*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 07 February 18, 2005 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +New ARRL COO outlines his vision for future * +League staff member testifies on BPL * +Ham radio links ISS crew with Mother Earth * +FCC chief, member want "Sunshine Act" changes * +Commission affirms $4000 fine for Missouri ham * +Vanity call sign fee proposed to stay at $20.80 * +FCC upholds $10,000 fine for unlicensed operation on 2 meters * +Radio amateurs get Volunteer Service awards * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration Anticipated Peter I Island DXpedition postponed until 2006 AMSAT-DL reviews P3E satellite design ARES/RACES drill participation draws FEMA praise Collins ARC special event to feature operation from B-29 station +Available on ARRL Audio News =========================================================== NOTE: ARRL Headquarters will be closed for Presidents' Day, Monday, February 21. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions on that day. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Tuesday, February 22, at 8 AM EST. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday! =========================================================== ==>NEW ARRL COO HAROLD KRAMER, WJ1B, WANTS BRIGHT FUTURE FOR AMATEUR RADIO New ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold R. Kramer, WJ1B, says he is looking forward to having an active role in confronting and resolving issues that may cloud Amateur Radio's future. The 56-year-old Cheshire, Connecticut, resident officially joined the ARRL Headquarters staff February 15, replacing Mark Wilson, K1RO, who stepped down last September. In his new role, Kramer says, he wants very much to be a part of the solution to keeping Amateur Radio vibrant. "I not only want to ensure a future for Amateur Radio, I'd like to see it thrive," he said. Kramer wants the ARRL to augment efforts advocating Amateur Radio as a great leisure-time activity that also offers lifelong opportunities for both learning and public service. But he also concedes that there's no single answer to assuring a bright future for Amateur Radio. "A lot of things have to happen," he said. "These include an ongoing emphasis on public service. That's something we need to continue doing." As the Emergency Coordinator for Cheshire and an alumnus of the ARRL Amateur Radio Level I emergency communications course (he's working on Level II), Kramer's clearly willing to walk the walk. Besides public service work, he's a CW enthusiast. A radio amateur since he was a teenager and possessing an education that spans the arts and the sciences, Kramer may be in an ideal position to foster his vision for ham radio's future. He holds an associate degree in electronic technology from the University of Hartford's Ward Technical College, where he still teaches an introductory course in electricity and electronics. He also holds a BA in English and an MA in education (Instructional Media and Technology) from the University of Connecticut. Kramer served previously as vice president for strategic planning, business development, and education at Connecticut Public Broadcasting. Prior to that, he was employed in the cable television industry. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, noted that Kramer's selection culminated an intensive search process. "Harold brings to the ARRL staff an outlook and relevant skills developed in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors," he said. "That, coupled with a lifelong love of Amateur Radio, makes him a strong addition to the ARRL management team." Kramer says he'd like to see the ARRL firm up its position as an educational resource that enjoys a complementary role in turning out a better-trained technical workforce that's aware of current wireless technology and techniques. "I'm convinced that ham radio gave a lot of people a career kick start, and that needs to continue," he said. Additionally, he'd like to promote Amateur Radio as an avocation that can adopt and integrate the Internet and other modern telecommunication technologies--and even developments still beyond the horizon. At the same time, Kramer doesn't want to lose sight of the League's primary commitment. "I want ARRL to continue its tradition of excellent service to its members," he said. "Things like contesting, awards, technical support, our publications--those are things we want to continue to emphasize because that's really our main business." ==>ARRL STAFFER TESTIFIES ON BPL AT CALIFORNIA HEARING ARRL staff member Dean Straw, N6BV, testified February 8 in San Francisco at a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) public hearing on broadband deployment--including BPL. In his nearly six-minute testimony on the draft policy decision crafted by CPUC member Susan P. Kennedy, "Broadband Deployment in California," Straw--an electrical engineer and an ARRL technical editor--decried the fact that the section of the document dealing with BPL--broadband over power line--neglected to mention the technology's disadvantages. "I feel there is further work necessary on the sections dealing with broadband over power line--BPL," Straw testified. "There is not a single mention made of the three most significant disadvantages of BPL." These, he continued, include interference from BPL to radio receivers, interference to BPL from radio transmitters and a lack of bandwidth for expansion, especially in instances where BPL interference must be mitigated in some fashion. "We are not opposed to Internet broadband services," Straw maintained on behalf of the Amateur Radio community at large. "We're not categorically opposed to Access BPL, but we are opposed categorically to interference." Kennedy, who