July 18, 2001
(In alphabetical order: )
ARRL 2000 Annual Report now available: The ARRL 2000 Annual Report is hot off the press and available free--while supplies last--by request! Enjoy a look back over the millennium year, with information on ARRL activities, HQ staff efforts, messages from ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ and more. To obtain a copy of the 2000 Annual Report, contact Media Relations Manager Jennifer Hagy, N1TDY, jhagy@arrl.org; 860-594-0328. The 2000 Annual Report also is available as a PDF file on the Web. Past reports from 1996 to date are available.
 Peter Jelgersma, PA8AA, at Ham Radio 2001 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. [ARRL Photo] |
Dutch op plans brief operation from broadcast station site: On Saturday, July 21, from 0230 until 0500 UTC, Peter Jelgersma, PA8AA, will be on 40-meter SSB using the curtain antennas of the Dutch World Broadcasting station. He will be operating on or about 7.050 MHz, listening especially for stateside stations. The curtain array has 22.2 dB gain across a narrow-beamwidth (20º wide at the 3-dB points), but he will be able to skew the antenna's pattern slightly. He will run 200 W. QSL via PA8AA, direct or via the bureau.
Ham Fair 2001 is just ahead: Japan Amateur Radio League's "Amateur Radio Festival"--better known as Ham Fair--will be held August 31-September 2 in Yokohama. It boasts a wide range of exhibits including Amateur Radio gear and other high-tech equipment, dealer and club flea market, and much more. JARL says Ham Fair had 39,000 visitors last year. See the JARL Web site for more information.--IARU mailing list
Hams erect a repeater for the National Weather Service: Eldon Kearl, KB7OGM, and John Lloyd, K7JL, of Sandy, Utah teamed up to provide a NOAA-Weather radio station, transmitting from a hilltop overlooking the southern end of Bear Lake. In the course of building and maintaining Amateur Radio repeaters in northern Utah, Kearl and Lloyd saw the need for a stronger NWS signal into the Bear Lake Area. Because of mountain interference, many locations in the area were not able to receive the weather radio signal from Logan Peak. "Amateurs provided the site, a UHF receiver, installation, and will provide power maintenance for the transmitter site," said David Toronto, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service. NWS provided the UHF link transmitter, UHF transmitter, maintenance, weather radio frequency, and a continuous signal to the transmitter from the Salt Lake City office, he said. For additional information, contact Dave Toronto.--David Toronto/NWS
 W6ABR plans to activate the Point Arena Lighthouse in California during the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend. [Tom Liddle Photo] |
International Lighthouse/Lightship weekend site list available: International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend, August 18-19, will feature operation from 200 sites in 36 countries, according to Mike Dalrymple, GM4SUC. A full list of the stations can be found on the ILLW Web site. Those planning to participate also may enjoy visiting the Top 25 Lighthouse Web Sites list. Those setting up stations at a lighthouse or lightship and not on the site list may send site and operator information to Mike Dalrymple, GM4SUC.
Iowa ham loses appeal in tower bid: The Hawk Eye newspaper in Burlington, Iowa, recently reported that a Burlington ham lost an Iowa Court of Appeals bid to gain approval for a 70-foot backyard tower. ARRL Life Member James Sereda, K0TJ, had failed three times to get Zoning Board of Adjustment approval and had gone to the Appeals Court. Sereda's efforts to erect the tower have been going on since 1998. After two trips to the city board, he prevailed in getting a three-judge Appeals Court panel to call the Board of Adjustment's earlier ruling illegal. The court held that since the Burlington board didn't put its reasoning in writing, the decision was arbitrary and therefore illegal. The board then voted in January 2000 to deny Sereda's permit application a third time and provided a written rationale. In a unanimous opinion, the Zoning Board of Adjustment reasoned that Sereda's proposed tower would dwarf nearby homes and harm his neighborhood's character. The board said that to grant approval would set a precedent of allowing such structures in a residential neighborhood.
 Jake McHendrix, WD4PBF (left) received the ARRL Public Service Commendation earlier this year from Kentucky Section Manager John Meyer, NB4K (ex-N4GNL), in recognition of his 23 years of service. |
James E. "Jake" McHendrix, WD4PBF, SK: Jake McHendrix, WD4PBF, of Florence, Kentucky died July 11. He was 72. McHendrix retired in April as Boone County Emergency Coordinator after 23 years of service. "Jake was a loyal and dedicated ham and he will be missed greatly by all of us who were lucky enough to call him friend," said ARRL Great Lakes Division Vice Director Gary Johnston, KI4LA.
July Emergency Communications Level I on-line course registration: July registration for the Level I--Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications on-line course (EC-001) opened July 16. Two classes of 50 students will be processed this week, and the on-line classes will begin the week of July 23. The registration form will remain on the ARRL Course Registration page, until all seats are filled. Answers to most questions are on the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Home page and the C-CE FAQ page. For more information, e-mail Dan Miller, K3UFG. Registration for Level II--Intermediate Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (EC-002) will begin Monday, July 30.
