IN THIS EDITION:

• +Hams respond as killer tornadoes rake South
• +Board seeks new technology for future
• +A new name for the ARRL?
• +League gets 5-MHz Experimental license
• +ARRL files "restructuring" reply comments
• Solar update
• In Brief: This weekend on the radio; Papal visit special event; New Canadian prefix; Australia Day prefix; Joe Walsh, rock star/Collins collector; ULS Final Order published; QST Cover Plaque Award

+ Available on ARRL Audio News

HAMS RESPOND AS KILLER TORNADOES RAKE SOUTH

Hams in Tennessee and Arkansas responded as unusual tornadoes threatened, then struck, this week. The death toll from the freak storms stood at 16 as of January 22, and losses were expected to top $1 billion. A call went out January 22 for additional ham radio volunteers to assist emergency operations in Tennessee in the storms' wake.

Tornadoes in the Jackson, Tennessee, area January 17 killed eight people. Another eight died when tornadoes struck in the vicinity of Little Rock and White County, Arkansas, January 21. The National Weather Service called it "an unprecedented outbreak of tornadoes for January."

Arkansas Section Manager Roger Gray, N5QS, in Searcy, reports he was up all night and observed four or five funnel clouds, but he estimated that at least 30 tornadoes swept through the area. Gray has been actively managing the ARES operation. "We have had an incredible response from the amateur community," he said. He estimated that up to 60 hams were active on VHF and HF nets. "We have been running nets almost continuously since 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and no end in sight," he added.

One problem, he said, was that access to the badly-damaged town of Beebe was extremely restricted "and contacting people in that area is extremely difficult right now." In addition to health-and-welfare and damage assessment traffic, he said Amateur Radio was filling the gap as long-distance telephone circuits have become overloaded. "That's why we're handling as much traffic as we are." Damage was primarily confined to four areas, and he expected ham radio involvement to conclude within 24 hours.

Gray said five weather-spotting net control stations were active. The EC in charge, James Wiles, KK5WM, in Beebe, suffered damage to his house and had to move operations to a Red Cross shelter, Gray reported. Hams are expected to become involved in damage assessment.

The National Weather Service confirmed that "between two and three dozen" tornadoes damaged or destroyed homes and businesses in Little Rock, Beebe, Searcy, and in other locations to the north and east. Large hail also was reported, including "baseball to grapefruit size hail near Hot Springs and around the Little Rock and Conway areas," the NWS said.

"Another wild night in Arkansas," said ARRL Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, in Judsonia, who reported "lots of damage" in his area. "I have to tell you, in my 41 years of living here, I have never seen storms like we had last night," he said. Harrison said the first line came through around 5 PM, "then another, and another, and another for what seemed like every half hour till about 10:30 PM."

"The damage in a 10 mile radius around my home is horrible!" Harrison said. Arkansas State University in Beebe--where his son, Mark, attends school--had extensive damage. "There is considerable damage in Little Rock, even to the Governor's Mansion," he added.

Mark Harrison, KC5YNE, said most of the town of Beebe was damaged or destroyed, and eight tornadoes hit White County alone. He reports the family spent an anxious night. "It was a relief when the storms finally quit, and everything was fine here," he said.

Meanwhile, Delta Division Vice Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q, in Memphis, Tennessee, reports considerable ham radio activity in the Jackson area, where tornadoes hit last weekend, as well as in Clarksville, where twisters struck early on the morning of January 21. "The VolNet has played an important part here," he said. The VolNet is a 2-meter net interfaced via a 440-MHz link and providing coverage from Oxford, Mississippi, to the Memphis area and beyond. Leggette said he planned to visit the Jackson area over the weekend to assist.

Tennessee SEC Jim Jarvis, WD4JJ, in Bristol, relayed a request for amateurs with mobile units to assist at the Clarksville/Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center. Hams willing to volunteer may contact the EOC directly on the 147.39 MHz repeater, he said. "The police department and city hall have been completely demolished, and the downtown area is a complete wreck." Jarvis also reports damage in Humphreys County, as well as in McEwen, Waverly, and Camden counties. He estimated that up to three dozen hams active in providing emergency communication in the Clarksville/Montgomery County area.

Hams also were reported active at Ft Campbell, Kentucky, with Albert Furlow, KA1FFO, in Clarksville said to be at the helm.

