***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 26, No. 20
May 18, 2007
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +Repeater interference mitigation plan goes to Defense Department
* +Emergency communication tops IARU Administrative Council agenda
* +Scarborough Reef DXpedition logs now online
* +Settlement means loss of amateur ticket for Indiana man
* +Results mixed for Amateur Radio as FCC ends two proceedings
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
+ARRL reprising Dayton Hamvention blog
+ITU okays Montenegro, Serbia call sign prefix agreement
+AMSAT issues first call for Symposium papers
KD5PLA to succeed KD5PLB aboard ISS
QCWA, Newsline to collaborate in mentoring program
"Strange Antenna Challenge," special event set
We stand corrected

+Available on ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/

================================================== =========
==Delivery problems: First see FAQ
http://www.arrl.org/members-only/faq.html#nodelivery, then e-mail

==Editorial questions or comments only: Rick Lindquist, N1RL,

================================================== =========

==ARRL SUBMITS PLAN TO MITIGATE REPEATER INTERFERENCE TO MILITARY RADARS

The ARRL has submitted an interference mitigation plan to the US Department
of Defense (DoD) as part of an effort to resolve reported interference from
dozens of 70 cm amateur repeaters to US military radar systems on both
coasts. Since Amateur Radio is secondary to government users from 420 to 450
MHz, hams must not interfere with primary users and, under the rules, can be
forced to cease operation. Earlier this year, the US Air Force asked the FCC
to order dozens of repeater systems to either eliminate interference to its
"PAVE PAWS" missile and satellite detection and tracking radars in
Massachusetts and California or shut down.

"We are waiting the response of the DoD representative to the proposal and
will continue to provide information as to its status when it becomes
available," commented ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson,
N1ND. The interference mitigation plan has four primary steps.

* All repeaters the DoD has identified as potential interference
sources will immediately and temporarily reduce transmitter power output
(TPO) to 5 W.

* The ARRL will conduct Longley-Rice studies on each repeater system to
determine what further mitigation techniques might apply to individual
repeaters. These could include relocating the system, the use of directional
antenna systems to create nulls towards the PAVE PAWS site, permanent power
reductions or a combination of these techniques.

* The DoD will review ARRL's studies to determine if the proposals will
meet DoD's unspecified field strength requirements to mitigate the potential
interference satisfactorily.

* Once the DoD reviews and approves the proposals, the ARRL will
provide the recommendations to respective repeater frequency coordinating
groups and the FCC.

The situation affects 15 repeaters within less than 100 miles of Otis Air
Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and more than 100 repeaters within
some 140 miles of Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. PAVE
PAWS facilities occupy essentially the entire 70 cm band -- one factor that
makes mitigation difficult. Feeding upward of 1800 active antenna elements,
the broadband radar transmitters emit an average power output of more than
145 kW.

Henderson says repeater owners and trustees ultimately would be responsible
for implementing the mitigation proposals or for developing alternatives
that protect the radar systems to the same extent.

Cooperation will be the key to a successful resolution of the situation,
Henderson says. "Although ARRL has no means to compel compliance with the
mitigation strategies, each repeater is absolutely obligated not to
interfere with these radars," he emphasized. "Failure to implement the
mitigation strategy or otherwise eliminate interference attributed to an
individual repeater will result in immediate FCC action."

Henderson points out that the FCC is aware of and monitoring this situation
and will act as necessary to protect the radars from interference. He
stresses, however, that the US military is aware of the critical role
Amateur Radio repeaters play in disasters and emergencies, and a wholesale
shutdown of US 70 cm Amateur Radio activity is not under consideration.

A US Air Force contractor identified the allegedly problematic repeater
systems last summer, but the situation didn't become critical until the Air
Force contacted the FCC in March. ARRL officials met with Defense Department
representatives later that month to discuss alleged interference to the PAVE
PAWS radar sites, and last month Henderson contacted Amateur Radio frequency
coordinating organizations in both affected areas -- the Northern Amateur
Relay Council of California (NARCC) and the New England Spectrum Management
Council (NESMC).

Contact Dan Henderson, N1ND ; (860-594-0236), with specific
questions or issues associated with this situation.

==EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION LEADS IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL AGENDA

The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
http://www.iaru.org held its annual meeting May 14-15 in Boston,
Massachusetts. Topping the agenda was the IARU's upcoming participation in
the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference, GAREC-07. The
international gathering will take place in Huntsville, Alabama, in
mid-August -- just prior to the ARRL National Convention there
http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2007/huntsville.html. The Administrative
Council's primary goal is to enhance the coordination and promotion of
Amateur Radio's worldwide disaster response capabilities.

During the Boston gathering, the Council received a draft strategy paper
from IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans
Zimmermann, HB9AQS/F5VKP. The body will seek additional information from
member-societies on the national regulatory position of the Amateur Service
in preparing for and providing emergency communications, with an eye toward
identifying problem areas and developing solutions.

The Administrative Council meeting took place earlier in the year than usual
in order to complete the review of preparations for the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07)
in Geneva this fall.

The Council also received reports of the other IARU international
coordinators and advisers: International Beacon Project Coordinator Peter
Jennings, AB6WM/VE3SUN; Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV;
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Adviser Christian Verholt, OZ8CY, and
Interim Monitoring System International Coordinator Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG.
Coordinators and advisers were reappointed for three-year terms.

A further progress report was received from an ad hoc committee
investigating the IARU's future role and structure. The Council resolved
that the work to date represents an appropriate direction for planning, and
it requested that the committee continue its work to address remaining open
issues, including consultation with member-societies.

The Council recognized a need for greater international coordination on EMC
matters, and it adopted conclusions and recommendations arising from a study
of how to accomplish this objective.

Continuing the strategic planning initiative begun in 2003, the Council
reviewed and renewed progress on a three-year plan for the development of
support for Amateur Radio frequency allocations for 2008 through 2011. Some
details are pending until after WRC-07.

The Council identified ITU meetings that will require IARU representation
over the coming year, and it reviewed plans for representation. The
principal focus continues to be on WRC-07 preparations.

A report on the status of the IARU member-society in Bosnia and Herzegovina
was received from the Region 1 representatives. The Council determined that
it requires additional information to clarify whether the member-society is
able to adequately represent the interests of all radio amateurs of Bosnia
and Herzegovina in the IARU.

The Council reviewed the budget for 2008-2010 as presented by the
International Secretariat (ARRL). The budget includes provision for
financial contributions from the three regional organizations to defray a
portion of the expenses, in accordance with previously adopted policy.

A working document describing the requirements for radio spectrum
allocations to the amateur and amateur-satellite services was reviewed.
Council members will take a comprehensive look at the document following
WRC-07.

In other business, the IARU Administrative Council:

* reviewed and endorsed a plan to revitalize the IARU Worked All
Continents (WAC) award program.

* selected "Amateur Radio: A Foundation for Technical Knowledge" as the
theme for the next World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2008.

* received and discussed reports from each of the three IARU regional
organizations.

The next regional conference will be Region 2's in Brasilia in
mid-September. The next scheduled Administrative Council meeting will be in
Germany in June 2008.

Attending the Boston meeting were IARU President Larry Price, W4RA; Vice
President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA; Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; regional
representatives Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, Don Beattie, G3BJ, Hans Blondeel
Timmerman, PB2T, Rod Stafford, W6ROD, Reinaldo Leandro, YV5AMH, Daniel
Lamoureux, VE2KA, Michael Owen, VK3KI, Joong-Geun Rhee, HL1AQQ, ARRL
President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, on behalf of the International Secretariat,
and recording secretary Paul Rinaldo, W4RI.

==BS7H SCARBOROUGH REEF DXPEDITION LOGS AVAILABLE ONLINE

The BS7H Scarborough Reef DXpedition team reports it logged 45,830 QSOs
during its weeklong stay on the South Pacific rocks. All BS7H logs now are
available online http://www.scarboroughreef.com/srlog.html. The DXpedition
to the world's most-wanted DXCC entity, which got under way April 29 and
concluded May 5, has been approved for DXCC credit. The Daily DX
http://www.dailydx.com says if you don't find your call sign in the online
log search but are confident you had a solid QSO, send a QSL card to Steve
Wheatley, KU9C, PO Box 31, Morristown, NJ 07963-0031 (or via the QSL
Bureau). Attach a brief explanatory note. KU9C will search the logs to see
if an error occurred, Daily DX Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR, says. Do not
e-mail KU9C. The BS7H logs have not yet been uploaded to ARRL's Logbook of
the World.

