Volume 16, Number 26 (June 27, 1997)

Address Changes: Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, e-mail kcapodicasa@arrl.org.

Editorial: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, e-mail elindquist@arrl.org.

IN THIS EDITION:

HAM RADIO SERVING AS EXTRA LINK DURING MIR CRISIS

For US ham-astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC, aboard the crippled Mir space station, ham radio is providing a valuable supplement to conventional Russian and NASA communication systems. Foale has already used the ham gear aboard Mir to talk to NASA managers and fellow astronauts and exchange health and welfare news as the crew struggles to stabilize the ship after Wednesday's collision with an unmanned cargo rocket. Routine ham radio operation and school contacts have been canceled during the current Mir crisis, however.

Astronaut friends of Foale's gathered late Wednesday morning--just hours after the mishap--at W5RRR at Johnson Space Center in Houston for the scheduled Mir pass and QSO. "When we got there, it was a packed room. Ninety percent of the room was licensed astronauts," said Matt Bordelon, KC5BTL, the SAREX principal investigator.

As Bordelon related: "A hush fell over the room as Mir started its trek above the horizon. We didn't know if they would be on--power was down to 50% available and all nonessential equipment was turned off. Before we even had a chance to call up, Mike called down for us!"

Following a collective sigh of relief, Bordelon said astronaut Dave Leestma, N5WQC, took the mike and started talking. "Mike was in good spirits." Several others in the room also chatted with Foale during the 10-minute contact.

Foale asked for some personal items to be sent up when the next Progress supply ship flies. And he had good news. Two of his major experiments are okay. They are in the Priroda module where he and the cosmonauts are living until repairs can be made to the damaged Spektr compartment. At that time the Mir station should be able to resume normal ham radio contacts. "Amateur Radio has a very low priority when survival is the key, and power is critical on Mir," SAREX Working Group Chairman Roy Neal, K6DUE, said in assessing the situation. A supply ship is being readied and could carry a replacement solar panel and other supplies to Mir within two or three weeks. NASA Shuttle-Mir Project Manager Frank Culbertson said repairs likely would require a space walk or two by the Mir crew.

"It was a very successful pass," Bordelon said of Wednesday's contact with Foale. "All were very thankful for the ham radio and the excellent link it provided." Bordelon said he does not expect Foale to have the ham radio on at all times during the current crisis, "but I think he'll do more passes with us," he added.

Bordelon said that astronaut Ken Bowersox was so impressed, "he wants to get his license next week." As Neal put it: "It's proving that ham radio, as always, is an invaluable aid to health and welfare during critical times." Neal said that as repairs progress, "it's safe to say that disaster has been avoided. Repairs probably can and will be made, and ham radio will continue providing a personal link to help Mike Foale stay in touch with his home base."

Ham-astronaut and former Mir crew member Jerry Linenger, KC5HBR, told reporters Wednesday that the Mir crew had to power down everything possible, including some life-support systems, in the wake of the collision. The crash initially resulted in a loss of as much as 50% of the Mir's electrical power. By Thursday, the Mir had 70% of its power back. The cargo spacecraft sheared off half of a Spektr solar panel and damaged the module itself. When the crew sealed off the compartment, they had to cut cables from three other panels.

Speaking at a NASA press briefing, Linenger characterized the Mir as "a darkened ship" and said the crew would operate "in a slowdown mode" until the effects of the mishap could be corrected. The accident cut off Foale from his sleeping quarters and personal items in the Spektr module, which also contains most of the US experiments aboard Mir. Foale has been aboard Mir since mid-May, when he replaced Linenger.

Linenger told the press conference Wednesday that it was "too early to comment" on what the latest problem aboard Mir might mean for the future of the 11-year-old space station, which already has outlasted its anticipated life span by six years. Linenger said fire and decompression are the two most dangerous things aboard a spacecraft "and we've had both of those." During Linenger's four months aboard Mir early this year, the crew experienced a fire, a near collision with another cargo rocket, and coolant system leaks.

For news updates, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html.