In the aftermath of the earlier storms, Jarvis reports that EC Kenny Johns, AB4EG, in Jackson was rounding up volunteers to assist the Red Cross with damage assessment in the seven counties hit last weekend. Among those reported to be active were members of John's club, the West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society. Johns said a SKYWARN net was activated last Sunday afternoon, but the tornadoes were unexpected. Two ham weather spotters saw the twisters--illuminated by the lightning--and took shelter. After the storms struck, more than two dozen ARES members handled health-and-welfare traffic at the EOC for 22 hours. During that time, the EOC repeater was knocked off the air, but amateur repeaters, including one at the EOC, remained up, making Amateur Radio the primary backup for the EOC.

Hams were on alert for additional severe weather prior to the January 21 storms that struck Tennessee and Arkansas. Jarvis says SKYWARN nets remain on the alert for additional severe weather this weekend in the Tennessee-Arkansas-Louisiana region.

BOARD EMBRACES NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR AMATEUR RADIO'S FUTURE

The ARRL Board of Directors has adopted an initiative proposed by President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, to promote new technology in Amateur Radio. Meeting in Houston, Texas, January 15 and 16, the Board adopted Stafford's proposal to establish an Amateur Radio Technology Task Force to develop a strategy and plan for exploring new technologies and assessing their applicability and possible incorporation into Amateur Radio.

Northwestern Division Director Greg Milnes, W7AGQ, opened the Board's first 1999 session with a tribute to former Director Mary Lou Brown, NM7N, who died last December 3. The Board also observed a moment of silence in her memory.

In his meeting report, Stafford expressed his concerns about dwindling amateur activity in general and a decline in ARRL membership in particular. "In my humble opinion, it seems that the average ham radio operator is not very excited about anything in Amateur Radio these days," he said. The Board went along with Stafford's suggestion that an infusion of newer technologies into the hobby might renew enthusiasm.

Stafford will appoint members to the Technology Task Force who have been actively involved in experimenting with or developing new technology. An initial report is due next January. In a collateral move, the Board reconstituted the Future Systems Committee as the Amateur Radio Technology Working Group to serve as a resource for the Technology Task Force. As an adjunct to the Technology Task Force, the Technology Working Group will conduct experiments, research and development involving newer technologies.

In other action, the Board declined--at least for now--to join the National Frequency Coordinators' Council in petitioning the FCC seeking rules requiring frequency coordination for fixed repeaters and auxiliary stations. A majority of the Board said there was no compelling evidence warranting a move beyond the existing rules. But the Board did invite the NFCC to revisit the issue at a later date.

"Coordinated repeaters already have a degree of priority," said ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, in explaining the Board's decision. Board members are keeping an open mind, but by and large, they are not yet persuaded of the necessity to go beyond that."

In a letter to Stafford following the meeting, NFCC President George Isely, W9GIG, expressed disappointment. "I think it's fair to say this is not a dead issue for the NFCC," he said. NFCC members had approved the filing of the petition by a wide margin.

In his report to the Board, Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, praised an apparent return to enforcement by the FCC. Harrison said the League has been pushing for better enforcement for some time, and that FCC action against willful violators has been a historical and primary concern of the amateur community. Harrison summarized recent FCC actions as the Board applauded.

In other matters, the ARRL Board:

• Elected Directors Kay Craigie, WT3P, Frank Fallon, N2FF, Fried Heyn, WA6WZO, and Tod Olson, K0TO, to the Executive Committee for the 1999 term.

• Awarded the International Humanitarian Award to Radio Amateur du Québec Inc (RAQI) for its service to the citizens of Quebec during the devastating 1998 ice storm.

• Following a study of the Y2K computer issue by its Volunteer Resources Committee, recommended that section managers, section emergency coordinators, and ARES groups enter into memoranda of understanding and conduct drills, with public utilities and public safety agencies for emergency communications necessitated by possible Y2K problems.

• Authorized ARRL votes to ratify the elections of ARRL and IARU leader Larry E. Price, W4RA, as IARU President, and David A. Wardlaw, VK3ADW, as IARU Vice President for the 1999-2004 term.

