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The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 4 (Friday, January 30, 2009)
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The ARRL Letter Vol. 28, No. 4 January 30, 2009 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * + Laura L. Smith Named to Amateur Radio Enforcement Role * + Michael J. Copps Named Acting FCC Chairman * + J. John Thomason, WB5SYT, Appointed West Gulf Division Vice Director * + Logbook of The World Now Easier than Ever * + John Scott Redd, K0DQ, Awarded Nation's Top Intelligence Award * + ARRL Executive Committee Approves 21 Education & Technology Program Grants * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This Week on the Radio ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration + Field Day Packets Available February 2 + ARRL Expands Member Access to QST Archive Deadline to Order 75th Sweepstakes Mugs and Pins Fast Approaching ARRL Scholarship Applications Due February 1 Desecheo Island DXpedition Granted Call Sign Amateur Radio Operations to Begin Again on Midway Atoll Korea Unveils Stamp Celebrating ARDF +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 ==Editorial questions or comments only: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA ================================================== ========= == LAURA L. SMITH NAMED TO AMATEUR RADIO ENFORCEMENT ROLE Laura L. Smith of Pennsylvania has been named by the FCC to fill the vacancy created when Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, retired in 2008 as Special Counsel for the Spectrum Enforcement Division of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. Hollingsworth served in that position for more than 10 years as the FCC's enforcement watchdog over the Amateur Radio Service http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/07/03/10198. A 1990 graduate of the Pepperdine University School of Law, Smith began her legal career with the FCC, working in the Mass Media Bureau and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. She also served as Deputy Division Chief of the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. Smith is currently licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1998, Smith left the FCC to become Executive Director of Governmental Affairs for the Industrial Telecommunications Association (ITA) http://www.ita-relay.com/default.htm, now Enterprise Wireless Alliance. In that role, she monitored FCC and legislative proceedings and participated in all regulatory proceedings relevant to the private wireless industry. In 2001, Smith became ITA's President and Chief Executive Officer. While in that position, she was instrumental in the formation of the Consensus Group, a group of public safety and private wireless entities responsible for drafting the "Consensus Plan," a proposed resolution for interference in the 800 MHz band; this was adopted by the FCC in 2004. Smith returns to the FCC after serving Of Counsel with the Maryland law firm of Shulman Rogers. While there, she dealt with telecommunications matters and provided counsel to numerous entities in the private radio and public safety communities. Smith has served as an industry consultant and written columns for a variety of trade publications including "Mobile Radio Technology Magazine" and "The Private Wireless Magazine." In an October 2008 letter to then-FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, urged Martin to name a successor to Hollingsworth: "The appointment of a replacement Special Counsel in this position is of critical importance to the Amateur Radio Service, as the delay in finalizing the appointment stands to undermine in very short order an exceptionally successful and low-cost program of enforcement in the Amateur Service." Calling the FCC's Amateur Radio enforcement program "spectacularly successful," Harrison reminded Martin of the "long period in the late 1980s and 1990s during which the Commission was essentially uninvolved in enforcement in the Amateur Service. The Amateur Service, consisting of some 680,000 licensees of the Commission, is in essence a self-regulating service; however, due to the shared frequency allocations in the Service and the long distance propagation of amateur communications, a very few rule violators can cause severe disruption in the Service. On the other hand, even a minimal Commission presence has a very strong deterrent value." When Hollingsworth was appointed as Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement, Harrison said that Hollingsworth "established a visible presence in the Service and very quickly, and with very little investment of Commission resources, using little more than the awareness of an enforcement presence, created strong deterrence against rule violations." Upon learning of Smith's move to the Amateur Radio enforcement role, Harrison remarked that he was "very pleased to see the Commission move forward with the hiring of a new Special Counsel responsible for enforcement of the Amateur Radio Service rules. Ever since Riley Hollingsworth announced his retirement, we have met with the Enforcement Chief numerous times and corresponded with FCC Chairman Martin to ensure this position remains intact at FCC. The Commission acknowledges the self-regulating environment we maintain, but