*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 23, No. 15 April 9, 2004 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +ARRL cites interference in BPL trial site * +"Interference temperature" concept not ready for prime time, ARRL says * +ISS commander wraps up series of ARISS school group contacts * +Mississippi hams muster after fatal train wreck * +Two-meter long-range telephone nets big fine for restaurant * +Bill Fisher, W4AN, SK * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration ARRL Emergency Communications Course registration ARRL to sponsor ARES/RACES/EmComm seminar in California ARRL Technology Task Force forum set for Hamvention 2004 Young Ham of the Year nominations due by June 30 +Available on ARRL Audio News =========================================================== ARRL HEADQUARTERS CLOSED APRIL 9: Because ARRL Headquarters is closed Friday, April 9, this week's editions of The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News are being distributed a day early. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions on April 9. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, April 12, at 8 AM EDT. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. =========================================================== ==>ARRL CALLS INTERFERENCE TO ATTENTION OF BPL TRIAL COMMUNITY'S MAYOR ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, has written Penn Yan, New York, Mayor Doug Marchionda Jr to call the mayor's attention to documented radio interference from the town's small BPL field trial. He accompanied his April 1 e-mail with a report from ARRL member Dave Hallidy, K2DH, who visited Penn Yan after a recent Wall Street Journal article suggested that BPL interference issues in Penn Yan had been resolved. "I understand that your village is considering entering into a long-term agreement with a firm to offer BPL service," Sumner wrote Marchionda. "Please be aware that a large-scale deployment of BPL is bound to cause harmful interference to radio communications across a wide area." According to news accounts, the Western New York community of about 5200 residents will consider approval of a 10-year agreement with Data Ventures (DVI) to offer BPL service in Penn Yan. The village reportedly would get 10 percent of the generated revenue. In his March 23 article "In This Power Play, High-Wire Act Riles Ham-Radio Fans," Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Brown described a "firestorm" of protest from amateurs when Penn Yan approved the BPL test plan. Hallidy said he found during his visit that BPL noise "appears to start in earnest around the bottom of the 17 meter band (18 MHz) and continues upwards." He said that once he tuned above 18 MHz, there were no frequencies where the BPL noise was not observed. "The signals were pretty uniform from 18 to 30 MHz," he said. Sumner told Marchionda that DVI cannot guarantee reliable service delivery via BPL because FCC Part 15 rules stipulate that its operation "is subject to the conditions that no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted that may be caused by the operation of an authorized radio station." Sumner noted that newly proposed FCC rules would impose additional requirements on BPL systems to better address interference problems that arise. The sort of interference Hallidy described in his report suggests "severe interference on a broad range of radio frequencies" in violation of FCC rules--specifically §15.5(b)--and a complaint has been filed with the FCC, Sumner noted. Sumner offered to demonstrate to Marchionda the extent of the BPL interference in Penn Yan before the community proceeds any further with its BPL plans and "to explain why a full-scale deployment is not possible within the FCC rules." Such a demonstration, Sumner concluded, would provide Penn Yan with "a factual basis" to make its decision on BPL. ==>ARRL SAYS "INTERFERENCE TEMPERATURE" CONCEPT "HIGHLY PREMATURE" The ARRL says the FCC's proposed "interference temperature" concept is "highly premature and should not go forward" at this time. In a Notice of Inquiry and Notice of Proposed Rule Making in ET Docket 03-237 last November, the FCC sought comment on the interference temperature metric--or model--"for quantifying and managing interference." The FCC initially wants to implement the concept in two microwave bands. It asserts that the new metric "could represent a fundamental paradigm shift" in its spectrum management approach by using a standard that takes into account "the cumulative effects of all undesired RF energy" at a given instant. The FCC suggests the interference temperature limit for a band "would serve as an upper bound or 'cap' on the potential RF energy that could be introduced into the band." The ARRL contends, however, that the FCC doesn't have enough information to put such a model into place, and it should not try to take a shortcut. "It is now rushing to judgment on a proposal to permit broadband over unshielded power line systems in the high frequency and low-band VHF spectrum," ARRL commented, "without first carefully studying the ability of sensitive and geographically proximate fixed and especially mobile radio systems to tolerate such interference." Instead of determining what a proper post-BPL RF environment should be, the League noted, the FCC has suggested that amateurs orient their antennas away from the interference source. "There can be no shortcuts in a conceptual shift to management of the RF environment