.The Canadian Amateur Radio Bulletin
The Canadian Amateur Radio Bulletin is a weekly service that brings you the latest in Amateur Radio News from around the world. Providing over 30 pages of information every week to keep you up to speed with current events on the Amateur Radio Scene, delivered to over 2400 hams every week.

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Jun. 19 2004  IARU Region 1 struggling against BPL

The struggle for the protection of the radio spectrum against intolerable interference levels generated by Powerline Telecommunication (PLC) techniques has gone on for several years. Here is a summary of recent activities in Europe.

January 2003, the European Commission convened a "Stakeholders" meeting on PLC. It was decided to widen the scope of Mandate 313 from the EU Commission charging CENELEC/ETSI with developing standards for digital telecommunications over wired networks.

March 2003, a delegation of EMC managers of several IARU Region 1 societies, convened by the EUROCOM chairman, met Mark Bogers and Thierry Brefort, the main EU officials in charge of PLC. Several technical presentations were used to try and convince the EU representatives of the need to protect the spectrum users from the high interference levels generated by PLC. From the discussion it became clear that, although the technical arguments were accepted, the decision would be a political one.

April 2003, a meeting was convened by the World Broadcast of Radio Nederland in Hilversum. Mark Bogers, EC Directorate Industry, accepted to meet a group of HF users to discuss the PLC issue. The meeting was reported in the EUROCOM Newsletter of 30.04.2003. It became clear that the EU would promote large scale PLC trials.

At Ham Radio, Friedrichshafen 2003, the EMC and EUROCOM working groups set up a joint meeting. Moreover, a PLC Information Stand provided information on the PLC issue to the visitors of Ham Radio. In 2003, at European Union level, the main action has been led by the IARU delegates to ETSI, more precisely by their participation to the meetings of the CENELEC/ETSI Joint Working Group. This work has been monitored by the EMC working group.

July 2003, the EUROCOM WG chairman received a letter from the EU Commission calling for comments on the PLC issue. The comments would be summarised and submitted to a restricted PLC Workshop. Hilary Claytonsmith, G4JKS accepted to prepare a contribution on behalf of IARU Region 1. The EU PLC Workshop was convened October 2003 and restricted to Member States representatives. Mandate 313 was extended to allow more time to the JWG.

February 2004, as the result of another EU Workshop on PLC, the EU Commission decided to prepare a Commission Recommendation, based on a Technical Specification for electromagnetic emissions from access powerline communications networks. This Technical Recommendation has been prepared by the CENELEC/ETSI JWG and submitted to the Member States. A voting on three options of permitted interference levels is awaited May 15th, 2004.
On behalf of the IARU Region 1 EMC WG, Hilary Claytonsmith G4JKS circulated a letter to the member societies within the EU calling for action at the level of the national representatives in the EU Communications Committee (COCOM), urging them to vote for option 3, i.e. the NB30 norm, the least intrusive of the proposed options.

(Gaston Bertels, ON4WF in the IARU EUROCOM Newsletter)

(RAC News Service)
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Jun. 25 2004  New Zealand Amateur Radio licensing system is being renovated.

We now have only one class of ham radio license in Zed-L called the General Amateur Radio License. This is just one of many changes coming to ham radio down-under as New Zealand radio amateurs discover the full outcome of their regulatory authority's review of the Amateur Radio service. It's all good!

The changes started on June 17th when a new revised Schedule attached to the Zed-L license came into effect. A Schedule here in New Zealand is kind of like a new set of rules. That's the first step. Other changes will take effect over the next 18 months or more. Many long standing problems are being eliminated and some of the changes are believed to be world firsts.  Under the new structure there will be only one grade of Amateur operator license in New Zealand. That's the General Radio License that I mentioned earlier. One license means only one test needs to be administered.

A newly-licensed amateur will have immediate access to all amateur bands below 5 MHz and to all amateur bands above 25 MHz. After getting experience over 3 months and with at least 50 contacts logged, access is then permitted to all amateur radio bands.

All existing Limited Amateur licensees automatically became General Amateur licensees on June 17th irrespective of what is written on their existing licenses. There being only one license grade, callsigns will no longer indicate a class. There is already an established procedure to request a change of callsign if a licensee so wishes.

All amateur bands remain the same but a newly-extended Low Frequency band 130 to 190 kHz is being listed for the first time as an amateur allocation.

The permitted maximum transmitter power output for an amateur station on all bands is 500 watts P-E-P.  With only one figure, the maximum power level in New Zealand is now mode-independent.

How about visitors to New Zealand? Touring hams holding a current amateur certificate of competency, authorization, or license issued by another administration, may operate an amateur station in New Zealand under a General User Radio License for visitors. A licensed visitor will be granted similar privileges to a New Zealand resident station for a period not exceeding 90 days. The present country-to-country reciprocal license agreements will disappear in time as more countries directly recognize the licenses issued by other administrations. This will make cross-border travel by radio amateurs a lot easier than it is today.

There are now minimum rules and restrictions for Amateur Radio in New Zealand and the future is positive.

(Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF,  Amateur Radio Newsline)
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Jun. 25 2004  No Vanity Calls in the UK right now

Vanity callsigns 'are unlikely to be introduced in the United Kingdom before March of 2006.  This, according to the Radio Society of Great Britain which says that for the last three years it has been in discussion with licensing authorities over the introduction of such a program for U-K amateurs.

The latest word is that telecommunications regulators have informed the RSGB that due to software issues it is unlikely that vanity callsigns can be introduced before March 2006.  In other words, the waiting goes on.

(RSGB)
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Special Callsigns for Visitors to Greece During Olympics

Radio amateurs visiting Greece this summer may use special callsigns in order to celebrate the Athens Olympics. From the 1st of August until the 15th of September amateurs from CEPT countries - including the UK - may use the special prefix J42004 before their callsign, for example J42004/M0XYZ. Alternatively, instead of your own callsign, you may use a combination of up to three letters after the special prefix, for example J42004W or J42004GGG and supply the Ministry of Transport and Communications with written notification of the callsign chosen. For further information please contact: The Ministry of Transport & Communications, Dept. of Communications Control, 2 Anastaseos & Tsigante Str., 11510 Holargos, Athens, Greece Tel: +30 210 650 8555. The Ministry will not verify the written notification unless there is a conflict with the special callsigns. The Radio Amateurs Association of Greece says that it will be pleased to help visitors while in Athens and that the club station at its headquarters is available for use: www.raag.org/index_en.html

(RSGB)
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Jun. 25 2004  The Athens 2004 Award

Athens 2004 Olympic Games Awards will available for all radio amateurs and short-wave listeners who make or log a requisite number of contacts with stations in Greece.  This, during the period of the 15th of May until the 30th of September.

Special prefixes J4, SX and SY count 10 points each, normal SV stations count 5 points each and the Radio Amateur Association of Greece's HQ station SZ1SV counts 50 points. A total of 250 points is required for the Bronze Award, 350 for the Silver and 500 points for the Gold Award.

The address for applications is RAAG Award Manager, PO Box 3564, 102 10 Athens, Greece, or see the RAAG web site:  www.araag.org/award2004.html

(RSGB)
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Jun. 25 2004  New Ham Radio Initiative in India

India's national Amateur Radio society says that it plans to conduct various programs to promote Amateur Radio as part of a disaster mitigation program in many venues across that country.  Many local radio amateurs and clubs across India plan to back this National Institute of Amateur Radio initiative and also take part in this program.

(NIAR via Q-NEWS)
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South Africa  First Donations for the 2004 IARU Fund Received

The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust has received the first donation for the 2004 IARU membership fund raising campaign.  The Trust has undertaken to raise funds to continue the SARL's membership of the International organisation.  Thanks go to Robin Seal, ZS5MRS, and Marten du Preez, ZS6ZY, for their contributions.

During last year's campaign a few donations were paid into the SARL bank account and were not included in the recognition list of the Trust.  Thanks go to the ZS5HAC Hibiscus Coast Amateur Radio Club. They contributed R300.

Donors should direct their contribution to the IARU fund to the SA Amateur Radio Development Trust at P O Box 90438, Garsfontein 0042.  The bank account number is 560 142 722 ABSA Menlyn. The branch code is 335-645.  Donations sent directly to the SARL go to the general donations fund and are not credited to the IARU fund.

The Trust looks forward to your support.  The IARU subscription is due before the end of July.

(SARL)
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Jun. 16 2004   South Africa National Youth Day Report

The Southern African Antique Wireless Association, together with the South African Airways Museum Soc., participated in the SARL Kid's Day from Rand Airport last Wednesday.

Despite the early cool weather, Gerald, ZS6GMJ, and Devan, ZR6DAN, were operating the station on HF and VHF respectively as from 09:00.

Thanks to good HF conditions, contacts were made on 40 metres, through to Cape Town, the Eastern Cape and the rest of the country.  The only exception being ZS5 stations, which were busy with Hamnet Communications for the Comrades Marathon.  Many contacts were made with kids from all over the country.

The combination of aviation and amateur radio proved to be a good formula as some 25 amateurs, family and friends supported by visiting the ZS0AWA station.  They were treated to not only amateur radio, but also a number of vintage aircraft flying in and out of Rand airport.  Many amateurs visited the now retired Boeing 747, the Lebombo, ZS-SAN, and were shown through the SA Airways Museum.  Special guests were Graham and Natasha Hartlett, who visited, after attending the Kid's Day hosted by the Sandton club at Cresta Centre.

Thanks to all who supported the event, either by visiting or by chatting on the air, to make this a special day for our children.  Given it's special appeal, further amateur radio events are being planned from the same venue.

(SARL)
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AMSAT-UK Announces ‘Notable Event' Stamp Competition

Entries are invited for the AMSAT-UK ‘Notable Event' Competition, the aim of which is to get ideas from the international amateur radio satellite community for a series of special-issue stamps to be released by the Royal Mail. Full rules for the cometition are available from AMSAT-UK secretary Jim Heck, G3WGM, Badgers, Letton Close, Blandford, Dorset DT11 7SS or by e-mail to g3wgm@amsat.org Entries must include a graphic which should be either an original design, a picture or a photograph, and should either be in the public domain, or one that the copyright owner is likely to give permission for publication. The closing date for entries is midnight on the 31st of July. http://www.uk.amsat.org

(RSGB)
 

Jun. 15 2004  RAC appoints Steve Pengelly VE3STV, as Honorary Legal Counsel

The Board of Directors of Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Pengelly VE3STV, as Honorary Legal Counsel. Steve comes from a family of radio amateurs, and has himself held a licence since 1987.

