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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 49
December 15, 2006
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +US radio amateurs take advantage of newly expanded phone allocations
* +Revised band plans get green light from ARRL Executive Committee
* +Ham radio satellites set for launch, deployment
* +FCC orders hearing in possible ham license hijacking case
* +ARRL's 500 kHz experiment team wants reception reports
* +Dayton Hamvention seeks nominations for 2007 awards
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     ARRL Outgoing QSL Service revises rates
    +New Jersey club boosts Spectrum Defense Fund
    +ISS digital, SSTV, crossband repeater operations temporarily curtailed
     Radio Club of America honors Frank Clement, W6KPC
     FCC proposes to fine California amateur licensee $14,000
     Codeless Canadian "Basic Plus" amateurs may operate HF in the US
     UK "lifetime license" regime now in place

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

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==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ
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==>Editorial questions or comments only: Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
<n1rl@arrl.org>;
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==>AMATEUR COMMUNITY TRANSITIONS SMOOTHLY TO NEW ALLOCATIONS

With some confusion but little commotion, the amateur community took
occupancy of more commodious HF phone subbands as the so-called "omnibus"
Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 04-140
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-149A1.pdf> kicked
in December 15 at one minute past midnight Eastern Time. Among other things,
the wide-ranging R&O inflated the overall phone allocations on 75 and 40
meters and provided Generals with a little additional phone spectrum on 15
meters. On 75 meters, where the phone band expansion came at the expense of
spectrum that had been allocated to CW, RTTY and data modes, some operators
camped out above the new 3.600 MHz Extra class phone band edge to count down
the switch.

"Anyone on that wants last CW es [and] first SSB?" pleaded one operator as
the minutes ticked away. He'd been working a string of stations on CW, and
when the appointed time arrived, he simply switched to SSB and carried on in
that mode. There was no massive onslaught of phone stations, however, and
several CW contacts continued largely unhindered, interspersed among a
slowly growing number of SSB signals.

By week's end, the FCC had not acted on the League's Petition for Partial
Reconsideration
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt04-140/ARRL-04-140-ReconPetition.
pdf> in the proceeding, filed December 11, so the changes went into effect
as scheduled. The ARRL had called on the Commission to postpone the
allocation change for 3600 to 3635 kHz while considering a request to
maintain the status quo in that small segment. In its petition, the League
emphasized that it was not seeking reconsideration of the entire 75-meter
phone band expansion.

"Rather, we ask only that the Commission restore the privileges
unintentionally withdrawn from those who operate and who utilize
automatically controlled narrowband digital stations between 3620 and 3635
kHz," the League said. The ARRL pointed out that while the R&O left
unchanged rules permitting automatically controlled narrowband digital in
that segment, it eliminated RTTY and data as permitted emissions above 3600
kHz.

The League wants the Commission to make a "simple and equitable fix" by
moving the dividing line between the narrowband and wideband segments of
80/75 meters to 3635 kHz. This would keep 3600 to 3635 kHz available to
General and higher licensees for RTTY, data and CW and open to Novice and
Tech Plus licensees for CW. It also would maintain access to the
automatically controlled digital subband, 3620-3635 kHz.

"This is neither a minor matter nor an academic exercise in future band
planning," the ARRL concluded. "It is an urgent problem which, unless
corrected, affects a substantial number of existing Amateur Radio fixed
facilities and an even more substantial number of mobile facilities."

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicated that some stations -- perhaps out
of confusion regarding the effective time or a lack of concern -- fired up
on the new phone segments well in advance of the effective time. Judging
from those heard in the eastern US, everyone was enjoying -- and even
wisecracking about -- the additional elbow room.

"It's just like up the band," quipped one operator attempting a QSO in the
newly expanded 40-meter phone band. Retorted another operator: "It's no good
down here. It's too crowded!"

The Amateur Radio frequency allocation chart
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bands.html> and the ARRL Band
Plans <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bandplan.html> on the
ARRL Web site have been updated to reflect the band changes. Revised FCC
Part 97 Amateur Service rules reflecting all changes detailed in the FCC
Report and Order in WT Docket 04-140, also are available
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/news/part97/>.

==>ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OKAYS REVISED BAND PLANS FOR 80/75, 40 AND 15

The ARRL Executive Committee this week approved revised band plans for
80/75, 40, and 15 meters developed and recommended by the League's Band
Planning Committee. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, says
the Band Planning Committee "did a commendable job" stepping into the breach
caused by the FCC's unexpected 80/75 meter decision in the so-called
"omnibus" Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 04-140.

