***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 39
October 7, 2005
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IN THIS EDITION:
* +ARRL kicks off 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund drive
* +Amateur radio "saved the day" in Southern Mississippi
* +Welsh high schoolers ask astronaut about life on ISS
* +Another BPL trial shuts down
* +FCC orders license revocation hearing
* +New ARRL Section Managers gather for workshop
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
+Vanity call sign processing hiatus continues
+SSETI Express launch date reset
CEPT working group adopts early-access recommendation
New Connecticut law not expected to affect radio amateurs
Dale Hunt, WB6BYU, wins September QST Cover Plaque Award
Cape Verde D4B contest station now QRT
+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
===========================================================
==>SPECTRUM DEFENSE FUND 2006: PROTECTING AMATEUR RADIO'S ABILITY TO RESPOND
The ARRL officially kicks off its 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund campaign
Monday, October 10, by once again emphasizing that Amateur Radio spectrum is
one of our nation's most valuable assets. Amateur Radio and everything it
accomplishes during disasters and emergencies would cease to exist without
access to the range and variety of frequencies it enjoys, says ARRL Chief
Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH.
"Public service is number one on the FCC's §97.1 hit parade of reasons
Amateur Radio exists," Hobart said. "The events of September 2005--like
those of September 2001--demonstrate the power of Amateur Radio in spades."
She says ham radio volunteers who've been taking part in the hurricane
Katrina and Rita relief and recovery, whether on the Gulf Coast or from
home, "testify to what hams have known for years--the value of Amateur Radio
frequencies when disaster strikes."
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer Christy Hardin, KB7BSA, just
returned home to Alabama after two duty tours in southern Mississippi
following Hurricane Katrina. "This is the essence of why we need to fight
for our frequencies and maintain what we have," she said, looking back on
her experiences of the past several weeks. "This is what it's about."
Amateur Radio volunteers have employed a wide range of modes and
capabilities to provide needed communication support following the Gulf
Coast hurricanes, Hobart points out. The mix includes extensive use of HF,
VHF and UHF as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems such as
EchoLink and IRLP, and data modes--primarily Winlink 2000.
In a 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund appeal going out to ARRL members, ARRL CEO
David Sumner, K1ZZ, calls the past month "a challenging one" for those
directly affected by the twin Gulf Coast hurricanes. Amateur Radio was in
the forefront of those responding to help, he said, from the time Amateur
Radio nets began tracking Katrina's course as a tropical storm to the
response on the ground in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. "Amateur Radio
operators continue to do what no one else can do--provide reliable emergency
communications."
"In recent weeks the demand for information about ham radio from the press,
and the helping hands extended by official Washington and our Amateur Radio
industry have validated what hams have been doing for decades," Sumner's
appeal goes on to say, "using our treasured frequencies to save lives, move
emergency resources and relay messages across the country."
Amateur Radio's spectrum is available because the League works hard every
day to protect and enhance it, Sumner noted. "Each year ARRL expends
thousands of staff hours and provides funding to work with agencies and
organizations to protect Amateur Radio spectrum," he said. "Amateur Radio
volunteer operators are always glad to help . . . to ensure that our
frequencies are there for disasters, drills, nets and just plain fun, we
must continue to protect them."
Donations to the League's Spectrum Defense Fund give the League the means to
represent Amateur Radio at critical meetings in official Washington and at
international conferences, prepare FCC filings and presentations and even to
work to eliminate harmful interference from such sources as BPL and power
line noise.
Hobart says every radio amateur has reason to feel proud of the service that
ham radio volunteers have provided in the most recent disaster. "I hope that
every ham, active or not, ARRL member or not, will translate that pride into
a contribution to support defense of our frequencies," she said.
Giving is easy. Radio amateurs may contribute online via the ARRL's secure
donor Web site <https://www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense/>. Those contributing
$50 or more may request a gift as a token of the League's appreciation.