Since he obtained his law degree from Queen's University Law School in 1993, he has practiced in corporate and commercial, and public law, and has concentrated in the area of strategic advocacy, or as some call it, lobbying various levels of government. Recently, he was Chief of Staff to the Premier of Ontario. Steve has provided legal advice and assistance to the Toronto Amateur Radio Club and has been a guest speaker at their regular meetings on issues of liability.

(RAC News Service)
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RAC CANADA DAY CONTEST 2004

Each year on July 1, the anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sponsors the Canada Day Contest. Amateurs all over the world are invited to Canada’s Birthday Party on the air.

Contest Period: 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC July 1, 2004.

Bands and Modes: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 metres, CW and phone (SSB, FM, AM, etc.)

Suggested frequencies: CW - 25 kHz up from the band edge; SSB - 1850, 3775, 7075, 7225, 14175, 21250, 28500 kHz. Check for CW activity on the half-hour.

Exchange: Stations in Canada send RS(T) and province or territory. VEØs and stations outside Canada send RS(T) and a serial number.

QSOs: Contacts with stations in Canada or VEØs are worth 10 points. Contacts with stations outside Canada are worth 2 points. Contacts with RAC official stations are worth 20 points. RAC official stations are: VA2RAC, VA3RAC, VE1RAC, VE4RAC, VE5RAC, VE6RAC, VE7RAC, VE8RAC, VE9RAC, VO1RAC, VO2RAC, VY0RAC, VY1RAC and VY2RAC. You may work any station once on each of the two modes, on each of the eight contest bands.

It is prohibited to make CW contacts in the conventional phone sub-bands, phone contacts in the conventional CW sub-bands, or to make or solicit QSOs through a repeater during the contest period.

Multipliers: Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories, and may be counted once on each mode on each of the eight contest bands. The multipliers, with their postal abbreviations and prefixes are: Nova Scotia [NS] (VE1, VA1, CY9, CYØ); Quebec [QC] (VE2, VA2); Ontario [ON] (VE3, VA3); Manitoba [MB] (VE4, VA4); Saskatchewan [SK] (VE5, VA5); Alberta [AB] (VE6, VA6); British Columbia [BC] (VE7, VA7); Northwest Territories [NT] (VE8); New Brunswick [NB] (VE9); Newfoundland and Labrador [NL] (VO1, VO2); Nunavut [NU] (VY0); Yukon [YT] (VY1); and Prince Edward Island [PE] (VY2).

Final Score: Total your QSO points from all bands, and multiply by the total number of multipliers from all bands.

Categories and Awards: The following 7 categories are eligible for a certificate or award. Plaques will be awarded to the top-scoring entrants in each category. Thanks to the following for their sponsorship:
• Single Operator All Bands High Power - Radioworld
• Single Operator All Bands Low Power (max. 100 W output) - Durham Radio Sales and Service
• Single Operator QRP (max. 5 W output) (All Bands & Single Band - Combined Category) ** - QRP Canada
• Single Operator Single Band (no power classification) *** - Elkel Products
• Multi-Operator Single Transmitter High Power * - Alfa Radio
• Multi-Operator Single Transmitter Low Power * - Tony Allsop VE3FTA Memorial by the Mississauga ARC
• Multi-Operator Multi Transmitter (no power classification) – Radioworld

Special trophy for the highest Single Operator, no power classification, Foreign Entrant - Jorge Bozzo LU8DQ Memorial by Alan Goodacre VE3HX

Note: where the categories have a power class and the submitted log does not clearly identify the power class entered then the log will be treated as if the highest power class for that category was entered. There are no single-mode categories.

* In the Multi-Single category only one transmitter and one band permitted during the same time period (defined as 10 minutes.) Exception: One, and only one other band may be used during any 10-minute period, if and only if the station worked is a new multiplier. In other words the Multi-Single Transmitter class allows a second station to "hunt" for multipliers only on a separate band. Multi-Multi category stations may operate on several bands simultaneously. Single operators who receive assistance from a DX spotting system or Packet Cluster network during the contest must classify themselves as Multi-ops.

** Although there is only one QRP category, it is intended that the published results would show All Bands or the Single Band of operation.

*** Although there is only one Single Operator Single Band category that qualifies for a certificate or award, it is intended that the published results would show High Power or Low Power. To facilitate this break out of the listings, your entry should indicate the power class you used. Certificates will be awarded to the top-scoring entrant in each category in each province, territory, US call district, and DXCC country. To facilitate the proper allocation of certificates all US stations should indicate their actual US call district if different than indicated by their call prefix. DX stations should indicate the actual country of operation if different than indicated by their call prefix.

Results: Will be published in The Canadian Amateur and shown on the RAC web site.

Entries: All entries, electronic or paper logs, must be submitted by July 31.

Send paper logs to:
Radio Amateurs of Canada
720 Belfast Road, Suite 217
Ottawa Ontario Canada
K1G 0Z5
Canada

Paper mail entries must contain a summary sheet showing score calculation, a dupe sheet listing calls worked on each mode on each band, a multiplier check sheet and log sheets. Logs sheets must show time, band, mode, call of station worked, exchanges sent and received and points claimed for each QSO. New multipliers must be clearly marked in the log.

Contest entry forms are also available on the RAC web site.  Send e-mail entries to canadaday@rac.ca

Any entry with over 200 contacts should be submitted in digital form, either submitted by e-mail or mailed in via 3.5 MS-DOS formatted diskette. The preferred format is RAC Cabrillo in plain ASCII/TEXT format. For an interm period of time, while the commercial logging programs are updated, you may submit that logging program’s log file for contest submission, but your file must be in ASCII/TEXT format. The RAC Cabrillo format is described and its detailed layout is shown on the RAC web at
http://www.rac.ca/downloads/raccabrillo1.pdf. Please check to make sure your logging software is compliant with this format and layout.

Electronic logs must contain a summary sheet with the same information as shown for the paper log entries. The standard summary sheet provided by the typical logging program is generally acceptable, but you should confirm that it contains the same information as shown for paper log entries.

Ensure that you completely fill out the header information in the Cabrillo file. Name your file with your CALLSIGN and the extension .LOG (e.g. yourcall.LOG. If you email your log, please send the file(s) as attachments. Do NOT paste the log file into the text of your message. This is often impossible to extract correctly. Large files may be zipped if necessary. If you need help with preparing or emailing your log, please contact Bart Ritchie, ve5cpu@rac.ca

(RAC)
 

Jun. 26 2004   Geocachers “Meet & Greet Saturday"

The Truro Area Geocachers would like to invite all fellow geocachers and interested parties to search us out at our first ever “Meet & Greet Saturday" to be held from 3pm-8pm Saturday June 26, 2004. The meet can be logged as an event cache, and a new permanent cache will be hidden nearby for your enjoyment and demonstration to interested parties. Also in the community but not a part of our group, though we share some mutual members, the Truro Amateur Radio Club will be conducting a Field Day of Amateur Radio and visitors are welcome at their site also. A BBQ will be available to cook on should you wish to bring lunch, and a tent is available in the event of foul weather.

For full details visit: www.brillig.com/geocaching/nova_scotia.shtml
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July 10 2004  PEI Amateur Radio Fleamarket
Sponsored by: The Summerside ARC
Location: The Charlottetown Flying Club building on Brackley Point Rd., Rte#15("OLD" Airport Terminal Bldg) just off the Charlottetown By-Pass P.E.I
Opens:  Vendors 8 am, Public 10 am
Cost: Admission $3, Tables $5
Talkin: VY2PEI 145.150(-)
Notes: Restaurant services will be available on site.
For more info visit: www.summersidearc.com
 

Bonus Station VA3RAC Will Operate During Canada Day

The Radio Amateurs of Canada Ontario South Regional Director and five Assistant Directors will be joined by RAC's First Vice President in operating VA3RAC during the annual RAC Canada Day Contest on July 1.

Operating from their home locations, these bonus-point VA3RAC stations will be on most bands and applicable modes.  Other RAC stations also will operate across the country.

Radio Amateurs everywhere are invited to join this popular Canada Day Contest fun and celebrate Canada's birthday.

Full details are on the RAC Website at www.rac.ca and in the May/June issue of The Canadian Amateur (TCA) magazine.

Radio Amateurs of Canada -- "We're ALL about Amateur Radio!"

Bob Cooke VE3BDB
Ontario South Regional Director
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July 10 2004  Ontario Hamfest 2004

The Burlington Amateur Radio Club extends a warm welcome to attend their 30th annual Ontario Hamfest, at the Milton Agricultural Fairgrounds, located in the Town of Milton.

General Admission: $ 6.00 per person - Children 12 or under admitted free with adult accompaniment
Inside Vendors:  $ 6.00 per person plus $10.00 per table - Contact: Norm Friedin, VE3CZI for registration
Tailgate Vendors:  $ 6.00 per person plus $ 5.00 per single

Features:
-Three large buildings with inside vendors
-Large outdoor tailgate fleamarket
-$1,200 Gift Certificate Superprize
-Great outdoor przes, free coffee service to early arrivers, free bottomless coffee pot, donuts, hotdogs and hamburgers.

Full details can be found on the BARC website:  http://home.cogeco.ca/~barc
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July 17 2004   NPARC 2nd Annual Tailgate Hamfest & Auction
Sponsored by: The Niagara Peninsula Amateur Radio Club
Location: Basil Reid Park, 669 Allanburg Rd.   Thorold, ON
Opens: 08:00 and runs to 13:00
Cost:  Everyone $5.00, 16 and under free.
Talkin: VE3NRS 147.240 (+)

Roving Auction:
- The Auctioneer (& bidders) will come to your tailgate spot along with a portable PA system;
- 10% of final bid, or $10.00 - whichever is least, goes to NPARC;
- items up for bid may have a reserve.

Amenities:
- Washroom facilities on-site;
- Refreshment stand with food and cold drinks;
- If you want or need them, you must bring your own tables, chairs, umbrellas & sunscreen.

