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   http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-08-21   
      
   The ARRL Letter   
      
   August 21, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME   
      
    *  Webinar Helps to Build Ham Community Cohesion, Momentum for H.R. 4969   
    *  Balloting Set for this Fall in Two ARRL Divisions   
    *  Southern Florida Section Manager Wins Full Term, New SMs on Deck in Two   
       Other Sections   
    *  Some ARRL Website Services to Be Down for Maintenance   
    *  Support ARRL and Be Rewarded!   
    *  Pat Barkey, N9RV, Named as Next National Contest Journal Editor   
    *  W1AW Centennial Operations Heading to Arizona, Maine   
    *  Chasqui-1 Amateur Radio CubeSat Deployed from ISS   
    *  Venerable LUSAT-1 (OSCAR 19) Takes to the Dark Side   
    *  EMF 2014: It Takes an Amateur Radio Village   
    *  Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference 2014 Takes a   
       Technological Tack   
    *  First Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference Held   
    *  Pirate Radio Ship Redux: Radio Caroline Returns, Radio Veronica,   
       Northsea Special Event Set   
    *  A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
    *  The K7RA Solar Update   
    *  Just Ahead in Radiosport   
    *  Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events   
      
   Webinar Helps to Build Ham Community Cohesion, Momentum for H.R. 4969   
      
   An August 13 webinar on "The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014" -- H.R. 2014   
   -- attracted some 450 online participants who wanted to learn more about the   
   proposed legislation and how they could get [HR%204969%20logo.gif] involved   
   in speeding its passage. US Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced H.R. 4969   
   in June, with US Rep Joe Courtney (D-CT) as its first co-sponsor. This   
   bipartisan initiative would direct the FCC to apply the "reasonable   
   accommodation" three-part test of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption policy   
   regarding antennas to private land-use restrictions (CC&Rs). The ARRL   
   Atlantic Division sponsored the webinar, and Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR,   
   served as moderator.   
      
   "I think the webinar really helped to bring members together on H.R. 4969,"   
   Edgar said afterward. More than 900 registered for the event. During the   
   webinar, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and ARRL Hudson Division   
   Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, discussed the measure and what it would mean   
   for ARRL members and the Amateur Radio community, and explained how   
   individuals could help. Edgar said he's heard a lot of positive feedback   
   from members, who thanked his Division for putting on the webinar and said   
   they were going to assist the campaign by contacting their members of   
   Congress.   
      
   Lisenco said this week that 17 co-sponsors now have signed on to H.R. 4969,   
   and he's confident that several more will add their names to the list once   
   Congress reconvenes after its August recess. He said the webinar helped   
   members of the Amateur Radio community to realize that they must become   
   "activists" in order to make things happen.   
      
   "The overwhelming majority of [ARRL] members have been extremely positive,"   
   he said this week, although he conceded that some radio amateurs do not   
   favor H.R. 4969. "You're going to find people who are against it, because   
   that's their political philosophy," he said, "but a lot more want to send   
   letters or visit their representatives. It's just a matter of getting people   
   motivated."   
      
   Lisenco views H.R. 4969 as a "mom-and-apple-pie" issue. "It's a no-brainer,"   
   he said in the wake of the webinar. "'Reasonable accommodation.' How can you   
   say 'no' to that? The more people who see how simple this is, the greater   
   the likelihood that it will get done." Getting the bill passed is a matter   
   of building consensus, and he believes that this is the time to act. "If we   
   don't do it now, the opportunity may not present itself again very soon," he   
   said.   
      
   Lisenco said that most questions during the webinar came from those who   
   already live in deed-restricted communities and wanted to know how H.R. 4969   
   might affect them. He pointed out that some 65 million Americans live in   
   deed-restricted households, and that number is growing. As he explained, the   
   measure would give hams in deed-restricted communities an opportunity to   
   negotiate in good faith with homeowners associations to arrive at a   
   "reasonable accommodation" of their antenna requirements -- nothing more.   
      
