Volume 17, Number 28 (July 17, 1998)

The ARRL Letter Index
ARRL Audio News

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IN THIS EDITION:

+ Available on ARRL Audio News

ARRL SAYS SCANNER PROPOSALS COULD HURT HAMS

The ARRL has told the FCC that some of its recent proposals to tighten scanning receiver rules "constitute severe regulatory overkill" and could harm law-abiding amateurs. The League made the comments in response to last month's FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ET Docket 98-76).

The ARRL said it's "sensitive" to the FCC's concern that devices not be able to readily intercept cellular calls. But, the League added, some of the FCC's proposals could result in "insufficiently defined regulations" that would prohibit or unreasonably restrict the making and selling of ham and test gear. Some product lines could become prohibitively expensive or prohibited altogether by the proposals, the League asserted.

Among other things, the League asked the FCC to avoid requiring scanning receivers in ham equipment to block access to frequency-control circuits, and to not entirely prohibit frequency converter or transverter kits for use in the Amateur Service. The League said the net effect of the kits ban would be to prohibit any frequency converters, even though they would not be used or useful for cellular reception, and asked the FCC to create an exception for Amateur Service frequency converters.

The League also asked that amateur receivers not be required to undergo potentially expensive direct-pickup immunity testing, and it urged the Commission to more clearly define its proposed rules to avoid unintended consequences that could adversely affect hams.

The League agreed that some extended coverage ham transceivers have image responses that make them able to receive cellular signals. But the League said this is not widespread and "largely not an issue in the Amateur Service," because the transceivers are not made, marketed, bought, or used for cellular image reception. Manufacturers could configure products to preclude cellular image frequency reception, the ARRL said.

The League said that current language banning the manufacture or sale of scanning receivers that are "capable of readily being altered" is sufficient. But the ARRL said requiring tuning and control circuits be made inaccessible would be "an overbroad requirement," and that potting or encapsulating frequency-control hardware "is simply unnecessary for most amateur equipment." The League said such a requirement would limit the ability of hams to legitimately experiment with or to even repair their own equipment and could needlessly drive up the cost of ham gear and make repair expensive or impossible. "The potting requirement is severe regulatory overkill and should not be enacted," the League said. "There are sufficient, less burdensome regulations now in effect and as proposed."

The League also called the FCC's proposed definition of test equipment "unreasonably limiting" and advised the Commission to correct the problem by eliminating the word "professional" from its definition.

A copy of the League's full comments is available at http://www.arrl.org/announce/ET98-76-cmt.pdf.

ARRL BOARD IN SESSION

The ARRL Board of Directors was in session July 16 and 17 at Rocky Hill, Connecticut. The ARRL Executive Committee met July 16.

In addition to reports and recommendations from officers and standing committees, the Board also will hear a progress report on the League's legislative agenda from Legislative and Public Affairs Manager Steve Mansfield, N1MZA, and a report on technical regulatory affairs from Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI.

Radio Amateurs of Canada International Affairs Vice President Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, also will be on hand for the session.

The Board also will receive reports and consider recommendations from the Enforcement Task Force, the RFI Task Group, the RF Safety Committee, and the Contest and DX Advisory Committees.

The Board plans to continue its ongoing discussion of strategic planning issues in a special session following the regular Board meeting.

A synopsis of the Board's actions will be reported via W1AW bulletins and in the next edition of The ARRL Letter. Complete details will appear in the September issue of QST.

YLRL PIONEER ETHEL SMITH, K4LMB, LEAVES ESTATE TO ARRL

The ARRL has received the largest single contribution in its history from the estate of YLRL pioneer Ethel M. Smith, K4LMB, who died in February of 1997. The ARRL's audited financial statements for last year record the value of her bequest as more than $800,000.

Smith, a native of Washington, came to national prominence early in her Amateur Radio career through a letter printed in QST. First licensed in 1936 as W7FWB, she saw a need for an organization to nurture and encourage female hams and wrote to QST to promote the idea. Ultimately, she helped to found the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) and became its first president in 1939.

As ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, points out in his August QST "It Seems to Us . . ." editorial: "This began a distinguished record of six decades of service to the Amateur Radio community, particularly in the Washington, DC, area, which became her home in the 1940s. The ARRL, the Foundation for Amateur Radio, and the Quarter Century Wireless Association are but of a few of the many other organizations to benefit from her boundless energy. The day she died, February 5, 1997, was a day of profound sadness for all who knew her."

Smith participated in the formation of the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) in 1957. Around that same time, she met and married the late John "Tex" De Bardeleben, W4TE (ex-W3CN), who was with the FCC. The couple set up housekeeping in Virginia, and she later served as the Virginia SEC (1966-69) and as an ARRL assistant director under four different Roanoke Division directors. She also served the QCWA as its general manager and on its board of directors. In August 1996, six months after her 79th birthday, she celebrated her six decades in Amateur Radio by passing the Extra Class examination.

Ethel Smith felt indebted to what Amateur Radio had meant in her life. As she once explained it: "Amateur Radio is still the main focus of my life. It has brought me all the good things that ever happened to me. It gave me a challenging and rewarding career. It gave me a wonderful husband and the greatest collection of friends in the world--all over the world. I owe more to Amateur Radio than I can ever possibly repay."

In 1986, with the stipulation that there be no publicity during her lifetime, she contributed $10,000 to the ARRL to create the ARRL Exceptional Merit Stipend (EMS Fund). That the fund's abbreviation and her initials were the same was a secret that gave her a measure of private satisfaction. After her husband died, she contributed another $10,000 in 1995 and arranged for her entire estate to pass to the ARRL.

For some additional insights into the lives and legacies of both Ethel Smith, K4LMB, and the late Barry Goldwater, K7UGA, see K1ZZ's editorial, "Two Who Made a Difference," on page 9 of the August 1998 QST.

[Editor's note: A few copies of the March/April 1997 issue of YL Harmonics, which was dedicated to the memory of Ethel Smith, K4LMB, still are available from the YLRL. Contact Barbara Yasson, KC7KQI, 12308 NE 5th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98685; e-mail byasson@pacifier.com by July 31.--thanks to Margaret Dunn, KC7LXS]

FCC ALTERS AMATEUR 76-77 GHZ ALLOCATION

As proposed more than two years ago, the FCC now has adopted rules to temporarily restrict amateur access to the 76 to 77 GHz band. In exchange for the suspended spectrum, the FCC has upgraded amateur status from secondary to coprimary in the 77.5 to 78 GHz band. The changes were among several the FCC adopted July 6 to encourage commercial development and use of the millimeter-wave frequencies above 40 GHz. The change at 76 to 77 GHz was to provide additional interference protection for vehicle radar collision-avoidance systems expected to be operational in that band.

The ARRL had opposed adoption of the temporary restriction at 76 to 77 GHz, saying it did not foresee any incompatibility between the vehicle radar systems and amateur operation. The FCC said it plans to revisit the possibility of spectrum sharing in the band and encouraged the League to work with the auto industry to develop a sharing plan.

The FCC said upgrading the status of the amateur and amateur-satellite allocation at 77.5 to 78 GHz will ensure amateur access to spectrum near 77 GHz "without the threat of preemption by higher priority services." The Commission also said it believes the allocation is necessary to foster amateur experimentation using millimeter wave technology.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE: SEPTEMBER IN CHICAGO

The 17th annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference will be held this year in Chicago. The conference will be held September 25-27, 1998, at the Holiday Inn Rolling Meadows, just minutes from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. This marks the third year the ARRL and TAPR have joined forces for this event, which includes the conference and TAPR's annual general meeting.

The ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference is an international forum for radio amateurs in digital communications, networking, and related technologies. It's an opportunity for conferees to meet, publish their work, and present new ideas and techniques for discussion. Presenters and attendees have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about recent hardware and software advances, theories, experimental results, and practical applications. The DCC is not just for the digital expert, but for digitally-oriented amateurs at all expertise levels.

