***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 27, No. 15
April 18, 2008
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + QST Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX, Named Hamvention
"Amateur of the Year"
* + ARRL Teachers Institute off to a Great Start
* + ARRL Diamond Terrace Grows
* + Amateur Radio "Well Represented" at National Hurricane Conference
* + Forum Schedule Announced for Dayton Hamvention
* + International Marconi Day Event Is April 26
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This Weekend on the Radio
ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration
+ New Apparel Items Now Available from ARRL
+ JARL Operating Award Checking Available at Hamvention
Mexico Group On the Air for World Amateur Radio Day
Notes from the DXCC Desk
ARRL Discontinuing Web Classified Ads

+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: S. Khrystyne Keane,

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

== QST CONTRIBUTING EDITOR H. WARD SILVER, N0AX, NAMED HAMVENTION
"AMATEUR OF THE YEAR"

The 2008 Dayton Hamvention Awards Committee has named QST Contributing
Editor and author H. Ward Silver, N0AX, as its 2008 Amateur of the Year.
The committee said Silver's "books and teaching materials have helped
many become hams." Tom McDermott, N5EG, will receive Hamvention's
Technical Achievement Award to recognize his technical contributions
that helped digital ham radio expand. Emery McClendon, KB9IBW, was named
the recipient of the Special Achievement Award for starting Amateur
Radio Military Appreciation Day (ARMAD) in 2003 as a way for Amateur
Radio to express support and appreciation for our service men and women.
The winners will be feted at a dinner held May 17 at the Marriott Hotel
in Dayton.

Silver, an ARRL Life Member, was first licensed at age 17 in 1972 as
WN0GQP and upgraded to Amateur Extra and changed his call sign to N0AX
in 1976. A contester and DXer, he is on the DXCC Honor Roll.

Silver's award nomination cited his "many contributions, including 'Ham
Radio for Dummies,' his first effort to show that becoming a ham does
not have to be a difficult challenge. His additional books, magazine
articles and his 'Hands On Radio' column in QST have all helped many
hams develop their knowledge and skills." Silver was awarded the ARRL's
Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award in 2003. He is also the editor
of the ARRL's Contester's Rate Sheet and the ARRL Antenna Design Course.
Silver has also written feature articles and product reviews for QST and
compiles QST's "Contest Corral" column.

Silver, who lives on Vashon Island near Seattle, Washington, worked
closely with community leaders and the Vashon-Maury Island Radio Club
(W7VMI) to provide effective emergency communications. According to the
awards committee, radio club members, along with the fire district and
the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), have created one of the
"best local communications systems in the state of Washington."

Calling it "really, really nice and a complete honor" to be named
Amateur of the Year, Silver told the ARRL that "It's a humbling
experience to even be nominated, much less be chosen. To whomever is
responsible for the nomination and to the Hamvention Committee, thank
you. Receiving the award would be impossible without readers,
colleagues, mentors and friends -- so it's just as much for them as it
is for me. Being recognized will keep my fires lit to go on producing,
strive for better accuracy and clarity and figure out how to make it all
be fun, too. I'll just try to act like I deserve it -- most of the
time."

The Hamvention Technical Achievement Award goes to Thomas C. McDermott,
N5EG, for his "more than 20 years of involvement in projects which
further the development of Amateur Radio." According to the awards
committee, McDermott co-developed the TexNet packet switching network in
1986; based on datagram routing, it covered much of the South Central
United States in the 1990s.

McDermott, an ARRL Life Member, received ARRL's Doug DeMaw, W1FB,
Technical Excellence Award in 2004. Licensed for almost 40 years,
McDermott is a member of the IEEE and holds a bachelor's in electrical
engineering. His Amateur Radio interests lie in HF digital
communications, hardware and software design, and an occasional HF
contest.

McDermott was the founder of the Texas Packet Radio Society. As part of
that group, he designed the hardware and some of the protocols for the
TexNet packet switching network; he has been involved in numerous Tucson
Area Packet Radio (TAPR) projects and has written a textbook on wireless
communications. McDermott holds eight patents.

