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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 26, No. 41
October 12, 2007
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

*   ARRL On-Line Auction Preview Starts Wednesday 
*   Secretary General of ITU Gets Amateur Radio License 
*   "The Doctor Is IN" the ARRL Letter 
*   The November/December National Contest Journal Is On Its Way 
*   FCC Enforcement Actions 
*   ARRL Executive Committee Explains Reasoning for Upholding Ethics and
Election Committee's Decision to Disqualify Southwestern Division
Director Candidate 
*   Solar Update
*   IN BRIEF: 
      This Weekend on the Radio
      ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
      No ARRL Audio News Friday, October 12 
      Newly Elected Section Managers Converge on Newington 
      Special Offer for Diamond Club Members 
      New Contest Manager on the Job 
      AA8EY Wins 2007 Severson Award 
      Military World Games Using in India Using Call Sign AT0MWG 
      Let Us Know What You Think

===========================================================
==>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: S. Khrystyne Keane,
<k1sfa@arrl.org>;
===========================================================

==> ARRL ON-LINE AUCTION PREVIEW STARTS WEDNESDAY 

The 2007 ARRL On-Line Auction Preview starts Wednesday, October 17 and
officially begins October 24, running through November 2. According to
ARRL Business Services Manager Debra Jahnke, K1DAj, the Auction will
feature more than 150 items. "This year, browsers and bidders will find
a vastly increased amount of QST Product Review gear." Rather than
auctioning this equipment off separately as has been done in the past,
the On-Line Auction will serve as the focal point for a majority of this
year's QST Product Review items. "We won't reveal just yet what items
will be up for bid, but chances are very likely that if our readers have
had their eye on a piece of equipment, it will be there," Jahnke said. 

This year's auction will offer an especially diverse variety of items,
including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, amateur accessories and
other amateur-related items. Jahnke said that through the ARRL On-Line
Auction, "We'll be offering new gear, pre-owned and vintage gear, a
fabulous vacation in St Croix, one-of-a-kind treasures and a virtual
flea market."

When asked to provide amateurs with a partial list of items up for bid,
Jahnke said "We're keep specific items under wraps until the Auction
Preview that begins on October 17. Anyone interested can check this out
at the ARRL On-Line Auction Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/development/auction/>. But I can promise you that
bidders will not be disappointed."

"We'd also like to thank the manufacturers, dealers, ARRL Business
Partners and members and non members alike for their donations to the
On-Line Auction," Jahnke said. 

==> SECRETARY GENERAL OF ITU GETS AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE 

Dr Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), received his Amateur Radio license
October 8. Toure, who holds the call sign HB9EHT, is from Mali. He has a
Master's Degree in electrical engineering from the Technical Institute
of Electronics and Telecommunications of Leningrad and a PhD from the
University of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics of Moscow.


ARRL Chief Executive Officer and IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ,
said, "Dr Toure has recognized the value of Amateur Radio throughout his
two terms as Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
and now as Secretary General. It is wonderful to be able to welcome him
to our fraternity." 

According to International Amateur Radio Club (IARC) President Attila
Matas, OM1AM/HB9IAJ, IARC's station 4U1ITU will be operational as 4U1WRC
during WRC-07 in Geneva later this month. They will be using newly
installed antennas. 

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and
communication technologies. As the global focal point for governments
and the private sector, ITU's role in helping the world communicate
spans three core sectors: radiocommunication, standardization and
development. ITU is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and its membership
includes 191 Member States and more than 700 Sector Members and
Associates.

==> "THE DOCTOR IS IN" THE ARRL LETTER 

This week, ARRL Letter readers are in luck! The ARRL's very own Doctor,
author of the popular QST column "The Doctor Is IN," answers a question
from his mailbag:

Question -- Ray Fritts, KA8SYX, of Jacksonville, Florida, asks: If a
piece of coaxial cable has a specified loss figure in dB per 100 feet at
a given frequency, does that mean that the loss in a different length of
the same cable that is a fraction of 100 feet long is the same fraction
of loss? For example, I have a type of coax that has a loss of 6 dB per
100 feet at 150 MHz. I have a 15 foot length I want to use as a feed
line for my 2 meter mobile SSB transceiver. Does that mean that my feed
line would have a loss of about 0.9 dB, not including SWR and connector
insertion? I am particularly interested in the loss in received signal.
Is my math correct, or is there a different method to determine the
amount of signal lost in a coaxial cable when the length is different
from that for which the published loss figures are expressed?

