January 3, 1997 (Volume 16, Number 1)

IN THIS EDITION:

SPACE SUCCESS: MIREX QSOs MADE WITH THREE SCHOOLS

"Yes! Yes!!!! Yes!!!!!!!!!" That was the reaction of Bruce Burke, WB4YUC, in late December as he helped students at Silver Lakes Middle School in North Lauderdale, Florida, talk with US astronaut John Blaha, KC5TZQ, aboard the Russian space station Mir. The contact--the first scheduled school QSO between unlicensed students and a NASA astronaut-ham living on board Mir--marked a new page in the history of ham radio in space. On Friday December 27, Blaha spoke with 17 students at the Silver Lakes Middle School. Halfway through the contact, Mir Commander Valery Korzun extended his greetings to the students and congratulated them for being the first Americans to take part in this kind of contact. At the end of the QSO, the students wished Blaha a happy new year. School group contact coordinators for the Motorola ARC Kai Siwiak, KE4PT, and Burke said signal strength was outstanding throughout the pass.

The FCC only recently approved third-party contacts with Blaha from the Russian Mir space station. However, the FCC's permission only extends through Blaha's mission, thus clouding the prospects for such contacts involving other US astronauts on Mir. Over the past year, the SAREX team has worked closely with the Mir International Radio EXperiment (MIREX) team in the United States, the Space Amateur Funk EXperiment (SAFEX) team in Germany and the Mir Amateur Radio EXperiment (MAREX) team in Russia to allow unlicensed school students in the US to talk to the astronauts on Mir.

Two other MIREX QSOs also went off on schedule. On Saturday, December 28, students at Granby High and Mary Calcutt Elementary schools in Hampton, Virginia, successfully contacted Blaha aboard Mir and got to put a dozen questions to the astronaut. Blaha attended Mary Calcutt and graduated from Granby High School in the 1960s. The 10-minute contact was conducted from the Amateur Radio satellite station exhibit, KE4ZXW, at the Virginia Air and Space Center. Blaha told the students he had some Granby/Calcutt memorabilia on board Mir that he expects to return to the schools.

Monday, December 30, students at The Johnson School in Warrenville, Illinois, got to ask Blaha how the Mir crew emptied the trash. In all, the students got to ask 15 questions as an audience of some 900 people (including approximately 450 youngsters) looked on. Enthusiasm at all three schools was high despite the fact that the students were on Christmas break, and volunteers, parents and teachers had to take time away from their holiday activities to arrange for equipment and operators.

As a result of the QSOs, all three schools got a lot of media attention. "These Mir QSOs are so very important since competition is accelerating against SAREX being selected as a payload on the last few orbiting shuttle missions of 1997 and 1998 prior to International Space Station activities," said Rosalie White, WA1STO, ARRL Educational Activities Department manager.

Five more schools have been scheduled for contacts before the end of Blaha's mission in mid-January. Schools wishing to arrange contacts with astronauts aboard a US space shuttle carrying the SAREX payload should submit a SAREX application to the ARRL Educational Activities Department (EAD), e-mail ead@arrl.org. More information about the MIREX and SAREX programs is available at http://www.arrl.org or check the Mir Web page at http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/mir/. --Frank Bauer, KA3HDO

SIXTEEN SCHOOLS SELECTED FOR STS-83 SAREX CONTACTS

Sixteen schools, including institutions in the People's Republic of China and on Okinawa, have been picked for scheduled SAREX contacts during NASA's STS-83 space shuttle mission. The tentative launch date is March 27. Three hams are scheduled to be aboard the shuttle Columbia. They are James D. Halsell, KC5RNI, mission commander; Janice E. Voss, KC5BTK, payload commander and Donald A. Thomas, KC5FVF, mission specialist. The STS-83 flight is scheduled to last 16 days. The mission will carry SAREX configuration C: voice and packet. The mission's primary payload is the microgravity science laboratory.

