IN THIS UPDATE . . .

FIRST-DAY VANITY CALL SIGNS COULD BE ISSUED BY MONTH'S END

As of October 4, a little more than 5900 Gate 2 vanity call sign applications had arrived in the FCC's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, office for processing--most of them on paper but with an increasing percentage of electronic applications. An FCC spokesman hazarded a "guess" that the FCC could be ready to randomly process first-day Gate 2 receipts by the last week in October, if all goes well. By October 11, approximately 2500 day-one applications had been entered into the FCC's computer. Slightly more than 4500 applications were filed on September 23, the opening day of Gate 2. An estimated 100 or so applications arrived too early at the FCC's fiscal agent. The FCC has dismissed these applications, and affected individuals will need to file a new vanity call sign application and send in another $30 fee. Hams whose applications are dismissed must request a refund in writing and under separate cover.

Overall, since the vanity program began earlier this year with the opening of Gate 1 on May 31, an estimated 10,000 applications have been filed with the FCC for call sign changes.

CONGRESS DIRECTS FCC TO PUT 2.3 GHZ SPECTRUM UP FOR BID

Possibly for the first time ever, Congress has directed the reallocation of specific frequencies, including 5 MHz that Amateur Radio shares with government services between 2305 and 2310 MHz. During its final hours before adjournment, the 104th Congress approved a provision as part of a much larger appropriations bill that directs the FCC to put 30 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3-GHz region up for competitive auction to help balance the budget.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) had identified for reallocation the amateur segments 2300-2310 MHz and 2390-2400 MHz in May 1994, so reallocation of part of that subband came as no surprise (see QST, Jul 94, p 85, and Aug 94, p 72). Last year, hams scored a major victory by getting a primary allocation on the subbands 2390-2400 MHz and 2402-2417 MHz.

The recent congressional action will reallocate 2305 to 2320 MHz and 2345 to 2360 MHz--30 MHz in all--to "wireless services that are consistent with international agreement concerning spectrum allocations." The action was included in the massive, 2000-page Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton. The act now is Public Law 104-208.

Shortly after the measure was introduced in the Congress, the ARRL sent messages to House and Senate Commerce Committee and Appropriations staff members to alert them to the League's concerns and the possible impact the bill would have on the amateur allocation at 2300-2310 MHz. The measure also was opposed by the Senate Commerce Committee leadership, which stated that auctions ought to be used only for assignment purposes, not as a means of raising Federal revenues. The newly reallocated spectrum is to be put up for bid no later than next April.

ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, said it's too early to know the implications for Amateur Radio. "Congressional action directing the reallocation of specific frequency bands is very unusual, and may even be unprecedented," he said. "We have been waiting for the other shoe to drop on 2300-2310 MHz ever since 1994, and to some extent we are still waiting." Sumner expressed the hope that the action might provide the opportunity to strengthen Amateur Radio's claim to 2300-2305 MHz.

Watch for further details in December QST.

SPECIAL NOTICE: ARRL ELECTION BALLOTS

Attention ARRL members in the Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern, , Rocky Mountain, and Southwestern Divisions. Ballots have been mailed to all ARRL full members in these divisions who were members as of September 10. If you are eligible to receive a ballot but have not received one by October 26, you may request a replacement from the Secretary, ARRL. Completed ballots must be received by the independent auditor who is overseeing the balloting no later than noon Friday, November 15.

Candidates are: Central Vice Director, Mike Hoshiko, W9CJW, and Howard S. Huntington, K9KM; Hudson Director, Frank Fallon, N2FF, and Richard Sandell, WK6R; Hudson Vice Director, J. P. Kleinhaus, AA2DU, and Peter J. Malvasi, WB2BYQ; New England Director, Bill Burden, WB1BRE, and Tom Frenaye, K1KI; New England Vice Director, Don Haney, KA1T, and Hal Offutt, K8HVT; Northwestern Director, Mary Lou Brown, NM7N, and Mary Elizabeth Lewis, W7QGP; Roanoke Director, John Kanode, N4MM, and Reed Whitten, AB4W; Rocky Mountain Director, Gunnar Carlson, AE4W, and Marshall Quiat, AG0X; and Southwestern Director, Fried Heyn, WA6WZO, and Glenn T. Webb, W6FP.