The conference also provides a weekend of fun for all who have more than a casual interest in any of the ham digital communications modes. This includes APRS operators, digital networks, software writers, modem designers, and digital satellite enthusiasts.

This year's conference again provides multiple session tracks for beginning, intermediate, and advanced presentations on selected topics in digital communications. Topics will include APRS, satellite communications, TCP/IP, digital radio, spread spectrum, and many others.

In addition to a presentation of papers on Saturday, three symposia/seminars will be held. These sessions are provided to allow those with additional time and interest to make the most of the conference. Separate registration is available for these activities; those wishing to attend don't have to register for the full conference. Topics include the Second Annual APRS National Symposium (Friday, all day); "Infrastructure Technologies in Amateur Radio," conducted by Don Lemke, WB9MJN; "RUDAK Future Operations and Experimentations," by Lyle Johnson, WA7GXD; and "Packet Radio Networks with Millions or Billions of Stations," by Tim Shepard, KD1KY.

Conference registration is $42, if paid before September 1. Conference registration includes Conference Proceedings, Saturday sessions and meetings, and lunch. For registration information, contact Tucson Amateur Packet Radio, 8987-309 E Tanque Verde Rd #337, Tucson, AZ 85749-9399; tel 940-383-0000; fax 940-566-2544; e-mail tapr@tapr.org; http://www.tapr.org.

FCC SEQUENTIAL CALL SIGN UPDATE

The following is a list of FCC sequentially assigned call signs issued as of July 1, 1998. For more information about the sequential call sign system, see Fact Sheet PR5000 #206S or contact the FCC, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245; e-mail fccitd@fcc.gov.

DistrictGroup A
Extra		Group B
Advanced		Group C
Tech/Gen		Group D
Novice
0AB0HTKI0NM++KC0DUO
1AA1TWKE1JX++KB1CZO
2AB2FKKG2OP++KC2DUP
3AA3RDKF3BW++KB3CUH
4AF4KOKU4TF++KF4ZDA
5AC5QQKM5RK++KD5EQG
6AD6FSKQ6WW++KF6RUG
7AB7YIKK7ON++KD7CEU
8AB8CWKI8GG++KC8KOH
9AA9WDKG9OA++KB9TCB
N. Mariana IslandNH0FAH0BAKH0HEWH0ABJ
Guam++AH2DHKH2TLWH2ANX
HawaiiNH7IAH6PMKH7JZWH6DER
American SamoaAH8RAH8AHKH8DMWH8ABF
AlaskaAL0LAL7RDKL0PGWL7CUU
Virgin Islands++KP2CNNP2KDWP2AIJ
Puerto RicoNP3YKP3BINP3XGWP4NNT

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

NY TAXI INSPECTIONS NAB RADIO OFFENDERS

New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Inspector S. Atvegbu (left) and New York FCC Field Inspector Serge Loginow (right) prepare a summons after finding a taxi to have a CB radio capable of transmitting in the 10-meter ham band. Photo by Gerry Smith, W6TER.

Enforcement personnel undergo training in detecting illegally modified radios. Photo by Frank Fallon, N2FF.

An effort continues to eliminate illegally modified Citizens Band radios that can operate on the 10-meter amateur band from New York City taxis. Gerry Smith, W6TER, reports that on July 2, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC)--in cooperation with the Port Authority Police and two inspectors from the New York FCC Field Office--inspected CB radios installed in NYC taxis at the Kennedy Airport taxi holding lot. An ad hoc committee has been formed to deal with the illegally modified CB radios in the taxi fleet (see QST, June, p 66-67). Smith praised the effort as "highly successful."

The TLC issued seven tickets to taxi owners alleging violation of the TLC rule forbidding radios capable of operating outside of the authorized 40 CB channels. The cab owners face fines ranging from $100 to $350. One taxi driver surrendered his CB radio to a FCC inspector on the spot!

The TLC and FCC inspected the radios for proper transmit frequencies. Frequency measurements were made using equipment donated to the TLC by the ad hoc committee. The TLC has promised to continue its airport and on-street inspections.

