***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 26, No. 31
August 3, 2007
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* + ARRL Files Federal Court of Appeals Reply Brief over BPL
* + ARRL Passport to be Featured at 2007 ARRL National Convention
* + ARRL Files Objection to Ambient's BPL Experimental Authorization
Renewal Request
* + ARRL Welcomes New Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager
* + ARRL in Action - July 2007: What Have We Been Up to Lately?
* + FCC Enforcement Bureau Actions
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This Weekend on the Radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Course Registration
+ 2007 ARRL Teachers Institute Is in Full Swing!!
+ New Jersey Radio Club Makes Scholarship Donation to ARRL
Foundation
September Is National Preparedness Month
Morse Code Study in Pennsylvania
ARRL DXCC Desk Approves J5UAR Operation
FAR Scholarship Winners Announced
Let Us Know
+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>;
===========================================================
==> ARRL Files Federal Court of Appeals Reply Brief over BPL
On July 31, the ARRL filed its reply brief at the US Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit. This brief follows the FCC's brief
that attempted to rebut the ARRL's challenge to the FCC's Broadband over
Power Line (BPL) rules enacted in late 2004 and affirmed by the agency
in 2006. According to ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, "The FCC's
brief does not accurately describe ARRL's arguments concerning harmful
interference." The ARRL, in its reply brief, accuses the FCC of,
"engaging in misdirection -- rebutting hyperbolic arguments ARRL never
made, refusing to address the precedents ARRL cited and attempting to
rewrite the Orders as if they made factual rather than legal
determinations."
The League's reply brief, according to Imlay, "focuses largely on the
FCC's unprecedented failure to protect mobile stations from interference
if the BPL operator reduces its radiated emissions by 20 dB below the
Part 15 maxima, even if harmful interference persists thereafter. The
reply brief also addresses the inapplicability of the 40 dB per decade
of distance extrapolation factor applied to BPL system measurements in
the high frequency bands."
The ARRL's reply brief looked at four main points:
* The FCC's failure to reconcile the Orders with the FCC's decades-old
interpretation of Section 301.
* The FCC's failure to justify its nondisclosures of portions of the
studies on which the Orders were expressly based.
* The FCC's failure to justify its refusal to consider contrary
evidence, as well as a proposed alternative to its extrapolation factor
for measuring interference.
* The FCC's failure to justify its summary dismissal of an alternative
that could have accommodated BPL without causing the same harmful
interference.
The ARRL's brief states that this case "is about an unlicensed
operator's legal duty to cease harmful interference once it arises, not
the standard for authorizing unlicensed transmissions."
For decades, the FCC has interpreted Section 301 to mandate two
restrictions on unlicensed operators: The proposed operations will not
have a significant potential for causing harmful interference, and; if
harmful interference does occur, the unlicensed operations are to cease
immediately. For the first time ever, the FCC excluded mobile operators
from the second part of the mandate.
The FCC suggests in its brief that BPL emissions (that are reduced by
the 10 or 20 dB that are the minimum notching requirements in the rules)
will "never cause harmful interference to licensed mobile users, but
there is no evidence to support this," the ARRL's brief states. The ARRL
contends the FCC's brief "ignore[s] the express acknowledgement in the
Reconsideration Order that 'harmful interference...may occur' even when
BPL systems meet the FCC's technical standards and that when it occurs
'we will not provide further protection to mobile operations.'"
The FCC goes on to say, according to the ARRL's brief, that licensed
mobile users "do not need the protection of the cease-operations rule
because mobile users suffering from interference can move elsewhere."
The ARRL contends that the FCC "has never before put the burden on the
license-holder to move away from an unlicensed interferor, to the
contrary, its rules require the interferor to cease interfering
immediately. A BPL system deploys radiation-emitting devices
ubiquitously throughout a service area, making it difficult to avoid
harmful interference and impossible to conclude that harmful
interference will 'never' occur."
