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ARRL Letter

 

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 42
October 20, 2006
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IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC's "omnibus" order has credits, debits, errors
* +Hawaii's hams scramble in earthquakes' wake
* +New York BPL policy acknowledges interference as "major issue"
* +New ARRL Section Managers elected, appointed
* +Ohio ham wins 2006 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award
* +ITU to celebrate centenary of international Radio Regs
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
    +ARRL On-Line Auction opens Monday, October 23!
    +Japanese CubeSat gets OSCAR number
     We stand corrected!

+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>;
===========================================================

==>FCC "OMNIBUS" REPORT AND ORDER CONTAINS PLUSES, MINUSES AND ERRORS

The FCC's recent Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 04-140 seems to offer
something for just about every sector of the Amateur Radio community, but
it's not without shortcomings. Most appear to be unintended consequences
stemming from the FCC's arguably too-generous allocation of 75 meter phone
spectrum to Amateur Extra class licensees. The FCC indicated it was only
doing what the ham radio community said it wanted.

"Indeed, a number of commenters argue that the NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rule
Making) proposal to increase the amount of spectrum permitted for voice
communications would still not meet the demand for voice communication in
the HF bands, particularly in the 80 meter band," the FCC said in the R&O,
released October 10. Several radio amateurs filing comments justified
extending the phone allocation further into the CW band, the FCC continued,
citing their arguments that the CW band is "grossly underused and represents
a huge waste in spectrum."

Once the new rules go into effect, the 75 meter phone band will span 3800 to
4000 kHz for Generals, 3700 to 4000 kHz for Advanced class licensees (ARRL
had requested 3750 to 4000 kHz), and 3600 to 4000 kHz for Amateur Extras
(ARRL had requested 3725 to 4000 kHz). Far more modest phone expansions were
the rule for 40 and 15 meters, the other affected bands.

But the ample 75 meter Amateur Extra class phone allocation not only
effectively reduces the amount of 80-meter spectrum available for CW, RTTY
and data, it actually eliminates Advanced and General class access on any
mode to certain segments where they now have privileges. Sensitive to
fallout from the "incentive licensing" debacle of the late 1960s, the FCC in
the past has indicated it wouldn't let that kind of thing happen again.

In the runup to the April 2000 license restructuring, the FCC assured that
any pending changes would not take away any incumbent licensee's privileges,
and it carefully avoided doing so in its restructuring R&O. In applauding
the ARRL's "refarming" proposal in this docket's NPRM, the FCC pointed out
that "as proposed, no licensees would lose any spectrum privileges."
Nonetheless that's just what happened:

Generals lose 150 kHz of CW/data spectrum on 80 meters but gain 50 kHz of
phone spectrum on 75. They also lose 25 kHz of CW/data spectrum on 40 meters
but gain 50 kHz of phone privileges on that band. Factoring in another 25
kHz of phone spectrum on 15 meters that's an overall gain of 125 kHz of
phone spectrum offset by an overall loss of 175 kHz of CW/data spectrum --
or a net loss of 50 kHz in spectrum privileges.

Advanced licensees also lose 150 kHz of CW/data spectrum on 80 meters but
gain 75 kHz of phone spectrum on 75. They also lose 25 kHz of CW/data
spectrum on 40 meters but gain 25 kHz of phone spectrum there. That's an
overall loss of 175 kHz of CW/data spectrum offset by an overall gain of 100
kHz of phone spectrum (25 kHz less than Generals). The net loss in Advanced
privileges works out to 75 kHz (25 kHz greater than Generals).

The new rules are "nothing but net" for Novice and Tech Plus (Technician
with Element 1 credit) licensees. These licensees take home a whopping 250
kHz of additional CW spectrum (CW/data on 10 meters).

The R&O contains several apparent mistakes, too. For example, in §97.301(d)
the 80 meter row should read 3.525-3.600 MHz for all three ITU regions. In
§97.305(c), the frequencies in the first line for 40 meters should read
7.000-7.100 MHz. The FCC will fix these errors when the "official" R&O text
appears in the Federal Register later this fall.

Other corrections may prove more troublesome. Creating a humongous 75 meter
phone band for Extras effectively, but apparently inadvertently, deleted the
only 80 meter segment where automatically controlled digital stations may
operate -- 3620 to 3635 kHz. The new rules no longer permit RTTY and data
there, however.

