***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 09
March 4, 2005
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* +FCC Morse, restructuring proposals could be out by mid-year
* +ARRL asks FCC to invalidate new Florida RFI law
* +ISS crew commander gets to "phone home" via ham radio
* +Utility airs BPL plans for San Diego hams
* +Ham radio in the limelight at emergency management conference
* +Free basic electronics presentation available from ARRL
* +Act now! Emergency communications course tuition subsidies ending
* +Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award for 2004 goes to N1II
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio: ARRL International DX Contest (SSB) and
more!
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
Amateur Radio workshop set for National Hurricane Conference
New Mexico emergency planners to learn about Amateur Radio resource
ARRL member's suggestion leads to on-line FCC Forms
Problems with delivery of ARRL e-mail products often on recipient's end
Correction
DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit
+Available on ARRL Audio News
===========================================================
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
==>FCC MORSE, RESTRUCTURING PROPOSALS COULD HIT THE STREET BY MID-YEAR
The FCC continues to work toward developing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making
(NPRM) that will spell out what the Commission has in mind with respect to
possible changes in the current Morse code requirement and Amateur Radio
licensing.
A total of 18 petitions have been filed, including one from the ARRL,
seeking Part 97 rule changes addressing the future of the 5 WPM Morse
requirement (Element 1) and revisions to the overall Amateur Radio licensing
structure. The FCC is planning to tackle all 18 rulemaking petitions within
the framework of a single proceeding.
As far as the code issue is concerned, petitions--and comments in response
to them--run the gamut from retaining or even beefing up the Morse
requirement to eliminating it altogether. (The ARRL's proposal would retain
the 5 WPM Morse examination for Amateur Extra class applicants only.) The
League and others have also put forth proposals for a new entry-level
Amateur Radio license class.
At this point, personnel in the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau are
continuing to review the thousands of comments filed on the 18 petitions.
While the FCC appears unlikely to release an NPRM any sooner than mid-2005,
the issue still may be a major discussion topic during the FCC Forum at
Dayton Hamvention, May 20-22.
Once public, the NPRM will initiate yet another round of public
comments--this time on what the FCC has proposed. An FCC Report and Order to
implement any new rules regarding Morse code and license restructuring is
unlikely before the second half of 2006, although it's possible the
Commission could wrap up the proceeding before then.
==>LEAGUE ASKS FCC TO VOID FLORIDA RFI STATUTE
The ARRL has asked the FCC to invalidate a Florida law that prohibits anyone
making radio transmissions without a license or Commission "exemption" from
interfering with licensed broadcast stations. In a Request for Declaratory
Ruling to the Commission February 25, the League maintains that only the FCC
has authority to regulate radio stations and RFI. By prohibiting
interference to broadcasters, the ARRL contends, the Florida law could have
the apparently unintended consequence of affecting ham radio licensees as
well as operators of certain unlicensed Part 15 devices, such as cordless
telephones.
"What is clear is that no radio transmissions, licensed or not, are
permitted if they result in interference to public or commercial radio
stations licensed by the Commission," the League said. "Thus, it would
appear that Commission-licensed Amateur Radio stations in Florida are
subject to felony prosecution if their transmissions interfere with
interference-susceptible broadcast or other radio receivers used in
listening to public or commercial radio stations."
The law also could subject operators of Part 15 unlicensed intentional
radiators that interfere with broadcast stations to felony criminal
prosecution, the League said, adding that it "could be interpreted to
prohibit operation of Part 15 devices entirely."
Citing case law and legal opinions dating as far back as the 1930s, the ARRL
requested a declaratory ruling from the FCC that the Florida statute
"exceeds the jurisdiction of the State of Florida and intrudes on the
exclusive jurisdiction afforded the Commission by the Communications Act of
1934 as amended, to regulate radio stations and to address interference
phenomena."
