*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 33 August 26, 2005 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +Emergency Power Operating Event to highlight Awareness Day * +New vanity call sign fee now in effect * +Arizona youngsters speak to ISS astronaut * +ARISS International gathers in England * +Wisconsin ARES/RACES responds to tornado string * +Rosalie White, K1STO, leaves ARRL Headquarters * +Section Manager election results announced * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration Correction +ARRL Goes to Washington video now available on DVD David R. Fordham, KD9LA, wins July QST Cover Plaque Award RTTY/digital "Most Needed" DXCC entities survey under way Let the seller beware! +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =========================================================== ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org =========================================================== ==>AMATEUR RADIO AWARENESS DAY TO FEATURE EMERGENCY POWER OPERATING EVENT What makes Amateur Radio unique is its ability to communicate with one another anywhere in the world--and even in orbit--without having to rely on any outside infrastructure whatsoever. Hams can even do this without being plugged into the wall socket. Experienced radio amateurs take this capability for granted, but the general public is far less aware of it. So, an Emergency Power Operating Event (EPOE) on Amateur Radio Awareness Day, Saturday, September 17, will highlight Amateur Radio's ability to communicate worldwide without commercial mains, the Internet or a cellular telephone system. "What better way to mark Amateur Radio Awareness Day than by calling attention to this unique capability?" says ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "It is particularly appropriate since September is the Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Month." Amateur Radio Awareness Day activities typically focus on increasing public awareness. Past events have included public demonstrations, talks to community groups and getting local media coverage. According to DHS, National Preparedness Month is aimed at encouraging Americans to prepare for emergencies and to raise public awareness about the importance of being prepared. This Amateur Radio Awareness Day, September 17, the ARRL will sponsor a 15-hour Emergency Power Operating Event for stations operating off the grid. "It is not a contest," Sumner stresses. "It is simply a demonstration of what we amateurs can do without having to rely on the commercial mains, and what we will do whenever the need arises." An announcement in September QST (page 49) spells out the details. The event kicks off at 1300 UTC on Saturday, September 17, and wraps up at 0400 UTC on September 18. The ARRL is inviting home stations to operate from generator or battery power. Mobiles and portable stations also are welcome to participate, although unlike Field Day, the emphasis is not on setting up a temporary station, but rather on operating your regular station on emergency power. There is no set exchange; contacts may be casual, but operators are encouraged to share information on their emergency power sources in addition to the traditional signal report, name and location. ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be on the air for the event, running on emergency power from its 60-kW emergency backup diesel generator. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, says the whole point is to showcase that Amateur Radio is prepared during National Preparedness Month--"and any time, for that matter," he adds. A special QSL will be available to stations contacting W1AW while running from an emergency power source. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with all QSL card requests, and indicate on your card the emergency power source used. (Address cards to W1AW, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.) "I hope we can work stations operating on emergency power in all 50 states," says Sumner. "It should be a lot of fun, and we may even learn something!" The League is encouraging participating radio amateurs or groups to invite local Citizen Corps leaders to see Amateur Radio installations in emergency power mode. "The two events offer great opportunities for Amateur Radio to showcase its valued service to the nation," said outgoing ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. She urged ARRL-affiliated clubs and Field Organization volunteers to take advantage of the occasion to set up public demonstrations of Amateur Radio and to present or even demonstrate--under the banner of National Preparedness Month--the free services Amateur Radio provides to the community. ARRL Club/Mentoring Program Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, believes a public Emergency Power Operating Event offers