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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 27, No. 4
February 1, 2008
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + ARRL Board Authorizes New Section Positions, Adopts Budget, More, at
Annual Meeting 
* + NTIA Report on Broadband in America 2007 Inflates BPL Figures 
* + James De Loach Jr, WU0I, Named 2007 Orr Award Winner 
* + ARISS International Chairman Moves into New Position at NASA 
* + Arkansas Health Department Sponsors Amateur Radio Training 
* + FCC Enforcement Actions 
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF: 
      This Weekend on the Radio
      ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
    + W1AW Receives New Equipment for 160 Meters 
      Amateurs Activated as Tornado Strikes Mississippi Town 
      Make Your Mark on the ARRL Diamond Terrace 
      Radio Amateur Named Head of Tropical Prediction Center 
      ARRL DXCC Desk Approves E4/OM2DX Operation 
      We Stand Corrected 

+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 BOARD AUTHORIZES NEW SECTION POSITIONS, ADOPTS BUDGET, MORE, AT
ANNUAL MEETING 

The ARRL Board of Directors held its first 2008 meeting in Houston,
Texas on January 18-19. Besides reviewing and acting on recommendations
contained in committee reports and Directors' motions, the Board held
its biannual election of officers and annual election of members of the
Executive Committee. All Officers, Directors and Vice Directors were
present, with the exception of Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian P.
Mileshosky, N5ZGT, who was unable to attend; Rocky Mountain Vice
Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, assumed his place at the Board table. 

All ARRL officers were re-elected without opposition. Past Southeastern
Division Director Frank Butler, W4RH, who was also at the meeting, was
unanimously elected an Honorary Vice President in recognition of his
unprecedented length of service -- 50 years -- as an ARRL elected
official. 

The Board received a progress report from the Programs and Services
Committee on its study of Section Governance. The committee recommended
that Section Managers continue to be elected by Section members. 

Two new Field Organization positions were created by the Board at the
recommendation of the Programs and Services Committee: Assistant Section
Emergency Coordinator and Assistant District Emergency Coordinator. The
Board authorized Dave Patton, NN1N, Manager of the Membership and
Volunteer Services Department, to develop and implement terms of
reference for these positions. 

It was also decided that members in the ARRL Pacific Section (which
includes Hawaii and the US Pacific Island Territories) would have their
ballots mailed via First Class Mail to ensure timely arrival. Ballots
are currently mailed via bulk mail. 

To address members' concerns arising from a new IARU Region 2 HF band
plan
<http://www.iaru-r2.org/wp-content/uploads/region-2-mf-hf-bandplan-e.pdf
>, the Board affirmed its support for the retention of Double-Sideband
AM as a permitted emission in the Amateur Radio Service and reaffirmed,
without change, the 160 meter band plan
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/bandplan.html#160m> as
previously adopted by the Board in July 2001. 

Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, presented the final report
of the Ad Hoc Background Investigation Committee. He reported that there
is no Statement of Understanding with the American Red Cross at this
time, since the previous SOU expired in September 2007. The Committee
has communicated to ARC that there are still conflicts with the ARC's
background investigation policy as compared to the published statements
of its online background investigation contractor. Harrison has written
to ARC, but as yet there has been no response. The remaining issues
related to credentialing and the renewal of the expired SOU with the Red
Cross were referred to the Programs and Services Committee and to staff.


New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, Chairman of the
Administration and Finance Committee, presented the 2008-2009 Plan as
recommended by that committee. He outlined plans to begin a redesign of
the ARRL Web site, as well as capital upgrades and maintenance at W1AW.
The plan for the upcoming year was unanimously adopted. 

Following a recommendation from the Administration and Finance
Committee, the Board voted to amend the bylaws by eliminating Bylaw 5.
As a result, effective January 1, 2009, the $3 dues rate discount that
is currently extended to older members will be eliminated. 

The VHF/UHF Advisory Committee, which has been reviewing contest rules
since its creation in 2005 for a period of three years, was extended for
another two years. The VUAC was created in recognition of the fact that
VHF/UHF contesting issues are markedly different than HF contesting
issues due to the unique aspects of VHF and UHF propagation and the
impact of geography and population-density differences. The Programs and
Services Committee recommended extending the committee's life in order
to address several longstanding contesting issues in the VHF/UHF
community. 

