"ARRL Letter Mailing List": The ARRL Letter, Vol 26, No 45 (Friday, November 9, 2007)

[Mike O'Dell]

note news item about Vertex Standard's new daddy.

------- Forwarded Message

MessageName: (Message 7)
From:    "ARRL Letter Mailing List" <letter-dlvy at arrl.org>
Date:    Fri, 9 Nov 2007 18:01:35 -0500
To:      mo at ccr.org

Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 26, No 45 (Friday, November 9, 2007)


***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 26, No. 45
November 9, 2007
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* + WRC-07 Week 3: HF Broadcasting Empty-Handed; No 5 MHz Amateur
Allocation 
* + Motorola to Acquire Controlling Interest in Parent Company of Yaesu 
* + Remnants of Hurricane Noel Hit Northeastern US 
* + 2007 ARRL Frequency Measuring Test Scheduled for November 
* + 500 kHz Experiment Enters Second Season 
*   ARRL HQ Says Hello and Goodbye to Staff Members 
* + Operations Approved for DXCC Credit 
*  Solar Update 
*  IN BRIEF: 
      This Weekend on the Radio 
      ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration 
    + 2007 ARRL Field Day Results Now Online 
    + Get Ready for ARRL Sweepstakes Next Weekend! 
      New Section Manager Appointed in San Diego 
      FCC Releases Broadband Report 
      AARP Endorses Amateur Radio
      DXCC Blog Notes 
      Frank Stilwell, WB8OFR (SK) 
      ARRL Headquarters Closed for Thanksgiving Holidays 

+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> 

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==> WRC-07 WEEK 3: HF BROADCASTING EMPTY-HANDED; NO 5 MHz AMATEUR
ALLOCATION 

As the International Telecommunication Union's 2007 World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07) in Geneva headed toward its
fourth and final week, the proponents of additional allocations to HF
Broadcasting conceded defeat and accepted that there will be no
additional allocations made to HFBC at this conference. The slim
possibility of a 5 MHz allocation to the Amateur Service also evaporated
late Friday evening, according to IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ.

HFBC has been a contentious issue at ITU conferences for decades. At
WRC-07, additional HFBC allocations between 4 and 10 MHz were supported
by 25 European administrations and a few outside Europe but were
strongly opposed by every other regional organization. Opposition to
additional HFBC allocations was based mainly on a desire to protect
military and other government fixed and mobile communications, although
some of the administrations that were the most outspoken opponents of
HFBC expansion authorize HFBC stations under their jurisdiction to
operate out-of-band in the fixed and mobile allocations. Some HFBC
proponents predict that the unsatisfactory outcome of the conference on
this issue will lead to even more out-of-band broadcasting.

A footnote specifically authorizing administrations to allow amateur
stations to use spot frequencies in the 5 MHz range was considered
Friday evening (Geneva time) at the Sub Working Group level as one of
the last items of business concerning the 4-10 MHz range. The footnote
failed to attract sufficient support and was withdrawn from
consideration by its sponsor, the European regional organization (CEPT).
This has no effect on the administrations that have authorized amateur
operations under the no-interference provisions of Radio Regulation 4.4.

On a more positive note for radio amateurs, a secondary allocation of
135.7-137.8 kHz to the Amateur Service was approved on first reading in
Plenary on Friday afternoon, November 9. This marks the first time since
allocations to radio services began that the Amateur Service has had an
allocation below the medium wave broadcasting band. The effective date
is not yet set, but is likely to be the date of entry into force of the
Final Acts of the Conference. Of course, amateurs must wait until their
own administrations authorize the new allocation before they can use it.
Some administrations, while not wishing to block the international
allocation, have indicated a reluctance to implement it in their
countries because of various interference concerns. 

Work continues on the agenda for future WRCs, tentatively scheduled for
2011 and 2015. There are many more proposals for agenda items for the
next conference than can be accommodated, so only those with broad
support are likely to be included. Committee work on the future agendas
is scheduled for completion early next week. 

Members of the core team of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
continue to attend the relevant meetings and work the halls on behalf of
the amateur and amateur-satellite services. Support from numerous
members of national delegations remains a vital component of this
effort. 