WORLD'S OLDEST LONGWAVE TRANSMITTER TO BROADCAST MESSAGE

The world's only working Alexanderson alternator will broadcast this month from Sweden on 17.2 kHz. A nostalgic Morse code transmission at 0900 UTC on October 23 from station SAQ in Grimeton on Sweden's west coast will commemorate the declaration of the radio station as an historic building. The RCA Alexanderson alternator was built in 1924. The SAQ site, complete with six antenna towers and the 200-kW transmitter, are under the care and management of Telia Mobitel, a Swedish mobile telephone company, and the radio museum of the Radio Historical Society of West Sweden, which operates club station SK6RM. Ulf Sjoden, SM6CVE, has helped to organize the event.

SAQ also will transmit a test on October 21, at approximately 1100 UTC. SAQ requests listener reports of both the test and the commemorative message via telephone at 46-340-74251 or fax at 46-340-74195. Callers will be reimbursed for the cost of the call. The operator at SAQ is Bengt Dagaas, who is not a ham.

The Alexanderson alternator was developed during the early years of wireless by Ernst Alexanderson, a Swedish-American. The device is essentially a large, electromechanical high-frequency alternator with a high-speed rotor that's connected directly to an antenna system. A similar station once operated on Long Island. The circuit was used to transmit telegrams and messages between Europe and the US.

Last fall, Amateur Radio station 7S6SAQ operated from the SAQ site to celebrate 100 years of radio and the 70th anniversary of the radio station (see "Up Front," QST, Nov 95, p 14, for a picture of the Alexanderson alternator and the antenna system). During September 1995, SAQ itself transmitted a message to England which was relayed via landline from a BBC monitoring station to those attending a "100 Years of Radio" conference in London.

[Thanks to Rod Brown, WG8W; Ray Minichiello, AA1KG, of the Guglielmo Marconi Foundation USA; Ulf Sjoden, SM6CVE; and Nils Gustafsson, AB4FG, for their help in compiling this report.--Ed]

SOLAR ACTIVITY STAYS FLAT--THIS COULD BE THE MINIMUM

Sun watcher Tad Cook, KT7H, of Seattle, Washington, reports today that solar activity is still low, and we've just seen yet another week of no visible sunspots. October 16 was the 34th consecutive day with no sunspots. This surely means that we must still be at the minimum between solar cycles 22 and 23. The current forecast--based upon the mean values of solar cycles 18-22--says that the next cycle won't have the same average sunspot number value as January 1995 (24) until June 1997. The same prediction for solar flux shows that the value for January 1995 (81) is not expected again until December 1997. Remember that these are only guesses, based upon averages for previous solar cycles.

Current forecasts predict some unsettled to active conditions over the next week due to recurrent coronal holes, with a solar flux around 70 for the next few weeks. Unsettled conditions will probably return around November 9, with solar flux dipping below 70 again after November 2.

We've begun to include the A index in our summary of weekly numbers. The A Index is based upon the K Index over a 24-hour period. A new K Index (an expression of geomagnetic instability) is announced every three hours on WWV, at 0000, 0300, 0600, 0900, 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2100 UTC. The scale changes very little, so that each point is quite significant. Ideally HF operators would love to see a constant K index of 0 and a solar flux over 300, but it almost never works out that way. During periods of high solar activity, the K Index tends to be higher, because when the Sun is more active it spews out more protons, plasma and flares. This can destabilize Earth's magnetic field, cause the ionosphere and polar regions to absorb radio waves and generally make life miserable for HF ops. Now that we are at the low point between solar cycles 22 and 23, the K Index is usually quite good, around 1 or 2. During the high part of a solar cycle, it tends to be 3 most of the time, 4 when conditions are unstable, and 5 or even higher when there is a geomagnetic storm or even a radio blackout. Each point signifies a big change, so that we almost never observe a K Index of 6 or 7, except when there has been a huge solar flare.

