*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 36 September 8, 2006 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +Hams want broadcasters' battle off amateur frequencies * +League accepts Golden Antenna Award * +SuitSat-1 deorbits; a SuitSat-2 is possible * +Astronaut's niece, classmates talk to ISS via ham radio * +Maine's governor gets ham radio ticket * +Virginia's ham radio antenna law aids local ordinance revision * +Mid-October ARRL On-Line Auction preview set * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio: ARRL September VHF QSO Party, NA Sprint (CW)! ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration +Reminder — vanity renewal fee now $20.80 +Virginia radio amateur not prosecuted on radio-related felony charge Hydraulic malfunction faulted in CubeSat launch failure Armin Henry Meyer, W3ACE, SK +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =========================================================== ==>Delivery problems: First see FAQ <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery>, then e-mail <letter-dlvy@arrl.org> ==>Editorial questions or comments only: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, <n1rl@arrl.org> =========================================================== ==>IARU, MEMBER-SOCIETIES WANT BROADCASTERS TO END "BATTLE ON THE HAM BANDS" As the so-called "Firedragon" jammer continues to transmit in one or more Amateur Radio bands, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and three of its Region 3 member-societies so far have appealed to the jammer's target to move elsewhere. The Firedragon's all-music transmissions from the People's Republic of China (PRC) appear aimed at blocking the much-weaker broadcasts of the clandestine "Sound of Hope" (SOH), located outside the PRC. Responding via e-mail September 5 to an inquiry from IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) Vice Coordinator Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, the SOH said its supporters use various avenues "including Amateur Radio frequencies" to get their message into the PRC. "Through our investigation, we learned that the transmissions of SOH programs through Amateur Radio frequencies come from areas around China, and they each only target a local area of China with very low power, only for the intended audience and would interfere with nobody else," said SOH's Yue Chen. Yue addressed the reply to "All Amateur Radio Community Members" and indicated it was copied to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), although no ITU addressee was displayed. Yue encouraged the Amateur Radio community to "openly urge the Chinese government to stop this outrageous act of radio jamming" and to urge the ITU to take action as well. Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) Director Glenn Dunstan, VK4DU, told the Sound of Hope via e-mail this week that if it wants the support of the international community, it should move its transmissions into legitimate broadcasting spectrum. "There is more than enough radio spectrum for you to use outside of the Amateur Radio bands," Dunstan said September 5. "You are in breach of international radio regulations." A similar reaction came September 6 from Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) Monitoring System Coordinator B.L. Manohar Arasu, VU2UR, who pointed the finger at both the Sound of Hope and the Firedragon music jammer. "We, the Indian Amateur Radio operators, condemn both of you for using Amateur Radio frequencies," he said. "Please leave the frequencies clear at the earliest." Arasu suggested the jamming not only was bothersome to everyday hamming but could cause problems for emergency communication by radio amateurs. New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) Monitoring Service Coordinator Len Martinson, ZL1BYA, e-mailed the Sound of Hope September 6 to say its "illegal broadcast transmissions" were causing unlawful and harmful interference to the legal occupants of the Amateur Radio bands in question. "Your transmissions are also attracting the attention of jamming stations, which is increasing the interference to unacceptable levels," he said. "Please cease transmissions in the exclusive amateur bands immediately." Writing SOH on behalf of the IARU, Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, asked the clandestine broadcaster to be more careful in its selection of transmitting frequencies. "Your operations in the 14 and 18 MHz bands have caused serious interference to the amateur radio service, which is allocated these bands (14.000-14.350 and 18.068-18.168 MHz) for two-way amateur radio communication," Sumner wrote. "Please do not operate in these or any other amateur radio bands." Bihlmayer said September 6 that the Firedragon was back on 14.050 MHz -- a part of the 20-meter band allocated to the Amateur Radio Service on an exclusive basis worldwide -- after spending two days on 14.400 MHz. Over the past several months, the jammer also has