The ARRL has been included in the 2005 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
National/International list <http://www.opm.gov/cfc/>. This means federal
government civilian employees as well as postal workers and members of the
military can designate their CFC pledges to the ARRL during the campaign
season, which ends December 15. The League's CFC donor code is 9872. Federal
employees who participate in the CFC can donate all or part of their CFC
contribution to the League to support ARRL's efforts on behalf of Amateur
Radio.
For more information about the 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund or to discuss
other ways you can support the ARRL's continuing work on behalf of Amateur
Radio, contact ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH
<k1mmh@arrl.org>;; 860-594-0397.
==>HAM RADIO SAVES THE DAY IN MISSISSIPPI; RITA RECOVERY CONTINUES IN TEXAS
Amateur Radio volunteers in Jasper County, Texas, continue to support
mass-feeding operations by The Salvation Army, which has been coordinating
with other relief groups to provide meals to Hurricane Rita-displaced
residents. Amateur volunteers plan to meet with Salvation Army personnel to
discuss the need for Amateur Radio support beyond this weekend. Meanwhile,
ARRL Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK--who's been handling the intake of
American Red Cross volunteers in Montgomery, Alabama--has been visiting ARC
shelters along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Shelters there are in the process
of closing down. In Gulfport, Amateur Radio volunteers continue to support
communication for the emergency operations center (EOC) in Harrison County,
where they've been a mainstay since Hurricane Katrina struck in late August.
"If it hadn't been for Amateur Radio operators, we would not have had
communications with other agencies," said Col Joe Spraggins of the Harrison
County Emergency Management Agency. "Even with the advancements in our radio
technology, ham radio saved the day! Thank you."
Christy Hardin, KB7BSA, a Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer from
Alabama, and husband Rick, KB4BSA, have been in the Gulf Coast twice
following Hurricane Katrina. She had nothing but praise for those who have
been volunteering to maintain communication at the EOC 24/7 in some cases
despite having lost their own homes to the storm. "The four or five
operators who worked around the clock for nearly a month are the true
heroes," she said.
In particular, she cited ARES District Emergency Coordinator Tom Hammack,
W4WLF, Ray Taber, WX5AAA, Glover Hayden, W5BLV, and John Moore, W5EG, for
serving unselfishly on behalf of Mississippi Gulf Coast residents. Hammack
has been living in the EOC since the storm flooded and badly damaged his
house. An instructor for all three levels of the ARRL Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications course, Hardin says she was "thrilled to see it in
action" as the EOC volunteers performed as true professionals.
South Texas ARRL Section Manager Ray Taylor, N5NAV, this week estimated
upward of 60 Amateur Radio volunteers were on the ground in Texas, many
supporting shelters scattered throughout the area. North Texas SEC Bill
Swan, K5MWC, has been helping to recruit and schedule ARES members from his
section to assist in mass-care operations in Jasper County.
Taylor says radio amateurs in North Texas and Arkansas have been helping to
cover net control shifts and to serve as relay stations for the West Gulf
ARES Emergency Net on 7.285 MHz days/3.873 MHz evenings.
Scott Pederson, KI5DR, reports he just returned home from three days in
Jasper County, Texas, working with John Wagner, WA5VBP, Charles Fletcher,
N5BOY, and John Barber, N5JB. "Our job was to deliver hot meals to various
locations around a three-county area with five Salvation Army trucks and
also several Red Cross trucks working together," he said. Ham radio, he
explained, helped to coordinate the delivery routes by the various agencies
involved. While VHF FM simplex was okay for local work, the West Gulf ARES
Emergency Net on HF was very reliable.
"Even though regular phones are working most of the time, it's really the
hams that are the communicators of the group," he said. Pederson also lauded
the efforts of The Salvation Army, American Red Cross and Arkansas Methodist
Men's volunteers. "Everyone is focused and cares deeply about their tasks,"
he said, "and things are happening at lightning speed throughout the day."
