*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 23, No. 49 December 17, 2004 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +ARRL asks public utilities commissioner to temper her BPL enthusiasm * +League urges FCC to act in ongoing interference case * +Canadian PM's wife witnesses ARISS school group QSO * +BPL industry reacts to major ISP's BPL report to FCC * +NASA puts ISS crew on a diet * +Ham club tips FCC to illegal telephone * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration Emergency communications seminar set for Louisiana State Convention +ARRL VEC exam session application fee to change ARRL ham equipment insurance plan has new claims administrator Don Allen, W9CW, named CQ, CQ VHF ad manager +Available on ARRL Audio News =========================================================== NOTE: ARRL Headquarters will be closed Friday, December 24, and Friday, December 31. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions on either day. The final editions of The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News for 2004 will be distributed one day early, on Thursday, December 23, and there will be no editions of The ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News on Friday, December 31. Following the Christmas weekend, ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, December 27, at 8 AM EST. Following New Year's weekend, ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, January 3, at 8 AM. The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will return Friday, January 7. We wish a safe and enjoyable holiday season to all! =========================================================== ==>ARRL AIMS TO DAMPEN CALIFORNIA UTILITY COMMISSIONER'S ENTHUSIASM FOR BPL Citing its accumulated experience in dealing with Broadband over Power Line (BPL) issues, the ARRL has suggested that California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) member Susan P. Kennedy temper her "excessively optimistic" view of the technology. Speaking recently about BPL with Marc Strassman of California Politics Today, Kennedy contended that it's "criminal that California does not have a major BPL pilot project or commercial project under way." Kennedy said she intends to see the CPUC do everything possible to change that. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, wrote Kennedy December 10 to raise the caution flag and offer the League's BPL expertise. "It has yet to be demonstrated that BPL systems can be deployed without polluting the radio spectrum," Sumner said. "Until this issue is resolved, we respectfully suggest that public statements that paint an excessively optimistic picture of BPL are inadvisable." Even the CPUC acknowledged the BPL interference issue in its reply comments in the FCC's BPL proceeding, ET Docket 04-37, Sumner noted. Citing BPL's status as "a nascent service" and the "significant disagreement" over the level of interference, the CPUC suggested the FCC "ensure that adequate testing is performed and industry standards are developed before any deployment takes place." Sumner told Kennedy that BPL's interference potential is "not surprising" since it uses unshielded power lines. "The fact that they radiate radio frequency energy is simply a matter of physics," he pointed out. California is home to some 100,000 Amateur Radio licensees--about 14 percent of the nation's total. This fall, a BPL field trial in Menlo Park, California, where FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell had extolled the technology's virtues earlier this year, was aborted before getting very far off the ground. The demonstration of BPL technology was co-sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and AT&T, which decided to direct its business energies elsewhere. PG&E said that without a telecommunication partner in the venture, it didn't make sense to continue the trial. California Politics Today article noted the apparent lack of interest on the part of California utilities in getting involved in BPL. Sumner said there are "a number of good reasons why BPL is not moving forward very fast," including the interference "caused by virtually all BPL systems to nearby radio receivers." Nonetheless, Kennedy told Strassman that she'd be surprised if California could not get "something substantial" under way in the BPL area by the middle of next year. She suggested she'd like to pave the way for BPL at the state level in much the same way that the FCC has done at the federal level. On October 14, the FCC adopted a Report and Order (R&O) spelling out Part 15 rules specifically aimed at enabling the rollout of BPL technology. At the same time, the new rules impose certain regulatory requirements aimed at mitigating interference. Sumner said radio amateurs were not alone in their concern. He pointed to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's BPL study, which concluded that interference to low to moderate radio signals was likely from BPL systems 75 meters from land mobile stations and 460 meters from fixed stations. The FCC cited the NTIA's findings in its decision to prohibit BPL systems from using Aeronautical Radio Service frequencies, he said. "The ARRL is continuing its efforts to persuade the FCC that in order to conform to international agreements and the Communications Act, other radio services must be afforded the same protection," Sumner told Kennedy. "We at the ARRL would be pleased to work with you and your staff to answer any questions you may have," he concluded, directing Kennedy's attention to the BPL information available on the League's Web site <http://www.arrl.org/bpl>. The California Politics Today interview is available on the Web <http://www.etopiamedia.net/empnn/pages/cpt-emnn/cpt-emnn222-5551212.html> . ==>ARRL URGES ACTION IN GERRITSEN CASE In a strongly worded letter to FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief David Solomon, the ARRL has called on the FCC to intervene with the US Attorney's office in the case of former amateur licensee Jack Gerritsen, ex-KG6IRO, of Bell, California. The FCC already has affirmed a $10,000 fine against Gerritsen for interfering with Amateur Radio communications and recently proposed imposing another $21,000 fine for additional, similar violations. Gerritsen, who erroneously claims he's still licensed, allegedly has been bombarding numerous Los Angeles-area repeaters with verbal tirades for many months, often identifying with his now-deleted amateur call sign. "It is urgent that the United States Attorney's office be brought into this matter without delay, and that procedures other than monetary forfeitures be brought to bear," ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, wrote on the League's behalf in a December 13 letter to Solomon. Imlay asked Solomon to intervene "in this one instance, so that this matter is resolved without further delay." He suggested the time for gathering additional evidence was past, since the malicious interference continues. Things were comparatively quiet on LA-area repeaters while Gerritsen was said to have been out of the US for about three weeks. When he returned to California on or about December 9, the transmissions resumed "with a vengeance," Imlay said. Repeater owners shut down their machines "to avoid the constant barrage of malicious interference," he added. In his letter, which also was e-mailed to Solomon's office, Imlay recounted some of the history of the Gerritsen case. In 2001, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) rescinded Gerritsen's Amateur Radio license grant after it learned of his earlier state conviction for interfering with police communications. As a result of the conviction, which he's appealed, Gerritsen ultimately spent some time in jail. He continues to maintain that the FCC can't take away his operating privileges without a hearing. Gerritsen's now-pending Amateur Radio application remains in the hands of the WTB, which also will decide the fate of his General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license. The FCC set aside that grant last fall because of the allegations of continued unlicensed operation and deliberate interference. A Hearing Designation Order for Gerritsen is said to be working its way through the FCC. But, Imlay noted, the slow pace of the case has angered and frustrated the Amateur Radio community, which has begun to view the FCC as powerless to halt the interference. "Deterrence is critical to this effort," Imlay said, adding that the Commission's perceived inability to stop violations of Sections 301 and 333 of the Communications Act of 1934 and numerous Part 97 regulations "stands to quickly evaporate the years-long effort that has been so successful." Suggesting that the FCC will have a tough time collecting the fines it's imposed or proposed to levy on Gerritsen, Imlay said further delay will totally erode the Commission's excellent track record--in particular the work of FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth. "Time is very much of the essence in preserving the sense of deterrence that exists generally in the Amateur Service," Imlay concluded. The FCC's Los Angeles District Office, under District Director Catherine Deaton--not Hollingsworth--has primary enforcement responsibility over the Gerritsen case. Agents from that office already have tracked interfering transmissions to Gerritsen's residence and issued oral warnings that by all evidence have been ignored. The FCC has said that Gerritsen refused to let Commission agents inspect his radio transmitting equipment. Deaton's office issued the FCC's recent Notice of Apparent Liability, proposing the $21,000 fine for Gerritsen's "unauthorized willful and malicious interfering radio operations." Imlay said the interference extends beyond California, since the repeaters are linked throughout the US Southwest, and the interference has disrupted "not only regular ongoing Amateur Radio communications but emergency communications as well." Imlay said several hundred ARRL members have "repeatedly and with ample justification" complained to the League about Gerritsen's alleged activities. He called on Solomon and the FCC to "arrange for appropriate proceedings to be initiated to cause the incessant and damaging malicious interference to cease." FCC Enforcement Bureau Assistant Chief George R. Dillon acknowledged the ARRL's letter December 14. "We are treating the allegations contained in your letter and the complaints we have received regarding his actions very seriously," Dillon said. Imlay thanked Dillon for his "very prompt and encouraging response." But, he re-emphasized, "the Amateur Radio interference simply has to be made to stop without further delay." ==>PRIME MINISTER'S WIFE ON HAND FOR ARISS SCHOOL GROUP QSO Sheila Martin, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin topped the list of VIPs on hand when youngsters at Manordale Public School in Ottawa spoke via ham radio with International Space Station Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. The December 9 contact was arranged via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station--or ARISS--program. Chiao answered 11 of the kids' questions, including one asking how the ISS is making life better on Earth. In addition to general technological spin offs from the space program, Chiao cited some ongoing biomedical research. "There are some experiments on board where we're developing some protein crystals that pharmaceutical companies can use to hopefully make vaccines and things like that for diseases such as AIDS," he explained. Chiao also told the youngsters--who ranged from pre-kindergartners to sixth graders--that he's "very