chaired the hearing, stopped Straw from reading into the record the CPUC's own cautious reply comments on the BPL proceeding, although she did say he could submit them in writing. While generally supportive of encouraging more competition within the broadband industry, the CPUC's reply comments recommended the FCC "ensure that adequate testing is performed and industry standards are developed before any deployment takes place." The CPUC also noted "significant disagreement in the industry over the level of interference." "The statements made by the CPUC in June of 2004 in reply comments to the FCC are now being--rather incautiously, I'd say--thrown to the wind," Straw declared. The attitude toward BPL in Kennedy's broadband deployment policy document, if adopted by the full commission in its present form, would represent a 180-degree shift from its position of less than a year earlier, he said. The broadband policy Kennedy drafted calls for California to "encourage deployment of BPL by its electric utilities by providing regulatory certainty in the areas of its affiliate transaction rules, in the treatment of BPL program expenses and revenues, and exemption from Section 851 requirements for the use of utility assets." And it says the CPUC "should adopt this policy framework proactively without waiting for an application to be filed by an electric utility for a BPL project." Straw said the broadband policy appears to represent "a wholesale embracing" of BPL. "I urge caution in that," he said. "There is still a great deal of science that has not been done on BPL in terms of interference and interference mitigation." In December, the ARRL suggested that Kennedy temper the "excessively optimistic" view of BPL she'd expressed in an interview. "It has yet to be demonstrated that BPL systems can be deployed without polluting the radio spectrum," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, wrote Kennedy December 10. "Until this issue is resolved, we respectfully suggest that public statements that paint an excessively optimistic picture of BPL are inadvisable." ==>EARTH RARELY OUT OF SIGHT OR MIND FOR ISS CREW While it's 220 miles distant, Earth seems never far from the thoughts of the International Space Station's Expedition 10 crew. Gazing upon the home planet from their vantage point in space is among the most favorite activities of those who have done duty tours aboard the ISS, and the current crew members are no exception. Speaking via Amateur Radio from NA1SS February 10, Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, told youngsters at Fairview Elementary School in Mt Prospect, Illinois, that his new hobby is taking pictures of Earth. Chiao also informed Fairview Principal Kerry Swalwell that earthly topics dominate conversations between himself and crewmate Salizhan Sharipov. "We talk about things that you'd talk about on the ground, I guess," Chiao said. "We talk about the day's work, we talk about things we've seen out the window, and we talk about our families and friends and things we're looking forward to when we come back to Earth." Swalwell's "bonus" question came after her pupils had exhausted their own list of 20 questions, and the ISS was still in radio range. In his answers to the youngsters' questions, Chiao spoke of missing his wife and family on Earth and of looking forward to having a real meal when he gets back. A dozen Fairview students took part in the contact, while parents, teachers and classmates looked on. One youngster wanted to know about Chiao's funniest moment in space. The astronaut described an optical illusion he'd experienced while looking out the ISS window. "One time I thought I saw a satellite, and it turned out it was just a speck of dust about three feet from the window," he said. "It was being very brightly lit up by the sun." To a question about animals in space, Chiao quipped, "We don't have any animals on board. The only animals on board are the two of us right now." In his previous missions, he recounted, some small fish and jellyfish accompanied the space travelers. Chiao visited the school in May 2004, and he has kept in touch with the youngsters via e-mail. The approximately 10-minute direct VHF contact between NA1SS in space and AJ9N at the Chicago-area school was arranged via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Handling Earth-station duties was veteran ARISS mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N. ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>FCC CHIEF, COMMISSIONER SUGGEST "SUNSHINE ACT" IMPAIRS DECISION MAKING FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell has told a US Senate committee that the open-meeting requirements of the "Sunshine Act" constitute "a barrier to the substantive exchange of ideas" among FCC members and hamper commissioners' decision making. The Sunshine Act's open-meeting provisions require essentially every part of every FCC meeting to be open to public observation when a quorum of Commissioners is handling official business. A February 2 letter from Powell and Commissioner Michael J. Copps to Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK), chairman of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, supports changes in the act to permit "closed deliberations among Commissioners in appropriate circumstances." Powell and Copps cite bipartisan support for such a change--Copps is one of the FCC's two Democrats--as well as a body of scholarship favoring reforms. "Due to the prohibition on private collective deliberations, we rely on written communications, staff or one-on-one meetings with each other," the commissioners told Stevens. "These indirect methods of communicating clearly do not foster frank, open discussion, and they are less