
* +Maine's governor gets ham radio ticket
* +Virginia's ham radio antenna law aids local ordinance revision
* +Mid-October ARRL On-Line Auction preview set
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio: ARRL September VHF QSO Party, NA Sprint
(CW)!
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +Reminder — vanity renewal fee now $20.80
    +Virginia radio amateur not prosecuted on radio-related felony charge
     Hydraulic malfunction faulted in CubeSat launch failure
     Armin Henry Meyer, W3ACE, SK

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

===========================================================
==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail
<letter-dlvy@arrl.org>;
==>Editorial questions or comments only: Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
<n1rl@arrl.org>;
===========================================================

==>IARU, MEMBER-SOCIETIES WANT BROADCASTERS TO END "BATTLE ON THE HAM BANDS"

As the so-called "Firedragon" jammer continues to transmit in one or more
Amateur Radio bands, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and three
of its Region 3 member-societies so far have appealed to the jammer's target
to move elsewhere. The Firedragon's all-music transmissions from the
People's Republic of China (PRC) appear aimed at blocking the much-weaker
broadcasts of the clandestine "Sound of Hope" (SOH), located outside the
PRC. Responding via e-mail September 5 to an inquiry from IARU Region 1
Monitoring System (IARUMS) Vice Coordinator Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, the SOH
said its supporters use various avenues "including Amateur Radio
frequencies" to get their message into the PRC.

"Through our investigation, we learned that the transmissions of SOH
programs through Amateur Radio frequencies come from areas around China, and
they each only target a local area of China with very low power, only for
the intended audience and would interfere with nobody else," said SOH's Yue
Chen.

Yue addressed the reply to "All Amateur Radio Community Members" and
indicated it was copied to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU),
although no ITU addressee was displayed. Yue encouraged the Amateur Radio
community to "openly urge the Chinese government to stop this outrageous act
of radio jamming" and to urge the ITU to take action as well.

Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) Director Glenn Dunstan, VK4DU, told
the Sound of Hope via e-mail this week that if it wants the support of the
international community, it should move its transmissions into legitimate
broadcasting spectrum.

"There is more than enough radio spectrum for you to use outside of the
Amateur Radio bands," Dunstan said September 5. "You are in breach of
international radio regulations."

A similar reaction came September 6 from Amateur Radio Society of India
(ARSI) Monitoring System Coordinator B.L. Manohar Arasu, VU2UR, who pointed
the finger at both the Sound of Hope and the Firedragon music jammer.

"We, the Indian Amateur Radio operators, condemn both of you for using
Amateur Radio frequencies," he said. "Please leave the frequencies clear at
the earliest." Arasu suggested the jamming not only was bothersome to
everyday hamming but could cause problems for emergency communication by
radio amateurs.

New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) Monitoring Service
Coordinator Len Martinson, ZL1BYA, e-mailed the Sound of Hope September 6 to
say its "illegal broadcast transmissions" were causing unlawful and harmful
interference to the legal occupants of the Amateur Radio bands in question.

"Your transmissions are also attracting the attention of jamming stations,
which is increasing the interference to unacceptable levels," he said.
"Please cease transmissions in the exclusive amateur bands immediately."

Writing SOH on behalf of the IARU, Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, asked the
clandestine broadcaster to be more careful in its selection of transmitting
frequencies. "Your operations in the 14 and 18 MHz bands have caused serious
interference to the amateur radio service, which is allocated these bands
(14.000-14.350 and 18.068-18.168 MHz) for two-way amateur radio
communication," Sumner wrote. "Please do not operate in these or any other
amateur radio bands."

Bihlmayer said September 6 that the Firedragon was back on 14.050 MHz -- a
part of the 20-meter band allocated to the Amateur Radio Service on an
exclusive basis worldwide -- after spending two days on 14.400 MHz. Over the
past several months, the jammer also has been heard on 10.135 MHz, 14.260
MHz, 18.080 MHz and 18.160 MHz.

The music jammer takes apparent monitoring breaks on the hour. When the
jammer's carrier is off, Bihlmayer, who lives in Southern Germany, says he's
heard a weak carrier on 14.050 MHz broadcasting a Chinese program that
included speech.

