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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 28, No. 2
January 16, 2009
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + FCC Chairman Kevin Martin Announces Resignation 
* + Julius Genachowski Reportedly Picked as New FCC Chairman 
* + Delta Division Leadership Attends Orientation Workshop at ARRL HQ 
* + FCC License Activity on the Rise 
* + Look for the February Issue of QST in Your Mailbox 
* + As Storms Pummeled Northwestern States, Hams Responded to Local
Needs 
*  Solar Update 
*  IN BRIEF: 
      This Week on the Radio 
      ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration 
    + David J. Strout Sr, W2YC, #1 Triple Play 
    + ARES E-Letter Gets New Look 
      Yaesu Donation 
      New Section Manager Appointed in Wyoming 
      Everett "Curly" Silva, K7HRW (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: S. Khrystyne Keane,
<k1sfa@arrl.org>;
===========================================================

==> FCC CHAIRMAN KEVIN MARTIN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

The Aspen Institute, a non-partisan think-tank, announced on Thursday,
January 15 that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will join their group as a
Senior Fellow in the Communications and Society Program on Tuesday,
January 20, immediately upon his departure from the FCC. According to
the Institute, Martin will be the fourth consecutive FCC Chairman to
make the move to the group: Democrats Reed Hundt (1993-97) and William
Kennard (1997-2001), as well as Republican Michael Powell (2001-05) have
accepted fellowships with the Institute upon leaving the FCC. Julius
Genachowski is expected to succeed Martin at the FCC
<http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=huLWJeMRK
pH&b=4863373&ct=6603329> (see following story). 

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said that Martin's
resignation is part of the "usual stuff we see when a new administration
comes to office. We look forward to a positive relationship with the new
Chairman and his administration."

In his letter of resignation to President Bush, Martin wrote, "I have
had the privilege of serving at the Federal Communications Commission
for almost eight years, including four years as the agency's Chairman.
During this period, we have seen a telecommunications industry
undergoing rapid and unprecedented change. As a result of the
market-oriented and consumer focused policies we have pursued the
American people are now reaping the rewards of convergence and the
broadband revolution including new and more innovative technologies and
services at ever-declining prices."

Chairman Martin stated that his philosophy during his tenure at the FCC
"has been to pursue deregulation while paying close attention to its
impact on consumers and the particulars of a given market, to balance
deregulation with consumer protection"
<http://www.arrl.org/news/files/FCC_MartinResigns.DOC >. He said that he
"approached his decisions with a fundamental belief that a robust,
competitive marketplace, not regulation, is ultimately the best
protector of the public interest and the best method of delivering the
benefits of choice, innovation, and affordability to American
consumers."

Martin said that during his tenure at the FCC, "the Commission has
focused on establishing the appropriate regulatory environment that
achieves the right balance between two competing interests: To encourage
investment in communications infrastructure, and to make sure consumers
and innovation are not unintentionally or intentionally disadvantaged by
the owners of that infrastructure."

Martin was a strong advocate of BPL technology, as was his predecessor,
Michael Powell, but the limited number of BPL deployments show that BPL
is not the success story it was hoped to be. "The technical problems of
trying to get BPL to run reliably on wires that were never intended to
carry high-speed digital signals make BPL less reliable than other
technologies," said ARRL Laboratory Manager and BPL expert Ed Hare,
W1RFI. "When coupled with poor rules that encouraged interference
problems, BPL was given a poor start that it has never completely
overcome." The ARRL has never been opposed to BPL per se, except when
the technology causes harmful interference to the Amateur Radio Service.

Under his chairmanship, Martin said the Commission "acted to level the
playing field so that all entrants could fairly compete, facilitating
increased investment in the next generation of communications
infrastructure, [while at the same time, I] was able to push for more
open platforms to spur innovation on the edges of these networks and
deliver lower prices, improved services and greater choice to
consumers."

Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's Communications and Society
Program Charles Firestone said that "Chairman Martin has been a longtime
participant in Aspen Institute forums. We look forward to working with
him and to the advice he will give us." Martin said he, too, looks
forward to his time with the Institute: "I have long enjoyed and
respected the Communications and Society Program, and I will relish the
opportunity to reflect on the nature of leadership that I exercised in
this field for the past several years." According to their Web site, The
Aspen Institute is based in Washington, DC, Colorado and Maryland. 