• Elected Eugene Hastings, W1VRK, and ARRL Directors John Kanode, N4MM, and Greg Milnes, W7AGQ, to three-year terms as directors of the ARRL Foundation.

• Responded to an offer by the Boring (Oregon) Amateur Radio Club--the founding sponsor of Kid's Day--and agreed to have the ARRL assume sponsorship of this operating event that introduces Amateur Radio to hundreds of kids in a creative format (See January 1999 QST, page 46).

• Following the recommendations of its Administration and Finance Committee, approved operating and capital spending plans for 1999.

• Amended the Bylaws to permit international membership without receipt of QST. To receive QST each month, international members must pay for additional postage. Instead, International members may now opt to pay the regular dues rate and to receive the annual ARRL periodicals CD-ROM, including QST, QEX, and NCJ, along with other membership benefits such as access to the Members Only Web Site and reduced DXCC fees.

Complete minutes of the Annual Meeting are available on ARRLWeb at http://www.arrl.org/announce/board-9901/.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO PONDER LEAGUE NAME CHANGE

Could the American Radio Relay League enter the new millennium with a new name? The ARRL Board of Directors has asked the League's Executive Committee to develop a proposal to change the League's name to one that more clearly reflects the focus and purpose of the organization to hams and nonhams alike. The Board charged the Executive Committee to develop a name change proposal for consideration by the Board at its July meeting.

The name-change idea is not a new one. A previous proposal was considered by the Board several years ago, but it was set aside.

The now-obscure "Relay" part of the League's name often is the most troublesome to explain nowadays. It refers to the earlier practice, fostered by the League, of relaying long-distance message traffic from station to station in a time when direct contact was not always feasible. The Board's resolution said the League's current name no longer adequately reflects "the breadth of amateur radio" and that the ARRL needs a name that would "clearly reflect our focus and purpose--Amateur Radio--to those both inside and outside our organization."

The Board said the year 2000 would be "a natural point for change." Members who learned of the resolution this week discussed the issue on various Internet reflectors.

Earlier this decade, the ARRL Board declined a suggestion from the Long Range Planning Committee to change the League's name to the American Amateur Radio League--ironically the same name first suggested by ARRL founder Hiram Percy Maxim in 1914. The November 1992 issue of QST broached the subject to the League's members and encouraged them to express their opinions. Directors overwhelmingly--but not unanimously--abandoned the name-change campaign at the Board's January 1993 meeting.

FCC ISSUES 5-MHZ EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE TO ARRL

The FCC has issued an Experimental Radio Service license to the ARRL to permit two-way tests in the vicinity of 5 MHz, the most likely site of the next amateur HF band. The license, bearing the call sign WA2XSY, was issued January 8. A group of 15 current amateurs in various parts of the US and the Caribbean will conduct experimental, two-way RTTY and SSB transmissions within the band 5.100 to 5.450 MHz. To avoid interfering with existing services, the participants will confine their operations to the least-populated 50-kHz segment.

"The idea is to show that an amateur allocation there will improve our emergency communication capabilities by filling the gap between the 3.5 and 7.0 MHz bands," said ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ. Sumner pointed out that several of the participants are phone net members in the Caribbean and Gulf area who frequently handle hurricane-related traffic and now must alternate between 75 meters and 40 meters. Other participants are members of a nationwide digital data-forwarding network.

The Experimental license is good for two years. Two studies by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) include an allocation at 5 MHz among the future spectrum needs for the Amateur Service. The subject is not likely to show up on the agenda of a World Radiocommunication Conference for several years, however.

Participants in the WA2XSY experiment may run up to 200 W effective radiated power. Similar multiband trap dipoles capable of operation on 80 and 40 meters as well as at 5 MHz will be employed at each station location. Operation by participants will consist of short transmissions to determine propagation characteristics.

Participating stations are located in New Hampshire, Tennessee, Ohio, Florida, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Indiana, California, Utah, New York, Texas, the US Virgin Islands, and Maryland.

LEAGUE FILES "RESTRUCTURING" REPLY COMMENTS

The ARRL has suggested that its plan to restructure Amateur Radio licensing represents the best compromise among the many that have been put forth. In reply comments (Adobe PDF file, 70,488 bytes) filed January 15 with the FCC, the League held firm to its restructuring proposals that would reduce the number of license classes from six to four by eliminating the Novice and Tech Plus tickets; provide 5 WPM and 12 WPM Morse code testing tiers; and permit Technician operators to use Morse code on the current General class CW bands.