also understands that we need their assistance occasionally to resolve a few situations. They have continually reassured us that this is an important matter for them, and Ms Smith's hiring confirms that." == MICHAEL J. COPPS NAMED ACTING FCC CHAIRMAN On Thursday, January 22, President Barack Obama named current FCC Commissioner Michael Copps as Acting Chairman of the Commission. Rumors circulated in mid-January that technology executive Julius Genachowski would be nominated as Chairman. Copps will serve as Acting Chairman until a new Commissioner/Chairman is confirmed. "I am honored to be designated as Acting Chairman of the FCC," Copps said in a statement released by the FCC. "I thank President Obama for his confidence in me and for this opportunity to serve. I know that I have a truly gifted and terrific team to work with. I pledge every effort I am capable of to help steer the Commission through its current transition to new leadership." ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, congratulated Copps on his appointment. "Whenever we have sought a meeting with him or his staff, his door has always been open to us," he said. Currently serving a second term as FCC Commissioner, Copps began his first term with the Commission in 2001. Before his appointment to the FCC, he served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development at the US Department of Commerce, where he was previously Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Basic Industries. Copps came to Washington in 1970, joining the staff of Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) and served for more than a decade as his Chief of Staff. He has also held positions at a Fortune 500 company and at a major trade association. Before coming to Washington, Copps was a professor of American history at Loyola University of the South. He received a BA from Wofford College and earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon being sworn in for his second term as FCC Commissioner in 2006, Copps said that "The last four and a half years have been tremendously transformative for the world of telecommunications and the media. The future holds even greater challenge. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the Commission, with the Congress and with all the other stakeholders to help bring the most advanced, accessible and cost-effective communications system in the world to all American consumers." == J. JOHN THOMASON, WB5SYT, APPOINTED WEST GULF DIVISION VICE DIRECTOR With the approval of the ARRL Ethics and Elections Committee, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has appointed Oklahoma Section Manager J. John Thomason, WB5SYT, as Vice Director in the West Gulf Division. Thomason replaces Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV, who moved up to Director with the retirement of Division Director Coy Day, N5OK, earlier this month. An Extra class licensee, Thomason has been an ARRL member for more than 20 years and has served as Oklahoma Section Manager since 2003. While Section Manager, he supported and prompted passage of Oklahoma Senate Bill 426. This bill allows "for the erection of an Amateur Radio antenna or an Amateur Radio antenna support structure at a height and dimension sufficient to accommodate Amateur Radio Service communications." Thomason also represented the League in 2004 at the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster's (VOAD) national conference. Based on an article in the November 2007 issue of QST, Thomason, with assistance from University of Oklahoma personnel, developed a frequency coordination protocol that is now used at that school's home football games. "The opportunity and honor to serve the West Gulf Division as Vice Director is exciting," Thomason said. "It is my desire to diligently work with Director Woolweaver to ensure Division members are informed, to provide input and feedback on policies and procedures pertinent to the League's missions and to accomplish what is necessary to have the interest and the availability to inform through developed relationships with Division members and League headquarters staff." "I have known John for several years," Woolweaver said. "He has been very successful as a Section Manager, especially in the areas of Emergency Preparedness and legislative action. His unmistakable talents in those areas will be very useful in his new role as Vice Director." Thomason said continuing "the excellent League service provided by my predecessor Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV, is humbling and enabling. His skill set and presence at so many League functions in the Oklahoma Section and beyond is truly a high standard to obtain. He has shown a highly informed outreach and capacity to listen and communicate while making the Amateur Radio Service visible through the League. He will grow in these efforts as Director while following in the richness of professionalism of Director Coy Day, N5OK. "It is my hope to sustain and flourish the wonderful relationship developed via my role as Oklahoma Section Manager. The relationships and fondness for our fellow Amateur Radio operators and capacity therein to enhance our public service with League strength is very important to me in my role as Vice Director. This has developed by being active at