The Florida Legislature enacted the law, §877.27 of the Florida Criminal
Statutes (under "Miscellaneous Crimes"), last year. It took effect July 1,
2004. Violations would be considered third-degree felonies in Florida.
The ARRL says it's not clear that Florida lawmakers intended the law to be
as broad in its application as it reads, but that the new law--apparently
aimed at unlicensed "pirate" broadcasters--"nonetheless on its face
prohibits any person from causing interference" with an FCC-licensed
broadcast station.
Although the Communications Act of 1934 does not specifically preempt state
regulation of RFI matters, Congress clarified in 1982 that all
telecommunications are interstate and subject to exclusive regulation by the
FCC, the ARRL pointed out. It cited the Communications Amendments Act of
1982, Public Law 97-259 to support its stance.
"The legislative history of the Communications Amendments Act of 1982
demonstrates that Congress intended to completely preempt the regulation of
RFI," and leave it solely in the hands of the FCC, the ARRL said. The League
also noted that courts "likewise have refused to allow private lawsuits
against commercial broadcasters to abate RFI problems."
In a 2003 case, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the FCC "held clearly that
all attempts by states and municipalities to regulate RFI are void as
preempted by the supremacy clause of the Constitution," the ARRL said. The
League's petition concludes that the Florida statute "is void as preempted
by federal communications law."
==>SOYUZ A SMOOTHER RIDE THAN SHUTTLE, ASTRONAUT TELLS STUDENTS
Youngsters attending St John's School in Houston, Texas, used ham radio to
pose 15 questions about life in space to International Space Station (ISS)
Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. For Chiao, the contact February
23 between NA1SS and W5RRR--the club station at the Johnson Space Center
(JSC)--was a way to "phone home," in a manner of speaking. The QSO was
arranged through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) program. One student was curious about the differences between
traveling into space aboard the Russian Soyuz vehicle and the US space
shuttle.
"The Russian rocket, because it doesn't use solid-rocket boosters, is
actually much smoother. It's liquid engines the whole time and just feels a
little bit different," Chiao explained. "Also, because it's a missile--not a
winged vehicle like the shuttle--the actual trajectory is a little bit
different that than of the shuttle, so we actually pull a few more Gs. We
get up to about four and a half Gs as opposed to three Gs on the American
space shuttle." So-called "G" forces refer to the force of gravity during
acceleration.
Both spacecraft convey crews into space--the Soyuz can hold three
passengers, while the shuttle can accommodate a crew more than twice that
size, and both take the same amount of time to get into space--about eight
and a half minutes, Chiao pointed out. The Soyuz vehicles have been the sole
means of transporting crews to and from the ISS since NASA grounded its
shuttle fleet following the 2003 shuttle Columbia tragedy. As a result, ISS
crew complements dropped from three to two members. NASA hopes to return the
shuttle to flight this summer.
Chiao said haircuts and shaving in zero gravity present minor challenges to
the ISS crews. "For haircuts we do have an attachment we hook up to the
vacuum cleaner to keep the hairs from flying all over the place when we cut
each other's hair, and so we've both become amateur barbers," he told the
students. Chiao said that for shaving, the crew has a choice of electric
razors or blades.
The Expedition 10 Commander also said humans are naturally curious and
explorers. "We want to know what's on the other side of that mountain," he
said.
St John's teacher Rene Wright thanked Chiao for selecting the school for an
ARISS school group contact. "For us it has been the experience of a
lifetime," she said. Chiao allowed that the contact was a real pleasure for
him and that it was "great to be talking to home again."
Ten St John's students ranging from elementary through high school age
participated in the QSO. Looking on were some 400 students, teachers and
parents. The Johnson Space Center's Nick Lance, KC5KBO, served as control
operator for the contact.
ARISS is an educational outreach with US
participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
==>UTILITY INFORMS HAM RADIO CLUB OF PRELIMINARY BPL PLANS
Staff members of San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) in California
announced during a February 23 presentation to the San Diego DX Club that
the utility plans to deploy multiple broadband over power line (BPL) test
sites in San Diego County. Locations for the BPL pilot projects have not yet
been specified. Several BPL equipment vendors are expected to be involved in
the trials, each with its own test area and frequency plan, and the first
system could be in place as early as this June, with others following soon
after.