As might be expected, 20 meters was the bread-and-butter band, with 21,858
contacts on CW, SSB and RTTY completed. BS7H logged just 54 contacts on 160
meters and 334 on 80 meters, since weather conditions prevented deploying a
weather balloon-supported wire until the last few hours. The team netted
3548 QSOs on 40 meters, 3374 on 30 meters, 6774 on 17 meters, 6057 on 15
meters, 876 on 12 meters and 1565 on 10 meters. In all, 19,319 BS7H contacts
occurred on SSB, 24,799 on CW and 322 on RTTY. Complete statistics are
available on the BS7H Web page
http://www.scarboroughreef.com/srstats.html.

The DXpedition operators worked long shifts from stations set up on tiny
platforms that rose just above each of the four Scarborough Reef rocks that
are exposed during high tide. Once they shut down, the BS7H DXpedition team
rapidly dismantled the gear and platforms and soon were en route by ship
back to Hong Kong.

Team member Mike Mraz, N6MZ, will be at Dayton Hamvention
http://www.hamvention.org and will deliver a presentation on the BS7H
DXpedition during the DX Forum Saturday afternoon. No QSL cards are expected
to be available at Hamvention, however. The Daily DX reports that team
member James Brooks, 9V1YC, will be producing a video on the DXpedition,
available later this year.

QSL BS7H via KU9C. US stations are reminded to include 41 cents first class
postage on the return envelope. To expedite your BS7H card, include separate
SASEs when requesting cards from other DX stations that KU9C manages.

Scarborough Reef's status as the top most-wanted DXCC entity prompted some
ops to go to extremes, such as erecting new antennas, just to work the
DXpedition. The Daily DX says Frank Letton, W6JTI, "qualifies as a true-blue
DXer" by going the extra mile, as it were. As things turned out, he'd
already finalized plans for a three-week trip to visit his mother in San
Antonio, Texas, during the period the DXpedition was to be on the air.

Undeterred, Letton shipped a transceiver, accessories and a two-element
20-meter Yagi ahead. Once there, he erected the Yagi on a 35-foot TV mast he
purchased locally, and strung up a dipole beneath the beam. The Daily DX
reports W6JTI snagged BS7H on both 40 and 20 CW.

According to The Daily DX, W6JTI needs four more entities: Palestine,
Montenegro, Yemen and North Korea. He's worked 333 current entities while
running just 100 W.

Additional photos of the DXpedition are available on the BS7H Web site
http://www.scarboroughreef.com/srphotos.html.

==LOSS OF AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE IS PART OF SETTLEMENT WITH FCC

An Indiana radio amateur will have to surrender his General ticket under the
terms of a Settlement Agreement reached with the FCC stemming from alleged
corporate and personal misdeeds. In addition, Timothy M. Doty, WB9MCD, of W
Terre Haute, will have to yield his General Radiotelephone Operator License,
and Commercial Radio Service (CRS) Inc, in which he's an equal partner with
his brother, Gary, will have to surrender its Land Mobile Service licenses.
In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O)
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/revocations/files/FCC-07M-12.pdf in EB Docket
06-168, released April 26, the FCC said the settlement spares all parties
from a lengthy legal proceeding, although according to its terms, neither
the Dotys nor CRS admit to any violation of the Communications Act of 1934
or FCC rules.

"Suffice it to say, approval of the Agreement will obviate the need for a
protracted hearing, thereby conserving the resources of the Commission and
the private parties," the FCC said in its MO&O. "In addition, approval of
the Agreement will provide for a fair and equitable resolution of this
proceeding."

The agreement stipulates that neither Doty will be able to apply for or hold
"any attributable interest in any Commission license or authorization" for
five years. CRS and the Dotys also will make a "voluntary donation" of
$10,000 to the US Treasury. If the matter had gone to hearing, CRS could
have been liable for fines approaching $100,000.

In an Order to Show Cause last August, the FCC ordered Timothy Doty and CRS
to show cause why their respective Commission licenses should not be
revoked. The FCC cited information it had received suggesting that CRS may
not have properly disclosed information about Timothy Doty's felony
convictions in applications the company filed with the Commission.