League events, club meetings, Nets and served agency functions. We make a difference in Amateur Radio operators' lives by listening, caring and expressing this passion to them. A birthday card or a handwritten note of encouragement during family challenges clearly communicates that the League cares for and about them as people and their contributions to Amateur Radio. It has been stated that we meet people based on what in common, but grow on the basis of how we are different. I feel this is our opportunity to strengthen our collective League mission during difficult times, be they economic or frequency threats." Thomason is a member of the Edmond Amateur Radio Society (EARS). He has earned DXCC and Worked All States (WAS) on CW, PSK and SSB. Thomason is a vocational evaluator with the State of Oklahoma's Department of Rehabilitation Services. He holds a BA in psychology and an MS in rehabilitation counseling. When Thomason moved up to Vice Director, Dean Feken, KL7MA, of Perry, was appointed as the new ARRL Oklahoma Section Manager. The Rules and Regulations of the ARRL Field Organization state that when a vacancy in the office of Section Manager occurs between elections, the position is filled by appointment by the Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager, in consultation with the Director. MVP Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, consulted with Woolweaver and Thomason in filling the Section Manager position. Feken, an Extra class licensee, has been the Oklahoma Official Observer Coordinator since the spring 2004 and an Official Observer since fall 2003. Feken's term as Section Manager continues through September 30, 2010. The nomination announcement for the next term of office for Oklahoma Section Manager is scheduled to appear in the April 2010 issue of QST. == LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD NOW EASIER THAN EVER In order to better accommodate new users as well as existing account holders, ARRL's Logbook of The World (LoTW) has been updated http://www.arrl.org/lotw/. According to ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Assistant Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, these improvements were made based LoTW help questions and listening to users. "Through the efforts of Membership and Volunteer Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, and Information Technology Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, we have also added an automated results table on the LoTW Users Home Page that lists members in numeric order who have achieved the Triple Play Award," said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B. "IT personnel have also fixed a number of longstanding issues with Logbook in recent weeks, and some additional enhancements are underway." Added enhancements include: * An LoTW User's Corner that includes quick links to log onto your account, save or renew a certificate and ways to address PC failure. * The GET STARTED section http://www.arrl.org/lotw/start.html has been simplified with links for each of the four steps in the certificate process. * LoTW instructions are now available in nine languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Russian, Slovenian and Spanish. Options to select a language have always been available, but they have now been moved up front to the GET STARTED page. The languages are identified with icons of flags to represent each language. * The GET STARTED pdf file has been updated to include new screenshots and refinement of some of the processes. * The software download section now consists of only three icons representing the three operating systems for which software is available: Windows, Mac and Linux. The user simply selects their operating system and they are redirected to the download specific to their system. * A new link has been added for QSL Manager, Club Calls and DXpeditions. This link gives details on establishing an account for these special operations and includes a section for 1x1 call signs. * A new PowerPoint overview is available from the LoTW site. This presentation has also been added to our multimedia library http://www.arrl.org/multimedia. The program is an overview of LoTW and what users can expect from the service. There are screenshots of LoTW pages, as well as a condensed version of the certificate and award application process. With more than 200 million QSOs submitted, ARRL's Logbook of The World system is a repository of log records submitted by users from around the world http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/01/22/10576/?nc=1. When both participants in a QSO submit matching QSO records to LoTW, the result is a QSL that can be used for ARRL award credit. Yaesu is the principal sponsor of the LoTW Web site http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/06/02/10138/. == JOHN SCOTT REDD, K0DQ, AWARDED NATION'S TOP INTELLIGENCE AWARD Vice Admiral John Scott Redd, USN (ret), K0DQ, received the National Security Medal in a White House ceremony earlier this month. In one of his last official duties as President of the United States, George W. Bush recognized Redd for "his more than 40 years of exceptional service to the Nation, strengthening its intelligence capabilities and improving national security," and called Redd "an innovator, a strategic