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The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 19
May 13, 2005
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IN THIS EDITION:
* +ARRL National Convention promises to be the best ever
* +UK study cites shortcomings of Amperion-equipped BPL trial
* +India's first ham radio satellite get an OSCAR designation
* +ARRL faults "facts" in Texas BPL interference case
* +Regulatory changes reported overseas
* +New York high school senior is 2005 Goldfarb scholarship winner
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
+FCC chairman appoints new Enforcement Bureau chief
+AMSAT-NA dues to increase
AMSAT-UK Colloquium set for late July
+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
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==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
NOTE: Because of Dayton Hamvention and the ARRL National Convention May
20-22, The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will be distributed Wednesday,
May 18. See you in Dayton!
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==>ARRAY OF "ARRL STAGE" PRESENTATIONS AMONG ARRL EXPO 2005 HIGHLIGHTS
Rocks, diamonds and the Swiss Army knife are among topics visitors to ARRL
EXPO 2005 can learn more about--at least in a manner of speaking. As part of
the ARRL 2005 National Convention at Dayton Hamvention Friday through
Sunday, May 20-22, an array of speakers will offer bite-sized live
presentations on the "ARRL Stage." ARRL EXPO 2005 will be in the Ballarena
Exhibit Hall in the Hara Arena complex near Dayton, Ohio. Counting down the
days, ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, says ARRL EXPO 2005 and
the other National Convention activities will make this year's Hamvention
the best ever.
"You wouldn't think it possible to squeeze more fun and activities into
Dayton Hamvention, but we're going to do it," Inderbitzen said this week.
"It's like having two great shows in one!"
The theme of Dayton Hamvention 2005 is "Bringing hams together from around
the world." Upward of 25,000 visitors from the US and elsewhere on the globe
make the annual pilgrimage to Ohio for the occasion.
For the 2005 ARRL Convention, the League is pulling out all the stops and
virtually moving Headquarters to Dayton. Representatives of every department
and activity will be on hand and available to visitors throughout the event.
Plans are in the works to have W1AW/8 available for guest operators.
The ARRL Stage will spotlight 15-minute presentations every half hour
throughout the convention. Rocks? ARRL Sales and Marketing Manger Dennis
Motschenbacher, K7BV, will explain "The Most Fun You Can Have with a
Rock"--an introduction to meteor-scatter operation. Diamonds? ARRL Chief
Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, will talk up the advantages of
joining the ARRL Diamond Club. And ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager
Allen Pitts, W1AGP, will describe "The Secret Life of the Swiss Army
Knife"--everything the well-informed public information officer needs to
know.
There's virtually a topic for every interest imaginable within the broad
spectrum of Amateur Radio pursuits including 6-meter DXing, emergency
communication, an introduction to HF radio for newcomers and "Your Manual to
Building a Radioactive Youth," by 16-year-old ARRL Contributing Editor
Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM. Of course visitors can expect presentations on
other hot-button topics like BPL and RFI as well as ham radio in the
classroom, how to pick a radio that fits your operating style and how ARRL
evaluates new equipment for QST "Product Review." All sessions will provide
an opportunity for listeners to ask questions and offer comments.
In a "first" for an ARRL National Convention, ARRL EXPO 2005 will provide an
Internet Café and WiFi "hot spot!" The area will be equipped with an
802.11b/g-compliant wireless LAN, providing wireless Internet access within
the vicinity of ARRL EXPO 2005. For those who left their PCs home, computers
will be available for users to check e-mail or just surf the Web.
The first 5000 visitors to ARRL EXPO 2005 can pick up an ARRL Passport--a
ticket to the ultimate convention scavenger hunt. Collect Passport codes to
qualify for terrific prizes donated by Icom, Kenwood, AOR USA and Alinco. No
purchase is necessary.
Visitors dropping by ARRL EXPO 2005 can have their photos taken then
digitally superimposed on a cover of QST. For a modest fee, you'll walk away
with a souvenir to wow your friends or at least hang on the wall of your
shack.
Free for the asking is the ARRL National Convention souvenir pin. A lot of
Hamvention visitors collect these each year, and supplies are limited.