VOLUNTEER PROTECTION ACT OF 1997 SIGNED BY PRESIDENT

Ham radio volunteers stand to benefit from "The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997," signed into law June 18 by President Clinton. The measure aims to provide Federal protection from "frivolous, arbitrary, or capricious" lawsuits filed against individuals affiliated with nonprofit organizations and government entities and acting in their volunteer capacities. This would include members of the Amateur Auxiliary and volunteer examiners, as well as other volunteers.

In general, the new law will exempt a volunteer of a nonprofit organization or governmental entity from liability for harm caused by an act or omission of the volunteer on behalf of such organization or entity if:

  • the volunteer was acting within the scope of his or her responsibilities at the time.
  • the volunteer was properly licensed or otherwise authorized for the activities or practice in the State in which the harm occurred.
  • the harm was not caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed.
  • the harm was not caused by the volunteer operating a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle for which the State requires the operator or owner to possess an operator's license or maintain insurance.

The law, known as Public Law 105-19, becomes effective September 16, 1997.

LEAGUE CALLS ON FCC TO KILL ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM PETITION

The ARRL says there's no justification for the FCC to consider increasing power limits or expanding the frequency range of Part 15 anti-theft systems that operate on HF. Commenting in response to a Petition for Rulemaking from Checkpoint Systems Inc--a manufacturer of the theft-deterrent devices--the League said the proposal was "technically baseless" and "fails to account for the extremely high interference potential" to licensed services. Under FCC rules, Part 15 devices must comply with specified radiation and emission limits and protect licensed services from harmful interference.

Such anti-pilferage devices detect tags concealed within or attached to protected articles by using a continuous RF sweep over the frequency range of operation. Typically, systems are set up so that customers can only exit via a gate equipped with one of the devices. The systems now use frequencies in the 1.7 to 10-MHz range. Checkpoint wants the FCC to permit operation in the 1.705 to 30-MHz band at a maximum radiated emission level of 1000 V per meter (measured at a distance of 30 meters) and a maximum conducted emission level of 3000 V. Current rules permit a maximum radiated emission level of 30 V per meter (measured at a distance of 30 meters) between 1.705 and 30 MHz, or 100 V per meter between 1.705 and 10 MHz. The current conducted emission limit for such devices operating between 1.705 and 10 MHz is 250 V.

Pointing out that the FCC already has addressed the issue in the past, the ARRL said Checkpoint's petition was based on "the simply bad policy of increasing RF emissions of Part 15 devices as a means of combating alleged increases in ambient noise levels." The League said the real reason behind the petition was to "increase the marketability of one manufacturer's outdated technology" in the face of newer 900-MHz technology that can handle wider separation between the exit gates, such as those that might be found in warehouses and distribution centers.

STS-94 LAUNCH SET FOR JULY 1

The space shuttle Columbia is on schedule to blast skyward on Tuesday, July 1 (at 1837 UTC according to the June 23 timeline). The 10-day mission, designated as STS-94, will carry the SAREX payload, and three hams are among the STS-94 crew members. They are Jim Halsell, KC5RNI, the mission commander; Janice Voss, KC5BTK; and Donald Thomas, KC5FVF. Seventeen schools--including one in the People's Republic of China--are on the schedule for SAREX contacts. The first contacts are scheduled for Thursday, July 3, with students at Edgewater High School, Orlando, Florida, and with students at Lexington Traditional Magnet School, Lexington, Kentucky.

The crew also may be available for random contacts, and the SAREX Working Group has designated the following frequencies during this mission. FM voice downlink (worldwide): 145.55 MHz; FM voice uplink (except Europe): 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, and 144.99 MHz; FM voice uplink (Europe only): 144.70, 144.75, and 144.80 MHz; FM packet downlink: 145.55 MHz; FM packet uplink: 144.49 MHz. Hams should avoid transmitting on the shuttle's downlink frequencies. The uplink is your transmitting frequency. The crew will not favor any uplink frequency, so your ability to communicate with SAREX will be the "luck of the draw." Transmit only when the shuttle is within range of your station, and when the shuttle's station is on-the-air.

QSLs go to ARRL EAD, STS-94 QSL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494. Include the following information in your QSL or report: STS-94, date, time in UTC, frequency and mode (FM, voice or packet). You must also include a business-sized SASE. Additional STS-94 mission information is available from NASA at the NASA Shuttle Web site, http://shuttle.nasa.gov.