efficient than in-person interchange among three or more commissioners would be." As a result, Powell and Copps conclude, FCC decisions "are in some cases less well informed and well explained than they would be if we each had the benefit of the others' expertise and perspective." The letter to Stevens noted plans in Congress to revise US telecommunication laws. Powell has announced plans to step down as FCC chairman. The ARRL's recent Petition for Reconsideration in the BPL proceeding, ET 03-104 and ET 04-37, charged that Powell had violated Sunshine Act requirements prior to casting his vote in favor of adopting new Part 15 rules to govern Access BPL. "Based on the Commission chairman's action preceding the BPL decision, what the FCC needs is more sunshine, not less," ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, commented this week. Just two days before the FCC's unanimous October 14 BPL vote, the ARRL asserts in its petition, Powell violated the Commission's own ex parte rules by attending a BPL provider's demonstration during the so-called "Sunshine Agenda" period, thus tainting the proceeding. The League had called on Powell to recuse himself from taking part in the BPL vote, but he declined. The ARRL petition also noted the League's extensive efforts through the Freedom of Information Act to get the FCC to release studies and reports it said it had relied upon in making its favorable decision on BPL but had not made public. The Commission ultimately released hundreds of pages of material, some of it heavily redacted. The League's petition maintains that the FCC adopted the BPL rules even though it already possessed information suggesting BPL was technologically unsuitable and a spectrum polluter. In their letter to Stevens, Powell and Copps say they are "in complete agreement with the Sunshine Act's goal of providing the public with reliable information about the basis for Commission decisions." But they say they support amending the Act because experience has shown that the FCC "can satisfy this goal through other means that better serve the public interest." One method posed was a requirement that brief summaries of topics decision makers discuss at non-public meetings "be recorded and placed in relevant administrative records." ==>FCC AFFIRMS $4000 FINE FOR MISSOURI AMATEUR The FCC has affirmed a $4000 fine for Paul D. Westcott, KC0OAB, of Purdy, Missouri, for "willful and repeated failure to respond to Commission requests for information about his station." The Commission released a Forfeiture Order in the case on February 16. The FCC reports it has received "numerous complaints" alleging that KC0OAB for several months now has been transmitting CW "24 hours a day, 7 days a week" on 7.030 MHz. While complainants assert the transmissions constitute broadcasting, the FCC contends they interfere with other amateur communications "due to an apparent lack of station control." The FCC proposed the forfeiture November 30 in a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL). "A licensee cannot ignore the directives in a Bureau inquiry letter," the FCC said in the November NAL. "We, therefore, conclude that Paul D. Westcott apparently willfully and repeatedly failed to respond to Commission correspondence." While Westcott did reply to an initial FCC Enforcement Bureau inquiry last June, the Commission says he failed to respond to a subsequent Warning Notice and Request for Further Information in early September, a Warning Notice--Failure to Reply in mid-October or to the November NAL, issued by the Commission's Kansas City field office. FCC Special Counsel for Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth has told ARRL that Westcott assured him "some time ago" in an informal conversation that the transmissions were for Morse code practice, but neither he nor the FCC's Kansas City field office have received any formal responses from Westcott since last June. A June 21, 2004, letter from Hollingsworth requested information from Westcott regarding an attached complaint about the KC0OAB Morse code transmissions. In his response Westcott reiterated the code practice claim. The June FCC letter also asked Westcott when he had had begun the CW transmissions and for evidence that the transmissions--consisting largely of biblical text--were actually being used for that purpose. Hollingsworth further asked Westcott to address the complaint "as it related to allegations of religious broadcasting." Hollingsworth says his office continues to receive complaints about the ongoing KC0OAB transmissions on 40 meters. The Commission gave Westcott 30 days to pay the fine or risk facing collection proceedings through the US Department of Justice. ==>FCC PROPOSES HOLDING THE LINE ON VANITY CALL SIGN FEE The FCC has proposed retaining the current $20.80 Amateur Radio vanity call sign regulatory fee for the 10-year license term. The fee went from $16.30 to $20.80 last August. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), "Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2005" (MD Docket 05-59) released February 15, the FCC says it's proposing to collect more than $280 million in regulatory fees for fiscal year 2005, as mandated by Congress "to recover the regulatory costs associated with the Commission's enforcement, policy and rulemaking, user information, and international activities." The FCC anticipates 8000 vanity call sign applications during FY2005--up from 7800 applications in FY2004--and it expects to raise $166,443 from vanity call sign fees. More information on vanity call signs is available on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/vanity.html>. ==>FCC UPHOLDS FINE FOR UNLICENSED OPERATION ON AMATEUR FREQUENCY The FCC has affirmed a $10,000 fine against a now-closed New Jersey restaurant and its owner for alleged unlicensed operation of a radio transmitter on 2 meters. The Commission's action strongly defended amateur spectrum against unlicensed intruders. In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) released February 9, the Commission denied a Petition for Reconsideration from Pang Cheng, doing business as Best Wok restaurant in Westville. In 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) in the case, which involved operation of a so-called long-range cordless telephone on 145.8376 MHz. Best Wok, the FCC says, failed to respond to the NAL. But it did reply to the subsequent Forfeiture Order (NoF), arguing that its unlicensed operation was unintentional and minor and caused minimal interference. The FCC disagreed, noting that the unlicensed operation generated a number of complaints from amateur licensees. "Any use of Amateur Service frequencies for business communications creates a great potential for harmful interference to authorized Amateur Service communications," the FCC said in the MO&O, signed by FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David H. Solomon. "We must take strong action against such use because failure to do so would only encourage others to engage in the same conduct." The FCC also denied Best Wok's claim that its unlicensed operation was unintentional. The FCC had warned the restaurant in 2001 and again in 2003 that operation of transmitting equipment without a license violated the Communications Act and could lead to penalties. In 2003, FCC agents from Philadelphia tracked the 2-meter signal to the restaurant and inspected the radiotelephone equipment, used to communicate between the restaurant and a vehicle. The eatery's manager said Best Wok had stopped using the long-range cordless telephone after the FCC's 2001 Warning Notice. But, the FCC says, the manager admitted that the restaurant resumed using the long-range cordless telephone after another communication system proved inadequate. ==>TWO AMATEURS RECEIVE PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD Two radio amateurs have received the President's Volunteer Service Award. President George W. Bush personally presented the award to Thomas J. "T. J." Powell, N8UIR, of Northfield, Ohio. Powell, is an active volunteer with the Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps, a partner program of Citizen Corps, which provides medical support services for public events and emergency situations. As chief of NEOMRC and a certified emergency medical technician, Powell volunteers 800 to 1000 hours per year, helping with logistics, planning, Amateur Radio operations and first-aid for charitable fundraising events throughout Northeast Ohio. In addition, he assists local fire departments and emergency medical service agencies during incidents that impact public health. Bush made the presentation during a January 27 visit to Cleveland. The White House also honored ARRL member John H. Bauer, W4AWM, of Burke, Virginia, with a President's Volunteer Service Award. Bauer received the award January 29 in recognition of more than 500 hours of volunteer work in the Volunteer In Police Service (VIPS) program. Bauer is assigned to the Crime Prevention Office of the West Springfield District Station, Fairfax County Police. "My assignment consists of many public relations and administrative duties as well as participating in various training drills for SWAT teams and other police activities," he explained. Presenting Bauer's award during a ceremony for himself and other recipients was the Fairfax County Chief of Police. Bauer also received a certificate of appreciation from the Fairfax County Police Department. Bauer says he always wears his call sign belt buckle when on duty, and that's resulted in his meeting two police officers who also are hams. The buckle also invites questions from people who want to know what it represents. "This is a great door opener to talk about my favorite hobby," Bauer said. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Propagation guru Tad "Dancing in Sunshine" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Conditions improved this week over last. The average daily sunspot number rose by nearly 34 points to 75.1, and the geomagnetic indices were down over the reporting week. Looking ahead, the geomagnetic field may become more active. For Friday through Sunday, February 18-20, the planetary A index is predicted at 20, 20 and 15. The major sunspot group affecting us this week will soon move off the visible solar disk, but there is a small sunspot group on the other side of the sun. Conditions should be fair to good for the ARRL International DX Contest (CW) this weekend. Sunspot numbers for February 10 through 16 were 63, 73, 72, 73, 115, 69 and 61, with a mean of 75.1. The 10.7 cm flux was 114.1, 114.1, 116.4, 115.5, 118.1, 121.7 and 112.8, with a mean of 116.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 17, 11, 5, 4, 5, 5 and 13 with a mean of 8.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 11, 7, 3, 2, 4, 1 and 8, with a mean of 5.1. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The ARRL International DX Contest (CW) is the weekend of February 19-20. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW) is February 24. The Russian PSK Worldwide Contest is the weekend of February 25-26. JUST AHEAD: The CQ 160-Meter Contest (SSB), the REF Contest (SSB), the UBA DX Contest (CW), the Mississippi and North Carolina QSO parties, the CZEBRIS Contest, the North American QSO Party (RTTY), the High Speed Club CW Contest, and the CQC Winter QSO Party are the weekend of February 26-27. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. * ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration: Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) and Radio Propagation (EC-011) on-line courses remains open through Sunday, February 20. Classes begin Friday March 4. For EC-004, computer-modeling expert and noted author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined the expertise of his long career as a college professor with his love and antennas and antenna modeling to offer a comprehensive, yet practical, course of study. EC-011 students will learn the science of RF propagation, including the properties of electromagnetic waves, the atmosphere and the ionosphere, the sun and sunspots, ground waves and sky waves, and various propagation modes--including aurora and meteor scatter. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>. * Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line course (EC-003) opens Monday, February 21, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open until all available seats have been filled or through the February 26-27 weekend--whichever comes first. Radio amateurs 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate. Class begins Friday, March 11. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course. This is the final year of grant-subsidized courses! During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340. * Anticipated Peter I Island DXpedition postponed until 2006: The anticipated Peter I Island (Antarctica) 3Y0X DXpedition <http://www.peterone.com/main.htm> has been called off at the eleventh hour. The DXpedition team announced February 17 that its charter vessel, the Cavendish Sea, has been delayed until February 20 instead of the hoped-for February 18. With a projected February 21 departure, the DXpedition ran out of time. "This latest delay, on top of numerous previous delays, simply makes it impossible for us to spend a sufficient amount of time on Peter I to justify the DXpedition this year," said the announcement from Bob Allphin, K4UEE, and Ralph Fedor, K0IR. "So, we have no choice but to postpone the DXpedition until 2006." The DXpedition's first vessel and helicopter backed out at the last minute, forcing the team to quickly regroup with a new vessel and helicopter earlier this week.--The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com/> * AMSAT-DL reviews P3E satellite design: An international team gathered in Marburg, Germany, in late January to review progress on the Phase 3 Express (P3E) Amateur Radio satellite--essentially a scaled-down and less-complex version of the now-defunct AO-40. The meeting focused on the design of the integrated housekeeping unit (IHU-3) computer and the "CAN-Do interface." AMSAT-NA is a partner in the P3E high-altitude, elliptical-orbit satellite, a prelude to the ambitious Mars-orbiting P5A spacecraft, and AMSAT-NA President Rick Hambly, W2GPS, was among those attending the gathering January 26-30. Being developed under AMSAT-DL leadership, P3E will provide a test bench for technology under development for the subsequent Mars mission. Launch is planned sometime before the end of 2006. The P3E satellite will offer both analog and digital communication on VHF through microwave. There's more information on P3E and P5A on the AMSAT-DL Web site <http://www.amsat-dl.org/>.--AMSAT News Service * ARES/RACES drill participation draws FEMA praise: Calhoun County, Alabama, ARES/RACES participated February 9 in a communication drill in which the scenario was a nerve gas release, and Amateur Radio the only communication system available to the local emergency operations center (EOC). The exercise, the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) conducted by the Anniston Army Depot and the Calhoun County Alabama Emergency Management Agency, was aimed at checking the coordination of communications at the EOCs. Calhoun County Emergency Coordinator Randall Landers, KG4EUD, managed his team's activities from the EOC, while Alabama Section Emergency Coordinator Jay Isbell, KA4KUN, and staff headed up communications at the US Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Noble Training Center at Ft McClellan. A mission of the Anniston Army Depot is to incinerate stockpiles of chemical weapons. In the exercise scenario, 36 land mines explode releasing VX nerve agent. The ARES/RACES team provided updates and deployed volunteers to hospitals and schools and to Emergency Activation System radio stations, where they disseminated official news releases. "A FEMA Region 4 representatives said that the Amateur Radio group was the best they have evaluated, and that their knowledge of radio and communications was excellent," reported Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt W4OZK. * Collins ARC special event to feature operation from B-29 station: The Collins Amateur Radio Club in cooperation with the Cedar Valley Amateur Radio Club--both in Iowa--will operate special event station W0CXX/29 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Iwo Jima. The eight-hour special event gets under way February 19 at 1600 UTC and continues until February 20 at 0000 UTC. ARRL member Lawrence Robinson, KC0ODK, is heading up the volunteer team that's attempting to recreate a B-29 radio operator's position showcasing the Collins ART-13, the standard B-29 liaison transmitter. Approximate frequencies will be 3885, 7290 and 14,286 kHz on AM, and 3529, 7029, and 14,029 on CW. QSL info and other details are on the Collins ARC B-29 Radio Project page <http://www.collinsclubs.com/carc/b-29/>. =========================================================== The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President. The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter. 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