The SDG&E staffers said they were unimpressed by early BPL equipment, but
were encouraged by a December visit to the Cinergy BPL system in
Cincinnati--said to pass some 50,000 homes reportedly without generating any
interference complaints so far. Cinergy has partnered with Current
Technologies in its BPL venture.
ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, says that while Current Technologies' BPL
equipment does reduce emissions in most spectrum used by Amateur Radio, it
operates at full strength on other HF spectrum--such as the international
shortwave broadcast bands--and it uses low-VHF on medium voltage lines.
"The Current Technologies' BPL HF emissions are from the 120/240 V wiring
only, so it is not likely that the signals will propagate along a line as
well as systems that put HF signals directly onto overhead medium-voltage
distribution lines," Hare said. But he added that even with the best
"notching" techniques, interference is still possible from a nearby BPL
system.
"ARRL's concern is that if the degree of protection this BPL equipment
provides proves inadequate for such circumstances and interference occurs,
there are no additional solutions to apply," Hare said.
==>ARRL SPOTLIGHTS HAM RADIO AT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
The ARRL promoted Amateur Radio at the National Emergency Management
Association (NEMA) Mid-Year Conference February 12-15 in Washington, DC.
With help from Maryland-District of Columbia Section Emergency Coordinator
Mike Carr, WA1QAA, and Assistant Section Manager and Emergency Coordinator
Jim Cross, WI3N, ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller,
K3UFG, staffed an Amateur Radio exhibit booth at the gathering.
"This event provided excellent exposure for Amateur Radio to the larger
emergency management community," Miller said. "Interaction with those
representing many diverse levels of emergency management is a win-win
proposition." Miller said the ARRL's presence further established the League
as a national point of contact to answer questions about Amateur Radio's
emergency communication capabilities. At the same time, he said, it gave
League representatives a chance to hear the concerns of emergency managers
for followup with local ARES teams.
The conference also offered an opportunity for NEMA members--ARRL
included--to discuss the many challenges facing the emergency management
world, to share solutions, grow professionally, network with peers and
strengthen relationships with partner organizations. NEMA also shared with
federal officials its views on emergency preparedness for all hazards.
Individuals and organizations involved in shaping the future of homeland
security and emergency management offered presentations and forums.
Miller said many of the nearly 350 attendees representing federal and state
emergency management and other agencies around the US stopped by the ARRL
booth to complete a short questionnaire and to discuss Amateur Radio--with a
focus on emergency communications.
==>ARRL OFFERING FREE BASIC ELECTRONICS PRESENTATION
The ARRL Education and Technology Program is offering schools and clubs a
CD-ROM presentation on basic electronics. The instructional presentation is
available free of charge upon request.
"The Basic Electronics Course is intended for teachers and instructors who
want a ready resource they can adapt to their instruction of electronics
fundamentals," says ARRL Education and Technology Coordinator Mark Spencer,
WA8SME. "The materials include a PowerPoint presentation and instructor's
script."
Spencer says the course is designed around affordable components, a
prototyping board and a volt-ohmmeter (VOM). The recommended text is
Understanding Basic Electronics
.
"The course covers the very basics up to Ohm's Law and then touches on other
components like capacitors, coils, diodes and transistors--components common
to virtually all electronic circuits," Spencer explains. He says teachers or
instructors can use the presentation "as is" with the script or "cut and
paste and roll their own" course.
"The course should take on the order of 10 hours to present," he notes. The
PowerPoint presentation is on the order of 19 MB, so it is being made
available on CD-ROM by request. Spencer has included a parts list and
source. Those with high-speed Internet connections may wish to download the
PowerPoint presentation
and
the Instructor's Script MS-Word document
.
