*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 25, No. 48 December 8, 2006 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +FCC Chairman's BPL presentation biased, inaccurate, ARRL charges * +Spectrum Defense donations from ARRL members critical to BPL court appeal * +German astronaut, ISS commander speak with students via ham radio * +Convicted felon ordered stripped of Amateur Radio license * +Canada's CHU 7.335 MHz time signal in jeopardy * +ARRL International Humanitarian Award nominations due by December 31 * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio: The ARRL 10-Meter Contest! ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration +GeneSat-1 set to launch December 11 Deadline looms to support League via Combined Federal Campaign +VY1JA low-frequency beacon signal "grabbed" in Germany Darrin Walraven, K5DVW, wins November QST Cover Plaque Award K2JV is Hudson Division's "Amateur of the Year" +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 <letter-dlvy@arrl.org> ==>Editorial questions or comments only: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, <n1rl@arrl.org> =========================================================== ==>LEAGUE FAULTS FCC CHAIRMAN RE BIASED, INACCURATE BPL INFORMATION The ARRL has called on FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin and his fellow commissioners to employ "a more even-handed approach" when promoting new broadband technologies. In a December 6 fax to Martin and the other four FCC members, ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, faulted the chairman for using broadband over power line (BPL) deployment data from the BPL industry when speaking at Georgetown University November 30. Martin's presentation <http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/martin/georgetown.ppt> included a slide of a map from the United Power Line Council (UPLC), a BPL proponent, purporting to show current BPL deployments in the US. "This slide is taken from a biased industry source and fails to note that a large percentage of the deployments shown on the map have been shut down and no longer exist," Sumner told Martin. His letter included a list of five systems shut down as much as two years earlier. In several instances, utilities announced they had abandoned their BPL pilot projects because they proved to be uneconomical or were unable to compete with existing broadband technologies. Sumner said the ARRL wants the FCC to stop using the UPLC as a source for illustrating BPL deployments. He further faulted the chairman for failing to include slides on the other two new technologies in the early stages of deployment he'd mentioned -- wireless broadband and fiber-to-the-home. The FCC Report, "High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of December 31, 2005," showed 448,196 fiber and 256,538 fixed wireless connections compared to just 5859 for "Power Line and Other," Sumner pointed out. "Your prepared remarks do not even mention satellite broadband, yet the same FCC report shows 426,928 satellite 'lines,'" he added. Sumner said BPL, as a technology, doesn't warrant the kind of partiality it's been getting from the FCC. "As you know, the ARRL's concern is with the still-unresolved radio interference issues that uniquely plague BPL and not with BPL as such," he noted in conclusion. "However, it is evident that the technology does not deserve the favored treatment the FCC continues to bestow upon it, especially when its inherent shortcoming, that it is a radio spectrum polluter, escapes mention." Sumner said the UPLC BPL deployment map Martin used when speaking at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Center for Business and Public Policy November 30 also was on display at the FCC open meeting last August at which the Commission adopted its BPL Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O). The MO&O dispensed with various reconsideration petitions, including one from ARRL, asking the Commission to reconsider its October 2004 BPL Report and Order (R&O). Martin's excessive emphasis on BPL as a "new" technology when other new technologies "are vastly more successful and promising according to the FCC's own reports" belies the chairman's impartiality, Sumner commented after faxing the letter. "The ARRL remains highly dissatisfied with the Commission's handling of the BPL radio interference issue." In October, the ARRL notified the US District Court of Appeals -- DC Circuit that it would seek review of the August MO&O as well as the October 2004 R&O on the ground that they exceed the Commission's jurisdiction and authority, are contrary to the Communications Act of 1934, and are arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and otherwise not in accordance with law. The League will request that the court "hold unlawful, vacate, enjoin and set aside the orders." A court filing detailing the League's specific objections to the two FCC orders is pending. ==>ARRL MEMBERS' DONATIONS VITAL TO