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 Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending Mar 6, 2004 |  Next: Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, and Bob Heil, K9EID, Visit ARRL Headquarters |
March 11, 2004
(In alphabetical order: )
AMSAT-NA marks 35 years: AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, has extended congratulations to all AMSAT-NA members, past and present "and particularly to those farsighted individuals" who brought AMSAT--the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation--into existence 35 years ago this week. AMSAT was incorporated in the District of Columbia on March 3, 1969. The original incorporators were George Kinal, W3HPK; Jan King, W3GEY, Perry Klein, W3PK (then K3JTE); C.A. Petry and James Puglise, K9CQ. "With the growth of AMSAT into international organizations based on all habitable continents, the AMSAT is more than the sum of its technological parts, promoting peace, education, technology and communication skills," Haighton said. "I feel honored to have had the opportunity to have taken a part in AMSAT's life."--AMSAT News Service; Bruce Paige, KK5DO
 Icom's Ray Novak, N9JA (left--holding the Recognition Award plaque from ARRL), and ARRL's Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, in one of the W1AW operating suites. On the desk in the background is a pre-production model of Icom's new HF+50 MHz transceiver, the IC-7800--now on loan to ARRL. |
ARRL recognizes Icom's recruitment efforts:
The ARRL has presented Icom National Sales Manager Ray Novak, N9JA, with a
plaque to recognize his company's participation in ARRL membership recruitment
initiatives. ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, did
the honors during Novak's March 9 visit to ARRL Headquarters. "Amateur Radio
businesses and manufacturers have a long history of supporting the Amateur
Radio Service through their support of ARRL," said Motschenbacher. "We're
delighted with Icom America's willingness to partner with ARRL, allowing us to
effectively develop and test new ways to reach active radio amateurs." Most
recently Icom supported a membership campaign tied to purchases of new Icom
radios. Participating dealers distributed ARRL membership vouchers to
customers, underwriting a portion of the first-year membership dues for brand
new members.
Barton picked to replace Tauzin:
Texas Republican Rep Joe Barton was named the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
on February 25. Barton replaces Louisiana Republican Billy Tauzin, who
announced last month that he was stepping down as chairman and would not be
running for re-election in November. Energy and Commerce is the parent
committee of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet,
which is considering two Amateur Radio-related bills: HR 713, the Spectrum
Protection Act of 2003, and HR 1478, the
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act of 2003. One of the two
Amateur Radio licensees in the US House--Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (ex-WB7OCE), an
Oregon Republican--sits on the subcommittee. Barton also serves on the House
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, but he has not yet signed
on as a cosponsor of either HR 713 or HR 1478.
FCC proposes to correct VEC filing errors:
The FCC plans to correct inadvertent filing errors on the part of Volunteer
Examiner Coordinators (VECs). In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O)
released March 4, the FCC said it would reinstate the former call sign of
Clifford S. Zipnick of Boynton Beach, Florida. A Technician class operator,
Zipnick now holds KI4BSJ, a call sign issued in response to an application
filed via the ARRL-VEC that erroneously asked the FCC to assign Zipnick the
next available sequential call sign. Zipnick says he only wanted to modify his
mailing address, not request a new call sign. The FCC has proposed to modify
Zipnick's license to reflect his original call sign, KE4FGA. In another MO&O
released March 4, the FCC has proposed modifying the license of Robert W.
Rhodes, KG4RTN, of Hixson, Tennessee, from General to Technician class.
Following a volunteer examination session in which Rhodes was an examinee, the
Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society VEC (WCARS VEC) inadvertently filed an
application indicating that Rhodes had qualified for General. It later realized
that Rhodes had passed Element 3, the written exam, but not Element 1, the 5
WPM Morse code exam. WCARS VEC notified the FCC of the error. Unless Rhodes
protests within 30 days, the FCC said it will issue a modification order to
return his license to Technician class. The FCC blamed the situation on "an
error made in reviewing the license examination data," and not on any
wrongdoing by Rhodes.