"In the case of 80/75 meters, it is an interim plan, subject to change if
the FCC acts favorably on our Petition for Reconsideration," Sumner said
(see <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/12/11/100/>). The lower edge of
the Amateur Extra 75-meter phone band shifted to 3600 kHz as of December 15.

The League wants the FCC to rectify an "unintended consequence" of that
expansion by moving the narrowband/wideband boundary on 80/75 meters to 3635
kHz.

ARRL Vice President and Band Planning Committee chair Rick Roderick, K5UR,
says his panel considered members' input in developing the changes the
committee recommended. He notes that the Committee received nearly 900
comments.

The charts below reflect the old band plan as well as the changes that went
into effect December 15.

75/80 METERS   OLD BAND PLAN          NEW BAND PLAN
3.590          RTTY DX                RTTY/Data DX
3.580-3.620    RTTY                   3.570-3.600: RTTY/Data
3.620-3.635    Packet                 Delete
3.790-3.800    DX Window              No change
3.845          SSTV                   No change
3.885          AM calling frequency   No change

40 METERS      OLD BAND PLAN          NEW BAND PLAN
7.040          RTTY DX                RTTY/Data DX
7.080-7.100    RTTY                   7.080-7.125: RTTY/Data
7.171          SSTV                   No change
7.290          AM calling frequency   No change

15 METERS      OLD BAND PLAN          NEW BAND PLAN
21.070-21.100  RTTY                   21.070-21.110: RTTY/Data
21.100-21.110  Packet                 21.070-21.110: RTTY/Data
21.340         SSTV                   No change

==>AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITES AWAITING LAUNCH, DEPLOYMENT

The GeneSat-1 satellite <http://www.crestnrp.org/genesat1/>, which carries
an Amateur Radio payload, now is set to launch Saturday, December 16, at
1200 UTC from Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch window extends to 1530
UTC. Problems with testing of TacSat-2, the primary Minotaur launch vehicle
payload, forced NASA to postpone the launch from December 11. A
collaboration of NASA Ames Research Center, industry and local universities,
the GeneSat-1 CubeSat will transmit AX.25 1200 bps FM/AFSK telemetry on
437.075 MHz.

Additional information on GeneSat-1 and other CubeSats is on the Amateur
Radio Information and Support for CubeSats Web site maintained by Ralph
Wallio, W0RPK <http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/CubeSat.htm>. Rocket
launches from the Wallops Flight Facility are available live via the Web
<http://www.wff.nasa.gov/webcast/>, starting approximately 30 minutes before
launch.

The space shuttle Discovery carried four other ham radio payloads to the
International Space Station for deployment later this month. Discovery
launched December 9 and now docked with the ISS. The spacecraft
<http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html> will be released into
space from the ISS on December 20.

The ANDE (Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment), RAFT (Radar Fence
Transponder) and MARScom satellites all contain systems involving student
projects. Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy's Satellite Laboratory designed
and built RAFT and MARScom plus the ANDE communication package under the
tutelage of Bob Bruninga, WB4APR. The fourth satellite, FCal (Fence
Calibration satellite), was built at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) It
contains an Amateur Radio CubeSat for communications and telemetry.

The Amateur Radio payload within the ANDE satellite will contain two
independent AX.25 packet command and telemetry systems. The primary system
will operate like PCsat and PCSAT2, providing telemetry and supporting 1200
bps packet communication (ie, digipeater operation) on 145.825 MHz. The
secondary will operate on unpublished frequencies.

Bruninga says midshipmen had to rebuild the ANDE communication package from
scratch after the finished modules "burned to a crisp" the day before it was
due for delivery when a heat-chamber thermostat failed. "This project has
taken multiple years to complete and the current team has taken the work of
past students and moved forward with it," he explained.

RAFT-1 will have a PSK31 uplink passband of 28.117 to 28.120 MHz as well as
a UHF telecommand uplink. The 145.825 MHz uplink/downlink frequency will
support 1200 bps packet.

RAFT also will provide a 217 MHz transmitter/receiver for the NSSS radar
fence experiments. Radio amateurs will be able to listen to the signal as
the satellite crosses the National Space Surveillance Satellite Network
(NSSS) radar-tracking system.