a great opportunity to recruit prospective hams for licensing classes clubs that may be forming this fall. ==>HIGHER VANITY CALL SIGN APPLICATION FEE NOW IN EFFECT The application fee for an Amateur Radio vanity call sign rose to $21.90 effective for applications received by the FCC on or after Tuesday, August 23. The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released a new Fee Filing Guide <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-260618A1.pdf> this week, and WTB personnel have confirmed that the new vanity fee is in effect. In a Report and Order and Order On Reconsideration (R&O) in the assessment and collection of regulatory fees for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 released July 7, the FCC raised the vanity application fee for FY 2005 from $20.80 to $21.90 for the 10-year license term. The FCC said it had adjusted FY 2004 "payment units" for each service to better reflect expected FY 2005 payment liabilities. The fee went up from $16.30 to $20.80 a year ago. A reevaluation in the number of anticipated vanity call sign applications--or "payment units"--accounts for this latest fee hike. The FCC says it anticipates 7600 vanity applications--up only slightly from a year earlier. The fee applies to applications for new vanity call signs as well as to license renewals for current vanity call sign holders. Vanity call sign licenses issued in 1996 when the FCC resurrected its vanity program will be coming up for renewal starting in mid-2006. Under current rules, Amateur Radio licensees may only file renewal applications within 90 days of their license expiration date. More information on vanity call signs is available on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/vanity.html>. ==>SPACE QSO PROVIDES ARIZONA YOUNGSTERS SOMETHING TO REMEMBER A dozen youngsters at a charter school in Tempe, Arizona enjoyed the opportunity of a lifetime when they spoke via Amateur Radio August 17 with astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY, aboard the International Space Station. The direct 2-meter contact between N7HPR at D.W. Higgins Institute and NA1SS in space was arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Philips requested the contact because his 12-year-old nephew Ben Mackowski is a seventh grader at Higgins. In all, the youngsters, who ranged from second through eighth graders, managed to fire off nearly two dozen questions before the ISS went out of range. Among them was the nearly inevitable "food question." "Canned and dried foods," Phillips responded when asked what kinds of foods the crew eats in space. "Unfortunately, there's no ice cream." Another youngster was curious about whether meteorites could collide with the space station. Phillips said they could, but it's also possible to maneuver the ISS to avoid them. In their free time, he told the students, he and crew mate Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR--the Expedition 11 commander--enjoy reading books and magazines and staying in touch with their families via e-mail. "We don't get a lot of free time," Phillips explained. Phillips responded to fourth grader Anastasia Plyasunova first in her native Russian, then in English. She'd asked if ISS crew members can vote from space and how many times the space station orbits Earth each day. Space station crew members can vote from space, he said, and the ISS orbits Earth every 91 minutes. Steve Bible, N7HPR, served as the control operator for the event. "At the end of the pass when the static took over," he recounted, "I thought to cheer to seal the excitement of the contact and break the tension in the room. It did!" Bible had help from Joe Julicher, N9WXU, who set up a laptop computer displaying a real-time graphic of the ISS passing overhead. A parent, Ward Brown, held the microphone for the students to ask their questions. ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, served as the mentor for the contact. In the spirit of the occasion, students and staff members at Higgins wore T-shirts bearing the legend, "I Went to School Today and All I Got to Do was Talk to an Astronaut." The Higgins QSO marked the 190th ARISS school group contact since the first ISS crew came aboard in 2000. After the approximately 10-minute contact, several students remarked that they'd remember the day. A number of news media covered the event, including a couple of newspapers and two television stations, both of which aired reports on their evening newscasts. Among the distinguished guests in the audience of students, parents, administrators and faculty was Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>ARISS DELEGATES URGED TO CAST EYE ON FUTURE OF HAM RADIO IN SPACE The two dozen delegates to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Meeting August 1-2 voted unanimously to study ARISS' involvement in