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 Previous: A 1950 DXpedition--FP8AF |  Next: ARRL Board of Directors to Meet in Texas |
January 17, 2001
(In alphabetical order:)
Klamath County Schools' Amateur Radio club developing ATV repeater; ·
On-air event to commemorate 500th anniversary of Isthmus of Panama discovery; ·
A61AJ QSL cards coming "soon": Bernie McClenny, W3UR, says that all 3098 direct, and 13,109 bureau requests for A61AJ QSLs have been entered into the computer logs, and photo QSLs are on order from the printer. Cards will be mailed as soon as they are available. He asks that everyone be patient and not send second requests, because these slow the processing. McClenny also said that he is unable to accept e-QSL and e-QSL bureau requests. A61AJ QSLs go to Bernie McClenny, W3UR, 3025 Hobbs Rd, Glenwood, MD 21738.
ARISS school contact reset: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station spokesman Will Marchant, KC6ROL, says Space Station Alpha Expedition 1 Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, was not available for a scheduled contact with Attica Central School District students in Western New York January 16. Students gathered at the Sheldon Elementary School in Varysburg, New York, for the anticipated exchange of questions and answers. Marchant said another attempt would be made January 18 at around 1420 UTC. Fred Gephart, WA2CAM, is handling the Amateur Radio arrangements at the school and has secured the use of the special event call sign K2S for the occasion. A video link is to be established on the SpaceView.Net site. Students from the high school, middle school and the two elementary schools will represent the entire Attica District, participating as a team. A RealAudio feed of the QSO is expected to be available on the Web. For more information about ARISS, visit http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/.--ARISS
ARRL staff member Paul R. Kokoszyna, KA1TRF, SK: ARRL Headquarters staff member Paul Kokoszyna, KA1TRF, of Southwick, Massachusetts, died January 11. He was 35 and had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia. An ARRL member, Kokoszyna joined the HQ staff as Web applications developer in the Electronic Publications Branch last June. "In the short time he was here, Paul proved himself to be dedicated, conscientious, friendly, and supportive of his fellow staff members," said ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ. "He was proud to have upgraded to Extra in November. In short, his loss is a shock to us all and he will be greatly missed." ARRL Webmaster Jon Bloom, KE3Z, said, "During his too-brief time at ARRL, Paul made significant contributions to our new Web design. He was a pleasure to work with and will be sorely missed." Paul Kokoszyna's wife, Andrea, and their young son, DJ, survive. A contingent of ARRL Headquarters staff members attended Paul Kokoszyna's funeral service January 15 in Southwick.
Australian stations have special prefix available: On January 25 and 26, Australian stations may use the prefix AX to mark Australia Day. This year marks Australia's 100th anniversary.
Comoros DXpedition on the air: EA3BT and EA3WL are on the air from Comoros as D68BT and D68WL. They began operations around 1530 UTC on January 13 with 100 W and a three-element array on 10, 15 and 20 meters and had more than 5000 QSOs in the log by January 16. Capabilities for 80, 40 and 6 meters were in the works, and the duo was expected to be on 40 January 18. The DXpedition is operating primarily SSB and will always operate split and listen up; stations should avoid the DX transmit frequency. QSLs for both stations go to Josep Gilbert, EA3BT, Colegi 1, Vilanova I la Geltrú, Barcelona 08800 SPAIN. For more information, visit the Comoros 2001 DXpedition site.--Pere, EA3AJI
DXCC Honor Roll submittals due: Submittals for the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll are due March 31, 2001. For more information, contact ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, bmoore@arrl.org.