MARScom will operate on Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System
(MARS) frequencies. It will feature UHF AM and 148.975 MHz FM uplinks and a
27.965 MHz SSB downlink.

FCal's downlink frequency will be 437.385 MHz (AX.25 AFSK 1200 bps packet).
It will identify as KD4HBO.

==>FCC CITES POSSIBLE HAM LICENSE HIJACKING IN INITIATING HEARING PROCEEDING

The FCC has begun a hearing proceeding in the case of an Amateur Radio
applicant who, the Commission says, may have attempted earlier to hijack the
General class ticket of a Delaware man with a similar name. The FCC's
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) issued a Hearing Designation Order
(HDO) <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-2487A1.pdf>
to Joseph W. Hartmann Jr, last known to be living in Lansing, Michigan, on
December 11. The FCC put Hartmann's January 2006 application for an Amateur
Radio license on hold while it looked into why he filed a half-dozen
administrative updates in 2005 seeking to change the name and address of
Joseph V. Hartman Sr, K3GUX, of Oceanview, Delaware, to his own name and
address.

"The record before us suggests that Hartmann, Jr. intentionally submitted
fraudulent administrative updates to obtain the privileges associated with
call sign K3GUX," the FCC said in the HDO. "Based on the information before
us, we believe that Hartmann, Jr.'s actions raise a substantial and material
question of fact as to whether he possesses the requisite character
qualifications to be a Commission licensee."

According to the FCC, Hartmann also attempted to associate his FCC
Registration Number (FRN) with amateur call sign K3GUX. The Commission said
it was designating the hearing in part to determine whether Hartmann's 2006
application for a new amateur license "would serve the public interest,
convenience, and necessity."

In the wake of the spate of administrative update applications in 2005
involving K3GUX, Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division
Riley Hollingsworth contacted Hartmann by telephone. Hollingsworth told ARRL
at the time that Hartmann had indicated he was trying to correct errors in
his licensee record in the FCC's database.

The FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS) shows a Delaware mailing address
for the senior Hartman. FCC records indicate that Joseph V. Hartman Sr was
born in 1919, while Joseph W. Hartmann Jr indicated on his application that
he was born in 1969. A June 21, 2005, certified letter to Hartmann from
Hollingsworth attempting to get to the bottom of the matter came back
unclaimed, the HDO recounts.

"Hartmann Jr's repeated attempts to change the licensee information for call
sign K3GUX from Hartman Sr's name and address to Hartmann Jr's name and
address raise substantial and material question of fact as to whether
Hartmann Jr made false certifications, misrepresented facts to the
Commission, and/or demonstrated a lack of candor in order to claim the
identity and higher class license of Hartman, Sr," the FCC said in its HDO.
"In each application, Hartmann also certified that all of the statements
therein were true, complete, correct, and made in good faith, even though
his filings appear to have satisfied none of these standards."

The Commission noted that Hartmann Jr continued to file administrative
update applications on K3GUX even after the Enforcement Bureau contacted him
to investigate the discrepancies regarding the identity of the licensee.
After Hartmann failed to respond to the FCC, the WTB set aside the remaining
administrative update applications on January 17, 2006. Just 10 days later,
Hartmann filed his application for a new Amateur Radio license.

"The record suggests that Hartmann Jr has engaged in false certification,
misrepresentation and lack of candor in order to assume the identity and
higher class license of Hartman Sr for Commission licenses purposes," the
FCC said. The "circumstances presented" in its HDO, the Commission
continued, "raise substantial and material questions of fact" as to whether
Hartmann would deal truthfully with the FCC and comply with its rules and
policies.

A hearing would, in part, determine whether Hartmann made false
certifications or representations and/or lacked candor in his dealings with
the Commission, the FCC said. It also would determine the effect of
Hartmann's representations of fact and candor before the FCC to be a
Commission licensee and whether to grant his ham radio license application.

Hartmann would bear the burden of proof with respect to all issues outlined
in the HDO.

==>ARRL 600-METER EXPERIMENT SEEKS RECEPTION REPORTS

The ARRL 500 kc Experimental Group for Amateur Radio (WD2XSH)
<http://www.500kc.com/> is encouraging radio amateurs and listeners to
submit reception reports <http://w5jgv.com/500kcreportform.htm> of group
members' operations between 505 and 508 kHz. As of this week, 16 of the 21
WD2XSH participants were on the air.