ARRL Monitoring System/Intruder Watch Liaison Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, says
he's been able to hear the jammer from W1AW. In July, when the same jammer
also was appearing on 18.160 MHz, Bihlmayer alerted telecom authorities in
Germany and Hong Kong, as well as IARU Region 3 and the PRC embassy in
Berlin to the situation. The 17-meter band also is a worldwide exclusive
Amateur Radio allocation. Skolaut says he's received reports about the music
jammer from all over the US, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

==>ARRL RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS GOLDEN ANTENNA AWARD IN GERMANY

The ARRL is the recipient of the 2006 Golden Antenna Award in recognition of
the role the League and its members played in providing and supporting
emergency communication during the response to Hurricane Katrina. The city
of Bad Bentheim, Germany, sponsors the annual award. ARRL Chief Development
Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, accepted the honor on behalf of the League on
August 25.

"It was a honor to represent ARRL and accept the Golden Antenna Award that
recognizes the role that hundreds of ARRL members played in the response to
Katrina in 2005," Hobart said. "The speeches were generous in their praise
of ARRL, and the cameras flashed as Bad Bentheim Mayor Günter Alsmeier
presented the award." The city paid all expenses for Hobart's visit to
Germany.

The August 25 presentation took place at formal flag-draped ceremonies in
the 12th century Bad Bentheim Castle to kick off the 38th annual Amateur
Radio Days. The event is a cooperative venture of the German-Dutch Amateur
Radio organization DNAT (Deutsch-Niederländischen Amateurfunker Tage/Duits
Nederlands Amateur Treffen) and the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC).

Hobart said the gracious and generous hospitality of both German and Dutch
members of the Amateur Radio fraternity made her visit special. Topping off
the weekend was a large flea market that drew hams from both countries and
from as far away as Spain.

"Of course bratwurst and beer added flavor to the occasion!" Hobart quipped.

In her remarks during the presentation, Hobart expressed appreciation for
the award on behalf of all who helped following Katrina and said she'd find
a suitable location to display the award at ARRL Headquarters.

Bad Bentheim has presented The Golden Antenna Award since 1982 to recognize
outstanding Amateur Radio public service and humanitarian contributions. A
jury of five German and Dutch radio amateurs makes the final selection. The
2005 award went to the Radio Society of Sri Lanka for its performance in the
wake of the December 2004 South Asia earthquake and tsunami.

==>SUITSAT-1 (AO-54), RE-ENTERS EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

SuitSat-1 (AO-54) is history. The surplus Russian Orlan spacesuit turned
satellite, which became one of the greatest public relations vehicles for
Amateur Radio in years, re-entered and burned up in Earth's atmosphere
Thursday, September 7, at 1600 UTC some 1400 km south-southwest of Western
Australia. The announcement came September 8 from Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) International Chairman Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO. Bauer expressed thanks to "all who made SuitSat-1 the phenomenal
event that it was." Launched February 3 during a spacewalk from the ISS,
SuitSat-1's 2-meter signal was heard around the world, although at a much
weaker signal strength than anticipated.

"Your hard work and dedication paid off," Bauer continued. "In just three
weeks the SuitSat team developed and delivered a safe satellite system that
has gained the confidence of the international space agencies." Bauer also
noted the "unprecedented press coverage" that included more than 9 million
hits on the SuitSat-1 Web site <http://www.suitsat.org/> during February
alone as well as several prominent mentions in the general news media.

"Students around the world had the opportunity to participate in a
seven-month 'school spacewalk' with the artwork, pictures, signatures and
voices onboard," Bauer pointed out. "And the 'super-sleuth' ham radio
operator extraordinaires were able to pull a significant amount of data from
the satellite, despite its low signal strength."

After SuitSat-1's VHF ham radio payload stopped transmitting earlier this
year, AMSAT initiated a "Chicken Little Contest," for participants to guess
when SuitSat-1 would deorbit. Winners and more information are on the AMSAT
Web site <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ariss/suitsatContest.php>.

Bauer said plans for a potential SuitSat-2 will be a discussion topic at the
AMSAT/ARISS joint meeting in October
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/>.

Commented ARRL ARISS Liaison Rosalie White, K1STO: "This unique satellite
lasted longer than anyone ever expected, making the ARISS team proud."

