***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 27, No. 13
April 4, 2008
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + Fourteenth Annual AES Superfest a Super Success
* + ARRL Recognition Awards Available
* + Get Ready for World Amateur Radio Day on April 18
* + ARRL Compiles Complete Works of Larson E. Rapp, WIOU
* + Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Scheduled for May
* + 2008-2009 ARRL Repeater Directories Now Shipping
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This Weekend on the Radio
ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
Notes from the DXCC Desk
+ Hams Come to Rescue in Utah
+ Dick Jansson, KD1K, Wins March QST Cover Plaque Award
Exhibit Kits Available for Field Day
Field Day Station Locator Up and Running
Transatlantic Balloon to Launch this Weekend
Tim Hulick, W9QQ (SK)
Des Moines Hamfest Location Update
Belgian Satellite to Feature D-STAR Technology

+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,
================================================== =========

== FOURTEENTH ANNUAL AES SUPERFEST A SUPER SUCCESS

ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, attended the 14th
Annual AES Superfest http://www.aesham.com/superfest.shtml at the
headquarters store of Amateur Electronic Supply in Milwaukee, Wisconsin March
28-29. This event is an ARRL sanctioned hamfest that included forums, VE
testing (sponsored by MRAC), DXCC card checking and a fox hunt. ARRL Central
Division Director Dick Isely, W9GIG; Vice Director Howie Huntington, K9KM,
and ARRL Wisconsin Section Manager Don Michalski, W9IXG, were also on hand
for the event.

More than 30 vendors made the trek to Wisconsin to show off their wares. "It
was fun to visit with all of the AES staff and sales people, too. I enjoyed
discussing our new publications, especially the new format of the 'The ARRL
Repeater Directory,'" Inderbitzen said.

ARRL Volunteer Counsel Jim O'Connell, W9WU, offered a forum Saturday
afternoon -- Legal Issues for Hams -- giving advice for avoiding restrictive
antenna covenants, presenting a case for installing a tower (before
legislative or zoning officials) and information on the latest court rulings
on RFI and PRB-1. ARRL Instructor Gordon West, WB6NOA, presented a forum,
encouraging the crowd to recruit, mentor and most of all, have fun!

Inderbitzen heard from many hams while he was at the ARRL booth at Superfest:
"Most of the comments I received were very positive. There were lots of nice
words about the 'direction' of ARRL, the layout of QST and the one-on-one
experiences members have with the ARRL staff and officials. A few folks
mentioned having great visits to ARRL headquarters."

On March 27, the night before Superfest, Inderbitzen attended a meeting of
the Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club (MRAC) and spoke about sharing the passion
for Amateur Radio with friends and family members. This club, founded in
1917, will celebrate 90 years of ARRL Club Affiliation in 2009. In
recognition of this milestone, Inderbitzen presented MRAC President Howard
Parks, AB9FH, with an ARRL Recognition Award "for its commitment to Amateur
Radio and to the American Radio Relay League."

== ARRL RECOGNITION AWARDS AVAILABLE

As a service to its members, the ARRL now offers custom awards for clubs,
groups and individuals for recognition and achievement, offering a wide range
of styles and price levels. Each award is customized with your text and the
ARRL logo. The ARRL has introduced these items in response to requests by
members.

Products offered include a tan leather rectangular key fob with a call sign
on one side and the ARRL diamond on the other; a rosewood pen and pencil set
with personalization available on the pen and pencil, as well as the
presentation box; an 8x10 inch wood plaque with blue plate engraved with up
to 14 lines of gold text; a swiveling wood desk clock that holds a photo or
an insert -- personalize this with up to 25 characters on two lines, and a
beautiful crystal 3-inch etched globe on a crystal base, presented in a
velvet-lined gift box.

Do you have that one ham in your group who comes out every Field Day, rain or
shine, who stays from beginning to end, helping out in any way possible?
Acknowledge their involvement with a beautiful gift that shows how much you
value their service. What about the ham in your club that has been a member
for 25 years and has yet to miss a meeting? Show them how much you appreciate
their contribution with a small personalized token. Do you have an Elmer you
would like to thank with more than words? A personalized gift with their name
and call sign on it would remind them of you every time they use it.

Each item features the ARRL diamond logo. Award orders will be processed and
delivered within 20 working days. View the entire award product line, as well
as ARRL clothing items, at the Barker Specialties Web site
http://www.barkerstores.com/arrl.