SUCCESS OF BPL COURT APPEAL ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, is urging League members to turn their outrage at the FCC's unreasonably favorable treatment of unlicensed BPL systems into generous donations to the 2007 ARRL Spectrum Defense Campaign. The ARRL is suing the Commission in the US District Court of Appeals -- DC Circuit on the ground the FCC concocted rules to -- in Sumner's words -- "accommodate a polluter of the radio spectrum" at the expense of the licensed users it's supposed to protect. "The BPL rules adopted in 2004 were bad enough," Sumner stressed in an appeal for member contributions to the Spectrum Defense Campaign to help cover the considerable expense of the court appeal. "The rules adopted in 2006 are intolerable. Never before has an unintentional emitter been given a free pass to interfere with licensed radio services." The ARRL's suit will focus in part on a new FCC rule aimed directly at mobile stations in all radio services, including public safety systems, that the Commission slipped into its August 2006 Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) that dealt with various petitions, including one from ARRL, to reconsider portions of the October 2004 BPL Report and Order (R&O) establishing rules governing BPL systems. The new rule, §15.611(c)(1)(iii), provides that BPL operators only have to reduce emission levels below established FCC permissible limits by 20 dB below 30 MHz and by 10 dB above 30 MHz -- even if that's insufficient to resolve harmful interference complaints. "This isn't just a proposal. It's a rule that is now in effect," Sumner points out in his letter. "With one stroke, the rights of FCC licensees have been subordinated to those of spectrum polluters!" The League further maintains that the FCC erred in declining to adjust the 40 dB per decade "extrapolation factor" applied to emission measurements performed at distances from power lines other than those specified in Part 15. The existing Part 15 rule causes test results to underestimate actual field strength, the ARRL has asserted, arguing that a figure closer to 20 dB per decade is appropriate. Sumner says the FCC simply didn't listen, however. "Without even attempting to address this evidence, the FCC simply concluded: 'No new information has been submitted that would provide a convincing argument for modifying this requirement at this time,'" he said. "Information was submitted; the FCC ignored it." Sumner says that determining the outcome you want and adjusting the facts accordingly doesn't constitute reasoned decision-making, as the League will demonstrate in court. "We will show that the FCC did not come to a reasoned decision in developing its BPL rules," he said. Highlighting the extreme importance of the League's BPL lawsuit, Sumner warns that even if BPL should disappear tomorrow, "the FCC's preference for unlicensed, unintentional emitters over the interests of its licensees will remain on the books." "Bad rules left unchallenged will lead to even worse rules later," he said. Sumner reviews the League's history of BPL dealing with the FCC in his "It Seems to Us . . . " editorial, "Pretending to Sleep" on page 9 of October QST <http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2006/10/01/1/>. ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, says that while ARRL 2007 Spectrum Defense Fund donors have been quite generous, there's still some distance to go before the campaign reaches its goal of $250,000 by year's end. "The League has your back," Hobart tells ARRL members. "This lawsuit is an important and very expensive proposition, undertaken only after careful consideration by the ARRL Board of Directors. We try to make every dollar count, and in this instance, they will count." While the spotlight this fall is focusing on the BPL court appeal, the League still needs to be in a position to support its ongoing spectrum defense efforts, she added. "The best thing members can do is contribute. This is a case where the ARRL is putting its money where its mouth is, and member support is critical." Hobart stressed that reaching the campaign's goal by December 31 is paramount. "It's been a good financial year for many people," she said, "and we hope those who have benefited from the economic upswing will opt to be as generous as they can." ==>TOOTHACHES, EXTRATERRESTRIALS TOPICS IN HAM RADIO CHATS WITH ISS CREW MEMBERS Toothaches in space and the possibility of intelligent life on other planets were among the topics piquing the curiosity of students in Germany and Canada when they spoke via ham radio with the ISS. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the back-to-back contacts on November 20. During what may have been the first-ever ARISS school contact in German, youngsters gathered at the Museum for Industry in Mannheim, Germany, to speak with European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR. One wanted to know what would happen if he or one of the other ISS crew members developed a toothache. "Thank goodness, not yet," Reiter said. "Of course, in preparation for flight, we get an extensive medical examination and that includes a close look at the teeth, precisely for the purpose of making sure that [a toothache] doesn't happen. If it happens anyway, there are painkillers and medical support onboard to treat the tooth and bring relief." The museum, home to the "Adventure Space Travel" exhibit, played host to some 200 participants, ranging from 12 to 20. Southwest Germany Radio's daily youth-oriented program "Das Ding" (The Thing) conducted the event and selected the 16 questions asked from among those listeners proposed. Since there were no ISS passes over Europe, Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, served as the ARISS ground station for the event, and Verizon Conferencing provided two-way audio to the participants. ARISS Europe Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, assisted on site. Reiter also explained that the crew has little free time. "Leisure time is a foreign concept up here," he quipped. He described the effects of weightlessness on the muscles as "the biggest problem that we have to fight here" through vigorous exercise. He said he exercises an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon to stay fit, "and when we come back to Earth it will be easier to re-accommodate to gravity." Reiter will return to Earth this month. A short time later, ISS Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, fired up NA1SS to speak directly on VHF with high schoolers at Centre Hastings Secondary School in Madoc, Ontario, Canada, via ground station VE3UR. Responding to one student's question, Lopez-Alegria described commercialized space travel as "the wave of the future." "I'm not sure that I'd call it 'routine' just yet, but I think that probably in the not-too-distant future we will start to see it develop like the airline industry did about 100 years ago or so." Lopez-Alegria said that while he doesn't believe there's intelligent life on Mars, he's convinced it exists elsewhere. "The universe is too large for us to be the only one with intelligent life," he suggested. The 10 high schoolers managed to fit in nearly two dozen questions before the contact concluded. "I wish you all the best," Lopez-Alegria said as he signed off. The Ottawa ARISS team provided radio equipment for the contact and gave a presentation to the students before the QSO. Radio and newspaper reporters covered the event as an audience of 800 looked on. ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. ==>FCC REVOKES AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE OF CONVICTED FELON The FCC has ordered that David Edward Cox, W5OER, of Pride, Louisiana, be stripped of his Technician class Amateur Radio license. In October 2005, the FCC sent Cox an Order to Show Cause to initiate a hearing proceeding to determine if Cox, who's serving time on several felony convictions, possessed the requisite character to remain an FCC licensee or should face license revocation. The FCC says Cox failed to respond to the show-cause order. A Commission administrative law judge subsequently concluded that Cox had waived his right to a hearing, terminated the proceeding and released an Order of Revocation December 4 <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-2463A1.pdf>. The revocation order is effective 40 days after that date, unless Cox appeals. A few years ago, the FCC began applying its so-called "1990 Character Order," initially intended to apply to Broadcast Service licensees, to Amateur Radio licensees and applicants. "The Commission's character policies provide that any felony conviction is a matter predictive of licensee behavior and is directly relevant to the functioning of the Commission's regulatory mission," the FCC revocation order said. "The serious convictions described above mandate the conclusion that Mr. Cox does not possess the requisite qualifications to be or remain a Commission licensee." An Amateur Radio licensee since 1995, Cox has a clean record in terms of obeying FCC rules and regulations, the Commission said. The revocation order recounts that a Louisiana court in January 2004 convicted Cox on two counts of simple burglary, a felony, and sentenced him to five years in prison. The judge suspended the sentence, however, and placed Cox on supervised probation instead. He was arrested on federal firearms charges in September 2004 and has been incarcerated ever since, the FCC Order said. Following a plea agreement, a US District Court judge sentenced Cox to concurrent terms of 41 months for felony firearms-related violations. The court also ordered him to pay $3000 in restitution to a firearms dealer and shooting range. "We find that such egregious criminal misconduct justifies a finding that Mr. Cox will obey the law only when it suits him," the FCC Order said. "Mr. Cox's record as an amateur licensee and his assertions