thinker, an inspirational leader and a dedicated servant to the Nation, respected for his vision, courage and integrity." During his remarks, the President also thanked Redd's wife Donna for her service over many years. The Redds' daughter and sons also attended the White House ceremony. The National Security Medal is America's highest intelligence award. It is awarded to any citizen of the United States with distinguished achievements or outstanding contributions, on or after 26 July 1947, in the field of intelligence relating to the national security of the United States of America. Previous recipients of the National Security Medal include Bill Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS); J. Edgar Hoover, former FBI Director; Robert Gates, US Secretary of Defense, and Brent Scowcroft, National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush. In 1995, Redd founded and was named commander of the Navy's Fifth Fleet http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/. The fleet operates in waters surrounding the Middle East and is the only new fleet since World War II. He served as director of strategic plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.jcs.mil/ from 1996 until he retired from the Navy two years later. Redd was named Chief Operating Officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority http://www.cpa-iraq.org/ in March 2004, but the White House recalled him a month later to lead the commission that examined the intelligence failures that led up to the Iraq war. He earlier served as Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, for which he received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. In August 2005, Congress confirmed Redd -- a 1966 graduate of the US Naval Academy and a Fulbright Scholar -- as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) http://www.nctc.gov/; he retired in November 2007. The NCTC is the nation's repository for counterterrorism intelligence and sets the nation's war plan for fighting terrorists. The center has few employees of its own and, instead, brings together approximately 400 analysts and other employees from agencies such as the CIA, the Homeland Security Department and the FBI to pore over data collected by other agencies. The NCTC houses the nation's terrorist watch list and distributes it throughout the government nightly. It holds video teleconferences three times a day to keep the White House and the intelligence community informed about terrorist activity and counter-terror operations. "We say, 'Mr. President, here's what the intelligence community believes, and here's where agencies disagree,'" Redd said in describing how the NCTC operates. "So now he can see what the disagreement is and why. Because intelligence is not an arithmetic thing, there's a lot of judgment that goes into it." An active ham, contester and DXer for more almost 50 years, Redd -- a native of Sydney, Iowa -- enjoys both CW and phone. In 1971, Redd, then K0DQI, won the CQ World Wide DX Contest (phone) from Mexico as 6D1AA. He also won the ARRL International DX Contest, both phone and CW, in 1972 from Mexico as XE1IIJ; this was the first time a single operator surpassed 10,000 contacts in a contest. In 1973, Redd won the ARRL Phone DX Contest from the DX side (Mexico) as 6J9AA, and in 1986, he won the ARRL CW from the US as W3GRF. All of these wins were as Single Operator, High Power. Redd went on to place third in his first CQ Worked All Prefix (WPX) (CW) contest in 1995 as A92Q from Bahrain. Throughout his ham radio career, Redd has held many DX call signs: P40Q, 3V8DQ, A92Q, XE1IIJ, 4A4AA/1, 6J9AA, 6D1AA, 6G1AA, 6J9AA, 4C5AA and 4C9AA, just to name a few. In 2008, Redd was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/16/10100/. The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors those individuals, whether licensed hams or not, who have made significant contributions to Amateur Radio, and those amateurs who have made significant contributions either to Amateur Radio, to their professional careers or to some other aspect of life on our planet. == ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE APPROVES 21 EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM GRANTS In December, the ARRL Executive Committee reviewed grant applications for the ARRL's Education & Technology Program (ETP) http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/, awarding nearly $22,000 to 21 schools. More than 350 schools across the country have received support from the ETP in the form of grants for equipment, curriculum and resources, as well as teacher in-service training through the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/ti.html. The Executive Committee reviews applications for equipment and resource grants twice each year, in December and May. ETP Grants ETP grants consist of Amateur Radio equipment, enabling the school to set up a station. Schools may receive activity kits in addition to station equipment. The following schools recently received ETP grants: Phillip Magruder Middle School, Torrance, California: This grant application proposed an after school program based on three pillars: To instruct students on the basics of radio technology and allow them to practice using the technology to communicate effectively; to allow students to construct