*************** The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 43 November 4, 2005 *************** IN THIS EDITION: * +League pushes FCC for "meaningful" entry-level privileges * +Regulatory issues dominate ARRL Executive Committee session * +Amateur Radio marks five years aboard the ISS * +Australia introduces new entry-level Foundation license * +Possible intruder reported on 160 meters * +Nominations due for ARRL International Humanitarian Award * Solar Update * IN BRIEF: This weekend on the radio: The ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW)! ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration +Hurricane volunteers to be honored in QST ARRL "Public Service Stories" page debuts +FCC further extends filing deadlines for Katrina-affected licensees ARRL Foundation approves more new scholarships +SSETI Express team "hopeful" as troubleshooting continues Dayton HamventionR past chairman honored Amateur Radio gets visibility at Telecom Americas 2005 Rescheduled power-line interference workshop sessions set +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =========================================================== ==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org ==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org =========================================================== ==>MEANINGFUL ENTRY-LEVEL LICENSE PRIVILEGES ARE TOP PRIORITY, ARRL SAYS The ARRL again has urged the FCC to provide meaningful operating privileges to entry-level Amateur Radio licensees, including access to HF, even if the Commission doesn't want to create a new license class. Commenting in response to the FCC's July 9 Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order (NPRM&O) in WT Docket 05-235, the League also stood by its stance that the Commission retain the 5 WPM Morse code requirement for Amateur Extra applicants, but do away with it for General applicants. "Retaining Morse telegraphy as a requirement for only the Amateur Extra class license, in ARRL's view, places Morse telegraphy in a proper, balanced perspective," the League told the Commission October 31, the deadline to comment in the proceeding. Reply comments are due November 14. The FCC's NPRM&O proposed eliminating the 5 WPM Morse code requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes but denied requests to create a new entry-level license class with limited HF privileges. The League said the FCC needs to finish the job of license restructuring it began in 1998 by reviewing operating privileges for all classes--especially at the first rung of the licensing ladder. "The elimination of Morse telegraphy, absent a more thorough review of operating privileges in the Amateur Service, will not address the ascertained flaws in the only entry-level license class," the ARRL asserted, referring to the Technician license. "That license class is not attracting or keeping newcomers in its present configuration, and it needs fixing right now." The ARRL argued that if the FCC will not create a new Novice class license as the League had suggested in its earlier Petition for Rule Making (RM-10867) in the proceeding, it should modify Technician operating privileges instead. The present licensing regime limits Technicians to VHF bands and above, "leaving newcomers to the Amateur Service isolated from their peers holding higher class licenses," the ARRL said. "The Technician class is, for too many, a 'dead end' to what might otherwise be an active, progressive interest in Amateur Radio, technical self-training and incentive-based educational progress in the many facets of the avocation." The ARRL reminded the FCC that its restructuring plan enjoyed the support of the two Amateur Radio licensees in Congress--Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI (R-OR) and Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR). Eliminating the Morse requirement for General class applicants "creates an anomaly with respect to the Technician class license," the ARRL noted. "If the telegraphy requirement for the General class license is eliminated, the distinction between the Technician class licensee and the Technician Plus class licensee will have disappeared completely." Therefore, the League contends, there is a logical basis for affording Technician licensees entry-level HF privileges. Under the ARRL plan, Technicians would have telegraphy and data privileges on 3.55-3.7 MHz, 7.05-7.125 MHz and 21.05-21.20 MHz at 100 W output and on 28.05-28.3 MHz at 50 W output. The League wants the FCC to provide HF phone and image privileges to Technicians on 3.9-4.0 MHz, 7.2-7.3 MHz and 21.35-21.45 MHz at 100 W output, and on 28.3-28.5 MHz at 50 W. These recommended privileges take into account the FCC's proposal to adopt the ARRL's so-called "Novice refarming" plan in WT Docket 04-140. The ARRL had earlier proposed the same privileges for a reconstituted Novice license. The time is right to take a look at the operating privileges of Amateur Radio license classes, the ARRL said in its filing, "because the entry-level license class is demonstrably neither attractive to