For more info: www.qsl.net/ve3vm/flyers/tailgate.html
 

July 9 2004   International Ham Fest
Sponsored by: The IHF Committee.
Location: The International Peace Garden on the border of Manitoba/North Dakota
Opens:  Registration begins Friday July 9  at 6:00pm
Cost:  Registration $13.00 per person, at par
Talkin:  Repeater VE4IHF/W0) 146.25/85
Notes: Lots of good camping and loads of flea market. Registration fee includes Sat nite Dance/Party and Sunday AM breakfast and a chance on all the prizes. Burghard Amateur Center will be in attendance. Rabbit hunts - kids and Ladies activities, food concession on site. Voting for Ham of The Year
For more info visit: http://www.mts.net/~holderr
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June 2004  RAC Midwest Newsletter

Beausejour Amateur Radio Club .....................................................................Contact Richard Holder - VE4QK
Operates an APRS Node digipeater - Net frequency is at 146.505
Net is Tuesday evenings @ 9:00 except Club meetings on second Tuesdays at RC Legion at 7:30 pm.

Brandon Amateur Radio Club ..........................................................................Contact Dave Snydal - VE4XN
Club call VE4QD. Repeaters: VE4BDN 146.34/94 VE4TED 146.13/73 VE4HS 146.28.88
Meetings held first Thursday monthly (except July & August) at Brandon City Hall at 7:30 pm.

Dauphin Amateur Radio Club ...........................................................................Contact Jack Adams - VE4JA
Repeaters: VE4SSR 146.34/94 VE4BMR 147.63/03 VE4BVR 147.84/24
VE4SHR 146.10/70 VE4LDR 146.37/97 VE4SIX 145.13/43
Meetings held third Fridays at Union Office in Dauphin (except July & August)
IRLP NODE 1700 - EchoLink VE4BVR-R - check out http://www.mts.net/~ve4tim

Flin Flon Repeater Club ............................................................................... .....Contact: Rod Rutherford - VE5ROD
Club serves members in Flin Flon, MB, Creighton, SK and The pas, MB
Three linked repeaters provide large radius of coverage. IRLP NODE 1750

InterLake Amateur Radio Club .........................................................................Contact: Paul Arsenault - VE4AEY
Repeaters: VE4TEU 145.41 VE4ARC 146.230
Meetings each first Tuesday @ 7:30 pm - Green Acres Art Centre, Teulon, MB

International HamFest .........................................................................................Contact: Dave Snydal - VE4XN
Repeater: VE4IHF/WØ 146.25/85
Hamfest is held on second weekend in July, annually, at the International Peace Garden

LakeLand Amateur Radio Association .............................................................Contact: Randy Canning - VE5QU
Repeater: VE5IOU 146.22/82 linked to VE5LAK 146.01/61
Meetings are held Saturdays at 9:30 am in the Cottage Country Restaurant, Christopher Lake

Manitoba Amateur Radio Museum .....................................................................Contact: Dave Snydal - VE4XN
Repeater: VE4MTR 146.31/91 Station Callsign VE4ARM
Museum is open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, from the May long weekend to October 1.

Manitoba Repeater Society Inc. ..........................................................................Contact: Ed Richardson - VE4EAR
Check out their “Survivor Guide to 2 metres” .... a great resource for new hams!
Semi-annual meeting is held at MARMfest.

Meewasin Amateur Radio Society ..................................................................... Contact: Devon Racicot - VE5DWR
See their complete directory of Sask. Repeaters at http://www.qsl.net/ve5ufo
The club is co-sponsoring Saskatchewan’s Centennial Hamfest in 2005

Melfort Amateur Radio Club ...............................................................................Contact: Baine Opseth - VE5BKO
Repeater: VE5MFT 146.28/88

Moose Jaw Amateur Radio Club ...................................................................Contact: Brenda MacKenzie - VE5TRG
Repeater: VE5CI 146.34/94 - This club publishes a very nice newsletter.

Nipawin Amateur Radio Club ............................................................................Contact: Andrew Clark - VE5VAC
Repeater: VE5NIP 146.19/79 (linked to) Snowdon Repeater: VE5NDR 147.09/69
Club WEBsite at http://nipawinarc.netfirms.com

Regina Amateur Radio Association ...................................................................... Contact: Bart Ritchie - VE5CPU
Repeaters: VE5WM 146.28/88 VE5TH 147.12/72
Meetings second Wednesday each month, at the Imax Board Room, Sask. Science Centre

Sask-Alta Radio Club (Lloydminster) ........................................................................Contact: Bill Till - VE5FN
Repeaters: VE5RI 146.34/94 & VE5YLL 144.69/145.29 IRLP NODE VE6YLL - 1480 linked to VE5RI
Club WEBsite at http://www.lloydminster.org/sarc

Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club (since 1931) ........................................................Contact: Ron Sather - VE5RMS
Repeaters: VE5SK 146.04/64 & APRS digipeater 144.390 simplex
Meetings second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm - Alvin Buckwold School
The club is co-sponsoring Saskatchewan’s Centennial Hamfest in 2005

Swift Current Amateur Radio Club .........................................................................Contact: Ray Gowan - VE5XRA
Repeaters: VE5SCC 146.28/88 VE5SCR 146.19.79 VE5TOM 146.07/67

Weyburn Amateur Radio Club .................................................................................Contact: Brian Pegg - VE5BNE
Repeater: VE5WEY 146.10/70 - Breakfast meetings Saturdays, 8:30 am - MainTrack Restaurant

Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club ............................................................................Contact: Glen Napady - VE4GWN
WEBsite http://www.ve4.net/warc/ Meetings second Monday of each month - Sturgeon Creek Collegiate - 7:30pm
HamFest Alert:

41st annual International Hamfest at the Peace Garden - July 9, 10, 11, 2004 see: http://www.mts.net/~holderr/ihf.htm

Saskatchewan Mini-HamFest SARL 2004 Annual General Meeting and Flea Market - July 24, 2004 see: http://www.saskhamfest.com Held at Walter Murray Collegiate, Saskatoon. 10:00 am

The RAC Board of Directors, in the recent past, has conducted their business via E-mail. It was determined that this was a very unsatisfactory and unsuccessful process. Board meetings are now being conducted by conference telephone calls, generally scheduled for the third Tuesday of each month. (The next call is scheduled for July 13th). RAC now has an Honourary Legal Counsel in the person of Steve Pengelly, VE3STV, who practices corporate, commercial and public law. He has also served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Premier and Minister of finance in Ontario and has been Chief of Staff to the Premier of Ontario.

Jim Dean, VE3IQ, has been appointed as the RAC representative on the Canadian delegation for the World Radio Conference 2007.

There is a probability that Industry Canada will create a “General Mobile Radio Service” - GMRS - in addition to the existing “Family Radio Service” FRS - this fall. It will probably provide for 21 frequencies with a power maximum of 5 watts in the 460 - 470 MHz band.

There is quite a lot of good DX out there for the working:
Antarctica - VP8/A - listen for Seymour Is (LU4ZS) and East Ongul Is (8J1RL)
Aves Is. - YVØ - an operation is planned, soon, all band both CW & Phone
Greece - SV - a special prefix from June 1 - Nov 15 of SX2004 or SY2004 - foreign operators from Greece may use J42004 (quite a mouthful!)
Iraq - YI - Dennis, W5KU is now signing YI9KU
Liechtenstein - HBØ - HBØ/DL7NS is on CW all bands until June 25
Portugal - CT - all kinds of special prefixes for the Euro Soccer Champs to July 4.
Seychelles - S7 - look for S79DF on 20 m in the evening
South Shetland Is - VP8/SH - CE9/R1ANF is on King George Is.
Tanzania - 5H - 5H3EE is active on Cw until the end of June from club station 5I3A
Western Sahara - SØ - rumors of the operation of SØ1HA are not true. This is a SLIM!

So, what are you doing for the end of June? What else?
ARRL Field Day - 1800z June 26 to 2100z Jun3 27 - see http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms
Canada Day Contest - 0000z July 1 to 2400z July 1 - see http://www.rac.ca/downloads/canadadayrules03.pdf
For the CanaDay Contest, I will be running VE5RAC from my station, with help from VE5ND/VE6NDA and hopefully, a bunch of newly licensed local amateurs who will be getting their first taste of contesting

From: Bj. Madsen VE5FX
RAC MidWest Regional Director
Box 2860 - Tisdale - SK - S0E 1T0
Voice: 306-873-4346 FAX: 306-873-4364
E-mail: ve5fx@rac.ca
Assistant Directors:
Adam Romanchuk VE4SN, Bill Till VE5FN,  Paul Arsenault VE4AEY,  Derek Bereza VE5SD
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Cold Lake Amateur Radio Association Event

The Cold Lake Amateur Radio Association will be providing support for the Cold Lake International Air Show on July 17 & 18, 2004. They are asking for help from ARES members and hams from other areas to cover their given tasks. The Sask Alta Radio Club has agreed that as many members as possible will join in.

For registration form and full details visit:  www.lloydminster.org/sarc/fancy
 

Jun. 25 2004   Tad Cook K7RA Solar Update

This is Field Day weekend! Conditions don't look bad, although there is the chance of geomagnetic conditions becoming unsettled.  This week the sunspot numbers have improved, while geomagnetic conditions were quiet, which is a great combination. Average daily sunspot numbers rose over 50 points from last week to 116. Average daily solar flux was up almost 18 points to 113.7. Sunspot numbers were the highest on June 20 and 21, Sunday and Monday, and both the planetary and mid-latitude A indices were very low, in the lower single digits.

Look at: www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/DGD.txt and you can see the K index at 1 and 0 at all locations for several days.

Sunspot groups 634 and 635 provided most of the activity, and today they are moving out of view. As a result, predicted sunspot and solar flux numbers are a bit lower, with the solar flux forecast for Friday through Monday, June 25-28 at 100, 95, 95 and 90. The predicted planetary A index for the same four days is currently at 12, 12, 15 and 15. This is due to weak high-speed solar wind from a recurrent coronal hole coming into view.

K7RA will operate some this weekend, under Class C, which is for stations in vehicles capable of operating while in motion, and normally operated in this manner. I'll probably be on 15 and 20 meters, both phone and CW, and 10 meters if it shows any life, and the operating style will be casual. One of the fun things about the Field Day operating activity is that the paperwork is very easy. When submitting a contest entry, you only turn in a list of stations worked, sorted alphanumerically and divided by band and mode, along with a summary sheet.