 Mike Newbold, K0YO, continues to recover from his injuries at his Colorado home. |
Ham community rallies to help injured
amateur: The Amateur Radio community has rallied to
the aid of well-known Colorado 6-meter operator and ARRL member Mike Newbold,
K0YO. Newbold, 52, is recovering from injuries he received last December in
Baja, Mexico, at the hands of assailants who beat him savagely, stole his
vehicle and radio gear--virtually everything he owned was in his pickup
truck--and left him for dead. Now back home, he's had lots of support from the
amateur community. "My ham friends are some of the best in the world," Newbold
said. "I am making great progress on a long road which is made easier by their
kindness." Newbold's main physical problem is his eyesight, which suffered as a
result of head injuries received in the attack. His medical expenses reportedly
are being covered. His friend Gary Yantis,
W0TM, has been tracking Newbold's progress and set up a Web page that provides information for
those interested in assisting K0YO. Newbold retired early from coal mining due
to medical problems that have kept him unemployed. He resides in modest
circumstances in a remote area, and ham radio, which Newbold took up in 1995,
has provided him with "a window to the world," Yantis said. Newbold's son,
Travis, is KC0VQJ, and the two sometimes keep in touch via ham radio. K0YO is
also an avid QRPer, DXer and CW op, among other things. One bright spot for
Newbold when he returned home from the hospital was a QSL card from Hawaii--the
last one needed for Worked All States on 6 meters. "Well wishes have meant as
much, or more, to Mike than replacement of any of the items that were stolen,"
Yantis says. "He mostly needs to hear from people who care." Cards, letters or
e-mails can be sent to Mike Newbold, 27200
Rte 14, Oak Creek, CO 80467.--some information provided by Phil Kirchbaum, N0KE
 Icom Engineering Manger John Gibbs, KC7YXD, shows off his firm's new top-end amateur transceiver, the IC-7800, which was set up at the Laird Campbell Memorial HQ Operators Club station, W1HQ. It's now on temporary loan at W1AW. |
HQ staffers get IC-7800 preview:
Members of the ARRL Headquarters staff got a hands-on preview of the
not-quite-yet-released ICOM IC-7800 transceiver, thanks to Icom Engineering
Manager John Gibbs, KC7YXD. Gibbs visited Headquarters March 4 with a
pre-production model of his company's new top-end Amateur Radio HF plus 6-meter
transceiver. Among its multitude of features, the IC-7800 offers a seven-inch
color TFT display, two independent receivers, a spectrum display, CW autotune,
and RTTY and PSK31 capability just by plugging in a keyboard. The IC-7800 will
replace the venerable IC-781 as the capstone of Icom's Amateur Radio product
line. In terms of performance, Gibbs claims the IC-7800 will offer third-order
intercept (IP3) performance in the +40 dBm range and two-tone, third-order
intermodulation distortion dynamic range well in excess of 100 dB. Although a
retail price has not yet been firmed up, it's anticipated that owning an
IC-7800 will set buyers back less than $11,000. The IC-7800 saw action at W1AW
over the March 6-7 weekend during the ARRL International DX Contest (Phone),
with Eagles musician Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, and ham radio audio manufacturer Bob
Heil, K9EID, among the operators. The IC-7800, which will be the focus of
Icom's exhibit at Hamvention, May 14-16, could be on the market in a month or
so.
Josiah B. "Joe" Brown, K5UPN, SK:
Joe Brown, K5UPN, of Longview, Texas, died February 27. He was 63. An ARRL
member, Brown had held several positions within the National Traffic System and
the North Texas Section Field Organization. An active traffic handler, Brown
was the current NTS Central Area Transcontinental Corps Director, Cycles 1 and
2. "Josiah will be missed by those of us who volunteer for transcontinental
corps positions and liaison duties in the NTS," said Central Area Net, Cycle 2,
Manager Richard Webb, NF5B. "Joe never hesitated to give advice to this
relative newcomer, and his input was always greatly appreciated." Brown also
had served an ARRL Net Manager since 2000, as a Technical Specialist since 1985
and as an Official Bulletin Station and Official Relay Station since 1984.
Brown also had been an Amateur Radio Emergency Service District Emergency
Coordinator since 1987 and previously was North Texas Section Emergency
Coordinator. "Joe was well known on many ARES and NTS nets and will be greatly
missed," said North Texas Section Manager Roy Rabey, AD5KZ. A memorial service
was held March 3 in Longview, Texas. The family invites memorial donations to
Caring and Sharing, c/o Pine Tree Church of Christ, 3221 Dundee Rd, Longview,
TX 75604.