The schools selected for STS-83 SAREX contacts are:

  • Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute, Jamestown, Tennessee (assisting club: Fentress County Radio Club)
  • Artesia Public Schools, Artesia, New Mexico (assisting club: Pecos Valley Amateur Radio Club)
  • County College of Morris, Randolph, New Jersey (assisting club: Morris Radio Club)
  • Crittenden Middle School, Mountain View, California (assisting club: Ames Amateur Radio Club)
  • Edgewater High School, Orlando, Florida (assisting club: Edgewater High Amateur Radio Club)
  • Ione Junior High School, Jackson, California (assisting: Dave Larsen, N6CO)
  • Lawrence Intermediate School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey (assisting club: Delaware Valley Radio Association)
  • Lester Middle School (Department of Defense Dependents Schools, Pacific), Okinawa, Japan (assisting club: Radio Society of Okinawa)
  • Lexington Traditional Magnet School, Lexington, Kentucky (assisting club: Bluegrass Amateur Radio Society Inc)
  • Mountain View Elementary School, Dewey, Arizona (assisting club: Yavapai Amateur Radio Club)
  • Public School No. 9, New York, New York (assisting club: Cooper Union Amateur Radio Club)
  • Robert J. Burch Elementary School, Tyrone, Georgia (assisting club: Fayette County Repeater Association)
  • S. J. Davis Middle School, San Antonio, Texas (assisting club: Southwest Research Center Amateur Radio Club)
  • Sonny Carter Elementary School, Macon, Georgia (assisting club: Bibb County Amateur Radio Emergency Service)
  • Troy Intermediate School, Troy, Texas (assisting club: Temple Amateur Radio Club Inc)
  • Tsinghua University, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China (assisting clubs: China Radio Sports Association and Tsinghua University Amateur Radio Club.

AMSAT volunteer mentors will be assigned and they will contact the radio coordinators this month to assist each school and/or radio club throughout the entire process. --Glenn Swanson, KB1GW

HEARD ISLAND DXPEDITION DEPARTURE DELAYED

A strike in France has delayed the departure of the Heard Island (VK0IR) DXpedition team from Reunion Island. The team had been ready to set sail today (January 3, 1997). Instead, the team now will leave January 5 and head directly to Heard Island without making a planned stop at Crozet Island. John Devoldere, ON4UN, reports that the French Regie Maritime, the semi-official agency that manages all ferries in France, is going on strike for two days starting today; the crew of the Marion Dufresne, the expedition vessel, is going on strike as a sign of solidarity with their brethren in France.

The Heard Island DXpedition team has been active as TO0R from Reunion Island for much of this week, mostly on 160 meters at 1826.5 kHz. The group expects to land on Heard Island on January 12 at the latest and leave the island at month's end. On the sail back to Reunion Island, the team will stop at Kerguelen Island "for about one day," Devoldere said, adding that "the chances to operate on Kerguelen are minimal due to the limited time available."

Those interested in having a blow-by-blow account of the DXpedition can send a "subscribe" message (leave subject line blank) to heard-request@ve7tcp.ampr.org.

NORTH AMERICAN DIGITAL SYSTEM DIRECTORY TO BE ONLINE

With ARRL support, the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR) now will provide information on digital systems that formerly appeared in the annual ARRL Repeater Directory. The digital directory information will be available at http://www.tapr.org/directory/. By not including digital system listings in the 1997-98 edition of the Repeater Directory, the publication can better focus on its primary use as a guide to voice repeaters for traveling amateurs.

In planning the 1997-98 edition, the ARRL concluded that the Repeater Directory was no longer the most effective medium for this information. Discussions involving various regional digital groups that provide data to the digital section of the Repeater Directory led to the conclusion that TAPR was the logical group to take on the task of a new North American Digital System Directory.

This new database will describe systems used by Amateur Radio stations involved in digital communications in United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Digital System Directory will be based on information provided by regional, state, and local organizations as well as individuals, in a nearly real-time format. This should allow information to be maintained and updated more frequently than in a yearly publication. TAPR will also work with participating organizations to make this information available on TAPR's yearly CD-ROM as well as some future publication for local/regional groups to distribute.

