IN THIS EDITION:

• +Hams help in tragedy's wake
• +FCC drops Amateur Enforcement line
• +FCC says no to special event call sign changes
• +FCC warns Florida hams after Cuban complaints
• +West Central Florida section petition filed
• ICOM America Inc to split
• Long Island club to be on Letterman show
• Solar update
• In Brief: This weekend on the radio; Blue Hill Observatory special event; Vanity update; Texas PRB-1 bill goes to the governor; Milestone acquires Oak Hills Research; New Missouri SM; The perfect H-T for Field Day? VE8AT beacon on the air from Nunavut

+Available on ARRL Audio News

HAMS HELP IN TRAGEDY'S WAKE

Ham radio operators have had a role in the aftermath of two recent incidents of random violence--the Columbine High School killings in Littleton, Colorado, and the shootings in a Salt Lake City, Utah, library where three people died a few days earlier.

Since the mayhem that left 15 people dead April 20 at Columbine High School, Amateur Radio operators have supported Salvation Army canteens set up for law enforcement, the media, and the thousands of other visitors. East Slope Emergency Coordinator Larry Cerney, K0ANI, said Amateur operators provided communication between facilities around Columbine High School, adjacent Clement Park, and the site of a makeshift memorial for the victims. Other operators supported the American Red Cross.

Cerney says he felt a personal involvement in the tragedy. He lives two miles from Columbine High, and many of his fellow workers have children that attend there. "It's still hard to look back over the last week or so," Cerney said. "This tragedy really has broken the hearts of this enlarged community."

Cerney said the support continued throughout last weekend's memorial services attended by Vice President Gore and other VIPs. "It seems that the local hams just had to help," he said. He said 25 to 30 operators worked three six-hour shifts from 6 AM until midnight, providing what Cerney described as mostly routine, logistical communication.

"I know all disasters are devastating to those involved," he said. Hurricanes and tornadoes may kill people and destroy homes and property, but the killing of kids by kids is something that I just cannot comprehend, no matter how far away or close to home."

Colorado Section Manager Tim Armagost, WB0TUB, expressed similar sentiments. "We Amateur Radio communicators like to believe we are prepared, but no one could be prepared for the tragic events at Columbine High School on April 20," Armagost said. "The Colorado Section Amateur Radio operators join the community in expressing our shock, sorrow, and sympathy for those affected by this tragedy."

In Salt Lake City on April 15, a gunman walked into the Family History Library and started shooting, killing two and wounding five before police shot and killed the gunman. Two building employees and hams--Utah Amateur Radio Club member Spencer Wood, KB7KGE, and Davis County resident Dave Oswald, KD7DHO--put ham radio to use to help evacuate the building.

Wood, the assistant emergency coordinator for the library says he and Oswald--a floor emergency captain--spread the call to clear the building and used an amateur simplex channel to exchange information on the evacuation. After Wood had to leave the building, Wood relayed to police what he was hearing from Oswald inside the building. Wood credits ham radio with helping ensure an orderly evacuation.

FCC DROPS AMATEUR ENFORCEMENT LINE IN FAVOR OF E-MAIL, US MAIL

The FCC says it now wants Amateur Radio enforcement complaints via e-mail or US mail and has discontinued its Amateur Enforcement Line (202-418-1184). The FCC this week requested that amateur-related complaints be sent via e-mail to fccham@fcc.gov or via the US Postal Service to Compliance & Information Bureau, ATTN Amateur Radio Complaints, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

The FCC instituted the telephone service last fall when it beefed up amateur enforcement under the direction of Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH. However, the FCC never intended to maintain the telephone service permanently.

The FCC said this week that complaints already filed on the telephone service will be acted upon, and anyone who has left a message will receive a return call from Commission staff.

FCC SAYS NO TO EXPANDING SPECIAL EVENT CALL SIGN PROGRAM

The FCC has denied the ARRL's petition that sought to expand the Amateur Radio special event call sign program. The League had asked the FCC to amend its rules to permit the use of special event call sign formats that go beyond the current one-by-one (1x1) format now authorized. The petition also had asked the Commission to include within the special event program call signs denoting US territories and possessions having no mailing address.

In an April 21 letter to League, D'Wana Terry, chief of the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division within the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau said the FCC was "not persuaded that the requested changes to the system are warranted at this time." The League's petition was submitted May 18, 1998, but it was never assigned a rulemaking number or put out for public comment.

ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, called Terry's decision "somewhat disappointing."