Emery McClendon, KB9IBW, is to receive the Hamvention award for Special
Achievement for his efforts in starting Amateur Radio Military
Appreciation Day (ARMAD) in 2003. He said he started ARMAD "as a way to
have Amateur Radio serve as a tool for the people of our communities to
be able to express 'live' support and appreciation for our troops,
veterans, retired military and first responders." McClendon, of Fort
Wayne, Indiana, became an Amateur Radio operator 16 years ago. His
interest in organizing Military Special Events derives from his four
years of service in the US Air Force and two years in the Indiana Air
National Guard.

Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day has become a popular event,
spreading to other communities. Several military support groups have
developed an interest in having Amateur Radio as a part of their
activities. According to McClendon's award nomination, this has resulted
in introducing Amateur Radio "to thousands of people worldwide who
otherwise would have never known about our public service."

McClendon is active with two local Amateur Radio clubs; he also gives
presentations about Amateur Radio to community groups. His activities,
including ARMAD, have resulted in many TV, radio and media stories
during the past five years, giving exposure to the Amateur Radio
community.

Hamvention Chairman Carl Rose, K8CPR, praised the winners, saying: "On
behalf of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association and Hamvention 2008, it
is my pleasure to congratulate this year's award winners. I ask all hams
to join me in recognizing the outstanding contributions and the many
years of service the winners have given to the Amateur Radio Service."
The world's largest Amateur Radio gathering, Hamvention attracts more
than 20,000 people to the greater Dayton area each spring. Dayton
Hamvention is May 16-18 at Hara Arena near Dayton, Ohio.

== ARRL TEACHERS INSTITUTE OFF TO A GREAT START

The first of six Teachers Institutes in 2008 -- hosted by the Museum of
Science & Technology in Tampa, Florida -- wrapped up April 10. The 11
participating teachers came away from the experience with a multitude of
ideas to improve their classroom instruction. According to Mark Spencer,
WA8SME, Director of the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology,
the four-day institute "focuses on the science of radio, bringing space
technology into the classroom, microcontroller basics and basic robotics
with emphasis not only on the basic concepts, but also teaching
strategies to bring those concepts into the classroom."

Spencer said the Teachers Institute curriculum is an ever-evolving
process; this year, a radio telescope project was added that can be used
to demonstrate the fundamentals of radio astronomy. The "Soldering 101"
unit was enhanced with the addition of a 24-hour clock kit that the
teachers construct and learn how to solder in the process. Finally, a
BOT Instructor's Board was added to enhance the teacher's ability to
instruct basic robotics. Spencer said he designed and developed the BOT
board to "tie all the different pillars of the Teachers Institute into
one umbrella activity that teachers can use to pull the school year
together. The board also can be used to instruct the individual
components of robotics, as well as instruct TV remote technology."
Spencer said he added an ATV component with the board: "There is a lot
of stuff going on with this particular resource."

The Teachers Institute isn't all inside classroom work. The teachers
participate in a fox-hunt activity, take part in ham satellite QSOs and
observe the collection of satellite imagery transmitted by NOAA
satellites -- just as they can do in their classrooms.

Here are a few of the comments from the first 2008 Teachers Institute
participants that summarize their experience:

"One of the other teachers in our Academy of Engineering and Design
Technology class has applied to attend the Teachers Institute in Dayton
this summer. She is excited about the class after hearing of it and
seeing my show-and-tell session."

"We are working on robots now in my class and will be well entrenched by
the end of this school year. Next year promises to be fun and exciting
for the students. The Teachers Institute was a great experience, and the
personal tutelage was responsible for making it so."

"Wonderful doesn't begin to describe it. I knew the basics of radio
communications and transmission through electromagnetic waves, but I now
understand it better than I ever have. The robot was very cool -- it
reinvigorated my love of programming. It only took me four attempts to
run the maze perfectly! I also made many contacts that I will use to
help throughout my teaching career!"

"The instructor is great, absolutely great -- proof that if you do what
you love, you'll love what you do!"

"Thanks again for the wonderful experience. I am looking forward to
implementing what I learned in the classroom. Please let me know if you
will be offering any follow up institutes."