==> JULIUS GENACHOWSKI REPORTEDLY PICKED AS NEW FCC CHAIRMAN 

Democratic sources are reporting that President-elect Barack Obama has
selected Julius Genachowski, 45, a technology executive and former
classmate from Harvard Law School, to lead the Federal Communications
Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, Genachowski would replace
current Chairman Kevin Martin (see above story).

After graduating from law school, Genachowski clerked for federal judge
Abner Mikva; he also clerked for Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
Genachowski later served as chief counsel to Reed Hundt, chairman of the
FCC from 1993-1997. After leaving the FCC, Genachowski was a senior
executive at IAC/InterActiveCorp, Barry Diller's e-commerce and media
company. He went on to found an investment and advisory firm for digital
media companies and co-founded the country's first commercial "green"
bank. According to Obama's Web site, Genachowski raised at least
$500,000 for Obama during the presidential election campaign.

Referring to the management practices of current FCC Chairman Martin,
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said, "We can only hope
that under the new chairman, the FCC bureaus and offices that deal with
Amateur Radio issues will be empowered to do their jobs without clearing
every detail through the Chairman's office."

Early in the Obama presidential campaign, Genachowski urged the
candidate to capitalize on the organizing power of the Internet. The New
York Times
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/julius_gen
achowski/index.html?inline=nyt-per> called Genachowski "a prolific
fund-raiser and chairman of the campaign's group of technology-policy
advisers, who produced a report advocating an open Internet, diversity
in media ownership and a nationwide wireless system for emergency
personnel." The Washington Post, which described Genachowski a "local
venture capitalist," credits him with "spearheading Obama's online
campaign strategy, which used social networking and other tools to
spread Obama's campaign message and raise record campaign contributions"
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/12/AR20090
11203417.html>. 

The Post credited sources close to Obama's transition team who said that
"Genachowski had been recently meeting with key Democratic lawmakers to
see if the role of Chief Technology Officer would have policy-making
authority and decided against taking the job when he realized the
definition of CTO would not include a strong regulatory role. Instead,
Genachowski expressed interest in the FCC [Chairmanship]"
<http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/18/_speculation_is_r
ife_in.html>. 

Genachowski explained in his Obama campaign blog that he "was fortunate
to chair the group that advised Senator Obama and the [presidential]
campaign on the tech & innovation plan, a large and hardworking group
that generated terrific ideas, rooted in the great work that the Senator
and his strong Senate staff have been doing in this area for quite some
time" <http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/juliusgenachowski>.


According to Bloomberg.com, the FCC may turn to expanding Americans'
access to high-speed Internet service once the pressure from the digital
television transition eases: "Obama has made universal broadband a
cornerstone of his plan to boost US competitiveness. It is
'unacceptable' that the nation ranks 15th worldwide in high-speed
Internet adoption rates, he said in a December 6 speech. House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, has said broadband funds will be
part of the economic stimulus package Congress intends to take up this
month."

==> DELTA DIVISION LEADERSHIP ATTENDS ORIENTATION WORKSHOP AT ARRL HQ

Just prior to the ARRL Board of Directors 2009 Annual Meeting, the newly
elected leadership team in the ARRL's Delta Division -- Director Mickey
Cox, K5MC, and Vice Director David Norris, K5UZ -- made their way to
Newington for a day of orientation to learn the "ins and outs" of the
ARRL Board and ARRL Headquarters operation. The Annual Meeting is
scheduled for January 16-17 in Windsor, Connecticut. Cox was previously
Section Manager of the Louisiana Section; Norris was Section Manager of
the Arkansas Section when he was elected to his new position.

According to ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, "The new
Board members came to Newington to learn not only how the Board
functions, but to see what each department does and how it interacts
with and serves both Amateur Radio and ARRL members, through our five
pillars: Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology and Membership.
I am pleased they came to see how we support Amateur Radio each and
every day here at ARRL HQ."

One of the highlights of the group's visit to Headquarters was a tour of
the ARRL Lab. Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL Laboratory Manager, explained the
function of the Lab and its staff: "We showed them how we support
Amateur Radio through the Technical Information Service, product review
testing, RFI issues such as power line noise, and support for spectrum
defense, including BPL issues."