STS-94 is a "refly" of the STS-83 mission in April that was curtailed when an onboard fuel cell malfunctioned. The same crew is flying STS-94, and most of the SAREX schools from that flight remain on the current schedule. Reflying Columbia in July dictated that downstream flights for the remainder of the year change slightly. Following STS-94, Discovery will fly in early to mid August on the STS-85 mission to deploy and retrieve a science satellite to study Earth's atmosphere. The flight also will demonstrate the use and operational capability of a robot arm that will be deployed outside the Japanese experiment module of the International Space Station. STS-94 will be the 23rd flight of Columbia and the 85th mission flown since the start of the shuttle program in April 1981.

The seventh shuttle-Mir docking mission on Atlantis is targeted for mid to late September. STS-86 will include the return of ham-astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC, from Mir and delivery of his replacement, astronaut Wendy Lawrence, KC5KII. The eighth and final mission scheduled in 1997 will be the STS-87 flight of Columbia slated for mid to late November. The 16-day mission includes the conduct of science experiments associated with the fourth flight of the US microgravity payload and the deployment and retrieval of a science satellite.

Although none of the remaining 1997 missions will carry the SAREX payload, the SAREX Working Group is seeking to schedule one or two SAREX missions for 1998.

For more information on STS-94, see http://shuttle.nasa.gov/. --thanks to the SAREX Working Group and NASA

FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON PETITIONS FILED TO AMEND AMATEUR RULES

The FCC has invited comments supporting or opposing three Petitions for Rulemaking that affect the Amateur Service. Comments due within 30 days of publishing in The Federal Register:

  • RM-9115, filed in March by the American Radio Relay League, requests that the FCC amend its rules to expand the ability of stations active in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) to communicate with non-RACES amateur stations and to relax the time restrictions on RACES emergency drills and tests.

  • RM-9106, filed by the ARRL, requests amendment of rules governing the Amateur Service to authorize operation on 7100 to 7300 kHz in American Samoa.

  • RM-9113, filed by Jerry J. Johnson, WA3WZF, Laurel, Maryland, asks the FCC to permit retransmission of emergency weather information by any ham station authorized to transmit FM above 144 MHz.

  • RM-9114, filed by James Cardillo-Lee, KE6VGV, Petaluma, California, asks that the Commission change the Amateur Service rules to permit hams who are emergency personnel engaged in disaster relief efforts to use ham radio frequencies while in paid-duty status.

FIELD DAY! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Field Day. For some it's the competition, for others it's the camaraderie (and maybe the food), for still others it's a chance to test their skills (and that new antenna, radio, or camping gear) "in the field" under simulated emergency conditions. For most hams, Field Day is all of these and more--an annual ham radio happening that's become greater than the sum of its parts.

Now 64 years old, Field Day did not start out as the vaunted test of emergency preparedness it is considered today (nor was it on the fourth weekend in June). The first "International Field Day" on June 10 and 11, 1933, it was "just a test of portable equipment" for US and Canadian amateurs, says former ARRL Communications Manager George Hart, W1NJM, who's operated in 50 Field Day events over the years. Hart says then-Communications Manager Ed Handy, W1BDI, came up with the idea (Sweepstakes was also his brainstorm). "He had a real active mind," Hart said.

Under the early Field Day rules, only portable stations "actually in the field, away from the 'home' address" were eligible to submit Field Day scores. At that time, ARRL sections counted as multipliers in scoring, and portable-to-portable contacts counted double. (According to the old Federal Radio Commission rules, you had to notify the FRC that you were going to be operating away from your normal location, too.) Operating Field Day in the early years was further complicated by the fact that it was a lot harder to come up with a way to supply the necessary plate and filament voltages in the field than it is with today's mostly 12-V equipment.

It was not until the second annual Field Day, in 1934, that Handy's Field Day writeup in QST raised the aspect of emergency preparedness--something to keep in mind in 1997, the Year of Public Service. "Keep an operative portable at hand all the year, so it will be where you can put it to work promptly in the event of disaster or public emergency," Handy wrote more than six decades ago. Even with all of the ultra-portable equipment available today, his admonition stands, especially as we recall the service hams have provided in recent months in the aftermath of floods, tornadoes and other disasters. But in addition to being a preparation for public service, Field Day also is fun.

As ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, said in "It Seems to Us. . ." in the May 1997 issue of QST, hams don't get involved in public service because of ARRL or ITU resolutions that say it's the right thing to do. "We do it because we enjoy it. We enjoy doing something useful with our skills and our equipment. We enjoy the camaraderie, the feeling of being a part of a winning team," Sumner wrote. That seems to sum up the spirit of Field Day pretty well, too. Whatever your goals this Field Day, we wish all an enjoyable and safe Field Day 1997! See May QST, page 109, for details on how you can join in.

QUEEN ELIZABETH MAKES HAM RADIO HISTORY

Queen Elizabeth II wrote a page in the annals of ham radio history Wednesday by becoming the first reigning British monarch to speak over ham radio. The Queen spoke briefly from Canada to England during a visit to Cabot Tower on historic Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's "Voyage of Discovery." The Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs (SONRA), which arranged the contact, operates a ham station in the building in tribute to Marconi's reception of the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901 at a location some 300 feet from the tower.

The Queen spoke during a QSO between VO500JC, the Cabot Tower station, and GB500JC, in Bristol, England, the port from which Cabot began his voyage in 1497."It was very exciting this afternoon to watch and listen to the Queen participate in the QSO," said William J. Gillis, VE1WG, Atlantic Region Director of Radio Amateurs of Canada. SONRA President and RAC Asst Director Paul Piercey, VO1HE, and Dan Goodwin, VO1MX, were the operators for the occasion.

In a congratulatory message to Piercey, Gillis called the event "a great tribute to your hard work, dedication and diplomacy and to all the SONRA members who made it possible."

The occasion was recorded for posterity on both audio and video.

FORBES ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS HAM RADIO "MAGIC"

Readers of the July 7, 1997, issue of Forbes magazine won't find any sleight of hand in the article "There's Magic in It," by James Clash, WA3JID. The two-page feature talks discusses what it is about ham radio that's kept the hobby alive when it "should have died with the advent of modern communications." ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, is among those prominently mentioned in the story--along with other ham radio luminaries such as former US Sen Barry Goldwater, K7UGA; country music star Pat Loveless, KD4WUJ (who's shown spinning the dial of her transceiver); and US astronaut L. Blaine Hammond, KC5HBS.

As Clash's article explains, ham radio continues to thrive, and the number of hams worldwide has quadrupled over the past 30 years. The numbers have continued to increase an average of 6% annually since 1990 when the Internet started becoming a popular diversion. One point the article makes is that the Internet has become an ally of ham radio rather than an enemy.

The article apparently sparked the ham radio flame among readers, several of whom already have called the ARRL for more information about getting into (or back into) the hobby. Clash included the League's address and telephone number.

ARRL Public Relations Assistant Jennifer Gagne, N1TDY, assisted the author in gathering information and photographs for the article and served as his host during his visit to ARRL Headquarters. Hams will find it an informed and fun read that avoids the stereotypes and misconceptions about ham radio that sometimes appear in media portrayals of the hobby.

NEW JERSEY TVI LAWSUIT APPEALED

Neighbors who failed in an effort to sue a Lafayette Township, New Jersey, ham as a nuisance for interfering with their TV, telephone, and garage door opener have appealed the case to a higher court. In April, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Reginald Stanton said that federal law prevented him from declaring ham radio interference a nuisance in the case against Walter Kornienko, K2WK.

The plaintiffs--Kornienko's next-door neighbors, Leopold and Karen Korins--appealed the unfavorable decision to the Superior Court's Appellate Division. Bob Shelton, N2EDF--a retired New Jersey judge who's acting as an advisor to the case--said that in court remarks before rendering his decision, Stanton said that Kornienko was operating legally and properly and that were it not for the federal preemption issue, he would first require the Korinses to take measures to prevent the RF interference in their home before restricting Kornienko's hamming activities.

Shelton said members of the Sussex County Amateur Radio Association purchased filters to alleviate the RFI, but the Korinses would not let the club members install them. "We bent over backwards to help these people," said Shelton, a club member. Shelton also said that Karen Korins' negative remarks in court about Kornienko's antenna towers has led him to believe that the issue goes beyond RFI.