Low-frequency transpacific signal copied in Papua New Guinea: Rick Warnett, P29KFS, in Papua New Guinea reports he was able to copy much of the Amateur Radio June 30 transpacific test transmission from New Zealand intended for North America. "Signals were excellent, and the trace changed significantly over the period," he reports. "I believe propagation via F-layer reflection resulted in significant dispersion of the initially 'clean' signal with sidebands at ± 0.03Hz and multiples of this." Warnett says he missed the the start of the test, which would have included any sunset effects at his location in Port Moresby. The June 30 transmission on 184 kHz from ZL6QH--the Wellington, New Zealand, Amateur Radio Club's Quartz Hill station--was received by Steve McDonald, VE7SL, of British Columbia, Canada.
Missing "Section News" from August QST is available on the Web: A portion of the "Section News" column inadvertently was omitted from the August 2001 QST, now being distributed. The missing pages are available on ARRLWeb. The missing material also will be published as part of the September "Section News." The affected sections include Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin in the Central Division; Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in the Dakota Division; Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee in the Delta Division; and Kentucky and Michigan in the Great Lakes Division. The ARRL Headquarters staff has taken steps to prevent this from happening again. We apologize for any inconvenience to our members.
REACT invites David Clark, KB6TAM, to address international convention: REACT has invited round-the-world sailor David Clark, KB6TAM, to be a guest speaker during the REACT International Convention, July 25-29, in Trinidad.
Clark will regale the conventioneers with tales of operating his Amateur Radio equipment while sailing around the world. REACT will have special event stations operating during the convention, thanks to the support of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society, 9Y4TT. Stations will be set up for HF and VHF on various modes. Special QSL cards will be mailed to all contacts requesting them. The REACT station plans to participate in the IOTA contest the weekend of July 28-29.--Lee Besing, N5NTG
Rhode Island governor nixes driving-while-cellular bill: Rhode Island Gov Lincoln Almond has vetoed a bill mandating that motorists use hands-free cellular telephone equipment by 2002. Almond pointed to reports that place mobile cellular telephone usage near the bottom of the list when it comes to accidents and driver distraction, but he did say more research was needed. The State of New York recently imposed a ban on the use of hand-held cellular telephones while driving.
Scientists create most precise clock: Reuters has reported that US scientists have used sophisticated laser technology and a single atom of mercury to create the world's most precise clock. Reuters says that scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, developed a new type of atomic clock that produces about one quadrillion "ticks"' per second and promises to be far more accurate than the current top standard in time measurement--the cesium-based microwave atomic clock. Physicist Scott Diddams led the research, which was published in the journal Science. He said the next-generation atomic clocks have the potential to be as much as 1000 times more accurate than the cesium-based clocks now in use. The new atomic clock uses a single ion of mercury linked to a laser oscillator that functions as a pendulum. The frequency of the mercury ion is 100,000 times higher than the frequency of the cesium atoms.--Reuters
Vote on QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for July was Ed Krome, K9EK, for his article "Getting Started with AMSAT-OSCAR 40." Congratulations, Ed! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award--given to the author of the best article in each issue--is determined by a vote of ARRL members. Voting takes place each month on the Cover Plaque Poll Web page. As soon as your copy arrives, cast a ballot for your favorite article in the August issue of QST. Voting ends August 15.
Waxing poetic about Field Day--"FD Fun": Teeny letters, in the dark, I squint to log, here at the park. / The batteries are getting flat; no way to recharge, where I'm at. / Antennas keep on falling down, the blankets were all left in town. / The tuner blew up at the first; my station must be really cursed! / I swat another biting fly, and band conditions make me cry. / To think the night is just begun! Gee! Field Day! Ain't it some fun?--Cortland Richmond, KA5S
West Central Florida PIC appointed: West Central Florida Section Manager Dave Armbrust, AE4MR, has appointed Jack Doyle, WX1JAD, of Venice, Florida, as Public Information Coordinator for the section. Doyle replaces Scott Havens, AB2V. Doyle is active in ARES as an Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Sarasota County and is a member of the ARES Mutual Assistance Team (ARESMAT). He also serves on the Board of Directors for Sarasota Emergency Radio Club and is an active member of the Tamiami Amateur Radio Club in Venice as well. Doyle has served as a Public Information Officer and often sets up his mobile communications unit at regional shopping areas and other public functions to promote Amateur Radio. His wife, Roxena, is W1ROX. Members in WCF may contact Jack Doyle via e-mail or by telephone, 941-485-0700.--WCF news release
 Previous: The ARRL Foundation | ![Next (later) Story](/images/sty-up.gif "The Amateur Amateur: The "Calm" After the Storm"){kind=small} Next: The Amateur Amateur: The "Calm" After the Storm |