The Doctor Answers -- Your calculations are right on. That's all there
is to it. But do keep in mind just a few potential pitfalls:

Published cable loss data is for new cable. If used indoors in a
non-hostile environment, it will stay close to new for many years. If
the jacket allows moisture or moisture vapor to penetrate, it can
degrade from subsequent corrosion. I have been amazed to find that the
copper in some old cables that have been used outdoors has turned black
from corrosion, and likely is no longer acting like a shield at all.

You are correct that the loss increases with an SWR higher than 1:1. For
your receive case, keep in mind that the SWR is determined by the input
impedance of the receiver -- not the antenna impedance. Sometimes
receivers aligned for minimum noise figure do not have an impedance of
50 Ohms. Check your receiver specs. 

Do you have a question or a problem? Send your questions to
<doctor@arrl.org>; or to "The Doctor," ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT
06111 (no phone calls, please). 

==> THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER NCJ IS ON ITS WAY 

Now that "contesting season" is in full swing, you don't want to miss a
thing and you can get in-depth contesting articles, techniques and
information from the National Contest Journal (NCJ). This bi-monthly
magazine from the ARRL features articles on contesting in all modes,
including phone, CW and RTTY, product reviews and station profiles, as
well as regular columns. 

The November/December issue has an article by Al Dewey, K0AD, on how to
put up a tower in a deed-restricted neighborhood. Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q,
reveals his secrets for winning the 2007 ARRL DX CW (QRP) Contest, while
Ed Sawyer, N1UR, writes about winning the 2007 ARRL DX and Phone (Low
Power) Contest. Not to be outdone by the low power operators, Scott
Robbins, W4PA/VY2PA, writes about winning ARRL DX CW in 2007.

If you're interested in the new Elecraft K3, you won't want to miss
"RTTY Contesting with the Elecraft K3," by Ed Muns, W0YK. Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA, reviews the KD9SV Reversible Beverage System. 

Regular columns in the upcoming issue include "VHF-UHF Contesting" by
Jon K. Jones, N0JK; "Contest Tips, Tricks and Techniques" by Gary
Sutcliffe, W9XT; "RTTY Contesting" by Don Hill, AA5AU; "Workshop
Chronicles" by Don Daso, K4ZA; "Contesting on a Budget" by Paul
Schaffenberger, K5AF, and "Propagation" by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

NCJ is published by the ARRL and is a bi-monthly publication; it is
edited by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA. Subscribe at
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj/>. 
 
==> FCC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS 

On October 5, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau released new Amateur Radio
enforcement actions. Raymond W. Czyzewski, Jr, WA2SEI, of Interlachen,
Florida, received notification from the FCC of a complaint alleging he
"interfere[d] on the Six Meter Amateur band on June 19, 2007. The
complaint also enclosed a threatening communication apparently from you
to the complainant subsequent to the incident. The information contained
in the complaint, if true, raises serious questions regarding your
qualifications to retain an Amateur license." Czyzewski was given 20
days to respond and was directed to "support your response with a signed
and dated affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury, verifying
the truth and accuracy of the information submitted in your response."
He was warned that the FCC will use "all relevant information...
including information that you disclose in your reply" to make a
decision in his case, and that penalties could include "license
revocation, suspension of your operator privileges, or monetary
forfeiture (fine). Fines normally range from $7,500 to $10,000."