Cox said, "This is my third trip to ARRL Headquarters -- I came first as
a new Section Manager in 2001, and again in 2005 to discuss lessons
learned from Hurricane Katrina. I've always loved coming to
Headquarters. I am learning a lot today about how to be a Division
Director. So far, there have been no big surprises, as it is pretty much
what I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to the meetings this
weekend and serving the amateurs in the Delta Division as their Director
for the next few years."

Norris concurred: "I first came to ARRL Headquarters in September 2005.
Like Mickey, I came to the orientation that HQ staff holds for new
Section Managers. This visit has been a little more in-depth; I've seen
more of the operational side of Headquarters this time around. From my
first visit, I had a pretty good idea of what the staff does, but now I
really get what they do for the members and the amateur community as a
whole. I think every member needs to come up here and see what exactly
goes on at Headquarters. I think they will gain a new appreciation for
the League."

==> FCC LICENSE ACTIVITY ON THE RISE 

According to ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, there continues to be
a heightened interest in Amateur Radio following the FCC's elimination
of the Morse code exam requirement in February 2007: "The number of new
license applicants remains strong under the new Amateur Radio Service
rules. The following table chronicles all 14 FCC authorized VEC
organizations' new license activity over the last few years." In 2008,
the total number of US amateurs rose 1.2 percent, from 655,800 in 2007,
to 663,500 in 2008:


-----------------------------------
       New Amateur Totals
   2006 through November 2008
-----------------------------------
Month       2006    2007    2008
-----------------------------------
Jan         1274    1647    1755
Feb         1605    2435    2998
Mar         2531    3478    2816
Apr         1728    2673    3090
May         2283    2607    2562
Jun         1967    2281    2402
Jul         1401    1786    2077
Aug         1623    2183    2084
Sep         1357    1462    1763
Oct         1781    2109    2303
Nov         1993    2132    2197
Dec         1569    1935    2019
-----------------------------------
Totals:   21,112  26,728  28,066
-----------------------------------

Somma said that the number of General and Extra class upgrades is also
on the rise. "When looking at 2006 totals," she said, "we see that
upgrade applications for 2007 were up 286 percent; in 2008, they were up
146 percent over 2006. Requests for new club licenses also remain
strong. In 2008, we had 671 applications for club licenses come in,
while in 2007, there were 506 applications. That's an increase of 133
percent." 

Calling it a "ripple effect," Somma said that the number of amateurs who
want to be volunteer examiners and who want to teach Amateur Radio
classes is also going up. "Here at the ARRL VEC, we've seen a spike in
the number of applications from General and Extra class radio amateurs
who want to give back to their community by serving as examiners and
instructors," she said.

Somma further broke down the numbers to show the approximate number of
licensees per FCC license class:

Novice:               18,500
Technician:          322,500
General:             145,000
Advanced:             62,000
Extra:               115,500
Total US Amateurs:   663,500

"I can think back to the mid 1980s when there were approximately 450,000
US Amateurs," Somma recalled. "These are the highest numbers of General
and Extra class licensees I have ever seen." As of April 15, 2000, the
FCC no longer issues Novice or Advanced class licenses. "As expected,
the number of Novice and Advanced class licensees has decreased," she
said. "As I look toward 2009, I see Amateur Radio growing in a positive
direction."  -- Some information provided by Joe Speroni, AH0A

==> LOOK FOR THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF QST IN YOUR MAILBOX 

The February issue of QST is jam-packed with all sorts of things that
today's Amateur Radio operator needs. From product reviews to
experiments to contesting, the upcoming issue of QST has something for
just about everyone. 

Rick Campbell, KK7B, presents a homebrew project in the first of his
two-part article "Designing and Building Transistor Linear Power
Amplifiers." Juan Antonio Fernandez Montana, EA4CYQ, and Pedro Perez
Alvarez-Cienfuegos, EB4DKA, look at "A Better Way to Work Low Earth
Orbit FM Satellites." If you are concerned about how to get the best
bang for your buck when it comes to your antenna system, be sure to
check out "Keeping Current with Antenna Performance" by Eric P. Nichols,
KL7J.

