*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 32 August 11, 2006 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * IARU Region 3 elects new leadership * Amateur Radio license of convicted felon in jeopardy; hearing pending * MARS to support US Transportation Security Administration in emergencies * Greek space campers converse via ham radio with German astronaut * ISS ham radio "go-to" guy earns NASA's Silver Snoopy Award * ARRL on-line auction gearing up * ARRL HQ volunteer tour guides on the job * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration ARRL HQ phone system to be disrupted August 16 New CQ WPX Award manager announced Thirtieth Annual Tokyo Ham Fair August 19-20 Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN, SK Robert M. Richardson, W4UCH, SK Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, SK =========================================================== ==>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 REGION 3 ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP The 13th Conference of IARU Region 3 was held in Bangalore, India August 7-11. IARU Region 3 <http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/> consists of the member-societies of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) in the Asia-Pacific area. There were 13 IARU member-societies represented in person with another five represented by proxy. Representing the ARRL, which has Full members in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, were International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI. The IARU International Secretariat was represented by Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH. All four also will attend a meeting of the IARU Administrative Council in Bangalore on August 12-14. Conference arrangements were made by an outstanding team of volunteers of the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI), the IARU member-society for India. The conference considered more than 60 input documents containing reports and proposals from Region 3 member-societies, coordinators and committee chairmen, as well as from IARU Regions 1 and 2. The conference documents are available on the Web <http://www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/13r3c/docs/docs.htm>. Two Working Groups dealing with policy and operational issues met in parallel. A third Working Group to consider constitutional issues met when the other two Working Groups were not in session. Proposals to amend the Constitution that had been proposed in advance by member-societies were considered, and modest amendments were adopted. Recommendations were adopted addressing a wide range of Amateur Radio issues, including the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference, BPL/PLC interference, international licensing, development of Amateur Radio in the Pacific Islands, interference from unauthorized non-amateur stations operating in the amateur bands, emergency communications preparedness, and signal reporting for digital modes. A new slate of Directors was elected to manage the affairs of the Region between conferences. They are Michael Owen, VK3KI, who also was elected Chairman of Directors; Shizuo Endo, JE1MUI; Gopal Madhavan, VU2GMN; Peter B. Lake, ZL2AZ; and Prof. Rhee-Joong Guen, HL1AQQ. The contributions of retiring Directors Y. S. Park, HL1IFM, Chandru Ramchandra, VU2RCR, Yoshiji Sekido, JJ1OEY, and K. C. Selvadurai, 9V1UV were noted with great appreciation. Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB, continues as Secretary of the Region. The 14th Region 3 Conference is planned for Christchurch, New Zealand in 2009. -- David Sumner, K1ZZ ==>AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE OF CONVICTED FELON IN JEOPARDY; HEARING PENDING The FCC has initiated a hearing proceeding against Robert D. Landis, N6FRV, of Atascadero, California, who was convicted on two felony counts in 1991, fined $10,000 and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The hearing will determine whether Landis will be allowed to continue to hold his Advanced class license, which is due to expire on November 1. The Order to Show Cause <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1570A1.pdf> released August 1 was in response to a complaint pointing out Landis's conviction for lewd behavior involving a minor. For several years now, the FCC has applied character standards once reserved for broadcast licensees to Amateur Radio licensing and renewal cases. "Thus, felony convictions, especially those involving sexual assault on children, raise questions regarding an amateur licensee's qualifications," the FCC said in this week's Order. Section 312(a)(2) of the Communications Act provides that the Commission may revoke any license if conditions come to its attention that would warrant refusal to grant a license on the original application, the FCC noted. "The foregoing makes plain that Mr Landis's felony convictions raise serious questions as to whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to be and to remain a Commission licensee and whether his captioned license should be revoked." The FCC ordered Landis to show cause why his authorization for an Amateur Radio license should not be revoked, although the Enforcement Bureau will bear the burden of proof with respect to the issues raised. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presides at such hearings, at which evidence and witnesses may be presented and heard. If Landis fails to respond to the Order within 30 days or otherwise waives his right to a hearing, the ALJ will issue an order terminating the hearing proceeding and certifying the case to the FCC. The FCC served notice July 14 on two other Amateur Radio licensees that their respective applications would be designated for hearing. Both cases involve apparent misrepresentations to the Commission. Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth told Gordon D. Young, WB6NKJ, that his Amateur Extra upgrade application would be designated for hearing to "determine whether you are qualified to remain a Commission licensee, and, if so, whether your Extra class application should be granted." The FCC alleges that Young made misrepresentations to the Commission regarding repairs to his transmitter after he received a Warning Notice for allegedly operating on a frequency not allowed to Advanced class licensees. The Commission plans to designate the Amateur Radio Technician class application of Frank C. Richards of Mooers, New York, for hearing because of unresolved circumstances surrounding his 2004 filing of applications to change the address and call sign on a license that apparently belonged to a man of the same name in Florida. After Richards submitted the license for KG2IJ for cancellation in June 2004, the FCC said it contemplated no further enforcement action. The Commission said, however, that it would review the circumstances of the applications should Richards ever apply for an Amateur Radio license in the future. Richards passed the Technician exam last March and applied for a license in late June. ==>MARS TO SUPPORT US TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IN EMERGENCIES Amateur Radio operators who are members of the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) will provide back-up communication for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under a formal agreement announced in July by Army MARS Chief Kathy Harrison, AAA9A. Protecting airports during the hurricane season will be the immediate focus, she said, adding that the new MARS-TSA collaboration "is likely to expand to other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) areas" in the future. "This is an extensive area and will require member support across the continental United States," Harrison said in a broadcast announcement to Army MARS participants. "We will need many volunteers to man teams assigned to specific geographical areas, starting with airports throughout the hurricane corridor." She called for "physically capable" Amateur Radio operators to volunteer for the assignment. The first airport emergency support teams will be located at four airports in the Florida hurricane belt: Miami, Ft Myers, Jacksonville and Pensacola, Harrison said. She added that recruiting will immediately follow for nine additional potential hurricane targets from Washington, DC to Houston. In a later phase - but as soon as possible - additional teams will be recruited for other hurricane locations including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and after that, the remainder of the continental US. The emergency support teams - each consisting of four members of MARS - are being assembled under joint sponsorship of MARS and the TSA, with deployment assignments determined by the TSA when and if the government's communication systems fail. "Volunteers should be within a reasonable traveling distance to the airport. It will be their responsibility to get to the site when activated," said Harrison. The Memorandum of Understanding, which is already in place, calls for using MARS networks, personnel and equipment to maintain communication during the first 72 hours of incidents involving aircraft, mass transit and pipelines. Seventy-two hours is considered the maximum time needed for federal response organizations to deploy internal emergency communication systems. The MoU spells out the most extensive MARS support mission since the development of the Essential Elements of Information (EEI), which date to the 1994 Northridge earthquake that devastated parts of California's San Fernando Valley. EEIs are alerts to the Pentagon of a natural disaster or other incident that might require a federal response. In a memo to MARS personnel, Harrison included the following points: . The Navy-Marine Corps and Air Force MARS organizations are included in the call for volunteers, via their separate chains of command. . Army MARS state directors will be responsible for formation of the joint teams. . All deployments will be by team, each with a combination of equipment and operator capabilities and members ready to work 12-hour shifts. Some locations may ultimately require more than one team. . Required equipment for each team will include HF and VHF radios with voice and digital capability, Pactor/Airmail digital messaging, phone patching and emergency power. . Some locations may have TSA radio gear and emergency power supply to augment the hams' personal equipment. A particular MARS responsibility will be to provide communication interoperability with local, state and national networks, such as the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and Shared Resources (SHARES). A separate web of national and regional HF radio networks, SHARES links federal agencies under the DHS's National Communications System (NCS), of which MARS already is a primary participant. The pact calls for a reliable back-up solution "to ensure the continuity of TSA's command and control function during the first 72 hours following any incident interfering with normal communications channels and to provide local, regional and nationwide TSA communications during that time." The existing Army MARS emergency communication network offers such a solution immediately and at no additional cost to the TSA, the MoU points out. Under the MoU, the TSA agrees