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***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 23, No. 14
April 2, 2004
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FEMA backs away from its "grave concerns" about BPL
* +Spectrum Protection Act tops 90 House cosponsors
* +ARRL offers non-technical BPL handout
* +ZL, UA amateurs claim new LF QSO world record
* +Logbook of the World numbers continue to rise
* +W1AW/90 to mark League anniversary
* +Work continues on Hawaii ham antenna bills
*  Solar Update
*  IN BRIEF:
     This weekend on the radio
     ARRL Emergency Communications course registration
     ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
     Amateurs assisting Red Cross in Colorado fire
     Nominate a deserving PR volunteer for the McGan Award today!
     Wyoming gets new Section Manager
    +First call for AMSAT-NA Symposium papers
     Radio amateurs fill key NASA space flight positions
     Gary Gordon, K6KV, wins QST Cover Plaque Award

+Available on ARRL Audio News

===========================================================
NOTE: ARRL Headquarters will be closed Friday, April 9. The April 9
editions of The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will be distributed a day
early. There will be no W1AW code practice or bulletin transmissions on
April 9. ARRL Headquarters will reopen Monday, April 12, at 8 AM EDT. We
wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
===========================================================

==>FEMA APPEARS TO BACKPEDAL IN BPL "CLARIFICATION" LETTER

After expressing "grave concerns" to the FCC last fall about the
interference potential of Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now appears to be backing away
from that strong stance. Now a part of the Department of Homeland
Security, FEMA filed comments December 4 in response to the FCC's April
2003 Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 03-104. Many have cited those remarks
in their own comments opposing BPL deployment. In a January 8 letter
that's now part of the BPL Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in ET
Docket 04-37, Michael D. Brown, the US Department of Homeland Security's
under secretary for emergency preparedness and response, told FCC Chairman
Michael K. Powell that FEMA wanted to "clarify the record" to ensure that
its filing was not "misunderstood or misconstrued."

"We have become aware that certain distinct approaches to BPL may have the
potential to cause interference to FEMA's high frequency radio
communications system," Brown said in his January letter. "However, we
continue to study the BPL proceeding and have not concluded that there is
a material interference problem or that all of the distinct technological
approaches to BPL pose a risk of interference."

The FEMA official said his agency expects that there may be ways to
provide BPL's benefits "without compromising the emergency communications
capabilities available to FEMA."

The January letter stands in stark contrast to FEMA's predictions last
December that "the introduction of unwanted interference from the
implementation of BPL technology into the high frequency radio spectrum
will result in significant detriment to the operation of FEMA radio
systems." Saying such interference could "directly impair the safety of
life and property," the agency also had recommended the FCC beef up its
Part 15 rules to ensure no increase in interference levels to existing FCC
or NTIA-licensed communication systems.

"The purported benefits of BPL in terms of expanded services in certain
communications sectors do not appear to outweigh the benefit to the
overall public of HF radio capability as presently used by government,
broadcasting and public safety users," FEMA asserted last December in
comments filed on the agency's behalf by Chief Information Officer Barry
C. West.

BPL also could render such "essential communications services" as the
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the Military Affiliate
Radio System (MARS) and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) useless, FEMA said.
FEMA and ARRL are signatories to a Memorandum of Understanding that
focuses on how Amateur Radio personnel may coordinate with the agency to
support emergency communications functions. FEMA's December comments also
referenced ARRL's "Interference to PLC systems from Amateur Radio
Operation."

Brown's January letter conveys a much milder, conciliatory tone. "We know
that the FCC shares our appreciation for the importance of reliable
communications in the context of disaster recovery and are confident that
the Office of Engineering and Technology's technical assessment, as well
as the Commission's regulations implementing BPL, will be sensitive to
this issue," he concluded. "FEMA stands ready to assist in any way the
Commission might find helpful."

The deadline to file comments in response to the FCC BPL NPRM is Monday,
May 3. Reply comments are due Tuesday, June 1. Interested individuals and
organizations may file comments via the Internet using the FCC's
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/>.
The FCC asks that anyone filing comments do so "only in the newly
established ET Docket No 04-37."

==>BPL SPECTER LENDS ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANCE TO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says the specter of interference to
Amateur Radio bands from Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems--if and
when they are widely deployed--serves as a reminder of the importance of
the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003. While the legislation
would not grant added protection from BPL beyond what present and proposed
FCC regulations would provide, Haynie said the challenge of BPL
underscores the value of Amateur Radio's spectrum allocations and the
degree to which amateur access deserves protection. Identical House and
Senate versions of the measure, an ARRL initiative, are on their third try
in Congress. The cosponsor count on the House bill, HR 713, this week rose
to 94--more than double the number six months ago. The Senate version, S
537, has eight cosponsors.