The remaining Institutes for 2008 are just about filled to capacity,
Spencer said. "Though the application deadline is May 15, the available
seats filled up fast. If you are a teacher, or know of a teacher who
could benefit from the experience, don't wait to submit an application
for the few remaining seats. If you can't make it this year, perhaps
next year. We are adding two additional instructors in anticipation of
expanding the program in the future."

Five more Teachers Institutes are scheduled for 2008: June 16-19 in
Rocklin, California at the Parallax Facility; June 25-28 in Tucson,
Arizona at Pueblo Magnet High School; July 14-17 in Dayton, Ohio at P&R
Communications, and July 28-31 and August 4-7 in Newington, Connecticut
at ARRL Headquarters. Enrollment in these four-day expenses paid
sessions is limited to 12 participants each. Application deadline is May
15, 2008. Applicants must be an active teacher at elementary, middle or
high school level, or hold a leadership position in an enrichment or
after-school program; an Amateur Radio license is not required. For more
information, please visit the Teachers Institute Web site
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/ti.html.

== ARRL DIAMOND TERRACE GROWS

Spring is finally here and it's that time -- time to expand the Diamond
Terrace at ARRL. "We've been waiting all winter for the opportunity to
add new inscribed bricks and today's the day," said ARRL Chief
Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH. "Since the last installation in
the fall of 2007, we've been accumulating bricks from Diamond Club
donors who have donated generously to honor their own call sign or that
of an Elmer, friend or family member." The 150 bricks were moved
Thursday, April 17 to the Terrace area in preparation for the masons to
arrive early Friday morning to begin work.

Hobart said this installation is not the end of the project: "The
Diamond Terrace project continues as long as members want to place
bricks -- or we run out of space! We continue to receive requests from
individuals as well as clubs to place bricks in the Terrace, so the
project is still growing. Now is the perfect time to renew or join the
Diamond Club -- or upgrade -- at the Brass Level so that we can install
bricks over the next six months or so."

The terrace ultimately will consist of 5000 bricks. "We hope it will be
a catalyst for growth, and that many members will support this effort,"
she said.

For a minimum donation of $250 to the ARRL Diamond Club, donors will
receive one personalized brick to be placed in the Diamond Terrace.
Donors may request up to three lines of 16 characters (spaces and
punctuation included) per line on each brick, although the more lines,
the smaller the characters. Legends may consist of a call sign or a name
-- or both -- or a club name and call sign and even a year. Diamond Club
members contributing $250 or more each year may add a new brick, or
bricks, to the terrace.

There is no limit to the number of bricks a Diamond Club member may
place on the Terrace. Brick requests will be accumulated throughout the
year and placed in the Diamond Terrace starting in late spring of each
year. Bricks will be set in sand and are treated to withstand a harsh
New England winter.

The Diamond Terrace recognizes donors wishing to venerate their own call
signs or to honor or memorialize the call sign of a family member, club
or "Elmer" (mentor) bricks. "I have heard wonderful stories from donors
who are honoring their Elmer or a family member, and clubs who are
honoring a founder or influential leader. There is no limit to the
reasons why bricks are placed to honor a call sign," Hobart said.

Especially generous donors may wish to donate a garden bench to The
Diamond Terrace at ARRL for an initial donation of $10,000. "Six garden
benches of Vermont granite, the capstone of the Terrace, have been
placed, thanks to the contributions of six incredibly generous hams,"
Hobart said. Bench donors include Frank Butler, W4RH; Larry Price, W4RA;
Dick Isely, W9GIG; Paul Rinaldo, W4RI; Mike Zak, W1MU, and the Hollywood
Hills QRP Contest Club.

"We had plans to refurbish the Headquarters entrance area, so this was
an ideal opportunity to invite our members to participate in the project
and supporting League programs at the same time," said Hobart. "We want
to grow the Diamond Club, which enables the ARRL to continue programs
that require revenue above and beyond what annual dues provide, ensuring
their long-term health and enabling the League to do more on behalf of
Amateur Radio."