regarding his character and his crimes are insufficient to overcome the impact of the crimes. Thus, we find that Mr. Cox does not possess the character qualifications required by this Commission to be or remain a licensee." The FCC order noted that in September 2004, Cox had written James W. Shook of the FCC Enforcement Bureau's Investigations and Hearing Division. In footnotes, the Commission cited several cases in which it has applied its character standards to Amateur Radio licensees. Two of the cases involved radio-related violations, while one stemmed from a felony conviction for indecent assault upon and corruption of minors and another from a felony conviction for computer fraud and lack of candor regarding that conviction in representations to the FCC. ==>CANADA'S 7.335 MHZ CHU TIME SIGNAL COULD GO SILENT, SHIFT FREQUENCY Changes in international frequency allocations could force Canada's CHU time-standard signal on 7.335 MHz to go off the air, change frequency or get another license by next spring. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has reallocated the 7300-7350 kHz band from "fixed service" to "broadcasting," effective April 2007. CHU now operates there as a fixed service facility. CHU's other frequencies -- 3.330 and 14.670 MHz -- are not affected. The station has been including messages in English and French in its 7.335 MHz transmissions to solicit information from CHU listeners and to help shape recommendations regarding which direction to go. "On April 1, 2007, CHU needs to stop operating, change frequencies, or re-license. Contact radio.chu@nrc.gc.ca or mail CHU Canada K1A 0R6," the English version says. The Institute for National Measurement Standards at the National Research Council of Canada operates CHU. The Institute's Raymond Pelletier explains on the INMS CHU Web page <http://inms-ienm.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/time_services/shortwave_broadcasts_e.html> that while shutting down the 7.335 MHz facility -- "the most useful of the three we use" -- is the easiest solution, that option "could create problems for some clients who are counting on this particular signal." The other possibilities are that CHU relicense as a broadcasting facility, change frequency to a nearby fixed service channel, which would require an investment in hardware and manpower, or shut down operations completely, Pelletier says. "To be seriously considered, any of the above alternatives will need to have a zero-based budgeting justification prepared, comparing it against the least expensive alternative of closing CHU entirely," he goes on to say. "CHU is entering a phase where major investment in new transmitters will be required if it is to be kept operating." Pelletier says that lacking input from CHU's user community citing the importance of the service's contribution, shutting down CHU altogether "is an inescapable recommendation." The CHU code is also used as a radio clock, which can be used as a reference clock for an NTP time server. Software drivers have been written that can obtain the date and time from the code and that tune a digitally tuned radio to one of CHU's three frequencies to get the best signal. "Be assured that we will try our best to maintain the CHU service as it is, keeping the three frequencies as they are," Pelletier's plea concludes. Canadian time transmissions using the CHU call letters commenced in 1938 on the current frequency, but the service itself dates back to the early 1920s. The facility changed to cesium atomic clocks in 1967. In 1970 the responsibility of operating CHU shifted from Dominion Observatory to the National Research Council. CHU invites reception report and will respond with a QSL card. Send reception reports to Radio Station CHU, National Research Council of Canada, 1200 Montreal Rd, Bldg M-36, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 or via e-mail <radio.chu@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca>. ==>DEADLINE JUST AHEAD FOR 2006 INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINATIONS The deadline to submit nominations for the 2006 ARRL International Humanitarian Award <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/awards/humanitarian.html> is December 31. The award is conferred upon an amateur or amateurs who demonstrate devotion to human welfare, peace and international understanding through Amateur Radio. The League established the annual prize to recognize Amateur Radio operators who have used ham radio to provide extraordinary service to others in times of crisis or disaster. A committee appointed by the League's President recommends the award recipient(s) to the ARRL Board, which makes the final decision. The committee invites nominations from Amateur Radio, governmental or other organizations that have benefited from extraordinary service rendered by an Amateur Radio operator or group. Nominations should include a summary of the nominee's actions that qualify the individual (or