==>ASTRONAUT'S KIN AMONG MIDDLE SCHOOLERS FOR SPACE CONTACT VIA HAM RADIO

ISS astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, got to answer questions about life in
space from his niece and several of her classmates August 28 during a
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with
Northeast Middle School in Clarksville, Tennessee. Williams told his niece,
Riley -- who asked the first question -- that he became an astronaut because
it involves excitement and discovery.

"And flying in space is the current frontier for exploration," Williams
remarked. If he were to pick another career, he said he'd return to the US
Army. A Wisconsin native, Williams is a graduate of the US Military Academy
at West Point, New York.

Another student wanted to know what an astronaut would do if the tether to
the ISS broke during a spacewalk or EVA -- extra-vehicular activity -- as
NASA calls it.

"Well, we're very careful, and our equipment is designed so that it won't
break," Williams replied. "If that were to happen, though, when we're doing
an American EVA -- in the American suits -- we have what we call 'safers.'
They're little jet packs that we have on the backpack of the space suit, and
we can fly back to the space station. They're only used for emergencies."

Responding to another question, Williams said it's not really known how long
a human being could remain in space before encountering medical or health
problems. He noted that the crew does keep a strict exercise regimen in
space.

"We're learning to understand what happens to the human body after a long
period of time [in space]," he continued. "Of course, most expeditions are
about six months." But he noted that back in the days of the Russian Mir
space station, one cosmonaut stayed aboard for 437 days "and he did well
when he got back to the ground."

Williams and ISS Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, will
return to Earth at the end of September. They've been in space since last
April. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, will remain
aboard the ISS to help provide some crew continuity for the Expedition 14
team of NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and Russian cosmonaut
Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT.

In response to another question from his niece, Williams told the youngsters
that the ISS crew has been growing a variety of plants as part of its
scientific research. "The latest one we tried here was peas, and we had a
great survival rate initially, but we had some kind of a problem, which we
don't quite understand, and the peas all eventually died, so, we're still
working on that," he said. "It's a very important experiment, especially for
the future, to provide food, for example, when we go to Mars."

Northeast Middle School science teacher Sharon Fletcher said the ARISS
contact had inspired a lot of interest among her students in becoming
astronauts.

During the approximately 10-minute contact, the students had 18 questions
asked and answered before the ISS went over the horizon at Earth station
VK4KHZ in Australia. Verizon Conferencing donated a teleconferencing link to
provide two-way audio between the school and VK4KHZ.

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

==>MAINE'S GOVERNOR IS NOW KB1NXP

Maine Gov John E. Baldacci may now be the only sitting state chief executive
holding an Amateur Radio license. Following up on an effort begun a few
years ago, Baldacci took and passed his Technician license test September 6,
and the FCC issued his new call sign, KB1NXP, the following day. Bill
Crowley, K1NIT, is the liaison for the ARRL VEC volunteer examiner team that
administered Baldacci's Amateur Radio license examination.

"We heard that he was interested in getting his license," Crowley told ARRL.
"So I talked to a couple of other people in the Augusta Amateur Radio
Association and said, 'You know, we're the guys who could do this. We're
right here, right in his backyard, and I think we ought to help him get a
license.'"

Crowley said Baldacci expressed initial interest in becoming licensed after
learning of the Amateur Radio response following the 1998 ice storm that
devastated a wide area of the Northeast. At the time, Baldacci was
representing Maine's Second District in the US House. He renewed his
interest in 2003, shortly after becoming Maine's governor, promising to add
the goal of getting his ticket to his to-do list and seeking the
encouragement and help of Maine's hams to achieve it.

Former Maine State Treasurer Rod Scribner, KA1RFD -- a longtime radio
amateur and instructor -- was recruited to help make it happen. "Rod went up
there once a week, very early in the morning, and tutored him -- went
through all the material," Crowley recounted. But the pressures of office
compelled Baldacci to put the project on a back burner.

During that lull, Crowley says he occasionally used his back channels at the
Department of Public Safety, where he works, to relay messages via
Baldacci's security guards to remind the governor the Augusta club was still
eager to give him his ham radio test. "It got to be a standing joke," he
said.

Crowley had an opportunity to deliver the message firsthand in July when he
greeted the Baldacci during an official occasion. "I said, 'You know, we've
got to get this going,'" he recalled telling the governor. Baldacci asked
Crowley to call his office and set up an appointment.