newcomers nor encouraging in terms of retaining the interest of license holders." To back up its assertions, the League pointed to surveys it conducted in 1992 and 2003. Nearly half of the licensees responding in the latter poll indicated that they were not currently active in Amateur Radio--up 30 percent from the earlier survey. "The number of inactive Technician class licensees is 46 percent," the ARRL noted, adding that more than a quarter of Technicians responding in 2003 said they'd never even been on the air. The League pointed out that the FCC's proposed across-the-board elimination of the Morse requirement eliminates a simple mechanism for current Technician licensees to obtain HF operating privileges--passing the 5 WPM code exam. If the FCC does nothing other than eliminate the Morse requirement for the General license, the ARRL commented, it would make no sense to continue to deprive Technician licensees the HF operating privileges that Tech Plus licensees now enjoy. "To do otherwise is to draw a distinction that is entirely arbitrary," the League concluded. ==>REGULATORY ITEMS DOMINATE ARRL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION Regulatory and FCC-related topics topped the agenda as the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) met for its regular fall meeting October 22 in Ft Worth, Texas. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, chaired the session. Among other matters the EC agreed unanimously that the League go forward with the filing of a Petition for Rule Making asking the FCC to regulate amateur subbands by maximum bandwidth rather than by emission mode. At its July meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors instructed the EC to complete a final review of the draft petition and file it at the Committee's discretion. In the interim, two ARRL directors and two vice directors requested postponing the petition's filing until the Board had the opportunity to revisit one issue. At issue was the possible provision of subbands below 29 MHz in which digital emission bandwidths greater than 3.5 kHz would be permitted. After considering the procedural and substantive aspects of the request as well as the timing of the filing, the EC voted unanimously to direct ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, to file the petition as drafted in accordance with the Board's wishes, once the EC completes its final review. That appears likely to occur by year's end. The EC also discussed the timing of a petition for rulemaking that would permit security of data for computer-to-computer communications on domestic transmissions above 50 MHz. The issue relates to the requirement to maintain privacy of certain client information transmitted on behalf of served agencies during emergencies. The EC decided it wanted a chance to review experience gained from Hurricane Katrina before moving forward with the petition, which the ARRL Board requested at its July 2004 meeting. Imlay also reviewed the status of pending FCC items for the Committee. He reported that: * an experimental license application the ARRL tendered on behalf of a group of amateurs who want to experiment near 500 kHz is awaiting clearance from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). * a presentation to federal government spectrum managers regarding a possible expansion of amateur privileges in the vicinity of 5 MHz has been prepared and is being scheduled. * an FCC proceeding investigating the effects of communication towers on migratory birds, WT Docket No. 03-187, is not likely to have any effect on the Amateur Radio Service. * a new satellite licensing requirement to file orbital debris mitigation plans, detailed in IB Docket 02-54, may prove problematic for the Amateur-Satellite service. * the ARRL is still awaiting action on its request for an FCC declaratory ruling preempting a Florida statute dealing with unlicensed radio transmissions and interference to FCC-licensed broadcast stations. In other business, the EC discussed the underlying philosophy of the League's provisions defining the eligibility of officer or director candidates--Article 11 of the ARRL's Articles of Association--and whether a revision might be in order. The question arose after the League's Election and Ethics Committee determined that a nominee for an ARRL Board of Director's seat for the 2006-2008 term was ineligible to run because of the nature of his business connections. The EC reviewed and upheld the decision September 1 by teleconference. A proposal to amend Article 11 is expected to be offered by a Director at the Board's January meeting. The EC also voted unanimously to present the ARRL President's Award to Mary Ann Crider, WA3HUP, for her contributions to the cause of international goodwill through her long service as a QSL manager and as manager of the ARRL Third Call Area Incoming QSL Bureau. In addition to Haynie, Committee members present were ARRL First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN; CEO and Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ; Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler, W4RH; Central