In several proceedings in recent years, the FCC has considered a licensee's
or applicant's character among factors it takes into account when
determining whether an individual possesses the requisite qualifications to
be a Commission licensee.

As the agreement recites, in 1991 Doty was convicted in federal court of a
felony that involved manufacture and possession of unauthorized satellite TV
descrambling devices. He received three years' probation and a $2000 fine.
In 2001, Doty was found guilty in state court on a felony count of
possessing a controlled substance and sentenced to 18 months incarceration
with all but 30 days suspended.

"It appears, therefore, that the concerns raised by the Commission in its
order designating this case for hearing will have been resolved," the FCC
concluded. The Settlement Agreement is on the FCC's Web site
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/r...f=pdf&id_docum
ent=6519409544.

==FCC'S TERMINATION OF PROCEEDINGS A MIXED BLESSING FOR HAM RADIO

The FCC's recent termination of two aging proceedings has some favorable and
less-than-favorable implications for Amateur Radio. As part of a recent
effort to clear the decks of languishing proceedings, the FCC closed out a
Notice of Inquiry and Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NOI and NPRM) in ET
Docket 03-237 http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-237/, aimed at
establishing an "interference temperature metric" as a model for managing
interference and "to expand available unlicensed operation" in certain
bands. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, referred to the interference temperature
model as "a flawed concept" and said the May 4 termination Order
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-78A1.pdf is good
news. The FCC appeared to agree.

"Commenting parties generally argued that the interference temperature
approach is not a workable concept and would result in increased
interference in the frequency bands where it would be used," the Commission
said in its termination Order. "While there was some support in the record
for adopting an interference temperature approach, no parties provided
information on specific technical rules that we could adopt to implement
it."

The Commission further conceded that "with the passage of time" the November
2003 NOI and NPRM and the record in the proceeding "have become outdated."
The termination was "without prejudice," suggesting the Commission could
resurrect the concept later.

The FCC asserted four years ago that the new metric "could represent a
fundamental paradigm shift" in its spectrum management approach by using a
standard that takes into account "the cumulative effects of all undesired RF
energy" at a given instant. It initially wanted to implement the concept in
two microwave bands, suggesting that it the interference temperature limit
for a band "would serve as an upper bound or 'cap' on the potential RF
energy that could be introduced into the band."

When the ARRL filed comments
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-237/ in the proceeding in
2004, it called the interference temperature concept "highly premature" and
said it should not go forward. The ARRL contended that the FCC didn't have
enough information to put such a model into place, and it should not try to
take a shortcut, as it did in the broadband over power line proceeding.

In a second Order
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-79A1.pdf released
May 4, the FCC also terminated its inquiry, in ET Docket 03-65, into whether
it should "incorporate receiver interference immunity performance
specifications into spectrum policy decisions on a broad basis." Sumner
commented that immunity standards for consumer electronics devices,
including receivers, have long been an ARRL objective. The Commission again
asserted that "the passage of time" had rendered out of date its Notice of
Inquiry http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-54A6.doc
and record in the proceeding.

"Further, to the extent receiver interference immunity performance
specifications are desirable, they may be addressed in proceedings that are
frequency band or service specific," the Commission remarked in the Order.
The FCC also left the door open to consider the issue again down the road.

In its July 2003 comments
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-65/ARRL-ET-03-65-cmts.pdf in
ET Docket 03-65, the ARRL told the FCC that improved interference standards
for consumer electronic devices is the most-pressing need as the Commission
considers the interference immunity performance of receivers. While
recommending "either mandatory receiver immunity standards or at least
guidelines" in most other services, the ARRL said no receiver immunity
standards are necessary or practical in the "essentially experimental"
Amateur Service.

"With the current explosion of consumer electronics and unlicensed devices,"
the League said, "the Commission must establish interference rejection
standards for unlicensed home electronic equipment and systems."

==SOLAR UPDATE

Ra the Sun god Tad "Sunshine, Sunset" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington,
reports: This week saw a rise in sunspot numbers, with the average daily
value up by more than 11 points to 29.3. On May 16, the daily sunspot number
was 56, the highest daily reading since last December 5, when it was 59.
This week's average sunspot number was the highest since the January 4-10,
2007, reporting week.

