Volume 17, Number 17 (April 24, 1998)

The ARRL Letter Index
ARRL Audio News

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IN THIS EDITION:

+ Available on ARRL Audio News

TENNESSEE HAMS VOLUNTEER AS TORNADO BLASTS MUSIC CITY

The Music City--Nashville, Tennessee--found itself at the heart of a maelstrom April 16 when a tornado struck and caused extensive damage in the downtown area. Other twisters caused damage in outlying areas. Delta Division Assistant Director Jack Hill, W4KH, says hams were active on weather-spotting nets and later supported relief and damage assessment efforts as well as the Red Cross.

Early on the morning of April 16, as the first tornadoes struck Dickson County in middle Tennessee, various spotter nets were activated, and some hams went to the National Weather Service office. After a day of tornadoes throughout middle Tennessee, the twister that hit Nashville struck in late afternoon, wreaking havoc. Among the damaged buildings was the Tennessee American Red Cross Building. Hill says the storm hit the historic Edgefield neighborhood, ripping apart houses and destroying entire streets.

"More tornadoes were spawned out of the main storm and hit different parts of the city and continued active several miles to the east--beyond Lebanon, Tennessee," Hill said.

Several ARES nets were activated in Davidson, Rutherford, Maury, and Sumner counties and coordinated with the NWS weather-spotters' net, with Robert Harris, N4PQV, as net control. Hams from Nashville and surrounding counties reported storm damage and funnel cloud sightings and helped to confirm the observations of the NWS Doppler radar. Hill says these nets stayed active into the night as the temperature dropped and the risk of additional storms rose.

The following day, the Red Cross asked for ham radio volunteers, primarily to coordinate communication. The contingent dispatched to chapter headquarters found non-functioning radios and damaged antennas. The team managed to locate the Red Cross's 2-meter transceiver and a power supply and connected it to the antenna on the rubble-strewn roof. Hill says local Red Cross resources and personnel were stretched thin because of the Alabama tornado just a week earlier.

Working with the Red Cross, some hams manned radios and provided directions to the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs). Others handled logistical tasks, repaired equipment and installed new antennas as needed, and set up a portable tower (borrowed from the Nashville ARC) to help provide communication at the primary shelter and feeding facility. At one point, Hill says, he found himself up a tower repairing the 2-meter and VHF low band antennas and rebuilding the HF antennas. As the weekend wore on, hams became active in damage assessment. Hill says 19 hams supported the teams of Red Cross assessors in the field and helped to cut the time needed to do an accurate survey.

Red Cross volunteer Chet Hallberg, K0TCB, of Kansas City, was among those dispatched to help in Tennessee. Hill says Hallberg and other Red Cross personnel turned out at the April 20 meeting of the Radio Amateur Transmitting Society--with several other clubs represented--to express appreciation for the hams' quick response and solid support. "We are still supporting the regular communications needs of the Red Cross teams who have settled in for the long, hard grind of helping Nashville get back on her feet," Hill said, adding that far too many hams worked the disaster to mention each one, and "everyone played an important role."

LEAGUE SUPPORTS LOWER VANITY FEE SCHEDULE

The ARRL says it supports the proposed lower fee to obtain a vanity call sign. The FCC proposed recently in its fiscal year 1998 fee schedule that vanity filers would pay just $12.90 for the ten year term, once the new schedule goes into effect later this year. That's the lowest fee in the history of the vanity program. Originally, vanity applicants paid $30 for the privilege of selecting a specific call sign. The fee jumped to $50 in September of 1997, just in time for Gate 3 filers but not in time for Gate 4 filers to take advantage of the $30 fee.

In comments filed April 22 with the FCC, the League called the wide variation in fees over the life of the vanity program "clearly inequitable" and said the FCC should have handled the matter differently. The League called the proposed $12.90 fee "reasonable" and urged its adoption "as soon as possible."

PREPARATIONS CONTINUE FOR NEXT WRC

With WRC-97 behind us, preparations already are under way for the next World Radiocommunication Conference. In fact, WRC-97 was barely over before the first Conference Preparatory Meeting for WRC-99 was held last fall. While it's not entirely clear right now if the next WRC will be held in 1999 or 2000, it's still being referred to as WRC-99. The ITU Council may decide the question of when WRC-99 will be held when it meets May 20-29 in Geneva. The decision could even be deferred until the 1998 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Minneapolis October 12-November 6. At least for now, planning will continue on the assumption that the next conference will be held in the fall of 1999.