The ARRL's brief states that "the FCC cites nothing to defend the
Reconsideration Order's ruling that Section 301 is inapplicable to
'unintentional radiators.'" The ARRL's brief points out that the FCC's
brief "fails to defend the Reconsideration Order's holding that
unintentional radiators like BPL devices 'as such' are outside the scope
of Section 301's license requirement. The brief actually admits the
contrary -- that unintentional radiators are within Section 301." The
FCC's brief mentions "but fails to acknowledge Section 302, which
extended the FCC's authority to cover the manufacture and sale of
interfering devices, is irrelevant to the scope of Section 301."
In its brief, the FCC failed to justify its "nondisclosure of
significant portions of the technical studies on which the Orders rely."
Instead, the ARRL said the FCC "attacks a straw man, suggesting that
ARRL is after 'every internal document in its entirety that the agency's
staff prepares in relating to a rule making proceeding."
The ARRL's brief states that the League only sought the full texts of
the studies that the FCC "identified and cited as the basis for its
conclusions. An agency may not cherry-pick the pages of the studies on
which it relies, disclosing the ones that support its conclusions and
redacting the others."
The FCC's brief requests that the Court defer to its "technical judgment
in adopting an extrapolation factor to measure interference." The ARRL
contends that the FCC "is not entitled to deference where it refuses to
consider substantial evidence submitted to it -- in this instance, at
the agency's invitation -- and fails to consider a responsible
alternative proposal."
The ARRL points out three studies conducted by OFCOM, the UK-equivalent
to the FCC. Each study reached a conclusion opposite that of the FCC and
"plainly were significant to warrant consideration," the League's brief
said. "ARRL's proposed sliding-scale extrapolation factor was an
alternative entitled to consideration and a reasoned explanation for its
rejection."
The ARRL makes the argument in its brief that it proposed a "win-win"
solution: Authorize BPL, but "confine it to a generous frequency band
that does not present these interference problems." It makes note of the
fact that the largest BPL operator has designed its systems this way,
and suggests that other operators could follow suit.
Yet the FCC in its brief brushed off these suggestions with a terse, two
word sentence: "The other proposed 'solution' -- complete avoidance of
all HF frequencies -- would needlessly restrict BPL design and reduce
system capacity, without regard to whether there are amateurs that need
protection from a particular BPL installation. This would result in a
grossly inefficient utilization of Access BPL capacity, reducing the
potential benefits of BPL and increasing its costs to the public,
without a corresponding benefit or need."
ARRL, therefore, asked the Court in its brief "to enforce the FCC's
'duty to consider responsible alternatives to its chosen policy and to
give a reasoned explanation for its rejection of such alternatives.'"
Pointing out the "multiple legal errors in the Orders," the ARRL stated
in the brief that the FCC "require[d] a remand. When the Court remands
the Orders, it should direct the FCC to give this alternative the
careful consideration required by law."
The ARRL's reply brief can be read in its entirety on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/Court_Appeal_ReplyBrief2007july31
.pdf>.
==> ARRL Passport to be Featured at 2007 ARRL National Convention
One of the exciting activities at this month's ARRL National Convention
is the ARRL Passport, the ultimate hamfest scavenger hunt. Pick up your
Passport at the ARRL EXPO area and collect different ARRL Passport codes
at participating exhibits and activities at the Huntsville Hamfest.
"There are only 2500 ARRL Passports available, so pick them up early
while you can," said ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen,
NQ1R. "Turn in your completed entry form at ARRL EXPO by Sunday at 12
noon and you could be a winner."
Prizes include two terrific all-mode mobile transceivers: the Icom
IC-7000 and the Yaesu FT-857D.
Charlie Emerson, N4OKL, Vice-President of the Huntsville Hamfest
Association, said that convention attendance will likely reach
unprecedented levels. "The hamfest is getting into the 'unreal'
category. We have reports of people coming in from everywhere." Both
official hotels, the Embassy Suites (connected to the all
air-conditioned Von Braun Center, site of the Convention and Hamfest)
and the Holiday Inn (across the street) have sold out. There is
availability at the nearby Marriott Hotel, just a short distance away by
car. More lodging options are available at the Huntsville/Madison County
Convention and Visitors Bureau Web site <http://www.huntsville.org/>.