 (L-R) ARRL Roanoke Division Director Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, Sari Krieger, and David Krieger, AK2A. [Gilda Krieger Photo] |
Leonard Award plaque presented: Roanoke Division Director Dennis
Bodson, W4PWF, recently presented the 2003 Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional
Media Award to Sari Krieger. A staff writer with Virginia's Potomac News and the Manassas Journal Messenger, Krieger was
recognized for her story about the potential negative effects of Broadband over
Power Line (BPL) on Amateur Radio and the concerns of ham radio operators
nationwide. Her article focused on the planned city-wide deployment of BPL in
Manassas, Virginia. Her father, David Krieger, AK2A, was on hand for the
presentation March 7 in Arlington, Virginia. The Bill Leonard, W2SKE,
Professional Media Award goes annually to a professional journalist or group of
journalists for outstanding coverage of Amateur Radio in TV, radio, print or multimedia.
The winner receives an engraved plaque and a check for $500.
Leslie A. Moxon, G6XN, SK:
Leslie A. "Les" Moxon, G6XN, of Surrey, England, died March 3. He was 95 and
among the oldest Amateur Radio operators in the UK. Moxon was well-known among
the amateur community for his writings on antennas, in particular his 1982 book
HF Antennas for All Locations,
published by the RSGB and now in its second edition. ARRL antenna specialist
Dean Straw, N6BV, called Moxon a "radio pioneer" and said he'd been a fan of
his work for years. "His insights into the effects of terrain were one of the
factors that got me interested years ago in this aspect of HF radio work,"
Straw said. "May he rest in peace." Moxon authored a July 1952 QST
article, "Two-Element Driven Arrays." Several other of his articles appeared
during the 1970s and 1980s in Ham Radio magazine. ARRL CEO David Sumner,
K1ZZ, said Moxon's book "set the standard for practical antenna books and
remains a classic." He said Moxon might well be best remembered for his compact
directional "rectangle" antenna, but Sumner said that represented only a small
part of his overall contributions to "real-world" antenna design. "A 6 Meter
Moxon Antenna" by Allen Baker, KG4JJH, is among the antenna articles featured
in April 2004 QST. First licensed in the 1920s, Moxon had not been active
in the months leading up to his death. A service was set for March 10 in
Guildford.
 The SP-32 team during happier times. Breakaway ice destroyed most of the station March 3. It had been the site of the R0PA Amateur Radio operation. |
Researchers rescued from icy outpost, site of
R0PA amateur station: A dozen Russian scientists were
rescued March 6 from an Arctic research station near the North Pole that was
nearly destroyed by what's being described as "a freak wall of ice." The North
Pole Drifting Station SP-32 scientific and educational facility had been the
site of the R0PA Amateur Radio operation. Russian news media say helicopter
teams facing frigid sub-zero conditions managed to reach the stranded
researchers and saved all 12 explorers and two dogs. Hams around the world have
reported working R0PA, for which DL5EBE is listed as QSL manager. The station's
researchers reportedly were unharmed after having to huddle for three days in
the remains of the outpost, some 450 miles from the nearest solid ground. According
to Russian TV reports, a wall of ice that pushed up from the surrounding ice
floe March 3 nearly destroyed the station. The rescue mission was slowed not
only by the distance involved and the frigid temperatures but by difficulties
encountered while trying to land heavy helicopters on the ice sheet. Little
remains of the meteorological station, set up last April by the non-profit
Center Pole organization with support from the Russian government and the
Russian Academy of Sciences. It had been expected to remain in operation for
several years. Information on SP-32 is available on the Polus Arctic and
Antarctic Expedition Centre Web site. Some history and photographs of past
Russian floating scientific outposts are available on the National Snow and Ice
Data Center's Arctic Climatology and
Meteorology Web site.