The special event call sign program is administered by several private sector coordinators, including the ARRL. Those wanting a special event call sign for a limited period are able to reserve one via the Internet. Under current rules, 750 combinations of 1x1 format call signs are available for limited periods. Stations operating with special event call signs still must identify with the station's regularly assigned call sign at one-hour intervals.

In its petition, the League said there has been significant demand for special event call signs outside of the 1x1 format and for DXpeditions to locations under US jurisdiction that lack US Postal Service addresses. The League also said that there has been "a great deal of interest" in additional special event call sign formats that would let the call sign symbolize a particular event or type of event.

Terry said the FCC has not received any indication from the Amateur Radio community that demand for special event call signs exceeded the number available. She also said the need to create additional formats was outweighed by the complexity of creating them. She advised more experience with the current system before deciding to change it, and she urged the League to continue to monitor demand for special event call signs. Sumner said he was encouraged that the FCC, while denying the petition, had invited the League to revisit the issue later.

FCC WARNS FLORIDA HAMS IN WAKE OF CUBAN COMPLAINTS

The FCC has followed up on malicious interference complaints from Cuban amateurs by sending Warning Notices to two Florida hams. The FCC letters, sent April 23 by Legal Advisor Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, refer to monitoring information indicating the US hams deliberately attempted to jam 40-meter SSB net operations in Cuba.

The Federacion de Radioaficionados de Cuba (FRC), the national amateur organization in Cuba, first complained nearly two years ago to the International Amateur Radio Union, Region 2, about ongoing intentional interference by South Florida hams to Cuban nets and emergency operations. When the complaint was forwarded to the ARRL, Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, responded with an expression of regret and a request that the FRC share any information that would help identify the perpetrators. Earlier this month, FRC General Secretary Oscar Morales, CO2OJ, was able to supply information that assisted in tentatively identifying two individuals believed to be involved in causing the interference.

Morales said that the Cuban nets have even tried moving to get away from the QRM, but the interfering stations have followed, at one point even jamming two frequencies at the same time.

Hollingsworth said he believes the interference has been on SSB by Spanish-speaking stations. The Cuban nets in question operate on frequencies that fall within the US Novice band, meaning that any US operation using more than 200 W PEP or operating SSB would be illegal. The US SSB subband begins at 7150 for Advanced and Extra class operators.

Hollingsworth has requested the two stations to respond to his letter within 20 days.

WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA SECTION PETITION FILED

A group calling itself the West Central Florida Section Committee has filed a valid petition with ARRL Headquarters to create a third section in the Sunshine State. The proposed West Central Florida Section would be created by carving ten counties out of the current Southern Florida Section.

Counties proposed for inclusion are Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota. The counties are home to more than 11,000 hams, nearly 3000 of them ARRL members.

The ARRL By-laws provide that a new section may be created from one or more existing sections. The most recent new ARRL section created was Northern New York in 1996. At present, there are 70 ARRL sections.

The initial petition, signed by at least ten full ARRL members, has been accepted for filing by League Headquarters. To be approved, however, the request still must overcome several procedural hurdles.

At this point, copies of the West Central Florida Section request are in the hands of Northern Florida Section Manager Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, Southern Florida Section Manager Kevin Bunin, K4PG, and Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler, W4RH, for their evaluation. Their review and a recommendation to accept or reject the request are due to ARRL Board Secretary and Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, by May 31.

Sumner will review the submittal, add his comments and recommendations in his role as Executive Vice President, and forward copies of the petition and related information on League membership to each member of the ARRL Executive Committee.

Following its review, the EC will send its recommendation to the full Board of Directors. The Board then will vote to accept or reject the petition. If accepted, the Board can authorize a mail vote of full members in the proposed new section. If a simple majority of eligible members voting approves the change, the ARRL Board then reviews the entire file and votes to approve or disapprove the requested change. That decision is final.

ARRL Field Services Manager Rick Palm, K1CE, says that even if the petition is approved at every step, it would not become effective until sometime next year.

West Central Florida Section Committee Chairman Paul Toth, K2SEC, says the proposal is aimed at improving ARRL representation and services for members living in the affected counties. If approved, the proposed 8320 square-mile section would be among the most densely populated. A plan to attract more people into Amateur Radio through education and outreach accompanied the committee's request.

The committee's Web site at http://www.qsl.net/wcfla contains the full text of the petition and additional information.

