***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 22
June 2, 2006
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* +Ham radio provides emergency communication following earthquake
* +Robert McDowell makes it a full house at the FCC
* +Ham radio lets youngsters in Italy learn more about space travel
* +Mobile T-hunters die in vehicle mishap
* +Ham radio gears up for the hurricane season
* +WA5TMC appointed Delta Division Vice Director
* +SKYWARN volunteers are environmental heroes
* +ISS astronaut honored for ham radio accomplishments
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
US Power Squadrons, ARRL join forces for W1AW operating event
Ham-Com 2006 set for June 9-10 in Plano, Texas
Staten Island ARES participates in storm rehearsal
Radio amateurs take part in National Communications System training
Revised DXCC awards fee schedule becomes effective July 1
+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
===========================================================
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
==>AMATEUR RADIO VOLUNTEERS RESPOND FOLLOWING INDONESIAN EARTHQUAKE
Amateur Radio operators in Indonesia are providing emergency communication
for relief operations in the wake of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake May 27
affecting Yogyakarta and surrounding area. The quake has left more than 6200
people dead, injured more than 30,000 and leveled entire communities. Some
650,000 people are reported homeless. Indonesia's International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) member-society, the Organization of Amateur Radio for
Indonesia (ORARI) has been coordinating an emergency communication network
comprised of so-called "Zulu Stations" and individual volunteer radio
amateurs. As is the practice in Indonesia, ORARI has designated several
zulu-suffix emergency communication stations to handle disaster-related
traffic on HF and VHF.
"Beside several local emergency zulu stations and operators, there is an
emergency zulu station portable from Jakarta, YC0ZRA, operated by Achmad
Sanusi, YCOLJH, and Budi Sabara, YCOCSR," reports Wyn Purwinto, AB2QV. A
native of Indonesia, Purwinto has been gathering information on the disaster
response from his home in New York. He says the portable station also
supports the Indonesian Offroad Federation (IOF) with its heavy-duty all
wheel drive vehicles. IOF volunteers transported food and supplies following
the 2004 tsunami.
Purwinto reports that several radio amateurs and their families in the
Yogyakarta area were among the thousands affected by the earthquake,
hindering their ability to help with any emergency operations. "But more
hams coming from other districts day by day," he said this week.
Soejat Harto, YB6HB, a physician, has joined a ham radio emergency medical
team in Yogyakarta. Purwinto notes that Dr Harto was among the Amateur Radio
volunteers who helped in the tsunami disaster relief effort in Aceh and
North Sumatra.
Praharto, YB2BFZ, of the ORARI branch in Banyumas, 200 km west of
Yogyakarta, has deployed his emergency radio communicator (ERC) team to
Yogyakarta with generators. Several ERC teams from the Indonesian capital of
Jakarta, Bekasi and the W Java provincial capital of Bandung headed to
Yogyakarta this week to offer additional support.
Deta, YB2VTO, just back from Bantul to check on family and friends, reports
that local emergency communication is taking place on two ORARI VHF
repeaters that cover the whole disaster area. Zulu stations YC2ZEB in
Bantul, YC2ZEJ in Yogyakarta and YC2ZES are handling whatever traffic there
is. Zulu station YC2ZEB is on HF from Bantul, where local radio amateurs
installed an 80-meter dipole.
Purwinto is updating his "Emergency Communication in Yogyakarta" Web page
<http://www.qsl.net/ab2qv/yogya.htm> with information he's compiled on the
Indonesian ARES response to the earthquake.
Relief volunteers still in Indonesia since the 2004 tsunami have shifted
their efforts to aiding earthquake victims. The United Nations and various
relief agencies, including the Red Cross and the Global Rescue Network, have
begun transporting food, water and other basic supplies to the affected
region. Electrical power and telecommunication services are said to be still
erratic.
==>IT'S OFFICIALLY A FULL HOUSE AT THE FCC
Robert M. McDowell has been sworn in as an FCC commissioner by FCC Chairman
Kevin J. Martin, returning the agency to its full five-member complement for
the first time in more than a year. Earlier this week, after some delay due
to political maneuvering, the US Senate confirmed the nomination of
McDowell, of Virginia, to fill the seat vacated last December by Kathleen Q.
Abernathy. His term will expire June 30, 2009.