   "Everybody wants the biggest antenna they can put up," he said, "but you   
   have to be practical, you have to be pragmatic. Folks who have not had an   
   opportunity to put up any antenna will be happy with any antenna they can   
   get." Each community is different, he said, and the bill does not specify   
   any particular types of antennas.   
      
   Lisenco said that with many members of Congress on vacation, it's difficult   
   to get appointments to meet with them to seek their support. Some 1500   
   members from all over the US signed letters at the ARRL National Centennial   
   Convention urging their representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 4969. Another 500   
   or so letters went out to members of Congress a week later. But, Lisenco   
   added, face-to-face meetings between members of Congress or their staff   
   members and constituents have proven to be the most successful approach.   
      
   Lisenco anticipates that activity to gain additional support for the measure   
   will ramp up again next month.   
      
   Balloting Set for this Fall in Two ARRL Divisions   
      
   When the ARRL Board of Directors gathers for its Annual Meeting in January   
   2015, there will be some new faces around the table. ARRL members in the   
   Atlantic Division will elect a new Director and Vice Director, while members   
   in the Great Lakes Division will choose a Vice Director. Two sitting   
   directors have opted not to run for election: Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, who was   
   appointed in 2010 to succeed Director, now Honorary Vice President, Bruce   
   Frahm, K0BJ, in the Midwest Division, and Bill Edgar, N3LLR, who has headed   
   the Atlantic Division since 2006.   
      
   Succeeding Ahrens as Midwest Division Director next January 1 will be   
   current Vice Director Rod Blocksome, K0DAS, the sole candidate for the   
   position. He has served as Vice Director since 2010, when he was appointed   
   to succeed Ahrens. No candidates stepped forward to run for the Vice   
   Director's slot that Blocksome is vacating, however, so ARRL President Kay   
   Craigie, N3KN, will appoint someone to the post, once it is officially   
   declared open.   
      
   Two candidates are hoping to succeed Edgar in the   
   Atlantic Division. They are current Vice Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, and   
   Phil Theis, K3TUF, who ran for the office in 2011. There is a three-way race   
   for the Vice Director's position. Running are Scott Bauer, W2LC, who served   
   previously as Western New York Section Manager; Bob Famiglio, K3RF, the   
   current Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager, and John Mueller, K2BT, the   
   current Western New York SM.   
      
   In the only other contest, members in the Great Lakes Division will choose   
   between incumbent Vice Director Tom Delaney, W8WTD, and Steve Putman, N8ZR,   
   to fill the Vice Director's chair. Delaney was appointed as Vice Director   
   earlier this year after the former Vice Director, Dale Williams, WA8EFK,   
   became Director when Jim Weaver, K8JE, stepped down from the Board. Williams   
   is the only candidate for Great Lakes Division Director and has been   
   declared elected.   
      
   Incumbents in the Dakota and Delta divisions also are running unopposed and   
   have been declared elected. They are Dakota Division Director Greg Widin,   
   K0GW, and Vice Director Kent Olson, KA0LDG, and Delta Division Director   
   David Norris, K5UZ, and Vice Director Ed Hudgens, WB4RHQ.   
      
   Ballots in contested races will be counted and successful candidates   
   announced on November 21. Those elected take office for 3-year terms   
   starting at noon Eastern Time on January 1, 2015.   
      
   Southern Florida Section Manager Wins Full Term, New SMs on Deck in Two   
   Other Sections   
      
   ARRL Southern Florida Section Manager Jeff Beals, WA4AW, has won a full term   
   in his own right, after being appointed to the post earlier this year. In   
   the just-completed summer election cycle, Beals, of Loxahatchee, received   
   570 votes to 270 for his challenger, Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, of West Palm   
   Beach. Ballots were counted on August 19, at ARRL Headquarters.   
      