without disenfranchising incumbent licensees, which themselves provide valuable and sometimes indispensable services," the ARRL said. "Whether by overlay or underlay of additional users, the Commission has stumbled repeatedly by attempting shortcuts in the process." The ARRL said the FCC should preserve the interference temperature concept as a "holistic method" of dynamic RF spectrum management--the determination of compatibility in sharing of allocations. "However, the concept is not yet mature, and there are no shortcuts in the preparations necessary to implement it." The ARRL says localized noise studies in various bands are a prerequisite to putting an interference temperature metric into place, along with a "comprehensive evaluation of the differences in receiver sensitivities and emission modes" across various services and bands. The League has been conducting noise studies in different geographic environments, and it proposed objective, formal studies to provide a basis for an interference temperature metric in the future. The ARRL says it's also necessary to create a new management paradigm for unlicensed services, accompanied by "substantial change" in their regulation. Otherwise, the League said, management of the RF environment will be impossible. An interference temperature metric also would not be appropriate for the HF spectrum as well as certain other bands, including those used for radio astronomy, the ARRL commented. The variability of HF skywave propagation and the extreme sensitivity of certain amateur and all radio astronomy receivers coupled with very small signal levels make calculating an interference temperature metric "impractical for these bands," the League added. For the short term, the League said, other methods of improving spectrum efficiency, such as dynamic frequency selection by cognitive radios in certain bands, might have greater potential than adopting an interference temperature metric. ==>ASTRONAUT LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING TO EARTH, BUT NOT TO GRAVITY Astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC, told a group of students in France April 1 that he's looking forward to returning to Earth at the end of the month. But he was not especially enthusiastic about the prospect of having to reacclimate himself to Earth's gravitational pull. Foale made the comment during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school group contact with youngsters at two schools in Saint Mard, France. Speaking via NA1SS aboard the space outpost, Foale--who's the ISS Expedition 8 commander and NASA ISS science officer--said coming back to Earth is difficult for the first two or three days. "It feels like I am carrying suitcases all the time," he said. "My body hurts and all the muscles hurt in my body as if I've had influenza." Foale has been living in zero gravity conditions for the past five months. Participating in the contact were students at the College George Brassens of Saint Mard and the Ecole Jacques Prevert, both located some 28 miles northeast of Paris. Teacher Jocelyn Raffray, F5CAR, posed the questions students prepared. Foale also told the pupils that the ISS does sometimes get struck by small meteorite particles. "We can see one or two small holes in the large, large solar arrays that generate our electricity aboard the International Space Station," Foale explained. "We also have one or two small little pits or marks on the windows of the Service Module in the Russian Segment." Youngsters at an Arizona elementary school that focuses on the theme of flight also enjoyed chatting with Foale on April 5. The contact with KA7SKY at Sonoran Sky Elementary School <http://epage.pvusd.k12.az.us/sonoransky/> in Scottsdale marked the final school group contact for the Expedition 8 crew. The school has been following the ISS mission and daily events. As a part of Sonoran Sky's standard curriculum, third graders learn about space exploration beginning with the Apollo missions through the building of the ISS, and sixth graders attend Astrocamp every year. Among other things, Foale told the Arizona students that being launched from Earth is a surprise and a shock. "The Soyuz provides a smoother ride as compared to the shuttle," he said, "but you are pressed down in your chair." During the approximately 10-minute contact, teacher Carrie Cunningham, N7NFX, handled control operator duties at the kindergarten through sixth-grade school of some 500 students. The contact was broadcast live through the school as reporters from three TV stations and two newspapers looked on. Another youngster at Sonoran Sky wanted to know what Foale liked best about being an astronaut. "I think the best thing about being an astronaut is that you're taking part in an adventure--a human adventure," Foale replied. On the plus side of being in space, he said in response to another question, is that he gets to do something very few other people get to do. On the minus side, he noted, is "being away from my family and missing my children." Foale won't be in space too much longer now. The Expedition 9 crew of Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, will launch from Kazakhstan April 19 aboard a Soyuz vehicle to relieve Foale and crewmate Sasha Kaleri, U8MIR. Accompanying Fincke and Padalka will be European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers of the Netherlands, who is scheduled to handle two ARISS contacts with school groups in his home country during his week or so aboard the ISS. Foale, Kaleri and Kuipers will return to Earth at the end of the month aboard the Soyuz vehicle now attached to the ISS. Fincke and Padalka will spend approximately six months aboard the ISS. Regular school group contacts will resume sometime in late May. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an international educational outreach program with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>MISSISSIPPI AMATEURS RESPOND FOLLOWING AMTRAK ACCIDENT Members of Metro-Jackson, Mississippi, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (MJARES) and the Jackson Amateur Radio Club (JARC) responded Tuesday, April 6, after Amtrak's "City of New Orleans" passenger train bound from New Orleans to Chicago derailed. One person died and dozens were injured in the mishap, which occurred at 7 PM near the Madison-Yazoo county line after the train had departed from Jackson with 80 passengers and crew members aboard. "Fortunately, rescue operations quickly turned into a cleanup effort as passengers were transported to area hospitals and overnight accommodations," said MJARES member and ARES Emergency Coordinator Ben Jones, AC5SU. The accident's swampy location made access difficult for rescue workers and other emergency personnel and also complicated communication and logistics. Jeff Sykes, K5VU, and other JARC members responded to a request from the Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross to provide emergency communication. Greg King, KD5HDZ, accompanied the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle as it brought water and snacks to emergency workers at the incident command post and the Madison County Sheriff's Office respite center in Flora. Club members Bill White, KC5WYY, and Terry Drake, KD5JPB, staffed the JARC radio station at the Red Cross Chapter, utilizing HF as well as the KA5SBK, W5PPB, W5PFR and N5WDG repeaters. John Jenkins, KD5QQF, and Guy Harrell, KD5QQG, also responded to assist in the relief effort. MJARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator Ed Jones, W5GEJ, and Central Mississippi DEC Ron Brown, AB5WF, activated the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service on behalf of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Official Relay Station Lew King, W5LEW, stood ready to service NTS traffic and disaster wellness inquiries. MJARES members worked well into the early morning hours of April 7 to support Red Cross relief operations, passing vital messages relating to logistics and essential on-the-scene information. Jones managed the amateurs' volunteer efforts in conjunction with Red Cross staff and volunteers. Less than an hour before the train wreck, SKYWARN Coordinator and MJARES AEC Billy Bob Sekul, N5XXX, had put members on alert for severe weather at the request of the National Weather Service. ==>FCC FINES RESTAURANT FOR LONG-RANGE TELEPHONE USE A New Jersey restaurant is facing a $10,000 fine from the FCC for operating transmitting equipment on 2 meters without a license. The case involves Best Wok in Westville, which apparently had been using a so-called "long-range cordless telephone" to communicate with its delivery vehicle. The FCC says the telephone in question--said to have been obtained outside the US and not FCC certificated--operated within the 2-meter satellite subband at 145.8376 MHz. Acting on a tip, the FCC conducted an investigation that resulted in the February 26 issuance of a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) to Best Wok. While the case dates back to 2001, the FCC asserted in its NAL that the restaurant had violated the Communications Act as recently as early last year. "On February 28, 2003, Best Wok operated radio transmitting equipment on the Two-Meter Amateur Radio Service frequency 145.8376 MHz," the FCC said. "Neither Best Wok nor any of its employees held a license to operate a station in the Amateur Radio Service Band." In 2001, following numerous complaints from the amateur community, the ARRL asked the FCC to investigate and "take appropriate action" against several companies it alleged were marketing similar telephone devices via the Internet. After issuing a couple of warning notices, an FCC agent from the Commission's Philadelphia office visited Westville in February 2003 "to determine if Best Wok was operating radio transmitting equipment" on 2 meters. Using direction-finding techniques, the agent pinned down the source of the transmissions to Best Wok. According to the FCC, the agent visited the establishment and inspected the radio transmitting equipment in the presence of restaurant manager Sae C. Hauwo. "The agent found that Best Wok was operating a long-distance cordless telephone system," the FCC said. The Commission says Hauwo told the agent he installed the long-range cordless telephone system so that his employees could answer customers' telephone calls while making deliveries. Hauwo said that after the restaurant got the second written warning, it stopped using the long-range telephone and purchased a set of Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) radios that operated on 154.600 MHz. But the MURS units failed to provide sufficient coverage, the FCC says Hauwo told the agent, so Best Wok resumed using the long-distance cordless telephone system. In its NAL, the FCC said that based on the evidence it had, it determined that Best Wok "willfully violated" Section 301 of the Communications Act. Applying its forfeiture policies and the statutory factors, the FCC