The ARRL Letter
Vol. 13, No. 10
May 26, 1994

League urges action on call sign selection

     The ARRL has filed reply comments in the FCC's proposal 
to institute a "vanity" call sign program (in PR Docket 93-
305). The League said that the vast majority of the 109 
comments filed on the proposal favored it, in general, with 
the major concerns being how to fairly administer it.
     There were fewer than five comments opposing the proposal 
and, while they made what the League called "thoughtful and 
important points," they did not seem to represent more than 
a small minority opinion.
     One commenter was concerned about the cost of the 
program to taxpayers, the reissuing of call signs of 
deceased amateurs, and the diluting of the practice of 
issuing call signs more or less chronologically, which thus 
makes a person's call sign an indication of how long she or 
he has been licensed.
     The ARRL in its reply comments said that the issue of 
cost already had been settled, in that amateurs themselves 
would pay for the privilege of selecting a call sign.
     Regarding Silent Key call signs, the League said that 
by giving family members and clubs the first opportunity to 
apply for such call signs, "well known and respected" 
amateurs' call signs could be preserved.
     Finally, the League said that a program allowing 
amateurs to select a call sign would enhance the 
fraternalism of the service and promote a sense of 
accomplishment (regardless of how long a person had been 
licensed).
     One of the commenters on the proposal was Frederick O. 
Maia, W5YI, who proposed that the Commission establish a 
"Vanity Call Sign Administration" program in the private 
sector. Maia suggested that administrators could be 
appointed by the Commission and permitted to charge a fee 
for preparing an application for a special call sign.
     The ARRL said that, while nothing prevents 
entrepreneurs from providing such a service, including 
the useful one of making available the latest database of 
available call signs to applicants, the FCC has no 
authorization from Congress to "accept the voluntary 
services of private sector entities in the administration of 
[such a] program."
     The League said that Maia's proposal was flawed in that 
it suggests that the average radio amateur is incapable of 
filling out the paperwork necessary to apply for a vanity 
call sign. The League told the FCC that radio amateurs are 
fully capable of correctly completing Commission forms and 
submitting them with payment.
     The League said that if there were to be a "flood of 
calls" to the FCC's Gettysburg facility, from amateurs 
asking questions about the program, then that would be an 
indication of problems with the instructions or the 
application form, or both.
     "Maia's proposal is cumbersome," the League said, 
"bureaucratic, and adds not a whit of value to the entire 
application procedure from the point of view of the 
applicant."
     The League urged the Commission to proceed with a 
Report and Order on the "vanity" call sign proposal, 
incorporating the minor modifications suggested in the 
earlier ARRL comments.

Ideas sought for Novice Roundup

     A call has gone out for suggestions for a possible 
revamping of the ARRL Novice Roundup. The ARRL Contest 
Advisory Committee welcomes comments on how this event, 
which has fallen on hard times in recent years, can be 
resuscitated.
     CAC Chairman Mark Beckwith, WA6OTU, observes that the 
goals of the new contest aren't changed, ie, to introduce 
newcomers to on-the-air competition and to see if the 
"contest bug" bites, and to improving operating skills.
     The event should include no-code Technicians in some 
way, too, and there's the rub, since they have no privileges 
below 30 MHz, and Novices have very limited spectrum above 
30 MHz. 
     "I am a proponent," Beckwith says, "of two different 
types of events run at the same time, one for Novices and 
one for code-free Techs, with separate entries and separate
reports in the same issue of QST. I guess an enterprising 
"Tech-plus" could go out and win both categories if he were 
really sharp."
     The CAC is collecting comments on the Internet contest 
reflector; and you can submit written input to the committee 
via ARRL HQ.  