When the ARRL Diamond Terrace was officially opened in July 2007, ARRL
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said, "All of us who work
here in Newington get to enjoy the Diamond Terrace every day when we
come to work. We get to walk through a greatly enhanced entrance that
sends the right message to staff and to our members, as well as
visitors, about the character and tradition of our organization."

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, concurred: "When you talk to the
average ham out on the street, and you ask him what's important to him
in Amateur Radio, he will tell you, 'I want to go into my shack, I want
to turn on my radio and I want to get on the air. I want to enjoy
Amateur Radio. You take care of that for me. You are my organization,
the ARRL; you handle that for me.'"

Harrison continued that in order for that to happen, a lot of work takes
place behind the scenes. "With all that we have going on in Washington,
nationally, with all the attacks on Amateur Radio's resources, it takes
people like you in Newington, it takes people like we have on the Board
of Directors and most importantly, it takes people who donate to our
development program to make that all happen. The Diamond Terrace is just
one part of that, and it's a successful part. It adds a lot of meaning
to Amateur Radio and to the ARRL. From the bottom of my heart, I want to
say 'thank you' to every one of our donors."

Diamond Club enrollment ($75-$249 per year for regular members; $50
annually for Life Members) includes ARRL full-member benefits, including
QST. The Diamond Club now has more than 2000 members, and the
unrestricted funds it takes in support such ARRL activities as spectrum
defense, educational initiatives, field services, DXCC, publications,
contesting and the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator among others,
Hobart points out. "You pick an area that's near and dear to your heart,
and Diamond Club revenue is very likely supporting it."

The ARRL Diamond Terrace, built by Robert Antonello and Son, under the
watchful eye of ARRL Building Manager, Greg Kwasowski, W1GJK, and
Hobart, is a lasting tribute to Amateur Radio and the ARRL. "I hope that
those who are fortunate to visit ARRL Headquarters will enjoy the new
look of their Amateur Radio home. It has been a pleasure to work with
each Diamond Club donor to craft the engraving for their brick, and I
hope many can come and see the terrace personally," Hobart said.

Contact Hobart by telephone (860-594-0397) or e-mail or
visit the ARRL Web site
https://www.arrl.org/forms/developme...lub/diamond.ht
ml to learn more or to sign up for your Diamond Club membership and
Diamond Terrace brick.

== AMATEUR RADIO "WELL REPRESENTED" AT NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE

More than 2000 people attended the 30th Annual National Hurricane
Conference in Orlando, Florida March 31-April 4. Conference Chairman Max
Mayfield stated in his opening remarks that he was pleased to see such a
turnout, despite the fact that the 2007 hurricane season didn't impact
the United States as in past years. ARRL Emergency Preparedness and
Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, attended on behalf of the League.

According to Dura, Amateur Radio was well represented in the
pre-Conference training with a variety of presentations. The National
Hurricane Center (NHC) maintains a fully equipped and functional Amateur
Radio station at its headquarters, WX4NHC. Station coordinators John
McHugh, K4AG, and Julio Ripoll, WD4R, provided a comprehensive overview
of the activities of the NHC, emphasizing the interaction and importance
of Amateur Radio in the forecasting of tropical events. McHugh further
detailed the Caribbean Amateur Radio Meteorological Emergency Network
(CARMEN) program, discussing how the program in its current stage can
use revitalization and rebuilding to provide improved information to the
NHC.

Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net Rob Macedo, KD1CY,
presented a detailed overview of the system that integrates EchoLink and
the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP). "For the past few years,"
Dura said, "this operation has been building to become another reliable
source of information for the National Hurricane Center."

Dura and Macedo offered the final Amateur Radio presentation of the
Conference, "Disaster Intelligence and Situational Awareness Utilizing
Amateur Radio." This discussion went beyond the traditional uses of
Amateur Radio into the areas of damage assessment, infrastructure
monitoring, communications systems replacement and rapid situational
analyses, Dura said.