San Marino gains additional spectrum on 40 meters: Julian Giacomoni, T77J, president of the Radio Amateur Association of the Republic of San Marino (ARRSM), has announced that San Marino amateurs have gained access to 7.100 to 7.200 MHz in the 40-meter band. The change, effective February 25, permits amateur operation on a non-interference, secondary basis from 7.100 to 7.200 MHz. Region 1 amateurs in general have exclusive, primary access to 7.000 to 7.100 MHz. Since December, Croatian amateurs have been permitted to use 7.100 to 7.200 on a secondary, non-interference basis. Delegates to World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 last summer agreed to expand the 40-meter band in Region 1 to 7.200 by 2009.
Six Meters Marathon
2004 set: The Rientola Radio Amateur Club, OH3AG,
of Tampere, Finland, has announced the "Six Meters Marathon 2004"--the first
global 6-meter marathon. The objective is to work as many DXCC entities as
possible on 6 meters between 0000 UTC on May 8 and 2400 UTC on August 8, 2004.
Results will be published during the Tampere 6-meter forum August 14. There's
more information on the 50 MHz Suomessa Web
site (click on "the rules for the marathon 2004"), where regular updates will
be posted. The event is open to all Amateur Radio operators worldwide, and
entries are limited to single operators only.
 Tony Whitaker, G3RKL, on the road. |
UK amateur taking ham radio on long walk in New Zealand: Tony Whitaker, G3RKL, has begun a 750-km stroll along the length of New Zealand's South Island. He has a Yaesu FT-817 transceiver with him and is operating as ZL6SHS on 7080 kHz as well as via Internet-linked repeaters along the route. There's more news on this adventure on the Web site of Ian Abel, G3ZHI.--RSGB; Ian Abel, G3ZHI
UK ham ticket grants delayed:
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) reports that there has been a delay
in resuming the issuance of Amateur Radio licenses in the UK in the wake of the
recent regulatory transition from the Radiocommunications Agency to Ofcom. The Ofcom Radio Licensing Centre
said it is now waiting for Amateur Radio and CB Ofcom license documentation to
arrive and will not grant any Amateur Radio or CB tickets until that happens.--RSGB
VERON to mark anniversary with special call
sign: From May 1 until May 16, the PI4AA club station
of the Society for Experimental Radio Research in the Netherlands (VERON) will celebrate 75 years on the air by
using the special call sign PI75AA. "During the 1929 'Radio Salon' in
Scheveningen, a local club station was granted use of the call sign PA0AA,"
VERON said in a news release. "This was even before the official radio exams in
the Netherlands took place." VERON, the Netherlands' IARU member-society, plans
to commemorate that occasion during the 15-day special event with daily
transmissions in RTTY, PSK31 and slow-scan television (SSTV) that will recount
the Radio Salon 75 years ago. "All photos taken at that time will be
transmitted in slow-scan," VERON says. Past and present PI75AA staff members,
operating from their own stations, will operate on all bands and modes and will
confirm all contacts with a special QSL card. Special transmissions will be
made May 10-16, 2030-2130 UTC on 3.603 MHz and on 14.120 MHz.
W9KMP appointed to Salvation Army Amateur
Radio post: ARRL member Kenneth Panczyk, W9KMP, of Mt
Prospect, Illinois, has been appointed Amateur Radio liaison officer for The
Salvation Army Metropolitan Division. He succeeds Bill Davidson, W9SWW.
Centered on Chicago, The division includes 11 counties. An amateur operator
since 1969 and a former teacher and school administrator, Panczyk is an avid CW
operator and scuba diving teacher and enthusiast. "The Metropolitan Division
has a traditionally active disaster response team that has greatly benefited
from its amateur SATERN [Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network]
component, said SATERN National Director Pat McPherson in announcing the
appointment. "I appreciate Bill's good work for the last eight years and the
willingness of Ken to accept this important and demanding office."
Wyoming AM station to conduct DX test: Attention BCLs: AM broadcast station KEVA in Evanston, Wyoming, on 1240 kHz (1000 W U), will conduct a DX test Sunday, March 14, 0800-0900 UTC. "There will be about a 10-minute loop of Morse IDs and voice IDs that will run four times throughout the hour, including at 1:06 AM MST following ABC news," said Michael J. Richard of KEVA. "Our classic country satellite network will be mixed in as well. Basically the loop will be programmed in every time they take a break."--information thanks to Eric Wolfe, WB3IHQ
| Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending Mar 6, 2004 | Next: Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, and Bob Heil, K9EID, Visit ARRL Headquarters |