"Several 500 kHz experimenters are generally active every evening," says
Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, in Vermont. "Your signal reports
will help to establish communication capabilities." Team participants are
using 507.5 kHz as a "calling frequency."

Raab urges listeners to file multiple reports for receiving the same station
on different days. "This helps to establish the reliability of the
communication path," he said. Most communications to date have been
nighttime skywave using CW and very slow-speed CW (QRSS).

Raab also would appreciate reports from northeastern Nebraska comparing the
signal strengths of WD2XSH stations to those of NDB (non-directional beacon)
OF on 510 kHz. Raab says the six WD2XSH stations in the Midwest are avoiding
508 to 510 kHz to make sure there aren't any interference problems.

More than two dozen two-way contacts have been logged to date, the best
distance being 884 miles. The experiment's Web site already has gathered
more than 900 reception reports. Three stations have been received in
Europe, one in Hawaii.

Gus Gustafson, SM6BHZ, in Gothenberg on Sweden's western coast, contacted
Raab this week with the news that Sweden's telecommunication authority has
given Gustafson permission to operate from 505.0 to 505.2 kHz at 20 W ERP
until November 30, 2007.

==>DAYTON HAMVENTION® INVITES 2007 AWARD NOMINATIONS

Dayton Hamvention <http://www.hamvention.org/> is accepting nominations for
its 2007 Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement, and Technical Excellence
awards. The deadline to submit nominations is February 19, 2007. All Amateur
Radio operators are eligible. Dayton Hamvention will recognize the winners
at the 2007 Hamvention, May 18-20.

The Amateur of the Year Award goes to an individual who has made a
long-term, outstanding commitment to the advancement of Amateur Radio. The
Technical Excellence Award is for the person who has made an outstanding
technical advancement in the field of Amateur Radio. The Special Achievement
Award honors someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the
advancement of Amateur Radio, usually by spearheading a significant project.


The Hamvention Awards Committee makes its decisions on all awards based in
part upon the information it receives and not on the number of nominations
submitted. Documentation to inform the Awards Committee of a candidate's
accomplishments may include magazine articles, newsletters, newspaper
clippings and even videos. All materials submitted become the property of
Hamvention and will not be returned.

Additional details and a nomination form are available on the Dayton
Hamvention Web site <http://www.hamvention.org/nomination07.htm>.
Nominations also are accepted via US mail to Dayton Hamvention Awards, PO
Box 964, Dayton, OH 45401.

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Ra the Sun god Tad "Blinded by the Light" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: There was big solar and geomagnetic activity this week from Sunspot
930 as it moved across the center of the visible solar disk as seen from
Earth. On Wednesday December 13, there was a big X-class solar flare, and
Thursday's mid-latitude A index rose to 30, while the planetary A index hit
63, indicating a severe geomagnetic storm.

On December 14, the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a warning for a
major to severe geomagnetic storm for December 15. Geophysical Institute
Prague also predicted a severe geomagnetic storm on December 15, active
conditions on December 16, unsettled conditions on December 17 and back to
quiet on December 18.

Geomagnetic storms aren't all bad. Other than producing pretty aurora
borealis, there are some nice effects on VHF too, such as the auroral
propagation many 6 meter ops enjoyed December 14.

Sunspot numbers for December 7 through 13 were 48, 32, 13, 23, 28, 27 and
21, with a mean of 27.4. 10.7 cm flux was 96, 96, 92.4, 90, 92.2, 102, and
93.6, with a mean of 94.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 25, 25, 7, 14,
15, 26 and 5, with a mean of 16.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 14,
17, 6, 8, 11, 15 and 5, with a mean of 10.9.

