Volume 17, Number 20 (May 15, 1998)

The ARRL Letter Index
ARRL Audio News

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NOTE: Because the Dayton Hamvention begins Friday, May 15, this week's editions of The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News are being posted one day early. The solar/propagation bulletin will be transmitted Friday by W1AW and also will be available on the ARRLWeb page. See you in Dayton!--Rick Lindquist, N1RL

IN THIS EDITION:

+Available on ARRL Audio News

LEAGUE CALLS MEMBERS TO ACTION ON 70 CM PETITION

The ARRL says the recent Land Mobile Communications Council petition seeking access to 70 cm is "incompatible with continued amateur use of the band" and urges members to comment in opposition--not only to the FCC but to the LMCC's members. The LMCC has petitioned the FCC for immediate reallocation of 420 to 430 MHz and 440 to 450 MHz from the federal government to the Private Mobile Radio Service. Amateur Radio enjoys the use of 70 cm on a secondary basis to government radiolocation (military radar). The LMCC has proposed to share the two subbands with Amateur Radio, but has not said how sharing would be possible. The LMCC also seeks additional UHF reallocations in the intermediate and long term.

For those planning to file comments, specific information and recommendations plus a copy of the LMCC petition and a list of LMCC members are available on the ARRLWeb page at http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/RM-9267/.

Commenters should explain how the loss of access to 420 to 430 and 440 to 450 MHz would affect them personally and how it would affect the ability of hams to provide needed public service. "Even if you do not use these segments yourself, it is likely that loss of access would result in more crowding and interference in the part of the band, or in another band, that you do use," said ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ. "Don't overlook the fact that if you use linked voice or packet systems, it is quite likely that some of the links you rely on are in either or both of these segments."

Additionally, amateurs involved in public service communication can ask the government and nongovernment agencies they assist for written statements of support. Hams also should urge Amateur Radio organizations, especially those with interests in the 420 to 450 MHz band, to comment as well.

The LMCC, a nonprofit association, includes several well-known organizations such as the American Automobile Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), a frequent Amateur Radio supporter. The League suggests that ARRL members who also belong to one of the LMCC member organizations consider writing to inform the organization that the LMCC is acting contrary to your interests and requesting them to disavow the LMCC petition insofar as it affects Amateur Radio.

Sumner says ARRL members should not complain to members of Congress nor write angry letters to the FCC. "The LMCC petition is a private-sector initiative, not a government proposal," Sumner said. "By law, the FCC has to put the petition on public notice and invite comment. That's all the FCC has done with it." Sumner says that criticizing the FCC at this stage would be "inappropriate and counterproductive."

Sumner reminds members that nothing is going to happen overnight with the LMCC petition, and there will be at least one more opportunity for public comment." "Before the FCC can take the next step to reallocate this spectrum, it must get the federal government to agree," he explained, because the government is the primary occupant. Then, the FCC would have to issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making and solicit public comments on its proposal.

The FCC is accepting only written comments in response to RM-9267. Comments are due by June 1, and reply comments are due by June 15. Address comments to RM-9267, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M St NW, Washington, DC 20554. Formal comments must be submitted with an original and four copies.

RSGB SAYS "NO" TO MANDATORY MORSE CODE

The Radio Society of Great Britain is taking up the banner to seek reconsideration of the IARU policy supporting mandatory Morse code testing for access to Amateur Radio HF bands. As a first step, the RSGB Council has opened talks with the Radiocommunications Agency--the UK's equivalent to our FCC--to institute an additional license class giving full HF privileges to existing Class B (no-code VHF/UHF) licensees who pass a 5 WPM code test.

"We're not trying to get rid of Morse! No way!" insisted RSGB President Ian Kyle, GI8AYZ/MI0AYZ, during a visit to ARRL Headquarters. In a statement slated to appear in the June issue of RadCom, the RSGB journal, the Society says it will continue to support Morse code and CW subbands on HF "as core elements of Amateur Radio globally." But, Kyle said, "Mandatory testing of Morse is going to go whether we like it or not."