future space exploration. ARISS will establish a committee to develop a strategy and present proposals to the ARISS International Team within the next six months. "We must begin to think seriously about making solid plans for ARISS, or we will not be ready when it's time to move ahead," ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, told the gathering at the University of Surrey in Guildford, England. NASA already has plans for missions to the moon, Mars and beyond on the drawing board. The new committee will provide updates at ARISS International monthly teleconferences. Delegates from the five ARISS regions--Japan, Canada, Europe, Russia and the US--convened on the heels of the AMSAT-UK Symposium. At the Symposium, ARISS-Europe team members hosted a session that updated those attending on the ARISS program. Looking toward the deployment of the European Space Agency's Columbus ISS module, ARISS delegates named a committee to develop a strategy and proposals for Amateur Radio systems on the new module. Columbus already is being made Amateur Radio-ready. ARISS delegates also okayed establishing a project team to make education-related decisions for the Columbus amateur gear. ARISS-Europe's Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, provided an extensive progress report on Columbus module radio systems, including feedthroughs, cables and patch antennas. The patch antennas, the first designed to conform to the shape of a space module, will be Earth-facing and located near the port cone. Amateur Radio contractors are currently fabricating the antennas, which will provide receive-only coverage on L band (1260-1270 MHz) and transmit and receive capability on S band (2400-2450 MHz) at a maximum power output of 10 watts. The ARISS Team is on a tight deadline--approximately a year--to design and develop an Amateur Radio system for Columbus, then test, certify and manifest it with the various space agencies. Another Amateur Radio-related task that remains is to install the cables. This is scheduled to happen next February. Delegates heard a presentation on a digital Amateur Radio Television (DATV) system being considered for development and deployment aboard Columbus, set for launch in the spring of 2007. ARISS delegates also gave the go-ahead for the ARISS Public Relations Committee and ARISS International delegates to publicize the Russian Shadow Experiment. The test would involve the impact on radio communication of electric thrusters (ET) that employ highly ionized plumes to propel a vehicle in space. Testing is scheduled for the November 2005 through January 2006 time frame. The main issue is electromagnetic compatibility between the ET exhaust plumes and onboard communication equipment, since the plasma plumes may scatter RF and produce a communication dead zone or "shadow." Bauer, Lou McFadin, W5DID, and ARISS-Russia's Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, updated the group on SuitSat. If all goes according to plan, an ISS crew will orbit a surplus Russian Orlan spacesuit equipped with Amateur Radio gear, a DVD of school artwork and other experiments--this fall during a spacewalk. SuitSat will fly to the ISS aboard a Progress supply rocket. ARISS-US delivered to ARISS-Russia a supply of ARISS logo patches to place on SuitSat hardware containers during their flight to the ISS. Bauer's daughter Michelle has provided the voice for the SuitSat station identification: "This is SuitSat 1--Amateur Radio station RS0RS." ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer Rosalie White, K1STO, reminded delegates that NASA's new administrator is a radio amateur, Mike Griffin, NR3A. She suggested that ARISS meet with Griffin to get him up to speed on the ARISS program. "It should be expected that most people in NASA leadership positions will change as the new administrator gets settled in his job," she said, "and this will require the US Team to teach many new NASA people about ARISS." ==>TORNADO STRING PROMPTS WISCONSIN ARES/RACES RESPONSE Amateur Radio sprang into action August 18 when nearly two dozen tornados struck several Wisconsin counties. The National Weather Service (NWS) says the rash of tornados--which tied the single-day record for the Badger State set in 1988--first struck West Central Wisconsin, then moved to the east and southeast. Vernon, Richland and Dane counties were hardest hit. ARRL Wisconsin Section Emergency Coordinator Bill Niemuth, KB9ENO, says hams there were on the job even before any funnel clouds touched down. "In typical ARES/RACES fashion, members were active in weather spotting for the National Weather Service and then in damage assessment and finally in communication support for emergency management in most counties," said Niemuth, who's also Wisconsin's Chief RACES Officer. The Dane County community of Stoughton was severely