The purpose of the Digital System Directory is not to manage, coordinate, or regulate the usage of digital systems, but to provide the most up-to-date and accurate listing of digital systems that can be provided. Neither is it a formal organization, but a mechanism to allow regional groups to provide and share information regarding digital systems.

The Digital System Directory is intended for use by individuals to further their enjoyment of the hobby, and by organizations to help plan and develop digital networks.

Regional/Local groups have already begun to participate in the process. These groups include TwinsLAN, Texas Packet Radio Society, Miami Valley FM Association, Ohio Area Repeater Council, Puget Sound AR TCP/IP Group, Northern California Packet Association, Northern Illinois Packet Radio Frequency Council, Indiana Digital Experimenters Association, Central Lakeshore Experimenter's Digital Organization, HogNet Packet Radio Association, YCCC Sysops Association and the Missouri Amateur Packet Radio Society. TAPR encourages other regional groups to support this project by contributing data from their respective areas.

For further information on the project and how to get involved, regional groups should check http://www.tapr.org/directory/ or send e-mail to Carl Estey at wa0cqg@tapr.org. --Jay Mabey, NU0X

DAVE COONS, WT8W, IS NEW GREAT LAKES VICE DIRECTOR

ARRL President Rod Stafford, KB6ZV, has appointed Dave Coons, WT8W, of New Carlisle, Ohio, as the new vice director of the Great Lakes Division. The appointment is effective immediately. Coons replaces John Thernes, W4ZN, who recently resigned to devote full time to graduate studies.

A former US Postal Service employee, Coons, 65, served for 12 years as postmaster in Miamisburg, Ohio, before retiring in 1989. During his stint in the US Navy in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he taught CW aboard ship. He's been a ham and a League member since 1963. "It's been a great hobby throughout all these years," said Coons, adding that he was "pleased and honored to be asked" to serve as a vice director.

Coons is deeply involved in ham radio activities. He's served as a volunteer examiner since 1989, is a past president (two years), vice president and secretary of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) and has taught for the past 16 sessions at HANDI-HAM's Camp Courage. This year at the Dayton Hamvention, he'll chair the communication group. He enjoys CW, is a sysop for a packet node and participates in several HF nets.

Coons said his wife, Rita, supports and encourages his involvement in ham radio. He said he looks upon his appointment as vice director as "a great opportunity" to expand on that involvement.

Dave Coons' address is 932 Hedwick St, New Carlisle, OH 45344; telephone 937-849-0604); e-mail wt8w@arrl.net.

TEN-MINUTE RULE DROPPED FOR ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX CONTEST

Starting next year with the 1998 ARRL International DX Contest, multi-op stations will no longer have to remain on a band for at least 10 minutes after commencing operation on that band. The ARRL Contest Advisory Committee and the ARRL Awards Committee have approved changing the rules to allow six band changes per hour instead. In effect, the revised rule does not allow more changes in an hour than the present rule, but it does allow a station to quit an unproductive band after a single contact. Remember: the 10-minute rule remains in effect for this year's ARRL International DX Contest.

Effective this year, DXpedition scores are being added to the aggregate competition totals for active affiliated clubs in the ARRL DX Contest. The present rules require that single guest operators and the station licensee must be members of the same club. This rule has been waived for DXpeditions only. At least two-thirds of the operators in a multi-operator entry must be members of the same club for the score to count for that club.

FCC UPHOLDS FINE FOR VIOLATING AMATEUR RULES

The FCC has upheld a $6000 fine in the malicious interference case of Timothy Harold Hoffman of Phoenix, Arizona. The FCC cited Hoffman last spring for transmitting on ham radio frequencies without a valid license, failing to allow the FCC to inspect his radio station, willfully and maliciously interfering with licensed operations, and making one-way transmissions of material "to amuse or entertain." The FCC fined Hoffman last August after Phoenix repeater users reported being plagued for years by malicious interference by someone posing as a ham and expropriating call signs to use on the air (an FCC public notice erroneously identified Hoffman as an "Amateur Radio operator").