At its usual Dayton Hamvention location in Hara Arena's North Hall, the
League will offer "ARRL Relaxation Station." ARRL is making available tables
and chairs for attendees to simply relax and visit. The North Hall
concession will concentrate on retail product sales as well as ARRL
membership signups and renewals.
A slate of full-blown ARRL-sponsored forums and activities will be a part of
the League's 2005 National Convention. You'll also find ARRL staff members
and volunteers at many other Hamvention forums. A complete slate of
convention forums is available on the Dayton Hamvention Web site
<http://www.hamvention.org/>. An ARRL Wouff Hong ceremony is set for
Saturday, May 21, 10:30 PM, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dayton.
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, says he's looking forward to the 2005 National
Convention. "I've been going to our national conventions for 36 years now,
and this is going to be the best of the bunch," he predicted.
Check the ARRL National Convention at Dayton Hamvention Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2005/> for information updates. The ARRL
National Convention Guide is available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2005/ARRL-National-Convention-Guide.pdf>.
==>UK REGULATOR'S STUDY POINTS UP LIMITATIONS OF AMPERION-EQUIPPED BPL TRIAL
Ofcom, the UK's telecommunications regulatory agency, has concluded that
Amperion BPL equipment deployed in a field trial in Scotland "as tested is
not and cannot be FCC Part 15 compliant above 30 MHz." Ofcom this week
released a study, "Amperion PLT Measurements in Crieff," which summarizes
measurements it took at the site. PLT is another term for BPL. Ofcom's
investigation also demonstrated the limitations of Amperion's "notching"
capabilities to mitigate interference to radio reception. ARRL CEO David
Sumner, K1ZZ, says Ofcom's study reflects what the League and others have
known all along about BPL.
"Ofcom's measurements and conclusions are consistent with ours and with what
we have been saying all along about BPL in general and Amperion in
particular," Sumner said. "It's a shame that we have to look overseas to
find a regulator who will say what truly needs to be said: Medium voltage
power lines are no place for HF broadband data."
Measurements were made at the pilot system in Crieff, which uses 11 kV
overhead power lines and Amperion Griffin PLT equipment made in the US and
employing OFDM signal architecture. The Ofcom study says that at HF,
radiated leakage emissions from the Amperion-based BPL network operating at
its maximum power setting exceeded FCC Part 15 limits by up to 8 dB.
The UK has no defined PLT emission limits, and Ofcom used the FCC's as a
reference point. The Ofcom investigation also concluded that if Europe
adopts Reg TP NB30 radiated emission limits now in effect in Germany, "such
adoption would rule out any European deployment" of the Amperion Griffin BPL
equipment on which it took measurements in Scotland.
Above 30 MHz, Ofcom said, radiated leakage exceeded FCC Part 15 limits by up
to 27 dB. "In practice, the launch power would need to be reduced by 27 dB
to ensure compliance with the FCC limit, and this raises two issues," Ofcom
said. "The first is that such a reduction is beyond the 24 dB power control
range of the product and secondly it seems certain that the network would
fail to provide any functionality at such a reduced power level."
The notching facility of the equipment as an interference mitigation
technique "is compromised," Ofcom concluded, "because notches cannot be
placed in the 'upstream' spectrum, and because FCC Part 15 limits are too
relaxed to permit the notched spectrum to afford any significant protection
to weak signal reception."
A 20 dB notch "is not an effective interference mitigation measure for weak
signal reception that is limited only by the local spectrum noise floor,"
Ofcom said in its report. It concluded that at that level of notching, "Part
15 compliant leakage emissions from a notched PLT line would contribute
noise to the HF spectrum at distances as far as 1 km [approximately 0.62
mile] from the line."
Beyond that, Ofcom said, Amperion encountered difficulties when requested to
implement a 30 dB notch from 21 to 22 MHz to cover both the amateur 15-meter
band and the adjacent HF broadcast band. "They reported problems with this,
due to the bandwidth required," the report noted. Graphs indicate that the
notching "uncovered" several broadcast signals, most with field strengths in
excess of the ITU-recommended minimum protected value.
In its report, Ofcom noted that power lines were not designed, shielded or
balanced for high-frequency use and can radiate significant leakage even
when buried below ground. "PLT leakage emissions occupy parts of the high
frequency radio spectrum above 2 MHz and have the potential to interfere
with the reception of radio communication services, including shortwave
broadcasts," the agency said.