In addition, the FCC accommodated the inclusion of images in data
transmissions by defining a range of image emission types as "data" and
limiting them to 500 Hz bandwidth in the RTTY/data subbands. Unfortunately,
it did so in a way that also limits J2D emissions -- data sent by modulating
an SSB transmitter -- to 500 Hz bandwidth.

==>HAWAIIAN HAMS RESPOND AS EARTHQUAKES STRIKE "BIG ISLAND"

Amateur Radio volunteers scrambled to provide emergency communication and
assist with relief efforts after earthquakes October 15 on the "Big Island"
of Hawaii. The initial jolt of the so-called "Kona Earthquake" just after 7
AM local time rousted many residents from sleep; another followed soon
after. Widespread power outages as well as structural and highway damage
resulted throughout the Hawaiian Islands, although a feared tsunami never
developed and no deaths were reported.

"ARES and RACES operators responded to Hawaii State and Oahu Civil Defense
Emergency Operation Centers," reports Hawaii State RACES Coordinator and
ARRL State Civil Defense (SCD) Emergency Coordinator Ron Hashiro, AH6RH.
Right after Oahu stopped shaking, Hashiro put out a call on the Honolulu
146.88 MHz repeater seeking reports.

"Other stations confirmed the violent shaking," he said. Hashiro started
emergency operations on the Honolulu repeater, then proceeded to the
inter-island 147.06 MHz repeater system and repeated the sequence. Hashiro,
Robin Liu, AH6CP, and Mitch Pinkerton, KH6MP, arrived at the State Emergency
Operations Center (EOC) in short order, and RACES operations from KH6HPZ
commenced within a half hour of the first earthquake. After checking into HF
and VHF nets, ARRL Pacific Section Emergency Coordinator Kevin Bogan, AH6QO,
responded to the SCD EOC.

Bogan said the primary focus was on the Big Island, where most damage
occurred because the epicenter was so close. "Although buildings on Oahu
suffered only minor structural damage, the biggest problem was the power
outage due to generators for the island powering down as a safety
precaution," he said. "Within minutes of the first earthquake, telephone
calls on landline and many cell phone carriers were difficult due to
congestion."

Hashiro said operators at the EOC rotated among the HF and VHF operating
positions, running messages with the EOC operations desk and checking with
staff on their various needs and concerns. The Hawaii Emergency Net on 7088
kHz provided the main HF link in the earthquakes' aftermath. Communication
around the Big Island was handled on 7095 kHz. Where Internet remained
available, radio amateurs were able to take advantage of Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) modes such as EchoLink and IRLP.

At Oahu Civil Defense Agency, RACES Coordinator Ray Moody, AH6LT, responded,
while Adrian Ditucci, KH7GK, handled net control service duties from his
home a few miles away, operating on battery power.

Other Amateur Radio emergency communication volunteers did "the heavy
lifting in the field," Hashiro said. "The key to their success was that they
had varying degrees of portable and mobile capabilities with emergency power
-- using VHF and HF," he said. "They were able to drive right to the scene
and pass along assessments, status reports and messages through us, right
into State CD operations."

"For example, Steve, WH6N, passed formal traffic on the condition of a
hospital and the closure of a neighboring highway due to a landslide,"
Hashiro said. "AH6RR and KH7MS passed information on the condition and
evacuation of Kona Community Hospital, while WH6WI updated us on the
progress and availability of a 1000-person American Red Cross Shelter at the
old Kailua-Kona airport."  As a precaution, officials evacuated several
hospitals in Hawaii until they could check the safety of the structures.

Dozens of tremors followed the initial quake, on the west side of the Island
of Hawaii, which measured at 6.7 on the Richter scale. It was the first
major earthquake in Hawaii in 20 years. A second quake measured 6.0, Bogan
said, and there were many aftershocks. Hashiro says State CD RACES/ARES
operations wrapped up at 5:20 PM, while Oahu RACES operations from KH6OCD
ended at 10:55 PM. He reports upward of a dozen stations on the Big Island
provided HF and VHF communication with SCD, while another seven radio
amateurs were active on the island of Maui.

The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) activated for a
short time Sunday afternoon on 14.265 MHz to assist with emergency
communication to handle health-and-welfare inquiries and traffic.

Hashiro says that unlike some other areas of the US, radio amateurs in
Hawaii stress and believe in joint operation -- a collaboration of ARES,
RACES, SKYWARN, HealthComm, the American Red Cross, Volunteers Organizations
Active in Disaster (VOAD), and SATERN.