The FCC WRC-99 Advisory Committee held its initial meeting in February. It will meet again on April 27. FCC informal working groups have been meeting over the past few weeks.

Earlier this year, ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, represented the League on US delegations to several ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) meetings in Geneva, Switzerland. Working Party 7C met in late February. This committee is responsible for studies relating to the Earth Exploration Satellite Service that has been eyeing the 430 to 440 MHz band for use by synthetic aperture radars (SARs). These systems are capable of penetrating the upper canopy of a rain forest to monitor ecological changes. Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, who represented the International Amateur Radio Union, introduced an IARU paper expressing concerns with respect to the 420 to 450 MHz band. An ARRL-authored paper also was introduced by the US, expanding on the theme and reviewing the status of technical sharing studies.

Working Party 8A met in mid March. This group--Amateur Radio's "home" in the ITU--is responsible for the amateur and the amateur-satellite services, among others. Representing the IARU at this session was ARRL International Affairs Vice President Larry Price, W4RA. He introduced an IARU paper detailing progress in HF data communication in the Amateur Service and setting out the characteristics of PACTOR I and II, CLOVER, and G-TOR. Several ARRL papers also were submitted by the US to update existing documentation.

Something called "fixed wireless access" (FWA--and sometimes called wireless local loop) could become a hot topic for Amateur Radio at the next WRC. The idea is to connect user telephone or data equipment via radio instead of wirelines to an access point in the public switched telephone network. FWA proponents are looking at the suitability of more than 100 frequency bands between 27 MHz and 66 GHz--some of which involve amateur bands. A committee called Joint Rapporteur Group (JRG) 8A/9B is looking at FWA issues. Participants include those involved in the mobile and amateur services--from WP 8A--and the fixed service. Price also represented the IARU on JRG 8A/9B.

For more information on WRC-99 preparations, see http://www.fcc.gov/wrc-99. --thanks to Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, and Steve Mansfield, N1MZA

SUCCESSFUL MIR-SCHOOL SERIES CONTINUES

Pupils at Newman Elementary School in Needham, Massachusetts, were the latest to get a chance to speak with US astronaut Andy Thomas, KD5CHF, aboard the Russian Mir space station. On April 13, 14 fifth graders asked questions about life aboard Mir, Mir-shuttle dockings, and the duties of the Mir crew. AMSAT/SAREX Technical Mentor Randy Becnel, KC5YJI, called the contact "highly successful." The QSO was made possible via a telebridge with Ellen Baker, KB5SIX, in Houston, Texas. Students got to speak with Thomas for the full 10-minute pass and without interruptions that have plagued some recent school contacts.

Becnel said having Baker as the station operator turned out to be "an added and unexpected bonus" for the youngsters. A relative of hers attends Newman Elementary, and she has visited the school previously to talk to the students about life in space. Teacher-coordinator Angela Dinapoli also had met with Baker during a visit to Johnson Space Center. After the contact ended, Baker talked about ham radio and encouraged the kids to consider it as a hobby.

On hand for the occasion were local media as well as parents and other teachers and students. In an effort to involve as many of the youngsters as possible, teachers assigned several student reporters to cover the contact and write an article for the school's magazine, Dragonfly.

Since Mir-school contacts resumed earlier this year after a one-year hiatus, schools in several states have had a chance to chat with Thomas, a native of Australia. Two Connecticut schools remain on the schedule for Mir contacts in May. Additional contacts are possible before Thomas returns to Earth in June. As it now stands, Thomas will be the last US astronaut to serve a tour of duty aboard Mir. Thomas' Russian crewmates, Talgat Musabayev, RO3FT, and Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, have performed a series of space walks in the past couple of weeks, to make repairs to the aging space outpost.

COLVIN AWARD TO SWISS GROUP FOR 3B7 DXPEDITION

An international group has received an ARRL Colvin Award grant to help fund a DXpedition to St Brandon (Cargados Islands) planned for May. St Brandon is part of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and is number 17 on the most-wanted list of DXCC entities. The ARRL Colvin Award Grants Committee voted to grant the Canton of Zug branch of the Union of Swiss Short-Wave Amateurs $5000 for the DXpedition. The group, under the leadership of Karl Graetzer, HB9JAI, has additional financial and in-kind support from Yaesu and Cushcraft, as well as from various DX clubs and commercial sponsors.

"We are very happy to have the contribution of the Colvin Award," Graetzer said this week. "It will help a lot."