Division Director George R. "Dick" Isely, W9GIG; Delta Division Director Rick Roderick, K5UR, and Midwest Division Director Wade Walstrom, W0EJ. Also attending in addition to Imlay were West Gulf Division Director Coy Day, N5OK; Great Lakes Division Director Jim Weaver, K8JE, and ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD. The minutes of the Executive Committee's October meeting are available on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/announce/ec_minutes_478.html>. ==>HAM RADIO HAS ROLE IN FIVE YEARS OF CONTINUOUS ISS HUMAN HABITATION Five years ago this week, the International Space Station Expedition 1 crew of US astronaut and Expedition 1 Commander William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, became the first humans to inhabit the ISS on a long-term basis. Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, who commands Expedition 12, the current ISS crew increment, took note of the occasion when he spoke with reporters this week. "We've done things that were just inconceivable 50 years ago," McArthur said. "I think that we have demonstrated that human beings can live and work in space, and, given the will, we can return to the moon not just to visit but to stay there permanently and in not-too-distant future, send people to Mars." Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, called the five-year milestone the first leg of a much longer journey "The experiences we're having on station with crews on long-duration missions are teaching us what it will take to send astronauts on longer missions to the moon and into the solar system," he said. It was on October 31, 2000, that a Russian Soyuz transporter carrying the ISS space pioneers blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and docked with the ISS November 2. At the time, Shepherd was only the second US astronaut to go into space aboard a Russian launch vehicle. Krikalev went on to serve as commander of the ISS Expedition 11 crew. Each of the 12 crews that have lived on the ISS to conduct assembly and research activities has included at least one US radio amateur. McArthur just this week completed the 200th successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school group contact. Crews also have gone on the air to participate in such events as ARRL Field Day and scouting's Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) as well as to make casual QSOs. The Expedition 12 crew of McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev will remain on the ISS until next April. The initial ARISS gear already was aboard the space station by the time the first crew arrived. The Expedition 1 team installed and activated the VHF gear on FM voice and packet under the US call sign NA1SS and the Russian call sign RS0ISS. In late 2003, the ARISS program attained another milestone with the installation and checkout of the Phase 2 Amateur Radio gear. A Kenwood TM-D700E transceiver is at the heart of the Phase 2 station, located in the ISS Zvezda Service Module--the crew's living quarters. Crew members now routinely use the Phase 2 station to conduct ARISS school group contacts. ARISS is looking forward to activation of a Yaesu FT-100 HF/VHF/UHF transceiver and a slow-scan television (SSTV) system in the near future. NASA has been marking the fifth anniversary of continuous ISS human occupancy with special activities and has set up a special Web site <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/5_year_anniversary.html>. The largest and most complex spacecraft ever built, the ISS is the result of a 16-nation partnership led by the US. More ISS information and photos are on NASA's Space Station page. ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.--some information from NASA ==>NEW FOUNDATION LICENSE, AMATEUR REGULATORY CHANGES INTRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA Australia has introduced an entry-level Foundation Amateur Radio license and established a new overall licensing and certification structure. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) put the new regulations into effect October 19. Other rule changes combined Novice and Novice Limited licensees into a new Standard license class, and all Limited, Intermediate and Unrestricted licensees are now Advanced licensees with full amateur privileges. Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) President Michael Owen, VK3KI, welcomed the "long-awaited" changes--in particular the new Foundation license--and expressed the hope that they would encourage newcomers. "We also know that there will be many amateurs operating on the 40 and 20-meter bands for the first time with those bands available to Standard licensees," he said. "We urge all amateurs to make all these newcomers welcome." Owen also praised ACMA for what he called its "cooperative approach" in establishing examination standards and procedures. The first Foundation license was issued October 21 to Amanda Gray, who requested the call sign VK4FRST before knowing that hers was, indeed, the first Australian Foundation license issued. ACMA has adopted the distinctive and unusual four-letter suffix starting with "F" for all VK Foundation licensees. Foundation licensees will have limited access to 80, 40, 15 and 10 meters as well as the entire 2 meter and 70 cm bands using voice modes or "hand-keyed" CW only (ie, no keyboard or computer-generated code). Licensees will be permitted to run up to 10 W on SSB and 3 W on AM, FM and CW--although the WIA wants ACMA to increase that limit to 10 W as well. Foundation licensees may only use commercially manufactured transmitters. The new license is similar to the Foundation class license that's been available in Great Britain since 2002. In addition to creation of the new Foundation license, ACMA amended Australia's Amateur Radio regulations to regulate by necessary bandwidth rather than by emission mode. The new rules permit the use of any emission mode with a bandwidth not exceeding 8 kHz. Said Owen: "The WIA believes that these changes to the Australian amateur license structure will strengthen our hobby and encourage many more people to become licensed radio amateurs." More information is on the ACMA Web site <http://www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.65690:STANDARD::pc=PC_1256>. ==>"TOP BAND DRAGON'S FIRE" SIGNAL BLANKETING 160 METERS IN ASIA The IARU Monitoring System (IARUMS) says radio amateurs in Japan and elsewhere in Asia and Oceania are reporting an unidentified intruder signal on 160 meters. In Japan, the wideband signal, which IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator Bill Zellers, WA4FKI, has dubbed "Top Band Dragon's Fire," reportedly began transmitting continuously about October 1, blanketing 160 meters and rendering it useless for Amateur Radio work in some places. "The intruder is detectable from approximately 1700 kHz up to about 1930 kHz," said one report, likening the sound to "a diesel motor with a ticking sound at a constant rate which is evenly spread across the band." The signal has been heard in the US Northwest at about 1830 kHz on a north-pointing Beverage. Reports also have arrived from New England. First heard as long ago as December 2004, the signal turns up at different times at different locations, reports indicate. In some cases, it's only during so-called "gray line" propagation, while others hear the signal 24/7. Near Perth, Australia, the intruder was heard slowly rising out the noise floor about a half-hour after sunset, increasing to around S7 and remaining long into the night. Amateurs in Singapore report that the signal recently shifted from wideband noise to a pulsed signal. Veteran Top Band DXer Tom Rauch, W8JI, in Georgia says he can "just detect a noise floor increase some mornings," but was unable to identify an actual signal. Forward reports, accompanied by sound recordings if available, to Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG <cskolaut@arrl.org>, at ARRL Headquarters. ==>ARRL SOLICITING INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINATIONS Nominations close December 31 for the 2005 ARRL International Humanitarian Award. The award is dedicated to an amateur or amateur group devoted to promoting human welfare, peace and international understanding through Amateur Radio. The League established the annual prize to recognize Amateur Radio operators who have used ham radio to provide extraordinary service to others in times of crisis or disaster. The ARRL International Humanitarian Award recognizes Amateur Radio's unique role in international communication and the assistance it regularly provides to people in need throughout the world. Amateur Radio is one of the few telecommunication services that allow people throughout the world from all walks of life to meet and talk with each other, thereby spreading goodwill across political boundaries. A committee appointed by League President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, will recommend an award recipient to the ARRL Board of Directors, which will make the final selection. The committee is now accepting nominations from Amateur Radio, governmental or other organizations that have benefited from extraordinary service rendered by an Amateur Radio operator or group. Nominations must include a summary of the nominee's actions that qualify the individual or group for this award plus verifying statements from at least two individuals having first-hand knowledge of the events warranting the nomination. These statements may be from an official of a group (for example, the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, a local or state emergency management official) that benefited from the nominee's particular Amateur Radio contribution. Nominations should include the names and addresses of all references. All nominations and supporting materials for the 2005 ARRL International Humanitarian Award must be submitted in writing in English to ARRL International Humanitarian Award, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA. In the event that no nominations are received, the committee itself may determine a recipient or decide to make no award. The award recipient receives an engraved plaque and is profiled in QST and other ARRL venues. Complete information on how to nominate is available on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/awards/humanitarian.html>. The 2004 ARRL Humanitarian Award winner was Dr Glenn Johnson, W0GJ, of Bemidji, Minnesota.--Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG ==>SOLAR UPDATE Propagation guru Tad "Sunshine On My Shoulders" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports: Conditions have recovered from zero sunspots, which lasted for five days. Average sunspot numbers rose nearly 10 points to 17.6 this week. Average daily solar flux rose just 1.2 points to 75.4. There has been some geomagnetic disturbance over the past couple of days, but conditions should settle down for the ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW) this weekend. Predicted planetary A index for Friday through Monday, November 4-7, is 20, 20, 12 and 8. Sunspot numbers and solar flux should rise slightly, reaching a peak around November 6-8. If the planetary A index is 20 or higher this weekend it may cause some difficulty reaching those Alaska or Northern Territories multipliers in Sweepstakes, but don't count on any major flare activity. Sunspot numbers for October 27 through November 2 were 0, 0, 11, 14, 29, 33 and 36, with a mean of 17.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 71.6, 73.1, 74.1, 75.6, 77.8, 77.3, and 78, with a mean of 75.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 5, 2, 5, 13, 8 and 6, with a mean of 6.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 5, 4, 1, 3, 6, 7 and 5, with a mean of 4.4. __________________________________ ==>IN BRIEF: * This weekend on the radio: The ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW), the North American Collegiate ARC Championship (CW), the IPARC Contest (CW and Phone), the Ukrainian DX Contest, High Speed Club CW Contest and the DARC 10-Meter Digital Contest are the weekend of November 5-6. JUST AHEAD: The WAE DX Contest (RTTY), the JIDX Phone Contest, the SARL Field Day Contest, the OK/OM DX Contest (CW), the CQ-WE Contest are the weekend of November 12-13. The ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB) is the weekend of November 19-20. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. * ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration: Registration remains open through Sunday, November 6, for these ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line courses: Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004), VHF/UHF Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), and Propagation (EC-011), Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin Friday, November 18. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the CCE Department <cce@arrl.org>. * Hurricane volunteers to be honored in QST: Amateurs who provided communication support during recovery efforts for hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma will be honored with a special listing, including names and call signs, in the February issue of QST. To be eligible for the list, complete the ARRL Hurricane Relief Volunteer Service Report on the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/agencies/vol-report.html>. The reporting deadline for the QST list is December 9. You do not have to be an ARRL or ARES member to be included in the list. * ARRL "Public Service Stories" page debuts: The ARRL's new "Public Service Stories" page now is open <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/PublicServiceStories/>. It's a place where Amateur Radio volunteers can tell the world about their public service contributions during recent events. Both text and photos can be entered and will appear on the Public Service Stories page for all to see. The ARRL currently is soliciting stories from those providing service in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Submissions from ARRL members who are logged onto the League's Web site will be published immediately. Others' submissions will be reviewed before posting. * FCC further extends filing deadlines for Katrina-affected licensees: The FCC has extended from October 31 until November 30 filing and regulatory deadlines for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) licensees directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. The WTB said it was taking the action "because of the continued devastation and recovery efforts in parts of the affected states and to further alleviate any additional burden that may be caused by our filing requirements and regulatory deadlines." After November 30, the WTB said, it will consider waiver requests related to Hurricane Katrina on a case-by-case basis. The WTB already has extended filing and regulatory deadlines for licensees affected by Hurricane Rita to November 21 and by Hurricane Wilma to December 22, 2005. Because the deadline extensions affect the two-year renewal "grace period" for Amateur Radio licensees, the FCC also has suspended vanity call sign processing "until further notice." * ARRL Foundation approves more new