ICOM AMERICA INC TO SPLIT INTO US AND CANADIAN ENTITIES

ICOM America Inc will split into two corporate entities--ICOM America and ICOM Canada--on July 1. ICOM America's President Bob Brunkow, K7NHE, will become sole owner of the ICOM Canada distribution business and will head north of the border to take over ICOM Canada as its new president and chairman. Brunkow, 52, has been with ICOM for nearly 28 years. He'll maintain a consulting role with ICOM America after the split, which he said was a result of internal restructuring on ICOM's part.

The Canadian company will be owned and operated independently by Brunkow and his family. Brunkow outlined the changes in an April 19 letter to the ARRL. Brunkow says he'll continue to operate ICOM Canada from its current offices in Richmond, British Columbia, with the existing staff of seven.

Hiro Nakaoka, JK3UZC, will become president of ICOM America. Nakaoka has been with ICOM Inc since 1984 and with ICOM America since 1994.

Brunkow is leaving ICOM America on a high note. He said the company completed its most successful business year ever in March. "It has been an exciting 'run' and a lot of fun seeing ICOM's progress in the North American market during this period of remarkable technological development," he said.

Brunkow said he and his wife, a Canadian, will establish a home in Canada and plan to get Amateur Radio call signs there. But he emphasized that he plans to continue to be a very active ham in the US and involved in the US Amateur Radio community. Brunkow is an ARRL life member.

HAMS FOR THE HAMS? LIMARC DOES LETTERMAN MAY 3

A contingent from the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club plans to be together in the audience Monday, May 3, for the afternoon taping of CBS Television's "The Late Show with David Letterman." It's not known if Letterman has put aside a good stock of his famous canned hams for the occasion.

"I don't know exactly what is going to happen, but we are going to try and make it into a pitch for ham radio," said LIMARC Secretary (and QST YL Editor) Diane Ortiz, K2DO. "We plan to present Letterman with a LIMARC teddy bear and hope to have the opportunity to talk to him on or off the air and also take a few photographs." The group will have some ARRL literature on hand and--to ensure visibility--also will hoist the club's banner.

Ortiz says she expects upwards of two dozen or more LIMARC members to be on hand in the Ed Sullivan Theater for the show's taping, including club Vice President Ray Skrabut, WA2CNJ, LIMARC directors Rich Rosner, N2STU, and Karl Johnson N2RLD, Membership Chairman Ken Gunther, WB2KWC, and the editor of The LIMARC Log, Jane Kindler K2JAN. Ortiz says member Ted Karl, AA2GC, plans to have his two sons in tow, 14-year-old Matthew, KG2HV, and nine-year-old Jonathan, KC2EED. The Letterman program airs in the late evening on CBS, typically following local news broadcasts.

Ortiz says the trek to Manhattan and the Letterman show will provide "a social occasion for our members and a chance to show hams as 'normal' people." But just to make sure on the second count, she gave strict instructions to those attending: "No weird beanies with propellers or antennas mounted on hardhats, please!" The plan does call for everyone to wear LIMARC name badges.

Ortiz says the "Late Show" producers found LIMARC through its Web site, http://www.limarc.org, and thought they would make a "fun-filled" addition to their audience. "It is sure to be a show the Letterman producers and LIMARC members will never forget!" she said. "Stay tuned!"

Founded in 1965, LIMARC is the fourth largest Amateur Radio club in the United States. The current club president is Rob Todaro, N1XL.

SOLAR UPDATE

Propagation prognosticator Tad Cook, K7VVV, Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar flux and sunspots were down again this week, although with activity so low, it couldn't really drop very far. Solar flux has taken a jump in the past couple of days, with solar flux up about 20 points on April 29 compared to earlier in the week. The predicted solar flux for this weekend, April 30-May2 is 125, 130 and 135, and the Planetary A index is predicted at 25, 30 and 30. The geomagnetic field has been active for the past few days due to coronal holes, and this should continue.

Beyond the weekend, higher solar flux should continue, with values around 140 or higher. Solar flux is expected to drop down to around 125 again by May 11, and 110 a week later.

Sunspot numbers for April 22 through 28 were 62, 71, 89, 69, 69, 82, and 76, with a mean of 74. The 10.7-cm flux was 100.2, 98.2, 100.9, 102.6, 104.5, 108.6, and 109.8, with a mean of 103.5. The estimated planetary A indices were 4, 5, 7, 5, 7, 14 and 19, with a mean of 8.7.