Graetzer says all preparations have been completed and the team now is busy with flight cargo, customs formalities, and other activities. The group plans to arrive by boat on May 6 (gear will be ferried to shore by small boats) and to operate as 3B7RF from May 7 until May 17. Operation is expected to be continuous on all bands, including VHF, depending on propagation. Modes will include CW, SSB, RTTY and SSTV. Two individual sites will be set up with four operating positions. Fifteen operators from Switzerland, the US, Japan, and Israel will share on-the-air duties.

More information on the St Brandon DXpedition is available at http://www.3b7-brandon.ch.

ARRL PRESENTS AT HURRICANE CONFERENCE

Field Services Manager Rick Palm, K1CE, Palm was a presenter at the National Hurricane Conference, held April 6-10, in Norfolk, Virginia. Palm opened the program entitled "The Role of Amateur Radio in Hurricane Communications" with an overview of Amateur Radio disaster operations.

Subsequent presentations on local plans and operations were delivered by Virginia SEC Frank Mackey, K4EC, Norfolk EC Dan Bigio, AD4ZK, North Carolina SM Reed Whitten, AB4W, NC Assistant SEC Bernie Nobles, WA4MOK, and Dare County (NC) EC Harry Bridges, K4UOR.

Hurricane Watch Net Manager Jerry Herman, N3BDW, discussed the role of his net during the 1997 hurricane season. Don Mahan, KD4WGV, covered amateur operations in support of the National Red Cross's Disaster Operations Center.

Palm explained the role of ARRL Headquarters in supporting local Amateur Radio disaster operations. He then led a roundtable discussion to conclude the four-hour session.

The audience of 40 was made up of both emergency planners and amateurs. Palm attended the general session April 8, opened by Virginia Gov Jim Gilmore and then-Acting National Hurricane Center Director Jerry Jarrell, who gave a summary of the 1997 season. As it was last year, disaster mitigation was a dominating theme of the conference.

Commerce Secretary William M. Daley this week named Jarrell as the sixth director of the National Hurricane Center. He'd been serving as acting director since last September. An announcement from the Center called Jarrell "a friend of Amateur Radio and always acknowledging the efforts of the volunteer Amateur Radio operators at W4EHW," the Center's ham station.

Next year's hurricane conference will be held in Orlando, Florida, and the League has been invited to be a sponsor. --thanks to Rick Palm, K1CE, and Julio Ripoll, WD4JNS

MIREX SCHOOL DAY TEST SET FOR APRIL 27

MIREX President Dave Larsen, N6CO, says the MIREX team has authorized a special MIREX School Day test on April 27. The test will start at 1000 UTC and conclude at 2300 UTC.

Larsen says the purpose of the test is to improve students' understanding of the Russian Mir space station and to use ham radio to demonstrate the factors involved in space communication. Even schools for the deaf and disabled will be able to experience the event through their computer displays, Larsen said.

There is no limit to the number of stations that can participate, since any Amateur Radio station at any school may monitor the downlink of the test. All stations will be able to capture and log communications from Mir and from those schools authorized to transmit. Because of limited uplink capacity, the number of stations authorized to transmit will be limited to under 100 per footprint area.

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, has donated a special packet software version called MIRMON for unlimited use during this experiment. MIRMON will capture all position reports, bulletins, and messages, and provide schools with a constant display of the event. The software, further test details, and a replay of the last school experiment are available on the Naval Academy/MIREX Web page, http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/mirex.html.

Schools equipped with at least a 25 W 2-meter FM radio, omnidirectional antenna, and conventional TNC should have no problems participating. MIREX asks individual amateurs in North America desiring to participate to monitor the test in receive only, or to visit a school and set up a demonstration station to qualify for test transmit authorization. Some stations outside the US also are expected to participate.

Schools without current ham radio equipment can monitor the event via the Internet. Bruninga reports the first Internet-linked Mir ground station is on line and capturing all Mir passes over the east coast of the US and posting the information on the Web. According to WB4APR, the Internet site also removes all the connect-request-disconnect-busy traffic, allowing those on the Web site to see who is currently connected and what was downlinked on the last eight passes. The MIREX team wants to establish dedicated ground stations, (at least one per continent), that can link a receiver to the growing MIREX network. Currently, stations in the US, Mexico, Taiwan, and Spain under construction.