"I am honored and humbled to be joining such a distinguished group of
commissioners as well as the fine career public servants at the FCC,"
McDowell said in a statement. "I am confident that our efforts will help
bring the most advanced and efficient communications systems in the world to
all American consumers."
Martin applauded McDowell's arrival, which gives him a Republican majority
on the FCC for the first time in his tenure as chairman. Since Martin--an
FCC member during Michael Powell's tenure as chairman--took over the
chairmanship, the political balance on the Commission has been split evenly
between two Republicans and two Democrats. Members of a president's
political party hold a majority on the FCC.
In addition to Martin, McDowell--a telecommunications attorney--will join
fellow Republican Deborah T. Tate, who officially came aboard January 3. The
Commission's two Democrats are Michael J. Copps, who is in his second term,
and Jonathan Adelstein.
McDowell brings to the FCC nearly 16 years of private-sector experience in
the telecommunication industry. Prior to his FCC appointment, he served as
senior vice president and assistant general counsel for the Competitive
Telecommunications Association (COMPTEL).
==>ITALIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLERS GET FRONT ROW SEAT TO SPACE VIA HAM RADIO
Youngsters attending the Virgilio Primary School in Mestre, near Venice,
Italy, got to hear firsthand about life in space from US Astronaut Jeff
Williams, KD5TVQ. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) program arranged the direct VHF contact May 22 between NA1SS in
space and IW3GPO at the school in northern Italy. Control operator Paolo
Rosin, IW3GPO, posed all questions, including one asking if language
problems ever arose between crew members from different countries. Williams
said the language barrier still exists aboard the ISS.
"I've been studying Russian language for almost four years. Pavel
[Vinogradov, the Expedition 13 commander] studies English--he has studied
for several years as well," William explained, "but still it takes a long
time to learn a foreign language, as you know. So there's always a little
bit of a struggle with foreign languages."
Unfortunately, the youngsters couldn't ask their own questions because the
US does not have a third-party traffic agreement with Italy.
During the approximately eight-minute contact--conducted entirely in
English--Williams said he enjoys observing and photographing Earth, doing
scientific experiments and even his two hours of mandatory daily exercise.
But there are some tasks he doesn't much care for.
"They're similar to jobs we don't like doing on the earth," Williams
responded. "Cleaning things I don't like doing. Going into the equivalent of
a closet to try to find things or collect things for a job--that sometimes
is very tedious, and I don't like doing that very much. But, of course, we
have to do jobs that we like, and we have to do jobs that we don't like."
In several of his answers, Williams referred to the pending arrival of the
space shuttle in July, when European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas
Reiter, DF4TR, of Germany will join ISS crews over a period of several
months. The shuttle is the only vehicle capable of transporting the
components remaining to complete the ISS, including the ESA's Columbus
module. Williams noted that the shuttle will bring water to the ISS when it
arrives this summer.
He also said space walks are one of the hardest jobs astronauts and
cosmonauts undertake, but it's not scary to work in space. On June 2,
Williams and Vinogradov completed a 6-1/2 hour spacewalk to make repairs and
retrieve experiments, among other tasks.
"The most enjoyable thing that we do is do a spacewalk," Williams said,
"because to be able to go outside and see the entire Earth--not through a
window but through the visor of your helmet--it is fantastic!"
In later remarks, Williams paid tribute to the beauty of Italy as seen from
space. "I love your country," he said. "I've flown over Venice many times
and I love to take pictures of the seashore and the cities, Mt Etna on
Sicily--there are many, many beautiful things on the planet Earth to see
from space."
Virgilio Primary School has an enrollment of 210 pupils. A town of about
150,000, Mestre is connected to Venice some six miles away via a long bridge
on the lagoon. Local radio amateurs Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF, Kira
Collevati, IW3EXQ, Giorgio Pagan, IW3IBG, and Stefano Mannelli, IZ5ENH,
assisted in the ARISS event. The technical team set up a satellite station
as well as a vertical backup antenna.
Reporters for two newspapers and four TV outlets were on hand to cover the
ARISS event. Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ, served as the ARISS mentor for the QSO.