The Board voted to establish the Fred Fish Memorial Award in honor of
Fred Fish, W5FF. This dated and serial-numbered award for contacting all
488 grid squares of the 48 contiguous states on 6 meters will be a
capstone to the VUCC program <http://www.arrl.org/awards/vucc/>; Fish is
the only person known to have accomplished this achievement to date. The
Board also voted that the #1 award be issued posthumously to Fish and
presented to his wife Lee Fish, K5FF. 

The Board decided to seek a Memorandum of Understanding with the Boy
Scouts of America. The ARRL and the BSA have mutually supportive goals,
such as education, development of skills, leadership, emergency
preparedness and awareness. 

The Board adopted a resolution of support for AMSAT's initiative seeking
access to an Intelsat platform in geostationary orbit. AMSAT is in
consultation with Intelsat regarding an application of an Intelsat
platform carrying amateur satellites into geostationary orbit, with
potential benefits for emergency communications. AMSAT has been the
principal initiator of projects in the Amateur Satellite Service and
continues to play a key role in significantly advancing the state of the
art in space science, space education and space technology. 

Frenaye, as President of the ARRL Foundation, gave a report to the Board
on the Foundation's activities. He said scholarships totaling $60,000
were awarded in 2007; three new scholarships have been added for 2008.
The Foundation's assets amount to approximately $2.4 million, of which
most supports the scholarship program. He noted that the number of
deserving scholarship applicants greatly exceeds the number of available
scholarships. Frenaye will continue to serve as President of the
Foundation; Northwestern Division Director Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF;
Midwest Division Director Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, and Eugene Hastings, W1VRK,
were also selected to serve as Foundation Directors. 

Only one award, the Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award, was
conferred at this meeting. Alyssa Ivanson, of WANE-TV News, Fort Wayne,
Indiana, received the Leonard Award on the recommendation of the ARRL
Public Relations Committee. Ivanson brought public attention to Amateur
Radio by producing and reporting a television story on the efforts of
Emery McClendon, KB9IBW, also of Fort Wayne, to create and promote
Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day. McClendon traveled to
Washington, DC and met with First Lady Laura Bush as part of his
promotion of Amateur Radio. 

Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) President David Goodwin, VO1AU/VE3AAQ,
delivered greetings from the RAC. He commented on the longstanding
relationship between ARRL and RAC and noted the operation of VO1ARES in
2007 in which ARRL President Harrison and then-RAC President Earle
Smith, VE6NM, participated. 

The next ARRL Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for July 18-19,
2008. 

==> NTIA REPORT ON BROADBAND IN AMERICA 2007 INFLATES BPL FIGURES 
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, writes:

On January 31, the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) released its report "Networked Nation: Broadband
in America 2007"
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2008/NetworkedNationBroadbandinAmerica2
007.pdf>. The NTIA is part of the Department of Commerce, so it is not
unexpected that the report attempts to show that the Administration has
largely succeeded in meeting President Bush's goal of "universal,
affordable access" to broadband technology by 2007. 

Those more expert than I on the general subject of broadband deployment
will offer their own critiques of the NTIA report. My own expertise is
with regard to broadband over power lines (BPL) and was reluctantly
acquired over a five-year period in the course of addressing the serious
problem of interference from BPL systems to the radio frequencies that
are used by licensed Amateur Radio operators. 

BPL technology uses power lines to distribute broadband signals.
Unfortunately it has a propensity for polluting the radio spectrum,
since broadband signals operate at radio frequencies and the power lines
are not shielded to prevent them from escaping. Despite this inherent
flaw the Administration, through the NTIA, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and even the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC), has devoted considerable energy to promoting BPL. Yet, the FCC's
own data show that BPL has failed to catch on. My particular interest in
reading the NTIA report was to see the extent to which BPL would be
credited with having contributed toward meeting the Administration's
goal, thus justifying its promotional investment. 

By the way, BPL manufacturers have made considerable progress in
engineering their devices to avoid the radio frequencies that cause the
most interference. The FCC deserves no credit for this, since the
Commission has shown little interest in enforcing even the inadequate
rules against radio interference that it hurriedly adopted in 2004 to
promote BPL deployment. 