   Beals will begin his 2-year term of office on October 1. He has served as   
   Southern Florida Section Manager since June 1, when he was tapped to   
   complete the term of former Section Manager David Fowler, K4DLF, who stepped   
   down because of increased work responsibilities.   
      
   An ARRL Life Member, Beals has been licensed since the early 1960s. Prior to   
   becoming SM, Beals was an Assistant Section Manager and had held several   
   other section-level leadership positions over the years. He served as ARRL   
   Southeastern Division Vice Director from 2009 until 2011.   
      
   Two other sections -- Oklahoma and Western New   
   York -- will be getting new SMs on October 1. The Oklahoma Section will be   
   led by Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, of Altus. Colston was the only nominee for the   
   volunteer post. Current SM Kevin O'Dell, N0IRW, of Perry, decided not to run   
   for a new term of office after serving since 2010. Colston has been the   
   Public Information Coordinator in Oklahoma for the past 4 years.   
      
   It will be a husband-and-wife swap in the Western New York Section, as Laura   
   Peters-Mueller, N2LJM, of Falconer -- the only nominee for the position --   
   takes over the reins from her husband, John Mueller, K2BT, who opted not to   
   run for another term. He is a candidate in a three-way race for Atlantic   
   Division Vice Director. Peters-Mueller has been the Western New York   
   Assistant Section Manager for the past 2 years.   
      
   Several sitting ARRL Section Managers faced no opposition and have been   
   declared elected for 2-year terms beginning October 1. They are Betsey   
   Doane, K1EIC (Connecticut); Edward Stuckey, AI7H (Idaho); Skip Jackson, KS0J   
   (Minnesota); Lynn Nelson, W0ND (North Dakota); Scott Yonally, N8SY (Ohio);   
   Rene Fonseca, NP3O (Puerto Rico), and Frederick Kleber, K9VV (Virgin   
   Islands).   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Some ARRL Website Services to Be Down for Maintenance   
      
   Because of ARRL website maintenance and upgrading, some website services   
   will be unavailable from 0000 until 1000 UTC on Saturday, August 23 (ie,   
   starting the evening of Friday, August 22, in US time zones) and again from   
   0400 until 1000 UTC on Monday, August 25.   
      
   Outside e-mail to @arrl.org addresses and @reflector.arrl.org addresses will   
   be queued for later delivery. Logbook of The World (LoTW) and the ARRL   
   Centennial QSO Party, and Online DXCC pages will be unavailable. The ARRL   
   website will remain up, but the e-store will not be available for making   
   purchases.   
      
   We apologize for any inconvenience.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Support ARRL and Be Rewarded!   
      
   Sign up today for the ARRL Visa Signaturer Card and be   
   reward[Visa%20Card.jpg] ed. When you apply and make a first purchase on the   
   card, you'll receive 2500 bonus points to start you off. With every purchase   
   you make with this card, a portion of your purchase will be contributed to   
   the ARRL. Apply today!   
      
   Disclaimer: Subject to credit approval. Accounts must be open and in good   
   standing (not past due) to earn statement credit. Please wait 6-8 weeks   
   after meeting threshold for account to be credited. The creditor and issuer   
   of the American Radio Relay League Card is U.S. Bank National Association,   
   pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. c 2014 U.S. Bank National   
   Association.   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   Pat Barkey, N9RV, Named as Next National Contest Journal Editor   
      
   Well-known contester Pat Barkey, N9RV, of Bonner, Montana, will become the   
   15th editor of National Contest Journal (NCJ) effective with the   
   January/February 2015 issue. He takes over from Kirk Pickering, K4RO, who   
   has served as NCJ's editor since 2012. Pickering said he believes Barkey   
   will bring a fresh perspective to NCJ readers.   
      
   "I am delighted that N9RV has stepped up to take the role as the next NCJ   
   Editor," Pickering said. "Pat has decades of experience in both the   
   multioperator and single-operator categories. His results from his   
   formidable home stations and from multioperator stations such as K3LR speak   
   for themselves."   
      