== GET READY FOR WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY ON APRIL 18

Each year on the anniversary of its founding, April 18, the International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) marks World Amateur Radio Day. On this 83rd
anniversary of its inaugural meeting in Paris, the IARU dedicates World
Amateur Radio Day to the future of Amateur Radio with its theme, "Amateur
Radio: A Foundation for Technical Knowledge."

It is no secret that many professionals in the field of radio, TV,
communications and electronics have started their technical education as
young radio amateurs. Although Amateur Radio has a different face nowadays --
Digital Communications, Voice over Internet Protocol, Satellite up- and
downlinks and more -- it is even of greater value as a foundation for
technical knowledge for youngsters. And much more -- it is and should be used
as a unique attraction for future young radio amateurs.

World Amateur Radio Day provides an occasion to promote and publicize Amateur
Radio. Amateur Radio clubs are encouraged to find suitable ways of
celebrating World Amateur Radio Day. Many ways can be considered -- inviting
youngsters to visit radio clubs, showing up on the air with a special call
sign, organizing a station in a public area with media coverage or publicly
honoring amateurs who have made significant contributions. Whatever method is
chosen, clubs should think about publishing a press release for the media,
giving the background to World Amateur Radio Day and promoting the value of
Amateur Radio as a foundation for a technical career.

The ARRL will be very pleased to hear how Amateur Radio clubs chose to
celebrate World Amateur Radio Day. Share your stories and photos with us, so
that they may be shared with the Amateur Radio community. E-mail your
submissions to ARRL Affiliated Club/Mentor Program Supervisor Norm Fusaro,
W3IZ . Please be sure to put "World Amateur Radio Day" in the
subject line. -- Information provided by IARU

== ARRL COMPILES COMPLETE WORKS OF LARSON E. RAPP, WIOU

Thanks to the efforts of ARRL volunteer Bob Allison, WB1GCM, the League has
assembled the complete known works of noted QST author Larson E. Rapp, WIOU
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/larson/. Rapp's remarkable contributions
spanned a period of more than three decades (1941-1962, 1972), primarily
during the month of April. Rapp was said to be from Kippering-on-the-Charles,
Massachusetts, just off Route 128.

"Like most visionaries unafraid of pushing technology beyond conventional
limitations, Larson at times was controversial among his peers and
contemporaries," ARRL Lab Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, said. "You can now be
the judge of just how well Rapp's theorems and trademark 'radical approach'
have withstood the test of time."

The first Rapp article, "Putting Dynamic Prognostication to Work," appeared
in the April 1941 issue of QST. In the article, Rapp expounded on his
efficient one-tube transmitter. When Rapp discussed the tuning of the
transmitter, he said, "The high coupling efficiency of the unit results in a
minimum plate current of resonance of about 0.9 ma. at 7 Mc. This is too low
a value to show on the 0-250 milliammeter that should be used for the
circuit, so you'll have to take our word for it." The transmitter was
described as having a "simple construction of the chassis which is made from
cardboard fastened by wire staples and glue. The underside is covered with
tin foil."

In "The Circular Band Theorem: Operational Advantages of Concentric Frequency
Allocations" [April 1946], Rapp theorized if the FCC assigned "amateur
frequencies in concentric circles instead of bands [the end result would be]
the consequent elimination of out-of-band operation and band edge
crowding...[making] it possible to work someone 40 or 50 kc. removed from
one's frequency." This was brought on by Rapp's claim that amateurs,
"realizing that after calling 'CQ' they had to start listening somewhere and
that somewhere was usually the edge of the band." Rapp called for bands to be
designed in "concentric circles, and the beginners should be encouraged to
start in the smallest circle. Thus, even if one managed to get out of band --
we don't see how he could, but someone would find a way! -- he would still be
inside the next circle and amateur radio would have no black mark against it
for out-of-band operation. Further, the fact that a beginner was encouraged
to start in the
inner circle would make him feel like he was one of the boys right off, being allowed into the inner circle!"