While the BPL/PLT interference issue has "proved to be contentious" and
continues to be a discussion topic in Europe and elsewhere, Ofcom said, it
also appears that "none of the proposed emission limits can currently
satisfy the dual objective of protecting radio reception whilst, at the same
time, allowing PLT to operate in a commercially viable manner."
The Ofcom study involved a BPL field trial by Scottish and Southern Energy
plc (SSE). The agency says it believes its measurements were "sufficient to
indicate the general situation" at the Crieff site. A copy of the Ofcom
report is on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/files/amperion.pdf>.
According to the Radio Society of Great Britain, an SSE representative
indicated recently that the company would not be undertaking any further PLT
rollout in the UK and was unlikely to invest further in the technology.
Reasons given were the lack of progress on PLT technical standards and the
commercial position of PLT with respect to other broadband services. The
RSGB said it welcomed the announcement.
==>HAMSAT IS NOW VO-52
The latest Amateur Radio satellite now has an OSCAR designation. Acting at
the request of AMSAT-India's Nagesh Upadhayaya, VU2NUD, AMSAT-NA's Bill
Tynan, W3XO, has announced that HAMSAT (or VUsat) is VUsat-52 or VO-52 for
short.
"Congratulation on the successful launch of HAMSAT," Tynan told VU2NUD. "I
know that you and a number of VU amateurs have worked hard to make this
happen. I am sure that the international amateur community is grateful to
all the amateurs in India who labored on this project."
VO-52 is India's first Amateur Radio satellite. Its transponders were turned
on shortly after its May 5 launch, and AMSAT-India Secretary "Pop" Kumar,
VU2POP, has invited the global amateur community to use the satellite and
e-mail any comments <reports@amsat.in>;. Ground controllers have activated
one of the two linear transponders aboard VO-52, which operates in Mode U/V,
with passband center frequencies of 435.25 MHz for the uplink and 145.90 MHz
for the downlink. Passbands are 50 kHz wide. For SSB, uplink in LSB and
downlink in USB.
AMSAT-India says VO-52 has been monitored by radio amateurs around the
world, and it has already received a few reports from users and listeners
<http://www.amsat.in/hamsatreports.htm>.
AMSAT Contests and Awards Director Bruce Paige, KK5DO, says the new
satellite has generated a lot of excitement in the amateur community. "QSOs
are made in sideband or CW," he said. "Even though the satellite is capable
of FM operation, it is much more useful in sideband mode as multiple QSOs
can be completed at the same time, as everyone slides up or down in the
passband." Paige reminds users to correct for Doppler shift.
Conferring an OSCAR designation is not a requirement for an Amateur Radio
satellite to be recognized and used in the Amateur Service, but it is a
tradition that has continued since the launch of OSCAR 1 in December of
1961.
There's more information on HAMSAT VO-52 on the AMSAT-India Web site
<http://www.amsat.in/>.
==>LEAGUE SAYS AMPERION MISREPRESENTING FACTS IN TEXAS BPL INTERFERENCE CASE
The ARRL has taken issue with BPL manufacturer Amperion's version of events,
posted on its Web site <http://www.amperion.com/market.asp?id=70> (scroll to
"TXU Trial Deployment"), surrounding a Texas BPL interference complaint last
fall. Amperion claims that an interference complaint from radio amateurs at
a BPL trial operated by utility TXU in Irving, was based "on measurements
taken last year but not brought to the attention of TXU or Amperion until
March 2005." According to Amperion, that was five months after TXU had
completed its trial and decommissioned the system. ARRL CEO David Sumner,
K1ZZ, says the facts stand in stark contrast to Amperion's version of
events.
"Amperion's claims that the Irving BPL system was decommissioned in October
2004 and that neither TXU nor Amperion was aware of the interference until
March 2005 are blatant misrepresentations," Sumner said.
Setting the record straight, Sumner points out that former North Texas
Section BPL Task Force Chair Jory McIntosh, KJ5RM, who regularly commutes
through the BPL test zone in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, first logged
interference from the TXU BPL system on July 24, 2004. McIntosh said at the
time that at a distance of 300 feet from the power line, the interference
obliterated normal Amateur Radio signals in the 40, 20, 17, 15, 10 and
6-meter bands.