   Barkey said he considers it "an honor and a privilege" to be tapped as NCJ's   
   next editor. "When you take a look at the call signs of the people who have   
   held this job over the years, it reads like a contesting hall of fame --   
   literally in many cases," he said this week. "I am particularly humbled to   
   be following in the footsteps of Kirk Pickering, K4RO, who has done such an   
   outstanding job in managing and growing NCJ."   
      
   Barkey said he'd like to see NCJ continue and expand its role as the face of   
   Amateur Radio contesting, while continuing to provide a gateway for   
   newcomers to radiosport.   
      
   "I come to contesting as a station builder and contest operator," Barkey   
   said. "I know there are a lot of people who are totally devoted to   
   contesting who have just as much passion for building and planning as they   
   do for operating. I want to make sure that NCJ always has something for   
   them."   
      
   N9RV has been contesting since he was 11 years old, and he continued to be   
   active in radiosport through graduate school and into his adult life. His   
   day job is as an economist directing a business research center at the   
   University of Montana, a position he's held since 2007.   
      
   First licensed in 1967 as WN8YVR in Michigan, Barkey attended the University   
   of Michigan (also attended by N4KG, K8QKY, and N8UM) in the 1970s and has   
   contested from numerous top-tier contest stations over the years.   
      
   "I'm mostly a CW guy," he allowed, "but I do dust off the mic every now and   
   then." Barkey is an ARRL Life Member.   
      
   W1AW Centennial Operations Heading to Arizona, Maine   
      
   The ARRL Centennial W1AW portable operations taking place throughout 2014   
   from each of the 50 states are now in Ohio and North Dakota. They will   
   relocate at 0000 UTC on Wednesday, August 27 (the evening of August 26 in US   
   time zones), to Arizona (W1AW/7), and Maine (W1AW/1). During 2014 W1AW will   
   be on the air from every state (at least twice) and most US territories, and   
   it will be easy to work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable   
   operations.   
      
   The ARRL Centennial QSO Party kicked off January 1 for a   
   year-long operating event in which participants can accumulate points and   
   win awards. The event is open to all, although only ARRL members and   
   appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and W1AW are worth ARRL Centennial   
   QSO Party points.   
      
   Working W1AW/x from each state is worth 5 points per mode/contact, even when   
   working the same state during its second week of activity.   
      
   To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating   
   portable from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does not   
   count for Connecticut, however. For award credit, participants must work   
   W1AW/1 in Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available.   
      
   The ARRL has posted an ARRL Centennial QSO Party leader board that   
   participants can use to determine how many points they have accumulated in   
   the Centennial QSO Party and in the W1AW WAS operations. Log in using your   
   Logbook of The World (LoTW) user name and password, and your position will   
   appear at the top of the leader boards. Results are updated daily, based on   
   contacts entered into LoTW.   
      
   Chasqui-1 Amateur Radio CubeSat Deployed from ISS   
      
   A team of Russian cosmonauts has deployed the Peruvian Chasqui-1 Amateur   
   Radio CubeSat into orbit during a spacewalk from the   
      
   International Space Station (ISS). Expedition 40 Flight Engineers Alexander   
   Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev released the tiny, 1 kg spacecraft at 1423 UTC   
   on August 18. Chasqui-1 is a project of the Peruvian National University of   
   Engineering (Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria or UNI), in collaboration   
   with the Southwestern State University in Kursk, Russia. According to   
   AMSAT-UK, the CubeSat's batteries were charged last week. It traveled to the   
   ISS in February 2014 on board a Progress cargo craft.   
      
   As Peru's first satellite, its main goal is improving UNI's satellite   
   technology, its builders said. The satellite is intended to take pictures of   
   Earth and relay them to the ground station. It carries two cameras, one   
   operating in the visible light spectrum and the other in the infrared   
   spectrum. Amateur Radio is a secondary payload.   
      