stricken. One person died as a result of the brutal weather, and 18 others were injured there. Dane County Emergency Coordinator Joe Senius, N9TWA, reports several tornadoes struck the county around 6:15 PM on August 18. "There was already a SKYWARN operation in place, with a liaison at the Dane County EOC, when a strong tornado, believed to be an F3, struck the Stoughton area," he said. "Dane County ARES was activated and set up a damage net to relay reports to the EOC. In turn, the EOC informed us of areas where no reports had yet been received and required further investigation." A resource net was set up as a staging area for hams not involved in direct support. Senius says reports via Amateur Radio helped county officials gauge the extent of the damage. They also alerted them to areas where emergency services had not yet responded to critical safety needs. In Dane County, 21 radio amateurs took part in the response as net control stations, liaisons between nets and the EOC, providing damage reports or standing by for assignment. A tornado watch earlier in the day prompted activation of a stand-by net on the Madison 444.375 MHZ repeater, reports ARES District Emergency Coordinator Charles Buggs, WX9BUG. He says the Midwest Severe Storm Tracking and Response Center (SSTRC) went into a "Condition Red" activation just before 5 PM. Buggs says the Midwest SSTRC until recently used cell phones and a business-band repeater to communicate, but now uses ham radio. Several members have become licensees. Buggs said Midwest SSTRC Director Dale Bernstein, KC9GQS, came in behind the tornado and began searching for people and assisting them out of the rubble. A damage assessment net was established, and an ARES resource net was set up. Wisconsin ARES/RACES Electronic Communications Coordinator Rick Williams, KV9U, in Vernon County, says Lemont Struxness, WB9DXL, responded to an NWS request the afternoon of August 18 to track a storm moving to the east. Struxness was stopped on the county line at Viola, however, because downed trees and power lines were blocking the highway. He was able to give direct information from the scene via the Vernon County ARES/RACES repeater to the La Crosse NWS office. "A number of buildings sustained severe damage including roofs and second story structures sheared off from a reported F1 tornado, which struck at 4:26 PM," he said. Eighty percent of the structures in Viola reportedly sustained significant damage, and three people were injured. Juneau County ARES EC Craig Smith, KC9FZD, said an estimated F1 tornado struck his county a short time later, downing trees and causing agricultural and structural damage. Outagamie County ARES EC Stan Piekarczyk, KE6IFC, said that AEC John Morack, N9ZXR, reported a fully formed rope-type tornado west of New London. "The tornado was short lived and dissipated about a minute later," he said. The Green Bay NWS office reported to Outagamie County ARES that rotation was evident on the Doppler radar, and Morack spotted the tornado two minutes later. Waushara County ARES EC Jim Burow, KC9EZT, said falling trees and limbs damaged houses in his area. WC9AAG at Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) activated August 19 to provide communication between Richland Center and Madison. WEM Assistant SEC Sam Rowe, KG9NG, and WC9AAG Manager Mack Brophy, N9NTB, staffed this station. Richland County ARES/RACES established a radio link between Richland Center and Viola. Niemuth says severe weather incidents like the August 18 tornadoes are why the more than 1300 Wisconsin ARES/RACES members train and stay ready to serve client agencies. "We do it to protect our families, neighbors and communities," he says. "After all, it is the Amateur Radio Service. I am always proud to lead our Wisconsin ARES/RACES team, but even more so after last week." ==>ROSALIE WHITE, K1STO, DEPARTS ARRL HEADQUARTERS, KEEPS CONNECTION ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, left ARRL Headquarters as a full-time staff member on August 19. She is returning to her home state of Indiana due to family medical issues. But she won't be severing ties with ARRL Headquarters altogether. "I'm going to miss the ARRL staff terribly, because they all care so much about Amateur Radio and its future," White said. "I'm proud to be able to continue working with them, though, and handling some neat programs." Among other projects, White will continue her work on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program--she's ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer--the new ARES E-Letter, the ARES Digital Network Management Team, relationships with served agencies and some work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among other responsibilities. Dave Patton, NN1N, will assume duties as Acting Manager of Field and Educational Services. ARRL CEO