In the April 1960 issue of QST, a phony full-page ad announced the formation
of "Larsen E. Enterprises, Inc," supposedly off Route 128 in
Kippering-on-the-Charles, Massachusetts, with Larsen E. Rapp as president.
Bearing a "Not a Advertisement" disclaimer, the ad offered customers free
access to the company's air-conditioned "Wonder Workshop" with each kit
purchase. "If you don't have the time to assemble the entire kit yourself,
one of our engineers will be glad to do it for you, just for the pleasure it
gives him," the ad promised. "No tipping please." In the "Print Shoppe,"
customers could purchase "authentic reproductions of the rarest QSL cards in
the world." The price included having the company's "patient penman" fill in
the card with your call sign and a signal report, duplicating the original
ink and handwriting.

Rapp himself said that "In assembling this list of my articles and letters
over the years, I noticed that QST always chose to publish them in the
springtime. This practice was especially meaningful to me as spring has
historically been a time of new beginnings and in our radio hobby, a time for
new insights into old technical problems. I hope you, too, will be helped and
inspired by these writings of an old ham."

== ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST SCHEDULED FOR MAY

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the
annual Military/Amateur Radio communications tests in celebration of the 58th
anniversary of Armed Forces Day (AFD). Although the actual Armed Forces Day
is celebrated on May 17, the AFD Military/Amateur Crossband Communications
Test will be conducted on May 10 to prevent conflict with the Dayton
Hamvention, scheduled for May 16-18.

The annual celebration features traditional military to amateur crossband
communications SSB voice tests and copying the Secretary of Defense message
via digital modes. These tests give Amateur Radio operators and short wave
listeners an opportunity to demonstrate their individual technical skills and
to receive recognition from the Secretary of Defense and/or the appropriate
military radio station for their proven expertise. QSL cards will be provided
to those stations making contact with the military stations. Special
commemorative certificates will be awarded to anyone who receives and copies
the digital Armed Forces Day message from the Secretary of Defense.

Look for schedules and frequencies of participating military stations to be
published in May on the Army MARS Web site http://www.netcom.army.mil/MARS.


== 2008-2009 ARRL REPEATER DIRECTORIES NOW SHIPPING

With more than 20,000 listings for VHF/UHF repeaters across the US and
Canada, "The ARRL Repeater Directory 2008-2009" is a must have. Once again,
the ARRL is offering two sizes of the "Repeater Directory" -- pocket size
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1271 and desktop
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1298.

This year, not only is the pocket-sized Repeater Directory a half-inch larger
than previous editions, it boasts a larger font size, making for easier
reading. For the first time ever, this year's editions feature handy indexing
tabs on the cover, easier to read listings and a "Key to Repeater Notes"
located right up front in the Directory.

Along with these new features, both editions have the features you know and
enjoy from prior years: Repeater operating practices, repeater lingo and
hints for newly licensed hams; Frequency Coordinator contact information;
listings for D-Star and APCO 25 repeaters; a guide to using CTCSS tones and
Digital Coded Squelch (DCS); VHF/UHF band plans and a 2 meter channel-spacing
map; IRLP (Internet linked) nodes; tips for handling interference; listings
for IRLP, WIRES-II and EchoLink (Internet linked) nodes; emergency message
handling procedures, and a transceiver memory log.

Order your copy of The ARRL Repeater Directory 2008-2009 today at the ARRL
Online Store http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=What's%20New.

==SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Who bade the Sun clothe you with rainbows" Cook, K7RA, this week
reports: The past few days have had very stable geomagnetic conditions. After
unsettled to active geomagnetic indicators on March 26-28, conditions quieted
down dramatically. Combined with the nearly two-week run of sunspots and the
spring season, this makes good HF conditions. There were actually three
sunspots, beginning on March 23 with the first one and a sunspot number of
14. March 24 and 25 each brought one new spot; the sunspot number rose to 35
and 52 on those days. Activity peaked between March 26-29 with daily sunspot
numbers of 63, 57, 63 and 50. Yesterday, April 3, the sunspot number was back
to 14 again, as one-by-one, the three spots drifted from view. Today's
sunspot number may be back to zero, and it may stay that way until April
18-20. Sunspot numbers for March 27 through April 2 were 57, 63, 50, 41, 45,
25 and 24 with a mean of 43.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 84.8, 82.9, 82.6, 80.5,
79.2, 77.8
and 75.9 with a mean of 80.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 31, 21, 8, 8, 4, 4 and 1 with a mean of 11. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 19, 13, 6, 6, 2, 5 and 1, with a mean of 7.4. 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 courtesy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