Baldacci was a little concerned at that point that he might be behind the
curve since the Technician question pool had changed since he'd worked with
Scribner, Crowley said. But he assured the governor that the club members
could get him back up to speed in short order.

Over coffee early on September 6, Scribner, Crowley and the other members of
the VE team -- Don Smith, AE1Q, and Tom Bailey, KB1EKY -- reviewed the
current Technician material. "Then, he sat down and took the test and did
very well," Crowley said.

Baldacci got a taste of Amateur Radio in 2003, when he checked into the
75-meter Maine Sea Gull Net during a visit with members of the Ellsworth
Amateur Wireless Association and other amateurs. On that occasion, the
governor assured the gathering that the Maine Emergency Management Agency
depends on Amateur Radio to support the statewide communications system and
said Maine would rely on Amateur Radio volunteers if primary
telecommunication systems go down.

Now, historic Blaine House in Maine's capital of Augusta could become the
only governor's residence to start sporting Amateur Radio antennas. Perhaps
because Maine's motto is Dirigo -- I lead, Crowley hopes Baldacci will serve
as a trendsetter among his gubernatorial colleagues across the US. In this
instance, the old saying from the world of politics, "As Maine goes, so goes
the nation," still may apply.

==>AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA LAW LEADS VIRGINIA COUNTY TO REVISE ORDINANCE

The existence of Virginia's Amateur Radio antenna statute recently was
instrumental in convincing the Stafford County Board of Supervisors to adopt
changes that make it easier for radio amateurs to erect antenna support
structures. Tom Gregory, N4NW -- a former Virginia Section Emergency
Coordinator who lives in Stafford -- says that before the amendments went
into effect, an Amateur Radio licensee wanting to put up a tower could have
been asked to apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) and pay a $7500
filing fee. Gregory says that's because the old county ordinance did not
distinguish between Amateur Radio and cellular towers. The county didn't
necessarily oppose ham radio antennas, he said, but the application earlier
this year of Lewis Cheek, K4HR, to erect a 120-foot antenna support
structure apparently caught county officials unawares.

"It was more of a situation that county staff was incapable of making a
decision without clear guidelines to say that they could or could not do
something," said Gregory.

Stafford County's revised ordinance permits Amateur Radio operation "by
right" throughout the county, situated roughly halfway between Richmond and
Washington, DC. The changes require ham radio antenna support structures to
comply with zoning requirements applying to accessory structures in a given
municipality.

Virginia's 1998 Amateur Radio antenna law
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+15.2-2293.1> is among
the few that go beyond merely incorporating the language of the PRB-1
limited federal preemption
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/local/prb-1.html> into state
statutes. It also provides minimum regulatory heights of either 75 feet or
200 feet for antenna support structures, depending upon population density.

Gregory says just having an Amateur Radio antenna law on the Commonwealth's
books helped get the situation off the dime in Stafford County.

"The fact that the Virginia state code specifically had some numbers in it
and some clear language in it, that carried more weight with [county
officials] than what PRB-1 says, which basically says, 'you'll accommodate
the amateur,' but doesn't give any guidelines to localities," Gregory said.
It didn't hurt either when the specter of litigation was raised. The county
attorney told the Board of Supervisors that, given Virginia's Amateur Radio
Antenna statute, the Board would be on shaky legal ground in trying to
require a CUP and likely would lose if the case landed in court, Gregory
said.

Before even approaching the Stafford County Board of Supervisors with an eye
toward changing the ordinance, Cheek and Gregory boned up on antenna
restrictions via the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/antenna-restrictions.html> as
well as local codes and ordinances throughout the commonwealth. As a result,
Gregory said, they were able to educate county officials about ham radio and
its benefits to the community. Armed with extensive ARRL materials, a copy
of the Virginia Amateur Radio antenna law and the assistance of ARRL
Volunteer Counsel George Marzloff, K4GM, Gregory and Cheek testified before
the county Planning Commission to urge adoption of changes to permit Amateur
Radio by right.

Gregory, Cheek, and other radio amateurs, including Stafford County ARES
Emergency Coordinator Bart Bartholomew, N3GQ, also testified before the full
Board of Supervisors, which adopted the zoning ordinance revisions August 1.
The revised ordinance also specifically defines Amateur Radio for the first
time.