Unlike the ARRL Sweepstakes or DX contests, you will never lose points for incorrectly copying the exchange from the other station or the time of the contact because you don't even report it. Only the call sign is recorded in the appropriate band/mode list. There are no multipliers for numbers of states or sections worked or for DX. I'll probably just sort my call sign lists on a laptop with a simple text editor or word processor while operating, then e-mail in the results. See www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd for rules.

For this year's Field Day, 20 meters will be your best band, and possibly 15 as well. 10 meters may be good for some sporadic E skip. 40 and 80 meters should be good after dark. Run some numbers using a sunspot count of 100 or 105 and a K index of 2 or 3 on W6ELprop to get some ideas of where openings might point to at different times. You can download this free at:  www.qsl.net/w6elprop

Sunspot numbers for June 17 through 23 were 106, 118, 90, 142, 139, 113 and 104 with a mean of 116. 10.7 cm flux was 111.3, 107.8, 112.7, 119.1, 115.8, 116.7 and 112.5, with a mean of 113.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 8, 5, 3, 4, 4 and 5, with a mean of 5.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 10, 4, 3, 3, 1 and 2, with a mean of 4.3.

(W1AW)
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Jun. 26 2004 GB2RS solar data and propagation forecast.

Flare activity has remained low, with only a scattering of C-class flares, the largest being C8 on the 26th.  The solar flux moved from 113 on the 19th to 119 on the 20th, receding to 103 on the 25th to average 113 - 10 points more than the previous week.  The 90-day average dropped a point to 102.  The X-ray flux showed little daily variation and averaged a slightly increased B2.3.  The geomagnetic field remained quieter than expected.  It was never more than slightly unsettled, and the Ap index stayed down in single figures every day.  Solar wind speeds were below average, ranging between 286 and 467km/sec.

The HF bands were again mostly flat, though there were some good evening openings to North America and Australia on 14MHz.  On bands above 20 metres the prevailing propagation mode remains sporadic-E, which was reported every day, with strong European signals on 50MHz on most days.  Conditions were particularly good on the 24th, when 70MHz was open to south-east Europe and Denmark for several hours during the afternoon and evening.  There were occasional brief openings on 144MHz.

Conditions should be similar during the coming week.  Flare activity is likely to remain low or very low, though isolated M-class flares are possible.  The solar flux is declining and may well be down in the 80s by next weekend.  The geomagnetic field is expected to stay quiet-to-unsettled through the weekend but subsequently high speed coronal streams may bring unsettled- to-active levels.  MUFs at equal latitudes should again be around 22MHz in the south and 19MHz in the north.  Night-time lows may be a shade lower at about 12MHz.  Paths to South Africa are expected to have a maximum usable frequency - that's the point at which you would have a fifty-fifty chance of a contact - of around 27MHz.  That means there should be openings on 28MHz on the better days.  The optimum working frequency, where the band should be open almost every day, is expected to be about 20MHz.  The path should be workable between 0700 and 1600UTC, with a peak between noon and 1600.  Sporadic-E will occur on most days at 28 and 50MHz and on one or two days on 70MHz.  There is a reasonable chance of further openings on 144MHz, though these are likely to be brief and unstable.  DX possibilities by this mode can occur at any time from breakfast through to late evening.

That report came from Neil, G0CAS, and Martin, G3USF.
 

Jun. 22 2004  Astronaut Radios Birth Announcement, Celebrates Special Father's Day in Space

International Space Station astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and his wife Renita became parents for the second time Friday, June 18. Unable to contain his paternal pride, Fincke altered the beacon message on the RS0ISS Amateur Radio packet system aboard the spacecraft to transmit "It's a girl! Tarali Fincke" about once every minute as the ISS circled Earth.

"Sure beats a stork sign in the front yard," quipped ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ranson, N5VHO, at Johnson Space Center. Fincke is the first US astronaut to celebrate the birth of a child from space. Tarali is the couple's second child. She'll join a brother, Chandra, in the Fincke household.

Fincke said his childrens' names have astronomical significance. "Her name is Tarali Paulina, and Tara is the Indian dialect meaning star," he radioed Mission Control in Houston shortly after the birth. "Our first boy, his name is Chandra, which means moon. So, my wife had already given me the moon, and now she's given me a star, and it's a privilege to happen aboard the International Space Station."

Of Indian heritage, Renita Fincke, an engineer for Wyle Laboratories, works at Johnson Space Center. Until her husband returns to Earth in October, she says she'll help him experience the first few months of their daughter's life via teleconferences, video and e-mails.

"This is a wonderful, exciting adventure for both of us, and I've supported him all the way--I support him every day," she said. "I hope that everything is successful for his mission, that he comes home safely." The couple has been married since 1999.

NASA spacecraft communicator Marcus Reagan relayed congratulations to Fincke on behalf of the Mission Control team. Russian Mission Control Center team members also extended congratulations to Fincke, who is NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer. He and ISS Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, have been in space since April. Now in the midst of their six-month mission, Fincke and Padalka soon will venture outside of the ISS to make some repairs to a gyroscope system that failed several weeks ago.

More info is available on the NASA Web site: www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/fincke_baby.html

(ARRL News Service)
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Jun. 24 2004  University of Arizona Scientists Help NASA Create Spacecraft that Think for Themselves

There's nothing worse than a satellite that can't make decisions. Rather than organizing data, it simply spews out everything it collects, swamping scientists with huge amounts of information. It's like getting a newspaper with no headlines or section pages in which all the stories are strung together end-to-end.

Researchers at the University of Arizona (UA), Arizona State University (ASU) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are working to solve this problem by developing machine-learning and pattern-recognition software. This smart software can be used on all kinds of spacecraft, including orbiters, landers and rovers.

Scientists currently are developing this kind of software for NASA's EO-1 satellite. The smart software allows the satellite to organize data so it sends back the most timely news first, while holding back less-timely data for later transmission.

Contact Information:  Felipe Ip 520-626-8829 felipe@hwr.arizona.edu

Related Web Sites:
JPL Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment Page http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/st6/TECHNOLOGY/sciencecraft_tech.html
NASA's New Millennium Program http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/index_flash.html
UA Hydrology and Water Resources Department http://www.hwr.arizona.edu

This series of images shows the image taken by the EO-1 satellite on left and the simplified image created by flood-detection software on the right. http://www.u.arizona.edu/~filipe/ASEanimation/DiamantinaFloodingAnimate.gif

This series of images of Tucson's Avra Valley shows the image taken by EO-1 on the left and the simplified image created by flood-detection software on the right. http://www.u.arizona.edu/~filipe/ASEanimation/AvraValleyGroundTruthingAnimate.gif

Although the project, called the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE), is still in the test and development stage, software created by UA hydrologists has already detected flooding on Australia's Diamantina River.

"We had ordered some images from the satellite to test our software in the lab," said Felipe Ip, a Ph.D. student in UA's Hydrology and Water Resources (HWR) Department. "We didn't know the Diamantina River was flooding, but when we started running the images through our software, it told us, 'Hey, we've got a flood here.' We were delighted because that's just what it's supposed to do."

While Ip, under the direction of HWR researchers James Dohm and Victor Baker, is developing the flood-detection software for EO-1, JPL team members are creating similar software to detect volcanic activity and ASU researchers are working on software to find changes in ice fields.

The flood-detection software compares images from the satellite's cameras with images stored in its computer memory. If the rivers are not flooding and images come close to matching, the satellite remains silent. But if the satellite's computer finds significant differences, it takes more photos and notifies scientists.

UA hydrologists developed the software by comparing satellite observations with on-site observations at Tucson Water's 11 recharge basins. The basins are part of the Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project (CAVSARP) west of Tucson.

The basins are filled with water that flows across the desert from the Colorado River to Tucson via the Central Arizona Project canal. The water percolates into the ground where it is stored in a natural underground aquifer. The large basins are routinely dried out so they don't become sealed like a typical pond or lake.

The next stage of testing comes in July, when the flood-detection software will fly aboard EO-1 in nearly full autonomous mode.

While the short-term goal is to record transient events, such as volcanic eruptions, floods and changes in ice fields on Earth, ASE software will eventually allow scientists to detect, map out, and study similar events throughout the solar system.

This could include activity on Mars that might indicate water produced by springs. On Jupiter's moons, the software could be used to detect volcanic eruptions on Io or cracking ice sheets on Europa. Scientists also could use the software to study changes in Saturn's rings or the formation of jets on comets.

"By using smart spacecraft, we won't miss short-term events such as floods, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions," Ip said. "Finally, instead of sifting through thousands of images, I can actually get some sleep at night, knowing that a smart robot is on alert twenty-four-seven."

The ASE project is funded by NASA's New Millennium Program, which focuses on testing exciting new technologies in space.

(SpaceRef.com)
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Jun. 26 2004  South Africa AMSAT Launches New Website

SA AMSAT launched its new website this week. The first weekly feature included on the site is the Satellite Update report by Dave Long ZS5FR.  This report is broadcast on Sundays in Amateur Radio Mirror International.  The audio file is available from Sunday evenings. Over the next few weeks many additional features will be added.  The URL is www.amsatsa.org.za

(SARL News)
 

Note: "Hams in Action" is a new area in the bulletin and is in need of articles and stories of events from your local club or ARES Group. Submission to Hams in Action:  Bulletin Editor: va3ku@rac.ca
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Haliburton Forest Ultra Marathon Sept. 10 & 11 2004

The Minden club needs help to support the runners in a 100 mile, cross country race.  We start our shift work after the runners have been going for twelve straight hours. We keep track of their locations after sundown, and on to the end of the race at noon the next day.  It's a great opportunity to use your equipment, batteries and skill to assist this group in a forest area that has no cell phone or telephone service.

Further information is posted at: www3.sympatico.ca/ghewit/ve3gih/ultramarathon

To volunteer for this great event, or get answers to specific questions, email Len Foster VE3LGF lfos@sympatico.ca

Gord VE3GIH
District Emergency Coordinator Scugog
 

Selling outdated scientific equipment on auction site beats hauling junk to landfill

Room 5C in the basement of Darwin Hall has been Sonoma State University's boneyard for more than three decades, the final resting place for scientific equipment that broke, became obsolete or just outlived its usefulness in laboratories and classrooms.

It is a tangle of cartons containing bulbous lab glassware and tubes, dozens of microscopes, oscilloscopes with monitors as big as TVs, computers built before they were called computers and magnets strong enough to bend laser beams.

"We haven't thrown anything away for 30 years," said Steve Anderson, equipment technician for the physics and astronomy departments. "Some of it has been there for 30 years and was 30 years old when we got it."