TXU responded and company personnel accompanied McIntosh to the site the
same day. "They observed that the system was producing considerable
interference across much of the radio spectrum below 50 MHz," Sumner
recounted. Despite system adjustments, the interference remained. McIntosh
logged interference from the BPL installation on 11 separate days from
August through October, when ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, visited
the site and measured interference levels on several frequencies.
Sumner notes that McIntosh filed his formal written complaint with the FCC
on November 15, 2004, noting his July 24 visit with TXU representatives.
"The complaint was acknowledged, but the only action the FCC took was to
refer him back to the system operator," he said.
"It was only after no action resulted from this complaint that the ARRL
filed its complaint on March 15, 2005, that included a test report from Mr.
Hare," Sumner continued. He emphasized that before filing the complaint the
League verified--on March 9--that the interference "was still present to the
same extent as previously reported."
Sumner says TXU actually shut down its BPL system and removed the equipment
on March 29, 2005, not October 2004, and that the utility advised McIntosh
of the shutdown the following day. The ARRL withdrew its now-moot complaint
the same day, after McIntosh personally verified that the equipment had been
removed.
In a writeup on its Web site, Amperion asserted that TXU decided to
decommission the network after it "had already completed its technical trial
in October 2004" following seven months of operation. "The decision had
nothing to do with the interference complaints that were filed," Amperion
stated.
A bill now before the Texas legislature--SB 1748--would amend the Utilities
Code to "encourage the deployment of BPL" by electric utilities.
To date, four BPL trial sites using Amperion BPL equipment have shut down in
the wake of complaints from Amateur Radio operators.
==>HAM RADIO REGULATORY CHANGES REPORTED ABROAD
Sweden's telecommunication regulatory agency PTS has taken steps to
deregulate Amateur Radio and essentially no longer requires a government
license. Effective last fall, the PTS turned over Amateur Radio operator
"certification" to the Society of Swedish Radio Amateurs (SSA), that
country's IARU member-society. Under the new regulatory regime, the SSA
administers testing and issues operator certificates and call signs, which
have SA prefixes and three-letter suffixes. There's no longer a Morse code
requirement for HF access.
The PTS still handles relevant international agreements, such as band
allocations, in conjunction with the ITU. Sweden no longer dictates
mode-specific subbands within amateur bands, but band plans are in place.
The new call signs can be issued by both the SSA and the PTS, but the SSA
option reportedly is less expensive. All previously issued Swedish call
signs are valid for life. Foreign visitors from countries outside the CEPT
agreement must still apply to the PTS for temporary operating authority in
Sweden.
Kenya's telecommunications regulator, the CCK, recently issued a new
schedule of Amateur Radio frequencies, modes and power limits. Ted Alleyne,
5Z4NU, of the Amateur Radio Society of Kenya reports that radio amateurs
there now may use 30 meters (10.100 to 10.150 MHz) and 160 meters (1.810 to
1.850 MHz).
The National Telecommunications Commission of Thailand has granted
permission through 2005 for all Thai radio amateurs to use 80 and 160 meters
during contest periods. HS- and E2- stations may use 1.800-1.825 MHz and
3.500-3.540 MHz, CW or SSB, during contest weekends.
Starting May 1 in the Czech Republic, new regulations provide access to
7.100 to 7.200 MHz for Amateur Radio on a secondary basis. Power output is
limited to 250 W PEP. The Czech Republic also has begun issuing Novice class
licenses with OK9-prefix call signs and three-letter suffixes. Operation is
permitted on 160, 80, 15 and 10 meters on HF, and up to 2 meters on VHF, at
a maximum power output of 10 W.
The Malta Communication Authority has automatically extended HF privileges
to "codeless" Class B licensees. Licensees in Malta still must pass a Morse
code examination to operate CW on the HF bands, however.--The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/>; RSGB; SM0JHF; ARSK; OK1MP/Czech Radio Club; MCA
==>ARRL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2005 GOLDFARB SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
An 18-year-old high school student from New York is the winner of the
William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship for 2005. The ARRL Foundation
announced the selection Tim O'Donnell, AB2LE, a student at
Cobleskill-Richmondville High School on April 29.