been heard on 10.135 MHz, 14.260 MHz, 18.080 MHz and 18.160 MHz. The music jammer takes apparent monitoring breaks on the hour. When the jammer's carrier is off, Bihlmayer, who lives in Southern Germany, says he's heard a weak carrier on 14.050 MHz broadcasting a Chinese program that included speech. ARRL Monitoring System/Intruder Watch Liaison Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, says he's been able to hear the jammer from W1AW. In July, when the same jammer also was appearing on 18.160 MHz, Bihlmayer alerted telecom authorities in Germany and Hong Kong, as well as IARU Region 3 and the PRC embassy in Berlin to the situation. The 17-meter band also is a worldwide exclusive Amateur Radio allocation. Skolaut says he's received reports about the music jammer from all over the US, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. ==>ARRL RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS GOLDEN ANTENNA AWARD IN GERMANY The ARRL is the recipient of the 2006 Golden Antenna Award in recognition of the role the League and its members played in providing and supporting emergency communication during the response to Hurricane Katrina. The city of Bad Bentheim, Germany, sponsors the annual award. ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, accepted the honor on behalf of the League on August 25. "It was a honor to represent ARRL and accept the Golden Antenna Award that recognizes the role that hundreds of ARRL members played in the response to Katrina in 2005," Hobart said. "The speeches were generous in their praise of ARRL, and the cameras flashed as Bad Bentheim Mayor Günter Alsmeier presented the award." The city paid all expenses for Hobart's visit to Germany. The August 25 presentation took place at formal flag-draped ceremonies in the 12th century Bad Bentheim Castle to kick off the 38th annual Amateur Radio Days. The event is a cooperative venture of the German-Dutch Amateur Radio organization DNAT (Deutsch-Niederländischen Amateurfunker Tage/Duits Nederlands Amateur Treffen) and the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC). Hobart said the gracious and generous hospitality of both German and Dutch members of the Amateur Radio fraternity made her visit special. Topping off the weekend was a large flea market that drew hams from both countries and from as far away as Spain. "Of course bratwurst and beer added flavor to the occasion!" Hobart quipped. In her remarks during the presentation, Hobart expressed appreciation for the award on behalf of all who helped following Katrina and said she'd find a suitable location to display the award at ARRL Headquarters. Bad Bentheim has presented The Golden Antenna Award since 1982 to recognize outstanding Amateur Radio public service and humanitarian contributions. A jury of five German and Dutch radio amateurs makes the final selection. The 2005 award went to the Radio Society of Sri Lanka for its performance in the wake of the December 2004 South Asia earthquake and tsunami. ==>SUITSAT-1 (AO-54), RE-ENTERS EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE SuitSat-1 (AO-54) is history. The surplus Russian Orlan spacesuit turned satellite, which became one of the greatest public relations vehicles for Amateur Radio in years, re-entered and burned up in Earth's atmosphere Thursday, September 7, at 1600 UTC some 1400 km south-southwest of Western Australia. The announcement came September 8 from Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO. Bauer expressed thanks to "all who made SuitSat-1 the phenomenal event that it was." Launched February 3 during a spacewalk from the ISS, SuitSat-1's 2-meter signal was heard around the world, although at a much weaker signal strength than anticipated. "Your hard work and dedication paid off," Bauer continued. "In just three weeks the SuitSat team developed and delivered a safe satellite system that has gained the confidence of the international space agencies." Bauer also noted the "unprecedented press coverage" that included more than 9 million hits on the SuitSat-1 Web site <http://www.suitsat.org/> during February alone as well as several prominent mentions in the general news media. "Students around the world had the opportunity to participate in a seven-month 'school spacewalk' with the artwork, pictures, signatures and voices onboard," Bauer pointed out. "And the 'super-sleuth' ham radio operator extraordinaires were able to pull a significant amount of data from the satellite, despite its low signal strength." After SuitSat-1's VHF ham radio payload stopped transmitting earlier this year, AMSAT initiated a "Chicken Little Contest," for participants to guess when SuitSat-1 would deorbit. Winners and more information are on the AMSAT Web site <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ariss/suitsatContest.php>. Bauer said plans for a potential SuitSat-2 will be a discussion topic at the AMSAT/ARISS joint meeting in October <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/>. Commented