The League's plan also would refarm the Novice/Tech Plus CW allocations among the remaining license classes and revise both written and Morse examination requirements to make them more relevant and more comprehensive. In general, the League's reply comments reiterated its initial comments filed last December 1 in the proceeding, WT Docket 98-143, which the FCC refers to as its 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 97.

The FCC received around 2000 comments--mostly from individual amateurs--in response to its Notice of Proposed Rule Making last August. "The number of comments filed by radio amateur licensees and amateur groups is impressive and heartening," the League said. "The comments reveal that the Amateur Service is active, vital" and show that hams are willing to participate in their own regulatory affairs. "To a greater extent than in other services, the Commission should heed the suggestions and advice of its licensees," the ARRL advised.

Most of the comments focused on the number of license classes, Morse code requirements, and HF subband allocations. But, the League said, there was no real consensus in terms of an overall approach the FCC should take.

Amateur Radio iconoclast Wayne Green, W2NSD, publisher of 73 magazine, suggested one license class. A number of commenters suggested three. CQ Communications suggested three plus a Basic Amateur Permit--a kind of learner's permit. Others wanted four or even five. The ARRL said four licenses classes provided a manageable gap between licenses classes to encourage upgrading. "Looking at the matter this way, four license classes is a good plan, and three classes is not," the League said. Under the League's plan, current Novice and Tech Plus licensees would be automatically upgraded to General.

Comments on Morse testing ranged from eliminating the code requirement altogether to keeping the present system. The ARRL held to its proposed two-tier Morse code examination regime, with a 5 WPM test for General class and a 12 WPM test for Advanced and Extra. "It would appear that the majority of the comments agree that there is currently an overemphasis on telegraphy as an examination requirement," the League said. At the same time, the ARRL said that Morse is still relevant to ham radio and should continue as a requirement. The League also cited support for its plan to let Technician licensees operate Morse code in the General CW bands without prior testing. The proposal "received no significant opposition in the comments," the League noted, although some did question whether the League's proposal was consistent with international regulations.

The League found an ally in CQ Communications comments on refarming the Novice/Tech Plus CW allocations among the remaining classes for additional phone bands. CQ called it "the correct approach, as it its proposal to 'grandfather' existing Novices into the General class."

Noting the present slowdown in Amateur Radio growth, the League also urged the Commission to "not leave the Amateur Service in limbo" on the matter of restructuring but to act promptly. The pending restructuring "has a dampening effect on the inclination of newcomers to proceed with amateur licensing and on existing licensees to upgrade" the League asserted. The ARRL predicted that simplifying the licensing structure will help to boost growth in the hobby.

"The League's comprehensive proposal provides the best means of accommodating the diverse views of the parties filing comments in this proceeding," the ARRL concluded.

SOLAR UPDATE

Solar sage Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity was up over the past week, with an astonishing jump in solar flux on January 20 to 238.8. Since this noon reading and the afternoon reading of 210.7 both were solar-flare enhanced, we will use the morning measurement of 171.8 for our record book instead.

Looking at the flux values during the nine measurement periods on January 19-21, they were 178.4 at 1800 UTC, 175.9 at 2000 UTC, 174.7 at 2200 UTC, then 171.8, 238.8 and 210.7 during the same three periods on January 20, and 171.4, 175.3 and 170.5 on January 21. The reading at noon local time (2000 UTC) in Penticton, British Columbia, is the number used for the daily solar flux.

Sunspot numbers for the week averaged nearly 56 points higher than the previous week, and average solar flux was up over 45 points to 159.7. Average solar flux for the same period one year ago was 94.6. Higher activity has meant better conditions on higher frequencies, as increased radiation causes the ionosphere to become more densely charged. When the ionosphere is more dense, then higher frequency signals are reflected and don't pass through into space.

For this weekend, January 22-24, expect a rising solar flux, with values of 180, 185 and 180 for Friday through Sunday. Planetary A indices for those days are expected to be around 14, 12 and 10, so some expected unsettled conditions on Friday should quiet down by Sunday. Beyond the weekend, look for solar flux values to drop below 180 after January 25, and below 150 by the end of the month. Flux values are expected to bottom out around 120 from February 3-7, then rise above 150 after February 11, and to 175 by the middle of the month. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions could return around February 9-11.