"Tim was the top student in a pool of extremely well qualified applicants
this year," said ARRL Foundation President Tom Frenaye, K1KI. "He's going to
do well in any field of study he chooses!"
ARRL Foundation's Scholarship Committee Chairman Tom Comstock, N5TC, echoed
Frenaye's comments. "After individually examining several dozen
applications, each member of the scholarship committee had Tim as their
first choice to receive this prestigious award," Comstock said. "He is one
of the 'brightest and best' in our nation."
First licensed at age 12, O'Donnell holds an Amateur Extra class license. He
is an ARRL member and active on 20 meter SSB--using a backyard dipole he
built with his father, John, KC2HHC--as well as on 2 meters.
O'Donnell's strong academic resume includes a number-one class ranking and
numerous honors such as National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, Coca-Cola
Scholars Program semifinalist, University of Rochester Bausch & Lomb Science
Award, the Cobleskill Masonic Chemistry Award, Regents Scholar, Scholet
Sequential Math Prize, Konta Memorial Award in Biology and the WRGB-TV
Capital Kid award for volunteerism.
His community activities involvement in the Chamber of Commerce, ACCORD (A
Community Committee on Respect and Diversity), and St Vincent de Paul
Church. O'Donnell plans to attend Brown University in the fall, majoring in
computer science with an eye on a future as an entrepreneur, researcher and
systems architect/developer.
Comstock noted that involvement in extracurricular activities, including
public service and Amateur Radio is an important criterion, and demonstrated
leadership skills are crucial.
The William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship is intended to assist a
qualified student to obtain a bachelor's degree at an accredited school in
one of the following courses of study: business-related computers, medical
or nursing fields, engineering or sciences. The four-year award to an active
radio amateur is based on outstanding qualifications, need and other funding
sources.
The Goldfarb Scholarship is the result of a generous endowment from the late
William Goldfarb, N2ITP. Before his death in 1997, Goldfarb set up a
scholarship endowment of close to $1 million in memory of his parents,
Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb.
More information on the Goldfarb Scholarship is available on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/goldfarb.html>. Applications for the
Goldfarb Scholarship and other ARRL Foundation Scholarship applications are
accepted each year from October 1 until February 1 for the upcoming academic
year.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Sunspot seeker Tad "Might As Well Be Walkin' on the Sun" Cook, K7RA,
Seattle, Washington, reports: Suddenly the sun is peppered with spots!
Average daily sunspot numbers this week rose nearly 22 points to 82.7, and
the average daily solar flux was up 10 points to 110.7. On Wednesday, May
11, the solar flux reached 125.3, and on May 11 the daily sunspot number was
117.
On Sunday, May 8, a big blast of solar wind sparked a geomagnetic storm, and
the planetary A index went all the way to 64, This provoked some nice aurora
displays over the weekend. Then sunspot 758 began to expand rapidly, and the
sunspot count for Monday through Wednesday, May 9-11, was 106, 106 and 117.
At 1040 UTC on May 11 a coronal mass ejection emerged from sunspot 758.
There is a good chance of aurora for Friday, May 13 as a result. The
predicted planetary A index for Friday through Monday, May 13-16 is 25, 10,
15 and 10. Predicted solar flux for those days is 120, 115, 110 and 105.
Sunspot numbers for May 5 through 11 were 50, 66, 55, 79, 106, 106 and 117,
with a mean of 82.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 109.1, 110.4, 99.9, 101.3, 110,
119.2 and 125.3, with a mean of 110.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 6,
4, 10, 64, 11, 10 and 11, with a mean of 16.6. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 3, 3, 10, 38, 10, 6 and 7, with a mean of 11.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The Portuguese Navy Day Contest (CW/SSB), the
CQ-M International DX Contest, the VOLTA Worldwide RTTY Contest, the
Mid-Atlantic QSO Party, the FISTS Spring Sprint and the 50 MHz Spring Sprint
are the weekend of May 14-15. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW) is
May 19. JUST AHEAD: The US Counties QSO Party (SSB), VK/Trans-Tasman
80-Meter Contest (Phone), the EU PSK DX Contest, the Portuguese Navy Day
Contest (PSK31), the Manchester Mineira CW Contest, His Majesty the King of
Spain Contest (CW) and the Baltic Contest are the weekend of May 21-22. See
the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more
info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) and Radio Propagation
(EC-011) on-line courses remains open through Sunday, May 15. Classes begin
Friday May 27. Antenna Modeling offers students a hands-on tutorial in the
art and science of modeling various antenna configurations.