All of that equipment now must go to make way for a $29 million renovation of Darwin Hall, which begins in January.

Rather than throw it all into the trash heap, SSU workers are finding a receptive market for much of the material on eBay.

"Keeping it out of the landfill is the most important thing," said John Collins, a former SSU physics student who is now on contract to liquidate the equipment. "And the money is helping the college's science and technology school."

So far, Collins said they have sold 28 items for $2,000, and he has an additional 17 now on eBay bringing bids in the $60 range and above.

"People are happy to get the knob to 1943 General Radio equipment. I shipped something to Spain, to this guy who was doing research and his gas spectrometer wasn't working. He bought one for $25, and he gets to keep going," Collins said.

The obsolete equipment fills the equivalent of a small house, stacked on floors and filling floor-to-ceiling cabinets in the windowless Darwin Hall basement.

It is in stark contrast to the modern Cerent Engineering Science Center at the newly remodeled Salazar Hall, where state-of-the-art equipment fills the sprawling laboratories.

Anderson estimates the obsolete equipment would fill dozens of pallets and cost $40,000 to $50,000 to take to the landfill.

"I have 1,500 items on the inventory, but if you count every knob and vacuum tube and resistor, it is much more. We have file cabinets full of components," Anderson said.

Collins began sifting through Room 5C two months ago, looking for items to sell that can either be used as they are, have value to collectors or will be dismantled and the aluminum, steel and wiring separated for recycling.

A self-described analog equipment junkie whose name on eBay is "gizmophile," his face lights up as he sorts through the old equipment with the brand names of General Radio, Heathkit, Krohn-Hite and Tektronix.

He sold a 1940s frequency counter to an Ontario, Canada, collector for $102, is getting bids of $90 for a boxed Bausch & Lomb microscope, and has a 1960s, battery-operated oscilloscope posted on eBay.

He has found parts for a Hammond church organ, military communications gear from World War II that is attracting the interest of ham radio operators, a millivolt meter in a wooden box from the 1920s, Bakelite resistor boxes from the 1940s and 1950s, a 1967 Wang programmable calculator that was the forerunner of PCs, Power Macintoshes from the early 1990s, and a Dewar flask for fast-freezing objects with liquid nitrogen.

One of the oddest is a 3,600-pound, water-cooled magnet that has a power supply the size of a refrigerator, used in experiments requiring the creation of strong magnetic fields.

"It is kind of overwhelming; you can get a little dizzy," Collins said.

On Thursday, Collins was photographing an obsolete piece of telephone networking equipment, the size of a toaster oven, to post on eBay.

"It'll go to a Third World country that has a lot of dialup service in its telephone system," Collins said.

Anderson said that fortunately, eBay meets the rules of selling state property, which require getting at least three bids.

But still, dealing with three decades of junk is a daunting project.

"It is pretty embarrassing to have someone go through your closet," Anderson said.

(Bob Norberg The Press Democrat)
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Something to think about.......A Thousand Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings.

Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work.

Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whoever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles".

I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."
He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."And that's when he began  to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime.

Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part." "It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy." "So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away."

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight." "Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. 75 year Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about.

I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."
"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!

(Submitted by Murray Epstein VE2AUU)
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Jun. 9 2004  NTIA Claims BPL Could Help Alleviate Power Line Noise

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's comments in the BPL Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) more clearly reveal the political face of an agency eager and determined to sell the technology's viability, no matter what its own scientists have concluded. The NTIA is the principal White House adviser on telecommunications policy and administers federal government radio spectrum. Its largely scientific Phase 1 report,
[ www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fccfilings/2004/bpl/index.html  ] which clearly established BPL's interference potential, already is part of the proceeding. The agency's formal comments, filed June 4, take pains to depict the technology not only as workable but desirable to all--provided that BPL operators and utilities are willing to jump through additional NTIA-recommended hoops. At one point, the NTIA calls BPL "a win-win proposition," claiming that its widespread deployment could lead to a reduction in power line noise.

"Substitution of BPL emissions for the strong, much wider-bandwidth power line noise emissions will broadly reduce risks of interference to radiocommunications," the agency asserts. The NTIA says it's measured power line noise levels that are higher than the proposed BPL emission limits. Existing power line noise poses "greater local interference risks" than BPL would. But that prediction came with a qualification: "This is not to say that NTIA expects there will be a net, nationwide reduction of interference risks; instead, NTIA believes there will be at least partial offsetting of the interference risks posed by BPL."

The NTIA claims that reduction of strong power line noise "is a basic technical requirement" for acceptable BPL performance at the field strength limits the FCC has proposed and the NTIA has endorsed. Widespread BPL deployment, the agency goes on to say, also would provide an improved mechanism for utilities to detect and diagnose electrical grid failures and problems.

Nowhere does NTIA acknowledge that power line noise interference to licensed radio services already contravenes FCC Part 15 rules regulating unintentional radiators--the same rules that apply to power line carrier and BPL systems. The ARRL assists the FCC in dealing with hundreds of power line noise complaints from amateurs each year.

The agency does come close to recommending a limit on BPL signal power to compensate for variations in power line noise, however. "Because radio noise on power lines can vary by upwards of 20 dB throughout a day," the comments said, "a rule should require adjustment of BPL signal power to preclude unnecessarily high levels of radiated emissions." The NTIA said that while it's still evaluating the potential of BPL power control to reduce interference risk, "it is obvious that reducing Access BPL emissions by about 20 dB (a factor of 100) when noise is at relatively low levels will substantially reduce interference risks."

NTIA Smells a Rat?

Addressing BPL's interference potential is a persistent theme throughout the agency's remarks, and sometimes its stance verges on the overly defensive. Early on, NTIA raised the specter of coax-munching rodents with an over-the-top example of "suspected" versus genuine interference: Poor reception chalked up to BPL could turn out to be a pest-control issue, the agency suggested in a footnote.

"For example, rodents sometimes chew coaxial cables or twin-lead transmission lines and cause significant reductions or complete loss of the desired signal power that should reach the receiver," the NTIA said. "In many other cases, interference is realized but not caused by the suspected device."

Additional Hoops

To reduce interference risks from the technology, the NTIA comments recommend "several new BPL rule elements" to augment the FCC's proposals. "These rules also help ensure that interference from BPL systems would be eliminated expeditiously with little effort needed on the part of any radio operator," the NTIA predicted. Its recommendations, the agency says, shift emphasis away from eliminating interference and toward preventing it--something it says BPL operators have a strong incentive to do.

"NTIA believes that BPL operators, as the parties responsible for eliminating harmful interference, will voluntarily implement equipment, organizational elements, and installation and operating practices that prevent interference and facilitate interference mitigation," the agency's comments state. "Market appeal of BPL could quickly evaporate if BPL systems were to endemically cause interference and have to be shut down with operating authorizations swiftly revoked if necessary."

The NTIA recommends the FCC make its proposed BPL deployment notification requirements retroactive. BPL operators "should be required to notify of planned deployments at least 30 days in advance of implementation and to consider the coordination data they receive regarding local radio receiver operations in order to prevent interference," its comments say. According to the NTIA, such advance notification would give "local radio receiver operators" a chance to inform BPL operators of potential interference situations.

To make it possible for radio operators to diagnose suspected BPL interference, BPL operators should provide sufficient details of the BPL emission to enable identification using a spectrum analyzer. The NTIA says it's still considering the idea of a BPL system identifier that a conventional radio receiver could detect.

The NTIA also recommends that the FCC apply its more stringent certification, rather than verification, procedures, to authorize BPL systems. "Because Access BPL systems pose relatively high interference risks, certification rather than verification should be required," the NTIA advised. Certification would require independent testing, as opposed to having a BPL operator merely attest that its system complies with FCC rules.

Key Phase 2 Study Findings Included

As Acting NTIA Administrator Michael Gallagher indicated in May see ( www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/05/26/2/  ), the comments include some key findings of his agency's pending Phase 2 BPL study, set for release later this year. The Phase 2 study will provide "additional guidance" on contending with BPL interference issues, but the NTIA says it doesn't want the FCC to hold up the proceeding until the report's release. Its comments urge the Commission to "promptly adopt effective technical rules" to enable BPL development and implementation. The FCC has extended the reply comment deadline to June 22 to allow stakeholders time to review the NTIA's comments.

The agency's Phase 2 study will, among other things, assess interference risks due to aggregation (ie, total emissions from multiple BPL systems) and ionospheric propagation of interfering signals from BPL systems. The NTIA says it's determined that BPL aggregation and ionospheric propagation "is not a potential near-term problem."

The NTIA predicts that hundreds of thousands and ultimately millions of BPL devices could be deployed under the rules the FCC is expected to adopt before ionospheric propagation and aggregate BPL emissions become a serious interference issue.

The Phase 2 study also will evaluate the effectiveness of proposed Part 15 measurement techniques. The NTIA's comments include the study's recommendation for a "height-correction factor" of 5 dB to BPL measurements made at a height of 1 meter. The NTIA has acknowledged that peak field strength from a BPL device can be as much as 20 dB higher than the peak measured at a height of 1 meter under current Part 15 rules. Because the peak does not occur consistently at a particular distance from a BPL device, peak field strength must be determined by tracking the entire power line, the NTIA advises.

The NTIA also suggests coordination areas in which a designated authority would coordinate all planned BPL deployment. It also wants to exclude certain specific bands and frequencies and geographical areas to protect critical federal government systems. The agency further proposes that BPL rules provide for prompt response to complaints of suspected interference. Shutting down the system, however, would be a last resort, in the NTIA's view.

The NTIA said its "refinements" to the FCC-proposed BPL rules "will fully alleviate the concerns of all parties" to the BPL proceeding. It left the door open to further study of various technical issues.

"Moreover, these rules create an environment in which BPL proponents can properly gauge investment risks and fulfill the protection requirements of radio communications," the comments conclude. The NTIA's comments in ET Docket 04-37 are available on the NTIA Web site: www.ntia.doc.gov/new.html

For additional information, visit the "Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and Amateur Radio"page on the ARRL Web site: www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc

To support the League's efforts in this area, visit the ARRL's secure BPL Web site: www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl

(ARRL News Service)
 

ARRL Field Day--1800Z Jun 26 to 2100Z Jun 27  http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/rules-fd-2004.html

QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day--1800Z Jun 26-2100Z Jun 27. Follows ARRL Field Day rules, see http://2hams.net/ARCI/mwfd.htm for more information.