Guy E Weitl, WB6HGJ, of San Diego, California, received notification
from the FCC of a complaint alleging "numerous instances of out of band
operation on Twenty Meter frequencies 14.003, 14.005, 14.011 and 14.106
MHz, frequencies for which you are not authorized as a General Class
licensee. The complaint also alleges that you have been sent several
notices about out of band operation. The information contained in the
complaint, if true, raises serious questions regarding your
qualifications to retain an Amateur license." Weitl was given 20 days to
respond and was directed to "support your response with a signed and
dated affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury, verifying the
truth and accuracy of the information submitted in your response." He
was warned that the FCC will use "all relevant information...including
information that you disclose in your reply" to make a decision in his
case, and that penalties could include "license revocation, suspension
of your operator privileges, or monetary forfeiture (fine). Fines
normally range from $7,500 to $10,000."

David B. Huston, WD8RFS, of Ely, Minnesota, received notification from
the FCC regarding a complaint "concerning the operation of your repeater
on 145.370 MHz. The complaint alleges lack of control and defective
signals and indicates that you have been contacted about these problems
but have declined to address them." Huston was given 20 days to respond
and was directed to "describe in detail" and include with his response
"the procedures you use to control the repeater and provide the names
and addresses of all control operators." 

Darin W. Colville, KM0Q, of O'Fallon, Missouri, received notification
from the FCC that he would face a six month restriction on his Amateur
Radio license. The Commission said, "On March 16, 2007, we sent you
copies of complaints received by the Commission concerning the operation
of your Amateur station. The complaints alleged deliberate interference,
broadcasting and failure to identify. Our letter stated that the
information contained in the complaints, if true, raised serious
questions regarding your qualifications to retain an Amateur license. We
requested detailed information from you pursuant to Section 308(b) of
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. S: 308(b), which
gives the Commission the authority to obtain information from applicants
and licensees about the operation of their station and their
qualifications to remain a licensee." After telephone conversations
between Colville and FCC representatives, it was agreed that Colville
would accept "a six month restriction on your license that would
prohibit operation on any Amateur station on UHF or VHF for a period of
six months in order to avoid further enforcement sanctions. That
restriction is retroactive to July 9, 2007, and will end at midnight
January 6, 2008."

James J. Grinton, K7VNI, of Bellingham, Washington, received a "Notice
of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture" from the District Director of the
FCC's Western Region Enforcement Bureau in Seattle and is apparently
liable for a forfeiture in the amount of seven thousand dollars
($7,000)." The FCC said Grinton "apparently willfully and repeatedly
violated Section 97.113(b) and Section 97.119(a) of the Commission's
Rules ("Rules") by transmitting one-way communications and by failing to
transmit his assigned call sign in the Amateur Radio Service."

Section 97.113(b) of the Rules states that "[a]n amateur station shall
not engage in any form of broadcasting, nor may an amateur station
transmit one-way communications..." Section 97.119(a) of the Rules
states that "[e]ach amateur station, except a space station or
telecommand station, must transmit its assigned call sign on its
transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least
every 10 minutes during a communication, for the purpose of clearly
making the source of the transmissions from the station known to those
receiving the transmissions."

The FCC noted the following timeline: 

On December 7, 2006, in response to a complaint alleging intentional
interference to Amateur Radio communications on the 146.340/146.940 MHz
repeater (VE7RPT) repeater, an agent from the FCC's Seattle Office, used
mobile direction finding techniques, to locate the source of the signal
to the residence of James Grinton, K7VNI, in Bellingham, Washington."

During the period of December 9, 2006-January 1, 2007, the Seattle agent
monitored 146.340 MHz and observed 59 transmissions of varying lengths
from Grinton's residence.

On January 19, 2007, the Seattle Field Office issued a "Warning of
Interference to Communications" to Grinton. The Warning Letter informed
Grinton that his station may be the source of willful or malicious
interference to amateur communications and that if the "transmissions
continue, you will be investigated during ongoing FCC enforcement
efforts. If such an investigation indicates that you have violated the
Communications Act or any FCC Rules, you could be subject to severe
penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary
forfeitures, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment."