At one time the FCC's semi-annual reports, "High-Speed Services for
Internet Access," lumped BPL in with fiber optic lines. The FCC
eventually recognized that this was inappropriate, since the two
technologies have absolutely nothing in common, and stopped doing so
after 2004. For some reason, the NTIA's report continues to treat the
two together. Even so, reading the executive summary offered a glimmer
of hope that the report would be realistic with regard to BPL; it notes
that while "the total number of high speed lines delivered over fiber
and power line connections grew 789 percent from December 2003 to
December 2006...[f]iber optic lines...appear to be almost entirely
responsible for this expansion." (The latest FCC report that is
available is for December 31, 2006; it was released in October 2007.)
Less encouraging was the fact that the term "BPL" occurs no fewer than
45 times in the 60-page report, an emphasis that is hardly justified by
BPL's miniscule market share. 

Turning to the body of the report, on page 5 "removing barriers to
innovative new applications such as...BPL" is mentioned as one of "...a
number of targeted pro-growth telecommunications policies that have also
contributed to robust technological development in the broadband
sector." So, exactly how much "robust technological development" has
occurred as a result of this policy of "removing barriers" to BPL that
is described more fully on page 8 as a cooperative effort between the
FCC and NTIA? One has to wait until page 26 to find the NTIA's answer --
and modest as it is, it is still startlingly at variance with reality.
Here the report admits that "BPL has yet to make significant inroads in
the broadband marketplace." Then comes the following incredible
paragraph: 

"Reliable BPL subscribership figures are difficult to find. The FCC's
most recent data identify fewer than 5,000 BPL customers as of year end
2006. That figure appears low, however. TIA [Telecommunications Industry
Association] estimates 200,000 current BPL subscribers, increasing to
700,000 by 2010. Another source forecast about 400,000 customers by the
end of 2007, growing to 2.5 million by year end 2011. "

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? The FCC's data showing fewer than 5000 BPL
customers -- a number that dropped in the six-month period covered by
the report -- are taken from forms that service providers are required
to submit. Why does the NTIA not regard this figure as reliable? The
only way that it "appears low" is by comparison with the excessive
industry and government hype. 

Further distorting the picture, at the bottom of page 26 is an
out-of-date map taken directly from the United Power Line Council
(UPLC), an industry source with a vested interest in BPL. It purports to
show BPL deployments "updated as of July 10, 2007." However, a number of
those shown had already been decommissioned by that date and others have
been taken out of service since then. 

I have followed the ups and downs of the BPL industry very closely for
more than five years. There are very few commercial deployments of BPL,
and examination of the FCC data state by state shows all of the
significant ones are included. The idea that there could be another
195,000 customers out there, happily connected to the Internet by BPL --
yet unreported by their service providers -- is utterly ludicrous. 

Even more absurd is the NTIA's citation of the "forecast" of about
400,000 customers by the end of 2007, drawn from a year-old Web
promotion for a $3000 "industry report." 

It is indefensible that the NTIA chose to include in its report
unsubstantiated industry estimates and forecasts that inflate the
FCC-documented figure for BPL subscribership by 3900 percent to 7900
percent. If the agency wishes to retain a shred of credibility, it will
issue a corrected report with the UPLC map, the TIA estimate and the
unsupported forecasts deleted. 

==> JAMES DE LOACH JR, WU0I, NAMED 2007 ORR AWARD WINNER 

Acting on a recommendation from the QST editorial staff, the ARRL
Foundation Board of Directors has voted unanimously to give the 2007
Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award to James De Loach Jr, WU0I. An
ARRL Member from Los Altos, California, De Loach was recognized for "his
excellence at making technical concepts understandable," said QST Editor
Steve Ford, WB8IMY. The award is based on an article published in QST
during 2007. 

De Loach wrote the article "Balloon-Lifted Full-Wave Loop Antennas" that
appeared in the July 2007 edition of QST. He also won the QST Cover
Plaque Award for the article; the Cover Plaque Award is given to the
author or authors of the best article in each issue as determined by a
vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page.

"What a wonderful surprise to hear that I had won the Bill Orr Technical
Writing Award," De Loach said. "I remember fondly reading Bill Orr's
books in my local library as a teenager. My love of antennas --
especially quads and full wave loops -- came from Bill, and I am greatly
honored to be recognized as following in his footsteps." 

Bill Orr, the award's namesake, was best known for his voluminous
publications for radio amateurs, including such reference gems as "The
Radio Handbook," "The Beam Antenna Handbook," "The Quad Antenna
Handbook," "The VHF-UHF Manual" and "The W6SAI HF Antenna Handbook,"
some written in collaboration with Stu Cowan, W2LX. From the 1940s
through the 1980s, Orr was a frequent contributor to QST, for which he
authored dozens of articles, tips and pieces of correspondence.
Additionally, Orr constructed some of the amplifiers once used at ARRL
Maxim Memorial Station W1AW. He died in 2001. 