to provide MARS volunteers with access to its facilities and space for radio equipment. It further agrees to integrate MARS capabilities into its emergency planning and exercises. The Army's commitment includes providing "volunteer MARS radio operators, equipment, and use of the MARS radio networks" and developing "alert procedures and a communications support plan" that "will identify specific frequencies, call signs, and radio operator level duties." Harrison stressed that the decision to volunteer rests with the individual. "The Army has no liability over a member who reports to a disaster site; members will be responsible to TSA personnel." Harrison told the Army MARS membership that she's "very excited" about the new agreement. "This will be a fast-moving recruitment/development action, and I request your support in filling these teams." The chiefs of Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps MARS also are onboard with the new agreement and have messaged their respective memberships to signify their participation and cooperation with Army MARS. Air Force MARS Chief Don Poquette, AGA3C/KE9XB, has pledged his members' support. "AF MARS will assist to accomplish this mission," he said, pending working out logistical details. Harrison says she and her headquarters staff met recently with TSA and DHS representatives to formalize the details of the cooperative arrangement. She said MARS area coordinators will provide specific requirements to state MARS directors to recruit members and equipment capabilities to support TSA. Signing the MoU on behalf of the Army was Col Mary Beth Shively, chief of staff, Network Enterprise Technology Command/Ninth Army Signal Command. James Schear, General Manager, Operational Plans and Programs, endorsed it for the TSA. Headquartered at Ft Huachuca, Arizona, the Ninth Army Signal Command oversees the Army MARS mission. -- Bill Sexton, N1IN ==>GREEK SPACE CAMPERS CONVERSE VIA HAM RADIO WITH GERMAN ASTRONAUT It was a truly international event July 29, when a Greek official and two youngsters attending a European Space Agency (ESA) space camp in Patras, Greece, spoke with German astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, aboard the International Space Station. The radio contact was performed by an ARISS ground station at Sacred Heart Academy, Honolulu, Hawaii, operated by Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN. Signals were relayed to Greece by telebridge courtesy of Verizon Teleconferencing. Participating in this ESA-organized event was Mrs Marietta Giannakou, Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs, who asked the first questions, inviting Reiter to address a message to the youth and to comment on experiments that are being conducted onboard the International Space Station. Thomas said there is so much we can gain for the benefit of mankind by going to space and exploring other planets. He encouraged young people to engage in careers related to space flight. One of his experiments is to study the behavior of fluids of different densities in microgravity. Answering students' questions, Thomas insisted on the importance for candidate astronauts to first study hard and acquire a solid background in sciences such as biology, physics or medical science. About future space exploration, he predicted that we will go back to the Moon within a few years and possibly to Mars 25 years from now. The Patras event was highlighted on Greek national TV evening news and publicized widely in several newspapers. The ARISS school contact was also distributed on EchoLink and IRLP. ARISS is an educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. -- tnx Gaston Bertels, ON4WF ==>ISS HAM RADIO "GO-TO" GUY EARNS NASA'S SILVER SNOOPY AWARD NASA has honored ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, with its prestigious "Silver Snoopy" Award <http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/sfa/snoopy.html>. Ransom was tapped to receive the award for his role in helping International Space Station Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, complete and confirm Worked All States (WAS) and Worked All Continents (WAC), including Antarctica, from NA1SS, as well as logging some 130 DXCC entities. McArthur's duty tour ended in April. "I am honored to have received the award and honored again by Bill McArthur's thoughtfulness at selecting such an Amateur Radio-appropriate Silver Snoopy," Ransom told ARRL. He explained that every Silver Snoopy has flown on a space mission. "The one that was awarded to me was flown on STS-58, which was Bill's first shuttle flight." The STS-58 mission, he said, not only was a SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment) flight but McArthur's introduction to Amateur Radio from space. SAREX was the predecessor to the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>. In his role as ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer, Ransom helps ARISS arrange opportunities for students to speak via Amateur Radio with the space station crew at NA1SS. He also coordinates with the ISS crew on the configuration and operation of the two ham radio stations aboard the space station. At some point during Expedition 12, Ransom realized that McArthur had already logged 25 states, and he figured, "Why stop there?" Pretty soon, he was lining up contacts for McArthur in the other 25. "It was an, 'I know a friend who knows a friend who knows a friend' sort of thing," Ransom explained. "There are a lot of folks eager to talk to an astronaut." And the feeling was mutual. "Different crews do different things as pastimes," Ransom said. "Bill enjoyed talking on the radio. It gave him someone