MISHAP DELAYS "ROCKOON" LAUNCH UNTIL FALL

It was one of those good news/bad news situations June 20 at the site of the planned launch of an ATV-carrying "rockoon" in the Gulf of Mexico. The Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) had planned to launch the rockoon from a high-altitude balloon as part of its Project High Altitude Lift-Off (HALO). The good news was that the balloon that was to carry the rocket itself to launch altitude worked just fine. The bad news, reports Bill Brown, WB8ELK, was that one of the rocket's fins and the 434 MHz ATV antenna on the camera payload suspended below the rocket snagged on the launch platform during liftoff. "The ATV antenna broke free after the full force of the balloon's lift pulled on it," Brown said. "This caused the rocket to slingshot off the flight train and land on the deck of the barge."

Even though it never left the ground, the rocket's 1255 MHz ATV package and the APRS system continued to work. "At least we know the payload should survive ignition of the rocket when we attempt to fly it again," Brown said. The rocket suffered relatively minor damage. The group says it can be reused.

Bob Spahn, WD5BJW, collected video from the 434 MHz ATV cameras aboard the balloon as it ascended to an estimated altitude of 100,000 feet before popping. The equipment package then parachuted back to Earth and later was recovered from the Gulf. The video signal was degraded somewhat due to antenna damage from the launch incident, but Brown said signals were visible as far away as New Orleans to the west and Florida to the East.

Brown said an "impressive ground station" was set up at the Sealab Marine Center on Dauphin Island for public viewing of the launch and to establish communication with the barge so the Web site could be updated in real time. "This effort helped to stir up renewed activity and interest in ham radio in the region," he said.

The effort to launch the first amateur rocket into space now has been rescheduled for fall. HAL5 made amateur rocketry history in May of last year when it successfully performed the first amateur rockoon mission from a high altitude, and it made professional rocketry history by launching the first hybrid rocket from a high altitude (see QST, Aug 1997, page 73).

For more information, see http://fly.hiwaay.net/~bbrown.

SOLAR UPDATE

Solar soothsayer Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity was down last week compared to the previous week, with average solar flux lower by about 15 points and sunspot numbers down by almost 32 points. The average solar flux for the previous 90 days was 107, and the flux was below this value on four out of seven days. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet to unsettled. A solar flare and coronal mass ejection caused the planetary A index to rise to 37 on Thursday, July 16. Early in the day the planetary K index rose to six, which is very bad.

Over the next few days, July 17-19, the planetary A index is forecast to be 18, 12 and 12, and the solar flux should rise gradually, from 106 to 107 and finally 108. Solar flux is expected to rise above 115 around July 24, then peak between 120 and 125 from July 26 through the end of the month. Flux values are expected to fall below 110 again around August 8. Look for unsettled geomagnetic conditions through July 21, and from July 31 until August 2. Look for very stable conditions around July 24-28.

Poorer summer HF conditions prevail during the day, but good worldwide propagation continues on 20 meters in the evening. The MUF is higher this year than last, due to higher solar activity, but it still lags behind what was expected for this point in the cycle. Perhaps if the solar flux takes another sustained jump upward as it did after the first of the year, we may see 10 meter openings this fall. Currently if 10 is open, it is usually over north-south paths and only when solar flux has gone higher for a few days.

Some interesting propagation has provided some excitement on 6 meters, with contacts this week between Hawaii and a number of stations in western North America. In addition, KG4GC in Cuba was heard in the northeast United States.

In addition to the failure of the SOHO craft reported recently, the GOES-9 spacecraft is currently exhibiting severe attitude control problems. This is the main craft used to obtain proton, electron, magnetometer and solar x-ray data. GOES-8 is being pressed into service, and soon the GOES-10 satellite will move into position to take over.