For ARRL Education and Technology Program-participating schools, Spencer
says he's kitted up the necessary parts, VOM, prototyping boards and text.
That package is available by request to program schools as part of their
progress grants.
For more information or to request a copy of the presentation, contact Mark
Spencer, WA8SME, mspencer@arrl.org; 860-594-0396.
==>GRANT-SPONSORED EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COURSE REIMBURSEMENTS ENDING
The last Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course seats available for
tuition reimbursement under the Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS) grant will open in June. After that, only a few reimbursable
seats in each course will be offered through October under a United
Technologies Corporation (UTC) grant.
"This has been a very successful program, thanks chiefly to the support and
participation of the ARRL Field Organization," said ARRL Emergency
Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. "We sincerely appreciate
your efforts and hope that with your continued support, these grants will
conclude on a successful note."
By the time the CNCS and UTC grants end, it's expected that some 8000 radio
amateurs will have taken advantage of the tuition subsidies and received
training in Amateur Radio emergency communication. At this time, no further
grant-sponsored reimbursements for Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Course students are on the horizon.
The CCE Online Course Schedule is available on the ARRL Web site.
. Students may register online during
the applicable registration window or via
US Postal Service mail. Applicants should indicate the desired course, age
group, gender, veteran status, preferred e-mail address and telephone
number.
For more information, visit the C-CE Web site or
e-mail the C-CE Department, cce@arrl.org.
==>N1II IS 2004 BILL ORR, W6SAI, TECHNICAL WRITING AWARD WINNER
The ARRL Foundation Board of Directors has selected Paul Danzer, N1II, as
the 2004 recipient of the Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award. Acting
upon a recommendation from the QST editorial staff, the Foundation Board
recognized Danzer for his article "Open Wire Feed Line--A Second Look,"
which appeared in the April 2004 edition of QST (p 34).
"I am surprised and proud to be named in the same sentence as Bill Orr, who
was a major contributor to the ARRL goal of providing practical technology
to radio amateurs around the world," Danzer reacted. "I am grateful that the
editors of QST have allowed me to make a small contribution toward that
goal."
QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, noted that the award pays tribute to the
winning author's ability to explain technical topics in a manner that is
easy for relatively non-technical people to understand. "I believe Paul's
article was a well-done explanation of balanced feed lines," he added.
Danzer's article concluded that "with a little care," open-wire feed lines
can allow using one dipole on many bands.
A resident of Norwalk, Connecticut, Danzer is a former ARRL Headquarters
staff member and served as a book editor for several years, during which he
wrote the ARRL books Your Ham Antenna Companion and co-authored PCs in the
Ham Shack.
First licensed in 1953, Danzer says Amateur radio played a large part in his
30-plus year career as an engineer. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees
in electrical engineering and is a Life Senior Member of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).
Danzer authored one of the first children's books on computers in 1981, A
Young Person's Guide to Computers. He is also the author of more than 200
magazine articles on Amateur Radio and computers and holds 11 patents. He is
currently a professor of computer science at Housatonic Community College in
Connecticut.
The award's namesake, Bill Orr, was best known for his voluminous
publications for radio amateurs, including such reference gems as The Radio
Handbook, The Beam Antenna Handbook, The Quad Antenna Handbook, The VHF-UHF
Manual and The W6SAI HF Antenna Handbook, some written in collaboration with
Stu Cowan, W2LX. From the 1940s through the 1980s, Orr was a frequent
contributor to QST, for which he authored dozens of articles, tips and
pieces of correspondence. Additionally, Orr constructed some of the
amplifiers once used at ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW. He died in 2001.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Solar sage Tad "Sunny" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: This week
saw a quiet sun, which will be a frequent observation over the next few
years. The average daily sunspot number was down nearly 31 points to 14.9,
and average daily solar flux was off 21 points to 76.3. Planetary
geomagnetic activity was down just slightly, and mid-latitude activity was
just about the same as the previous reporting week.