else to talk to besides CAPCOM, the voice of mission control." By the end of the mission, McArthur not only became the first astronaut to earn WAS from space but put lots of DX -- routine and exotic -- in the NA1SS log on both VHF and UHF. Overall, he made more than 1800 contacts during his approximately six months in space. He also established a new ARISS milestone by completing 37 school group contacts. "None of that would have been possible without the work Kenneth did," McArthur said. "He alerted radio operators in some pretty obscure places -- places that rarely have contact with the space program." To show his gratitude, McArthur recently presented Ransom with the Silver Snoopy Award -- a silver lapel pin featuring the famous "Peanuts" comic strip character Snoopy in a spacesuit. NASA's Astronaut Office presents the award to those who have significantly enhanced the space agency's goals for human exploration and development of space. Fewer than one percent of the space program's workforce receives it annually. McArthur is still working to confirm DXCC from space. So far, he has approximately one-third of the necessary contacts confirmed.--NASA provided some information for this report ==>ARRL ON-LINE AUCTION GEARING UP A big "Thank You" goes to the hundreds of ARRL members who have already contacted us about the first ARRL On-Line Auction, expressing their support for and interest in this exciting event. We have already begun receiving some very generous donations that will surely make the first ARRL On-Line Auction an event to remember. The auction will run from Monday, October 23 through Friday, November 3. Individuals who wish to participate will need to register on-line approximately one week prior to the event. An update announcement will appear on the ARRL Web site when the ARRL On-Line Auction site "goes live." ==>ARRL HQ TOUR GUIDES ON THE JOB Now when you arrive at the ARRL for a tour, your host will be one of our new Volunteer Tour Guides. It might be Bob, or it could be Bob -- depending on the day, you might just luck out and get Bob! No, we're not re-creating The Newhart Show; our first three Volunteer Tour Guides, while not brothers, are all named Bob! On July 28, ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B, along with Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, and Sales and Marketing Coordinator Jackie Cornell, presented framed certificates recognizing their volunteerism to the three new Volunteer Tour Guides: Bob Allison, WB1GCM, Bob Burke, KA1KOV, and Bob Stanwood, KB1EYZ. "We are very thankful and appreciative of your enthusiasm for Amateur Radio and the League. I know our guests will enjoy their visit to Headquarters even more now because of you -- thank you!" said Breen. And just who is the "Trio Bob"? Bob Allison, WB1GCM, has been a ham for 32 years; he holds an Amateur Extra class license. His Amateur Radio hobby led directly to an education in electronics and a 27 year career in broadcast television and radio. "Ham Radio opens many doors in life, and I've had the opportunity to help people through this wonderful hobby," he said. Bob and his wife, ARRL staffer Kathy, KA1RWY, reside in Coventry, Connecticut. Bob also enjoys sailing and working on Model A Fords. "It's a privilege to be able to volunteer here at ARRL HQ," he said. "I am pleased to be your tour guide!" Bob Burke, KA1KOV, got into Amateur Radio, as he says, "by accident." When he was Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 29 in the early 1980s, another Scout leader had heard of a Novice class starting at the Newington Amateur Radio League (NARL). Since the Scouters had to travel to New York for their license upgrades, it was a long time between Tech and General, but Bob now holds an Amateur Extra class license, is a Volunteer Examiner, as well as a past president of NARL. Bob Stanwood, KB1EYZ, has been involved with Amateur Radio since building a crystal set when he was 10 years old; it led to his discovery of short wave radio and experimenting with TV antennas in high school. After earning two degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell University and four years of piloting C-130s for the US Air Force, Bob was hired by Pratt & Whitney, eventually in program management. He retired 13 years ago and worked another four years as a consultant, and in full retirement, turned to Amateur Radio. Since earning his Technician license in 2000, he has progressed to Amateur Extra, continuing to build antennas and participating in public service events. He and his wife Peggy have been married 42 years, and have two adult children and two wonderful granddaughters, aged four and seven. In addition to his family and Amateur Radio, Bob also volunteers at the New England Air Museum. Tours are given every day the ARRL HQ is open, at 9, 10 and 11 AM, and 1, 2 and 3 PM. Part of the tour includes W1AW, so be sure to bring a copy of your license, as you are encouraged to operate. While tour reservations are not necessary, large groups should notify Jackie Cornell at 860-594-0292. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Heliophile Tad "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: On four days this week the sun was spotless, so the average daily sunspot number for the week dropped over 11 points to 8.6. Sunspot numbers are now recovering and climbing, from zero on Monday to 12, 25 and 37 on Tuesday through Thursday. Sunspot numbers and solar flux should continue a modest recovery through next week. When the sunspots were zero, the solar flux (a measurement of 10.7 GHz energy from the sun, observed at a station in British Columbia) was below 70. Now solar flux is expected to rise in the short term to 85 or more. Rising sunspot numbers and solar flux mean higher MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency), although not a lot higher. Sunspot numbers for August 3 through 9 were 23, 0, 0, 0, 0, 12 and 25 with a mean of 8.6. 