Sunspot numbers for July 9 through 15 were 61, 91, 96, 82, 50, 58, and 95, with a mean of 76.1. The 10.7-cm flux was 114.3, 109.2, 107.7, 99.3, 106.1, 102.9, and 104.8, with a mean of 106.3. The estimated planetary A indices were 11, 6, 11, 10, 6, 4, and 5, with a mean of 7.6.

DAVID P. PIVAN, W9ZCN, SK

David Pivan, W9ZCN, of Northbrook, Illinois, died May 25, 1998. He was 76. In 1948, Pivan was a cofounder of Chicago's first classical music radio station, WMOR-FM. He was an ARRL member for more than 50 years. In 1954, he founded Pivan Engineering, which sold electrical components for research and industry. He later opened a corporate finance and consulting firm. An obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times quoted his wife, Rita, as saying,: "The [ham] radio was an important part of his life. He was in contact with people from all over the world." Survivors include his wife, a sister, and three children.

H. PETER MEISINGER, W3ZE, SK

H. Peter Meisinger, W3ZE, of Vienna, Virginia, died June 16. He was 77. He had belonged to the ARRL for more than 50 years and was a life member. In 1958, Meisinger and a partner formed Versitron Inc, a communications electronics firm that did work in fiber optics and defense communication. He retired as the company's president in the mid-1980s. Meisinger was a designer of electronic devices and medical equipment and the author of various technical papers. He also had once served as an engineer with the recording lab at the Library of Congress and as chief engineer of the Interior Department's recording facility. Survivors include his wife, Susan, and several children and stepchildren.

In Brief:

  • This weekend on the radio: The North American QSO Party (RTTY) and the SEANET Contest (CW) are on tap for this weekend. Also, the Colombian Independence Day Contest takes place July 19. Exchange signal report plus serial number. Just ahead: The RSGB Islands on the Air (IOTA) contest, phone and CW, happens July 25-26.

  • New IOTA club category: The Islands On The Air committee has opened up its program to include clubs and DX groups. The new club category will run in parallel with the existing categories. The IOTA committee hopes the change will promote friendly competition among clubs around the world. The IOTA contest takes place the weekend of July 25-26.--QNews

  • Marconi Centenary special event: The centenary of the Kingstown Regatta--part of Marconi's early experiments in the sea off Dublin, Ireland, will be celebrated July 18-20. Members of the Wicklow Wireless Society will operate special event stations under the call sign EI1M from several locations associated with Marconi, including the Moran Park House, Marconi's original short station. On July 19, a reenactment of the 1898 yacht races will be staged, and race reports will be filed to the original shore station on CW from a boat following the yachts. EI1M will operate on all HF bands on CW and SSB. QSLs can go via the bureau or to EI2WW.--Wicklow Wireless Society

  • Museum ships special event: Hams can take a trip back in history via ham radio during the museum ships special event starting 1300 UTC on July 18 and concluding at 2100 UTC on July 19. It's sponsored by the USS Salem Radio Club. Certificates are available for stations working two or more ships. Some call signs to listen for include K1USN aboard the USS Salem, W2PE aboard the USS Little Rock, K6TR aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, and UE1ALK aboard the MS Krasin. Operation will be on HF and VHF, and most ships will at least be active on 75, 40 and 20 meters using CW, AM, SSB, plus some FM and RTTY. (One of the USS Salem's original transmitters will operate AM on 3885 kHz.) Reports go to Bob Callahan, W1QWT, 56 Acorn St, Scituate, MA 02066 include a SASE. For more details, see http://www.ziplink.net/~rcal/salem.--thanks to Bob Callahan, W1QWT

  • QST Cover Plaque Award: The June QST Cover Plaque Award goes to Chip Margelli, K7JA, for his article "Bidirectional Antennas for Field Day." Congratulations, Chip!

  • JOTA 1998 reminder: The 1998 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) is October 17 and 18. You can do a community service by contacting your local Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop. Invite a few scouts to your shack or take your equipment to a local campout. JOTA brochures and exhibit kits are available from ARRL. To order, contact Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, at ARRL, EAD, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; e-mail jwolfgang@arrl.org. Please order early to allow time for materials to arrive.