Broad agenda for ARRL volunteer committee
     
     The ARRL Volunteer Resources Committee met in St. 
Louis, Missouri, on April 23, 1994. The committee:
     * Recommended to modify the Amateur Auxiliary logo to 
include the League diamond.
     * Reviewed the status of the Field Organization 
Volunteer of the Year Award.
     * Declined a proposal from REACT International to 
conclude a memorandum of understanding between them and the 
ARRL.
     * Supported cooperation between adjacent ARRL Sections 
as the best means of incorporating a "jump team" concept 
into the existing ARES framework.
     * Reviewed a staff report on a memorandum of 
understanding with the National Disaster Medical System 
(NDMS) and decided to take no action until more ARRL Field 
Organization NDMS-related activity is evident.
     * Reviewed a staff report on the League's participation in 
the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster 
(NVOAD) and recommended that membership be extended for a 
year while monitoring the activities of NVOAD more closely. 
     * In response to Minute 41 of the 1994 January board 
meeting, the committee reviewed a staff report and 
recommendations regarding the feasibility of a system of 
technical awards and development of a set of criteria. A 
draft has been sent to the Future Systems Committee and Long Range 
Planning Committee for review and approval. 
     * Approved a new policy to accept electronic filing of 
Field Organization appointments with the Field Services 
Department. FSD now can accept new appointments in any form, 
an aid to Section Managers. 
     * Agreed to possibly pursue the idea of "Amateur Radio Good 
Samaritan Laws" at the state level, beginning with input 
from General Counsel Chris Imlay, N3AKD, subject to review 
by the full ARRL Board of Directors.
     * Agreed that the responsibility for ensuring that 
affiliated clubs do not abuse the 51% ARRL membership rule lies 
with the appropriate ARRL Director, during the application 
process.
     * Reviewed a report on volunteer examiner availability 
in Alaska and expressed its feeling that the situation is 
being satisfactorily managed.
     * Discussed the possibility of allowing ARRL volunteer 
examiners to review exam results with failed applicants. 
     * Asked for language to be added to convention rules 
regarding the changing of dates for ARRL-sanctioned 
conventions and hamfests.
     * Discussed the cost of travel for ARRL officials in 
the Pacific and Virgin Islands Sections.

Students lunch with ham-astronaut N5RAX

By Joe Lynch, N6CL
ARRL Oklahoma Section Manager

     Among the several school students who were able to 
communicate with the astronauts the Shuttle Endeavor during 
the recent STS-59 SAREX mission were ones from the Anthony 
Elementary School in the small town of Anthony, Kansas 
(population 2500).
     On Sunday, April 10, Gary Gerber, KB0HH, the school's 
principal, assembled a group of students, their parents, and 
nearly 200 townspeople, for the students' eight minute 
opportunity to ask Astronaut Linda Godwin, N5RAX, questions 
about what it was like to be in space.
     Sixteen of the students were able to make contact with 
Linda. While students communicating with astronauts in space 
by Amateur Radio has become somewhat routine, what followed 
this contact was a bit extraordinary.
     As the ARRL Section Manager for Oklahoma, I was on the 
mailing list for the West Gulf Division convention 
announcement. When it reached me, I noticed that Astronaut 
Linda Godwin was to be the special guest of the convention.
     I called Gary Gerber to ask if it were possible to 
transport the school children to the convention, which was 
to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He replied that it probably 
would be, subject to the school board's approval, which was 
subsequently easily obtained.
     I then called Vince Moore, N5RFW, chairman of the Green 
Country Hamfest, the sponsoring committee of the convention, 
and asked if he could arrange a special meeting for the 
children with Linda. He replied that not only could he 
arrange a meeting, he probably could make it a lunch 
meeting, and he found Ollie's Restaurant, ideally suited to 
school children.
     After the three-hour drive from Anthony, the children 
arrived around 11 AM. Having a bit of time before lunch, the 
children's first stop was the flea market. Because for some 
of them, it was their first trip away from Anthony, the flea 
market was the biggest shopping spree they had ever
been on.
     Following lunch, not having the time constraints of 
shuttle communication, the students were able to freely ask 
questions of Linda, and ask they did. Questions such as "Did 
you feel closer to God in space?" and "Why did you you 
become an astronaut?" were graciously answered by Linda.
     Then the children got Linda to autograph everything 
from napkins to their special T-shirts.
     Following lunch it was back to the convention center 
for everyone and back to the shopping spree in the flea 
market for the children. Among the items purchased were a 
pair of CB hand-helds that two of the students used to 
communicate with each other between cars on the trip home. 
While none of the students are yet hams, it is entirely 
possible that at least these two have been bitten by the 
bug.
     I feel that I have been a "lucky link" in the chain of 
events in this adventure. I found out about Gary's school 
being involved with the SAREX mission when I saw Jerome 
Doerrier, K5IS, at the Mooreland, Oklahoma, Hamfest that 
Sunday afternoon in April. When I enquired about his wife, 
Bobette, N5UDJ, he replied that she and two of her students 
from the elementary school in Perryton, Texas, were in 
Anthony awaiting the contact with Linda.
     It was only by happenstance that I found out about the 
common link (Linda Godwin) of the two events. Because of 
that I was able to put key people in touch with each other 
and they made things happen.
     Seeing the faces of the children as they interacted 
with Linda will remain one of the most vivid memories of 
my tenure as an ARRL Section Manager, indeed, of my career as 
a ham!