Kornienko, an avid contester, already has spent more than $10,000 on legal fees in the suit. He has permission from the township for his 48 and 90-foot towers. He also has some verticals on his property. The Kornienkos live on 3.5 acres on a hilltop in a rural section of Sussex County in New Jersey's northwestern corner.

The ARRL has agreed to seek to file a friend-of-the-court brief in the appeal. A defense fund has been established to help Kornienko pay his legal expenses. --thanks to The Hudson Loop

PHILIP F. WIGHT, W5UHK/VS6DR, SK

The man who once billed himself as "the biggest DXer in the Orient," Phil Wight, W5UHK/VS6DR, of Mountain View, California, and formerly of Hong Kong, died June 7. He was 57. DXer Fred Laun, K3ZO, who spent some time in Asia himself, explains that Wight's "approximately 500-lb bulk cut an imposing figure at radio club meetings in the area." Laun says that Wight, who became the chairman and CEO of Pacifica Products Ltd., had begun his working life "as a bass player with a band in a Las Vegas casino, and somehow found his way to Hong Kong while still a very young man." He also founded OHM (Oriental Ham Magazine) as a service to American and other English-speaking hams who were living in the orient.--Fred Laun, K3ZO, forwarded via the Internet DX Mailing List

DAN HENDERSON, VA3DH, SK

One of those responsible for organizing this year's AMSAT-NA annual meeting and symposium, Dan Henderson, VA3DH, of Burlington, Ontario, has died. A high school teacher and department head, Henderson had integrated ham radio and satellites into his department's courses. As a part of the school operations, he ran a satellite station 24 hours a day under the call sign VE3TLK. His student operators had contact with other schools around the world, and his efforts resulted in many young hams. Henderson also conducted classes for adults in the evenings on behalf of his club. --Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, via SpaceNews

In Brief:

  • This weekend on the radio: Ready or not, it's Field Day! The RAC Canada Day Contest (CW and SSB) is July 1.

  • HQ job opportunity: If you have proven technical ability, a broad ham radio background, and strong writing and editing experience, you are invited to apply for the position of Senior Assistant Technical Editor at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Excellent PC word processing and database experience and superior communication skills are also required. Extra class license and BSEE or other similar technical degree preferred. As a full-time member of the ARRL publications staff, you will write and edit material for ARRL technical publications and work closely with authors and in-house staff as material is prepared for publication. Starting salary is in the high 30s. Send a cover letter, resume and salary expectations to R. Boucher, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494. No phone calls, please. The ARRL is an equal opportunity employer.

  • New, re-elected section managers: Michigan gets a new section manager on July 1. Dick Mondro, WA4FQT, of Dearborn Heights will take over from Dale Williams, WA8EFK, who has resigned. These newly elected section managers assume their duties October 1: Georgia, Nelson "Sandy" Donahue, W4RU, Atlanta; and South Texas, Ray Taylor, N5NAV, New Braunfels. Recently re-elected as section managers were: Colorado, Timothy Armagost, WB0TUB, Littleton; Eastern Washington, Kyle Pugh, KA7CSP, Spokane; Western Washington, Harry Lewis, W7JWJ, Seattle; Los Angeles, Phineas Icenbice Jr, W6BF, Northridge; West Virginia, Olie Rinehart, WD8V, South Charleston; Sacramento Valley, Jettie Hill, W6RFF, Roseville.

  • JOTA needs you! Just before last year's Jamboree On the Air (JOTA)--held each October--the ARRL Educational Activities Department published its first ARRL Scout Handbook about Scouting and Amateur Radio (with an emphasis on JOTA). Last year's book was made possible by a grant from The ARRL Foundation, but we need your help this time around so that we can reprint this popular booklet in time for JOTA '97 in October. Thanks to dozens of generous hams, we're almost over the top. We still could use a little more help from our friends, however. Consider a donation to the ARRL Scout Handbook Fund today. Donations go to ARRL, Scout Handbook Fund, 225 Main St, Newington, CT, 06111. More information on Scouting and Amateur Radio, plus an on-line copy of the ARRL Scout Handbook, is at http://www.arrl.org/ead/#scout. --Glenn Swanson, KB1GW

  • Wisconsin hams on alert: An electrical power crunch brought on by hot weather and a number of generating stations off-line for maintenance has led Madison Gas & Electric Company to call for power conservation measures to prevent rolling blackouts in parts of the state. The alert also affects Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) operators in the greater Madison area who will be ready to provide emergency or backup communication and other support in the event of power system shutdowns.