The Arizona Repeater Association's local interference committee helped to track down and identify Hoffman, notified the FCC, and continued to document his activities (see The ARRL Letter, Vol 15, No 9, Sep 13, 1996). Hoffman eventually admitted responsibility for the violations. But, when the FCC at first failed to take meaningful action, the association wrote to the White House and members of Congress. Subsequently, the FCC fined Hoffman, and he admitted responsibility for the violations. In October, he sought a reduction or elimination of the forfeiture saying he could not afford to pay because of child support payments, tax liens and a garnishment. But, the FCC said Hoffman "failed to adequately document his claim of inability to pay." --FCC

FCC TURNS DOWN MORE PETITIONS FROM EARLY FILERS

As it already did in a similar case, the FCC recently turned down Petitions for Reconsideration from three hams asking the FCC to reinstate their vanity call sign applications. The applications had been dismissed because they arrived prior to the opening of Gate 2 on September 23. The applicants' paperwork arrived at the FCC's fiscal agent, Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 20. In November, the FCC dismissed nine other similar petitions for reconsideration.

In its Memorandum Opinion and Order, released December 19, 1996, the FCC said it was not its fault that the applications arrived early and that the petitioners "did not show any error or culpability on the part of the Commission or Mellon's Lockbox Shift Supervisor."

The Commission pointed out that nearly 4200 hams successfully filed first-day Gate 2 applications that were delivered by various means and arrived on time. --FCC

DIGITAL JOURNAL, QRT

Digital Journal (formerly RTTY Journal) will cease publication with its January 1997 issue. The move to shut down the 45-year-old publication came shortly after the magazine's publisher, the International Digital Radio Association (IDRA), announced that Digital Journal would switch from monthly to bimonthly publication.

On his Web page, the magazine's editor, Jim Mortenson, N2HOS, cited a combination of flagging advertiser support and "a decline in the number of members willing to pay for hard copy of what they felt was available for no cost on the Internet."

Mortenson said that the phone and fax numbers at IDRA headquarters will no longer be in service. All correspondence goes to the IDRA at Box 2550, Goldenrod, FL 32733.

SOLAR REPORT: BACK IN THE DOLDRUMS

Solar seer Tad Cook, KT7H, in soggy Seattle, Washington (where the sun has been absent of late), reports: Solar activity is down over the past couple of weeks, as we settle back into conditions consistent with the bottom of the solar cycle. This comes in the wake of the recent, probably final upsurge in activity from the dying Cycle 22.

Looking at the long term, recent data show that sunspot numbers probably bottomed out around June or July of last year, but should return to late-1994 levels around June of this year. Some projections show that by August, sunspot numbers could be about three times what they were during the same month a year earlier, and by December about four times the average for December, 1996.

For the ARRL RTTY Roundup this weekend, look for slightly rising solar flux to the mid-70s, with a possible small bump in geomagnetic activity coming Monday, January 6. Based on the 27-day solar rotation, the flux is expected to rise to around the mid-80s by January 14, then drop below 80 a few days later, bottoming out in the low-70s from January 17 through the end of the month.

Recently 15 meters has seen some improvement, although a lot of the observed propagation is north-south, also referred to as transequatorial. Look for openings on 17 through 10 meters during daylight hours, and good conditions on 20 meters. Look for conditions to be best on 20 after sunrise and again before sunset. Forty meters is still a good bet for long and medium distance propagation, and--given the continued low solar activity--look for openings on 80 and 160 meters during the long hours of darkness.