"With BPL on the horizon, it becomes even more important that we all get
behind these bills and get them enacted," Haynie said this week. He
reiterated his call for more League members to take the effort to write,
call or e-mail their representatives and senators to explain the bills'
importance and encourage them to consider cosponsoring the measures. "They
cover all of our spectrum, not just a little," he added.

The Spectrum Protection Act bills would require the FCC to provide
"equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio if the Commission were
to reallocate primary amateur frequencies, reduce any secondary amateur
allocations, or make additional allocations within such bands that would
substantially reduce their utility to amateurs.

The two bills do not directly address BPL interference. FCC rules already
provide regulatory mechanisms in Part 15 and in proposed amendments to
Part 15 that are specifically aimed at BPL "interference mitigation."

Among the latest House cosponsors to sign aboard HR 713 are
Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Susan Davis
(R-CA), Charlie Norwood (R-GA), Norm Dicks (D-WA), Gene Taylor (D-MS), Tim
Holden (D-PA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Gene Green (D-TX) and Jeff Miller
(R-FL).

Haynie says letters from constituents are a crucial factor in getting the
spectrum bills through Congress. "We can't get them into law without
membership support," he said.

He urged members to contact their senators and representatives through
their Washington or district offices. A sample letter on ARRL's The
Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003 Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html> cites Amateur Radio's role
in public service activities, but Haynie invites members to personalize
their own correspondence as they see fit.

The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003 Web page also contains
information on how to identify and contact individual members of Congress
as well as links to the Thomas Web site <http://thomas.loc.gov/>. Among
other things, the Thomas Web site includes links to the bills' text and a
list of cosponsors. Those writing their lawmakers on behalf of the
Spectrum Protection Act are asked to copy their correspondence to the
League via e-mail <specbill03@arrl.org>;.

Florida Republican Michael Bilirakis filed HR 713 in February 2003, and it
has been referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the
Internet. Introduced by Idaho Republican Michael Crapo, S 537 has been
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

==>BPL HANDOUT AVAILABLE FROM ARRL

ARRL has posted a two-page document
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/BPL-leave-behind.pdf> that
discusses Broadband over Power Line (BPL) in lay terms. "Broadband over
Power Line: Why Amateur Radio is Concerned about its Deployment" is
available for reprinting and use as a handout when, for example, dealing
with members of Congress, municipal officials, power utilities and the
news media.

While emphasizing that hams do not oppose broadband services per se and
tend to be "early adopters" of new technology, the information sheet
outlines Amateur Radio's concern about BPL's potential to create
interference. Other broadband delivery methods "do not pollute the radio
spectrum as BPL does," the paper states.

It also defines BPL, outlines its current deployment status, discusses FCC
regulations already in place and explains that BPL's interference
potential is real, not just theoretical. Finally, it lists "Others at
risk," including short-wave listeners, public safety agencies and federal
government radio systems.

==>NEW AMATEUR RADIO LF WORLD RECORD CLAIMED

Amateur stations in New Zealand and Asiatic Russia are laying claim to a
new low-frequency world distance QSO record. Bob Vernall, ZL2CA, told ARRL
this week that ZM2E, near Wellington, New Zealand, and UA0LE, near
Vladivostok, Russia, completed a two-way contact during the night of March
20 on 137.70 kHz.

"The path length is estimated to be 10,311 km (6,392 miles), which is
claimed as a new world record between amateur stations on LF bands,"
Vernall said. "For several hours signals received at ZM2E were so strong
that they could be decoded 'by ear,' despite high peaks of QRN." By noting
tone-on and tone-off times and checking them against a highly-accurate
digital clock, the ZM2E operators at one point were able to decode the
very slow-speed (QRSS) CW without resorting to Argo DSP software signal
detection.

The Wellington Amateur Radio Club station at Quartz Hill uses the special
ZM2E call sign for work in the 136-kHz band. A DXpedition station, UA0LE
obtained permission to support its LF antennas from a 90-meter (295.3
feet) broadcast mast.

Vernall said UA0LE set up for a slow-speed CW beacon transmission on
137.7895 kHz using 60-second dits--known as QRSS60. "They used the
shortened form of 'UATLE' to save time in sending," he explained. Because
they need to be succinct, Vernall said, LF DX signal reports use the same
"O," "M" and "T" signal reports
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/78518.pdf> developed for moonbounce and
other weak-signal communication.