In Louisiana, SEC Gary Stratton, K5GLS, said earlier this week that some 45
Amateur Radio volunteers remained on hurricane recovery duty there. "Things
are settling down," Stratton told ARRL.--Christy Hardin, KB7BSA, supplied
information for this article
==>TEARS AND FEARS AMONG TOPICS OF ARISS SCHOOL GROUP CONTACT
Students at Tregaron Secondary School in Tregaron, Wales, questioned
Expedition 11 ISS NASA Science Officer John Phillips, KE5DRY, September 29
about life aboard the International Space Station. Serving as the Earth
station for the event was the Radio Society of Great Britain's (RSGB) mobile
ham station GB4FUN, controlled by Carlos Eavis, G0AKI, and operated by AMSAT
UK's Howard Long, G6LVB. The contact between GB4FUN and NA1SS was arranged
by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. One
student asked Phillips what happens to tears if you cry in space.
"Well, that may be the most interesting question of the day," Phillips
responded. "I think that the tears would just stay right there on your eyes
or possibly on the edge of your cheeks. They wouldn't go very far. I think
maybe they'd just stay in your eyes until they evaporate."
Other students at Tregaron asked Phillips if he had any fears or concerns
about living in space. Phillips told the students he didn't spend much time
worrying about possible problems. "I make sure I'm prepared, but beyond
that, I don't worry," he said.
As for being scared, Phillips recounted "a sort of a joke" among the US
astronaut corps: "The main thing you're scared of in space is you might do
something wrong and look bad, and there's a certain amount of truth to
that." Phillips says he worries "a little" that he might make a mistake, but
he's not frightened of anything because he has confidence in the ISS, his
training and the ISS ground crew
In response to a later question asking if he'd ever had any "embarrassing
moments" in space, Phillips said only when he makes a mistake or loses
something. "The work we do is watched all the time by the folks on the
ground," he pointed out. Answering another question about the spacesuits the
crew wears for space walks, Phillips said they are "very functional," but he
wouldn't call them comfortable.
In all, Phillips answered 18 questions before the ISS went over the horizon
and contact with the school was lost. ARISS-Europe's Gaston Bertels, ON4WF,
says Phillips nonetheless continued on to answer the remaining two questions
on the list, and "ground stations further east could hear his answers and
his signing off."
Upward of 350 students, faculty members and VIPs filled the room at
Tregaron, and BBC-TV covered the event. The contact marked the first ARISS
school group QSO for a school in Wales and the last for Phillips during his
current ISS duty tour.
ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach
with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
==>PENNSYLVANIA UTILITY CITES UNFAVORABLE ECONOMICS IN ENDING BPL TRIAL
PPL Broadband announced this week that it's terminating its broadband over
power line (BPL) experiment in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. According to
media reports, the company is citing the high cost of a full-scale BPL
rollout and competition from cable and DSL service in the region as the
reasons for the shutdown. Approximately 300 households participating in the
trial were said to be paying $40 a month for the high-speed Internet
service. Although Amateur Radio stations in some of PPL Broadband's service
area reported BPL interference, the company did not cite it as a factor in
its decision to drop out of the BPL race.
"Several local amateurs reported interference to their home stations," said
ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, who visited the Lehigh Valley
several times to take BPL system emission measurements. "While this was
resolved in whole or in part by PPL, in one case the interference was
'fixed' by turning off BPL completely to the street in front of the amateur
reporting the interference." Even so, Hare says, the amateur continued to
experience moderate interference from other parts of the system.
PPL claimed it had no BPL equipment operating on the spectrum the complaint
targeted. During a visit a few weeks later, however, Hare said he was able
to quickly pinpoint the source "on the band PPL claimed it wasn't using"
about a half mile away from the ham's location, although PPL was never able
to completely resolve the case.
Hare reports the BPL system was creating S9 noise on entire ham bands within
a "rather large" deployment area. "Had this system continued to build out,
additional reports of interference from mobile and fixed amateur operation
would have been inevitable," he predicted.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said he wasn't surprised to learn of PPL's
decision to get out of BPL. "It bears out what knowledgeable economists have
been saying about BPL's prospects for some time," he said. "PPL has
considerable excess fiber capacity and was trying to leverage that
investment by offering broadband service to consumers via BPL. If they
couldn't make it pay, it's doubtful anyone else can."