a radio station and take licensing classes to be able to use their station, and to use the context of the club (ham radio) to explore careers through related field trips and interaction with hams in the community. The proposal is well thought out and presented and it represents a program that has good potential for success. Bradshaw Mountain Middle School, Dewey, Arizona: The teacher proposes to integrate Amateur Radio and shortwave radio into the school culture and classroom curriculum to provide opportunities for students of all levels during a combined in-school and after school program. Their goals are to establish a shortwave station allowing students and teachers to listen to transmissions from other areas, including support for Spanish language instruction, expose students to world cultures through radio and news broadcasts from and for other countries; students will put together a ham radio station that will be used to support other content areas of instruction, such as science, and to develop a portable station capable to allow for off school site participation in local ham activities to provide for school outreach. This is another well thought out and presented grant application with broad goals and objectives. This program has a good potential for success. McDermitt Combined School, McDermitt, Nevada: This program is being sponsored by the local County Emergency Coordinator. The school is in a remote area and serves an at-risk population. The main theme of this program is EmComm and it creates exposure to public service-related career fields that are normally not considered by the students. The program is well supported by the local ham community. Worthington Public School, Worthington, Minnesota: The lead teacher for this program is a Teachers Institute graduate and is a school resource officer (a police officer assigned to the school district to facilitate law enforcement-school connections). The teacher has developed a program proposal based on a portable ham radio station that he can take with him from school-to-school to support his outreach efforts. West Elementary School, Zion, Illinois: The lead teacher (administrator) for this program is Nathan McCray, one of the Teachers Institute instructors. Nathan had a well established ETP program at his former school; when he transferred to another school, he left the program in the capable hands of his wife. Nathan is now vice-principal and is starting up an ETP program at his new school. He is requesting only the basic station components to get the program going at the new school. Bayside High School, Palm Bay, Florida: The lead teacher for this program is a Teachers Institute graduate. He articulates a program proposal that uses ham radio in the engineering curriculum of this magnet school. This will be a good fit and the teacher is well prepared to execute the plan. Malcolm Bridge Middle School, Bogart, Georgia: The lead teacher for this program is a Teachers Institute graduate. The program presented has a good potential of success. Samsula Academy, New Smyrna Beach, Florida: This applicant is requesting a basic ham radio station for the school and some curriculum materials to support an after school ham radio class. The local ham radio club is supporting this program in the hopes of repeating the apparent success they have had at another local school. Horizon Elementary School, Homestead, Florida: This school is running a parallel program with Samsula Academy; they are requesting the same basic ham radio station to support their ongoing program. Progress Grants In order for a school to be considered for a Progress Grant, it must already be an ETP School. If a teacher attends a session of the Teachers Institute, that school is automatically considered an ETP School. The following schools received Progress Grants: University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, Arkansas: The lead professor is a graduate of the Teachers Institute and a long time ETP school. The professor wants to begin integrating the weather satellite system that was demonstrated during the Teachers Institute and to expand his program to include space in the classroom content. Westside Elementary School, Searcy, Arkansas: The lead teacher for this program is a recent Teachers Institute graduate. She wants to include the space exploration through robotics unit that was presented during the Teachers Institute into her elementary school curriculum. She has adapted the content to the grade level of her students and has an interesting approach. The approach will use the activity to provide basic instruction of electronics. Olde Towne Middle School, Ridgeland, Mississippi: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute. The teacher wants to begin integrating the ham radio satellite system that was demonstrated during the Teachers Institute and to expand his program to include space in the classroom content. He is requesting the basic components to make up the satellite ground station. Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia: The lead teacher for this program is a recent Teachers Institute graduate. He wants to include the space exploration unit that was presented during the Teachers Institute into his high school curriculum and is requesting the ancillary parts of the Mars Lander activity. These parts are added to the Boe-Bot robotics instructor's board that he received during the Teachers Institute, including sensors, RF data link and ATV components. Livingston High School, Livingston, New Jersey: The lead teacher for this program is a recent Teachers Institute graduate. He wants to expand the use of the activity board resources he learned about during the Institute into his regular curriculum. Petrova Elementary School, Saranac Lake, New York: This applicant is requesting assistance in obtaining licensing resource materials for the school radio club. The resources obtained through this grant will be housed in a club library for multiple users. This request is in support of an existing program that includes a radio station at the school. East Elementary, Zion, Illinois: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute. The teacher wants to begin integrating the weather satellite system that was demonstrated during the Teachers Institute and to expand her program to include space in the classroom content. Additionally, she is requesting a dual-band handheld radio for use with the FM satellites. Great Lakes Adventist Academy, Cedar Lake, Michigan: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute. The teacher wants to begin integrating the weather satellite system that was demonstrated during the Teachers Institute and to expand his program to include space in the classroom content. Sister Lakes Elementary School, Dowagiac, Michigan: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute. The teacher wants to begin integrating the weather satellite system that was demonstrated during the Teachers Institute and to expand his program to include space in the classroom content. Granite Bay Montessori School, Roseville, California: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute and probably the most proactive of all the graduates to date. He is requesting support to make the school radio station solar powered and expand the content of this program to include alternative energy sources. Marist School, Atlanta, Georgia: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute. The teacher wants to begin integrating the weather satellite system that was demonstrated during the Teachers Institute and to expand his program to include space in the classroom content. Nichols Junior High School, Arlington, Texas: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute and a long time ETP school. The teacher wants to begin integrating the use of ham radio satellites into his curriculum as demonstrated during the Institute. He is requesting a basic satellite ground station for working the FM satellites. A goal of the ARRL Education & Technology Program is to improve the quality of education by providing an educationally sound curriculum that employs Amateur Radio to integrate technology, math, science, geography and language arts with core curricula. Amateur Radio and an understanding of radio science are keys to building Wireless Technology Literacy, another important objective. ==SOLAR UPDATE Tad "Sitting around a secret sea, worship a secret Sun" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: On Tuesday, January 27, we saw another one of those "almost-a-sunspot" emerge in the Sun's low latitude, so it was probably an old Solar Cycle 23 spot; it was gone the next day. Sunspot numbers for January 22-28 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 with a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 69, 70, 68.8, 69.8, 69.9, 69.7 and 69.5 with a mean of 69.5. The estimated planetary A indices were 1, 1, 1, 1, 10, 4 and 2 with a mean of 2.9. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 0, 1, 1, 1, 9, 2 and 1 with a mean of 2.1. 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/. This week's "Tad Cookism" brought to you by G. K. Chesterton's "The Ballad of the White Horse" http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_the_White_Horse. __________________________________ ==IN BRIEF: * This Week on the Radio: This week, look for the SARL Youth Day Sprint on January 31. The QRP Winter Fireside SSB Sprint is February 1. Next week is the School Club Roundup on February 9-13. The Minnesota QSO Party and the FYBO Winter QRP Field Day are on February 7. On February 7-8, look for the Vermont QSO Party, the 10-10 Winter Phone QSO Party, the Worldwide Peace Messenger Cities, the British Columbia QSO Challenge, the New Mexico QSO Party and the FMRE International RTTY Contest. The Delaware QSO Party is February 7-9, and the North American Sprint (CW) and the FM Simplex Contest are February 8. See the ARRL Contest Branch page http://www.arrl.org/contests/, the ARRL Contest Update http://www.arrl.org/contests/update/ and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html for more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Station Web page http://www.arrl.org/contests/spev.html. * ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, February 8, 2009, for these online course sessions beginning on Friday, February 20, 2009: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2; Antenna Modeling, and Radio Frequency Propagation. 