Gregory encouraged radio amateurs in the 27 states lacking Amateur Radio
antenna laws to work toward getting one on the books.

==>ARRL ON-LINE AUCTION "PREVIEW" SET FOR MID-OCTOBER

With a little less than two months to go and counting before the ARRL's
first On-Line Auction gets under way, ARRL Business Services Manager Deb
Jahnke, K1DAJ, says the League has received several generous donations from
a variety of sources. Auction proceeds will benefit ARRL educational
programs and services.

"I think you'll find a terrific variety of items when bidding kicks off on
October 23," she said. Jahnke says the On-Line Auction site will open for a
"preview" starting Monday, October 16.

"At that time, you'll be able to view many of the items that will be up for
bid the following week," she said. "You'll also be able to register at that
time, if you choose." Auction proceeds will help to support the League's
educational services and programs.

The auction will be open to all -- ARRL members and otherwise. Bidders just
need online access and must register prior to participating, which they may
do at any time during the auction.

The ARRL On-Line Auction will begin Monday, October 23, and will wrap up
Friday, November 3. Jahnke and her Business Services team are planning,
organizing and managing this premier event.

Jahnke said many ARRL members have inquired to ask if they could donate a
piece of vintage Amateur Radio gear or other item for the auction -- either
on their own behalf or in someone's memory.

"If this is something that you wish to do, please contact me
<djahnke@arrl.org>; to discuss it further," she said.

Jahnke says the link to the ARRL On-Line Auction site will become available
via the ARRL Web home page during the October 16 preview and once bidding
begins October 23.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Propagation prognosticator Tad "Sunshine Superman" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers were down only slightly
this week -- from 27 to 25.3. There were two days this week when the sunspot
number was zero, and as we move closer to the bottom of Sunspot Cycle 23, we
should see more zero sunspot days than we're currently experiencing.

The last solar minimum was centered near October 1996, and prior to that was
week after week of no sunspots. Currently we're observing average daily
sunspot numbers in the 20s and 30s. According to weekly NOAA Space
Environment Center sunspot predictions
<http://sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/weekly/Predict.txt>, these averages are above
the high end for this month and last, and the minimum is about six months
away.

Right now is a fairly good time for long-distance HF communication, because
the geomagnetic field is mostly stable, sunspots haven't disappeared and
we're close to the autumnal equinox. Best bets appear to be 40, 30 and 20
meters.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical
Information Service <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.

Sunspot numbers for August 31 through September 6 were 39, 32, 27, 0, 0, 26
and 53, with a mean of 25.3. 10.7 cm flux was 83.2, 76.9, 75.6, 76.5, 79,
80.4, and 84, with a mean of 79.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 13,
7, 6, 23, 8 and 7, with a mean of 10.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 6, 8, 6, 6, 15, 7 and 6, with a mean of 7.7.

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The ARRL September VHF QSO Party, the North
American Sprint (CW), the Worked All Europe (WAE) DX Contest (SSB), the
International G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest, the Swiss HTC QRP Sprint,
the SOC Marathon Sprint, the Tennessee QSO Party and the ARCI End of Summer
Digital Sprint are the weekend of September 9-10. JUST AHEAD: YLRL Howdy
Days are September 12-14. The North American Sprint (SSB), the ARRL 10 GHz
and Up Contest, F.I.S.T.S. Get Your Feet Wet Weekend, the SARL VHF/UHF
Contest, the Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW), the South Carolina QSO
Party, QRP Afield, the Washington State Salmon Run and the QCWA Fall QSO
Party are the weekend of September 16-17. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest
and the 144 MHz Fall Sprint are September 18. The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug
Sprint is September 21. 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, September 24, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) program online courses: Amateur
Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency
Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog
Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin on
Friday, October 6. These courses will also open for registration Friday,
September 22, for classes beginning Friday, November 3. To learn more, visit
the CCE Course Listing page
<http://mymail.arrl.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.arrl.org/cce/co
urses.html> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>;.

* Reminder — vanity fee now $20.80: The regulatory fee to obtain or renew a
post-1995 Amateur Radio vanity call sign is $20.80 for applications received
by the FCC on or after Wednesday, September 6. The new fee covers the
10-year license term. See <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/01/3/>
for more information.