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

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is December
13. The Russian 160-Meter Contest is December 15 (UTC). The OK DX RTTY
Contest is December 16 (UTC). The MDXA PSK DeathMatch, the Croatian CW
Contest and the International Naval Contest are the weekend of December
16-17. The ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint is December 17. The Run for
the Bacon QRP Contest is December 18. JUST AHEAD: The RAEM Contest is
December 24. The DARC Christmas Contest is December 26. The RAC Winter
Contest is December 30. The Feld Hell QSO Party and the Stew Perry Topband
Challenge are the weekend of December 30-31. 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 24, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education program (CCE) online courses. Classes
start Monday, January 1, 2007: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and
Construction (EC-009), Amateur Radio License Course (EC-010), Analog
Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). These courses also
will open for registration Friday, December 22, for classes beginning
Sunday, February 4, 2007. 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 Outgoing QSL Service revises rates: The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service
<http://www.arrl.org/qsl/qslout.html> has announced has announced a new rate
structure, effective January 1, 2007. The new basic rate will be $5 per
half-pound (8 ounces -- or approximately 75 cards) or any portion of a
half-pound. That's a change from the current rate of $4 per half-pound or
any portion. One pound will cost $10, and larger packages will be assessed
$5 for each additional half-pound (or portion thereof). For example, a
package containing 1.5 pounds of cards will cost $15, while a package
containing 1.75 pounds of cards will cost $20. For smaller packages, the new
fee is only $1.50 for 10 or fewer cards, $2.50 for 11 to 20 cards and $3.75
for 21 to 30 cards. The new rate structure will help to cover basic handling
costs for smaller packages while continuing to offer a price break to
moderate-volume users submitting less than one-half pound of cards. The new
rate schedule is in response to the recent postal rate increase and price
restructuring, which doubled the bureau's postal costs. The ARRL Outgoing
QSL Service is available only to ARRL members. The last rate revision went
into effect in March 2001.

* New Jersey club boosts Spectrum Defense Fund: Representatives of the
Bergen Amateur Radio Association (BARA) <http://www.bara.org/> in Northern
New Jersey led by club president Tony Izzo, K2AMI, and a Hudson Division
delegation headed by Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, traveled to ARRL
Headquarters this week with a substantial ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund
donation in hand. Representing BARA, Hudson Division Assistant Director Jim
Joyce, K2ZO, presented a $2500 check to ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. This
marked the third year in a row the Spectrum Defense Fund has benefited from
raffle and program advertising proceeds from the Hudson Division awards
dinner, which BARA co-sponsored this year. Contributions are especially
important this year, ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH,
stressed, to support the League's federal court challenge of certain FCC
broadband over power line (BPL) rules. "We are making progress -- good
progress -- but there is always room for more," she said. Hobart expressed
the hope that other clubs would follow BARA's lead and support the Spectrum
Defense Fund by December 31. "Spectrum defense is a 365-day-a-year
operation," she continued. "We hope you, either as an individual or as a
club, can help. The ARRL has always 'had your back' -- now we need you to
have our back as we meet this challenge." Members may donate via the ARRL
Development Department's secure Web site
<https://www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense/2007/fall/fdefense.html>.

* ISS digital, SSTV, crossband repeater operations temporarily curtailed:
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
<http://www.rac.ca/ariss> program has announced that Amateur Radio
automatic-mode operations (packet, APRS, slow-scan TV and crossband
repeater) are temporarily off the air or will be available only for brief
periods until further notice. That's because the ISS Phase II ham station --
a modified Kenwood TM-D700E -- requires reprogramming for modes other than
FM voice. The ISS crew will continue to use the Phase II station for ARISS
school contacts. "A computer designated for Amateur Radio operations that
will allow reprogramming the radio is planned to arrive on the next Progress
vehicle in 2007," said ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO.
Meanwhile, the ISS Phase I ham station -- an Ericsson 2-meter handheld
transceiver in the Zarya Functional Cargo Block (FGB) -- appears to have
developed an intermittent audio problem. Fixing this will require scheduling
some crew time to determine the cause. The Phase I station has been used
mostly for ARISS school contacts since the packet system associated with the
radio began to malfunction during Expedition 6. The Expedition 14 crew now
aboard the ISS consists of Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, Flight
Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT, and Suni Williams, KD5PLB. Williams arrived
this month on the shuttle Discovery. She's replaced European Space Agency
astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, who will head home after a six-month duty
tour spanning Expeditions 13 and 14. ISS call signs include NA1SS, RS0ISS
and DP0ISS.

* Radio Club of America honors Frank Clement, W6KPC: The Radio Club of
America (RCA) has honored ARRL Life Member A.J.F. "Frank" Clement, W6KPC, of
Bakersfield, California, with its 2006 Barry M. Goldwater Amateur Radio
Award. The award recognizes Clement's accomplishments in designing and
manufacturing towers and designing and constructing of North America's
largest Amateur Radio phased HF Yagi sextet. Clement's article "The
Collinear Yagi Sextet" was the cover story for June 1980 QST. He also
authored three other QST articles on antennas and now is writing two books.
Clement worked for Hughes Aircraft and was part of the engineering team that
designed and built the Hughes Flying Boat (the HK-1 Hercules) and the
"Spruce Goose." He later worked in missile technology at Northrop; founded
Diodes Incorporated, a silicon rectifier maker; built Golden Valley Radio,
an early specialized mobile radio system, and acquired Tri-Ex Tower. In
expressing appreciation, Clement noted that he knew the award's namesake --
five-term US Senator, 1964 GOP presidential candidate and ham radio advocate
Barry Goldwater, K7UGA (SK) -- because he bought a Skyneedle while Clement
owned Tri-Ex.