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/cep/student or contact the Continuing Education Program Coordinator . * Field Day Packets Available February 2: Get ready for ARRL Field Day, June 27-28, 2009. Packets will be available February 2 on the ARRL Field Day Web site www.arrl.org/fieldday. Packets include the complete rules (including changes for 2009). Other reference items that will be available include forms, Section abbreviations, a kit to publicize your event with the local press and more. * ARRL Expands Member Access to QST Archive: ARRL is pleased to announce that online access to the QST archive http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qqnsearch.html will be expanded. Beginning February 1, 2009, ARRL members will be able to search and view QST -- from December 1915 through December 2005 right from their computer. With an additional year -- 2005 -- added to the viewable archive, this valuable benefit is available to all ARRL members. As an added benefit, ARRL Diamond Club members at the Brass level and above -- as well as ARRL Maxim Society members -- will be able to get images from the entire QST archive, right up through December 2008, an additional three years http://www.arrl.org/diamondclub. According to ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, this is the first new benefit that has been added to the Diamond Club since the Diamond Terrace opened in 2007. "Given the popularity of the QST online archive," Hobart said, "I hope that Diamond Club members and the Maxim Society members will enjoy exclusive access to the most recent four years of QST with our appreciation for their generosity. Perhaps the expanded QST viewable archive will inspire other ARRL members to participate in the Diamond Club and enjoy the other benefits available to Diamond Club members, as well." The online archive was first introduced to members in fall 2008, providing PDF copies of articles from the huge QST archive, from December 1915 through December 2004. Since then, thousands of members have enjoyed searching, viewing and printing their favorite articles, projects and more. The membership benefit is a service of the ARRL Technical Information Service (TIS) http://www.arrl.org/tis/. Access to the archive is free for ARRL members. QST is the official journal of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. An interest in Amateur Radio is the only essential qualification of membership. ARRL membership is $39 per year in the US. For a complete list of membership benefits and dues, please visit the ARRL Membership Web page http://www.arrl.org/join. * Deadline to Order 75th Sweepstakes Mugs and Pins Fast Approaching: Time is running out to order your 2008 ARRL November Sweepstakes mugs and pins. If you submitted a log with more than 100 QSOs, you qualify for a Sweepstakes Participation pin. If you submitted a log with a Clean Sweep -- working all 80 ARRL/RAC sections -- you qualify for a Clean Sweep coffee mug. According to ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, all orders need to be postmarked by January 31. If you would like to order a Sweepstakes pin or mug, you can either send a copy of your Sweepstakes summary sheet (if you filed a paper log) or a copy of the first page of your Cabrillo file (if you submitted an electronic log via e-mail) with your check for the correct amount; orders need to be postmarked by January 31 in order to qualify. Sweepstakes Participation pins are $6; Clean Sweep mugs are $16 this year. All costs include shipping charges. Kutzko advises that these items are not in stock. "We will make our order to our supplier once we know how many requests we have," he explained. "Mugs and pins will likely be shipped in late March. The 75th running of the November Sweepstakes was a great event, with lots of participation and fun! Be sure to commemorate your effort with a pin or mug this year." * ARRL Scholarship Applications Due February 1: The deadline for ARRL Foundation scholarship applications is February 1, 2009. Applications must be postmarked on or before February 1 and must include the student's most recent transcript. This year, the Foundation expects to award up to 60 general scholarships ranging in amounts from $500 to $2500. The most prestigious Foundation scholarship is the William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship, awarded to one high school senior each year. After the student has received all financial aid he or she is qualified for, other scholarships and awards and family contributions, the Goldfarb Scholarship will cover any remaining expenses (room and board, tuition, fees and books) for a four-year undergraduate curriculum at an accredited university in one of the following courses of study: business-related computers, medical or nursing fields, engineering or sciences. This award to an active radio amateur is based on outstanding qualifications, need and other funding sources. ARRL Chief Development Officer and Foundation Secretary Mary Hobart, K1MMH, said, "Providing scholarships to young hams who pursue higher education is one of the most rewarding activities of the ARRL Foundation. The expressions of gratitude from scholarship winners and their families make it clear that the awards are contributing directly their success and to the future of Amateur Radio." All the information about the ARRL Scholarships for FCC licensed radio amateurs, including descriptions, application forms and instructions can be found on the