Over the next week expect a rising sunspot count and solar flux, with flux
values peaking above 100 around March 11-14. March 6-9 could see some
unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions based on activity during the
previous solar rotation.
This weekend is the ARRL International DX SSB Contest. Don't expect great
conditions like when the sunspot cycle was higher, but at least we are
moving toward the spring equinox, and the geomagnetic conditions should be
quiet.
Sunspot numbers for February 24 through March 2 were 17, 15, 27, 12, 11, 11
and 11, with a mean of 14.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 80.3, 78.2, 76.6, 75.8,
75, 73.7 and 74.6, with a mean of 76.3. Estimated planetary A indices were
5, 9, 9, 8, 12, 11 and 12 with a mean of 9.4. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 4, 9, 9, 6, 8, 10 and 8, with a mean of 6.6.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The ARRL International DX Contest (SSB), the
Wake-Up! QRP Sprint and the Open Ukraine RTTY Championship are the weekend
of March 5-6. The DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest is March 6, the RSGB
80-Meter Club Championship (Data) is March 7, the ARS Spartan Sprint is
March 8, and the Pesky Texan Armadillo Chase is March 10. JUST AHEAD: The
RSGB Commonwealth Contest (CW), the AGCW QRP Contest, the Oklahoma and
Wisconsin QSO parties, the North American Sprint (RTTY), the UBA Spring
Contest (CW) and the NSARA Contest are March 12-13. The RSGB 80-Meter Club
Championship (CW) is March 16. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
for more info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL RFI (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction
(EC-009) and Analog Electronics (EC-013) courses remains open through
Sunday, March 6. Classes begin Friday, March 18. Antenna Design and
Construction students will, among other things, learn about basic dipoles
and ground planes and how to assemble combinations of these into more
complex antennas. Students also learn about transmission lines, standing
wave ratio, phased arrays and Yagis. Students participating in the RFI
course will learn to identify various interference sources. Analog
Electronics students will learn about instrumentation, Kirchhoff's Laws,
diodes, rectifier circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various
amplifier configurations, filters, timers, op amps, and voltage regulators.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE)
Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program
Department cce@arrl.org.
* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course
(EC-001) opens Monday, March 07, 2005, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open
until all available seats have been filled or through the March 12-13
weekend--whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, March 25. Radio
amateurs 55 and up are strongly encouraged to participate. Act now! This is
the final year of the grant-subsidized classes! Thanks to our grant
sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and United
Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will
be reimbursed after successful completion of the course. During this
registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a
first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification
and Continuing Education Web page . For more
information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller,
K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
* Amateur Radio workshop set for National Hurricane Conference: The 27th
annual National Hurricane Conference March 21-25 will include an Amateur
Radio workshop, "Preparing for a Communications Blackout." The ham radio
session will take place Tuesday, March 22, 1:30 until 5 PM. The 2005
National Hurricane Conference--the national forum for education and
professional training in hurricane preparedness--will be held at the Hilton
Riverside in New Orleans. Workshop speakers will include Florida EMS
Communications Engineer Randy Pierce, AG4UU; the Florida Emergency
Communications Center's John Fleming, WD4FFX; Hurricane Watch Net Manager
Mike Pilgrim, K5MP; Dan Sullivan, KO1D, of the WMD Exercise Support Team for
Community Research Action, Alexandria, Virginia, and ARRL Emergency
Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG. Jerry Herman, N3BDW, will
serve as moderator. Amateur Radio operators are welcome to attend this
workshop at no charge; conference registration is not required. ARRL's
presence at the National Hurricane Conference is made possible through a
grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The
ARRL's Amateur Radio booth will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of
the conference, and radio amateurs will be on hand to discuss Amateur Radio
emergency communication and answer questions. Conference details and
directions are found on the conference Web site
.
* New Mexico emergency planners to learn about Amateur Radio resources: A
Federal Emergency Management Agency sponsored workshop, entitled "Emergency
Management: Amateur Resources," will be held March 21, 2005, in Santa Fe to
acquaint emergency planners with the value of ham radio during disasters.