Marconi Memorial HF Contest-CW--sponsored by ARI from 1400Z Jun 26-1400Z Jun 27. Frequencies: 160-10 meters, according to IARU band plan. Categories: SO -LP (<100 W) and -QRP (<5 W), and MO. Exchange: RST + serial number. QSO points: 1 pt/QSO. Score: QSO points × DXCC entities counted once per band. For more information: http://www.qsl.net/ik6ptj/marconi.htm Logs due 30 days after the contest to ik6ptj@qsl.net or ARI sez. di Fano, PO Box 35, I-61032 FANO (PS), Italy.

UK DX Contest--SSB, sponsored by the Scottish-Russian ARS from 1200Z Jun 26-1200Z Jun 27. Frequencies: 160-10-meters. Categories: SOAB and SOSB (HP, LP <100 W, QRP < 10 W), MS, MM. Exchange: RST and serial number, UK stations send UK region code. QSO points: Own DXCC entity--1 pt, same continent--2 pts, different cont--3 pts, UK stations--5 pts. Score: QSO points × UK regions + DXCC entities on each band. For more information: http://www.srars.org/ukdxcruleseng.pdf  Logs due 30 days after the contest to ukdxssb@srars.org or Scottish- Russian ARS, PO Box 7469, Glasgow, G42 0YD, Scotland, UK.
 

Rock Island, IL: Green River Valley Amateur Radio Society, K9G. 1800Z Jun 23-1800Z Jul 4. Grand Excursion 2004--150th anniversary of America's first railroad connection to the Mississippi River. 14.270 21.305 7.260. QSL. Peter Beedlow, NN9K, 741 Greenway Ave, Colona, IL 61241. www.grandexcursion.com .

Boston Harbor area, MA: USS LST-325 Amateur Radio Club, W2T. Jun 26-Jul 1. USS LST-325 46-day, 4119 mile trip up the east coast of the United States. All amateur bands. QSL. Robert Wilder, AF2HD, 6032 Idlemoore Ct, Theodore, AL 36582-4036. Trip begins May 24; WW2LST/MM will also be used.

Green Bay, WI: Green Bay Mike and Key Club, K9EAM. 0100Z Jun 19-1800Z Jul 2. In celebration of Green Bay's Sesquicentennial. 21.245 14.245 7.245 3.845. QSL. Green Bay Mike and Key Club, PO Box 13351, Green Bay, WI 54307.

La Crosse, WI: Riverland Amateur Radio Club, W9L. 1500Z-2200Z Jul 2. The Grand Excursion recreating the 1854 steamboat expo. 21.280 14.280 7.280. Certificate. Roger Reader, KA9BKK, 526 13th Ave N, Onalaska, WI 54650.

Ashland, OH: Ashland Area Amateur Radio Club, W8O. 1400Z Jul 2-2200Z Jul 3. Ashland BalloonFest 2004. 7.275 7.235 3.975 3.935. Certificate. W8RPS, 834 CR 30A, Ashland, OH 44805. www.summermotion.com

Brookings, SD: Brookings Amateur Radio Research Club, W0BXO. 1400Z Jul 2-0001Z Jul 3. The 125th Anniversary of the City of Brookings, SD. 28.450 21.350 14,260 7.260. QSL. W0XO, 307 Third Ave, Brookings, SD 57006. www.qsl.net/ brrc/

Leavenworth, KS: Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club, KS0LV. 1700Z Jul 2-2400Z Jul 11. Lewis & Clark/Leavenworth, KS, Sesquicentennial Celebration. 21.370 14.240 7.262 3.902. QSL. The Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club Inc, PO Box 632, Leavenworth, KS 66048.

Hannibal, MO: Hannibal Amateur Radio Club, W0MTL. 1400Z-2300Z Jul 3. National Tom Sawyer Days. 21.350 14.250 7.250. Certificate. Robert G. Mitchell, 816 Long Dr, Quincy, IL 62305.

Smithville, TN: DeKalb County Amateur Radio Club, KC4GUG. 1400Z-2200Z Jul 3. 33rd Annual Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree & Crafts Festival. 28.425 21.325 14.280 7.275. QSL. Wm Freddy Curtis, 288 Dogwood Cir, Smithville, TN 37166. www.geocities.com/kg4bto1/dekalb_club.html

Ashland, KY: RiverCities Amateur Radio Association, KA4OIL. 1200Z-1900Z Jul 3. Summer Motion in the Park. 28.350 14.250 7.250 3.950. Certificate. RCARA, PO Box 612, Ashland, KY 41105.

Kingsville, TX: Wild Horse Desert Hams ARC, K5WHD. 0000Z Jul 3-0000Z Jul 4. 100th anniversary of the founding of Kingsville, TX. 28.350 21.350 14.250 7.250. QSL. Pat Allison, KD5TXD, 295 E FM 1118, Kingsville, TX 78363.

Lake Kiowa, TX: Lake Kiowa ARC, K5L. 0001Z Jul 3-2359Z Jul 4. Lake Kiowa July 4th Celebration. 21.250 14.250 14.170 7.072. Certificate. Jim Innis, K5SP, 1005 Kent Dr, Gainesville, TX 76240.

Fort Missoula, MT: Hellgate Amateur Radio Club, W7PX. 1500Z Jul 3-0000Z Jul 5. Lewis and Clark Expedition and Independence Day. 28.365 21.365 14.265 7.265. QSL and Certificate. HARC, POB 3811, Missoula, MT 59806-3811. http://pweb.amerion.com/k7vk

Beecher, IL: Hams of Beecher, W9B. 1600Z-2300Z Jul 4. 4th anniversary Welcome Home Beecher Train Depot. 28.340 14.270 14.040 7.270 146.49. Certificate. Gene Backlin, 26811 Greenbriar Dr, Monee, IL 60449.

Thompson, OH: Lake County Amateur Radio Association, N8GB. 1400Z Jul 4-0200Z Jul 5. Heritage of Our Country--Happy Birthday America. 2.1320 7.248. Certificate. George R. Bair, 386 Cedarbrook Dr, Painesville, OH 44077.
_________

July 10-11 2004 The Morris Canal Special Event

July 10th and 11th are the dates when New Jersey's Nutley Amateur Radio Society activates station W2GLQ. This, for the first ever Historic Morris Canal Special Event. Stations will operate from various locations along the 109 miles route of he canal from 1300 to 2200 U-T-C.  Operations will continue thru 2005.

More information is on the Nutley Amateur Radio Society website at: www.hometown.aol.com/kc2aup

(Press release)
__________

Aug. 21-22 2004  International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend 2004

This highly popular annual August event attracts hundreds of amateur radio stations at lighthouses and lightships (369 in 48 countries for the 2003 weekend .)world-wide.  It is organised by Mike, GM4SUC, and Kevin, VK2CE is the web-master.  This year the period of the event is from 0001 UTC on Saturday 21 August until 2359 UTC on Sunday 22 August 2004.

The event is NOT a contest.  It is a special event weekend when amateur radio stations are established at lighthouses or lightships, they do not have to be adjacent to salt water, and each group decides how it will operate the station with regard to modes and bands.  Participants are not committed to being on the air during the entire period - operate as much as you can.  There are no restrictions on aerials or power.  We wish operators to enjoy themselves and have fun while making contact with as many stations as possible whilst giving priority to other lighthouse/lightship stations. Please take some time to work the slow operator, the newly licensed and QRP stations.

As available space in many lighthouses is filled to capacity, participation in this activity does not have to take place inside the tower itself.  Field day type set-up at the light or other buildings next to the light or adjacent field is OK.  Permission MUST be obtained from any interested parties.

The International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend is used to obtain maximum exposure for our hobby. We invite the press and, QTH permitting, also the public and try to underline the parallel between the international aspects in lighthouses, lightships, and amateur radio. As from last year, the World Lighthouse Day is held on the Sunday of the event and lighthouse keepers/managers/caretakers all around the world open their lighthouses to the public. www.lighthouse.fsnet.co.uk/events/intlighthouseday.html

We use the event segment of the 5 Classic bands, consider the following as a range of suggested frequencies.

CW
80m: 3.510 - 3.540 kHz
40m: 7.005 - 7.035 kHz
20m: 14.010 - 14.040 kHz
15m: 21.010 - 21.040 kHz
10m: 28.010 - 28.040 kHz

PHONE
*80m: 3.650 - 3.750 kHz
*40m: 7.040 - 7.100 kHz
20m: 14.150 - 14.290 kHz
15m: 21.150 - 21.250 kHz
10m: 28.300 - 28.400 kHz

* Some of the frequency ranges listed above are NOT legal in the United States of America. As a substitute, USA operators should consider these alternatives.

USA PHONE
80m: 3.950 - 3.990 kHz
40m: 7.250 - 7.290 kHz

However because the ILLW is NOT a contest, you can operate on any authorised QRGs as per your licence, including the WARC bands.  Please be sure to observe band limits for your class of licence and your country.

To assist other stations in the identification of lighthouse/lightship stations, we request that participating stations using CW add LS after their callsign at a lightship and LT at a lighthouse. SSB and other modes should use LIGHT, LGT, LIGHTHOUSE or LIGHTSHIP after their call.  UK stations normally obtain a GB callsign with the letter L in the suffix and USA stations can request a Special Event callsign from the ARRL.

A list of the lighthouses/lightships of the world, currently 10,764 in 209 DXCC countries, plus their Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) Number can be found at http://arlhs.com/awards/arlhs-numbers.html  The list is constantly being updating and added to as more data become available. You can help: If you see a correction or an addition needs to be made, please send an e-mail with the information to K2JXW@arrl.net

If you decide to join us, please register on-line at  http://illw.net/index.html  with details of your name, callsign to be used, lighthouse/lightship, Country, qsl route etc.  Although registration is not compulsory, doing so enables us to maintain a detailed list of participants at http://illw.net/2004.htm showing QSL address, web site and any special event calls they may be using.   E-mail addresses will be modified with unicode to minimise harvesting by spammers.

So come and join us in the fun of the weekend, already 78 stations have confirmed their participation, establish a station at a lighthouse, lightship or maritime beacon. If you are unable to find a lighthouse/ship you can still join in the fun by contacting the special lighthouse/ship stations. The more the merrier.