For additional information, visit the MIREX Web site or contact Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, at wb4apr@amsat.org. --thanks to AMSAT News Service and Dave Larsen, N6CO

ADE WEISS, W0RSP, TO KEYNOTE QRP "FOUR DAYS IN MAY"

Noted QRPer and author Ade Weiss, W0RSP, will be the keynote speaker at the QRP Awards Banquet May 15. The event is part of the QRP Amateur Radio Club International (QRP ARCI) "Four Days in May" during the Dayton Hamvention. Weiss is a member of the QRP Hall of Fame and author of The Joy of QRP and The History of QRP.

The banquet is Friday, May 15, at 7 PM. Banquet tickets are $22. For tickets or information, contact Scott Rosenfeld, NF3I, 4015 Sparrow House Ln, Burtonsville, MD 20866-1333; e-mail ham@w3eax.umd.edu.

A healthy showing from the QRP community is expected for the Four Days in May event, held each year in conjunction with the Dayton Hamvention. Headquarters for the event is Days Inn Dayton South, Miamisburg, Ohio. This year's FDIM begins Thursday, May 14 with a QRP Symposium featuring multimedia QRP presentations by renowned ARP authors and designers. "If you have ever wondered what happened to the building spirit, you'll find it here," said Ron Stark, KU7Y. Stark, a QRP ARCI member, writes the "Contesting for Fun" QRP colum in NCJ and edits the QARP ARCI newsletter.

On the schedule for this year's symposium are presentations on antenna feed lines, a low-cost antenna analyzer, alternatives to using printed circuit boards, modern components for homebrew design and construction, coherent CW, and much more. Presenters include such luminaries as Gary Breed, K9AY, George Dobbs, G3RJV, and L. B. Cebik, W4RNL. Last year's event had a standing-room-only crowd of 125, so additional space has been made available this year. Symposium registration is $10 if paid by May 1, and $12 after that date or at the door. To register, send a US check or money order made out to QRP ARCI and an SASE to Cam Bailey, KT3A, FDIM Symposium Registration, Box 173, Mt Wolf, PA 17347; for information, e-mail kt3a@juno.com. Registration includes a copy of the symposium Proceedings. These also will be available for sale during and after the conference.

Other activities include the FDIM QRP Vendor Social on Friday evening and Saturday's QRP building contest sponsored by the NorCal QRP Club. This year's contest will highlight awards for QRP rigs based on the venerable 2N2222 transistor--in honor of the transistor's invention 50 years ago.

For additional details, contact FDIM 98 publicity chairperson Bob Gobrick, N0EB; e-mail rgobrick@worldnet.att.net or visit http://www.qrparci.org.

CLEVIS O. "CLIFF" LAVERTY, W1RWG, SK

Former ARRL New England Vice Director and Maine Section Manager Cliff Laverty, W1RWG, of Norway, Maine, died March 29 following a long illness. He was 80. Laverty served as Maine Section Manager from 1980 until 1987, and as New England Division Vice Director from 1989 until 1991. Laverty also held other field volunteer positions, including Maine Section Traffic Manager. A graduate of the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire, Laverty was a retired teacher. Previously he worked as a flight radio officer for Pan American Airways and for the military during World War II. He also served as a Merchant Marine radio op and as a telegraph operator for the Boston and Maine Railroad. Laverty belonged to the QCWA and was a longtime member of the Yankee Radio Club in Maine.

ESTHER I. GIVEN, W6BDE, SK

Ham radio columnist Esther I. Given, W6BDE, of Sebastopol, California, died March 13, 1998. She was 86. A New Jersey native raised and educated in Colorado, Given enlisted in the military in 1942 and became a high-speed radio operator. She was one of only 14 WACs especially trained for sea duty, and served as the chief radio operator aboard the US Army hospital ship Chateau Thierry. She was licensed in 1946 and later became a director of the Quarter Century Wireless Association. For many years was a columnist for the QCWA Journal and for Worldradio. In 1997 she received a Distinguished Service Award. Memorial contributions are welcome to the YLRL Scholarship Fund, c/o Marte Wessel, Route 1, Box 73, Liberal, KS 67901. --thanks to Lee Savage, W6AQR, and Brad Wyatt, K6WR

In Brief:

  • This weekend on the radio: The DXYL-NAYL Contest (SSB), the Florida QSO Party, the Helvetia Contest, the Nebraska QSO Party, the Ontario QSO Party, and the QRP to the Field event are on tap for this weekend. Just ahead: The Connecticut QSO Party, the Massachusetts QSO Party, the ARI International Contest, the Ten-Ten International Net Spring CW QSO Party, the Danish SSTV Contest, and the MARAC County Hunters CW Contest are the weekend of May 2-3.