   Chasqui-1's beacon on 437.025 MHz (ñ10 kHz Doppler shift) can transmit   
   either 1200 bps AFSK AX.25 or 9600 bps GMSK. As of August 19, the beacon had   
   not been heard.   
      
   Venerable LUSAT-1 (OSCAR 19) Takes to the Dark Side   
      
   Set to celebrate its silver anniversary next year, LUSAT-1 -- which is also   
   known as OSCAR 19 or LO-19 -- appears once again to be functioning, sort of,   
   when not in sunlight. At this point, OSCAR 19 is only transmitting   
   telemetry; its digital transponder has not been reported to be operational.   
      
   "We knew that our LUSAT started transmitting again a couple of   
   years ago, but only when illuminated by sunlight and was not heard during   
   the night," Pedro Converso, LU7ABF, reported to the AMSAT-BB. During a   
   recent nighttime pass, though, he was surprised to hear "the usual strong   
   900 mW continuous carrier on 437.125 MHz," 22 minutes after LO-19 had   
   emerged from Earth's shadow.   
      
   "It's almost a miracle that after almost 25 years, LUSAT's vintage Ni-Cd   
   batteries can receive and hold [a] charge," he said.   
      
   Launched in 1990 from Kourou, French Guyana, on an Ariane 4 vehicle, the   
   satellite -- Argentina's first -- has completed more than 128,000 orbits,   
   and is one of the oldest active Amateur Radio satellites. The satellite   
   carries a digital store-and-forward packet transponder with uplink   
   frequencies at 145.84, 145.86, 145.88, and 145.90 MHz 1200 bps FM, with   
   AX.25 protocol downlink at 437.125 MHz SSB.   
      
   An audio clip, tracking information, and listener reports are available via   
   the AMSAT-LU website. Reports are welcome via e-mail.   
      
   EMF 2014: It Takes an Amateur Radio Village   
      
   An Amateur Radio Village and special event station GB2EMF will be among the   
   highlights for hams at the Electromagnetic Field "EMF 2014" event Friday   
   through Sunday, August 29-31, just south of Bletchley in the UK.   
      
   "EMF 2014 is a festival for anyone interested in radio, electronics, space,   
   homebrewing, robots, UAVs, 3D printing, DIYBio, Internet culture or pretty   
   much anything else you can think of," its sponsors proclaim. "It is a   
   volunteer effort by a non-profit group, inspired by European and US hacker   
   camps like Chaos Communication Camp, HAR, and ToorCamp. Imagine a camping   
   festival with a power grid and high-speed Internet access; a temporary   
   village of geeks, crafters, and technology enthusiasts that's lit up by   
   night, and buzzing with activity during the day."   
      
   Sponsors are anticipating more than 1000 "curious people" to show up for the   
   event to attend forums and workshops as well as take part in the music,   
   games, and installations that dot the site. "Attendees are invited to set up   
   their own villages -- camps within the camp -- where like-minded people can   
   camp together and put on their own activities."   
      
   The EMF 2014 "TiLDA" reprogrammable battery-powered development board badge   
   can communicate with other badges on site.   
      
   The EMF 2014 team will provide power and an Internet connection to visitors'   
   tents. Special event station GB2EMF will operate from the Amateur Radio   
   Village.   
      
   Campers' identification tags consist of a "fun piece of technology" that   
   attendees can take home and use following the event. "We call our badge   
   TiLDA, and every attendee will receive one when they arrive at the camp!"   
   sponsors said in a blog post. TiLDA is a reprogrammable battery-powered   
   development board that visitors wear on a lanyard. "By default it   
   communicates with all the other badges on site, playing a networked game   
   that encourages you to meet other people with differing interests," the   
   sponsors explained.   
      