73 Mike GM4SUC
gm4suc@compuserve.com
gm4suc@btinternet.com
___________

July 24 2004  Special Event station VE3BPQ

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Elvis Festival In Collingwood Ontario Canada on Saturday July 24 2004. The Collingwood Elective Radio Teaching School and Collingwood Amateur Radio Club would like you to contact us on: 7.180 and 14.180 or alternate Frequencies of 3.780 and 28.360, between  8am and 6pm local time. Certificates are available by sending your QSL Card and a SASE - Prepaid 9x11 envelope to address below.

VE3BPQ
248 Birch Street
Collingwood Ontario
Canada
L9Y 2V6
Larry, VE3SPQ
 

Jun. 24 2004   ARLD025 DX News

This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by the OPDX Bulletin, The Daily DX, 425DXnews, DXNL, WA7BNM and Contest Corral from QST.  Thanks to all.

CROATIA, 9A.  Den, 9A3FO/p will be QRV from Pag Island, IOTA EU-170, from July 1 to 10.  Look for him on 40 through 12 meters, using CW only.  QSL to home call.

QATAR, A7.  Juma, A71EM has been QRV on 17 meters from around 1800 to 1900z.  QSL via EA7FTR.

BAHRAIN, A9.  Mohamed, A92GR has been QRV on 20 meters around 2230z. QSL to home call.

FRANCE, F.  Special event station TM0GP is QRV until July 4 for the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Magny-Cours.  Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31.  QSL via F5KCH.

US VIRGIN ISLANDS, KP2.  The Pina Colada Contest Club will be QRV as KP2AA from St. Croix during the ARRL Field Day.  Activity will be on 80 to 2 meters, including some satellite activity.  QSL via K7JA.

PUERTO RICO, KP4.  Carlos, WP4U will be QRV from Culebra Island, IOTA NA-099, from June 28 to July 1.  Activity will be on 20 and 15 meters using SSB.  QSL to home call.

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE, S9.  S9SS has been QRV on 17 meters around 2200z.  QSL via N4JR.

SWEDEN, SM.  Martin, SM0DTK is QRV as SM0DTK/1 from Gotland Island, IOTA EU-020, until August 22.  QSL to home call.

GREECE, SV.  Kostas, SV1DPI will be QRV as SX2004D from July 1 to September 15 in celebration of the upcoming Olympic Games.  QSL to home call.  Meanwhile, Daniele, IK0REH is QRV as SV8/IK0REH/p from Zakynthos, IOTA EU-052, until July 1.  Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using mainly CW.  QSL to home call.

CORSICA, TK.  A group of Czech hams are QRV as TK/OK5DX/p until July 5.  They plan to be QRV in the VHF/UHF contest, with activity on 2 meters and 70 cm.  QSL via operators' instructions.

EUROPEAN RUSSIA, UA.  UE4LKW and UE4LPR are QRV until July 2 during the "Volga Cup" sailing regatta.  There are also plans to visit and operate from a few islands located in the river Volga.  QSL via UA4LCH.

ASIATIC RUSSIA, UA0.  Amateurs RL3AA, RW6HJV, RN3AZ, UA6CW and RK6CZ will be QRV from a few islands in the Sea of Okhotsk.  Plans are to be active from Matykil' Island in Shelikhova Bay and then from Novaya Inya in the Sea of Okhotsk Coast North group.  QSL via UA3DX. Meanwhile, Dima, RA0LQ, Oleg, RW0LL and Mike, UA0MF will be QRV as UE0LLH from the lighthouse on Askol'd Island, IOTA AS-066, from July 2 to 5.  This includes an entry in the upcoming WLH contest.  QSL via operators' instructions.

MONTSERRAT, VP2M.  Graham, M0AEP will be QRV as VP2MDD from June 30 to July 17.  He plans to concentrate his activity on 6 meters.  QSL to home call.

CAMBODIA, XU.  Wim, ON6TZ/XU7TZG is QRV from Kompong Som.  He is usually active on 20 meters.  QSL via ON4AJV.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO.  ARRL Field Day, UK DX CW Contest, Ukrainian DX Digital Contest, Marconi Memorial HF Contest, QRP ARCI Milliwatt Field Day and His Majesty King of Spain SSB Contest will certainly keep contesters busy this weekend.  Please see June QST, page 98 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest websites for details.

(W1AW)
__________

June 26  2004  425 DX News

3A  - Gerry/IZ1DSH, Giovanni/IK1WEG and Riccardo/IZ1GDB will operate on 10-40 metres CW and SSB as 3A/homecall from Monaco on 15-18 July. QSL via home calls, direct or bureau. [TNX IZ1DSH]

3D2 - Christian, EC3ADC (ex-7Q7DX) is currently active on 17, 20 and 40 metres as 3D2EA from Viti Levu (OC-016), Fiji. He will remain there until September at least. QSL via EB2AYV (P.O. Box 6208, 48012 Bilbao, Spain). [TNX 3D2EA]

9A  - Den, 9A3FO will be active (on 40, 30, 20, 17, 15 and 12 metres only CW) as 9A3FO/p from Pag Island (EU-170) on 1-10 July. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX F5NQL]

9Y  - Look for 9Y4/KE9I, 9Y4/AJ9C and 9Y4/N9LAH to operate on 160-6 metres SSB, CW and digital modes from Tobago (SA-009) on 3-17 July. QSL via home calls. [TNX The Daily DX]

ER  - Special station ER500S will be activated from 26 June to 4 July to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Moldavian king Stefan the Great. QSL via ER1DA, either direct (Valery Metaxa, P.O. Box 3000, Chisinau, MD 2071,Moldova) or through the bureau. [TNX ER1DA]

FO  - Alain, FO5RH is going to be active (on 80-6 metres mostly CW, with some SSB on 14260 kHz) from the Tuamotu Islands (French Polynesia). He plans to operate from different locations in the Tuamotu Archipelago (OC-066), and he also hopes to be able to go and operate from Reao (OC-238), Pukapuka (OC-062) and possibly Napuka (OC-094). Further details are not available so far. [TNX F6AJA and Les Nouvelles DX]

FP  - A group of operators from the British Columbia DX Club (namely Dale/VE7SV; Andy/VE7AHA; Jason/VE7AG, Lee/VE7CC, Steve/VE7CT; Dave/VE7VR; Paul/VA7NT; Dick/N7RO; Ramon/XE1KK and Paul/VE7AVV) will be active as FP/VE7SV from Miquelon Island (NA-032) from 23 October to 2 November, CQ WW SSB Contest included. The operation will be on 160-6 metres CW and SSB (other modes may be added); the team will have operational blocks of time set aside specifically for JA, VK, ZL and the Pacific - as well as for other areas where working FP as a new one is particularly challenging. QSL via N7RO, either direct (Richard J. Moen, 2935 Plymouth Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA) or through the bureau. Please note that SWLs are requested to QSL direct only. Complete details on the DXpedition can  be found at
http://www.bcdxc.org/st_pierre_miquelon.htm [TNX VE7AVV]

I   - Alfredo, IK7JWX and others will operate as either IU7I/p and homecall/p from Gallipoli Island (not IOTA, IIA LE-010, ARLHS ITA-270 and ITA-271) on 25 June and from Sant'Andrea Island (EU-091, IIA LE-001, MIA MI-100, WLHA LH-0075, ARLHS ITA-084) on the 26th. QSL IU7I/p via IK7JWX, others via home call. [TNX IK7JWX]

KP  - Carlos, WP4U will be active from Culebra Island (NA-099) from 28 June to 1 July. This is one of the five islands which count for the Worked Puerto Rico Island Award (WPRI). QSL via home call. [TNX The Daily DX]

LA  - Mario, DL5ME will operate (on 40, 30, 20, 17 and 15 metres CW and SSB) as LA/DL5ME from Tromoy Island (EU-061) on 1-6 July. He will be joined by Guenter, DG3HWO, who will operate a second station. From 14 UTC on 3 July until 14 UTC on the 4th they will be active operate on the VHF bands. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX DL5ME]

LA  - Jurrien, PA0JSE will operate holiday style (on 40-6 metres with 100 watts, verticals or dipoles) as LA/PA0JSE from the Vesteralen (EU-033) and Lofoten (EU-076) islands on 14-28 July. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX PA0JSE]

OJ0 - Seppo/OH1VR, Lasse/OH0RJ and others will be active as OJ0VR and OJ0RJ from Market Reef (EU-053) on 8-12 July. During the IARU HF World Championship they will sign OJ0U. [TNX The Daily DX]

OZ  - Axel, DL7VEA will operate (on 80-10 metres SSB and PSK31) as OZ7VEA from the islands of Fyn and Langeland (EU-172) from 17 July to 6 August. [TNX DL8AAM]

PA  - Bert, ON7BWB will be active as PA/ON7BWB/P from Schouwen Duiveland (EU-146) on 24-26 July, IOTA Contest (on all bands SSB) included. QSL via home call. [TNX ON7BWB]

SM  - Kent, SM0ELV will operate as SM0ELV/5 from the island of Lilla Olson (EU-177) on 23-25 July, IOTA Contest included. He plans to operate on 10-80 metres CW, SSB and possibly digital modes, as well as on 6 metres (JO88). [TNX SM0ELV]

SV9 - A multi-operator team will participate in the IOTA Contest as J49LH from Akra Sidheros lighthouse (ARLHS CRE-010), Crete (EU-015). QSL to the Radio Amateur Society of Crete (P.O. Box 1390, Iraklion 71110, Crete, Greece). [TNX SV9ANJ]

TK  - OK1FKL, OK1PGS, OK1JFH, OK1TIC and possibly OK1MCS will be active as TK/OK5DX/p from Cap Corse (JN42QX), Corsica from 24 June to 5 July. They will focus on the July VHF/UHF Contest, but they will operate also on the HF bands. No  activity on 6 metres. Further information at http://www.qsl.net/ok1ofm [TNX F5NQL]

UA  - The operators from Litke Island (AS-089) [425DXN 684] are now active as RI9KM (and not RK9KWK/p as previously announced). [TNX UA9KM]

UA  - RL3AA, UA3DX, UA6CW, RK6CZ, RW6HJV left on 23 June for a 2-week expedition to the Sea of Okhotsk. Depending on local conditions, they will operate as RI0IMA from 25 June to 5 July with two or three stations equipped with beams and amplifiers. Their main target is Matykil' Island in Shelikhova Bay (AS-???), but during the second weekend they might be active also from Novaya Inya (whose IOTA status is still to be verified) in the Sea of Okhotsk Coast North group (AS-???). QSL via UA3DX. [TNX G3ZAY and UA6CW]