  • Leap second alert: A "leap second" will be added between 23:59:59 UTC June 30, 1997, and 00:00:00 UTC July 1, 1997. The "leap second" (defined in this case as 23:59:60 UTC) is added from time to time to compensate for the slowing of Earth's revolution.

  • Phase 3D launch campaign begun: The cryogenic core stage of the Ariane 502 vehicle that will carry Phase 3D aloft was erected in Kourou, French Guiana, on June 17, one day after the official start of the Ariane 502 "launch campaign" by the French space agency. It was mated with the upper stage and vehicle equipment bay on June 18 and 19. Solid boosters were to be strapped on the vehicle on June 21 and 23. The new Vulcain engine will arrive in Guiana on July 9 and will be mounted on the vehicle late the same month. A launch rehearsal is planned on September 4 with a targeted launch date on September 30. --Orbital Report On-Line

  • June QST Cover Plaque Award winner: Bob Zimmerman, NP4B, won the June QST Cover Plaque Award for his article, "Broadbanding the Arecibo Dish" on page 28. Congratulations, Bob!

  • Connecticut Amateur Radio Awareness Week: In recognition of the ARRL's presence in Connecticut as well as Field Day and the Nutmeg State's 8700 hams, Connecticut Gov John Rowland has proclaimed June 22 through June 29 as "Amateur Radio Awareness Week." In addition, the Newington Town Council recently approved a similar proclamation. Connecticut Public Information Coordinator Al Cohen, W1FXQ, was the driving force behind the state and local proclamations.

  • Hams asked to track cyclist: Hams north of the border are being asked to help track cyclist Dr Andries Botha, of Grimshaw Alberta, who began a cross-Canada bicycle trek last weekend. Dr Botha left Vancouver on June 21, 1997. He is planning to travel the 7000 km (approximately 4340 miles) in 20 days--an average of 350 km (217 miles) per day. Roy Nystrom, VE6ATN, has asked the Amateur Radio community to help track Botha on his epic journey. Those spotting Botha should message Nystrom via ham radio (7.055 MHz) or via e-mail, rnystrom@telusplanet.net. A precise itinerary not known. Dr Botha will be wearing a black jacket that reads "Coast to Coast in 20 Days." --RAC

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter is published by the American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259. Rodney J. Stafford, KB6ZV, President; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Executive Vice President.

Circulation, Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, e-mail kcapodicasa@arrl.org.

Editorial, Rick Lindquist, N1RL, e-mail elindquist@arrl.org.

Visit the ARRLWeb page at http://www.arrl.org.

The purpose of The ARRL Letter is to provide the essential news of interest to active, organizationally minded radio amateurs faster than it can be disseminated by our official journal, QST. We strive to be fast, accurate and readable in our reporting.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, including photoreproduction and electronic databanks, provided that credit is given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

How to Get The ARRL Letter:

The ARRL Letter is distributed directly from ARRL HQ only to elected League officials and certain ARRL appointees and to paid subscribers of the now-defunct hard-copy edition of The ARRL Letter . For members and nonmembers alike, The ARRL Letter is available free of charge from these sources:

  • The ARRLWeb page (http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/). This version of The ARRL Letter includes any photographs.

  • The HIRAM BBS: 860-594-0306.

  • The ARRL Technical Information Server (Info Server): Send an e-mail message to info@arrl.org. The subject line should be blank. In the message body, type send ltrmmdd.txt, where mm represents two digits for the month and dd represents two digits for the day (The ARRL Letter is published every Friday). For example, to request The ARRL Letter file for Friday, January 3, 1997, you'd type send ltr0103.txt. Then, on a separate line, type quit.

  • CompuServe and America Online subscribers, as a downloadable text file in the services' ham radio libraries

  • The Netcom server, run by the Boston Amateur Radio Club and Mike Ardai, N1IST: Send e-mail to listserv@netcom.com (no subject needed). The body of the message should say subscribe letter-list.