The 2007 ARRL National Convention is August 18-19 in Huntsville, Alabama
and is held in conjunction with the Huntsville Hamfest. For more
information on the ARRL EXPO, National Convention and the Huntsville
Hamfest, check out the National Convention Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/expo>.
==> ARRL Files Objection to Ambient's BPL Experimental Authorization
Renewal Request
On July 25, the ARRL filed an Informal Objection to Ambient
Corporation's request for a renewal of their nationwide experimental
authorization that allows them to operate broadband over power line
(BPL) operations anywhere in the country they choose. Ambient has been
operating its BPL equipment under experimental authorizations for more
than five years, an unusual amount of time for an experimental
authorization. An Informal Objection is the procedure dictated by the
FCC's Part 5 rules protesting the renewal of an experimental
authorization. Currently, Ambient operates a BPL system in Briarcliff
Manor in Westchester County, New York. Other installations have
apparently been shut down by Ambient.
Ambient has been using experimental authorization WD2XEQ, issued in
2005, and its predecessor WB9XQT, issued on June 24, 2002. WB9XQT
covered the BPL operation in Briarcliff Manor. It was replaced by WD2XEQ
on July 28, 2003, a two-year authorization that was twice extended, most
recently through August 1, 2007.
The ARRL states in its Objection that "since the issuance of the first
experimental authorization, rules have been enacted for the regular Part
15 operation of BPL systems and there is nothing that has been filed by
Ambient which could justify the continuation of experimental operation
of this system rather than operation pursuant to the Commission's rules
governing virtually all other BPL systems."
The ARRL filed complaints against Ambient and its BPL operation in
Briarcliff Manor on October 12, 2004; December 17, 2004; January 7,
2005; March 17, 2005; January 6, 2006; March 29, 2006 and May 31, 2007.
The Objection said that each complaint reported "ongoing, harmful
interference caused by the unlawful operation of Ambient's BPL project
at Briarcliff Manor in violation of the terms of the experimental
authorization." These complaints, supported both by documentation by
amateurs as well as tests made by ARRL staff, concluded that "this
facility was, and now still is, causing harmful interference to Amateur
Radio stations. As such, it is in violation of the terms of the
experimental authorization."
The terms of Ambient's experimental authorization require that if "any
interference" results from its operation, the holder of the
authorization will be subject to immediate shutdown. The ARRL stipulates
that harmful interference has repeatedly occurred, and such interference
has even been witnessed and verified by a member of the FCC's
Enforcement Bureau staff, yet the FCC has failed to take any action
against Ambient in response to any of these complaints. The ARRL
continued: "[i]t would be unconscionable for the Commission to further
renew this experimental authorization in the face of these unresolved
complaints of interference."
The ARRL does praise the FCC in the Objection, however, for "finally,
after years of inaction, commencing an enforcement proceeding" against
Ambient's operation in New York (Enforcement Bureau file number
EB-06-SE-083). This proceeding is still under investigation, "making
renewal of this experimental authorization completely inappropriate."
The Objection further states that the FCC's rules provide that "an
experimental authorization will not be granted for a period longer than
that which is required for completion of the experimental project."
There is nothing offered in Ambient's pending renewal application that
would justify the extension of the experimental authorization beyond the
five years that it has been authorized to operate. Ambient's extension
application offers "no justification whatsoever" for a sixth or seventh
year of experimental BPL operation.
By mandating that Ambient operate in accordance with the with the
"long-ago-enacted BPL rules rather than allowing it to hide behind an
experimental authorization," Ambient would at least be subject to the
FCC's regulatory plan for BPL, "however inadequate that plan is in terms
of interference avoidance," the ARRL said in its Objection. If forced to
comply with the Part 15 rules, as other BPL systems must do, "perhaps at
least some of the abundance of unresolved and unaddressed interference
problems caused by Ambient would be reduced."
ARRL's Objection included a copy of a July 13, 2007 letter from the
Chairman of the Public Safety and Security Committee of the Westchester
County Board of Legislators, William E. Burton. In the letter, Burton
identifies a number of ongoing concerns related to the interference
potential of the Briarcliff Manor BPL system. He goes on to say he is
concerned...to have recently learned that Ambient may be planning to
request a renewal of its experimental program without making vitally
important improvements in its technology...[and] there is no assurance
that Ambient may not 'turn up the power' and again exceed emissions
levels causing interference again after a license renewal."