FCC ACTS ON THREE
AMATEUR RADIO PETITIONS

     The FCC has denied two petitions for reconsideration 
that sought a broader definition of permissible 
communications by amateurs, as well as one seeking changes 
in the amateur service rules to reduce the number of license 
classes.
     The first two petitions, by David Popkin, W2CC, and 
Rolland D. Cummings, WA0EDA, sought expansion of FCC rules 
changes that went into effect in September 1993, in PR 
Docket 92-136. Those new rules, the result of an ARRL 
proposal, give amateurs greater flexibility in providing 
noncommercial communications for public events and permit 
paid teachers to use Amateur Radio in their classrooms.
     The new rules also allow personal communications such 
as making appointments and "ordering pizza."
     The two petitions sought permission for amateurs to 
retransmit certain US government broadcasts, such as time 
signals. Popkin's petition also sought a wording change to 
the new rules, from "classroom instruction" to 
"instructional activity."
     The FCC said that the ideas expressed in the petitions 
already had been aired and considered during the public 
comment period for PR Docket 92-136.
     And on May 13 the FCC denied a petition from the Cass 
County (Indiana) Amateur Radio Club (CCARC) that would have eliminated 
the Advanced and Extra Class amateur licenses.
     The FCC said that the key contention of the CCARC 
petition was that "the majority of amateur operators are 
dissatisfied with the current operator license class 
structure.
     "The CCARC states," the FCC said, "that most other 
countries already have a three class license structure."
     The CCARC petition proposed to combine the present General, 
Advanced, and Extra Class operators with Technicians who 
have passed a 5 wpm Morse code exam, granting them all full 
privileges.
     "We believe," the FCC said, "however, that the views 
previously expressed by members of the amateur service 
community through thousands of comments in numerous rule 
making proceedings continue to be valid.
     "Hence," the FCC said, "in our view, the amateur 
community, by and large, is satisfied with the current 
structure, the fundamental purpose of which is the 
encouragement and improvement of the amateur service in the 
United States through rules that provide for advancing 
skills in the the communication and technical phases of the 
art."

BRIEFS

     * Anne Rinaldo died May 17 in Virginia. The wife of 
ARRL Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, she was 
injured in a fall on May 1 and never fully regained 
consciousness.
     A memorial service was held on May 20 in Bryn Athyn, 
Pennsylvania.

     * In our story in the last issue about New Hampshire 
House Bill 1380, exempting Amateur Radio towers and antennas 
from real estate property taxes, we neglected to report that 
Tom Kirby, W1EJ, a member of the New Hampshire House of 
Representatives, was a co-sponsor of the bill, along with 
Ralph Rosen, W1HSB.

     * The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service reminds DXers that the 
fee for users is two dollars per pound or portion of a 
pound. The fee is one dollar for ten or fewer cards. This 
must be paid in currency or check (no stamps, no IRCs).
     And help your incoming bureau, too, by sending only 5 X 
7.5 inch or 6 X 9 inch envelopes, with plenty of stamps. 

     * It's once again ARRL election time. July QST will 
carry the announcement, with ARRL Directors and Vice 
Directors up for election in the following ARRL divisions: 
Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern, Roanoke, Rocky 
Mountain, Southwestern, and West Gulf.

     * Publishing the E-mail address for The ARRL Letter -- 
<jcain@arrl.org> -- has generated some activity from club 
editors. Great! The text of The ARRL Letter can be 
downloaded from the ARRL HQ landline BBS (Hiram), in 
slightly expurgated form (without the photo captions). 
Hiram's number is 203-666-0578.
     When you have news that might be of interest around the 
country, be sure to get it to us right away, too. Thanks!
     We are getting new computers here (your editor spent 
several nonproductive days last week learning new software 
and tricks) and most of us will go to PC school for a day 
next month. 
     And speaking of Hiram, his human overseer is Jay Mabey, 
NU0X, who has been promoted to Senior Assistant Manager in 
the Field Services Department (and will be the next victim 
of our QST "Behind the Diamond" pillory).

     * John DeVoldere, ON4UN, visited HQ earlier this month, 
with Roger Vermet, ON6WU. John is the author of Low Band 
DXing, just out in a very revised second edition. John spent 
much of his time here staring at antenna modeling programs 
on the computer screen of Senior Assistant Technical Editor 
Dean Straw, N6BV.