comfortable being in space" and has not had any problems adjusting to zero gravity or with sleeping in space. The 44-year-old astronaut told another youngster that while life in space can be very challenging, he had not seen anything unusual or frightening. Recounting that the Expedition 10 crew had to override automatic controls and dock manually with the ISS, Chiao said the experience was "kind of exciting, but I wouldn't say it was scary." There's no TV or Internet aboard the space station, he told another youngster. "Sometimes we miss those things, and it makes you wonder how we ever got along without them, doesn't it?" Back on Earth, Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD, served as the ARISS mentor, while Steve Regan, VA3MGY, and Geoff Johnson, VE3KID, provided the Earth station, for which Johnson loaned his call sign. "The PM's wife was thrilled with this," McFarlane said, describing Sheila Martin's reaction to the youngsters' enthusiasm and excitement and the contact's success. McFarlane's wife Lori, a teacher, assisted with this QSO. Having earned a reputation among the Ottawa news media as "the space lady," she has helped out with earlier ARISS contacts in Merivale, Ontario, and Iqaluit, Nunavut. As the Manordale ARISS contact ended, Chiao remained on frequency and made several casual contacts. Glenn Graff, KB1GUE, in Bedford, Massachusetts, west of Boston reports he listened in on most of the Canadian school contact, then jumped in to make one of his own, calling NA1SS on the 144.49 MHz uplink frequency. Graff said Chiao told him that it was his first non-school amateur contact and that he would try to get on the air during his off time. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss/> is an educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>MAJOR ISP TELLS FCC BPL NOT A "COMMERCIALLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE" TO CABLE, DSL Officials of Internet service provider EarthLink told the FCC that broadband over power line (BPL) cannot compete with the dominant cable or DSL technology today or in the near future. A BPL industry spokesperson subsequently criticized the ARRL apparently for reporting the company's statements. EarthLink President and CEO Garry Betty and other company officials met November 16 with FCC Chairman Michael Powell and Commission attorney Aaron Goldberger to deliver an ex parte presentation on several Wireline Competition Bureau and Common Carrier Bureau proceedings. "EarthLink discussed that it has invested in and is in trials with several potential 'third wire' broadband transmission paths to the home, including WiFi, WiMax, MMDS and broadband over power lines," EarthLink Counsel Mark J. O'Connor informed FCC Secretary Marlene Dortch in a November 17 letter. "However, EarthLink pointed out that cable and DSL still account for virtually all consumer broadband connections and that none of these alternative technologies offer a commercially viable alternative today or in the near future." An EarthLink analysis indicated that BPL is the most expensive of the broadband technologies it evaluated. In a chart titled "Next generation broadband," EarthLink said that wireless and BPL "are not likely to be competitive in cost and performance with cable and DSL over the last mile to the home." EarthLink judged as "not successful" one unspecified BPL technical trial using Amperion equipment in a "wireless/BPL combo." In discussing other trials using Ambient and Current Technologies equipment--in one of which EarthLink had invested--the ISP's assessment was that the high cost per household passed--$125 in both instances--would require a better than 15 percent market penetration to attain a competitive cost. EarthLink said its assessment determined that ADSL2+ technology is the "best option" and can offer VoIP as well as high-speed broadband (at 6 to 10 Mbps) and video over copper wire and using on-premise consumer equipment. The company also indicated that it plans to invest in ADSL2+ technology. The company's ex parte submission is available on the FCC Web site <http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_docu ment=6516883843>. ARRL's reporting of EarthLink's submission to the FCC apparently struck a nerve at Ambient, with which EarthLink has a business relationship. In a classic case of shooting the messenger, Ambient CEO John J. Joyce took the League to task on behalf of the BPL industry in a statement posted via Market Wire on the CBS MarketWatch.com Web site <http://cbs.marketwatch.com/tools/quotes/newsarticle.asp?guid={ABFA5879-0D B7-43C3-BA02-94071FAECC3D}&siteid=mktw&dist=nbs&symb=>. Joyce seemed to suggest that the League itself had provided the EarthLink information and was spinning the company's remarks to advantage. "The release by the ARRL clearly takes the statements of EarthLink's attorney out of context and conveniently ignores many developments in the industry that contradict ARRL's conclusions," Joyce said, adding that 2005 promises to be "the year of BPL." Among other things, Joyce said that "the ARRL perception of BPL's economics fails to consider that consumer broadband is only one application for a BPL-enabled utility system." he said there are other industrial applications that may augur in BPL's economic favor. He also emphasized that the projects with which his company and EarthLink have collaborated were demonstrations "never intended to be competitive installations" and are "in no way representative of BPL economics." ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said the League stands by its account, which Joyce characterized as a "claim" on the ARRL's part. "ARRL's report on the document was accurate in every way, and we stand by our report," he said. "The conclusions given are not ours, but EarthLink's. Anyone who wishes to do so can read the submission for themselves." ==>NASA ASKS ISS CREW TO TRIM CALORIES NASA has asked ISS Expedition 10 crew members Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, and Salizhan Sharipov to push themselves away from the galley table a bit sooner than they have been. According to the Associated Press, NASA managers want the crew members to cut 300 calories from their typical daily 3000 calorie intake to keep food supplies aboard the spacecraft from running dangerously low before a Russian Progress supply rocket arrives Christmas Day. "The spacecraft will bring 2.5 tons of food, fuel, clothing and other supplies to the complex," NASA said this week. "Almost 70 food containers have been added to the craft's manifest to replenish onboard supplies." The supply rocket also will bear Christmas gifts and other personal items for Chiao and Sharipov. Now some two months into their six-month mission, the crew completed audits of onboard food and computer hardware earlier this month as mission managers were finalizing the manifest for the cargo craft. Surprised to learn that the crew already was digging into its food reserves, NASA managers worried that if anything were to go awry with the Progress spacecraft, the crew could be forced to abandon ship--an unprecedented move, but one for which NASA and Russian Space Agency officials are said to be preparing for, just in case. NASA said its early-December audit confirmed "fewer rations available to the crew than previously thought," but that Chiao and Sharipov have sufficient food to last "one or two weeks beyond the arrival of the Progress." NASA said nutritionists on the ground have been working with the crew to make sure onboard food supplies "can be safely rationed." Russian Progress rockets have been the sole resupply vehicles for the ISS since NASA grounded its shuttle fleet following the February 1, 2003, Columbia tragedy. ==>FCC ACTS ON LONG-RANGE CORDLESS TELEPHONE COMPLAINT The FCC in November responded to a complaint from the Holmesburg (Pennsylvania) Amateur Radio Club about interference on 2 meters from a high-powered so-called long-range cordless telephone. FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth forwarded information from the club to the FCC Philadelphia District Office on November 22. The club claimed that the cordless telephone system was causing interference on its repeater's 146.080 MHz input frequency. On November 27, an agent from the Philadelphia District Office investigated the complaint and determined that a resident of Glassboro, New Jersey, was operating a "Senao High Quality Cordless Telephone," model SN-358. The base unit appeared to operate on 146.080 MHz, while the handset appeared to operate on 228.960 MHz (specifications listed on Senao's Web site indicate the model SN-358 handset operates on 268 MHz and the base on 394 MHz). During an on-site inspection, the telephone's owner voluntarily surrendered the unit to the FCC agent. The telephone owner asserted that he'd purchased the system, which reportedly did not display an FCC certification notice, from an eBay advertiser. The FCC's Philadelphia District Office is continuing to investigate. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Sunspot seeker Tad "Shining Star" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: The seven-day averages for solar flux and sunspot numbers declined this week, while the averages for the geomagnetic A index rose. The average daily sunspot number declined more than 19 points to 26.9, and average solar flux was down more than 8 points to 88.7. Sunspot counts have been quite low and will continue their retreat for about two more years. The most active day in terms of geomagnetic indices over the past week was Monday, December 12, when a robust solar wind stream drove the mid-latitude A index to 24, the planetary A index to 36, and Alaska's college A index to 48. The quiet period this week was on December 14-15 when the mid-latitude A index was 4 and 3. Earth now is passing through a solar wind stream from a coronal hole. For Friday, December 17 the predicted planetary A index is 20, followed by 15, 8 and 5 for Saturday through Monday. We may expect slightly higher solar flux (which is somewhat related to sunspot counts) with this weekend's flux value around 90. This is expected to rise to around 105 by December 23. Sunspot numbers for December 9 through 15 were 39, 39, 16, 26, 22, 18 and 28, with a mean of 26.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 87.4, 84.8, 89.8, 90.5, 89.7, 89.3 and 89.3, with a mean of 88.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 10, 15, 36, 11, 7 and 6, with a mean of 13.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 8, 11, 24, 8, 4 and 3, with a mean of 9.3. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The Russian 160-Meter Contest is December 17. The OK DX RTTY Contest and the RAC Winter Contest are December 18. The MDXA PSK DeathMatch, the Croatian CW Contest, the Stew Perry Topband Challenge and the International Naval Contest are the weekend of December 18-19. The RAEM Contest and the DARC Christmas Contest are December 26. ARRL Straight Key Night is January 1, 2005 (UTC). See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/> for more info. * ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration: Registration for the ARRL Antenna Modeling (EC-004) and Radio Propagation (EC-011) on-line courses remains open through Sunday, December 19. Classes begin Friday December 31. This course is an excellent way to learn the ins and outs of computerized antenna modeling. Antenna modeling expert and noted author L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, has combined the expertise of his long career as a college professor with his love and antennas and antenna modeling to offer a comprehensive, yet practical, course of study. Radio Propagation students will study the science of RF propagation and various propagation modes. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education <http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program Department, <cce@arrl.org>. * Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level III on-line course (EC-003) opens Monday, December 20, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open until all available seats have been filled or through the December 25-26 weekend. Radio amateurs 55 and up are strongly encouraged to participate. Class begins Friday, January 7. Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course. During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce>. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, dmiller@arrl.org; 860-594-0340. * Emergency communications seminar set for Louisiana State Convention: The ARRL will offer a free Amateur Radio emergency communications seminar in conjunction with the ARRL Louisiana State Convention. It will take place Friday, March, 11, from noon until 4 PM, at the Rayne Civic Center in Rayne. The seminar will not include the Level I course itself! ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course (ARECC) Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, says ARECC participants reinforce the ARRL Field Organization. "This seminar will explain the ever-changing role of radio amateurs with emphasis on using lessons learned to effectively move Amateur Radio emergency communications to the next level," he said. The seminar is open to all interested radio amateurs, but seating may be limited. Especially urged to attend are ARES/RACES volunteers, ARECC course participants and ARRL Field Organization leaders. Course participants at every ARECC level--Mentors, Certification Instructors, Certification Examiners, past and current students--are encouraged to share their ARECC experiences and brainstorm ideas to motivate volunteers and coordinate activities. Those planning to attend should contact Dan Miller, K3UFG, k3ufg@arrl.org <mailto:k3ufg@arrl.org>; 860-594-0340; FAX 860-594-0259. Attendance at this seminar does not offer admission to the convention. Visit the Acadiana Amateur Radio Association Web site <http://www.w5ddl.org/hamfest> for more information on the ARRL LA State Convention. * ARRL VEC exam session application fee to change: Starting January 1, the fee charged all applicants at ARRL VEC-coordinated Amateur Radio examination sessions will rise from $12 to $14. ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams may retain up to $6 of this fee to reimburse the VE team's out-of-pocket test session-related expenses. The fee is charged to anyone applying for a new amateur license or an upgrade. It also applies to ARRL VEC-session applicants retesting on the same element after being unsuccessful (where examiners permit), or applicants seeking grandfather-credit upgrades and not taking an exam. ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, says that while the number of examinees has dropped in the past year--possibly due in part to the uncertainty regarding pending licensing proposals--the cost of business and expenses incurred by ARRL VEs and the ARRL VEC continues to rise. "Cost-saving measures already have included staff reduction, reduced printing and distribution charges for VE training material and exam software--both now only available via the Web--and elimination of lesser-used services," he said. The ARRL provides free FCC license renewals, address changes and other license modification services to current members. Nonmembers pay $14 for those services. * ARRL ham equipment insurance plan has new claims administrator: Effective immediately, the new claims administrator for the ARRL "All-Risk" Ham Radio Equipment Insurance Plan is the Risk Management Planning Group Inc (RMPG), 211 Station Rd, Mineola, NY 11501. RMPG is a third-party claims administration firm. Marsh Affinity Group Services of Park Ridge, Illinois, will continue as the program's administrator, handling applications as well as policy and insurance coverage questions. AIG, the company that underwrites the ARRL insurance program, directed the change in a move to consolidate claims-paying functions and to exercise more control over all the programs it underwrites through Marsh Affinity Group Services. There's more information on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/insurance/equipment.html>. * Don Allen, W9CW, named CQ, CQ VHF ad manager: Don Allen, W9CW, of Urbana, Illinois, has been named advertising manager of CQ and CQ VHF magazines, Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, has announced. He succeeds Arnie Sposato, N2IQO, who is relocating to the West Coast and will continue as advertising manager of Popular Communications magazine on a part-time basis. Allen previously worked for CQ Communications--from 1989 until 2001--as ad manager of Popular Communications and Communications Quarterly, as well as CB Radio and Electronic Servicing & Technology magazines. He's a former sales and marketing manager for HAL Communications Corp. His Amateur Radio interests include both phone and CW operating, as well as collecting and building radio equipment. Allen will telecommute from his home in Illinois. =========================================================== The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President. The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter. Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League. ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org ==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/> ==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call 860-594-0384 ==>How to Get The ARRL Letter The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from ARRL HQ. 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