Computer-modeling expert and noted author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined
the expertise of his long career as a college professor with his love and
antennas and antenna modeling to offer a comprehensive, yet practical,
course of study. Propagation students will study the science of RF
propagation, including the properties of electromagnetic waves, the
atmosphere and the ionosphere, the sun and sunspots, ground waves and sky
waves, and various propagation modes--including aurora and meteor scatter.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>;.
* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line course
(EC-003) opens Monday, May 16, at 1201 AM EDT and will remain open until all
available seats have been filled or through the May 21-22 weekend
--whichever comes first. Radio amateurs 55 and up are strongly encouraged to
participate. Class begins Friday, June 3. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the
Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies
Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be
reimbursed after successful completion of the course. ***ACT NOW! THIS IS
THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GRANT-SUBSIDIZED CLASSES!*** Radio amateurs age 55 and
older are strongly encouraged to participate. During this registration
period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come,
first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more
information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller,
K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
* FCC chairman appoints new Enforcement Bureau chief: FCC Chairman Kevin J.
Martin has announced his intention to appoint Kris Anne Monteith to head the
Commission's Enforcement Bureau. She'll replace David H. Solomon, who has
been Enforcement Bureau chief since the Commission created the bureau in
1999. Solomon will leave the FCC in May for a position with a private-sector
law firm. Monteith, who's been with the FCC since 1997, most recently served
as deputy bureau chief for outreach and intergovernmental affairs in the
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. In that capacity, Monteith--an
attorney--oversaw the Commission's interaction with local, state, and tribal
governments and other federal agencies. She also was responsible for
consumer outreach to inform and educate the public about FCC rules,
policies, programs and plans. Monteith previously served as chief of the
Policy Division within the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and held other
positions in the Common Carrier Bureau. The appointment was among several
Martin announced April 29.
* AMSAT-NA dues to increase: The AMSAT Board of Directors has voted to
increase AMSAT membership dues from $39 to $44, effective June 1. The
12-percent increase follows a $3 dues hike that took effect January 1, 2004.
AMSAT Life Membership will rise to $880 (20 times annual membership). Family
membership will continue to be one-half the cost of regular membership or
$22 per family member (family membership requires that a regular or life
member reside in the same household). Members or prospective members can
join or renew before June 1 at current rates. AMSAT will be accepting
membership applications and renewals at current rates during Dayton
Hamvention May 20-22. Details on the membership increase, an overview of the
rationale behind the board's decision and its potential impact are the
subject of an article in the March/April 2005 issue of AMSAT Journal. For
more information on AMSAT-NA, visit the AMSAT Web site
<http://www.amsat.org/>.
* AMSAT-UK Colloquium set for late July: The AMSAT-UK Colloquium for 2005
will take place Friday through Sunday, July 29-31, at the University of
Surrey, Guildford, UK This year's event marks the 20th colloquium. Attendees
do not have to be AMSAT members. AMSAT-UK invites presentations about
space-related Amateur Radio activities and papers for the conference
Proceedings. Final presentation documents must be submitted by mid-June.
Send papers for presentation at the conference and/or for inclusion in the
Proceedings to Jim Heck, G3WGM (@amsat.org), or via surface mail c/o
AMSAT-UK, Badgers, Letton Close, Blandford, Dorset DT11 7SS, UK. AMSAT-UK
also invites anyone to submit program topic requests to G3WGM. The
colloquium will include sessions specifically for amateur satellite
beginners. Registration details and more information are on the AMSAT- UK
Colloquium Web pages <http://www.uk.amsat.org/Colloquium/default.php>.
Immediately following the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) International Team will meet Monday and
Tuesday, August 1-2.
===========================================================
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address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
Members Only Web Site.)
The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:
* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)
* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)