Kyle and RSGB General Manager Peter Kirby, G0TWW, say there no longer is any good reason to insist that applicants pass a Morse code test to operate on HF. "It's stopping growth in the hobby," Kirby said, adding that he disagrees with those who think it will be the death of the hobby or would lead to lower operating standards.

Kirby, a former professional CW operator, said that making someone pass a 12 WPM test "doesn't make one a good operator." He allowed that enhanced practical testing requirements were a possible replacement, and said the Society is looking at a possible revamping of the entire licensing and testing structure in the UK.

Both Kyle and Kirby have been making the rounds of Amateur Radio clubs in the UK and floating the idea of eventually getting rid of the Morse code requirement altogether. They say most of the hams they speak with support the elimination of compulsory Morse testing. As Kyle put it, most hams in the UK are "thinking with their brains, not with their hearts."

The present UK licensing structure has two basic classes, A and B (plus a Novice class A and B ticket). The full Class A license requires 12 WPM and offers all amateur privileges. The Class B license, with the same technical requirements but no code test, offers access to bands above 30 MHz.

Kirby says the RSGB Council has determined that it cannot support compulsory Morse testing in the long term but also recognizes that it can't change things overnight. "This will ease things a bit," he said of the RSGB's "intermediate" proposal to the RA.

Kirby said the RSGB proposal "gives other countries the opportunity to debate this subject" before it's dealt with in a World Radiocommunication Conference in 2001 or 2002. He says the RSGB's plan has received support "from around the world and even from within the US," and that other European countries are beginning to embrace the British position.

At present, the IARU supports keeping the Morse code requirement, but the RSGB hopes to change some minds. "Council now believes that this position cannot be sustained in the longer term and will be opening discussions with IARU societies and other interested bodies to reconsider the position to be adopted at the WRC in 2001," the RSGB statement declares.

There are approximately 58,000 hams in the UK, and slightly more than 28,000 of them are RSGB members.

THOMAS GETS EXTRA TIME ABOARD MIR

Astronaut Andy Thomas, KD5CHF, will get a few more days aboard the Russian Mir space station. NASA has announced that the space shuttle Discovery will arrive at Mir June 4--five days later than originally planned--to pick up Thomas for the return flight to Earth. Discovery will depart Mir on June 8. The Australian-born astronaut has been aboard the orbiting outpost since January.

Thomas is the last US astronaut scheduled for a tour of duty aboard Mir. In the weeks remaining, the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment, SAREX, is lining up as many Mir-school contacts as possible. On May 7, Thomas spoke with students at Hampstead Academy in Hampstead, New Hampshire. Father-and-son team Tony Callendrello, N1QGR, and Casey Callendrello, N1QGQ, managed the ground station. The contact began on 70 cm, but a problem arose and the QSO moved to the 2-meter backup frequency and continued. "Their crew did an outstanding job with this contact as did the school and school district. I suspect the school will remember this high noon contact for a long time," said AMSAT mentor Charlie Sufana, AJ9N. "After the contact Tony and his crew were mobbed by the school kids." Nine students got to ask questions as a "spellbound" audience of nearly 200 looked on and many others listened in.

On May 8, Thomas chatted with students in South Africa during a QSO arranged especially to coincide with the Africa Telecom 98 conference. Nine students asked questions. The entire contact took place on 2 meters. Other schools in Texas, Tennessee, Connecticut, and Australia also were in the tentative queue for Mir contacts. The SAREX Working Group still hopes to fit in additional schools prior to Thomas' ride home in early June.

Only two other SAREX flights are scheduled during 1998, including one scheduled for October with US Senator and astronaut John Glenn. "The SAREX Working Group is looking at other possible shuttle flights for SAREX to be manifested on during 1999 while we wait for the International Space Station to be assembled in space," said ARRL Educational Activities Manager Rosalie White, WA1STO, a SWG member. White says every avenue to ensure the presence of Amateur Radio aboard the ISS is being explored and covered.