Speaking of antenna systems, you won't want to miss the helpful pointers
provided by Ray Fallen, ND8L, in his article, "Homeowners Insurance and
Your Antenna System." Robert Gulley, AK3Q, shows how a group of Kentucky
hams brought Amateur Radio to a young audience in his article "Amateur
Radio and Public Education Make a Bright Future." And just as hams light
the way for young people to get involved in ham radio, each year, the
ARRL offers teachers a chance to get in on the fun, too! Find out more
in "The ARRL Teachers Institute 2009," by ARRL Education and Technology
Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME.

ARRL Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, reviews Tele-Post's LP-PAN
Software Defined IQ Panadapter. According to Hallas, "The LP-PAN and
associated software add a high performance panadpter and interactive
computer control to the Elecraft K3 [reviewed in the January 2009 issue
of QST] at a reasonable cost for those with a radio connected PC and
quality sound interface." Be sure to check out the product reviews for
the DV Dongle D-STAR Adapter and a variety of battery operated soldering
tools, also in the February issue of QST. 

If it's February, it must be time for the ARRL International DX Contest
(CW) <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/intldx.html>. This is a
great opportunity to contact many stations all over the world. ARRL
Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, explains in "This Month in
Contesting" that you really don't need to win a contest to have fun. The
results of the 2008 ARRL UHF Contest are in. Find out about upcoming
contests in Contest Corral and mark your contest calendar for 2009. 

Of course, there are the usual columns you expect in the February issue
of QST: Hints & Kinks, The Doctor Is IN, How's DX, Vintage Radio,
Hamspeak and more. Look for your February issue in your mailbox. QST is
the official journal of ARRL, the national association for Amateur
Radio. QST is just one of the many benefits of ARRL membership. To join
or renew your ARRL membership, please see the ARRL Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/join>. 

==> AS STORMS PUMMELED NORTHWESTERN STATES, HAMS RESPONDED TO LOCAL
NEEDS 

After another week of wild weather in Oregon and Washington (January
7-9), residents in those states are just beginning to see the Sun. With
an onslaught of wind, snow and rain this winter season, hams in the
affected areas have been called upon by local served agencies to lend a
hand. From providing 911 support to helping out with communications in
area shelters, Amateur Radio operators have assisted since the beginning
of the storm events
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/24/10525/>. 

According to David Kidd, KA7OZO, District Emergency Coordinator for
Oregon's District One <http://www.oregonaresd1.org/main.html>, the
storms moved into his area on Wednesday, January 7 and continued
throughout the rest of the week. ARES units in Clatsop, Columbia and
Tillamook Counties were activated in advance of the storms that brought
flooding, mud slides, blocked roadways from downed trees, as well power
outages.

In Clatsop County, Kidd said that amateurs assisted in the county's
Emergency Operations Center, while in Columbia and Tillamook Counties,
the County Emergency Coordinator activated their local ARES units for
the duration of the storms. "Columbia County deployed radio teams to
four areas where they anticipated getting severe floods," Kidd told the
ARRL. "These places can flood at the blink of an eyelash, so they
pre-deployed hams to these areas."

Luckily for Oregonians, the storm tracked through Washington. "We were
spared somewhat when the storm stalled over Washington," Kidd said.
"Granted, we got a lot of wind and rain, but not like they did north of
us. All the counties here are watching their rivers go down and are in
some level of recovery mode."

In Lewis County, Washington, hams were prepared for the storms. On
Wednesday, January 7, the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners
declared the county a disaster area "due to exhausted resources and
flood level predictions at or exceeding 1996, 2006, and 2007 flood
levels." The Lewis County EOC placed Amateur Radio operators affiliated
with local ARES units on standby.

According to Lewis County Emergency Management Deputy Director Ross
McDowell, the unincorporated areas of Packwood and Randle had been
without land-line telephone service since January 7. "Repairs cannot
take place until the flood waters recede. This area is without 911
service due to all alternate facilities being under water. Ham
operators/radios will be used in emergencies [to facilitate 911
services]."

On January 10, the Lewis County Department of Emergency Management
expanded its use of RACES ham radio operators to stay in contact with
the City of Centralia EOC and to continue communication with Morton,
Randle and Packwood ham radio operators. RACES continued to provide
support throughout the storm event.

The storm brought rain and high winds to Washington, causing widespread
avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures, as the heavy snowfall
that buried parts of the state began to melt rapidly. More than 30,000
people were told to leave their homes in flood-endangered areas across
western Washington as authorities warned of heavy flooding.