Harold Kramer, WJ1B, notes that White was on the HQ staff for 24 years. "She has been both a valued and valuable employee with her expansive skill set in Amateur Radio, our Field Organization, emergency communications, education, and aviation along with her knowledge of ARRL history and traditions," he said. Kramer added that although he's only been with the ARRL for six months, he'll greatly miss White's knowledge and insights as well as her perspective and advice. "I know that all of us will miss her both personally and professionally," he said. ==>LA SECTION MANAGER RE-ELECTED; NEW SMs PICKED IN WEST VIRGINIA, WYOMING ARRL members in the Los Angeles Section have re-elected incumbent SM Phineas J. Icenbice Jr, W6BF. He edged out Dino Darling, K6RIX, 515 to 498 to retain his post for another two years. He's served as SM since 1987. Elsewhere, the West Virginia and Wyoming sections will get new section managers this fall. Ballots in contested elections were counted August 23 at ARRL Headquarters. In West Virginia, L. Ann Rinehart, KA8ZGY, of S Charleston, was unopposed in her bid to replace outgoing SM Hal Turley, W8HC, who did not seek another term. Rinehart holds an appointment as an Official Emergency Station and previously served as Affiliated Club Coordinator for the section. In Wyoming, Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, of Devils Tower, topped a field of three candidates to become the new SM. Allen garnered 75 votes, while J. Steven Cochrane, W7JSC, had 52, and Walter C. Marshall, W7SE, got 24. Incumbent Wyoming SM Bill Edwards, WU7Y, did not seek re-election. An Amateur Extra class licensee, Allen has served as ARRL Emergency Coordinator in Crook County and as a Technical Specialist in the North Dakota Section where he previously lived. Because nominations for Wyoming SM had been re-solicited, Allen will serve an 18-month term. Seven sitting SMs were re-elected for new terms without opposition. They are Jeff Ryan, K0RM, Colorado; Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, Eastern Washington; Susan Swiderski, AF4FO, Georgia; Doug Dunn, K7YD, Montana (18-month term); Jettie Hill, W6RFF, Sacramento Valley; Bill Hillendahl, KH6GJV, San Francisco; Ray Taylor, N5NAV, South Texas, and Ed Bruette, N7NVP, Western Washington. Terms for all successful candidates begin October 1, 2005. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Sun gazer Tad "Sunrise, Sunset" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: There was a huge geomagnetic storm at mid-week. On August 24 a large coronal mass ejection struck Earth, and the resulting geomagnetic storm stimulated bright aurora borealis visible as far south as Utah and Colorado. The energy for all this emerged from fast-growing sunspot 798, which released two M-class solar flares on August 22. The planetary K index actually got up to 9 on August 24, and the planetary A index reached 110. The solar flux on the day of the flare rose nearly 60 points to 157.3--a big number for this part of the solar cycle. Solar activity should be low for the next few days, and geomagnetic conditions quiet. Predicted solar flux for Friday, August 26 through the following Monday is 95, 95, 90 and 90. Predicted planetary A index for those same days is 15, 8, 8 and 10. Sunspot numbers for August 18 through 24 were 42, 61, 74, 77, 85, 55 and 87, with a mean of 68.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 82.7, 93.1, 98.1, 98.5, 157.3, 112.3 and 98.6, with a mean of 105.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 16, 7, 5, 8, 12, 9 and 110, with a mean of 23.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 9, 6, 2, 5, 7, 7 and 72, with a mean of 15.4. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The ALARA Contest, the Ohio, Kentucky and Hawaii QSO parties, the SCC RTTY Championship, the YO DX HF Contest, the SARL HF CW Contest and the CQC Summer VHF/UHF QSO Party are the weekend of August 27-28. The NCC Thursday Sprint is September 2 (UTC). JUST AHEAD: The All Asian DX Contest (SSB), the Russian RTTY WW Contest, Wake-Up! QRP Sprint, AGCW Straight Key Party, IARU Region 1 Field Day (SSB), RSGB SSB Field Day and the DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest are the weekend of September 3-4. The Michigan QRP Labor Day CW Sprint is September 5-6. 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: Those taking advantage of early bird registration for ARRL's on-line Radio Frequency Interference course (EC-006) <http://www.arrl.org/cce/ec006> will save $10 off the regular tuition. Students must sign up by Monday, September 26, to get the discount. Registration closes Sunday, October 2, and class begins Friday, October 14. Those taking EC-006 learn to identify RFI sources and sufferers plus tips on handling those ticklish problems that can crop up between radio amateurs and their neighbors. These include not just situations where a ham's signal might cause TV, telephone or radio interference but cases where a Part 15 device or an appliance in a neighborhood might generate RFI affecting amateur frequencies. Even devices within a radio amateur's own home can be culprits, as can power-line noise. Early bird tuition is $55 for members and $85 for nonmembers. 