"We become one operation, one team to our emergency management partners," he
said. "We help each other out and work and train together. That's the only
way to operate; there's simply not enough equipped, capable and available
operators to go around. Isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there's
not a lot of missteps and mistakes we can afford."

==>NEW YORK PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION RECOGNIZES BPL INTERFERENCE CONCERNS

The New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) <http://www.dps.state.ny.us/>
this week adopted a policy statement on deployment of BPL systems in the
Empire State. While asserting that BPL technology "may provide significant
benefits to New Yorkers," the commission also has acknowledged that BPL
"poses a myriad of both traditional and unique technical and regulatory
challenges." The policy statement, issued and effective October 18, says
that while most BPL providers, equipment makers and vendors believe the
FCC's Part 15 rules address interference issues, that was not the consensus
opinion of those who commented to the Commission.

"Most parties were uneasy about potential interference problems that could
arise with the deployment of BPL technology," the NYPSC policy statement
pointed out, citing RF interference as "a major issue."

The NYPSC policy affirmed its decision that electric utilities should not be
BPL providers. Utility Consolidated Edison still operates a BPL trial system
in the Westchester County community of Briarcliff Manor that has been the
target of BPL interference complaints from radio amateurs. The policy puts
primary responsibility for RFI on the BPL provider, who, under the NYPSC
model, would lease access to the electric utility's grid.

"The BPL provider is primarily responsible for responding to all customer
service and collateral service complaints and issues, including any related
to interference produced by BPL equipment," the policy statement says.

In his oral comments to the NYPSC, Robert Mayer, director of the New York
Office of Telecommunications, characterized the interference issues as
"serious and unresolved." Mayer told the Commission that radio interference
is "probably one of the most fundamental questions" facing BPL and that it
remained unresolved.

"It's one of the things that this commission needs to be most vigilant about
as these trials are deployed to make an assessment of what interference
issues exist," he said. Mayer also predicted an uphill battle for BPL in
gaining market share.

The NYPSC's policy statement encourages electric utilities, BPL equipment
manufacturers, and third-party BPL operators to participate in such trials.
"Given the uncertainty surrounding the technical and economic viability of
the technology," the policy noted, "trials would be for a limited service
territory over a limited period of time."

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the policy statement the NYPSC adopted
this week effectively damns BPL with faint praise.

"In sharp contrast to the vacuous endorsements of BPL that sometimes emanate
from public utilities commissions, New York State's has actually taken the
time to assess the risks posed by BPL and to take steps to insulate the
electric utilities and their customers from them," Sumner said. "The
Commission found that BPL is not yet -- and may never be -- commercially
viable, and that radio interference is a 'major issue' that has not been put
to rest by the FCC."

Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted
regulatory guidelines for electric utilities and companies that wish to
develop BPL projects in that state. The CPUC said BPL would bring Internet
access to "underserved communities" in California.

ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI -- the League's BPL point person -- said the
NYPSC's policy statement reflects "a fair and complete look at the issues"
by regulators who didn't base their findings on presumptions and a
preconceived desired outcome. "This is an example of how government is
supposed to work, and New York's Amateur Radio community should appreciate
this," he said.

==>NEW ARRL SECTION MANAGERS TO TAKE OFFICE

New ARRL section managers will take office in three sections, while an
appointee will assume the reins in a fourth section due to a resignation.
Incumbent SMs in six other ARRL sections were elected to new terms without
opposition in the current SM election cycle. There were no contested races.

California's Sacramento Valley Section will get a new SM December 1, when
W.J. "Casey" McPartland, W7IB, of Meadow Vista takes over to fill the 10
months remaining on the term of current SM Jettie Hill, W6RFF. Hill is
stepping aside. McPartland now serves as a Sacramento Valley Assistant SM
and as an Official Emergency Station.

Hill has a long and distinguished career as an ARRL volunteer. He served as
Santa Clara Valley Section Communications Manager (SCM) from 1978 until
1982, and he was Sacramento Valley SM from 1989 until 2000 and again since
2002. Hill also was the ARRL Pacific Division Vice Director from January
1982 through December 1983.

Hill recommended McPartland as his successor, and ARRL Field and Educational
Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, recently announced the appointment.

Elsewhere: In the Eastern Massachusetts Section, Arthur S. Greenberg, K1GBX,
of Georgetown, will succeed current SM Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, who decided
against running for another term. A ham since 1957, Greenberg has a
background in electronics and worked in the computer industry for many years
before retiring in 1993.