said the $10,000 fine was warranted. Best Wok was given 30 days to pay the fine or to seek a reduction or cancellation. In unrelated enforcement actions, the FCC has downgraded one licensee and canceled four license grants in California pursuant to an audit of a W5YI-VEC examination session on September 1, 2001, in Yucaipa and an ARRL-VEC examination session on March 30, 2002, in Los Angeles. All participating volunteer examiners have been removed from VE service by the VECs. ==>WELL-KNOWN CONTESTER BILL FISHER, W4AN, SK Bill J. Fisher, W4AN (ex-KM9P), of Alpharetta, Georgia, died unexpectedly April 4. He was 41. An ARRL Life Member, Fisher was an enthusiastic radio amateur whose call sign often graced the upper echelons of the contest results. Fisher and fellow Georgian John Laney, K4BAI, took the silver medal at World Radiosport Team Championship '96 in the San Francisco Bay area. The pair also competed in WRTC-02 in Finland. Fisher's death comes as the contesting community is still recovering from the untimely death of Jim White, K4OJ, in February. "I knew of nobody as generous with his time and with as unique a personal touch as Bill," said Dave Pascoe, KM3T, whose friendship with Fisher extends back more than 20 years. "Many will never know nor comprehend the amount of time and resources he poured into this hobby of ours." Fisher was the founder of the Contesting.com <http://www.contesting.com/> Web site. He also helped to establish the popular eHam.net <http://www.eham.net/> Amateur Radio site in 1999. In addition, he personally supported contesting reflectors via his own servers. The eHam Site Manager Mike Gilmer, N2MG, said he would miss Fisher's leadership. "Bill had a way of low-pass filtering the noise from both the users of eHam and the site team and trying to maintain focus," he said. Fisher had established a top-flight contesting station on a hilltop in the mountains of north Georgia near Dahlonega. When not contesting, he operated the station from his home via a telephone link, since antenna restrictions prevented him from putting up outdoor antennas. More recently he was said to be dismantling his contest station as part of a plan to combine forces with his good friend Tom Rauch, W8JI, and establish a contest superstation. Fisher was a member of the South East Contest Club, the South East DX Club, the First-Class CW Operators' Club (FOC) and the A-1 Operator Club. In addition to being a ham radio contester, he was an avid bicycle racer. Fisher was founder and Vice President of Concentric Systems Inc--a supplier of custom-built PCs. He also established and was president of Akorn Access Inc--an Internet service provider and consulting company. Survivors include his wife, Dana, and their young sons Graeme and Erik. A memorial service was held Thursday, April 8, in Fisher's hometown of Moline, Illinois. Fisher's family has requested memorial contributions to the Victor C. Clark Youth Incentive Program, c/o ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Friends and family also are invited to gather Saturday, April 10, 10 AM, at L. W. McDonald & Son Funeral Home & Crematory, 150 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, Georgia. A memorial service will begin at 11 AM. The W4AN Memorial Fund for Graeme and Erik Fisher has been established to benefit Fisher's children. Donations are welcome to North Atlanta National Bank, 10500 Old Alabama Rd Connector, Alpharetta, GA 30022; 678-277-8400. Make checks payable to "W4AN Memorial Account" and include the account number, 20005913, on the check "memo" line.--ARRL thanks Tom Rauch, W8JI, for providing information for this report ==>SOLAR UPDATE Heliophile Tad "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar flux values and sunspot numbers both dropped this week. Average daily sunspot numbers declined more than 46 points, and solar flux was down nearly 20. Solar flux is expected to rise over the next couple of days. Predicted solar flux for Thursday through Monday, April 8-12, is 105 for Thursday and Friday and 100 for Saturday through Monday. Flux values and sunspots should rise again for a few days next week. A coronal mass ejection near Sunspot 588 spewed toward Earth April 6. Currently that sunspot is squarely in the center of the solar disk, aimed straight at us. The ejection should hit Earth today, April 8. The predicted planetary A index for Thursday through Monday, April 8-12, is 30, 20, 15, 12 and 8. A solar wind caused geomagnetic instability late on April 5 and through most of April 6. Another solar wind on April 3 caused similar conditions. Sunspot numbers for April 1 through 7 were 100, 99, 68, 69, 85, 66 and 57, with a mean of 77.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 112.8, 108.1, 107.4, 108.9, 108.7, 101.4 and 98.1, with a mean of 106.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 3, 23, 12, 14, 21 and 10, with a mean of 12.3. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The ARCI Spring QSO Party, the EU Spring Sprint (SSB), the Georgia QSO Party, the Japan International DX Contest (CW), the CIS DX Contest (SSB), the UBA Spring Contest (SSB) and the SARL Hamnet 40-Meter Simulated Emergency Contest are the weekend of April 10-11. The Low Power Spring Sprint is April 12, the 222 MHz Spring Sprint is April 13, the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) is April 14 and the DX YL to North American YL Contest (SSB) is April 14-16. JUST AHEAD: The Holyland DX Contest, the TARA Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest, the ES Open HF Championship, the YU DX Contest, the GACW "Mr Samuel Morse Party" CW DX Contest, the EU Spring Sprint (CW), the Michigan and Ontario QSO parties and the EA QRP CW Contest are the weekend of April 17-18. The World Amateur Radio Day Party is April 18. The 432 MHz Spring Sprint is April 21, the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Data) is April 22 and the Harry Angel Memorial Sprint is April 23. 