Burton noted that at a committee meeting held March 5, 2007, "the
representative from [Ambient BPL system sponsor] Consolidated Edison
agreed to work with the ARRL to resolve the communications interference
problems. That cooperation has yet to take place."
Burton's letter continued: "I am thus requesting that the FCC not renew
the experimental Briarcliff Manor BPL license until my concerns about
harmful interference are adequately addressed....The Commission should
require that Consolidated Edison and Ambient cooperate with the ARRL and
its BPL technical experts forthwith....By not renewing the Ambient
experimental license until all these concerns are addressed, the FCC can
make it clear that complaints concerning harmful interference are taken
seriously."
The ARRL summed up the Objection by "respectfully requesting that the
Commission deny or dismiss" Ambient's pending application for renewal or
extension of its experimental authorization for Briarcliff Manor "and in
other locations in the United States where it may be operating BPL
systems."
The ARRL's Informal Objection can be read in its entirety on the ARRL
Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/Ambient_Informal_Objection2007jul
y25.pdf>
==> Dennis Dura, K2DCD, Joins ARRL Staff as Emergency Preparedness and
Response Manager
The ARRL is pleased to welcome Emergency Preparedness and Response
Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, to the Headquarters staff in Newington.
Dura's major responsibilities include addressing the development and
implementation of an organizational disaster response plan as well as a
continuity operations plan, complete with supporting procedures and
training. Integral to these plans are the recommendations of the
National Emergency Response Planning Committee (NERPC) report. Dura also
will play an integral part in the management of ARES, and in future
negotiations with served agencies with whom ARRL shares or creates
Memoranda of Understanding.
"By instituting these base components for the organization, the
emergency communications resources of Amateur Radio and the League will
become truly disaster resilient on all fronts," Dura said. "Emergency
communications cannot stand alone. As an organization, we must have
disaster plans in place and know what we must do to continue operations
when they are impacted. Without this, our support to the field will be
lacking."
Dura comes to the ARRL with more than 26 years of experience in the
emergency management field. He started as a volunteer coordinator in his
home township's emergency management program and turned this experience
and training into a consulting career, working on off-site emergency
plans for nuclear power plants and the jurisdictions where they are
sited around the country. At the same time, he joined the American Red
Cross as a volunteer Disaster Consultant in New Jersey, leading to paid
positions as Manager of Disaster Services in St Louis, Director of
Disaster Preparedness in Chicago and a Disaster Preparedness Specialist
in New Jersey.
After some years working in the non-governmental organization side of
the field, he joined the New Jersey State Police, Office of Emergency
Management (NJOEM). Dura progressed through the ranks in NJOEM and
served in numerous positions such as Operations Officer and Hurricane
Preparedness Officer. As a Principal Planner, he was part of the group
to develop the first Terrorism Plan for New Jersey prior to 9/11,
specializing in human services issues, especially Mass Care. As part of
New Jersey's response to the 9/11 attack, he served on a specialized
inter-governmental team to establish the Family Assistance Center at
Liberty State Park.
He left NJOEM in 2003 to become the Deputy State Emergency Coordinator
for the New Jersey Department of Human Services (NJDHS), the position he
held prior joining the League. Dura's focus in NJDHS was spread across
several areas such as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Mass
Care and Business/Continuity of Operations.
During his time at the NJOEM, Dura was the Assistant State RACES
Officer. He was also the liaison to the National Weather Service (NWS)
for NJOEM and became involved in the SKYWARN program. Through a
successful grant submission, he was able to secure two National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) All-Hazards Radio transmitters for
unserved areas of New Jersey. His work on this project resulted in the
Mark Trail Award in 2002. The Chairman of the Mt Holly NWS Forecast
Office SKYWARN Advisory Committee for many years, Dennis has also been a
member of his county ARES program.
Dura said he is excited to be working at ARRL Headquarters. "It is a
tremendous opportunity to take my many years of emergency management
experience and apply all of it to the ARRL. It wasn't a hard move [to
the ARRL] at all -- take the disaster experiences and meld them with a
tremendous hobby...that ends up serving the nation and the world."