In the New York City-Long Island Section, current Section Emergency
Coordinator Tom Carrubba, KA2D, of W Babylon will succeed current SM George
Tranos, N2GA. Tranos, who's served as SM since 1998, did not run for another
term.

In the Northern New York Section, Tom Valosin, WB2KLD, of Middleburgh, takes
over for current SM Thomas Dick, KF2GC, who did not seek a new term. Dick
has been SM since 2000. Valosin has been an Assistant SM since 1996 and an
Official Observer since 1993.

Incumbent SMs returning to office are Dale Bagley, K0KY, Missouri; Matthew
Anderson, KA0BOJ, Nebraska; Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, South Carolina; Jean
Priestley, KA2YKN, Southern New Jersey; Gerald "Dee" Turner, N4GD, West
Central Florida, and Larry O'Toole, K3LBP, Western Pennsylvania.

With the exception of McPartland, two-year terms for new and returning
section managers begin January 1.

==>"DEE" LOGAN, W1HEO, IS 2006 MCGAN MEMORIAL SILVER ANTENNA AWARD WINNER

The ARRL has designated D.E. "Dee" Logan, W1HEO, a long-time ARRL volunteer
from Mentor, Ohio, as the recipient of the 2006 Philip J. McGan Memorial
Silver Antenna Award. Logan was recognized for demonstrating success in
Amateur Radio public relations in the volunteer spirit of the award's
namesake, journalist Phil McGan, WA2MBQ (SK). McGan served as the first
chairman of the ARRL's Public Relations Committee and helped reinvigorate
the League's commitment to public relations. ARRL Media and Public Relations
Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says Logan topped a very strong field of 2006
award nominees.

"There were many excellent submissions of various types of public
relations," Pitts said, "but Dee Logan's project used almost all formats in
one coordinated activity." The ARRL's Public Relations Committee, which
consists of volunteers knowledgeable about Amateur Radio public relations,
made the selection. The ARRL Executive Committee affirmed the choice of
Logan earlier this month.

Extending his appreciation to the Public Relations Committee for the
recognition, Logan accepted the award "on behalf of those who are working
with me on this ambitious project." The PR plan sprang from a concern that
Amateur Radio's growth rate is lagging. "This fact motivated some of us in
Cleveland and Northeast Ohio to do something about it," he said. "We needed
a strategic plan that would be measured by how many new hams we added."

Radio clubs had to be a big part of it, Logan said, as were "Elmers" to
guide newcomers to Amateur Radio. The result was "The Northeast Ohio Ham
Radio Project," a collaborative effort of two Cleveland groups -- The Indian
Hills Radio Club and Cleveland Chapter One of the Quarter Century Wireless
Association (QCWA).

The plan has four steps: promoting ham radio to a variety of groups,
prospecting for candidates, identifying those interested in getting their
license, and helping with training. Like links in a chain, each step is
critical.

"Needing promotional tools led us to create a new 21-minute video called
"Amateur Radio: Wireless Window to the World," plus large banners, signs and
displays and ARRL materials that are available for use by radio clubs,"
Logan explained. "Our effort now is to encourage radio clubs to use these
tools to inform the public about Amateur Radio."

Logan says the project also is forming an "Elmer Corps" consisting of hams
who are willing to respond to public inquiries and assist individuals in
getting a license. He concedes that much work remains, especially in the
mentoring arena. "But with the active participation of radio clubs, success
should be within reach," he said.

Although officially retired, Logan has continued his work on the project. He
recently become president of the co-sponsoring Indian Hills Radio Club, and
he recently received the QCWA Chapter One W8EFW Memorial Award for
meritorious service to Amateur Radio.

When he's not trying to raise the visibility of Amateur Radio on the
public's radar, Logan enjoys DXing. His article, "Why is Scarborough Reef So
Rare?" appeared in the July-August issue of The DX Magazine. Also, the fall
2006 QCWA Journal published his article, "How to reverse the declining
growth rate of Amateur Radio; the Chapter One Cleveland Plan."

A past Assistant Director in the ARRL Hudson and New England divisions,
Logan has been using his expertise in communications and marketing to
promote Amateur Radio since the late 1960s. He was the first chairman of the
ARRL Public Relations Advisory Committee, which predated McGan's committee.
In 1974, he handled "press relations" for the ARRL National Convention in
New York City.