Earn a PhD at DXpedition University 2001: Want to learn the "art and science" of a DXpedition? Enroll in DXpedition University! DXU is the first of its kind to provide a training ground for energetic radio amateurs wanting to learn the fundamentals and tactics of DXpeditioning. A group of up to 10 hams will go to a proven site in Jamaica (6Y), leaving Miami on Sunday, February 25, and returning on Tuesday, March 6, 2001. Learning begins before the trip and continues through the Jamaica stay. With expert hands-on training, team members will be shown the essential skills needed to feel confident about venturing out on their own DX-oriented vacations and in their ability to run and control pileups. In addition to setting up a complete multiple transmitter station and running DX pile-ups during the week, the team will participate in the 6Y8A ARRL International DX Contest (SSB) operation, with additional pointers provided real-time. The Jamaican accommodations are radio-oriented (not a luxury hotel) and include full-time staff, transportation (private driver), and side trips during the week. For complete details about DXU and how you can join the team in Jamaica, visit the DXU site.--Kenny Silverman, K2KW, and Tom Schiller, N6BT
EMCOMM 2001 set for March: The second annual Emergency Communications Conference will be held Saturday, March 31, 2001, at Bishop Quinn High School in Palo Cedro, near Redding, California. The all-day event begins at 9 AM; registration gets under way at 8 AM. EMCOMM 2001 will include seminars and workshops on topics such as search-and-rescue radio communications, emergency antennas for VHF and HF, choosing batteries and emergency power sources, public relations and working with the media, an overview of the incident command system and SEMS, "mutual aid" practices, and handling formal traffic. The National Weather Service will offer a presentation on SKYWARN. EMCOMM 2001 is sponsored jointly by ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the California Office of Emergency Services Auxiliary Communications Service. Anyone interested in volunteer emergency communications is welcome. For more information, visit the Sojourners Net Web site, or write EMCOMM 2001, c/o D.W. Thorne, K6SOJ, PO Box 16, Macdoel, CA 96058.--Donna Ferguson, N6SVV
FCC announces new address to overnight fees via courier: There's a new address to submit fees via overnight courier to the FCC's fiscal agent, Mellon Bank. The bank has moved its Global Cash Management headquarters to a new Client Service Center, where all of the FCC's fee-related applications are processed. Only Mellon Bank's street address will change. For amateurs, this only affects applicants desiring to overnight a vanity call sign fee directly to the bank by courier or delivery service--an unusual circumstance. The FCC says the following address should be used for all overnight deliveries: Federal Communications Commission, c/o Mellon Bank, Mellon Client Service Center, 500 Ross St--Room 670, Pittsburgh, PA 15262-0001. The FCC lockbox address to receive routine vanity fees has not changed. Applicants may submit FCC Form 605, FCC Form 159 (Fee Remittance form) and the required application fee to the FCC Bank Contractor address at: FCC Wireless Bureau Applications, POB 358130, Pittsburgh PA 15251-5130. For more information, contact Susan Donahue, Chief, Revenue and Receivable Operations Group, 202-418-1995.--FCC Public Notice
 Marvin Johnston, KE6HTS, crosses the finish line at the ARDF World Championships in China. |
First US direction-finding championships set for summer: ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, has announced the first US National Championships of Radio Direction Finding this summer. The Albuquerque Transmitter Hunters, part of the Albuquerque Amateur Radio Club, will host the event July 31 through August 4 in Albuquerque New Mexico. The championships are open to all ages at any level of foxhunting experience.
(L-R) Bryan Ackerly, VK3YNG, of Team Australia and Marvin Johnston, KE6HTS, and Bob Frey, WA6EZV, of Team USA on tour at the Gardening Exhibition of Jiangsu. [Namkyu Lee, HL1DK, Photos] |
Main events on 2 and 80 meters will feature five fox transmitters to be found in accordance with standard rules of the International Amateur Radio Union. Lodging, meals, and ARDF training will be available. For additional event information, visit the 2001 USA ARDF Championship Web site. The Tenth ARDF World Championships in Nanjing, China, last October 13-18 marked only the second time that the US has participated in the ARDF World Championships. For general information on ARDF, including international rules, visit Moell's "Homing In" Web site. --Joe Moell, K0OV
 Jay Leonard, WB4DCP |
Ham net summons help for stroke victim: Jay Leonard, WB4DCP, of Clyde, North Carolina, is grateful for his Amateur Radio friends. Leonard is paralyzed except for some use of his hands, and his wife Joann helps him with routine tasks. On January 14, Jay Leonard was enjoying a roundtable on 75 meters along with hams from several states when his wife suffered an apparent stroke. Not having access to a telephone, he issued an urgent call to those on frequency to contact his daughter, who lives some eight miles away. Dave Baker, AF4NB, in Mt Sterling, Kentucky, immediately fielded the request, and Leonard's daughter, Renee, alerted 911 and headed for her parents' house. Joann Leonard subsequently was hospitalized. ARRL Assistant Kentucky Section Manager Tom Lykins, K4LID, says he's been advised by Jay Leonard that his wife suffered paralysis on her left side and will be in treatment for some time. Jay Leonard's daughter and brother will be helping him out in the meantime.--thanks to Tom Lykins, K4LID, and Dave Smith, W8YZ
Hy-Q International sold: Crystal manufacturer and supplier Hy-Q International of Erlanger, Kentucky, has been sold to Precision Devices and is no longer in the crystal manufacturing business. A company spokesman said the firm, now known as Hy-Q Precision Devices, would be moving to Wisconsin soon.