On Tuesday evening, November 6, the International Amateur Radio Club,
4U1ITU, held a dinner with a new amateur licensee, ITU Secretary-General
Hamadoun Toure, HB9EHT as the guest of honor. There were 43 members and
guests present, including WRC-07 delegates from more than a dozen
countries -- several heads and deputy heads of delegation among them.
The club station is active on the air under the special call sign
4U1WRC. 

==> MOTOROLA TO ACQUIRE CONTROLLING INTEREST IN PARENT COMPANY OF YAESU 

Motorola issued a press release earlier this week stating that its
subsidiary, Motorola USA, will "launch a tender offer to acquire a
controlling interest in Vertex Standard Co., Ltd." Vertex Standard is
the parent company of Yaesu. Upon successful completion of the tender
offer and subsequent restructuring process, Motorola will own 80 percent
of Vertex Standard; Tokogiken, a privately held Japanese company,
controlled by current President and CEO of Vertex Standard Jun Hasegawa,
will retain 20 percent, forming a joint venture. The total purchase
price for 80 percent of the outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis
will be approximately 12.3 billion yen (approximately US $108 million).
The bid will start November 6 and end on December 26. If the bid
succeeds, shares of Vertex would be delisted from the Jasdaq Securities
Exchange in Japan. 

According to Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Yaesu's Executive Vice
President for Amateur Radio Sales in North America, "I thought that the
happiest and proudest day of my 45-plus years in Amateur Radio was when
I was offered the opportunity to lead the Yaesu North American sales
effort; however, being able to now announce this news to my fellow
Amateur Radio operators takes over as the top life thrill for me! I am
certain the good fortune that put me in this leadership chair at Yaesu
now promises opportunities for me to do more for the technological
future of Amateur Radio than I ever dreamed possible. I do not pretend
to know the full extent of the positive impact this Motorola/Vertex
Standard business arrangement will have on Amateur Radio -- I just know
it is going to be terrific for all of us who love Amateur Radio for its
public service and entertainment value, as well as its potential for us
to make lifelong friendships in our neighborhoods and around the world."

Saying that hams should not expect to see a line of Motorola Amateur
Radio products, Motschenbacher said he sees the joint venture between
Motorola and Vertex Standard "as a very good thing for Amateur Radio in
general and Yaesu customers in particular. I hope our loyal customers
will readily see this business venture for what it is, an opportunity to
make a solid 50-plus year old Yaesu company even stronger and more
formidable than is already the case. There is absolutely no reason to
have the slightest concern about equipment warranties and the
continuation of support for our products. I am really excited to see
what the joint engineering capabilities of these two huge communications
companies will bring in the way of new technology advancement for the
Amateur Radio service."

Motorola said that the joint venture "will develop and sell Vertex
Standard branded products and develop select Motorola branded products.
The Motorola brand will continue to focus on higher featured, higher
tier products and continue to utilize existing Motorola distribution
channels. Vertex Standard's strength in the Amateur, Marine and Airband
(Avionics) segments will also provide Motorola with access to new
business opportunities. In addition, Vertex Standard's solutions are
highly complementary with Motorola's products and will add greater depth
and breadth to Motorola's Government and Public Safety business."
According to Hasegawa, "The joint venture will give Vertex Standard
access to Motorola's global distribution channels, presenting
considerable opportunities for Vertex Standard to drive growth. We also
expect to reduce costs, as we will benefit from Motorola's global scale
and resources. With Motorola, Vertex Standard will be stronger and
better positioned to deliver new and innovative 2-way radio solutions
for professionals and consumers around the world."

Motschenbacher said, "There is a unique aspect of business that comes
with Amateur Radio. It's not just about a radio. It's the relationship
between the ham, the radio itself and the company that makes that radio.
This relationship in Amateur Radio is far different than it is, say,
between a buyer of a HDTV, the TV and the TV manufacturer. The
relationship in Amateur Radio is far more personal and 'bonding,' per
se. I am certain that we will do our utmost to ensure that Motorola
understands this delicate bond. Since Motorola is leaving the day-to-day
management of Yaesu in the hands of my boss, Jun Hasegawa, President of
Vertex Standard, we can expect our longtime relationship with hams to
remain intact."