* FCC proposes to fine California amateur licensee $14,000: The FCC has
issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL)
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-268422A1.pdf> to
Jason Kaltenbach, KE6CND, proposing to fine him $14,000 for willfully and
repeatedly selling non-certified VHF and UHF transceivers on the eBay
auction site. Kaltenbach does business as Metamerchant of Laguna Nigel,
California. The Commission's Los Angeles District Office released the NAL
November 9. According to the NAL, an FCC agent found two models of KYD brand
transceivers, one capable of operating on 136 to 174 MHz at 3 W, the other
capable of operating on 400 to 470 MHz at 4 W. In January 2006, the FCC
cited Kaltenbach d/b/a Metamerchant for violating §302(b) of the
Communications Act and §2.803(a)(1) of the FCC rules by offering for sale
non-certified General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and Multi-Use Radio
Service (MURS) transceivers. Kaltenbach told the Commission the gear had
been listed accidentally as GMRS and MURS radios and that he removed them
from sale and corrected his auction listing. Nonetheless, the NAL recounts,
an FCC agent was able to purchase a non-certified VHF transceiver via
auction from Metamerchant in March. In July, the FCC's Seattle office
received a complaint from someone who purchased a UHF transceiver from
Metamerchant via eBay that turned out not to be certified or even
FCC-certifiable. The Commission gave Kaltenbach 30 days to pay the fine or
file a statement seeking reduction or cancellation of the forfeiture.

* Codeless Canadian "Basic Plus" amateurs may operate HF in the US: Canadian
licensees holding "Basic Plus" tickets may operate HF in the US, whether or
not they've passed a Morse code test, according to the Radio Amateurs of
Canada (RAC). Since Canada removed its mandatory Morse requirement in 2005,
the impression has persisted that the US still required visiting ops to have
Morse credit for HF operation under the reciprocal operating agreement
between the two countries. The issue came to a head when a Canadian Winlink
mailbox reportedly denied access to Canadian Basic Plus licensees operating
from US territory. Basic Plus licensees have scored at least 80 percent on
the written examination, obviating the need to pass a Morse examination.
According to §97.107 of the FCC rules, operator privileges in the US are
those authorized by the alien licensee's government, not to exceed Amateur
Extra class privileges, but visitors must operate according to US frequency
allocations. The situation may not be the same for Canadians operating in
other countries. "Many countries have still retained the Morse requirement
for HF, and some countries continue to require a Morse qualification for HF
operation by amateurs visiting from other countries," RAC advised in a
recent bulletin. Radio amateurs from countries with which the US has
reciprocal operating agreements also may be HF station control operators
when transmitting from territory where the FCC regulates Amateur Radio.

* UK "lifetime license" regime now in place: All Amateur Radio licensees in
the United Kingdom/Great Britain as of December 1 will receive free
replacement lifetime licenses. Telecoms regulator Ofcom
<http://www.ofcom.org.uk/> says all new amateur licensees can apply online
to obtain free lifetime licenses. While Ofcom charges an administrative fee
(£20) for hard-copy applications, these will continue to be free of charge
for applicants 75 or older. Under the new lifetime license regime, Ofcom
issues Amateur Radio licenses, which will remain valid for as long as the
license details remain correct or until the license is revoked or
surrendered. Ofcom notes, however, that Amateur Radio licensees still must
confirm their license information every five years. "Although the licence
will be valid for life, Ofcom considers that for spectrum management and
administrative purposes, it is necessary to carry out a licence validation
process," the regulator says on its Web site. Ofcom will prompt licensees to
ensure that the information on file is still correct. Once registered,
licensees will be able to validate their details online.

===========================================================
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
<http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news updates.
The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features
and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a
weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's
also available as a podcast from our Web site.

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/American Radio Relay League.

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384

==>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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