The A Index, based on all the K indices for the day, has a much broader range. The A Index will move much more. As this report is filed, the solar flux is 69, the A Index is 4, and the most recent K Index is 2. A typical condition during higher solar activity is a K Index of 3 and an A Index about 15, or perhaps a K Index of 4 and an A Index of around 20 if conditions are disturbed. During the past week The highest A Index was 19 on October 13, and the highest K index for the day was 5, which is quite disturbed. The average K Index for that day was only 3.7, as the K of 5 only appeared during two three-hour periods, and several other periods had a K of only 2.

Sunspot numbers for October 3 through 9 again were 0 across the board. The 10.7-cm flux was 69.6, 69.4, 68.5, 68.8, 68.3, 67.9 and 67.9, respectively, with a mean of 68.6. Planetary A indices for the same period were 13, 5, 3, 3, 4, 6, and 18, respectively, with a mean of 7.4. Sunspot numbers for October 10 through 16 remained 0 through the period. The 10.7 cm flux was 67.6, 66.4, 67.2, 67.6, 68.6, 69 and 68.6, respectively, with a mean of 67.9. Planetary A indices for the same period were 7, 7, 13, 19, 11, 5, and 8, respectively, with a mean of 10.

Anyone wanting to contact the author of this bulletin may send e-mail to tad@ssc.com or packet mail to KT7H@N7DUO.WA.USA.NOAM.

ARRL FIELD ORGANIZATION VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

The ARRL has named seven League volunteers as Field Organization Volunteers of the Year. Cited for 1996 awards were:

  • Atlantic Division: Bruce Zellar, KA2GJV, Fulton, New York
  • Dakota Division: Larry Narikawa, N0OQA, Apple Valley, Minnesota
  • New England Division: Walter Parker, W1SQV, Windham, Maine
  • Northwestern Division: Donald Allan, KG7XY, Goldendale, Washington
  • Pacific Division: Jim McCauley, AB6EU, Glenn Ellen, California
  • Southwestern Division: Tuck Miller, KC6ZEC, National City, California
  • West Gulf Division: Mac McDonald, K2GKK, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

In a letter to each honoree, ARRL President Rod Stafford, KB6ZV, said that the award recognizes "accomplishments and contributions of the most exemplary nature," and included teamwork spirit, service to the public and fellow amateurs, exceptional performance, recruitment and training of other volunteers, and community relations.

"The League is a volunteer-based organization," Stafford concluded. "Without the selfless work performed by volunteers such as yourself, there would be no ARRL."

TUCKER ELECTRONICS BOWS OUT OF HAM RADIO BUSINESS

Tucker Electronics has closed its Dallas, Texas, retail outlet and mail-order business and sold its inventory to Ham Radio Outlet. The move put about 15 people out of work, according to Tucker's executive vice president and CEO John Holloran Jr. HRO has acquired Tucker's ham radio assests as well as those of Oklahoma Comm Center, which Tucker acquired in July. Holloran called the move "primarily a business decision."

"To us, it wasn't a viable business for us to continue," he said.

Ham Radio Outlet will not occupy the former Tucker store location, and all ham radio sales activity at Tucker ceased on October 16. HRO plans to consolidate Tucker's retail and mail-order operations with its New Hampshire store location. Tucker's toll-free order number, 800-559-7388, will be answered by HRO's New Hampshire store for now. Ham Radio Outlet will continue to market the Tucker brand of accessories. HRO also reports it plans to open some new locations.

Holloran said the move will allow Tucker Electronics to concentrate on its core business, distributing new and reconditioned electronic test and measurement equipment.