Space agency heads from the US, Russia, Europe and Japan are to meet at month's end in Cape Canaveral to discuss a new launch timetable for the ISS. The original schedule has been delayed because Russia is far behind schedule in finishing its primary contribution to the station--the service module that will house the astronauts. The ISS schedule already was eight months off the mark.

In late April, students at 27 school stations and others participated in a second Mir School Day test which provided a chance to make a packet radio exchange with Mir and to demonstrate the use of UI (unnumbered information) frame bulletins to communicate MIREX information to all monitoring stations. Internet-linked ground stations were able to merge their data into a comment Internet feed and demonstrate the use of ground-station-generated pseudo GPS positions that were digipeated by Mir to show its real-time position.

MIREX reports there will be another APRS School test in the very near future. This will be a school test only, and will happen with very little notice, testing the readiness of Amateur Radio operators.

Mir QSL requests (except Europe) should be sent to Dave Larsen, N6CO/K6MIR, PO Box 1501, Pine Grove, CA 95665.--thanks to AMSAT News Service, Rosalie White, WA1STO, and Bob Bruninga, WB4APR

PUT YOUR QSL INTO ORBIT

AMSAT is offering a chance for hams worldwide to become a part of the Phase 3D Amateur Radio satellite program by putting their QSL cards into orbit! As part of its "Fly Your QSL on Phase 3D" fund-raising campaign, AMSAT-NA is collecting QSL cards--accompanied by a minimum $25 donation to the Phase 3D effort--to put into space. Cards submitted will be scanned and converted into digital images, then saved on a computer CD-ROM that will be launched with the Phase 3D satellite.

AMSAT-NA Vice President Keith Baker, KB1SF, called it "a unique and relatively inexpensive way to encourage people who haven't already donated to the Phase 3D project to do so." Participants are welcome to contribute more than the minimum, Baker said, adding "and we'd be most grateful for the support."

Baker says that, due to the uncertainty of the Phase 3D launch status, "this fundraiser may have to be curtailed if we get a quick call to button up the satellite and prepare it for immediate launch." He encouraged interested hams to submit their cards and donations as soon as possible. Proceeds from the Fly Your QSL campaign will help raise the additional money needed to complete, test, and launch the satellite.

Baker said that AMSAT still has no definitive word on a launch date or vehicle for Phase 3D. "High-level negotiations with the European Space Agency and ArianeSpace are continuing in earnest on our behalf," he said.

To fly your QSL card aboard Phase 3D, send your card and donation to Fly Your QSL on Phase 3D, c/o AMSAT-NA, 850 Sligo Ave, Suite 600, Silver Spring, MD 20910-4703 USA. Checks or money orders should be made out to AMSAT. Do not send cash. QSL cards will be accepted at the AMSAT booth during the Dayton Hamvention.

For more information, contact AMSAT-NA headquarters at 301-589-6062 or check the AMSAT-NA Web site, http://www.amsat.org/. --AMSAT News Service

HAMS ASKED TO CHECK INTO HURRICANE WATCH NET

The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has asked amateurs to participate in a communication preparedness exercise to kick off the 1998 hurricane season.

Amateurs are asked to check into the Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz on Sunday, May 31, 1998, between 1600 and 1800 UTC. Stations are requested to provide a real-time report of their current weather conditions, including wind speed, wind direction, and barometric pressure. Measured conditions are preferred, but estimated wind speeds will be accepted.

These reports will be forwarded to W4EHW at the National Hurricane Center. W4EHW will be on frequency. Stations do not need to continue monitoring the net once their reports have been forwarded to the National Hurricane Center.

"We look forward to talking with you on the 31st and hope that the only time that we have to do so this season is during exercises," said Jerry Herman, N3BDW, of the Hurricane Watch Net. --thanks to Rick Palm, K1CE

ALABAMA HAMS HAVE BUSY WEEK OF WEATHER-SPOTTING

May 9 capped a busy week for the National Weather Service and for hams around Alabama. The Alabama Emergency Response Team--ALERT--responded to requests for communications assistance five times during the week, including twice on May 7, according to ALERT on-call coordinator Janice Rock, KF4PVR. The severe weather May 9 was especially tense, as a supercell thunderstorm showing signs of a tornado moved across Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties. The storm followed a path similar to that of the April 8 Oak Grove tornado. Although some trees were uprooted, there were no reports of major damage or injuries. "Tuscaloosa had spotters out and one spotter was reporting golf ball sized hail," Rock said. "At one point, Tuscaloosa county spotters had to deal with two funnel clouds at the same time. That made for a lot of communications needs."