On the big day, ZM2E started calling UA0LE at 0930 UTC--sunset in
Vladivostok. The first good UA0LE signals showed up on the computer screen
at 1030 UTC, Vernall said.

The defining moment came when UA0LE confirmed reception of the "O" report
from ZM2E. "At 1650 UTC, we received 'ZM RO E,' and by acknowledging our
report to them it satisfied the minimum requirements for claiming a
two-way contact," Vernall said. The two stations continued to "tie the
ribbons" on the QSO for another hour or so.

Vernall and Andrew Corney, ZL2BBJ, were the operators at ZM2E. The
operators in Vladivostok were Vlad Burakov, UA0LE; Vic Bondarev, UA9OC;
Andy Rodichev, RA0LGH, and Ed Lesnichy, RU6LA.

==>NUMBER OF LOGBOOK OF THE WORLD USERS CLIMBS

Logbook of The World (LoTW), ARRL's electronic awards credit system, is
closing in on 40 million separate Amateur Radio contacts in its secure
database, said ARRL Special Assistant to the CEO David Patton, NN1N.

"Right now there are 39.6 million QSOs entered into Logbook, with 1.18
million matched contacts," he said. There are 7000 distinct registered
users of the system, holding 9000 authenticated certificates, Patton
added. Users may have more than one registered certificate, reflecting
operation from home, changing call signs, operations during DXpeditions,
or portable station operation each sporting a separate call sign.

Patton, who helped create the concept for LoTW, noted that the number of
LoTW users continues to swell. Some 600 US hams have begun the
registration process, along with an additional 600 amateurs in other
countries, from whom ARRL is awaiting authentication documents. "The
learning curve for getting on the system has remained pretty steady," he
said. "It's pretty straightforward after you've been using it a while. The
key is taking your time and following the instructions."

One reason numbers are continuing to grow is that more and more computer
logging programs are incorporating various levels of support for LoTW.
"Most of the major logging programs have it, with more developers working
to integrate support," Patton said. "These software developers have worked
really hard to make this happen."

Also hard at work is ARRL Web and Software Development Manager Jon Bloom,
KE3Z, who is working on programming the much-anticipated "DXCC awards
module" for the QSO matching system. No rollout date had been set for the
DXCC module, Patton said, but it is currently being tested.

The DXCC module will offer the user the ability to incorporate his/her
DXCC records straight from the DXCC desk into an LoTW account. LoTW will
be able to find needed credits automatically by comparing what's in the
database against the DXCC records on hand at ARRL.

"This application for DXCC is what we envisioned for LoTW years ago,"
Patton said. "It will be really worth the users' wait and the time and
effort that Jon has put into the system."

==>W1AW/90 OPERATES THROUGH 2004

Hiram Maxim Memorial Station W1AW at ARRL Headquarters will identify using
a "/90" designator through the end of 2004. The W1AW/90 call sign reflects
the 90th anniversary of the League's founding by Maxim and Clarence Tuska
in 1914. Operation as W1AW/90 begins April 3. W1AW Station Manager Joe
Carcia, NJ1Q, said he'll encourage guest operators to use as many modes as
possible, including RTTY, PSK31, satellite and even Hellschreiber.

"Plus, we're going to try for SSTV Worked All States (WAS)," he added.
"It'll be tough, but we can do it." A special 90th anniversary QSL cards
will be available for W1AW/90 contacts.

Self-addressed, stamped return envelopes should accompany all QSL
requests. In addition, all contacts with W1AW/90 will also be uploaded to
Logbook of The World <http://www.arrl.org/lotw>. For more information on
W1AW, visit the W1AW Web page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html>.

==>HAWAII AMATEUR ANTENNA BILLS UNDERGOING REVISION

ARRL Pacific Section Manager Kevin Bogan, AH6QO, reports revisions are
under way on two bills in Hawaii, HB 2773 and HB 2774, that would allow
Amateur Radio antennas in restricted condominium regimes and in
subdivisions subject to homeowners' association covenants, conditions and
restrictions (CC&Rs) in that state. Bogan says the amendments and
revisions will enhance the bills' chances of passage.

"After listening to the thoughts and sentiments of the legislature, the
Amateur Radio community and their neighbors," Bogan said, "the group of
volunteer Amateur Radio operators that has been instrumental in propelling
the bills first through the Hawaii State House of Representatives and now
into the Hawaii State Senate has developed amended bills that may see
passage."

Now in the Hawaii Senate, the measures await a hearing date before the
Consumer Protection and Housing Committee. Bogan says many Hawaii hams
have contacted the committee's chair to request that a hearing be
scheduled. Bogan says that he hopes the revisions "will satisfy many of
the salient concerns made by Amateur Radio operators and others." The
proposed amendments would allow antennas in previously restricted areas
sufficient to perform necessary communication and allow amateurs to
negotiate better antenna accommodations, Bogan said.