Warmer temperatures and heavy rains were melting snow dumped on the
mountains during the weekend storm, with 10 inches of snow melting in a
12 hour period at Snoqualmie Pass, about 50 miles east of Seattle.
Throughout the state, about 60 highways were closed.

ARRL Eastern Washington Section Manager Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, reported
that hams in Kittitas and Yakima Counties were on standby during the
storms, but "Spokane is holding their own." ARRL Northwestern Division
Director Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF, said, "So far, most of the problems are
in Western Washington. We here in Seattle are cut off from the rest of
the USA by landslides and avalanches to the east, and flooding to the
south and north. All major highways are affected, as is all rail
transportation. The only way out or in is via air. We had more
unexpected rain on Thursday, but it should clear up by the weekend."

==>SOLAR UPDATE 

Tad "Suns to light me rise" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: A nice
sunspot group -- number 1010 -- appeared for five days from January
9-13. Daily sunspot numbers ranged from 11 to 20, and this one was
another Solar Cycle 24 appearance. The Cycle 23 sunspots seem to be
gone, while the new Solar Cycle 24 isn't picking up very quickly. 1010
was here for five days, following a whole solar rotation -- 27 days of
no sunspots since 1009 was visible for just three days, December 10-12.
Prior to that, there were 23 spotless days since seeing sunspot 1008,
visible for eight days from November 10-17. Sunspot numbers for January
8-14 were 0, 14, 17, 20, 12, 11 and 0 with a mean of 10.6. The 10.7 cm
flux was 68.7, 69.7, 70.9, 70, 69.3, 70.5 and 71.2 with a mean of 70.
The estimated planetary A indices were 3, 4, 4, 2, 0, 3 and 5 with a
mean of 3. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 4, 2, 1, 0, 2
and 6 with a mean of 2.4. 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/>. This week's "Tad
Cookism" brought to you by Alexander Pope's "An Essay on Man"
<http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2428>. 

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Week on the Radio: This week, the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes is
January 17-19. The LZ Open Contest is January 17. The North American QSO
Party (SSB), the Hungarian DX Contest and the UK DX Contest (RTTY) are
all January 17-18. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is January 19 and
the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is January 22. Next week, the NAQCC
Straight Key/Bug Sprint is January 22 and the CQ 160 Meter Contest (CW)
is January 23-25. The REF Contest (CW), BARTG RTTY Sprint, the UBA DX
Contest (SSB) and the SPAR Winter Field Day are January 24-25. The SKCC
Sprint is January 28. All dates, unless otherwise stated, are UTC. See
the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL
Contest Update <http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/> and the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for
more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Event Station Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html>. 

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration remains open through
Sunday, January 25, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on
Friday, February 6, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
1; Radio Frequency Interference; Antenna Design and Construction;
Technician License Course; Analog Electronics, and Digital Electronics..
Each online course has been developed in segments -- learning units with
objectives, informative text, student activities and quizzes. Courses
are interactive, and some include direct communications with a
Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a particular session that may
be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the course) and they may access the
course at any time of day during the course period, completing lessons
and activities at times convenient for their personal schedule. Mentors
assist students by answering questions, reviewing assignments and
activities, as well as providing helpful feedback. Interaction with
mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is no appointed time the
student must be present -- allowing complete flexibility for the student
to work when and where it is convenient. To learn more, visit the CCE
Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cep/student> or contact the
Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cep@arrl.org>;.

* David J. Strout Sr, W2YC, #1 Triple Play: On Thursday, January 15,
ARRL officials confirmed that David J. Strout Sr, W2YC, of Williamstown,
New Jersey, is the recipient of the very first Triple Play Award
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/05/10490/>. "Strout received
the final needed confirmation -- Hawaii on phone -- just at 2004 UTC on
January 15," said ARRL Information Technology Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z.
"He applied for the award at 2007 UTC, and it was issued by the Awards
Branch at about 2130 UTC." The Triple Play Award is available to all
amateurs who confirm contacts with each of the 50 states using three
modes for each state: CW, phone and RTTY/digital. All 150 contacts must
be made on or after January 1, 2009 and must be confirmed via Logbook of
the World (LoTW) <http://www.arrl.org/lotw/>. All bands -- with the
exception of 60 meters -- may be used in pursuit of the Triple Play
Award.