On January 25, 2007, Grinton received and signed a receipt for the
Warning Letter, but did not send a response to the Seattle Office.

On February 27, 2007, in response to continued complaints, a Seattle
agent using mobile direction finding techniques, again located the
source of a signal on 146.340 MHz to Grinton's residence in Bellingham,
Washington. The Seattle agent monitored and recorded 17 minutes of a
continuous transmission of one-way communications of music by Grinton on
146.340 MHz.

On March 5, 2007, the Seattle agent, again used using mobile direction
finding techniques to locate the source of a signal on 146.340 MHz to
Grinton's residence in Bellingham. The Seattle agent monitored and
recorded 15 minutes of a continuous transmission of one-way
communications of music by Grinton on 146.340 MHz.

During the period of January 19, 2007-June 23, 2007, the Seattle agent
monitored 146.340 MHz and observed 163 transmissions by Grinton in which
he failed to transmit his assigned call sign (K7VNI)

The FCC concluded that "Pursuant to the Commission's Forfeiture Policy
Statement and Amendment of Section 1.80 of the Rules to Incorporate the
Forfeiture Guidelines, ('Forfeiture Policy Statement'), and Section 1.80
of the Rules, the base forfeiture amount for unauthorized emissions is
$4000 and base forfeiture amount for failure to provide station ID is
$1000. "In assessing the monetary forfeiture amount, we must also take
into account the statutory factors set forth in Section 503(b)(2)(E) of
the Act, which include the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of
the violations, and with respect to the violator, the degree of
culpability, and history of prior offenses, ability to pay, and other
such matters as justice may require. Based on the criteria in Section
503(b)(2)(E) of the Act, and the upward adjustment criteria in the
Forfeiture Policy Statement, we find that an upward adjustment of the
base forfeiture amount of $1000 for failure to provide station ID is
warranted. Grinton apparently failed to transmit his amateur operator
call sign on over 160 transmissions in a five month period. Grinton had
previously been warned by the Seattle Office concerning FCC Rule
violations. Considering the entire record and applying the factors
listed above, we conclude that Grinton is apparently liable for a
forfeiture in the amount of $3000 for his failure to provide station ID,
and is apparently liable for a $4000 forfeiture for unauthorized
emissions."

Grinton has until October 25 to either pay the forfeiture or appeal. 

==> ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EXPLAINS REASONING FOR UPHOLDING ETHICS AND
ELECTION COMMITTEE'S DECISION TO DISQUALIFY SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION
DIRECTOR CANDIDATE 

The ARRL Executive Committee met the first weekend in October in Little
Rock, Arkansas. One item on their agenda was of the appeal of Carl
Gardenias, WU6D, concerning his disqualification from the race for
Southwestern Division Director. Last month, the League's Ethics and
Elections Committee declared Gardenias disqualified to stand for
election in that race. What follows is the ARRL's Executive Committee's
summary (in its entirety) affirming the decision of the Ethics and
Elections Committee: 

Summary of Events Leading to the Disqualification of Carl Gardenias,
WU6D, as Candidate for Director of the ARRL Southwestern Division 

In accordance with the bylaws of the ARRL, July and August QST carried
solicitations for candidates for Director and Vice Director in five of
the 15 ARRL divisions. Two candidates for Director of the Southwestern
Division, encompassing southern California and Arizona, were nominated
and initially found to be eligible by the ARRL Ethics and Elections
Committee: incumbent Dick Norton, N6AA, and challenger Carl Gardenias,
WU6D, who is currently serving as Section Manager of the ARRL Orange
Section. Announcement of their eligibility was made on August 27. 

The ARRL Ethics and Elections Committee is made up of three volunteer
Directors, appointed by the President for one-year terms, from among
those who are not subject to election that year. 