__________________________________

==IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, look for the YLRL DX-YL to NA-YL
Contest (CW) on April 4-6. The SP DX Contest, the EA RTTY Contest, the QCWA
Spring QSO Party, the Missouri QSO Party and the Yuri Gagarin International
DX Contest are all on April 5-6. The RSGB RoPoCo 1 is April 6, the RSGB 80
Meter Club Championship (CW) is April 7, the ARS Spartan Sprint is April 8
and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is April 9. The CQ WW WPX Contest (SSB)
is March 29-30. Next weekend is the LRL DX-YL to NA-YL Contest (SSB) on April
11-13. The EU Spring Sprint (CW) is April 12. The JIDX CW Contest, Radio
Maritime Day and the Georgia QSO Party are April 12-13. Be sure to check out
the SKCC Weekend Sprintathon and the UBA Spring Contest (SSB) on April 13.
The RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship (SSB) is scheduled for April 16. 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 Contes
t Calendar http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains open
through Sunday, April 20, 2008, for these on-line course sessions beginning
on Friday, May 2, 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 a
s 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 .

* Notes from the DXCC Desk: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that
DXCC has completed processing applications for 2007. As such, St Barthelemy
(FJ) has been added to the DXCC computer system and Logbook of The World
http://www.arrl.org/lotw. With the addition, this moves the #1 Honor Roll
position to 338 current entities; operators now need 329 entities to qualify
for Honor Roll. ARRL "While DXCC has completed applications for 2007, there
are a number of application returns still being mailed, so it may be another
2-3 weeks before applicants receive their 2007 return," Moore said. "LoTW is
now accepting certificate requests for St Barthelemy; once those logs are
submitted, the matches should occur and applicants can claim DXCC credit."
For programmers who use the DXCC entity numbering system, the entity code for
St Barthelemy is 516. Moore also noted that the 2007 G4GIR/KH9 DXpedition to
Wake Island has been approved for DXCC credit: "If you had cards rejected for

this operation, please send an e-mail to the ARRL DXCC Desk to have your DXCC record updated."

* Hams Come to Rescue in Utah: Eldon Kearl, K7OGM, of Fish Haven, Idaho, was
driving in the Logan Canyon, Utah area last week when he came upon a driver
who lost control of her truck in the snow. Her truck fell more than 100 feet
over a cliff, and two of the three passengers were thrown from the truck.
Witnesses tried to call for help on their cell phones, but the closest cell
coverage was more than a 30 minute drive away. Kearl, however, had a radio in
his car and was able to get a hold of another ham, Roger Ellis, KE7HTE, of
Logan, Utah. Kearl relayed to Ellis information about the accident scene and
Ellis called 911. First responders were on the scene within half an hour.
Although the driver and passengers in the truck suffered only minor injuries,
a spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol said that if Kearl and Ellis had not
responded in getting help so quickly, the injuries could have been much
worse. As Kearl said, "It all worked out pretty good." Kearl and Ellis have
nev
er met, but live relatively close to each other; they plan on meeting each other in person soon. -- Information provided by KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, Utah

* Dick Jansson, KD1K, Wins March QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the
QST Cover Plaque Award for March is Dick Jansson, KD1K, for his article "HF
Antennas and Restricted Living." Congratulations, Dick! The winner of the QST
Cover Plaque award -- given to the author or authors of the best article in
each issue -- is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque
Poll Web page http://www.arrl.org/members-only/qstvote.html. Cast a ballot
for your favorite article in the April issue by Wednesday, April 30.

* Exhibit Kits Available for Field Day: Visit the ARRL Field Day information
page http://www.arrl.org/fieldday for all the details on Field Day rules,
frequencies, forms, pins, logos and T shirts. The complete Field Day packet
http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/fd-2008-packet.pdf can be downloaded
from the site as well. If you have unanswered questions about Field Day,
contact ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, via e-mail
or by phone at 860-594-0236. If you want to order exhibit
kits containing printed flyers about Amateur Radio, you may order these
materials on the ARRL Web site http://www.arrl.org/brochures/. The cost of
the exhibit kits ranges from $8-$12 depending on shipping. To make sure
you'll have the display material in time for Field Day, your order must be
received before June 13. ARRL Field Day is always the fourth full weekend in
June; in 2008, it is June 28-29.