In west Jefferson county, members of the Hueytown Emergency Amateur Radio Team--HEART--were on the air prior to the tornadic thunderstorm's approach, and remained active until nearly midnight when Jefferson county and the Birmingham area were placed under a tornado warning for the second time that evening. Spotter groups elsewhere across Alabama also were active as severe weather threatened. Communication took place between spotter groups in several parts of the state and ALERT using the Internet Gateway.

On May 7, when severe weather occurred in DeKalb County, Rock contacted spotters there directly using her home station. "The people in DeKalb county were excited to work with us," she said. "I pulled in a report of half dollar sized hail and the guy said it had knocked out almost every window in his house." --ALERT

FCC SEQUENTIAL CALL SIGN UPDATE

The following is a list of FCC sequentially assigned call signs issued as of May 4, 1998. For more information about the sequential call sign system, see Fact Sheet PR5000 #206S.

DistrictGroup A
Extra		Group B
Advanced		Group C
Tech/Gen		Group D
Novice
0AB0HNKI0MY++KC0DJX
1AA1TOKE1JP++KB1CTL
2AB2FFKG2OH++KC2DLZ
3AA3RDKF3BP++KB3CNN
4AF4JMKU4RI++KF4YFS
5AC5PWKM5QG++KD5ECI
6AD6FEKQ6VT++KF6QQZ
7AB7XXKK7NH++KD7BPI
8AB8CMKI8FX++KC8KAX
9AA9VZKG9NK++KB9SSC
N. Mariana IsNH0EAH0AYKH0GWWH0ABI
Guam ++AH2DHKH2TJWH2ANW
HawaiiNH7HAH6PJKH7JPWH6DEN
Amer SamoaAH8PAH8AHKH8DMWH8ABF
AlaskaAL0KAL7RDKL0OOWL7CUS
Virgin Islands++KP2CNNP2KCWP2AIJ
Puerto RicoNP3WKP3BGNP3WHWP4NNQ

++ All call signs in this group have been issued in this district.

1998 ARRL ATLANTIC DIVISION AWARD WINNERS

John Creel, WB3GXW, of Silver Spring, Maryland, has been named the 1998 Atlantic Division Amateur of the Year. Licensed since 1967, Creel is active in RACES and in demonstrating Amateur Radio to youth at summer camp. The Foundation for Amateur Radio also named John their Ham of the Month in April. WB3GXW is an ARRL Life Member and an Official Bulletin Station. He belongs to a family of radio amateurs. His mother, wife, and two daughters are also hams. As FAR said in its Ham of the Month commendation, John Creel "has made significant contributions to the Amateur Radio Service and is an outstanding model of a public and community service volunteer."

This year's recipient of the Grand Old Ham lifetime service award is Rolland Madara, W3PWG, of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. Known as Rollie to his many friends in the Amateur family, he has been licensed for 47 years, and served for more than 25 years as an operator at the Franklin Institute Science Museum's Amateur Radio exhibit W3TKQ (now W3AA), where he still volunteers one day a week.

The 1998 division awards will be officially conferred at the Atlantic Division Convention, held in conjunction with the Rochester, New York, Hamfest on May 29-31. --Kay Craigie, WT3P

IN BRIEF:

  • This weekend on the radio: The ARRL VHF/UHF Spring Sprint for 50 MHz and the EU Spring Sprint (CW) are on deck for this weekend. Just ahead: The ARCI QRP Hoot Owl Sprint (CW), the Texas QSO Party, and the Memorial Day CW Sprint.

  • Correction: Thanks to Michigan TC Dave Smith, W8YZ, for pointing out that the NOAA solar forecast Web address we published last week contained an error. The correct URL is http://www.sel.noaa.gov/forecast.html.