A series of subsequent actions and inactions, by and on behalf of Mr
Gardenias, led the Ethics and Elections Committee by unanimous vote to
disqualify him as a candidate and to declare the one remaining eligible
candidate, Dick Norton, N6AA, re-elected. Mr Gardenias appealed this
decision to the ARRL Executive Committee. The voting members of the
Executive Committee are the President and five Directors, none of whom
happen to be members of the Ethics and Elections Committee. After
consideration of the appeal, including additional material submitted by
Mr Gardenias, the Executive Committee voted unanimously to uphold the
decision of the Ethics and Elections Committee. 

Full members in the Southwestern Division had expected to have the
opportunity to choose between two candidates for Director, and are
entitled to an explanation of what led to the disqualification of Mr
Gardenias. 

The series of events began on August 30 when Mr Gardenias' wife Cathy,
K6VC, identifying herself as Assistant Section Manager responsible for
the Orange Section newsletter, asked ARRL Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ
to review an article about the division election for the section
newsletter. Mr Sumner responded, pointing out several changes that
should be made. 

On September 3, Mr Sumner received an inquiry from Mr Norton forwarding
a copy of an e-mail signed by Cathy Gardenias that had been sent on
September 1 from gardenias@verizon.net, an e-mail address that is used
by both Carl and Cathy Gardenias, to 22 addressees in the Orange as well
as other Southwestern Division Sections. The e-mail contained the
article with the requested changes made, but material not reviewed by Mr
Sumner had been added along with the unauthorized and inaccurate
statement, "Approved by the ARRL k1zz." The additional material, having
to do with candidates' Web sites, was incomplete and in any case was not
appropriate for inclusion in an official ARRL communication because of
restrictions on the distribution of campaign material via official
channels. 

Early on September 4, Mr Norton filed a complaint with the Ethics and
Elections Committee on the basis of the September 1 message and sent
copies to both Carl and Cathy Gardenias. Mr Norton proposed several
remedies, none of which included disqualification. Later that day, Cathy
Gardenias sent e-mails to a number of addressees with "Corrections to
information sent out on August 28, 2007 regarding up coming elections."
The reference to August 28 was erroneous and caused some confusion;
while Mr Gardenias later confirmed that the message had been sent to
some other addressees on August 30 and 31, it had not been sent as early
as August 28. Neither did the September 4 message correct everything
that was wrong with the original message. 

The Ethics and Elections Committee met by teleconference on Tuesday
evening, September 4, to discuss several matters including Mr Norton's
complaint. Under ARRL election rules, a standard of truth applies to all
mailings by candidates. The committee concluded that the appropriate
remedy in this case was to require Mr Gardenias to distribute specific
text of a correction and apology to everyone who had received the
original message, including addressees who were not known to the
committee. On September 5 Mr Sumner communicated specific instructions
to Mr Gardenias, who acknowledged and said "Thank you, Cathy has already
made the corrections to LAX ORANGE, AZ and will finish SDG and SB
tomorrow." At that point it appeared that the matter was well on its way
to a resolution. 

Unfortunately, no evidence appeared over the next two days that the
correction ordered by the committee actually had been distributed.
Therefore, on Friday, September 7 Mr Sumner sent a follow-up message to
Mr Gardenias requesting copies of the corrective e-mails, showing the
addressees. An unsigned e-mail from gardenias@verizon.net came back
almost immediately saying, "Okay on Monday we are at the convention"
[the Southwestern Division Convention], to which Mr Sumner replied,
"Carl, I hope this means that on Monday you will send me a copy of the
message that was sent soon after the Ethics and Elections Committee
ordered that it be sent, last Wednesday. You acknowledged that
instruction on the same day it was sent. A delay of several days in
complying would not be acceptable to the committee." 

Nothing more was received from Mr Gardenias over the next several days. 