RENO FABER, ZS6OF, SK

Past-president of the South African Radio League Reno Faber, ZS6OF, died October 13 after a long illness. Throughout his life, he was dedicated to the SARL and its development, and he served the SARL in many capacities, including as its president and, for many years, as editor of Radio ZS. "His key is silent, but his memory will live forever. Rest in peace, old friend. We will miss you." --Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS5AKV

In Brief . . .
  • FCC toll-free expanded: Residents of 26 states now can reach the FCC's National Call Center by calling 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322). Arizona, Washington DC, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington (state) are the latest to join the growing list as the Commission phases in the toll-free information service geographically. Plans call for the service to be available in all states by early 1997. The Call Center, located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, operates between 8 AM and 5:30 PM Eastern Time. States added to the system earlier this year include Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.

  • Call-sign server: Mark Downing, AC6PN, of Costa Mesa, California, invites vanity call sign applicants to use his Internet call-sign server to check for newly issued call sign grants. It's at http://www.rdatasys.com/~mdowning/fcc/callsign.html. Among other things, you can choose a list of the previous day's vanity call sign grants. The database also will provide your grid square and even generate a map (may not work with all browsers). It also allows searches by call sign or any combination of name, city, state, or zip code.

  • DARA scholarships: The Dayton Amateur Radio Association is now accepting applications for its $2000 scholarships. Eight scholarships will be awarded. Initial applicants must be licensed Amateur Radio operators and high-school seniors graduating in 1997. To obtain an application, send a request with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: DARA Scholarships, 45 Cinnamon Ct, Springboro, OH 45066-1000. --Stan Kuck, NY8F

  • K2BSA/1 JOTA operation: The Burlington (Vermont) Amateur Radio Club is providing equipment and operators for K2BSA/1 during the Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) this weekend (see QST, Oct 96, p 49). K2BSA/1 will be operate from the Vergennes, Vermont, camporee site. QSL via KD1R, 943 Osgood Hill Rd, Westford, VT 05494. --Ralph Stetson, KD1R

  • Young hams up: For the month of September, FCC statistics show that new licensees who are age 21 or younger, increased by 538 over the month of August.

  • W9DCQ gets JSC post: Effective October 28, Doug Ward, W9DCQ, will be designated as the acting public affairs director of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Ward will fill the position currently held by Jeff Carr, who is leaving the center to accept a position with the United Space Alliance. Ward joined JSC in 1966 as a public information specialist, providing support to the Gemini Program and the Apollo missions. Prior to his current assignment as the chief of the External Affairs Branch, Ward served as the special assistant for public affairs in the Space Station Program Office and as the deputy director of public affairs. --NASA

  • RAC move completed: The administrative office of the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) has completed its relocation. The new address is 720 Belfast Rd, Suite 217, Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z5, Canada; tel 613-244-4367; fax 613-244-4369. Telephone calls will not be answered until things settle down, today or Monday. --RAC

  • ZS5AKV reappointed: The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union has reappointed Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS5AKV, as the IARU satellite adviser for another one-year term. ZS5AKV also is looking for input from the satellite community on how best to focus on amateur satellites and the fraternity's contribution to scientific development and engineering. E-mail your ideas to zs5akv@amsat.org. --AMSAT News Service

  • DOVE-OSCAR 17 update: Jim White, WD0E, reports that the analog telemetry data being sent by the DOVE-OSCAR-17 satellite is mostly inaccurate. The focus of the current test software that is transmitting this data is to diagnose what appears to be a hardware that is hindering the execution of the regular operating software on the satellite. Work continues in getting DOVE back on-line. --SpaceNews

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter is published by the American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259. Rodney J. Stafford, KB6ZV, President; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Executive Vice President.

Electronic edition circulation, Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, e-mail kcapodicasa@arrl.org.

Editorial, Rick Lindquist, KX4V, e-mail rlindquist@arrl.org.

Visit the ARRLWeb page at http://www.arrl.org.

The purpose of The ARRL Letter is to provide the essential news of interest to active, organizationally minded radio amateurs faster than it can be disseminated by our official journal, QST. We strive to be fast, accurate and readable in our reporting.

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