==>ITU TO MARK 100 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL RADIO REGULATIONS

This year marks the 100th anniversary of what became the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) <http://www.itu.int/> Radio Regulations, and
the ITU will formally celebrate the occasion later this month
<http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/information/promotion/100-years/>. The first
International Radiotelegraph Conference gathered 29 maritime states in
Berlin, Germany, in November 1906 to sign the "International Radiotelegraph
Convention," establishing the principle of compulsory two-way coast-to-ship
radio communication and aimed at making it free from harmful interference.
The annex to that convention contained the first regulations governing
wireless telegraphy. Since expanded and revised by numerous radio
conferences, these regulations now are known as the Radio Regulations of the
International Telecommunication Union, or simply as "the Radio Regulations."

"In 2006, the ITU membership has good reason to celebrate the centenary of
the Radio Regulations," the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau observed in
announcing the centenary celebration, set for October 30 in Geneva. "One
hundred years after 1906 we are witnessing innovative technological
solutions using radio transmission setting the grounds for a wireless
world."

Keynote speakers at the event will include ITU Deputy Secretary-General
Roberto Blois, and ITU Radiocommunication Bureau Director Valery Timofeev.
Honorary guests will include representatives of the original 27 member-state
signatories to the 1906 convention.

The ITU said the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) process has been
instrumental in providing "timely and effective international regulatory
frameworks for the establishment of advanced new wireless services and
applications, while safeguarding the interests and rights of existing
radiocommunication users."

Originally occupying just 12 pages, the Radio Regulations -- today a binding
international treaty -- now apply to frequencies ranging from 9 kHz to 400
GHz and incorporate more than 1000 pages of information describing how the
radio spectrum may be used and shared around the globe. Some 40 different
radio services now compete for spectrum allocations to provide the bandwidth
needed to extend services or support larger numbers of users.

Commenting on the centenary, International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
<http://www.iaru.org/> Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, paid tribute to the
farsightedness evidenced at the Berlin Conference.

"Even in those early days, the delegates recognized that the radio spectrum
was a unique international resource and that the privilege of access carried
with it great responsibilities," Sumner remarked. "Radio -- then known as
wireless telegraphy -- was a technological marvel at the beginning of the
20th century, and in new forms continues to amaze at the beginning of the
21st."

Sumner said the fact that the radio spectrum remains so useful today is
testimony to the success of the international regulatory regime inaugurated
in Berlin.

"It didn't just happen," he said. "Without the original guiding vision and
the dedicated stewardship of subsequent generations of delegates to
innumerable ITU conferences, the radio spectrum today might well be chaotic,
polluted, and practically useless. The ITU and its Member States, and
especially the Radiocommunication Bureau, are well deserving of accolades on
this important anniversary."

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Astral aficionado Tad "Let the Sunshine In" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: Sunspot numbers this week were zero on every day. In fact, zero was
the sunspot number for eight days in a row: October 11 through 18. On
October 19 a single sunspot appeared, Sunspot 917, in the center of the
solar disc as seen from Earth. This resulted in a sunspot number of 14.

We should observe longer periods of no sunspots -- several weeks in a row,
or perhaps a month or more. So far October 2006 has an average daily sunspot
number of 13.1, so we have a bit to go before we see a typical
bottom-of-the-cycle month of no sunspots. The predicted sunspot minimum is
still about six months away.

This weekend we could have more days with zero sunspots, or at a maximum,
sunspot numbers from 11-15. A solar wind stream is expected to cause active
geomagnetic conditions today, October 20, with the October 20-23 planetary A
index predicted at 20, 13, 8 and 5. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts
declining geomagnetic activity, with active conditions October 20, unsettled
to active on October 21, unsettled October 22, quiet to unsettled October
23, unsettled October 24, and quiet conditions October 25-26.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation page
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.

Sunspot numbers for October 12 through 18 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0, with
a mean of 0. The 10.7 cm flux was 73.6, 73.3, 72.4, 71.1, 69.5, 69.6, and
69.5, with a mean of 71.3. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 24, 18, 10,
8, 2 and 4, with a mean of 10.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 3,
15, 12, 9, 7, 2 and 2, with a mean of 7.1.
__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The JARTS Worldwide RTTY Contest, the ARCI Fall
QSO Party, the Worked All Germany Contest, the W/VE Islands QSO Party, the
50 MHz Fall Sprint, and the Illinois QSO Party are the weekend of October
21-22. JUST AHEAD: The CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB), the eXtreme CW
World-Wide Challenge, and the 10-10 International Fall Contest are the
weekend of October 28-29. 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, November 5, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education program (CCE) on-line courses
beginning Friday, November 17. Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level
2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003R2),
Antenna Modeling (EC-004), HF Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF --
Life Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011).
These courses will also open for registration Friday, November 3, for
classes beginning Friday, December 15. To learn more, visit the CCE Course
Listing page ,http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE
Department <cce@arrl.org>;.