De Loach will receive the Bill Orr Award plaque during a presentation at
the 2008 Dayton Hamvention. 

==> ARISS INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN MOVES INTO NEW POSITION AT NASA 

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International
Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, was named recently as the NASA
Headquarters Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems Mission
Directorate (ESMD). ESMD is NASA's initiative to develop a sustained
human presence on the moon, promote space exploration and serve as a
stepping stone to Mars and beyond. As ESMD Chief Engineer, he provides
systems engineering advice and consultation to resolve some of the most
demanding and complex technical and organizational challenges within the
Exploration Program. 

Bauer and Rosalie White, K1STO, are the two ARISS delegates for the US.
He is the Vice President of Human Spaceflight Programs for the Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation. Bauer was a 2006 nominee for the Rotary
National Award for Space Acheivement, bestowed upon him for "his
tireless work to engage the youth of our nation and the world in the
exploration of space through unique direct communications made possible
by Amateur Radio on human spaceflight missions."

Bauer is the recipient of NASA's 2002 Outstanding Leadership Medal, the
1997 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal -- bestowed for Pioneering
Efforts in Spaceborne GPS -- and NASA's 1992 Exceptional Service Medal
(for agency contributions in GN&C). He received the Silver Snoopy Award,
the highly prestigious NASA Human Spaceflight Awareness award, in 1992. 

For more information about ARISS, please visit the ARISS Web page
<http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm>. 

==> ARKANSAS HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPONSORS AMATEUR RADIO TRAINING 

The Arkansas Health Department transmitted Amateur Radio training via
video conferencing to 13 hospital classrooms across the state on
Saturday, January 19. According to John Nordlund, AD5FU, tactical
communications assistant coordinator for the Arkansas Health Department,
about 30 Northwest Arkansas residents participated in this year's
training. The program, offered to participants at no cost, was sponsored
by the Arkansas Health Department in cooperation with the Arkansas
Amateur Radio Emergency Service. After completing the two-day training
course, more than 180 students across the state earned their Technician
class license. 

Hospital employees, law enforcement officers, doctors and retirees
attended the training session. "We've seen interest from an unbelievable
number of retired people who are looking to do something good for their
community and a way to spend their time," Nordlund said. "Being an
Amateur Radio operator enables them to talk with people, make friends
and stay in touch." 

Nordlund said that in times of very difficult, large-area emergencies,
"all the other communication systems we depend on tend to become
overloaded or disrupted. During those emergencies, the Amateur Radio
people are able to connect a communications network because they're used
to doing it on a daily basis." 

Amateur Radio operators often act as "unsung heroes" in the face of
disaster, he said. "Recently, on the Pacific coast of Oregon, they had a
huge flood and all communications were rendered inoperable. During a
television news conference, the governor of Oregon stood up and said,
'Do you want to know who the real heroes are?' Then he pointed over to a
group of guys with ham radios." 

Though Arkansas has yet to suffer a widespread disaster, hospitals
across the state are taking steps to prepare. "We had two employees who
took the test in June, and this time we have six employees," said Mel
Lopes, safety officer for Washington Regional Medical Center. "Four work
in emergency services and two work in security. It's a good balance." 

The Arkansas Health Department sponsored this year's training program to
increase the number of Amateur Radio operators in the state. "It's not
that there's a lack of interest, but maybe there's been a lack of
availability," Nordlund said. "I've talked to a lot of people who've
wanted to get involved for years, but they've never had an opportunity
presented to them." -- Some information from the Northwest Arkansas
Times 

==> FCC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS 

On January 30, the Regional Director of the Western Region of the FCC's
Enforcement Bureau issued a "Forfeiture Order"
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-175A1.pdf> to
James J. Grinton, K7VNI, of Bellingham, Washington in the amount of
$7000 "for willfully and repeatedly violating Section 97.113(b) and
Section 97.119(a) of the Commission's Rules ('Rules'). The noted
violations involve Grinton engaging in the transmission of one-way
communications and his failure to transmit his assigned call sign in the
Amateur Radio Service." 