  • Vanity update: The FCC in Gettysburg reports it has completed processing of vanity call sign applications received through April 22. In the processing run May 11, there were 52 grants. Another 76 applications landed in the work in process (WIPs) stack.

  • RAIN report off TWIAR feed: The Albany, New York-based ham radio news service, This Week in Amateur Radio, no longer carries The RAIN Report prepared by Hap Holly, KC9RP, as part of its regular satellite feed. The end of the five-year informal working agreement between the two services was due to "contractual and philosophical differences over Internet audio availability," said TWIAR Technical Director George Bowen, W2XBS. TWIAR Executive Producer Stephan Anderman, K2SMA, says that the two services remain on cordial terms and will share a booth this week at the Dayton Hamvention. By the way, TWIAR has a new Web site, http://www.twiar.org. --This Week in Amateur Radio

  • Shannon Lucid article: Russ Tillman, K5NRK, reports that the May issue of The Scientific American contains a 10-page article entitled "Six Months on Mir," by Shannon Lucid. The article mentions that Lucid kept in contact with her family via a "ham radio packet system." --AMSAT News Service

  • Public service conference series: The first of a series of regional public service conferences will be held May 30 at Seaside, Oregon, in conjunction with the Northwestern Division Convention. Regional served-agency representatives and ARES officials will discuss needs and capabilities. They will be joined by Field Services Manager Rick Palm, K1CE, and Gary Gilham, of the National Red Cross Headquarters disaster operations center, where Gilham is a communications coordinator. A second conference will be held in June 20 Atlanta, in conjunction with the Georgia State Convention. Palm and a National Red Cross rep also will attend.

  • QSL tally reflects better propagation: The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service reports the number of cards it's forwarded to DX stations around the world so far this year is up by 40% over last year's numbers. That could be a reflection of overall better band conditions on HF. As of May 1, the service had mailed 600,100 QSLS (more than 66,000 of them on May 1 alone). That's an increase of 173,440 cards over the same date last year.--Martin Cook, N1FOC

  • WPA Section Awards announced: Bill Kristoff, N3BPB, has been named ARRL Western Pennsylvania Section Amateur of the Year. A ham for 18 years, Kristoff is active in training, coordinating technical assistance, and public service. Other Western Pennsylvania awards announced this week were Gordon McDonnell, KB3AQA, Section Educator of the Year; Frank Rossi, N3FLR, Section Technical Specialist of the Year, and Greg Kerr, N3PHF, Emergency Coordinator of the Year. --Bill Edgar, N3LLR

  • New York City RACES gets "hambulance" After months of sensitive negotiations, the New York City Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) finally has its own field communications vehicle. The 1988 Chevrolet ambulance was recently decommissioned as a medical transport vehicle and declared surplus. "Its current odometer reading is 000,067 miles, and we are still trying to determine how many times the odometer has been around," said Citywide RACES Radio Officer and PIO Howard Price, KA2QPJ. NYC RACES District Radio Officer Marc Kaufman, WB2DWC, brokered the acquisition with help from Price. The vehicle now is being readied for refurbishing and eventual official designation as a RACES FieldComm unit. The "hambulance" will also retain its emergency lighting and signaling package to protect its cargo and occupants. NYC RACES expressed "profound thanks" to the city officials involved "for their extraordinary efforts in procuring, outfitting, sheltering and maintaining this vehicle for use by NYC RACES."

  • Submarine event a success: Jim Flanders, W0OOG, says he considers the recent Submarine Memorial Radio Room Reactivation (SmR3) "a success beyond all expectations," despite problems from a solar storm and QRM. "Nine submarines were successful with their operations," he said. "Pictures are starting to come in to me, and I'm displaying them on the Amateur Radio part of my Web page, http://www.flash.net/~jflandrs. Flanders says he's written an article for the Naval Historical Ship Society. "All these subs are a member of that organization," he explained. He's also writing an article on the event for the Submarine Veterans Amateur Radio Association (SVARA) publication, Tubes Forward.--Jim Flanders W0OOG