* Field Day Station Locator Up and Running: This year, for the first time,
the ARRL has put together a Station Locator
http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php to help amateurs
or those interested in Amateur Radio find a Field Day
http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/ site near them. According to
ARRL Field Day Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, many amateurs have been asking
for something like this for many years: "So far, 287 groups in 45 states and
3 Canadian provinces had registered their Field Day site with the Station
Locator." If your group would like to be a part of the Station Locator
Service, it's easy to get started. Just go to the Field Day Station Locator
Web site http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php and
follow the instructions.

* Transatlantic Balloon to Launch this Weekend: The trans-Atlantic balloon
flight of the Spirit of Knoxville V is set to launch April 5 at 2000 EDT
(0000 UTC April 6). The balloon, designed to stay aloft for more than 24
hours, will be inserted into the current jet stream at normal flight
altitudes of 30,000-40,000 feet. This will take the balloon into Europe over
the UK and France at around 40 hours into the flight if all goes well. Using
radio frequencies, the balloon transmits data detailing its current location,
distance traveled, speed, height and health of the balloon. Last month, the
Spirit of Knoxville IV made two-thirds of its journey and crossed the
tectonic plate to Europe; organizers hoped the balloon would make to Europe,
but after 40 hours and 3300 miles, the balloon lost altitude and went into
the ocean as it neared Ireland. The balloon's payload consists of hand-made
computers and radios along with a GPS and self-authored software. The onboard
computer gathers
information from the GPS like altitude, speed and temperature; the computer then determines whether it needs to drop weight to maintain its altitude and sends this information, via Amateur Radio frequencies, to volunteers around the globe. Track the mission live (the live status page will only become active at launch). See the Spirit of Knoxville Web page http://www.spiritofknoxville.com/ for more information.

* Tim Hulick, W9QQ (SK): ARRL has learned that Tim Hulick, PhD, W9QQ (ex
W9MIJ), Captain, USNR retired, of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, passed away
December 28, 2007 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 65. Hulick, an
ARRL Life Member, also held the calls V47QQ, KG4QQ, HL9QQ and PJ9Q. A 1964
graduate of the US Naval Academy, Hulick served his country for 29 years.
Upon retiring from the Navy, he operated Watts Unlimited, producing a
lightweight HV Power Supply designed for use as a replacement in older
amplifiers. Hulick wrote several articles for QST and QEX, including
"Switching Power Supplies for High Voltage" (QEX, February 1991), "PSK31 on
the Road!" (QST, March 2000), and "A Two-Element Vertical Parasitic Array for
75 Meters" (QST, December 1995). Hulick was on the ARRL DXCC Honor Roll with
356 countries; he only needed BS7, but was too sick to mount a serious effort
to get them while it was most recently on the air. He worked more than 230
counties while mobile.
He also operated /MM from a number of ships during his Naval career. Hulick was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife JoAnne, three sons, a daughter and several grandchildren.

* Des Moines Hamfest Location Update: The Des Moines Radio Amateur
Association (DSMRAA) will hold their hamfest on April 27 at the 92.5 KJJY
Event Center, located at 2100 NW 100th Street in Clive, Iowa. The April issue
of QST inadvertently stated the hamfest would be held at the Iowa State
Fairgrounds.

* Belgian Satellite to Feature D-STAR Technology: Students at the Universite
de Liege in Belgium have built OUFTI-1 http://www.leodium.ulg.ac.be/cmsms/,
a new Amateur Radio CubeSat featuring D-STAR digital-communication protocol
that is used for control and telemetry. Amateur Radio operators from all over
the world are able to listen in on the ON0ULG D-STAR repeater on 70 cm
http://www.jfindu.net/dstarlh.aspx?rptr=ON0ULG; 2 meters will be
operational soon. The objective of this nanosatellite project is to provide
hands-on experience to students in the design, construction and control of
complete satellite systems, ultimately serving as the basis for a variety of
space experiments. The first satellite in the series, OUFTI-1, is a CubeSat
-- a 10×10×10 cm cube weighing in at no more than one kilogram. --
Information provided by the OUFTI Team

================================================== =========
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
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Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in
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ARRL Letter/American Radio Relay League.

==Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
==Editorial questions or comments: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA,
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==ARRL Audio News: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/ or call 860-594-0384

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Copyright 2008 American Radio Relay League, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

ARRL Letter Mailing List wrote:
Rapp's remarkable contributions
spanned a period of more than three decades (1941-1962, 1972),

I remember an article, probably April '55, where
Rapp described a method of "amplitude discrimination".
If one used such a method, one could simply tune
in the weak signal by tuning out the strong ones.
Such amplitude discrimination required "back to
back limiters". When I asked my Elmer, W5OLV, how
to build a "back to back limiter", he couldn't stop
laughing.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

On Sat, 5 Apr 2008 10:14:06 EDT, Cecil Moore wrote:

ARRL Letter Mailing List wrote:
Rapp's remarkable contributions
spanned a period of more than three decades (1941-1962, 1972),

I remember an article, probably April '55, where
Rapp described a method of "amplitude discrimination".
If one used such a method, one could simply tune
in the weak signal by tuning out the strong ones.
Such amplitude discrimination required "back to
back limiters". When I asked my Elmer, W5OLV, how
to build a "back to back limiter", he couldn't stop
laughing.

And I remember one solution of his to TVI was to "find seats for the
standing waves...."

Those were the days. It would be the ultimate joke on us if someone
really was going to publish the "collected works".
--

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

e-mail: k2asp [at] arrl [dot] net

On Apr 5, 6:34�pm, Phil Kane wrote:
It would be the ultimate joke on us if someone
really was going to publish the "collected works".
--
Well, they're all on the website! Not limited to members-only, either.

The article to read, though, is the one about the QS-59 receiver. Many
of the features described are common in today's rigs.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Dan, W2IQD wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 5, 6:34�pm, Phil Kane wro
te:
It would be the ultimate joke on us if someone
really was going to publish the "collected works".
--
Well, they're all on the website! Not limited to members-only, either.

The article to read, though, is the one about the QS-59 receiver. Many
of the features described are common in today's rigs.

God, I remember reading that one and almost being taken in (I was about
13
at the time). Years later I went on to write some April spoofs for othe
r
mags, but Larson E. was always my hero. I think Byron Goodman, W1DX, wa
s
the author?


QST actually had a story on a magnetic Morse key that drew so much irate
mail the League promised to tone done future April foolery and to
include "tip off" language in future articles.

Bill, W1AC

--
Remove QRM from my address for direct replies.)

On Apr 6, 12:52 pm, ) (Dan, W2IQD) wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 5, 6:34�pm, Phil Kane wrote
:
It would be the ultimate joke on us if someone
really was going to publish the "collected works".
--
Well, they're all on the website! Not limited to members-only, either.

The article to read, though, is the one about the QS-59 receiver. Many
of the features described are common in today's rigs.

God, I remember reading that one and almost being taken in (I was about 13

at the time). Years later I went on to write some April spoofs for other
mags, but Larson E. was always my hero. I think Byron Goodman, W1DX, was
the author?

Ya know...

It's not just the ARRL that has fun with this kind of thing. CQ
Magazine has a few articles in it this month that are very much in the
4/1 spirit. A Cray based CW contest simulator which will run all the
CW contests off the air by 2011? I have to admit that it sounded good
until you started thinking though the details and reading the supposed
names of those involved. It would *almost* work?

There was another article that was a bit more overt, I just don't
remember exactly what it was about.

I have to admit though, the ARRL's "finding of the bad coax jumper and
that's why propagation is so bad" thing was a funny one. They had me
reading along wondering what all the homeland security stuff was going
to be and before I really got the joke I'd read almost half. Classic
way to write these things. You simply start to run off the rails of
reality a little at a time, throwing in enough truth to distract the
reader until as close to the end as possible. Truly good ones leave
just about everybody wondering if it's true or not.

-= bob =-

KC4UAI writes:

God, I remember reading that one and almost being taken in (I was
about 13 at the time). Years later I went on to write some April
spoofs for other mags, but Larson E. was always my hero. I think Byron
Goodman, W1DX, was the author?

Ya know...

It's not just the ARRL that has fun with this kind of thing. CQ
Magazine has a few articles in it this month that are very much in the
4/1 spirit. A Cray based CW contest simulator which will run all the
CW contests off the air by 2011? I have to admit that it sounded good
until you started thinking though the details and reading the supposed
names of those involved. It would *almost* work?



I remember The Invisible Antenna article by the Oberlin College
Prof. [QST] and 73's "How to turn your [WW2] Command Set into a 5 Band
250 Watt SSB Tranceiver" article. The instructions were easy to follow:

a) First, remove all components except for the fuseholder in the
upper right hand corner.

cont. on page 98


Of course, the magazine had 96 pages total...

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