Dura holds a BS in criminal justice from The College of New Jersey and
is currently completing graduate level work in homeland security and
emergency management. He is a Certified Business Resilience Manager and
is a member of numerous professional emergency management organizations.
Dura can be reached via e-mail <k2dcd@arrl.org>;.
==> ARRL in Action - July 2007: What Have We Been Up to Lately?
The ARRL Board of Directors held its second 2007 meeting in Windsor,
Connecticut. It was the final meeting for ARRL Southeastern Division
Director Frank Butler, W4RH, who is retiring from the Board after 50
years of volunteer service to the ARRL. Just before the Board meeting,
President Joel Harrison, W5ZN; CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Chief
Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, led the dedication of the
Diamond Terrace at ARRL Headquarters.
CEO David Sumner responded by fax to congressional testimony by FCC
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein that included support for the expansion
of broadband over power lines (BPL).
Dennis Dura, K2DCD, joined the ARRL Headquarters staff as Emergency
Preparedness and Response Manager. Senior Assistant Technical Editor
Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, has been named Editor of QEX.
The September issue of QST, our first Emergency Communications special
issue, was released to the printer. Preparations for the ARRL 2007
National Convention, to be held in conjunction with the Huntsville
Hamfest, are in full swing. Web Development staff worked with several
departments to update and improve the online membership application.
The ARRL has two Public Relations campaigns for 2007. One concerns ARES
and Public Relations, and the other Emergency Communications. Media and
Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, reports a significant
increase in the number and quality of Field Day media coverage.
ARES members assisted in two emergencies: the Zaca Fire in Los Padres
National Forest northwest of Los Angeles, and flooding in Oklahoma.
Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, discussed several
issues involved with the PAVE PAWS radar situation with US Department of
Defense officials in a teleconference call.
Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, made contact at W1AW with
special event station VE2XPO in Montreal, Quebec, in commemoration of a
similar contact made 40 years earlier from the Amateur Radio station at
Expo 67, the Montreal World's Fair. Roland Masse, VE2PX, was at the mic
in Montreal, as he had been for the original 1967 contact with W1AW.
Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, attended the
Arizona State Convention in Williams. ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma,
AB1FM; ARRL Assistant VEC Manager Perry Green, WY1O, and Regulatory
Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, attended the annual conference
of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. ARRL Lab
Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, took part in a meeting of the IEEE EMC Society
Symposium in Honolulu.
==> FCC Enforcement Actions
On July 25, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau released new Amateur Radio
enforcement actions. John C. Kimbrough, WR3S, of Murfreesboro,
Tennessee, received notification from the FCC's Atlanta District
Director that his automatic control privileges had been removed. This
followed up on a letter sent by Riley Hollingsworth that listed various
and numerous complaints about Kimbrough concerning "apparent violations
of the Commission's rules, including inadequate station control,
interference and failure to properly identify." The Letter went on to
say that Kimbrough may not resume automatic control until notified by
the Atlanta office. "If WR3S is operated under automatic control prior
to notification from this office, enforcement action will be taken
against your Amateur operator and station licenses for WR3S. This action
may include designation of those licenses for a revocation and
suspension hearing, and a monetary forfeiture."
Robert J. Langston, W2ENY, of Cornwall on Hudson, New York, received a
request for information concerning "allege[d] transmission of
recordings, including recordings of the radio transmissions of other
operators, and false identification of transmissions," and called into
account "serious questions regarding your ability to retain an Amateur
license." The FCC gave Langston 20 days to respond to the allegations
and include a signed and dated affidavit or declaration under penalty of
perjury, verifying the truth and accuracy of the information submitted
in your response."
Robert A. DiMezza, W2GGI, of Delray Beach, Florida, received a request
for information concerning complaints that allege "among other things,
poor signal quality and refusal to make corrections," and was given 20
days to respond to these complaints.