According to Dura, NHC Director Bill Read, KB5FYA, has had an active
past using Amateur Radio at NWS facilities. "He personally utilized ham
radio during SKYWARN activations dealing with severe weather. He
completely understands and acknowledges the vital role we play in
providing the National Hurricane Center through WX4NHC. He hopes to have
some time in his new role to actually get on the air with the hams of
WX4NHC and once again use our tremendous resource of information
gathering," Dura said.

During the Conference, Read praised Amateur Radio, saying, "Ham radio
has always played a critical role in emergencies. What goes out when you
have a high wind event or major flooding is the communications system,
so you lose even cell phones, landline phones, commercial radio and TV.
In those cases, ham radio operators that can put up emergency
transmitters and antennas in the wake of a storm can give us reports
that are valuable. They also help in the search and rescue efforts in
the aftermath."

== FORUM SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR DAYTON HAMVENTION

One of the many highlights at Dayton Hamvention is the myriad of
educational and fun forums that take place the entire weekend at Hara
Arena. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association has coordinated 46 unique
programs that encompass nearly 80 hours of programs and activities for
the thousands of people expected to attend these programs. Hamvention,
the largest event of its kind, will be May 16-18 at Hara Arena in Dayton
Ohio. Please keep in mind that the schedule may change before
Hamvention.

Friday, May 16
9:15-10:45 AM - TAPR Digital Forum (Room 1)
9:15-10:15 AM - ARRL Public Relations -- Making It Work for You Locally
(Room 2)
9:15-10:15 AM - Lightning Protection for the Shack (Room 3)
9:15-10:15 AM - National Frequency Coordinators Council (Room 5)
10:30-11:30 AM - ARRL Member Forum (Room 2)
10:30-11:30 AM - Teachers Workshop (Room 3)
10:30-11:30 AM - SATERN -- Salvation Army Team Emergency Network (Room
5)
11 AM-1 PM - D-STAR Forum (Room 1)
11:45 AM-1 PM - Kit Building (Room 2)
11:45 AM-12:45 PM - The Evolution of the National Traffic System (Room
3)
11:45 AM-12:45 PM - SHARES Forum (Room 5)
1:15-2:15 PM - Balloon Forum (Room 1)
1:15-2:15 PM - APRS - Automatic Position Reporting System (Room 2)
1-2:30 PM - Ham Radio and the Law (Room 3)
1-2 PM - QRP Forum (Room 5)
2:15-3:15 - Young Ladies Radio League (Room 5)
2:30-3:45 PM - Drake Forum (Room 2)
2:45-3:45 - Gordon West -- Digital Signal Processing Speakers (Room 3)
3:30-5 PM - Test Equipment for Hams (Room 5)
4-5 PM - Amplitude Modulation Forum (Room 2)
4-5 PM - 10-10 International Forum (Room 3)

Saturday, May 17
9-10 AM - How Ham Radio Meets Boy Scouts, or Adventures with Elmer
Baden-Powell (Room 2)
9-10 AM - MARS Tri-Service Forum (Room 3)
9-11:30 AM - Software Defined Radio Forum (Room 1)
9-11:30 AM - AMSAT Forum (Room 5)
10:15-11:15 - Don't Tell Me It Can't Be Done! (Room 2)
10:15-11:15 AM - ARES Forum (Room 3)
11:30 AM-12:15 PM - ARRL Radiosport Forum (Room 2)
11:30 AM-1:45 PM - 2008 Ham Radio Town Meeting (Room 3)
11:45 AM-1:45 PM - ATV (Fast Scan Amateur Television) Forum (Room 5)
11:45 AM-2:15 PM - Contesting Forum (Room 1)
12:30-1:30 PM - RTTY Forum (Room 2)
1:45-2:45 PM - MIDCARS (Room 2)
2-3 PM - ARRL Technology Task Force (Room 5)
2-3:15 - FCC Forum with Riley Hollingsworth (Room 3)
2:30-5 PM - DX Forum (Room 1)
3-5 PM - UHF/VHF/Microwave Forum (Room 2)
3:15-5 PM - Youth in Amateur Radio Forum (Room 5)
3:30-5 PM - SSTV Forum (Room 3)