Keep in mind that a tremendous day-to-day variation in sunspot numbers is
normal, so this should not be viewed as an indicator that sunspot trends
have turned around, and we’re already into Cycle 24. Of course, increased
activity may follow; this just isn't an indicator that higher sunspot
numbers are due in the very near term.

The bottom of the cycle, late last year predicted for the past couple of
months, has moved out as far as a year in the most recent general consensus
of the scientific community. With predictions revised so often, it would be
useful to keep an eye on each week's release of the Preliminary Report of
Solar and Geophysical Data http://www.sec.noaa.gov/weekly/.

For the near term, we’ll probably see sunspot numbers higher than the recent
periods when it was 0 or 12, but declining a bit, with the next probable
peak around May 25-30. Unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions are
forecast for the beginning of that period, and we may see some mildly
unsettled activity around May 20.

Sunspot numbers for May 10 through 16 were 20, 24, 21, 18, 29, 37 and 56,
with a mean of 29.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 71.2, 71.5, 71.4, 73.5, 72.9,
76.9, and 77.1, with a mean of 73.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 3,
2, 3, 3, 3, 6 and 4, with a mean of 3.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 4 and 3, with a mean of 2.3.

For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation page
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html.

__________________________________

==IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The US Counties QSO Party (SSB), His Majesty
the King of Spain Contest (CW), the EU PSK DX Contest, the Manchester
Mineira All America Contest and the Baltic Contest are the May 19-20
weekend. JUST AHEAD: The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is May 21. The RSGB
80-Meter Club Championship (CW) is May 24. The CQ World Wide WPX Contest
(CW) is May 26-27 weekend. 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 3, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) online courses beginning
Friday, June 15: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002),
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003R2), Antenna Modeling
(EC-004), HF Digital Communications (EC-005), VHF/UHF -- Life Beyond the
Repeater (EC-008) and Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011). These courses
will also open for registration Friday, June 1, for classes beginning Friday
July 20. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page
http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html or contact the CCE Department
.

* ARRL reprising Dayton Hamvention blog: The ARRL again has a Dayton
Hamvention blog http://www.arrl.org/blog/Dayton%20and%20ARRL%20Expo. ARRL
Publications Manager and QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, says his "ramblings"
for the 2007 Dayton and ARRL Expo Weblog begin where last year's ended. The
2006 blog, which remains on the site, was extremely successful, he said. "We
had more than 6000 individuals reading the blog throughout the event," Ford
noted. "This year's effort will be much the same, possibly with a new
wrinkle or two." The League's Dayton and ARRL Expo Weblog, part of an effort
to add personal touch to the Hamvention experience, will chronicle news and
impressions of Dayton Hamvention and ARRL EXPO 2007. Hamvention annually
attracts upward of 25,000 visitors.

* ITU okays Montenegro, Serbia call sign prefix agreement: Although it
became a country -- and a DXCC entity -- in its own right last June,
Montenegro has not had an Amateur Radio call sign block to call its own
until this month. According to The Daily DX, the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) did not want to give Montenegro an entirely
new prefix, so it required the states of Montenegro and Serbia to agree upon
one or two prefixes from the five (4N, 4O, YT, YU and YZ) assigned to the
former Serbia-Montenegro. An agreement was reached May 11, and the ITU now
lists 4O (that's "four Oscar") as Montenegro's prefix. This means Montenegro
stations may use 4O0 through 4O9, while Serbia stations will continue to use
YT and YU prefixes for all call districts, 0 through 9. The ITU has taken
back the former 4N and YZ prefixes for future reassignment. The ITU
reportedly wants the two nations to complete the transition to new call sign
blocks as soon as possible. The Daily DX Editor Bernie McClenny, W3UR,
recommends that DXers update their logging software carefully to reflect the
changes.