Having received no evidence that its instructions had been complied
with, the Ethics and Elections Committee voted unanimously to disqualify
Mr Gardenias and asked Mr Sumner, who by that time was in Brasilia
attending the IARU Region 2 Conference, to convey its decision to Mr
Gardenias. He did so by e-mail on September 13. The decision was
announced on the ARRL Web site the following day, September 14. Also on
that day, two messages of protest from Mr Gardenias were received by Mr
Sumner. One forwarded what was purported to be a copy of a message
containing the text as ordered by the Ethics and Elections Committee to
the 22 addressees on the September 1 message, plus Mr Sumner (although
Mr Sumner had not received it). This message was identified as "Here is
what was sent on Friday Sept. 5, 2007 to all concerned and you were
BCC:" Curiously, the message as forwarded carried the date line "Sent:
Friday, September 06, 2007 10:30 PM." 
That Friday was actually September 7. 

On Monday, September 17, Mr Gardenias filed an appeal with the ARRL
Executive Committee. The appeal included a copy of the message forwarded
to Mr Sumner on the previous Friday except that the date line reads
"Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 10:30 PM." The Executive Committee
requested that Mr Sumner try to determine whether any of the addressees
had actually received the message that Mr Gardenias claimed had been
sent on or about September 7. Mr Sumner sent separate messages to each
of the other 22 addressees, except for two that clearly were bad
addresses. Of the remaining 20, 11 responded that they definitely had
not received the message. Two others recalled seeing messages related to
the election but could not say that they had seen the specific message
in question. The other addressees did not respond. 

Some addressees did provide copies of a different "correction" message
from Cathy Gardenias dated September 11. The text of this message is
inconsistent with the instructions that were given by the Ethics and
Elections Committee on September 5 and that Mr Gardenias claimed on
September 14 had been complied with on September 5 or 6 (later changed
to September 7). 

On September 26, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, and General Counsel
Chris Imlay, W3KD, contacted Mr Gardenias by telephone to seek
clarification of the apparent discrepancies. Mr Gardenias said that the
first time he understood exactly what the Ethics and Elections Committee
had instructed him to do was when Arizona Section Manager Tom Fagan,
WB7NXH, explained it to him at the convention. Mr Gardenias claimed that
he used Mr Fagan's laptop to send the corrective message from the
convention. In a separate conversation, Mr Fagan said that he observed
Carl and Cathy Gardenias prepare the corrective e-mail using his laptop.
The discrepancy in dates and the fact that none of the addressees
appears to have received the message have not been explained. While Mr
Gardenias has acknowledged the instruction to send the specific
corrective message to everyone who received the original message, he has
not produced evidence nor has he claimed that the correction was sent to
anyone other than the 22 addressees on the September 1 message. 

On September 27 the Executive Committee met by teleconference and voted
unanimously, based on its own independent review, to affirm the decision
of the Ethics and Elections Committee to disqualify Mr Gardenias as a
candidate for Director of the ARRL Southwestern Division. This decision
was communicated to Mr Gardenias on October 1, along with detailed
"Findings of Fact and Conclusions" of the committee. 

In summary, had the instructions of the Ethics and Elections Committee
been followed on September 5 or reasonably soon thereafter -- as Mr
Gardenias said at the time would be done -- the Southwestern Division
Director election would have proceeded normally. The responsibility for
failure to do so rests with the candidate. It was not necessary for the
Executive Committee to decide whether the failure was intentional or
merely the result of negligence in order to affirm the decision of the
Ethics and Elections Committee. However, the discrepancies in the
Gardenias' various claims and explanations are troubling and might well
provide a separate and independent basis for disqualification. 

(signed) ARRL Executive Committee, October 6, 2007 

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "'Cause You Shine Like the Midnight Sun" Cook, K7RA, this week
reports: Average sunspot number for the past week is about half what it
was the week before, but this doesn't mean much, since only two days of
the last seven had any sunspots. In fact, the Sun showed spots on only
seven of the last 29 days. Geomagnetic indices (the A and K index) have
been very quiet lately. The US Air Force predicts the planetary A index
to stay around 5 (which is very quiet) for October 12-16. October 26 is
the next time they predict active conditions, with a planetary A index
of 25. Since October 6, the planetary A index has been below five.
Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet to unsettled conditions for
today, October 12, quiet conditions on October 13-16 and unsettled
conditions October 17-18. I suspect we won't see sunspots any time soon,
although this can change. It seems we are still in the bottom of the
cycle. Sunspot numbers for October 4-10 were 0, 0, 15, 13, 0, 0 and 0
with a mean of 4. The 10.7 cm flux was 67.3, 67.8, 69, 68.1, 68.1, 68.7
and 68.1 with a mean of 68.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 10, 7,
5, 4, 3, 3 and 3 with a mean of 5. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were
8, 5, 3, 1, 0, 0 and 1 with a mean of 2.6. For more information
concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information
Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's
Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin
page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. 