* Virginia radio amateur not prosecuted on radio-related felony charge:
Dennis Alford, KC4VGA, of Wythe County, Virginia, is breathing a bit more
easily now that he's no longer facing a felony charge of possessing an
unlawful communication device. According to a news report in The Wytheville
Enterprise, a misdemeanor charge of unlawful interfering with a two-way
radio was taken under advisement. It will be dismissed after a year if no
similar charges are brought against Alford, a 60-year-old longtime radio
amateur. The newspaper says a Wythe County General District Court judge
accepted an agreement worked out by Alford, his attorneys and a local
prosecutor. A disabled truck plant worker who had been employed as a
Wal-Mart greeter, Alford still must forfeit three of the radios police
confiscated last March. One of Alford's attorneys told the court that Alford
had bought the confiscated radios used and didn't realize they'd been
modified. Following his August 31 court appearance, authorities returned
other confiscated radio equipment to Alford. Police had searched Alford's
home after the Wytheville Police Department in January reported extensive
interference on its dispatching system that was traced to Alford's
transmissions. Police subsequently arrested him at work and confiscated
several pieces of his radio equipment as well as a computer that since had
been returned to him. He had been on bond pending the hearing. Alford denied
making any illegal transmissions and said afterward he was satisfied with
the resolution of his case.

* Hydraulic malfunction faulted in CubeSat launch failure: The commission
probing the July 26 Dnepr-1LV rocket launch vehicle failure that resulted in
the loss of more than a dozen CubeSats with ham radio payloads believes it
knows why the vehicle didn't reach orbit. A brief malfunction of a hydraulic
drive in a first-stage propulsion unit caused a deviation in the rocket's
trajectory and "the issuance of a command to abort the flight," said a news
release from Kosmotras, the company responsible for the rocket's launch.
Kosmotras said the cause of the hydraulic malfunction has been determined,
and the committee is "working up recommendations for its rectification."
Russia, meanwhile, has suspended further Dnepr-1 LV launches. Fourteen of
the tiny spacecraft that were lost carried Amateur Radio VHF or UHF beacon
or telemetry transmitters. Various accounts indicated that the mission went
awry less than two minutes after liftoff. The CubeSat project was a
collaboration between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis
Obispo and Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratory. All
of the CubeSats were designed and built by students at various universities
around the world.--some information from AMSAT News Service

* Armin Henry Meyer, W3ACE, SK: Former US Ambassador Armin Henry "Hank"
Meyer, W3ACE, died August 13 following a long illness. He was 92. An ARRL
Life Member, Meyer, an expert on the Middle East, served as US ambassador to
Lebanon in the Kennedy Administration after postings in Iraq and
Afghanistan. He later was the US envoy to Iran and Japan. In 1972, he headed
President Richard Nixon's terrorism unit following the killing of Israeli
Olympic athletes in Munich. Amateur Radio went around the globe with him. He
operated over the years as YI2AN, OD5AX, YA1AM, EP3AM and JH1YDR, and he
especially enjoyed operating on the low bands. Meyer was a member of the
National Capitol DX Association. As W3ACE, he had 325 DXCC entities
confirmed (mixed and phone) and at one point achieved No 1 Honor Roll. He
also earned DXCCs as OD5AX, EP3AM and JH1YDR.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League: ARRL--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 and general news
of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web site
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The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features
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Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
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==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
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==>How to Get The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
delivery:
ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
<http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during
registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member
Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
Members Only Web Site.)

The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:

* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)

* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)


 

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL Audio News.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

Back issues published since 2000 are available on this page. If you wish to subscribe via e-mail, simply log on to the ARRL Web site, click on Edit Your Profile at the top, then click on Edit Email Subscriptions. Check the box next to The ARRL email newsletter, the ARRL Letter and you will receive each weekly issue in HTML format. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org

Editorial questions or comments: John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, at news@arrl.org.

Plain-Text

The ARRL E-Letter e-mail is also available in plain-text version:

Outlook Express

1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box.  When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Thunderbird

Use the menu item "View/Message Body As/Plain Text" or "View/Message Source" options.

OS X Mail (Mac)

Use the "View/Message/Plain Text Alternative" menu item.

GMail

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...

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