SB QST @ ARL $ARLB021
ARLB021 H-Ts OK at Olympics

ZCZC AG01
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 21  ARLB021
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  April 29, 1996
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB021
ARLB021 H-Ts OK at Olympics

The latest word from Atlanta is that Amateur Radio will be welcome
at the Olympics this summer after all.  ARRL Southeastern Division
Assistant Director Jim Altman, N4UCK, reports ham equipment,
including hand-held transceivers, is not on the list of items
excluded from Olympic events.  ''There was some thought at one time
of banning all communications devices, including cellulars,'' Altman
said.  He said he had assurances ''straight from the horse's mouth''
that H-Ts would not be banned from Olympic venues, as had been
announced earlier and confirmed by Michael Smalls of the Atlanta
Committee for the Olympic Games' technology department.

Altman said he's been in close contact with the top security people
in ACOG in his capacity as head of the ad hoc group under the ARRL
umbrella that's coordinating the Amateur Radio volunteer force for
the games in July, and the security heads have assured him that ham
radio H-Ts--as well as CB transceivers and cellular telephones--will
not be kept out and may be used in Olympic venues.  Altman said not
only will ham radio be allowed through the gates, hundreds of ham
radio volunteers will provide ''contingency communications'' to
support the security force's radio system.  He expects to have
approximately 350 ham radio volunteers.

Altman had no explanation for the earlier, contradictory
announcement, but he did offer a word of caution: ''ACOG's
decision-making process changes daily.  This is the state of affairs
today,'' he said.  ''But I don't see any indication that it will
change.''
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