*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 42 October 20, 2006 *************** 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 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. 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