Recently we have been unable to get solar flux numbers resolved to a tenth of a point. This should change soon. Sunspot numbers for December 19 through 25 were 23, 13, 28, 26, 24, 0 and 0, respectively, with a mean of 16.3. The 10.7-cm flux was 87.4, 83, 83.7, 81.5, 79.5, 79 and 77, respectively, with a mean of 81.6. The Planetary A indices for the same period were 2, 2, 4, 6, 10, 3, and 6, respectively, with a mean of 4.7. Sunspot numbers for December 26 through January 1 were 0 every day, which is a mean of 0. The 10.7-cm flux was 76, 75, 74, 74, 73, 72 and 72, respectively, with a mean of 73.7. The Planetary A indices for the same period were 3, 1, 4, 3, 8, 4, and 2, respectively, with a mean of 3.6.

HELP WANTED: READERS NEEDED BY HANDI-HAMS

The Courage HANDI-HAM Center needs volunteer readers to record ham radio books and publications on audio tape. Volunteer readers provide a valuable service to persons with severe physical disabilities and sensory impairments who cannot use regular printed books.

Volunteers should hold an Amateur Radio license and be familiar with hobby terms and expressions. A clear speaking voice and the ability to read the written text of Amateur Radio books and describe the diagrams and pictures are essential.

HANDI-HAMS will provide a tech sheet and a sample tape to new volunteers, as well as a copy of the book to be read and cassette master tapes. Readers will need a good-quality cassette tape recorder and a quiet place to record. Some of the books we would ask readers to tape would be ARRL license manuals, special interest Amateur Radio books, and instruction manuals for radios.

This volunteer work can be done in one's own home, at one's own pace, as long as there is a quiet place to read. It is a wonderful way to share Amateur Radio with others!

Please contact the Courage HANDI-HAM System at: Courage Center, HANDI-HAM System, 3915 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley, MN 55422; tel 612-520-0515; fax 612-520-0577; e-mail handiham@mtn.org. Visit the HANDI-HAM World at http://www.mtn.org/handiham/. --Patrick Tice, WA0TDA

TWO HAMS DIE IN NEW YORK PLANE CRASH

Hudson Division hams are grieving the loss of two fellow amateurs from Long Island, New York, who died in the crash of a small plane December 12, 1996, near Bohemia, New York. Dead are the plane's pilot, Charles Kahn, W2PR, of St James, New York, and Ronald Katz, W2VK, of Stony Brook, New York. Katz, formerly WB2DVK, had recently received W2VK through the vanity call sign program.

Their twin-engine Cessna crashed on approach to MacArthur Airport in Suffolk County, New York, in a deserted section of Connetquot River State Park. A third passenger, Kenneth Summit, also died in the crash. All three, in their 50s, were employees of US Dynamics Corp of Amityville, which Kahn owned. They were returning from a business trip to Georgia when the aircraft went down. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. --The Hudson Loop/Steve Dworkin, N2MDQ

THOMAS D. GILES III, K4GVV, SK

The amateur community in the Panama City, Florida, area is mourning the loss of Tom Giles, K4GVV, who died November 7. He was 77. Giles, a member of the ARRL and QCWA, participated in numerous traffic nets. Although physically handicapped from childhood, Giles was an active radio amateur and had worked as a medical and health care facility administrator. A friend, Mike Adams, N3JW, says Giles "leaves a legacy of dozens of individuals who were influenced to obtain their licenses." He said Giles sponsored an electronics scholarship at Haney Technical Center in Panama City to help students in need, and donated time and equipment to the school over the years. Tom Giles' survivors include his wife, Rosina, WA4QNL; daughter, Lucie Giles, WA4PGD; and son, Thomas Giles IV, N5CUZ.

HOPE CURRIER, FORMER 73 MANAGING EDITOR, SK

The former managing editor of 73 magazine, Hope Currier, died on Christmas eve at her home in New Hampshire. She was a 1973 graduate of Brandeis University and was believed to be in her mid-40s. Her one-time supervisor, David Cassidy, N1GPH, provided some insight: "In her office, she kept an extra chair which she labeled 'The Therapy Chair.' I cannot count the number of times I used Hope's 'Therapy Chair' to rant and rave about something, with Hope listening patiently and offering good counsel. Those of us who knew her will miss her very much, and the world is a lesser place without her in it."