ARISS is a nine-nation international educational outreach with US
participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
==>TWO RADIO AMATEURS DIE DURING MOBILE HIDDEN TRANSMITTER HUNT
Two ARRL members from California are dead after the vehicle in which they
were riding during a mobile hidden transmitter hunt May 27 went over a cliff
in rugged terrain near Lake Isabella in Kern County. They were identified as
Michael G. Obermeier, K6SNE, of Anaheim, and David A. Gordon-Ross, N6IDF, of
Yucaipa. Obermeier, an ARRL Official Observer in Orange County, was 46.
Gordon-Ross was 35.
"Mike and Dave were some of the best T-hunters in the biz," said Scott
Press, N6SAP, calling both "true assets to this hobby." In his role as an
OO, Obermeier reportedly had participated in the infamous Jack Gerritsen
radio jamming case in the Los Angeles area.
According to media accounts, a Kern County Sheriff's Department
search-and-rescue team located the victims early Monday, May 29. Obermeier
was driving the 1991 4-wheel-drive Jeep Cherokee that apparently went out of
control on Cook Peak Road while the pair was proceeding to the next hidden
transmitter site. After caroming off a rock wall, the vehicle crossed the
road and plunged down a 900-foot cliff. They were reported missing after
failing to check in with T-hunt organizers.
Greg Pitta, KF6DBJ, reports Obermeier and Gordon-Ross were on a half-day
multiple-transmitter T-hunt. "Both K6SNE and N6IDF were expert transmitter
hunters, each with hundreds of hunts completed, ranking with top scores in
most," he said.
ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV,
knew both men. He notes that Obermeier had suffered a sports-related spinal
cord injury that left him a paraplegic. "He did all the adaptive work on his
vehicles, of which he had quite a few that he used over time for RDF," Moell
said. Despite his physical limitations, Obermeier also enjoyed foxhunting
from his wheel chair.
Moell says Gordon-Ross had been a proficient mobile T-hunter for many years.
He took a brief hiatus after his first child was born in April 2005 (his
wife, Melanie, is KF6GWV), but he recently became active again.
According to Moell, the mobile transmitter hunts take place on the fourth
Saturday of each month on 2-meter FM simplex, starting out from a hilltop in
Rancho Palos Verdes. He says it's not uncommon for the main hidden
transmitter to be hundreds of miles away--175 highway miles in this
instance.
The 147.435 Amateur Radio Repeater System is collecting donations to help
Melanie Gordon-Ross, a stay-at-home mom. It also will donate all proceeds
from its 16th annual 435 Chili Cook-off June 10. Visit the 147.435 Web site
<http://www.435online.com/> for additional information.
==>2006 NORTH ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON OFFICIALLY UNDER WAY
Scientists within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
predict an 80-percent chance of an above-normal 2006 north Atlantic
hurricane/tropical storm season, which runs from June 1 through November 30.
A repeat performance of the devastating 2005 season is unlikely, however.
Weather experts at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, National Hurricane
Center and Climate Prediction Center produced this year's outlook
<http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml>.
"For the 2006 north Atlantic hurricane season NOAA is predicting 13 to 16
named storms, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which four to six
could become 'major' hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher," says NOAA
Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher.
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) <http://www.hwn.org/> activates on 14.325 MHz
when major tropical storms threaten the US. It works in concert with WX4NHC
<http://www.wx4nhc.org/> at the National Hurricane Center to relay real-time
ground-level weather data to forecasters.
On average, the north Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms,
with six becoming hurricanes, including two major hurricanes. In 2005, the
Atlantic hurricane season experienced a record 28 storms, including 15
hurricanes. Seven were "major," and a record four hurricanes hit the US.
While NOAA is not forecasting a rerun of last year's season, the potential
for hurricanes to strike the US is "high," Lautenbacher said.
The first named storm of the 2006 season will be "Alberto." The name
"Katrina" has been removed from the list of storm names.
==>KARL BULLOCK, WA5TMC, APPOINTED DELTA DIVISION VICE DIRECTOR
ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has appointed Karl W. Bullock, WA5TMC,
to be Delta Division Vice Director. Bullock, of Ripley, Mississippi, will
complete the term of Henry Leggette, WD4Q, who took over as Delta Division
Director in January after the ARRL Board of Directors elevated past Director
Rick Roderick, K5UR, to be an ARRL Vice President.
"I'm honored to have been chosen by President Harrison," Bullock said, "and
I look forward to serving the fine folks in the Delta Division and
representing Amateur Radio in general."