individuals) for this award, plus verifying statements from at least two people having first-hand knowledge of the events warranting the nomination. Submissions should include the names and addresses of all references. All nominations and supporting materials for the 2006 ARRL International Humanitarian Award must be submitted in writing in English to ARRL International Humanitarian Award, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA. In the event that no nominations are received, the committee itself may determine a recipient or decide to make no award. The winner of the ARRL International Humanitarian Award receives an engraved plaque and a profile in QST and other ARRL venues. ==>SOLAR UPDATE Solar sage Tad "I Saw the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: The past couple of days have seen robust solar activity, with flares and strong solar wind. On December 6 and 7, the planetary A index rose to 28 before falling back to 25. On December 5 a large X9-class solar flare emerged from the sun's eastern side, but it wasn't Earth-directed. This was from large Sunspot 930, which drove the sunspot number to 59 on the same day as the solar flare -- the same level as five days earlier. December 6, saw a smaller X6-class flare, and early December 8 we're seeing a strong solar wind, with the interplanetary magnetic field pointing south, making us vulnerable. There is a chance of more flares, which could be bad news for the ARRL 10 Meter Contest this weekend <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2006/10-meters.html>. A current forecast from NOAA and the US Air Force calls for Planetary A indices on December 8-12 of 30, 50, 40, 20 and 10. Predicted A indices of 50 and 40 for December 9-10 do not bode well for the weekend contest. Even if the geomagnetic activity is this strong, there still should be some transequatorial propagation on 10 meters. But here we see an average sunspot number of 52 for this week -- 35 points higher than last week -- and, of course, the downside is a greater chance of solar flares. There is a new prediction for the sunspot cycle minimum. Until recently, the minimum was predicted to have a smoothed sunspot number of six centered on March and April 2007. The new forecast moves the minimum out a little further, with a predicted smoothed sunspot number of seven for May 2007. This later and higher minimum makes sense, because we haven't seen weeks in a row of zero sunspots. Sunspot numbers for November 30 through December 6 were 59, 58, 55, 46, 43, 59 and 44, with a mean of 52. The 10.7 cm flux was 84.1, 84.2, 87.3, 86.5, 92.8, 102.4, and 103, with a mean of 91.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 28, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2 and 28, with a mean of 9.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 15, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2 and 15, with a mean of 5.6. 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 ARRL 10-Meter Contest is the weekend of December 9-10. The North America High-Speed Meteor Scatter Winter Rally takes place December 10-18. JUST AHEAD: The NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is December 13. The Russian 160-Meter Contest is December 15 (UTC). The OK DX RTTY Contest is December 16 (UTC). The MDXA PSK DeathMatch, the Croatian CW Contest and the International Naval Contest are the weekend of December 16-17. The ARCI Holiday Spirits Homebrew Sprint is December 17. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is December 18. 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, December 24, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education program (CCE) online courses starting Monday, January 1, 2007: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Amateur Radio License Course (EC-010), Analog Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). These courses also will open for registration Friday, December 22, for classes beginning Sunday, February 4, 2007. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * GeneSat-1 set to launch December 11: A satellite carrying an Amateur Radio telemetry downlink on 70 cm is set to launch Monday, December 11, from Wallops Island, Virginia. A collaboration of NASA Ames Research Center, industry and local universities, the GeneSat-1 CubeSat <http://www.crestnrp.org/genesat1/> will transmit AX.25 1200 bps FM/AFSK telemetry on 437.075 MHz. The satellite will carry an experiment to gauge the effects of space radiation and reduced gravity on bacteria. To foster interest within the amateur community and to support Amateur Radio and space technology outreach to secondary and higher education student groups, the GeneSat University Mission Ops Team is sponsoring a contest <http://www.crestnrp.org/genesat1/ahc.html>. The Grand Prize will permit the winner to chose a college or university to receive a satellite tracking station. It will go to the station logging 12 or more data packets each from the greatest number