  • Vanity update: The FCC in Gettysburg reports it has processed all vanity applications from March 3 through March 23 and is working on the work in process (WIPs) stack. The FCC reports 294 new grants in the latest batch, and 332 WIPs.

  • FCC assigns RM number, seeks comments on ARRL petition: The FCC has assigned a rulemaking number, RM-9259, to the ARRL's request for an FCC declaratory ruling equating band plan compliance with good amateur practice (see "ARRL asks FCC to support voluntary band plans," The ARRL Letter, Vol 17, No 15). The action is considered a bit unusual since RM numbers generally are assigned only to petitions for rulemaking. Comments on the League's request are due to the FCC by May 21. A complete copy of the League's petition may be found on the ARRLWeb at http://www.arrl.org/announce/declreq.pdf. (Requires Adobe Acrobat, 38,902 bytes)

  • N9GL to head RF Safety Committee: ARRL President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, has appointed Greg Lapin, N9GL, as chairman of the RF Safety Committee. He succeeds Bill Raskoff, K6SQL. Raskoff, who's served as chairman for several years, is stepping down but will continue to serve as a committee member. Lapin holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Northwestern University and is a member of the IEEE. His e-mail address is glapin@nwu.edu.

  • March QST Cover Plaque Award: Thomas Kuehl, AC7A, won the March Cover Plaque Award for his article, "Build Efficient Short Vertical Antennas." Congratulations, Thomas!

  • New astro-hams! US astronauts Winston Scott and Daniel Tani are newly licensed hams. Scott is KD5DXD, and Tani is KD5DXE.

  • DARA to handle QSLs for October SAREX flight: The Dayton Amateur Radio Association has agreed to handle QSL duties for the SAREX space shuttle STS-95 mission. That's the October flight that will carry once-and-future astronaut John Glenn into space for the first time since the 1960s. Two hams are among the STS-95 crew members.--Rosalie White, WA1STO

  • The New RTTY Journal debuts: A little more than a year after the demise of Digital Journal (formerly RTTY Journal), Bill Henry, K9GWT, has debuted The New RTTY Journal. Henry, the president of HAL Communications Corp, purchased the assets of the failed publication from Dale Sinner, W6IWO, who published the magazine from 1986 until 1994 and to whom ownership had reverted when the International Digital Radio Association (IDRA) ceased publishing it last year. Until the January 1997 issue, the publication had published continuously for 45 years. Henry says he'll try for a "leaner" magazine, and has suggested a quarterly publication for starters. He called the short issue, Vol 46, No 1, as "the first step in the recovery" of the magazine and expressed hopes to begin regular printing this summer. The introductory price for an annual subscription (four issues) will be $12.00 in the US, Canada, and Mexico and $17 elsewhere. After June 1, the price goes to $15 for US and $20 elswhere. All issues will be sent air mail. Henry says he plans to put out 16-page issues in February, June, August, and November. For more information, contact Bill Henry at HAL Communications Corp, 1201 W Kenyon Rd, Urbana, IL 61801; tel 217-367-7373; e-mail ghenry@halcomm.com; http://www.halcomm.com.

  • Two-meter TE propagation reported: What could be the first 2-meter transequatorial propagation in the current solar cycle has been reported. JR4ENY/1 reports that on April 16 at 1059 UTC, JH4JPO in Yamaguchi, Japan, monitored the Darwin, Australia, VK8VF CW beacon on 144.480 MHz. The distance involved was approximately 5000 miles. The signal--heard using a TS-790 and a 16-element beam--peaked at 599. The opening lasted until 1125 UTC. --RAC

  • FCC grants Little LEO licenses: The FCC's International Bureau has granted--subject to certain specified conditions--authorizations to four companies to operate non-voice, non-geostationary mobile-satellite systems in low Earth orbit (NVNG MSS or Little Leo systems). None of the operating frequencies are within amateur bands. Little LEO systems will offer data communications services, including two-way data messaging, vehicle tracking and remote meter reading to earthbound users. --FCC Digest

  • SARL beams ham radio into classroom: The South African Radio League is taking science and technology into the classrooms of southern Africa with a weekly half-hour shortwave broadcast, Talking Science with Amateur Radio. The program is broadcast to schools Tuesday mornings (7205 kHz) with repeats on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The program is a joint venture of the SARL and the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust and is sponsored by Sentech, the common carrier for broadcasting in South Africa. The program will cover a variety of scientific and technological subjects. Amateur Radio and shortwave listening as educational aids in the classroom also will be featured. --SARL/SAART