Calling the joint venture "a good thing," Motschenbacher said, "Before
working in the business side of Amateur Radio, my old business partner
and I purchased a number of small companies in our line of business.
More often than not, we found that bringing these new acquisitions into
our existing family of companies added more to the overall success of
the total group than expected. Therefore, I believe that this joint
venture is not just a 1 + 1=2 equation -- I am positive that the outcome
for our Amateur Radio customers is going to feel more like 1+1= 3 and
that's a good thing!"

==> REMNANTS OF HURRICANE NOEL HIT NORTHEASTERN US 

After slamming into Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, Noel (by then an
Extratropical Storm) hit portions of Eastern New England November 3.
Winds up to hurricane force caused significant tree and power line
damage along with minor structural damage. The hardest hit areas were
Southeast and East Coastal Massachusetts as well as Southeastern Rhode
Island. Noel, which had been a Category 1 hurricane after it passed
through the Bahamas, transitioned into a major "Nor'easter" system,
passing less than 100 miles southeast of Nantucket Island off the coast
of Massachusetts. 

ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator and SKYWARN
Coordinator for the National Weather Service (NWS) in Taunton, Rob
Macedo, KD1CY, stated that ARES, RACES and SKYWARN groups in Eastern
Massachusetts were activated Saturday morning. "Activation of SKYWARN
started at 7 AM with operations at our NWS Taunton Ham Station, WX1BOX,
with weather conditions deteriorating after 10 that morning." Carl
Aveni, N1FY, and Phil McLaughlin, KB1CYO, assisted with operations at
the NWS Taunton office. 

With sustained strong winds at 25-35 MPH and gusts up to 60 MPH across
Eastern and Southern Coastal Massachusetts and Southeastern Rhode Island
that caused damage to trees and power lines, there were pockets of power
outages across portions of the region. Conditions on Cape Cod, Nantucket
and Martha's Vineyard were far worse. Winds gusted well into hurricane
force resulting in widespread power outages and structural damage,
including damage to trees and power lines. 

Cape Cod ARES District Emergency Coordinator and Cape Cod Red Cross
Communications Officer Frank O'Laughlin, WQ1O, said, "I had a wind gust
of 89 MPH at my home in the Marstons Mills section of Barnstable before
having my anemometer ripped off the tower and blown several houses down
and destroyed." Roof damage to a few structures was reported in Falmouth
and Fairhaven, Massachusetts as well as Nantucket Island. The police
communications tower in Harwich blew down due to the hurricane force
gusts. 

Roughly 10 VHF/UHF repeaters were utilized during the activation across
Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut. The New
England VoIP Integrated Conference system, EchoLink Node: 9123/*NEW-ENG*
conference server with IRLP reflector 9123, was utilized as a command
Net linking various repeaters together using the Internet. The
Massachusetts State EOC, as well as Region 1 and Region 2 Offices of
Massachusetts Emergency Management serving Eastern Massachusetts, were
also on the system. 

The National Weather Service office in Gray, Maine, WX1GYX, was also
active with SKYWARN Operations for Southern Maine and Southeastern New
Hampshire; the New England VoIP Integrated Conference system allowed the
NWS Forecast Offices in Gray and Taunton to keep in touch. "We recently
installed HF at the National Weather Service in Gray and can now have
point-to-point communications with the Taunton office through this
means," said Tom Berman, N1KTA, weather forecaster and SKYWARN Program
Leader for NWS Gray, Maine. 

Extratropical Noel moved up into the Canadian Maritimes and caused
similar conditions over Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  -- Some
information provided by ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency
Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY; Connecticut SKYWARN Coordinator Steve
Williams, K1SJW, and Rhode Island SKYWARN Coordinator Martin Mendelson,
N1JMA 

==> 2007 ARRL FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 

The 2007 ARRL Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) will take place November 15
(UTC). It will be conducted using essentially the same format as last
year's FMT. The 2007 FMT will run November 15 at 0245 UTC (November 14
at 9:45 PM EST). It will replace the W1AW normally scheduled phone
bulletin. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those
planning to participate listen to W1AW's transmissions prior to the
event to determine which band--or bands--will be best for measurement
purposes.

The FMT will start with a general QST call from W1AW at exactly 0245
UTC, transmitted simultaneously on three amateur frequencies. The
approximate frequencies are 1854 kHz, 3583 kHz and 7045 kHz.  The test
will consist of three 60-second key down transmissions for each band,
followed by a series of dits, followed by a station identification.