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. * Correction: The In Brief news item "The ARES E-Letter to debut" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 31 (Aug 12, 2005) contained incorrect information regarding who may subscribe to receive The ARES E-Letter via e-mail delivery from ARRL. We should have said: "ARRL members with an interest in emergency communication or public service activities can sign up online to receive The ARES E-Letter via e-mail. Anyone can view the ARES E-Letter via the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/about.html>." * ARRL Goes to Washington video now available on DVD: A DVD version of the League's 10-minute video The ARRL Goes to Washington now is available from the on-line catalog <http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9507 >. The cost is $5. Produced by Dave Bell, W6AQ, Alan Kaul, W6RCL, and Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, this video documents the League's activities on behalf of Amateur Radio on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. This video offers an opportunity to call attention to ARRL's critical advocacy efforts in an entertaining and informative way. Featuring ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and narrated by former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, the presentation's debut at Dayton Hamvention was resoundingly positive. The video makes a great centerpiece for an Amateur Radio club program or meeting, and it's ideal for showing at hamfests, forums and even civic group meetings. It is not intended, nor available, for telecasting or broadcasting, however. The ARRL Goes to Washington remains available for downloading, free of charge, from the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/pio/VTS-Video.mpg>. The file is 95 MB, so a high-speed connection is necessary. * David R. Fordham, KD9LA, wins July QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for June is David R. Fordham, KD9LA, for his article "IEEE 802.11 Experiments in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley." Congratulations, David! 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 August issue by August 31. * RTTY/digital "Most Needed" DXCC entities survey under way: RTTY DXer and editor Don Hill, AA5AY, has invited RTTY and digital-mode DXers to take part in the 2005 RTTY Most Needed DXCC Entities Survey. "It has been three years since the last RTTY Most Needed DXCC Entities Survey was conducted," Hill says. According to the 2002 poll, Scarborough Reef (BS7) topped the wish list of RTTY DXers--which include those who chase DX via other digital modes such as PSK31 or AMTOR. For the 2005 Hill wants input from hams worldwide who operate RTTY and other digital modes by September 18, 2005. As in 2002, a Web form with check boxes will be provided, but for only 240 DXCC entities, not all 335. To take part in the survey, visit the 2005 RTTY Most Needed DXCC Entities Survey Web site <http://aa5au.com/rttysurvey2005.html>. * Let the seller beware! The ARRL again cautions anyone selling Amateur Radio and related equipment via Radios On-Line or QST Ham Ads (or via on-line auction sites or other advertising media) to beware of so-called "advance fee fraud" (or 4-1-9) payment schemes <http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml> aimed at ripping you off. We continue to receive reports from ARRL members who have received responses to their ads from individuals offering to overpay for goods via bank check with instructions to deduct the cost of their item(s) from the overpayment (typically quite substantial) and return the "change" to the buyer or another individual. The "bank check" is bogus, however, and the seller ends up holding the bag. This is a well-known scam. There's additional information on the Scam Victims United Web site <http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/>. Remember: Transact carefully, and protect yourself from fraud! =========================================================== 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. 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 and The American Radio Relay League. ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call 860-594-0384 ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail delivery: ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site <http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). 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