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: This weekend, the ARRL School Club Roundup
is October 15-19. The NCCC Sprint (CW) is October 12. The Microwave Fall
Sprint, EU Autumn Sprint (CW) and FISTS Fall Sprint are October 13. The
Makrothen RTTY Contest, Oceania DX Contest (CW) and Pennsylvania QSO
Party are October 13-14. The North American Sprint (RTTY) and UBA ON
Contest (SSB) are October 14. Next week, be sure to mark your calendars
for the NCCC Sprint (CW) on October 19. October 20 is the Feld Hell
Sprint, while the weekend of October 20-21 hosts the JARTS Worldwide
RTTY Contest, the ARCI Fall QSO Party, the Worked All Germany Contest,
the Stew Perry Topband Challenge, the W/VE Islands QSO Party, the 070
Club 160 Meter Great Pumpkin Sprint and the 50 MHz Fall Sprint. The
Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW) and UBA ON Contest (2 Meter) are October
21. The Illinois QSO Party is October 21-22 and the Run for the Bacon
QRP Contest is October 22. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contester's Rate Sheet
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more
info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains
open through Sunday, October 21 for these online courses beginning on
Friday, November 2: Technician License Course (EC-010); 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). To learn more, visit the CCE
Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact
the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce@arrl.org>;.

* No ARRL Audio News Friday, October 12: There will be no ARRL Audio
News October 12. The ARRL Audio News will return next week, Friday,
October 19.

* Newly Elected Section Managers Converge on Newington: This weekend,
those Section Managers who are new to their post are in Newington for an
orientation. Delaware Section Manager Frank Filipkowski, AD3M; Kentucky
Section Manager Jim Brooks, KY4Z; Sacramento Valley Section Manager Ron
Murdock, W6KJ; Puerto Rico Section Manager Roberto Jimenez, KP4AC, and
San Diego Section Manager Mitch Mitchell, K6BK, are in attendance.
According to Supervisor of the ARRL Field Organization Team Steve Ewald,
WV1X, "The Section Manager Workshop is an orientation and training event
for new Section Managers that have come on board within the last year or
so. ARRL has conducted this training once a year at HQ for the past
several years, and it has been well received by past participants. The
Membership and Volunteer Programs Department Staff, and its Field
Organization Team are the lead coordinators of the event." The primary
purposes of the Workshop sessions are to share ideas and to provide
basic administrative, management, leadership and motivational training.
"We also cover the responsibilities and functions of the Section
Manager's position, and the SMs are able to visit with ARRL Headquarters
staff members and learn more about the many programs that ARRL supports.
The Workshop sessions are presented by several ARRL Headquarter staff
members who are experts in their respective areas," Ewald said. 

* Special Offer for Diamond Club Members: ARRL Chief Development Officer
Mary Hobart, K1MMH, reminds League members that now is a great time to
join the Diamond Club or renew your Diamond Club membership. "For
Diamond Club contributions of $100 or more before December 31, you will
receive a 2008 ARRL calendar. This offer is good for new and renewing
Diamond Club members." If you join at the Brass level ($250) or higher,
you can also get a brick (with engraving up to three lines) placed in
the ARRL Diamond Terrace. 