ARRL ARISS Liaison Rosalie White, K1STO: "This unique satellite lasted longer than anyone ever expected, making the ARISS team proud." ==>ASTRONAUT'S KIN AMONG MIDDLE SCHOOLERS FOR SPACE CONTACT VIA HAM RADIO ISS astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, got to answer questions about life in space from his niece and several of her classmates August 28 during a Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Northeast Middle School in Clarksville, Tennessee. Williams told his niece, Riley -- who asked the first question -- that he became an astronaut because it involves excitement and discovery. "And flying in space is the current frontier for exploration," Williams remarked. If he were to pick another career, he said he'd return to the US Army. A Wisconsin native, Williams is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, New York. Another student wanted to know what an astronaut would do if the tether to the ISS broke during a spacewalk or EVA -- extra-vehicular activity -- as NASA calls it. "Well, we're very careful, and our equipment is designed so that it won't break," Williams replied. "If that were to happen, though, when we're doing an American EVA -- in the American suits -- we have what we call 'safers.' They're little jet packs that we have on the backpack of the space suit, and we can fly back to the space station. They're only used for emergencies." Responding to another question, Williams said it's not really known how long a human being could remain in space before encountering medical or health problems. He noted that the crew does keep a strict exercise regimen in space. "We're learning to understand what happens to the human body after a long period of time [in space]," he continued. "Of course, most expeditions are about six months." But he noted that back in the days of the Russian Mir space station, one cosmonaut stayed aboard for 437 days "and he did well when he got back to the ground." Williams and ISS Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, will return to Earth at the end of September. They've been in space since last April. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, will remain aboard the ISS to help provide some crew continuity for the Expedition 14 team of NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT. In response to another question from his niece, Williams told the youngsters that the ISS crew has been growing a variety of plants as part of its scientific research. "The latest one we tried here was peas, and we had a great survival rate initially, but we had some kind of a problem, which we don't quite understand, and the peas all eventually died, so, we're still working on that," he said. "It's a very important experiment, especially for the future, to provide food, for example, when we go to Mars." Northeast Middle School science teacher Sharon Fletcher said the ARISS contact had inspired a lot of interest among her students in becoming astronauts. During the approximately 10-minute contact, the students had 18 questions asked and answered before the ISS went over the horizon at Earth station VK4KHZ in Australia. Verizon Conferencing donated a teleconferencing link to provide two-way audio between the school and VK4KHZ. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>MAINE'S GOVERNOR IS NOW KB1NXP Maine Gov John E. Baldacci may now be the only sitting state chief executive holding an Amateur Radio license. Following up on an effort begun a few years ago, Baldacci took and passed his Technician license test September 6, and the FCC issued his new call sign, KB1NXP, the following day. Bill Crowley, K1NIT, is the liaison for the ARRL VEC volunteer examiner team that administered Baldacci's Amateur Radio license examination. "We heard that he was interested in getting his license," Crowley told ARRL. "So I talked to a couple of other people in the Augusta Amateur Radio Association and said, 'You know, we're the guys who could do this. We're right here, right in his backyard, and I think we ought to help him get a license.'" Crowley said Baldacci expressed initial interest in becoming licensed after learning of the Amateur Radio response following the 1998 ice storm that devastated a wide area of the Northeast. At the time, Baldacci was representing Maine's Second District in the US House. He renewed his interest in 2003, shortly after becoming Maine's governor, promising to add the goal of getting his ticket to his to-do list and seeking the encouragement and help of Maine's hams to achieve it. Former Maine State Treasurer Rod Scribner, KA1RFD -- a longtime radio amateur and instructor -- was recruited to help make it happen. "Rod went up there once a week, very early in the morning, and tutored him -- went through all the material," Crowley recounted. But the pressures of office compelled Baldacci to put the project on a back burner. During that lull, Crowley says he occasionally used his back channels at the