IN BRIEF:

• This weekend on the radio: The North American High Speed Meteor Scatter Contest, the ARI International DX Contest, the Connecticut and Massachusetts QSO parties, the Danish SSTV Contest, MARAC County Hunters Contest, Ten-Ten International Net Spring CW QSO Party, and the US IPA Contest are May 1-2.
  Just ahead: The Box Elder County Utah QSO Party, the CQ-M International DX Contest, the Fists CW Club Spring Sprint, the Indiana, Nevada, and Oregon QSO parties, and the EU Spring Sprint are the weekend of May 8-9. See May QST, page 89, for details.

• Blue Hill Observatory special event: The Mystic Valley Amateur Radio Group Special Event Station N1MV will be on the air Saturday, May 1, from the summit of Big Blue Hill, Milton, Massachusetts to mark the open house and dedication of the newly renovated Blue Hill Observatory. The observatory has been supplying continuous weather data for more than 100 years. N1MV will operate from 9 AM-4 PM on HF, 6 and 2 meters, and 70 cm. From this location VHF ducting experiments were conducted in the 1930s by Harvard and MIT (see QST June 1935), and contacts were made with stations on Mt Cadillac in Maine and Mt Washington in New Hampshire as well as with W Hartford, Connecticut. This was initially done on 5 meters, but N1MV will try a commemorative QSO on 6 meters using the original experimental call W1XW. For more information, contact MVARG President Greg Richardson, N1QLS, 781-598-3016; n1qls@juno.com; http://www.qsl.net/mvarg

• Vanity update: The FCC in Gettysburg reports it has processed vanity call sign applications received through April 8. On April 28, the FCC issued 169 grants. Another 211 applications landed in the work-in-process (WIPs) stack. The FCC reports it received 1620 vanity applications during March, all but 203 of them filed electronically.--FCC

• Texas PRB-1 bill goes to the governor: The Texas "tower" bill, HB 1345, is on its way to Gov George W. Bush for his signature. The measure would incorporate the essence of the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1 into the state's Local Government Code. It would require localities to comply with PRB-1 when regulating antenna placement, screening, or height based on health, safety, or aesthetics. Localities would have to "reasonably accommodate" amateur communication and represent the "minimal practicable regulation" to accomplish the locality's legitimate purpose. The Texas law would not prohibit localities from taking action to protect historic or architectural districts. Gov Bush has 10 days to sign the measure, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.

• Milestone acquires Oak Hills Research: Milestone Technologies Inc has acquired kit manufacturer Oak Hills Research. Milestone President, Marshall Emm, N1FN, says his company acquired all assets including the Oak Hills Web site. Oak Hills was started by QRP guru Doug DeMaw, W1FB. For the last nine years, it's been run by Dick Witzke, KE8KL, who will continue to provide service and alignments on a contract basis. Oak Hills Research will be operated as a separate division under the Milestone corporate umbrella. The immediate plan is to continue to produce the current line of kits, but Emm said the company is looking forward to adding new products. To contact Oak Hills Research, visit http://www.OHR.com or call 303-752-3382.

• New Missouri SM: Dale Bagley, K0KY, of Macon, Missouri, becomes Missouri's Section Manager June 1. He replaces Charles Boyd, KE0K, who resigned. Bagley will complete the remainder of Boyd's term, which runs through December 31, 2000.

• The perfect H-T for Field Day? Just when you thought modern H-Ts had included just a bout every feature conceivable, along comes Alinco with its new DJ-195T that includes--get this--an experimental "mosquito repel" feature. Alinco USA Branch Manager Katsumi Nakata, KE6RD, says the unit emits an electronic tone to keep the annoying insects away from the vicinity of the radio. "It's a feature we added just for fun," Nakata said. "The mosquito repel feature could make the DJ-195T the first radio capable of de-bugging a Field Day operating position," he added with a smile. (Hmmm. Was that announcement dated April 1?)

• VE8AT beacon on air from Nunavut: Thomas Atkins,VE3CDM, reports the VE8AT HF beacon now is operational from Nunavut (79,59.5 N; 85,54.0 W) on Nansen Sound, Ellesmere Island, some 300 mile SSW of Alert, the northernmost base in the world. Given the beacon's remote location, there are no immediate plans to change the call sign to reflect the new VY0 prefix for Nunavut. The beacon operates on the usual NCDXF frequencies: 14.100; 18.110; 21.150; 24.930; and 28.200. See http://www.ncdxf.org/beacon.htm