Sunday, May 18
9:15-10:15 AM - ARRL and the Mars Desert Research Station (Room 1)
9:15-10:15 AM - Collins Radio Forum (Room 2)
9:15-10:15 - The Role of Ham Radio in Red Cross Chapter Communications
(Room 3)
9:30-11:15 AM - Bicycle Mobile Forum (Room 5)
10:30-11:30 - ARRL Digital Forum (Room 1)
10:30-11:30 AM - Techniques of the Best Operators (Room 2)
10:30-11:30 AM - Ohio MARS Forum (Room 3)

For more information on forums at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention, please
visit the Dayton Hamvention Web site
http://www.hamvention.org/hv2008/forums/index.html.

== INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY EVENT IS APRIL 26

Special event stations will be on the air Saturday, April 26 (UTC), to
mark International Marconi Day (IMD), a 24-hour Amateur Radio event
commemorating the birth of wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi on April
25, 1874.

Participants can qualify for awards by making contacts on 160 through 10
meters (CW, SSB and digital) with designated IMD stations operating on
or near a site where Marconi carried out experiments or where Marconi
equipment was used prior to his death in 1937. The sponsoring Cornish
Radio Amateur Club (CRAC) will operate GB4IMD from Pendennis Castle,
Falmouth, Cornwall, overlooking Falmouth Harbour where Marconi spent
some 10 days aboard his yacht in April 1923.

Additional IMD stations will be on the air from the UK, the US, Canada,
South America, Australia and Europe. The IMD Web site has a list of IMD
2008 award stations http://www.gb4imd.org.uk/awardstns.htm.

On the US side, the Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club, KM1CC, will participate
at the Coast Guard Station on Coast Guard Beach in Eastham,
Massachusetts, just south of Marconi's original 1903 station on Cape
Cod.

If you would like to operate an IMD 2008 award station, register your
station prior to the event, providing full details
. More information on International Marconi Day
can be found on the IMD Web site http://www.gb4imd.org.uk/.

==SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "Wild men who caught and sang the Sun in flight" Cook, K7RA, this
week reports: We saw a string of zero-sunspot days over the past couple
of weeks, but this week saw a brief but significant sunspot that lasted
only a couple of days. Sunspot 990 emerged as a tiny speck over April
14-15, but it was definitely a Solar Cycle 24 spot. Not only was the
polarity of this region correct for the new Cycle, but it was far north
above the Sun's equator, which is what we expect for a sunspot from an
emerging solar cycle. The only previous Cycle 24 activity was close to
the solar equator. Sunspot numbers for April 10-16 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 11,
12 and 0 with a mean of 3.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 67.9, 67.1, 68.2,
69.3, 68.5, 69.2 and 69.5 with a mean of 68.5. Estimated planetary A
indices were 8, 4, 11, 7, 2, 5 and 15 with a mean of 7.4. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were 6, 3, 8, 6, 2, 3 and 9, with a mean of 5.3.
Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions April 18, quiet
to unsettled April 19, quiet April 20, quiet to unsettled April 21,
active April 22-23 and unsettled to active April 24. For more
information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical
Information Service Propagation page
http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html. To read this week's
Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation Bulletin
page http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.

__________________________________

==IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, look for the Holyland DX
Contest, the TARA Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest, the ES Open HF
Championship, the Feld Hell Sprint and the EU Spring Sprint (SSB) on
April 19. The Michigan QSO Party, the EA-QRP CW Contest, the Ontario QSO
Party and the YU DX Contest are April 19-20. The Run for the Bacon QRP
Contest is April 21. The SKCC Sprint is April 23 and the RSGB 80 Meter
Club Championship (Data) is April 24. Next weekend, the SP DX RTTY
Contest, the Helvetia Contest, the QRP to the Field contest and the
Florida QSO Party are all scheduled for April 26-27. See the ARRL
Contest Branch page http://www.arrl.org/contests/, the ARRL
Contester's Rate Sheet http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/ and
the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains
open through Sunday, May 4, 2008, for these online course sessions
beginning on Friday, May 16, 2008: 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). Each online course has been developed in
segments -- learning units with objectives, informative text, student
activities and quizzes. Courses are interactive, and some include direct
communications with a Mentor/Instructor. Students register for a
particular session that may be 8, 12 or 16 weeks (depending on the
course) and they may access the course at any time of day during the
course period, completing lessons and activities at times convenient for
their personal schedule. Mentors assist students by answering questions,
reviewing assignments and activities, as well as providing helpful
feedback. Interaction with mentors is conducted through e-mail; there is
no appointed time the student must be present -- allowing complete
flexibility for the student to work when and where it is convenient. To
learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page
http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html or contact the Continuing
Education Program Coordinator .