In September 2007, Grinton received a "Notice of Apparent Liability for
Forfeiture"
<http://www.fcc.gov/eb/AmateurActions/files/Grint07_10_05_1146.pdf> from
the FCC. The Commission never received a reply to the NAL, despite
"repeated contacts by the Seattle office." Based upon the information
before the FCC concerning Grinton, they decided to "affirm the
forfeiture." 

Grinton has 30 days from the release of the Order to pay the forfeiture.
If the forfeiture is not paid within the period specified, the case may
be referred to the Department of Justice for collection. 

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

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Then come home, my children, the Sun is gone down" Cook, K7RA, this
week reports: Sunspots have returned. After nearly three weeks with
nothing visible (January 9-28), Sunspot Group 982 emerged on January 29.
The very quiet geomagnetic conditions of the past week may be ending
with some moderate to unsettled activity. The US Air Force predicts
planetary A index for February 1-6 at 12, 10, 15, 10, 8 and 5. The next
active period could be around February 9-10, with planetary A index of
15. The period of February 16-26 is likely to see no spots; we may see
sunspots reappear February 27-March 1. Sunspot numbers for January 24
through 30 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 13 and 14 with a mean of 3.9. The 10.7 cm
flux was 71.3, 71, 72.5, 72, 71.3, 71.6 and 72.7 with a mean of 71.8.
Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 11, 5, 2, 2, 4 and 2 with a mean
of 4.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3, 8, 6, 2, 2, 3 and 1
with a mean of 3.6. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts unsettled to
active conditions for February 1-2, unsettled February 3-4, quiet to
unsettled February 5 and quiet on February 6-7. For more information
concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information
Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this week's
Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin
page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. 

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, look for NCC Sprint on
February 1. The FYBO Winter QRP Sprint, Minnesota QSO Party, AGCW
Straight Key Party and another running of the NCCC Sprint are February
2. The Vermont QSO Party, the YL-ISSB QSO Party (CW/RTTY), the Mexico
RTTY International Contest and the 10-10 International Winter Contest
(SSB) are February 2-3. The YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW) and the Delaware QSO
Party are February 2-4. The North American Sprint (SSB) and the ARCI
Fireside SSB Sprint are both February 3, while the RSGB 80 Meter Club
Championship (SSB) is February 4 and the ARS Spartan Sprint is February
5. Be sure to check out the ARRL School Club Roundup from February
11-February 15. Next weekend, the NCCC Sprint is February 8. On February
9, be sure to check out the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the FISTS
Winter Sprint and another running of the NCCC Sprint. The CQ WW RTTY WPX
Contest, the Dutch PACC Contest, the KCJ Topband Contest, the YLRL YL-OM
Contest (SSB), the Louisiana QSO Party, the OMISS QSO Party, RSGB 1st
1.8 MHz Contest (CW) and the British Columbia QSO Challenge are all
February 9-10. The North American Sprint (SSB) and the SKCC Weekend
Sprintathon are February 10. The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint and the
RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (Data) are both February 13. See the
ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL
Contester's Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and
the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains
open through Sunday, February 24, 2008 for these online course sessions
beginning on Friday, March 7, 2008: 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). 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/cce/courses.html> or contact
the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce@arrl.org>;.

* W1AW Receives New Equipment for 160 Meters: Within the next week,
W1AW, The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, will replace the exciter
and amplifier currently being used for the 160 meter broadcast equipment
with brand new gear -- an ICOM IC-756ProIII and a new ICOM IC-PW1
amplifier. This equipment replaces a Ten-Tec Omni VI+ and Ten-Tec
Hercules II amplifier. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, said,
"It's still important that W1AW maintain its presence on the air.
Despite current technology, Amateur Radio operators still look to W1AW
for code practice and bulletin transmissions, Frequency Measuring Tests,
Field Day messages, emergency communications, frequency beacons -- these
can't be transmitted unless the equipment is fully functional and
performing properly." When the new 160 meter equipment is installed,
W1AW's broadcast equipment will consist of the following: 10 meters --
ICOM IC-756Pro/Harris RF-3230 amplifier; 15 meters -- ICOM
IC-756ProII/Harris RF-3230 amplifier; 17 meters -- ICOM
IC-756ProII/Harris RF-3230 amplifier; 20 meters -- ICOM IC-756ProII/ICOM
IC-PW1; 40 meters -- ICOM IC-756ProII/Command Technologies 40-meter
amplifier; 80 meters -- Ten Tec Orion I/Harris RF-3230 amplifier, and
160 meters -- ICOM IC-756ProIII/ ICOM IC-PW1.