First licensed at age 14 as WN5TMC in 1967, Bullock, 53, has remained an
active radio amateur ever since. He now holds an Amateur Extra class license
as well as an FCC commercial license. He's active on all bands and modes
from 160 meters through 70 cm.
His ham radio career has included starting up the Mississippi Training and
Traffic net--later the Mississippi Slow Net. He's also a member of the Brass
Pounder's League, the recipient of several public service awards, a past
officer of the Northeast Mississippi Amateur Radio Club and, most recently,
ARRL District Emergency Coordinator for North Mississippi as well as
Emergency Coordinator for Tippah County.
He's a Life Member of the ARRL, a charter member of the Tippah Amateur Radio
Association and a control operator for a local 2-meter repeater. He also
enjoys telling others about his Christian faith and about Amateur Radio.
On the professional side, Bullock has operated his own telecommunications
consulting company, Bullock & Associates, since 2001 and is involved in a
startup dedicated to residential fiber connectivity. His consulting activity
focuses on competitive local exchange carriers--CLECs.
His wife Amy is N5TBB, the ARRL Public Information Coordinator for the
Mississippi Section and current president of the Tippah Amateur Radio
Association.
"We both love DX, contests, and going to hamfests," Bullock says. "Amy fell
in love with hamfests after the first one I carried her to, and soon
afterward passed her exam. We still like to make the Dayton trip whenever we
can."
Bullock's current term as Vice Director will end January 1, 2009.
==>SKYWARN VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE NOAA ENVIRONMENTAL HERO AWARD
South Florida SKYWARN Coordinator Don Morris, KG4JHH, of Miami, and his
South Florida SKYWARN team have received a 2006 NOAA Environmental Hero
Award for outstanding volunteer service during the 2005 hurricane season.
Morris and his SKYWARN team volunteered more than 100 hours to staff Amateur
Radio station WX4MIA, located at the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS)
Weather Forecast Office in Miami. The volunteers gathered real-time
hurricane damage and weather reports, disseminated NWS information and
warnings and verified NWS warnings with on-the-spot information.
"The intent of the award is to recognize all of us who have worked on
SKYWARN and/or WX4MIA," said Morris, who accepted the plaque during a May 22
presentation. "Local Amateur Radio is the main infrastructure we depend on
for SKYWARN. It is way cool to be part of it." Morris also credited those
who filed reports by telephone, Internet or fax or who have "just been ready
if needed."
Along with other SKYWARN volunteers and even family members, Morris kept the
WX4MIA severe weather net in constant operation as Hurricane Katrina moved
ashore near Hallandale Beach and then southwest across Miami-Dade County. He
did the same thing for Hurricane Wilma, staying all night right through
landfall around 6 AM in Collier County and through noon when Wilma finally
moved off the Palm Beach County coastline near Jupiter.
Over the years, NOAA said, Morris has volunteered hundreds of hours as "the
voice" of WX4MIA, soliciting storm reports and disseminating the latest
warnings and statements for hurricanes and severe storms.
Established in 1995 and given annually in conjunction with Earth Day, the
Environmental Hero Award is presented to individuals and organizations
volunteering their time and energy to help NOAA carry out its
mission.--NOAA; Evelyn Gauzens, W4WYR
==>ISS ASTRONAUT HONORED FOR WORKING ALL STATES, INSPIRING OTHERS FROM SPACE
International Space Station Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR,
has been honored as the first astronaut to work all states from space and
for inspiring others through his ham radio activities from NA1SS. McArthur,
who returned to Earth in April, received an ARRL Worked All States (WAS)
plaque during a May 25 ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston. During
his six-month duty tour, McArthur became the most active radio amateur ever
to serve aboard the ISS. His track record from NA1SS is impressive: In
addition to WAS, he handled a record 37 Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) school contacts, worked all continents, including
Antarctica, on both VHF and UHF--and racked up QSOs with some 130 DXCC
entities.
"The Amateur Radio on the ISS program was developed to inspire students--our
next generation of explorers--through Amateur Radio communications with the
ISS crew," remarked ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, who
presented the WAS plaque to McArthur. "Using Amateur Radio, the Expedition
12 crew took the worldwide community of radio amateurs, the school students
and the general public to unprecedented heights."