In Brief:

  • Young hams up: The FCC reports 2638 new hams during November 1996. There were 306 more new licensees age 21 and younger in November than during October.

  • ZIP Code confusion: Some hams filing vanity call sign applications have been using the incorrect ZIP Code to send applications or payments. If you're filing a paper Form 610V and enclosing payment, the correct ZIP Code is 15251-5924. Electronic (on-line) filers send their payments with Form 159 by mail using 15251-5994. --Bart Jahnke, W9JJ

  • AMSAT-Canada supports ARISS: AMSAT-Canada has endorsed the concept of establishing Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. AMSAT-Canada applauded approval by the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Board of Directors of a memorandum of understanding to establish a permanent Amateur Radio presence aboard the International Space Station--to be known as ARISS (see The ARRL Letter, November 29, 1996). The memorandum of understanding was hammered out last November by an multinational group. --Jeff Milne, VE3EFF

  • Club insurance--the real deal: We recently reported that Albert H. Wohlers & Co of Park Ridge, Illinois--which administers the ARRL ham radio and club liability insurance plan--has raised the minimum premium for the ARRL Club Liability Insurance to $325 per year starting this year. While this represents an increase for most clubs, it will be a decrease for others--a fact our report did not make clear. It all depends on the state in which the club is located. According to information supplied by Wohlers, the minimum premium will go down in six states (the biggest drop was in Virginia, where the minimum had been $366). For more information, contact Wohlers at 800-323-2106; fax 847-803-4649; e-mail cusv@ahw.com.

  • IARU Grows: Five new members, all in Region 1, joined the International Amateur Radio Union during 1996. New member-societies for Uganda and Mali were announced in April 1996 QST; joining them later in the year were the Tanzania Amateur Radio Club, the Association Radio Amateurs of Moldova, and the Tajik Amateur Radio League. This brings to 151 the number of countries and separate territories that are represented in the IARU.

  • Update on Sister: Patrick Tice, WA0TDA, at HANDI-HAM, reports that Sister Alverna O'Laughlin, WA0SGJ, of HANDI-HAMS--injured in an auto accident last May--spent Christmas at her motherhouse, Assisi Heights. "I visited Sister there and she was in fine spirits, though her recovery has been much slower than anticipated," Tice said. Sister Alverna has been putting in a few hours of work at HANDI-HAMS each morning. Meanwhile, HANDI-HAMS' Maureen Pranghofer, KF0I--herself injured in an auto accident last June along with her husband, Paul--continues her recovery. Maureen had replaced Sister Alverna at HANDI-HAMS following her accident. Tice reports the Pranghofers both are doing much better. "Paul is back at work as a programmer at Courage Center, and Maureen is a resident in the Courage Center Residence program," he said. "She does manage to get up to the HQ station, W0ZSW, and operate our brand-new TS-870!"

  • K1ART to Cushcraft: Art Hambleton, K1ART (ex-K1LL), is Cushcraft's first amateur product manager. He'll be responsible for product management, marketing, sales and tech support for Cushcraft's Amateur Radio product line. He previously served as design engineer for Amateur Radio antennas at the Manchester, New Hampshire, firm. A ham for 22 years, Hambleton has extensive experience as an RF design engineer.

  • WT0N recognized: AMSAT News Service Bulletin editor BJ Arts, WT0N, of Hibbing, Minnesota, has been recognized with a plaque from AMSAT-NA for his work on the AMSAT news bulletins.

  • Radio Canada International, QRT: Radio Canada International (RCI) will shut down at the end of March after efforts failed to raise money to keep the international broadcasting operation afloat. RCI had received a reprieve last spring, but plans fell through to provide continued funding. Press reports in Canada said the federally funded CBC and the government were unable to come up with the $16 million needed to keep RCI on the air.

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.

Circulation, Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, e-mail kcapodicasa@arrl.org.

Editorial, Rick Lindquist, N1RL, e-mail elindquist@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.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, including photoreproduction and electronic databanks, provided that credit is given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.