Department of Public Safety, where he works, to relay messages via Baldacci's security guards to remind the governor the Augusta club was still eager to give him his ham radio test. "It got to be a standing joke," he said. Crowley had an opportunity to deliver the message firsthand in July when he greeted the Baldacci during an official occasion. "I said, 'You know, we've got to get this going,'" he recalled telling the governor. Baldacci asked Crowley to call his office and set up an appointment. Baldacci was a little concerned at that point that he might be behind the curve since the Technician question pool had changed since he'd worked with Scribner, Crowley said. But he assured the governor that the club members could get him back up to speed in short order. Over coffee early on September 6, Scribner, Crowley and the other members of the VE team -- Don Smith, AE1Q, and Tom Bailey, KB1EKY -- reviewed the current Technician material. "Then, he sat down and took the test and did very well," Crowley said. Baldacci got a taste of Amateur Radio in 2003, when he checked into the 75-meter Maine Sea Gull Net during a visit with members of the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association and other amateurs. On that occasion, the governor assured the gathering that the Maine Emergency Management Agency depends on Amateur Radio to support the statewide communications system and said Maine would rely on Amateur Radio volunteers if primary telecommunication systems go down. Now, historic Blaine House in Maine's capital of Augusta could become the only governor's residence to start sporting Amateur Radio antennas. Perhaps because Maine's motto is Dirigo -- I lead, Crowley hopes Baldacci will serve as a trendsetter among his gubernatorial colleagues across the US. In this instance, the old saying from the world of politics, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation," still may apply. ==>AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA LAW LEADS VIRGINIA COUNTY TO REVISE ORDINANCE The existence of Virginia's Amateur Radio antenna statute recently was instrumental in convincing the Stafford County Board of Supervisors to adopt changes that make it easier for radio amateurs to erect antenna support structures. Tom Gregory, N4NW -- a former Virginia Section Emergency Coordinator who lives in Stafford -- says that before the amendments went into effect, an Amateur Radio licensee wanting to put up a tower could have been asked to apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) and pay a $7500 filing fee. Gregory says that's because the old county ordinance did not distinguish between Amateur Radio and cellular towers. The county didn't necessarily oppose ham radio antennas, he said, but the application earlier this year of Lewis Cheek, K4HR, to erect a 120-foot antenna support structure apparently caught county officials unawares. "It was more of a situation that county staff was incapable of making a decision without clear guidelines to say that they could or could not do something," said Gregory. Stafford County's revised ordinance permits Amateur Radio operation "by right" throughout the county, situated roughly halfway between Richmond and Washington, DC. The changes require ham radio antenna support structures to comply with zoning requirements applying to accessory structures in a given municipality. Virginia's 1998 Amateur Radio antenna law <http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+15.2-2293.1> is among the few that go beyond merely incorporating the language of the PRB-1 limited federal preemption <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/local/prb-1.html> into state statutes. It also provides minimum regulatory heights of either 75 feet or 200 feet for antenna support structures, depending upon population density. Gregory says just having an Amateur Radio antenna law on the Commonwealth's books helped get the situation off the dime in Stafford County. "The fact that the Virginia state code specifically had some numbers in it and some clear language in it, that carried more weight with [county officials] than what PRB-1 says, which basically says, 'you'll accommodate the amateur,' but doesn't give any guidelines to localities," Gregory said. It didn't hurt either when the specter of litigation was raised. The county attorney told the Board of Supervisors that, given Virginia's Amateur Radio Antenna statute, the Board would be on shaky legal ground in trying to require a CUP and likely would lose if the case landed in court, Gregory said. Before even approaching the Stafford County Board of Supervisors with an eye toward changing the ordinance, Cheek and Gregory boned up on antenna restrictions via the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/antenna-restrictions.html> as well as local codes and ordinances throughout the commonwealth. As a result, Gregory said, they were able to educate county officials about ham radio and its benefits to