"While no compromise makes all parties content," he said, "it is hoped
that the proposed amended bills will allow antennas sufficient for
necessary communication and allow the associations to retain their
aesthetic look."

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Sol man Tad "Staring at the Sun" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
The third week of spring begins this weekend. HF conditions have been good
with moderate geomagnetic conditions prevailing. Average daily sunspot
numbers for the past week, March 25-31, were up more than 31 points to
123.9 compared to the previous week. Average daily solar flux rose 11
points.

On March 29, the sun showed several spots pointed earthward, including one
large spot, 582. The sunspot number that day was 169, the highest since
November 30, when it was 178. Geomagnetic conditions weren't bad on March
29, with the planetary A index at 12 and mid-latitude A index at 9.

Over the next five days solar flux values should stay between 110-115.
Planetary A index for April 2-6 is predicted to be 8, 8, 20, 20 and 35.
The predicted rise in geomagnetic activity is because of a possible solar
wind for Sunday, April 4. Today, April 2, there is a slight chance of
Earth's magnetic field being hit by a coronal mass ejection (CME).

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This weekend on the radio: The Kids Roundup, the SP DX Contest, the EA
RTTY Contest, the Montana and Missouri QSO parties, the QCWA QSO Party and
the RSGB RoPoCo 1 are the weekend of April 3-4. The 144 MHz Spring Sprint
and the RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW) are April 5. The ARS Spartan
Sprint is April 6. The DX YL to North American YL Contest (CW) is April
7-9, and the Lighthouse Spring Lites QSO Party (all modes) is April 10-18.
JUST AHEAD: The ARCI Spring QSO Party, the EU Spring Sprint (SSB), the
Georgia QSO Party, the Japan International DX Contest (CW), the CIS DX
Contest (SSB), the UBA Spring Contest (SSB) and the SARL Hamnet 40-Meter
Simulated Emergency Contest are the weekend of April 10-11. The Low Power
Spring Sprint is April 12, the 222 MHz Spring Sprint is April 13, the RSGB
80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) is April 14 and the DX YL to North
American YL Contest (SSB) is April 14-16. 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 Emergency Communications course registration: Registration opens
Monday, April 5, 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time (0401 UTC), for the
on-line Level I Emergency Communications course (EC-001). Registration
remains open through the April 10-11 weekend or until all available seats
have been filled--whichever comes first. Class begins Tuesday, April 20.
Thanks to our grant sponsors--the Corporation for National and Community
Service and the United Technologies Corporation--the $45 registration fee
paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the
course. During this registration period, approximately 175 seats are being
offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis. Senior
amateurs are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. To
learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> and the C-CE Links found there. For more
information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller,
K3UFG, <dmiller@arrl.org>;; 860-594-0340.

* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for five technical courses is now open. Classes will begin on
April 13 for the ARRL RFI (EC-006) and ARRL Antenna Design and
Construction (EC-009) courses. Students participating in the RFI class
will learn to identify sources of interference. Antenna Design and
Construction students will become acquainted with antenna design and
construction techniques. Registration for Technician Licensing (EC-010)
will remains open through Sunday, April 11, and classes begin Tuesday,
April 20. With the assistance of a mentor, students will learn everything
they need to learn to pass the FCC Technician license class test. To learn
more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE)
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/> Web page or contact the ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Program Department <cce@arrl.org>;.

* Amateurs assisting Red Cross in Colorado fire: At week's end, Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members were supporting American Red Cross
shelter operations in northern Colorado, where a wildfire had prompted
voluntary evacuations of residents in a threatened subdivision. ARRL
Colorado Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Roller, N7LV, says the latest
word he has is that between six and eight amateurs per shift are
supporting the shelters. It's anticipated they'll continue that coverage
through the weekend and possibly longer. As of April 2, the
3500-acre-and-growing Fort Collins Picnic Rock Fire in the mountains some
15 miles northwest of Fort Collins was only 15 percent contained,
according to the National Interagency Fire Center <http://www.nifc.gov/>.
"The fire season is starting very early this year," said Roller. "March
and April are normally our snowiest months, but instead we have conditions
that haven't been this dry in over 90 years." The Picnic Rock Fire got its
start March 30 when a residential yard fire went out of control, and winds
gusting to 35 MPH have helped spread the flames through the timber-pocked
brush and grassland area. More than 200 firefighters, air tankers and
helicopters were battling the flames, but no homes or structures had been
lost.