UA  - RA3NAN, RZ3EC, RZ0OA, RW0OO and RN0CT will operate as RI0CM from the Malminskiye Islands (Sea of Okhotsk Coast North group, AS-???) starting on 15 July for at least one week. They plan to have two stations with amplifiers. QSL via RZ3EC (Russian stations only) and IZ8CCW (rest of the world). Further information will be available at http://www.mdxc.org/ri0cm  ; donations to help cover costs will be gratefully received (please contact Andy, RZ3EM at rz3em@yandex.ru). [TNX IZ8CCW]

V4  - Andrei, NC2N/EW1AR (ex NP3D) will operate (on all bands RTTY, CW and SSB) as NC2N/V44 from Nevis Island (NA-104) on 5-12 July, IARU Contest included. QSL via W3HNK. Andrei says he devotes this expedition "to the 60th anniversary of the liberation of my home country, Belarus" during World War II. Special awards will be available for those who will work him on six more different band/modes (send application and 2 USD direct to NC2N); for eight or more band/modes the award will be free of charge. Special prizes will be sent to the five stations with the most band/modes. [TNX NC2N]

VE  - Carl, VE3ZCO will be operating as VY0CQ from the Canadian Arctic from 30 June to 25 August. Carl and his colleagues are geologists and research is the first priority at their camp (location shown at http://www.vy0cq.ca). Amateur radio operations will be restricted to free time when not working; it is anticipated that 20m will be the band of choice. QSL to VY0CQ (Carl Ozyer, 1086 Dalhousie Drive, London, ON N6K  1M7, Canada). If you choose to QSL direct, please enclose a SAE and 2 USD or 1 IRC to cover postage. [TNX VY0CQ]

W   - Paul, N3LLT will be active on 20 metres SSB as N3LLT/p from various islands in the North Carolina State East Group (NA-067) between 26 June and 2 July. Days, times and islands will vary, but will most likely be in the late evening (1-4 UTC). QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [TNX VA3RJ]

W   - Rick, KV4DJ will be active (on 20 and 40 metres CW and SSB) from Hatteras Island (NA-067) from 26 June to 2 July. He may also get a chance to activate Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (USA-561) once or twice during the week. This will be a family vacation, but Rick will try to get on the air as often as possible, even low power from the beach. QSL via home call. [TNX KV4DJ]

W   - K7BV, NW5E, KC4PX, N4IS and W5OZI will operate as K4T from Fort Jefferson State Park in the Dry Tortugas (NA-079) from 27 June to 1 July. QSL via KC4PX. [TNX OPDX Bulletin]

YU  - Rodja, YZ1AA is active as YZ80A to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first amateur radio activity  by radio club YU1AFS. QSL via home call. [TNX 4N1DX]

Good to Know

QSL CS2004REP ---> Bureau cards for special event station CS2004REP [425DXN 681] can be requested on-line at http://www.rep.pt (where logs are also available). The ordinary QSL route is via CT1REP, by the bureau or direct to R.E.P. Award/Contest Manager, P.O. Box 483, 1112 Lisboa Codex, Portugal. [TNX CT1END]

QSL J87AB ---> Carlos Fonseca, CT1GFQ says he is receiving cards for J87AB "from all over the world", but he is not the QSL manager for J87AB. Mike (ZL3AX, J87AB, G0GPX) is now settled in New Zealand and cards should be sent direct only to Mike Wise, 116A Charles St, Kaiapoi, New Zealand.

QSL VIA DK2ZF ---> Rolf reports he has received the 3D2ZF, T30ZF and V73ZF cards from the printer; the the first batch of direct QSLs will be mailed on 2 July.

UK DX CONTEST ---> The Scottish-Russian ARS invites the radio amateurs all over the world to participate in the UK DX CW Contest (to be held on 25-26 June, from 14 UTC to 14  UTC) and in the UK DX RTTY Contest (to be held on 10-11 July, from 12 UTC to 12 UTC). The objective of the contests is to establish as  many contacts as possible between radio amateurs around the world and radio amateurs in UK on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. Full information is available at
http://www.srars.org/ukdxc.htm  [TNX MM0DFV, mm0dfv@scotham.net]

___________

Jun. 26-July 22004   I.C.P.O. Bulletin Islands, Castles & Portable Operations - I.C.P.O.

24/06/2004:  Martin, SM0DTK will be QRV June 24th to August 22nd as SM0DTK/1 from Gotland Island (EU-020). Skeds are accepted at sm0dtk@passagen.se . QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [Tnx 425DXN]

25/06/2004:  Ken, G3OCA, and Peter, G6KUI, will be QRV as GH8KGC from Les Minquiers Islands (EU-099) between June 25th and 29th. QSL via G3OCA, direct or bureau. [Tnx 425DXN]

25/06/2004:  IU7I/P & friends on the air - Look for IU7I/p to be QRV June 25th from the Island of Gallipoli (IIA LE-010) and the Castle of Gallipoli (DCI LE-038). In the afternoon they will activate Molo di Tramontana (Gallipoli) lighthouse (ARLHS ITA-270) and Molo di Sottoflutto (Gallipoli) lighthouse (ARLHS ITA-271). QSL IU7I/p via IK7JWX. QSL other portable stations via their home calls (CBA). [Tnx IK7JWX]

26/06/2004:  Jean Michel, F5PRR will be QRV June 26th as F5PRR/p from the Saint Gal Castle (DFCF reference 83075 for the French Castles Award, Canton DDCF 8320, Zip code 83136, DDFM 83, Province of Alpes, Cote d'Azur). Activity will be on 40 and 20 meters, starting around 05:30 UTC. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [Tnx F5NQL]

26/06/2004:  Salvatore, IK1AWV will be QRV June 26th as IR1CL from the Fortified Residence of Rollo A Andora (DCI reference SV-030, for the Italian Castles Award). Activity will be on 40 and 20 meter SSB, starting around 07:00 UTC. QSL via IK1AWV, direct or bureau. [Tnx F5NQL]

26/06/2004:  Look for Antonio, IS0SBA to be active June 26th as IS0SBA/p from the Towers and Town Walls of Tolfa (DCI reference RM-290, for the Italian Castles Award). Activity will be on 40 and 20 meter SSB. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [Tnx F5NQL]

26/06/2004:  Look for IU7I/p to be QRV June 26th and 27th from Isola Grande di Porto Cesareo (EU-091, IIA LE-002, MIA MI-040). QSL via IK7JWX, direct or bureau. [Tnx 425DXN]

26/06/2004:  Rick, KV4DJ will be active between June 26th and July 2nd as KV4DJ/p from Hatteras Island (IOTA NA-067, USI NC-005S, Dare county), North Carolina. He will operate from the beach house and on the beach as much as possible. Beach operations will be battery powered and lower rf power output. Rick will also try to activate Hatteras lighthouse (WLH LH-2042, ARLHS USA-119). Activity will be on 40 and 20 meters, around the ususal IOTA frequencies. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [Tnx USI]

26/06/2004:  Paul, N3LLT will be active between June 26th and July 2nd as N3LLT/p from various islands in the North Carolina State East Group (IOTA NA-067). Days, times and islands will vary, but will most likely be in the late evening (01:00-04:00 UTC). Activity will be on 20 meter SSB (14.260 MHz +/-). QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [Tnx USI]

27/06/2004:  Francois, F5JNE and Claude, F5MCC will be QRV June 27th as F5JNE/p from the Castle Les Tertres (DFCF reference 10010 for the French Castles Award, Canton 1015, Zip code 10250, DDFM 10). Activity will be on 40 and 20 meters, CW and SSB. QSL via home call, direct (with sufficient return postage) or via the REF bureau. [Tnx F5NQL]

27/06/2004:  Look for Leon, ON4ZD to be active starting June 27th as F/ON4ZD/p from the French department of Pyrenees Orientales (66) South France. He will be QRV from several Castles, each Saturday and Sunday until July 18th and on the French National Day July 14th. After the Pyrenees Orientales, Leon will be active for a few days in the Charente Maritime Department (17) and on July 24th he will activate the Castle reference DFCF 17026. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. [Tnx F5NQL]

27/06/2004:  MM0AFJ/P will be operational from the Island of Harris (EU-010), between June 27th and July 2nd. Activity will be on 80 through 10 meter CW and SSB, with 6 meters if conditions allow. QSL via home call M0AFJ (QRZ.com). Skeds by e-mail to M0AFJ@tiscali.co.uk [Tnx M0AFJ]

28/06/2004:  Look for K4T to be QRV June 28th to July 1st from Garden Key (USI FL-013S), Dry Tortugas (IOTA NA-079, Monroe county, WW Loc. EL84) and from the Fort Jefferson lighthouse (ARLHS USA-316), Florida. Activity will be on 80, 40 and 20 meters, with a concentration on 6meters. The 20 meter frequency will be 14.260 MHz, 6 meter beacon on 50.098 MHz. QSL K4T via KC4PX (QRZ.com). [Tnx KC4PX]

01/07/2004:  Den, 9A3FO will be QRV as 9A3FO/p from Pag Island (EU-170, IOCA CI-082, WW Loc. JN74mk) between July 1st and 10th. Activity will be on 40, 30, 20, 17, 15 and 12 meters, exclusively CW. QSL via home call, direct or bureau (NO e-QSL please). [Tnx F5NQL]

01/07/2004:  FO5RN is the callsign issued to Vincent, F5MJV. He is in the French Navy and will be touring the Pacific for one year starting July 1st. Until mid September he will operate as FO5RN/p from Tahiti (IOTA OC-046, DIFO FO-002), French Polynesia. Then he will visit East Kiribati - T32 (Christmas Island, OC-024), Hawaii - KH6 (OC-019), the Marshall Islands - V73 (Majuro, OC-029), Micronesia - V6 (Pohnpei, OC-010), the Philippines - DU (Luzon, OC-042), Palau - T8 (Koror, OC-009), West Kiribati - T30 (Tarawa, OC-017) and American Samoa - KH8 (Tutuila, OC 045). He will return to Tahiti around Christmas. QSL via F5NQL, direct or bureau. [Tnx 425DXN]

01/07/2004:  Freddy, IZ1EPM reports he will operate again as II0P from Sardinia (IOTA EU-024, IIA SD-001, WW Loc. JN41of) between July