*************** 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 <http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) 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/>. 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