the community. Armed with extensive ARRL materials, a copy of the Virginia Amateur Radio antenna law and the assistance of ARRL Volunteer Counsel George Marzloff, K4GM, Gregory and Cheek testified before the county Planning Commission to urge adoption of changes to permit Amateur Radio by right. Gregory, Cheek, and other radio amateurs, including Stafford County ARES Emergency Coordinator Bart Bartholomew, N3GQ, also testified before the full Board of Supervisors, which adopted the zoning ordinance revisions August 1. The revised ordinance also specifically defines Amateur Radio for the first time. Gregory encouraged radio amateurs in the 27 states lacking Amateur Radio antenna laws to work toward getting one on the books. ==>ARRL ON-LINE AUCTION "PREVIEW" SET FOR MID-OCTOBER With a little less than two months to go and counting before the ARRL's first On-Line Auction gets under way, ARRL Business Services Manager Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ, says the League has received several generous donations from a variety of sources. Auction proceeds will benefit ARRL educational programs and services. "I think you'll find a terrific variety of items when bidding kicks off on October 23," she said. Jahnke says the On-Line Auction site will open for a "preview" starting Monday, October 16. "At that time, you'll be able to view many of the items that will be up for bid the following week," she said. "You'll also be able to register at that time, if you choose." Auction proceeds will help to support the League's educational services and programs. The auction will be open to all -- ARRL members and otherwise. Bidders just need online access and must register prior to participating, which they may do at any time during the auction. The ARRL On-Line Auction will begin Monday, October 23, and will wrap up Friday, November 3. Jahnke and her Business Services team are planning, organizing and managing this premier event. Jahnke said many ARRL members have inquired to ask if they could donate a piece of vintage Amateur Radio gear or other item for the auction -- either on their own behalf or in someone's memory. "If this is something that you wish to do, please contact me <djahnke@arrl.org> to discuss it further," she said. Jahnke says the link to the ARRL On-Line Auction site will become available via the ARRL Web home page during the October 16 preview and once bidding begins October 23. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Propagation prognosticator Tad "Sunshine Superman" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Average daily sunspot numbers were down only slightly this week -- from 27 to 25.3. There were two days this week when the sunspot number was zero, and as we move closer to the bottom of Sunspot Cycle 23, we should see more zero sunspot days than we're currently experiencing. The last solar minimum was centered near October 1996, and prior to that was week after week of no sunspots. Currently we're observing average daily sunspot numbers in the 20s and 30s. According to weekly NOAA Space Environment Center sunspot predictions <http://sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/weekly/Predict.txt>, these averages are above the high end for this month and last, and the minimum is about six months away. Right now is a fairly good time for long-distance HF communication, because the geomagnetic field is mostly stable, sunspots haven't disappeared and we're close to the autumnal equinox. Best bets appear to be 40, 30 and 20 meters. For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. Sunspot numbers for August 31 through September 6 were 39, 32, 27, 0, 0, 26 and 53, with a mean of 25.3. 10.7 cm flux was 83.2, 76.9, 75.6, 76.5, 79, 80.4, and 84, with a mean of 79.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 13, 7, 6, 23, 8 and 7, with a mean of 10.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 8, 6, 6, 15, 7 and 6, with a mean of 7.7. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The ARRL September VHF QSO Party, the North American Sprint (CW), the Worked All Europe (WAE) DX Contest (SSB), the International G3ZQS Memorial Straight Key Contest, the Swiss HTC QRP Sprint, the SOC Marathon Sprint, the Tennessee QSO Party and the ARCI End of Summer Digital Sprint are the weekend of September 9-10. JUST AHEAD: YLRL Howdy Days are September 12-14. The North American Sprint (SSB), the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, F.I.S.T.S. Get Your Feet Wet Weekend, the SARL VHF/UHF Contest, the Scandinavian Activity Contest (CW), the South Carolina QSO Party, QRP Afield, the Washington State Salmon Run and the QCWA Fall QSO Party are the weekend of September 16-17. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest and the 144 MHz Fall Sprint are September 18. The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is September 21. 