   Visit the Electromagnetic Field Facebook page for more information. --   
   Thanks to AMSAT News Service/AMSAT-UK   
      
   Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference 2014 Takes a   
   Technological Tack   
      
   The 2014 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC   
   2014) held August 14-15 in Huntsville, Alabama, and hosted by the ARRL   
   Alabama Section and the Huntsville Hamfest, offered an opportunity for   
   participants to share presentations and perspectives from around the globe.   
   Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, organized this year's GAREC event, which focused on the   
   application of advanced technologies in emergency communication.   
      
   "GAREC 2014 participants included Amateur Radio operators from around the   
   world who are highly dedicated to emergency communication," Sarratt said.   
   "GAREC participants realized that the role of Amateur Radio in emergency   
   communication is constantly changing and that we must continue to adapt to   
   the needs of our partner served agencies, including embracing emerging   
   technologies and new challenges, in order to remain relevant and provide the   
   high level of service our partners have come to rely on."   
      
   Delegates attended from all three International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)   
   regions. In addition to hearing IARU regional reports, attendees took part   
   in a "desktop" exercise. Presentations covered the use of Amateur Radio's   
   emergency communication role as a tool to help promote Amateur Radio, The   
   Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) program, employment of   
   digital modes and remote station control, the deployment of the Military   
   Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) for humanitarian assistance and disaster   
   relief, and a combined Emergency Services Dispatch Center to provide   
   interoperability.   
      
   Emerging themes included the importance of regularly reaching out to served   
   agencies to ensure that their communication needs are being met and to   
   promote Amateur Radio as a trusted emergency response partner. The role of   
   social media to disseminate near real-time information during an event also   
   came up for discussion.   
      
   Sarratt said the second day of the conference concentrated on emerging and   
   advanced technologies. "Participants shared information about recent   
   disasters and how advanced technologies are playing a critical role in   
   Amateur Radio emergency communication," he said.   
      
   Reports on emergency and disaster situations in which Amateur Radio played a   
   crucial role included Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and flooding in   
   Brazil and Thailand. Delegates reaffirmed that disaster response needs   
   differ from one country to another, to reflect the local and regional   
   landscape. They also agreed that the IARU HF Emergency Message Procedures,   
   which include such elements net procedure, standard messaging protocols, and   
   activation protocols, should serve to establish baseline standards among   
   countries and regions, enhancing, but not replacing, existing standard   
   operating procedures.   
      
   "The role of Amateur Radio in emergency communications is constantly   
   changing," a concluding statement said. "It must continue to adapt to the   
   needs of its partners including embracing emerging technologies and new   
   challenges. All GAREC participants past and present are invited to submit   
   their ideas or examples of local best practice to the next conference in   
   2015. GAREC participants recognize that to recruit the next generation of   
   emergency communicators, strong emphasis needs to be paid to recruiting new   
   licensees to the hobby with attractive program training and support. This   
   includes the development of youth and mentoring programs."   
      
   Sarratt said local television media interviewed him, as well as IARU Region   
   1 Emergency Communications Coordinator Greg Mossop, G0DUB, and ARRL   
   Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, for an evening news   
   broadcast. "Many thanks to everyone for helping to make GAREC 2014 a great   
   event!" he added.   
      
   For its 10th event, the GAREC Conference will return to the location of the   
   first GAREC Conference -- Tampere, Finland -- in June 2015. -- Thanks to   
   Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, and Jim Linton, VK3PC   
      
   First Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference Held   
      
   ARES and RACES were featured during the National Tribal Emergency Management   
   Conference, August 13-15 in Airway Heights, Washington. The largest   
   gathering of tribal disaster preparedness, recovery, hazard mitigation, and   
   homeland security professionals in the country was organized by the National   
   Tribal Emergency Management Council (NTEMC) in conjunction with the   
   Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council (NWTEMC), and was hosted at a   
   facility owned by the Kalispel Tribe. Tribal emergency management leaders   
   who attended this conference expressed interest in building an Amateur Radio   
   component into their emergency/disaster preparedness plans.   
      