Last week in VHF news ZL3TIC in Christchurch reported hearing a number of North American stations on 6 meters, as well as low-channel commercial television signals. This was on January 14. The next day WA5IYX in Texas heard a number of 6-meter beacons around North America.

Sunspot numbers for January 14 through 20 were 86, 106, 106, 131, 169, 182, and 156, with a mean of 133.7. The 10.7-cm flux was 136.9, 142.6, 158.5, 161.4, 170.9, 175.9 and 171.8, with a mean of 159.7. The estimated planetary A indices were 26, 17, 7, 5, 5, 5 and 7, with a mean of 10.3.

In Brief:

• This weekend on the radio: The ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes is this weekend.
  Just ahead: The CQ WW 160-Meter DX Contest (CW) is January 29-31. Also look for the REF French Contest (CW), the UBA Contest (Phone), the YL International QSO Party (CW) and the Kansas QSO Party.

• Papal visit special event: Special event station W0K will be on the air to mark the visit of Pope John Paul II to St Louis, Missouri, January 26-27. Members of St Louis-area ham radio clubs will staff the special event station, which will operate on HF from 0000 UTC January 26 through 0000 UTC January 28. The station also will be on the air on 2-meter FM simplex (146.55 MHz). During his visit--his fifth to the US--the Pope is scheduled to meet with President Clinton.--thanks to Brad Ziegler, KC0CDG

• New Canadian prefix: The territory of Nunavut comes into existence April 1, 1999, and with it, a new Amateur Radio prefix. Radio Amateurs of Canada has announced that Nunavut will get the prefix VY0 "to ensure a unique identification for the new territory." However, there are no plans to add the new territory to the list of ARRL November Sweepstakes multipliers. Nunavut, which means "our land" in the Inuktitut language will be comprised of the eastern portion of the present Northwest Territories. The new territory will be about five times the size of Alberta but has a population of just 24,000, some 85% of whom are Inuit. The VE8 prefix will remain in use for the western Northwest Territories, which may get a new name as a result of the partitioning. For more information on Nunavut, see http://www.ccu-cuc.ca/en/library/nunavut.html.

• Australia Day prefix: Australian stations may identify using the special "AX" prefix on Australia Day, January 26. The Australian Communications Authority says use of the AX prefix is for 24 hours only, midnight to midnight local time (ie, after 1300 UTC on January 25 to 1600 January 26).--QNews

• Joe Walsh, rock star/Collins collector: A West Virginia ham recently cut a deal to sell his refurbished vintage Collins KWS-1 transmitter and 75A4 receiver to singer-songwriter Joe Walsh, WB6ACU. Mark Danehart, W8MSD, of Mt Olivet, West Virginia, decided to sell the pair recently, and he was surprised when Walsh was the lone caller responding to his ad. Danehart made arrangements to ship the heavy metal units to Walsh, who was wrapping up a concert tour. An ARRL Life Member, Walsh, 51, has enjoyed a career with the Eagles and as a solo artist. He's belonged to the League for 27 years now. In addition to a check for the Collins gear, he sent Danehart an autographed picture as well as two autographed CDs. Walsh's road manager also promised Danehart front row seats to Walsh's next concert in the Ohio Valley. Danehart's story of the Collins sale appeared December 9, 1998 in The Wheeling Intelligencer.

• ULS Final Order published: The Final Order to implement the new Universal Licensing Service was published December 14, 1998, in the Federal Register. The new rules become effective in mid-February--60 days following publication. Among other things, the ULS will replace the venerable Form 610 series with a new Form 605. Electronic filing of routine Amateur Radio applications will be encouraged but not required. Included in the new rules are changes affecting operation in the US by hams from other countries with which the US has reciprocal agreements. Under the new rules, alien operators would no longer have to apply for a permit to operate in the US, similar to the system already in place between the US and Canada.

• QST Cover Plaque Award: Manfred Mornhinweg, XQ2FOD, is the winner of the December 1998 QST Cover Plaque Award for his article, "A 13.8-V, 40-A Switching Power Supply." Congratulations, Manfred!