ARRL Foundation Web site http://www.arrlf.org. * Desecheo Island DXpedition Granted Call Sign: The DXpedition to Desecheo Island -- February 12-26 -- will use call sign K5D. "As soon as we land on Desecheo, two stations will be immediately activated," said DXpedition co-leader Bob Allphin, K4UEE. Stations will continue to operate until the final moments of departure on February 26." Because Desecheo is very rare, Allphin said that "there are many, many hams worldwide that need KP5 for an all-time new one. Therefore, we are asking that you not contact the DXpedition on any band/mode that you have confirmed from a previous DXpedition. This will allow the people who really need a new DXCC entity a better opportunity to get through the pileups. Our objective is not to establish a world record for contacts. There will be no 'greenies,' no boxes to check, no competitions for most band/mode QSOs, no certificate or awards for contacting the DXpedition more times than anyone else. So if you have KP5 already confirmed on a particular band/mode, we respectfully ask that you exercise restraint. If, late in the DXpedition, we are calling CQ for contacts, we will welcome your call." Desecheo currently sits at number 7 on DX Magazine's Most Wanted list; the island is the second most-wanted DXCC entity in Asia and third most-wanted in Europe. Desecheo is a small uninhabited island in the Mona Passage, 14 miles off the west coast of Puerto Rico. It is part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service's national wildlife refuge system administered by the Caribbean National Wildlife Refuge Complex (CNWR). * Amateur Radio Operations to Begin Again on Midway Atoll: The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced on Monday, January 26 that they would once again allow Amateur Radio operators the opportunity to operate from Midway Atoll. This the first time that USFWS has allowed amateurs to operate from the wildlife refuge since 2002. The USFWS started a program earlier this month to encourage visitors to experience Midway's wildlife, history and culture, as well as non-wildlife-dependent activities -- including Amateur Radio To ensure the safety of the wildlife on the Refuge, the USFWS said that Amateur Radio operations will be permitted for two weeks only, from October 5-19, 2009. "Radio operation will be allowed only within a designated area on the north side of Sand Island and the use of portable generators will not be permitted," said Midway Atoll Refuge Manager Matt D. Brown. "There is 120 V power available at the operation site. Any modifications to the island power grid/infrastructure must be approved in advance and be paid for entirely by the radio operators. Although determined to be a wildlife-compatible activity," Brown said, "this [Amateur Radio] opportunity is being conducted on a trial basis." Brown has the authority to discontinue the activity at any time, based on wildlife protection and conservation goals. For more information, please contact Brown via e-mail or by phone at 808-954-4818. Lodging arrangements can be made with Darlene Holst via e-mail or by phone at 808-954-4801. Midway Atoll is located in the North Pacific Ocean, approximately 1250 miles northwest of Honolulu. * Korea Unveils Stamp Celebrating ARDF: Korea has issued a postage stamp commemorating the 2008 Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) World Championships. The ARDF World Championships, held in Korea and hosted by the Korean Amateur Radio League, were September 2-7, 2008. More than 450 participants from 28 countries came to Korea to compete. Upon issuance of the stamp, Korea said it hoped that the "World Championships will provide a momentum to stimulate public interest and participation in Amateur Radio." ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, said that Team USA had their best showing ever at the 2008 World Championships: "We had four Top 10 finishes in the two days of fox-finding competition, first with 2 meter AM signals, and then with 80 meter CW signals. ARRL's team faced more than 300 of the planet's best foxtailers that represented 24 other national Amateur Radio societies." ARDF combines Amateur Radio skills with the map and compass skills of orienteering in a timed race where individual competitors navigate through diverse wooded terrain while searching for radio transmitters. The rules of the sport and international competitions are organized by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). See the stamp he http://www.koreastamp.go.kr/sp/eg/speg0101.jsp?page_num=2. Correction: In last week's ARRL Letter, we inadvertently used an outdated URL in referring to the Network Engineers Repeater Association. You can find NERA on the Web at http://www.neradc.org. ================================================== ========= 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!): ==Editorial questions or comments: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, ==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/. (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 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list. (NOTE: The ARRL cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.) Copyright 2009 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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