* AMSAT issues first call for Symposium papers: AMSAT has announced its
first call for papers for the 2007 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting,
October 25-28 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2007/index.php. The organization
solicits proposals for papers, symposium presentations and poster
presentations on any topic of interest to the Amateur Satellite community.
An emphasis this year is an educational outreach to middle and high school
students. In particular, papers are sought on students and education, the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, AO-51,
Phase 3E, the Eagle project and other satellite-related topics. A one-page
abstract is due by June 1. Camera-ready copy on paper or in electronic form
is due by September 1 for inclusion in the symposium Proceedings. Send
abstracts and papers to Daniel Schultz, N8FGV .

* KD5PLA to succeed KD5PLB aboard ISS: NASA has announced that US astronaut
Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, will succeed Suni Williams, KD5PLB, as International
Space Station Expedition 15 Flight Engineer later this spring. Anderson will
arrive aboard the ISS aboard the shuttle Atlantis, set to launch June 8. The
same shuttle mission, STS-117, will carry Williams back to Earth after
several months aboard the space outpost. NASA originally planned the
astro-swap for the STS-118 shuttle mission, first set to fly in June but now
targeted for an August launch. Unexpected hail damage to Atlantis' external
fuel tank forced the change in plans, and NASA managers approved the revised
crew rotation April 26, after determining that it would have no impact on
space station operations or future shuttle mission objectives. A
Massachusetts native, Williams has been in space since early December.
During her ISS stay, she's set a record for spacewalks by a female
astronaut, conducting four excursions for a total of 29 hours, 17 minutes.
Upon her return, she will have accumulated more time in space than any other
woman. She's also logged 20 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) school contacts so far. Anderson, a Nebraska native, is making his
first spaceflight. He'll return home next October.

* QCWA, Newsline to collaborate in mentoring program: The Quarter Century
Wireless Association (QCWA) http://www.qcwa.org and Amateur Radio Newsline
(ARNewsline) http://www.arnewsline.org have joined forces in cosponsoring
the Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program. ARNewsline launched
the post-licensing educational service in 2004. It's designed to pair
newcomers with veteran radio amateurs who can share their skill and
experience. "Amateur Radio is a tremendously complex arena", says Newsline
Executive Producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. "We have hams who are truly
experts in numerous fields [and] we want to take advantage of that talent
pool to help educate the next generation of operators and generations to
follow." The collaboration with QCWA makes thousands of veteran radio
amateurs available as potential mentors -- each with at least 25 years of
experience in the hobby. QCWA President John B. Johnston, W3BE, called the
arrangement "a good deal for all of Amateur Radio." A retired FCC employee
and Dayton Radio Amateur of the Year, Johnston says he believes that it is
important to keep ham radio traditions alive. ARNewsline and the QCWA are
now seeking both new radio amateurs and potential QCWA mentors -- or Elmers.
E-mail your name, call sign, address with ZIP code,
telephone number and a convenient time to call.

* "Strange Antenna Challenge," special event set: Operation over Memorial
Day weekend, May 26-28, by special event station K0S will highlight the 2007
Strange Antenna Challenge. Sponsors say K0S will employ out-of-the-ordinary
antennas to promote Amateur Radio and making do with what might be available
during an emergency. Individuals and clubs may participate as "satellite
stations" by using anything but wire or pipe for a radiating element and
adding "/K0S" to their call signs. Details are on the KØS, Strange Antenna
Challenge Web site http://www.n0ew.org/k0s/. Strange antennas used in past
events, dating back to 2002, have included folding chairs, paint easels,
ladders, tape measures, dog kennels, fences, cots and chicken wire (photo)
with a trampoline as an apparent ground plane. "More people share in the fun
each year," says Erik Weaver, N0EW, a Strange Antenna Challenge founder. "I
hope you give me a call this year with your very own strange antenna. Now
let's play radio!"

* We stand corrected: A paragraph in the story "Ham Radio Instrumental in
Pacific Maritime Rescue," in The ARRL Letter, Vol 26, No 19, contained
incorrect information. It should have said: "Another report credits MMSN Net
Controller Rooney Polack, 6Y5RP, in Jamaica with intercepting the Mayday and
assisting via intermittent radio contacts and relays during the first few
hours of the event to get information to the Coast Guard. (Polack is the
Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator for Jamaica and works closely with both
emergency management and the weather service there.)

================================================== =========
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League: ARRL--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 and general news
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The ARRL Web site http://www.arrl.org/ also offers informative features
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Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
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==Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):

==Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL,
==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
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)