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) on-line course remains open through Sunday, April 11. Classes begin Tuesday April 20. This course is a excellent way learn the ins and outs and the nitty-gritty details of modeling antennas. 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. Registration for the Technician Licensing course (EC-010) also remains open through Sunday, April 11. Classes begin Tuesday, April 20. With the assistance of a mentor, EC-010 students learn everything they need to know to pass the FCC Technician license class test. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>. * ARRL Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration opens Monday, April 12, 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (0401 UTC), for the Level II Emergency Communications on-line course (EC-002). Registration remains open through the April 17-18 weekend or until all seats are filled--whichever occurs first. Class begins Tuesday, April 27. 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. During this registration period, approximately 60 seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page and the C-CE Links found there. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org, 860-594-0340. * ARRL to sponsor ARES/RACES/EmComm seminar in California: The ARRL will offer a free Amateur Radio emergency communications seminar Friday, April 30, 1-5 PM, at the Ramada Inn, (Shaw/Fwy 41), in Fresno, California, in conjunction with the San Joaquin Valley Section Convention. The seminar will not include the Level I course itself. This program will explain in greater detail the duties of all Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course (ARECC) participants and how their volunteer efforts are essential to the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). Senior citizens are strongly encouraged to participate. "This seminar will explain the importance of every team player with emphasis on using lessons learned to effectively move Amateur Radio emergency communications to the next level," said ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. All ARES/RACES volunteers, ARECC course participants, and Field Organization leadership are invited. Course participants at every ARECC level--Mentors, Certification Instructors, Certification Examiners and current students--are encouraged to share their ARECC experiences. Field Organization leaders are invited to brainstorm ideas to motivate volunteers and coordinate activities. The focus will be on coordination between ARECC volunteers and students, and their integration into the Field Organization. This session is open to all interested hams, but seating may be limited. Those planning to attend should contact Dan Miller, K3UFG, <k3ufg@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340; FAX 860-594-0259. For more information on the SJV Section Convention, visit the Fresno Amateur Radio Club Hamfest 2004 Web site <http://www.qsl.net/w6to/ota.html>. * ARRL Technology Task Force forum set for Hamvention 2004: The ARRL's Technology Task Force (TTF) will hold its third annual forum at Hamvention 2004, Sunday, May 16, 10:15 AM until noon in Hara Arena. All Hamvention attendees are welcome. TTF Chair and ARRL Central Division Vice Director Howard Huntington, K9KM, will moderate. All three TTF working groups will be represented. At 10:30 AM, Mark Williams, AB8LN, of the High-Speed Multimedia (HSMM) Working Group will update progress on merging Amateur Radio and networking technology via Radio Metropolitan Area Networks (RMANs) using various node-connection methods. At 11 AM, Yoshikazu Nishimura, JA6UHL, AOR Japan and Matt Yellen, KB7TSE, of ICOM America, will address the Digital Voice (DV) Working Group: Nishimura will discuss ARD-9800 DV technical development and operating, while Yellen will talk about Icom's D-STAR DV development. At 11:30 AM, Gerald Youngblood, AC5OG, and Bob McGwier, N4HY, will be featured during the Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Working Group session. They will detail SDR advancements through open-source software development on the Flex Radio Systems SDR-1000. Learn about the latest in leading-edge Amateur Radio technology and what the League is planning for the future. Audience interaction is encouraged.--Doug Smith, KF6DX * Young Ham of the Year nominations due by June 30: Amateur Radio Newsline says the deadline is June 30 to nominate a deserving young amateur for the 2004 Young Ham of the Year Award. A nomination form is available on the Newsline Web site <http://www.arnewsline.org/yhoty/yhfrm204.doc>. The YHOTY Award goes to an amateur licensee aged 18 or younger and living in the contiguous 48 states who has made a significant contribution to the community or the nation through Amateur Radio. More information is available on the Newsline Web site <http://www.arnewsline.org/>. =========================================================== 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. 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