* Amateurs Activated as Tornado Strikes Mississippi Town: On the
afternoon of January 10, an EF3 tornado hit Caledonia, Mississippi,
approximately 60 miles southeast of Tupelo. The tornado caused major
damage to the town of 1000 people; an elementary school gymnasium was
severely damaged. The Lowndes County Emergency Operations Center
activated area storm spotters in advance of the approaching storm; hams
assigned to the EOC activated the Amateur Radio station there and
started to gather information on the weather. After the storm passed,
EOC personnel requested assistance from radio operators to help with
reports of major damage to homes and buildings in the town. The EOC set
up a command post at the fire station downtown and asked members of ARES
to provide communication between the EOC and Red Cross; the Red Cross
had set up a shelter at a local church not too far from the affected
area, and local amateurs set up portable lights and generators. Hams
maintained communication until 7 PM local time. Members of the Monroe
County Amateur Radio Club set up their repeater for a secondary
emergency contact frequency in Monroe County; Lowndes County is just
south of Monroe County.  -- Information provided by Doug Scallions,
KD5FUO, ARRL Emergency Coordinator for Lowndes County 

* Make Your Mark on the ARRL Diamond Terrace: Connecticut may be in the
throes of winter, but can spring be far behind? And when spring comes
nearly 100 more bricks will be installed in the popular Diamond Terrace
at ARRL, a project of the Diamond Club. When April arrives, the number
of inscribed bricks in the Diamond Terrace will double. Since the last
group of bricks was laid in October, ARRL members have continued to
support ARRL generously to honor their own call sign or that of a
friend, Elmer or family member. There is still plenty of room in the
Diamond Terrace. If you contributed in 2007 and your annual Diamond Club
contribution is up for renewal, you may place a second brick in the
Terrace in 2008. Clubs have stepped up, too, finding that an inscribed
brick is the perfect way to honor a Ham of the Year, a club founder or a
beloved Silent Key. And there is still room in the Terrace for the
striking granite benches that add so much to the Terrace. If you, your
club or your company plans to honor someone very special to Amateur
Radio, why not consider placing a bench in the Terrace? Regardless of
your purpose, participation in the Diamond Club to place a brick or
bench in the Diamond Terrace supports your national association with
vital revenue over and above member dues. For more information about the
Diamond Terrace, call ARRL Development at 860-594-0397 or find
information on the ARRL Diamond Club Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/diamondclub>. 

* Radio Amateur Named Head of Tropical Prediction Center: Veteran
meteorologist Bill Read, KB5FYA, was named the new director of the
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Tropical
Prediction Center, which includes the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
earlier this month. Read had served as the Center's acting deputy
director since August 2007. The NHC has a dedicated amateur station
on-site -- W4EHW -- and has worked closely with hams for decades. In
announcing Read's appointment to head the Center, NOAA Administrator
Conrad Lautenbacher cited Read's three decades of experience with the
agency and of his reputation as "a trusted consultant to emergency
managers" in the Houston area. NOAA's Tropical Prediction Center
contains three divisions: The National Hurricane Center -- provides
forecasts of the movement and strength of tropical weather systems and
issues watches and warnings for the US and surrounding areas; The
Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch -- issues year-round marine
forecasts and warnings over the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic
and eastern Pacific, produces tropical cyclone position and intensity
estimates and provides operational support during landfalling hurricane
and tropical storm events; The Technical Support Branch -- provides
support for the Center's computer and communications systems, developing
new techniques for tropical cyclone and tropical weather analysis and
prediction. 

* ARRL DXCC Desk Approves E4/OM2DX Operation: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill
Moore, NC1L, reports that the 2007 E4/OM2DX DXpedition to Palestine has
been approved for DXCC credit. "If you had cards rejected for this
operation, please send an e-mail <dxcc@arrl.org>; to the ARRL DXCC Desk
and you will be placed on the list for update," Moore said.

* We Stand Corrected: Last week's ARRL Letter inadvertently listed the
2007 dates for the week of February 1-7 (This Weekend on the Radio). We
have corrected the error; correct 2008 dates are now listed in this
week's edition. We apologize for any confusion. 

=========================================================== 
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
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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 2008 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

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