Frank Richards, of Mooers, New York, received a Memorandum Opinion and
Order from the FCC regarding his apparent attempted 1995 hijack of an
Amateur Radio license from Frank C. Richards, KB4VU, of Ft Meyers,
Florida. The New York Richards was initially successful, and the FCC
granted him KG2IC, but after the Florida Richards contacted the FCC to
say he'd never moved nor modified his license, the FCC directed the New
York Richards to explain. In June 2004, the New York Richards turned in
his license. While the FCC did not pursue further enforcement action
the, it did tell the New York Richards that the circumstances of the
apparent abuse of the license system could become a factor if he ever
applied for an Amateur Radio ticket in the future. The New York Richards
applied for a Technician license June 28, 2006 and accompanied his
application with a letter. The FCC Enforcement Bureau said it was unable
to determine whether the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau should grant
the application, however, so it now has been designated for a hearing.
The FCC's Enforcement Bureau's Motion to Dismiss Application with
Prejudice and Terminate Hearing, filed June 25, had a deadline of July
10 for any opposition to be filed. As of July 18, no written appearance
had been filed by, or on behalf of, Richards, and no one attended or
entered an appearance on Richards' behalf at a prehearing conference
July 10. As such, Richards' Amateur Radio license application was
dismissed with prejudice.
Frederick C. Severa, AH8I, of Folsom, California, received a warning
notice claiming "that Commission monitoring information indicates that
on February 12, 2007 at 0221 UTC, you operated in the SSB mode on 7.055
MHz from a location near Reading [sic], CA. That mode is not authorized
to you on that frequency under Commission rules." The FCC sent Severa a
letter notifying him of this; it was returned as undeliverable. Saying
that "Such operation may reflect adversely on your qualifications to
retain an Amateur Radio license," The FCC gave him 30 days to respond
and to verify his current address.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Tad "Ain't No Sun(spots) When He's Gone" Cook, K7RA, this week reports:
Average daily sunspot numbers rose very little this week, less than 6
points to 7.3. There were no major geomagnetic upsets, only slightly
unsettled conditions on the first day of August. We saw eight straight
days of no sunspots, then a spot or two over four days, then no spots on
the first two days of August. A week from now, August 10, we may see the
beginning of several days with a few sunspots every day. Expect
unsettled geomagnetic conditions centered on August 7 and again on
August 10. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions August
3-5, quiet to unsettled August 6, unsettled to active August 7, and back
to quiet August 8-9. Sunspot numbers for July 26 through August 1 were
0, 0, 13, 14, 13, 11 and 0 with a mean of 7.3. The 10.7 cm flux was
68.4, 68.7, 69.9, 69, 68.9, 68 and 68.8, with a mean of 68.8. Estimated
planetary A indices were 9, 8, 4, 14, 10, 6 and 17 with a mean of 9.7.
Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 6, 3, 11, 10, 4 and 15, with a
mean of 7.9. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit
the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: This weekend, check out the ARRL UHF
Contest, 1800 UTC Saturday, August 4-1800 UTC Sunday, August 5. The TARA
Grid Dip Shindig and the European HF Championship are August 4, while
the 10-10 International Summer Contest (SSB), the National Lighthouse
Weekend QSO Contest and the North American QSO Party (CW) are August
4-5. The RSGB RoPoCo 2 and the SARL HF Phone Contest are August 5. The
ARS Spartan Sprint is scheduled for August 7. Next weekend, the WAE DX
Contest (CW) and the Maryland-DC QSO Party are on the air August 11-12.
The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint takes place August 15. 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 Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration remains open through Sunday August 19, for these on-line
courses beginning on Friday September 7: 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>;.
* 2007 ARRL Teacher Institute Is in Full Swing: Forty-eight teachers
from around the country signed up for the ARRL Teachers Institute. The
first Institutes, held in Rocklin, California and Spokane, Washington
are already completed, as is the first of two institutes at ARRL
Headquarters in Newington. Each class of 12, ranging from pre-school
teachers to college professors, gets the opportunity to explore and
experience firsthand wireless technology basics, how to teach basic
electronics concepts integral to microcontrollers and robots, as well as
how to bring space technology into the classroom. The four day course
culminates with building and programming a robot. While the emphasis of
the course is not Amateur Radio and teachers need not be hams to attend
the all-expenses paid sessions, some do go ahead and take the Technician
license exam. Six have received their Technician license so far and one
has upgraded to General. Education and Technology Program Coordinator
and Director of the ARRL Teachers Institute Mark Spencer, WA8SME, said,
"About 80 percent of the non-ham teachers have gone on to get their
Amateur Radio license. They get really 'jazzed up' about ham radio while
they are here." To find out more about the ARRL Teachers Institute,
please see the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.orgFandES/tbp/ti.html>.