Anyone associated with emergency planning and response is encouraged attend.
Franklin Warren, AB5WJ, an adjunct instructor for the New Mexico Emergency
Management Office, is leading the workshop. Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ, the state
RACES Officer and state ARES Emergency Coordinator, will also be presenting
information about RACES and ARES in New Mexico. To register for the
workshop, contact Kennie Warren, W5KLW, ODP Training and Development
Specialist, PO Box 1628, #13 Battaan Blvd, Santa Fe, NM 87504, e-mail
KWarren@dps.state.nm.us; tel 505-476-9690, or fax 505-276-0650.--Charlie
Christmann, K5CEC
* ARRL member's suggestion leads to on-line FCC Forms: ARRL Life Member Bill
Harris, W7KXB, of Mesa, Arizona, recently wondered if there wasn't some way
the League could make it possible for members to fill out online some of the
various forms on the ARRL Web site. ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, took
the idea and ran with it. As a result, it's now possible for Amateur Radio
Service applicants to complete two major forms online: NCVEC Quick Form 605
and ARRL VEC Form 605C. The NCVEC Quick Form 605 permits filing an Amateur
Radio application via a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC), such as ARRL
VEC. Like the official FCC Form 605, it can be used to apply for an Amateur
Radio Operator/Primary Station License, to renew or modify a license (free
for ARRL members) or to prepare an application for a volunteer examination
session sponsored by any VEC. ARRL VEC Form 605C is used for new club or
military recreation station licenses, modifications, renewals or duplicate
requests of a club or military recreation station license. These
applications also go to ARRL VEC, which is authorized to handle club station
applications. The only part of Harris' suggestion that the ARRL could not
implement was to permit the applicant to use an electronic signature. "For
our purposes, original signatures received and on file are needed," Jahnke
explained in an e-mail reply thanking Harris for his suggestion. This means
applicants must first print and sign the completed form before mailing it to
ARRL VEC. Links to both NCVEC Quick Form 605 and ARRL VEC Form 605C plus
more information on Amateur Radio licensing forms are on the ARRL Web site
.
* Problems with delivery of ARRL e-mail products often on recipient's end:
ARRL has been hearing from more and more members who are not receiving The
ARRL Letter, W1AW/ARRL bulletins, membership renewal reminders and other
automatically delivered e-mail products they've subscribed to. More often
than not, the problem is on the recipient's end, not at ARRL's. For example,
members with new e-mail addresses must update this information via their
Member Data Page (users must
first be logged onto the site). Click on "Modify Membership Data." While on
the Member Data Page, make sure you are subscribed to the e-mail products
you want and that you have not inadvertently checked the box "Temporarily
disable all automatically sent email." ARRL has determined that another
culprit is spam filtering or software employed by the user's Internet
Service Providers (ISP) or installed on the user's computer. Some ISPs have
been known to block or trap all messages from ARRL as suspected spam. If
you're no longer receiving e-mail products or notices from ARRL that you've
signed up for, a call to the ISP's customer service department may reveal
that the League's e-mail messages have indeed been delivered to the ISP's
mail server but not to the member's mailbox. Request the ISP to permit your
account to receive e-mail messages from ARRL. Subscribers to The ARRL Letter
should e-mail . ARRL if the problem persists. Report
other delivery problems to ARRL Headquarters, hq@arrl.org.
* Correction: The article "AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT OF 2005
INTRODUCED," which appeared in The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 08 (Feb 25,
2005), left out the bill's full title in the body of the story. It is "The
Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2005." The measure is designated HR
691.
* DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved the VU4RBI and VU4NRO Andaman and Nicobar Islands operation from
November 30 through December 31, 2004, for DXCC credit. For more
information, visit the DXCC Web page. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions"
can answer most questions about the
DXCC program. Current ARRL DX bulletins are available on the W1AW DX
Bulletins for 2004 page .
===========================================================
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==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
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