* New Contest Manager on the Job: Sean Kutzko, KX9X, joined the ARRL
Headquarters staff on October 8 as the ARRL Contest Manager. First
licensed in 1982 as KA9NGH, Kutzko developed a taste for contesting
after winning the Illinois section in the 1988 ARRL Novice Roundup.
Since then, he has been active in both HF and VHF contesting, as well as
HF DXing and VHF weak-signal communications. A long-standing member of
the Society of Midwest Contesters (SMC) and a strong advocate of
mentoring new contesters, Kutzko has won several contest and DX awards,
including several Top Ten finishes in the ARRL Sweepstakes SSB contest
as a QRP entrant. He has been on two HF contest DXpeditions, including
6Y7M in the 1994 CQ WPX CW contest, and V26NA in the 1997 ARRL
International DX CW Contest. Kutzko also enjoys activating rare grid
squares by going on "Grid DXpeditions" in the continental US for the
VHF/UHF community. In the late 1990s, Kutzko published a regular column
in the National Contest Journal (NCJ) that focused on DX locations
available for hams to rent for contests or DXpeditions. "It's a great
honor to be the Contest Branch Manager. Everybody at HQ has been very
friendly and generous of their time and knowledge for me, the newcomer.
There is a lot of work from several folks -- hams and non-hams alike --
that goes on behind the scenes to keep your contest logs properly scored
and managed. While I still have a lot to learn, rest assured that as a
fellow HF and VHF contester myself, my primary interest is to ensure
logs are received and processed correctly, scores are reported quickly
and accurately and awards are mailed in a timely fashion. Feel free to
contact me with any contest-related questions you may have. You can
reach me at 860-594-0232 or via e-mail <kx9x@arrl.org>;. I am at your
service," Kutzko said. 

* AA8EY Wins 2007 Severson Award: ARRL Ohio Assistant Section Manager
William Carpenter, AA8EY, of Westerville, Ohio, was named as the 14th
recipient of the Allan Severson, AB8P (SK) Memorial Award. Ohio Section
Manager Joe Phillips made the award presentation at the Ohio Section
Conference last month. The Severson award, named for former Great Lakes
Division Director Allan Severson who died in 1997, is issued to an Ohio
ham radio operator who exemplified Allan's spirit of service to Amateur
Radio. Carpenter is the former Emergency Coordinator of Franklin County
(Columbus); he received the award for his work as EC. His Severson
certificate read, "For his ground breaking role in organizing emergency
communications in Central Ohio and establishing a model for a county EC
position." Though Allan Severson had an impressive resume during his
lifetime of service to the ARRL, Phillips, in making the presentation,
said that it is rarely spoken. "Al's true work in the League was his
talent to inspire others to do their best; he was just a very special
presence." Instead of citing a resume, the award honors the work of
Allan with a single sentence written on every award certificate -
"Allan's devotion to serve Amateur Radio inspired a whole generation of
Ohio Section leadership."

* Military World Games in India Using Call Sign AT0MWG: The Military
World Games take place in India October 14-21. Games organizers
approached the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI), India's IARU
Member-Society, to support them with Amateur Radio stations at various
game locations. As such, a special call sign, AT0MWG, will be in use
October 9-21. The venues for the games are Mumbai (for the sailing
events), and Hyderabad and Secunderabad for other events. ARSI stations
will operate from all locations on CW, SSB, digital and EchoLink. A
special QSL card will be made for this call. The QSL Manager for the
event is Sarla Sharma, VU2SWS, 7 Gaurav Apts, Behind Ashok Nagar, Nahur,
Mulund, West Mumbai - 400 080 India. Non-Indian stations should send one
IRC and a self-addressed envelope. Indian stations should send a
self-addressed, stamped envelope.  -- Thanks to The Daily DX for the
information

* Let Us Know What You Think: What's your favorite part of The ARRL
Letter? What kind of stories would you like to see in the Letter? Would
you prefer the Letter in an HTML format? This is your Letter and your
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News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, at k1sfa@arrl.org, with the
subject line "ARRL Letter Suggestions." All messages will be read and
discussed, and we look forward to implementing positive suggestions into
the ARRL Letter.

=========================================================== 
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
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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.

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