* ARRL On-Line Auction opens Monday, October 23! Bidding in the ARRL On-Line
Auction <http://arrl.auctionanything.com/> begins Monday, October 23, at 10
AM EDT (1400 UTC). Thanks to the generosity of many donors, there's a
diverse list of items. The auction preview remains open, and prospective
bidders now may browse through some of the auction inventory, which includes
HF and VHF transceivers, ARRL Lab-tested and reviewed equipment, exotic
vacations, antennas, Amateur Radio jewelry, robot kits, rare books, vintage
gear and more! Auction proceeds will benefit a wide range of ARRL education
programs. These encompass activities designed to license newcomers,
strengthen Amateur Radio's emergency service training, offer continuing
technical and operating education through distance learning courses and
create varied instructional and educational materials. Register to bid now
or anytime during the auction, which concludes Friday, November 3. Even if
you're registered at the ARRL Web site, you must create a new user profile
to register for the ARRL On-Line Auction. Click on "New Users Register Here"
on the auction home page to create your profile. Software for the ARRL
On-Line Auction is provided courtesy of auctionanything.com.

* Japanese CubeSat gets OSCAR number: AMSAT-NA has designated Hokkaido
Institute of Technology's HIT-SAT satellite
<http://www.hit.ac.jp/~satori/hitsat/index-e.html> as HIT-SAT-OSCAR-59 or
HO-59. The tiny CubeSat launched successfully September 23, and its 100 mW
CW telemetry downlink on 437.275 MHz has been copied around the world.
HIT-SAT also contains a 1200 bps FM packet downlink on 437.425 MHz. The
HO-59 team is seeking reception reports, including audio files. The
satellite's call sign is JR8YJT. Once fully operational, HO-59 will permit
Earth station operators to request certain parameters by transmitting DTMF
commands on the 145.980 MHz uplink. The satellite will report back
time/date, temperature and power supply voltages and thank the Earth station
by call sign. At this point, only HIT-SAT ground station controllers can
access the satellite. The satellite is in a sun synchronous orbit with an
orbital altitude of 250 km at perigee and 600 km at apogee and an
inclination of 97.79 degrees. HO-59 is a 12-cm square cube weighing 2.2 kg.

* We stand corrected! The story "AMSAT'S PROJECT EAGLE SATELLITE SHIFTS
DIRECTION" in The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 41, contained some incorrect
information. AMSAT's Project Eagle plans call for an mode U/V transponder
for SSB, CW and other modes. The design goal is that it be usable over 75
percent of Eagle's orbit by an AO-13 or AO-40-capable ground station. A
second mode L/S1 (1.2/2.4 GHz) transponder for SSB, CW and other modes using
fixed antennas also should be accessible by an AO-13 or AO-40-capable ground
station. Also, the current design plan would make only the satellite's S2
band uplink and C band downlink phased arrays electronically steerable to
mitigate the effects of the spacecraft's spin and maximize its
accessibility. All other Eagle antennas will be fix-pointed and subject to
spin modulation and off-pointing effects. In the story "BPL ORDERS EXCEED
FCC'S JURISDICTION AND AUTHORITY, LEAGUE COURT FILING SAYS" we should have
said "US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit."

===========================================================
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
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Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
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ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
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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). Click on "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
Members Only Web Site.)

The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:

* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)

* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)


 

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL Audio News.

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.

Back issues published since 2000 are available on this page. If you wish to subscribe via e-mail, simply log on to the ARRL Web site, click on Edit Your Profile at the top, then click on Edit Email Subscriptions. Check the box next to The ARRL email newsletter, the ARRL Letter and you will receive each weekly issue in HTML format. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org

Editorial questions or comments: John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, at news@arrl.org.

Plain-Text

The ARRL E-Letter e-mail is also available in plain-text version:

Outlook Express

1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box.  When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Thunderbird

Use the menu item "View/Message Body As/Plain Text" or "View/Message Source" options.

OS X Mail (Mac)

Use the "View/Message/Plain Text Alternative" menu item.

GMail

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...

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