     * And HQ staffers Mark Wilson, AA2Z, and Zack Lau, 
KH6CP, attended the West Coast VHF Conference in Cerritos, 
California. Zack competed in the preamp measuring activity.

     * Members of the ARRL Board of Directors met in 
Savannah, Georgia, on May 6 and 7, to begin developing a 
strategic plan to guide the ARRL in preparing for the 
opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. The ARRL 
Long Range Planning Committee had recommended that because 
of the importance of strategic planning, the effort should 
be initiated separate from the regular business of a Board 
meeting. The process that was begun in Savannah will be 
continued, with the objective of completing a draft plan by 
the end of 1994.

     * Attention 75-meter DXers: as of May 20, 1994, Japan 
has a new subband, from 3747 to 3754 kHz, in addition to the 
two existing bands at 3500 to 3575 kHz and 3791 to 3805 kHz.
   
     * Stu Meyer, W2GHK, died May 21, 1994, at his home in 
Vienna, Virginia. He was 76 years old and and a Charter 
Life Member of the ARRL.
     According to information provided by Joe Lynch, N6CL, 
editor of the Quarter Century Wireless Association's  QCWA Journal, 
Meyer was past president of that organization and was 
president of the Radio Club of America. He was a former 
chief engineer for the Hammarlund Corp, later its president, 
and also had been employed by the E. F. Johnson Co.
     Meyer was well known to DXers as a driving force behind 
Hammarlund's "DXpedition of the Month" operations in the 
1950s and 1960s.
     He leaves his wife, Lottie, and two daughters. Memorial 
contributions may be made to the Radio Club of America or to 
the QCWA.

     * Another recent death was that of Joseph M. Mergen, 
N9GID, of Mishawaka, Indiana. Mergen, 77, was the retired 
president of Piper Aircraft Corp. According to newspaper 
reports, he held 18 patents, including several for propeller 
design for World War II aircraft and for gas turbine 
helicopter engines. Among his survivors are his wife, 
Margaret Mergen, KE9MU.

     * Jim Stafford, W4QO, an ARRL registered instructor and 
speaker at Educational Activities Department workshops, 
has been named winner of the 1994 Advanced Electronics 
Applications Amateur Ambassador Award. 

     * The FCC has canceled a fine of $2,000 against a 
Florida woman for unlicensed operation on 2 meters. The May 
1993 Notice of Apparent Liability was against Margaret G. 
Taylor of Windermere, Florida, for operation on 145.53 MHz.
     The FCC database now lists a Margaret G. Taylor in 
Windermere as a Technician class licensee, KE4IMC, effective 
December 21, 1993. 
     Taylor, 47, appealed the fine, saying she should have 
received a warning and that she was unable to pay a fine 
because of her age and financial condition, the FCC said. 
The FCC canceled the fine on these grounds and because 
Taylor had no previous FCC violations.
  
     * The 1994 AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium 
will be held October 7 to 9, in Orlando, Florida. AMSAT 
seeks papers for the symposium and can provide authors with 
help in editing and graphics, if needed. Papers are welcome 
even if the author is unable to attend the symposium.
     Topics for all amateur satellite disciplines are 
sought, including introductory tutorials, satellite 
operations, Phase IIID design and development, and new 
applications and techniques.
     Sign up now and request an author's kit, then compose a 
short abstract by July 1. Final drafts are requested on or 
about August 26. Direct inquiries to:
     Steve Park, WB9OEP, 12122 99th Av North, Seminole, FL 
34642. Tel (813) 391-7515; Internet: SKPA@QMGATE.ECI-
ESYST.COM

     * The ARRL/VEC had 174 exam sessions registered for 
ARRL's Spring National Exam Day on May 14, 1994. A half-
dozen or so were coordinated under other VECs, with the 
remainder being ARRL/VEC.
     The 10th anniversary of the ARRL/VEC is coming up this 
summer; July QST will feature a remembrance of the genesis 
of the Volunteer Examiner System by the League's first VEC 
manager, Curt Holsopple, K9CH.

     * FCC Chairman Reed Hundt has once again expressed his 
support for a self-funded commission, according to 
Broadcasting and Cable magazine. Hundt told a press briefing 
that user fees would have to increase by as much as $70 
million for the commission to pay its way, the magazine 
said. (Amateurs are presently exempted from user fees.)