The test will last for approximately 15 minutes and will end with a
series of Vs followed by station identification. W1AW will identify
before, during and after the transmissions.

In addition to the W1AW transmissions, Mike Fahmie, WA6ZTY, will also
conduct a West Coast Frequency Measuring Test 30 minutes prior to W1AW.
Look for the West Coast transmission around 7045 kHz beginning at 0215
UTC (6:15 PM PST). The transmissions will consist of three 60-second key
down periods separated by a station identification. The West Coast FMT
will last for approximately 10 minutes total.

This year, your report should be submitted via the FMT Report form on
the W1AW FMT Web site. Along with your call sign and e-mail address,
enter your most accurate measurement on each band and indicate whether
you measured the W1AW (or WA6ZTY) signal. There will be a window to list
your equipment, describe the method you used to make the measurements
and enter any Soapbox comments. There is a slight change in that
participants have 14 days to input their data. Both the W1AW and WA6ZTY
measured frequencies -- in addition to inputted data -- will be
available on the W1AW FMT Web page after the 14 day period. Participants
may input their data more than once, although the final entry will be
the one used for the results

W1AW will post the transmitted frequencies on the FMT Web site following
the test. This will allow participants to quickly determine the accuracy
of their equipment and methods.

An article, "Frequency Measuring Test 2007," by Ward Silver, N0AX, in
the November 2007 QST and also available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/2007/2007FMTSilver.pdf> covers this year's
FMT. Additional information about the FMT -- including a list of
reference articles and updates to test schedules -- is on the W1AW
Frequency Measuring Test Web page < http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/>. 


==> 500 kHz EXPERIMENT ENTERS SECOND SEASON

Fall has brought lower static and good propagation, making excellent
conditions for the 500 kHz experimenters. The ARRL 500 kHz experimental
license, WD2XSH, was issued in September 2006 and has 19 active
stations.

Project Coordinator for the ARRL-sponsored 500 kHz experiment Fritz
Raab, W1FR, said, "We have been joined by a second US experimental
license, WE2XGR, with five participants, as well experimenters in the
UK, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic; operating modes include CW,
QRSS, PSK-31, and others. Contacts have been achieved at distances up to
1234 miles. Signals have been received all over North America, Alaska,
and Hawaii, and trans-Atlantic reports are not uncommon." 

The best time to listen is between sunset and sunrise, Raab said. "The
operating frequencies are: WD2XSH -- 505.2-510 kHz; WE2XGR -- 505-515
kHz; UK -- 501-504 kHz, and SM, DL, OK -- 505.0-505.2 kHz. Reception
reports should be filed at the www.500kc.com Web site so that they
become part of our data base." Additional information can be found at
the experiment's Web site and also in the July/August 2007 issue of QEX
<http://www.arrl.org/qex/2007/07/raab.pdf>. 

==> ARRL HQ WELCOMES NEW ASSISTANT EDITOR 

Steve Sant Andrea, WB2GYK, joined the ARRL Headquarters staff this week
as an Assistant Editor, filling the position formerly held by current
ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA. Sant Andrea spends his
operating time on HF through 70 cm chasing special event stations,
handling traffic and helping out at public service events and
participating in Field Day. First licensed as a Novice in 1968 and
currently an Amateur Extra class license, he holds a Technology degree
from New York Institute of Technology. Before coming to the League he
worked as a technical writer producing manuals for equipment ranging
from medical CAT scanners to plastic molding machines. He has also
prepared documentation for a variety of commercial software products.
Sant Andrea is a member of the ARRL and the Northville Amateur Radio
Association. Away from the radio, he is interested in photography and
American history. He grew up on Long Island and moved to Woodbury,
Connecticut about 10 years ago. Wife Rosemary is a docent at the
Bellamy-Faraday House in Bethlehem and is a volunteer at the Glebe House
in Woodbury, the Southbury Library, and the Connecticut Agency on Aging.
They spend their free time visiting historic sites, antiquing, watching
the birds at and chasing the squirrels away from the feeder.

Production Assistant Joe Shea left the ARRL earlier this month to pursue
a career as Library Assistant. Shea, who started at the ARRL almost 20
years ago in the shipping department, oversaw production of QEX and
various columns and articles in QST. ARRL Publications Manager Steve
Ford, WB8IMY, said, "While we're very sorry to see Joe leave, we wish
him all the best in his chosen career path." 