* ARES E-Letter Gets New Look: The ARRL ARES E-Letter
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/about.html>, published on the
third Wednesday of each month, makes the move from a plain text
formatted newsletter to an HTML format this month. The second of the
ARRL e-letters to update its look (the ARRL Contest Update switched over
to an HTML format in May 2008), the ARES E-Letter is distributed to
33,000 ARRL members. According to ARES E-Letter Editor Rick Palm, K1CE,
"It's always scary messing with a good thing. I hope readers will like
the look -- with photos, graphics and better readability. They can
always opt for the old text version, too." The ARES E-Letter is a digest
available via e-mail full of news and information of interest to active
members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and to hams
concerned with public service and emergency communications. E-mail
newsletters, such as the ARES E-Letter, the Contest Update and The ARRL
Letter, are just some of the many benefits available at no charge to
ARRL members. To sign up for any of the League's newsletters, go to the
Member Data page on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/memdata.html>. 

* W1AW Adds Yaesu's "Top-of-the-Line" Rig to Station: Thanks to the
generosity of Yaesu, W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, now
boasts the Yaesu's premier transceiver -- an FTDX9000D
<http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encP
rodID=28E11B5914B50E393EBF2BCAB2A6314C&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0>.
Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Executive Vice President for Yaesu's
Amateur Radio Sales Division, visited ARRL Headquarters on January 13 to
present the radio. "Yaesu is very happy to present ARRL and the world
famous W1AW station with our top-of-the-line FTDX9000D transceiver,"
Motschenbacher said. "The transceiver comes loaded complete with
recently released PEP9000 performance enhancements designed to affirm
our commitment to Amateur Radio. We are very excited to know that the
ARRL will place this elite class transceiver in one of their visitor
operating studios, allowing many to have their first experience
operating one of our three models of FTDX9000 radios." W1AW Station
Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, thanked Yaesu for their donation of the
FTDX9000D transceiver to W1AW: "This radio is installed in Studio One
and is available for use to Amateur Radio operators visiting W1AW. In
addition, the FTDX9000 will be used as part of the contesting station
located in Studio One. With all its additional functions and features,
the FTDX9000 will certainly improve upon an operator's ability to
participate and be a worthy contestant!" Motschenbacher, who worked at
ARRL HQ before moving to Yaesu, remarked that returning to Newington to
make the presentation "was a wonderful personal experience for me. I was
so happy to see many old friends inside HQ, friendships made during the
four and half years I spent with ARRL before joining Yaesu. It didn't
take me long to see that the staff is very busy supporting its
membership and Amateur Radio as a whole!" 

* New Section Manager Appointed in Wyoming: Garth Crowe Sr, N7XKT, of
Gillette, will assume the position of Section Manager in Wyoming as he
takes over the reins from LeeAnne Sachau, WY7DTW, of Devils Tower;
Sachau, who has served as Wyoming Section Manager since August 2008, has
decided to step down. She was appointed last summer after Chris
Pritchard, WY7UPR, moved out of the Section to start a new job. Crowe
has served as Assistant Section Manager; he is currently holds positions
as Emergency Coordinator and Official Observer. According to the Rules
and Regulations of the ARRL Field Organization, Dave Patton, NN1N,
Manager of the ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Department, made
the appointment after consulting with Rocky Mountain Division Director
Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, and receiving a recommendation from Sachau.
Crowe's term of office will continue through March 31, 2011. The
nomination announcement for the next term of office for Wyoming Section
Manager is scheduled to appear in the October 2010 issue of QST. 

* Everett "Curly" Silva, K7HRW (SK): Former ARRL Nevada Section Manager
Everett "Curly" Silva, K7HRW, passed away December 29, 2008 of cancer.
He was 81. A retired captain with the Nevada Highway Patrol, Silva
served as Section Manager from January 1994-June 1995. He was affiliated
with Air Force MARS and was a Net Control Station. According to current
Nevada Section Manager Joe Giraudo, N7JEH, a memorial service for Silva
will be held at a later date. 

=========================================================== 
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: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA,
k1sfa@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
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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.) 

Copyright 2009 American Radio Relay League, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

 

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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