     * SAREX shuttle flight STS-65 is scheduled for lift-off 
July 8, 1994, for a 14-day mission on Columbia. Crew members 
include Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas, KC5FVF, and 
Robert D. Cabana, who may have an amateur license in time 
for the mission.
     The SAREX configuration is "C," (KC5FVF on FM and 
W5RRR-1 on packet). Send reports and QSLs to ARRL EAD, STS-
65 QSL. The Lake County Amateur Radio Club in Munster, 
Indiana, has volunteered to manage the cards for this 
mission.
     Participating schools for STS-65 are located in Hawaii, 
California, Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, 
Georgia, Florida, Germany, and Japan.
     For further information contact ARRL EAD.

     * The FCC has upheld an action against Joseph Sawchuck 
IV, W3OLN, to cancel his commercial license and fine him 
$5000. Sawchuck had served as sole radio operator aboard the 
vessel Patriot; FCC regulations require two radio officers 
on board  unless the radio officer has received a six month 
service endorsement to his First-Class Radiotelegraph
Operator's Certificate. Sawchuck did not have such an 
endorsement. He argued that the fine was too high in light 
of the FCC's downward adjustment criteria.
     The FCC denied the appeal. Sawchuck, 76, is an Advanced 
class licensee in Pompano Beach, Florida.

     * An Amateur Radio film has been named a finalist in a 
professional film competition.
     "Ham Radio Horizons," a video introduction to Amateur 
Radio by CQ Productions, is a finalist in the Association 
for Visual Communicators' 1994 CINDY awards competition. The 
49-minute program also was a finalist in the New York 
Festival video competition earlier this year.
     The Association of Visual Communicators is a non profit 
professional association formed in 1957.
     This is the 35th annual CINDY competition, which honors 
outstanding productions in all fields of nontheatrical 
video programming, including radio, television, cable and 
non-broadcast categories. "Ham Radio Horizons" is a finalist 
in the non-broadcast "public service and information" 
category, according to CQ. 
     "Ham Radio Horizons" was written, produced and directed 
by Rich Moseson, NW2L, who is executive producer of the CQ 
Video Library and ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Manager.

     * You worked the DXpedition, now read the book (that is, 
buy the book). 3Y0PI Peter I team member Bob Schmieder, 
KK6EK, has written a fascinating, 227-page book about this 
historic operation, with enough charts and graphs to keep 
you busy for hours, if not days. Lots of photos, too. All 
profits from the sale of the book go directly to help pay 
off the debt still remaining from the February 1994 
expedition.
     The paperbound book costs $20 (plus $2 shipping in the 
US, $15 elsewhere), from Robert Schmieder, 4295 Walnut Blvd, 
Walnut Creek CA 94596.

10 years ago in The ARRL Letter

     Oscar 11 revives after 10 weeks of silence. The amateur 
satellite, the second built in Surrey, England, with help 
from Radio Amateur Satellite Corp (AMSAT) volunteers from 
around the world, had been dead since its launch March 1, 
1984. Hams at the Stanford Research Institute in California 
and at the SRI listening post in Greenland heard faint 
signals from the satellite, enabling Surrey to send commands 
to Oscar 11 on May 14.
     General class licensee Randy L. Ballinger, WB6MMJ, has 
his station license revoked and his operator license 
suspended for a year for jamming on 2 meters. Participants 
in a net there had complained of interference on and off for 
two years and the FCC's Long Beach, California, field office 
tracked down Ballinger as the source. Ballinger complained 
that it was he who was being jammed. Ballinger today is 
licensed as N6MNU.
     The ARRL and AMSAT formally propose that astronaut Tony 
England, W0ORE, be permitted Amateur Radio operation from a 
space shuttle flight scheduled for March 1985, with a goal 
of "involving as many amateurs as possible," and to include 
contacts with school club stations. England would follow in 
the footsteps of the first amateur in space, Owen Garriott, 
W5LFL. (Last month Tony England participated in a forum on 
the 10th anniversary of Amateur Radio in space at the Dayton 
HamVention.)
     Rod Newkirk, W9BRD, editor of QST's "How's DX?" column 
is inducted into the CQ magazine DX Hall of Fame; the FCC 
appoints another volunteer examiner coordinator: the Boeing 
Employees Amateur Radio Society of Seattle; the League asks 
the FCC for a waiver to allow W1AW station operators to use 
the station for two-way contacts when not sending bulletins 
or code practice; and the 1984 Olympic Torch Relay begins, 
including a visit to ARRL HQ by several hams in the Olympic 
Torch Relay Caravan. 