of satellite passes during the experiment. The First Contact Prize will recognize the station submitting the first packet after transmissions initiate. The first 20 stations to post packets will receive mission pins and a certificate of recognition; and anyone submitting at least one packet gets an electronic GeneSat-1 QSL card. Additional information on GeneSat-1 and other CubeSats is on the Amateur Radio Information and Support for CubeSats Web site <http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/CubeSat.htm>. Rocket launches from the Wallops Flight Facility are available live via the Web <http://www.wff.nasa.gov/webcast/>, starting approximately 30 minutes before launch. * Deadline looms to support League via Combined Federal Campaign: Federal government civilian employees, US Postal Service workers and members of the military have until Friday, December 15, to support ARRL by contributing to the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) <http://www.opm.gov/cfc/> and designating the League as the donation recipient. The CFC provides an easy way to support ARRL's efforts to represent its members and all radio amateurs. Similar to the United Way, the CFC encourages individuals to pledge by payroll deduction to non-profit organizations of their choice. In the past, the CFC has generated more than $69,000 for ARRL programs. Those wishing to select the ARRL as to receive all or part of their payroll deductions should designate organization 9872 when completing their 2006 CFC donor forms. Donations to ARRL can be designated for Diamond Club contributions, the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund or the ARRL Education & Technology Program. Donors also may make unrestricted contributions to the League. The ARRL Development Office would appreciate a copy of the donor form to ensure that each contribution is applied according to the donor's wishes and the contribution or pledge can be properly acknowledged. * VY1JA low-frequency beacon signal "grabbed" in Germany: The low-frequency beacon of J Allen, VY1JA, near Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory, was received November 21 by German LF experimenter Hartmut Wolff. The largely overland path spanned 7026 km (4370 miles). Allen said the report was a pleasant surprise. Transmitting on 137.7786 kHz using very-slow-speed CW (QRSS), the VY1JA beacon runs 140 W output to a 100-foot top-loaded wire vertical. Wolff used a double K9AY loop on the receiving end, where he decoded the beacon signal using computer software designed to capture below-noise-level signals. Allen invites reception reports, especially screen captures and .wav clips, via e-mail <vy1ja@northwestel.net> (QSLs go to N3SL). VY1JA currently beacons 24/7 sending "JA" at QRSS60 (60-second dits) on the hour and half-hour, followed by an approximately two-minute ID at 6 WPM at about :24 and :54 that includes the VY1JA grid square (CP20). * Darrin Walraven, K5DVW, wins November QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for November is Darrin Walraven, K5DVW, for his article "Understanding SWR by Example." Congratulations, Darrin! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award--given to the author or authors of the best article in each issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page <http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>. Cast a ballot for your favorite article in the December issue by December 31. * K2JV is Hudson Division's "Amateur of the Year": The ARRL Hudson Division has designated Barry Cohen, K2JV, of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey (left in photo), as its Amateur of the Year. ARRL Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, presented the award. Cohen was one of four honorees spotlighted during the division's Awards Dinner <http://www.hudson.arrl.org/pages/awardsdinner2006.htm> Saturday, November 11. Others recognized were Bob Raffaele, W2XM, Grand Ole Ham; Elmer Sharp, WA2YSM, Technical Achievement, and Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, Special Recognition for Public Service Excellence. In addition, 2005 Amateur of the Year Tom Raffaelli, WB2NHC, who was unable to attend last year's event spoke at this year's and collected his plaque. The event also raised more than $1000 for the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund <https://www.arrl.org/forms/fdefense/> through advertising sales in the Awards Journal and a raffle. =========================================================== 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 of interest to active radio amateurs. Visit the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest Amateur Radio news and news updates. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> also offers informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled and edited from The ARRL Letter. It's also available as a podcast from our Web site. 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