   Of the 566 recognized tribes in the US, the Pacific   
   Northwest is home to 272, and 29 are in the State of Washington. Conference   
   guests included Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Jeh   
   Johnson, US Sen Mark Begich, US Sen Jon Tester, Acting FirstNet General   
   Manager T.J. Kennedy (US Department of Commerce), and others. Approximately   
   400 attended.   
      
   During pre-conference activities on August 11 and 12, Jack Tiley, AD7FO, and   
   Bob Peterson, KE7RAP, taught a Technician license class, and eight students   
   passed the Technician examination.   
      
   In response to a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning on the   
   evening of August 12, Spokane County EC Robert Wiese, W7UWC, coordinated a   
   weather-spotting net on the W7GBU 147.30 MHz repeater. While conference   
   attendees experienced the thunderstorm activity, they were unaware of the   
   net. A subsequent description of the net provided current and relevant   
   additional content for the "Disaster Communications via Amateur Radio"   
   presentation on Wednesday morning, however. During an over-the-air VHF   
   demonstration with amateurs located elsewhere in Spokane County, a FEMA   
   Citizen Corps volunteer talked briefly with Lori Aberle, KG7IEO. A   
   description of the repeater's coverage area by Scott Christiansen, WA7SRC,   
   garnered very positive comments from those attending the conference.   
      
   ARRL Idaho Section Manager Ed Stuckey, AI7H, set up an   
   HF station on Thursday, stringing a 40 meter dipole between speaker stands   
   in a hallway outside the conference rooms. Although the "Faraday cage"   
   provided by the building inhibited nearly all attempts at indoor HF   
   reception, the display generated considerable interest from conference   
   attendees for more than 4 hours, following the "Building Your Amateur Radio   
   Station" presentation.   
      
   On Friday, attendees were able to view a live Ad Hoc Mesh Network during the   
   "Amateur Radio Digital Data Communications" presentation.   
      
   ARES/RACES groups were encouraged to welcome tribal communities in their   
   respective areas and to ensure interoperability with the tribal EOC as part   
   of their operation plan and to invite tribal emergency communication teams   
   to take part in local drills and exercises as well as to licensing classes.   
   -- Thanks to Steve Aberle, WA7PTM, ARRL Western Washington Section Official   
   Emergency Station (via the ARRL ARES E-Letter)   
      
   Pirate Radio Ship Redux: Radio Caroline Returns, Radio Veronica, Northsea   
   Special Event Set   
      
   The renegade Radio Caroline, which entertained rock 'n' roll fans in the UK   
   and Europe from the 1960s until the 1990s from offshore   
   shipboard transmitters and studios, is back   
   on the airwaves from the River Blackwater off England's Essex Coast using a   
   temporary, low-power license. It has plans to obtain a permanent AM   
   broadcasting authorization. Radio Caroline was among the first, and most   
   famous, pirate radio ships of the era. In a related vein, Arie Rietveld,   
   PD0ARI, of Giessenburg, The Netherlands, has announced plans to operate   
   special event station PD538RNI to commemorate two other pirate radio ship   
   broadcasters from rock's early days -- Radio Veronica, which last broadcast   
   on 538 meters (557 kHz), and Radio Northsea International (RNI). PD538RNI   
   will operate on phone from August 28 until September 19 on 10, 20, and 40   
   meters. Rietveld said his love of radio stemmed from listening to Radio   
   Veronica and RNI in the early 1970s.   
      
   "Both stations transmitted from radio ships on the North Sea and had   
   millions of listeners," Rietveld recounted in an article on Southgate   
   Amateur Radio News. "Every day, good programs, fantastic DJs, nice jingles   
   and radio tunes! The DJs became sort of family -- a part of your life!"   
   Rietveld said Radio Veronica transmitted on medium wave, while Radio   
   Northsea International transmitted on medium wave, shortwave, and FM.   
      