* New Apparel Items Now Available from ARRL: Show off your ham radio
pride with ARRL's new line of HAM apparel. The new shirt, sweatshirt and
ball cap feature the very popular oval Euro design with "HAM" emblazoned
in the center and the ARRL Web site address centered underneath it. The
T shirt is a pre-shrunk black Hanes beefy-T with white contrast
stitching. The HAM oval is screenprinted on the left chest. This trendy
T shirt comes in unisex sizes from small to 3X for only $12.95 each. The
heavyweight black sweatshirt features a quarter-zip neckline with a
brass metal zipper and leather pull. The HAM oval is embroidered on the
left chest. This sweatshirt is perfect for the still chilly nights of
spring and comes in unisex sizes from small to 3X for only $34.95 each.
The black ballcap features the HAM oval embroidered in the center of the
cap. With an adjustable Velcro tab closure, this cap is sure to fit just
about anyone. Get yours for only $12.95. Receive a free HAM Euro sticker
(a $2 value) http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9595 when you order one
of these three HAM items before May 31, 2008. Order your HAM items today
http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=NO-HAM#top.

* JARL Operating Award Checking Available at Hamvention: A
representative of the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) will be
available at Dayton Hamvention May 16-18 to check applications for JARL
awards and to issue certificates for certain awards (AJD, WAJA, JCC,
JCG, ADXA and ADXA-Half). Those with 10 JA QSL cards each of the 10 JA
districts can apply for the All Japan District Award (AJD) at
Hamvention. Former JARL executive director and renowned DXer Masa
Ebisawa, JA1DM, will be at Booth 484 in the Ballarena of Hara Arena,
near ARRL EXPO 2008. Applications for other JARL awards can be checked
at the JARL booth, and awards will be mailed from JARL headquarters.
Masa also will be ready to answer questions on JARL activities as well
as reciprocal licensing in Japan. Applicants do not need to present QSL
cards when applying for awards, but they must submit a QSL card list,
sign a declaration that they possess all necessary QSL cards and be able
to present any card at JARL's request. The QSL card list should include:
call sign, date, band, mode and entity (or other data required by each
award). Applicants may use a DXCC Record Sheet for their QSL card list.
The fee for each award is $14.

* Mexico Group On the Air for World Amateur Radio Day: Amateurs all over
the world are getting into the spirit of the 83rd World Amateur Radio
Day on April 18. Grupo DXXE http://www.dxxe.org of Mexico will be on
the air with a special call sign, XE83IARU, that day in honor of the
IARU and World Amateur Radio Day. For those pursuing the DXXE award,
organizers state this is a valid station for that award. Information on
the DXXE Award (in both Spanish and English) is available on the DXEE
Web site http://www.dxxe.org/index6.html. QSL via Richard Moen, N7RO,
2935 Plymouth Dr, Bellingham, WA 98225.

* Notes from the DXCC Desk: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, has
announced that the following operations have been approved for DXCC
credit: the 2007 operation to Uganda, 5X1NH; the 2007 operation to
Western Sahara, S05A; the 2008 operation to Burundi, 9UXEV; the 2008
operation to Syria, YK9G, and the ongoing operation of HZ1PS in Saudi
Arabia. If you have cards rejected or have any questions concerning
these operations, please e-mail the DXCC Desk .

* ARRL Discontinuing Web Classified Ads: As of April 30, 2008, the ARRL
will discontinue the "Radios On-Line" section of the ARRL Web site.

================================================== =========
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.

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