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, September 24, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) program online courses: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin on Friday, October 6. These courses will also open for registration Friday, September 22, for classes beginning Friday, November 3. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://mymail.arrl.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.arrl.org/cce/co urses.html> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * Reminder — vanity fee now $20.80: The regulatory fee to obtain or renew a post-1995 Amateur Radio vanity call sign is $20.80 for applications received by the FCC on or after Wednesday, September 6. The new fee covers the 10-year license term. See <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/08/01/3/> for more information. * Virginia radio amateur not prosecuted on radio-related felony charge: Dennis Alford, KC4VGA, of Wythe County, Virginia, is breathing a bit more easily now that he's no longer facing a felony charge of possessing an unlawful communication device. According to a news report in The Wytheville Enterprise, a misdemeanor charge of unlawful interfering with a two-way radio was taken under advisement. It will be dismissed after a year if no similar charges are brought against Alford, a 60-year-old longtime radio amateur. The newspaper says a Wythe County General District Court judge accepted an agreement worked out by Alford, his attorneys and a local prosecutor. A disabled truck plant worker who had been employed as a Wal-Mart greeter, Alford still must forfeit three of the radios police confiscated last March. One of Alford's attorneys told the court that Alford had bought the confiscated radios used and didn't realize they'd been modified. Following his August 31 court appearance, authorities returned other confiscated radio equipment to Alford. Police had searched Alford's home after the Wytheville Police Department in January reported extensive interference on its dispatching system that was traced to Alford's transmissions. Police subsequently arrested him at work and confiscated several pieces of his radio equipment as well as a computer that since had been returned to him. He had been on bond pending the hearing. Alford denied making any illegal transmissions and said afterward he was satisfied with the resolution of his case. * Hydraulic malfunction faulted in CubeSat launch failure: The commission probing the July 26 Dnepr-1LV rocket launch vehicle failure that resulted in the loss of more than a dozen CubeSats with ham radio payloads believes it knows why the vehicle didn't reach orbit. A brief malfunction of a hydraulic drive in a first-stage propulsion unit caused a deviation in the rocket's trajectory and "the issuance of a command to abort the flight," said a news release from Kosmotras, the company responsible for the rocket's launch. Kosmotras said the cause of the hydraulic malfunction has been determined, and the committee is "working up recommendations for its rectification." Russia, meanwhile, has suspended further Dnepr-1 LV launches. Fourteen of the tiny spacecraft that were lost carried Amateur Radio VHF or UHF beacon or telemetry transmitters. Various accounts indicated that the mission went awry less than two minutes after liftoff. The CubeSat project was a collaboration between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratory. All of the CubeSats were designed and built by students at various universities around the world.--some information from AMSAT News Service * Armin Henry Meyer, W3ACE, SK: Former US Ambassador Armin Henry "Hank" Meyer, W3ACE, died August 13 following a long illness. He was 92. An ARRL Life Member, Meyer, an expert on the Middle East, served as US ambassador to Lebanon in the Kennedy Administration after postings in Iraq and Afghanistan. He later was the US envoy to Iran and Japan. In 1972, he headed President Richard Nixon's terrorism unit following the killing of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich. Amateur Radio went around the globe with him. He operated over the years as YI2AN, OD5AX, YA1AM, EP3AM and JH1YDR, and he especially enjoyed operating on the low bands. Meyer was a member of the National Capitol DX Association. As W3ACE, he had 325 DXCC entities confirmed (mixed and phone) and at one point achieved No 1 Honor Roll. He also earned DXCCs as OD5AX, EP3AM and JH1YDR. =========================================================== The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League: ARRL--the National Association For Amateur Radio, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President. The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and general news of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news updates. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's also available as a podcast from our Web site. 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/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. 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