The Allentown company first offered BPL Internet service in Whitehall
Township and Emmaus, later expanding to parts of Bethlehem, Upper Macungie
Township, Hanover Township and Northampton County. In its formal comments in
the FCC BPL proceeding, the ARRL cited measurements taken at one site within
the BPL test system in Emmaus that "exceeded FCC Part 15 limits by up to 20
dB or more."
An October 4 article in Allentown's The Morning Call newspaper quoted PPL
spokesman Jim Santanasto as saying that the utility couldn't charge enough
in the face of stiff cable and DSL competition and that its pool of
potential customers was too small. "The economies of scale wouldn't work,"
the paper quoted Santanasto as saying.
==>FCC ORDERS LICENSE REVOCATION HEARING FOR CONVICTED FELON
The FCC has issued an Order to Show Cause that initiates a hearing
proceeding to determine if an Amateur Radio licensee now serving time on a
felony conviction is qualified to remain an FCC licensee or should face
license revocation. The Order, released September 29, involves the case of
David Edward Cox, W5OER, of Pride, Louisiana. Over the past several years,
the FCC has been applying its so-called "1990 Character Order," initially
intended to apply to Broadcast Service licensees, to Amateur Radio licensees
and applicants. The FCC said Cox's multiple felony convictions "raise
serious questions" about his character qualifications, and it's designated
the matter for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
"David Edward Cox is hereby ordered to show cause why his authorization for
Amateur Radio Advanced class license W5OER should not be revoked," the FCC
said in its Order. FCC licensing records indicate, however, that Cox holds a
Technician class license.
An applicant's character is among factors it considers during its review to
determine whether an applicant "has the requisite qualifications to operate
the station for which authority is sought," the FCC said in its Order. The
FCC said felony convictions "raise potential questions regarding an amateur
licensee's qualifications."
First convicted in January 2004 for simple burglary, a felony, Cox was
sentenced to five years in prison, but the judge suspended the sentence and
put him on supervised probation for five years, the FCC said. Cox was
arrested again in September 2004, the FCC continued in its recitation, and,
earlier this year, following a plea agreement, a US District Court judge
sentenced him to concurrent terms of 41 months for felony violations of
various firearms provisions.
If it goes forward, the hearing would attempt to determine the effect of
Cox's felony convictions on his qualifications to be and remain an FCC
licensee and, in the light of evidence, whether Cox is qualified to remain a
Commission licensee and whether his Amateur Radio license should be revoked.
The FCC sent copies of the show cause Order to his home address as well as
to Catahoula Correctional Center in Harrisonburg, Louisiana. Cox has 30 days
from the Order's release to file written notice that he will appear for the
hearing and present evidence. The FCC Enforcement Bureau would bear the
burden of proof in the proceeding.
==>LEARNING TAKES CENTER STAGE AT WORKSHOP FOR NEW SECTION MANAGERS
The focus was on achieving results through working with volunteers when 10
new ARRL Section Managers met at ARRL Headquarters September 23-25 for the
annual Workshop for New Section Managers. ARRL staffers Steve Ewald, WV1X,
Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, and Leona Adams organized the event and served as
primary hosts during the weekend session. The primary purpose of the session
was to share ideas, to provide some basic administrative, management,
leadership, and motivational training--including working with served
agencies--and to outline the functions of the SM and ARRL.
"The SM Workshop was really a great learning experience for me," said
incoming West Virginia SM Ann Rinehart, KA8ZGY, of Charleston, who began her
term October 1. "The group really shared concerns, issues and experiences
which were very helpful."
The session also provided an opportunity for the new SMs to get acquainted
with ARRL Headquarters, some for the first time, to meet various ARRL staff
members and to learn about the variety of services the League offers its
members and Amateur Radio.