The last QSL McArthur needed to confirm WAS--from Wyoming--arrived at ARRL
Headquarters not long before the end of his ISS duty tour. McArthur also
logged a phenomenal number of casual contacts with earthbound radio
amateurs--more than 1800 in all. Bauer noted that McArthur "was very
approachable" with students during the ARISS school contacts. "He inspired
them with his vision, quick wit and sense of humor."
Bauer said McArthur motivated hams and non-hams alike through his on-the-air
activity. He told of hearing from a teacher in Orlando who said one of his
students added Advanced Placement Physics to her course schedule after
participating in an ARISS school contact. In another inspirational instance:
When a prospective licensee learned he could speak to the ISS via ham radio,
he studied and passed his Amateur Radio examination and made a contact with
McArthur at NA1SS in March, Bauer said.
"Throughout this expedition, Bill McArthur's enthusiasm for the ham radio
hobby kept bubbling to the surface," Bauer said, calling McArthur's ham
radio accomplishments from NA1SS "a testament of success."
"All who have been touched by your efforts will remember their special ISS
connection for the rest of their lives," Bauer concluded.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Ra the Sun god Tad "I Saw the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
Solar activity continues to be low as we head toward the bottom of the
sunspot cycle. With fewer sunspots, the higher frequencies aren't as useful.
There is a direct correlation between the maximum usable frequency (MUF) and
the number of sunspots. That's why 10 meters is much more usable at the peak
of a solar cycle than at the bottom. We received several e-mails this week
about sporadic E (Es) propagation.
For the next few days, it looks like solar wind from coronal holes could be
mildly disruptive. The planetary A index forecast for June 2-3 is 20, then
settling down to quiet conditions a couple of days later. Average daily
sunspot numbers were up this week over last and are expected to rise
slightly over the next few days.
Sunspot numbers for May 25 through 31 were 33, 51, 69, 78, 54, 51 and 44,
with a mean of 54.3. 10.7 cm flux was 83.7, 81.6, 83, 84.7, 81.1, 80, and
78.4, with a mean of 81.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 5, 3, 7, 3,
9 and 6, with a mean of 5.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 1, 1,
5, 1, 7 and 4, with a mean of 3.3.
For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of the
numbers used in this bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information Service
Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The SEANET Contest, RSGB National Field Day,
IARU Region 1 Field Day (CW) and the QRP TAC Sprint are the weekend of June
3-4. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (Data) is June 5, the ARS Spartan
Sprint is June 6, and the Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is Jun 9. JUST AHEAD:
The ARRL June VHF QSO Party, the ANARTS World Wide RTTY Contest, the
Portugal Day Contest, the Asia-Pacific Sprint (SSB), the GACW WWSA CW DX
Contest and the REF DDFM 6-Meter Contest are the weekend of June 10-11. The
NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint and the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW)
are June 14. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder and SARL Youth Day are June 16.
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 remains open through Sunday, June 25, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE). Program on-line courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency
Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog
Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin Friday,
July 7. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE Department
<cce@arrl.org>;.
* US Power Squadrons, ARRL join forces for W1AW operating event:
Representatives of the United States Power Squadrons (USPS)
<http://www.usps.org/> are joining ARRL Headquarters staffers this weekend
for a special W1AW operating event to mark National Safe Boating Week.
Operation commenced Friday and will continue Saturday, June 3, starting at
1200 UTC. Look for W1AW on HF plus 6 meters as well as on satellites and
digital modes. A special QSL card will be available. All contacts will be
uploaded to Logbook of the World (LoTW) <http://www.arrl.org/lotw> after the
event. At a W1AW reception prior to the on-air activities. ARRL CEO David
Sumner, K1ZZ, presented Don Stark, N3HOW of the USPS with a welcoming letter
from ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN.
* Ham-Com 2006 set for June 9-10 in Plano, Texas: ARRL President Joel
Harrison, W5ZN, will address the ARRL West Gulf Division forum during
Ham-Com 2006 <http://www.hamcom.org/>, Friday and Saturday, June 9-10, at the
Plano Centre in Plano, Texas. In addition, ARRL Chief Development Officer
Mary Hobart, K1MMH, will discuss the importance of the League's development
activities to Amateur Radio, while HQ Staffer Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, will
talk about ARRL Headquarters' response to Hurricane Katrina. The doors will
be open from 7 AM until 6 PM both days. Talk-in is on the 147.18 MHz
repeater (CTCSS 107.2 Hz), and parking is free. In conjunction with Ham-Com
2006, the Lone Star DX Association will host W5DXCC 2006, which features a
banquet Friday, June 9, at the Southfork Hotel. Featured speaker will be Bob
Allphin, K4UEE, co-leader of the recent 3Y0X DXpedition to Peter I Island.