* Nominate a deserving PR volunteer for the McGan Award today! The
deadline is May 21 to submit nominations for the 2004 Philip J. McGan
Memorial Silver Antenna Award. This award recognizes significant
contributions in the area of volunteer public relations on behalf of
Amateur Radio. The League's Public Relations Committee will review the
nominations, and the ARRL Board of Directors will vote on the committee's
recommendation during its July meeting. Those planning to nominate someone
for the 2004 McGan Award are encouraged to read "Announcing the 13th
Annual McGan Award" <http://www.arrl.org/pio/mcgan/2004/hagy.pdf> from
February 2004 QST. The article highlights the significant differences
between public relations and public service including rules for
nomination. A nomination form
<http://www.arrl.org/pio/mcgan/2004/McGan-Nom-Form04.pdf> is available on
the ARRL Web site. Return completed entry forms and supporting materials
to Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award, c/o Jennifer Hagy,
N1TDY, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. Nominations must be
received at ARRL Headquarters by 5 PM Eastern Daylight Time on May 21,
2004.

* Wyoming gets new Section Manager: Bill Edwards, WU7Y, of Gillette,
Wyoming, has been appointed as ARRL Wyoming Section Manager, effective
April 1, to complete the term of Jay Ostrem, W7CW, who has moved out of
the section. The present term expires March 31, 2005. Field and
Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, made the appointment in
consultation Rocky Mountain Division Director Walt Stinson, W0CP, and Vice
Director Rev Morton, WS7W. Edwards is an ARRL Volunteer Examiner and
recently has been working to reactivate the local Amateur Radio club. He
was first licensed in 1957 but let his license lapse due to school and
family priorities. Relicensed in 1988, Edwards soon upgraded to Amateur
Extra. He puts a lot of importance on Amateur Radio emergency
communication. "It's why we have our ham privileges," he says.

* First call for AMSAT-NA Symposium papers: AMSAT-NA has issued its first
call for papers for presentation during the 2004 AMSAT Space Symposium and
Annual Meeting this fall. The gathering will be held October 8-10 in
Arlington, Virginia, in conjunction with the ARISS International meeting,
October 10-13. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations, and poster
presentations are invited on any topic of interest to amateur satellite
enthusiasts. This year's focus is AMSAT's educational outreach. In
particular, AMSAT-NA seeks papers on these topics: Students and education,
the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program,
Echo, Eagle and other satellite-related topics. One-page abstracts are due
by June 1, and final papers (hard copy or electronic) are due by August 1
for inclusion in the printed symposium Proceedings. Send abstracts and
papers to Daniel Schultz, N8FGV, 14612 Dowling Dr, Burtonsville, MD 20866
or via e-mail <n8fgv@amsat.org>;.

* Radio amateurs fill key NASA space flight positions: Two veteran
astronauts and Amateur Radio licensees have been named to key space flight
posts at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. Bob Cabana, KC5HBV,
who has flown on four shuttle flights, has been named JSC Deputy Director.
Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, will replace Cabana as director of flight crew
operations. Cabana succeeds Brock "Randy" Stone, who is retiring after 36
years with NASA that included work on the Apollo lunar missions, Skylab,
the space shuttle, and the International Space Station. "These two
appointments really enhance the strong team we have leading us into the
space shuttle's return to flight and continuing space station operations,"
said NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight William Readdy. JSC
Director Jefferson D. Howell Jr said Cabana and Bowersox "bring a wealth
of experience in human space flight and an understanding of the importance
of space exploration. Their leadership will help us as we move forward in
our journey of discovery." Cabana has logged more than 1000 hours in
space. Bowersox has flown on five space missions and spent more than five
months aboard the ISS as commander of Expedition 6, where he participated
from NA1SS during Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
school group and casual contacts.

* Gary Gordon, K6KV, wins QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST
Cover Plaque Award for March is Gary Gordon, K6KV, for his article "Build
a Puff-and-Sip Keyer." Congratulations, Gary! 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. Voting takes place each
month 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 April issue of QST. Voting ends April 30.

===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main
St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org/>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of
interest to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely,
accurate, concise, and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for
the latest news, updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/> offers access to news, informative features and
columns. ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a
weekly "ham radio newscast" compiled from The ARRL Letter.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384

==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
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The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
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The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL Audio News.

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1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box.  When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Thunderbird

Use the menu item "View/Message Body As/Plain Text" or "View/Message Source" options.

OS X Mail (Mac)

Use the "View/Message/Plain Text Alternative" menu item.

GMail

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...

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