10.7 cm flux was 71.3, 69.6, 69.5, 69.5, 69.8, 71.4, and 74.1, with a mean of 70.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 3, 4, 4, 32, 12 and 9 with a mean of 10. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 2, 2, 2, 19, 10 and 9, with a mean of 7. For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service at http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html. For a detailed explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/k9la-prop.html. An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The WAE DX Contest (CW) and the Maryland-DC QSO Party are the weekend of August 12-13. The ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, the North American QSO Party (SSB), the SARTG World Wide RTTY Contest, and the New Jersey QSO Party, as well as the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend are the weekend of August 19-20. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is August 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 begins Friday, August 11 for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) 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 Friday, October 6. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * HQ telephone service to be disrupted August 16: On Wednesday, August 16, after the close of business (5 PM EDT), the ARRL HQ phone system will be taken off-line for up to a couple of hours so critical upgrades to the software running the system can be installed. During that time, anyone calling an ARRL HQ number will hear a ring tone, but the call will not be answered. We regret any inconvenience this may cause to our members. * N8BJQ is new CQ WPX Award manager: Steve Bolia, N8BJQ, has been named to succeed Norm Koch, WN5N (ex-K6ZDL), as manager of the CQ WPX Award program, CQ Publisher and President Dick Ross, K2MGA, has announced. The WPX awards are issued for confirmed contacts with stations having different call sign prefixes. Koch is retiring after 25 years in the position. "We thank Norm for his many years of devoted service to the WPX program, to CQ and to Amateur Radio," said Ross, "We wish him all the best in the future." A CQ Contesting Hall of Famer and Contest Committee member, Bolia was CQ WPX Contest director from 1982 until 2003. He holds CW, SSB and mixed Worked All Zones awards, is on the DXCC Honor Roll (mixed and CW), and holds 5-Band DXCC, RTTY DXCC and 160-Meter DXCC. He's also made several DXpeditions. The September issue of CQ will include updated address information to submit award applications. * Donald R. Newcomb, W0DN, SK: Don Newcomb, W0DN, of Henderson, Nevada, died July 27. He was 71. Newcomb founded the Butternut Company, manufacturer of a series of highly regarded antennas, and he held several patents in antenna design. A bit of a renaissance man, Newcomb also was an accomplished musician, held a doctorate in French and was a university professor in Minnesota before he started Butternut in the late 1970s. In 1994, Newcomb sold Butternut to Bencher, Inc and retired to Nevada. -- tnx Bob Locher, W9KNI * Robert M. Richardson, W4UCH, SK: Robert M. "Bob" Richardson, W4UCH, of Ft Lauderdale, Florida, died June 29. He was 79. An aviation executive, fighter pilot and inventor, Richardson contributed several articles to QST and to Ham Radio magazine between 1959 and 1986. He also authored The Gunnplexer Cookbook, published in 1981 by Ham Radio Publishing. Following World War II service as a fighter pilot, he was assigned to work on "Operation Ivy" hydrogen bomb test in the Marshall Islands. He holds several patents including one for a "battery-free remote radio transmitter," a precursor to today's RF identification tags used in retail security and inventory control. He also holds a patent for the first bacteria-powered radio transmitter, an accomplishment featured by Life magazine in a 1961 article, "Will Bugs Generate Our Future Power?" In 1962, Richardson's contribution "First Biological Cell Application Powers Six-Meter Transmitter" appeared in QST's "Technical Correspondence." The family invites memorial donations to the Robert Merz Richardson Memorial, Chautauqua Foundation, PO Box 28, Chautauqua, NY 14722. * Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, SK: Long-time Project OSCAR and AMSAT member Cliff Buttschardt, K7RR, of Morro Bay, California, died July 30. An ARRL Life Member, he was 75. Just days before Buttschardt's death, the Project OSCAR Board of Directors awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award - its highest honor -- for contributions to Amateur Satellite Radio. "In March of 2006 the Board of Project OSCAR voted to recognize Cliff with an award for his achievements and his lifetime of contributions to amateur satellite programs," said Project OSCAR Vice President Emily Clarke, N1DID. "Over the years Cliff contributed much to Project OSCAR and AMSAT, and was one of the guiding forces behind the CubeSat program at Cal Poly, where he has been working quietly behind the scenes as an advisor." Unfortunately, a much-heralded attempt to launch 14 university CubeSats -- one renamed in Buttschardt's honor -- failed July 26. It is requested that in lieu of flowers a contribution to AMSAT or the ARRL be made in Cliff's name. =========================================================== 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. 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