Serving as discussion guides and presenters for the workshop in addition to
Ewald and Skolaut were ARRL Webmaster Jon Bloom, KE3Z; ARRL Marketing
Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R; Regulatory Information Specialist John
Hennessee, N1KB, and Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP.
Skolaut discussed the Amateur Auxiliary and Official Observers program,
while his wife Mary, N0TIK, volunteered to address the importance of
ARRL-Affiliated Clubs from her perspective as a club member and elementary
school teacher.
With Hurricane Rita threatening, then striking, the Gulf Coast while the
workshop was in session, attendees got to participate in teleconferences
with SMs and Section Emergency Coordinators in the affected region. As a
result, workshop attendees North Texas SM Tom Blackwell, N5GAR, and Arkansas
SM David Norris, K5UZ, were able to discuss the progress of the hurricane
and the ARES response to it directly with their SECs.
Arizona SM Tom Fagan, WB7NXH, said the 2005 SM Workshop exceeded his
expectations. "Being able to meet and share thoughts with other section
managers was quite valuable," he said. "The seminars taught me all sorts of
facets of the section manager job that I had not thought about. And I never
could have anticipated the rush I got when I caused a pileup just by calling
CQ from W1AW."--Steve Ewald, WV1X
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Solar flash Tad "Shining Star" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
This week's Solar Update is being posted one day earlier than usual. Solar
activity was down for the week. In fact we saw several days of no sunspots
at all. October 1, 2 and 3 each had a daily sunspot number of zero. Sunspot
numbers are slowly rising as sunspot 813 rotates to face Earth, but the
average for the week dropped more than 18 points to 11.6. Sunspot numbers
and solar flux may rise but probably not by much. As mentioned last week,
we're waiting to see what the return of giant sunspot 798 will bring, but as
that area shifts into view, only a few wisps are visible. This would
indicate that the area is magnetically much less complex than what came
around the past two rotations.
Over the next year as this cycle 23 bottoms out, we will see long stretches
of days--maybe even weeks--with no sunspots at all. This is based on the
behavior of past solar cycles.
Over the next week expect sunspot activity to remain low, and solar flux
should hover around 85. Planetary A index for the next five days, October
6-10 is predicted at 8, 10, 5, 8 and 12. The next period of moderately
active geomagnetic conditions is forecast for October 12, based on the last
solar rotation.
Sunspot numbers for September 29 through October 5 were 22, 13, 0, 0, 0, 15
and 31, with a mean of 11.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 73.8, 72.2, 72.1, 74.9,
74.3, 82.7, and 81.3, with a mean of 75.9. Estimated planetary A indices
were 6, 11, 13, 13, 7, 4 and 4, with a mean of 8.3. Estimated mid-latitude
A indices were 5, 6, 10, 8, 5, 2 and 2, with a mean of 5.4.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The German Telegraphy Contest is October 3. The
YLRL Anniversary Party (CW) is October 5-7. the 432 MHz Fall Sprint is
October 5 and the SARL 80-Meter QSO Party is October 6. The Pennsylvania QSO
Party, the FISTS Fall Sprint, the North American Sprint (RTTY), the
Makrothen RTTY Contest, the Oceania DX Contest (CW), EU Autumn Sprint (CW)
and the UBA ON Contest (CW) are the weekend of October 8-9. The 10-10
International 10-10 Day Sprint is October 10. The NAQCC 80/40 Straight
Key/Bug Sprint is October 12. The NCCC Thursday Sprint is 0230Z-0300 UTC
October 14, and the YLRL Anniversary Party (SSB) is October 14-16. The
Jamboree On The AIR (JOTA), the JARTS WW RTTY Contest, the Microwave Fall
Sprint, the Worked All Germany Contest, the Asia-Pacific Fall Sprint (CW),
the UBA ON Contest (2 m), the RSGB 21/28 MHz Contest (CW) and the Illinois
QSO Party are the weekend of October 15-16. 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 remains open through Sunday, October16, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I (EC-002), Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Level III (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004),
VHF/UHF Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), Propagation (EC-011) and HF Digital
Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin Friday, October 28. To learn more, visit
the CCE Web site <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the ARRL CCE
Department <cce@arrl.org>;.