scholarships: The ARRL Foundation has announced the addition of two new scholarships for the 2006-2007 academic year, thanks to a generous endowment from the Dayton Amateur Radio Association. The ARRL Foundation Board recently approved addition of the $1000 scholarships to the 43 awards it now offers. "The recent success of the Dayton Hamvention prompted DARA to revitalize its scholarship program," commented ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH. "These scholarships represent DARA's commitment to plow some of that success back into Amateur Radio and offer a brighter future to talented Amateur Radio operators." To be eligible, an applicant must be an Amateur Radio licensee attending or accepted at an accredited two or four-year college or university. Information on all ARRL Foundation-administered scholarships is available on the ARRL Foundation Web site <http://www.arrl.org/arrlf/scholgen.html>. The application period for ARRL Foundation scholarships closes February 1, 2006. * SSETI Express team "hopeful" as troubleshooting continues: Ground controllers are continuing efforts to get the Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative (SSETI) Express satellite back in working order. The spacecraft, sent aloft from Russia October 27, went silent after about five orbits. Telemetry has indicated power problems. "Due to a failure in the electrical power system on board the spacecraft is inoperable and mission control is on standby," SSETI Express Project Manager Neil Melville said this week. "There is a small but significant possibility of recovery, the likelihood of which is being ascertained by ongoing testing." The European Space Agency (ESA) and the SSETI Association are asking radio amateurs around the world to check for signals on 437.250 MHz at appropriate pass times. These signals may be short bursts of 9k6 data every 18 seconds or bursts of pulse telemetry every 30 seconds. E-mail details to SSETI Express Mission Control <missioncontrol@sseti.org>. Melville said the team remains "hopeful and vigilant." * Dayton HamventionR past chairman honored: Dayton Hamvention 2004-2005 General Chairman Gary Des Combes, N8EMO, is among 10 individuals the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau will honor this month as "community ambassadors." The bureau will recognize Des Combes and the other award winners at its 14th annual Community Ambassador Awards breakfast November 10 in Dayton. Each winner will receive a leather flight jacket from Dayton, the birthplace of aviation, "as a token of appreciation for the positive economic impact their events have on the Dayton/Montgomery County community," a bureau news release said. The 55th Dayton Hamvention will take place at Hara Arena in Trotwood, Ohio, on May 19-21, 2006. Jim Nies, WX8F, will be the general chairman. The Amateur Radio exposition--considered the world's largest--annually attracts upward of 25,000 visitors. The bureau has estimated Hamvention's annual economic impact at close to $4 million for Montgomery County and nearly $10 million regionally. * Amateur Radio gets visibility at Telecom Americas 2005: International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 and local radio amateurs staffed an exhibit at Telecom Americas 2005. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)-sponsored exposition took place October 2-6 in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. IARU Region 2 President (and ARRL International Affairs Vice President ) Rod Stafford, W6ROD, participated in a panel discussion, "The Changing Face of Spectrum Management" at the Telecom Forum. The IARU Region 2 exhibit showcased Amateur Radio to regulators and industry. * Rescheduled power-line interference workshop sessions set: Some seats remain available for the rescheduled ARRL-sponsored power-line interference workshop sessions. Mike Martin, K3RFI, of RFI Services of Maryland will conduct the first session Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29-30, and the second session Thursday and Friday, December 1-2. Both sessions will take place at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. RFI Services provides classroom and on-site training for power-company personnel on the techniques used to identify and cure power-line interference and can also troubleshoot electrical noise problems in the field. Registration is $995 per person. The workshop is designed for utility professionals who are responsible for locating and dealing with power-line related interference issues. For radio amateurs who work in the utility industry, this course has the added benefits of being held at ARRL Headquarters where participants will have a chance to operate W1AW. For more information or a workshop application, contact Martin <mike@rfiservices.com>; 240-508-3760) or visit the RFI Services Web site <http://www.rfiservices.com/>. =========================================================== 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 The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from ARRL HQ. 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