==> OPERATIONS APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT 

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, announced earlier this week that all
operations from Vlad Bykov's, UA4WHX, last trip have been approved for
DXCC credit. 

These operations include, but may not be limited to, the following:
5X1VB -- Uganda; 9U0VB -- Burundi; 9X0VB -- Rwanda; D20VB -- Angola;
D60VB -- Comoros, and J20VB -- Djibouti. Other operations include:
3DA0VB -- Swaziland; 5R8VB -- Madagascar; A25VB -- Botswana; C91VB --
Mozambique; ST2VB -- Sudan; Z2/UA4WHX -- Zimbabwe; V51VV -- Namibia, and
OD5/UA4WHX -- Lebanon. 

If you have any questions concerning these operations, or any questions
about the ARRL DXCC program, please e-mail the DXCC Desk
<DXCC at arrl.org>. 

==>SOLAR UPDATE

Tad "And We're Only Several Miles from the Sun" Cook, K7RA, this week
reports: A single sunspot (number 973) appeared briefly toward the end
of Wednesday, November 6, and then quickly faded. This broke a 29 day
stretch of no sunspots, beginning after October 6-7, when a single spot
emerged for just two days. Spot 973 was never visible in a geo-effective
(squarely facing Earth) position, appearing only in the southwest of the
solar disk, destined to shortly rotate away from Earth's view. Sunspot
numbers for November 1-7 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 11 and 0 with a mean of
1.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 67.3, 67.9, 67.6, 67.7, 67.4, 68.5 and 68.1
with a mean of 67.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 1
and 1 with a mean of 2.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 1, 2,
2, 1, 0 and 0 with a mean of 1.4. For more information concerning radio
propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation
page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>. To read this
week's Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW Propagation
Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>. 

__________________________________

==>IN BRIEF:

* This Weekend on the Radio: This weekend, the WAE DX Contest (RTTY),
the JIDX Phone Contest, the OK/OM DX Contest (CW) and the Kentucky QSO
Party, all November 10-11. The CQ-WE Contest is November 10-12 and the
SKCC Sprint is November 14. Next weekend, be sure to check out the ARRL
November Sweepstakes (SSB) On November 17-19. The YO International PSK31
Contest is on November 16 and the Feld Hell Sprint is November 17. The
SARL Field Day Contest, LZ DX Contest, All Austrian 160 Meter Contest
and the RSGB 2nd 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) are all scheduled for November
17-18; the NA Collegiate ARC Championship (SSB) is November 17-19. The
EU PSK63 QSO Party is November 18, the Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is
November 19 and the NAQCC Straight Key/Bug Sprint is November 22. See
the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL
Contester's Rate Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/> and
the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.

* ARRL Continuing Education Course Registration: Registration remains
open through Sunday, November 18 for these online courses beginning on
Friday, December 7: Technician License Course (EC-010), Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency Interference
(EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog Electronics
(EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). To learn more, visit the CCE
Course Listing page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html> or contact
the Continuing Education Program Coordinator <cce at arrl.org>.

* 2007 ARRL Field Day Results Now Online: The results from this year's
Field Day are now available online. ARRL Field Day Manager Dan
Henderson, N1ND, said, "I was most pleased to see the all-time record
number of participants and reporting stations. Refarming of the bands
and the elimination of the code requirements have helped renew on the
air activity. Now the challenge for all of us in Amateur Radio is to
keep the growth and momentum going." You can find the results in the
Members Only section of the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/results/2007/FD/>. 

* Get Ready for ARRL Sweepstakes Next Weekend!: Next weekend is the 74th
running of the ARRL Sweepstakes Phone contest. This is guaranteed to be
full of on-air fun! Make as many contacts as you can in 24 hours of the
30 hour contest period and see how many ARRL/RAC sections you can work
(there are 80 total). If you've never tried contesting, or are new to
the HF bands, this is one weekend of activity you really don't want to
miss! If you work all 80 sections (called a Clean Sweep), you're
entitled to purchase a special coffee mug in recognition of your
achievement. Make just 100 contacts and you can purchase a commemorative
pin; 100 contacts is easier than you may think! Complete rules can be
found on page 102 of the October 2007 QST, or on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2007/novss.html>. 