* Vanity call sign processing hiatus continues: As ARRL reported in The ARRL
Letter, Vol 24, No 38 (Sep 30), the FCC discontinued the processing of
vanity call signs on or about September 23. The Commission's Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau this week announced that, while it continues to
accept new vanity call sign applications, these applications "will not be
processed until further notice." The FCC says the suspension of vanity
processing is consistent with extended filing and regulatory deadlines it
announced for hurricane-affected licensees under public notices released
September 1 and September 24. Because the filing extensions apply to Amateur
Radio's two-year "grace period," they could adversely impact the vanity call
sign system. "When processing is resumed, all pending vanity call sign
applications will be processed consistent with the date order in which they
were received," the FCC said October 5 in an alert on the Universal
Licensing System (ULS) Web site.
* SSETI Express launch date reset: The launch of the Student Space
Exploration and Technology Initiative (SSETI) Express satellite, which will
carry an Amateur Radio package, has been rescheduled for later this month.
"We have been advised that a new launch date has been agreed--Thursday 27
October from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome--with 28 October as a back-up date,"
said Graham Shirville, G3VZV. The SSETI Express will carry three CubeSat
picosatellites. Plans call turning the satellite into a single-channel
amateur FM voice mode U/S transponder after the transmitter serves initial
telemetry duty. The AMSAT-UK Web site <http://www.uk.amsat.org/> provide
additional information.
* CEPT working group adopts early-access recommendation: The CEPT Electronic
Communications Committee (ECC) Working Group FM (WGFM) has adopted a
recommendation, ECC/REC(05)05, regarding early access in the band 7100-7200
kHz. The recommendation states that administrations within CEPT may allow
stations in the Amateur Service to use the band 7100-7200 kHz on a secondary
basis, provided that the transmitter output power does not exceed 250 W.
Following public consultation of the draft recommendation, the WGFM adopted
ECC/REC(05)05 on September 28 at its meeting in Koblenz, Germany. The number
of countries that allow early access is growing. The Russian Federation and
Singapore joined the list last week, and the Netherlands and Austria are
expected to permit access soon. Additional information and a list of
countries that have adopted early access to 7100-7200 kHz are available on
the IARU Region 1 Web site
<http://home.planet.nl/~pa3ebt/IARU-R1/7_mhz_early.htm>
* New Connecticut law not expected to affect radio amateurs: A Connecticut
state law restricting the use of handheld mobile electronic devices while
driving went into effect October 1. The new statute, Public Act 05-220, in
general prohibits drivers from using "a hand-held mobile telephone to engage
in a call" or from "using a mobile electronic device" while the vehicle is
in motion. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, says he believes the new
law was intended to apply principally to cellular telephones, but he
concedes it's not entirely clear that the new term "mobile electronic
device" excludes Amateur Radio transceivers. Even so, Imlay said, "there is
a good argument that they are, in fact, excluded." Imlay concludes, however,
that it would be better to have a specific exemption for Amateur Radio
equipment. Radio amateurs cited under the new statute are asked to contact
John Hennessee, N1KB, at ARRL Headquarters <jhennessee@arrl.org>;.
* Dale Hunt, WB6BYU, wins September QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of
the QST Cover Plaque Award for August is Dale Hunt, WB6BYU, for his article
"A Simple Direction-Finding Receiver for 80 Meters." Congratulations, Dale!
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 October issue by October 31.
* Cape Verde D4B contest station now QRT: Al Teimurazov, D4B/4L5A (photo),
announced in late September the closing of the D4B contest station on Monte
Verde, Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands. "I have achieved, and in some cases
exceeded, all my goals that I set out to do from D4," Teimurazov said in a
farewell statement. "I am proud and honoured to have played an active part
in the ham radio contest community for the past few years." Additional
information and photos are on the D4B Contest Station Web site
<http://www.qsl.net/d44tt/pictures.html>.
===========================================================
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Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
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