   "Radio Northsea International on shortwave triggered me   
   to listen to [shortwave] radio stations, and a new hobby was born," he said.   
   RNI and Radio Veronica shut down on August 31, 1974, after the Dutch   
   government made changes in the radio regulations. Radio Veronica   
   subsequently went legit and continues to operate. After the pirate stations   
   went dark, Rietveld got his ham radio license. "My love for radio started by   
   listening to Radio Veronica and Radio Northsea International!" he said.   
      
   Rietveld, who enjoys operating from various locations, also occasionally   
   operates marine/maritime mobile, and said he is on the air from PD0ARI every   
   day.   
      
   According to Chris Arundel, G4KDX, another special event station, PA40VRON,   
   will be on the air in late August to mark the Radio Veronica shutdown 40   
   years ago.   
      
   Radio Caroline, which was motivated by similar pirate radio operations on   
   the high seas by Scandinavian and Dutch broadcasters, began operation in   
   1964. Named either after Caroline Kennedy or after a girlfriend of its   
   founder, Ronan O'Rahilly, Radio Caroline transmitted on various medium-wave   
   frequencies over the years, starting out on 1520 kHz -- announced as "199   
   meters, since that rhymed with "Caroline." The station ran nearly 20 kW,   
   using linked Continental Electronics transmitters   
      
   The earlier Radio Caroline inspired a number of competing offshore pirate   
   radio stations, and these operations eventually compelled the staid BBC to   
   start airing more popular musical fare. Radio Caroline finally departed the   
   airwaves as a pirate broadcaster in 1991, after losing its anchor and   
   running aground. The story of the shipboard station was fictionalized in the   
   movie "The Boat That Rocked," which starred the late Phillip Seymour   
   Hoffman. The latter-day incarnation of Radio Caroline has been a satellite   
   and Internet broadcaster. -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
   A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL   
      
   Continuing through the 1970s, QST articles written by Lew McCoy, W1ICP,   
   helped Novice licensees and other new hams by describing various   
   transmitters, amplifiers, antennas, and station accessories, as well as   
   coaching newcomers on general radio knowledge and techniques.   
      
   The first two-way Amateur Radio laser contact (at 475 THz) took place in   
   1971 between WA8WEJ and W4UDS, operating inside a building of the US Air   
   Force Academy.   
      
   Over the years, many other radio services tried to take 220 MHz away from   
   the Amateur Service. In 1971, the Electronic Industries Association   
   petitioned the FCC to reallocate approximately one-half of the band to the   
   Citizens Radio Service. The effort failed.   
      
   John Troster, W6ISQ, continued his fine humorous articles and spoofs in QST   
   during the 1970s, amusing us greatly. His "fictional" tales often reminded   
   us of real experiences we had along the same lines.   
      
   A May 1972 QST article introduced readers to a new device that was beginning   
   to have a few practical applications -- the light-emitting diode (LED).   
      
   As the Apollo space missions began, W4HHK and K2RIW developed receiving   
   systems to listen in on the 2287.5 MHz signals from the program's   
   spacecraft, as reported in June 1972 QST.   
      
   During the 1970s, interest continued in electronic keyers, and many articles   
   on the topic appeared in QST. New developments included automatic character   
   and word spacing and solid-state memories for repeating often-used messages   
   such as CQs and contest exchanges.   
      
   In late 1973, after discussions that spanned many years, the ARRL Board of   
   Directors voted to establish the ARRL Foundation.   
      
   The log-periodic dipole array and its great utility in amateur use were   
   described by K4EWG in the November 1973 QST.   
      
   Amateur DXpeditions increased in popularity during the 1970s. These ranged   
   from casual "holiday" operation by businessmen or tourists to stand-out   
   expeditions, such as the KP6KR Kingman Reef operation in 1974. That   
   adventure included a two-day search to find the island, 5535 contacts in   
   just under 30 hours of operation, and a white-knuckle departure during   
   gale-force winds.   
      
   QST articles in the 1970s often reported on the progress of both amateur TV   
   (ATV