* New Section Manager Appointed in San Diego: Harry Hodges, W6YOO, of
Escondido, California, has been appointed Section Manager of the ARRL
San Diego Section, announced ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs
Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, effective November 6. He will complete the
term of Mitch Mitchell, K6BK, of San Diego, who stepped down due to
personal reasons. Hodges is returning to Section's top position where he
served as San Diego Section Manager from late 1993 through early 1994;
he has served as Assistant Section Manager since 1994. Hodges' term of
office continues until March 31, 2008. Candidates who wish to run for
San Diego Section Manager for the term starting in April 2008 need to
submit a nominating petition to ARRL Headquarters by December 7, 2007.
Please see the ARRL Web site for nominating information
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/smterms.html>. 

* FCC Releases Broadband Report: The FCC has released their latest
report summarizing the state of broadband in the US as of December 2006.
It shows that by December 2006, Internet-access BPL increased slightly
over December 2005, but also shows that it has been decreasing slightly
from a peak that occurred sometime around mid-2006. According to the
report, Broadband over Powerline ended up with a deployment total of
0.006 percent of the total broadband lines in the US, compared to 0.011
percent at the end of December 2005. You can review the report on The
FCC Web site
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277784A1.pdf>. 

* AARP Endorses Amateur Radio: Amateur Radio and the ARRL received a
significant public relations boost from the AARP this week. Promoting
life-long learning for their members, Susan Ayers Walker wrote "Finding
Your Hobby Online" for the AARP Web site. What's the first and most
prominent activity listed to keep the mind active and functional?
Amateur Radio! Here's what the article had to say: "Long before the
internet was created, the Amateur Radio network was the way people from
all over the world could connect. Amateur, or ham, Radio operators
created vast social networks by talking long distances to other radio
enthusiasts, making distant friends and exchanging calling cards. It is
this linkage of radio enthusiasts that is ready to help communication
flow in case of a disaster or weather emergency. The ARRL, the National
Association for Amateur Radio, has an informative website with lots of
news and information, plus info on getting started or finding a chapter
in your area." You can read more at
<http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/life_online/finding_your_hobby_
online.html>. 

* DXCC Blog Notes: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, keeps a DXCC Blog on
the ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/blog/DXCC%20Dialog>. In it, he
posts news and updates to the ARRL DXCC program. Moore notes that there
is a link on the DXCC Web page to a text version of the DXCC list. "To
help facilitate those who design programs and databases to track and
report DXCC, I have added a new field to this list designated 'Entity
Code.' This is the 3-digit code currently used in the computer system to
assist in designating entities," he said. To find out more about the
ARRL DXCC program, please see the DXCC Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. If you have any questions concerning
DXCC or any other ARRL award program, e-mail the DXCC Desk
<DXCC at arrl.org>. 

* Frank Stilwell, WB8OFR (SK): Frank Stilwell III, WB8OFR, of Arlington,
Virginia, passed away October 24. He was 50 years old. Stilwell was a
Senior Staff Attorney in the FCC's Commercial Wireless Division. A Life
Member of the ARRL and a native of Kettering, Ohio, he was one of the
founding members of the Far Out Amateur Radio Club of Dayton,
well-remembered among Hamvention veterans for its Saturday evening
gatherings. 

* ARRL Headquarters Closed for Thanksgiving Holidays: ARRL Headquarters
will be closed November 22 and 23 in observance of Thanksgiving. There
will be no W1AW bulletins or code practice transmissions those days.
There will also be no "ARRL Letter" or "ARRL Audio News" on Friday. ARRL
Headquarters will reopen Monday, November 26 at 8 AM Eastern Standard
Time. We wish everyone a safe and bounteous Thanksgiving holiday. 

=========================================================== 
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the
American Radio Relay League: ARRL--the National Association for Amateur
Radio, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax
860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential and general
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bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the
"Member Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify
membership data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change
your e-mail address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all
automatically sent email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.)
Then, click on "Submit modification" to make selections effective.
(NOTE: HQ staff members cannot change your e-mail delivery address. You
must do this yourself via the Members Only Web Site.)

The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:

* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will
be posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)

* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur
Radio Club: Visit Mailing Lists at QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this
listserver.) 




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