 (L-R) Bob Purkhiser, K7JIX, Ed McCraken, WA7OYC, Walt Jones, KC7HEX, Dick Suber, K7DDI, and Kern Lilly W7BXD, at the Klamath Basin Repeater Association check presentation to support the KAT project. |
Klamath County Schools' Amateur Radio club developing ATV repeater: Klamath Amateur Television is developing an ATV repeater for the Klamath (Oregon) Basin Area as an educational project for area students and for the local amateur community. "KAT" is a major activity of the Klamath County Schools Amateur Radio Club, KC7VWW. Teacher and club advisor Walt Jones, KC7HEX, says the main goal for Klamath Amateur Television is to use video to support public service and as an educational tool. He says the school club recently received three significant gifts toward that goal. The Klamath Basin Repeater Association donated $500 to develop the repeater; TV station KOTI (Channel 2) offered the use of its Plum Ridge antenna site, which is expected to provide coverage to all of Klamath Falls and some outlying areas; and CADCO Systems, Garland, Texas donated a P379 Agile Processor valued at $995. Jones says the unit will be a significant component of the 70 cm ATV repeater. For more information, visit the KAT Web site.--Walt Jones, KC7HEX
Marconi special event reminder: The Marconi Radio Club's W1AA will celebrate the 98th anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi's first transatlantic radio transmission between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and England. The Marconi Radio Club will operate from Cape Cod on January 18 from 1200 until 2200 UTC using the call sign W1AA/CC.
New Kenwood transceiver hits the streets: Kenwood says its new TS-2000 multiband, multimode transceiver now is available at Kenwood dealers across the US. Kenwood debuted the TS-2000 at the 2000 Dayton Hamvention.
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The "conventional" model of the TS-2000, as shown at Dayton Hamvention. | The detachable front-panel version of the TS-2000. [ARRL Photos] |
The transceiver covers HF, 6 meters, 2 meters, and 70 cm; there's an optional module for 1.2 GHz. One model is a conventional transceiver; a second has a detachable faceplate for mobile operation. The TS-2000 may be PC-controlled. The bare TS-2000 is expected to street for around $2300. Kenwood says amateurs can get full details--including a copy of the 10 page color brochure and complete 143 page Operators Manual--at an authorized Kenwood dealer or visit the Kenwood Web site.--Kenwood Communications Corporation
Norway frees up both ends of the spectrum: RSGB reports that Norway's telecommunications authority has issued a new regulation allowing the use of frequencies below 9 kHz and above 400 GHz on a general, non-restricted basis, effective January 1, 2001. The regulation is only valid in Norway and in Svalbard (JW), not on Jan Mayen Island (JX), Bouvet Island, Peter the First Island, or Norwegian Antarctica (3Y).--RSGB
On-air event to commemorate 500th anniversary of Isthmus of Panama discovery: Radio Club de Panama has organized an on-air event during March to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Isthmus of Panama by Rodrigo Galvan de Bastidas. Contacts with Panamanian amateurs using the special 3E500 prefix will qualify for a special QSL. Contact the Radio Club de Panama, PO Box 10745, Panama 4 Republic of Panama; hp1bys@hp1bsl.pancty.pa.ca or hp1bsl@hotmail.com.
RSGB president gets new on-air identity: RSGB President Don Beattie has changed his call sign from G3OZF to G3BJ. He recently learned that a deceased relative had held the pre-World War II call sign, so he applied to the RA to take it as his own. He commented that G3BJ is a much better call sign to send on CW than G3OZF was!--RSGB
SETI League sets symposium: The SETI League Inc, a nonprofit organization that supports a privatized search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, will hold its first Technical Symposium Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, 2001, at the College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) in Trenton, New Jersey. SETI League members from around the world--many of them Amateur Radio operators--will present papers on radio astronomy, microwave communications, and the hardware, software, and search strategies being used to seek scientific evidence of other intelligent civilizations in the cosmos. Registration is requested by April 1. The conference registration fee of $30 for current SETI League members and $80 for non-members includes one copy of the Conference Proceedings, which is being published by ARRL. An awards banquet is scheduled for Saturday night. Banquet tickets are $30, available only in advance. The banquet will include the presentation of the sixth Giordano Bruno Memorial Award, The SETI League's highest honor, to an individual who has made significant contributions to the art and science of SETI. For full information, visit The SETI League Web site. The SETI League's seventh annual membership meeting will be held Sunday, April 29, 10 AM, in conjunction with the technical symposium.--SETI League news release
Tickets for Michiana Valley good for Wheaton hamfest discount: Tickets for the cancelled January 14 Michiana Valley (South Bend, Indiana) Hamfest are good for a $3 discount at the Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs Mid-Winter Hamfest 2001 on Sunday, January 28, in Stickney, Illinois. More information about the hamfest is available at the WCRA Web site or by calling 630-545-9950. Michiana Valley ticketholders may retain their tickets for any refund that may be offered.
| Previous: A 1950 DXpedition--FP8AF | Next: ARRL Board of Directors to Meet in Texas |