Complete details are in the "Ham-Com Flyer"
<http://www.hamcom.org/ccp51/media/PDFs/HamComFlyer2006.pdf>.--Barry
Goldblatt, WA5KXX
* Staten Island ARES participates in storm rehearsal: Lessons learned during
last year's devastating hurricanes on the US Gulf Coast have not been lost
on the New York City emergency response community. In preparation for the
upcoming storm season, Staten Island and New York County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) members participated May 21 in an American Red
Cross drill dubbed "The Staten Island Storm Rehearsal." The exercise was
designed to prepare volunteers by providing a hands-on experience in
emergency shelter operations. "ARES is relied upon by our clients, like the
Red Cross, to be able to quickly, adequately and professionally set up and
run a portable communications system to help those affected by a disaster,"
said ARRL New York City District Emergency Coordinator Mike Lisenco, N2YBB.
"ARES members participate in drills such as this to hone our skills." ARES
participants served as primary communicators for most of the drill, for
which the scenario included outages of both cell phone service and
electrical power. During the "blackout" scenario, ham radio volunteers were
able to provide a seamless transition to battery power to maintain critical
communication with the Red Cross EOC in Manhattan. Ten ARES volunteers took
part in the exercise. ARRL Staten Island Emergency Coordinator Joe Nieves,
N2TEE, said, "We need to be prepared at all times should we be called upon
to support our community."
* Radio amateurs take part in National Communications System training: ARRL
members Gary Sessums, KC5QCN, Dale Stauffer, W4DS, and Jim La Follette,
WB4WBL, last week demonstrated digital and voice capabilities of a Shared
Resources (SHARES) Transportable Auxiliary Radio Station (STAR) at a
National Communications Systems (NCS) training session. The week-long
Emergency Support Function 2 (ESF-2) training session at Homestead Air
Reserve Base in Florida was developed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
It was specifically designed to prepare ESF-2 responders at the federal
level to function effectively when called into action to support the
National Response Plan. SHARES stations are NCS assets that deploy with
"fly-away" HF radio packages to disaster scenes to provide communication
support to the federal government. Sessums, Stauffer and La Follette are
SHARES stations through their involvement with the Military Affiliate Radio
System (MARS) and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). They set up portable HF SHARES
stations operating on generator power, erected near-vertical incidence
skywave (NVIS) wire antennas and made voice and digital HF radio contacts
around the US as part of the program. Sessums and La Follette are members of
the Hillsborough County, Florida, ARES/RACES team that deployed to Hancock
County, Mississippi, last August to support Hurricane Katrina recovery
operations. Sessums is Hillborough County ARRL Emergency Coordinator.
* Revised DXCC awards fee schedule becomes effective July 1: The ARRL DXCC
Desk has announced DXCC program fees will rise slightly when a new awards
fee schedule <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/05/23/3/fees-06Jul.html>
goes into effect July 1. The fee for a basic DXCC application (including
certificate and pin for initial applications only, 120 QSO maximum) and for
first endorsement applications within a year will increase to $12 for ARRL
members and to $22 for foreign nonmembers. Second and subsequent
endorsements (120 QSO maximum) within a year will be $22 for ARRL members
and $32 for foreign nonmembers. The $10 fee for a basic DXCC application
(120-credit maximum) was established in 1990, and the current overall fee
schedule has been in effect since 1998. "It costs us to provide this
service," explains ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG. "We
don't make any money from DXCC." The cost of other DXCC-related items such
as plaques and pins also will go up July 1. Mills advised that DXCC fees
will increase further in the years ahead--possibly at two-year intervals--at
least to catch up with the Consumer Price Index, which has risen 49 percent
since 1990. He estimates the active population of DXCC members at between
15,000 and 18,000.
===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.
The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest
to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise,
and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news,
updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers
access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast"
compiled from The ARRL Letter.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384
==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
delivery:
ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
<http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during
registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member
Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
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.)