* New Jersey Radio Club Makes Scholarship Donation to ARRL Foundation:
ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, attended the Sussex
Hamfest in July where the Morris Radio Club (New Jersey) donated more
than $31,000 to the ARRL Foundation. This money is earmarked for an
annual Morris Radio Club Scholarship to go to a deserving area high
school senior who is an Amateur Radio operator. Ron Levy, K2CO, former
W2 QSL Manager, long time New Jersey DX Association (NJDXA) officer and
MRC trustee, led the club contingent in presenting the check. Also on
hand at the ceremony were ARRL Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon,
N2FF, and Vice Director Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF. If you or your club is
interested in doing something of a similar nature, contact Mary Hobart,
K1MMH <k1mmh@arrl.org>;, at the ARRL Development Office
<http://www.arrl.org/development>.
* September Is National Preparedness Month: September is National
Preparedness Month and Amateur Radio operators are joining a wide
variety of national, state and local organizations, including the US
Department of Homeland Security, in educating the public about preparing
for emergencies. When unexpected natural or man-made emergencies occur,
our greatest individual defense is preparedness. Getting an emergency
supply kit, making an emergency plan, and identifying preparedness and
response resources within our communities are several things we can do
to prepare ourselves. This nationwide effort is to encourage individuals
and families to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their
homes, businesses and schools. Free preparedness resources are just a
click away in English <http://www.ready.gov/> and Spanish
<http://www.listo.gov/>.
* Morse Code Study in Pennsylvania: A psychology professor at the
University of Pittsburgh is conducting a study involving short-term
memory and how it correlates to Morse code. Julie Fiez, the study's
principal investigator, said she got the idea of using Morse code in her
studies from a family member who is an Amateur Radio operator. She said
she liked the idea of using CW in her experiments to see how people
process audio tones. "Our interest is in verbal working memory," she
said, "which is the ability to keep 'on-line' for a short time,
information you can access later." Part 1 of the experiment is an
assessment of the participant's Morse proficiency. First, participants
will be asked to accurately copy sentences as they are presented in
Morse at three different rates (16, 19, and 25 words per minute). Then
they will be asked to listen to the entire Morse sentence and recall the
sentence from memory. Part two asks participants to recall lists of
letters from memory. The letters will either be in English or in Morse.
Participants will either hear the letters through headphones or see them
on a computer screen. The study will look for differences in memory
performance between Morse lists and English lists. The research study is
expected to continue through the fall. If you would like to participate,
please contact the research team via e-mail <morsestudy@hotmail.com>;.
Thanks to Tom Mitchell, WY3H, and the Leader Times, part of the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review family of newspapers, for some information
* ARRL DXCC Desk Approves J5UAR Operation: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore,
NC1L, said that the 2007 J5UAR DXpedition to Guinea-Bissau has been
approved for DXCC credit. "If you had cards rejected for this operation,
please send an e-mail to the ARRL DXCC Desk <dxcc@arrl.org>; and you will
be placed on the list for update," Moore said.
* FAR Scholarship Winners Announced: The Foundation for Amateur Radio
(FAR) has announced the 2007 winners of 56 scholarships it administers.
The scholarships were open to all licensed radio amateurs who met the
qualification and residence requirements of the various sponsors. A
non-profit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia, FAR
represents more than 50 Amateur Radio clubs in Maryland, the District of
Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It is devoted
exclusively to the scientific, literary and educational pursuits that
advance the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service. For a complete list
of recipients, please see the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/07/25/100/?nc=1>. For more
information, contact FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20783,
or visit their Web site <http://www.amateurradio-far.org/>.
* Let Us Know: 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 chance to let
your voice be heard. Please send your suggestions to ARRL 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.
===========================================================
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